Advice needed Gibson tribute

JayGee

On the other hand I’ve got a 2019 Tribute Goldtop, like it very much, and didn’t think it was overpriced at all...

thegummy

escoces said:

Interested in the PRS SE245. There seem to be different versions and different prices. Any particular one I should be looking at?

darhart said:

Or for a little more at £760
https://www.thomann.de/gb/gibson_lp_studio_2016_t_eb_gh.htm

That is a nice looking guitar

The "PRS SE 245" is very similar to a Les Paul but has contours on the body, a fixed hardtail bridge instead of a tune-o-matic and a different (IMO better) headstock.

The "PRS SE Standard 245" is the same but it doesn't have a maple cap on the body, it's just mahogany.

Are there any other versions you've seen?

My experience with PRS SE is quite the opposite of my experience of the sub-£1000 Gibsons. Every one I've tried I have found to be very well made, basically flawless. I still have the Bernie Marsden which is based on the 245, I got it on sale for £499 and it's quite probably highest quality feeling/looking guitar I have. I'm sure many people would see it and assume it cost several times what it did.

The contours on the body aren't overly noticeable to look at but make a big difference to comfort. I let my friend have a shot and he was convinced it was more like an SG than a Les Paul. Obviously that's not the case, its outline is basically identical to a LP but the comfort of the contours made it feel more like an SG to him (his favourite guitar to play is an SG).

So I would definitely recommend PRS SE to anyone.

hollywoodrox

thegummy said:

I had the Tribute and I wouldn't say it's a good quality guitar at all.

Compared to Asian-made guitars in the same price range, it is so bare-bones and stripped down and the quality control is poor, there was a dent out the fingerboard for example.

Gibson just overcharge so much for their normal guitars that their idea of a sub-£1000 guitar is as minimal specs as possible and seems like it would have to be snapped in half not to pass their quality inspection.

I had a 2017 one  didn’t like it at all . Love my epiphone’s though . The Ltd EC 256 is also great as mentioned above . I would only buy a Gibson now if it were a standard, classic or traditional.
my Les Paul custom pro felt like a million dollars and got a few compliments on sound. I like the probuckers  

Alnico

For that money I'd be buying a 1990 LP Studio with an Ebony board.

Mine was Wine Red and I'd be happy with that again, although I was never keen on gold hardware but that's easily changed.

Had one, loved it and if it HAD to be Gibson, it would be that one again.

If not a Gibson, I have an LTD EC401 and it's a stunning guitar, although a little different to a trad LP but I know how good they are. You get PRS build quality for Epiphone money if you buy used and even brand new an LTD would fit in your budget. There's usually quite a few available used and the EC1000 is even better with upgrades all over. Mine came with EMG's but plenty were available from the 2016 range that had Seymour Duncans too.

I've wanted a Trad LP for a while now after playing a friends white Epiphone LPC and honestly, right now I'd buy the Epiphone and swap out a few parts but then I've always liked the Epiphone headstock and they make excellent guitars; I have one of their 2018 Explorers and I've owned a few of their Korean LP's in the past.

escoces

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

Tex Mexico

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

Alex2678

LPs look wrong to me if they’re anything less than the best, trap inlays and binding ect, whereas I feel like SGs are more rough and ready and the lower priced models with dots and no binding look different rather than lesser, I had an SG faded which was absolutely great and really regret selling it. Think it’s effectively been replaced by the SG tribute now, but they get around the £600 mark when they’re on sale.

darthed1981

So what we have learned, is everyone thinks something different....

I bought a Gibson LP Faded Studio in 2016, it's very good, nicely built, sounds great, and the basic satin finish and lack of bling add to it's charms. 

I also have an Epiphone LP Custom Pro that's also very good though if anything the Gibson just edges it.

I can't help but echo the other opinions here regarding the LTD EC guitars and the PRS SE, which are just superb value for money.

Try a PRS SE Standard at £475 somewhere, and if you really feel you need more guitar, ever, then work your way up.

Once you get down to guitars at about £300 you get some serious compromises to hit that price, but none of those inherently mean you won't get a great playing or sounding guitar.

Edit to add - BUT... if you really want a Les Paul with "Gibson" on the top, nothing else will really do for you, Gibson know this, which is why they still charge £2500 for £1000 quality guitars...

thegummy

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

Tex Mexico

thegummy said:

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

So it is, well spotted.

Hard to say if that's worth the extra money, but if you do go for the flamey one you'll at least know there's a real cap under the veneer.

That said there's nothing wrong with an all-hog body.

MagicPigDetective

I’ve been wanting a Gibson badly for a few years, despite all the horror stories. Perhaps I’m a sucker for their marketing or the aura that surrounds the brand. I’ve been close to getting a Tribute but never did pull the trigger.  However the longer that passes, the more I have felt that if I’m going to get a Gibson Les Paul, I may as go the whole hog well get a Classic/Standard/Traditional, and I’ve been planning a fund for a while. Watch this space....soon perhaps. 

escoces

thegummy said:

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

Anyone tried both? Is the maple worth the extra? No stock in stores near me to compare

escoces

Tex Mexico said:

thegummy said:

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

So it is, well spotted.

Hard to say if that's worth the extra money, but if you do go for the flamey one you'll at least know there's a real cap under the veneer.

That said there's nothing wrong with an all-hog body.

Anyone tried both versions? No stores near me stock both for me to compare

escoces

thegummy said:

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

Anyone tried both? Is the maple worth the extra? No stock in stores near me to compare

escoces

Tex Mexico said:

thegummy said:

Tex Mexico said:

escoces said:

Thanks for all the help. Been looking at the "PRS SE 245

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_standard_ts.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prs_se_245_ts_2017.htm

Quite a difference in price between the two versions. Is the second one worth the extra expense?

It's not clear at all what that extra money is paying for.

I reckon the cheaper one will be just as good. Only differences I can see are cosmetic.

The difference between those two is a maple cap.

So it is, well spotted.

Hard to say if that's worth the extra money, but if you do go for the flamey one you'll at least know there's a real cap under the veneer.

That said there's nothing wrong with an all-hog body.

Anyone tried both versions? No stores near me stock both for me to compare

escoces

Sorry for the repeats. keyboard malfunction lol

thegummy

escoces said:

Anyone tried both? Is the maple worth the extra? No stock in stores near me to compare

Haven't tried them both personally but, unless you're a "tonewood atheist" then the one with the maple cap will be more like a Les Paul if that's definitely specifically what you want.

There's nothing objectively better about either wood though, just different.

Musicman20

I picked up a new 2017 Tribute with the reveal binding in honeyburst. I think I was VERY lucky to receive such an excellent example. I almost sold it, but the £2.5k Les Paul I was going to replace it with was pretty shoddy, so nope, I stuck to the £600 version!

I like Gibson but I still don't trust their QC. I would also go for a PRS SE - The Marsden model is great and often on sale. 

JayGee

MagicPigDetective said:

I’ve been wanting a Gibson badly for a few years, despite all the horror stories. Perhaps I’m a sucker for their marketing or the aura that surrounds the brand. I’ve been close to getting a Tribute but never did pull the trigger.  However the longer that passes, the more I have felt that if I’m going to get a Gibson Les Paul, I may as go the whole hog well get a Classic/Standard/Traditional, and I’ve been planning a fund for a while. Watch this space....soon perhaps. 

That’s were I was at fir quite a while, then with the change of ownership/management at Gibson last year I started to get a bad feeling that the “entry level” might be about to go through the roof. With that in mind I went out and played a lot of guitars with a view to getting a feel for whether if I I bought a Studio or Tribute I’d feel I’d short changed myself. Turned out that out of a whole bunch of guitars up to and including a Standard the one I actually liked best was a Tribute Goldtop - it doesn’t feel like a “decontented” Standard, it feels[1] very much its own thing and I fell for it heavily.

[1] “Feel” is an important word here - the thin, non grain filled satin finish actually has a lovely tactile quality to it...

corona55

I have a 2013 Gibson Les Paul 70s tribute that I bought in 2014 for £599. Changed the Dirty Fingers pickups for Creamery 59 PAF's and had a bone nut installed. Guitar plays and sounds great very happy with it, get a Gibson you wont regret it.  The PRS  is nice but the bird neck inlays are a definite no no for me. Just my humble opinion of course.