Gibson Nighthawk Standard (3 Pickup model)

Some time ago I submitted a review that was extremely critical of my Gibson Nighthawk. I Recently moved. I had formerly lived on a ranch. For a few days, the Nighthawk was the only Gibson I had that was accessible. So, I played it one night and was startled at the fullness and richness of the tones it was producing. I don't know how to account for the difference, other than the fact that the ranch house I was living in was very old and had really old wiring and electrical system. This review is intended to correct my former review.

The minihumbucker is a unique pickup. I find that their tone might be a little limited or one-dimensional in the case of a Les Paul DeLuxe or a Firebird.

The Nighthawk setup, on the other hand, puts the minihumbucker in the neck pickup and allows it to be used in combination with the middle (single coil) pickup or the bridge (humbucking) pickup. When used in combination witht he other pickups, the tone put out by the Nighthawk's minihumbucker is still unique, but much less limited or one dimensional than is the case where a minihumcucker is being used alone.

The tone is great. I play mostly using the minihumbucker and the middle pickup. The tone is more full and more versatile than I get from a strat with single coils (though less "woody" sounding), but with a little more clarity, definition and midrange sizzle than I can get out of my Les Paul. I can't really get this tone out of any other guitar that I own (and I own a lot of them), and I really like the tone a lot. I recorded a few songs with it, and it sounded really, really nice on playback. Clean or heavily distorted, it retained it's character, stood out and cut through well.

I can't get the action as low as I can on some other guitars, but that's fine. The action is not a problem, and I actually prefer to keep it a tad higher on this guitar because bends sound really nice on it, and I think they sound a little better with the action a smidgen higher.

I still think Gibson was stupid to leave those ugly bolts exposed on either side of the pickup selector.

The flamed wood is nice. It's enough to notice and to look good, but not so much as to be gawdy or gouche. It's about like the flame you would see on some of the old vintage Les Paul bursts. I actually prefer it to something that's a little more "Flame-zilla."

I've gigged it a couple of times, and some guitar players who I respect recognized the guitar and were more than a little curious about it. They had nice things to say about its tone and its appearance. They were less charitable when it came to comments about my musicianship.

Lastly, the guitar is light (unlike a Les Paul) and well-balanced (unlike the Firebird).

The guitar is pretty durable. I have abused it and neglected it for a long time. It has survived.

No idea.

I don't know if it's actually a 10, but I rated it so low a year or so ago that I need to rate it at a 10 to compensate. It certainly is a "fantastic value." I'm bidding on another one as I write this.

'95 Nighthawk Std,3 pickups,thru-body bridge, quality mahogany neck and body,firebusrt bookmatched flame-maple top,gold hardware,body and neck binding,parallelogram inlays,vintage kluson type tuners,5-way switch,volume and push/pull tone,long-scale neck,rosewood board,medium vintage frets,single cutaway solid body,hardshell case.

This guitar suits any style you can play,IF you can play.Only a small minority of reviewers dislike this guitar for reasons indicative of their mental and musical limitations rather than the guitar's.The tones available are virtually unlimited;they could have named it the Chameleon for its' tonal color changeability;most impressive and inspiring.

Construction and materials exceed many of Gibson's more popular(and expensive!) guitars;celebrity association would have tripled the price of this amazing,out of production guitar.

Built to the highest standards available,set neck,lightweight aged hardwoods,USA made electronics(all three pickups unique to this instrument)totally reliable.

Surprisingly better than expected regarding questions about instruments purchased used.

30 years exp,have a StratRI and Les Paul Custom,Fender tube amps.This was recommended to me by another experienced player who said it was the most versatile guitar ever;eh was right.Complaints on this seem to be from players that expect it to be something it isn't,or that its' complex switching doesn't make sense.To them I say,it is what it is,and well worth the effort to get to know it.An exceptional value for the open-minded guitarist looking for maximum tonal variety,and a great looking,lightweight guitar to boot!

It has a lot of features.

The sound of this guitar is remarkably unimpressive. I play through two different amps--a Marshall AVT and a '65 Fender Dual Showman. Both are piped into cabinets loaded with Celestions. This guitar sucks through each of them. That in itself is an achievement.

The minihumbucker in the neck is anemic, and gets worse when the coils are split. I own a Gibson Firebird with mini humbuckers which are fairly powerful. This pickup sounds nothing like the pickups in the Firebird.

The bridge pickup is thin and weak also.

The middle pickup is more--or less--of the same.

What this guitar lacks in tone it makes up for in lack of sustain.

The guitar looks pretty good, and the action is acceptable. Nothing special, but nothing obnoxious. My biggest objection relates to the ugly Frankenstein bolts on either side of the pickup selector. What is up with THAT? For the love of GOD, couldn't Gibson have done something to conceal those unsightly chunks of metal?

Unfortunately, being a Gibson, nthis guitar probably won't break or stop working, so I'll be stuck with it, and one of my kids will probably inherit it and be stuck with it, also. It will be the guitar that wouldn't go away. It's like a cockroach. It will never die. Unfortunately. But then again, it certainly won't be overused.

Even if I called Gibson, what would I ask them? "Hey, I bought a guitar on e-bay, and it's a Gibson, but I have one little complaint: it sucks and I hate it." I doubt they would respond in a way that would address my concerns. On the other hand, I have yet to receive any response from them whatsoever regarding problems with the vibrola in a Firebird I bought new. It's only been a few MONTHS, though. For that, I'll mark them down.

I have been playing for too long to suck as badly as I do. I own over 20 guitars, my favorites being an old Zion Bent T, a Carvin EA185 thinline, a Gibson Firebird VII and a Washburn e-100. If all of my other guitars burned in a fire, and I only had the nighthawk left, I would skip the gig, or would play a kazoo instead, kind of a Spinal Tap Mach 2 thing. I don't know what I would do if someone stole it. I keep leaving it outside at nights, next to a sign that says, "Don't Beware. There's No Dog Here. And No Alarm System. And I'm Out of Town." Sadly, I look out the door each morning and it's still there.

Light and easy to fit, very versatile, good access to upper fret

I almost play blues and classic rock, I owned the guitar since 98 so I plaied it thru Fender Hot Rods, Fender Prosonic, Fender Blues Junior, Peavey Classic 30. The guitar always sounded great and I preferred it to a Custom PRS that I finally sold.
The huge pickup combination gives a lots of tones (a couple of them I never used) but the real plus of the guitar is the dynamic and the response to the right hand touch, simply incredible and much more then Fenders, PRS and other Gibsons I owned.

Action as bought was a little high, some adjustement was needed. The guitars gives not its best in this department. Finish is not as good as Guild (just to mention one) for this price range

No problem in 6 years

Very good axe to play with

Gibson Nighthawk Standard 3 pickup. Made in USA. Mine is a 95 model with the vintage sunburst finish. Beautiful flamed finish which you can see the wood grain thru. Maple top, mahoghany back and neck, rosewood fingerboard with parallelogram inlays, mother of pearl gibson headstock logo and "crown" logo, mini humbucker, hi-output single coil center pickup, and slanted humbucker bridge pickup. Bridge is string thru. One volume, one tone with coil split, and a 5-way pickup selector finish.

I play mostly clean sounds and Jazz thru my little Fender Frontman 25 amp with a zoom 1010 effect and it sounds absolutely great! You can get 10 variations of tones with the pickup selectors and coil tap, as well as tweaking your amp and effects. This guitar has sounds similar to a strat, les paul, and tele all in one package. Lots of sustain as well.

The fit and finish is great. A small guitar but very solid. I did have to do some tweaking on the intonation and truss rod, but that's just normal adjustments over time. The gold plated hardware was a bit dirty and tarnished when I purchased it, due to lack of cleaning from the previous owner(s), but after a little cleaning and polishing, it looks like a mint guitar again. Very little fret wear on mine. I suspect it was played very little. The flamed maple top was beautiful and the finish is nice and glossy. I changed the vintage kluson tuners to the modern Gibson Grover tuners and it makes a world of difference.

It's a Gibson so I predict exceptional reliability and durability. Mine is a 95 that I bought used so it's about 9 years old now. Absolutely nothing wrong. Everything works.

I Haven't dealt with Gibson for repairs.

My Gibson Nighthawk Standard (3-pickup) has a Floyd Rose on it - that;s one reason I go ti - 'cause I wanted a GOOD guitar with a locking nut and whammy bar. I bought it in 1994, and it had been on the wall for a while. It is mahogany brown with the translucent amper maple top. I had the control diagram before I even bought the thing, and while the controls are confusing, they are not "crap". Some people can drive a 3-speed, and some can drive a 13-speed Roadranger on a semi - check out the differenc ebetween the twom and youll be fine. The slanted humbucker at the bridge sounds fine, but it is a little thin, although it sounds fat enough after one has been in the single-coil mode. The single coil M-series pickup is a little bratty, but mid-position single coils often do sound this way. The mimi-humbucker at the neck has depth and clarity - always wanted a mimi, so, there it is. I like the amber finish. The body style is the top of a Les Paul, with a sharper, Florentine cutaway, and the bottom of an SG. Look at it next to the other guitars, and you will see the outlines match. The old-fashioned perloid tuners give kind of a Leon Redbone vibe, and I guess they were aiming at the C&W market. It's supposed to be a slim taper neck, but it feels like a 2x4 to me, and i can't play fast on it. It's a great rhythm guitar, though. I have played ina lot of jams and it cuts through everything - I was always told how good it sounded. I have no problem with the split parallelogram position markers, and I like the little torch logo on the peghead, or whatever that thing is. I got the girly-pinkcase with it. The case falls over - it won't stand up.

It's a little thin for me, but I had my favorite Pretenders and Grateful Dead settings, and it worked. I can play anything on any guitar, up to a point, so I'm not finicky about exactitude. I can do great Neil Young stuff on it, but it does sound tweezy at times - I wish I could run the bridge and neck pickups in series to compensate for that. I run it through a Marshall Slash Head, and a Laney VC-30. I use a Boss M/EX with an MXR compressor, an Ibanez tube screamer, a Boss Turbo overdirve, and a Metal Zone pedal, plus all the f/x in the M/EX. It's very quiet. I tried Dean Markley cryogenic strings, and it was too shrill. I switched back to Gibson Les Paul 9's, and then GHS nickle strings, and it was back to being ok. The guitar has 10 sounds - 5 in low range, and 5 in high range, kind of like a Mack truck. Bridge humbucker pickup is with the switch all the way towards the bridge, like a Strat. It's brassy, like a trumpet, and some of theis is from the maple top. The next position back is the two humbuckers together, in parallel, I assume. the middle position is the mini-humbucker - it's bassy, but very clear. the next one back is the bridge humbucker and the M-series middle pickup, perhaps out of phase. It has the Sttrat sound, but it is meatier - kind of like a Fat Strat with the humbucker at the bridge, out of phase with the middle pickup. The last position, all the way back, is the mimi in single coil mode, with the humbucker in single coil mode. It sounds like a Tele to me. Run it through a chorus and play "Back on the Chain Gang" by the Pretenders, and you're there. Now, pull the shift knob up, and flip that switch back to first gear in high range. All the way toward the bridge is single coil at the bridge - Strat-like. Next one back is the out of phase, chickin' pickin' tone of Motown and Nashville. The middle position is the M-series pickup by itself - a little bratty, and loud. It is a good choice when you need your rhythm part to cut through the guy blazing away with his cardboard-tone sustain machine. You can get some nice Hendrix flavors out of this, especially if you wiggle the vibrato with the edge of your hand a little bit. Next position back is the middle pickup and the single coil of the mini-humbucker together, in phase, I would guess. It doesn't sound like bass & celery, so I think it's in phase. A good place to play rhytm without being too out front. All the way back is the mimi-humbucker in single coil mode. Clear but not shrill, and with a good bas accent. I like the guitar for wha it is. It is a very small guitar, sort of a super Les Paul Special, of the mini-humbucker type. The neck is thick, though. It has always been hard on my hand, and I can't play fast on this one.

I had the action set way down low once, but I raised it back up. The middle pickup is a bit brash - maybe I should lower it. The top is a very nice bookmatched maple. The finish is very nice - I can't find anything wrong with it.

This is a very relaible guitar, from my POV. My first Gibson, rock solid. Hardware seems good to me, but I don't gig. Finish looks yough. Starp buttons work fine. I have depended on it - I have played out with this more then any other guitar since the 70's. I have used it without a backup, and would. It is my main axe, although I play many others.

Don't know.

I've been playing for 38 years, and I got the Nighthawk before started seriously collecting guitars and gear. I play it through a Marshall Slash Head with a 1936 cab. I bought it as it became marked down, and I thought it would be a step closer to a Les Paul. I had been playing a Guild Burnside Blade (H/S/S) for my whammy bar and Strat sounds, which I still have. I played the guitar a lot before I bought it. If it were stolen, I 'm not sure. If I could find one like it, yes, I would replace it. I love the broader, brassier Fender style tones and the Floyd Rose vibrato. I hate the neck. I never had wrist pain until I started on this thing. My favorite feature is thatyou can move the pickup switch through the "gears" sequentially, or you can push the coil-tap switch in or out, and "jump" from the same gear in one range to the other, like Bridge Humbucker to bridge single coil, or Mini-humbucker to middle pickup, or bridge and neck single coil to neck single coil. Also, I like to use the vibrato without the bar - I just wiggle it with the edge of my hand. I played a nice darkburst Les Paul at the time that came down to $1600 eventually, but I couldn't afford it. The Nighthawk appealed to my sense of electronic efficiency (something I learned about from Alembic in 1974), and I didn't know about the Jimmy Page at that time. I wish it had a fatter sound in the humbucker mode - at least one, so I could do Neil Young dive bombing on it and not have it sound Motown-like. I'd like to say that when I first got that Nighthawk, I felt that I had something very special, and it turned some heads, too. It's such a tiny guitar! And even though I can't play as well on it as I'd like, it sounds really good at gigs. I've been told many times. So I think it is a very nice guitar, just not all that it could be. I am an L5S fan, and I can neither find nor afford one now. I might get rid of some guitars if I could find an L5S and afford it!

Not sure exactly when mine was made, but I believe it was in '94. I could be wrong, though. I can't complain about this guitar, it has just about every feature you could want on a quality guitar, and then some. Pretty much the same as everyone else, 3 pickups, volume, and tone knobs. Coil tap under the tone makes a difference, but not one that I'd get excited about. Five way pickup selector, 22 frets, Kluson tuners, and a nice, moderately flamed maple top in the fireburst finish.

The style of music that my band plays is classic rock and blues, with the occasional jazz fusion instrumental thrown in. I play mostly bass now, but when I do get the oppurtunity to do guitar work, this ax fits in nicely. I've loved these 'hawks since they came out. About the same time these were introduced, I was looking for my second guitar. I played a Nighthawk, and a Les Paul Studio. I really didn't do an intense comparison, it more or less came down to which one I liked better for sound and looks. They both sounded great, but the LP won out. I think that was more because of the name. Anyway, you can get almost any sound you desire out of it, but since I use it with a Peavey Transformer 112, I really don't get to appreciate the variety. I mainly use a bluesy distortion, and a boosted clean sound when I play, so I'm not out to re-create a Strat sound, or anything else for that matter. I just like the fact that it sounds great, and is so much lighter than the Les Paul. So I guess that the Nightawk won out over the LP after all. The pickups are real quiet, and haven't given me any problems. A+

I got this guitar from a pawn shop off eBay, and that was back in April. It was in pristine shape when I got it, and has been babied since. I haven't done a thing to this guitar except re-string it, and it sounds just fine. No truss rod or pickup adjustments,(that's right, NONE!), no new tuners, and no wiring maintenance! After 7 months, with no major work done to it, this guitar has held its tune, and hasn't disappointed me yet! Most new guitars off the rack need at least new strings. and an adjustment here and there. Considering what I paid, and what some guitars equal to this, are going for nowadays, I got real lucky.

This guitar has and will withstand live playing. Granted I don't put it through the abuse most guitarists do, since I do a lot of bass work now, but it has held up, and I wouldn't have any problems using it without a backup. (Although, that is usually discouraged) The finish has held up, with the exception of a little wear on the gold plating. But hey, you can't expect it to not show SOME signs of wear! I can't say whether the finish will hold up or not, it'll probably outlast me, with the amount of work I give it. The strap buttons are solid, and haven't caused any problems, eventhough the one by the neck seems like it sits too high on the body, and your strap will pop off if you move the wrong way.

Never dealt with them, but there's tons of info about these guitars out there on the web. If Gibson couldn't help me, I'm sure I could get it elsewhere.

I've been playing for 11 years now, and I have to say that this is one of the guitars that I truly enjoy playing. I own around 25, and have bought and sold many others. I've got Gibsons, Peaveys, Ibanez', Corts, Epiphones, Fernandes', Danelectros and a few other miscellaneous types. Sorry Fender fans, nothing to report yet! I have a Peavey Transformer 112, Peavey Classic 30, a Pignose G40V, a small Crate tube practice amp, and a Peavey Megabass practice amp. There are also several foot pedals I use. (TOO MUCH STUFF!) I'm not as good as I could be, which means I could've used many more hours of practice back when I first started. I knew what this guitar could do when it came out, and I'm glad that I finally managed to get one. Where I live, not many of these were on the store walls, so I couldn't find one until I got on eBay earlier this year. It is by far, one of my best guitars, and I'll never sell it. Should it get lost or stolen, it "will" get replaced! And pity the person who stole it, because you would be found and beaten mercilessly about the head, numerous times! I love the fact that this guitar has the versatility it posseses, and can fit into almost any genre of music. I also love the fact that its a Gibson, and it's light! Something you don't find on many of their products these days. If you've ever thought of getting a Les Paul, and have the oppurtunity to play one of these, give it a chance. Don't be like I was years ago, and go for the Les Paul name. Don't get me wrong I love the LPs, and I'll never get rid of mine. But, if you are looking for a Gibson which can do a lot for you, and save some money too, then this might be the way for you to go. Gibson did good with this one!

Ok this isn't exactly a review, but I wanted to get this information out for everyone to see, because it is valuable.

I bought a '93 gibson nighthawk in about 1995. It had been on the wall for quite sometime. This was when I was just beginning to play guitar and this was my first non pawnshop electric.

I was never COMPLETELY satisfied with this guitar. I thought that it was definitely a pro quality instrument, but that its sounds were somewhat dissapointing. I can't place my finger on the dissapointing quality. Maybe jangly... thin... trebly... etc are in the ballpark, but there was something more about the sound that just kinda sucked. Not to say that the overall tone of the guitar sucked, I played many a gig with the thing, but that it just didn't sound as good as I thought it oughta.

Well I have transformed the instrument with about $50 in parts and some spare time. What I now have is a wuality instrument that will rival the sounds of just about any guitar... and certainly any guitar that cost a total of $600.

MOD 1:

I changed the bridge saddles. The cast ones that were on there inparted a rather strong clang tone. That is fine if you like that sorta thing... but there was no bloom to the notes. I installed a set of vintage strat saddles (the kind made of bent sheet metal). They barely fit because they were a touch wider, but everything went on and is functional. That improved the sound of the guitar tenfold. It was then possible to play a jazz melody on the instrument.

MOD 2:

I spoke at length with bill lawrence of pickup producing fame about this guitar. He indicated that he couldn't make pickups for this guitar, but he did give me a greater understanding of the instrument. He was at gibson during the design and production of this instrument. He agreed that fundamentally this was a fine instrument, but he disagreed with the wiring scheme. Under his advice I simply rewired it. I used a standard 5 way switch and a non dpdt (push pull) tone pot. This made a HUGE difference in the sound!!!! I now have a guitar that has 5 high quality sounds rather than 10 so so sounds.

I HIGHLY recommend that everyone try this. If you don't like it... you can always change it back...

Check this link for more information on how to get it back to its original shape...

Check these links for more information on how to get it wired like I wired it.

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/pickups/gibson.html
This link provides info on which wire from the pickups to solder where

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/i-0032/index.html
This link has a diagram on strat wiring. Just ignore the connections to the tone pot... have the wire from the switch to the volume pot and then wire your tone pot to the volume pot. Pay close attention to which lugs are which on the switch. It took me several attempts to get it right, but I tried to rush it.

I'm trying to decide on the best values for pots and caps... but that is a personal choice... I think that rewiring the switch and tone pot is a personal choice as well, just one that would be made by everyone in a blind taste test.

If you have trouble with this wiring procedure, email me, and I'll try to come up with a diagram or something.

surfingwolf@hotmail.com

Have fun and enjoy your music.

Sonny

1997 model, standard three pickup with translucent amber finish.
Maple top, mahogany neck and back. Standard gold-plated hardtail, string thru body. The usual story. Thin neck, fast player and oh so comfortable. Longer than Gibson scale length, so it feesl like a Fender.
The most versatile guitar ever made as far as I can see. I have some reservations about the long-term stability of the neck and also it looks pretty bad!

Very versatile indeed. Has very powerful bass (using mainly Ernie Ball 10-46 ) and very clear sounding for humbuckers, with the humbucker selections. Does not sound like a strat or tele or LP (have all...this is different) similar, but not the same , but is very very good indeed. Sounds more explorer like (think Johnny Winter) in humbucker modes. A fabulous sounding guitar and sustains until next Xmas.
Bad news for Fender fans, this knocks spots off my strats and teles. There are a couple of selection positions I'd never use, but out of 10 you can't quibble. If it has a fault it is giving you too much choice. if you are really particular about tone, you could go nuts experimenting with the pickup selections on tap.

Beautiful set up. A small finish flaw (made it cheap to buy), but the usual very high quality Gibson finish, with AA and gorgeous with it top. How they made this kind of guitar for so little money is beyond me. It REEKS of class. The binding is just so, fret markers right etc. Tiny overspill on the finish in one spot. You wouldn't get that in a $4000 guitar, but for one half the price of an LP that does three times as much...The finishe on similarly priced teles isn't as good, but then again, neither are is the quality of the components.

Probably not the most robust guitar in history, but I have had 4 years and no sign of a problem yet. No wear so far, but the gold will come off. Why use it? Quality stuff, but I suspect the neck may not outlive me (unlike an LP or 335 would).

I asked Gibson a question once and they sent me a T shirt and a set of strings ...all the way to Europe. Cool, or what?

Playing badly for 30 years. Play mainly with a Fender deluxe reverb 2, but also a Blues Cube. The latter is very choosy and only this and a couple of teles sound even remotely cool with it. Variety of stuff, and this does it all easily. I have several guitars, including the main ones. If I had to have only one guitar, this would be it, which says it all, really. It is light, does all sorts of stuff, well built and easy to play. What else do you want? Won't break your back either or go funny on tuning. This is better than my strat, better than my LP, better than my tele plus and tele with RI pickups (even with ash body). Every time I play it I think about selling the rest, and when you look at what you get for the money compared with a Fender you just want to laugh. This is way better built all the way round. Pound for pount the best guitar I have ever owned or seen, bar none (and I am really a telecaster guy).

Let's get this part straight first, this will not be a glowing interview. After owning Les Pauls, V's, Explorers and SG's over the years, This was the guitar that pushed me away from Gibson forever.

Squat single cutaway, vaguely lap-steel-ish body style.. flame top on mahogony bosy andneck.. 22 fret on 25-1/2 scale.. vt5 controls with wierdo wiring so bad, you need a booklet just to get through it.. firebird pickup, single coil, slanted humbucker.. 2 color burst, relatively attractive.. strings through bridge.. crappy lightweight vintage-style tuners.. gig bag (uuggghhhhhh, these things should be banned, they're a cop-out invented by cheap guitar companies).

The fingerboard with parallelograms looked like it was filed down with a rasp between the nut and first fret, but it was level when I got it used from elderly instruments. That suggests that the fingerboard was poorly finished when it left the factory and someone later had to do some surgery.

Sounded like crap. The bridge pickup was dull and lifeless, and no one makes a replacement, except I think maybe gibson put out a few "high gain" retrofits right before they pulled the plug on the series. The output wasn't the problem, it had no tone. The single coil middle was also muddy, no sparkle. Again, and odd shape, can't be replaced. I once read where henry Juskawiecz (sp?) wanted to "brighten up" the firebird pickup.. congrats henry, you ruined it. The neck pickup was way too bright and did not sound like a classic firebird pickup at all. At least you could replace that one with a Duncan, although Seymour doesn't make one with a gold plated cover. The 5-way switch and knobs was positioned great, not too far and not too close.. too bad the wiring is a joke. Where's the bridge humbucker? position four with the tone knob pulled up? Yeah, that's handy. Ten muddy combinations, several too similar to be any good.

I got it used from Elderly, which had pretty good customer service. See the above note about the fingerboard being apparently filed down. I don't know who did it.

Wouldn't know. I got so sick of the pos, I sold it within months. Some guy in Sacramento gave me .09 on the dollar, so let it be his problem.

Called Gibson for a booklet on how to navigate the wiring.. they sent it, grudgingly.

-- How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
27 years. I've had strats, teles, this and that. These days I play highly individualized Warmoths through a beaty '64 bassman and 212 cab.
-- Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
Yeah.. "does it suck real bad?" That would have saved a lot of time and money.
-- If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
First I would have rejoiced, then I would have gotten something else.
-- What do you love about it?
Love, nothing. Like? The finish was good. The weight was good. The goofy body shape was comfortable.
-- The What do you hate?
Everything else.
-- What is your favorite feature?
The fact that, just like me at that time in the 90's, some people would pay for any old Gibson guitar just because of the name on the headstock. But for me, no more. I'm sick of being disappointed by lifeless, soul-less Nashvile-made Gibson guitars.
-- Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
No, N/a, and "on a lark".
-- Anything you wish it had?
Listen up Henry, this may be a workable idea: Take the cool, bright snappy and noiseless pickups and electronics out of the cheap, basla wood Blueshawk.. and put them in the mahogony and maple Nighthawk (w/flame and w/parallelograms).. and sell it for under a grand with a case. Nah, not when you can sell the exact same les paul for 2-3-4-5-6 thousand dollar markups, depending on what name you screw on to the trussrod cover.

Anything else you'd like to share?
Maybe when you get old you get grumpy. I don't know, but this guitar made me say, "never again" to gibson guitars. Since the move to nashville, I've played too many that fail to stand up to any competition, such as post '87 fenders.. pre-connecticut Hamers.. even heavy metal guitars like jacksons.. But most telling of all, those Heritage guitars made in the old Kalamazoo factory play sound and feel great, and they won't drain your 401k, like overpriced Gibsons will.

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.