|
Price Paid: US $600
Purchased from: N/A
Peeler
Features: 9
1998, made in USA
Has two soap bar Gibson B-90's
Neck wood is mahogany
Body wood is maple on top, and poplar on back
Its black with a huge golden maestro, looks great.
Looks like a Les Paul, but better IMO
The neck seems more like a fender neck than a Gibson neck
Came with a gig bag.... fucking rip off
But it has a varitone, which is kinda cool, although I keep it off most the time
Sound: 9
I play a lot of brit pop I guess you could say, not American pop like blink 182, Sum 41, or New Found Glory, but Brit pop like Oasis, Oasis is the best band ever. I only use an amp in my set-up, which is a Marshall JCM2000 DSL stack. Its not that noisy, I think the dummy coils probably help a lot. It has a nice sound, I use it for lead (when I really wanna cut through the mix, cuz I usually use my SG but when I want to REALLY cut through and have the lead be heard really well, I use this cuz single coils are good at doin just that). I use it for clean too and bluesy stuff, not so much rock. That's for my SG to handle. I cant really think of any dislikes about it, only that I prefer humbuckers, but I didn't get this guitar cuz I wanted humbuckers, I got it because I wanted a guitar that didn't have humbuckers, so I wouldn't really call that a dislike.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 9
Great, the finish was perfect, action was great and its very comfortable. 'nuff said
Reliability/Durability: N/A
Hasn't let me down but I don't think I've put it thru too much
Customer Support: N/A
never dealt with 'em
Overall Rating: 9
The only other electric guitar I have is an SG and that thing is the best, BUT when I got the blueshawk, I wasn't looking to replace my SG, that'd be impossible, but I wanted to add some variety to my arsenal, although a very small arsenal, it gets the job done, well, oh so very well. If it were stolen I'd be fucked cuz they normally cost $989 but I got mine for $600, so I'd probably get a different clearance sale Gibson some day, but I don't want to have to do that, this guitar is just plain awesome, but if I did happen to find another one for $600, I'd buy it. I love the varitone, some different settings call for cool intros. I compared it to some strats, I was looking for a single coil sound, and I like this much better than the strats I compared it to (lone star, american std, mex std, powerhouse, super strat, and a couple others). I say if you like blues are just plain old hard rock, get this, it is a great guitar, it's very very versatile, more so than a strat if you ask me. Although, its not the best guitar, but its a great guitar, none the less.
Submitted by Anonymous at 12/15/2001 23:55
Price Paid: N/A usedPurchased from: N/A
Features: 7
This part has been covered by previous reviews, so I won't take up your valuable time here.
Sound: 10
I play classic rock, blues, southern rock ,and some country. this guitar easily fits those styles (blondie, Journey, AC/DC, guns & roses, Melencamp, Allmans, Foreigner, Joan Jett, Fleetwood Mac, etc....). I play through a Mesa Maverick 1x12 or 2x12 depending 0n the size of the venue. I've been playing guitar since 5th grade and I'm 48 years young! I've owned over 120 guitars throughout my musical career and this is certainly one of the best (especially for the $$). I pride myself in NOT sounding like anyone else. I own equipment that is not typically run-of-the -mill. My other guitar is a Levinson Blade. This guitar is light. Very easy on the back. the tones are very complex and useable. I've read some other reviews concerning the pickups in this guitar complaining they don't sound like P-90's - well DUH!!! they're not P90's. Gibson makes no claim to that point. they are blues 90's and they sound great. they're a bit warmer than the P90's, but certainly have as much "spank". the 6 position Varitone switch is great. Gibson has even gone so far as to put the treble-roll-off capacitor "thing" on the volume control so you don't loose the highs when you turn down the volume. NICE!!
Action, Fit, & Finish: 7
I bought it uses and it wasn't set-up real well. typical factory stuff - screws not tight, tuner nuts not tight etc... the finish is ok, as well as the frets. The fingerboard has dried up some, so some of the frets on the bottom are a little rough, but with a little bit of lemon oil, that will rejuvenate the rosewood just fine. the neck is straight. The bridge is no worse than a Strat's - it's NOT pot metal, but it is plate steel. No problem there. Saddles the same as a Strat's. As far as knobs getting loose - not on this one, but, if you have a problem - just put some clear nail polish on the shaft and tighten the screw (if there is one), and bingo - problem solved. I don't understand some of the people who write these reviews. Complain - complain - complain! Nothing's perfect! This guitar is no worse than a really good Fender Strat or Tele. No - it's not a $2000.00 Les Paul or PRS - but - it sounds much better that them (IMHO).
Reliability/Durability: 8
I treat all my instruments tenderly. If you don't take care of your tools, you won't be able to get your job done! No extreme hot, cold, or moisture. get a hard case. Clean and polish it regularly. Perform preventative maintenance. Use a guitar stand. If you don't do these things, NO guitar will last.
Customer Support: 9
Emailed them yesterday - they emailed me back today - what more could you ask for?
Overall Rating: 8
Overall - a nice guitar. It's not a piece of furniture. Nothin' fancy. Great tone. Light. Versatile. Stays in tune. I'd get another if I needed to. don't like the "Blueshawk" decal. the name should be on the truss rod cover. Inside wiring fine. dummy coil does it's job - to keep the noise down. Much better than any of the same-priced Epiphones. a real Gibson. good job guys.
Submitted by Dennis at 08/23/2001 05:21
Price Paid: US $425Purchased from: N/A
Willy's American Guitars, St Paul MN (great shop!)
Features: 9
Great electronics - P90 pickups with a hum-cancelling coil and a varitone (passive tone control) circuit. Small, lightweight semi-hollow body with a tummy cut - almost as comfy as a Strat. Nice neck, shaped like a Gibson but with a 25 1/2" Fenderish scale. From a sheer comfort point of view, it's probably the best guitar Gibson makes. Mine is the non-trem version with through-body strings - much better than a Tune-O-Matic! Mine came with a cheapo Gibson-labelled gig bag. A hard case is one of my future investments.
Sound: 9
This is a really excellent sounding guitar for the money. The P90 pickups are round and fat-sounding, but not woolly like so many humbuckers. The varitone circuit gets pretty decent simulations of Strat cluck or hollowbody fatness (try the #2 position on the neck pickup). Hum cancelling works pretty well, and the true single coils sound MUCH better than the P100s Gibson puts on some guitars these days.
Besides the electronics, the semi-hollow body helps a lot. The tone is surprisingly rich and full, like a good Gibson. Lots of subtle detail... not as much as a really high-end guitar, of course, but more than anything else in this price range!
And ultimately, it produces a wider variety of basic *useful* sounds from its wood and electronics than any other guitar in its range. The only thing I can think of that compares for tonal flexibility is a PRS, which is significantly more expensive. Or a really great Strat or other such classic, and truly great instruments cost a LOT more.
As a footnote, I've played a Blueshawk with Dimarzio DLX humbuckers that utterly screamed. This one will be getting the same pickups soon. Apparently, a pickup change makes a good thing even better.
I'm currently playing it through a Trace-Elliot Velocette (the modern Gibson Goldtone amps are basically the same thing), which is fantastic. It LOVES moderate-gain tube amps. Other electronics include a Prescription Electronics Germ (mostly used as a clean buffer, and is never turned off because it improves the tone of EVERYTHING), a Crybaby, a ProCo Rat II (the one piece of gear I have kept), and a vintage MXR Flanger.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 4
The setup SUCKED. I bought mine two years old used (original receipt in the gig bag). I'll bet it had the original strings. Action and intonation were completely screwed up. Two of the strings were installed wrong (i.e. knotted). At least the fret finish is okay, and the paint doesn't have any nasty runs like some of these do.
In addition, the component quality stinks. The tuners are cheap Schaller knockoffs of vintage Klusons. Gibson and Fender keep putting these blecherous pieces of shite on, supposedly because they're "vintage", but really because they're cheap. This guitar is getting Grovers asap. I can barely keep it in tune. Oh, and the bridge is cheap pot metal, and the fancy gold plating is already corroding. The pots weren't seated well, and don't feel good even when tightened down. The knobs were ugly imitation-strat... replace them with regular Gibson speed knobs, or something else. The shaft on the varitone is round and unsplined, which means that sooner or later the knob's set screw starts to gouge the shaft. Mine was already gouged... adjusting the knob's height fixed it, for now. I'll probably replace the whole varitone circuit with an aftermarket job, along with the cheap pots.
And if anyone from Gibson reads this... PLEASE ditch the "Blues Hawk" logo on the body! EVERYONE thinks it's ugly! (I think the guitar would look better if they closed the F-holes too, but that's just my opinion)
Reliability/Durability: 6
The varitone knob situation will probably start to fail in the hands of guys playing it at the store before you buy it. The Schaller/Kluson tuners lose their housings and fall apart after a few years. Other metal parts corrode. I even had a cracked tone knob, probably due to improper installation at the factory.
Repair or replace all the cheap awful parts that Gibson used to cut costs, and it will probably last forever.
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't dealt with them. If it needs work beyond what I can or will do myself, I'll ignore Gibson completely and take it to any one of several excellent local luthiers.
Overall Rating: 9
Despite my misgivings about hardware and construction quality, this is a fantastic guitar! It's comfortable to play and has a zillion great tones. I actually plan to invest heavily in this guitar - new pickups, new tuners, better varitone, and a hard case. I think the basic wood tone and design definitely justify working to make it as good an instrument as possible.
If something were to happen to it... it would depend on my budget at the time. If money was tight, I'd get another one. If I could afford something better, I would do that instead, but I'd expect to pay well over $1000 to beat this sub-$500 used honey.
Submitted by dave at 08/04/2001 21:27
Price Paid: US $650.00Purchased from: N/A
Mars Music
Features: 9
No idea of the year of manufacture, but I would guess recent (96-00). Mine is the LTD with the Maestro vibrato and Blue finish. I saw it in a Mars Music store, where it had been beaten and neglected nearly to death. The scale length is 25 1/2 which really appealed to me since I'm a Fender type guy. The Vibrato is a Bigsby type affair which then leads to a tune-o-matic bridge that does not pivot like some Jazzmasters etc. The rest of the features are as described in previous reviews. It came with a Gibson gig bag with Les Paul documentation inside. I wasn't looking to but a guitar when I bought this, but for features I give it a 9.
Sound: 10
This is what blew me away. It was sitting on the wall amidst $1500 Strats and $2500 Les Pauls, and seemed so sad. It had been neglected for a long time, with scratches, tarnished hardware, and a couple of chips here and there. I have played Fenders for years and always loved the bright tone they are famous for. I don't know what made me reach for the Blueshawk, but I did, and plugged it into a Vibro King they had sitting there, also a victim of music mall abuse. The sound blew me away. Very full and clean, with sparkling highs and solid lows. Much bassier than a Fender and cleaner than a Paul. I went through the various settings of the Varitone and pickup selection and was amazed by the variety of sounds I could get. I especially liked the way the Volume and Tone knobs tapered off. A fender tends to lose a lot of volume once you back off the knob a little. The Blueshawk didn't really start to drastically taper off until almost 3, which in my opinion, gives you greater control over your tone. Its so easy to overshoot with a Tele or Strat, but this one is a dream. I play Blues, Motown, Rock, some Country and Jazz, and this one can do it all, with a sound uniquely its own. I played it through my rig when I got home (Mesa Maverick), and it promptly put my other guitars to shame. Effects wise, I run a TC chorus, Rat, Tubescreamer, Boss DD-5 and a Bad Horsie, which it drives really well.
Action, Fit, & Finish: N/A
Horrible! But I can't blame Gibson for this since it had been used and abused at the store for months before I got it. The nut was actually set up as close to the way I like it (low), with the slots not overly deep. It had .009's on it, which I promptly changed to .011's, and as a result needed truss rod tweaking. Fret work is good, and the controls all seem first rate. The TOM is my only real gripe. Its cheesy pot metal like found on many Epi's and Korean models, though it says "made in Germany" on the back. I'll replace it with a Gotoh from Allparts as soon as I get a chance. One of the studs for the TOM is a very loose fit in the body.
Reliability/Durability: 8
Like I said, bought it trashed, so the finish is pretty well toasto, but that doesn't matter to me. I plan on taking a backup to the first few gigs, as string changing with the Maestro is a drag. Construction seems good and I think it will last.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them, but from experience, in this day and age, you better be happy with it when you buy it.
Overall Rating: 10
Been playing for a while and have been a staunch Fender nut. I did not plan on buying this guitar, but its sound is superb. I find it to be a rather ugly guitar, with the body looking like it had its growth stunted. Buying it almost felt like an obligation - very strange - as I have never felt that way about another guitar. I must have seen it a thousand times in Musicians Friend, and in that Mars store, but never even gave it a thought. I don't know what made me buy it, but I already know that I will never regret it. Go ahead and spend your bucks on a Strat (I did- a deluxe at that, then added Van Zandt's), or a Les Paul or PRS. You are buying a name and not necessarily good tone. Before you do that, go try the ugly duckling Blueshawk out, and think about price/performance. Besides, chances are you'll be the only one at Jam night with one, and its made in the USA for the same price as some of the higher end Mexican marvels.
Submitted by Anonymous at 06/04/2001 11:59
Price Paid: N/APurchased from: N/A
Features: 8
This is a '98 model, but I only got it last Summer, I live in Ireland. Plenty of variety of features. The Blues 90's a great; humbucker sounds with more clarity, but tend to lose volume a bit when you select on pickup or the other. The varitone is cool, but suffers from the volume sap too. It'd be nicer if they'd put separate volume/tone pots on this, made it like a BB King Lucille. But I'm only being niggly here. Fast neck, just how I like it, nice action. Shit machine heads. I replaced them with gold Grovers after I dropped the guitar and one of the machine heads bent. Best thing that ever happened...
Overall: great features, very satisfied with them. Don't like that volume drop though...
Sound: 10
I play anything and everything, and this guitar gives me any sound I want. I love the 335 sound, and I get it from this guitar. I run it through the following: Danelectro Fish & Chips EQ, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, Vox Wah, Ibanez Phaser, Boss Turbo Overdrive, into Vox Cambridge 30. I have owned rakes of gear, I've played with other peoples rigs, but I don't think I'd ever sell this guitar. Any sound I want I get. Its rich, full, and has plenty of attack when I want it. Great job Gibson.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 8
There were a couple of miniscule bumps on the sides when I got it, other than that...I though it was quiet good. Action was smooth, the neck isn't silky, but I don't mind that, I use finger-ease before gigs, so there's no problems there. A small scratch guard might be nice, but also might ruin the look of the guitar...oh, and for the love of Mike; get rid of the 'Blueshawk' logo on the body.
Reliability/Durability: 9
I've gigged with this guitar, and have gotten nothing but positive interest from people about it's live sound. It's solid as a rock, and beats the pants off having a Les Paul dragging you through the floor half-way through the set...
Again, crappy tuners. Get Grovers, the go on a treat, and are a huge improvement. I'm going to put strap locking nuts on it as well...
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had any problems...
Overall Rating: 10
Great guitar, great sound. Would buy it again in a second. Very very happy with it now that I've changed the machine heads. Cracker.
Submitted by Tony Fitzpatrick at 03/22/2001 04:58
