Why I’m returning my new ‘61 Reissue SG

[PermissionToLand]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

I'll use my Lucille as example again. Before I bought mine (used) I actually didn't know there was a BB King signature guitar. When I pulled it off the wall I simply had to have it. It was easily the nicest playing guitar I'd ever played up until that point. A few years after I bought mine there was new one in the store. I hated it. A little while later there was a new one in Cherry. I hated it too. Tried a few more throughout the years and hated them all. I thought maybe they changed the specs on the newer ones. Then I had a chance to play an older one and hated it too.

I've owned many many many guitars and have been doing my own set ups, repairs and mods for over 30 years. I most definately know the difference between a guitar that isn't set up to my liking vs a neck that has a different profile.

If I had come across one of the other Lucilles first I would just think it was neat that you could own one.

Gibson deliberately has variation in neck profiles because that's how it was back in the day with hand-sanding (which they still do). They generally stick around a target thickness, but can go thicker or thinner depending on the guitar. It has its pros and cons when you think about it; yes, you can't order a guitar and know exactly what you're getting, but on the other hand it allows you to find one that suits you perfectly. It's possible that your Lucille is unusually thick or thin and only exists because they varied from the official specification.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

I definitely agree with PTL on the upsides of variability in hand work. It still surprises me how much difference very small changes in profile can affect the feel of a neck. It does NOT surprise me however that there is a wide variety of opinions on what a "good" neck is. If Gibson goes to any one of us and specs exactly what dimensions our favorite neck is and reproduces it precisely on a CNC machine to put it on every instrument, probably 75% or more of all players will bitch that it is objectively wrong. The truth is that it is only "right" or "wrong" for us as individuals. The variability means more people have a chance of finding one they like, but if you make them all exactly identical, most players may simply not be interested in a particular model because the neck is guaranteed to be "wrong" for them.

I will also note that the finest Violins even today (the ones that can cost in excess of $50,000 USD) are 100% hand carved and finished. The judgment and skill of the master violin maker at every step of the process is critical, but precise duplication of the last instrument does not translate to making the next one the equal of it's predecessor. You can CNC an exact dimensional duplicate of a 1 or 2 million dollar Stradavarius and wind up with a mediocre instrument that would be lucky to fetch a grand on the open market. The best instruments are all slightly different, and have unique character that is the result of the builder making the most of each and every build decision to bring out desirable qualities that SOMEONE will value and treasure. There is much "disagreement" between players, and the professionals will travel the world in some cases and audition many instruments until they find the one they like best. Since they may be spending the price of a modest home in some cases for an instrument, this is not an unreasonable thing to do. We guitarists actually have it pretty easy by comparison. We may still have to shop around, but there is a lot more availablity to choose from at much more modest prices.

 

[Decadent Dan]

I certainly get what you're saying. When I started playing in the late 80s/early 90s. I lived near a small town in the country. There were guitars stores within 30 minutes of me but those small stores couldn't afford to have a wall of Gibsons to try out. Often there would just be one Gibson Les Paul Standard in stock. If I wanted to try more models I would have to drive into the bigger cities 90 minutes (minimum) away.

Well, if you're going to drop a load of cash on something why not invest some time too?

We used to make 80’s Saturday trips to scope out pawnshops within a 100 mile radius, usually next to military bases. I had some awesome finds back then. Stuff like that today rarely sees the sales floor.

 

[Juan Tumani]

Gibson deliberately has variation in neck profiles because that's how it was back in the day with hand-sanding (which they still do). They generally stick around a target thickness, but can go thicker or thinner depending on the guitar. It has its pros and cons when you think about it; yes, you can't order a guitar and know exactly what you're getting, but on the other hand it allows you to find one that suits you perfectly. It's possible that your Lucille is unusually thick or thin and only exists because they varied from the official specification.

Exactly! My Lucille neck is much smaller than the other examples.

The owner of the older Lucille was actually buying an amp from and brought his Lucille just to compare the two for fun.

He didn't like mine and I didn't like his but both our guitars were perfect for each of us. So let's say that every guitar were made identical but that spec was halfway between our necks. Then I suppose neither of us would like them.

Possibly.

Those models you don't get to just check out another similar model. There isn't another model that has the same specs but a different neck.

 

[Gibbo SG]

I know this may seem off topic but throughout my life in Memphis, Tenn., as a guitarist of forty years, if you can even find like an SG or 335 or an oddly optioned Stratocaster hanging in a store somewhere, you just buy the thing and then work out the kinks as you go. Something you can put your hands on, that has added value for me. Also, as someone noted earlier, sometimes it's worth a journey to find the right one. My guitars were initially all suddenly and readily available to me, if you will, due to fate and synchronicity. And so with an instrument, I feel there needs to be a further connection. I've developed a knack for thisSo whenever I've had to mail-order anything pricey, I say ten Hail-Marys and make sure I have all the tools I'm going to need, in place for when I discover that my latest piece-de-resistance, for when I discover that it needs servicing ir adjustment beyond what it was subject to from the seller.

 

[Gibbo SG]

'91 Reissue is more like it. I would keep it and modify it all to hell until it suits your fancy.