Maybach Lester '54 Black Velvet Custom - An Authentic and Obtainable Alternative? - Guitar Review
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- Опубліковано 10 чер 2024
- I like scruffy guitars and when I spotted this rare beauty for sale at a great price in Spain I couldn't resist... one cheeky offer later and my new 'black booty' was on the way here to Blighty! 😁 Is it an alternative to the unobtainium Gibson?... let's find out! 🎸
Maybach Albatroz 65: • My New 'Number One' Gu...
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Time Stamps
00:00 intro & coming up
00:57 let's just look at it
04:21 made in Europe
06:19 not as expensive as it looks
09:28 not a rubbish knockoff
10:12 what does it weigh?
10:37 the bigsby & roller bridge
14:28 the tuners, headstock, nut
15:33 fingerboard & frets
17:31 neck profile & measurements
18:23 pickup readings
19:07 under the hood
21:22 this is what it sounds like
23:07 let's play something
24:04 tone & volume controls
27:01 let's play something else
28:52 left my mojo in London
29:46 I really like it
32:15 rubbish tone pots
33:45 rubbish plek job
36:35 what's happening next week?
39:13 play out jam
Signal Chain Info:
TC Polytune
Soul Food / RAT
Boss DD3 / Boss RC5 Looper
Amps: Fender Princeton Reverb '65 Tweed 1 x 12
Mics AKG C414 & SM57
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 into Protools
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I AM NOT AN EXPERT. Some things I do know and some things I don't know but think I know and sometimes I say things that are not entirely correct. Once I have said things it's too late to correct them so please check any 'so called facts' with an adult, google, wikipedia, or someone else that knows.
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I’m new to guitar at 50yrs. Here in Australia I go to the gym early Saturday morning after a week of madness in the Force then kick back and recover with a cuppa and your video is waiting. The waffling on is both comforting and educational. F@%king love it all Col.
Cheers man that’s appreciated! 😁👍
the 54 custom with Bigsby and p90/alnico staple is the best looking guitar ever made in my 'umble opinion - good to see you back
only with creme p90 cover!
Cream on a Black Custom? Sorry, no way!
The Staple p90s are great for slide!;
Old black! That is exactly what i thought and you did too! God... subscribing this channel made all the sense in the world
Maybach are making some great guitars. My lad Owen toured two Corvairs (the elongated Les Paul shape with the slotted headstock) all last year with the (Dixie) Chicks and loved them to bits. He has a gorgeous tangerine one and a black one with a Bigsby, which l got to play when l was with him in Nashville last week. They’re really both wonderful. When l l was jonesing for a Les Paul last year, l very nearly bought a Lester before finding the 2005 Honeyburst standard that l ended up falling in love with. Still quite fancy one of their Juniors actually. :) My only specific comment about the aging on your review guitar, Colin, is that the binding all looks very clean and white. Surely, on a guitar with that much “wear and tear” it would’ve been more yellowy. Cream binding might’ve been a better choice…
Good morning sir, appreciate your time. Down the bayou in Louisiana. Coffee in the AM
It is gorgeous but I just wish Maybach did non-aged options from stock as I’m not a fan of relics. Glad you’re enjoying your new guitar day - they’re the best 🎸
You can buy Maybach Lesters that are not aged(new finish) I think theres a couple on reverb right now
I'm with you on that. To me it's deliberate damage. And people pay more for it. The mind boggles.
@@jamesseverin Thanks James, it’s really hard to find a new look finish on Maybach’s own website but I can see a black velvet one in Spain on Reverb - perfect. Sounds like an excuse to go and visit my brother in his annoyingly fabulous villa on the costa 😎
@@johngibson911 No problem my friend! Glad i could help... Love Maybach Lesters!
Every Maybach Guitar can be purchased in new-look. There is an option written down in the speclist :)
The GAS is kicking in hard, specifically the Maybach variety 😅😆 What a beautiful guitar! Excellent review as always!
My my, hey hey, the black Maybach is here to stay.
Good to see you back in action with a lovely one in hands. Wishing you the best for your personal business.
Thanks for another quality video Colin. Appreciated! I have a Maybach Lester 59, stunning guitar, first thing I did was to pull its loom out and install a Monty’s 50’s loom. The cap’s they come with are not at the same level as the rest of the instrument. That black velvet really looks the part, and nice playing!
Your videos have provided me with hours of enjoyment and edification, so thanks for what you do.
Wow! Was disappointed about the non-upload last week. This surely made up for it! One of the most gorgeous guitars i have ever seen.
Wow. (in Owen Wilson's voice)
Worth the wait! Excited for the LP shootout!
Without the Bixby it reminds me of Frank “Franny“ Beecher of Bill Haley‘s Comets fame, who played a Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony which was part of an endorsement deal by Gibson (Bill Haley got an Ebony ES 300 or else) back in the day when Rock‘n‘Roll hit us all forever and a day. Great job by Maybach once again. Fanx, Colin!
That’s a stunner! Cheers for the review Colin, off to have a look for one now lol
It certainly has the anticipated tones, shame about the pots. Good to see you back 😊
Colin I want one 👍Lovely guitar 👌Keep on rocking in the free world 🤘
Awesome Video! Maybach Lesters friggen rule! Awesome awesome guitars!
Thank you for what you do! Missed you.
Wow. Over and Over Again in the intro. From my favourite album ever, Ragged Glory. Neils songs suits your style so damn good!!
This Maybach made me put Neils LeNoise on and turn up the volume😃👍👍
Perfect😉👍👍
You did good Colin 😎👍👍
😎✌👍❤🖖
Love Brother
I’m really hoping you do a shootout between this Maybach, the Eastman, the Tokai, and your Les Paul standard🙏
Hey Cole, nice Lester there! Looking forward to the Heritage video. Thanks for what you do!
Nice review!, Colin. - enjoyed it.
Les Pauls with Bigsbys and P-90's are automatically cool. She's a beauty and very desirable. I'd have one if I had the cash and space...
Absolutely!!
Me too!.
The guitar is excellent. And it is quite OK for your mojo to take a Spanish beach holiday occasionally.
Well done, Colin.
Great to see you back, great to see you review a guitar you believe is a keeper, though it wouldn't be my choice - takes all sorts to make a world, eh? Break a leg over the next week or so, and we'll be here when you've time to give us some more content. Cheers, mate!
Hey Colin, another great review! Eastman actually made a similar guitar (without the Bigsby) called the SB54 in black in antique varnish with the P90s, though I think it was a limited edition
Cheers, yes that was limited to 40 worldwide which is the probably only reason I don't have one! 😆
@@theguitaristas haha.. yes, that's right! Though I did see one being sold in Reverb last year!
Very cool looking. It is a pieces of you Colin.. lol I'm interested in hearing Maybach's humbuckeres, they're p90's sound sweet. Thanks for jamming to us across the pond.
A lovely guitar Collin mate, great film!
The Black Bigsby I enjoyed what you were playin mate.. good on ya !
Great vid, Colin. And what a beaut'!
My guitar collection is pretty well rounded: Got a Strat, Tele, SG, 2 LPs (1 Greeny'd, 1 standard HB), and a Gretsch hollow body for good measure. But none with P90s!
If I could justify buying one more guitar it would most DEFINITELY be a black/gold LP with P90s. Currently eyeballing the Sire L7V... 👀
One day!
Hi Col. Great review as per usual. Your connection to the guitar is clear from the playing - outro sounded great! Shame about the couple of easily avoided issues. Easily rectifiable, but shouldn't need to. Prices are a bit higher at Estudio 54 (25% up) - is this the Guitaristas effect?! Definitely going to keep an eye on these for a potential next LP, I think I need a few more months to really let the GAS pressure build up (beverage = water; nibbles = apple) 🤘
Thanks for telling us the story and inspiration behind this one Col - couldnt resist a few Neil young tracks and jam myself after this!
I got rid of my 2023 60s std as I got back into shooting which is a very expensive sport but I missed my guitar so much that I’ve bought a 2023 50s std in tobacco burst and I pick it up from the great guys at coda music stevenage on the 11th of June and I can’t wait.
Wish we could get one here in USA easy and cheaply. Love the vibe
Welcome back.
Definitely little Barrie vibes. Looks like a fantastic guitar. I managed to track down one of the epi 1955 with p90s. Whacked a cheap staple in the neck and a bigsby with a Vibramate. Love that guitar so much
sweet one brotha!!
the "58" lester will be bang on i bet!
cant wait to see the SG special and the LP special comparison as well...i know thats gonna be a banger too!
Another Great review my friend. Can't wait to see the others. Epiphone makes the LP custom p90. For $800 that I always thought was very nice.
Perfect timing. Im going to see Neil Young tomorrow. Been a huge fan of his and that guitar for as long as I can remember.
Nice one! 😁👍
Very cool guitar, bring it on!
Oooh that is beautiful to look at haha. Now to watch the video
Beautiful guitar, sounds awesome, a little bit of a bummer about the tone pot's. Great video!!!
The tone pot thing is what happens if you use linear pots instead of logarithmic for tone controls - you get a much more pronounced change between say 0 and 3 and then only a slight change as you get from say 3 or so to 10. Since this is inspired by a vintage guitar, it might even be intentional in this case, as the original guitar might've used linear pots on tone for one reason or another as well.
Great looking guitar and loving the neil young/crazy horse vibe ..all best mate 👌 Beer and tabs for everyone.
Tonight I am mostly drinking ...campari.
Nice relic job 👍
What if you turned it into an actual old black? You could switch the tone knobs and install a mini humbucker in the bridge! You could also look into pedals that can get you that tweed sound like catalinbread formula 55, like the falcon and others... It would make a great guitaristas "Neil Young Series". I would click the hell out of that ahah
I am glad that Colin got such a rad guitar that makes him happy as an english eel in a water pipe. 2 grand and no complaints, so glood job Maybach.
Well Colin, I just thought I'd let you know that I finally got my first tube amp. Unrelated to this video, but a milestone for me. Thanks for getting me started in this journey. Really liking this amp so far.
Marshall DSL 40. It has master controls, so I can push it fully in the preamp and use the master pots as an attenuator. I traded in my Marshall Solid State stack that I've had for years and my Epiphone SG Custom. I never played it. I played it thru the amp in the store to give it one last fair shot. It just came up short. Hopefully a beginner will get it and play the hell out of it!
That’s a definite sweetie! Oozing coolness and that throaty tone is my favorite.
Sorry I was away for the weekend, hence the late reply.
And, I finally went back to my motorcycling roots, procured a Yamaha Tenefe 700, in Team Yamaha Blue to kinda match my two Yamaha Revstars in Swift Blue. I’m ecstatically happy!
I’m looking forward to the Les Paul comparisons. Cheers Colin!
Ah nice one on the Tenere' Pinkie! 🔥
@@theguitaristas Thanks Colin!
I hope things are rolling along well on your project! 👍
Awesome looking guitar 😎😎😎
Beautiful acquisition mate 🤘I once owned a 2009 Gibson ES-139 w/ a B6. Semi hollow. I wish I had not sold it. Cheers, Cole
Thanks for the video! I wish they were in the states, to try out. Looks good to me. Yes my murphy lab 68 reissue custom was 7k with tax and shipping.
Looks like an awesome guitar. Awesome job on the relic. Good value also. Kinda catching my attention though that it's a relic but has such bright white binding. Maybe just looks like that on the vid.
Aloha Colin! Funny my Ben Murray pickups just came in yesterday. I got a P 90 bridge and Staple neck aka LP Custom. Got to save up to buy a guitar for it. Can't wait.
Nice one! 👍
Great video. I think the word you were looking for for 'friction' was resistance. One has to feel it. There really isn't a proper word for it. I like a bit of stiffness in my knobs. I had a Hagstrom that had the same problem with the tone pots. Hated that guitar. This guitar is sweet. If I'm really good this year, maybe Santa will stuff my stocking with a Maybach. Greetings from Germany. Have a great weekend. OH, and your nylon saddle/bridge was from your Epi 335 mod video.
What a beauty. Love black guitars.
That is stunning uncle.. i have an ebony classic with p90s one day i will put a bigsby on it..
Beautiful professional instrument. Not sold on any relic stuff TBH but thats just me, but wow what a beautiful guitar. Quality, playability and performance, it has it all. Agree that any Gibson like for like would be eye watering cost wise, and although not cheap you are getting a superb instrument. Great vid mate and loved the playing as always, thanks for the channel and the reviews Colin its what us nerds need mate :)
Cheers mate! 😁👍
Thanks, great looking guitar and as always entertaining! I kinda wish it had a staple p90 in the neck 😃
I'd buy that over a Gibson any day of the week! It looks fantastic. I would like the staple neck pickup though!
Nice guitar. Will the next video be of you changing out the pots?
Hi Colin - great vid as always - tasty looking guitar and sounds great!
On the matter about the tone pots - did you clock whether they where A or B type? I recently re-wired a 335 semi hollow and had a play around with different pots (& capacitors) and the difference was quite remarkable!
A quick google gives you this explanation:
"A" would denote an audio taper pot, and the "B" suffix would denote a linear taper pot. The only difference is the taper of the pot, or "how gradually it rolls off". Most manufacturers use either (2) audio taper pots for volume + tone or would use audio taper for volume, and linear taper for tone.
You have a brilliant YT Channel - keep you the good work :0)
Cheers that's appreciated 😁👍... my guess is linear.
G'Deve Colin, in German we say "Myboch" beautiful guitar. I've me eyes on the 59 Midnight Sunset with Amber (Deutcher Pickup Hersteller) Spirit of 59 in the neck and bridge
And definitely not "Shay-ler" 😆
@@cataclysmicconverter phonetisch the A is said like the O in Pot
Gell? Mach's jut mi lieben Leute
My search is over! I recently bought a Collings 290 in tobacco sunburst with parallelogram inlays. Changed the pickups to Amber P90s, like in my Maybach Albatroz Junior. Ever tried a Collings? Brilliant guitars.
What a fantastic guitar, definitely inspired by Old Black. I dare you to fit a firebird pick up in the bridge position 😉🙂
The ebony on the fb is black as night.. well played C-
Thanks again !! Nice AXE !! Cheers..Rock on in the free world
Beautiful looking guitar and is priced at what Gibson should be priced at. Those tone pots are trash though. Will you change them on the show to let us hear the difference between good and bad pots, I'd be interested. Another great video. You always start my Fridays off on a positive note. Thanks. Cheers
That Ol’ Beastie is simply spot on. For the first time in ages I have GAS. Aaaaaaggghh!
That's a nice looking guitar for sure!!!
I'm having a hard time with a maple cap on a '54 Black Beauty though... definitely not original spec. 🤔
Those P-90s sound nice but I think an all mahogany body would have done them a bit more justice.
I guess all that doesn't really matter though because you didn't buy it for me, you bought it for you!!!
Thanks for doing what you do man, have a great weekend!!!
I wasn't about to rush out and buy one, but yes this detail is annoying. I was slightly interested in the new Epiphone LPC, but they suffer the same anomaly, in fact even Gibson don't make their LPC's without a maple cap now (Custom shop reissues aside). I understand the production reasons for doing it but.......Hmmmmmm.
I feel I can say with some qualification that it makes a difference, having owned a 59 LPC in the past, and that was without doubt the best sounding guitar I have ever owned (and I have had a few!!!)
Aside from that this looks a really nice guitar.
Hello from across the pond in the land of Indian Territory.
I wonder if they got the volume and tone pots mixed up? I prefer audio taper pots all round (for rolling off), but I think most guitars still use logarithm pots for volume. I've been tempted by Maybach for a while, so good to know they're decent quality. Top video, as per, bud.
loved the vid mt, axe not 2 bad , just a pity about the pleck finish , have a good weekend m.
loved it mt carry on the good work.
Hi Col
sounded pretty good, real shame about the Tone knobs/pots and fret finish..for the thick side of 2k that shouldn't happen, I wud send it back at their expense,,😮 see you soon Col 😀
I like the Hey Hey My My reference. I grew up with that sitting in my big brother's bedroom :🙂
I had an old Goldtop with a Bigsby back in the 90's for a while. Loved the guitar, hated the Bigsby lol. You so much as touched that thing & you had to retune on the fly. Looked seriously cool but in reality, it was a friggin' nightmare lmao
Yeah, I want it!
I’m really digging these Maybachs. Especially the Eidleweiss (sp) Rhodes looking guitar, but this one is gorgeous. A guitar’s guitar!
Colin, love your reviews... A year or so ago, I bought one of the Epiphone 1959 limited edition Les Pauls - Lemon Burst - here in the States. recently I purchased a new stop bar / tail piece, from Lightning Guitars, in the UK. They make a kind of hybrid stop bar that has the strings in about the same position as top rapping a regular one. It's an aluminum stop bar - so light weight, it fits right on to a Les Paul (Epiphone or Gibson). It works great, just wondering if you have tried one.
Not yet will check them out 👍
I’ll never get tired of your zero bullsh!t reviews. Can’t believe they didn’t use a 50’s wiring in it. Just makes sense. Also, can’t stop thinking about your Princeton. Nice to see you back Col.
Cheers mate! 😁👍
Gibson tends to have friction in the nut, so wanted to see this Bigsby used and see if it stays in tune. With a little help, the nut isn’t really a problem. Really nice sounding neck pickup. Probably some good tones in there with a paired pickup setup where you roll back the neck volume. Best, Cole.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day also a fantastic weekend Colin also I have a few favorite hobbies ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
Just dicovered your channel a few weeks ago and really appreciate the content. Well done. Was wondering if you have any intentions of reviewing a harley benton les paul copy? They have some really nice looking les paul copies and was wondering how they compare to the "real thing". Keep up the good work.
Thanks Michael, yes will definitely be getting an HB SC in to review 👍
Really attractive guitar! I could take or leave the aging bit but roller bridge a nice touch, can't beat an ebony board - everything about this one appeals to me, for sure. I would have guessed USD 3-4K so decent price . . . Schaller & Gotoh all top of the line stuff. I wonder if it's the same place in Czech Republic where Duesenberg are getting their woodwork done before finishing and adding everything back in Germany? And it sounds great! I actually like the slightly darker P90 'bark' thing on 10 as a contrast to a Gibson Custom Humbucker clarity but I guess you could finesse the tone points a bit - wouldn't mind having one of these.
Fascinating. You look and sound distinctly under-whelmed
It wasn't the guitar though definitely me! 🤣
What a beauty that Maybach is, sounds terrific and looks stunning, a pity about the tone controls though !!😄
Been wanting to try one of these for a while now. Us is definitely hard to find one
I luv Customs, but with p90s and nickel hardware!!
Edit: Australia can get em for the price of an Eastman.
Not a fan of gold hardware....that thing is the duck guts Col!!
What's the bets you cant get em in Australia!?!
Gorgeous guitar mate!
Thought they was an awesome set of PU's. Fancied putting them in one of mine. Pricey.
This was on my list of guitars to buy. Thomann seems to have stopped carrying them. That would have been the easiest was to get one to the USA.
Ooh, that is a very cool looking guitar. Giving real Neil Young/Joe Perry vibes. Gotta love a bigsby equipped Les Paul. And P90’s are 😘👌
Definetly if Gibson in the Headstock that would easily be triple the price. It does look fantastic and sounds beautiful .
Love P90’s absolutely love them
They are awesome
Very cool fiddle you got there. I normally don’t like bigsbys and P90s, I don’t love the look of p90s but they sound great and the staple p90s are definitely the coolest looking ones to me. I think bigsbys look cool on some guitars but I imagine I’m way too heavy handed to ever be able to keep one in tune. That Maybach is super cool though and if you ask me it really suits you . I wish Maybach , Edwards, Grass Roots, and Tokai were easier to get in the States . If that was a Gibson just a factory new LP custom just a new one factory fresh is all over 6,000, if you wanted to get one relic’d it’d be a Murphy Lab and probably 10k or more. The only thing I could see someone complaining about that Maybach is the crisp white binding on it, if they sprayed it with some tinted lacquer to yellow over the binding it would look more naturally aged but that’s really nit picking for the price difference it’ll yellow over itself in time anyway.
Burny also have a black 50s custom type with the black soap bar type pickups for around £600. A few tweaks here and there and uncle Bob is back round visiting mother!
Great looking guitar! I like everything but the Bigby and the pickguard. I would instantly yank them off. You really got me on this one. It would be perfect if it was an SG but if you had everything, where would you put it? Sounds good too... good show Col! What happened to the NOTAKLON?
Cheers Bob, back to my old favourite soul food! 😁👍
@@theguitaristas I changed the name of my channel... soon it will change over to "Uncle Dad's Garage"
@@touchthesun2448 I remember that from before... always liked that 😎👍
You seem to make every guitar sound fantastic. Can you do more pinch harmonix please. That's we're a pickup varies also, maybe vary slightly but.... you know...😊 KeepSmiling Slick
No doubt an absolute fcuking beauty 🖤 enjoy