2012 Melody Maker... wow. *edit* with pics!

[AprioriMark]

I needed a new pedalboard last week, and AMS also had a blowout sale on 2012 Gibsons (like everyone does right now).  The only Gibson I didn't have in my arsenal was a Melody Maker.  At 300 bucks, I figured,"hey, why not?" 

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-GIB-MMP1-LIST

I just got this earlier today, and it's a heck of a guitar.  The Plek job is perfect, though the fret ends will need a little work when I'm in the mood.  The baked maple fretboard is actually quite nice, and the finish is surprisingly well done.  Aside from one small issue on mine; it had a ding on the top edge where my forearm goes.  It's mostly an indention with a pinhead through to the wood.  AMS was amazing about it and offered me a good amount charged back to my card since I didn't want to swap it out.  I can fix it if I care, but I don't.  I told them as much and they still wanted to credit it back to me.  (hint, Warmoth... this is how you keep a good name~) Since they were so good to me about it, this pushed me over the edge regarding buying a LP JR Special in satin cherry for 500 bucks.  They also gave me a % discount for being a loyal customer.  I didn't need this, but it'll be fun to have the Gibson version next to my awesome Warmoth LP JR Special.

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-GIB-LS90-LIST

Anyway, my main point here is what a great guitar this MM is.  This thing has more good sounds in it than I thought possible for a guitar with one pickup, especially a single coil. Hands down, the most useful tone knob ever.  Also, I'm not kidding about the finish.  The pictures make it look all sloppy and slapped on with no grain fill.  While you can see the grain at some angles, it's far from cheap feeling.

I'm about to take it to a rehearsal to be a fill in with an eclectic band, and it's the only guitar I'm taking.  One pickup, two knobs, less than a cheap car payment.  While I'm annoyed with Gibson as it relates to Warmoth, this was a major tone score for me, and an affirmation of why I'll continue to use my favorite online retailer.

-Mark

p.s.  Pics to come tomorrow of this and my Warmoth LP JR Special if anyone's interested.

 

[Updown]

Pics to come tomorrow of this and my Warmoth LP JR Special if anyone's interested.

You know us all here, always interested in pic's  :icon_thumright:  or it just doesn't exist  :icon_biggrin:

Gee  :icon_scratch: that's less than 1/2 price    .... should have bought 2

 

[AprioriMark]

Did someone say "baked maple?"

And with its Gibson and Warmoth "tribute" brethren:

-Mark

 

[bagman67]

That white LP is handsome - first time I've seen it, i think.  Nice harem ya got there!

 

[AprioriMark]

Thanks!  the crap pictures don't do this justice at all, but it's Mary Kaye on Swamp Ash with a figured maple '59 roundback neck.  The maple looks quilted/cloudy.

-Mark

 

[Cagey]

Nice get. It's a surprising offering from them, and they're limiting quantities for some reason.

I got what I thought were one of the last S G version MMs about 6 months ago, but I now I see AMS is still offering them. Gibson has either decided to reissue them or AMS has had a batch stashed.

I had to change the bridge, tuners and knob on mine, and cover the pickup because it was so poorly done I couldn't stand to look at it, but I agree about the neck. Nice job there. Frets already dressed, toasted maple fretboard, surprisingly nicely done for a guitar in that price range, especially from Gibson. I'm not tempted to work on it at all. I'd like to change the pickguard as well, but it's not a high priority.

This one has a maple body and neck both, although it's a surprisingly dark-sounding fiddle. Makes you wanna play Black Sabbath tunes all night. Or, at least until your buzz wears off. I suspect it's because the body is a build-up. If you look at it close, you get the impression it was made of reclaimed gym floor. Must be about a 6 or 7 piece body.

 

[AprioriMark]

How do you like that bridge?  I'd looked at it, but will likely get a compensated stop tail. I like them on both the JR I have and the Warmoth JR/Special.  I'm surprised by how closely they're intonated.  I don't mind the tuners yet, but I never have problems with vintage-style tuners of decent materials for whatever reason.  This single coil is really useful; I can't say that enough.  I was 100% sure I'd be replacing it, but 3 hours of rehearsal with it last night never had me reaching for another guitar.  The non-compensated stop tail has GOT to go, though.  What a stupid thing to do~

Oh, I'm also stoked about the quality of the gig bag it came with.  Overall, two thumbs up for an impulse buy.

-Mark

edit: I heard that AMS has a bunch stashed, which is why they're blowing some out.  They didn't have many left when I called.

 

[Cagey]

I'm not using the bridge as much as I expected to, but that's because I changed the tuners. When it had the Klusons on it, I was sure it would never stay in tune, which is part of what drove that bridge purchase. Figured I'd get it close with the Klusons, then adjust as needed at the bridge. Plus, it has the adjustable saddles so I got intonation right, which you couldn't do with the uncompensated bridge/tailpiece. But, I couldn't stand having those Klusons on there - it just ate at my sensibilities - so I replaced them with Schaller mini-lockers anyway. Needless to say, the thing gets in tune and it stays there.

If you decide to go with that bridge, I can confirm that it's a bolt-on performance part. You won't need to fill or re-drill anything. Fits perfectly.

I got a humbucker with mine rather than a single coil, and mine ended up being one of Gibson's 491T parts. Some of them got a Seymour Duncan part, and the general consensus is the Gibson pup is the better part. But, as I mentioned, it was very poorly constructed. It works, but it looked like some kind of basement project done by someone with coordination problems. $5 put a cover on it, so that's good now. It can be ugly on the inside all it wants; I don't care. Long as it sounds good, I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

You're right about the gig bag, too. It's a surprisingly nice thing. Normally, I'm not a gig bag kind of guy, but this one will get used.

 

[AprioriMark]

I'm also considering the routing adventure of putting in a side jack.  Speaking of sensibilities, The top jack makes me bonkers.  I'll likely plug the pickguard hole with one of those fancy black plastic pieces.  This will be an "after Christmas" sale, as I'm told by several family members that they've taken notes on the things I've said I need for my shop.  Might as well stockpile some projects to break in new toys.

I didn't photograph it there, as it's not a Gibson, but I have an Epiphone S G Jr that I've thrown a Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup in (from an early 80ps LP), and it absolutely smokes.  I don't know what the deal was with this guitar, but I bought it (unused) from a guy who got it as a gift, and it plays like butter.  I was going to sell it whenI bought it on the cheap, but I can't let it go.  I can only imagine that your MM is a notch up from that.

-Mark

 

[Cagey]

I don't know... putting a side jack on that guitar is going to be a pretty neat trick to pull off. If yours is anything like mine, the control cavity is sorta like a Strat - it only exists under the pickguard. Access to that is gonna be a really long hole. It's not like the original versions of those instruments, which were rear-routed with a whole cave under there to play in.

I don't like the top jack arrangement, either. But, there are always cords with 90° plugs. That solves a lotta problems for little money without terrorizing the body.

 

[AprioriMark]

I was going to add a route to the back like a LP Jr and route to/from there.

-Mark

 

[Updown]

:dontknow:  think ya need a lighter coloured lounge, to show them off better. 

The Purple one caught my eyes  :glasses9:
Plus the acoustic  :icon_thumright:

Ya got some lovelies in there  ccasion14:

 

[rapfohl09]

Wait are they not offering this style of melody maker anymore?

I always wanted to pick one up...for some reason they are just so appealing to me.

Nice snag for sure, 300 bucks is a decent price for any guitar!

 

[AutoBat]

Wait are they not offering this style of melody maker anymore?

Because The headstock is hideous and 1 pickup guitars always look goofy?

 

[Cagey]

No, it's because if your market share is 10,000 unit sales, then you want to sell 10,000 units that cost $2,500 ($25M), not 10,000 units that cost $300 ($3M). If you can expand your market into the $300 range without cannibalizing the $2,500 range, then you're good to go. But, expanding share is always a lot harder than holding on to what you have, which is tough enough on its own because everybody else is trying to do the same thing.

It's probably why Gibson only ran a limited production of the things. They want to see if their share expands without risking much money.

 

[AprioriMark]

Wait are they not offering this style of melody maker anymore?

Because The headstock is hideous and 1 pickup guitars always look goofy?

I'm going to rock the hideous, goofy thing tomorrow at a gig.  I don't disagree, by the way.

-Mark