RadioFM74
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2019
- Messages
- 54
- Reaction score
- 130
This was an entirely unexpected buy! Last time I checked for a Les Paul must have been ten years ago and for the past two years my Strats and Teles have been gathering dust as I've played near-exclusively swing with my Epi archtops. Perhaps this summer's Seattle trip explains my idle browsing for a humbucker guitar a week ago ;D. And the Epi '59 standard REALLY got my attention! My Casino has taught me how good Chinese Epis can be, and here I was looking at a burst made in cooperation with the Gibson Custom Shop, with a great set of specs.
So just five days ago I go try one at a big store and… it’s awesome. Awesome neck, awesome tones through a HR Deluxe – from Harrison to the Rev. Billy Gibbons and more – great playability. It weights a ton and has a “rough” feel (finish, touch, frets), both things that I wrongly attribute to the model. Regardless, I come out determined to get one. I'm not too sure which one. The Dark Burst is nice but a little austere… and I mostly have austere, blonde Fenders. The Cherry is everything but austere, perhaps a tad much for my taste – though some specimens are really nice. I'd get a Lazarus if possible, but they're harder to get by. And all those wonderful finishes that you lucky people have on other continents (Aged Royal Tea, Southern Fade) are nowhere in sight around me.
I locate all the used '59s within striking distance and there is one in particular at 490€ in Dark Burst. I decide to go check it so yesterday, a mere three days after trying my first, I go. And the quest stops there. The seller is a nice chap. I go over the guitar pretty methodically, love it and take it home. She looks great without being showy, is brand new, authentic, and it sounds great on his amp. Frets and neck seem alright, and it weights a nice 8.6 Lbs. The neck really gets me – just what I like. For 10€ he throws in a posh Gibson “Nubuck” strap that around here costs 84-99€ new… in all, I am out 500€ for a mint 59 complete with case and case candy, plus a great strap. Financially, it’s one of the best deals I’ve scored so far.
At home I test drive it, at low volume, with my Mooer clones of Bluesbreaker and Blues Driver into a tweed champ. The blues breaker gives me fantastic tones for all of Harrison to the distortion level of the Beano album. The Blues Driver takes me in ZZ Top territory. Not to mention that the guitar sounds great clean. It plays pretty well, looks like a million bucks and SOUNDS AMAZING! It’s so easy to get those “Come together” or “Something” tones I so struggled to get. “Let it be” is the sound of THIS HERE guitar. All the rest follows ;D
Of course the girl really needs a good set-up: so far I've solved a few obvious issues (bridge PU way too low, treble strings also way too low) but I've yet to put on my strings, file the nut a little, adjust relief and intonation, and give a harder look at those frets. Plus, the selector switch is not smooth and needs looking into (any suggestions welcome…). Next week I'll take my tools in from the other house. For now, I am enjoying my first Lester a lot …
So just five days ago I go try one at a big store and… it’s awesome. Awesome neck, awesome tones through a HR Deluxe – from Harrison to the Rev. Billy Gibbons and more – great playability. It weights a ton and has a “rough” feel (finish, touch, frets), both things that I wrongly attribute to the model. Regardless, I come out determined to get one. I'm not too sure which one. The Dark Burst is nice but a little austere… and I mostly have austere, blonde Fenders. The Cherry is everything but austere, perhaps a tad much for my taste – though some specimens are really nice. I'd get a Lazarus if possible, but they're harder to get by. And all those wonderful finishes that you lucky people have on other continents (Aged Royal Tea, Southern Fade) are nowhere in sight around me.
I locate all the used '59s within striking distance and there is one in particular at 490€ in Dark Burst. I decide to go check it so yesterday, a mere three days after trying my first, I go. And the quest stops there. The seller is a nice chap. I go over the guitar pretty methodically, love it and take it home. She looks great without being showy, is brand new, authentic, and it sounds great on his amp. Frets and neck seem alright, and it weights a nice 8.6 Lbs. The neck really gets me – just what I like. For 10€ he throws in a posh Gibson “Nubuck” strap that around here costs 84-99€ new… in all, I am out 500€ for a mint 59 complete with case and case candy, plus a great strap. Financially, it’s one of the best deals I’ve scored so far.
At home I test drive it, at low volume, with my Mooer clones of Bluesbreaker and Blues Driver into a tweed champ. The blues breaker gives me fantastic tones for all of Harrison to the distortion level of the Beano album. The Blues Driver takes me in ZZ Top territory. Not to mention that the guitar sounds great clean. It plays pretty well, looks like a million bucks and SOUNDS AMAZING! It’s so easy to get those “Come together” or “Something” tones I so struggled to get. “Let it be” is the sound of THIS HERE guitar. All the rest follows ;D
Of course the girl really needs a good set-up: so far I've solved a few obvious issues (bridge PU way too low, treble strings also way too low) but I've yet to put on my strings, file the nut a little, adjust relief and intonation, and give a harder look at those frets. Plus, the selector switch is not smooth and needs looking into (any suggestions welcome…). Next week I'll take my tools in from the other house. For now, I am enjoying my first Lester a lot …
