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Hatsubai « Covered pickup version »
Published on 09/27/11 at 07:24This is the covered pickup version of the Edwards "Custom" guitar. It has pretty much the same specs as the 85 model, but the pickups are covered to give it a more period-correct look, along with giving it some more class. The guitar has the following specs:
Mahogany body with a maple top
Mahogany set-neck with an ebony fretboard
22 frets with Gibson-style inlays
Tune-o-matic bridge
Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck and JB in the bridge (covered)
Two volumes
Two tones
Three way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar had some pretty good fretwork. The frets weren't quite as polished as I would have liked, but some quick work with 0000 steel wool fixed that up. On top of that, it cleaned the fretboard, which I noticed was slightly dry. The rest of the guitar is pretty much like your average Gibson. The only real difference you'd probably notice, aside from the poly finish, would be the fact that the guitar doesn't have any binding nibs. Some people love those, but I personally hate them. They annoy me to no end, and they can cause issues down the road. Whenever I get a refret, I yank them out and don't have my luthier keep them as it costs way too much.
SOUNDS
The guitar is a little bit thicker than the 85. It has a little more low end and has a little more of a mellow sound overall. This is pretty much due to the fact that the pickups are covered on this version. On the 85, the pickups are open, and open pickups tend to have more treble, output, etc. The bridge pickup in this is a Seymour Duncan JB. It's probably one of the most versatile pickups ever made. The guitar works great with both clean and distorted tones, and it responds quite nicely to the volume knob. On top oft that, it can do pretty much any style you can think of. The 59 is much the same way. It's a fat and vowely kind of PAF tone, but it has enough output to do metal without any issues. In fact, it happens to be my favorite pickup in the neck in the Duncan line.
OVERALL OPINION
If you want something a bit more like the actual Les Paul Custom, this is probably the guitar you'll want to get. It has a bit more class thanks to the covered pickups, and it's a bit thicker than the 85 version. In reality, both of these could be completely changed depending on how the actual wood sounds since every piece of wood sounds slightly different. Both are great guitars, and you won't be disappointed in either of them, I bet.
Mahogany body with a maple top
Mahogany set-neck with an ebony fretboard
22 frets with Gibson-style inlays
Tune-o-matic bridge
Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck and JB in the bridge (covered)
Two volumes
Two tones
Three way switch
UTILIZATION
The guitar had some pretty good fretwork. The frets weren't quite as polished as I would have liked, but some quick work with 0000 steel wool fixed that up. On top of that, it cleaned the fretboard, which I noticed was slightly dry. The rest of the guitar is pretty much like your average Gibson. The only real difference you'd probably notice, aside from the poly finish, would be the fact that the guitar doesn't have any binding nibs. Some people love those, but I personally hate them. They annoy me to no end, and they can cause issues down the road. Whenever I get a refret, I yank them out and don't have my luthier keep them as it costs way too much.
SOUNDS
The guitar is a little bit thicker than the 85. It has a little more low end and has a little more of a mellow sound overall. This is pretty much due to the fact that the pickups are covered on this version. On the 85, the pickups are open, and open pickups tend to have more treble, output, etc. The bridge pickup in this is a Seymour Duncan JB. It's probably one of the most versatile pickups ever made. The guitar works great with both clean and distorted tones, and it responds quite nicely to the volume knob. On top oft that, it can do pretty much any style you can think of. The 59 is much the same way. It's a fat and vowely kind of PAF tone, but it has enough output to do metal without any issues. In fact, it happens to be my favorite pickup in the neck in the Duncan line.
OVERALL OPINION
If you want something a bit more like the actual Les Paul Custom, this is probably the guitar you'll want to get. It has a bit more class thanks to the covered pickups, and it's a bit thicker than the 85 version. In reality, both of these could be completely changed depending on how the actual wood sounds since every piece of wood sounds slightly different. Both are great guitars, and you won't be disappointed in either of them, I bet.