LR Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. Review
LR Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. Feature
- 5 Band EQ/Direct Box
- 9v Battery and 48v Phantom Powerable
- Tunable Notch and Midrange
- Adjustable Gain
- Roadworthy
LR Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. Review
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Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Wine Red, Chrome Hardware Review
Traditional Les Paul Performance Meets Modern Tone and Playability
Available Finishes
Take your pick between four gorgeous finishes--Ebony, Wine Red, Classic White and Fireburst--all of which are applied by hand in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike a lot of our competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your guitar's wood can breathe and age beautifully, like it's supposed to.
Fast & Comfortable Rounded Neck Profile
Gibson's traditional rounded neck profile, which graces the neck of each Les Paul Studio, is a thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s. Each neck is machined in Gibson's rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest--including the final sanding--is done by hand. That means each neck ends up with ever-so-subtle differences that make each one as exceptional--and unique--as the next.
![]() A thicker, rounder neck profile emulates the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s. |
![]() Gibson pickups crank out modern tone with a vintage edge. |
Gibson's 490R and 498T Pickups
The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. This new genre's players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup, and Gibson answered the call with the 490T and 490R pickups ("T" for treble, and "R" for rhythm), humbuckers with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490's ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.
Mahogany Back and Maple Top
There isn't anything more critical than the marriage of the Les Paul's mahogany back with a maple cap, as well as the regimen involved in selecting the right wood and the formula to dry it out. First, the wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories. These onsite inspectors also ensure that the plain maple comes from corporations adhering to the forest-saving standards of the Rainforest Alliance, of which Gibson is a proud member and sponsor. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of "equilibrium," where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods' machinability and finishing properties, and adherence to glue. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.
Chambered Body
There's something about playing a guitar with perfect tone, balance, and weight. One of the ways the expert craftsmen at Gibson USA achieve this equilibrium is by carving carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul's solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument's sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player's back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.
Ebony or Rosewood Fingerboard
The fingerboards on Gibson's Les Paul Studios are constructed from the highest grade rosewood and ebony on the planet. Both are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled wood experts before they enter the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Les Paul Studio. The resilience of these dense and durable woods makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates "dead" or "choked out" notes. The ebony fingerboard is only available on the Classic White Les Paul Studio, and the rosewood fingerboard is available on the Ebony, Wine Red, and Fireburst models.
Enjoy Enhanced Tone With Gibson's Lightweight, Chambered Body
The expert craftsmen at Gibson USA carve carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul Studio's solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument's sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player's back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.
Tune-O-Matic Bridge
The Tune-o-matic bridge was the brainchild of legendary Gibson president Ted McCarty in 1954. At the time, it was a true revelation in intonation, and set a standard for simplicity and functionality that has never been bettered. This pioneering piece of hardware provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string height in a matter of minutes. It also yields a great union between the strings and body, which results in excellent tone and sustain. It is combined with a separate "stopbar" tailpiece, essentially a modified version of the earlier wraparound bridge. To this day, the Tune-o-matic remains the industry standard. It is the epitome of form and function in electric guitar bridge design, and is one of the most revered and copied pieces of guitar hardware ever developed.
Pure Les Paul Performance, with a modern, no frills attitude!
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Razorback DB Floyd at a Glance
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![]() Dean humbuckers, Floyd Rose Special Tremolo bridge. |
![]() Isn't it time you get your (headstock) wings? |
Dime It
The late great Dimebag Darrell is a serious metal guitar hero, and Dean's series of Dimebag models pays homage. Dimebag started playing Dean ML style guitars in the late '70s, and made it one of the most recognizable shapes today. Dean offers a wide variety of Dimebag models to choose from, all boasting Dimebag's distinctive look and tons of mojo and attitude.
Basswood Body
The Dimeblade features a lightweight basswood body. Basswood is great for heavier rock and metal styles, delivering a nice even tone that feeds a dirt pedal (or a dimed Marshall) nicely.
Bolt-On Construction
Bolt-on neck construction provides an affordable alternative to set-neck or thru-body designs. The advantage of this design is that if you do have any neck trouble down the line, you can easily replace it.
The DB's maple neck features an ultra-playable 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, with custom arrow inlays and a DB razor inlay at the 12th fret.
Dean Humbucker Pickups
To capture the biting tones of vintage Deans, the company includes two of its standard humbuckers, which provide more than enough bite for modern styles, along with plenty of low-end and midrange definition. The standard three-way selector allows bridge, neck, or a combination. Each pickup gets a volume pot, and they share the tone control.
Grover Tuners
If you play guitar then you know what this means--solid, dependable tuning from the industry standard. These tuning machines are a triumph in engineering and style, with a gear ratio of 14:1, perfect gear meshing, and zero backlash and slippage. The gear box has a special lubricant for lifetime, trouble-free service.
Floyd Rose Special Tremolo
The patented and often imitated double-locking design of the Floyd Rose tremolo allows you to lock your guitar in tune at the nut and at the bridge. Engineered like no other tremolo system, the Floyd's high-quality steel parts are manufactured to exacting specifications. Beat it up as much as you want--from traditional vibrato to dive bombing leads or flapping loose strings, and stay in tune while you do it.
DBD Traction Knobs
Dimebag always rocked his "traction knobs," which he created by taking a soldering iron to them, for knobs that are grippable no matter how much sweat's pouring off you on stage. Dean faithfully recreates that here.
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Dean V Dave Mustaine Guitar, United Abomination Review
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Dave Mustaine VMNTX United Abominations at a Glance
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![]() Dean humbuckers, Tune-o-Matic bridge. |
![]() Mini Grover tuners, signature headstock graphics. |
Dean and Dave Mustaine
Dean Guitars is proud to intruduce the Dave Mustaine Signature VMNT series. Well-known in the metal world, Mustaine has been the driving force behind Megadeth for 25 years. The VMNT series offers Dave's special D shaped neck profile with a full two-octave, 24-fret neck, set up at the factory for fast, low action and easy access to upper frets. The guitars feature string-through-body design for serious sustain and playability, along with a variety of solid hardware appointments.
Mahogany Body
Dean uses a mahogany body for this instrument. Mahogany is a common choice for electrics, dependably delivering a warm, full tone with plenty of punch and sustain.
Bolt-On Construction
Bolt-on neck construction provides an affordable alternative to set-neck or thru-body designs. The advantage of this design is that if you do have any neck trouble down the line, you can easily replace it.
The VMNTX's maple neck features an ultra-playable 24-fret ebony fingerboard, with classic dot inlays.
Dean Humbucker Pickups
To capture the biting tones of vintage Deans, the company includes two of its standard humbuckers, which provide more than enough bite for modern styles, along with plenty of low-end and midrange definition. The standard three-way selector allows bridge, neck, or a combination. Each pickup gets a volume pot, and they share the tone control.
Grover Tuners
If you play guitar then you know what this means--solid, dependable tuning from the industry standard.
Small and lightweight, the Mini Grover tuners fit guitar headstocks that won't take full-size machines. The mini buttons provide more space for players' fingers (even larger fingers) to tune strings. Gear ratio is 14:1. Sealed-in lubrication keeps Mini-Rotomatics perfect for a lifetime!
Tune-o-Matic Bridge
The Tune-o-Matic bridge with string-thru-body design uses high-quality components to deliver serious sustain and intonation, for great sound and extremely reliable tuning.
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