NGD: 2014 Gibson Melody Maker
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 11:18 am
This year's model is a definite departure from the Melody Makers of years past. But then again, that model seems to be very different from year to year anyway. This is a lot more like a Les Paul Junior Special, but with a carved top, maple cap, wrap-around bridge (like most "regular" Juniors), and the oft-maligned "satin" finish that is on most of Gibson's "cheap" guitars the past few years.
The color is "Mahanttan Midnight", which looks like very dark grey until the light hits it just right, and then the dark blue underneath shows through. Sure, I would have preferred a plain top burst with a decent clear coat, but in Gibson-land that means $$$. It's a decent enough finish, but I suspect it will pick up "relic marks" a lot faster than a traditional finish. It's very raw feeling, which some people like and some hate. I'm on the fence, but I definitely don't hate it.
The body is quite thin and has a body sculpt not unlike a Strat (but less pronounced). The weight on this one is about 7.5 pounds. The carved top is nice and very similar to a typical Les Paul. Fans of the older Melody Maker and Junior flat-slab-o-wood models probably won't like all the curves and cuts. The headstock is standard Gibson rather than the tiny little thing they put on previous models.
Tuners are Klusons with the small white vintage buttons; the quality seems pretty nice on these, and they turn smoothly. I thought I wouldn't like the aesthetics of these, but they kinda work. They will stay for now. The bridge is a wrap-around intonated with set screws to adjust the length (somewhat).
The pickups are interesting, to say the least. They are P90s, but they have a slug pole pieces instead of the typical screw-adjust. These puppies are pretty punchy and sound to me a lot closer to a humbucker than a standard single coil. I might put metal covers on there for the looks, but I'm going to keep the pickups in there a good while and see how I like them.
The neck is medium, in terms of baseball bat-ness. Fretboard looks pretty nice (but needs to be oiled), and the 120th logo inlay actually is kinda neat looking. Must have been robots, because there is no wood filler visible around the inlay.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality, fit/finish, and tone. The action is a bit too high for my taste, but that's an easy fix and a personal preference. I got it from Sweetwater in their Deal Zone section; it's a demo unit (presumably in their retail store in Ft. Wayne) and there are a few minor marks, but it took me a few minutes to find them. Price was $460 shipped, which I think is amazing for a USA-made set-neck carved-top guitar, regardless of what name is on the headstock.
Here are a few pics:
I flashed it up good to make the blue show up. It doesn't even really look like this in person.
Here's an up-skirt of the control cavity. I rather like the tidyness of the PCB. And the film caps are a nice touch.
The color is "Mahanttan Midnight", which looks like very dark grey until the light hits it just right, and then the dark blue underneath shows through. Sure, I would have preferred a plain top burst with a decent clear coat, but in Gibson-land that means $$$. It's a decent enough finish, but I suspect it will pick up "relic marks" a lot faster than a traditional finish. It's very raw feeling, which some people like and some hate. I'm on the fence, but I definitely don't hate it.
The body is quite thin and has a body sculpt not unlike a Strat (but less pronounced). The weight on this one is about 7.5 pounds. The carved top is nice and very similar to a typical Les Paul. Fans of the older Melody Maker and Junior flat-slab-o-wood models probably won't like all the curves and cuts. The headstock is standard Gibson rather than the tiny little thing they put on previous models.
Tuners are Klusons with the small white vintage buttons; the quality seems pretty nice on these, and they turn smoothly. I thought I wouldn't like the aesthetics of these, but they kinda work. They will stay for now. The bridge is a wrap-around intonated with set screws to adjust the length (somewhat).
The pickups are interesting, to say the least. They are P90s, but they have a slug pole pieces instead of the typical screw-adjust. These puppies are pretty punchy and sound to me a lot closer to a humbucker than a standard single coil. I might put metal covers on there for the looks, but I'm going to keep the pickups in there a good while and see how I like them.
The neck is medium, in terms of baseball bat-ness. Fretboard looks pretty nice (but needs to be oiled), and the 120th logo inlay actually is kinda neat looking. Must have been robots, because there is no wood filler visible around the inlay.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality, fit/finish, and tone. The action is a bit too high for my taste, but that's an easy fix and a personal preference. I got it from Sweetwater in their Deal Zone section; it's a demo unit (presumably in their retail store in Ft. Wayne) and there are a few minor marks, but it took me a few minutes to find them. Price was $460 shipped, which I think is amazing for a USA-made set-neck carved-top guitar, regardless of what name is on the headstock.
Here are a few pics:
I flashed it up good to make the blue show up. It doesn't even really look like this in person.
Here's an up-skirt of the control cavity. I rather like the tidyness of the PCB. And the film caps are a nice touch.
