Custom shop juniors and PRICES see page 4 :)

Hootsmon

peeps.......what are these geetars like compared tae the std issue juniors.....is there a big step up in class and playability thing going on? tell me all about it

usedtobe

They're probably awesome, but I find the whole idea of Custom Shop LP Juniors a bit... 

JezWynd

...oxymoronic.

AlexHunter

In a word, yes. Baseball bat necks, incredibly resonant, deceptively versatile despite the single pickup. Mine was the best Gibson LP I'd ever played by a long long way, it was only nudged out of the collection because of the playability of my 2 Felines, though it probably sounded on a par. 

guitars4you

chalk and cheese as far as I'm concerned - granted if you can't hear it, feel it, appreciate it or not even able to afford it, then hard to justify it - But if you appreciate all the 'goodness' in a Historic Collection/Custom Shop Junior and can afford it, then no contest - I often notice that you'll appreciate the gains of such a discerning guitar when you move back down to the production model after playing them side by side for a while - You'll notice a difference when you move up but appreciate it more when you move back down

Why is it better - maybe I don't know enough good adjectives to describe such an experience that well - Don't know if Shelley and Wordsworth could either - But you hands and ears are the best judge when it comes down to tonal quality, feel and the all round playing experience

Hootsmon

Thanks guys 

Strangefan

I think with such a basic guitar, the best thing to do is take each guitar on their individual merits,  with such basic construction and hardware I can't see how the custom shot will be leagues ahead of a standard one. 

I could only tell very subtle differences between my old usa strat against its custom shop cousi ln I used to own.

IvisonGuitars

guitars4you said:

chalk and cheese as far as I'm concerned - granted if you can't hear it, feel it, appreciate it or even afford it, then hard to justify it - But if you appreciate all the 'goodness' in a Historic Collection/Custom Shop Junior and can afford it, then no contest - I often notice that you'll appreciate the gains of such a discerning guitar when you move back down to the production model after playing them side by side for a while - You'll notice a difference when you move up but appreciate it more when you move back down

Why is it better - maybe I don't know enough good adjectives to describe such an experience that well - Don't know if Shelley and Wordsworth could either - But you hands and ears are the best judge when it comes down to tonal quality, feel and the all round playing experience

Wise words indeed @guitars4you

guitars4you

miserneil said:

guitars4you said:

chalk and cheese as far as I'm concerned - granted if you can't hear it, feel it, appreciate it or even afford it, then hard to justify it - But if you appreciate all the 'goodness' in a Historic Collection/Custom Shop Junior and can afford it, then no contest - I often notice that you'll appreciate the gains of such a discerning guitar when you move back down to the production model after playing them side by side for a while - You'll notice a difference when you move up but appreciate it more when you move back down

Why is it better - maybe I don't know enough good adjectives to describe such an experience that well - Don't know if Shelley and Wordsworth could either - But you hands and ears are the best judge when it comes down to tonal quality, feel and the all round playing experience

Wise words indeed @guitars4you

I dare say the next chat is about an original golden era v Custom Shop - over to you on that one but the overview is still similar as per above !!!!!!!!!!

merlin

If you get a CS then you'd be welcome to drop by at mine and check it out against my 56. 

Bridgehouse

guitars4you said:

miserneil said:

Wise words indeed @guitars4you

I dare say the next chat is about an original golden era v Custom Shop - over to you on that one but the overview is still similar as per above !!!!!!!!!!

I thought long and hard before saying this, but I'd say my new R8 is on a par with the '62 LP Special I have..

And it's been hard to admit that....

usedtobe

JezWynd said:

...oxymoronic.

I was struggling for the word I needed, and I think that's the one! Cheers, fella!

guitars4you

usedtobe said:

JezWynd said:

...oxymoronic.

I was struggling for the word I needed, and I think that's the one! Cheers, fella!

must admit to diving into google to see what it meant

Exorcist

I'm not sure how much better it could be? different maybe? I have a 2010 junior, and I honestly don't know how it could be much better? But I haven't tried a CS so I guess I dunno... But its still a slab of hog with a p90? 

merlin

Exorcist said:

I'm not sure how much better it could be? different maybe? I have a 2010 junior, and I honestly don't know how it could be much better? But I haven't tried a CS so I guess I dunno... But its still a slab of hog with a p90? 

Yeah, but the slow maturing of the slab itself and the spit and the polish etc all add to the feel. The little black box with the magnets and wires also adds to the equation. 

I've played a bunch of LPJs, from all the periods of Gibson's manufacturing. I've also played quite a few copies (I own an Arbiter DC from 1975) and there is a certain, unquestionable magic about the late 50s versions. Just is. I have not found a single cut LPJ that matches my '56. 

I haven't tried a CS Junior yet, and I look forward to trying one against my vintage version. I am sure that they are fantastic. 

guitars4you

Exorcist said:

. But its still a slab of hog with a p90? 

You are right to a degree, certainly when viewed on paper - but in reality so many things help to produce magic

In a way a rosewood block of wood, tuned to pitch, on a xylophone, is the most basic form of an instrument - Yet some blocks have a better tone than others

I'm not a believer that all old guitars are good - far from it an in many instances a modern Custom Shop can match or beat certain vintage models - But I believe that both have attributes that are very rarely found on a standard production model

IvisonGuitars

Exorcist said:

I'm not sure how much better it could be? different maybe? I have a 2010 junior, and I honestly don't know how it could be much better? But I haven't tried a CS so I guess I dunno... But its still a slab of hog with a p90? 

True. But the fit and finish of the CS model is MUCH closer to the original Juniors that the standard model. It's much like the R6/R7/R8/R9's are pretty faithful reissues to the originals compared to a LP Standard for instance. 

The CS Juniors are great, the necks can be a bit unwieldily on some of them (I had a CS TV DC Junior that had the biggest neck of ANY guitar i'd ever played, It was uncomfortably big). I personally think the Gibson P90 & CTS pots they have in them are both excellent. They also have modern fretwire as apposed to the thin stuff that the 50's SC's had, making them more playable straight out of the box.

The plus side of a genuine Vintage junior for me is the weight and resonance of the wood. It's just better quality, lightweight  wood. It was available in abundance back then. Just seems more 'musical' to me, I can feel it resonate in my hands. The old P90's just have that sound. I still regard them as the best pickup Gibson ever made. And of course there's the 'mojo' of the genuine vintage junior.  

SidNewton

Exorcist said:

I'm not sure how much better it could be? different maybe? I have a 2010 junior, and I honestly don't know how it could be much better? But I haven't tried a CS so I guess I dunno... But its still a slab of hog with a p90? 

I once knew someone who owned a Mk2 Golf GTi. I asked him if he ever fancied getting something quicker to which he replied "I couldn't imagine anything quicker". Er......yeah.

I played a Custom Shop Junior that World Guitars recently had for sale. It was glorious. Would've bought it there and then if they had taken my American Standard Strat in px. They didn't and I walked away somewhat disappointed.

Exorcist

Yep. pretty much expected that kinda response. I'll try better to explain.

@merlin I understand what your saying about a genuine 50's Jr, but we are talking about a new production CS, and isn't that "little black box with the wires" the same on the CS model as the production model? AFAIK its the same pickup?

So the wood, yep I imagine they source better wood, and 1 piece bodies, but I really doubt on a Junior you could hear the difference. Maybe the tone caps might be better or something, as for the fretboard and tuners, that's a feel thing, and I guess some might prefer the CS, but blindfolded I wouldn't be suprised if people couldn't tell the difference between standard JR and CS Junior unless they had played them both previously. 

I get it for Les Paul Standards/CS R9's R8's and such, there is a fair amount going on with that guitar, and the little extras add up a fair amount and can be worth the money to some people. But a junior is really a simple stripped down guitar. I really think your paying to own a custom shop, and fair enough, finish and quality control will be much more consistent. But I still don't think it is going to be better, just different and 'historically correct'.  I bet cranked up mine will sound just as good. IMHO

Just for the record, I've been around guitars for a long time, I own vintage guitars with honduran mahogany bodies, and CS Gibsons (not LP's) and I've lost count of the LP's I've played over the years.

and @SidNewton that's really is a terrible analogy, no offence, but what has the speed of an 80's hot hatch got to do with a Les Paul Junior? Of course there are faster cars? I really don't get it? Are you saying I'm saying a LPJ is the best guitar in the world or something? Its an LPJ - Maybe what your friend was sayin was not to give him another mk2 GTI for twice the price because it was sprayed a vintage color and used vintage leather for the seats.

Anyway, its just my opinion

Hootsmon

are the CS juniors like the LPs...you know various LP years 57 58 59s

do Gibson have a selection of juniors from different years too?

monoamine

I think honestly for the price of a custom shop junior (approaching £2k if I am not too far off), you might consider saving a bit more and hunting for a vintage 57-60 junior. I did exactly that and think the extra investment really paid off... but then again I might have gotten lucky with mine.