UB:22 Gibson Les Paul 1950s Standard Gold Top + P90s - Very Poor Quality Control! - 2020 Model.
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- The Gibson Les Paul 1950s Standard Gold Top with P90 Pick-ups - modern 2020 build. A Lovely Guitar but What a Shame About the Very Poor Quality Control... Thumbs Down!
In recent weeks I’ve unboxed a number of Fender Stratocasters and in this video I unbox a guitar from that other big name guitar manufacturer… Gibson. The Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s Gold Top with P90 Pick-ups modern 2020 build, is designed to hark back to the 1950s and I will say… as you open the case, it looks the business. It’s not a specific vintage reissue, but its features do typify the 1950s period and of course that classic Gold Top finish. It has a Solid Mahogany body with a Maple top, and with that classic baseball-bat style Mahogany neck. Let me just say, this is a very comfortable guitar to play. This particular instrument does have a very thick nitro-cellulose lacquer finish which is actually quite gooey, I had to do some polishing work to take-out some of the unevenness in the finish, mainly on the sides of the neck and some body side areas. Everyone makes mistakes and things go wrong from time to time, but I am sorry to report that the quality control department lost the plot with this one. I will say I have owned a number of Gibson guitars of late and they have all be flawless so I feel it important to mention that fact. If your in the market for one of these guitars I hope this video will give you some insight as I cover various details and tones you can expect to see and hear... Enjoy!
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Just bought a brand new 2024 and it is flawless and plays great and sounds outstanding, maybe Gibson is finally getting better.
Hi Jim - Thanks for chipping in... Congratulations on the new guitar...! they are very nice. As I mentioned before, I have purchased a few Gibson's in recent years and all have been perfect on delivery. I think manufacturing challenges during the lock-down period may have had something to do with those many issues getting flagged. Now... what about that first ding or scratch... I always find that disheartening ;-) one of the reasons I love my relic Fenders ;-) Regards: Stu
My problem with Les Pauls have been truss rod issues, something you can’t live with. I dumped all of my Gibsons. Had to adjust them every other week and it was so frustrating. I could deal with everything else but it wasn’t fun picking up a guitar only to not be able to play it, but to work on it. Never again.
Hi Frozen... thanks for the comment, always appreciated. I have a number of Gibson's (only one LP Standard) and have not run into that kind of problem, although I do occasionally need to tweek minor things. A little lacquer checking, and noisy (dirt) pots and switches are about it for me. I am careful regarding humidity changes as some guitars are more susceptible to damage than others. I would say that I feel that my Fenders are definitely more hardy in that respect. Could it be a humidity issue where you were keeping them? I'm sure you thought of that, but it does sound unusual you had so many problems. Would be good to hear others chip-in... So what have you replaced the Gibson's with? Regards: Stu
@@StuGuitarChannel I’m in Minnesota so it dries out quite a bit in the winter but my other other guitars have always been fine. Mainly G&L, Fender and a PRS. But they hold up well with only a seasonal adjustment needed. The Gibsons were a constants fight (3 Les Pauls, the newest was a 2013 Traditional). And they all had cosmetic issues but I could deal with that. The bowing and twisting that were inherent was just too frustrating. I just stopped playing them. And I baby my guitars, so they were taken care of.
I so much want to own a reliable Les Paul…
@@frozendivots1564 Hi Frozen... mmm... that variation in atmospheric conditions will do it. I use to find when I kept a number of guitars in my lounge which could get warm and cold throughout the day, the Gibson's in particular would need re-tuned. As you say, the fenders are good at handling a hard life - and I can vouch for that having set one on fire ( Don't ask... ;-). I have a PRS McCarty that has suffered lacquer checking due to atmospheric conditions but the neck has stayed absolutely rock solid. I'll be reviewing my LP Special in another week and if you see that, you will see the extreme lacquer checking that happened one cold day. Regards: Stu
Your production is top notch! I like your reasoning for keeping the guitar. I also have a Gibson that had some issues but it plays like butter.
Thank you for the kind comment Sean, much appreciated. Yeh, I think for most folks it's a disappointment when you purchase something brand new and have certain expectations given the price tag only to discover it has a number of fails cosmetically that should never have got passed quality control. Give the shop it's due they were quick to offer a replacement or my money back... but no, this plays beautifully and that was what I was looking for. One of the reasons I like my relic guitars so much... they can get as many dings as they like... ;-) regards: Stu
I've purchased, and had the opportunity to view a few B-Stock guitars. All the finish issues documented in your video are issues I've seen on various Gibsons that have been classified as B-Stock. Where I live, in Canada, all Gibsons go through the hands of a national distributor where they inspect each guitar arriving from Gibson. The Canadian distributor will note any construction or finishes defects or damage and assign a B-Stock designation to that guitar. If tone and playability with a small discount sounds appealing, then B-Stock could be a choice for you. That said I love Gibson products and none have failed to impress.
I would like to pass on a tip that will improve your P-90 tone - switch out the stock capacitors for paper-in-oil caps (.022). A small change but it will sound more like a Custom Shop model.
Hi Bryan - Thanks for the explanation, the manager of the shop assured me that the guitar was brand new and admitted that some of the other guitars also displayed defects. We did a deal and as a shop they have given me really good discounts on other guitars I've purchased so I feel they have tried to be as helpful as they can. Thank you... really appreciate the capacitor tip, I've taken a note and I'll definitely look into that. I have the Custom Shop LP Special 60s VOS Model which apparently has Custom P-90s - can't remember just now what the capacitors are in that guitar, did a review here - czcams.com/video/kRRlLJtsHl8/video.html and did a comparison of the two guitars here - czcams.com/video/V6CTlkZQJhk/video.html Regards: Stu
I love my Gibsons, but QC hasn't been their strong suit. I genuinely appreciate your production value - You put on a great show!
Hi mustuddd - Thank you for the kind comments, don't hesitate to put forward video ideas that you think might be in-line with this journey back to playing and recording. Yes, as I returned to playing and catching up I've heard of many Gibson owners who have been disappointed with various QC problems. But as mentioned, I own a few and the rest are perfect. The main thing is that I bought it to play, and it plays very well and has a lovely tone. With the soft lacquer, it's going to pick up more dings... Regards: Stu
Hey Stu, Gibson is surely iconic, but their QC is sketchy at best. The thing is they don't have a focus on churning out perfect instruments one after another like PRS or some other manufacturers, but if you want the iconic sound and don't mind an "imperfect" instrument, they are unparalleled cheers!
Hi Allen - I've never really been a Gibson buff, only one I ever owned back in the early 80s was a Gibson Standard SG and that was a used guitar purchase so it already had some gigging scars. As a youngster playing in the 70s and early 80s, I don't ever remember hearing guitar buddies talking about manufacturing issues... in fact I don't recall any of my mates ever owning an actual brand-new Gibson or Fender guitar... ;-) It's only in the last couple of years as I return to guitars and gear in general that I have been learning about all the history behind the manufacturers... which is very interesting. Regards: Stu
Excellent review, loved the format,ie a well structured & honest approach (& playing) which really showcased the guitar (&!) i am planning to add this very model to my armoury so this was particularly useful for me! 👍👏👏🎶
Hi - Thank you for the kind message, it's very much appreciated. Glad the review has been helpful to you and all the best should you make the purchase - do let us know. If your interested, do check-out that little Blackstar amp - The Studio 10 6L6 - which I have covered (V7 Valve Crunch on playlist). It's a great little amp for the money and has a nice boutique style look to it, if you like that kind of thing. Regards: Stu
What a fantastic video have a wonderful weekend stu ❤😊
Thank you as always Amin... What's you plans for the New Year? .... a guitar? ;-) Regards: Stu
I am ok with character marks when I "add" them myself. :) SRV's strat had tons of character. I loved going to underground shows back in Seattle. One guitarist I admired, played a Gibson SG model. Lots of character on his guitar. I nicknamed SG's the vampire guitar. I can't remember playing an SG. I am sure I have, just can't remember. Thanks for sharing UB22 review.
Lol... my wife dislikes my Relic guitars - get that horrible thing (my 64 Relic Strat) out of the Livingroom she says... The last guitar I owned back in the early 1980s was an early used SG Standard and it was the only branded guitar I could afford at the time... Yes the SG had the nick-name of the devils guitar due to it's pointed horns and I always found it unusual that the 1930s gospel singer/guitarist - Sister Rosetta Tharpe used one... regards: Stu
What it appears you received was a B-Stock guitar. I have owned a few Gibsons from different years and most were flawless. Luckily for yourself you did not get one with the uneven ridge between the neck and binding along the neck. A flaw like that can be particularly annoying and you can't fix it. I've regected purchase of one for that reason. I seen a few with shop dust in the lacquer as well.
Now if you want to minimize the hum from these guitars or any single coil guitar you can find devices to do that. An EHX Humdebugger or a DSP Decimator will do that with no signal degradation or change in tone. These work better than a noise gate.
Thanks for chipping in Bryan - I don't think it was B-Stock as the shop (long distance on-line purchase) just got 8 of them in (during Covid lock-down period) and I had my choice of all 8 (they sold out fast) but as mentioned, the weight was just right as I asked them to weigh them all before I decided on one, and once I had it in my hands, it played beautifully under the fingers and has a great tone so I decided to keep it. All my other Gibson's arrived flawless.
Thanks for the heads-up on the EHX / DSP units, never been a fan of noise gates, just got used to using my pick-up selector, a volume pedal or my volume knobs to keep the noise down. Regards: Stu
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If the guitar plays great and has minor blemishes I contact the dealer. My 2023 LPJ had them, I Sent photos and they gave me an acceptable discounted price, I kept it because it sounded and played beautifully.
This being said, I have received two other LPs a Tribute and a faded 60s standard within the past 9 months that were atrocious! The board and neck were joined unevenly, body and neck binding so sharp it left imprints in the skin.
Tuesday I am getting a Gibson Standard 50's and this should be interesting. ha
Thanks for chipping in John - Sorry to hear about the issues, it's really disappointing to get a guitar you have been looking forward to unboxing only to discover poor workmanship. I have a number of Gibson's I have reviewed here and they were all great but I think if I ever wanted another Gibson I would likely go to the shop to make sure of what I was buying. As you say, I kept my Gold Top because it plays beautifully and I was loath to send it back in case the replacement was not as good - I also got some discount. I hope the 50s guitar you have ordered works out well for you. Regards: Stu
@@StuGuitarChannel Thanks Stu! Great channel, I just subscribed.
As far as trying out a Gibson, It would have to drive over 300 miles round trip. Good thing for online ordering and free returns.
Take care.
@@johnsmith-ug5tp Thanks John, much appreciated. While I have guitar stores fairly close to me I'm not that keen on visiting them, I always find them too sterile and they don't necessarily have what I'm looking for. Just about everything I have reviewed on my channel, which is a fair bit of gear, has been ordered on-line and other than this Gold Top, I have had no problems. Big day for you tomorrow ;-) do say how it went... Regards: Stu
Wow, mine has zero issues, sorry to hear that. At least it was all superficial eh?
Hi Craig... thanks for joining in on the comments. Yes, just a shame, these things happen but it should have been picked up by QC and the shop I bought it from because they did weigh it for me before I committed to buying. My other Gibson's are great, no flaws at all. But as you say... from my perspective, I will let it pass because the guitar has a beautiful tone and plays very very well. Regards: Stu
Looks as if you put a les trem 2 on It but didnt see It in the video …
Hi Bobby, sorry... that's photoshop for you... ;-) I was going to fit one of my Duesenberg Les Trem II units but due to business commitments I ran short on time. I have done 2 videos on fitting that unit to a Gibson ES 339 and Gibson Firebird if that interests you (will also fit other manufactures metric models, just check stud screw distance) and in those videos I go into a fair bit of detail - the pros and cons. The set-up is exactly the same and I would see no difference in how they might perform on the Les Paul. As I mentioned, if I were to fit a Trem to this I would likely fit one of those non-destructive Bigsby units with uprated bearings. A bit more pricey but would fit the 50s era better. Where you thinking of fitting one... or have you fit one yourself? Regards: Stu
It's one of the downsides of buying guitars online. I bought my Gibson Les Paul 50's with P90's online and thankfully had no QC issues, but it's a roll of the dice. Mine is 8.2 lbs and flawless.
A less expensive alternative is the Eastman SB56, but alas, that's also a roll of the dice if purchased online. My Eastman SB59-v is flawless, just like my Les Paul. I see complaints all the time about Gibson QC. I guess I just got lucky.
Thanks for chipping in Po1itica - Yes it's one of those - 'Is it going to be okay' moments as you bring the guitar out of its bag/case. I have to say, that all the guitars I've reviewed (Only one guitar bought at the actual store) only the LP Gold-Top had issues. That's a nice weight you got there! It's funny when I think back to the early 70s, I don't remember anyone being that fussed about all the things that get spoken about as I come back to playing and learning about gear... ;-) Regards: Stu
@@StuGuitarChannel True, Stu. We're certainly more picky nowadays, it seems. I purchased my LP from a major retailer on Reverb and knew the weight prior to purchase. The lightest one I found online, and I shopped a long time. When I saw "8.2 lbs", I put it in my cart immediately and sent the payment before someone else grabbed it.
My only complaint is the neck. After playing my Eastman and some roasted maple necks on other guitars, I've become spoiled by their smoothness. In comparison, my Gibson neck feels sticky. My hand just doesn't slide up and down the neck as effortlessly. I've seen recommendations online to take some fine sandpaper to the neck, but who wants to do that to a $2,700 guitar and risk damaging it? Not me.
@@Po1itica11yNcorrect Yes the LP does have a gloopy feel… mine almost feels like its been dipped in syrup ;-) I used a fine (emphasis on “fine”) automotive T-Cut polish to even-out the uneven lacquer job on the back of the neck. After polishing, it really helped the neck to feel a lot smoother in the hand. This would be a less scary approach compared to using wet-n-dry sandpaper and a cutting polish to finish. Gibson also do a vintage restoration creamy polish which is a very fine cutting agent but I found I needed to use T-Cut first on certain parts before finishing with the Gibson product. Just a thought, but don’t do anything you are not comfortable with. Regards: Stu
@@Po1itica11yNcorrect Hi - Saw you had written again but for some reason CZcams gremlins made your message disappear! This seems to happen from time to time... Anyway, you are most welcome regarding advice. If you are a bit unsure about this I could do a short video on what materials to use and show how to actually do this if that would give you more confidence - I would use my own LP GT so it's relevant. Let me know, its no problem... Regards: Stu
@@StuGuitarChannel I tried sharing the link with you to my Reverb LP purchase to show the 8.2 lbs, but it wasn't working. So I deleted it.
I bought the same guitar in 2020. I have an issue that I’m not sure will ever resolve which is static when I move my left hand up and down the neck. I was offered to trade mine, but I had similar thoughts as you about the things I liked. Any chance you noticed static with your Les Paul. Kind of wondering if buffing out the guitar might have an impact on the static.
Great review.👍
Hi Don... thanks for the comment and kind remark, very interesting regarding the static issue... I can't say I've noticed any static on mine... but I will take a look at that and get back to you later tonight. I'm sure you have already done some testing, but I suppose the first things to ask are... does anyone else playing the guitar bring forth the same issue? as you may already know... some folks do have more static in their bodies than others and often need to 'Earth' themselves before working with anything electronic or combustible materials. Is there any static when your playing-hand is over the actual pick-ups? Regarding buffing, depending on your DIY skills, buffing should be done with care on soft lacquers. Sorry if I'm mentioning obvious stuff to you... just some opening thoughts to see if this issue can be resolved without too much hassle... Will get back later... Best regards: Stu
Hi Don - As per my other message... I had a check out on my own Les Paul and no static... when you get a chance have a read at some of the points I raised and do let us know how you get on. If anyone else experiences static it would be good to hear from you... regards: Stu
Thanks for responding, Stu. I came across only one other LP user on CZcams that complained about static. He ended up putting in EMG pickups to resolve the issue. I’m not going to go that route, but interesting way to resolve.
Thanks again.👍
@@dontuckerjr Hi Don - If you do look into resolving this issue do come back and explain what you are doing/done - to be sure, there will be others out there with the same issue. If you know someone who is handy in the electronics department, maybe they could at least check you don't have a component problem... Regards: Stu
@@StuGuitarChannel Stu, one more static story for you. I had my gold top put away so I got it out today. I had removed the pick guard so I put it back on today. Oh my, the static! Anyway I resolved that one by removing the tiny grommets that sit between the pick guard and the body. I ran my hand up and down the neck and it appears that the main static issue happens when my hands are touching the neck binding and not necessarily the back of the neck.
I enjoyed playing on the Goldie today once I fixed the pick guard and did my best to avoid the neck binding. I live in Florida and it’s raining today so you wouldn’t think static would be much of an issue here. The Goldie is the only guitar I have with a static issue and I’m confident I’ll figure out something. Thanks again and maybe the grommet thing will assist someone else. 👍
Cheap made in China.Guitarist had better quality control.What a joke gibson
Hi Colin - Thanks for the comment, sadly it is quite an indictment considering the price of these guitars, although others have reported no issues with theirs. While it does not justify the poor quality control of this particular instrument, I do own other Gibson guitars from the same period that are flawless. I think if I were ever to purchase another Gibson Les Paul, I would go to the music store to pick one out. Regards: Stu