Couldn't get arrested!

[Armistice]

As you've probably gathered by now I'm in the market for a new Les Paul - and the economics of it are such that it's cheaper to buy from England than locally, but if it was less than 10% difference, then there are any number of reasons to buy local.

The 2017 models, although widely available elsewhere in the world, aren't so common here, but I saw in a major retailer's online catalogue that they had a couple - and I thought if I could talk serious turkey on price, then maybe... I didn't know which actual guitars would be in which shops, and I was in the 'hood of one of their Sydney shops, so dropped in to see what was there.

They had a single 2017 - a Standard T in Honey Burst

40 minutes later I walked out - no-one had said a single word to me the entire time - a lot of which was spent standing in front of this honeyburst number - they have "Do Not Touch" signs up the expensive end so I waited for someone to come and ask if I wanted to try it out. And I waited. And I waited. Nothing!

There were a few other people in the store from time to time but there were 3 staff, including the obligatory "muso" type - but they weren't busy. In the end, I was the ONLY customer in the store, and still none of the three of them said a word, so I walked.

Yes, I could have picked the damn guitar off the wall and yes I could have wandered over and said "Can I play it..." but if you want lots of my money, do some fucking work for it.

So anyway, while I was waiting, I reached a few conclusions:

• I actually like honey burst - I didn't think I would, but when I saw it in the shop, I actually preferred it to the darker finishes they had (although not the exact same finish as the 2017 bourbon burst - and I don't like cherry burst, and the blueberry, whilst looking nice in pictures, is probably more suited to a PRS

• Most of the stuff on the HP spec vs the T spec, I can live without - I can convince myself the GForce tuner is a good idea, but it looks dumb as in pics - the better access neck is about the only thing I'd want, but I really don't go up there that often - and the AAA top on the honeyburst looked pretty nice - can't imagine a AAAA top looking any better.

• If I buy one (from somewhere!) I'll probably sell my existing LP Std - I don't need nor want to have a zillion guitars - I'm on a few FB pages where guys have dozens of Les Pauls and PRSs - not for me, apart from the ridiculous expense - I use it, or I lose it

My major motivation behind the LP purchase is to have something I chose, and also that is lighter. My existing LP was bought from a mate to help him out, and while the weight doesn't bother me when I'm playing standing up, I find it quite annoying in the studio, when I'm normally sitting down.

So hard to give your money away sometimes...

[Greg_L]

You should send this post to the manager of the store. Or better yet, his manager.

[Armistice]

You should send this post to the manager off the store. Or better yet, his manager.

I posted something similar on their FB page... we'll see if that gets a response!

Interestingly I found the same guitar for $300 less than they had as their "special discounted online" price about an hour south of me - just fired off an email to them saying "send me a real picture" - actually it's the place I bought my last "retail" guitar from...

The store price at the place I just was still had the RRP on it. Seriously - who do they think they're kidding? Everyone knows that RRP is a complete fantasy.

Anyway, perhaps I'll head south next weekend.

[Greg_L]

Is this it?




That's a great finish.

If sitting down is a big concern, the big typical heel of the "T" shouldn't be a problem. I'm not particularly crazy about Les Paul heels, but I get around them, even standing. When sitting it's not an issue for me.

[Armistice]

Is this it?




That's a great finish.

If sitting down is a big concern, the big typical heel of the "T" shouldn't be a problem. I'm not particularly crazy about Les Paul heels, but I get around them, even standing. When sitting it's not an issue for me.

Yes, I think that's it. It looked pretty nice in the shop. You said the other day about not worrying about the heel, and you're right, on my current LP I just don't really get into that territory much, and if I have to, and it's a problem, I have other guitars with better access I can use.

The rest of the HP spec - zero fret? OK, perhaps useful; GForce tuner thing? I just don't really want one. If I liked everything else about a guitar and it just happened to be attached, then OK, but I don't want to pay for it. Silver knobs?... meh. Dip switches to give you access to "150 different sounds"? - serious overkill. Guitarists should never be given too many options. AAAA top? - the AAA I saw was stunning. Not sure an extra A gets you much.

[ido1957]

There's gonna be some ass kicking if the manager gets wind of your FB comment. Or they will just delete your post (can they do that on FB?)...
I go to one store mainly and the guys know me - ask right away if I need help - then leave me alone if I say I'm ok. That Standard in the pic has a nice looking top.

[Greg_L]

The shaved heel is the only feature of the "HP" that I find even remotely interesting. And I say remotely because the heel on a regular LP just doesn't bother me that much.

You're right about the rest of it. Most of the HP stuff is full on retarded.

[miroslav]

Hey Armistice...I ran across this little article about some classic home-brewed Aussie amps...any of them familiar to you (I'm sure all of them)...?

They certainly aren't familiar to me...never heard of them before.

https://reverb.com/news/five-lesser-kno ... amp-brands

[Armistice]

Hey Armistice...I ran across this little article about some classic home-brewed Aussie amps...any of them familiar to you (I'm sure all of them)...?

They certainly aren't familiar to me...never heard of them before.

https://reverb.com/news/five-lesser-kno ... amp-brands

I certainly saw a few Vases, as they were built in Brisbane where I spent my formative years as a guitar player and grew up. I've also head of and seen Baez, Eminar and Goldentone around, occasionally, back in the day, but not for a really, really long time - as brands they all died in the 70s, I think. Jansen I hadn't heard of.

Ask ray - he was more in "the scene" than I was from what I understand of his history - he might know more. Also witzendoz in HR is about that age and been around a long time, and he pipes up about Aussie gear from time to time.

[JD01]

Armistice, the top on that guitar looks great. I like the look of the light coloured Les Pauls though, Honeyburst.. wasn't there one called a Lemonburst once? Based on the aged washed out '59 sunbursts?

I agree with you though, that heavy Les Paul style guitars are a pain in the arse to play sitting down.

Also, here's Rob Chapman and Lee Anderton comparing the 2017 Les Paul specifications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnC8iaIcC4g

[Lt. Bob]

The shaved heel is the only feature of the "HP" that I find even remotely interesting. And I say remotely because the heel on a regular LP just doesn't bother me that much.

really ..... I mean, if you're playing up that high you still have to reach around and over the body, heel or no heel ..... it's just part of playing a paul

[Armistice]

Armistice, the top on that guitar looks great. I like the look of the light coloured Les Pauls though, Honeyburst.. wasn't there one called a Lemonburst once? Based on the aged washed out '59 sunbursts?

I agree with you though, that heavy Les Paul style guitars are a pain in the arse to play sitting down.

Also, here's Rob Chapman and Lee Anderton comparing the 2017 Les Paul specifications.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnC8iaIcC4g

Yes, there was a lemonburst - not sure what year. I'm liking the lighter ones too, now having seen one in the flesh. I think I've watched that video already. I'll have another look though.

I have a FB friend who saw my rant on the music shop's FB page and got in touch and said his "friends in his local music shop would do me a deal and look after me etc.", and they'd get in touch. But he's in Tasmania, only slightly closer than the UK, and I checked out his friend's shop's site, and they have one custom, a few SGs, and lots of Epiphones. So they might indeed "do me a deal" but they don't have any guitars!

I'm quite capable of ordering a new guitar myself from a local shop if that's what I wanted to do. If I'm going local, then I'm buying an actual guitar that is already hanging up in an actual shop that I can actually play.

We'll see if this guy down south of Sydney gets in touch - I believe he has the same guitar in his shop, and I've bought from him before.

So I told my friend about this guitar and he said "Oh, I've heard some bad things about that shop..." What? From Tasmania? Unlikely. Whereas I've actually bought a really expensive acoustic from the guy, and found him completely professional. Sigh... friends.

[Greg_L]

Score one point for the USA. Guitars and amps are everywhere.

America, fuck yeah!

[Armistice]

Score one point for the USA. Guitars and amps are everywhere.

America, fuck yeah!

I imagine it is. This is one of the downsides of living in a very big, very sparsely populated country - everything is expensive, and rare - it's not that there aren't 2017 Gibson Les Pauls out there, but your typical shop will have 1 Standard and 1 Traditional, a couple of SGs, and a bunch of 2016 stock they got burnt with last year that they can't get rid of. There seems to be little difference between 2016 and 2017 Standard Ts, so I'm up for that if I can find one I like.

Now the guy an hour and a bit drive south DIDN'T GET BACK TO ME EITHER! He reckons he's Australia's leading online retailer - they all say that, obviously - and he can't answer a fucking email. So he's gone.

My friend in Hobart's guitar shop owning friend did actually get in touch and sent me a few pics that weren't up on their site because the guitars are only just in and quoted me some pretty good prices - there's a cherry sunburst Standard T and a honeyburst Traditional T. The cherry looks particularly nice, but I don't really like cherry sunbursts. And they're in Hobart, so I can't exactly play them - but they've made an effort, which is good to see.

I have, however, found, just across the harbour bridge, about 3 train stops away, a 2017 Standard T bourbon burst, which appears to actually exist, and be in stock - so i may go check that out Wednesday at lunch. Killer price too.

If that doesn't work, I think I'll put my money back in my pocket for a while - just too hard.

[JD01]

Bad salesmanship is actually really quite annoying isn't it?

I could walk into the biggest shop local to my office in Bristol and have about 30 Les Paul's to try - the staff there are generally pretty good too. They say hi when you walk in and then come over and ask you what you're after pretty much as soon as you take an interest in something.

[Armistice]

Bad salesmanship is actually really quite annoying isn't it?

I could walk into the biggest shop local to my office in Bristol and have about 30 Les Paul's to try - the staff there are generally pretty good too. They say hi when you walk in and then come over and ask you what you're after pretty much as soon as you take an interest in something.

I actually went into the main CBD shop of the place I visited Saturday, on a whim today - to see what they had. They had a 2016 Standard with a hand written sign on it saying "2017 GIbsons now in!"

LOL - I was going to ask "Where, exactly?" but they were a bit busy - it being lunchtime. To their credit, a guy did say "Hello sir" as I walked in, and someone else asked if they could help. There were probably 30 LPs in this shop, come to think of it - they don't do Fender or PRS, so there's a big wall of Gibsons and Epis - there were some nice ones there too, but some have $RRP on them, and some have the real "street" price you can get anywhere, and some don't have prices at all - just a bit of a clusterfuck really, and if it was quieter perhaps I would have tried one or two, but lunchtime isn't a good time, so wasn't going to bother.

But yes, it pisses me off, because it's a lot of money and someone should work for it. I'm actually an easy sell, generally - doesn't take all that much. But it does take something!

[rayc]

I sent an email to South Coast Music over a fortnight ago. I knew it was in the "holiday" season so didn't expect a response until after the weekend after NYE but thus far NOTHING. I was prepared to spend money if they could answer a simple question but no response so NO spending. It was something I was quite interested in but didn't NEED so, on that level, it's not a bad thing but crikey, customer service in shop & online has tanked.
My fav old Oz am: VADIS (Sydney made valve jobbies - built like a panza division - though I smoked one in 77), I have an Eminar PA amp - very good amps & they were a reliable company. Mine is a 200w SS 6 channel with reverb and a guitar through it, cranked, sounded pretty cool. I ought to have sold it by now but I like it - haven't used it since 99 though. Goldentone are sort after but OLD & not made in big numbers. Baez & Vase I don't have any expeience with while Jansen's were popular & sturdy if I recall.

[Armistice]

I sent an email to South Coast Music over a fortnight ago. I knew it was in the "holiday" season so didn't expect a response until after the weekend after NYE but thus far NOTHING. I was prepared to spend money if they could answer a simple question but no response so NO spending. It was something I was quite interested in but didn't NEED so, on that level, it's not a bad thing but crikey, customer service in shop & online has tanked.

I still haven't heard back from Haworth at Kiama. Amazing! I mean they're having a New Year sale, so the post-Christmas argument isn't working for me. And I'm not asking about a $30cable. headwall

Toying with the idea of venturing into the furnace shortly up to Crows Nest and checking out this one at Big Music. Alas they just use stock Gibson pics so I have no idea what it looks like. Plus I don't know they still actually have it. Guess I'd better ring them first...

[rayc]

Wow, they have SUCH a good reputation BUT then again they've opened a 2nd store as well as moved from Kiama. they are now in Shellharbour & Wollongong. Most musicians in the Illawarra swear by them but expansion does funny things to a small business.Crows nest in this weather - good luck mate.

[Armistice]

Wow, they have SUCH a good reputation BUT then again they've opened a 2nd store as well as moved from Kiama. they are now in Shellharbour & Wollongong. Most musicians in the Illawarra swear by them but expansion does funny things to a small business.Crows nest in this weather - good luck mate.

I bought a Maton from Haworth years back and it was an excellent experience. I noticed he moved a bit north. I rang the place at Crows Nest and asked them to email me a picture - not stepping out the door if I don't have a "wow" response to it. Temperature's dropping too, it seems. Already dropped 5 degrees.