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Recently acquired a LP ES after moving on a couple of others. it's a revelation,
sounds nothing like a solid body. I happen to like the MHS pickups
They are Alnico 3 and 2 ,scatter wound lower output
far better that 57's etc for me . It bears a remarkably similar tone to a good
Archtop. it is lightweight ..6lbs very comfortable to play in a sitting position
and with a mahogany neck and RW board. I thoroughly recommend them.
I have a LP Supreme ES LP with an ebony FB and it can't hold a candle
to the Standard ES. so its got to go, pdq.
Problem is the ES Les Pauls are a limited run and therefore will be scarce soon.
It sounds particularly well through a 12" Mambo, as well as an Evans. FYI
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12-22-2015 05:28 AM
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Excellent choice! I have those pickups on my 345, and love them. 2015 seems to have been a good year for the Memphis Gibsons.
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I've always liked the Gibson small bodied semi hollow gits. I "think" they started the mini semi's with the Les Paul Florentine, and went on to Blues Hawk, Pat Martino, Vegas and more. They are light, comfortable and like you said don't sound like a solid body.
You are right, they are going to be scarce at some point and used prices have come down a LOT at Sam Ash stores. But like everything else Gibson does, banking on collectability is a dice roll because they can (and do) re-issue a desirable git.
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I have not played that particular model but have been a fan of the concept.
I have some similarly designed guitars made by Heritage and by Thornton. They are very comfortable and have a rich amplified tone. I have not noticed a significant loss of sustain.
The way Gibson markets the MHS pickups sounds like hype. PAFs had a lot of variability. The components depended on what was available to Gibson at the moment, so magnets and wire were changing frequently. The bobbin winding scatter and number of wraps were inconstant. In summary, it was unpredictable as to the result. What's important now is that you like what you got.
It continues to amaze me how Gibson and a large number of the guitar player community seem to adore the instruments of the late 1950s and early 1960s. For Gibson it is somewhat self serving but not entirely. I believe they are only responding to the guys who romanticize this production period. Yes, there were great instruments made then. But there were tons of lemons, too. Can you imagine the public clamoring for the 1959 General Electric ovens and ranges or the Westinghouse refrigerators?
My luthier, Pete Moreno, told me about a day in the early 1960s at Gibson when McCarty asked Pete to get rid of thousands of PAFs because Gibson needed the space. Pete loaded them up on a truck and took them to the Kalamazoo dump. When you are bored, reflect on that for a minute. This was a decision made by McCarty, Bellson and Lover. And if you think they got it wrong and that they weren't very bright or discerning, consider how much their garbage would sell for today.
Back to the ES. That's a great design. If it could have been mass produced cheaply back in the 1950s, I'll bet it would have happened.
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I too like the concept of a more 'airy', F-holed Les Paul design. Congrats on your NGD!
Since you also have a LP Supreme that you are now considering selling, I'll add another thought. I never much cared for their tone, mainly due to the stock 490/490r p'ups. But because I liked the overall guitar so much, I swapped them out and installed a set of Seth Lovers. The Supreme came alive with these pickups. Now it gets played...a lot.
I've read good things about Gibson's latest PAF iteration. I'm glad they are working for you in your LP ES. Cool guitar!
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There is no reason in the world a LesPaul couldn't be a GREAT Jazz guitar.
I did a Starbucks Friday and Saturday night steady job 2 years ago and I started taking my 175 with me and ended up taking my LesPaul with me every night. It made the experience of "entertaining" people easier. The sustain and cutting power of a LesPaul makes eating through bands and backing tracks a breeze. Improvisational Jazz is cake with a LesPaul and the sound is exceptional and convincing..
Foxman, I am happy you got a good one. Les Pauls, you can do anything with them.
Thanks, Joe D.
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For me I went the ES-339 Studio route w/ replaced Manilus PAF's. Has become my main guitar for over a year!
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I'm a fan...it's basically a smaller bodied semi-hollow, right?
Nothing wrong with more comfort.
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Joe,
Thanks for the comment, like yourself and others I've had most versions of the LP's over
the years, but reiterate that the latest ES version is the best, for me at least ,it is the
culmination in wanting an LP sized 335 ideally. This one fits the bill ,having had numerous
335's also, I settled on a 2005 Es 335 VOS '60's eventually , which is the best version with
PAF styled low wound pu's also. The benefits of both is their light weight ,and as others here
attest, with no apparent loss of sustain either.
However, as I feel sure you'll agree,there is nothing quite like the tone and feel of the L5CES
or the TF. which take pride of place in my modest collection. ~ Although I cannot aspire to
owning a D'A , it is an instrument for masterly players . May I suggest in addition to" Darn that
Dream" that you include a rendition of "Dancing on the Ceiling " ( Sinatra or Ella style) in
your repertoire , when you let loose with your D'A ?
Best SF
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Silverfoxx, it is great that you found something that you like. You are an easy going gentleman and I get the feeling you rarely complain about anything. So I am glad you got a recently made Gibson that you like the most. I've seen them but never picked one up. Gorgeous guitars. You deserve that guitar.
About the DA, anyone can own one. But from what heard, they seem to find there owners. Like Stringswinger says, the stars align. I'm no special player at all. I'm a lucky one that's for sure.
All the best to you SF.
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Oh my.. my ES Les Paul itch is coming back...
silverfoxx, congrats for the new favourite axe! They have a goldtop ES Les Paul w/ p90's too. Could it be too trebly, what do You think on the basis of Your humbucker version? Or has anyone been playing one?
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Cardinal sin, silverfoxx. Where are the pitchurs? Cain't talk about your new gits with them obligatory pitchurs.
Heh, heh. Congrats on the new acquisition.
How different is it from a Gibson CS-336? It appears to be a single-cut CS-336 with a hollowed out mahogany body and a solid maple cap. I've read nice things about the MHS PAF-style pickups. The Gibson Memphis plant is separate from the Gibson Nashville plant, I understand, so it makes its own pickups.
(Not to steal the thunder away from your NGD, the Japanese Seventy-seven Guitars company is a little ahead of the curve here with its Stork Jazz, an African Mahogany body, hollowed out and topped with a laminated spruce cap, with a proper trapeze tailpiece. Archtop Tribute, a brand of Walkin Japan, has its own versions too.)Last edited by Jabberwocky; 12-23-2015 at 01:49 AM.
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Hi Jabberwocky,
Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
we have not conversed for a while , I have had difficulty previously in posting pics. But the latest
indulgence is a bog standard Memphis LP ES as seen on the Gibson Website. The MHS appeal is
that they do not "shout " but have a great similarity to the original PAF's ( like my long gone
orig 335 '59 ) but a softer creamier tone much loved by Jazz players. The LP Es is also similar in
tone to the Pat Martino model I had some years ago, and it is relatively inexpensive all things
considered. Yes I do like the look of the Seventy-Seven guitars, but not readily available over
here and Import duty VAT etc., make it very expensive. I must express surprise that the 2015
Memphis LP ES is limited run, but...... There may always be another reissue later ?
Anyway Jabber, may I wish you and all of our friends over there a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
Best, Alan
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Originally Posted by Herbie
Thanks Herbie, I haven't tried the Gold Top with P90's ,my guess is it should be good, but I am
a devotee of the humbucker , and occasionally a CC pickup on the right guitar.
all of my axe's are my favourite, from the L5CES to the LP ( spoilt for choice !)
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Silverfoxx
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Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
Joe, dear friend.
Do not underestimate yourself, you are a special player As i've said previously you were
unfortunate not to meet JP in person ,to me he was and still is the cat's whiskers and
a super cool friendly man. An inspiration to many ...sigh.. If only I could emulate him.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Joe, and to your terrific wife and son.
Best , Alan
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Ahhh, the pretty girl that doesn't know she's pretty syndrome eh? There's an old saying I think is appropriate... Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
"If I had your money, I'd burn mine" that I'd change to: "If I could play like you, I'd be able to practice a lot less"
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Or a D'Angelico as it were :-)
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And to you and yours, my friend. Have a Safe and Joyous New Year. Originally Posted by silverfoxx
OK, looks something like that:
Last edited by Jabberwocky; 12-23-2015 at 10:21 AM.
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Exactamundo Jabber ! Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
And to you and yours, my friend. Have a Safe and Joyous New Year.
OK, looks something like that:
The Supreme is moving on tomorrow btw
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Actually, I tried some time ago a Les Paul Supreme, which was supposed to have the original pickups 490R/498T and I was quite impressed. The guitar is chambered, which should contribute to a more rounded tone. I liked the tone a lot. It reminded me of a semihollow, kind of a 335 but without that boominess/muddines that I sometimes hear in my 335.
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Just to clarify, the top on the Stork Jazz is solid spruce not lam. Bob Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Here's what it looks like on the inside:
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Gitfiddler, Originally Posted by Gitfiddler
I persevered with the Supreme for a while but cannot get an acceptable tone from it.
it's an ES model but with a JS floater in the neck and a 490T in the bridge ,an unhappy
combination IMO ,looks great, but that's not the name of the game, it is on it's way
tomorrow and will be replaced with another ES most likely. It is also quite heavy compared
to a Standard Memphis LP ES . I considered changing the pickups as you have done but it's
not the complete answer.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
Silverfoxx
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Hey silver....is the top solid or laminate on that ES LP ? just wondering. BTW Congrats !
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I now understand that the Supreme I tried was not the same model you've owned because it had a regular neck humbucker. Originally Posted by silverfoxx
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Jeez, sorry to hear that, I wondered about those floaters and why Gibson would put them on. Just curious, did you buy it online or was the store demo pretty OK? Originally Posted by silverfoxx
Earlier supremes (not the ES) has 490R (rhythm) and 498T (treble) pickups.
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