• Registered: 2006-05-25
  • Posts: 444

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

AD3THREE wrote:

Wow everybody is going Black on Gold lately.  It's very classy looking, but I think if I did have one I'd like cream rings no pickguard, and no covers on my pickups.  Sorta give it that Duane Allman LP look.  Joe's LP is very original, you didn't see anybody doing that before him.

Except for the guy who owned it before Joe? Doing what he does best,  someone else's work and improves big_smile

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Wasn't the JB LP Joe's take on Snowy White's guitar?  That's the only other goldtop with black hardware that I've seen.

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Nah, it was a take on a guitar he had when he was younger but his dad sold. A '55 if I remember correctly.
He said it had been damaged badly and glued back together and the guy that owned it before him was being sly and painted the back black. It had the black plastic on it too.

  • Registered: 2009-03-07
  • Posts: 74

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

You're right Jimi, there's a clip on youtube of Joe talking about that.

I love the black on gold look.  Before I saw Joe's LP I didn't like goldtops at all but the black plastic adds nicely to the black headstock.

Before I saw the black on gold I was all about the burst finishes but now I can't decide.  I'd love to have the black on gold but then there's the whole copy cat thing.  Kinda like putting a black guard with white pup covers on a burst Strat.

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Yeah, it's the whole "why didn't I think of that first" thing roll .  Copycat smopycat, I say if you like the look go for it.  Besides, there are plenty of  Page, Slash, Gibbons, Beano-era Clapton, Gary Moore, and Mike Bloomfield fans gobbling up all of the flame top bursts out there.  I heard that story as well about Joe's old goldtop LP that his dad sold.  I just figured it might have some relation to Snowy White's old goldtop because it looks very similar. tongue

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

take this one step further.

I always LOVED the look of a Black Les Paul Custom. All black, block inlays, black everything... with gold pickups, tuners etc. The JB Gold top is almost the polar opposite with gold everything and black everything else. The yin-yang of Les Pauls! lol

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
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  • From: Stafford, England
  • Registered: 2009-02-03
  • Posts: 852

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Well all I can say is that I never liked the look of the Goldtop with the traditional pickguard and surrounds - it never looked right to me. Now add the black plastic bits and WOW!
The Goldtop has been crying out for that treatment - I think it's just the bold contrast - as simple as that.

Now if I could just afford one................ sad

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  • Registered: 2010-10-14
  • Posts: 1

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Jimi75 wrote:

I have sold my ESP Eclipse yesterday and I got my money together now for my first real Gibson LP. Saturday will hopefully be my NGD then :-)

I have made up my mind and I think the Historic Necks are a little too big for me, I know exactly how I am and I know I would be thinking about it all the time instead of enjoying to play the instrument.

Thinking back of my big LP check, I was very very happy with the Traditional Gold Top. It was an excellent instrument with very warm sound. I have mentioned that I didn't like the binding, but that day I was a little bit under pressure, my wife was waiting with the kids etc...you know the usual blabla...taking closer looks now at pictures of owners ofthe GT Traditional I must admit this binding has balls and the guitar is a beauty.

Of course I will report on what I bought and if I bought the guitar...so please cross your fingers for me on saturday..may the Gold Top Force be with me and may the shop have 2 GTs at least so that I can chose the better one.

First mod will perhaps be a black pickguard...who the heck might have inspired me to do so *hahahahaha* ?

big_smile

I've had an Historic '56 Goldtop and I agree that the neck is chunky but you'd be surprised at how quickly you will adapt.
The up side of that neck is that they never go out of tune. I've just got mine back after a six month stint at the pawn broker and it is still in perfect tune, the same applies when its being played, amazing!
At one stage I used to always graduate to my Tele when playing with the band, probably because of the slick neck but once I forced myself I never looked back. The tone of those P90s is amazing, it's worth disciplining yourself just for that reason.

  • From: Burlington, Ont Canada
  • Registered: 2010-04-01
  • Posts: 365

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

I hear ya - the neck on my '57 Historic is huge and I was really worried that it was TOO big....I forced myself to play it and now anything else feels "weird". The guitar feels like it weighs 50 lbs and the neck is massive but so is the tone - the only clip I have is an awful Youtube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZohRBUcuerE

The clip jumps around a bit and is short and shaky but I had some epic tone going on that day playing through someone elses '66 Vibrolux

Cheers

felixq78 wrote:
Jimi75 wrote:

I have sold my ESP Eclipse yesterday and I got my money together now for my first real Gibson LP. Saturday will hopefully be my NGD then :-)

I have made up my mind and I think the Historic Necks are a little too big for me, I know exactly how I am and I know I would be thinking about it all the time instead of enjoying to play the instrument.

Thinking back of my big LP check, I was very very happy with the Traditional Gold Top. It was an excellent instrument with very warm sound. I have mentioned that I didn't like the binding, but that day I was a little bit under pressure, my wife was waiting with the kids etc...you know the usual blabla...taking closer looks now at pictures of owners ofthe GT Traditional I must admit this binding has balls and the guitar is a beauty.

Of course I will report on what I bought and if I bought the guitar...so please cross your fingers for me on saturday..may the Gold Top Force be with me and may the shop have 2 GTs at least so that I can chose the better one.

First mod will perhaps be a black pickguard...who the heck might have inspired me to do so *hahahahaha* ?

big_smile

I've had an Historic '56 Goldtop and I agree that the neck is chunky but you'd be surprised at how quickly you will adapt.
The up side of that neck is that they never go out of tune. I've just got mine back after a six month stint at the pawn broker and it is still in perfect tune, the same applies when its being played, amazing!
At one stage I used to always graduate to my Tele when playing with the band, probably because of the slick neck but once I forced myself I never looked back. The tone of those P90s is amazing, it's worth disciplining yourself just for that reason.

Gits: '03 Gibson Historic R7 Goldtop, '06 Gibson R8 Plaintop, MIJ '62 RI Strat,  and others...
Amps: '99 Marshall 1987x Plexi RI, 1969 Fender Super Reverb

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  • From: N.Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-03-06
  • Posts: 2,183

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

The neck on mine is a handful to say the least...and when I had it 'neckst' to an Ibanez Jem, it couldn't have been more different....now...I don't want anything else.

29 Reply by ZeyerGTR (edited by ZeyerGTR 2010-10-15 10:17:04)

  • From: Orlando, FL
  • Registered: 2010-04-15
  • Posts: 1,374

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

I gotta say I LOVE the neck on my Traditional.  Not too fat, not too skinny.  Just feels great.  It's beefy but it isn't cumbersome.

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  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

I bought my first strat a few years ago and was worried I made a bad decision because I hated the neck.  Was so familiar with my Ibanez's and PRS but I, like everyone else, made myself get used to it.  I love it now, own a second strat and 2 Gibsons.  Theres something about that thick neck that you grow to love. -S.

  • Registered: 2009-07-16
  • Posts: 105

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

I also played a 1983 30th Anniversity Gold Top - Great neck, killer sparkle on the top - guitar had seen better days and the controls need some work but that dog had a lot of fight left in her. Blew the classic right out of the water the sound was great, the price wasn't $2200 and I would give the guitar a 6 out of 10 in the shape but the sound was there forsure. Just goes to show you got to play a lot of them to find the good ones.

Did this have the Shaw pickups? Those are some of the best PAF (lower wind) pups I have ever heard. I have them in my  '83 ES335 '59 Dot Reissue. Those pickups are VERY collectible and is what some of the pickup builders are using as reference for PAF replicas.

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  • From: San Diego
  • Registered: 2009-10-30
  • Posts: 12,198

Re: It's gonna be the Trad. Gold Top

Voodoo Blues wrote:

You're right Jimi, there's a clip on youtube of Joe talking about that.

I love the black on gold look.  Before I saw Joe's LP I didn't like goldtops at all but the black plastic adds nicely to the black headstock.

Before I saw the black on gold I was all about the burst finishes but now I can't decide.  I'd love to have the black on gold but then there's the whole copy cat thing.  Kinda like putting a black guard with white pup covers on a burst Strat.

Joe's playing his sig LP burst without a pickguard now I see. Funny because when Pete the Cabby was getting his signed in Bonn, Joe remarked that the pickguard fell off his because the screws rattled out. He played it that way and has been ever since from the pictures I've seen.

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