Gibson 1960 Les Paul Special Single Cut

Made in USA by the Custom Shop for the brand.
Wraparound Bridge Type (winding).
Channel Profile "Gibson's traditional rounded 50"
22 frets super well ajustes, although limes.
2 P90.
Usual Rglages volume and tonality.
Nitrocellulose lacquer.

The body is flat (not bomb solid mahogany and is formed from a single pice (which is rare nowadays in this price range).
There is no table adds to this model.

This is a VOS (Vintage Original Spec) and may be cited capacitors Bumble Bee, CTS pots or the mcaniques Vintage white buttons that team.

The neck is also mahogany and is al. It has the particularity of having a long pin extending into the body. This improves further sustain and tonality. It also presents a color crme said binding but rather pulling to yellow to me ... The slecteur Rhythm / treble of the same color.

The fingerboard is rosewood with repres traditional "dot".

There is a black pickguard spcifique spciale this release.

This is a guitar that is still symbolically combines TV Yellow finish since c'tait most "current" in this color.
As for me, I prefers white finish as the picture or red "faded cherry".
This is the latest version that I possde.

All this indicates that we are dealing with a rather traditional guitar appearance but fairly upscale because of the quality of the components of the body piece 1 pice of wood, the quality of fit and finish, etc ...

In short, it is the top range of sober, discreet ... The class what!

USE

For having an SG Suprme of the same brand with a round profile 60, I want prciser that I prefer by far my new profile Spciale 50. I find the more comfortable and it allows me to be more prcis in my game but it is true that I have big paws ...!

Ergonomics is substantially identical any other Les Paul brand nearly a nuance:
This model presents at the liaison body / neck a difference compared to other Les Paul.
The handle high E string ct comes not "flush" in line with the body and is recessed relative to the body about a small centimeter. Visually though this race we see comes totality fit into the body of a post Manire ... It's solid !!!
So, access the low E string from the band 16ME could perhaps GNER those with short fingers ....!

On the other hand, I can confirm that there is a sound quite diffrent between the handle and the bridge P90 P90. This gives us great tonal possibilities and dfinitive, we easily get the sounds that one seeks.

SONORITS

I play mostly in the registers Blues, pop and rock.
I can say that the P90 is comfortable in these registers. on the other hand, they are perhaps a little worse than my old classic'57 my OS in the Hard Rock, and vice versa, the P90 is downright better than 57 blues, blues / rock. For metal, do not talk.
Any fawn there are not really say excellent versatile guitars. You always have a choice, compromises for the best in a well prcis register. And then broaden its reach, there are ways such as small pedals ...!

I play on a combo Mesa LoneStar Special. You see where I'm coming from ...
P90 with a solid mahogany body, you get clear round until saturated, deep and warm sonorits sustain strong idales for blues and rock.
Assurs havoc ... especially in a Vintage register !!!

NOTICE GLOBAL

I use it for 4 months.

The I like / I do not like:

I love the high quality finish and assembly. Better than my SG Suprme prcdente.
I like the simple look and chic both its Class ct.
I like the profile 50 of the handle.
I like the power and tone of the P90.
I love the fat and warm sound it sends.

I do not like potentiometers tonalities of which are still not linear and prcis.
I do not like the 2 fixing screws galvanized white P90 should very black. Good, is discussed ...

This is a character of guitar that combines with a LoneStar Special, excels in my opinion in a register Blues / Rock.

Perfectly Matched!

For the description, not much to add from what was said in its opinion that BassWalker has summed it up, but I still stick to:

- Gibson Les Paul Special Singlecut Custom Shop, Historic Series, finishing YELLOW YOUR TV for me (it's beautiful, really, I can not resist me!), Made in U.S. of course, my mine is output at the end of November Gibson 2010.
- Fully mahogany one piece (not curved like those reported in tables with maple)
- Channel 22 frets rosewood fingerboard 50's rounded profile in one piece with fixing also "long tenon" in the guitar (more to sustain apparently). In short, it feels good level already violin ...
Binding and mark cream "dot" instead of the usual trapezoids. Pins in "tortoise" on the edge of the handle (although very discrete classes).
- Gibson P90 pickups neck and bridge with 3-position selector.
- Bridge-Tailpiece Wraparound "lightweight aluminum" without compensation.
- Mechanical Vintage Kluson Deluxe "white dots".
- Nitrocellulose varnish (so late) with good smell when you open the box rigid CS magnificent way!
- Finishing YOUR therefore slightly aged hardware (it is far from Fender road worn eh is discrete) type micro scratches on the covers of P90 on the pickguard, qq traces on the wrap, nothing bad and too much, it's still very classy.
- Electronic sensible reproduce vintage specs: CTS 500k knobs everywhere (I say linear use, but I will not know too much about it ...) capas "bumble-bee" 0.022 mF tone for neck and bridge (it seems that this is not true as PIO at the time, but just dressed in normal capas BBEE ...)
Note that the wiring is starting wiring "modern" contrary to what is said. Mine was ironed in 50's wiring for more interaction between the volumes and tones, and less loss of brightness knob in the game.
Finally, the jewel is delivered in "green" logo stamped rigid Gibson Gibson Custom Shop (with the star) and mounted 10-46.

UTILIZATION

Handle 50's rounded profile is big enough even if it is playable. Larger than that SG guitars are actually where I'm most comfortable although I have not (yet!!).
In fact it's just a little harder to play thumb on the low E string, and then it takes some getting used to, especially when it comes from a very comfortable soft Fender C but thinner, like me! !
The radius of 12 "(it seems that it is) is really nice to play a good compromise to me between the flat and rounded lead to agreements.

Access to acute is ok but not great, beyond the 15th it's hot (good at the same time I'm not too solos therefore poorly placed to judge well), but it is a good LP What, no surprises !.

The weight of the guitar is amazing: all those who say that LP weighs a ton, especially when it is not chambered or weight relieved, I told them "fake"!
It is light as a feather, lighter than my strat ash body (should I weigh for the exact values, but it feels direct).
Like what influence the quality of wood selected is not a myth, it is indeed true (and I do not even sound for now ...).
When you're a regular strat body, this is where we enjoy cutting stomach, but not sacrilege, a LP must remain an LP!

I plussoie BassWalker the opinion of the great differences between the 2 pickups neck and bridge, although they are strictly identical. We will return in the sound.
The height of the P90, not adjustable on this model (they are even wood in their cavities) is almost identical to the 2, so that the neck sounds a bit louder than the bridge (near the neck is strings, the bridge too far for my taste on my model, but I could see another model mag and it was like the first view). The pickups are hardly inclined, they are almost parallel to the body.

On frets and setup, here is the reason for my 8/10 (I'll put 8.5 if I could). Indeed, level settings, mine (bought on the net but with photos of the store, very nice) did not suit me at all. Action too high, especially side strings, intonation really not good (I know it's a wrap and not a TOM, but hey there's still limits!) And a band that needed be corrected slightly. In short, I do not me ecstasy before the Plek system, and I think the price is a bit shameful that the guitar is not set correctly, even if it is true that some settings such action are a little more personal after the scratch game.
Fortunately, after a ride in my luthier loved, everything is back to normal, no big problems despite narrowly that it is impossible to have the precision of a Tuneomatic.
Finally, note that the vintage MECAS so often criticized wrongly take good agreement, as long as the nut is properly adjusted head again.

SOUNDS

We have arrived to the point: how does it sound?

Well then, my friends, is the killing integral, although the Gibson P90 are in my opinion not the best you can put on such a guitar.
Sounds obtained are very different and marked according to the micro config used. Indeed, if they will have identical (alnico V P90 each, measured at 7.85 and 7.95 kohm in neck in bridge so), the resulting sounds are markedly different.

- In the neck, the sound is very round, very warm and velvety, almost a little too "bassy" it fail almost a little opening at the acute to the point that I do not fall below the tone 8. Ideal for jazz course, blues-rock, or for burning leads to desire so much smooth Santana in mind.
- The bridge is quite the opposite: the sound is very twangy despite mahogany, with treble and midrange treble very aggressive, it lacks a little bass and fat, and the position and height of implantation should not be foreign. For example, I never get the tone more than 6, and before the luthier there slips springs to adjust the height and a little closer and lower side, it was 4 ...
In short, it is very punk rock actually see, I use that rhythmic crunch tones and OD, where suddenly pierces the mix at home (although there must have a good point! !). For leads, I prefer to neck, I've always been like that. In short, it lacks a bit of fat in the sound to calm the aggression a bit too much for me.
- Finally, the intermediate position is most surprising. It was almost a strat sound with his LP, and yes! With the implementation / / of 2 P90, we obtain a sound atypical terrible I think, to enter funk and reggae sounds. Clearly my favorite position in clean (the neck is a little too bassy and lacking a bit of clarity, otherwise I'm quite a fan of cleans in neck at the base).

I play this gem on my Orange Rocker 30 and PPC212 mainly, and the rehearsal room on a small Peavy Bandit 112 transo it still manages to sound!!
Blues, rock, jazz, funk, old hardcore, punk guitar is in my opinion more versatile than it seems, at least more than what I expected!

What is striking about this guitar is the sustain. It is very present and very resonant guitar, nothing but the projection is strikingly empty (I stayed "stuck" over more than an hour to empty when I received it, it was so amazing).
I had the opportunity to try other Gibson mag (std GS, SG classic with P90 also LP trad) and it buries all the ones I've tried.
I think unpretentious that there is no secret: we know why we pay the CS and understand the influence of the quality of mahogany and multiple collages is not a myth.
Indeed, the long tenon and the wraparound should help a lot too, but the violin is really at the top of the top, this is a different level than what is standard anyway.
Even my luthier, relatively soft with no current Gibson (and there's still reasons, there are even CS finished the sickle, it is not a myth either unfortunately ...), was glued to the guitar and the sound it projects.
In short, the advice is to try it yourself or failing to ask quite detailed pictures to be sure you have no surprises.

I does so "only" 9/10 because of the microphones that are not perfect for my taste. Too bad we were not far from the 10/10 because the violin and sustain this madness are terrible.

EDIT: microphones changed in January 2012 for a set of Lollar P90 neck and standard 5% overwound in the bridge. The sounds are much more balanced, the neck stays warm but with a little more openness, the bridge stopped bleeding ears too and is halfway between the P90 and HB fat side, but retaining the ability to easily cleaner the knob. However, these mics are a bit of character and personality, they sound a bit too clean if you like good blues very dirty anything. They are really more difficult to resolve in terms of height and overall height of the studs, and exacerbated by their fidelity are sensitive to noise or harmonics can come from a disfiguring frieze, a bad horse or static . See my opinion on these microphones in the dedicated section and discussions about it in the forum on Lollar P90.

OVERALL OPINION

I use since April 2011.
I'm starting to get a little hand, but it is a guitar that is tamed and respect (especially coming from a strat, it changes a lot!), It will magnify your game if you're square but will not leave room for about if you make bread.

As I said, I tried other models from the time I reluquais and dreamed of a Gibson, if possible with P90, having already scratched by another HB.
I thought for a Duesenberg 49er 1 year but not found in test at home, the corner of my mag yet referenced Duesy dealer at the time not wanting to bring in a while he did not even in stock ...
I hesitated quite a SG Classic qq tested weeks before in my usual mag, but almost € 1,000 with two body parts, TOM, and delivered pourrave soft case, I found that my mag and Gibson (who did anything away) did not care a bit of the world. Well, I do not regret having waited and myself bleed a little because I think it's for € 1,800 worth precisely in relation to this and other Classic LP Trad kind in HB or Std.
When stores understand that we must stop taking zikos a pigeon (which is not the case of the mag I bought this one the net I said), they stop crying against the prices charged by heavyweights of the VPC net ...
I still plussoie BassWalker on the side a little underestimated neglected to see this guitar, although I feel that it is changing the P90 back for some time much in vogue.
In any case I'm really happy and would do it again the same choice, although Gibson P90 are not up to the rest of the guitar for my taste.

Made in America by the Custom Shop brand.
This is a Reissue (Historic or if you want). It therefore incorporates the same components as the original with, for example capas Bumble Bee.
The body is mahogany / a single piece of wood, without added table, not rounded.
The handle's rounded profile 50 is also mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard + binding said a cream but I would rather say yellow for me.
22 frets, INLAYS "points" inlaid in pearloid.
2 P90 pickups.
Wraparound tailpiece ie roll, aluminum nickel.
Vintage Kluson Deluxe Tuners with white buttons.
Acastillage nickel.
Dedicate a pickguard to this model.
Nitrocellulose lacquer.
Selector "Rhythm / mix / Treble"
Tone knobs and volume.
Custom Shop case.
Certificate of authenticity.

This Special is often associated with TV Yellow finish (yellow) because it was the most common.
For my part, I prefer it in white (White TV) as in the photo or Faded Cherry. This last version finish "gloss finish" I have.


UTILIZATION

The neck profile is rounded 50's in my opinion much nicer than the profile 60's Slim Taper of my previous SG Supreme. It is more comfortable doing a good hand and suddenly, it allows me to be more specific in my game I must say also that I have big paws ...!

Ergonomics is substantially identical to the other Paul Brand to a slight difference:
The handle fits entirely into the body through a post (it's solid!). Thus, the high E string side of the handle does not come quite in line and flush with the body. It is slightly set back from 6mm to be precise. It does me no problem but I wonder if access to the low E string from the 16th fret will be as easy for a musician with short fingers ...!

There is a clear difference in tone between the neck pickup and bridge pickup. Obtaining the desired facility is therefore due to a wide range of sounds.

The frets are super fit and filed down. It is a pleasure, nothing n'accroche.

SOUNDS

The sounds are round, warm and deep. What suspecting P90 with a massive body of mahogany ... There is a strong sustain. The rosewood fingerboard and the peg system that extends far into the mahogany body is much help to get it ... sustain this impressive!
It is natural that the Special has a marked tendency to wreak havoc in a register blues and rock. She really excels in these records, you get there just the best.

I do not know say versatile guitar perfect. But know that with this special, you have here an excellent base to work and get more wicked sounds through a good overdrive or distortion.

I married this with a Gibson Special combo Mesa LoneStar ... also Special!
So you see my point or ...?
I play mainly blues, pop and rock and I must say that this combination Gibson / Mesa offers the best in these styles ... especially if Vintages as they say ...
Perfectly Matched!


OVERALL OPINION

I use it for four months.

Want to change from my previous Gibson SG-Shaped ...
Having no reason to change brands and want to form an absolutely Les Paul, I naturally tried Gibson models. The Traditional through the Studio and the Standard Gold Top and even, it is ultimately the Special Single Cutaway amazed me the most and won. However, I keep very good memories of a model rather entry-level which was the Gary Moore BFG with its mix and P90 Burstbucker 3.

Come on, I made a little love / I do not like:

I like his character, sounds fat and warm it sends but never aggressive.
I love the power and timbre of P90.
I like the high level of finish and quality of assembly, adjustments perfect.
I love 50's rounded profile of the handle.
I like its high-end chic and sober, what the class ...

I do not like the 2 screws fixing galvanized white pickups that should be black or nickel plated zinc. Well, it is discussed ...
I do not like the tone knobs that are still somewhat linear and precise. But remember that it is a 1960 Reissue ... same time.

Given the quality of wood used, the top trim level, which is not always the case with Gibson, but also sends it sounds, I find the price / quality ratio of the most honest.

A digression: I have a feeling that some underestimate the guitar ... wrong ... and I think that ... good for me and for all those who have found this unique character!

Today it goes without saying that I am happy and I do it again the same choice ... but let us not forget the role of the amp which also has a lot in the results!

So custom shop violin, components and assembly at the top in quality and is intended to reproduce the identical original guitar down to the smallest detail (how far the stick enters the table axis orientation to the internal capacitors, mechanical ...).
Overall clean design and vintage as we like, it feels authentic, nothing to do with basic studio LP which I saw in the shop, admittedly beautiful but more bling with this side more modern plastoc a little finally.
Easel "Wraparound" gross and not adjustable, but nothing to say the notes are just all over the neck.
It would appear that this type of bridge gives more power and depth to the sound (I could not even scratch the comprare).

Channel

UTILIZATION

very round and fat, which displeased some little but I finally I prefer.
Rosewood is sublime.
The guitar is not too heavy compared to other Gibson.
It is balanced perfectly shoulder strap.



SOUNDS

P90 mics, nothing to say, the heavy, rich, the punchy, sounds very different from the serious (jazz) and acute (punk rock) and both simultaneously ( reggae is still the favorite guitar of Bob ...)
Character in the clear as saturated (type tested with Turbo rat or OCD, send it!)

OVERALL OPINION

P90 Combined with high-end instrument making was the best skyscraper in the world. Obviously it is not only to taste but the style is unbeatable. we can not do anything with (Metal, ...) but for a vintage sound warm and powerful it will be perfect for most styles (punk, rock, reggae, jazz, funk, soul)