# Gibson "Midtown"...comments



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

My friend hamstrung and I saw one of these at the Cambridge L&M tonight.

The 4 versions/finishes below look quite traditional. 
The size is between a 335 and a 339...maybe a 337...LOL
The body appears to made with a thick, solid mahogany back with a hollow area under a standard (it would seem) top cap. The headstocks are a bit small. The binding is blinding, snow white












Below is the one we saw. Sorry, didn't impress me at all. The price was about $1,400.00

Has anyone else seen/tried one of these?









Cheers

Dave


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Haven't tried one. They're flat tops not archtops!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Yes, the top does seem to be very flat. 

Actually, this black one looks not too bad in comparison to the red one.

I'm not totally sure, but I think they might be called the* "Midtown LP" *
The tag was not clear.

Cheers

Dave



big frank said:


> Haven't tried one. They're flat tops not archtops!


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I'm kinda liking them.


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

I played a red one (unplugged only) and really dug it! A semi-hollow Gibson, with a Bigsby for under 1500 bucks... I like.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Prosonic said:


> I played a red one (unplugged only) and really dug it! A semi-hollow Gibson, with a Bigsby for under 1500 bucks... I like.


The price was certainly impressive.

The Gibson 339's were $2,300.00 when we looked tonight...that is quite an increase !!

Cheers

Dave


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

greco said:


>


Oh crap, I really like that. I'm gonna be in trouble...


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> Oh crap, I really like that. I'm gonna be in trouble...


This will help you get into more trouble

........from the the Gibson website:

*Midtown Standard with Bigsby®*
What if you married the best attributes of Gibson's classic archtops together with the innovative solid-body designs Gibson USA currently offers? Taking a cue from our past, Gibson USA mixes historic design with modern styling to come up with the *ultimate hybrid Gibson*, a new breed of electric guitar that offers ultimate "Tonestry." This new Gibson recipe creates a whole new level of sonic versatility, resulting in an instrument that's perfect for an amazingly wide range of musical genres. With *a trimmed-down and more player friendly body size *that still emulates the best of Gibson tradition, *built with solid-wood construction* rather than a laminated top and back, the Midtown Standard with Bigsby® truly embodies the *optimum marriage of solidbody and archtop*—and its twin ‘57 Classic humbuckers, top-notch hardware, and Bigsby® vibrato tailpiece are just the icing on the cake. 

The Midtown Standard with Bigsby® starts with a solid mahogany body that is strategically chambered for optimum resonance. A solid maple top with f-holes is glued to this foundation, finished in your choice of high-gloss Faded Red or Ebony Black. A solid mahogany neck is carved to a fast, comfortable '60s-style profile that measures .800" at the 1st fret and .875" at the 12th, and capped with a bound fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets. Tidy white binding accentuates the body and fingerboard, while eye-catching mirror dot inlays adorn the fingerboard, and the headstock wears a simple yet elegant mother-of-pearl Gibson logo. 

Plugged in, this understated hotrod runs the gamut of classic Gibson tones, thanks to a pair of ‘57 Classic humbucking pickups and a no-nonsense control array of a single master volume and tone, along with Gibson's traditional three-way toggle switch. A ‘57 Classic in the neck position offers tones that are creamy and warm yet always articulate, while a slightly hotter ‘57 Classic Plus in the bridge yields raunchier crunch and scorching lead tones, with round, funky tones available from the both-pickups selection. These great humbuckers from Gibson USA are made with genuine Alnico II magnets and wound with 42 AWG wire, just like the legendary PAFs of the late '50s and early '60s, and offer a blend of depth and clarity that few pickups can match today. A Bigsby® vibrato tailpiece extends the Midtown with Bigsby's playing range even further, with the aid of a TonePros® roller-saddle bridge, designed to put keep you in tune even with heavy whammy action. Put it all together, and it's a great modern take on some of the world's most classic electric guitar designs. 

Each guitar comes protected in a plush-lined hardshell case with black exterior, and includes owner's manual and adjustment literature, along with Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service.

MSRP is 2,149.00 USD


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

*

Midtown Custom*
Gibson's "thinline semi-hollow" ES models were an instant hit when they made the scene in 1958. The marriage of archtop and solidbody electric designs addressed the needs of countless players of the day, and created instant classics virtually overnight in the process. Gibson USA's Midtown Custom takes all of the legendary ES properties a step further, maximizing each design goal, while adding a rich, deep resonance all its own. With a trimmed-down and more player-friendly body size that still emulates the lines of the ES models, but built with the chambered solid-wood construction (rather than a laminated top and back with solid center block), the Midtown Custom truly embodies the optimum marriage of solidbody and archtop. What's more, it dresses all these tonal advantages in a package worthy of the hallowed "Custom" name. 

The Midtown Custom starts with premium tonewoods, using Grade-A timbers beneath the three translucent finish options. A solid mahogany body is strategically chambered for optimum resonance and capped with a solid maple top with traditional f-holes, which is finished in your choice of high-gloss Heritage Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst, Antique Natural or Ebony Black. Its solid mahogany neck is carved to a fast, comfortable '60s-style profile that measures .800" at the 1st fret and .875" at the 12th. The neck is topped with a smooth, hard fingerboard crafted from Richlite®, a fabricated material composed of cellulose fiber and phenolic resin, which offers the constructional and resonant properties of fine hardwood, but with improved durability, for a superb playing feel. Tidy white binding accentuates the fingerboard, while multi-ply binding graces the body and headstock. The rich, dark fingerboard is enhanced with acrylic block inlays plus split-diamond inlays dress the headstock in the classic style of upmarket Gibson models. 

Plugged in, this elegant hotrod runs the gamut of legendary Les Paul-to-ES tones, thanks to a pair of BurstBucker pickups, two of Gibson's finest vintage-PAF-style humbuckers, and classic four-knob wiring with three-way toggle selector. A BurstBucker 1 in the neck position yields warm, throaty blues and jazz tones with plenty of clarity, while a slightly hotter BurstBucker 2 in the bridge provides more growl and bite for anything from hot country to rock 'n' roll, while together the pair provides round, slinky, funky rhythm tones. These great humbuckers from Gibson USA are made with genuine unpolished Alnico II magnets and wound with 42 AWG wire, just like the legendary PAFs of the late '50s and early '60s. In the hardware department, the Midtown Custom carries the classic pairing of Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece, and a set of premium Grover kidney button tuners up top. 

Each guitar comes protected in a plush-lined hardshell case with black exterior, and includes owner's manual and adjustment literature, along with Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Hmmmmm..... to me, these look and 'read' like very nice guitars!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Alex Csank said:


> Hmmmmm..... to me, these look and 'read' like very nice guitars!


It is probably unfortunate that we saw the red one with the bigsby, as that one was not appealing to me at all.

Cheers

Dave


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Played one yesterday, along w/ an Epi 339 & blockneck Gibson 335 (62 RI?) thru a Marshall Class 5 head & 112 cab (Chinese Celestion?). Had the amp turned up 1/2 way w/ the idea of riding the guitar volume pots to get clean tones.

Perhaps it was because the salesclerk at L&M told me the fingerboard was made from a synthetic material before handing the guitar to me, but the Midtown had a plasticky feel (this includes the finish & binding). I've owned a few hollowbodies over the yrs (Guild Bluesbird, Gibson ES-137 Std, ES-339 & CS-356), and was looking forward to this guitar as the specs seemed very close to the CS-356 but this felt & looked like a toy guitar in my hands. The diamond headstock is nice but the flat top just looked weird (I may be too much of a traditionalist). The guitar didn't clean up very well when I rolled back the volume pot. For $1500 I would look for a used 339 or plain top 335.

The Epi 339 was impressive for the money. The coil tap idea is a good idea & worked well, although the pots were a little wonky on the one I played. I preferred the feel of the Epi to the Midtown & would seriously consider it in that price range ($425 + HST).

The Gibby 335 felt more alive & responsive. It fedback really nicely & cleaned up very well. As expected, the tone was the "woodiest" of the 3 (like the Midtown, my CS-356 & Bluesbird had carved mahogany backs & their tone tended to straddle a Les Paul & a 335). Budget permitting, this was the clear winner.


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Nice review there Roryfan! Thanks!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

The black and the blonde one look great. I wish they had a photo of the blonde with bigsby.


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## Jaybo (Jun 3, 2010)

Those are pretty sweet.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I like the general look, the control layout, the Bigsby, and the body & headstock proportions. However, I will never get used to a flattop with f-holes, and I've had a couple over the years. If other companies like Ibanez for example can mass produce an archtop at well under that price point, why not Gibson?

Peace, Mooh.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Besides the lack of "cleanupability" I found that the tones were similar to my old ES-137 Std, which was loaded with 498/490 pups & 300k pots. The dirty sounds were a little strident (the amp EQ was set to 1:00 across the board) and then they got quite muffled when the volume was rolled back. Like the 137, the Midtown has 300k pots, so this is likely the issue.


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## blazer (Feb 12, 2012)

*Happy Easter everyone*



Roryfan said:


> Besides the lack of "cleanupability" I found that the tones were similar to my old ES-137 Std, which was loaded with 498/490 pups & 300k pots. The dirty sounds were a little strident (the amp EQ was set to 1:00 across the board) and then they got quite muffled when the volume was rolled back. Like the 137, the Midtown has 300k pots, so this is likely the issue.


Hey Roryfan 
I just ordered a Gibson Midtown Custom Vintage Sunburst in the first of March and I'm inpatiently waiting for it's arival to the great white north.I don't think it's the pots as much as the pickup's you are discribing.The Epi 339 has thier version of 57's and the ES 335 also has 57's and from my expierence thats the trait of the 57's.The BurstBucker is a different beast and to me thats what I like.I also had a ES 137 STD Flamed and even though it was the most beutiful guitar I've seen I just didn't take a liking to it's feel.
Cheer's


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## blazer (Feb 12, 2012)

*It's arrived*

Going to pick up my Gibson Midtown Custom in Vintage Sunburst tomorrow after a 6 month wait.


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