NGD: 2015 Gibson Les Paul CM Single Humbucker

Sp8ctre

Sp8ctre

Ambassador of Steel
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Well...shipping from Florida was slow, but I had other toys come in so the wait wasn't so bad. But my Sam Ash closeout 2015 Les Paul CM finally arrived!

So...where to start. The good, the bad, the ugly???

I'll start with the Ugly...the finish looks like a thin layer of wiped on black shoe polish. On the back of the body it's obvious little to no grain filler was used. I think this is the main money saver on these for Gibson.

The Bad...I still hate the robot tuners, they will be going up for sale very soon. No zero fret...yes I like them.

Now the Good. The thing is light due to the body being nearly thin as an SG. It also has a Strat style belly cut to make it even lighter, but also very comfortable. The neck is not a big fat baseball bat. It is a little wider, but nice and thin...very playable.

I have obviously not had enough time to seriously evaluate the guitar. I'll post more later.

I don't know what the original 2015 price was on this, but the $399 I paid is about the most I would give for one. I think this one may get a paint job???
 
Forgot the Pictures...

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Congrats!
If its a good player just play it man!!
I like the basic finish, it keeps the cost down.

How is that pick up?

How is the rest of the build and materials quality compared to other cheap but good guitars you have owned?
 
eSGEe said:
looks like a faded jean jacket I swear it does.

Whats the neck like man
Click to expand...

I think the neck is just great. Plays great feels great.

My measurements:

Width: 1 11/16 at the nut and 2 1/16 at the 12th fret

Thickness: 9/16 at the nut and 15/16 at the 12th fret

Compare this to my Agile

Width: 1 11/16 at the nut and 2" at the 12th fret

Thickness: 7/8 at the nut and 15/16 at the 12th fret
 
I'm digging this one pickup wonder...$699 Never, but $399 great deal. Not quite decided on the pickup??? I bought this to install a Custom Wound pickup I won online sooo I may
have to follow through just to test it out...
 
I'd like to try a Gibson pickup but they are a bit pricey even used (for me).
Are these '61 HB the same or renamed 490R and 490T or no?
I read that somewhere.
 
gball said:
What did you have in mind? Lots of cool possibilities with a simple guitar like that. I'd love to have one painted Inverness Green and get a custom white pickguard for it.
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Green is my Favorite Color...and I was consitering something bright green and maybe even metallic???

jtcnj said:
I'd like to try a Gibson pickup but they are a bit pricey even used (for me).
Are these '61 HB the same or renamed 490R and 490T or no?
I read that somewhere.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what this pickup is, but when I replace it and if I like the replacement the one Gibson pup will be for sale...
 
Looks like a nice maple cap under that microscopically thin shoe polish finish.
Seems well worth the amount paid, and a great platform for future customizing.
Good score Sp8ctre.
Oh no, is that GAS that I'm feeling...
 
jtcnj said:
I'd like to try a Gibson pickup but they are a bit pricey even used (for me).
Are these '61 HB the same or renamed 490R and 490T or no?
I read that somewhere.
Click to expand...

So here is the detailed description...the CM I just bought does have this pickup.

The 1961 Humbucker is part of the Burstbucker family, which features offset coils—of the two humbucker coils, one has more windings than the other. With typical Burstbuckers the slug coil has a few hundred more turns than the screw coil, so the slug coil sound tends to dominate; this gives a bit more of a single coil character. But even if the coils are matched (as with the ’57 Humbuckers), the slug coil dominates somewhat because it has more steel. With the 1961 Humbuckers, the wiring offset was reversed to give the screw coil more windings and provide a better balance between the two coils, where neither one dominates.

Also, guitars with the 1961 Humbuckers (LPJ14, LPM14, SGJ14, SGM, and Les Paul Peace) have “Zebra” coils with one black and one cream-colored coil. Zebra coils first appeared in the late ‘50s—and there’s a story behind this that has nothing to do with sound or performance. One day Gibson’s supplier ran out of black pigment; Gibson didn’t care because the pickups were covered, so natural cream coils were used as well as the black ones. Some guitars had Zebra coils, and some had two cream-colored ones, but no one really noticed until people started experimented by taking the covers off. Many liked the look, so Zebra coils became a new visual feature. (The Les Paul Peace has chrome covers, but you’ll still find the Zebra coils underneath.)

1961 is also when Gibson started using Alnico V magnets, which provide a higher output toward the high frequencies and greater touch sensitivity. Some people think Alnico V magnets are a bit too strong, but they’re great-sounding magnets and adaptable—you can always dial them back by moving a pickup further away from the strings, but you can’t ratchet up a pickup with Alnico II magnets. Regardless, what really determines a pickup’s sound has much more to do with pickup design than the magnet—and there’s a reason why the 1961 Humbuckers are considered classic pickups.
 
Hackmaster said:
Looks like a nice maple cap under that microscopically thin shoe polish finish.
Seems well worth the amount paid, and a great platform for future customizing.
Good score Sp8ctre.
Oh no, is that GAS that I'm feeling...
Click to expand...

It is a very nice looking 2 piece maple cap. Thickness is easily measured because you can see right through the thin finish. It is only 1/4".
I think it would look great with the black removed and just a natural or Lemon finish. I may pay a guy I know to do it...

This guitar is very well worth the $399, but I would never have paid the original street price of $699...never!

...and Sam Ash still had some as of yesterday.

If you want a thin, light weight Les Paul shape guitar with a belly cut you can't go wrong...
 
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