# Anyone Here Own A Gibson Songwriter Limited Run Long & McQuade Custom?



## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Sometime within the last five years L&M had Gibson do a limited run of Songwriter acoustics, with only 65 being made, that retailed for about $3599. They are billed as a Gibson Songwriter Limited Run, Long & McQuade Custom release. I was wondering if anyone here had one? If so, can you tell me about the guitar - quality, sound, neck profile, your overall impressions, etc.?

There is an NOS one available in the chain that I want to check out. The originating store refused to transfer it to my local store, so I emailed Steve Long. He was away, but said if the guitar was still available when he returned (ie. Monday of this week), he would have it transferred for me.

So before I do that, and while I am waiting for it, I was just wondering if anyone here had one and if they could provide info on that model.

For reference, this is what they looked like:


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

I have tried out several new and used ones at my local L&M.

Nice feel, nice sound. Visually detailed and nice. Nicer than most Gibsons that are hanging on the local wall in the store.

The used one is listed at the same reduced price of the new. They caught my eye and attention, but not my money, yet.

Something about this one allows the notes to ring clearer when I play one. It seems to be well suited for my hands.


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## Larry (Sep 3, 2016)

Colchar, if you enter the sku: 446642, all the specs load,@L&M., plus there is buyers review.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Wow, thanks. It never occurred to me to try that.

ETA: I just did that and what comes up is a different model (a Studio), so they must have recycled the SKU. The guitar in the booklet above is the one I am looking at, but when searching via SKU it doesn't come up.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Going straight to the top gets results. Whether the Markham store likes it or not, thanks to Steve Long the guitar is being transferred to my local store. It should arrive by Wednesday.


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## Larry (Sep 3, 2016)

colchar said:


> Going straight to the top gets results. Whether the Markham store likes it or not, thanks to Steve Long the guitar is being transferred to my local store. It should arrive by Wednesday.


Beautiful ! Keep us Posted.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

I've played one. They are stunning, and rich sounding.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

cboutilier said:


> I've played one. They are stunning, and rich sounding.



I played it earlier today for a brief time (was in a hurry to get home from work but made a detour to pop into the store). From what I could tell today, it is a beautiful guitar. It has a red spruce top (as opposed to sitka spruce), and the back and sides are a lighter wood than I had expected. I am not sure which wood they are, but it is a nice look. The information at the link provided below says that the back and sides are mahogany, but I don't know that I have ever seen mahogany of that particular colour before. I am not saying it doesn't exist in that colour, just that I've never seen it. There isn't as much grain showing on the back as I normally like, but I'm not about to let that dissuade me.

The fretboard badly needs some lemon oil, but that is easy to deal with. It also needs new strings, which is also an easy fix. The guitar tech at that store is a good friend of mine so I will call him over the weekend to let him know it is there and he can take care of those things for me when he returns Tuesday.

The neck felt very comfortable, and the sound was very well balanced. It never became bassy or boomy, which can be a problem with some acoustics (at least to me as I try to transition to picking with thumb and first finger and as that technique continues to develop). When playing with fingers I find that some acoustics can sound a bit muffled, but this one didn't. It was also loud as hell when played with a pick.

Overall I was impressed, and it is a great deal (new, but for about $1800 less than normal after taxes). I just have to decide whether I am ready to drop $2500 (after taxes) on it. Right now, I am fairly certain that I am, but I want to play it a bit more before taking the final plunge. I will also put my Yamaha LL6 and its deluxe case up for sale here and on Kijiji to see if that will move because I do not need two acoustics.

I managed to find a listing for one of this model on reverb.com, and have included the link below so that people can see the exact model that I am talking about. The one pictured here shows more grain on the back than mine does, but is otherwise identical (except that this one is used). Here is the link:

Gibson Songwriter L&M Custom Shop 2015 Adirondack Spruce


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

colchar said:


> Overall I was impressed, and it is a great deal (new, but for about $1800 less than normal after taxes). I just have to decide whether I am ready to drop $2500 (after taxes) on it. Right now, I am fairly certain that I am, but I want to play it a bit more before taking the final plunge. I will also put my Yamaha LL6 and its deluxe case up for sale here and on Kijiji to see if that will move because I do not need two acoustics.


 You mean after bitchin to the president of the L&M chain about getting the guitar transfered to your preferred store you just might not buy it ?


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Distortion said:


> You mean after bitchin to the president of the L&M chain about getting the guitar transfered to your preferred store you just might not buy it ?



That was always a possibility, and I told him that. I also told my local store the same thing. They were cool with it as they understood that it might come in and I might hate it. But the store manager must have a pretty good read on what I am going to do because, as I was leaving today, he said "see you later today, you've got that look in your eye".

The reality is that I most likely will buy it, but have not made the final decision yet.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

I bought it today.

Their guitar tech is going to set it up, oil the fretboard, etc. He is off until Monday so I will pick it up middle of next week. They actually gave me a lot more back for my Yamaha and case than I had expected so I just traded those in towards the Gibson.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Seems like a nice guitar and anything decent is gonna cost a bit so looks like a good enough price

Probably better not to have gone the Martin route because if you’re not careful with them you can easily find yourself embracing the stereotype and driving a clapped out F150, dipping Skoal and singing songs about the oxycontin blues.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Well it was originally $3599 so getting it for $2199 was a nice score.

As for the clapped out F150, I prefer them new. Seriously, I want one but cannot justify what I would spend on gas. I'm not one for oxycontin, but I am on opioids right now so...................


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

It’s a pilgrimage; all in good time..lol


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## Larry (Sep 3, 2016)

Congrats ! it's a Beauty.


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2019)

Wardo said:


> singing songs about the oxycontin blues


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

laristotle said:


>


I took a run at that one a good few years ago but couldn’t get my guitar like the driving banjo.

Song been on my mind last little while and might try it again maybe some open tuning might do it.

Great fuckin lyrics.


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## Larry (Sep 3, 2016)

How is the New Guitar Bonding going.


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Larry said:


> How is the New Guitar Bonding going.



I don't have it yet. My friend, their tech, was doing the initial setup and removing tape residue from the bottom of the case (stupid originating store put masking tape on it). If he cannot remove the residue I will get another case from them.

I was supposed to pick it up earlier in the week, but last Saturday I came home from shopping to find my elderly mother unconscious in a diabetic coma. I had been calling for an hour without getting an answer, so she had been out at least that long and possibly up to three hours. I had to call 911 and she was only released from the hospital last night. She has a couple of small brain bleeds, and a doctor told me that, although he cannot make a definitive diagnosis until three months after her head injury, he is fully confident that she has early stage Alzheimer's. 

So needless to say, I haven't been anywhere near the guitar store this week.


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## Larry (Sep 3, 2016)

colchar said:


> I don't have it yet. My friend, their tech, was doing the initial setup and removing tape residue from the bottom of the case (stupid originating store put masking tape on it). If he cannot remove the residue I will get another case from them.
> 
> I was supposed to pick it up earlier in the week, but last Saturday I came home from shopping to find my elderly mother unconscious in a diabetic coma. I had been calling for an hour without getting an answer, so she had been out at least that long and possibly up to three hours. I had to call 911 and she was only released from the hospital last night. She has a couple of small brain bleeds, and a doctor told me that, although he cannot make a definitive diagnosis until three months after her head injury, he is fully confident that she has early stage Alzheimer's.
> 
> So needless to say, I haven't been anywhere near the guitar store this week.


Colchar,

Sorry to read the bad news, Take Care of your Mom, Moms are precious, hope she makes a speedy recovery.

regards,
Larry


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## Orangeblossom (May 29, 2015)

Congrats on a beauty for sure. All the best to your Mom.


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