-
I'm very drawn to the ES-275, yours is a knockout and much preferred to the cherry finish in my opinion. I think if CME had a floor model in that finish I'd buy it forthwith. Regarding the white pick guard binding, I've had some success in tinting it to better match the (aged) binding finish on my 1950 ES 175, am happy to share details should you become interested in trying it yourself.
Congrats on a terrific new guitar!
Originally Posted by tonedeaf
-
01-04-2018 10:04 AM
-
Yup, here ya go. Originally Posted by johnnyjazz
-
One of our local music stores had one listed on thier website so I popped in to check it out.
Poorly set up with 10 gauge strings... Fret buzz everywhere. I asked the salesman how they expected to sell a 4xxx dollar guitar in that condition.
There was a used 175 for half that price that wasnt the nicest color but was a dynamite player.
The one that got me was a $3000 Gibson small body thinline style double cutaway and a pair of P90s. The cheap plastic pickguard that you would expect to find on a noname chinese made toy guitar for a 4 year old was warped very badly and vibrated like crazy.
The ibanez 155 at 1000 bucks was perfect and classy.. Great value.Last edited by Tommy_G; 01-05-2018 at 08:45 PM.
-
I just ordered a red one. I hope I don’t get the one you rejected
-
I asked if the Montreaux had been returned and the salesman told me they put all returns in their brick-and-mortar store, so you shouldn't have to worry. Originally Posted by mtown
-
.......tease.
-
And thus, the wait begins...
Fingers crossed for you!
-
Open the box. Then when the box gets warm, take the case out and put it up across chair arms so the air can move around it. When the case is warm, open it and let some air in, touch the guitar, and close it. When the guitar is only cool, you're good to go.
I did this with an L-5 last week. It was 15F outside and it had come from halfway across the country, but the FedEx truck was heated so the temp differential wasn't too bad. I waited a total of 2 hours. Sounds like extreme recklessness compared to the cautions one reads about, but it was uneventful given the particular shipping conditions of that guitar.Last edited by rpguitar; 01-22-2018 at 03:22 PM.
-
Welll.......I managed to open the case this morning here at my office. I had to leave the guitar here last night as I had to go right from work to the Devils hockey game and I wasn't leaving it in a cold car in downtown Newark (Jersey folks will know what I'm talking about).
Anyway, I put a wet sponge in a Ziplock with some holes in it inside the case. We manage office buildings and I know the temps fluctuate overnight on off hours. I was nervous leaving it, but had no choice. I rigged the case with a half torn piece of tape to see if anyone was going to open it. Sure enough someone from the cleaning company must like guitars because when i came in this morning the tape was torn in half
.
Haven't had much time to inspect, but i did see a gap in the setting/framing of the neck PUP (will take pics). There is some other small cosmetics that I have to look at more closely, but to be honest I really have no idea what else I'm looking for. I haven't bought a new guitar (Besides my Eastman 503 from Guitar n Jazz) since 1996 when I bought an es-135. I know SO little about the physical features of a guitar that I'm going to bring it to a local guy who does repairs and has an excellent reputation. I will have him set it up for me. I will say this, there doesn't look to be much room on the nut for the high E. Seems very tight and the strings feel light gauge (I didn't reach out in time for set up instructions which was 100% on me).
Another anti-climactic post......apologies. What do you expect from a newbie!
More in the coming days.
~cheers
-
I'm beginning to think that you found that Gibson box in the trash and you're teasing all of us. Next it will be I took it to be set-up but forgot to take pics before hand . . .
-
A couple of shots to keep the lie alive, haha.
-
If you are having someone take a look, then I suggest pulling the neck PU to check how well the braces are glued to the top. Quick and easy to do. Quite likely that all is fine in there.
-
That is a nice sunburst!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
-
Hope the action is good ? The bridge appears to be bottomed out.
-
hey, wait. hold the phone a minute- is that case burgundy? yeah, cool guitar, i guess. but show us the case!
(i actually think the 275 is one of the better ideas they have had in a while and i'm glad it is finally being embraced.)
-
As it stands now, the action is pretty good. I'd prefer it a bit lower, but we will see if it can be done. The ukulele strings that are on there need to go. My initial feeling on the neck is a bit thin for me. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
-
That's a nice looking 275. Congrats!
I liked 11's on mine. 12's would work too. It will need to be intonated.
That pickup surround screw looks like it may have pulled out of the body. That can be easily fixed.
Make sure the truss rod moves freely both ways. Adjust the relief while you are testing it.
Try some vibrato on the high e to see if it falls off the board, or gets hung up on the nibs. From the pic, it looks like the nut slot was cut too close. The bridge is pinned, so moving the bridge isn't the fix.
I thought mine sounded better with the neck pickup lowered to about 1/8" above the surround.
Go over it very closely for cosmetic defects.
-
A new guitar with a non adjustable bridge is never a good sign. We've all been there, but generally with used Asian, not American archtops.
-
Did anyone's 275 come with a neck strap button already installed?
-
The pickup bezel looks like it is a non-issue. The first thing I'd do is see if the screw simply needs tightening. If the hole is stripped, just take the tip of of toothpick with some wood glue (Elmer's) and glue the toothpick in to narrow the hole. Let it dry. Put the screw in. The bezel screws are under low tension.
The bridge may be a more important issue. Mine had little room to adjust, but it was very low with the thumb wheels bottomed out. In other words it was perfect. If you can't get the action low enough, your bridge base may need some height reduction via sanding. That may be a task you want to do at home, have CME pay for, or grounds to return the guitar.
I had a minor beef on a Gibson recently with CME and they gave me a very generous amount of money if I didn't send it back.
-
Cherry ES-275: I have enough experience playing it to provide some comments. Let me get the negative stuff out of the way first.
The toggle switch is a bit stiff. It works well but requires slightly more effort to toggle. I've not had a toggle switch like that before. I'm sure it will loosen up over time, but I don't think that would make it any better. It's fine the way it is, just a little strange.
The guitar required a set up to accommodate FW 12s. It would need some adjustment even for the stock 10s. A truss rod wrench and some files took care it.
The bridge base bottomed out on the bass side. That could have been a problem if the action was high. It wasn't though. The solution would have been sanding down the base.
The positives are everything else. Internally and externally it's all good. The bracing is stable. The pickups sound very good. It is not really an overly bright guitar at all. It's light and balanced. High fret access is a plus. The harness functions as it should. The guitar is light.
I have six Gibson semi-hollows to compare to the 275. Without question, the 275 sounds more like a 175 than a semi.
The maple figuring lacks flame and is reminiscent of the old 335s. That is okay with me.
I know some guys reported lemons. No me. I'm very happy with it.
The Line 6 G10 Relay is a gem. I got it a long time ago but didn't use it until about 10 days ago. It's very simple to set up. You plug it in to a wall socket for power and into your amp input. The transmitter sets in the receiver to charge. When you want to use the transmitter, you plug it into the guitar. Your amp needs to be on. That's it.
I'm only transmitting a few feet. The sound is the same as if I'm plugged in. I don't miss the cables at all. It's great. I strongly recommend this for those who want to simplify their practicing area, especially if you have several guitars.
I have not put the G10 through a pedal board, but I understand it works well.
That's my report.
-
Thanks for the review, MG. If I were still gigging, I would find a way to get one of these. It just seems to me to tick a lot of boxes. Plus it's one of those designs that are visually so doggone right. Congratulations, and play it in good health!
-
Nice review and I'm glad you like the 275.
Two other positives might be the CME price and the ebony board that the Cherry 275 came with. Congrats.Last edited by 73Fender; 02-21-2018 at 08:43 AM.
-
MG,
I am glad you like the 275. IF I was playing out again (I am considering it), I would get a 275 in a heartbeat. It really seems like a GREAT guitar that is capable of beautiful Jazz, R&B and all the other stuff I like with a little more feedback resistance than my other guitars. I love how you started your review. "let me start with the negatives.. The toggle switch is a little stiff.."
The wireless relay sounds like a nice thing to have.
Joe D
-
MG,
I have had two of the original ES275’s one
required all of the set up adjustments that
you mention, a guitar tech resolved the very
stiff toggle switch problem, as it did not get
easier in operation. I exchanged both for Es
335’s , an unwise move having had several
previously. Eventually getting the latest
(2018) incarnation of the Es 275 which is an
improvement on earlier models . The same
set up procedure was required that you
carried out. I am happy with this model,
and concur with your positive assessments.
An ideal gigging guitar ( my days are done)
and it has confounded the original criticisms
made of it.
Reply With Quote
Andy Bartosh plays "Stella By Starlight"
Today, 01:51 PM in The Songs