Gibson Double Cut Longhorn Guitar
November 5, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Gibson USA’s Guitar of the Month for November ‘08, the Longhorn Double-cutaway has an appealing body design that incorporate slightly extended, asymmetrical cutaways on a solid chunk of mahogany topped with a beautiful AA figured maple top.
The level of detail continues with its white three-ply binding around the body and headstock, which not only adds beauty to the guitar, it adds bump protection as well. And the improvements don’t end there. The Longhorn is loaded with the legendary EMG-85 active humbuckers. The EMG-85 actives deliver tone, power, and performance for all styles of musicians. The innovation continues on with a special designed L.R. Baggs piezo pickup located underneath the Tune-o-matic bridge. This gives guitarists the option of either blending the two sounds together or using them separately, thus allowing players all types of sonic capabilities.
Gibson employing a pair of EMG 85 pickups and an LR Baggs piezo pickup shows the company isn’t afraid to think outside the box. Innovated ideas like the detailed unique-style flowerpot headstock inlay add to the beauty and definition of detail. The flowerpot inlay dates back to the early 1900s which several of Gibson’s rare historic mandolins and archtops employed. The Gibson USA Longhorn guitar is limited to just 1,000 instruments. Estimated price $1999 - $2299
The neck is a solid-one-piece mahogany with Gibson’s established ’50s rounded profile, topped by an ebony fingerboard with white acrylic small-block fretboard inlays created specifically for the Longhorn. Also in keeping with tradition is the headstock’s flowerpot inlay.
The End Line
Design
Gibson’s pioneering spirit has no boundaries, and nowhere is this more evident than in Gibson USA’s - Longhorn Double Cut. This soon-to-be-classic features Gibson’s newest body design, consisting of slightly extended, asymmetrical cutaways on a solid piece of mahogany, topped by a beautiful AA figured maple top. White three-ply binding around the body and traditional headstock adds both beauty and protection to the guitar. A special-design L.R. Baggs piezo pickup has been added beneath the Tune-o-matic bridge to deliver outstanding acoustic simulation capabilities. A pair of EMG’s legendary 85 active humbuckers deliver incredible tone, power, and performance at all levels, while a new two-jack input, also from L.R. Baggs, offers separate outputs for both the piezo and humbuckers.
Neck
The neck is a solid-one-piece mahogany with Gibson’s traditional ’50s rounded profile, topped by an ebony fingerboard with white acrylic small-block fretboard inlays created especially for the Longhorn. Also in keeping with tradition is the headstock’s Flowerpot inlay, which dates back to the early 1900s and several of Gibson’s historic mandolins and archtops. The fingerboard on the Longhorn is constructed from the highest grade ebony on the planet. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes every fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The fret wire on the Gibson models is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. The small block inlays on the new Longhorn Double Cutaway are a new inlay design from Gibson. They are a variation of Gibson’s more traditional larger block inlays, and give the Longhorn’s fingerboard a distinctly smooth look.
Body
The joining together of a solid mahogany back and maple top is a time-honored tradition at Gibson, and a critical part of making the new Longhorn Double Cutaway. The formula employed to select the wood and dry it is just as important. On the Longhorn, the mahogany back is matched with a AA figured maple top, both of which are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts.
Electronics
The EMG 85 is one of most popular active humbuckers in the world, and rightfully so. Equipped with a bar-shaped Alnico V magnet and coils with separate outputs, the EMG 85 yields a warmer and more natural tone, and delivers balanced and uniform string response. The wide aperture of the coils produces a beefier low end and fatter top end, with loads of output that doesn’t get muddy. They can be used to play everything from classic rhythm and blues to heavy metal. The new, special-design L.R. Baggs piezo pickup is located under the Tune-o-matic bridge and offers a wide range of outstanding acoustic simulation capabilities. The Longhorn also comes equipped with a new two-jack input, also from L.R. Baggs, that offers separate outputs for both the piezo and the humbuckers, allowing for plenty of options to blend the two distinct sounds, or playing them individually.
Gibson Longhorn Double Cut Features:
* Body Style: Longhorn
* Top Species: AA Maple
* Back Species: Mahogany
* Binding: 3-Ply
* Finish: Heritage Cherry Sunburst
* Fingerboard Species: Ebony
* Scale Length: 24-3/4
* Number of Frets: 22
* Inlays: Small Block
* Neck Pickup: EMG 85
* Bridge Pickup: EMG 85
* Controls: Dual Output Blending Magnetic and Piezo Volumes, 1 Tone
* Neck Species: Mahogany
* Profile: ’60s Slim Taper
* Peghead Pitch: 17
* Nut Width: 1.695
* Neck Joint: 19th
* Hardware Plating Finish: Gold
* Tailpiece: Stop Bar
* Bridge: L.R. Baggs Piezo Tune-O-Matic
* Knobs: Gold Speed
* Tuners: Grover Keystone
* Includes special Guitar of the Month case
www.gibson.com
Buy - Sell - Trade Used Music Gear at GEAR-VAULT CLASSIFIEDS
PRS McCarty Korina – a Sound to Remember
October 8, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
White Korina wood, also known as African limba, provides a thick solid tone much like mahogany. Korina wood is also the same high-quality wood used for many of the early [Gibson] Flying Vs and Explorers that now demand such high dollar. Notably, a Korina wood Ibanez Destroyer guitar had played a large part in Eddie Van Halen’s legendary “brown” sound. A nice piece of lightweight wood, like the ones used to construct the Korina McCarty guitars, provides renowned dimensionality and depth, screaming highs, rich rounded mids, thick lows while providing vocal-like velvety warmth backed with tremendous sustain.
The Korina McCarty’s body is carved from sold slab of Korina wood, as is the 22-fret thick-wide neck. For those who have not played the liked PRS carved neck, it’s a beefy C shape that’s positioned into the 25-scale body. The chrome-covered McCarty humbuckers are similar to the highly commended humbuckers in the standard McCartys, and a Duncan-wound soap-bar is offered as an option for those who want something a little more unique. Vintage style tuners and a fixed aluminum bridge add a touch of sparkle to the Korina McCarty’s highs.
Like the PRS Mira, the PRS Korina McCarty confirms that a guitar doesn’t need a maple top to sound excellent. The Korina produces all of mahogany’s warmth with more definition in the bass and a more dynamic response. The well-defined midrange harmonics are also dazzling—2nd-,3rd- and 4th-fret harmonics pop clearly from this McCarty, even with a clean amp setting. When needed, treble response can be sharp but not piercing. It’s a sound enthusiast call “refined” because the pronounced highs and loose lows are balanced to create a bolstering prominent midrange.
The PRS McCarty’s highly developed and defined tone just sings, but through an amp that has plentiful gain, it could be likened to Santana’s heavier sounds or when you turn up the gain or turn the treble down and comp out some cool jazz lines. Korina McCarty does every style well, rock, jazz, country, etc… The sound to remember.
PRS Korina McCarty Guitar.
prsguitars.com
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used guitars and amps with us, for free!
Gibson’s Robot Guitar Wins Award
October 5, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Hail the Gibson Robot Guitar! The Gibson Robot Guitar was awarded with the prestigious “Best Music Hardware Award” at the BT Digital Music Awards 2008. The BT Digital Music Awards now in its 7th year was held at the Roundhouse in London on Wednesday October 1st.
The Gibson Robot guitar is the world’s first electric guitar with robotic technology and beat stiff competition from the Motorola ROKR E8 and Ripserver. The Best Music Hardware Award in association with Stuff Magazine was decided upon by a panel of prominent industry judges. The Gibson Robot Guitar was sighted for its innovation, style, usability and price point among additional features.
The Gibson Robot Guitar is known for eliminating tuning problems for guitarists. The Robot Guitar automatically tunes to standard A440 tuning. In addition, it allows players to access six programmed tuning presets at the push of a button. The Gibson Robot intonates seconds after string changes, truss rod adjustments or change in weather conditions. Ultimately, with the locking tuner, single string changes or changing the entire set of strings is an automated luxury.
The annual Digital Music Awards were presented by TV’s Fearne Cotton and Rufus Hound and was filmed for ITV2. Bands performing in between the awards included Sugababes, Ida Maria, British Sea Power, Sam Beeton, Fightstar and Iglu & Hartly.
Thirteen of the 20 awards given were voted for online and the remaining seven by a panel of industry experts.
Gibson Robots official website: http://www.gibson.com/robotguitar/
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used guitars and amps with us, for free!
John Lennon Epiphone EJ-160E Guitar Review
August 25, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
John Lennon’s songwriting was so visionary, his cultural impact so deep, that his guitar playing is often overlooked. But lest we forget, it was with six-string in hand that Lennon changed the face of rock and roll. While he wasn’t the world’s flashiest guitarist, he was one of its most tasteful, tuneful and sometimes even terrifying practitioners.
Two of the instruments immortalized by Lennon in his work with the Beatles and his subsequent solo career were his Gibson J-160E acoustic electric and his stripped Epiphone Casino. With the full cooperation of Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, Epiphone issued a series of limited-edition John Lennon Signature models based on these two guitars. While these instruments may be collector’s items aimed primarily at the Lennon enthusiast, they are also reasonably priced, functional instruments, perfect for any working-class hero.
JOHN LENNON EJ-160E
Patterned after the Gibson J-160E acoustic-electric that were perennial Beatles workhorses, the signature model EJ-160E features an advanced Jumbo, sloped-shoulder body shape, solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a chunky solid mahogany neck and solid rosewood fingerboard and bridge. The impeccable fretboard is adorned with handsome “split parallelogram” inlays that are common on many Gibsons and Epiphones. The EJ-160E’s neck has the fat, rounded feel of many late-Fifties era Gibson electrics. A mini humbucking pickup is seated discreetly between the end of the guitar’s fretboard and the sound hole, while volume and tone controls are located on the guitar’s lower bout, as they would be on a standard electric guitar.
Played acoustically, the EJ-160E has a meaty, midrangey tone that’s perfect for bold rock strumming and bluesy fingerpicking. Players who enjoy the crystalline high-end ping controlled low end of many “boutique” acoustics may find this guitar lacking subtlety or definition, but if you’re looking for that meaty, woody acoustic tone that gives so many Fab Four tracks their characteristic punch and warmth, this guitar is an ideal choice. Perhaps because of the hefty girth of the neck, which is big enough to have it own very lively resonance, this guitar has a responsive rumble that lets the player feel the energy of every not, and playing it rivals the satisfying, bone-tickling experience of getting it on with a high-ticket Gibson J-200.
Plugged through a blackface Fender Super Reverb, this instrument delivers a full yet clear sound that is only enhanced by the tone-fattening proximity of the pickup to the neck. And while the tone and volume controls don’t have that versatility of the graphic equalizer and feedback-notch-filter layouts found on many more “modern” electric acoustics, the controls are intuitive, effective and easy to grab on the fly.
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used guitars and amps with us, for FREE!
Epiphone EM-2 Prophecy EX Guitar
August 16, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Much like Squire and Fender, Epiphone and Gibson are considered by some to be worlds apart in terms of quality. While this could usually be the case when comparing a lower end Epiphone and a higher end Gibson, it’s not always the case when you compare a $300 Epiphone and a $1000 Gibson. The EM-2 Prophecy EX guitar falls into this $300 range, but how does it compare to guitars in the same price range and even Gibson guitars that cost more?
Main Product Features
Epiphone now makes two different EM-2 Prophecy guitars: the Prophecy FX and EX. While the FX comes standard with a Floyd Rose tremolo, the EX comes with LockTone Tune-O-Matic stopbar. The LockTone bridge provides stable tuning much like the original Floyd Rose stays in tune, so it’s a great choice for guitarists who rock their guitar hard.
Appearance: the EX is comparable to the FX. It features the same Swept-C cut-away body shape, the same hard maple neck, the same blade inlays, the same white binding, and Grover tuning pegs. Where it differs is the color and bridge of the guitar. The EX features a sapphire blue design with black EpiActive pickups and pearl control knobs.
The guitar features 24-frets with a design that allows access to every single fret. While higher fret soloing on a Les Paul is difficult, it is ridiculously easy with the EX prophecy. It’s for this reason that the EX is an ideal guitar for fans of both metal and modern rock—two styles of music that use quite a bit of 24-fret soloing.
Like the FX, the EX comes with EpiActive pick-ups which, combined with the bound basswood body, give the guitar a very nice, rich, yet flexible sound.
While the EX is by no means an flawless guitar—and doesn’t provide the sound and playability as guitars priced a 3 – 4 the price—it does hold up well when compared to guitars in the $300 price range and, perhaps, beyond.
Go to your local guitar shop and take one for a spin.
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used guitars and amps with us, for FREE!
Epiphone Prophecy EM-2 FX Guitar
August 12, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
While we all know Gibson and Epiphone are both well-known for their SG and Les Paul guitar-style, however, what makes Prophecy EM-2 extraordinary, is the construction of the “swept-C” body-style. Interesting enough, the guitar looks more like an axe made hybrid by Schecter and Steinberger (Steinberger is a division of Gibson). The Prophecy EM-2 FX is a guitar with an edge-cutting design manufactured by Epiphone.
Main Product Features
At first glance, I noticed the Epiphone Prophecy EM-2 FX comes in a very tempting color: Midnight Ebony Quilted Maple Top. The tops are flawlessly chosen to give the finish a beautified swirled look. The EM-2 is crowned off with white binding that goes around the top-edge of the body.
The guitar has mixed-color hardware—the tuning pegs, tremolo bar and pick-up selector are black, while the control knobs are silver, which enhance the beauty of the ‘blade’ inlays.
Another thing that is impressive about the EM-2 guitar is that, despite being very modestly priced, is that it features high quality hardware. Every FX guitar comes standard with an Original Floyd Rose tremolo system and Grover Tuners, giving the guitar rock n roll flexibility, while vigorously holding tune.
All FX guitars come with authentic EpiActive humbucker pick-ups. EpiActive pick-ups are now being commonly used in recent Epiphone guitars, and are considered to be on par with EMG pick-ups. In addition, EpiActives can also be used in passive mode to provide a traditional output without the need for a battery.
The EM-2 body-style screams rock n roll - achieved with Epiphone’s patented “swept-C” cutaway that gives you comfortable access to all 24-frets, which you’ll be thankful for when you crank up the volume and start soloing. In fact, Epiphone actually made the first EM-2 styled guitars back in the early 90s when Grunge was the frenzy, and this EM-2 Custom FX features the same dedicated reverse Explorer-style headstock as its bona-fide-brothers.
END THOUGHT
The Epiphone Prophecy EM-2 FX is a solid guitar, high quality components, and great playability, all for a very modest price tag of $399. Go test drive one for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your guitars and amps with us, for FREE!
The Gibson Holy V Guitar - Only 1000 Being Made
July 26, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Having come up with such guitars as the Les Paul and Flying V, among others, Gibson is known for innovation, creativity and spirit. The Gibson Holy-V is a representation of this continuing ingenuity, with its unique body and headstock. Like most Gibson guitars of the month, January 2009—is Gibson’s latest testament to their imagination. Production is quite limited—just 1,000 of these are being made, making it both a collector’s item and a good guitar for both the amateur and the pro guitarist.
The Main Features
One of the most noticeable things about the Holy V is the holes (vented openings) that are found in the V-shaped body and headstock of the guitar. These holes are carefully carved into the body and the headstock, so as to make the guitar the lightest Gibson to date and gives an intense aesthetic effect. Indeed, the guitar has the same tonal sound quality of a traditional Gibson Flying V, while it’s said that the vented cavities provide for more sustain, we should all agree that the light weight creativity is a unique feature in itself.
Another thing people will notice about the guitar is the gearless tuners. There are no tuning pegs on the headstock, which gives the headstock a very distinctive look. Every Holy V is fitted with Steinberger Gearless Tuners which are noted for their smooth tuning action and accuracy and are said to prevent string slippage.
The Gibson Holy V also features a 24-fret ebony fingerboard, making it ideal for guitarists who need the extra two frets for soloing. While the Flying V is usually considered to be a guitar appropriate for metal/hard rock guitarists, the Holy V can handle many types of music. So if you’re a classic rock or modern rock guitarist, you’ll still find something to like about this guitar.
Among the Holy V’s other features are the beautiful split diamond inlays, a mahogany set-neck construction (for better sustain), solid mahogany body with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and a ‘57 classic pickup, supplying the classic Gibson PAF crunch and power.
While the Holy-V is an expensive guitar, for all that it features and uniqueness; is worth it?
MSRP $2799 but can be found as low as $1839. The Gibson Holy-V will not be available until January 2009. However some music stores will allow you to pre-order.
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your used music equipment with us, for FREE!
Gibson ES-135 Limited Edition Guitar Review
July 22, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
With its single cutaway and slightly deeper body (2.125 inches at the edge), the ES-135 comes a little closer to a jazz axe than its 335-based brothers. Read more
What’s Tremolo and how does it work?
July 22, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
Tremolo suffers from an acute identity crisis. Thanks to various descriptive errors made in the Fifties, tremolo is frequently mistaken for vibrato. For the record, tremolo is a rhythmic pulse produced by a change in volume over a set clock rate; Read more
Story of the Instruments Strings
July 21, 2008 by Chazders · Leave a Comment
The very utterance of the word ‘guitar’ conjures a series of varying and fleeting images in one’s mind. Though mostly associated with the long haired, head banging rock stars, guitar also conveys or signifies various other connotative meanings as well, mostly above all the Freedom of Expression. Despite the fact that this string instrument in the modern times is perceived as a symbol of articulation of free thoughts, it has been now confirmed that guitar has its history and origin sometime in the first century in the Roman Civilizations.
In spite of its germination in first century, it was not until around 1200 AD that this instrument started resembling its present day counterpart in terms of the shape, appearance and functioning, for the first time and this feat is generally credited to the Hispanics, Moors and the Norse. The saga of the modern day guitar more or less starts with Gaetano Vinaccia, a resident of Naples who lived in the mid 18th and early 19th century. Another set of important names that have been historically associated with vintage guitars are those of Antonio Torres Jurado and Louis Panormo, both having significant contributions in the make or construction of the instrument. All these were howbeit, facts related to the traditional, classical acoustic guitar. It was George Beauchamp of Texas, USA along with Adolph Rickenbacher of Switzerland who jointly founded the guitar manufacturing company “Rickenbacher” and patented Electric guitars; though the mass production was first started by “Danelectro”.
The chronicles of vintage electric guitars witnessed an era of emergence and development of various new ideas in terms of style, design, etc. in and around the time of the Second World War. One of the pioneering names from this period is that of American jazz guitarist and inventor Les Paul. Among his groundbreaking contributions are those of striking the correct balance with a pickup, bridge and neck of a guitar leading to the solutions of problems involving the sustaining and feedback of sound. He also experimented with the effects such as phaser and delay and made important innovations which were to be popularized by musicians in decades to come. His model of guitar, manufactured by Gibson Guitar Corporation became known as the “Gibson Les Paul” and went on to become one of the most familiar instruments in different genres like jazz, blues, rock, metal and have been associated with figures like Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Slash, Adrian Smith and Ted Nugent among others.
The only other name that appears in the same row as Les Paul in the story of vintage guitars is that of Leo Fender of USA. His model of “Esquire” and “Broadcaster” (later changed to “Telecaster”) was nearly synonymous with early popular music like boogie woogie, R&B, swing, honky tonk, etc. It was however with “Stratocaster”, launched in the early 1950s, that he struck gold. With its solid body and bolt-on neck joint, the very name invoke names of its eminent users including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray to mention a few.
Gear-Vault Classifieds is an eBay alternative. Come sell your music equipment with us, for free!
