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Topic: New Gibson Zoot Suit Guitar |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 8:10 am |
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Wow. What were they smoking? Or perhaps the designer was a fan of those multi-layer jaw breakers? Jason & Todd, are you gonna offer this finish as an option on a Bel Aire or Clinesmith steel? 
http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/SG/Gibson-USA/SG-Zoot-Suit.aspx
And check out the hyperbole of the ad copy. I'd expect to see this kind of writing in the Gibson catalog say, 1935.
| Quote: |
| The classic Gibson logo is silk-screened onto the face of the headstock veneer. It is the most recognizable in all of music, representing more than a century of originality and excellence. There is simply no equal |
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 8:42 am
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Moved to Music from Steel Without Pedals.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 9:49 am
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| Sniff |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 2:52 pm
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Joachim, I think your example is much better looking and besides, 2K for an SG?  |
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 4:24 pm
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"Those who cannot remember the Fender Wildwood are condemned to repeat it."
The visual offense, however, is the look of the pickups. And thanks for no fretmarkers. (I guess I couldn't see them anyway.)
Far from the worst guitar I've ever seen, but I'm still trying to understand by what abstract reasoning this design is equated with high-waisted, long-jacketed couture.
"Those who cannot remember hard candy or antique glass paperweights are condemned to name a guitar for an unrelated ethnic fashion trend of the 1940s."
Better: "Golf Slacks SG" (GSSG).
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"Gopher, Everett?" |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 5:14 pm
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| Oh man, we need to cop and drop some windowpane.... |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 5:42 pm
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You said it Ben!
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| Zoot Suit SG. A Real Toe Tapper, Daddy-O. |
They somehow manage to use 1920s, 40s, & 50s allusions for a guitar that's inspired by the 60s. Not Gibson's worst-ever idea but surely in the top 10. |
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Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 6:13 pm
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23skidoo oughta skidoo.
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heavily medicated for your safety |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 1 Aug 2009 8:28 pm
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This is the perfect electric guitar for Salsa, Calypso and other Latin styles, and maybe also for Reggae. Aribe! Aribe!
No, it's not black. I think that's the point.  |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 2 Aug 2009 8:24 am
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They should have called it "The Wavy Gravy".
Here's what a Zoot Suit looks like:
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Alvin Blaine
From:
Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 2 Aug 2009 9:03 am
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It almost looks like my Yo-Yo
 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 2 Aug 2009 4:34 pm
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I knew I'd seen this somewhere, it's called "Dymondwood." Gibson doesn't even do the laminating work themselves, they just size it and poke it into the CDC machine. Duck calls, pen handles - and SG's.
http://www.rutply.com/products/dymondwood-gallery.html |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 Aug 2009 2:27 pm
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A two-grand guitar with a famous name (and a) silkscreened logo???
Well, okay. Silkscreening is nicer than using a Dymo labelmaker.  |
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Jim Phelps
From:
Mexico City, Mexico
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Posted 5 Aug 2009 2:16 pm
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| It strikes me as an attempt to sell a plywood guitar. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 5 Aug 2009 8:22 pm
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Jim, I think you are being too cynical. Plywood is blemished cuts of soft pine and cheap glue. This is laminates of birch and special glues selected for tonal characteristics. Glues, resins, bakelite, carbon fiber, and other man-made materials can produce tone different, but in some ways as good or better than solid wood. These materials are denser and harder than wood. When you laminate tone woods like maple and birch with the right bonding material, you can get different and special tones. It is not automatically inferior to solid wood. GFI uses laminated maple die board in pedal steels because it sounded better in trials than solid maple.
Gibson makes tons of solid wood guitars, and could have easily made this one of solid wood with painted colors. It doesn't seem like to me they chose to use laminates for this one to put something over on ignorant buyers. I think they deserve credit for doing something risky like this in spite of the common prejudice against laminates. I expect this one has its own special tone that is different, but not automatically inferior to solid wood. Plywood, on the other hand, would probably sound like crap by anybody's standards. |
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William Clark
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Posted 6 Aug 2009 12:23 pm
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This is the only laminated wood Gibson I am interested in playing!
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 7 Aug 2009 7:26 am
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| Quote: |
| This is laminates of birch and special glues selected for tonal characteristics |
Well, the issue here to me is that Gibson didn't select this wood for anything other than appearance - the Dymondwood they're using is a pre-existing commercially-available product. It may or may not have great tonal characteristics - gee let's all run and try one - but they selected it for flash. It's basically, a guitar made of glue....
Of course Leo Fender didn't select his woods for tonal characteristics either, he selected them for low cost and ease of woodworking, so that tone was merely a historical accident, not an act of genius. Everything, actually, is a historical accident, including me, you, my momma and yo momma, unless you're one of those people who are the pinnacle of evolution - oh right, me too.  |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 7 Aug 2009 5:16 pm
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| David Mason wrote: |
| Well, the issue here to me is that Gibson didn't select this wood for anything other than appearance...It's basically, a guitar made of glue.... |
This just seems grossly overstated to me. Of course we don't have to believe the add hype, but they said they chose the materials for good tone, and mention that the body is heavier, has brighter tone, maximum sustain, and enhanced resonance. And they claim the glue "enhances the tonal characteristics of the body." They also go into detail about the neck, ebony fingerboard, corian nut, neck joint, bridge, tailpiece, and pickups, all apparently chosen with an interest in tone.
So, yeah, it could all be ad hype. I wouldn't for a minute believe it sounds as good or better than a solid wood guitar without trying it. But I also don't think you can automatically know it sounds inferior, just because it is laminated. Different I expect, but not necessarily markedly inferior and unacceptable. The idea that they deliberately built a bad sounding instrument just for the sake of looks just doesn't seem to describe what they did.
And it's not like this is the first time they made construction mods for appearance that might affect tone. Manufacturers have stated that highly figured woods are less consistent, and don't have the tone of straight-grain wood. But highly figured tops and backs laminated onto bodies sell like hotcakes, and lots of people play them with great tone.
I have no idea what this thing sounds like. The ad copy could be all hype and it could be a complete tone dud. But it just seems to me there is some over-the-top prejudice toward laminates being espoused a little too confidently. I don't think anybody knows until they try the dang thing. |
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Joachim Kettner
From:
Germany
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Mark Durante
From:
St. Pete Beach FL
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Posted 16 Aug 2009 7:58 am
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| Wonder if this is hype or not? Puleeeze |
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