Gibson [Guitar of the Month - August 2008] Shred V

The Shred V is a pretty interesting guitar from Gibson. It seems like they wanted to make a Flying V for shredding but they didnt quite want to commit to it. This was part of Gibsons guitar of the month series. A few years back they would put out a new limited run guitar every month and only for a month. Some cool guitars came out of that series and a lot of ugly ones as well. This Flying V has a mahogany body and neck like most Gibsons. The set neck has an Ebony fretboard with 22 frets. Up top you get no locking nut or even locking tuners which is silly because of the Kahler. This is what I mean when I say they didnt commit to it. You get dual EMG pickups. They went the way less traveled with their EMG's and included dual 85s which I have never seen before but like. I like dual 85s personally. The 85s have a thicker sound overall than the 81s and have more warmth.

UTILIZATION

The guitar plays as well as any Gibson. The ebony fretboard is nice. I wonder why they dont put it on all their guitars if they can put it on this. No locking nut or tuners is silly. The tremolo puts the guitar out of tune if you use it because there is no locking nut. Its like the tremolo was an after thought. They have guitars with tremolos that have locking nuts so why not on this guitar. This guitar does not seem to be designed for a tremolo. The neck shape is between the 60s and the 50s neck. The body is nice and light from the V design. The fret markers are black dots on an ebony fretboard so they are pretty much impossible to see. Since the guitar has EMG's Gibson put in a battery compartment in the control cavity plate so you can change batteries without having to open the whole guitar up. This is a nice touch.

SOUNDS

Dual 85s is pretty much my favorite set for EMG's. The 81 is more common but the 85 has a thicker sound than the 81 and is more versatile overall. In this guitar it is used in both positions and yields good results. In the neck you can get nice and smooth high gain leads. It cleans up alright in the neck position but it still has a ton of output. In the bridge you get a thick crushing sound with a big low end. This guitar sounds huge.

OVERALL OPINION

If this guitar had a locking nut and no inlays it would pretty much be perfect. The black inlays on the ebony fretboard have no reason for being there. The tremolo without a locking nut is the fastest way to go out of tune. They have guitars with locking nuts so why not on this guitar. The tremolo must have been an after thought. If you are looking for a metal flying V you can get this and not use the tremolo. If you are looking for a flying V with a tremolo there are other models with better designs overall.

Hello,
I do not possde this guitar. But I saw a video in which a person possdant a Gibson Explorer Shred (even the characteristic V shred with the same Kahler tremolo) complain about the conduct of agreement. Indeed, why put a Floyd Rose vibrato type without blocking strings at the nut. Even the mcaniques lock will not be able to ensure holding of irreproachable agreement.

USE

I possde all 3 guitars with Floyd (a Schaller, an Ibanez Edge Pro tremolo and ZR Ibanez) and a Fender Strat Plus (vibrato, nut and ball bearing mcaniques Schaller self-locking). 3 Floyd held against the marvel agreement for Fender forget acrobatics and dive bomb, holding agreement is far from being perfect.

SONORITS

I do not understand the Gibson policy. To my knowledge, all other brands quipent their Kahler tremolo guitars (BC Rich, ESP / Ltd ...), as quipent of a self-locking nut.

NOTICE GLOBAL

I think the only benefits of this type of self-locking nut without vibrato are:
- That vibrato is readily convertible to fixed bridge
- Many rglages proposed by the Easel notament the possibit of rgler chord height for each string, which is not the case of Floyd and tune-o-matic bridges
Here is the link for the video which I have spoken above http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=N7hwzXeGfeo

Made in the USA, Series guitar boundary of the Month
Kahler bridge, very flexible to use, but not blocking Mecas, damage.
Handle ebony, black mark. Pleasant enough and very broad
22 frets, 2 EMG 85
1 volume, 1 Tone switch 2 position.
Thick paint you feel that AC held a long time.
I'm not a crazy gibson but the cot while the black beast super seduced me.
8, as very well finished but not for mechanical locking vibrato So we dive or other desaccorde.dommage ca.

UTILIZATION

Channel quite round, very large and nice.
It is a V so it's better debout.Bien sitting balance but also playable. You just have to be careful
The handle slides well, the paint does not stick too.
Micro well give this even if there 's COT EMG cold and I would prefer a term duncan Blackouts, which I find much more warm and alive. Anyway it is not for the bagpipe, but in his clear, the neck pickup is nice, disto, ca hard and it sure did.

SOUNDS

I play on a Randall KH75, it goes very well, more distortion, MXR dime or Vai Jemini, She defends well.
As everyone knows the EMG mias have limitations for metal guitar is very bien.Il can add mechanical blocking, but at the risk of messing up the guitar a bit, I lock. I have another guitar with floyd, we will win very much.
Note however that the Kahler is much more pleasant to use that floyd.
Also note the Peita cavity for the battery, easy access

OVERALL OPINION

I've since August 2009, I am furious when I go out because of el'etui put a guitar in a black leather case has Plüsch white top, it is not a very clean guitar, but hey, this is my first and probably only Gibson but she tap into the eye. After I do not think gibson guitars better than others but bon.un bit expensive (1400 euros, the original at a price), to redo I do not know it was more a whim purchase. Anyway, it weighs, AC is sending the potato and it's all over so that fits me