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King Loudness « Upscale BFG »
Published on 09/04/11 at 19:25This version of the Gibson BFG Les Paul is made as a signature model for noted rock/blues guitar virtuoso Gary Moore (R.I.P!) who played in noted bands like Thin Lizzy as well as on his own solo material. However, aside from it being called a Gary Moore signature, it doesn't really have anything about it that makes it that much different from a regular BFG. It features all the same specs as a regular BFG (mahogany construction, rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, P90/Burstbucker pickups and an electronics layout with two volumes, a master tone, regular pickup selector switch and a killswitch.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is not really any more or less ergonomic than most other Les Pauls I've tried. It is chambered like 90 percent of LPs nowadays, so the weight isn't as bad as some of the heavier LPs like the Traditional or the Custom Shop reisues. However the issues of the neck heel and clunky design aren't any different, so if you aren't a fan of that general design this guitar won't be an improvement. The upper fret access is decent, but not as good as a nice superstrat type ax.
Getting a decent sound out of this guitar isn't difficult. The P90/humbucker combination provides a decent range of tones that differ from a standard Les Paul and the killswitch is great for modern effects too.
SOUNDS
At its core, the guitar sounds like a Les Paul should. It has the typical low end girth that is the mark of a Les Paul, and the thick nature is there whether you are using the P90 or the humubucker. The P90 covers some great jazzier/bluesier sounds and has a grittier and slimier sound than the humbucker, which is tighter and more articulate. The two of them make for a pretty cool combination overall and it allows a best of both worlds sort of scenario for players who love P90s and humbuckers both in their Les Pauls. This is true for both clean tones as well as tones ranging from mild overdrive to heavier distortion settings.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all the Gibson BFG Gary Moore is a nice guitar for someone who wants a slightly more classy looking BFG guitar. It's not really different tonally wise compared to the regular BFG, so you're basically getting this one for cosmetic reasons or because you're a GM fan. Either way you can't go wrong, as the BFG is a great stripped down Les Paul anyway.
UTILIZATION
The guitar is not really any more or less ergonomic than most other Les Pauls I've tried. It is chambered like 90 percent of LPs nowadays, so the weight isn't as bad as some of the heavier LPs like the Traditional or the Custom Shop reisues. However the issues of the neck heel and clunky design aren't any different, so if you aren't a fan of that general design this guitar won't be an improvement. The upper fret access is decent, but not as good as a nice superstrat type ax.
Getting a decent sound out of this guitar isn't difficult. The P90/humbucker combination provides a decent range of tones that differ from a standard Les Paul and the killswitch is great for modern effects too.
SOUNDS
At its core, the guitar sounds like a Les Paul should. It has the typical low end girth that is the mark of a Les Paul, and the thick nature is there whether you are using the P90 or the humubucker. The P90 covers some great jazzier/bluesier sounds and has a grittier and slimier sound than the humbucker, which is tighter and more articulate. The two of them make for a pretty cool combination overall and it allows a best of both worlds sort of scenario for players who love P90s and humbuckers both in their Les Pauls. This is true for both clean tones as well as tones ranging from mild overdrive to heavier distortion settings.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all the Gibson BFG Gary Moore is a nice guitar for someone who wants a slightly more classy looking BFG guitar. It's not really different tonally wise compared to the regular BFG, so you're basically getting this one for cosmetic reasons or because you're a GM fan. Either way you can't go wrong, as the BFG is a great stripped down Les Paul anyway.