My girlfriend ordered her first Gibson yesterday.

[Chris P.]

It has this satin lacquer and you can feel and see the grain and in white it looks fabulous! White tunere are great too! It has a small dent on the side of the body, but nothing serious and it gives character to the bass. It's even pretty well tweaked: Action and intonation are great. But I bring it to the luthier's on monday to get it ready for .011 instead of the standard .009. Loes always uses .011 with wound G.

First pics:







Later this month we will record with Boilersuit, so you'll hear some songs soon!

[Dave W]

I really like the satin white, it looks like the big brother (or is that sister?) of my "worn white" Melody Maker. I look forward to hearing the new songs.

BTW, stock strings on these are 10s, at least on ones shipped in the US. So neck adjustment shouldn't be as drastic as going from 9s to 11s.

[Chris P.]

I already thought it were .010s, but it came with an extra set of Gibson .009s, so I was in doubt. I always get new guitars to my luthier for a set-up. Even new Gibsons and Fenders sometimes need some fret dressing and always some tweeking of the set-up.

[Freuds_Cat]

I couldn't agree more Chris. Not being as technically minded as some of the people on this forum its always nice feeling to get a new (or second hand) instrument back from the luthier after purchase. Looking forward to recieving my white Melody Maker too. Its in Chicago apparently. So, another week or 2 before it gets here.

[Highlander]

looking good...

Are you two going for a colour co-ordination...? ie what ever became of your "Doug Fyghter" Explorer...? 

[Dave W]

Nothing wrong with not being technically minded. Everybody has some things they would rather not tackle themselves.

FWIW, my Melody Maker arrived in great shape, excellent fretwork, 3/32" action at 17th fret, .009" relief the way I was taught to measure.

[ilan]

[Highlander]

Just spotted that you called "her" a bass... 

[Chris P.]

I'm so used to talk basses here! But yep, it really is a guitar:)

Billy A. has another bridge, some kind of P100-a-like pick up and a case with panther lining. IMHO P100s are quite dull and they have a lack of dynamics.

[Dave W]

They had to have some reason to charge so much extra for the Billie Joe model, too bad they went with P100s. They don't hum, but they sure do suck.

[Chris P.]

P90s have so much more dynamics and sound than P100s.

I brought the guitar to my luthier today. He said it was set up really good. He changed the strings to .011, he tweaked the bridge a little bit, he really loves the guitar and he charged nothing:) Great guy!

[Freuds_Cat]

I like the bridge  on this guitar Dave. My Luthier Brian tells me that Tone Pro and Hipshot both make a wrap around Tune O matic. I've heard different attitudes towards the wrap around bridge on the MM's. I'll wait and see of course but I'm expecting to replace whats on it.

[Chris P.]

The wraparound on both Loes' Epi and Gibson are compensated (do you use that word in English too?), so the overal tuning is quite right, but a tiny bit off at the G and B strings. But more than workable.

[Freuds_Cat]

Yeah, I hear ya Chris. The thing is if you want to use the instrument to record with (and I do) its a pain in the butt not being able to adjust the intonation. I know that its never perfect even then, but at least it makes it a bit easier to do.

[Chris P.]

You are right. Loes will record with that guitar, so let's hope it's okay. She only plays rhythm and some fingerpicking stuff, but no solos at the end of the fretboard, so that'll make it a bit easier.