Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Andrew W on January 11, 2014, 09:45:08 PM

Title: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Andrew W on January 11, 2014, 09:45:08 PM
(http://www.guitarsite.com/files/les-paul-melody-maker-2014.jpg)


http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2014/Les-Paul-Melody-Maker.aspx (http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2014/Les-Paul-Melody-Maker.aspx)

I don't need one, but that looks a lot of guitar for the money.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 11, 2014, 11:28:29 PM
'50s Rounded neck profile, too.  :D

It's basically a Les Paul Special, but the maple neck and top, and the P-90s with rod magnet polepieces(?) make it a bit different.

It interests me more than any of the other 2014 Gibsons, to be honest!
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Dave Sloven on January 11, 2014, 11:32:48 PM
Sounds good to me, except for the '50s neck ...
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Telerocker on January 11, 2014, 11:48:31 PM
What's the fretboard made of? Granadillo or something similar?
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Andrew W on January 12, 2014, 08:47:44 AM
Quote from: Telerocker on January 11, 2014, 11:48:31 PM
What's the fretboard made of? Granadillo or something similar?

The spec sheet says rosewood.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Telerocker on January 12, 2014, 10:47:24 AM
Quote from: Andrew W on January 12, 2014, 08:47:44 AM
Quote from: Telerocker on January 11, 2014, 11:48:31 PM
What's the fretboard made of? Granadillo or something similar?

The spec sheet says rosewood.

Promising at this pricepoint.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 12, 2014, 02:11:48 PM
Quote from: Telerocker on January 12, 2014, 10:47:24 AM
Quote from: Andrew W on January 12, 2014, 08:47:44 AM
Quote from: Telerocker on January 11, 2014, 11:48:31 PM
What's the fretboard made of? Granadillo or something similar?

The spec sheet says rosewood.

Promising at this pricepoint.

I think Gibson are quite keen to make a big thing of the fact that they once again have supplies of rosewood available to them, having spent nearly all of 2012 (and some time before) making guitars with baked maple, obeche, richwood or "bi-laminated" rosewood boards.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 09:04:46 AM
it does look good, and i'm quite surprised they can offer this for the money.

edit: the TV yellow one looks really cool
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: juansolo on January 13, 2014, 09:13:23 AM
Oh I like that!  8)
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Dave Sloven on January 13, 2014, 10:46:50 AM
It's missing the skinny Melody Maker headstock
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 11:25:54 AM
Quote from: Agent Orange on January 13, 2014, 10:46:50 AM
It's missing the skinny Melody Maker headstock
no guitar misses that my friend ;)


are my eyes deceiving me or does it have a curved/carved top?
(edit: just saw this is mentioned in Andrew W's original post)
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: MrBump on January 13, 2014, 12:08:33 PM
Best thing I've seen for ages.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Kiichi on January 13, 2014, 12:37:13 PM
Oh my....might Gibson actually put something good out for a change that is not easily beaten out by competing firms?
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 13, 2014, 01:34:54 PM
They've got 'em in stock at Guitar Village (and probably elsewhere too), for £499.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 01:55:10 PM
Thomann for £486.. seems like a good old fashioned bargain. i would want to play one first to see if theres no weird step between the fretboard on the neck as on a flying v melody maker i tried a couple of years back.

heres that gorgeous yellow:

(http://www.thomann.de/thumb/bdbmagic/pics/bdb/329084/7955875_800.jpg)
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 13, 2014, 02:03:26 PM
I'm not so keen on the yellow, it's too opaque for my liking.  I prefer the cherry (or wine red or whatever they call it).

The Stratosphere had a couple on eBay with the pickups and hardware stripped out, but they both sold overnight.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Andrew W on January 13, 2014, 02:05:17 PM
Quote from: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 01:55:10 PM
Thomann for £486.. seems like a good old fashioned bargain. i would want to play one first to see if theres no weird step between the fretboard on the neck as on a flying v melody maker i tried a couple of years back.

You can get a sense of the build and whatnot from the Anderton's (usual caveat emptor) video:

http://youtu.be/-LSvbYzZ3r0?t=1m14s (http://youtu.be/-LSvbYzZ3r0?t=1m14s)

I'm impressed with it.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 02:22:17 PM
you can hear those rod magnet pole pieces. i'm impressed too :) but i'd still want to try one first.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 13, 2014, 03:38:48 PM
Who'll buy one first...?  :lol:
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 04:53:34 PM
Quote from: Philly Q on January 13, 2014, 03:38:48 PM
Who'll buy one first...?  :lol:
ha! most likely not me

I am actually semi in the market for a cool Les Paul, since I have a set of Cold Sweats not in anything. But I'd need something with humbucker routs, and preferably older(80s/90s) with ebony board. I'm keeping an eye on the bay, but am in no rush.

The new LPM model has the mini robot tuning which interests me, but I'm not keen on any of the finishes.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: juansolo on January 13, 2014, 07:08:36 PM
LPJ (from vid 2) looks to be only £50 more and has buckers.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Telerocker on January 13, 2014, 07:19:18 PM
A pity the colours are all a bit bland/boring. For me the yellow one is the most attractive of the bunch.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 08:35:14 PM
Quote from: juansolo on January 13, 2014, 07:08:36 PM
LPJ (from vid 2) looks to be only £50 more and has buckers.

aye, and there seems to be a white one too - not bad. some of the old studio models have caught my eye - flip flop and other funky finishes. or 80s customs seem to be great value too. the new LPJ is cool, but i think there might something cooler come up on the 2nd hand market.

the new melody maker really is lovely in that TV yellow, hopefully they'll sell loads and bring some more interesting things out.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: gordiji on January 13, 2014, 08:49:55 PM
Considering the price and that it's a gibbo it does seem like a deal. It's cheaper than the Tokai's, i wonder if they helped gibson rethink their prices ? I also wonder how the neck is set. 
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: MrBump on January 13, 2014, 10:31:00 PM
Quote from: Andrew W on January 13, 2014, 02:05:17 PM
Quote from: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 01:55:10 PM
Thomann for £486.. seems like a good old fashioned bargain. i would want to play one first to see if theres no weird step between the fretboard on the neck as on a flying v melody maker i tried a couple of years back.

You can get a sense of the build and whatnot from the Anderton's (usual caveat emptor) video:

http://youtu.be/-LSvbYzZ3r0?t=1m14s (http://youtu.be/-LSvbYzZ3r0?t=1m14s)

I'm impressed with it.

Those two are unbearable, aren't they?  Not the guitars, obviously.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 14, 2014, 01:11:42 AM
Quote from: gwEm on January 13, 2014, 08:35:14 PM
Quote from: juansolo on January 13, 2014, 07:08:36 PM
LPJ (from vid 2) looks to be only £50 more and has buckers.

aye, and there seems to be a white one too - not bad. some of the old studio models have caught my eye - flip flop and other funky finishes. or 80s customs seem to be great value too. the new LPJ is cool, but i think there might something cooler come up on the 2nd hand market.

the new melody maker really is lovely in that TV yellow, hopefully they'll sell loads and bring some more interesting things out.

I know what you mean, there are definitely much cooler options.

But the thing which really keeps drawing me to this new Melody Maker LP is the thinner body.  There haven't been many LP models with that spec (the Custom Lite, SL, Smartwood, Vixen and Goddess spring to mind, I think that's about it).  It not only reduces the weight, it makes the LP feel totally different, a much more manageable guitar.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: juansolo on January 14, 2014, 09:23:27 AM
Could be something here worth considering. Though I've got no idea what has a bi-laminate board or any other such bollocks when it comes to modern Gibsons

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/clearance/?brandname=Gibson (http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/clearance/?brandname=Gibson)
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Philly Q on January 14, 2014, 02:09:07 PM
I know the bi-laminate rosewood boards were used on all Custom Shop guitars built between "early" (Jan/Feb) 2012 and the end of 2012.  I'm sure a few must have sneaked into 2013 as well, but officially they didn't.

I don't know how widely-used they were on non-CS models.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Elliot on January 14, 2014, 04:43:18 PM
I must say I like the Telecaster Version yellow - I have the cheapo Les Paul Special DC from a few year back and its a nice one.  These look just as nice, if not more so.

Shame I have no money and that Fender have some guitars out (Starcaster, Bass VI, pink offset special) that just cry out to me more.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: littleredguitars2 on January 14, 2014, 06:46:07 PM
thats pretty sweet. i'd throw a supermassive in there and go to town
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: 38thBeatle on January 14, 2014, 07:56:56 PM
I like the basic functional vibe and I prefer the yellow one though I can't see me getting one even at that price. I really must collect my DC Special from USA.
Title: Re: The Gibson 2014 Melody Maker
Post by: Telerocker on January 14, 2014, 09:16:24 PM
These guitars cry for Nantuckets. Pure rock'n'roll.