2018 Classic

[DarrellV]

I want a classic gold top p90 LP. nice guitar-suprised its rosewood too at this date maybe they had an extra piece.

The Classic has a richlite fret-board, the Studio Deluxe has the rosewood.

Gibson is still using rosewood AFAIK, just from different sources other than Brazil..

 

[Slashperryburst]

The Classic has a richlite fret-board, the Studio Deluxe has the rosewood.

The classic player you have is a richlite fretboard, but the classics (goldtop, Pelham blue and ebony) from 2018 had rosewood boards.

Gibson likes to make this all confusing, don't they?

 

[DarrellV]

The classic player you have is a richlite fretboard, but the classics (goldtop, Pelham blue and ebony) from 2018 had rosewood boards.

Gibson likes to make this all confusing, don't they?

Really???

Doesn't surprise me in the least!

I was surprised to find this was richlite, actually.

After getting the Studio with normal rosewood I just figured they phased the richlite out and were able to get and use rosewood again...

Gah! Confusing, to say the least!

Thanks for the info!

 

[Slashperryburst]

Really???

Doesn't surprise me in the least!

I was surprised to find this was richlite, actually.

After getting the Studio with normal rosewood I just figured they phased the richlite out and were able to get and use rosewood again...

Gah! Confusing, to say the least!

Thanks for the info!

I think the classic player series was an attempt to silence the "Gibson are too expensive" crowd. They saved some money over the normal classics of 2018 with the satin finish and richlite boards, but still were able to deliver a fully bound LP at a lower price.

The problem with trying to silence that crowd is that they like to move the goalposts.

The classic player series seemed pretty well received by those who noticed, but still managed to fly under the radar, judging by how many are still sitting around in the guitar stores here in Japan. I bought a Pelham blue classic because I was in the mood for a Les Paul with p90s... And it's nice. But I just can't get on with that slim neck. And of course, Gibson are now offering the 50s standard with p90s that's more to my liking. I tried to sell the classic, but I can't move it without taking a bath on it. It's only been played for a few hours. I guess I'll hold on to it and hope I find an interesting trade offer down the line.

And richlite is fine. One of my customs has a richlite board and I don't have any problems with it. Saved me about $500, too.

 

[DarrellV]

I think the classic player series was an attempt to silence the "Gibson are too expensive" crowd. They saved some money over the normal classics of 2018 with the satin finish and richlite boards, but still were able to deliver a fully bound LP at a lower price.

The problem with trying to silence that crowd is that they like to move the goalposts.

The classic player series seemed pretty well received by those who noticed, but still managed to fly under the radar, judging by how many are still sitting around in the guitar stores here in Japan. I bought a Pelham blue classic because I was in the mood for a Les Paul with p90s... And it's nice. But I just can't get on with that slim neck. And of course, Gibson are now offering the 50s standard with p90s that's more to my liking. I tried to sell the classic, but I can't move it without taking a bath on it. It's only been played for a few hours. I guess I'll hold on to it and hope I find an interesting trade offer down the line.

And richlite is fine. One of my customs has a richlite board and I don't have any problems with it. Saved me about $500, too.

Well, if you don't like a slim neck , you should try a Classic Player!

I'm wrestling with what feels like a baseball bat neck on this thing to me.

I have my 82 which the nearest I can tell must be a 60's profile by what I've read. Skinny, gave me hand cramps at first, but now I'm more used to it.

Then there is the 2018 studio. You might know what that neck profile is, I'm not sure. But it is still comfortable to me and slightly fatter than the 82. About perfect for me.

The the Classic Player! It feels wider and bigger than any of them.

I'm thinking of having it shaved down just a bit...


It's a shame really, that 'that crowd' is so fickle, but its true.

The hardware, finish, and plastics on this thing were all pretty flimsy IMO.

But I replaced them, no big deal.

To me Gibson put the love where they should.

Solid body (9 lbs)

Hand wired with orange drop caps and Norlin era plate. That surprised me!

Bound body and inlay logo.

Cryogenic frets (which do ping differently acoustically, but not amplified)

Richlite board which is tough and cheaper for them. I like the ebony look.

I also buffed the satin finish to a shine with some Virtuoso polish, so even that is 'fixable' if like me, you want a shiny front..

Especially for the money, There's not a lot to hate that I have found yet....

 

[Slashperryburst]

The plastics on my 2018 are noticeable flimsy too.

I would consider a classic player, especially considering the stupid deals you can find on them in Japan right now, but the new goldtop with p90s from the original collection is pretty much a direct replacement for my own personal "one that got away". I've got to have one.

Funnily enough, my white custom has a similar profile to the new 50s standards. I'd wanted a white custom for years, but was always put off by the thicker neck profile. For years, I wouldn't even consider a guitar with a thicker neck profile. It had to be the slim-taper profile or I wasn't interested.

But then I had a lot of cash just sitting in my bank account, and my wife felt sorry for me because I never bought anything for myself. She gave me a little encouragement and I decided to finally get my dream guitar. A white Les Paul custom.

I went out one day with money in my pocket, and I went to several guitar stores to try to find a used one. I found five. Funnily enough, all were from the early 2000s. I tried them all and didn't like the (imo) baseball bat necks. But one just spoke to me. I thought I could always rely on my early 2000s standard, but break the custom out once in a while.

When I was leaving the store, I saw a few 2018 classics, which gave me serious GAS. I ended up going back a few weeks later to pick one up.

But that neck on the custom just grew on me. And it kept growing on me to the point where I didn't touch my go-to early 2000s standard or my brand new classic. The standard has a lot of sentimental value to me, so I'll never sell it. But the classic only comes out every couple of months for few chords before the neck puts me off and back in the case it goes. I'm hoping to eventually trade it for one of the new 50s standards from the original collection and possibly some cash on my part. I don't mind honest wear and year, but I'm keeping the classic mint to help sweeten the deal.

I bought another used custom this year. A black one this time. It has a richlite board, which is perfectly fine if you ask me. I got a great deal on it. The neck isn't quite like my white custom, but it's only slightly thinner. Still feels really nice.

But those classic players seem really nice. Maybe some day, when I get my goldtop with p90s. I'm still dreaming about the one I had to sell back in 2010. After that, I'd like to get another goldtop with p90s, but route out the bridge cavity for a humbucker. Really want a humbucker/p90 Les Paul.

But with a nice thick neck, binding and cheaper than custom shop prices. I guess I'm fickle too.

 

[corn_bread]

Makes sense, I had forgotten that. Thanks!

That explains the muddy awful sound of the neck pickup!

Changed them both out a couple weeks ago, much better now!

what did you change them out to?

 

[DarrellV]

what did you change them out to?

Ha! You are going to be sorry you asked!

Try not to laugh too hard...

Zhang Buckers!

http://www.zhangbucker.com/

@Zhangliqun the winder is a member here, but I haven't seen him around in a long time.

So I had heard the name on here, but that was about it.

I was looking around for fun at first, and there were the usual, Seymour Duncans, etc.

Hundreds of dollars...

Then I stumbled over this set of P-90 ZhangBuckers, used, for only 85 bucks!

Figured if I hated them, I didn't lose much money.

Turns out I absolutely love them!

Mind you, I play a lot of clean so I'm looking for quality tone, more HiFi.

What intrigued me most about them was his design approach to the muddy neck pickup.

This set uses a hotter wound coil (9K) and magnets on the bridge for more grunt, and a smaller wind (7K) AND physically smaller magnets on the neck!

He also doesn't use a keeper, for whatever reason...

You can see the difference in magnet and coil size here. Neck on right.

He seems to have nailed it.

The neck is so sweet sounding that while tuning it up after the change out, I forgot to even try out the bridge position for like the first half hour!

The neck sounds like a Strat on steroids.

Lots of sparkle, definition and string separation, but much fatter and fuller sounding. Not as spiky.

Middle is very chimy and bell like.

The bridge sounds like a humbucker! It has a lot of midrange and girth.

Insane when fuzzy! I have to roll my volume back to get more crunch.

They are vintage P-90 style so they do hum.. So I recently shielded the guitar.

 

[Gibsonrocknroll]

Very nice congrats.

 

[corn_bread]

awesome will check them out

 

[DarrellV]

awesome will check them out

The models I have are the Cherrick neck and the Blues 90 bridge..

 

[dcurran87]

They are vintage P-90 style so they do hum.. So I recently shielded the guitar.

Did you just shield the pickup cavities? Did it make much of a difference? I'm just using a noisegate for my 2018 GT classic when I add dirt.

 

[DarrellV]

Did you just shield the pickup cavities? Did it make much of a difference? I'm just using a noisegate for my 2018 GT classic when I add dirt.

I did shield the whole guitar.... I'm OCD like that!

I was thinking about posting the process in the Custom Shop area but I haven't decided yet.

No one needs another boring topic about something as unsexy as shielding, LOL!!!

EDIT: I did it.... link here...

Topics are indexed so you can jump right to the shield part if you like.

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/my-les-pauls.430822/


I have an 82 Norlin era Standard that came with metal shielding around everything, so I did pretty much the same.

And yes, it works like the bomb.

Where I play uses light dimmers that have always been a problem with single coils, even clean.

I bought copper foil sheets, not roll tape, for the process.

I learned a lot of helpful tricks along the way for sizing the pieces and creating overlap in the cavities..

I even did the jack tunnel! My Norlin uses a jack in a metal can for shielding so this simulates that.

 

[pillbug]

But then I had a lot of cash just sitting in my bank account, and my wife felt sorry for me because I never bought anything for myself. She gave me a little encouragement and I decided to finally get my dream guitar. A white Les Paul custom.

I just want to give a “Like” to this right here ^