Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Review
Gibson USA Vintage Mahogany Les Paul
One of the guitars on my “to get” list is the Gibson USA Vintage Mahogany Les Paul (faded cherry). I've played several examples a great number of times over the past year or so… and although I could not purchase this one for myself (budget, budget, budget), I felt the need to express my view on this instrument. This instrument is a fundamental instrument that incorporates critical elements of a fabulous-sounding instrument. In its basic-ness, this particular Les Paul is all about sound delivery in a price-friendly Gibson package.
Tone folks will find the Les Paul Vintage Mahogany to be a monster… Folks whose budgets cannot achieve the heights of the Les Paul Standard, or even the Classic or Studio, will find this instrument to be a real bargain. Perhaps enough of a bargain to truly bring great Gibson-ness to many musicians’ sound libraries.
This is a fabulous instrument – stay tuned and I'll attempt to explain why it strikes me so well.
Quick Opinion: Grab one right now before they’re gone. Period. If I had the means, I would.
The wonderful Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany is no longer in production :-(. But you can see more about the new Gibson LP Studios here at Guitarcenter.com Check out the new Raw Power LP and SG!
Playability: The Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany is all Les Paul. It has the chunky 50's-style neck one expects from many Les Paul models. The neck is tapered in a subtle way, and the radius is extremely comfortable.
Another interesting aspect of the neck's playability is its consistency. It is even, smooth (if a little woody – like lots of natural-finish acoustic guitars, but not as wide), and very comfortable. As a person who truly likes the 60's neck profiles (and the slimmer Epiphone neck profiles), the Les Paul Vintage Mahogany was
different at first. However, after playing several examples over several months at my local, favorite Guitar Center, I adjusted to it. I am now more comfortable going between my Epi Les Paul and the Gibson.
The body’s weight seems to be really well-balanced. It doesn't feel as weighty on the shoulder as a traditional Les Paul – but it still retains that
singing, miles-of-sustain feel that makes Les Pauls so breathtakingly essential to many kinds of music. It plays like an old friend. It feels like an old friend, and is one of the most comfortable Gibson Les Pauls I’ve had the pleasure of playing.
Features: The features of the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany are varied and interesting. This particular Les Paul is a marriage of basic simplicity and killer electronics. The fretboard is very nice, the tuners are the (to me, essential) traditional green-tulip tuners. The body has no binding, and the top wood has the same feel and color of the back and neck.
This particular Les Paul may be a lower-priced Gibson, but it comes with a real, deluxe Gibson hardshell case. This is unusual, considering the fact that some of the other "worn-finished", less-expensive models only come with a gig bag (such as the Vee and the SG).
By far, one of the greatest values in the Vintage Les Paul Mahogany is its pickups. It comes with Burstbucker Pro humbucking pickups. I don't know how different the wiring is (as opposed to the Standard, Classic, or Studio), but the sound is absolutely awesome. The Burstbucker Pros, combined with the case, make this guitar feature rich – even though it isn’t a fancy Les Paul.
Sound: Sound, sound, sound, sound, and sound. WOW. Pick up an old or vintage Les Paul, close your eyes – pop it through some Marshalls or even a deluxe Twin Reverb, dial up the amp, and let loose. Now do the same with one of the Vintage Mahogany Les Pauls.
Listen... No matter if you can scream like Vai, cry and wail like Lang, or rip the souls of the audience into happy little pieces like Gilmour, or just play like a regular Jane or Joe, this instrument does not dissapoint. It takes that vintage-ness of the old PAFs, adds more output, and makes the dynamic range of the sound more (a good thing) complex and rich.
I’ve played several of these through a very wide variety of amplifiers, including nice Class-A Mesas, wide-rich VOXs, chunky Marshall stacks, cheap starter combos, Fenders, and some Kranks and Line 6s… this horse can not only trot, canter, or gallop – it is a true thoroughbred: it brings crunchy, singing, sustaining sound to any style, amp, pedal, or volume.
Sound, sound, sound, sound.
Value: Based on its sound, its case, its Burstbucker Pros, and its made-in-USA pedigree, this is absolutely worth much more than its street price. I’d put it at around $1k any day. The fact that you can buy it for much less makes it a 12-out-of-10 value any day of the week. If you've been thinking of going Gibson, or if you’re looking for that sweet, in-your-face rock. This guitar is a "jump on it now" opportunity. If you like warm, jazzy, neck-pickup sound that reminds you a little of B.B. King's ES-combined with some of that Jimmy Page roots-blues-rock, this is the one for you. You won’t be sorry for getting one of these. Go to your favorite get-in-trouble guitar store and play an example or two. If you don't have a git-box store nearby, check out your favorite online haunt and pick one up NOW.
Wishes: An optional 60's neck would be
fabulous (well, for me, anyway - sorry 50's fans).
Labels: electric guitar, gibson, gibson les paul, les paul, mahogany, usa, vintage
The Jimmie/Jimmy Vaughan Tex-Mex Fender Stratocaster Review
I've been looking for just the right Fender(tm) Stratocaster(tm). My heart wants a nice , Custom Shop American Strat(tm), my wallet wants a Squier(tm) Strat.
Let me begin by saying that the American-made Strats and Telecasters are superb, and that there is no substitute for a Custom Shop or high-end Strat/Tele if you're looking for a high-end instrument. With that said, I've been playing an extremely wide variety of Stratocasters for quite some time now. My big question has been, how can I get just the right playability, feel, price,
and sound for less than $1000US??? This review answers lots of those questions for me, and I hope will help you, too.
My Previous Strat; I had the basic Squier Strat with the maple fretboard for quite a while. It was extremely well-made, very reliable, OK tuning, and OK intonation (it could not be adjusted to the point where the tempered tuning I use would stick...). The neck was a very soft "C" shape, and the body was the lightest Strat I've ever played (it was even neck-heavy when you played it with a relaxed strap position). I made several great pop tunes with that guitar. I sincerely think that the little black Squier strat is absolutely phenominal for a beginner, or for someone who wants a Strat to take to the beach on vacation (don't get beer or sand on your Custom Shop Strat!). The maple fretboard variety is a favorite of mine. I like the feel, the hardness of the wood, and I like the fine grain it offers for pitch-bending. I sold the Squier to a beginning guitarist, and she's havin' a blast with it (I think it's great when guitars live multiple lives! Do they have Karma??? If they do, that particular Strat should be great to go - it's been wonderful.)
OK... now to the part about my next Strat... enter Deus Ex Machina
I had been playing a nice Olympic White (maple fretboard) Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster at my local guitar store – on and off for an entire year – it was like I was magnetized to it – it drew me every time I came into the store.
Quick Opinion: I've played the Jimmie Vaughan many times over the past several months - verdict:
An Absolute Steal!!!!!! It plays like an un-tinted-maple-neck American Strat, handles and feels like any Standard American strat I've played, and has a great, growly, low-noise sound only found on guitars with Tex-Mex pickups.
The picture of the Oly white Strat above is similar to the Jimmy Bear Strat (although the real thing is acually a more pleasant off-white and less of a beige like the picture indicates). I liked it so much that I borrowed some cash and bought the floor-model example. It is the nicest and best-playing Fender I have ever owned.
Free Shipping and more information about the wonderful Jimmie Vaughan Fender Stratocaster here at GuitarCenter.com
Playability: The neck is a light "u" or "v" type of shape, is easy to grasp for large or small hands, and has the quick feel of sealed satin hard maple. Near the headstock, the back profile of the neck is a deeper “v”, and as you go towards the body, the neck softens to a “u.” The neck is a delight, similar to the un-tinted-neck $1200 Strat variety, and is not found on any currently-available non-US Strat that I have been able to find. The body is medium in weight - not too heavy, and not as light as some of the lightweight ash Strats. The JV Strat is much more comfortable than the '70s Strats I played as a kid. Tuning-wise, Fairly aggressive string bending did not pull it out of tune.
Sound: Rox your sox!!! Nice midrange, not too noisy, clean when clean, aggressive when played distorted, and sings the blues (especially through the Fender Hot Rod at the guitar shop) like an old pro! Far surpasses Standard and Highway 1 Strats in the sound department... The Jimmie Vaughan Strat is set up with .one volume knob and two tone knobs (neck to bridge if viewed from the player’s side of the guitar).
Value: This is a $999 guitar in value (not 'retail',
'street'). Period. The sound, quality of make, and appointments are top-notch and represent the Mexican Strat pinnacle. (
NOTE: I've not had the pleasure of trying out the new 60th Anniversary Strat yet. I suspect it will be a really nice alternative to the Standard. {new window} ) If you can afford the JV Strat, go for it. You'd have to step up to American Deluxe or Custom Shop to get a more satisfying instrument.
Features: Nearly every feature makes this a 'working musician's Strat'. The pickups: great; the vintage tuners: just fine; the neck: good for hours at a time;, the trem, bridge, and weight: just fine; the paint finish:
flawless. The gig bag is a nice touch (although I have a Freedom hard shell case for this wonderful instrument). The Schaller-strap-lock-compatible strap buttons are a really nice feature. I’ve got a nice strap that is set up for Schallers, and I can use it on this Strat without installing new buttons. The neck plate is the four-screw variety and does not have micro-tilt.
More about the tuners: I removed the guitar-store-played Fender 250Ls (stock strings) and cleaned everything up for carnauba waxing and re-stringing. I bought some 3350L strings (Fender stainless-steel light .09-> bullets) and restrung the guitar. The tuners are the delightful vintage tuners, with the scooped-bean-shape and the old-style rear covers. The strings are mounted in the machine head stalk much like those on Fender basses – you place an end of the string down into a hole in the stalk, bend it down in the flat slot, and turn the machine key until the string winds along the stalk. These are fine tuners and are easy to get threaded for the start. I did not wind the entire string on the stalk, but cut a few inches from the end. The strings tended to run sharp as I “broke them in” with gentle pulling and string bending. After about five or six tunings and pulling, the tuning became rock-solid and the guitar has not detuned at all in a day or so.
Wishes: The one-ply pick guard on the one at the Guitar Center is flat and firm, but unexpectedly cheap of Fender. A nice white/black/white or pearloid pick guard would have been more appropriate.
If I had the guts to yank the pick guard and put one of the super-duper Terrapin Guitars Custom Pick guards (THE BEST pick guards, fit like/better than factory)(Opens new window), I'd do it in a skinny minute. The neck-bolt plate should have an "F", or "Fender", or something on it. The plain neck-bolt plate is surprisingly plain-looking on this great Strat.
Labels: electric guitar, fender, guitar, jimmie vaughan, jimmy vaughan, strat, stratocaster, tex-mex, vintage
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