So - this is the most expensive guitar I've bought for the channel - so sorry if I seem a little negative - please let others know if you got one of these that you love?
Gibson has been joking since I bought my first Gibson LP in 1978. The LP copy that I had before it was better. But I couldn't see that immediately, in my rambunctious youth. Buyer's remorse set in pretty quickly though. Traded it for an SG (junk), and then got a Flying V (bridge in wrong place!) after that. No more Gibsons for me.
So the pickups are better than a standard, the top is a step above the standard, and it plays really well, and it’s a first run of a guitar that will always hold a premium price over a 2023 standard. I think in the years to come the other stuff is more subjective and you’ll Never go backwards on that guitar.
Yeah I’d say ur right there won’t be tons of these and in 20 years everyone that wants one will be paying a lot more then the cost now. Half of them will be gone or in a closet somewhere with the owner not knowing what it is. Really when Kirk is gone this will sell for a lot
This might just be me, but I find some people are just looking to find something negative to say. Complaining about the "Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer" when it's clearly mentioned in the spec's is nitpicking and that's on you. That's what a satin finish is, non-glossy. If she plays great, sounds incredible, and she clearly does, no issues with the neck, body or whatever, I don't see the issue. But comparing a R9 or a custom shop murphy lab at double the price, you can't really compare those to a standard! As for weight, you can always shop around and find one lighter and more to your liking, but I am guessing you picked this one up from the seller, so you got to see it and hold it for the weight, unless it was shipped to you? On a side note, I just got my 2023 Slash November burst and its a perfect beast. Sustain, tone, looks everything! I shopped around for mine and she's 9lbs 3oz. Wide flame top, dark burst... looks like the 2008 slash special edition. Just my two cents... and great playing by the way!
The point is with the less expensive finish and its $3000 on my opinion isn't not picking its being budget conscience at any price. To each his/her own. Nice guitar and yes somewhat overpriced imo. "He lives in Wales but don't hold that against him" 🤣
@@dragan4658 you're the troll, im responding to your trolling. And NO, if you are talking cost that's one thing, but manual labor times also. I can do a Poly finish fast, but lacquer takes longer and more skill. Look at the cheap guitars out there, they are all poly finish, you will never see nitro lacquer finish on cheap guitars. If you do, probably a crappy job because it wasn't applied properly and it came from China where the guitar builders raped for their time.
@realtruenorth haha ok kiddo hahaha. Look up the definition of troll, it's negative Comments without merit and that is what your comments were. My comment was not negative, get your daddy or mommy to explain the meaning of my comment as you clearly didn't comprehend it.
The guitar sounds beautiful! What could possibly be wrong with it? There are many guitars that I wish sounded this good. It’s as smooth as silk. Tom Sisson
It's so hard to tell from watching John playing it - he's such a beautiful player, so how much is the amp and his playing versus the guitar itself? I'd have to play the guitar myself but can't see myself shelling out the £3k+ to get one on mail order. When Gibson make those pickups available separately, then maybe for the £400 or whatever they ask for a set, then I can get hold of some and see if there really is some magic in them on their own. I agree it sounds gorgeous in John's hands but I take his points on board and wonder whether the price tag is all hype, and the only special feature is those pickups? Hopefully I can try one out if one of my local stores gets one in and I am happy to be blown away if its as good as it sounds here. Just take my money !!! 😂😂
@@martin-1965 however good it is, £3K is still a lot of money for a guitar ..mostly a piece of wood. There is less handcrafting involved these days compared to the 1940s & 50s, a machine can turn out a body & neck, and we didn't have factories in Malaysia, Indonesia & China ,but some people clearly don't mind ..good for them 🤨
@@vincentl.9469 Agree Vincent - most I've paid for a guitar in 40+ years of playing is £1k for my Ed O'Brien Sustainer Strat. I can't justify the expense and love guitars I bought for pennies in comparison 20-30 years ago as much. I just like making music and as long as I like playing the guitar - the name and origin of the guitar means nothing to me. Frank Marino once said his guitar was just a tool and he didn't care how beat up it looked. I guess I'm from the same school, but you can include not caring where it was made into that equation :)
@@martin-1965 yes ,but factories in the far east have made it possible to purchase good to high quality instruments at prices that don't require a loan in most cases...
I dont know guys, it's 1 thing to do a custom build for an artist from scratch, then release a player's version, budget version, etc--but to take a 60-year-old vintage piece with a name, multiple previous owners + history, that has been chopped up, fitted with who-knows-what odd hardware throughout the years, smashed to bits and rebuilt--and just paint up a standard to look the same and say 'Look! It's Greenie!' -kind of grotesque, isn't it..?
You’re playing around 9:00 is lovely and reminds me a little of Bill Frizell, would be awesome if you felt like doing a Frizell type preset at some stage?
I've a couple of R9's and this thing holds it's own with them. I love mine. It's a rock monster. I don't like hype guitars generally but I played this thing in the store and couldn't put it down. Out it came with me.Totally unexpectedly.
@@johnnathancordy Its about 9 1/2/ 4.2 kgs. So not a total bruiser at 10 pounds but not what you'd call lightweight at all either. Yes the pickups have a real clarity and still punch.
I thought we could have Greeny sound in the middle position at every VOL and tone level ? It is true or is there a sweet spot ?Want to do the mod…thanks for your help 🙏😉
Usually you play with your volume down, the louder you turn up the volume the more the pickups start to go back in phase again, the mod is fairly simple aswell, just make sure you turn your volume down😊
Hey John, i bought my first real amp 1 week ago and i am doing the 4 method cable in the fx loop using the hx stomp. Can you help me with it? I have seen a lot of your videos on the topic but i have doubts on it. I have sound and the effects works, but already discovered things out of phase that i corrected, or i think i have done it. I just need to show it to you. I was thinking sending an email to you with a video or a link for the video on my youtube channel (I speak english well so i can communicate easly with a video). I just want to know if i am doing it right or wrong and what to do for correct it. I am also using a real wah pedal and i do not know if it is properly connected in the chain. Is frustating not knowing if i am doing the things right or wrong, i have no one that can explain to me or any local store in my city not even a small store selling music material, so i do not know if the things are correct. Can i sent you this email?
Even though I am quite skeptical of nowadays Gibsons but I love sustain on that one and quite an impressive dynamic feedback but it's still quite a pricey guitar. Your playing is on top as always!
I think these are very disappointing! Admittedly, the pickups do sound good in your demo (are they Custombuckers?) I've been a Peter Green fan for decades but I don't think this is in any way close to his actual guitar. Sure, it's got the reverse wired neck pickup and the mismatched knobs that Gary Moore added...and, well, that appears to be it. The tops aren't even similar! I agree with you; I think Gibson are taking the pish with this guitar. I recently bought a used 58 Custom Historic VOS that is absolutely magnificent... and I paid a little over £3k for it. This "Hammett/ Moore/ Green" LP is a bit of a joke, compared to what's out the in the used market for similar money. Gibson need to have a word with themselves...
@@goldtop362 Agree.. huge disappointment .. nothing Greeny about it. I have had to remake the entire guitar .. for the money that should not be necessary .. so many issues.. like Gibson didn't finish the job. Poor construction to say the least..
As per usual, your playing is the highlight of the video and your comments appear to be warranted. The neck pickup is what made the Peter Green guitar famous, other than Peter Green, of course. I have a very similar looking LP with Duncan Seth Lover pickups and am quite tempted to reverse the magnet of the neck pickup. Another option is the Duncan Green Magic pickup that they sell as a set, or individually at just $149 USD with a nickel cover. Both, the Green Magic and Seth Lover pickups have alnico 2 magnets. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than the cost of a guitar with a dodgy finish, etc. and a COA. Thanks for the video and be well.
That's a really great sounding and looking guitar! I'm not so sure if I would add it to the tones I get from my EPI 1959 Les Paul Reissue or my 1979 Gibson "The Paul" that I put original Tim Shaw PAFs in. Between my 2 Pauls and my Strats I have a great variety of tones already and I only keep 5 guitars out that I actually play a lot. Not a collector. Thanks for the video and great playing!!
Have you make a video on the chords or type of chords and progressions that you go for? Just asking for music theory. I like this music but I don’t know anything. And I’m just getting into producing.
Great playing, tone and sustain Thank for the review. In the end to me it is about the sound and playability. Agree that you probably can get that from a less expensive guitar.
7:20 That's the tinted lacquer that they spray over the nut and part of the binding. They don't scrape it and it seems to be a normal feature on their Les Pauls.
Nice smooth buttery playing here. Guitar sounds really good 👍🏻 Based on your review, this Greeny is not worth 3000 pounds b.c the quality is not as good as a regular les paul standard?
Stellar playing as always 👌 Any interest in trying out a Heritage? Gibson's have never appealed to me for some reason - although I did play a 335 about 15 years ago that was quite special 🤷♂
Feeling the grain on a satin is the beauty of it. Definitely dings and ages quicker. It also resonates better and feels way less sticky. That's one of the high points for me anyway.
Well I played one this past Saturday at the Dallas Guitar Festival. I must say it was awesome! Very fun and comfortable to play, like an old pair of jeans. Now I must say I’d buy it for the previous players not necessarily for Kirk, I’m a blues man lol. But I can definitely respect Kirk for his skill and passion for the instrument. ❤❤
I started out just like you did with an opportunity to play one and couldn’t put it down after a couple hours playing it, until my wife put a stop to that by suggesting the Greeny to be my next guitar. I own one now LOL
Some one said that these pickups will be available at about 375 a set. Well this is like the 6th or 7th time I have watched this video, the SOUND is SO Good!!!!! now watched it about 20 times, love the Sound.
I just bought one of these Yesterday and i must have gotten lucky because mine is outstanding and I am very hard to impress when it comes to guitars and I'm extremely anal about even the most minor flaws and I can't find one thing to complain about with this guitar . The pickups are truly amazing and i am very critical of stock pickups and swap pickups quite often but these Greeny buckers will be staying in the guitar for good. The bridge pickup does the Gary Moore riff sound perfectly. The bridge pickup is very fat and full sounding and has a wide frequency response. It's very balanced from top to bottom and it also has that hollow vintage PAF quality
Not lucky, just not as picky. I'm sure all of the guitars of this model are fantastic and as amazing as you find yours to be. You just don't have the mindset of trying to find something 'wrong' with it because you feel bad about spending a great deal of money. I currently have 5 Gibsons from years 1993 up to a 2021 and not a single one has any issues. They are all fantastic instruments.
@@dnields agreed. I think Nathan’s review is almost entirely owed to his psychological hang-ups around spending money for nice things. It’s a fantastic guitar that does everything and more that a blues guy would ever want from a LP. I, for one, am tired of guitar reviews being dominated by people who hyper-focus on price and what certain guitars “should” cost. According to whom, exactly? Inflation is inflation. 10 year from now, it’ll be seen to be a really reasonable purchase price. It’s just silly. Focus on the sound, the feel, the vibe, the tone, the inspiration you get when you see it on your guitar rack. Those are the things that make a guitar a life-long asset. That’s why we make music
I have watched a few of his videos, he seems to have it out for Fender and Gibson. He was not impressed with the American Vintage II strat, but mine is absolutely killer.
Most every time I see a review of a *proper* LP, I am thankful for the [literally] flawless, 100% handmade, SB59-GD I bought last year weighing in at a whopping 7.8lbs - apparently no SB59 can leave the shop at over 8lbs. You could really consider trying one out.
@@johnnathancordy Indeed. I bought the one featured in shane's video here. The hi-res pics that Jerry Put up are very good. One thing I love is ebony over rosewood boards - less porous - and the fretboard on this is like black glass. ua-cam.com/video/8ky5MuDbMmU/v-deo.html
1. it sounds amazing. I agree the top finish seems like a weird choice. 2. can you share the signal chain at 11:03? I need my Les Paul to sound like that
I haven't played a Greeny yet, and personally I wouldn't pay £3,000 for it (Gibson prices aren't exactly palatable these days). But, I also do think you've cast the review a bit more negatively than I expected in light of the criticisms you did have. If we ignore the slight price premium over a Standard (and the more significant premium over a Faded), there was actually very little wrong with this guitar. You said the fret work was good, it was a good weight, played really well and the pickups sounded good. Gibson are constantly slammed over QC, but here we have a Gibson where the QC seems to have worked. When I'm looking to buy a guitar, these are the boxes it needs to tick. The only substantive criticisms I remember you going over were the type finish (which Gibson clearly advertise), the binding marks near the nut (which is lacquer overspray, and not great, but does not affect playability) and some visible binding scraping. Nearly every guitar I've played with binding has had some visible scraping, its just a by-product of hand scraping the fingerboard - Gibson would be slammed again if they didn't do this by hand (many people criticise them for CNCing neck and body blanks). I own a good few Gibsons now (including some under the new management), and they are all absolutely excellent - and all either have some overspray, some scraping, or other slight weird quirks from being worked on by hand. I've seen similar levels of "issues" on US Fenders, PRSs, G&Ls, Suhrs, etc. I completely get that these issues do matter to some people, but I have come to learn that they can be a distraction from an otherwise great guitar. I almost sent an SG back for a few of these things, I'm glad I didn't because I absolutely love it. In terms of the price, Gibson charge it because they know people will pay it - and people did, seeing as they've pretty much all sold out. And I wouldn't really say that you get nothing extra for the money (though whether its enough extra is up for debate!), you get a unique set of pickups, a more figured top and the Greeny aesthetic. If those are things you care about, you'll pay the price. I don't mean any of this harshly, I enjoy your videos and I do think you pointed out the good aspects of the guitar. Whether the price is right is completely subjective, but I think it at least seems like a very good guitar!
I have a Gibson Gary Moore Signature which looks exactly the same and has the same pickup set-up (although your one may have a newer design). Cost me £2k second hand a couple of years ago and it's not a satin finish.
Thanks for the honesty. I HATE bindings that go over the fret ends. Everyone I have seen looks like cheap plastic covering the fret end. This makes the fret end bigger and harder on your fingers. If this was my guitar, the first thing I would do is send it to my local luthier and have him trim the plastic off the fret ends and reshape the frets. I think Gibson has just found a way to keep from having to personally finish a guitar and have them run through machine to put the binding on without having to hand shape the frets. Money saver!
Hey John! Hope you're well. Without the normal Nitro coating, it is more obvious than on the other LPs I've played that this is yeh...Plastic. Realistically, the nibs also do reduce the amount of fret that you've actually got access to?
The frets on Les Paul's only run the width of the fret board...then the beading is put on and filed between frets. The only way to get rid of fret ends is a total refret so the frets run fully across the neck. That's what I'm led to believe as most people who have refret do away with the fret ends as it's more expensive to do and most cases is a preference. I'm now wondering if Greenie had fret ends through all it's life 🤔
I love the sound and vibe of the Les Paul. Owned one, 2013 Traditional goldtop! Biggest piece of crap I ever bought. You paid £300 for the guitar and £2,700 for the name on the headstock!
@@johnnathancordy Nice, updated my Helix last week. I was trying to get my hands on a KH Greeny, I think I’ll just wait for another R9, R8 to turn up. I’m in NZ, so they are scarce.
Is it not some kind of tribute guitar, is that why they put that finish on ? Personally I don’t go for “tribute/signature” guitars I just look for something that speaks to me why I try it, it took me 35yrs to find my Les Paul but I love it and I’ve been a Strat player all my life.
What I meant by "tribute" here was the lower level Gibson guitars that have a similar finish. On this guitar it's a cost saving measure I'd have to imagine
I appreciate these honest reviews. The retailer videos all praise them like they’re exact replicas when it reality it’s just a Les Paul standard with a couple of aesthetic similarities. They’ve been doing it with the Slash versions and marking up the guitar massively too.
@John Nathan Cordy I love using entry-level guitars to do the same thing as others who buy things for brand name. I once used an ESP that was found on the floor in an abandoned storage locker to record in the studio. The engineer said no, but I convinced him otherwise .
You can buy the Greeny Buckers separately now - at least that’s what my shop told me. Just buy any LP that you like and feels good, and drop the Greeny Buckers in to get that middle position sound.
Have sent 2 Standards back to Sweetwater in the past 5 years. Not looking for perfection - alI I ask is that they meet the build quality of my RevStar.
As for my experience, bought one when they first came out and my initial reaction was similar to yours. I subsequently traded it for a different guitar. Ten months later, I bought a second USA Greeny and find that one fits my needs. IMO....the $20K Murphy Lab version IS out of the question.
It’s less true today than 5 years ago, but I always thought the best Les Paul for the money was a used custom shop r8 or r7. Spend an extra $400-500 over the top of that kirk hammet greenie, and you have the best modern lp you can buy
If you want the out-of-phase tones of Kirk Hammet Greeny guitar then you have two options: 1) buy this $3000 guitar; or 2) buy the $300 Greenybuckers and install them on your Les Paul. I like the satin finish and Greenybucker tones and light weight (under 9 lbs) of my Greeny guitar. BTW If you like satin finished Les Paul then the Greeny guitar is an option for you. With a little work to smooth out the sharp edges and fretboard roll that I did by yourself, my Greeny guitar now plays and feels as good as my Custom Shop and Murphy Lab Les Pauls. I swapped out the Grover nickel turners for the Gibson Reissue Deluxe turners and over the years I put a few dings and scratches on my Greeny guitar; now it looks and sounds like a true vintage Les Paul.
A nod to Cowboy Song? Iove Thin Iizzy. No doubt the guitar sound good. Been gassing for a Fender Custom shop, whew, high doIIar stuff. Gibson custom shop, again, wow at the prices. Nice review.
They are expensive but only $200 more than the regular standards now and from what I've seen they have better tops, you get the greeny pickups and the frets are different for those you find them more comfortable. They are $700 more than a faded but if the better top and other features are things you want then they don't seem crazy overpriced. I also imagine that down the line they will have a better collectability factor than a regular standard or faded so possibly better resale. All that said, I like a gloss finish and not interested is something getting a relic look quicker so would go with a regular standard.
My local Guitar Center has had a couple of Greeny LPs that I never even considered picking up because they didn't even look good to me. But yesterday I wad there and they had one with the most beautifully flamed top I've ever seen outside or a Custom Shop. I finally picked one up and I was really impressed with it. If "I" were to buy it, I'd definitely swap that neck pickup around. Haha
I ordered one of these back when they came out, and it arived a couple days ago finally(im in Canada, more scarce here). I had played one in the shop, and had the same thoughts about the finish on it. Its basically a 50s standard faded, but sounds SO much better. I made the decision to buy it mainly as Im a huge Gary Moore fan and want to get those tones, but also because it's still a cool guitar. Ive smoothed the neck with super smooth 4k, 8k, and 12k micro mesh polishing pads, and it is nearly as slick as my MusicMan BFR now without changing its appearance. Ill definitely be shining up the top a bit, to a semi gloss finish. I really wish they put more effort into the finish here, as the top has many imperfections in the finish. I suspect they are trying to pass it off as a VOS or Fender Journeyman style finish. Great flame on it, though! Overall I'd rather own it than not have one. For the cost, i expected much more. Worst case, im sure these will have great resale value in the future. Edit: i smoothed and polished the top, and it made all the difference. It has the look and feel of a Custom Shop VOS, and it looks much more like the real greeny. Took me about 30mins total, and definitely worth the effort.
@roswellminard9350 the same thing I did to the neck. A ultra high grit sanding, then polish. I actually just sold the guitar, and the buyer was thrilled with how much better it felt than the ones hed tried out.
Mine is 8.5 pounds, the tone and resonance unplugged is so close to my 59 Reissue. I always choose my Les Pauls under 9 pounds because the Custom Shop ones are.
It looks beautiful and sounds beautiful! Frankly I get the sentiment but I feel like you're nit picking a bit with regards to QC. When you pay a premium you certainly expect to get a perfect instrument but the things that matter (plays great - sounds great - stays in tune, etc) are all good by your account so in the end i would over look the minor blemishes (both my Les Pauls have minor blemishes) and enjoy the guitar! In fact the things that give an instrument some charm come from the human element (as opposed to the automated elements of building one) in my opinion.
@@stephenharrison7514 It's a fair point. My PRS is literally perfect - but I rarely play it. I think John's expectations were fair - a high end guitar should have a higher standard of QC - but in the end I (just my opinion - I'm not saying John is wrong) don't think it's a big deal as long as the instrument performs as it should. If the bridge was messed up or it won't intonate properly then I would have a problem with it.
@@stephenharrison7514 PRS's core tenet is _"perfection"._ Every guitar company has a core tenet, whether they think of it as such, or not. Fender has always been: _made to fit ordinary players._ Ibanez are : _"Fender on steroids"._ Gibson has always been: _Authentic, American made, hand made mahogany instruments._ With handmade instruments, what you gain in tonal & build character, you lose in perfect uniformity. PRS strives for this flawlessness, and it comes, somewhat, at the coat of character. The biggest complaint of PRS is that that, yes , they may be flawless, but they also lack any real character or soul. People often gripe about Gibson QC, pointing out that Squier can pump out thousands of identical replicas, without (many) flaws. But that fails to understand the value of and nature of hand built guitars vs mass produced, machine made guitars. I have both Gibsons and a PRS, aswell as the other brands mentioned (except Squier). One is not "better" than the other. Each have their own set of Pros and Cons, arising from each Companies' ethos & vision.
Over 10 lbs! Oooof! That’s a deal (and back) breaker for me. Does it have a decent neck profile? PS, I ordered a HX Stomp after seeing so many of your videos - I’m liking the new amps, logical UI and flexibility, and tiny footprint.
Fun fact is that the ‘Greeny’ came from the factory with the reversed alnico magnet. So this guitar became famous because of it’s production flaws and now we see people criticizing the new Gibson ‘Greeny’ guitars for it’s production flaws. I think that is insane. This particular guitar plays very well and it obviously sounds awesome, yet the owner will sell it. I can’t get my head around it. I actually own a Gibson Greeny and despite some very minor production flaws It’s one of the best guitar I have ever played. I could sell my entire guitar collection but I’d keep The Greeny hands down. Compliments for your playing man, don’t sell your best guitar.
I always thought that the conventional wisdom was that the heavier a guitar is, the more it will sustain and the better it will sound. This video is not disproving that concept. Good lord this thing sounds amazing. Probably the best thing I’ve heard on this channel.
I've played many Gibsons over the years and bonded with 2. 1 of those I own. Got it very cheap due to neck repair and wear/tear. I could not imagine paying 3k for a Gibby. If you are ever seeking a wonderful custom guitar experience for the same or less as this guitar, I'd highly recommned Lacello guitars! A single luthier in Canada. Great guy to work with and will build you a masterpiece for a reasonable price. Love my Lacello
I’m guessing you are mostly paying for a AAA top (Standards have a AA) and the pickups. I admit the choice to make it Faded is a surprise. Perhaps they didn’t want to push the price up or there might be plans for a lower priced Custom Shop version? Regardless, that guitar looks and sounds incredible. I’ve been lusting after one. Admittedly, I don’t tend to inspect my new guitars so closely.
Yeh I think that's about right. I mean honestly if it didn't have the faded finish (which is presumably why the Faded series is cheaper in general?) - there'd really only be the weight of this to worry about, but even so I do think it does look pretty decent. But the lines of the binding etc are quite noticeable underhand - I think Trogly also noted that the binding feels sharp - essentially there's a bit of a plastic feeling to it as there's not much finish between the plastic and your hands...But anyway. It sounds great and plays pretty good too. SO - I'm sure there are some folks out there that would be happy?
Its not a bad top, but at the same time it seems almost closer to a top PRS would reserve for a S2 or CE. I'm rarely impressed by what Gibson considers a nice top. That said, it sounds amazing ! !! !
“First played by Kirk Hammet, then Peter Green, then some other guy, Gary something“. FFS! What a muppet. How can you trust anything else he says after an opener like that? What an absolute insult to Gary Moore, for starters. You know, the guy who owned it for over 30 years, and played some of the greatest rock/blues playing EVER, on it. Nob!
In essence you can take a 50s Faded and change the pickups and the wiring and save yourself a lot of money. I got my 60s Standard Faded and it has the porous thin finish, the binding is not super smooth, but it is exactly what I love about it. It has the feeling of a workhorse guitar but it plays incredibly good and easy. In fact not only was it just shy of 2000 pounds but I prefer it much more to the shiny standard finish. The faded will age faster and better than the shiny nitro versions. The raw wood finish on the back as well as the neck feels absolutely amazing to my hands.
Gibson for some reason has gone to smaller frets on all their production models since about 2020 but they still call them medium jumbos. They are not though, they are vintage small and it's quite irritating.
Great playing … and the guitar sounds and looks fantastic. Some think you’re being a bit nit-picky, but when reviewing something, I appreciate the scrutiny. Personally, minor imperfections don’t bother me so long as the guitar plays great, and looks like it was supposed to look, finish wise. Yes, Gibson charges a premium, and compared to so many guitars on the market these days that you can pick up for half or even a third of that price that play and sound great, one could argue it’s too much money for what you’re getting. But it’s an iconic guitar, and the cost is part of the mystique and history of the brand. It will also maintain more value than others. And those pickups are the same quality you’ve see on Gibsons costing much more. So, if you want an authentic Gibson, with a killer sound, it’s a good buy, even if it isn’t a great bargain.
I got one of these from American Musical Supply. The top is the nicest piece of wood i have ever seen, guitar or otherwise. It is just under 9lbs. Neck is perfect sized. Binding, set up, and nut are perfect. Super resonant unplugged. I am very happy with what I spent my money on. The previous guitar i bought from Gibby was awesome as well. I feel the Gibson hate is overblown.
12:40 An R9 is what you're looking for. Add 1000 to your budget, buy used, and you will have exactly what you want. I promise it's worth the money. You could also forgo the flame top and buy an R8 in your budget. The neck profile and weight are the big factors that change the experience of playing a CS LP compared to a USA Standard.
Have had quite a few Gibson LPs and a week back found an amazing deal on a used Epiphone Greeny. It’s wild how good it is. Wouldn’t pay 1,500 for it, but if you find at 1k or less don’t hesitate it’s a hell of a lot of guitar for the money.
So - this is the most expensive guitar I've bought for the channel - so sorry if I seem a little negative - please let others know if you got one of these that you love?
Gibson has been joking since I bought my first Gibson LP in 1978. The LP copy that I had before it was better. But I couldn't see that immediately, in my rambunctious youth. Buyer's remorse set in pretty quickly though.
Traded it for an SG (junk), and then got a Flying V (bridge in wrong place!) after that. No more Gibsons for me.
All good, it's a fair comparison in terms of price vs alternatives from someone who has played all the alternatives, so it's well received.
Could you not have assessed your feelings about this LP BEFORE buying it?
Reviewing and demoing a guitar normally necessitates having access to one
James is someone that I have bought gear from before who lives about 137 miles away. So no, that wasn't really an option.
So the pickups are better than a standard, the top is a step above the standard, and it plays really well, and it’s a first run of a guitar that will always hold a premium price over a 2023 standard. I think in the years to come the other stuff is more subjective and you’ll
Never go backwards on that guitar.
Yeah I’d say ur right there won’t be tons of these and in 20 years everyone that wants one will be paying a lot more then the cost now. Half of them will be gone or in a closet somewhere with the owner not knowing what it is. Really when Kirk is gone this will sell for a lot
did they ever make a Peter Green signature LP ?
@@vincentl.9469 is this a trick question? (other than the missing reproduction signature that a dead guy cant write)
@@godsinbox it says Kirk Hammett signature LP...'greeny' I guess that's close enough
Interesting take and I think you may be right.
This might just be me, but I find some people are just looking to find something negative to say. Complaining about the "Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer" when it's clearly mentioned in the spec's is nitpicking and that's on you. That's what a satin finish is, non-glossy. If she plays great, sounds incredible, and she clearly does, no issues with the neck, body or whatever, I don't see the issue. But comparing a R9 or a custom shop murphy lab at double the price, you can't really compare those to a standard! As for weight, you can always shop around and find one lighter and more to your liking, but I am guessing you picked this one up from the seller, so you got to see it and hold it for the weight, unless it was shipped to you? On a side note, I just got my 2023 Slash November burst and its a perfect beast. Sustain, tone, looks everything! I shopped around for mine and she's 9lbs 3oz. Wide flame top, dark burst... looks like the 2008 slash special edition. Just my two cents... and great playing by the way!
The point is with the less expensive finish and its $3000 on my opinion isn't not picking its being budget conscience at any price. To each his/her own. Nice guitar and yes somewhat overpriced imo. "He lives in Wales but don't hold that against him" 🤣
@@dragan4658 LOL, that is not a less expensive finish. Probably the most sought after finish by many legendary guitar players.
@realtruenorth actually it is the less expensive finish, look it up and stop being a troll.
@@dragan4658 you're the troll, im responding to your trolling. And NO, if you are talking cost that's one thing, but manual labor times also. I can do a Poly finish fast, but lacquer takes longer and more skill. Look at the cheap guitars out there, they are all poly finish, you will never see nitro lacquer finish on cheap guitars. If you do, probably a crappy job because it wasn't applied properly and it came from China where the guitar builders raped for their time.
@realtruenorth haha ok kiddo hahaha. Look up the definition of troll, it's negative Comments without merit and that is what your comments were. My comment was not negative, get your daddy or mommy to explain the meaning of my comment as you clearly didn't comprehend it.
What stomp preset were you using for the lead sound in the intro?
The guitar sounds beautiful! What could possibly be wrong with it? There are many guitars that I wish sounded this good. It’s as smooth as silk.
Tom Sisson
It's so hard to tell from watching John playing it - he's such a beautiful player, so how much is the amp and his playing versus the guitar itself? I'd have to play the guitar myself but can't see myself shelling out the £3k+ to get one on mail order. When Gibson make those pickups available separately, then maybe for the £400 or whatever they ask for a set, then I can get hold of some and see if there really is some magic in them on their own.
I agree it sounds gorgeous in John's hands but I take his points on board and wonder whether the price tag is all hype, and the only special feature is those pickups? Hopefully I can try one out if one of my local stores gets one in and I am happy to be blown away if its as good as it sounds here. Just take my money !!! 😂😂
5:41
@@martin-1965 however good it is, £3K is still a lot of money for a guitar ..mostly a piece of wood. There is less handcrafting involved these days compared to the 1940s & 50s, a machine can turn out a body & neck, and we didn't have factories in Malaysia, Indonesia & China ,but some people clearly don't mind ..good for them 🤨
@@vincentl.9469 Agree Vincent - most I've paid for a guitar in 40+ years of playing is £1k for my Ed O'Brien Sustainer Strat. I can't justify the expense and love guitars I bought for pennies in comparison 20-30 years ago as much. I just like making music and as long as I like playing the guitar - the name and origin of the guitar means nothing to me. Frank Marino once said his guitar was just a tool and he didn't care how beat up it looked. I guess I'm from the same school, but you can include not caring where it was made into that equation :)
@@martin-1965 yes ,but factories in the far east have made it possible to purchase good to high quality instruments at prices that don't require a loan in most cases...
i guess the question is do we go for the Greeny or Slash LP?
I dont know guys, it's 1 thing to do a custom build for an artist from scratch, then release a player's version, budget version, etc--but to take a 60-year-old vintage piece with a name, multiple previous owners + history, that has been chopped up, fitted with who-knows-what odd hardware throughout the years, smashed to bits and rebuilt--and just paint up a standard to look the same and say 'Look! It's Greenie!' -kind of grotesque, isn't it..?
You’re playing around 9:00 is lovely and reminds me a little of Bill Frizell, would be awesome if you felt like doing a Frizell type preset at some stage?
first kirk, then peter & gary 😂 nice one
That comment made the review null and void.
I thought he was taking the piss "some guy called gary"
What are you playing through? It sounds Fantastic!!
I've a couple of R9's and this thing holds it's own with them. I love mine. It's a rock monster. I don't like hype guitars generally but I played this thing in the store and couldn't put it down. Out it came with me.Totally unexpectedly.
That's awesome - how heavy did yours come out? I really love these pickups
@@johnnathancordy Its about 9 1/2/ 4.2 kgs. So not a total bruiser at 10 pounds but not what you'd call lightweight at all either. Yes the pickups have a real clarity and still punch.
@@benmcgurk1 yeh that's a happy medium, my 2002 standard is about that
Absolutely blown away by mine! Mine has super slight binding scratches and no other issues as of yet. Plays, sounds, and looks incredible.
Great video! How did you get those amazing amp tones? I sense they arent in My Boss Katana
I thought we could have Greeny sound in the middle position at every VOL and tone level ? It is true or is there a sweet spot ?Want to do the mod…thanks for your help 🙏😉
Usually you play with your volume down, the louder you turn up the volume the more the pickups start to go back in phase again, the mod is fairly simple aswell, just make sure you turn your volume down😊
Does it have stainless steel frets?
Which modeller are you using here? It sounds great! The player and the guitar should also help of course :).
HX Stomp!
Hey John, i bought my first real amp 1 week ago and i am doing the 4 method cable in the fx loop using the hx stomp. Can you help me with it? I have seen a lot of your videos on the topic but i have doubts on it. I have sound and the effects works, but already discovered things out of phase that i corrected, or i think i have done it. I just need to show it to you. I was thinking sending an email to you with a video or a link for the video on my youtube channel (I speak english well so i can communicate easly with a video). I just want to know if i am doing it right or wrong and what to do for correct it. I am also using a real wah pedal and i do not know if it is properly connected in the chain. Is frustating not knowing if i am doing the things right or wrong, i have no one that can explain to me or any local store in my city not even a small store selling music material, so i do not know if the things are correct. Can i sent you this email?
Do you know what pickups are in there?
That Gary Moore solo tone though. Always keeping it tasteful.
Gary was one of the best
Hey how many KG's was yours? There is now Greenybuckers available did you checked them out? $300. Do you still have this guitar? It's a nice guitar...
Loved the ‘Empty Rooms’ reference.
Is ther a name for the music that you play at the opening of this video?
How is the inlay work? There's usually a good amount of "Filler."
Some of the best playing and tasteful shredding from John Cordy in this video. Wonder what preset/unit he used for this?
Even though I am quite skeptical of nowadays Gibsons but I love sustain on that one and quite an impressive dynamic feedback but it's still quite a pricey guitar. Your playing is on top as always!
Yeh - I can't fault how it plays or sounds, but finishing wise I'm not overly impressed
@@johnnathancordy Thanks for reply and for your opinion! :)
I think these are very disappointing! Admittedly, the pickups do sound good in your demo (are they Custombuckers?) I've been a Peter Green fan for decades but I don't think this is in any way close to his actual guitar. Sure, it's got the reverse wired neck pickup and the mismatched knobs that Gary Moore added...and, well, that appears to be it. The tops aren't even similar!
I agree with you; I think Gibson are taking the pish with this guitar. I recently bought a used 58 Custom Historic VOS that is absolutely magnificent... and I paid a little over £3k for it. This "Hammett/ Moore/ Green" LP is a bit of a joke, compared to what's out the in the used market for similar money.
Gibson need to have a word with themselves...
@@goldtop362 Agree.. huge disappointment .. nothing Greeny about it. I have had to remake the entire guitar .. for the money that should not be necessary .. so many issues.. like Gibson didn't finish the job. Poor construction to say the least..
@@adriennelee1520 yep. Just not good enough!
As per usual, your playing is the highlight of the video and your comments appear to be warranted. The neck pickup is what made the Peter Green guitar famous, other than Peter Green, of course. I have a very similar looking LP with Duncan Seth Lover pickups and am quite tempted to reverse the magnet of the neck pickup. Another option is the Duncan Green Magic pickup that they sell as a set, or individually at just $149 USD with a nickel cover. Both, the Green Magic and Seth Lover pickups have alnico 2 magnets. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than the cost of a guitar with a dodgy finish, etc. and a COA. Thanks for the video and be well.
That's a really great sounding and looking guitar! I'm not so sure if I would add it to the tones I get from my EPI 1959 Les Paul Reissue or my 1979 Gibson "The Paul" that I put original Tim Shaw PAFs in. Between my 2 Pauls and my Strats I have a great variety of tones already and I only keep 5 guitars out that I actually play a lot. Not a collector. Thanks for the video and great playing!!
Have you make a video on the chords or type of chords and progressions that you go for? Just asking for music theory. I like this music but I don’t know anything. And I’m just getting into producing.
Great playing, tone and sustain Thank for the review. In the end to me it is about the sound and playability. Agree that you probably can get that from a less expensive guitar.
7:20 That's the tinted lacquer that they spray over the nut and part of the binding. They don't scrape it and it seems to be a normal feature on their Les Pauls.
yep.... right back to the first 59RIs Gibson seem to have had trouble scraping off that last mm or so of tint on the neck binding.
Beautiful intro solo! Do you have the tabs?
Have you ever done a rundown on the G&L Legacy Indonesia model with maple fingerboard. When set up properly these can sound very nice.
I played this today and i thought it was incredible. Awesome finish, felt amazing and great tone!
How heavy was it?
Nice smooth buttery playing here. Guitar sounds really good 👍🏻 Based on your review, this Greeny is not worth 3000 pounds b.c the quality is not as good as a regular les paul standard?
god the Gary Moore tribute in there was so good man he was an incredible player you did that justice
I admit £3k is way too much but it’s currently on sale for £2k do you think it’s worth it at that price ?
Tried the Adam Jones Les Paul Standard yet?
Stellar playing as always 👌
Any interest in trying out a Heritage?
Gibson's have never appealed to me for some reason - although I did play a 335 about 15 years ago that was quite special 🤷♂
Feeling the grain on a satin is the beauty of it. Definitely dings and ages quicker. It also resonates better and feels way less sticky. That's one of the high points for me anyway.
Well I played one this past Saturday at the Dallas Guitar Festival. I must say it was awesome! Very fun and comfortable to play, like an old pair of jeans. Now I must say I’d buy it for the previous players not necessarily for Kirk, I’m a blues man lol. But I can definitely respect Kirk for his skill and passion for the instrument. ❤❤
Ah lucky man dude - yeah, I just said above, I'd have to play it myself before handing over the cash. It sounds amazing though.
Yeah, Kirk has no interest to me at all, bought it for Green and Moore.. and agree with the review.. hype.
I started out just like you did with an opportunity to play one and couldn’t put it down after a couple hours playing it, until my wife put a stop to that by suggesting the Greeny to be my next guitar. I own one now LOL
Some guy called Garry?!?!? Do you mean Gary Moore the legendary guitarist! Little disrespectful don’t you think!!
Some one said that these pickups will be available at about 375 a set. Well this is like the 6th or 7th time I have watched this video, the SOUND is SO Good!!!!! now watched it about 20 times, love the Sound.
I just bought one of these Yesterday and i must have gotten lucky because mine is outstanding and I am very hard to impress when it comes to guitars and I'm extremely anal about even the most minor flaws and I can't find one thing to complain about with this guitar . The pickups are truly amazing and i am very critical of stock pickups and swap pickups quite often but these Greeny buckers will be staying in the guitar for good. The bridge pickup does the Gary Moore riff sound perfectly. The bridge pickup is very fat and full sounding and has a wide frequency response. It's very balanced from top to bottom and it also has that hollow vintage PAF quality
Not lucky, just not as picky. I'm sure all of the guitars of this model are fantastic and as amazing as you find yours to be. You just don't have the mindset of trying to find something 'wrong' with it because you feel bad about spending a great deal of money. I currently have 5 Gibsons from years 1993 up to a 2021 and not a single one has any issues. They are all fantastic instruments.
@@dnields agreed. I think Nathan’s review is almost entirely owed to his psychological hang-ups around spending money for nice things. It’s a fantastic guitar that does everything and more that a blues guy would ever want from a LP.
I, for one, am tired of guitar reviews being dominated by people who hyper-focus on price and what certain guitars “should” cost. According to whom, exactly? Inflation is inflation. 10 year from now, it’ll be seen to be a really reasonable purchase price.
It’s just silly. Focus on the sound, the feel, the vibe, the tone, the inspiration you get when you see it on your guitar rack. Those are the things that make a guitar a life-long asset. That’s why we make music
I have watched a few of his videos, he seems to have it out for Fender and Gibson. He was not impressed with the American Vintage II strat, but mine is absolutely killer.
Most every time I see a review of a *proper* LP, I am thankful for the [literally] flawless, 100% handmade, SB59-GD I bought last year weighing in at a whopping 7.8lbs - apparently no SB59 can leave the shop at over 8lbs. You could really consider trying one out.
Eastman?
My 2022 SB59/V weighs 7.5lbs. There are many, however, that weigh in excess of 8lbs. There was a time, presumably, when these models were all
@@johnnathancordy Indeed. I bought the one featured in shane's video here. The hi-res pics that Jerry Put up are very good. One thing I love is ebony over rosewood boards - less porous - and the fretboard on this is like black glass. ua-cam.com/video/8ky5MuDbMmU/v-deo.html
Sounds great, maybe a high premium but seems like a great LP
"And then some other guy, Gary or something, played it."
DEAD hahahahaah
1. it sounds amazing. I agree the top finish seems like a weird choice.
2. can you share the signal chain at 11:03? I need my Les Paul to sound like that
I haven't played a Greeny yet, and personally I wouldn't pay £3,000 for it (Gibson prices aren't exactly palatable these days). But, I also do think you've cast the review a bit more negatively than I expected in light of the criticisms you did have.
If we ignore the slight price premium over a Standard (and the more significant premium over a Faded), there was actually very little wrong with this guitar. You said the fret work was good, it was a good weight, played really well and the pickups sounded good. Gibson are constantly slammed over QC, but here we have a Gibson where the QC seems to have worked. When I'm looking to buy a guitar, these are the boxes it needs to tick.
The only substantive criticisms I remember you going over were the type finish (which Gibson clearly advertise), the binding marks near the nut (which is lacquer overspray, and not great, but does not affect playability) and some visible binding scraping. Nearly every guitar I've played with binding has had some visible scraping, its just a by-product of hand scraping the fingerboard - Gibson would be slammed again if they didn't do this by hand (many people criticise them for CNCing neck and body blanks). I own a good few Gibsons now (including some under the new management), and they are all absolutely excellent - and all either have some overspray, some scraping, or other slight weird quirks from being worked on by hand. I've seen similar levels of "issues" on US Fenders, PRSs, G&Ls, Suhrs, etc. I completely get that these issues do matter to some people, but I have come to learn that they can be a distraction from an otherwise great guitar. I almost sent an SG back for a few of these things, I'm glad I didn't because I absolutely love it.
In terms of the price, Gibson charge it because they know people will pay it - and people did, seeing as they've pretty much all sold out. And I wouldn't really say that you get nothing extra for the money (though whether its enough extra is up for debate!), you get a unique set of pickups, a more figured top and the Greeny aesthetic. If those are things you care about, you'll pay the price.
I don't mean any of this harshly, I enjoy your videos and I do think you pointed out the good aspects of the guitar. Whether the price is right is completely subjective, but I think it at least seems like a very good guitar!
If you wanted a similar alternative guitar for less what would people recommend?
I have a Gibson Gary Moore Signature which looks exactly the same and has the same pickup set-up (although your one may have a newer design). Cost me £2k second hand a couple of years ago and it's not a satin finish.
Ooh which year was that from then?
@@johnnathancordy Late 90s, I think. I've never checked by serial number.
Thanks for the honesty. I HATE bindings that go over the fret ends. Everyone I have seen looks like cheap plastic covering the fret end. This makes the fret end bigger and harder on your fingers. If this was my guitar, the first thing I would do is send it to my local luthier and have him trim the plastic off the fret ends and reshape the frets. I think Gibson has just found a way to keep from having to personally finish a guitar and have them run through machine to put the binding on without having to hand shape the frets. Money saver!
Hey John! Hope you're well. Without the normal Nitro coating, it is more obvious than on the other LPs I've played that this is yeh...Plastic. Realistically, the nibs also do reduce the amount of fret that you've actually got access to?
The frets on Les Paul's only run the width of the fret board...then the beading is put on and filed between frets. The only way to get rid of fret ends is a total refret so the frets run fully across the neck. That's what I'm led to believe as most people who have refret do away with the fret ends as it's more expensive to do and most cases is a preference.
I'm now wondering if Greenie had fret ends through all it's life 🤔
You have play that DGT SE, nothing will reach that level.
I love the sound and vibe of the Les Paul. Owned one, 2013 Traditional goldtop! Biggest piece of crap I ever bought. You paid £300 for the guitar and £2,700 for the name on the headstock!
Are you kidding? That thing screams!
Very expressive tones.
Some fine guitar work as well
I definitely will be looking at getting some of the Peter Green style pickups in another LP
Sounds killer, Bose in ears, wow sounds awesome. What rig are you playing through?
Hx stomp!
@@johnnathancordy Nice, updated my Helix last week. I was trying to get my hands on a KH Greeny, I think I’ll just wait for another R9, R8 to turn up. I’m in NZ, so they are scarce.
Is it not some kind of tribute guitar, is that why they put that finish on ? Personally I don’t go for “tribute/signature” guitars I just look for something that speaks to me why I try it, it took me 35yrs to find my Les Paul but I love it and I’ve been a Strat player all my life.
What I meant by "tribute" here was the lower level Gibson guitars that have a similar finish. On this guitar it's a cost saving measure I'd have to imagine
I appreciate these honest reviews. The retailer videos all praise them like they’re exact replicas when it reality it’s just a Les Paul standard with a couple of aesthetic similarities. They’ve been doing it with the Slash versions and marking up the guitar massively too.
Is it worth 3 times more than the Lazuras?
It plays slightly better, looks slightly better, sounds slightly better, is nearly 2lbs heavier....For me - no
@John Nathan Cordy I love using entry-level guitars to do the same thing as others who buy things for brand name. I once used an ESP that was found on the floor in an abandoned storage locker to record in the studio. The engineer said no, but I convinced him otherwise .
What are you playing through here?
You can buy the Greeny Buckers separately now - at least that’s what my shop told me. Just buy any LP that you like and feels good, and drop the Greeny Buckers in to get that middle position sound.
Have sent 2 Standards back to Sweetwater in the past 5 years. Not looking for perfection - alI I ask is that they meet the build quality of my RevStar.
As for my experience, bought one when they first came out and my initial reaction was similar to yours. I subsequently traded it for a different guitar. Ten months later, I bought a second USA Greeny and find that one fits my needs. IMO....the $20K Murphy Lab version IS out of the question.
It’s less true today than 5 years ago, but I always thought the best Les Paul for the money was a used custom shop r8 or r7. Spend an extra $400-500 over the top of that kirk hammet greenie, and you have the best modern lp you can buy
If you want the out-of-phase tones of Kirk Hammet Greeny guitar then you have two options: 1) buy this $3000 guitar; or 2) buy the $300 Greenybuckers and install them on your Les Paul. I like the satin finish and Greenybucker tones and light weight (under 9 lbs) of my Greeny guitar. BTW If you like satin finished Les Paul then the Greeny guitar is an option for you. With a little work to smooth out the sharp edges and fretboard roll that I did by yourself, my Greeny guitar now plays and feels as good as my Custom Shop and Murphy Lab Les Pauls. I swapped out the Grover nickel turners for the Gibson Reissue Deluxe turners and over the years I put a few dings and scratches on my Greeny guitar; now it looks and sounds like a true vintage Les Paul.
Or buy any P.A.F style pickups and reverse a magnet on one of the pickups. No magic involved :)
Just reverse magnet in pickup. Thats all
A nod to Cowboy Song? Iove Thin Iizzy. No doubt the guitar sound good. Been gassing for a Fender Custom shop, whew, high doIIar stuff. Gibson custom shop, again, wow at the prices. Nice review.
They are expensive but only $200 more than the regular standards now and from what I've seen they have better tops, you get the greeny pickups and the frets are different for those you find them more comfortable. They are $700 more than a faded but if the better top and other features are things you want then they don't seem crazy overpriced. I also imagine that down the line they will have a better collectability factor than a regular standard or faded so possibly better resale. All that said, I like a gloss finish and not interested is something getting a relic look quicker so would go with a regular standard.
Gorgeous guitar though and your playing was captivating!
Have you ever tried an Eastman SB59v? I think you might be pleasantly surprised.
My local Guitar Center has had a couple of Greeny LPs that I never even considered picking up because they didn't even look good to me. But yesterday I wad there and they had one with the most beautifully flamed top I've ever seen outside or a Custom Shop. I finally picked one up and I was really impressed with it. If "I" were to buy it, I'd definitely swap that neck pickup around. Haha
Delusion, because that sounded absolutely incredible. As good as anything on the channel.
To me this sounds like one of the nicest guitats I've heard you play
yeh - as I say I really like the pickups
It's a let down that they are not a gloss finish. I'd assumed they were regular LP standards upgraded to Greeny specs.
I ordered one of these back when they came out, and it arived a couple days ago finally(im in Canada, more scarce here). I had played one in the shop, and had the same thoughts about the finish on it. Its basically a 50s standard faded, but sounds SO much better. I made the decision to buy it mainly as Im a huge Gary Moore fan and want to get those tones, but also because it's still a cool guitar.
Ive smoothed the neck with super smooth 4k, 8k, and 12k micro mesh polishing pads, and it is nearly as slick as my MusicMan BFR now without changing its appearance. Ill definitely be shining up the top a bit, to a semi gloss finish. I really wish they put more effort into the finish here, as the top has many imperfections in the finish. I suspect they are trying to pass it off as a VOS or Fender Journeyman style finish. Great flame on it, though!
Overall I'd rather own it than not have one. For the cost, i expected much more.
Worst case, im sure these will have great resale value in the future.
Edit: i smoothed and polished the top, and it made all the difference. It has the look and feel of a Custom Shop VOS, and it looks much more like the real greeny. Took me about 30mins total, and definitely worth the effort.
What exactly did you do to the top, if you don't mind me asking. Thanks
@roswellminard9350 the same thing I did to the neck. A ultra high grit sanding, then polish. I actually just sold the guitar, and the buyer was thrilled with how much better it felt than the ones hed tried out.
Mine weighs 8.7 pounds. I expected it to be 10 pounds like my 2019 50s standard so it was a pleasant surprise. It also had a very pronounced flame top
Mine is 8.5 pounds, the tone and resonance unplugged is so close to my 59 Reissue. I always choose my Les Pauls under 9 pounds because the Custom Shop ones are.
I used to have a Les Paul Traditional and a Custom Shop Elegant. Got rid of them because of QC issues. I still keep my ES-335 though.
Ah someone, who actually tells it like it is, regarding Gibson QC. Thank you!
It looks beautiful and sounds beautiful! Frankly I get the sentiment but I feel like you're nit picking a bit with regards to QC. When you pay a premium you certainly expect to get a perfect instrument but the things that matter (plays great - sounds great - stays in tune, etc) are all good by your account so in the end i would over look the minor blemishes (both my Les Pauls have minor blemishes) and enjoy the guitar! In fact the things that give an instrument some charm come from the human element (as opposed to the automated elements of building one) in my opinion.
Can you explain how PRS churns out guitars day in day out and simply don't have Gibson's QC problems?
@@stephenharrison7514 It's a fair point. My PRS is literally perfect - but I rarely play it. I think John's expectations were fair - a high end guitar should have a higher standard of QC - but in the end I (just my opinion - I'm not saying John is wrong) don't think it's a big deal as long as the instrument performs as it should. If the bridge was messed up or it won't intonate properly then I would have a problem with it.
@@mikedr1549I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
@@stephenharrison7514 PRS's core tenet is _"perfection"._ Every guitar company has a core tenet, whether they think of it as such, or not.
Fender has always been: _made to fit ordinary players._
Ibanez are : _"Fender on steroids"._
Gibson has always been: _Authentic, American made, hand made mahogany instruments._
With handmade instruments, what you gain in tonal & build character, you lose in perfect uniformity.
PRS strives for this flawlessness, and it comes, somewhat, at the coat of character.
The biggest complaint of PRS is that that, yes , they may be flawless, but they also lack any real character or soul.
People often gripe about Gibson QC, pointing out that Squier can pump out thousands of identical replicas, without (many) flaws. But that fails to understand the value of and nature of hand built guitars vs mass produced, machine made guitars.
I have both Gibsons and a PRS, aswell as the other brands mentioned (except Squier). One is not "better" than the other. Each have their own set of Pros and Cons, arising from each Companies' ethos & vision.
I got mine yesterday and I love it .... the only disappointment is that Gibson should hire esp to do their binding 🤘
Really nice sounding guitar! Your playing really shines with that guitar
Over 10 lbs! Oooof! That’s a deal (and back) breaker for me. Does it have a decent neck profile?
PS, I ordered a HX Stomp after seeing so many of your videos - I’m liking the new amps, logical UI and flexibility, and tiny footprint.
The Neck profile feels comfortable yeh.
It will put your thigh to sleep as well.
Your playing makes the guitar sound great. Love the out-of-phase tone! The satin finish is in homage to the real "Greeny".
Fun fact is that the ‘Greeny’ came from the factory with the reversed alnico magnet. So this guitar became famous because of it’s production flaws and now we see people criticizing the new Gibson ‘Greeny’ guitars for it’s production flaws. I think that is insane. This particular guitar plays very well and it obviously sounds awesome, yet the owner will sell it. I can’t get my head around it. I actually own a Gibson Greeny and despite some very minor production flaws It’s one of the best guitar I have ever played. I could sell my entire guitar collection but I’d keep The Greeny hands down. Compliments for your playing man, don’t sell your best guitar.
I always thought that the conventional wisdom was that the heavier a guitar is, the more it will sustain and the better it will sound. This video is not disproving that concept. Good lord this thing sounds amazing. Probably the best thing I’ve heard on this channel.
The average idiot assumes that if they buy a well known artist's guitar that they will instantly play like a Rockstar god.
I've played many Gibsons over the years and bonded with 2. 1 of those I own. Got it very cheap due to neck repair and wear/tear. I could not imagine paying 3k for a Gibby. If you are ever seeking a wonderful custom guitar experience for the same or less as this guitar, I'd highly recommned Lacello guitars! A single luthier in Canada. Great guy to work with and will build you a masterpiece for a reasonable price. Love my Lacello
I’m guessing you are mostly paying for a AAA top (Standards have a AA) and the pickups. I admit the choice to make it Faded is a surprise. Perhaps they didn’t want to push the price up or there might be plans for a lower priced Custom Shop version? Regardless, that guitar looks and sounds incredible. I’ve been lusting after one. Admittedly, I don’t tend to inspect my new guitars so closely.
Yeh I think that's about right. I mean honestly if it didn't have the faded finish (which is presumably why the Faded series is cheaper in general?) - there'd really only be the weight of this to worry about, but even so I do think it does look pretty decent. But the lines of the binding etc are quite noticeable underhand - I think Trogly also noted that the binding feels sharp - essentially there's a bit of a plastic feeling to it as there's not much finish between the plastic and your hands...But anyway. It sounds great and plays pretty good too. SO - I'm sure there are some folks out there that would be happy?
Its not a bad top, but at the same time it seems almost closer to a top PRS would reserve for a S2 or CE. I'm rarely impressed by what Gibson considers a nice top.
That said, it sounds amazing ! !! !
That opening salvo was really nice…I’m stealing it, and writing a song! Cheers.
Great cover of empty rooms❤
“First played by Kirk Hammet, then Peter Green, then some other guy, Gary something“. FFS! What a muppet. How can you trust anything else he says after an opener like that? What an absolute insult to Gary Moore, for starters. You know, the guy who owned it for over 30 years, and played some of the greatest rock/blues playing EVER, on it. Nob!
Maybe try an Eastman SB and compare...
Now the real question is, do it djent?
In essence you can take a 50s Faded and change the pickups and the wiring and save yourself a lot of money. I got my 60s Standard Faded and it has the porous thin finish, the binding is not super smooth, but it is exactly what I love about it. It has the feeling of a workhorse guitar but it plays incredibly good and easy. In fact not only was it just shy of 2000 pounds but I prefer it much more to the shiny standard finish. The faded will age faster and better than the shiny nitro versions. The raw wood finish on the back as well as the neck feels absolutely amazing to my hands.
Gibson for some reason has gone to smaller frets on all their production models since about 2020 but they still call them medium jumbos. They are not though, they are vintage small and it's quite irritating.
Quality control complaints aside, that guitar sounds fantastic. Obviously it’s the playing but those pickups sound great
Great playing … and the guitar sounds and looks fantastic. Some think you’re being a bit nit-picky, but when reviewing something, I appreciate the scrutiny. Personally, minor imperfections don’t bother me so long as the guitar plays great, and looks like it was supposed to look, finish wise. Yes, Gibson charges a premium, and compared to so many guitars on the market these days that you can pick up for half or even a third of that price that play and sound great, one could argue it’s too much money for what you’re getting. But it’s an iconic guitar, and the cost is part of the mystique and history of the brand. It will also maintain more value than others. And those pickups are the same quality you’ve see on Gibsons costing much more. So, if you want an authentic Gibson, with a killer sound, it’s a good buy, even if it isn’t a great bargain.
Not clear what exactly your issue is. Is it about the fit and finish?
I got one of these from American Musical Supply. The top is the nicest piece of wood i have ever seen, guitar or otherwise. It is just under 9lbs. Neck is perfect sized. Binding, set up, and nut are perfect. Super resonant unplugged. I am very happy with what I spent my money on. The previous guitar i bought from Gibby was awesome as well. I feel the Gibson hate is overblown.
Aside from the issues you mentioned it sounds lush. Some saucy playing as well!
I have one and the tone really is exceptional.
11:00 - 12:38 best you've ever sounded.
Agreed
12:40 An R9 is what you're looking for. Add 1000 to your budget, buy used, and you will have exactly what you want. I promise it's worth the money.
You could also forgo the flame top and buy an R8 in your budget. The neck profile and weight are the big factors that change the experience of playing a CS LP compared to a USA Standard.
Have had quite a few Gibson LPs and a week back found an amazing deal on a used Epiphone Greeny. It’s wild how good it is. Wouldn’t pay 1,500 for it, but if you find at 1k or less don’t hesitate it’s a hell of a lot of guitar for the money.