NGD: It's my birthday and I'll buy if I want to [Pink Les Paul Muse]

[Nevets]

Took a punt on one of these, price was even less than you paid Mike…

Sweet! Hope you get a good one. This thread is making me want one too!

[Embenny]

Took a punt on one of these, price was even less than you paid Mike…

Sweet! Hope you get a good one. This thread is making me want one too!

Admittedly, I'm currently at a crossroads with this guitar and I'm not 100% certain what I'm going to do about it.

I've been slowly inching the action downward over time because, as mentioned earlier, it has to be put on the bench with the strings fully slackened to make any adjustments, so I've been mostly just playing it with non-ideal (but decent) action with intermittent, small adjustments whenever I'm feeling patient enough to do so. As I've been dialing in the setup, I've come to a realization. It needs a fret level. There are a couple of high frets way up on the neck, and as a result, I just can't get the action down as low as I'd like without fret buzz. I do a lot of setups, so I'm very familiar with what I can and can't fix, and this is something that can't be solved without taking down some high frets.

I'm not 100% sure I'm willing to do that, though. I'm still in the return window for the guitar for another week and a bit, so I have that option. I've never had a brand new guitar that needed a fret level, and paying for one kind of blows all the discount I got on it. Would it be worth it, in terms of playability? Of course. But emotionally, something isn't sitting quite right. I already accepted the finish damage on the binding because it was a good deal. But if I have to spend money on a leveling, it's no longer a good deal. It's just a mildly cosmetically damaged guitar I paid full price on at the end of the day.

I had an Epiphone '58 Flying V that I picked up in a trade a couple of years ago, and the neck and fretwork on that thing were damn near perfect. I don't expect a perfectly slotted nut or polished frets (I already spent an hour doing that stuff myself), but I do expect to be able to set a brand new guitar up decently well without having to spend more money on it.

If I get a screaming deal on a nice used guitar and it needs some fret work? Sure, no problem, all part of the process of getting the most out of a used guitar. But on this brand new Epiphone...it's not sitting right.

But on the other hand, the final cost even after a leveling is still not high, and I love the neck profile and overall feel of the guitar. The weight is decent, it's extremely vibrant acoustically from all the chambering, and I still like the stock pickups a lot.

But if I'm paying full price/spending extra money to fix a brand new guitar, I think I want it to be perfect, and that would mean getting one without a cosmetic flaw that stares at me every time I glance down at what I'm playing. I could accept it when it felt like a bargain. I don't think I can accept it when it's no longer a bargain.

So, I'm not sure what to do. Do I try to order another one in and hope it has a nice weight/fretboard/tone and no need for a fret level? Do I suck it up and pay for the fret level? Or do I just return the guitar, and enjoy the fact that I got to play a nice sparkly pink guitar for a few weeks as a birthday present?

If I return it, I think I'd just take the money and get a sparkly pink or purple refin on one of the HH Gibson or Gibson-style guitars I already own, like my black Flying V, or even my Harmony Comet. At least that way I'd be 100% certain that it'd be a guitar that plays perfectly. This reminded me of why I never buy new guitars. I tend to have to buy/trade/sell 5-6 guitars before one makes it through the honeymoon period and declares itself a keeper, and when you do that with used guitars, you don't lose money in the process (if you're patient in terms of both buying and selling, at least).

But this guitar did teach me that I can like a Les Paul, and that I can like PAFs. I've been debating what pickups to put in my Comet - I now know that I could just get a set of super low wind PAFs with A5 magnets, which wasn't a thing that was on my radar before this guitar at all.

Or I could also suck it up and accept the fact that a fret level costs less than a new set of pickups, and that I was expecting to want to upgrade the pickups in this guitar before I heard it in person.

Decisions! Low stakes decisions, but still...decisions.

[MattK]

I’d get a refund, pay a few extra bucks for one that delights you and looks great, then enjoy your birthday present with no regrets. Your wife wants you to have something you love, not something you mostly like but at a better price.

[Embenny]

I’d get a refund, pay a few extra bucks for one that delights you and looks great, then enjoy your birthday present with no regrets. Your wife wants you to have something you love, not something you mostly like but at a better price.

I'm still of two minds. Whenever I'm away from the guitar and thinking about it, I conclude that that's what I should do.

Then, when I pick up the damn thing, all I can think is, "This is a really great guitar, I should keep it."

I A/B'd it with some of my much more expensive Gibsons and Gibson-ish guitars yesterday, and it's honestly every bit as inspiring to play - maybe even more so than some. Something about the whole vibe of the guitar...I don't know if it's the neck profile, or the body chambering, but it's a very, very difficult guitar to put down.

And that kinda makes me think that the little binding flaw and need for a bit of fretwork are worth accepting. I've had much more expensive Les Pauls than this pass through here that weren't difficult to put down. When I pick this guitar up, I end up playing longer than I intended to, and that's something that a guitar only does for me when I really, really click with it. Something about it just begs to be played.

Financially, it makes more sense to try for another one that might not have any issues while I'm in the return window. But I just don't know if another one will inspire me like this one does. Might be one of those lightning in a bottle scenarios where I shouldn't question it, and should just keep the damn thing.

[andy_tchp]

Bummer. I'd take care of the level+crown for you if not for being on the other side of the planet.

I have no idea when mine will even arrive. It still has to 'ship from warehouse'.

[Larry Mal]

Or I could also suck it up and accept the fact that a fret level costs less than a new set of pickups, and that I was expecting to want to upgrade the pickups in this guitar before I heard it in person.

Decisions! Low stakes decisions, but still...decisions.

I think you like this guitar you have, and you have no idea if you will like the next guitar at all. Fine, you didn't get a good deal, but I can promise you that you won't be thinking about the hundred dollars or whatever a year down the road.

But I can see you getting another guitar, not liking that one at all, and ending up with no fun guitar in the end.

[Embenny]

Bummer. I'd take care of the level+crown for you if not for being on the other side of the planet.

I have no idea when mine will even arrive. It still has to 'ship from warehouse'.

Much appreciated, but I think the shipping costs would add up to as much as the whole guitar!

I think you like this guitar you have, and you have no idea if you will like the next guitar at all. Fine, you didn't get a good deal, but I can promise you that you won't be thinking about the hundred dollars or whatever a year down the road.

But I can see you getting another guitar, not liking that one at all, and ending up with no fun guitar in the end.

Yeah, I think this is basically what I realized yesterday when I went to play it "one more time" and just couldn't put it down. That's what made me pull out my much more expensive guitars to A/B, and what shocked me was how well this one held up in terms of the sheer joy it sparked.

Yeah, the action is a bit higher than I like, and than it is on my other guitars, but I know what the solution to that is.

And like you said, if I let this one go, there's a very good chance that I just don't find another one I like this much, and that I end up returning a string of them and giving up on having a Les Paul at all.

This feels like a "bird in the hand" scenario, which I always like saying, because I have pet birds who like to lie down in my hands and cuddle. I'm always telling them, "You're worth three in the bush, you know," but they don't seem impressed with my joke.

But I've had two expensive Les Paul Classics, two expensive ES-335s, and a stupidly expensive SG Custom pass through here as parts of trade deals, and none of them brought me anywhere near the joy that this little pink Muse does. This is the first non-Flying V Gibson that I've just instantly bonded with.

And that would be pretty silly to throw away on principle, when the amount I paid under retail basically equals what a good fret level and crown costs here.

There's just something about it. I can't stop playing it...and it's not even perfectly set up. If I go and get it Plek'd, there's a chance I just plain like it more than most of my Gibsons, with its stock pickups and everything.

I think I just talked myself into keeping it.

What I will do, however, is walk in to the store and talk to them about getting a deal on a fret level. New guitars at L&M come with a free setup that can be redeemed within a year. I'll tell them that it needs a leveling and not just a setup, and remind them that I'm within my return window. They charge $75 for a setup and $150 for a fret level there, so maybe I can talk them into crediting the included setup against the level. If I can get it done for $75, I'll be a really happy camper.

I got $235 off the full retail price, so I can justify the fret level. Plus, I expected to need to replace the pickups, but they're 100% keepers. Better sounding than any stock Gibson I've had pass through here, except maybe the recent Les Paul Classics with the "61 Burstbuckers," which I quite enjoyed. Might be tied with those. But all the others were a muddy mess by comparison, at least in their stock state. These sound great.

So I guess if I had been willing to pay full retail and then pay for pickups, I can shell out for a fret level to get it playing like it should. It's not like it's unplayable now, it's a lot of fun already. It's just got medium-high action and I really do prefer lower, which it can't do without buzzing against the high frets.

[MattK]

That’s the solution - ask for the fret level, waive the rest of the setup, bat your eyelashes and hope they go for it. Or a discount at the very least.

[Nevets]

I think you should keep it. Over time those little blemishes may become part of the character of the guitar, and endear you even more to it. Your thought of seeing if L&M will do a free fret job is a good one too.

I've never actually taken advantage of any of their free setups. Didn't know it was only good for a year though! I'd been meaning to try and cash a couple in.

[Maggieo]

Good lord, I'm broke and I'll send you the money for a set up! Just do it.

[BoringPostcards]

I think you should keep it. Over time those little blemishes may become part of the character of the guitar, and endear you even more to it. Your thought of seeing if L&M will do a free fret job is a good one too.

I've never actually taken advantage of any of their free setups. Didn't know it was only good for a year though! I'd been meaning to try and cash a couple in.

I didn’t even know L&M offered free set ups. I should bring my relatively new CV70s Jag in for a set up, as it’s getting to the time that it will need one.

[Embenny]

I think you should keep it. Over time those little blemishes may become part of the character of the guitar, and endear you even more to it. Your thought of seeing if L&M will do a free fret job is a good one too.

I've never actually taken advantage of any of their free setups. Didn't know it was only good for a year though! I'd been meaning to try and cash a couple in.

Yeah, it's always been one year for new guitars and 90 days for used ones, AFAIK. But you could always go and plead ignorance and see where it gets you.

I didn’t even know L&M offered free set ups. I should bring my relatively new CV70s Jag in for a set up, as it’s getting to the time that it will need one.

I'm glad this is acting as a PSA, then! 100% go and take it in before the year mark, if need be.

Good lord, I'm broke and I'll send you the money for a set up! Just do it.

No need, Maggie! It wasn't even the money, it was the principle of a brand new guitar needing a fret level that irked me.

But, after my emotions settled a bit, I realized that I wasn't seeing the forest for the trees. It's an inspiring guitar to play - comparing it to my much nicer guitars really underscored that. I don't know that any other Muse would be as inspiring to play. The green one in the store certainly wasn't. It sounds great, it feels great...it just has higher action than I want, and can't be optimized any further without some fret work is all.

But there's something about it that's just plain different from everything else I own. The neck profile, the size of the body, the two-tone paint, the pickups, the chambering....it all adds up to a vibe that is surprisingly distinct from all my other HH/24.75" guitars somehow. I also really love the way the carved top combines with the TOM to keep my forearm away from the edge of the guitar. One of the things I dislike most about Teles is the way the flat bridge and slab body have my arm pressing into the edge of the guitar the whole time I play. I really like guitars with aggressive forearm contours, but the carved top and tall bridge on the LP perform more or less the same function.

[Maggieo]

Good lord, I'm broke and I'll send you the money for a set up! Just do it.

No need, Maggie! It wasn't even the money, it was the principle of a brand new guitar needing a fret level that irked me.

But, after my emotions settled a bit, I realized that I wasn't seeing the forest for the trees. It's an inspiring guitar to play - comparing it to my much nicer guitars really underscored that. I don't know that any other Muse would be as inspiring to play. The green one in the store certainly wasn't. It sounds great, it feels great...it just has higher action than I want, and can't be optimized any further without some fret work is all.

But there's something about it that's just plain different from everything else I own. The neck profile, the size of the body, the two-tone paint, the pickups, the chambering....it all adds up to a vibe that is surprisingly distinct from all my other HH/24.75" guitars somehow. I also really love the way the carved top combines with the TOM to keep my forearm away from the edge of the guitar. One of the things I dislike most about Teles is the way the flat bridge and slab body have my arm pressing into the edge of the guitar the whole time I play. I really like guitars with aggressive forearm contours, but the carved top and tall bridge on the LP perform more or less the same function.

That, my dear doctor, is a keeper. I can't count how many guitars I've bought that need some extra TLC after I got them.

Shit, BlackStrat needs a fret level at the 11th fret right now, several years after a re-fret (that took one year and three months...gevalt) and I'm gonna do it myself, because I love that Strat. And yeah, I'm pissed off about it, too.

[MattK]

But there's something about it that's just plain different from everything else I own. The neck profile, the size of the body, the two-tone paint, the pickups, the chambering....it all adds up to a vibe

would you say it’s a … muse?

[Embenny]

That, my dear doctor, is a keeper. I can't count how many guitars I've bought that need some extra TLC after I got them.

Shit, BlackStrat needs a fret level at the 11th fret right now, several years after a re-fret (that took one year and three months...gevalt) and I'm gonna do it myself, because I love that Strat. And yeah, I'm pissed off about it, too.

Yeah, that's what I've realized. I've always maintained that the reason I trade so much is that the only way I get to know a guitar is to own it for weeks to months before deciding its fate. This kinda validated that - I had a month-long return window and I still almost made the wrong call on it.

But it's a keeper, 100%. The fact that it's a keeper at its price point, when I own guitars 10x its value, is a gift horse whose mouth I shouldn't be looking in. Spending a little money to get it playing perfectly is no big deal when you put it in context. I guess I'll be ordering some new knobs, after all.

I was reflecting on all this the other day and realized why I like it so much. Between the poly finish, the two tone view when you look down (black neck and back/sides with sparkle top), and light, resonant, chambered body...it actually feels much more like a Gretsch than a Gibson to me!

Heck, if you stuck some TVJ pickups in it, it would do a first-rate Sparkle Jet impression.

Mind you, I have no such plans, since I love the stock pickups and have enough Filter'Tron guitars.

But I finally put my finger on it, and that's the special sauce that makes me like it so much more than other Les Pauls I've played. Light weight with a snappy response from all that chambering, snazzy two tone poly finish...I've heard this tune before!

And yet, it still does "the Gibson thing" rather than "the Gretsch thing." The shape/feel/vibe/tone push me in a different direction from my Gretsches and Gretsch-like objects (like my Sparklebird with the Filter'Trons).

would you say it’s a … muse?

Ugh...it totally is. How boringly on-the-nose, eh?