New guitar, what should I expect?
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- Stagg
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New guitar, what should I expect?
I'm dangerously close to picking up a new Gibson.
I tried a couple at rockshop yesterday, really liked one of them.
What I've noticed on new guitars is the frets are kind of 'tacky'. When you bend, you can feel the strings kind of getting caught up on the frets. I've noticed this on pretty much all new guitars I've tried, so I don't think it's something specific to the ones I tried yesterday.
Is this something I can expect to disappear after a few weeks of playing, or should I ask rockshop to clean up the frets?
The fretboard were really dry too. Should I ask RS to oil it?
Is there anything else that is a good thing to ask for when buying new? I.e. restring?
I tried a couple at rockshop yesterday, really liked one of them.
What I've noticed on new guitars is the frets are kind of 'tacky'. When you bend, you can feel the strings kind of getting caught up on the frets. I've noticed this on pretty much all new guitars I've tried, so I don't think it's something specific to the ones I tried yesterday.
Is this something I can expect to disappear after a few weeks of playing, or should I ask rockshop to clean up the frets?
The fretboard were really dry too. Should I ask RS to oil it?
Is there anything else that is a good thing to ask for when buying new? I.e. restring?
- Lyle
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
The frets might need a polish or could just be old strings. I'd ask for new strings and see if they'll oil the board and give the frets a quick polish.
- Molly
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- Stagg
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
It's a 2020 classic.
Wasn't what I was going in to try, but it really grabbed me.
Wasn't what I was going in to try, but it really grabbed me.
- Molly
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
Was it the dark sunburst one in ChCh?redgierocker wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2020 9:33 am It's a 2020 classic.
Wasn't what I was going in to try, but it really grabbed me.
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- Stagg
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
It's usually the dry fingerboard that makes it feel like that. I'm amazed that Gibson let them out of the factory like that.
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- Stagg
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
I wonder if the air-conditioning in the shops, plus not being played makes them get really dry.
- NippleWrestler
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
They don't. Who knows how long it's been on the wall under the lights and in that environment? A 2020 model was built in 2019. It could have been say there for 12 months easily.
This is why most stores will provide a setup and new strings when buying a pricey guitar.
This is why most stores will provide a setup and new strings when buying a pricey guitar.
- robthemac
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
I wonder if the bending issue might be getting used to a new fingerboard radius. It's something I find quite challenging.
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- Stagg
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
Could be, but there's a sort of tackiness to them.
And I have noticed it with other new guitars.
And I have noticed it with other new guitars.
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- Gibson
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
I find guitars play better when you play them all the time. My Les Paul plays great but when I went overseas for a few years and left it at home in the case it just didn't play the same even after new strings and fret polish, then after playing it for an extended time it was great again. I also find when I play a guitar that was regularly gigged by a guitarist for a long period of time, it just plays and sounds so effortless. Mick talks about this phenomenon in the latest TPS video where they showcase every guitar in their collection.
- jeremyb
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
Sounds like frets needing a polish, did it feel scratchy when you bent? On that sort of value guitar it shouldn't happen.
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.
- dayl
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Re: New guitar, what should I expect?
Im pretty sure that if you voice this to the RS peeps, they would include a good setup as a point of sale.
Fret work/Levelling etc aside. Graba good set of your favourite strings, some 0000 steel wool and some boiled linseed oil and spend 20-30 minutes revitalizing your board and frets. I enjoy doing this stuff, but feel it should be sorted before money changes hands.
Fret work/Levelling etc aside. Graba good set of your favourite strings, some 0000 steel wool and some boiled linseed oil and spend 20-30 minutes revitalizing your board and frets. I enjoy doing this stuff, but feel it should be sorted before money changes hands.