The parts were made overseas then assembled in America. Gibson kinda skated the line with these stamping them the made in USA. The Deluxe came with velvet brick pickups, cheap knock off bridge, tail piece, and tuners. These things are the perfect platform for upgrades. Love my 180 Deluxe!
I’ve had some really nice guitars through the decades. Played with a few well-known bands and a few years ago my dad died. He was a blues player in Chicago when he was younger and bought me my first guitar for my 8th. birthday. He taught me how to play it. I’ve had fun and traveled all over playing guitar. When dad died, I just gave up. I don’t know why really, I was just done with music now. Sold all my music gear and gave lots of it away to friends. A few years of moping around doing nothing in particular, I walked into a pawnshop and saw this Gibson Sonix 180 Deluxe for 600 bucks. I’ve never had a Gibson before and this hardly qualifies, but I said what the hell. Bought a cheap practice amp and strings. Hmmm… Your review of this guitar is spot on. A strange and fuzzy classic tone that doesn’t change much on either pickup. A good Boss equalizer helps a lot though. It’s probably the worst guitar I’ve ever had but I really like it. It’s the guitar I bought when I came out of my slump. Dad definitely approves. Thanks for the great video. Your deluxe sounds exactly like mine. Hmmm…
holy shit i’m sorry to hear about your dad. i was just with my dad tonight and i can’t imagine how devastating that must be….so devastating that you change your whole approach to life when your life centers around something so closely tied to him :( i’m so happy to hear you found a reason to pick up a guitar again. i’ve come back to mine after putting it down during tough times and i know it’s always there for me. believe it or not, this video is pretty much me getting back on the horse after a divorce and all kinds of changes in my life - hence the rustiness haha. weird that it’s a sonex just like you. keep on keeping on man, all the best to you and i hope your guitar gives you comfort and happiness in remembering that special bond with your dad.
@@RegularGuitars716 , Hey thanks a lot man. It means so much to me that you understand. And I too have always had a guitar by my side during tough times. Like a friend who never lets you down. But losing my dad was just too much for me to handle. You’re right, I always associated my guitar playing to him, and he’d come see me play through the years. I’d send him demo tapes and ask what he thought. Somehow my new demo was always better than the last one he heard. Not sure if that’s true but he was always encouraging everything I did. With him gone, I saw no reason to keep going. What’s the point? I can’t share it with him anymore. But it’s cool that you too were brought back by the unassuming Sonix. Always treasure your dad and take nothing for granted. Thanks a lot for replying. Keep on keeping on, and whatever rust that may have built up in the guitar’s absence, polishes off pretty quickly. For me, since I forgot so many old songs, I started learning a bunch of different ones and different styles. Pretty cool. Take care bro. 🤙🏼
This is a very cool video on a very cool guitar! I always liked these , Jimmy bower especially making me aware of them. I saw a silver burst custom once I wish I bought. Beautiful Guitars , perfect modding platform.
Funny this video popped up in my feed because about a month ago I played one of these at my ridiculously overpriced local antique store and really enjoyed it. It had a fair amount of wear and they were asking $2,250 firm. I remember thinking no way someone will pay that but it actually did sell.
that's a litttttle high imo, but I'm seeing a number of them listed in that range on eBay right now so maybe I'm undervaluing it. definitely a cool guitar though
I had the chance to buy that exactly Sonex in Sam ash year ago , I tested for hours , crap guitar , the pick ups are nothing comparable with a studio or sg , I will prefer for that money go for a junior.
I have one. It was the guitar I learned to play on. I've had it since I was 15, and I'm 50 now. Great guitar for beginners. I've played every genre of music with it. It was good for all of them so I don't agree with it being a one trick pony. Most players have a pedal board and the guitar sounds great with pedals.
you know, that’s a fair point. i don’t use any pedals at all so i guess i really rely on the inherent character of the guitar…but absolutely, effects open up the possibilities
@@RegularGuitars716 I played through two Ibanez pedals. A classic metal distortion pedal, and a flanger. The flanger gave the clean channel a great sound, and the distortion pedal would rock everything up to and including Metallica riffs with ease. So I found great versatility with just two pedals through a peavey amp. I played that guitar so much that my sweat has corroded the bridge. The switch and volume pots are done as well, along with the tuning keys. I miss playing that guitar though so I'll get around to replacing all the hardware and electronics some day. The only thing I never really liked about the guitar was that they used the same pickups in the neck and bridge position. When I replace them I'm thinking about going with a les Paul pickups just to change things up.
The Sonex 180 carried on the bolt on neck tradition from the Marauder and S3 guitars - but as you say made down to a price. The pickups were marketed as Gibson 'Velvet Bricks' and were I believe unique to this range. The 'Resinwood' body is essentially a sort of high density fibreboard and can have a tendency to develop cracks with age. You see these coming up on ebay etc for stupid money - you are way better off with an Epiphone Les Paul ... better made in every way!
The thing is they are extremely plentiful, there is a lot of them, typically the regular Deluxe is favored by thrash metal and Punk rockers, but due to the cost the next tier of them unfortunately got robbed, alot of them were bought just so the Dirty Fingers pickups could be taken out of them, so the upper tier models you will find without the proper pickups, the body is heavy because its basically a little wood core with mostly resin, and as anyone thats ever played an Acrylic Resin guitar can tell you, they are heavy, They were very very cheap guitars, if you see them for sale only the top end model is really worth it from the years even then you would want either the deluxe for the genre or the upper tier models for the Pickups with coil split toggle. the regular Deluxe even in perfect condition don't pay over $800, for the upper end models $1500 would be top mark if everything is original and in perfect condition never pay over that. They are too plentiful and they were an oddity that no one wanted or actually uses, but if you were born early 80's this would make a great birthyear guitar as they are cheap.
Love this guitar, love the Badmotorfinger shirt. First time viewer, but that's how I know this is a channel I can trust!
The parts were made overseas then assembled in America. Gibson kinda skated the line with these stamping them the made in USA. The Deluxe came with velvet brick pickups, cheap knock off bridge, tail piece, and tuners. These things are the perfect platform for upgrades. Love my 180 Deluxe!
I’ve had some really nice guitars through the decades. Played with a few well-known bands and a few years ago my dad died. He was a blues player in Chicago when he was younger and bought me my first guitar for my 8th. birthday. He taught me how to play it.
I’ve had fun and traveled all over playing guitar. When dad died, I just gave up. I don’t know why really, I was just done with music now. Sold all my music gear and gave lots of it away to friends. A few years of moping around doing nothing in particular, I walked into a pawnshop and saw this Gibson Sonix 180 Deluxe for 600 bucks. I’ve never had a Gibson before and this hardly qualifies, but I said what the hell.
Bought a cheap practice amp and strings. Hmmm…
Your review of this guitar is spot on. A strange and fuzzy classic tone that doesn’t change much on either pickup. A good Boss equalizer helps a lot though. It’s probably the worst guitar I’ve ever had but I really like it. It’s the guitar I bought when I came out of my slump. Dad definitely approves.
Thanks for the great video. Your deluxe sounds exactly like mine. Hmmm…
holy shit i’m sorry to hear about your dad. i was just with my dad tonight and i can’t imagine how devastating that must be….so devastating that you change your whole approach to life when your life centers around something so closely tied to him :(
i’m so happy to hear you found a reason to pick up a guitar again. i’ve come back to mine after putting it down during tough times and i know it’s always there for me. believe it or not, this video is pretty much me getting back on the horse after a divorce and all kinds of changes in my life - hence the rustiness haha. weird that it’s a sonex just like you.
keep on keeping on man, all the best to you and i hope your guitar gives you comfort and happiness in remembering that special bond with your dad.
@@RegularGuitars716 , Hey thanks a lot man. It means so much to me that you understand. And I too have always had a guitar by my side during tough times. Like a friend who never lets you down. But losing my dad was just too much for me to handle. You’re right, I always associated my guitar playing to him, and he’d come see me play through the years. I’d send him demo tapes and ask what he thought. Somehow my new demo was always better than the last one he heard. Not sure if that’s true but he was always encouraging everything I did. With him gone, I saw no reason to keep going. What’s the point? I can’t share it with him anymore.
But it’s cool that you too were brought back by the unassuming Sonix. Always treasure your dad and take nothing for granted.
Thanks a lot for replying. Keep on keeping on, and whatever rust that may have built up in the guitar’s absence, polishes off pretty quickly.
For me, since I forgot so many old songs, I started learning a bunch of different ones and different styles. Pretty cool.
Take care bro. 🤙🏼
This is a very cool video on a very cool guitar! I always liked these , Jimmy bower especially making me aware of them. I saw a silver burst custom once I wish I bought. Beautiful Guitars , perfect modding platform.
Cool! I have two Deluxes and an Artist. I really like them. The artist is a different beast though with a set neck and active electronics.
Funny this video popped up in my feed because about a month ago I played one of these at my ridiculously overpriced local antique store and really enjoyed it. It had a fair amount of wear and they were asking $2,250 firm. I remember thinking no way someone will pay that but it actually did sell.
that's a litttttle high imo, but I'm seeing a number of them listed in that range on eBay right now so maybe I'm undervaluing it. definitely a cool guitar though
I had the chance to buy that exactly Sonex in Sam ash year ago , I tested for hours , crap guitar , the pick ups are nothing comparable with a studio or sg , I will prefer for that money go for a junior.
I have one. It was the guitar I learned to play on. I've had it since I was 15, and I'm 50 now. Great guitar for beginners. I've played every genre of music with it. It was good for all of them so I don't agree with it being a one trick pony. Most players have a pedal board and the guitar sounds great with pedals.
you know, that’s a fair point. i don’t use any pedals at all so i guess i really rely on the inherent character of the guitar…but absolutely, effects open up the possibilities
@@RegularGuitars716 I played through two Ibanez pedals. A classic metal distortion pedal, and a flanger. The flanger gave the clean channel a great sound, and the distortion pedal would rock everything up to and including Metallica riffs with ease. So I found great versatility with just two pedals through a peavey amp.
I played that guitar so much that my sweat has corroded the bridge. The switch and volume pots are done as well, along with the tuning keys. I miss playing that guitar though so I'll get around to replacing all the hardware and electronics some day. The only thing I never really liked about the guitar was that they used the same pickups in the neck and bridge position. When I replace them I'm thinking about going with a les Paul pickups just to change things up.
Mines a silver deluxe lefty, love to know how rare that is.
i’d imagine that’s EXTREMELY rare!
the first guitar I ever bought, in 1980....and I still have it, has its flaws but I LOVE it
I had one…it was decent, played a few gigs with it . Hey people are making guitars out of a lot of materials now…it works!
what genre did you play when gigging it?
@@RegularGuitars716 classic Rock…this was 1985 -1986..probably some blues too.
I got a black one with polished aluminum pick guard. Bought it in 84 for $200.
wow i’ve never seen one with that pick guard! is it factory?
@@RegularGuitars716 I don’t know. I’ve never seen another.
I wish Gibson made them again. I had one until it got stolen.
The Sonex 180 carried on the bolt on neck tradition from the Marauder and S3 guitars - but as you say made down to a price. The pickups were marketed as Gibson 'Velvet Bricks' and were I believe unique to this range. The 'Resinwood' body is essentially a sort of high density fibreboard and can have a tendency to develop cracks with age. You see these coming up on ebay etc for stupid money - you are way better off with an Epiphone Les Paul ... better made in every way!
Sorta like the fender duo Sonic maybe. An entry level guitar.
exactly! and that one is coming up soon :)
Sounds like the strings on that guitar have been on it since the eighties. Playing was good but the guitar sounded flat. Enjoyed the video
haha it was flat as hell and i cut the parts of me trying to tune it up over and over ;)
Lmao I actually liked the tone a lot, would sound cool playing some New York Dolls stuff
Resinwood= sawdust mixed with resin and poured into a mold.
The thing is they are extremely plentiful, there is a lot of them, typically the regular Deluxe is favored by thrash metal and Punk rockers, but due to the cost the next tier of them unfortunately got robbed, alot of them were bought just so the Dirty Fingers pickups could be taken out of them, so the upper tier models you will find without the proper pickups, the body is heavy because its basically a little wood core with mostly resin, and as anyone thats ever played an Acrylic Resin guitar can tell you, they are heavy, They were very very cheap guitars, if you see them for sale only the top end model is really worth it from the years even then you would want either the deluxe for the genre or the upper tier models for the Pickups with coil split toggle. the regular Deluxe even in perfect condition don't pay over $800, for the upper end models $1500 would be top mark if everything is original and in perfect condition never pay over that. They are too plentiful and they were an oddity that no one wanted or actually uses, but if you were born early 80's this would make a great birthyear guitar as they are cheap.
Lil Althea? 😊
Tune it throw on a bed itll go outa tune throw a regular LP on the bed its still in tune
sounds like i should do the test