NGD: 2014 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro II 50s

[BigDipper15]

best part is no 120 anniversary 12th fret.

 

[GuitarRUSH]

^ Ain't that the truth!

 

[Bigjoedo]

Sweet Cherry Burst, happy NGD

 

[GuitarRUSH]

Just a follow-up report...

This guitar is just fantastic! Plays and sounds so nice. The boost is actually functional. Coil split at the neck sounds like David Gilmour's gold top LP from The Wall.

The locking Grover tuners are awesome. I barely have to tune the guitar, even after lengthy amounts of playing.

Just really surprised how in love with this guitar I am. Never was crazy about the zebra coils, but have been able to overlook them because it's such a great axe.

I was at GC again today and it looked like the Trad Pro II model was no longer on sale at $1699, back at $1999. I got a really good deal, I believe. Never had a guitar play and sound this good, and that's with having owned a PRS, a few Strats, Wolfgangs, and a 2013 Traditional.

I removed the pickguard and changed the pickup selector switch tip to an amber one. Kind of similar in look to an AFD Les Paul now, especially if I had the 1960 style gold top-hat knobs.

 

[caseychan]

Coil split at the neck sounds like David Gilmour's gold top LP from The Wall.

Exactly what I thought when I first used it. One of my favorite tones on mine.

 

[LP Bob]

Very nice, you'd be hard pressed to find a better guitar much less at that price. I have a 2009 Trad Pro (not II), 60's neck, I can't find a better sounding guitar, especially through a marshall...you can't get a bad sound of these Trad Pro's, wish I had that 10db boost though!

 

[brianbzed]

Congrats on a great guitar! They rock! I know....I own 2....a Goldtop and a Wino Red........

 

[NiteGoat]

After about a week and a half of playing a new 2015 Gibson SG Standard, I couldn't get used to the thinner neck, despite being wider. Also, I'm fickle, if not a little OCD and there was a tiny dent on the neck that I would feel everytime I played. Great guitar and still would recommend it, just wasn't right for me in the end.

So I had seen where the Trad Pro II was on sale at Guitar Center and called up the sales guy who helped me before. I looked on their Platinum site and they had one in Heritage Cherry Sunburst with a nice flamed top on it. I told the guy to hold it for me.

Apparently it was never put on display in the store, and was still in the box when the sales guy when to check to see if they had it. Build date on the card said 8/29/14, so they might had just gotten it in. Never had been played on before.

Some thoughts...

- I knew after I held it, it was the right one for me. At 9 lbs, 11 Oz. it's a nice weight and the guitar felt comfortable and resonant.

- The sustain is ridiculous. I've had several Les Paul's, but none of them could sing like this one does.

- Neck humbucker is more punchy/bright than the SG Standard, despite both guitars having the 57 Classic at the neck position. Definitely was softer sounding in the SG. Might be because of the open coils on the Trad Pro's?

- Neck profile is seemingly between a 50's and 60's profile. Not thick like the 2013 Traditional I had, but not thin like the SG. It reminded me of the neck profile on a 2011 Gibson Les Paul Studio (satin Cherry finish) I used to play. Thick enough, but not a baseball bat (which isn't a bad thing IMO). I would love a 2015 Traditional eventually (wide and fat neck), but this neck is just fine.

- I kind of prefer a glossy neck, but the satin finish feels nice and makes for quicker playing.

- Comes with the nicer 2014 brown/pink case. I like this better than the Fender style hardcase with the 2015's, as it seems more "Gibson-y".

- The flamed top is really nice at certain angles. Not a bad bookmatch at all for this model.

- The pickups, coil splits, and dB boost all work well. I like the pairing of the Super 57 and the 57 Classic. The boost isn't completely obvious when using high gain, but helps shape the tone nicely and gives enough workable feedback to stretch out notes (adding to what already is lengthy sustain).

Got a pretty good deal on it (a little over $1400 before tax) and was able to return the 2015 SG without a problem. The staff at the North Charlotte Guitar Center is top notch. Also, if this model goes on closeout for less than what I paid, I should be covered by the 30 day price match.

Enough talk, here's some pics... (including a couple from the GC Platinum listing)

Sounds exactly like what happened to me when I got mine. Your description of the neck, controls, and sustain is exactly how I would describe mine.

I saw GC had them on sale w/18 month no interest financing, so I checked online to make sure they had a HCB w/50's neck in stock before I went to check one out.

When I got to the store, I didn't see any on the 'wall' so I asked the guy behind the counter to check their inventory. He tells me they have none. I told him that I checked online before I drove out there and it said they had one.

As I was disappointingly walking out of the store, a manager stopped me and asked me if there was something he could help me with. I told him the deal and he said he'd check their inventory again. Sure enough, they had two in the back still sealed in their boxes from Gibson (both 2014's). The sales guy brought one out, then said he was going back to grab the other. They were both still sealed with the blue tape from Gibson!

The first one's finish didn't do much for me, but I picked it up and gave her a strum anyway. She was flat sounding and didn't do anything for me at all. The 2nd guitar came out and she was a beauty! I picked her up and man did she have 'it'!

I had the guys bring the rig I play through (Orange Dark Terror/Orange PPC212 cab) into the platinum room, so I could crank the amp without bothering anyone else in the store. HO-LEE SHE-IT, this baby sang! The tones I was getting were just insane and I was officially in love. At least 10 people stuck their heads in the room to see what I was playing. Everyone was blown away to see I was just plugged straight into an amp with no effects. Several people said "Now that's what a Les Paul is supposed to sound like." and I couldn't have agreed with them more.

I tried to get the sales guy down to $1500 out-the-door, but they wouldn't hook me up. I couldn't let anyone else have this guitar, she had to be mine. But, I couldn't afford $1700 + CA tax, so I walked.

My wife and I had to make a stop down the street at Petco to grab a few things and I couldn't stop thinking about this guitar. I just could not believe that the manager at GC would lose a sale over basically $200, so I went back to see what he could swing.

I got them down to $1550 before tax. I paid $196 cash and put the rest on my GC card.

Now, I LOVE my 2009 Traditional, it is an exceptional guitar. But my 2014 Trad Pro II is in a class all it's own. The neck is absolutely perfect. The sustain goes for days and the playability and tone is second to none.

Here she is:

 

[gibso]

Sounds exactly like what happened to me when I got mine. Your description of the neck, controls, and sustain is exactly how I would describe mine.

I saw GC had them on sale w/18 month no interest financing, so I checked online to make sure they had a HCB w/50's neck in stock before I went to check one out.

When I got to the store, I didn't see any on the 'wall' so I asked the guy behind the counter to check their inventory. He tells me they have none. I told him that I checked online before I drove out there and it said they had one.

As I was disappointingly walking out of the store, a manager stopped me and asked me if there was something he could help me with. I told him the deal and he said he'd check their inventory again. Sure enough, they had two in the back still sealed in their boxes from Gibson (both 2014's). The sales guy brought one out, then said he was going back to grab the other. They were both still sealed with the blue tape from Gibson!

The first one's finish didn't do much for me, but I picked it up and gave her a strum anyway. She was flat sounding and didn't do anything for me at all. The 2nd guitar came out and she was a beauty! I picked her up and man did she have 'it'!

I had the guys bring the rig I play through (Orange Dark Terror/Orange PPC212 cab) into the platinum room, so I could crank the amp without bothering anyone else in the store. HO-LEE SHE-IT, this baby sang! The tones I was getting were just insane and I was officially in love. At least 10 people stuck their heads in the room to see what I was playing. Everyone was blown away to see I was just plugged straight into an amp with no effects. Several people said "Now that's what a Les Paul is supposed to sound like." and I couldn't have agreed with them more.

I tried to get the sales guy down to $1500 out-the-door, but they wouldn't hook me up. I couldn't let anyone else have this guitar, she had to be mine. But, I couldn't afford $1700 + CA tax, so I walked.

My wife and I had to make a stop down the street at Petco to grab a few things and I couldn't stop thinking about this guitar. I just could not believe that the manager at GC would lose a sale over basically $200, so I went back to see what he could swing.

I got them down to $1550 before tax. I paid $196 cash and put the rest on my GC card.

Now, I LOVE my 2009 Traditional, it is an exceptional guitar. But my 2014 Trad Pro II is in a class all it's own. The neck is absolutely perfect. The sustain goes for days and the playability and tone is second to none.

Here she is:

Stunning!!! The 50s neck on trad pro ii's are perfect for me. Chunky in all the right places, but not too much!

 

[NiteGoat]

Thanks, gibso!

 

[dylumph]

Good to hear. That location is outstanding. The South Charlotte (Matthews) one is okay, just doesn't seem to have as good of a selection.

So you got this @ the University GC? I think its got a better selection than Matthews too. I usally do Sam Ash for the Custom Shop stuff (that GC hardly ever carries) but the University store seems to get the better Gibson USA stuff.

 

[GuitarRUSH]

Sounds exactly like what happened to me when I got mine. Your description of the neck, controls, and sustain is exactly how I would describe mine.

I saw GC had them on sale w/18 month no interest financing, so I checked online to make sure they had a HCB w/50's neck in stock before I went to check one out.

When I got to the store, I didn't see any on the 'wall' so I asked the guy behind the counter to check their inventory. He tells me they have none. I told him that I checked online before I drove out there and it said they had one.

As I was disappointingly walking out of the store, a manager stopped me and asked me if there was something he could help me with. I told him the deal and he said he'd check their inventory again. Sure enough, they had two in the back still sealed in their boxes from Gibson (both 2014's). The sales guy brought one out, then said he was going back to grab the other. They were both still sealed with the blue tape from Gibson!

The first one's finish didn't do much for me, but I picked it up and gave her a strum anyway. She was flat sounding and didn't do anything for me at all. The 2nd guitar came out and she was a beauty! I picked her up and man did she have 'it'!

I had the guys bring the rig I play through (Orange Dark Terror/Orange PPC212 cab) into the platinum room, so I could crank the amp without bothering anyone else in the store. HO-LEE SHE-IT, this baby sang! The tones I was getting were just insane and I was officially in love. At least 10 people stuck their heads in the room to see what I was playing. Everyone was blown away to see I was just plugged straight into an amp with no effects. Several people said "Now that's what a Les Paul is supposed to sound like." and I couldn't have agreed with them more.

I tried to get the sales guy down to $1500 out-the-door, but they wouldn't hook me up. I couldn't let anyone else have this guitar, she had to be mine. But, I couldn't afford $1700 + CA tax, so I walked.

My wife and I had to make a stop down the street at Petco to grab a few things and I couldn't stop thinking about this guitar. I just could not believe that the manager at GC would lose a sale over basically $200, so I went back to see what he could swing.

I got them down to $1550 before tax. I paid $196 cash and put the rest on my GC card.

Now, I LOVE my 2009 Traditional, it is an exceptional guitar. But my 2014 Trad Pro II is in a class all it's own. The neck is absolutely perfect. The sustain goes for days and the playability and tone is second to none.

Here she is:

Dude, that is too crazy. Even the top looks similar to mine! Haha

Glad you were able to work something out with GC. The one location I've been going to has been great in getting the deal I need.

 

[GuitarRUSH]

So you got this @ the University GC? I think its got a better selection than Matthews too. I usally do Sam Ash for the Custom Shop stuff (that GC hardly ever carries) but the University store seems to get the better Gibson USA stuff.

Yes. I mean, the Matthews store has been my go-to store for 12 years (and really isn't a bad store), but just happened to be in the Concord Mills area earlier this year and swung down to check out the North Charlotte GC. The selection was better, and later I would find out I get really good, no-nonsense deals there with a super-helpful staff. I now drive the extra half hour to go to this location.

GC is about to open a location near Harbison Blvd., so that one will be a little closer to me, but even then I'll probably do most of my major purchases at the North Charlotte GC. Ask for Keifer if you go there.

As for Sam Ash, they have a fine selection too, I just can't ever get anyone to help me when I'm there. And not only that, when I've tried making deals, just couldn't get the numbers close enough. I'd imagine that they probably have a more expensive lease at that location (old Mars Music building) than say, what GC does at theirs, so possibly less wiggle room.

 

[NiteGoat]

Dude, that is too crazy. Even the top looks similar to mine! Haha

Glad you were able to work something out with GC. The one location I've been going to has been great in getting the deal I need.

You and I definitely lucked out. I don't know about your Trad Pro II, but mine just has that 'magic'. When I pick it up and play it, it basically plays itself and sends chills up my spine. The tone is simply dreamy.


My normal sales guy at my local GC has always given me great deals on all of my gear. He actually helped me get the manager to come down on the price of my Trad Pro II. I think $1550 before tax is an outstanding deal on this guitar. Especially since it was still blue tape sealed in the box from Gibson.

You say you got yours even cheaper than that; you stole that guitar!

Also, I'm not sure if you know this, I didn't; but these come with hybrid .09-.46's on them. While having my guitar properly set-up at my luthier's, I had them replace the stock Cleartones with Hybrid Slinkys. The Cleartones sounded amazing and the thinner unwound strings just gave me that extra ease of bending notes. But those Cleartones are some expensive strings. That's why I went with the Hybrid Slinkys. I keep regular Slinkys on all of my Lesters, so naturally I went with them for my hybrids. For whatever reason, this Trad Pro II just loves those hybrids. I have always used .10-.46's on all of my guitars for the past 29 years, up until purchasing this guitar. My luthier is the one who pointed out that it had hybrids on it. I double checked with Gisbon, and he was correct.

 

[NJDevil]

best part is no 120 anniversary 12th fret.

Boooooooooooo......Hisssssssss!!! I love the 120th inlay. But this is a great guitar and maybe the best deal of all the LPs in 2014. Congratulations!

 

[GuitarRUSH]

You and I definitely lucked out. I don't know about your Trad Pro II, but mine just has that 'magic'. When I pick it up and play it, it basically plays itself and sends chills up my spine. The tone is simply dreamy.


My normal sales guy at my local GC has always given me great deals on all of my gear. He actually helped me get the manager to come down on the price of my Trad Pro II. I think $1550 before tax is an outstanding deal on this guitar. Especially since it was still blue tape sealed in the box from Gibson.

You say you got yours even cheaper than that; you stole that guitar!

Also, I'm not sure if you know this, I didn't; but these come with hybrid .09-.46's on them.

Yeah, this one definitely has that "magic". Tone, resonance, sustain, playability, and it's hard to knock it out of tune!

Mine was more than yours actually (after taxes) but both were great deals for sure!

I didn't know that about the string gauge. Interesting as 9/46 is my go-to choice. I like a little bit more bottom end and 42's aren't thick enough.

 

[NiteGoat]

Yeah, this one definitely has that "magic". Tone, resonance, sustain, playability, and it's hard to knock it out of tune!

Mine was more than yours actually (after taxes) but both were great deals for sure!

I didn't know that about the string gauge. Interesting as 9/46 is my go-to choice. I like a little bit more bottom end and 42's aren't thick enough.

Yeah, my luthier put his calipers on my top E and sure enough, it was a .09 and my bottome E was a .46! I double-checked with Gibson, and that's what they have been using since 2013.

 

[rapaul76]

I've come back to this thread a couple of times now to see pics of your guitar. Damn, I have GAS for another!!!!

 

[GuitarRUSH]

 

[NiteGoat]

I've come back to this thread a couple of times now to see pics of your guitar. Damn, I have GAS for another!!!!

Guitar Center online is still showing them as being on sale for $1699!