Time to Bye - Goodbye Les Paul Studio

I sold the Les Paul Studio for the princely sum of $800, exactly what I paid a few years ago. I could do the responsible thing and bank the money, seeing how I just paid $300 on a barely used Ibanez JEM Jr., but I think we both know that isn't how this is going to work.

I've had my eye on a Pink Jackson for quite some time, but now that I have the JEM Jr., and given that the absence of the Studio is not being felt, I can't help but wonder if I'd be better served with another amp or something else, to say nothing of my aversion to buying new (which the Jackson purchase would require).



Eight hundred bucks goes a long way in the amp world.  On the other hand, there are a ton of other really good options on the market right now, and the sale of the Studio reminds me that if I play my cards right, I will experience zero depreciation on my money if I buy used.

Here's a quick list of what I'm considering:

Fender '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb - $900

I've owned a DRRI before, but that was the blackface version, and what sticks in my memory more than anything else are two things. First, the normal channel wasn't connected to the reverb and tremolo.  Second, the channel that was had a bright cap on it that was unpleasant.  Too much high end for me.  It had to go, and it did.

This iteration of the DRRI seemingly solves this problem, by linking the first channel to the reverb and tremolo, and along with providing a "Bassman" tone stack on the first channel.  Sounds great from what I've heard, and I think this is a nice compliment to my current collection.


The only sticking point is resale value.  Silverface amps are notoriously less valuable than their blackface cousins, and while the feature set here shares little in common with the originals, and has features that make it more desirable than the current blackface reissues, guitarist tend to be troglodytes who won't eschew cosmetics for sonic benefit.

This video goes a long way to convincing me this is the way to go however.

Gibson Les Paul Tribute Goldtop - $800

Wait, didn't I just sell one of these?

Start the clock.  You know this merry-go-round is going to come around again at some point in the future, and I'll be trying to sell some kind of Les Paul once again.

Not today though.  Pass.

Ibanez RG 920 - $700

I need another guitar like I need a hole in the head, but man does this catch my eye.  My recent experience with Ibanez has opened a world of possibilities - I'm really keen to try a higher end Ibanez to see what it offers.  Also, jumbo frets are amazing. Also blue.


The catch?

Distance.  This one is at the very far end of my search radius, and I'd be looking at a 3 hour round trip to get this, likely at an inconvenient time of the day, in heavy traffic.

Man, this would look great in the living room though.


Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue - -$1000

I know.  I just said that I've already owned one of these, and didn't like the channel configuration or the brightness of the second channel (you know, the one with the reverb...). That pretty much means this is out, but given this is a Fender FSR (factory special run), I thought it would be worth a consideration, if only because it serves as a point of comparison to the '68 above.





Jimi Hendrix Tribute Strat - $900

Would I be interested in this if the same model wasn't owned by Mick of That Pedal Show?

Probably not, but if it is good enough for him...

Except I have too many Strats.


Ibanez Iron Label 6SIXDFM - $800

Crazy cool finish, jumbo frets, DiMarzio pickups... This would certainly scratch the Ibanez itch, and do so in a bit more of a traditional shape, save for the fact that the S series guitars are SG-like in thinness.

I really dig the finish, but Iron Label stuff is designed "for metal", and I don't do metal, so the tones will likely be a bit lost on me. Aside from that, the neck is three piece; maple/purpleheart/maple.  that gives me pause, because Henning Pauly's signature Harley Benton went back to the drawing board due to an all purpleheart neck.

Probably not an issue here, but it goes to show that little things can give pause.


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