2006 LP Special

[Rico]

I just picked up a 2006 LP Special Historic. This is a very nice guitar and fit and finish are outstanding. I was lucky enough to get a gloss finish too!!!!
The neck is nice and chunky although it is supposed to be a 60's profile. The cherry finish is a neat shade too. It is not bright red. The wrap TP gives it a solid feel and the intonation is spot on. The only drawback is the PU's. They sound great but if they were reverse wound for hum canceling in the middle position that would have been a big +
The clean tone is nice and snappy and at volume this guitar really sings.
It has great sustain at all volumes. If you are interested in a P-90 type Gibson you should check these out. I like the single cutaway better than the double cutaway I had a few years back. This is one that Gibson got right.

Dennis

 

[kink56]

I am a DC fan and Gloss is the only way for me!! My 05:

 

[Sean French]

I just picked up a 2006 LP Special Historic. This is a very nice guitar and fit and finish are outstanding. I was lucky enough to get a gloss finish too!!!!
The neck is nice and chunky although it is supposed to be a 60's profile. The cherry finish is a neat shade too. It is not bright red. The wrap TP gives it a solid feel and the intonation is spot on. The only drawback is the PU's. They sound great but if they were reverse wound for hum canceling in the middle position that would have been a big +
The clean tone is nice and snappy and at volume this guitar really sings.
It has great sustain at all volumes. If you are interested in a P-90 type Gibson you should check these out. I like the single cutaway better than the double cutaway I had a few years back. This is one that Gibson got right.

Dennis

Congrats:salude
How about some hotos
There is somethin' great about a wraptail/P90 combo that I dig.


The single cut Special is called a 1960 Historic by Gibby but,it really should have been called a '56 or '57.
No biggie they only need to change the first number in the s/n to 6 or 7 instead of 0.
You see in late '58 the Juniors and Special all become DC.
There never was a SC 1960 LP Special or Junior.
The SC Historic Specials are called a 1960 but,have the '59 rounded neck.
Not the tyical 1960 R0 slimmer neck.
The DC Specials have the '60 neck.
A bit confusing but,that's our beloved Gibby for ya.:2zone

 

[kink56]

Sean Gibson has not been consistant on the Historic Juniors and Specials, They USED to have R7 SC Juniors and R0 DC Juniors (the Specials were always R0 whether SC or DC,,just like you mentioned) Then they went to R7 Juniors SC with antique burst, and R8 Juniors SC or DC with Cherry or TV finish. Yes, it seems that the SC get the fatter necks (as they should) and the DCs get the 60s profile.

The FIRST Historic DC TV finished Specials were erroneously called TV Models 1997-1999 (this name should only apply to TV finished Juniors)

Isn't it AMAZING how Gibson OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER fails to understand their own history???? Call Customer service and they seemingly even forget what went on 5 years ago!!

In vintage matters, I think the Junior went DC much earilier in 58 than the Special, (in fact, I THINK it was 59 before the Special went DC) and the slab DC Junior was availible much later (into 61) than the slab DC Special, the Special went to SG style before the Junior.

But the Slab bodied and the SG bodied Junior (and to lesser extent Special) had major overlapping in production times. There have been Slab Bodied Juniors and even at leat ONE Special made in 62. Just as the first SG Standards actually came out in 1960, and there has been a few Les Paul style bodied Customs in 1961, well after the SG bodied Custom was introduced.

 

[Rico]

Congrats:salude
How about some hotos
There is somethin' great about a wraptail/P90 combo that I dig.


The single cut Special is called a 1960 Historic by Gibby but,it really should have been called a '56 or '57.
No biggie they only need to change the first number in the s/n to 6 or 7 instead of 0.
You see in late '58 the Juniors and Special all become DC.
There never was a SC 1960 LP Special or Junior.
The SC Historic Specials are called a 1960 but,have the '59 rounded neck.
Not the tyical 1960 R0 slimmer neck.
The DC Specials have the '60 neck.
A bit confusing but,that's our beloved Gibby for ya.:2zone

Thanks for all the input guys. Sean, I remember you had a Special for sale here a little while back.
Was that a DC? The DC I had was one from the mid 90's. It had a tune-o-matic. I had an early DC Jr. in the mid 70's that was outstanding. I sold it for some foolish reason!!!!!!!!
I have a ? for ya.
Do you know about Lollar's P-90's?
He has two versions and I am wondering what the difference is>
Which one sounds more like the stock Gibsons that come with the Special?
I feel the only drawback is the lack of a hum cancelling position.

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[Sean French]

Thanks for all the input guys. Sean, I remember you had a Special for sale here a little while back.
Was that a DC? The DC I had was one from the mid 90's. It had a tune-o-matic. I had a 50's DC Jr. in the mid 70's that was outstanding. I sold it for some foolish reason!!!!!!!!
I have a ? for ya.
Do you know about Lollar's P-90's?
He has two versions and I am wondering what the difference is>
Which one sounds more like the stock Gibsons that come with the Special?
I feel the only drawback is the lack of a hum cancelling position.

Thanks,
Dennis

Hi Dennis,
Yeah,I sold my '06 R0 DC Special a while back.
I dug the stock pickups in that guitar.
The guitar was wonderful but,honestly I prefer the SC Special.
Now,for my ex '04 R4 I had Wolfe wind me a set of P90's that were stock wind bridge and a 20% lower wind neck.They were an outstanding set of pickups.www.wolfetone.com
I have never used Lollar's pickups.
Send Jason an email and ask what his recommendation would be.
A little bit of hum never bothered me.
I actually prefer the middle position to not be hum cancelling.:2zone

 

[Rico]

Hi Dennis,
Yeah,I sold my '06 R0 DC Special a while back.
I dug the stock pickups in that guitar.
The guitar was wonderful but,honestly I prefer the SC Special.
Now,for my ex '04 R4 I had Wolfe wind me a set of P90's that were stock wind bridge and a 20% lower wind neck.They were an outstanding set of pickups.www.wolfetone.com
I have never used Lollar's pickups.
Send Jason an email and ask what his recommendation would be.
A little bit of hum never bothered me.
I actually prefer the middle position to not be hum cancelling.:2zone

Sean,
I have been thinking about Wolfe's Legends for my 2000 GT. I have had the 57's that it came with in it . Then I put in a set of Holmes I had for some time. They are outstanding PU's. As the Holmes were potted I thought I would try an unpotted PU.
I purchased a used set of Antiquities and I like the sound but I think I need a LP for each set of PU's I have in the drawer!!!!!!!!

Are the Legends and the Dr. V's comparable? Then there are the RS PU's.
Too many choices............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[English Jim]

Love my Murphy aged '07 Special. While I actually prefer the look of the DC the couple that I've had (a '60 and a mid '70's bought new) both had neck stabilty/tuning problems. I have the stock PUs right now but I ordered some Lollars for the hum cancelling. The hum gets pretty loud at stage volume. Fed up with getting evil eye from my bass player!

 

[Rico]

Love my Murphy aged '07 Special. While I actually prefer the look of the DC the couple that I've had (a '60 and a mid '70's bought new) both had neck stabilty/tuning problems. I have the stock PUs right now but I ordered some Lollars for the hum cancelling. The hum gets pretty loud at stage volume. Fed up with getting evil eye from my bass player!

Jim,which Lollar's did you order?

 

[MRTONEMAN]

[original pickups] They sound great but if they were reverse wound
for hum canceling in the middle position that would have been a big +

I have been told that if you reverse a magnet on one of the
pickups and then also reverse the leads on that pickup,
you then get hum canceling in the middle position. (but its not out of phase sounding)
I never tried this myself, but it came from a reliable source.

 

[English Jim]

Jim,which Lollar's did you order?

THIS one

 

[Sean French]

Sean,
I have been thinking about Wolfe's Legends for my 2000 GT. I have had the 57's that it came with in it . Then I put in a set of Holmes I had for some time. They are outstanding PU's. As the Holmes were potted I thought I would try an unpotted PU.
I purchased a used set of Antiquities and I like the sound but I think I need a LP for each set of PU's I have in the drawer!!!!!!!!

Are the Legends and the Dr. V's comparable? Then there are the RS PU's.
Too many choices............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Dr. V's are my fav PAFish pickup.
Next would be the WCR Crossroads,Duncan Ants,RS Fralin and Seth Lover.
Yes,I've had all those installed in my guitars.
I have not tried the Legend.Wolfe told me they vary from set to set due to the wind being slightly different on each.
Where as the Dr. V's have a consistant wind yielding more consistant sounding pickups.
Once I installed the Dr. V's there really was no need for me to try anything else.:ganz
I've had 3 sets so far.
One thing I forgot to mention is you could have Wolfe rewind one of the stock P90's and have him reverse wind it for hum cancelling.A lot cheaper than buying a new set of P90's.
Just a thought.

 

[Rico]

Sean, I had Wolfe repair a PU awhile back. He is a great guy.
Thanks for the good advice. How do the Dr V's differ from the Duncan Ant's in general. I know this is a subjective opinion.
Dennis

 

[Sean French]

Sean, I had Wolfe repair a PU awhile back. He is a great guy.
Thanks for the good advice. How do the Dr V's differ from the Duncan Ant's in general. I know this is a subjective opinion.
Dennis

In my guitar the DR. V's are a bit clearer with better string to srting seperation.They have more high end sizzle and just sound more alive IMO.
The Ant's are a very good pickup but,when you have both in the same guitar the difference is very noticable.
It really boils down to your guitars and what your tonal preferences are.

 

[Rico]

Thanks for the input Sean. It is appreciated!!!

Dennis

 

[reswot]

If you got the single cutaway, it has a 50's profile neck, rather than the 60's profile (which the double-cut has).

I've got an '06 SC Special and the neck on it is HUGE compared to the neck on my '05 R8 -- the heel is quite a bit larger, too... I can deal with it, but I wish the heel were a bit smaller.

The guitar, though, is excellent. Everytime I play it with my band, I swear that I like the sound of it better than the R8.

 

[Rico]

If you got the single cutaway, it has a 50's profile neck, rather than the 60's profile (which the double-cut has).

I've got an '06 SC Special and the neck on it is HUGE compared to the neck on my '05 R8 -- the heel is quite a bit larger, too... I can deal with it, but I wish the heel were a bit smaller.

The guitar, though, is excellent. Everytime I play it with my band, I swear that I like the sound of it better than the R8.

The neck is not huge but it is chunky. The P-90's are often overlooked next to HB's but are probably closer to my heart because of my affinity for single coils>

 

[English Jim]

If you got the single cutaway, it has a 50's profile neck, rather than the 60's profile (which the double-cut has).

I've got an '06 SC Special and the neck on it is HUGE compared to the neck on my '05 R8 -- the heel is quite a bit larger, too... I can deal with it, but I wish the heel were a bit smaller.

The guitar, though, is excellent. Everytime I play it with my band, I swear that I like the sound of it better than the R8.

P90's really shine in a band setting - esp with 2 gtr players. The neck on my 07 SC special is about the size of my 05 R9. Chunky but very comfortable.

 

[reswot]

It's interesting how much variation there is in neck size...

My R8 neck is actually closer to most R9s than it is to most R8s. The Special, though, is more like most R7s.

The heel is the biggest difference in the necks of my guitars... The R8's heel is 22/32" at its largest point and has a fairly sharp taper to the neck. The Special's heel is 28/32" at it's largest point and has a more gradual taper.

 

[Jim Jones]

My Special is an '06 and it's got a big neck, too. At first I thought it might be a bit too much to manage but I'm surprised how easily and quickly I got used to it. I love everything about it but it does have one of Gibson's trademark "poorly cut nuts" so I'll have to replace that.

Jim