Should I give up on Gibson?

**Jimmy blue note** · 04-29-2021, 05:41 PM

Your hands are telling you what you need and want to be expressive. It's an instrument that you use to tap into your own music. If it's a tele, then don't sweat the Gibson, it's not for you now.
My feeling is that what fits you now is going to be the companion that takes you to places a lesser fit can't.
When and if you feel you've outgrown what you feel good with now, you'll know it and you can ask yourself this question again then.
Sometimes staying with something you feel is right for you enables you to commit to the music, and now worry about making yourself fit to the instrument.
You're lucky to have found a good match. Take advantage of that and run with it.
That's my feeling anyway.

**Northenlights** · 05-03-2021, 06:28 AM

Thanks for the responses guys! I think I made this post in frustration, cause unsurprisingly, it only took a few days of playing my Gibson 20 - 30 minutes for it to feel alright again! So I guess I'll keep it around for another while

It's my most valuable guitar, at least monetarely, and prices has been going up alot last couple of years, so I'm probably in no hurry.

I made a video with it that I posted in the show case forum. Check it out if yoy like some Howard Roberts Fusion action!

**EllenGtrGrl** · 05-03-2021, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by Northenlights

Thanks for the responses guys! I think I made this post in frustration, cause unsurprisingly, it only took a few days of playing my Gibson 20 - 30 minutes for it to feel alright again! So I guess I'll keep it around for another while

It's my most valuable guitar, at least monetarely, and prices has been going up alot last couple of years, so I'm probably in no hurry.

I made a video with it that I posted in the show case forum. Check it out if yoy like some Howard Roberts Fusion action!

A Howie!! Cool! My main electric (and gigging guitar) in the 90s, was a 1st generation 1980 tobacco sunburst, Howard Roberts Fusion! It was a great guitar (though it weighed a ton - the first generation Howard Roberts Fusions were made differently than the one you have), and I always have it at the back of my mind, that I should get another one (I got rid of mine because I was broke at the time [the year 2000], and it needed work that I couldn't afford).

**Marinero** · 05-03-2021, 08:27 AM

Very pretty guitar, N!
Play live . . . Marinero

**Gitfiddler** · 05-03-2021, 11:29 AM

Very nice playing! The suggestion to rotate your various guitars is a good one. You've proven the point of giving yourself time to adjust to long scale vs. short scale. Every guitar has its idiosyncrasies, feel and tone.

Speaking of 25.5 scale Gibsons, the Chet Atkins model is another.

**Woody Sound** · 05-03-2021, 11:33 AM

Yes, if you are not happy with them. I sold my last Gibs back in the 80s and never looked back.

**Northenlights** · 05-03-2021, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl

A Howie!! Cool! My main electric (and gigging guitar) in the 90s, was a 1st generation 1980 tobacco sunburst, Howard Roberts Fusion! It was a great guitar (though it weighed a ton - the first generation Howard Roberts Fusions were made differently than the one you have), and I always have it at the back of my mind, that I should get another one (I got rid of mine because I was broke at the time [the year 2000], and it needed work that I couldn't afford).

Aw, that must have burned having to get sell it! I bet you didn't get that much for it back in those days? I bought mine in 2008,and it was the cheapest Gibson hollow body I could find at that time. I felt really lucky when I understood what a first class instrument I'd gotten a hold of. Every 335 owner that ever tried it has had a dark look of jelousy in their eyes

I've seen that howies has been selling for quite alot lately. Don't know if it's gaining in popularity, or if it's just the general trend of inflated prices all over the board.

I've always wanted to try one of the earlier models! They seem to have had a slightly darker sunburst, and they look great with a TOM bridge.

**EllenGtrGrl** · 05-03-2021, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Northenlights

Aw, that must have burned having to get sell it! I bet you didn't get that much for it back in those days? I bought mine in 2008,and it was the cheapest Gibson hollow body I could find at that time. I felt really lucky when I understood what a first class instrument I'd gotten a hold of. Every 335 owner that ever tried it has had a dark look of jelousy in their eyes

I've seen that howies has been selling for quite alot lately. Don't know if it's gaining in popularity, or if it's just the general trend of inflated prices all over the board.

I've always wanted to try one of the earlier models! They seem to have had a slightly darker sunburst, and they look great with a TOM bridge.

Yeah, the Generation 1 & Generation 2 Howard Roberts Fusions are made a bit differently than the Generation 3 model you have. They have a stop tailpiece like a 335, and the center block is maple, and a bit larger than the balsa/chromyte center block your Fusion has. As a result, they're very heavy guitars. I weighed mine on a calibrated scale, and it weighed 13 lbs! No wonder I used to have a sore shoulder by the time the third set rolled around! Still, they don't sound like 335s, due to the deeper body depth sound a bit bassier IMO. It was a great guitar - the thing is, I've grown to also like 16" and 17" hollowbodies. I bought my Howard Roberts cheaper than they usually go for, in 1992, at Dave's Guitar Shop (Dave's is on the other side of the state [of Wisconsin] from me, so it was over a 500 mile round trip to get the guitar), due to the fact that it had had a headstock break repair. The repair work was done so well, that the break was hardly noticeable, and I never had tuning issues with the guitar.

**GNAPPI** · 05-03-2021, 09:32 PM

For the same reason you are uncomfortable with the Gibson semi, I'm uncomfortable playing Fender Tele and Strats. It wasn't always like this, I was comfortable with most anything as long as I spent the time with them.

Nowadays, arthritis has reduced my playing time substantially and the little I am able to play I can't split between the two. Northernlights, it's good to see you spending time with the HRF, that's one of very few I'd choose should I have the need to select among what I have.

**Woody Sound** · 05-04-2021, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Gibson has had typos on their website. But perhaps that signature reissue has the longer scale length. Where is Neatomic when you need him? He would know.

My L5S was 24-3/4. And weighed about a thousand pounds. As much as I TRIED to like it, I couldn't.