Lets See All Them Axes
- Thread starter Parnelly
- Start date
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Say what you will, but I am pining for one of the new 2017 Gibson Les Paul Tribute T model guitars. I just love its stripped-down, bare bones look with it's natural maple "binding" on the body, no binding on the neck, trapezoid inlays, gold/silver top hat knobs, and no poker chip around the toggle switch. It's not a glossy upper-echelon Les Paul model, but for me, that's part of the appeal of it. I just love it's stripped-down satin finish and all its appointments. For whatever reason it just ticks all the right boxes for me. 
That, and it's pretty damn cheap (price-wise) as new U.S.A.-made Les Pauls go!
I was also surprised to see that it has a lightweight aluminum bridge and tailpiece installed from the factory. That's a bit of a surprise considering that they could have just used some cheap pot metal pieces to help keep costs down. I also like the fact that it has all nickel parts and will age nicely over time as well. And I have also seen some online sellers list that these are run through a PLEK machine! Is that true? Can anyone confirm that?
I just can't seem to decide whether to go with the Gold Top or the Honey Burst finish. Both look excellent IMHO. What say you?
That, and it's pretty damn cheap (price-wise) as new U.S.A.-made Les Pauls go! I was also surprised to see that it has a lightweight aluminum bridge and tailpiece installed from the factory. That's a bit of a surprise considering that they could have just used some cheap pot metal pieces to help keep costs down. I also like the fact that it has all nickel parts and will age nicely over time as well. And I have also seen some online sellers list that these are run through a PLEK machine! Is that true? Can anyone confirm that?
I just can't seem to decide whether to go with the Gold Top or the Honey Burst finish. Both look excellent IMHO. What say you?
marqueemoon
Gimme indie rock!
The P90 goldtop version of the Tribute is my favorite.
The black is ok, but the cream color of the plastics looks kind of off with it.
The black is ok, but the cream color of the plastics looks kind of off with it.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
The P90 goldtop version of the Tribute is my favorite.
The black is ok, but the cream color of the plastics looks kind of off with it.
Very nice! I see the Gold Top has a natural back on it. Are those the 2017 models??? For whatever reason, Gibson has decided to release many of their new guitars without updating their site with the 2017 models. *scratches head
I agree though, I really like the P-90 models too. I will always love humbuckers, but I have always had a soft spot for P-90's, and more and more I have been discovering that some of my favorite recorded guitar tones have been P-90's as well. These pics throw a bit of an onion in the ointment, and creates a bit of a conundrum though! Do I go ahead with a humbucker Tribute model, or do I get a P-90 one instead? Or maybe I'll have to get both??? Damn it! What did you just do to me?!! lolz
Last edited:
marqueemoon
Gimme indie rock!
Very nice! I see the Gold Top has a natural back on it. Are those the 2017 models??? For whatever reason, Gibson has decided to release much of their new guitars without updating their site with the 2017 models. *scratches head
Ha! I'm not sure if the P90 goldtop is part of the 2017 lineup, but they are out there. There are also a ton of P90-sized pickup options these days if you decide the stock pickups are not for you.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
I might be wrong, but I think the 2016 Tribute models had black painted backs (yuck!) It's funny, I was never a fan of the painted back models at all, but when they switched to an unpainted back for 2017 they went from "hell no" to "hell yeah!" in the mater of one model year change. With all the other minor appointments for 2017, they have really hit it out of the park for my tastes. And yeah, if ever got a P-90 model and the stock pickups weren't to my taste, I have always had a jonesing for a set of either Tyson Tone Lab '57's...
...or a Sanford Magnetics 9022/9077 set. Just go to the 30:47 mark in the video below to hear them being played:
Last edited:
valvenator
curious bystander, serious procrastinator
A buddy of mine had a P-90 LP and I gotta tell you it beat the pants off my humbucker LP for clean tones.
Some of the richest sounds out of a Fender Bandmaster Reverb amp I ever heard. Like a Strat on streroids, just huge tone.
Some of the richest sounds out of a Fender Bandmaster Reverb amp I ever heard. Like a Strat on streroids, just huge tone.
Last edited:
cratz2
Addicted Member
I've been playing this one quite a bit lately. Ibanez AX125, a made-in-Korea Les Paul double cut type guitar. I've upgraded pretty much every part other than the body, neck, neck plate, bridge plate and output jack plate.
The big upgrade is I put Gibson 57 Classic pickups in it.
Might seem silly to upgrade such a guitar but the neck dimensions are almost identical to the Robert Cray signature strat neck which I have on three of my main guitars.
The big upgrade is I put Gibson 57 Classic pickups in it.
Might seem silly to upgrade such a guitar but the neck dimensions are almost identical to the Robert Cray signature strat neck which I have on three of my main guitars.
Mystic
We're all born mad
I know the feeling. My favourite players for years have been various vintage LP Juniors, Specials, and a '56 GT all P-90'd. My main (electric) player for years has been this guy:
PS: but have to admit my second-fav player is a '69 Tele.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Mystic
We're all born mad
Damn! Look at that headstock!
There is a bit of wear around the edges.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Here's my old collection from about 2008.
From left to right:
1. On the floor is a 2004 Squier '51. I am a Gibson guy, but I bought this guitar brand new because I actually liked the looks of it. I like its Strat body, Tele neck, and Precision Bass-style pick guard and control plate. But the fact that it had a bridge humbucker made the purchase even easier. I had the full intention of buying it and swapping out the pickups and electronics, but to my surprise, this is actually a great-sounding guitar. I never use the neck pickup on it, but the bridge humbucker actually sounds somewhere between a regular humbucker and a Tele bridge pickup. It is somewhat hot in output, and has instantly recognizable humbucker tones, but it can also sound very Fender-y at the same time depending on where the guitar's volume is set, and where your amp's settings are. Very unique. It has a somewhat upper-midrange emphasis, and it also has a very vocal, honky quality to it. If you use the pick in conjunction with your thumb to create harmonics, it really accentuates this effect a lot, which sounds great for the style of playing I do. And pinch harmonics (if needed) are readily produced no matter where you are on the neck. It also sounds quite harmonically rich when overdriven as well. TBH, I don't think I could ever get rid of it, and I have no intentions of ever replacing the pickups in it either. I love it just the way it is. For the $220 I paid for it brand new, it owes nothing to me at all. Not one bit.
2. To the right of the Squier on the sofa is my old non-reverse Gibson '66 Firebird I. This was a great guitar, and helped to cement my love for P-90's. Unfortunately, the headstock had been snapped off by a previous owner, but whoever did the repair did a fantastic job. They used a thin veneer on the back that hid and helped strengthen the break, but the color matching and finish work was excellent. You could barely see the crack or the seam of the veneer on the edge of the headstock at all, even up close. The only giveaway was that there was no serial number on the back (again, unfortunately). The pickguard and the layout of the electronics had been changed too. Keen-eyed non-reverse Firebird aficionados will instantly recognize that the pickguard is non-factory (no red Firebird logo), and that there is no routing for the pickup slider switch. Essentially, the switch was changed to a regular toggle switch and was moved to where the neck pickup tone knob would have been. Another hole was drilled inside the control cavity (there was space, no extra routing needed inside), and the knobs and pots were rearranged in a more traditional pattern, as seen in the picture. All the work was tidily done and looked like it came that way from the factory. In fact, I preferred this layout by far to the typical non-reverse Firebird control layout (if you're not familiar, check it out). The pickups and electronics were all-original, and it sounded great. It had all the filthy-dirty bark, woodiness, jangle, cut and slice that you could ask for from a mid-60's P-90. Both pickups sounded great, but the middle position was amazing on this guitar. It had this incredible hollow, fingers-down-the-throat honk that was simultaneously fat and jangly at the same time, and when you played it through an overdriven amp, the tone was just about to die for. That tone was a funky blues rock/slide man's dream. Unfortunately, I was forced to sell it due to an unforeseen circumstance. I really miss this guitar.
3. Next up is my '68 SG Standard, which I posted about on page 59 of this thread. I still own this guitar and it is still as pictured with the same Wolfetone Marshallhead P.A.F. pickups installed in it. The bridge, tailpiece, and tuners are non-original, but the pots and the rest of the electronics are all-original though. This guitar is currently my main squeeze right now. It's a great guitar, and definitely a keeper, but it doesn't compare to the '65 I had (nothing does). I have put a lot of wear on the frets since buying it in 2007, but they still have a little life to them still. They may need to be replaced soon though. I may also replace the pickups to something different as well.
4. Oh my. In the middle is my beloved old '65 SG Standard. It had all the early-'65 appointments too: small guard, nickel parts, silver-topped top hat knobs, and the wider profile neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this was one of the most toneful, resonant, harmonically complex, overtone-rich guitars I have ever played, let alone heard. 'Nuff said. Unfortunately, I was forced to sell it with the Firebird above. It broke my heart to sell it. It's still kind of painful to talk about. This guitar's tone still haunts me to this day. *sighs
5. Next up was a 1970's Ventura SG copy. This guitar was all about 70's hard rock drive and grind. The pickups in this thing were HOT! Single notes had nice warmth and snap, the bridge pickup had awesome pick attack, and it also had a great sounding neck pickup; very syrupy and surprisingly produced a very authentic woman tone as well. It was also a very balanced-sounding guitar. Overall, it sounded fairly Gibson-ish, and actually sounded more like a Les Paul than an SG, but definitely had its own character. I sold this one under my own will, but sometimes I wish I hadn't.
6. Then comes my '66 Fender Mustang. It is 100% all-original down to the very last screw, including the original case and Fender logo polishing cloth. This was my first electric guitar back when I got into playing around the age of 14. I played it for several years until I upgraded to something else. It's a fun little guitar, and I'm glad I learned my early chops with it, but TBH, I just don't play it anymore. I still toy with the thought of selling it.
7. Last up is a late 70's Korean-made Harmony Flying V. I bought this thing at a local music shop for next to nothing. Both pickups sounded like crap on their own, but miraculously it sounded pretty cool in the middle position. Sort of an accentuated hollow, jangly, out-of-phase sound with a surprising amount of harmonic complexity. It was great for slide guitar, but I eventually sold it because the pickups were pretty low in output. I'm still glad I owned it though.
Anyway, that was my collection from back in 2008. I still have the '68 SG, Squier '51, and the 66' Mustang, but the other guitars are gone. I also have a few project guitars as well. One's a cool-looking (to me anyway) natural finish ash-bodied 70's Japanese Les Paul copy, the other one is a sunburst Epiphone Strat with an Explorer headstock that needs its tremolo repaired (I'll probably just block it), and the last one is a Teisco-made "Planet" brand guitar that I found on the curb, and is a mess. A large piece of the headstock is broken off, and the neck is junk; the pick guard is missing, and it's missing all its electronics; the body was water damaged, the paint is flaking, and has a minor split in the pickup routing; the bridge/tremolo system is rusted, is missing parts, and is useless, but it'll look cool once I work my magic on it. lol
Other than that, that's pretty much it. Although, a new 2017 Les Paul Tribute T might join the stable at some point during this year. Unfortunately, I just don't have the money to get back into the vintage market again. Prices are just too much for my pocketbook. I'll always miss my '65 SG and '66 Firebird I, but at least I still have my '68 SG that I enjoy.
From left to right:
1. On the floor is a 2004 Squier '51. I am a Gibson guy, but I bought this guitar brand new because I actually liked the looks of it. I like its Strat body, Tele neck, and Precision Bass-style pick guard and control plate. But the fact that it had a bridge humbucker made the purchase even easier. I had the full intention of buying it and swapping out the pickups and electronics, but to my surprise, this is actually a great-sounding guitar. I never use the neck pickup on it, but the bridge humbucker actually sounds somewhere between a regular humbucker and a Tele bridge pickup. It is somewhat hot in output, and has instantly recognizable humbucker tones, but it can also sound very Fender-y at the same time depending on where the guitar's volume is set, and where your amp's settings are. Very unique. It has a somewhat upper-midrange emphasis, and it also has a very vocal, honky quality to it. If you use the pick in conjunction with your thumb to create harmonics, it really accentuates this effect a lot, which sounds great for the style of playing I do. And pinch harmonics (if needed) are readily produced no matter where you are on the neck. It also sounds quite harmonically rich when overdriven as well. TBH, I don't think I could ever get rid of it, and I have no intentions of ever replacing the pickups in it either. I love it just the way it is. For the $220 I paid for it brand new, it owes nothing to me at all. Not one bit.
2. To the right of the Squier on the sofa is my old non-reverse Gibson '66 Firebird I. This was a great guitar, and helped to cement my love for P-90's. Unfortunately, the headstock had been snapped off by a previous owner, but whoever did the repair did a fantastic job. They used a thin veneer on the back that hid and helped strengthen the break, but the color matching and finish work was excellent. You could barely see the crack or the seam of the veneer on the edge of the headstock at all, even up close. The only giveaway was that there was no serial number on the back (again, unfortunately). The pickguard and the layout of the electronics had been changed too. Keen-eyed non-reverse Firebird aficionados will instantly recognize that the pickguard is non-factory (no red Firebird logo), and that there is no routing for the pickup slider switch. Essentially, the switch was changed to a regular toggle switch and was moved to where the neck pickup tone knob would have been. Another hole was drilled inside the control cavity (there was space, no extra routing needed inside), and the knobs and pots were rearranged in a more traditional pattern, as seen in the picture. All the work was tidily done and looked like it came that way from the factory. In fact, I preferred this layout by far to the typical non-reverse Firebird control layout (if you're not familiar, check it out). The pickups and electronics were all-original, and it sounded great. It had all the filthy-dirty bark, woodiness, jangle, cut and slice that you could ask for from a mid-60's P-90. Both pickups sounded great, but the middle position was amazing on this guitar. It had this incredible hollow, fingers-down-the-throat honk that was simultaneously fat and jangly at the same time, and when you played it through an overdriven amp, the tone was just about to die for. That tone was a funky blues rock/slide man's dream. Unfortunately, I was forced to sell it due to an unforeseen circumstance. I really miss this guitar.
3. Next up is my '68 SG Standard, which I posted about on page 59 of this thread. I still own this guitar and it is still as pictured with the same Wolfetone Marshallhead P.A.F. pickups installed in it. The bridge, tailpiece, and tuners are non-original, but the pots and the rest of the electronics are all-original though. This guitar is currently my main squeeze right now. It's a great guitar, and definitely a keeper, but it doesn't compare to the '65 I had (nothing does). I have put a lot of wear on the frets since buying it in 2007, but they still have a little life to them still. They may need to be replaced soon though. I may also replace the pickups to something different as well.
4. Oh my. In the middle is my beloved old '65 SG Standard. It had all the early-'65 appointments too: small guard, nickel parts, silver-topped top hat knobs, and the wider profile neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this was one of the most toneful, resonant, harmonically complex, overtone-rich guitars I have ever played, let alone heard. 'Nuff said. Unfortunately, I was forced to sell it with the Firebird above. It broke my heart to sell it. It's still kind of painful to talk about. This guitar's tone still haunts me to this day. *sighs
5. Next up was a 1970's Ventura SG copy. This guitar was all about 70's hard rock drive and grind. The pickups in this thing were HOT! Single notes had nice warmth and snap, the bridge pickup had awesome pick attack, and it also had a great sounding neck pickup; very syrupy and surprisingly produced a very authentic woman tone as well. It was also a very balanced-sounding guitar. Overall, it sounded fairly Gibson-ish, and actually sounded more like a Les Paul than an SG, but definitely had its own character. I sold this one under my own will, but sometimes I wish I hadn't.
6. Then comes my '66 Fender Mustang. It is 100% all-original down to the very last screw, including the original case and Fender logo polishing cloth. This was my first electric guitar back when I got into playing around the age of 14. I played it for several years until I upgraded to something else. It's a fun little guitar, and I'm glad I learned my early chops with it, but TBH, I just don't play it anymore. I still toy with the thought of selling it.
7. Last up is a late 70's Korean-made Harmony Flying V. I bought this thing at a local music shop for next to nothing. Both pickups sounded like crap on their own, but miraculously it sounded pretty cool in the middle position. Sort of an accentuated hollow, jangly, out-of-phase sound with a surprising amount of harmonic complexity. It was great for slide guitar, but I eventually sold it because the pickups were pretty low in output. I'm still glad I owned it though.
Anyway, that was my collection from back in 2008. I still have the '68 SG, Squier '51, and the 66' Mustang, but the other guitars are gone. I also have a few project guitars as well. One's a cool-looking (to me anyway) natural finish ash-bodied 70's Japanese Les Paul copy, the other one is a sunburst Epiphone Strat with an Explorer headstock that needs its tremolo repaired (I'll probably just block it), and the last one is a Teisco-made "Planet" brand guitar that I found on the curb, and is a mess. A large piece of the headstock is broken off, and the neck is junk; the pick guard is missing, and it's missing all its electronics; the body was water damaged, the paint is flaking, and has a minor split in the pickup routing; the bridge/tremolo system is rusted, is missing parts, and is useless, but it'll look cool once I work my magic on it. lol
Other than that, that's pretty much it. Although, a new 2017 Les Paul Tribute T might join the stable at some point during this year.
Unfortunately, I just don't have the money to get back into the vintage market again. Prices are just too much for my pocketbook. I'll always miss my '65 SG and '66 Firebird I, but at least I still have my '68 SG that I enjoy.
Last edited:
ooba tooba
Super Member
I love this thread. So many beautiful guitars
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Mystic
We're all born mad
Just a bit, huh?
Yes, makes 'er even lighter. IIRC, she's just a smidge over 5 lbs.
Eywadude
Lunatic Member
Wow, that's one of the lightest SG's I've ever heard of. I remember seeing an ad for a '62 Les Paul/SG Special in Vintage Guitar Magazine years ago that was in the 4 pound range once though. That would be like playing an acoustic! lol My '65 SG was just a touch over 6 pounds. Over a pound lighter than my '68 SG.
