That's right Roo, it's safe to come in here :lol:
No pics yet, I've just finished ripping it to bits, transferring my Riff Raffs into it and then setting it up for 11s - and now I've got to go out and get the dinner apparently :roll:
I wasn't really expecting to be buying another guitar this year - and certainly not this one. It's a Gibson SG Special Worn/Faded Cherry and, bugger-me, it's good :D
I was kinda bored, wandering round music shops, and thinking I'm not loving my Epi SG with the RRs in. And I saw some of these faded/worn things. I've been reading the threads about them, not really getting off on the batwing scratchplate, but wondering and semi-gassing...
Up close, it turns out the batwings don't worry me, but I don't like the look of the uncovered pickups - but, hey, that was no problem because if I was buying, what I was really buying was a new home for my RRs :lol:
The first one I tried was, er, OK, but no cigar. It was a bit weedy and harsh sounding for my money. The Riff Raffs would have sounded worse (for what I want) in that one than they do in my Epi. I tried another, it was different, but not better.
(I shoulda gone home then... )
But I knew people were saying these faded beasties are variable. So I wandered back to where I'd seen some others. They had one cherry and one brown, the colour was kinda not an issue for me, I like both, but I lean towards red guitars, so I asked to try the cherry first.
Even as the bloke was checking the tuning accoustically I could hear it was streets ahead of the others I'd tried. He put it in my hands and I started noodling. Seemed to have a lot more soul to it for me. I got him to give me the brown one as well, and A-B'd them without the amp -even he could hear the difference (the brown one was a bit thinner sounding, and then through the amp loads harsher). I played the cherry for a bit longer, it's got the bite you want, but some warmth and body as well.
When I got it home, I found it sounded even better through my usual amp models. I quite liked the gibbo pups (490R/T), but I hate the uncovered look. I tried it against the Epi with the Riff Raffs and I preferred the new one with the 490s :o (that was a big smile moment - I knew I hadn't made a mistake!!).
So I ripped out all the pups (discovered the new one has a bluddy circuit board and molex micro-fit connectors :x ... but I managed to get round it :P), and now my new geetar has nice nickel covered Riff Raffs in it.
Boy-oh-boy - I thought the Riff Raffs were good before (they were my first set)... I had no idea how good they are!! :lol:
Compared to the 490s (and bear in mind I also switched from 10s to 11s on the strings - so that'll have some effect), the Riff Raffs are a lot thicker and warmer sounding, but with the same amount of top-end and SG bite. At the same time they sound more open and let my playing breathe.
Happy bunny 8)
