hey cody, ever heard of a gibson nighthawk?

[rt green]

just picked one up. i know you might be into fenders and all, but i'm just starting out and wanted somthing that would produce a lot of different sounds. i did my reserch off of reviews and saw a few on you tube. just looking for your thoughts. or anyone else's thats  into these things.

[69bronzeT5]

I'm into all guitars pretty much.....Gibsons, Fenders, Jacksons, Ibanezs, ESPs....all of them. Not really too firmilar with Nighthawks, heard about them but don't have any actual experiences regarding them. Of course though, it's simple....it's a Gibson and all Gibsons are great in sound and quality. You can't really go wrong with Gibson's. I've only had a couple of bad issues with Gibsons and it's mainly been the 'stick' neck on some of their guitars, especially the Les Pauls. I do understand that wears off as you play it more though. The Nighthawk looks like a customized Les Paul and I quite like the shape actually.....I like Les Pauls more but the shape is pretty damn cool.

[TylerCharger69]

Didn't Zakk Wylde have his hand in designing that guitar???

[TylerCharger69]

Sorry....this is the one I was thinking of...http://images.gibson.com/Files/d9ecd94d-0ebd-48df-beb7-8f19c709bbb0.jpg

[devilgear]

Zakk had nothing to do with that guitar.Nighthawks came out in the early 90's...The usually had a humbuker, single coil and a p90.They were meant to be a versitle Les Paul type of axe.They were pretty nice guitars...

[TylerCharger69]

yes....i realized that....see above post.  Of course Zakks guitar is a Gibson and not an epiphone POS....And NONE of his guitars are stock anyway....I was reading one of his articles about his gear.  When he plays with BLS....He uses a .070 top string....truss rod is thicker than stock,  approximately 1500 to 2000 bucks is spent on fretwork and scalloping, bridge is customized...not to mention the active EMG pickups he favors so much.  OOps...I better stop....didn't mean to hijack this thread!!!  But Zakk is da man!!!

[devilgear]

No way is fret work of any kind $2000... maybe 2-300... i just sent my new guitar in wednesday for the same thing and it cost me $125...

[rt green]

what one did you buy?

[4cruzin]

Gibson guitars ROCK!  Sounds like a nice score!   

[ipstrategies]

Gibson Guitar ...  .. I even named my dog Gibson
My favorite everyday electric is my 1979 Gibson "the paul" a poor mans les paul with solid walnut body, second favorite is my fender strat.
My daughter has a 71 Gibson SG that we bought her for her 17th birthday that has become her #1.

[devilgear]

I bought an Ibanez RG3exfm..I know it's a cheap guitar, but I needed to leave a guitar at the rehearsal studio and it can't be one of my $5000 Jacksons...HAHAHAH.So I got the guitar for $240 new and it plays great and I am gutting the electronics and putting new pups in it...Im not a big Gibson fan anymore.Their prices and quality are shit the last several years.I wanted to order a custom shop Les Paul about 5 years ago and the total was like $12000....FUCK YOU....I got a Custom Shop Jackson built exactly how I wanted it for about $2800 that time...

[TylerCharger69]

I was also speaking of the heavier, thicker truss rods he has installed in his custom necks....not just the thicker fret job and the scalloping.....I'll have to dig up my guitar player mag of that issue and show ya all of the tech notes.  Not to mention, the bridge has to be repositioned back further to achieve the correct intonation due to his mods and detuning down to C sharp....As far as BLS music is concerned.  I'll try to find it...it was in a 2008  issue.

[devilgear]

Pulling the bridge back would screw the intonation up because now you are not at the correct length.Its a mathmatical equasion that determins the scale legth.Tunning down has nothing to do with it.Also replacing the truss rod would not really be that big of a deal since you use a heated blade to take the fret board off.Not saying it would cost $10, but not $2-3000.Also since he is endorced by Gibson they would just built them that way not redo them. I would be Gibson would charge you $2-3000 to do it though...Dumb greedy dopes...

[Brock Samson]

  I've played a few Gibsons over the years i got a perfect studio Les Paul and an old '57 slim bodied jazz, plus a very new ES 335, I've played a early '70 Gibson Ripper Bass (try to find one of those) and a few SGs which are ok - I'd love to have one or a Firebird... most of all I'd want an old '50s soap bar Gold top L.P. though...
I find the Gibsons' scale weird and them way bottom heavy and uncomfortable to play but they make some really cool extraneous noises especially when hammered and tapping.
outrageously expensive they're kinda' like HEMIs but they make great bottom end and nicely detailed lead lines.
Strats are like the 440 magnums of the guitar world though I belive they need to be somewhat modified to perform at the same level of a Gibson with the singlecoil pick ups and better tuners, stock gibson tuners are pretty touchy too though..
funny Gibson brought out a line of Jimi Hendrix guitars last yr. Jamie Hendrix sold her Brothers name to Gibson though Jimi is only recorded playing a Gibson twice, a les paul and a Flying Vee. The Jimi fans are really pissed about her handeling of her Brothers legacy, especially since she barely, if at all knew him.
anyhow.. 

[ipstrategies]

As far a quality on the newer Gibsons I have played a few newer LPs and my old "paul" played better to me. The music store is still in biz that it was bought new from, the owner told me it used to be when they got a guitar from Gibson it was set up and ready to go. The last few years they were dealers the store would have to mess with the setup just like the cheaper versions?

I will say this I have played a lot of guitars over the years and do not remember playing a vintage gibson I did not like.

[TylerCharger69]

devil gear....you obviously know the geometrics of guitars....therefore...just like my guitar player....when you use heavier gauge strings....and you tune down to c sharp from straight E (440) the intonation has to be readjusted, meaning it needs to be restrobed, and the saddles have to be adjusted back in order to reach correct intonation....now....if you have a floating bridge such as a kahler, or a floyd rose.....may the nightmare begin.  My guitar player used to use Jacksons exclusively....now he has a bunch of Gibson "V"s  and three Dean "V"s....the Gibson is a much more solid guitar than the Jacksons...which are very high maintenance.  Besides  nothing beats the warmth of the Gibson.   He hardly ever plays his Korina....(prolly because it's ungodly expensive....lol)

[devilgear]

Jacksons are high maintenance? Hmmm thats funny the several I have owned over the last 20 years seem to be just fine...Khaler, Floyd Rose and Gibson bridges all have about the same room to move for intonation....Restobing means nothing as its just a different more acurate form of tunning...And again just because you tune down that does not change your scale length, just your open note.Now if the guitar in question was a 27" scale length instead of a 24 3/4 like Gibson Les Pauls are then I could see, but also your buddies V is also the standard 24 3/4 length anyway.Now your comment about Gibsons being warmer than Jackson is waaay off the mark since a Jackson can be ordered any damn way you want...Gibson is allways the same, plus their quality does not come close to CS Jacksons these days.Now I could see your statement about warmth with a USA Select series Jackson wich are mostly Alder going up against a LP Standard or Custom, but not Jackson CS against anyting else...

[69bronzeT5]

My $900 Jackson RR3 Rhoads plays way better than most $2,000 Les Pauls I've played.

[devilgear]

I bet it does...In my last band, my other guitar player mostly played a LP Custom but for a few songs he would play his white Jackson RR5 while I played my black Hot Rod Flamed Jackson RR1T...It was cool...Both guitars sounded and played awesome....Plus they looked cool too...

[TylerCharger69]

When i meant high maintenance....i meant the floating systems....people were finally asking me to block shim their bridges...which...really makes no sense....they should've just bought one with a solid bridge.  A guy brought a real nice Jackson to me one day...was an ash body guitar...strings through the body...yada yada yada....it was one of the nicest Jacksons I've ever played as opposed to the floating systems....By the way....Our bass player is looking for an older vintage Gibson "V" bass.  I think they only made them for one year back in the '70's...or maybe two....i dunno....but he's been looking for one.   Ive been wanting a Blackie Lawless B.C. Rich black widow bass.....but from what I understand.....only three were made....one with white binding, one with orange binding, and one with green.....i'll bet that's a good chunk of change

[charger_cody]

I have 2 of them. Never had a nighthawk that didn't play beautifully. Pics?

Cody

[devilgear]

They still make the widow bass...in custom shop form....

[TylerCharger69]

Ya have a link to who makes them?

[Manfred318]

Ya have a link to who makes them?

Here ya go Id like to have one of those some day
http://www.bcrich.com/bass_widow.asp

[devilgear]

I really like the Widow bass.A few years ago I wanted to order a CS BC Rich Warlock, but the saleman talked me out of it saying Dealing with them was a nightmare...I wonder if they are any better now.I had some early 80'2 Bich's and they were waaaay cool...I like Ironbirds too.Not many of them around at all...