Gibson Midtown Custom... Oooh, me likey

[neozecat]

Waxhead, there is no Bigsby on the Custom !

[Guitar4Lunch]

I've tryed several Gibson guitars. The sound to dollar ratio points to the Midtown. I love mine. If I was wanting to spend more than $1400.00 the the ES335 would be the only other thing I would choose.

[MichaelSaulnier]

Did my second gig with my Midtown Custom and I continue to be pretty happy with it.

I used my "little rig" which includes a Fender Blues Jr, and Fulltone OCD pedal.

I really like the neck, frets and fretboard. I have no complaints about the richlite material, and would seek out other guitars that use it like the new Gibson LP Customs. I think this will really wear well, and it's fast under my fingers.

The body shape works for me in a way my previous 335 didn't. It's not too big, and I have no problem with the flat top. If they ever did a "tummy cut" on these it would be cool, but it's really no problem from a playability or comfort level for me.

I've kept the pickups and setup completely stock to this point, but I'm about to make my "normal" changes I would make to most humbucker guitars I own... I'll lower the bridge pup just a little to go for a slightly more rounded treble tone, and slightly raise the action on the top 3 strings to make it a little easier to grab the strings for big bends. Both of these are personal preference, and I think others would be very happy just as is.

The clean sound of this guitar is very nice, but it really shines with a bit of drive. It's got great sustain, and a nice "singing" OD tone. I'm not really a "metal" guy... but I like to use a fluid sustaining tone sometimes for fun... when I tried this guitar with those types of tones... it responded very nicely.

I'm ok with the burstbuckers right now, but as a confirmed TGP member, I wonder what throwing in some other pups would add to the tone. PRS McCarty's, Duncan Antiquities, DiMarzio 36th anniversary's, Gibson 57 classics, PRS 57/08's, Lollar Imperial's... there's a big world of possible options out there... but for now the Burstbucker's are staying in.

I've had a number of compliments on both the look and tone of this guitar, and a few people have incorrectly assumed I got a 335... I personally like the chambered wings and solid center block over the laminated 335 design. It's also a bit strange that Gibson hasn't given this guitar its own "ES" designation. "Midtown Custom" is a nice name, but doesn't easily fit along side all the other ES named guitars. Oh well, who really cares what the name of it is anyway?

I'm still honeymooning. But for now, I plan to gig it regularly for the next few months and hopefully for years to come!

M

[budglo58]

Originally Posted by MichaelSaulnier

Did my second gig with my Midtown Custom and I continue to be pretty happy with it.

I used my "little rig" which includes a Fender Blues Jr, and Fulltone OCD pedal.

I really like the neck, frets and fretboard. I have no complaints about the richlite material, and would seek out other guitars that use it like the new Gibson LP Customs. I think this will really wear well, and it's fast under my fingers.

The body shape works for me in a way my previous 335 didn't. It's not too big, and I have no problem with the flat top. If they ever did a "tummy cut" on these it would be cool, but it's really no problem from a playability or comfort level for me.

I've kept the pickups and setup completely stock to this point, but I'm about to make my "normal" changes I would make to most humbucker guitars I own... I'll lower the bridge pup just a little to go for a slightly more rounded treble tone, and slightly raise the action on the top 3 strings to make it a little easier to grab the strings for big bends. Both of these are personal preference, and I think others would be very happy just as is.

The clean sound of this guitar is very nice, but it really shines with a bit of drive. It's got great sustain, and a nice "singing" OD tone. I'm not really a "metal" guy... but I like to use a fluid sustaining tone sometimes for fun... when I tried this guitar with those types of tones... it responded very nicely.

I'm ok with the burstbuckers right now, but as a confirmed TGP member, I wonder what throwing in some other pups would add to the tone. PRS McCarty's, Duncan Antiquities, DiMarzio 36th anniversary's, Gibson 57 classics, PRS 57/08's, Lollar Imperial's... there's a big world of possible options out there... but for now the Burstbucker's are staying in.

I've had a number of compliments on both the look and tone of this guitar, and a few people have incorrectly assumed I got a 335... I personally like the chambered wings and solid center block over the laminated 335 design. It's also a bit strange that Gibson hasn't given this guitar its own "ES" designation. "Midtown Custom" is a nice name, but doesn't easily fit along side all the other ES named guitars. Oh well, who really cares what the name of it is anyway?

I'm still honeymooning. But for now, I plan to gig it regularly for the next few months and hopefully for years to come!

M

Good review.I too find this guitar shines with a bit of OD. But it sounds nice clean as well.A tad bit more versatile than a LP with great upper fret access.I gigged with it thru my DRRI and it sounded great and light enough not to be a problem.

[Elias Graves]

You guys are killing me. I was truly hoping the reports would be "This sucks! Stay away!"

EG

[cutaway]

I was near a GC but it was on black friday so I didn't dare go anywhere near the shopping center. My luck they wouldn't have had one, but I'm dying to give one a test drive.

[pir8matt]

Originally Posted by Waxhead

Ahh Can someone who owns a Midtown please report on the Bigsby fitted.
I asked several times already but everyone forgets it.
I'm especially asking cause Gibson have an appalling record of fitting Trem systems to their guitars- never seen one that works well so....
So on the Midtown -
does the Bigsby work well.
Does it return perfectly to tune every time.
Is it smooth
Does it give a full tone variation by ways

thx

I think you're referring to this limited run Midtown Standard:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...RWXGB&ZYXSEM=0



Which appears to be kind of its own animal, what with its single master vol and tone, 57 classics in lieu of Burstbuckers, and the aforementioned Bigsby.

I wouldn't mind hearing from someone with one of these either, but thats not the guitar this thread is primarily referring to. That guitar also has a rosewood neck, not richlite.

And a weird smallish headstock.

On paper, this guitar appeals to me a lot less than the custom.

[jads57]

Is this basically a reshaped version of the Vegas Roller they put out a few years back?

[Rad Skronker]

Thanks for the review.

If you don't mind, could you tell me what guitar the Midtown is currently displacing for gigs

Originally Posted by MichaelSaulnier

Did my second gig with my Midtown Custom and I continue to be pretty happy with it.

I used my "little rig" which includes a Fender Blues Jr, and Fulltone OCD pedal.

I really like the neck, frets and fretboard. I have no complaints about the richlite material, and would seek out other guitars that use it like the new Gibson LP Customs. I think this will really wear well, and it's fast under my fingers.

The body shape works for me in a way my previous 335 didn't. It's not too big, and I have no problem with the flat top. If they ever did a "tummy cut" on these it would be cool, but it's really no problem from a playability or comfort level for me.

I've kept the pickups and setup completely stock to this point, but I'm about to make my "normal" changes I would make to most humbucker guitars I own... I'll lower the bridge pup just a little to go for a slightly more rounded treble tone, and slightly raise the action on the top 3 strings to make it a little easier to grab the strings for big bends. Both of these are personal preference, and I think others would be very happy just as is.

The clean sound of this guitar is very nice, but it really shines with a bit of drive. It's got great sustain, and a nice "singing" OD tone. I'm not really a "metal" guy... but I like to use a fluid sustaining tone sometimes for fun... when I tried this guitar with those types of tones... it responded very nicely.

I'm ok with the burstbuckers right now, but as a confirmed TGP member, I wonder what throwing in some other pups would add to the tone. PRS McCarty's, Duncan Antiquities, DiMarzio 36th anniversary's, Gibson 57 classics, PRS 57/08's, Lollar Imperial's... there's a big world of possible options out there... but for now the Burstbucker's are staying in.

I've had a number of compliments on both the look and tone of this guitar, and a few people have incorrectly assumed I got a 335... I personally like the chambered wings and solid center block over the laminated 335 design. It's also a bit strange that Gibson hasn't given this guitar its own "ES" designation. "Midtown Custom" is a nice name, but doesn't easily fit along side all the other ES named guitars. Oh well, who really cares what the name of it is anyway?

I'm still honeymooning. But for now, I plan to gig it regularly for the next few months and hopefully for years to come!

M

[Waxhead]

Originally Posted by pir8matt

I think you're referring to this limited run Midtown Standard:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...RWXGB&ZYXSEM=0



Which appears to be kind of its own animal, what with its single master vol and tone, 57 classics in lieu of Burstbuckers, and the aforementioned Bigsby.

I wouldn't mind hearing from someone with one of these either, but thats not the guitar this thread is primarily referring to. That guitar also has a rosewood neck, not richlite.

And a weird smallish headstock.

On paper, this guitar appeals to me a lot less than the custom.

ok - thank you - my mistake.
I incorrectly thought the standard Midtown came with a bigsby.
The fact it does not makes it less attractive to me

[MichaelSaulnier]

Originally Posted by Rad Skronker

Thanks for the review.

If you don't mind, could you tell me what guitar the Midtown is currently displacing for gigs

Typically I'll bring my strat and one dual humbucker guitar... that one can and does vary from gig to gig.

Usually it's my PRS SC245 Goldtop.

But sometimes it could be:

PRS Tremonti SE w/McCarty pups or Gibson Les Paul Studio.

Or one of the other guitars in my gig playing flow!

M

[b3john]

Originally Posted by Waxhead

ok - thank you - my mistake.
I incorrectly thought the standard Midtown came with a bigsby.
The fact it does not makes it less attractive to me

The Midtown Standard does have the Bigsby as well as master volume/tone controls, rosewood fretboard with dots, and the headstock shape from the L6-S:





The Midtown Custom has a stoptail, separate volume/tone controls, richlite fretboard with block inlays, and the prototypical Gibson headstock (with binding):





Basically, the Midtown Custom fixes what most people didn't care for in the Midtown Standard, with the exception of the controversial fretboard material.

[dspellman]

Originally Posted by jads57

Is this basically a reshaped version of the Vegas Roller they put out a few years back?

I think the Vegas Roller was built the same general way that the ES-335 is; laminated top and bottom formed over a mold.

The Midtown is a guitar carved out of a couple of hunks of wood with a CNC machine. Those hunks are then glued together. The top is flat rather than shaped; they've just used the general outline of a scaled-down ES-335 to produce what amounts to a chambered flat-top solid body with f-holes. The fretboard is plastic (micarta) rather than wood and while it has the same shape inlays as Gibson's Custom guitars, these are plastic, too, rather than MOP as on the usual Custom guitar.

[Waxhead]

Originally Posted by b3john

The Midtown Standard does have the Bigsby as well as master volume/tone controls, rosewood fretboard with dots, and the headstock shape from the L6-S:





The Midtown Custom has a stoptail, separate volume/tone controls, richlite fretboard with block inlays, and the prototypical Gibson headstock (with binding):





Basically, the Midtown Custom fixes what most people didn't care for in the Midtown Standard, with the exception of the controversial fretboard material.

ok b3John - thanks for correcting me again
so given the differences why would anyone prefer the custom model ??
The standard has a Rosewood neck & bigsby.
I can see why some people might prefer 2 separate vol & tone dials for each PUP on the custom but who cares about the headstock shape ??

[airportbar]

Originally Posted by Waxhead

but who cares about the headstock shape ??

You do realize you are on TGP, right?