Author Topic: Melody Maker (Read 5165 times)

MrBump · « **on:** January 20, 2008, 09:34:04 PM »

Hey, Guys.

Anyone used one of the new Melody Makers, the 2007 dual pup reissues? Lots of deals on the at the moment, new ones for as little as £200. Has anyone got good things to say about them? Was thinking that an all mahogany guitar loaded with Sinners might be evil... :twisted:

Mark.

AdamB · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2008, 09:44:13 PM »

I'd play one first. Can imagines Gibsons quality control has gone out of window on these

kellar · « **Reply #2 on:** January 20, 2008, 10:45:19 PM »

I personally wouldn't recommend Melody Makers. I have played a few. The setups are atrocious. The pickups will need changing and the electronics/pots are all worth replacing. You'll spend more money upgrading than what it's worth. Then again, don't take my word for it. If you find one that suits you go for it. Someone told me to never buy an Epiphone Les Paul. I did and I play it more than my Gibson. Love it!! Especially with the new Mules!!

MrBump · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2008, 09:10:44 AM »

Interesting stuff, thanks.

What I was thinking was that for 200 quid I'd have a pretty decent lump of mahogany. I could then upgrade everything else and make it into a pretty decent geetar.

But then maybe I should save my pennies and go the Warmoth route...

Mark.

Henk · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2008, 09:19:41 AM »

Save up and buy something really worthwile, the risk of such a guitar ending up in the corner is very big if you ask me.

MrBump · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2008, 10:47:00 AM »

Awww, Henk! I thought you'd understand!!! I was trying to sneak the damn thing under the wife radar...

Henk · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2008, 10:59:39 AM »

OHHHH, you lucky man!

Mine has her tentacles so far up my AHEM, shes tapped right into my brain! :roll: :P

As long as you can sneak in as much as you can and then if she sees it just tell her you still had alot of spare parts(from your single days :lol: ) and you made the Warmoth from that 8) .

The B-class mahagony guitars are not very good though, well maybe your lucky, but a good mahagony guitar sounds quite bright and has a chimey ring to the sustain. Most sound dead as a board though, and youll be put off immediately anyway...

MrBump · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2008, 10:01:21 PM »

Fair points one and all.

However...

I've just YOUTUBED Gibson Melody maker, and and there are some guys making some pretty decent noise with the reissues...

Hmmm...

Philly Q · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2008, 11:16:50 PM »

You can still get real vintage Melody Makers at reasonable prices if you're lucky. My '65 cost me less than £600 a few years back.

Scotty477 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2008, 11:38:18 PM »

That looks great Phill. Very clean looking.

Henk · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2008, 08:48:29 AM »

Ive played a couple of those vintage gibson melody makers and they are really good, totally different league then the present epiphones. There are still duds around though.

I personally didnt like the pickup, and rerouting it to fit a humbucker seemed a bit too nasty at the time....

Mr Ed · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2008, 09:01:51 AM »

Either look for an old one or a replica.

Philly Q · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2008, 01:16:07 PM »

Quote from: Henk

I personally didnt like the pickup, and rerouting it to fit a humbucker seemed a bit too nasty at the time....

I have a custom Seymour Duncan rails-style pickup in a Melody Maker cover on mine. There was no way I'd rout the body on a guitar that's as old as me! I still have the original pickup though.

gwEm · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2008, 01:21:47 PM »

personally i've never played an epiphone or gibson which was a completely useless instrument. its true though that gibson's wild quality control has meant that often the instruments weren't as fine as their high price tag suggested.

i gave one of those melody makers a spin for a couple of minutes and it was decent enough - not my thing though. once tried a 60s one, also not my thing, but it was amazingly resonant! different league for sure... i sort of wish those old melody makers had P90s, though some people really like those melody maker pickups.

MrBump · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2008, 02:21:25 PM »

Quote

i gave one of those melody makers a spin for a couple of minutes and it was decent enough

this is kinda what I was thinking - if the fundamentals are decent enough, and the cost is low enough, it might be a good project guitar (new electrics, new PUPS (hmmm... wonder what ones...), new paintjob maybe).

But I don't know. Maybe I should just do the Warmoth thing. Had an amazing dream last night about a mother of pearl bound Warmoth SG, Walnut with mahogany neck and ebony fretboard. It was NICE!

Mark.