Gmp Elite

I bought my Elite new last year from Guitar Center. I think the others have done a good job decsribing the many features this guitar is stocked with. I will add that the neck on mine is fat and wide like a PRS. They had another one and the neck was thinner so it's probably safe to say they vary.

I don't play one style but I consider myself a rock player if I have to pick one. The guitar sounds lively similar to maple but not as bright. It could be the thick maple top (3/4" deep) but the mahogany body and neck balance out the highs. The Seymour Duncans they use are perfect for this guitar. I've used the Custom in other guitars and it was to much or not enough. That is not the case in this guitar.

If you like light guitars then check out a PRS. This guitar is heavy but well balanced. The finish is thick but it doesn't compromise tone like you might expect. The maple top is flamed and very thick. Frets are 6130 I believe. It doesn't specify anywhere it just says jumbo on the tag. The frets seem a little sharp on the edge but I chalk this up to hanging on the wall at Guitar Center without maintainence. What else is new with those guys? They care more about vacuuming the floor than cleaning or giving setups to stock.

If it were stolen or lost I'd look for another one without hesitation. This is a great all around guitar. It's priced about the same as a PRS and out classes it in practically every way. I was introduced to these guitars from the feedback they got on their forum. It's a pity it's no longer around. I learned alot about these guitars from what I read especially from the person who ran it.

My GMP Elite has 22 frets and a rosewood fretboard with diamonds on the neck and no binding. It is finished in a beautiful amber-yellow quilt top and the back of the body and neck is wine like a Gibson. I would rate the top AAAA and definitely better than most PRS 10 tops. It has a volume and tone with 3 way selector switch along with 2 Duncan humbucking pickups which are passive. The tuners are Sperzel and the strings go through the body over a tunomatic type bridge.

The neck is set and there is no cumbersome heel. It feels alot like a PRS wide thin though not quite as thin. I really enjoy the jumbo sized frets-it makes bending easy. The GMP Elite is where PRS would be if he made it to the next level.

The GMP Elite has been suitable for everything I play so far. That says alot now that I play in 2 totally different bands. My main band is a ska style 311 hybrid and the other is your typical 90s grunge rock. I use a Boogie single rectifier in one band and a Framus Dragon in the other. I use Marshall anniversary cabinets with both.

Everything was peachy. One thing I noticed when changing pickup bezels from creme to black was the use of machine screws fastened into the body. I couldn't believe my eyes! How cool! I've never seen this used with any other guitar manufacturer. Great idea GMP!

For the good of not repeating myself I would add that the GMP Elite is solid all around. It is light in weight and heavy on sound.

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I highly recommend checking out the GMP Elite. This company pays attention to detail!

I don't know the year since I got it used. It was hand made in California according to the chap I bought it from. Gmp's elite is like a PRS but has a 25 1/2 inch neck and ebony fretboard. The inlays are diamond shaped and made from abalone like a Carvin. The maple top is a cross between a quilt and a flame and is 2 piece. It has a set neck that looks a neck through body. It has a string through the body bridge and 2 humbucking pickups that are zebra colored. According to the website they are seymour duncan. The thing I enjoy most about this guitar compared to a PRS is the small neck joint. I hate the heel from hell PRS does now. I have to admit it looks like so many other guitars made today but better quality them most I've seen. It has sperzel tuners that are easy to work with. You put the string in and twist the lock and thats all your done changing strings. It stays in tune great.

My music style is blues and I use a Germino amp (I also bought from the same seller as the elite). I really don't use effcts but sometimes I kick in a tube screamer that was modified by Keeley when I want to rock the house. The sound is creamy and the guitar responds well to my setup. I wish it had a coil splitter to get more strat tones. That is my only dislike so I will deduct a point.

The guitar was a gigging musicians main player so it has a few bumps and bruises. None appear to be from the factory. I can't really rate this catagory.

This guitar can obviously withstand live playing. Even though it was a player guitar it's still solid and presentable. The finish appears strong but it faded a little from long play time. The frets are still good for a guitar that was used so much. The seller I got it from plays in a cover band and used it like 4 or 5 nights a week for years.

I never had to deal with them.

I started playing in high school then stopped for a few years. I got back into playing about 3 years ago. If I didn't stop I would have discovered Gmp sooner. I wouldn't have wasted my money on a second PRS. I would have bought a second Gmp instead. I am seriously considering selling one if not both PRS to get another Gmp. I would love to get a new one.

I am the proud owner of a 1997 Gmp Elite guitar. I had it custom built for me by Dave Pearson and the crew at Gmp Guitars. GM Precision Products is located in San Dimas, California. Their phone number is (909) 592-5144.
For features, I will list "customer involvement" as number one.
I went into their factory and got to select the body, neck, and even the beautiful abalone inserts that they would use when they assembled my "dream" guitar. I chose a body with a very highly curled (ripped!) maple top and a beautiful mahogany back. The neck, which I selected from about 100 necks, was beautiful mahogany. I ordered an ebony fretboard. Gmp's ebony is of higher quality than most other manufacturers in that it is absolutely jet black. They don't need to dye it. Very high quality.
What they do from here is go to work on the body, expertly hand carving out the top and the back and routing it for whatever electronics you choose (there are many options). Then they put the neck on, and finish it to your specifications. I went for a vintage sunburst that is mindblowing!!!
The guitar is sort of like a cross between a strat and a hamer, it looks both vintage and modern at the same time!
Another key feature is that it is a string-through-body design (that is, unless you select a Floyd Rose). The tone is just incredible.
Customers may select from a variety of pickup options. I choose Tom Holmes pickups which are custom hand wound.
Also, you can select various electronics, I choose two volume controls with no tone controls. My thinking was that the less circuitry the signal has to pass through, the more pure the signal remains. Judging from the tone of this baby, it was a good choice.
Sperzel locking tuners are an option. I really like them.
One last feature, the bridge they use is absolutely amazing. The string sits on little "rollers." My playing style is hard blues and rock and I tend to get carried away with string bending. I have owned this guitar for almost two years and I HAVE NEVER BROKEN A STRING!!! With all my other guitars I seem to be replacing the high E string constantly.
The guitar comes with a nice hardshell case.

They say "Tone is King." Well this guitar is the king of tone! I am using this guitar with two amps now - a Victoria 35410 (for that classic vintage Fender sound), and a way cool Dr. Z Karmen Ghia 15 watt tube head with Dr. Z "Z Best" speaker cabinet (for that Marshall meets Vox on steroids sound). This guitar is at home with both amps.
The guitar is absolutely quiet... probably due to the fact that it is shielded extremely well, and only the highest quality parts and wire is used.
The Tom Holmes pickups are humbuckers. This guitar has a very full, rich sound and the notes are very complex harmonically.

Do you like low action? The action on this guitar so low that when I picked it up for the first time I thought there would be buzzes everywhere. There weren't.
The abalone inlays (which I hand selected) are absolutely beautiful, and are layed in the ebony fretboard expertly.
The only flaw, if you could call it that, that I found was one of my side marker dots was not as shiny as the other ones... I didn't hand pick these dots. But this is no big deal, and I'm the only one that knows, and it's really not that bad. It's just that the rest of the guitar is so over-the-top gorgeous that I wish this one dot were a bit more shiny. That's it. My only "complaint."

This guitar is ready to rumble! Hardware is top notch. Finish is superb. Strap buttons are of the locking variety - no worries. I can, and do depend on it for live gigs. I take it on gigs without a backup frequently. I used to carry a backup to gigs when I used other guitars... strings would break frequently when I bent the strings way up. But with this guitar I have never broken a string! (I keep thinking it will happen, but it just doesn't.)

Dave Pearson personifies "customer support." Very helpful in suggesting options. He took the time (probably several hours worth) to explain each step in the process of this guitar being custom built. If I ever have a problem with this guitar, I'm sure that Dave would go out of his way to get it resolved fully and quickly.

I have been playing seriously for 23 years. I have owned and/or played just about everything. It is really an irreplacable piece. If it were to get stolen, I could never get anything just like it again. I would go straight to Gmp, though, and go through the process of hand selecting the body, neck, electronics, finish... everything. All I can tell you is that if you are in the market for a serious quality guitar, you should call Gmp. It is best if you have them custom build an instrument to your specifications. You won't be sorry.