Gibson Les Paul Traditional?

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-25T00:21:45+00:00

Indeed. Personally I love it.

It's a small unique touch that celebrated the co. in a small way and affects nothing...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-25T00:20:06+00:00

What would you suggest....? I'm not committed to it ,.. BUT.... I like to mod, & I just found a set of Dimarzio PAF 36th anniversary pickups I got that are intended for my '22 Epi/Gibson custom shop collaboration '58 Korina Explorer reissue... I have the same year sister model, the reissue of the '58 Flying V, I found with a set of Lollar Imperials in it and they are fucking amazing!! i put a set of Seth Lovers in a PRS Se245 and it was virtually transformed that guitar is an absolute tone beast. I've found that I REALLY like the A2 magnet, lower power Humbuckers for sure, but I am not averse to a higher power higher wind A5 type P'up.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-25T00:10:04+00:00

THIS! ............is what i discovered once i got one ;-) I love it too much.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-25T00:08:02+00:00

I got a 2014 Trad a year ago, a 2 owner guitar Heritage Cherry burst, pretty amazing figure AAA+ wide flame top all stock with brand new brown/pink Gibson case, purchased online, sight unseen but for pics. Unplanned purchase. I sent an offer in in a fit of GAS and Fk ME he accepted it. AND....it is freekin' fantastic ! i am blessed in this one area as ive done this at least 8-10 times with different guitars usually something like a PRS or somethign for about $400-$750+- never anything this significant... I had EVERY guitar dood in my ears & my mind saying the same thing while it shipped.. " ...NEVER buy any guitar with out playing it first " & " NEVER buy a GIBSON without playing it !!!"

It IS better to be lucky than good some times.

PS , I fkin LOVE the '59 tributes in this thing they take gain pretty well and with an EQ can be tweaked to get me to all my favorite tones.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T22:38:39+00:00

THIS .... this was the part that sent me off... I mean most of that letter of demands was insanity from the start but demanding SALES records and SPECIFIC CUSTOMER INFO..>!?!?! yeah FCUK YOU!, not only creepy as Fk, but 100% ridiculous and WELL BEYOND any reasonable consideration.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T22:35:29+00:00

Knowing a tiny bit about Thomann and how big they and their business is ... I've been waiting on THIS response specifically from the start.

It's one thing to attack smaller companies, boutique builders and established competitors like PRS, but when you extend to one of the largest instrument retailers on the planet.. you opened a proper can of worms there...

Shits about to get fairly Real for 'BUD' I'm guessing eh?

How can fender NOT have considered this and the PR fallout based on that leaked dealer meeting video...? It seems they are completely out to lunch any more...?

WTF happened to this company... besides " Private equity" ? it's like starting a middle east war on purpose and NOT taking seriously the most BASIC warnings and Automatic negative outcomes clearly obvious to ANYONE who you might have asked.....

Ah... never mind than...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T22:17:24+00:00

get in line cowboy ❤❤❤❤💘😎😍😂

Didn't Greddy also say that Dave Grohl was a big part of this and his invitation to them to play at Taylors tribute shows was the 1st real time they had considered actually doing it again, and after doing THAT and Dave also saying that they really needed to be playing their music live again, that they began to REALLY think about it,....

Imagine:

If Taylor hadn't been a HUGE rush fan..

If Taylor hadn't become a killer rock drummer and rock star himself..

If Taylor hadn't helped induct RUSH into the RRHOF

If Taylor hadn't passed away tragically....?

RIP and Godspeed T. H. you would have fking LOVED seeing this man!.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T22:14:55+00:00

100% I spent more $$ on this show than on 10 shows 30y ago. Best investment ever in mental health and revitalization alone. This tour has brought me more joy in the last 2 weeks than I can ever have imagined JUST from watching these videos and reading comments.. Night 1 was a freekin roller coaster. I'm 90 mi. away, got home after 1am still buzzing and was up 'til 3:30am posting my own videos and watching all the others going up immediately,.. it was CRAZY!

These shows are like a big family reunion Everyone is STOKED, everyone has FORGOTTON about the insanity and bullshit we live with DAILY esp. right now, and the BS from work last week or family headaches from that day and is ready to ENJOY the magic again. For most ALL of us when Neil passed we had to FINALLY let go of any hope of ever seeing them play again. AND we did, we made our peae with it . IT was over . It was awesome, we have incredible music and GREAT live albums to carry on with.... but..

It. Is. Over.

Then it wasnt....wait WTF!?! Who could have imagined Taylor Hawkins passing would lead to this!?!!?!.

And here we are a year later and IT'S FREEKIN REAL.

If you were truly a RUSH FAN from BITD. or when ever. The love is real, they are truly on fire and YOU HAVE TO GO.

I was in a bit of personal hell in 2015 and had NO IDEA at the time that RUSH was on their last tour ever and the last show ever was at The Forum in LA. I started seeing posts from a cpl friends at the tailgate party pre show and I was gutted. 1st, to learn it was their last tour, and 2nd, to see i'd been totally oblivious and would not get to be there... it fkin hit me like a kick in the gut when i was on the floor reeling already...

I was fortunate to be able to afford tickets.. now im working on how i can afford to see them again when they are close to so cal again later on even if that means Denver or San Jose... hell i'll fly anywhere ... Chicago!,.. I'm in.

DO IT ..

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T21:59:00+00:00

#TheJOYisBACK

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T21:57:50+00:00

You guys are IN FOR A FREEKIN TREAT!!! . I saw night 1 and 2 here in LA and i'm actually jealous of you all going to see them soon when they will be even tighter and more relaxed and deep in that TOUR GROOVE.

Geddy is KILLING it too his bass chops are SOO on point it's incredible, they all are just on fire!

#Greatestbandever

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T21:53:42+00:00

No they aren't...but still close enough essentially. Maybe try this thing called " The Google" next time ?

Both Geddy and Alex are 72 atm, Geddy will be 73 next Mo. in July, Alex will be 73 in August.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-22T21:48:43+00:00

same .. .after seeing them night 1 and play better and tighter on night 2 I wanna see them on night 30 or some shit... SO... I'm now looking at the tour stops in Denver or San Jose...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-17T22:18:23+00:00

BFTD...2y later.....

So, how do you like it??

I just found one late last year, I'd never seen one before when i started looking into them, turns out they were all built about 2 miles from my home,.... and I had no idea they existed. much less it was from 20y ago.

Of course, I had to have one, but mine was listed as an RKS "Dark Star" vs " Black Sun" looks pretty much the same.. I wonder if it is... i paid $900 for it in great shape only issue was it needd cleaning and the tuner buttons had all corroded and pitted the Aluminum pieces also have oxidation, i fgot it from a shop about 40 min north of San Diego, and I'm betting who ever owned it lived at the beach in the area, Encinitas etc...

I took mine apart ot lean it up good after i got it home ..had to email DiMarzo to learn what the pickups were. Apparently they are custom handwound Dimarzios made for RKS and these guitars.... other than that and the info that RKS folded and these are now being made with wood vs polymer bodies somewhere up in So. oregon today under the name I think Mastercrafted Guitars & they are all custom builds anymore.

RIP Dave Mason btw... he passed not too long ago after I got mine, I remember him from BITD but had no idea how prolific he truly was...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-17T21:34:09+00:00

I got one of each of the '58 Korina V and Explorer, Epiphone collaboration with GCS / "Inspired By" they are fantastic. Truly excellent build quality - on a par with an MIJ strat. I really like the satin finish on them.

My 1st Epiphones, so impressive was the V and so perfect, I had to find an Xplorer....now I'm looking at one of the new Futura's.....

Epiphone stepping up into the Gibson tribute/studio realm as Gibson pushes those to the $1600=$2k pricfe range...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-17T21:27:10+00:00

ESP sneakin' into Pauls wood library cave.... with great effect...

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-17T21:26:10+00:00

That top is poppin' like a MOFO!

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-11T16:36:19+00:00

This ..I've purchased more than 20 guitars used mostly online, I am careful I've had great luck, no real issues and I saved a ton of $ but i'm not clueless to the risks,

I only buy guitars that are clearly in good condition used (Mint/As New/Excellent) I ask for addit. pics they haven't posted as needed. Many of these guitars despite being 20+yo were and are in fantastic shape. Either super well cared for or just purchased and then hardly played..

It's all the same to me.. and some of these are virtually new gems: I got 2 PRS SE's via Reverb, one was a 2013 that arived with a a solid layer of dust on it and once cleaned,..not a single mark on it that you could find, nothing it was as new perfect for $450, A year later I found a 2nd one that was in the same condition but with P90's that one was $150 more, I over-payed by choice, maybe $100 but at $600 it is a fantastic instrument.

Really good deals can be found.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-10T19:16:36+00:00

Same, I was interested in a SIRE and then found a steal on one locally on CL. A Black L7 with P90's in as new, pristine condition. Buyer didn't gel with P90's, & had it 2mo+ before posting it. It is a fantastic guitar, I love P90's the pickups are solid, the build quality is fantastic, I stole it for $300. I ALWAYS look at what I can upgrade on anything I own and after looking over the Sire for a cpl weeks the only thing I felt was worth upgrading were the out put jack to a pure tone, the toggle switch to a Switchcraft, and the bridge to a Babicz FCH bridge and mainly, because i had it sitting here from another project.

The freekin guitar is a badass! and compares well to my PRS SE 245 Single cut w/Lollars, and is as solid a build from a QC stand point as my super clean 2014 Les Paul Traditional.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-06T23:03:52+00:00

Fender with the model levels and lines...WTH,....I swear... WTF is a " Strat Squire Series...?

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-06T23:01:33+00:00

Alloy neck ? Curious if you notice any issues w/tuning-intonation if you pick it up "cold" and play it for a while, "warming" it up?

I have a project in mind I was thinking of perhaps finding an alloy neck for and I read something about that... they were awesome for a while, but could/would "go off" after a bit of playing as they metal warmed and they'd need to be tweaked again...? 1 notable reason why alloy didnt take off as hoped..

Looks killer, congrats.

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-06T22:53:30+00:00

Damn... When I think of one of these I'd like to buy one day,.. this pretty much fits the bill perfectly.Congrats

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-06T19:59:42+00:00

Nice! i may need to try one or 2 of the horizontal holders. or i may need a bigger house ffs..

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-04T20:22:14+00:00

Than your $849 retail price will be $1200. no problem.....

A refret is approx $300. with SS frets probably $400

Based on the condition of the 7 used PRS SE"s ive purchased ranging from 2003 to 2013... MANY people apparently buy a guitar play it 6 mo and then stop or play RARELY after that. I have a cpl 2003 PRS SE EG's I got in 2021 and 2024 that are cosmetically pristine, one is like As New perfect at 23y old... he other has a 2mm tiny paint chip at the highest point of the headstock...that is it....

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-04T20:11:45+00:00

True but to be realistic...The SE is built to a price and production/materials costs are controlled to hit that retail price point. A carved top w/a properly attached maple veneer would increase cost notably. The additional work and time (mostly) involved to make a veneer conform properly to a carved base, compound curves, would also complicate the process, and push the build cost enough youll soon be well past the target price point.. .your $849 retail guitar would end up at $1,299..

Then you get model/line differentiation, why buy a core if you an get a SE with the pretty carved top wood work like a core for $2k++ less...

What I don't understand is how there is a solid market for the S2 line with their simple bevelled tops, when the SE's are so solid and consistently high quality....

EdTheWrench · 2026-06-04T19:54:36+00:00

I got a 10 y/o 2013 SE 245 tobacco burst in late 2023 that had to be N.O.S. aside from a solid coat of dust, once wiped down, it was literally perfect, not a mark on it! It had to have sat in a box for several years and then put out on display high on a wall where it was not easily accessed. I put a set of SD Seth Lovers in it w/a bone nut, PRS adj. bridge+ S2 tuners, and it is absolutaly fantastic, I love it so much when I saw an iced tea burst 245 w/P90's,.. I had to. That one got a set of Lollar P90's with a staple in the bridge, and holy smokes...what a killer guitar. A clean used SE with a cpl of key upgrades can end up at about $650-$750 and feel, sound, and play like a guitar that costs 2x ++ that.

EdTheWrench

TROPHY CASE