A look inside a new 2019 Les Paul 60s Standard

earwighoney

At what point in the video can you see the machine marks on the fretboard? 

JezWynd

earwighoney said:

At what point in the video can you see the machine marks on the fretboard? 

10.40 onwards.
Thanks @Philly_Q.

Modellista

The ding on the top covered by the scratchplate is very cheeky.

roberty

There are machine marks on the ebony fretboard of the repaired 2012 '57 CS Black Beauty I picked up recently. They really don't gaf at any price!

terada

Is it me or does the headstock look very thin/paddle like?

stickyfiddle

FWIW I love a good Gibson. I also don't believe they're ever made a perfect guitar - not in the 50's and not now. It just doesn't happen. They also sound better than Japanese stuff and don't have that horrible generic D shaped neck that literally every Japanese LP comes with. They're not perfect but they're made by people and you can tell. I see that as a good thing, while appreciating that a load of people would rather have millimetre-perfect precision on every instrument. 

I also note that my SG that I paid 400 notes for is dinged to fuck, isn't a one-piece body, has had a neck break, *definitely* has some minor marks on the fretboard and has slightly-thicker-than-old-ones binding. But it's also probably my favourite guitar and I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Some people worry too much.

earwighoney

JezWynd said:

earwighoney said:

At what point in the video can you see the machine marks on the fretboard? 

10.40 onwards.
Thanks @Philly_Q.

Yeah, I can see them.  FWIW, I don't the machine marks on the fretboard are as bad as some are making out, FWIW the positioning of the nut is something which would piss me off more! 

I thought the guitar actually sounded pretty good in the demo towards the end.

Philly_Q

stickyfiddle said:

FWIW I love a good Gibson. I also don't believe they're ever made a perfect guitar - not in the 50's and not now. It just doesn't happen. They also sound better than Japanese stuff and don't have that horrible generic D shaped neck that literally every Japanese LP comes with. They're not perfect but they're made by people and you can tell. I see that as a good thing, while appreciating that a load of people would rather have millimetre-perfect precision on every instrument. 

Totally agreed.  100%.

(But I reserve the right to moan about them when the mood takes me)

amarok1971

Philly_Q said:

stickyfiddle said:

FWIW I love a good Gibson. I also don't believe they're ever made a perfect guitar - not in the 50's and not now. It just doesn't happen. They also sound better than Japanese stuff and don't have that horrible generic D shaped neck that literally every Japanese LP comes with. They're not perfect but they're made by people and you can tell. I see that as a good thing, while appreciating that a load of people would rather have millimetre-perfect precision on every instrument. 

Totally agreed.  100%.

(But I reserve the right to moan about them when the mood takes me)

me too, i have 9 core prsi (an ME1 at the top of that tree) and the guitar that remains out by the sofa is a faded SG special that i paid £300 for... it rings like a bell

uncledick

My recently purchased Heritage H150 has a 2 piece back with a one piece top.  Surely that's gonna give me some kind of upside-down tone.....

Perhaps I should play it behind my head like Jimi to put things right.

Joking aside, by the time I'd tuned up, it was clear that it had more ring and resonance than any of the 4 Gibsons I'd played in the previous hour.

thegummy

If there were 800 quid guitars that were just as good where it matters but had no flaws like marks on the fretboard etc. Then there were 2 grand ones that were absolutely perfect, some would pay more for perfection while others would say they worried too much about tiny details.

But when it's the 2 grand ones that have the flaws while loads of 800 quid ones are perfect, it is a different story.

thegummy

Btw, is it true that Gibson use less machinery than other companies and there guitars are more hand made than others?

Or is that just a guess because of the quality problems?

guitars4you

thegummy said:

Btw, is it true that Gibson use less machinery than other companies and there guitars are more hand made than others?

Or is that just a guess because of the quality problems?

Gibson utilise a Plek machine, where the likes of PRS/Fender + others don't - But all utilise CNC for most of the wood work, including cutting/shaping - But all the key 'attention to detail work' is still done by hand - The CNC will leave fine cutting marks that are 'sanded' out by hand and checked accordingly - So very little , if any, difference to the actual production work

rico

Not a fan of the wide headstock and there is no ebony finish. I'm out.

thegummy

guitars4you said:

thegummy said:

Btw, is it true that Gibson use less machinery than other companies and there guitars are more hand made than others?

Or is that just a guess because of the quality problems?

Gibson utilise a Plek machine, where the likes of PRS/Fender + others don't - But all utilise CNC for most of the wood work, including cutting/shaping - But all the key 'attention to detail work' is still done by hand - The CNC will leave fine cutting marks that are 'sanded' out by hand and checked accordingly - So very little , if any, difference to the actual production work

 do you know if Gibson use plek on even their cheapest models?

My lp does have good fret levelness, or at least a lack of problems caused by that

guitars4you

thegummy said:

guitars4you said:

thegummy said:

Btw, is it true that Gibson use less machinery than other companies and there guitars are more hand made than others?

Or is that just a guess because of the quality problems?

Gibson utilise a Plek machine, where the likes of PRS/Fender + others don't - But all utilise CNC for most of the wood work, including cutting/shaping - But all the key 'attention to detail work' is still done by hand - The CNC will leave fine cutting marks that are 'sanded' out by hand and checked accordingly - So very little , if any, difference to the actual production work

 do you know if Gibson use plek on even their cheapest models?

My lp does have good fret levelness, or at least a lack of problems caused by that

I think initially they only utilised them on Custom Shop/Historic replicas - They now have more Plek machines (they cost a lot of money) and since around 2014 all guitars have been 'plekked'  - take a guitar to be 'plekked' and it will cost over £150 so somewhat of a 'free' offering from Gibson

Duesenberg utilise them as do Suhr - Along with Gibson they are probably the main players 

Some think a Plek leaves the frets to flat and prefer more of a rounded crown top - But it should make them all level

I don't know the finer detail, but I believe or have heard Gibson have changed the actual set-up to the Plek, as some reports have been they took to much of the top of the fret, hence less height

Grumpyrocker

My 2009 Traditional had been Plekt - had a sticker on it pointing this out like it was a big deal.

peteri

I think overall the guitar looks nice, but that fingerboard looks awful - it might be the light, but it looks like it's been over sprayed or something? Certainly in the upper fret area

They're heading the right direction, and the change from last year is massive - so hopefully that will continue

Philly_Q

guitars4you said:

Some think a Plekt leaves the frets to flat and prefer more of a rounded crown top - But it should make them all level

The first Plek'd guitar I ever had was an ES-339, around 2010.  It felt fine, but at one point Jonathan at @FelineGuitars did a bit of a setup, I think he created some "fall away" on the upper frets - and then it felt a whole lot better.

guitars4you

peteri said:

They're heading the right direction, and the change from last year is massive - so hopefully that will continue

I agree, based on the catalogue alone at this stage, that 2019 looks more promising than before

Just think about it - How much business Gibson generate with so many negative comments and have done so for many many years - If they can improve their attention to detail, then it can only be a good thing for all