Another NGD.... I'm blaming Cleggy!

[38thBeatle]

My favourite Juniors are DC's-in fact I have one in the USA that I hope to acquire before too long-fate has conspired against me for ages! But that is a great looking guitar Philly and I love the colour.

[richard]

Gorgeous, one of my favourite guitar shapes.

[Andrew W]

Just out of curiosity, how smooth and thin is the finish? I had a double cut LP Special for years that was a decent guitar but had a very thick finish on it which I suspect in hindsight led to the rather stifled tone it had. Are the fancier Gibsons better in this regard?

[Philly Q]

That's gorgeous Phil, I blame me too!

 :lol: :lol:

Comment of the thread!

[Philly Q]

Thanks for all the comments, gents!  :D

Just out of curiosity, how smooth and thin is the finish? I had a double cut LP Special for years that was a decent guitar but had a very thick finish on it which I suspect in hindsight led to the rather stifled tone it had. Are the fancier Gibsons better in this regard?

The VOS finishes are meant to be thinner than a normal-production Gibson nitro finish, but it's hard to tell if it really is or not.

I was expecting this one to have quite a "rough" finish, with lots of sinkage (is that a word?) into the mahogany grain.  That's what the two Edwards "Lacquer Taste" Juniors I had were like.  Oddly enough it's very smooth indeed, maybe the smoothest finish of any Gibson I've owned.  Still feels like nitro, though.

I'm surprised your LP Special had a thick finish - I'd say nearly all my Gibsons have had pretty thin finishes, although the finishes do sometimes feel quite "soft" and easily marked.  A few of those guitars did  sound quite thin and strangled, but I always put that down to poorer quality timbers on the production models.  Long ago I had a (singlecut) Gibson LP Special with P-100s which was really quite cr@p - my MIJ Epiphone LP Special pisses all over it, frankly.
 

[Ian Price]

Nice one Philly!

For a moment I thought you meant Nick Clegg  :oops:

[AndyR]

Thanks for all the comments, gents!  :D

Just out of curiosity, how smooth and thin is the finish? I had a double cut LP Special for years that was a decent guitar but had a very thick finish on it which I suspect in hindsight led to the rather stifled tone it had. Are the fancier Gibsons better in this regard?

The VOS finishes are meant to be thinner than a normal-production Gibson nitro finish, but it's hard to tell if it really is or not.

I was expecting this one to have quite a "rough" finish, with lots of sinkage (is that a word?) into the mahogany grain.  That's what the two Edwards "Lacquer Taste" Juniors I had were like.  Oddly enough it's very smooth indeed, maybe the smoothest finish of any Gibson I've owned.  Still feels like nitro, though.

I'm surprised your LP Special had a thick finish - I'd say nearly all my Gibsons have had pretty thin finishes, although the finishes do sometimes feel quite "soft" and easily marked.  A few of those guitars did  sound quite thin and strangled, but I always put that down to poorer quality timbers on the production models.  Long ago I had a (singlecut) Gibson LP Special with P-100s which was really quite cr@p - my MIJ Epiphone LP Special pisses all over it, frankly.
 

When I stripped my Gibson Explorer I found it had a surprisingly (to me) thick finish. It was like a solid shell that came off in great big lumps in places - I was a bit worried that the thing was going to be noticably smaller!!

I have to say though, I can't really tell whether the tone changed a great deal. My first thought is it must have, but there's a little voice in my head saying "you don't really know, not really, do you?" :lol:

[Twinfan]

Gorgeous Phil - love it  :D

[Philly Q]

Cheers Dave!  :D

[Mr. Air]

Oh man what a nice guitar! I totally dig the DC jr and special look. I want one!!!  :D

Congrats on the guitar, Philly!

[Philly Q]

Oh man what a nice guitar! I totally dig the DC jr and special look. I want one!!!  :D

I've always loved the look of the singlecut Jr and Special, and the doublecut Jr..... but never really liked the doublecut Special!  Always thought the pickup and control placement on that model looks a bit odd.

But funnily enough, I'm now starting to get some GAS for a DC Special.... it's the obsessive collector in me, I'm afraid.  :roll: :lol:

[Andrew W]

Oh man what a nice guitar! I totally dig the DC jr and special look. I want one!!!  :D

I've always loved the look of the singlecut Jr and Special, and the doublecut Jr..... but never really liked the doublecut Special!  Always thought the pickup and control placement on that model looks a bit odd.

But funnily enough, I'm now starting to get some GAS for a DC Special.... it's the obsessive collector in me, I'm afraid.  :roll: :lol:

I had one of the mid-90s DC Specials like this one and I like the look very much:

I slightly regret getting rid of it in retrospect as it was well made and I did like the period uncorrect Tune-o-matic bridge. I got rid of it before I'd learned what horrible pickups P100s are and I suspect given something better from a certain South West based pickup manufacturer, it could have been a belter.

If you find one of those, Philly, I think you'd like the neck, but perhaps not the weight.

[Philly Q]

Yeah, P-100s are terrible pickups!  And if I recall correctly they're not even very good at cancelling hum!

My main "problem" with the DC Special is the same as the SG Special - the pickups are too close together!  I know they have to do it that way to avoid weakening the neck joint too much, but I don't like it.

If I do ever buy one, it'd have to have a wraparound bridge - I don't dislike tune-o-matics at all, but these guitars are all about the one-piece bridges!  :D



Hmmm....

I'm afraid I'm starting to see myself collecting the complete "set" now - Junior and Special, in both Singlecut and Doublecut....  :roll:

[PhilKing]

I have a 1960 special which I really picked up for a song because it was advertised as a junior with an additional pickup added!  It also had a stripped body and the wrong tailpiece (a Badass was on it).  It is a great guitar, it is the model where the pickup was moved back, but it has one of the best necks I've played (IMHO).  When you put it against my 60 Junior (with the same feeling neck), there isn't quite as much grit, but it has a wider tonal palette.   It is also different to my single cut 55 special (reissue from 1972), the single cut having a bit tighter sound and a bit longer sustain.  However they are all brilliant guitars and if you get a special I'm sure you will like it.

[Philly Q]

However they are all brilliant guitars and if you get a special I'm sure you will like it.

I'm sure I will, Phil!  :)

I already have a couple of Singlecut Specials (a Gibson and a Japanese Epiphone with a tune-o-matic), it seems churlish not to get a Doublecut....