I did not see one guitar at the Gibson booth that I would want to purchase. I just did not get excited at all with their products that will be out this year. The Inspired by series just didn't thrill me, except the Mick Jones Les Paul looked nice, but I didn't like the 2 extra toggle switches on it.
I really like to stick with the tried and true models like the 335, lp custom. I wish I could say lp standard; however, Gibson has taken too much wood out of the standard rendering it a feather light hollow piece of wood with airy sounding humbukers. I'd stick with the production model SG, LP Custom, 335. I do have a non reverse firebird with burstbuker 2&3 which I like a lot. The R7 is a great guitar. I hear you man. All this Keither Sutherland inspired by mess doesn't do it for me.
One of the NAMM pictures threads has pictures of the Ultratone. It's like a lumpy-topped LP with P90s.
