New guitar, what should I expect?

All things guitar, Les Pauls, Strats, Teles, Tokai, Ibanez etc. etc. etc.

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

redgierocker
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 45
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:53 pm
Has liked: 8 times
Been liked: 24 times

New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by redgierocker »

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?

User avatar
Lyle
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2245
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 5:34 pm
Location: Hamilton
Has liked: 101 times
Been liked: 255 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by Lyle »

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.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by Molly »

Or buy a PRS.

What was the one you liked?

redgierocker
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:53 pm
Has liked: 8 times
Been liked: 24 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by redgierocker »

It's a 2020 classic.
Wasn't what I was going in to try, but it really grabbed me.

User avatar
Molly
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 24937
Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:17 pm
Has liked: 2482 times
Been liked: 2794 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by Molly »

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.
Was it the dark sunburst one in ChCh?

redgierocker
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:53 pm
Has liked: 8 times
Been liked: 24 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by redgierocker »

No, it's a honeyburst one in Auckland

Basket Case
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2932
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 9:06 am
Location: Whangarei
Has liked: 49 times
Been liked: 108 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by Basket Case »

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.

redgierocker
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:53 pm
Has liked: 8 times
Been liked: 24 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by redgierocker »

I wonder if the air-conditioning in the shops, plus not being played makes them get really dry.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2891
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1066 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by NippleWrestler »

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.

User avatar
robthemac
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 8522
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2019 3:47 pm
Has liked: 1102 times
Been liked: 1419 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by robthemac »

I wonder if the bending issue might be getting used to a new fingerboard radius. It's something I find quite challenging.
Jops wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:46 am Spring is the comic sans of reverbs anyway.

redgierocker
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:53 pm
Has liked: 8 times
Been liked: 24 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by redgierocker »

Could be, but there's a sort of tackiness to them.
And I have noticed it with other new guitars.

User avatar
HackSaw
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2774
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2015 6:34 am
Location: AKL
Has liked: 145 times
Been liked: 519 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by HackSaw »

Grotty old store strings is my bet.

Voxshall
Gibson
Posts: 731
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 1:01 pm
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 144 times
Been liked: 273 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by Voxshall »

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.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40893
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7692 times
Been liked: 4159 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by jeremyb »

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.

User avatar
dayl
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 5257
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 6:40 pm
Has liked: 447 times
Been liked: 387 times

Re: New guitar, what should I expect?

Post by dayl »

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.

Post Reply