2011 Gibson SG Standard Reissue VOS Custom Shop Guitar

[jhexp]

Sorry to start another thread, I found a 2011 Gibson SG Standard Reissue VOS Custom Shop for sale locally and am just wondering what the fretboards on these are made of? Are the one piece Rosewood boards, baked maple or something else?

Thanks.

 

[Moose]

Sorry to start another thread, I found a 2011 Gibson SG Standard Reissue VOS Custom Shop for sale locally and am just wondering what the fretboards on these are made of? Are the one piece Rosewood boards, baked maple or something else?

Thanks.

Rosewood. Two piece laminate I think,

 

[jhexp]

Damn, was hoping for one piece, thanks for info.

 

[Biddlin]

If he had said yes, one piece, would you have known the difference?
I have yet to meet anyone who can reliably distinguish between one piece and laminate rosewood fretboards by sound or feel. And by 2036, no one will give a rat's knackers because it's a vintage wooden guitar, who's original fretboard may be in better condition than a one piece, because as anyone in construction knows, laminate has greater tensile strength than one-piece to resist warping and cracking.
Biddlin ;>)/

 

[Moose]

If he had said yes, one piece, would you have known the difference?
I have yet to meet anyone who can reliably distinguish between one piece and laminate rosewood fretboards by sound or feel. And by 2036, no one will give a rat's knackers because it's a vintage wooden guitar, who's original fretboard may be in better condition than a one piece, because as anyone in construction knows, laminate has greater tensile strength than one-piece to resist warping and cracking.
Biddlin ;>)/

I said maybe because it's not clear. Gibson started having problems in 2011 and have acknowledged 2012 boards are laminate. I've seen photos of laminated custom shop LPs. You have to imagine if their flagship guitar is laminate then all are. However I've also heard some 2012 are one piece too. Go figure!

Anyway, as Biddlin notes, what difference does it make? While one piece is historically correct so is Brazilian and that's not an option from Gibson.

I have a 2012 Reissue which is outstanding in all respects. I think the superior sound is due the laminate board :)

 

[nbeersiii]

Im in the i would hope for baked maple cause it really makes my special HH neck really sturdy. Its also just as dark as the rosewood on my classic. My classic has a good sturdy neck but not as ridged as my baked maple special. I couldnt tell you if my classic was one peice or laminate fretboard and I wouldnt think it matters either.

 

[Dadou]

Im in the i would hope for baked maple cause it really makes my special HH neck really sturdy. Its also just as dark as the rosewood on my classic. My classic has a good sturdy neck but not as ridged as my baked maple special. I couldnt tell you if my classic was one peice or laminate fretboard and I wouldnt think it matters either.

I thought I was the only one out there who actually prefers baked maple to rosewood!

As for the laminate rosewood, it might be a bit off topic, but I am a total ignorant when it comes to building things and, although I have often read that laminate materials are stronger than one-piece, I wonder how can laminate cut costs? I mean, that's what you often read (especially when talking about norlin era LP, but not only) and well, I don't get how this process, which involves more steps in the production line, could be convenient. Don't they (gibson or insert your favorite brand here) still have to make fretboard X mm thick? (Don't know how thick a fb exactly is... 3-4mm?) Thanks for your replies :)

 

[Tony M]

None of the above matters one bit.
because...
A good guitar is a good guitar.
If it feels sounds and looks good
what it's made of doesn't matter.

"A difference that makes no difference is no difference."

 

[Biddlin]

There you go, Tony, interjecting reason into this completely emotional discussion. I haven't even gotten to my melamine guitar stories yet.

 

[Col Mustard]

I agree that laminate versus one-piece is a non-issue. And I have a number of guitars with different fretboards, and one of my favorites is my newest SG, with the baked maple fretboard on a maple neck. Another is my 2006 Martin XC1T with the 'striped ebony' fretboard, and the laminated ("stratabond") neck.

My advice to the OP is that the prices on 2013 Gibsons are marked down so low right now that the best thing to do is pick one, play it to make sure it sounds good, buy it and play the bajaysus out of it.

Don't fuss about non-essential details that an audience would never perceive, or care about. Play a bunch of them NOW while these great deals are going on, pick the one that sounds and feels the best and take it home with a big smile on your face. And then play it nonstop into February before second guessing anything.

It's not about the color, or the year-class, or small details of the construction like one-piece versus multi-piece bodies. It's all about the sound and the feel, and how your music comes alive when you find the right one. Just my humble opinion of course, even if I don't sound too humble right now, I try to be.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

I thought the Historics avoided this and only production guitars got laminated rosewood. I know that the Historics always used traditional woods and none this far will have baked maple, Richlight, Grenedino or other such substitutes.

 

[Col Mustard]

well... you may be right. the OP was asking about a VOS Custom Shop guitar.

One might expect: on something like that they would use the same kind of production methods they did back in the Golden Age. AND the same kind of materials. It sounds like the OP was expecting that. And for the prices those go for, they darn well should.
If I was willing to pop for a Custom Shop guitar, I'd expect that too.

Whether it really matters is another question entirely, and is where this thread got diverted to. I personally don't think details like that have much (if any) effect on the sound of the guitar, and so I don't think they are worth paying for. Or worrying about.

Details that do have an effect on the tone and playability of your SG are like: how well the nut is cut, what it's made of, how well the bridge saddles fit the strings, how well (or poorly) the bridge couples with the studs, and how the actual threads on the bridge studs couple together down in the body... how high or low your pickups are set, whether they're level with the strings, the brand and style of pickups, whether the pole pieces are properly radiused, the pots & caps and wiring... These things are crucial to the tone IMHO. And they are all under the control of the guitarist.

So I firmly believe that the way to select a good guitar is to play a lot of them, and pick the one that comes alive in your hands, no matter what model it is or what color it is.

That method has worked well for me. I've only ordered two guitars blind off the internet, and both times really lucked out. But my decision each time was based on reputation (Gibson and Martin) and on irresistable prices. Good luck to the OP in your search.

 

[Piemonte]

I have the same model from 2011 and Gibson confirmed it has a one piece rosewood fingerboard. I hope this helps:)

 

[jhexp]

Thanks for all the advice guys, the deal fell through so 1 or 2 piece don't matter now haha. Still searching, got a 1991 lined up to go try later this week. I need to just get one, I'm doing my head in...