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NGD next week...2018 LP Classic Player Plus P90's...

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
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247
I haven't bought a new guitar for 8 years, the last one being the Pete Townsend SG limited edition. Love the P90 tone, but wanted it in a Les Paul body. Had a 54 GT but had to sell it (sadly). Couldn't get the dual P90 / Les Paul thing satisfied...until someone on the TGP forum posted this.

Well, they had two for sale, now they have one. LOL.


https://www.zzounds.com/item--GIBLPCSPP18?siid=255963

Pics and tone report when it shows up next week.
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
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I went for the sunrise orange, just because it stood out with the black color combination.
 
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SDMFVan

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Sep 13, 2018
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I've got the vintage sunburst version with humbuckers and LOVE it. The Richlite board is to die for. I don't regret paying full retail at all, and these price cuts have me considering another with P90s.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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14,537
Excellent way to scratch that p90/Les Paul itch plus looking sweet as hell!! If it were mine I'd have to switch out the p90 black covers for cream and knobs with gold speed knobs or bonnets with that luscious dark orange burst, (I'd keep the black if it was cherry red, 'cause I like that red/black SG thing), just my preference, we all can easily indulge our inner designer with these things for looks and functionality. Functionality would dictate a Vibramate/Bigsby B5 but then that's me.


It looks superb as is of course. Congrats!!






Okay, maybe a Lollar Staple mag P90 for the neck for a 54 BB thing, I know, I'm hopeless and twisted, but that's just me.
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
Messages
247
Ok, the guitar I bought last week showed up today from ZZSounds. I'll get the cons out of the way first.

The Cons

1) The packing left a lot to be desired. There was the token 1/4" of packing paper inside the box on each end. None on the sides...at all. Sheesh. Good thing there's another box inside that holds the case, and it has some cardboard on each end to stabilize the top and bottom of the case.

Ok, I'm feeling better about this now...and then I opened the case.

2) Some assembly required.
sar.jpg


Yeah, the toggle switch was completely unscrewed, chrome ring in the bottom of the case with the poker chip. I'm not sure if this is a new shipping thing, or if it's a ZZSounds thing. Either way, I think maybe someone might have mentioned they do this.

3) The usual high action, dead strings, not intonated, too much relief in the neck, yada yada. I expect this on any guitar. They just don't come ready to play. I get it, I break out the tools, the Peterson Strobo Tuner, strings, etc. 30 minutes later, fully dialed in I'm good to go to the shop and let it rip.

4) I do my usual check of the volume and tone controls. I do this because I roll my volume knobs a bit. Well, they pretty much suck. I roll from 10 to 7. Nada. I roll to 5, nada again. I keep rolling. I finally start to hear an audible difference around 2, and about 1 the volume turns off, abruptly. Same thing on neck and bridge volume pots. Yeah, that figures, some kind of Gibson labeled pot, and it's on a board inside the control cavity.

Basically that means it all blows, so I'll change out the pots and caps next week to 500k audio taper pots and I'll dig into my cap stash and find a couple of Bumble Bee or Black Beauty caps.

The Pros

1) Once it's setup with almost no relief the action is pretty damned low. I'd have to say it's almost as low as any guitar I have. Nice ease of stretching strings, no dead spots I can find, no buzzing.

2) Grover tuners stay in tune pretty well, and are smooth. I hate Klusons, had too many fell apart on me during my club days, I use Grovers only now. Learned my lesson!

3) Neck shape, definitely the 59 profile neck, not too big, not too thin. Feels great. 9.5 pounds in weigh on my digital scale. The guitar body is not weight relieved, and it's close to my 68 LPC in weight, neck carve, etc. Go to the gym if that's too heavy, hit the weights.

4) Fit & finish, so far so good, no issues to report. It is the satin finish, so not shiny.

5) The P90's sound a lot better than I expected. I guess Gibson did some upgrades. The tone pots blow, so again, like the volume pots, it's kind of an all or nothing, on/off, no taper, whatever makes sense to you. They seem fairly sensitive to height, so spend some time dialing it in to taste.

6) Hardware is good, bridge is solid, it's a lightweight tailpiece, chrome throughout. Toggle switch feels good as well, truss rod adjusts smoothly. They include a new tool with all kinds of stuff on it now. Must be the new Gibson standard tool, but it's got everything for a Floyd, straight/phillips heads, truss rod, etc, etc.

7) Case is the standard Gibson brown hard shell case with pink lining, 5 latches, no combination lock.

8) It is a real flame top. It hides or shows up depending on the angle, and the light.

9) A bunch of stuff in the case, manual, warranty, setup info (LOL), multi tool, and a Gibson logo guitar strap.

10) If you're looking for your P90 tone, this has got it. Big lows, signature P90 mids, not too much high end...or at least this one doesn't have too much.

Summary: For $1200 you could do a lot worse, and I'm not unhappy. The guitar plays great, looks good, and as long as you understand that you need to set it up to your liking, change out those goofy pots and caps, and maybe screw in the toggle switch nut and poker chip, you'll be a happy camper. Figure on spending $100 for a good setup, 500k audio taper pots and caps to finish it off.

Took a pic in the sun, which totally washed out the flame, so that proves it's a real flame top, not foto flame. It's not this orange in person, but sunlight enhances anything red. This will make a great addition to the Scumback demo room.

lpcppfull.jpg
 

brandtkronholm

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Dec 3, 2006
Messages
2,737
It looks great!

How do you feel about the fretboard? How do the ritchlite and the frets feel with those inlays? How are the binding and nibs?
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
Messages
247
It looks great!

How do you feel about the fretboard? How do the ritchlite and the frets feel with those inlays? How are the binding and nibs?

The richlite fretboard doesn't bother me at all. I don't feel a difference between it and my other rosewood or ebony fretboard guitars.

Binding is fine, nibs, etc...nothing out of whack, or goofy looking. The inlays aren't as high quality as the Custom Shop types, R9's, etc, but hey, it was $1200 shipped. I'm not going to nit pick the look of the inlays, they're acceptable.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
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1,592
Fantastic! Good write up and as expected. At full price though??? Hmmm.

I've had an awful experience with a return to zzounds so I suggest ya just keep it! They sent me a (new) AV '52, had all sorts of finish issues (bubbling around neck pocket, chipping around strap buttons), looked like it had been played a good bit with pick scratches/marks, and the bastard somehow had a skinnier neck .80-.90 (supposed to be a "deep U"). I sent it back in exchange and after getting the new guitar which I kept they notified me that I was on the hook for $150+ because apparently there was a scratch on the back of the guitar...???...lol.


But, you see those deals and you take the plunge, I know how it is! After that nonsense years back I still couldn't resist getting a Firebird from them (which I'll post at some point) because they're the only dealer who carried it, an LE model sadly exclusive to zzounds/ams.
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
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247
Forgot to mention, the P90's measure at 7.67 for the neck pickup, and 7.87 for the bridge pickup with the contols on 10. That's with a multimeter and an 18 foot cord in the mix, so slightly hotter than that without the pots/caps/cable.
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
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The volume pots are defective in this guitar. They do nothing from 10 to 2, then they turn down about 50%, and they turn off at 1.

The pots are the long shaft type through a plate. I removed the plate enough to try a standard pot, and there's only 1-2 threads sticking through the top. The cavity isn't cut as deep as a standard Les Paul, so I doubt short / standard shaft pots will work.

Sigh, it plays great though...now I just need to get the pots changed out...

It will head over to SIS in Arcadia on Tuesday for Jerry Bison to fix up.
 

cooltouch

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Sep 4, 2018
Messages
11
I think the Classic Player with the P90s is an incredible deal and it looks fantastic. I almost bought one because, like you, I've been jonesin' for an LP with P90s for a while now. But then I ran across a listing for the limited edition 2018 BFG with P90s, and saw where Guitar Center and Musician's Friend had it on sale for $650. I like the looks of the Classic much better, but there's a certain rugged appeal about the BFG, and, being a classical player and all, I actually like that it doesn't have any fingerboard inlays.

So I found a local Guitar Center that had one in stock and went and checked it out. That guitar played like a dream and sounded fantastic. So I bought it -- for about half what the Classic would have cost me. I played on one of the Classics too, and it was a tough call, cuz the Classic was a really sweet player also and sounded just as good. Plus it looked a lot nicer. But there was something about the rather crude ruggedness of the BFG that appealed to me, plus there was the matter of saving $550. I don't regret my decision -- too much. :dang
 

ScumbackSpeakers

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Dec 20, 2016
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Well, three weeks later I have my guitar back. I had Jerry Bizon at Stringed Instrument Services in Arcadia, Ca do the repair work.

New long shaft 500K audio taper pots for volume and tone, put in some Sprague .022 Vitamin Q caps I had in stock. Wired it up 50's style,
changed out the original knobs to black speed knobs. It needed to have its frets partially dressed for the dreaded 16th fret hump.

It's now all good to go, and I'll take it for it's maiden jam a week from Sunday.

Full tone report later.

Have a great weekend!
 

metropolis

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Sep 14, 2018
Messages
390
That looks great and thanks for putting such a detailed report.

I had an eye on a black one to scratch both my P90 Les Paul itch, and a slight nod towards a '56 custom... but I'm not sure I need another!
 
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LarryUK

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Jan 7, 2018
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I've just bought a red one. It's great. I have a black Classic with P90's too. The red one is far better workmanship. GLP PP.jpg
 

Curious Mike

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Feb 9, 2019
Messages
78
Well, three weeks later I have my guitar back. I had Jerry Bizon at Stringed Instrument Services in Arcadia, Ca do the repair work.

New long shaft 500K audio taper pots for volume and tone, put in some Sprague .022 Vitamin Q caps I had in stock. Wired it up 50's style,
changed out the original knobs to black speed knobs. It needed to have its frets partially dressed for the dreaded 16th fret hump.

It's now all good to go, and I'll take it for it's maiden jam a week from Sunday.

Full tone report later.

Have a great weekend![/QUOT
I would expect Gibson to address any issues on a brand new guitar, non working tone pots? hump at the 16th fret? Taint right!
 
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