webe123 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 This is the guitar I refer to..... http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gibson-2014-Les-Paul-Melody-Maker-Electric-Guitar-109862656-i3483089.gc Description: The Gibson Les Paul Melody Maker 2014 Electric Guitar celebrates Gibson's 120th Anniversary in style. It has a thin profile mahogany body with a custom light maple top. The maple neck has a '50s rounded profile. The rosewood fingerboard has dot inlays and sports a 120th Anniversary banner at the 12th fret. Other key features include P-90 pickups, max grip speed knobs, retro-white button tuners, Graph Tech nut and satin chrome wraparound bridge. Specs: Gibson 2014 Les Paul Melody Maker Electric Guitar Features: Body: Thin profile body same as LP Custom Light Maple top / Mahogany back Neck: Maple, 50s Rounded Profile Fingerboard: Rosewood dot inlays with 120th Anniversary logo Hardware: Satin chrome wraparound bridge, retro white button tuners, new larger strap pins Electronics: P-90s Finish: 20 Sheen Ultra smooth satin Plastics: New Black Max Grip Speed Knobs Case: Premium Gig Bag Special 120th Anniversary features Banner inlay on all instruments at the 12th fret Max grip speed knobs New extra large strap button Cleartone coated strings Graph Tech nut Cryogenic treated fret wire for longer life and corrosion resistance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CouchBed Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 All of the new 2014 models look pretty sweet to me. I think that they did a great job of making the LP studios look better than they used to. I'm curious though as to why they are so much cheaper than the 2013 studios. I'll have to look into that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyBlues Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That guitar in Pelham blue lefty could tempt me to cross the Gibson line - but chances are if they even made it lefty it'd be some gawdawful color, boring black or that hideous wine red. I was born at night but I wasn't born last night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 At that price, with whatever cost cutting Gibson has to do, why would one buy this instead of a similar priced but better appointed Epiphone version of the same guitar? I mean, this is obviously the budget Gibson Les Paul, but isn't Epiphone supposed to be the budget Les Paul of the Gibson organization? Just seems like very muddled marketing to me. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I would buy this one if I was looking for a Gibson electric...great price and I'll bet she sounds sweet with those P90's... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane hugo Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 meh...the double-cutaway MMs were always my favorites. Never cared for the singles at all. http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 My FLMS still has a handful of the 2011/12? Melody Makers, in different body styles, LP's, SG's, V's & Explorers. All of them had a satin blue finish, one bridge P-90, and a wrap-around bridge. Here's what the V looks like; you may have to click on the link - Blue MM V On Black Friday, they were selling for just under $300. My thought was that they would have been great Punk guitars - plug 'em in, crank 'em up, play 'em to death. If I had $300 to spend just for the fun of it, I might have gotten one, but if I were looking for the best possible guitar I could find for my $300, probably not. I wouldn't mind if Gibson was serious about making affordable, stripped-down guitars, so long as they were decent quality, and you had no illusions about what you were buying. The Faded SG's and LP's were decent guitars, for a reasonable price, but the blue Melody Makers were just Gibson logos with guitars attached, IMHO. Let's hope this new LP model is something better. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p90jr Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 It's smart, business-wise. Some people will not play an Epiphone (not one that's just a copy of a Gibson) and some people won't play anything made in China or Korea... and those people will sacrifice a fancy finish or inlays and pickup covers for a price-point. May as well aim a guitar at those people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyBlues Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Well shut my mouth, they're making lefty versions and more than one color! Wow. Hopefully Sam Ash or GC will have one to try out, for 6 bills I could definitely be tempted. I was born at night but I wasn't born last night... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManInTheBox Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 It's smart, business-wise. Some people will not play an Epiphone (not one that's just a copy of a Gibson) and some people won't play anything made in China or Korea... and those people will sacrifice a fancy finish or inlays and pickup covers for a price-point. May as well aim a guitar at those people. One reason may be that buying these guitars employ American workers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 It's smart, business-wise. Some people will not play an Epiphone (not one that's just a copy of a Gibson) and some people won't play anything made in China or Korea... and those people will sacrifice a fancy finish or inlays and pickup covers for a price-point. May as well aim a guitar at those people. That's me to a tee. These Gibbys are more to my liking than any current Epi, even if they are stripped down and unadorned. If I were in the market for a good budget HB or P90 axe, these would be front runners. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 ...so no one else is getting, `sorry, this product is sold out or no longer available`? I can`t see what it looks like. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 ...so no one else is getting, `sorry, this product is sold out or no longer available`? I can`t see what it looks like. Click on the link in the O/P and then click "enlarge"...it says they are still in stock... ---> or try this one from MF: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-2014-les-paul-melody-maker-electric-guitar Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Psmith Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 It's smart, business-wise. Some people will not play an Epiphone (not one that's just a copy of a Gibson) and some people won't play anything made in China or Korea... and those people will sacrifice a fancy finish or inlays and pickup covers for a price-point. May as well aim a guitar at those people. That's me to a tee. These Gibbys are more to my liking than any current Epi, even if they are stripped down and unadorned. If I were in the market for a good budget HB or P90 axe, these would be front runners. While I'd almost always rather have a Gibson than an Epiphone, if we're talking comparable models, (Gibson SG Standard vs. Epi G-400, for example), when we're talking comparable price points, it's a very different choice. I've seen some rough fret ends, mediocre finish work and shoddy wiring on budget Gibsons, compared to some very clean work on the better Epi models, especially the Korean-made guitars. In one recent thread, I think it may have been about the Epi Ultra Series, it came out that the better Epi LP models have the same pickups as many of the more affordable U.S.-made Gibsons. If I wanted a Gibson as a beater guitar, one of those Melody Makers would be a lot of fun, but again, if I wanted the best guitar I could find, between $400 and $500, they don't really make the grade, IMHO. "Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King http://www.novparolo.com https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p90jr Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 For $500 I could pick up a used Gibson SG Standard or Midtown, locally... maybe an ES-333 if I was lucky. I buy "pre-loved" guitars... but I do like these Gibsons... I like the more stripped-down models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 ...so no one else is getting, `sorry, this product is sold out or no longer available`? I can`t see what it looks like. Click on the link in the O/P and then click "enlarge"...it says they are still in stock... ---> or try this one from MF: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-2014-les-paul-melody-maker-electric-guitar That MF link even has the price in Japanese yen good stuff Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I'm a little confused by this branding, but don't have a deep knowledge of Gibson history. I thought the original Melody Maker was a sort of SG vs. a budget Les Paul? I wish there was a GC in the area that had one of these (none of the indie stores can carry Gibson in these parts). I would like to try one, as I am starting to get curious again about P90's in a solid body. I have what seem to be P90-type PUP's in my Guild Manhattan 175, which is like a variation on an ES-175, and may find that's enough. But right now P90's are hard to come by -- especially in Gibsons. Yet many of my favourite guitarists used them, so I'd at least like the chance to try them on a solid body. Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Melody_Maker <--- here's some of the history. Looks like the 1st ones were single cutaways like the Les Paul... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 OK, so the main differences vs. a regular Les Paul are neck width and jack position. Otherwise this new model seems to take the place of the canceled Les Paul Junior, as the current Les Paul Juniors have gone a bit upscale and no longer offer P90's. I found some YouTube videos and am about to have a listen... Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 I really like the way they moved the jack position off of the front to make the new model more like the Les Paul, as I'm not fond of the jack position on the front of the body (except for the angled jack on the Strats). The MF link I posted above also has a video clip to check out... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 I wasn't remotely impressed by any of the demos I heard. Sounds VERY harsh and not very expressive or versatile. Bad audio/players? Maybe the "Inspired by John Lennon" Casino from Epiphone is a better choice for P90's if one wants that vintage tone with lots of range of expression and breadth of coverage for different styles. They're marked down at the moment ($800). A bit tempting but no one carries them so I can't try it first. Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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