GIBSON MIDTOWN CUSTOM VSB, why is it so cheap?

[gwEm]

* The melody maker had an annoying lip between the edge of the neck and the start of the fingerboard - why?!

You mean the "ridge" you get along the line where the maple fretboard meets the (painted) mahogany part of the neck?

yes, that is exactly what i mean

Nearly all the Gibsons I've ever owned (even Custom Shop ones) suffer from that phenomenon.

It's where they scr@pe the coloured paint off the binding (or edge of the fretboard) before applying clear coats over the top.  I've never understood why you find it on Gibsons but rarely on other brands....

Haven't you got that issue on your other Gibson Vs?

Yes, but its only very slight in those case where it could be felt at all. On the melody maker with the burnt maple board it was rather large, Guitar Buyer reported a similar thing with a Melody Maker SG.

Is it the burnt maple, or the cheap finishing on that model. I suspect the later

[Philly Q]

Yeah, they're probably a bit heavy-handed with scr@ping back the finish, and then I guess there are few (if any) clear top-coats.

Shouldn't be anything to do with the maple - unless it's prone to shrinking, which would be worrying.  :?

[WezV]

Shouldn't be anything to do with the maple - unless it's prone to shrinking, which would be worrying.  :?

it will be a lot less prone to shrinking than ebony can be.  i think you are correct in your assumption about the thinness/lack of clear coats after scr@ping the edge.   

[Philly Q]

Oh, is ebony prone to shrinking?  I've been GASing for an ebony board guitar....  :?

[WezV]

dont worry about it phil, but on older guitars ebony shrinkage can start to show problems... generally not a major problem till +50 years but you sometimes see a bit more fret bloom on some ebony

[Philly Q]

Cheers Wez, sounds like if I buy something now I'll be wizened long before it is!  :lol:

[HTH AMPS]

They're doing them on a range of LP Customs too for £1399 and they look great (well, the one I saw today was anyway).  People are always complaining about the price of Gibsons and these guitars are priced pretty reasonably.

I'm sure they're good (I've been in a Gibson-positive mood recently), but I can't quite get over the sight of a Custom with a lighter-coloured fretboard - it has to be ebony, or at least something which looks like it!

I tried a Flying V Melody maker with the burnt maple board and decided I liked the material. However:

* Agree it has to be black in colour for an LP custom
* The melody maker had an annoying lip between the edge of the neck and the start of the fingerboard - why?!

The particular LP Custom in Guitar Guitar has a really dark fretboard, didn't look out of place at all. 

However, there is lots of variation and most are fairly light coloured.

[Sifu Ben]

Is it the same stuff as on a Parker fingerboard? Because that stuff plays great (indeed, very similar to good ebony).

[Philly Q]

Is it the same stuff as on a Parker fingerboard? Because that stuff plays great (indeed, very similar to good ebony).

The Midtown Custom has the synthetic "Richlite" board, which I guess is similar to Parker or Steinberger (in principle, at least - might be a totally different material!)

A lot of the other new Gibsons like the Melody Makers, Classic Customs etc have "Baked Maple" fretboards, which are just....maple.  :)

[JesusCrisp]

Is it the same stuff as on a Parker fingerboard? Because that stuff plays great (indeed, very similar to good ebony).

The Midtown Custom has the synthetic "Richlite" board, which I guess is similar to Parker or Steinberger (in principle, at least - might be a totally different material!)

A lot of the other new Gibsons like the Melody Makers, Classic Customs etc have "Baked Maple" fretboards, which are just....maple.  :)

Actually Gibson has a lot of new fretboard materials: Baked Maple, Richlite, Obeche, Granadillo, Katalox, and maybe even more.

[WezV]

Actually Gibson has a lot of new fretboard materials: Baked Maple, Richlite, Obeche, Granadillo, Katalox, and maybe even more.

funny how people will say 'baked maple', but nobody is saying 'baked obeche'. 

I am not exactly sure if gibson are baking the obeche or using some other process like acrylization, but it certainly isnt raw unadulterated obeche!

What models are they using Granadillo and Katalox on.  Personally i dont like granadillo much.  its ok, and works - but nothing special.  the brick red colour and boring grain do not inspire me, although i do still have a few fretboard blanks in the workshop

[Philly Q]

Yeah, I was ignoring the "Obeche" because it clearly isn't Obeche as we know it!

Hadn't seen the Granadillo or Katalox.

[JesusCrisp]

Granadillo on the Les Paul Studios:
http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio/Specs.aspx

Katalox on the Les Paul Deluxe:
http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio/Specs.aspx

[WezV]

looks like they got the pot of dye out again

this is typical of granadillo

[JesusCrisp]

I guess they are trying to make everything look like rosewood and ebony so people don't cry so much about the materials, well, not being rosewood and ebony.