Gibson Nighthawk Standard (3 Pickup model)

Made around '99, 22 frets, 3 control knobs - volume & 2 mixers (one of which pops in and out), plus 5-way selector, H-S-H pickup configuration, I think it's active, but the batteries have never run out, so I'm suspicious. Mahogony body and neck, Rosewood fingerboard w/ pearl parallelogram inlay. Pearl plant & logo inlay, gold hardware. It's vintage sunburst. It came with a cool hard leather case with pink fluff and silky stuff inside & a permutation lock.

This guitar has _SO_ many different sounds depending on how you fiddle with the knobs and switches, and all of them are clear and full. Decent filters in action I suppose. It's best with a clean tone sound, it can sound like anything! With distortion you get beef and clout, although I think sometimes the treble is a bit lacking overall when everything's at full bore distortion, that is really finickity.

The strings feel looser than my other guitars, but obviously this makes it great for mad tuning solos (see Kim Thayil for lessons). Sometimes a guitar is _too_ easy to play, and you just end up messing around making funny sounds and noises rather than being musically creative: well, that's how I'd describe my experience with my Nighthawk. Can't compose on it, but _can_ play it very well! It looks beautiful, I really love the vintage sunburst, which is really bright and golden.

The guitar is solid, but looks very elegent. It's so pretty I am worried about damaging it, unlike my other guitars. Sometimes the selector sounds a bit dirty, and has even cut out once or twice.

The bloke in the shop told me this was the Nighthawk Custom model, which it can't be as it doesn't have the pearl crown fretboard inlay as I now know a custom should have. It is a Standard, and although I really really love it (it is my favourite guitar), I probably paid too much for it. I wish I had the instruction manual, as I don't have a clue what I'm doing with the control knobs.

Most of the time I like to compose, and this just doesn't happen when I pick up this guitar. It's so easy to make it sound like whatever you want, that you just end up playing about. I find the easiest guitar to compose on is my Squier Strat, which does horrible things like going out of tune, the high-E string gets stuck _under_ the frets, and the jack socket is unreliable. But that all makes you focus on making a good tune, unlike this guitar, which drives itself. However, it is the prettiest thing, and my favourite guitar. I think it will be more collectible than the '85 Les Paul Studio Standard I have too, so I look after it lots.

This is just a follow up of my 8/9/2000 review.

I had an American Standard Stratocaster and an American Standard Telecaster. Both are fine guitars, but the rather thin sound of the Fender single coils just does not cut it for my ears. The Nighthawk does the close enough Stratocaster impersonation and the close enough Telecaster one so well that I decided I could do without my Fenders. Guitar Center gave me such a good deal on my Fenders that I was able to sell them for exactly what I paid for them. (Yes, I take immaculate care of my guitars.) The Nighthawk just paid for itself.

On top of that, the Nighthawk has it's one signature tone. I love my Nighthawk Standard. It's diversity and flexibility just can not be beat!

I have a whole series of amp set ups - both tube and solid state. (I still have not found a good digital amp that sounds good and full once you kick in some real volume.) This guitar does the single coil combinations exceptionally well. The humbucker combinations aren't bad either - very usable. Tremendous tonal range...unmatched in my opinion.

9 due to finish/sealer crack. Everything else is well mounted,properly aligned and working precisely as it should. This is a solid, well built guitar.

Have owned it and subjected it to moderate use for a year. Looks like the day I bought it. Basic maintenance and upkeep should keep me playing this baby for years to come.

I've been playing over 22 years and have the gear to prove it...not to mention all the stuff I sold over the years.
Thanks to my Nighthawk Standard, I no longer own nor need either an American Standard Stratocaster or an American Standard Telecaster. I still own a small arsenal of guitars which includes: Gibson SG Standard, Gibson SG Deluxe (2 of them); Gibson '67 Reissue Flying V; Fender Squier Strat (modified with coil tapped Seymour Duncan Lil'59 in the bridge. It sounds better than my American Standard did); Rickenbacker 330; Rickenbacker 325; Epiphone Dot (with Gibson 57 Classic pickups); Epiphone Sheraton II (with Gibson P94 pickups); Epiphone Korina Flying V (with Gibson P94 pickups); Epiphone Les Paul Standard (Gibson 500T and 496R pickups).

AMPS: Crate GX -140D, Crate GX-140C, Crate VC50H and Fender Deluxe 112 Plus that has been customized so I can run two 8 ohm cabs off of it. The Fender has horrible overdrive, but the clean channel sounds impressive when run through two 2 X 12 or 4 X 12 cabs. And I can't say enough good things about sounds coming out of my CRATE VC50H tube head. I'll buy 10 of them before I spend another fortune on one of those overrated snob jobs.

As soon as I see a good deal on another 3 pick-up Nighthawk Standard, I'm buying it! These are great guitars.

1996 Custom 3-pickup. Humbucker back, Single-coil middle, "Mini-Humbucker by neck, Gold hardware, sunburst see-thru finish. Maple top, mahogany back and neck, rosewood fretboard with dual parallelogram inlays. Beautiful looking guitar. Has a single cutaway body. Not too heavy. Gibson tuners which work well. 5-way pickup selector, volume knob and tone knob with optional pull.

I play hard rock and this guitar fits my style nicely. I play through a Peavey 5150 head into a Marshall JCM 900 4X12. Effects include a BBE Sonic Maximizer, Behringer Virtualizer Pro and a Rocktron Hush. I pull the tone knob and have all pickups on. Gives you that Gibson-tone that the Les Paul is famous for having. This guitar allows you to have a Telecaster like sound also by choosing other pickup configurations. The tone is a littler brighter than my previous number one guitar (Jackson Rhodes V), but has replaced it as my number one. Sustain is great and no noise. These stock Gibson pickups are in no need of replacement. I would not touch anything as it is... in fear of loosing its current sound.

Action is perfect. The cord input has a locking feature that eliminates any worries about knocking out your cord. I raised the neck pickup to my liking. Guitar is flawless except for a minor belt buckle mark on back. Gold hardware looks good with the sunburst finish. Woodgrain can be seen thru the paint and gives it a beautiful touch. Gibson should be proud of the look of this thing.

I have not had it long enough to fairly rate it. However, it is a Gibson and that usally mean quality and durability. Mine was four years old when I purchased it used and it was in near mint condition. No problems with the sound or pickups. I would depend on it. I have never thought it smart to play without a backup, although I have not broke a string on this guitar yet (you should change reguarly anyways). Seems solid to me.

Cannot comment... hopefully I'll never need to!

I have been playing for 15 years. I have gigged for 10 years. This is the seventh guitar in my collection (I never sell 'em): Two Gibson V's, Jackson Rhodes V, Charvel Jackson V, Kramer Focus 5000, Washburn N2. As I said before it is number one. I use of of the Gibson Vs for drop-D, but I have found this guitar easy to drop (and stays in tune). The tuning is never a problem... and I am always checking between songs. If you can find a ggod deal on this now dis-continued model, you should buy it. Although I play metal, this guitar can easily fit numerous styles. It's a Gibson and does the name proud. Need I say more?

This is a USA made Nighthawk Standard made in 1993. It has an incredible fireburst finish, which i think is the best looking finish Gibson made. It has 24 frets on it, and this body style makes it easy access (for me anyway) to all frets. Theres one volume knob and one tone knob, and on the 3 pickup model theres a coil tap on the tone knob which i have found very useful. the pickups are a mini humbucker in the neck, a single coil in the middle, and a slanted bridge humbucker. It has a maple top with a nice flame on it(with this finish it makes it look spectacular), a mahoghany back and neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with parallellogram inlays. It has a single cutaway body much like a les paul but it has a flat top and is smaller. Despite the smaller size, its really a tough guitar. The bridge is string-through-body.An interesting thing about this guitar is the scale, 25.5 which is standard fender scale. The tuners are "gibson deluxe," and they aren't that bad.

My style has three main branches and i try and fuse all three, jazz, blues and harder music ranging from zep to creed. This guitar not only does each individual thing well but with my fusion, this guitar suits me perfectly. I tried playing other Gibsons, and Fenders and the like and nothing touches this. I've noticed some people complain about the guitar being thin sounding, which I could agree on in certain cases. I play with a Mesa Mark III with a ibanez tonelok chorus/flanger, and a 535q wah pedal. I can get some really nice tones with this setup. If you sound seems thin with it, I suggest putting thicker gauge strings on it, which not only makes it sound a little fatter but also seems to make tuning less of a chore. Also check the amp you're playing and do something with your effects(especially digital ones). This guitar can make any sounds you can think of. It would not surprise me at all if this guitar were to become a classic. It seems like its too good not to. I really like this guitar.

When I bought this, the setup was fine. If its not to your liking, you can change the string height with an allen wrench onto the bridge. For the pickups, just a philips head. Not hard to do at all. The top is incredible, it looks very pretty and stands out well. The quality is as good as I've seen with these. I plan on taking really good care of this thing.

There is no doubt in my mind that this thing can stand up to live playing. I got an authenic Gibson case with it, and it seems like it should hold up awhile. The hardware would last but the gold finish would be a pain. I have another nighthawk special and the gold on that is fading in some spots. The strap buttons are a pain, especially with a crappy strap. I suggest getting a nice thick leather one or strap locks, because the strap buttons on it aren't the best. I would never gig without a backup.

I heard Gibson is hard to deal with.

I've been playing for about 3-4 years. I own another nighthawk as well as an epi les paul standard(stay away from epi). i would definately buy anothwer nighthawk if something happened to this one. This guitar can be fitted to be for everyone, it may take some a longer time than others but i honestly believe that.

1997, 3 P/u w/ Pushpull, Gold hardware (caught my eye when I first saw it), Floyd Rose. Feature and looks were impressive

I play hard rock, classic rock, and southern rock. The sound is the BEST! It realy allows me to get creative!

I bought the guitar used for $575. (that's right $575). It had a set-up problem with plenty of buzz problems. I brought it to a guitar tech I know and wliminated most of the problem, but afterwards, a $100 later and some adjusting myself,I eliminate as much buzz as I could (most all is gone now). I lost some action, but definately got my moneys worth. (any ideas on correcting this problem, please email smith@iland.net)

Good luck so far........cant say yet!

Haven't used. Warrenty won't cover my problem because the idiot that owned it before me tried to fix it by filing the frets down.(Luckily, they polished and dressed out ok)

Been playing for 14 yrs, This guitar is impressive. Light weight, looks, sound. Other than the set up problem that I able to correct for the most part,the Floyd Rose made it the real candidate for me. some folks say it looses it's sound quality, but thats the nature of the beast that I choose to live with. personally, it sounds good to me! It's sure to become a collectors delight someday!

Mini/Single/Humbucker pickup combination: just like the other 3 pickup Nighthawk Standards except I made the tone-killing MISTAKE of getting it with the Floyd Rose. Amber finish is beautiful. Gibson slim-tapered neck is very comfortable. The push-pull pot coupled with three pick-ups and the 5 way switch gives you tremendous diversity of sounds and tones. You could want a tap for phase shifting and a few other toys, but it gets to the point where the number of features become impractical. This guitar offers a lot more than 99% of what is out there. A truly unique guitar.

I have heard metal heads and hard rockers do not like these. I can understand why. It is definitely not a high output monster.

However, if you play other material - 60s covers, pop, power pop, melodic material, etc. - like I do, this guitar is more than adequate. The tremendous tonal variations made possible by its numerous pickup combinations will reward your creativity like no other guitar I know.

So, the Nighthawk's most impressive feature is the instrument's versatility. It does the single coil range of tones exceptionally well. I have an American Standard Strat and an American Standard Telecaster. The Nighthawk gives you exceptionally good approximations of both of those guitars with the added benefit of some humbucker/single coil combinations. I really like my Fenders and never would have thought of selling them...until I bought my Nighthawk. I'm keeping all three, but the Nighthawk had me thinking. Tremendous diversity!

The Nighthwawk does not do the humbucker tones as well, but I found that going to heavier strings (D'Addario .11/.49 or Ernie Ball .11/48) went a long way towards filling that void. The mini-humbucker does not seem to sound as good as the mini used in the SG Deluxe or the Les Paul Deluxe. The full-sized, angled bridge humbucker reminds me a lot of the sound of a Gibson 490T.

I have one BIG regret. I bought this one with the Floyd Rose system. That was a mistake. I had played Nighthawks before, but they all had through-the-body-strings. They had a nicer, warmer tone. This is a very comfortable, light weight guitar that sounded warm normally. However, while the Floyd Rose system is great for allowing you to string bend and stay in tune, it definitely takes away from the instruments natural tone. I unfortunately did not notice this until after I brought the guitar home, as I attributed the sound the poor quality practice amp available at the store. I regret having bought this guitar with the Floyd Rose. It leaves the Nighthawk with a tinny, distasteful after tone and fails to reproduce the instrument's natural tone. Without the Floyd Rose, I would have given a 9. With it, on a bad day, I would be tempted to go as low as 7. It hurts that much!

All of the original set up was adequate. There was one flaw (crack) in the sealer on the finish. I had some adjustments made to suit my particular style, but that is to be expected. Every guitar player should take the time to set up his instrument - or have it set up - to best suit his particular playing style.

Plenty solid. Back-up...well,that is just about impossible. It requires 3 or 4 guitars to cover the ranges the Nighthawk offers. On the other hand, if you play out with a few different guitars, the Nighthawk is an awesome backup.

Some nights I will take 3 or 4 guitars with me. Other nights, I just take the Nighthawk and change the pickup combinations to suit whatever I am playing next.

Never had to use it for this guitar.

I had been eyeing Nighhawks for years, but could not afford them. I then took advantage of their being discontinued to try to find a new one at a reasonable price. I succeeded, and I am glad I did - even if I am less than pleased with the Floyd Rose.

In 20 years plus of playing, I have acquired lots of guitars(Gibson SG Standard; Gibson SG Deluxe; Gibson Flying V; Rickenbacker 330; Parker Nite Fly IV; Fenders mentioned above; others.) The Nighthawk is a jack of several trades guitar. All the different pick-up combinations and the multitude of ranges they allow are flat out unbeatable and impressive. I really enjoy it. The Nighthawk really is in a league of its own.

OK. This guitar has got it all. Firstly, it is a 1998 model which I purchased in '99 at Billy Hydes in Melbourne, Australia. It has a "vintage sunburst" colour with a flamed top, which looks amazing with the classy gold hardware, which is rare, as most gold-hardware guitars look awkward. The 3-pu Nighthawk encompasses all the pickup configurations of Strats, LPs and Teles, so if you can't decide on which basic models to go for ot if you need all 3, the Nighthawk will be great.

Personally speaking, the Nighthawk sound suits me perfectly - I need a bit of everything. I play it through a Marshall VS100RH and 1960A 4x12. As mentioned earlier, it can model Stats, LPs and Teles. However, the sounds are not perfect copies. In Statocaster mode (push-pull pot out) the regular single-coils sound a lot richer than the Strat coils, because of the delicious mahogany body and glued-on neck. There is also a pickup option that gives both neck and bridge coils together so you can have that middle Tele position that a Statocaster cannot achieve. That particular sound is a tad bright for my liking; it seems to work better on a real, heavier Telecaster. While the Nighthawk can copy the pu combinations of LPs and SGs, don't expect them to sound the same. The pickups, especially the slanted bridge humbucker, give a much larger range of frequencies, so if you need a thick LP-like sound it is necessary to experiment with the tone knob. To sum up, the NH is very versatile BUT if you want a particular sound then I suggest you get that particular guitar.

The guitar was shipped to Oz in pretty good shape and looked fantastic. The only problem was that the pickup selection wiring was slightly dodgy and in need of a dose or two of contact cleaner and 2-26. However on that note, I have no problems now. Although the guitar was set up fine to be played immediately, I like to fiddle with pickup height and bridge adjustments myself.

I decided to install Schaller strap locks (gold, of course!) to give me that extra bit of surety on stage - it's not the sort of guitar you want to drop too often. Unfortunately I sweat a bit so the hardware needs cleaning now and then, and my neck mini-HB is a bit faded now. I always took a spare axe to gigs UNTIL I had a Nighthawk, and then I just didn't bother because I new subconsciously it would never let me down. I always play live with reasonably fresh strings, and there is no chance of them snapping on me at that stage.

In Australia I only get the opportunity to work through my dealer, but Billy Hyde's are a great ambassador for Gibson. The guitar has a 12-month warranty, which is a bit short for a guitar that has a life-expectancy of many decades.

I have been playing (and buying) guitars forover 10 years (I am only 18) and the buying has now ceased. The Nighthawk is perfect for me. I found it by doing a LOT of web research and it was a pleasure to play in the flesh. The only things that trouble me at times are that the bridge HB is a tiny bit too different from the bridge HB of an SG or LP, and the inevitable problem of the single coils being noticeably quieter than the Humbuckers. Otherwise it is everything I could have asked for. Recently I discovered that Nighthawks are now redundant, so I am grateful that I got one while they were around. Thanks, Gibson, this guitar is a treat.

Made in USA- 3 Pickups H/S/H. Push-pull switch with 5 way selector Mahogany neck & body. Maple top.Tranparent amber. Gold fittings. W Case. Price paid #550 sterling. (new bu s/soiled- lacquer checking).

The most versatile guitar you can get. Nearly emulates strat, etle and LP sounds. If you can't get the tone you want with this, give up!

Beautifully set up on arrival and I haven't had to adjust anything major in 3 years. I don't know if this is the dealer's or Gibson's credit, but it is wonderful. Most guitars need a lot more attention than this!

Light and built tough. This is a quality machine and will outlast it's owner!

I asked them a question only once and they sent me a ree shirt and a free set of strings! Can you give 11 out of 10?

I have a few guitars. if I had to keep only one this would be it.I would buy one again tomorrow if it were lost. I just wish the case didn't have that silly cover inside and had an inside which was a less repugnant color! The versatility is the best feature and it is a beautiful player. All my pals who try it want to but it! If you like Les Pauls but find them too heavy this is a good choice. Not quite a beefy, but close and gives a whole spectrum of sound (and looks odd!).

to get a better view of what the PUs can do. All hardware is good and sturdy. It seems to have the same tuners as my Les Paul, but they don't slip as much, and I actually TRUST these strap buttons.

Very versitile. Basically, this is like a multipass fax machine. It does a lot of things well, but nothing great, with maybe the exception of both HumBuckers together. Sustain is fine for me. I would say if you were looking at a Strat, try this out (and I own a '57 reissue). I bought this guitar on the trip that I made to buy a Telecaster Plus! I hated this guitar for about a year, but one day, I played it, and we made up!

Action sucked when I got, but, it had been hanging a while. A proper setup fixed all of those complaints. Finish is a bit disappointing. I have the translucent amber finish that I love BUT, the maple underneat is the cause of diappointment. Unlike quilted/flamed maple tops, this top is only quilted/flamed in some places, other places it just looks like wood grain. It sounds good, so, who cares. One thing that I've noticed on this and my Les Paul is the the nut for the low E string isn't filed enough for ten's. You really notice this when you play a G tone. For the longest time, I just thought I was pushing too hard on my frets (which are higher than my Strat's which I like better), but it was the nut. So, remember that when changing strings. Also, lubricate your nut often!

This guitar has fallen off of a stand, and it is fine. It's solid, despite it's look. I've used it for live playing often! I might still replace the buttons w/ Schaller strap locks, but, the gold ones are WAY too expensive for me...

I've dealt with Gibson before, and they've been a GREAT help to me when I had problems with my Chet Atkins SST (which I had to send back to have the electronics replaced). My neck is higher on the treble side than the bass side around the 14th fret. Though this CAN be a problem, it hasn't been THAT bad. I warn you that if you send a guitar to Gibson to be fixed, expect not to see it for about two months. I took my Chet Atkins SST to be returned on July 4, and it's not back yet and it's August 14!!! THough, they do take car of their problems....

If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have asked you how much will you give me for it, but now, I will NEVER sell it. This guitar seems to be kinda rare or limited. Not even Guitar Center carries it. I plan on holding on to it all my life, unless a 57 original Strat comes my way... She's a keeper...

I bought this new in 1998, so I assume it was made in '98 or late '97. It was made by Gibson in the USA. It's one of Gibson's more unique models: it features a mahogany neck and body with a bookmatched flamed (almost quilted) maple top which is flat (not arched). The finish is called "translucent amber"--it's sort of a shiny gold color. The fingerboard is rosewood, with 22 normal Gibson frets (medium-large and squarish) marked by double-parallelogram inlays. Both the body and 'board are bound. The scale length is a Fenderish 25.5 inches rather than Gibson's usual 24.75", but other than that, the shape and dimensions of the neck are very close to a Gibson slim-taper neck, with a 1 5/8" nut width. The body itself is similar in shape to a Les Paul with its single cutaway. The tuners are normal Gibson 3-to-a-sides. The bridge is a string-thru-body unit with adjustable saddles, much closer to a newer Telecaster bridge (or a hardtail Strat) than Gibson's usual Tune-o-matic. The pickups are as follows: a slanted humbucker in the bridge, a gold-covered mini-bucker in the neck, and a normal single-coil between them. It has 1 volume knob and a push-pull tone pot along with a 5-way strat-style switch. With the tone pot pulled up, both 'buckers are tapped and the switching is just like a Strat: 1-bridge, 2-bridge+mid, 3-mid, 4-mid+neck, 5-neck. With the tone down, the switching is a little confusing until you realize what they're doing: the first three positions are like a Les Paul: 1-bridge humbucker, 2-both humbuckers, 3-neck humbucker. Position 4 gives you the middle single coil and the bridge humbucker together, while position five gives you the bridge+neck single coils together. Finally, it came with a nice Gibson hardshell case with pinkish/purplish lining which, I must say, looks "royal" with all the goldish hues on the instrument. Oh, yeah, did I mention it has gold hardware? I also got a combination screwdrive/truss rod wrench. I give it a 9 because it has all the features I can think of that I want, and none that I don't want (like a whammy bar), but there's still a chance of something better.

I bought this guitar because of its versatility. Actually, it starts off sounding very nice acoustically. The unplugged sound is warm and woody, yet very detailed and sensitive, much like a good Les Paul. It's resonant enough that it's hard to believe it's solid. (But that's true of most mahogany-bodied guitars.) Plug it in, and that's where the surprise comes. The sound with the humbuckers is warm, full, "juicy," although probably a little brighter and firmer than most Les Pauls, due to the longer scale. The bridge 'bucker is as good with distortion as any Gibson should be, with lots of detail. The neck pickup brings out a lot of the guitar's acoustic richness--good for jazz. The two 'buckers together gives a mellow but very detailed sound that I had never tried before, but I like it. Then you pull out the tone pot...and this is the big surprise. This guitar can really TWANG! The bridge pickup is not as twangy as a Telecaster, but I'd have to say it is much closer than a Strat can get. The 2+4 positions give a very convincing glassy sound--you can easily "grok" the tone from "Sweet Home Alabame." The middle pickup was a surprise, as it's usable and actually very good for SRV-type sounds. The neck single is a little dissapointing, though--it sounds rather weak, probably because of the cover. It may sound a lot like a vintage Tele neck pickup, but I've never really played with those much. Finally, the outside single coils together sound very detailed, while Gibson's "bonus" pickup combo, which I'd never thought of before (middle SC+bridge bucker) gives a very fat twang which I actually kind of like, although I haven't found a real use for it yet. I'm very happy with the sounds this thing makes. It's the most versatile guitar I've ever played--more so than a PRS. And I must say, if you're looking for Gibson and Fender sounds, this is much better than a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge for that Tele-ish twang and for the bridge+middle glassy sounds. I tried 'em side by side. I played through a Fender tube amp in the store, and through a Fender SS amp at home. It sounded better through the amp in the store. That's not the guitar's fault, though. Oh, all the settings are very quiet.

Well, set-up wasn't great from the store, but I can't complain. This guitar, along with a lot of other Gibsons including 5 (I think) identical Nighthawks, was moved from a store in Cleveland to where I bought it in Columbus, and I have never played a guitar that had been sitting out in a store that was perfect. Also, the store was air-conditioned, and my house isn't (and it's summer in Ohio), so the setup changed a little when I got home. And the strings on it were old, sticky, and way to stiff even thought they were only 10's. I put on D'Addarios at home which, for some reason, sounded crappy on this guitar. The nut slot for the D string was a little too low and caused it to buzz when played open. So, I took it back to the store since they had offered to do free set-up work on it within 30 days, and while it's not a professional set-up, they were friendly and fixed the nut and did a full set up on it. They also put Gibson strings on it, which sound a lot better. (Still don't know why.) I still could tighten the truss rod and raise the E and B strings a little, though. Also, the bridge pickup is not level, front-to-back, which causes the bridge single-coil sound to be a little weak. And the middle is a little too high, and the neck is a little too low. But that's just so hard to adjust--it takes complex tools like a Phillips screwdriver. Someday, I'll get around to it though. Honestly, though, the set-up was pretty good. All the notes rang out nicely and were easy to play, which is a lot more than I can say for some guitars I've found in music stores. The frets are very level and smooth, but are not polished to a mirror. Fine with me, they don't stay that way anyhow. The top is much nicer than I would expect for this price--nicer than a lot of more expensive Les Pauls I've seen. The mahogany and the rosewood look very nice, too, although most people overlook them. I haven't found any flaws in the finish--very nice. The inlays look great. The only flaw I found is two very small cracks in the fingerboard binding. And a lot of fingerprints...oh, sorry, that's not Gibson's fault, that's my fault. :-)

I've only had this guitar for about 2 1/2 weeks now, and I don't play live yet (not on guitar, anyhow). I saw an MTV video where they threw a Les Paul out a 3rd-story window and it didn't break. I'm not going to try it, but I think this guitar is sturdily-built. The neck is stable--it stays in tune while it's in its case. I don't intend to abuse this guitar, but I don't imagine I'm going to hurt it when I inevitably knock the headstock against a few things. The finish seems durable, although I may eventually wear the finish off the back of the neck. The pieces (switches, tuners, etc.) feel solid. The strap buttons are secure, but smallish, so I intend to order the LockStrap system from Stewart-MacDonald sometime (you don't have to modify the guitar with this one.) I'd be a little wary of using anything without a backup, but hey, I use my trombone at jazz gigs without a backup all the time. When I get better and serious about gigging with a guitar, maybe I'll get and Epiphone Nighthawk as a backup...

I've never dealt with Gibson. It does have a lifetime warranty. My teacher has dealt with Gibson and thought they were helpful.

I've owned two Ibanezes, and I don't need them any more--this guitar is much better than either of them. I've been looking long and hard for a good electric, and this won out over PRS (I think their shape is ugly, they are overpriced, and they sure don't sound as good as this), and Parker Fly (I was very dissapointed with the workmanship on Parkers) although some day I may still get a G&L, Carvin, Heritage, etc. I also think Gibsons play better than Heritage, personally. It's cheaper (in price) than a Hamer. It's the first electric I've owned that isn't put to shame by my acoustic in terms of quality. Now I can actually play electric instead of complaining about it.