Just sold my 2003 Gibson Faded SG, got what I wanted. It took 2 years but I got'er done. The buyer got one of the finest instruments I have ever owned, not for looks but for trueness, no high or low frets no weird under/overtones. Ebony fingerboard. Just perfect. Not my favorite guitar, not because it sounded bad, it sounded great. Not my favorite because I like a longer scale guitar with one volume and tone control more accessible than the Gibson style of tone/volume controls.
Harv
The current model costs $1164.00, without an ebony fretboard...so yours would now cost a lot more.
You seem surprised that a $1000 guitar has even frets that don't need to be levelled or dressed?
A $500 PRS SE, made in Korea, also has perfect frets, a perfect finish, same wood...yet it's half the price.
An Agile Les Paul, made in China at a third of the price is also a very well made guitar, frets are great, wood is good, finish is excellent.
And, keep in mind, the Gibson "faded" series are basically unfinished, there's no fill in the wood, parts of the sanding process are not done, they basically spray some nitro over unfinished wood and call them the faded series...whereas a PRS SE and Agile go through the full "finishing" process and paint job.
So what makes you think your Gibson SG "faded" was such a great guitar, the Chinese will make the same guitar for $200?
DBM, so, what are you going to buy now? You know the rules. You have to spend that money on another guitar!
Need a nice MIJ Strat or Tele? ;)
p.s. Lance, don't say that too loudly. Remember, I'm trying to sell Tokai's for around $700 LMAO
DreamTheaterRules — Mar 05, 2013DBM, so, what are you going to buy now? You know the rules. You have to spend that money on another guitar!
Need a nice MIJ Strat or Tele? ;)
p.s. Lance, don't say that too loudly. Remember, I'm trying to sell Tokai's for around $700 LMAO
If anyone on this forum wants one of the Tokai Tele's or Strats you can sell it to them at "cost".
I'm not sure the faded series is unfinished... when I checked one out, it struck me as completely finished, but not buffed... that's exactly how one of my guitars looks and feels after final wet sanding, right before the buffing process makes it shiny and glossy. It's still a step short of completely finished, for sure, but that step in a factory is automated and takes 5 minutes (it takes me about an hour and a half by hand). I am a little surprised that they sell this as a feature--but guitar companies will sell anything as a feature.
I think they sell is more as a more affordable model DUE TO the lack of final finish.
The SG I just sold was finished well it simply did not have the filler that smooths out the strands of wood fiber in the mahogany, plus the thing was really not book matched well. It certainly was not fine furniture grade finish. Now all that said, it was absolutely the finest neck/fretboard that I have ever owned on any guitar, and I have had at least 20 or more guitars in my lifetime. There was not a high or low fret nor any weird under/overtones. It stayed in tune and was rock solid. The action was superb.
Now I have my Philip Petillo Custom up for sale. It is 25" scale like a PRS (although it ain't as pretty) and it was my Guitar To MIDI guitar back in the mid 80's. It tracked like a bear following a female bear in heat. If you listen to my Android From Andromeda on my soundclick page the Petillo was the guitar that I used for that. It has switching options that will give almost any pup combo I could imaging back in the mid 80's.
