Mom says kid doesn't want to play guitar anymore, he wants to try trombone. Me says, good idea kid ! I'll take the guitar off your hands, I don't like trombone anyway. So I got this Sapphire LP 60's Tribute Plus F serial, with Epi hard case ... and a small Vox VT20+ amp. All barely played, but filthy. All for less than the price of the Gibson USA 57's Classic set in the guitar. Not a bad deal ...
Nice score! I'm surprised, given the state of the music industry, that the kid didn't take up the MacBook Pro.
I wonder if the next big video game will be Trombone Hero? Imagine the controller! Seriously though Dr., you know one single photo (and only a headstock) is not going to cut it around here. Let's see that thing!
Of course, I know. But I wanted to wait for it to be degunked. But here it is in all its filthiness.
It cleans up real nice. Frets needed a good polishing. Fretboard oiled. Body cleaned. I'm tempted to bring down the luster on the poly, no relicing here, just get it more satiny, give it a little class. Scotch Brite should do that well. Anybody went that way ? I usually do it on all my necks and it comes out great.
Cool guitar and deal ! Have had a couple of those exact amps; Very versatile, makes a great practice amp. -st
I'd be afraid I'd make scratch marks on the wide open spaces of the Epi's polyurethane top and bottom. So I'd play it as is, and not scuff it. Because that's a lovely Les Paul, Doc... I don't have a Les Paul, but if I was going to buy one, this model is one of those I'd look at very closely. Mr Lester Paulfus and Epaminondos Stathopoulo were friends, and go way back. So for Epiphone to produce a "Tribute plus' is a good thing. Also, it's got many of the mods we would make on an Epiphone, as if Epiphone's scouts were reading these threads. So I'll be interested in a complete review. IMHO you can pay ten times as much for a guitar that is only a little better than this Epiphone. If at all... I have a Vox VT-30, the previous model to your VT-20, and I like that amp really well. It has a lot of models I'll never use, but it also as three or four that I use all the time. And the VT-30 is plenty loud for about anything I need to do. I bought a mod kit for mine from Retrobob on the Valvetronix site, and that solved all the issues people have described on those boards. The pre-amp out works great... plug it into a P.A. and it sounds HUGE. Like to hear about what you think as you explore your new instrument.
I will Colonel. I just restrung her and ... she doesn't play or sound the same. Maybe I like old strings. I thought I could just polish the frets, because bends were rough. Now that it's restrung, I found a few high frets, so the action can't get low enough for my taste. I'll have to look closer in that area. The tone is incredible with the Gibson '57s, but my LP Ultra 1 plays a tad better for now. Maybe because it has more mileage through my hands. Maybe because the Tribute hasn't really been played that much before, so it needs braking down. Maybe because of the weight. Weight is a factor for me, placebo effect here ? I like the movement of a lighter guitar. The Ultra has a belly cut too. The Tribute neck is slim taper, like Slim with a capital S. But I suppose I'll get used to that. I know it's an incredible LP, I have to learn/earn it I guess. Here she is, all cleaned up. The back of the neck gotthe Scotch Brite treatment, board is oiled, frets are polished, all screws and nuts tighten. À suivre ... Edit: Don't worry about the finish. I won't touch it yet. I'll start by dulling the Ultra that I know is a keeper.
Some frets were high and I was hesitant to address that on such a guitar. Done it on cheaper one with success, but ... So to Mr Luthier it went, and it came back all nice and straight and shinny. Sounds incredible through the Katana and the Super Champ XD. Happy camper here. I know I know, the amber knobs have to go ...
Valvetronix amps rule I agree versatile and quality, I want the 50 watt I've got the 30 and 100 watt advt series
Thanks ! Yeah, I have a AD30VT at the summer cottage that I love, so I don't need this VT20+. Found a buyer for it, so it brings the price of the guitar close to the price of one of its pickups.
So Colonel, here's a review for you. I'll be honest. I've never played a Gibson, LP or other. This said, I have a hard time beleiving that one would play and sound better than the two I have. The Ultra 1 with it's heavily chambered body, has a rich resonant tone and the Classic Plus pups do a great job with this body configuration. It is my reference to compare the Tribute Plus, thus this video. Now one from the LP we're talking about. And there's always Greg's Videos ... This Tribute Plus is a real deal LP, it checks all the boxes except maybe for the poly finish. The pups are Gibson USA '57 Classic (Alnico II). On clean settings, both are rich with much definition. Same with OD and feedback is easy to modulate. They are so clear, that I feel there is more than one sweet spot for height adjustment. I found mine, but could well go with a different one eventually. Tone controls have the push/pull/series parallel thing going. I don't care for it, but it's there. Knobs got pointers. Toggle being a Switchcraft, it has a shroter throw than what I'm used to on my other guitars. The neck is a tad on the thin side for me, but nevertheless nicely shaped. I gave it the Scotch Brite treatment, like I do with all my guitars, so it feels really nice in the palm of my hand. The medium jumbo frets seem a little low compared to ones on my other guitars.I don't think it's the luthier's making, we were talking about thousanths of inches variations when I brought it to be set upped. I first felt I was rubbing on the fretboard when doing vibratos, but action is low enough, that pressure on with 9's on, is minimal. Oh yeah, fretboard edges are lightly rolled, a nice touch. Tuners are of the locking kind (Grover® Locking Rotomatic 106 Series 18:1), they look kind of funny with their long posts, but they what they're supposed to do. Finish is very nice on body and neck, more so than other Epi I've played. No orange peel surface like you might find around neck/body connection. Binding is smooth with no overspray. Every little corner is clean and tight. Looks like attention to details must have been a priority at the factory. Except for the purpleish blob between controls and bridge pup, that looks like a miss in the stain. You see it more depending on the angle (like in earlier photos). But it was sold as a blemished, said so on the hardcase. Gives it character. All in all, I'm impressed. I haven't seen the skies open yet with singing angels, but I'll give it time. What's not to like ? Hmmm ... its heavy weight.
