Are Gibson Joking? Gibson Kirk Hammett Signature Les Paul Greeny Demo and Review
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
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Gibson recently jumped the shark with a few Greeny based models - this is the cheapest of the bunch at £3,000. On the plus side, the pickups (which are the same as in the expensive models) are great. But...It's a Standard Faded 50s basically?
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So - this is the most expensive guitar I've bought for the channel - so sorry if I seem a little negative - please let others know if you got one of these that you love?
Gibson has been joking since I bought my first Gibson LP in 1978. The LP copy that I had before it was better. But I couldn't see that immediately, in my rambunctious youth. Buyer's remorse set in pretty quickly though.
Traded it for an SG (junk), and then got a Flying V (bridge in wrong place!) after that. No more Gibsons for me.
All good, it's a fair comparison in terms of price vs alternatives from someone who has played all the alternatives, so it's well received.
Could you not have assessed your feelings about this LP BEFORE buying it?
Reviewing and demoing a guitar normally necessitates having access to one
James is someone that I have bought gear from before who lives about 137 miles away. So no, that wasn't really an option.
This might just be me, but I find some people are just looking to find something negative to say. Complaining about the "Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer" when it's clearly mentioned in the spec's is nitpicking and that's on you. That's what a satin finish is, non-glossy. If she plays great, sounds incredible, and she clearly does, no issues with the neck, body or whatever, I don't see the issue. But comparing a R9 or a custom shop murphy lab at double the price, you can't really compare those to a standard! As for weight, you can always shop around and find one lighter and more to your liking, but I am guessing you picked this one up from the seller, so you got to see it and hold it for the weight, unless it was shipped to you? On a side note, I just got my 2023 Slash November burst and its a perfect beast. Sustain, tone, looks everything! I shopped around for mine and she's 9lbs 3oz. Wide flame top, dark burst... looks like the 2008 slash special edition. Just my two cents... and great playing by the way!
The point is with the less expensive finish and its $3000 on my opinion isn't not picking its being budget conscience at any price. To each his/her own. Nice guitar and yes somewhat overpriced imo. "He lives in Wales but don't hold that against him" 🤣
@@dragan4658 LOL, that is not a less expensive finish. Probably the most sought after finish by many legendary guitar players.
@realtruenorth actually it is the less expensive finish, look it up and stop being a troll.
@@dragan4658 you're the troll, im responding to your trolling. And NO, if you are talking cost that's one thing, but manual labor times also. I can do a Poly finish fast, but lacquer takes longer and more skill. Look at the cheap guitars out there, they are all poly finish, you will never see nitro lacquer finish on cheap guitars. If you do, probably a crappy job because it wasn't applied properly and it came from China where the guitar builders raped for their time.
@realtruenorth haha ok kiddo hahaha. Look up the definition of troll, it's negative Comments without merit and that is what your comments were. My comment was not negative, get your daddy or mommy to explain the meaning of my comment as you clearly didn't comprehend it.
So the pickups are better than a standard, the top is a step above the standard, and it plays really well, and it’s a first run of a guitar that will always hold a premium price over a 2023 standard. I think in the years to come the other stuff is more subjective and you’ll
Never go backwards on that guitar.
Yeah I’d say ur right there won’t be tons of these and in 20 years everyone that wants one will be paying a lot more then the cost now. Half of them will be gone or in a closet somewhere with the owner not knowing what it is. Really when Kirk is gone this will sell for a lot
did they ever make a Peter Green signature LP ?
@@vincentl.9469 is this a trick question? (other than the missing reproduction signature that a dead guy cant write)
@@godsinbox it says Kirk Hammett signature LP...'greeny' I guess that's close enough
Interesting take and I think you may be right.
The guitar sounds beautiful! What could possibly be wrong with it? There are many guitars that I wish sounded this good. It’s as smooth as silk.
Tom Sisson
It's so hard to tell from watching John playing it - he's such a beautiful player, so how much is the amp and his playing versus the guitar itself? I'd have to play the guitar myself but can't see myself shelling out the £3k+ to get one on mail order. When Gibson make those pickups available separately, then maybe for the £400 or whatever they ask for a set, then I can get hold of some and see if there really is some magic in them on their own.
I agree it sounds gorgeous in John's hands but I take his points on board and wonder whether the price tag is all hype, and the only special feature is those pickups? Hopefully I can try one out if one of my local stores gets one in and I am happy to be blown away if its as good as it sounds here. Just take my money !!! 😂😂
5:41
@@martin-1965 however good it is, £3K is still a lot of money for a guitar ..mostly a piece of wood. There is less handcrafting involved these days compared to the 1940s & 50s, a machine can turn out a body & neck, and we didn't have factories in Malaysia, Indonesia & China ,but some people clearly don't mind ..good for them 🤨
@@vincentl.9469 Agree Vincent - most I've paid for a guitar in 40+ years of playing is £1k for my Ed O'Brien Sustainer Strat. I can't justify the expense and love guitars I bought for pennies in comparison 20-30 years ago as much. I just like making music and as long as I like playing the guitar - the name and origin of the guitar means nothing to me. Frank Marino once said his guitar was just a tool and he didn't care how beat up it looked. I guess I'm from the same school, but you can include not caring where it was made into that equation :)
@@martin-1965 yes ,but factories in the far east have made it possible to purchase good to high quality instruments at prices that don't require a loan in most cases...
first kirk, then peter & gary 😂 nice one
That comment made the review null and void.
Even though I am quite skeptical of nowadays Gibsons but I love sustain on that one and quite an impressive dynamic feedback but it's still quite a pricey guitar. Your playing is on top as always!
Yeh - I can't fault how it plays or sounds, but finishing wise I'm not overly impressed
@@johnnathancordy Thanks for reply and for your opinion! :)
I think these are very disappointing! Admittedly, the pickups do sound good in your demo (are they Custombuckers?) I've been a Peter Green fan for decades but I don't think this is in any way close to his actual guitar. Sure, it's got the reverse wired neck pickup and the mismatched knobs that Gary Moore added...and, well, that appears to be it. The tops aren't even similar!
I agree with you; I think Gibson are taking the pish with this guitar. I recently bought a used 58 Custom Historic VOS that is absolutely magnificent... and I paid a little over £3k for it. This "Hammett/ Moore/ Green" LP is a bit of a joke, compared to what's out the in the used market for similar money.
Gibson need to have a word with themselves...
@@goldtop362 Agree.. huge disappointment .. nothing Greeny about it. I have had to remake the entire guitar .. for the money that should not be necessary .. so many issues.. like Gibson didn't finish the job. Poor construction to say the least..
@@adriennelee1520 yep. Just not good enough!
Great playing, tone and sustain Thank for the review. In the end to me it is about the sound and playability. Agree that you probably can get that from a less expensive guitar.
As per usual, your playing is the highlight of the video and your comments appear to be warranted. The neck pickup is what made the Peter Green guitar famous, other than Peter Green, of course. I have a very similar looking LP with Duncan Seth Lover pickups and am quite tempted to reverse the magnet of the neck pickup. Another option is the Duncan Green Magic pickup that they sell as a set, or individually at just $149 USD with a nickel cover. Both, the Green Magic and Seth Lover pickups have alnico 2 magnets. That's a heck of a lot cheaper than the cost of a guitar with a dodgy finish, etc. and a COA. Thanks for the video and be well.
That Gary Moore solo tone though. Always keeping it tasteful.
Gary was one of the best
I've a couple of R9's and this thing holds it's own with them. I love mine. It's a rock monster. I don't like hype guitars generally but I played this thing in the store and couldn't put it down. Out it came with me.Totally unexpectedly.
That's awesome - how heavy did yours come out? I really love these pickups
@@johnnathancordy Its about 9 1/2/ 4.2 kgs. So not a total bruiser at 10 pounds but not what you'd call lightweight at all either. Yes the pickups have a real clarity and still punch.
@@benmcgurk1 yeh that's a happy medium, my 2002 standard is about that
You have play that DGT SE, nothing will reach that level.
I just bought one of these Yesterday and i must have gotten lucky because mine is outstanding and I am very hard to impress when it comes to guitars and I'm extremely anal about even the most minor flaws and I can't find one thing to complain about with this guitar . The pickups are truly amazing and i am very critical of stock pickups and swap pickups quite often but these Greeny buckers will be staying in the guitar for good. The bridge pickup does the Gary Moore riff sound perfectly. The bridge pickup is very fat and full sounding and has a wide frequency response. It's very balanced from top to bottom and it also has that hollow vintage PAF quality
Not lucky, just not as picky. I'm sure all of the guitars of this model are fantastic and as amazing as you find yours to be. You just don't have the mindset of trying to find something 'wrong' with it because you feel bad about spending a great deal of money. I currently have 5 Gibsons from years 1993 up to a 2021 and not a single one has any issues. They are all fantastic instruments.
@@dnields agreed. I think Nathan’s review is almost entirely owed to his psychological hang-ups around spending money for nice things. It’s a fantastic guitar that does everything and more that a blues guy would ever want from a LP.
I, for one, am tired of guitar reviews being dominated by people who hyper-focus on price and what certain guitars “should” cost. According to whom, exactly? Inflation is inflation. 10 year from now, it’ll be seen to be a really reasonable purchase price.
It’s just silly. Focus on the sound, the feel, the vibe, the tone, the inspiration you get when you see it on your guitar rack. Those are the things that make a guitar a life-long asset. That’s why we make music
I have watched a few of his videos, he seems to have it out for Fender and Gibson. He was not impressed with the American Vintage II strat, but mine is absolutely killer.
Loved the ‘Empty Rooms’ reference.
Sounds great, maybe a high premium but seems like a great LP
I played this today and i thought it was incredible. Awesome finish, felt amazing and great tone!
How heavy was it?
Thanks for the honesty. I HATE bindings that go over the fret ends. Everyone I have seen looks like cheap plastic covering the fret end. This makes the fret end bigger and harder on your fingers. If this was my guitar, the first thing I would do is send it to my local luthier and have him trim the plastic off the fret ends and reshape the frets. I think Gibson has just found a way to keep from having to personally finish a guitar and have them run through machine to put the binding on without having to hand shape the frets. Money saver!
Hey John! Hope you're well. Without the normal Nitro coating, it is more obvious than on the other LPs I've played that this is yeh...Plastic. Realistically, the nibs also do reduce the amount of fret that you've actually got access to?
Well I played one this past Saturday at the Dallas Guitar Festival. I must say it was awesome! Very fun and comfortable to play, like an old pair of jeans. Now I must say I’d buy it for the previous players not necessarily for Kirk, I’m a blues man lol. But I can definitely respect Kirk for his skill and passion for the instrument. ❤❤
Ah lucky man dude - yeah, I just said above, I'd have to play it myself before handing over the cash. It sounds amazing though.
Yeah, Kirk has no interest to me at all, bought it for Green and Moore.. and agree with the review.. hype.
I dont know guys, it's 1 thing to do a custom build for an artist from scratch, then release a player's version, budget version, etc--but to take a 60-year-old vintage piece with a name, multiple previous owners + history, that has been chopped up, fitted with who-knows-what odd hardware throughout the years, smashed to bits and rebuilt--and just paint up a standard to look the same and say 'Look! It's Greenie!' -kind of grotesque, isn't it..?
Feeling the grain on a satin is the beauty of it. Definitely dings and ages quicker. It also resonates better and feels way less sticky. That's one of the high points for me anyway.
That's a really great sounding and looking guitar! I'm not so sure if I would add it to the tones I get from my EPI 1959 Les Paul Reissue or my 1979 Gibson "The Paul" that I put original Tim Shaw PAFs in. Between my 2 Pauls and my Strats I have a great variety of tones already and I only keep 5 guitars out that I actually play a lot. Not a collector. Thanks for the video and great playing!!
Trust me, it's John thats making it sound good, not the other way around. He gets tones as good out of $500 imports with Chinese pickups.
It looks beautiful and sounds beautiful! Frankly I get the sentiment but I feel like you're nit picking a bit with regards to QC. When you pay a premium you certainly expect to get a perfect instrument but the things that matter (plays great - sounds great - stays in tune, etc) are all good by your account so in the end i would over look the minor blemishes (both my Les Pauls have minor blemishes) and enjoy the guitar! In fact the things that give an instrument some charm come from the human element (as opposed to the automated elements of building one) in my opinion.
Can you explain how PRS churns out guitars day in day out and simply don't have Gibson's QC problems?
@@stephenharrison7514 It's a fair point. My PRS is literally perfect - but I rarely play it. I think John's expectations were fair - a high end guitar should have a higher standard of QC - but in the end I (just my opinion - I'm not saying John is wrong) don't think it's a big deal as long as the instrument performs as it should. If the bridge was messed up or it won't intonate properly then I would have a problem with it.
@@mikedr1549I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
@@stephenharrison7514 PRS's core tenet is _"perfection"._ Every guitar company has a core tenet, whether they think of it as such, or not.
Fender has always been: _made to fit ordinary players._
Ibanez are : _"Fender on steroids"._
Gibson has always been: _Authentic, American made, hand made mahogany instruments._
With handmade instruments, what you gain in tonal & build character, you lose in perfect uniformity.
PRS strives for this flawlessness, and it comes, somewhat, at the coat of character.
The biggest complaint of PRS is that that, yes , they may be flawless, but they also lack any real character or soul.
People often gripe about Gibson QC, pointing out that Squier can pump out thousands of identical replicas, without (many) flaws. But that fails to understand the value of and nature of hand built guitars vs mass produced, machine made guitars.
I have both Gibsons and a PRS, aswell as the other brands mentioned (except Squier). One is not "better" than the other. Each have their own set of Pros and Cons, arising from each Companies' ethos & vision.
Some one said that these pickups will be available at about 375 a set. Well this is like the 6th or 7th time I have watched this video, the SOUND is SO Good!!!!! now watched it about 20 times, love the Sound.
They are expensive but only $200 more than the regular standards now and from what I've seen they have better tops, you get the greeny pickups and the frets are different for those you find them more comfortable. They are $700 more than a faded but if the better top and other features are things you want then they don't seem crazy overpriced. I also imagine that down the line they will have a better collectability factor than a regular standard or faded so possibly better resale. All that said, I like a gloss finish and not interested is something getting a relic look quicker so would go with a regular standard.
I ordered one of these back when they came out, and it arived a couple days ago finally(im in Canada, more scarce here). I had played one in the shop, and had the same thoughts about the finish on it. Its basically a 50s standard faded, but sounds SO much better. I made the decision to buy it mainly as Im a huge Gary Moore fan and want to get those tones, but also because it's still a cool guitar.
Ive smoothed the neck with super smooth 4k, 8k, and 12k micro mesh polishing pads, and it is nearly as slick as my MusicMan BFR now without changing its appearance. Ill definitely be shining up the top a bit, to a semi gloss finish. I really wish they put more effort into the finish here, as the top has many imperfections in the finish. I suspect they are trying to pass it off as a VOS or Fender Journeyman style finish. Great flame on it, though!
Overall I'd rather own it than not have one. For the cost, i expected much more.
Worst case, im sure these will have great resale value in the future.
Edit: i smoothed and polished the top, and it made all the difference. It has the look and feel of a Custom Shop VOS, and it looks much more like the real greeny. Took me about 30mins total, and definitely worth the effort.
What exactly did you do to the top, if you don't mind me asking. Thanks
@roswellminard9350 the same thing I did to the neck. A ultra high grit sanding, then polish. I actually just sold the guitar, and the buyer was thrilled with how much better it felt than the ones hed tried out.
Mine weighs 8.7 pounds. I expected it to be 10 pounds like my 2019 50s standard so it was a pleasant surprise. It also had a very pronounced flame top
Mine is 8.5 pounds, the tone and resonance unplugged is so close to my 59 Reissue. I always choose my Les Pauls under 9 pounds because the Custom Shop ones are.
I appreciate these honest reviews. The retailer videos all praise them like they’re exact replicas when it reality it’s just a Les Paul standard with a couple of aesthetic similarities. They’ve been doing it with the Slash versions and marking up the guitar massively too.
It’s less true today than 5 years ago, but I always thought the best Les Paul for the money was a used custom shop r8 or r7. Spend an extra $400-500 over the top of that kirk hammet greenie, and you have the best modern lp you can buy
it really sounds incredible, so there is that.
That's what is sort of frustrating...it'd be much simpler if it just sounded and played badly ha
It’s hard for me to think about this guitar objectively after hearing it. That tone starting at 1:19 is possibly the best thing I’ve heard on this channel.
I'm with you on this. Two cheapie but wonderful things back from the 80's and 90's - I bought a cheap Tokai Strat for £175 new (lawsuit model aparently) in Oxford and played lovely for years, got very rusty but regrettably sold (for £500) when I moved to USA. And underrated - some cheapo Zoom pedal - I still remember it sounding awesome, but kept breaking and returned it.
Fantastic playing.. the sound is great.. I’ve have a 70th anniversary tokai love rock, looks exactly the same..
A nod to Cowboy Song? Iove Thin Iizzy. No doubt the guitar sound good. Been gassing for a Fender Custom shop, whew, high doIIar stuff. Gibson custom shop, again, wow at the prices. Nice review.
Some of the best playing and tasteful shredding from John Cordy in this video. Wonder what preset/unit he used for this?
god the Gary Moore tribute in there was so good man he was an incredible player you did that justice
I haven't played a Greeny yet, and personally I wouldn't pay £3,000 for it (Gibson prices aren't exactly palatable these days). But, I also do think you've cast the review a bit more negatively than I expected in light of the criticisms you did have.
If we ignore the slight price premium over a Standard (and the more significant premium over a Faded), there was actually very little wrong with this guitar. You said the fret work was good, it was a good weight, played really well and the pickups sounded good. Gibson are constantly slammed over QC, but here we have a Gibson where the QC seems to have worked. When I'm looking to buy a guitar, these are the boxes it needs to tick.
The only substantive criticisms I remember you going over were the type finish (which Gibson clearly advertise), the binding marks near the nut (which is lacquer overspray, and not great, but does not affect playability) and some visible binding scraping. Nearly every guitar I've played with binding has had some visible scraping, its just a by-product of hand scraping the fingerboard - Gibson would be slammed again if they didn't do this by hand (many people criticise them for CNCing neck and body blanks). I own a good few Gibsons now (including some under the new management), and they are all absolutely excellent - and all either have some overspray, some scraping, or other slight weird quirks from being worked on by hand. I've seen similar levels of "issues" on US Fenders, PRSs, G&Ls, Suhrs, etc. I completely get that these issues do matter to some people, but I have come to learn that they can be a distraction from an otherwise great guitar. I almost sent an SG back for a few of these things, I'm glad I didn't because I absolutely love it.
In terms of the price, Gibson charge it because they know people will pay it - and people did, seeing as they've pretty much all sold out. And I wouldn't really say that you get nothing extra for the money (though whether its enough extra is up for debate!), you get a unique set of pickups, a more figured top and the Greeny aesthetic. If those are things you care about, you'll pay the price.
I don't mean any of this harshly, I enjoy your videos and I do think you pointed out the good aspects of the guitar. Whether the price is right is completely subjective, but I think it at least seems like a very good guitar!
I'll grab a set of the pickups and put them in my LP copy that feels far better to me to play than any Gibbo or Epiphone
I love the sound and vibe of the Les Paul. Owned one, 2013 Traditional goldtop! Biggest piece of crap I ever bought. You paid £300 for the guitar and £2,700 for the name on the headstock!
My local Guitar Center has had a couple of Greeny LPs that I never even considered picking up because they didn't even look good to me. But yesterday I wad there and they had one with the most beautifully flamed top I've ever seen outside or a Custom Shop. I finally picked one up and I was really impressed with it. If "I" were to buy it, I'd definitely swap that neck pickup around. Haha
Expensive or not , you playing this from 9 to 13 minutes is worth every penny
Definitely sounds great. Full range and thick.
Which modeller are you using here? It sounds great! The player and the guitar should also help of course :).
HX Stomp!
Are you kidding? That thing screams!
Very expressive tones.
Some fine guitar work as well
I definitely will be looking at getting some of the Peter Green style pickups in another LP
I have a Gibson Gary Moore Signature which looks exactly the same and has the same pickup set-up (although your one may have a newer design). Cost me £2k second hand a couple of years ago and it's not a satin finish.
Ooh which year was that from then?
@@johnnathancordy Late 90s, I think. I've never checked by serial number.
I’m guessing you are mostly paying for a AAA top (Standards have a AA) and the pickups. I admit the choice to make it Faded is a surprise. Perhaps they didn’t want to push the price up or there might be plans for a lower priced Custom Shop version? Regardless, that guitar looks and sounds incredible. I’ve been lusting after one. Admittedly, I don’t tend to inspect my new guitars so closely.
Yeh I think that's about right. I mean honestly if it didn't have the faded finish (which is presumably why the Faded series is cheaper in general?) - there'd really only be the weight of this to worry about, but even so I do think it does look pretty decent. But the lines of the binding etc are quite noticeable underhand - I think Trogly also noted that the binding feels sharp - essentially there's a bit of a plastic feeling to it as there's not much finish between the plastic and your hands...But anyway. It sounds great and plays pretty good too. SO - I'm sure there are some folks out there that would be happy?
Its not a bad top, but at the same time it seems almost closer to a top PRS would reserve for a S2 or CE. I'm rarely impressed by what Gibson considers a nice top.
That said, it sounds amazing ! !! !
Sounds good....way too heavy for me though at 10Ibs+
Mine is 9lbs and they’re available at 8.5 (when in stock) so this is simply a moot point among many other moot points in an absurd review.
Agreed. I know it's all about various bits of wood, but at £3k might it be fair to expect a little sorting for weight?
Definitely not a moot point when other manufacturers are putting out sub-8 pound guitars consistently. Playing a 10 pound guitar on stage for three hours a night is no picnic.
It’s good that it’s heavy. You’ll develop muscles 💪 ever seen Slash or Zakk Wylde ? They’re JACKED
@@lyricbread so buy an 8.5lb Greeny, friend. They are available. And heavier models are also available for those who want one. Les Pauls have always ranged between 8-10+lbs. It’s what they are. If you don’t like it, buy something else instead of using it in your sacred battle to bash Gibson. Lol
12:40 An R9 is what you're looking for. Add 1000 to your budget, buy used, and you will have exactly what you want. I promise it's worth the money.
You could also forgo the flame top and buy an R8 in your budget. The neck profile and weight are the big factors that change the experience of playing a CS LP compared to a USA Standard.
John.. Sustain was quite good but maybe that’s mostly the massive weight resonating. It did have the faithful differences between neck and bridge tones as expected and sounded true to Les Pauls. Pick ups do sound great But tone was a little brighter than I’d prefer. Excellent playing as always!
Butt tone lol
@@mikeomatic9905- fixed
11:00 - 12:38 best you've ever sounded.
Agreed
You’re playing around 9:00 is lovely and reminds me a little of Bill Frizell, would be awesome if you felt like doing a Frizell type preset at some stage?
As for my experience, bought one when they first came out and my initial reaction was similar to yours. I subsequently traded it for a different guitar. Ten months later, I bought a second USA Greeny and find that one fits my needs. IMO....the $20K Murphy Lab version IS out of the question.
Over 10 lbs! Oooof! That’s a deal (and back) breaker for me. Does it have a decent neck profile?
PS, I ordered a HX Stomp after seeing so many of your videos - I’m liking the new amps, logical UI and flexibility, and tiny footprint.
The Neck profile feels comfortable yeh.
It will put your thigh to sleep as well.
Absolutely blown away by mine! Mine has super slight binding scratches and no other issues as of yet. Plays, sounds, and looks incredible.
I got mine yesterday and I love it .... the only disappointment is that Gibson should hire esp to do their binding 🤘
It sounded amazing .
Agreed!
i guess the question is do we go for the Greeny or Slash LP?
You can buy the Greeny Buckers separately now - at least that’s what my shop told me. Just buy any LP that you like and feels good, and drop the Greeny Buckers in to get that middle position sound.
"And then some other guy, Gary or something, played it."
DEAD hahahahaah
I bought one. It sounds great It plays beautify. It has an exceptional top and back too. Hear comes the but...I think Gibson really dropped the ball in terms of it's replica status. No gloss finish? No 50s wiring spec? No cherry Finish on the back? No nylon nut? No vintage correct tall trim rings for the pickups? No R9 spec ABR1 and stop bar? I really don't care to spend thousands more to have my guitar professionally damaged (aged). That said it's on it's way to Historic Makeovers and it'll return the way Gibson should have done it in the first place. Yes it's going to cost me more but not as much as an R9 would. And certainly not as much as a Murphy lab. Yes i do think it"s worth the effort. Sometimes you just have to go the extra mile to get what you want.
I think it probably is a good base for that - hope the historic makeovers do an awesome job for you!!!
@@johnnathancordy Thank you, I have every confidence that they will. Joe Bonamassa had his1959 Lazarus resurrected by HM. They have also done work for Billy Gibbons.I can't wait to see it finished.
A few months ago, I bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s Faded. I had tried it at the store and found I really liked the sound, the playability and the satin finish on the neck. However, I agree that the attention to detail is lacking… a lot. Yes, the Faded models cost less, but they’re still expensive… too expensive, in fact, to justify all the tool marks on the neck binding. None of my other guitars have these types of cosmetic issues, even the ones made in Asia and Mexico. Anyway, I was willing to compromise because I liked it, but yes, Gibson still surfs on its roughly 65 year old reputation. I do realize that by buying a Gibson, I became part of the problem…
There's been a bit of pushback in the comments that my expectations are unrealistic etc but...Yeh I don't expect this to be par for the course on a £3k guitar?
“Gibson still surfs on its roughly 65 year old reputation.”
Really, do not realize that the Les Paul is 71 years old and that next year will be 130th anniversary of Orville Gibson starting to build musical instruments?
@@charlesbolton8471 I was referring to the 58 Les Paul being largely recognized as a « masterpiece ».
Gibson uses veneer and lots of it....Gibson's semi-hollowbodies like the ES-335 and ES-339 have tops and backs constructed of layers (either 3 or 4) of maple veneer. My understanding is that the veneers are assembled in successive cross-grain layers with the top layer having its grain longitudinal to the length of the guitar. The tops and backs are approximately 1/4" in thickness after layup.
To me this sounds like one of the nicest guitats I've heard you play
yeh - as I say I really like the pickups
Nice to see you review it, but it's a shame it seems like so many corners are being cut at such a premium price. Sadly I've felt that way about a couple Gibsons I've tried in the last year or so - I've been looking at a semi hollow and they too just didn't feel up to the price point. Not that I'm anti-Gibson or anything (got an LP Standard and LP studio in my collection atm), it just feels like there's less attention to detail in general on them now, which becomes more apparent when you see how well made far more affordable instruments now are.
Did find a couple Epiphones I liked, but considering trying the Sire H7 you mentioned yesterday as that looks promising too.
I always wondered whether maybe it was a bit of an online meme that the newer Gibson stuff can be a bit hit or miss, but yeh if you're paying premium prices, of course I think it's natural that you'd want perfection or close to it?
@@johnnathancordy Exactly - the flaws are generally little things that you could overlook if you loved the instrument otherwise, but annoying all the same. Plus Gibson don't exactly do themselves a lot of favours PR wise either so of course people bandwagon it a bit online too.
Delusion, because that sounded absolutely incredible. As good as anything on the channel.
I ordered a Gibson greeny, Went to pick it up at GC. JUNK ! I ended up with a Les Paul classic. The Greeny was pure JUNK ! my Les paul classic is awesome.
I'm sorry, I've been playing, modding and repairing Guitars for years and no production Guitar is worth 3k. They just aren't. Guitars are pretty simple instruments. The core materials cost a tiny fraction of that amount.
In the UK, £600 of that 3k goes straight to the government.
The shop will take about 30%.
Shipping
Distributor costs
Gibson as the manufacturer
You've just paid for a whole lot of crap in-between them making it and you buying it.
Aside from the issues you mentioned it sounds lush. Some saucy playing as well!
I have one and the tone really is exceptional.
I used to have a Les Paul Traditional and a Custom Shop Elegant. Got rid of them because of QC issues. I still keep my ES-335 though.
Ah someone, who actually tells it like it is, regarding Gibson QC. Thank you!
Here in Rome a couple stores were selling this guitar with pictures of a Greeny Murphy Lab collector's choice. That catched me and wanted to try it. When i finally saw it was kinda disappointing. I get that pick ups are good. But since i bought my first Custom Shop, all Fender and Gibson Standards feel plastic to me, and this one is not exception. For those who think that Custom Shop is just marketing but didn't had the chance to get their hands on one at least to try it, believe me, it's just another world. Even the smell of the wood is real rather than poly or satin finishes that are too artificial. So getting a Fender Mexico for 400 to 600 euros is fine, even an American standard for 1.000€. But paying this guitar 3.145€ (list price) is just non sense to me, and people buy it because all the marketing they made in the last month about Kirk Hammet owning the original Greeny (plus it has finish flaws that for the price range shouldn't have) So Gibson, wanna sell this that expensive.. fine, make it VOS finish like Memphis did on 1963 335 reissues and are awesome guitars. This is light years away from the original green and not even close to the Collector's Choice Greeny. Just a factory Les Paul with a commercial name on it. For the same money you get a really really nice Fender Custom Shop, and with a bit more a nice Gibson Custom. That's of course just my opinion. Not a critic. I really like your videos, hope you enjoy your guitar John. All the best!
Gorgeous guitar though and your playing was captivating!
I have a LP Standard 50's reissue and I've found the same issue with binding. There are guitars with better finishings for way less than that. Love its sustain, though. Since I don't plan on selling it, I'd let it age and get stage hours, but Gibson has been really dropping the ball on quality (unless you buy a Custom Shop or Murphy lab, and break the piggy bank).
Great video as always!
I'm glad to hear your honest opinion
I'm a Gary Moore fans, so if I am the one who make this video, it wouldn't be as honest as yours.
The saving factor is you said it sounds good, and I like the sustain when you play it near the end of the videos. I agree that it's pricey for this kind of finish, I think it's because this is the replica of famous Burst that've been own and play by 3 great guitarist of their era. So, literaly we paid for the names that's associated with this guitar.
Is it worthed or not?
As a fan of Gary Moore, maybe I'm more curious on a Gary Moore Gibson BFG.
Did Gary ever actually play the BFGs out of interest?
@@johnnathancordy No, but at least that's his real signature guitar from Gibson 😁
I've played many Gibsons over the years and bonded with 2. 1 of those I own. Got it very cheap due to neck repair and wear/tear. I could not imagine paying 3k for a Gibby. If you are ever seeking a wonderful custom guitar experience for the same or less as this guitar, I'd highly recommned Lacello guitars! A single luthier in Canada. Great guy to work with and will build you a masterpiece for a reasonable price. Love my Lacello
Nice smooth buttery playing here. Guitar sounds really good 👍🏻 Based on your review, this Greeny is not worth 3000 pounds b.c the quality is not as good as a regular les paul standard?
I don't know. This is absolutely beautiful, great playing, seems to compliment you.
Thank you for the review, personally, I've decided to wait for the Epiphone version. They haven't disappointed me over my last 3 purchases.
Most every time I see a review of a *proper* LP, I am thankful for the [literally] flawless, 100% handmade, SB59-GD I bought last year weighing in at a whopping 7.8lbs - apparently no SB59 can leave the shop at over 8lbs. You could really consider trying one out.
Eastman?
My 2022 SB59/V weighs 7.5lbs. There are many, however, that weigh in excess of 8lbs. There was a time, presumably, when these models were all
@@johnnathancordy Indeed. I bought the one featured in shane's video here. The hi-res pics that Jerry Put up are very good. One thing I love is ebony over rosewood boards - less porous - and the fretboard on this is like black glass. czcams.com/video/8ky5MuDbMmU/video.html
I think the review misses the point of the production of this wonderful guitar. First, it was Gary Moore that Peter sold his guitar to. This guy didn’t even know that! He says “first Peter Greene owned it then Gary somebody……”
This reviewer can really play, and demonstrates the beautiful tone of the remake
You know he was joking right??
Plays great-sounds great but yes, looks cheap. In the US if you really look for awhile there are custom shop LP's close to that price used so there isn't much incentive to get a new Greeny standard unless you are a super fan of Peter Green. I am a super fan but I'm not getting one.....just turn the magnet around in your neck pickup on any decent Les Paul and you'll have the sound-or very close to it .I had that done on my R-7 and bingo- there's the sound. Now if I only could play those licks........
A few months back you compared a Yamaha Revstar Standard to this LP (though the YRS had single coil pickups) and found the Revstar stood up very well. I ordered a Revstar Pro (with Humbuckers) based in part on that video and other reviews and have not regretted it at all. It's half the price of a LP and seems just as well made -- or even better with the acoustic science and carbon fibre rods in the neck and body. Gibson has gone elitist. For those starting out please know that there are perfectly acceptable affordable alternatives like Yamaha, Ibanez, PRS and so forth. Thanks John for your very informative insight and great playing!
How do you like the stainless steel frets? Have you noticed any rust or breakage? A lot of cool guitars now have stainless steel frets but sometimes stainless steel has a tendency to rust or even break. I was all in on them until someone brought that to my attention and it kind of stopped me in my tracks and made me rethink them. The Revstar Std. is one of the guitars I was considering.
@@finishin.my.coffee8780 A year in and no issues with rust. My studio is slightly cool in winter and there's a fair difference in temp once I flip on the aux heater, so condensation is possible. On the west coast of Canada the rainy winter humidity is pretty high. I'm more worried about neck warp on my Stratocaster and my Ibanez '335' than rust on the Revstar.
@@ub59 Thats good news to me!
Great playing … and the guitar sounds and looks fantastic. Some think you’re being a bit nit-picky, but when reviewing something, I appreciate the scrutiny. Personally, minor imperfections don’t bother me so long as the guitar plays great, and looks like it was supposed to look, finish wise. Yes, Gibson charges a premium, and compared to so many guitars on the market these days that you can pick up for half or even a third of that price that play and sound great, one could argue it’s too much money for what you’re getting. But it’s an iconic guitar, and the cost is part of the mystique and history of the brand. It will also maintain more value than others. And those pickups are the same quality you’ve see on Gibsons costing much more. So, if you want an authentic Gibson, with a killer sound, it’s a good buy, even if it isn’t a great bargain.
welp, the real deal with grenie is that the neck was broken when Gary owned it and they slid a ncei hefty stainless steel bolt in it to hold it together as apposed to wood.. big resonant and chime change.. that and the wood and the pickups...
Can't help but feel sceptical of this one, as much as I appreciate the Greeny guitar, for £3k this could have been better. I have a set of Matts Bethnal Green pickups, just haven't found 'the one' to put them into but I think maybe a second hand R9, or even a standard faded could be the way to go.
Agreed. To be honest, I think given that the pickups are what differentiate this guitar, I'd be much happier putting them in a LP that I think matches up in terms of build/weight - and that might mean either going for the R9/R8 custom shop stuff even an older standard or something if it plays and looks good?
The only reason to buy one of those is the fact that it's a collectable item and will probably hold value or scale on value. As an investment, almost all signatures are great.
About the guitar per se, i've heard more than once that Greenie in particular is not exactly the best guitar out there.
There is at least one other chap Adam in the comments who really likes his - and is 8.5lbs so - if you luck out with a lighter one then - could be a winner...Still think it's expensive for the finish mind
@@johnnathancordy It's expensive but it's probably a good investment. I don't treat guitars like that but a lot of people do. You don't seem to keep guitars to wait their value to grow.
I'd love to see you play and review something made by Maybach. Thomas Blug says their stuff is excellent but he's not a fan of their strats. It's on the K-line price range, made in Europe, by the Plek machine people
Also, i'd like to see you try the Stomp+Blackstar idcore 100 combo someday, comparing it to the Catalyst or the Katana
I thought we could have Greeny sound in the middle position at every VOL and tone level ? It is true or is there a sweet spot ?Want to do the mod…thanks for your help 🙏😉
Usually you play with your volume down, the louder you turn up the volume the more the pickups start to go back in phase again, the mod is fairly simple aswell, just make sure you turn your volume down😊
Your playing makes the guitar sound great. Love the out-of-phase tone! The satin finish is in homage to the real "Greeny".
It looks great, it sounds good and you say it plays well … but it really is a huge mark-up for adding 2 mismatched knobs and leaving off the “Les Paul” script and scratch plate! More fun in buying a cheaper guitar and doing the Greeny-Moore mods yourself, imho. Alan Dingwall makes the best-sounding Greeny pickups I’ve heard.
Have sent 2 Standards back to Sweetwater in the past 5 years. Not looking for perfection - alI I ask is that they meet the build quality of my RevStar.
Is it not some kind of tribute guitar, is that why they put that finish on ? Personally I don’t go for “tribute/signature” guitars I just look for something that speaks to me why I try it, it took me 35yrs to find my Les Paul but I love it and I’ve been a Strat player all my life.
What I meant by "tribute" here was the lower level Gibson guitars that have a similar finish. On this guitar it's a cost saving measure I'd have to imagine
7:20 That's the tinted lacquer that they spray over the nut and part of the binding. They don't scrape it and it seems to be a normal feature on their Les Pauls.
yep.... right back to the first 59RIs Gibson seem to have had trouble scraping off that last mm or so of tint on the neck binding.
I bought a 50s gold top in 2019. I really think the quality and spec is superb except for a very dry fretboard.
It got stellar marks from me for Sound. Can't get over how GREAT this Guitar Sounded.
So after hearing all the QC hate, I went in to try one. It sounded incredible-the pickups are very different- and played well enough, but the basic binding workmanship was appalling, as if the guitar had been savaged by an amateur hack with blunt tools. I’ve looked at a couple others since then and seen similar QC issues. In that context, the satin finish just felt cheap. If Gibson could produce a Greeny model that looked like it was made by actual craftsmen AND that had a real gloss finish, they’d have a winner.
This highlights why Gibson is struggling so much - £3k for a "jazzed up" LP standard. Yeah its sounds great but there are so many more sc guitars you could buy for 3rd / half of the price - Schecter, PRS, ESP, Gordon Smith
Seems like you have not tried the out of phase middle position sound. Because this is the star of the show for me Not saying your review is nonsense because of that, but which sound reasons one would buy it for otherwise?
Hi John. Thanks for the video. You might have solved a dilemma I've been having. I'm a PRS guy through and through, but having been on a Tool streak recently, I realized I want to have a dedicated drop D guitar (some of the other bands I play are in drop D as well). I am considering the Adam Jones Standard, the Adam Jones Epiphones and the McCarty 594 SE. After listening to what you had to say about this particular Les Paul (which has always been on my bucket list as well) and your SE 594 review, you might have given me the answer. Either go for the Adam Jones Epiphones or the 594 SE.
Thanks!!!
My Epiphone Lazarus honestly looks just as nice, it has a beautiful top and weighs in at under 8 Lbs! I paid $765 shipped/new, it plays and sounds great! I also have an R8 and 2002 Standard. This one does sound great though, but too much $$ for what it is with that finish/weight etc. I would def. be spending the extra for a historic over this, it’s just not worth it.
Quality control complaints aside, that guitar sounds fantastic. Obviously it’s the playing but those pickups sound great
If you wanted a similar alternative guitar for less what would people recommend?
Killer playing and tone! Not sure why Gibson didn't use cherry for the back - the real Greenie has a cherry back. Definitely looks like a faded - with Greenie features.
I hate the cherry back, I'm glad they didn't do it. Looks like McDonalds color theme.
Have you ever done a rundown on the G&L Legacy Indonesia model with maple fingerboard. When set up properly these can sound very nice.
I hate whatever Gibson has been doing with their frets for the last few years. Sent back two LP Specials and tried lots of SG’s - Went PRS 594 Thinline instead of an SG recently. Great fret size and fretwork.