User manual AEG-ELECTROLUX GIBSON HOW TO BUY AN ELECTRIC GUITAR

[. . . ] In the highly competitive guitar market, the only way to make a guitar less expensive is to use cheaper materials, cheaper parts and cheaper labor. No matter where you're playing ­ onstage, in a studio or at home ­ you can't afford to have an instrument let you down because you compromised on quality. You'll never regret paying the price for quality. Rule 2: Verify Warranty and Service A good guitar is like a good friend. That tells you that the manufacturer has complete confidence in its instruments. [. . . ] And they should be encapsulated in wax or epoxy to prevent microphonic feedback. The quietest pickups are humbuckers, invented at Gibson by Seth Lover in the 1950s. Humbuckers are double-coil pickups, wired so that they cancel out extraneous noise. They were named because they literally "buck the hum" caused by rheostats (dimmers), fluorescent lights and other sources of electronic interference. In the process, they also put out a more powerful signal for a "fatter" tone. Single-coil pickups have a brighter sound than humbuckers but can be more prone to hum and feedback. All Gibson humbuckers and single-coil pickups (except for the BurstBucker, an exact replica of a '50s-style humbucker) are shielded and dipped in wax. Rule 7: Balance Craftsmanship with Production Some jobs are more accurately done by a machine, and some can only be done by hand. I'd put our semi-production guitars up against anybody's handmade guitars for lack of flaws. We don't allow flaws. 13 Manufacturing processes requiring repeatable precision, such as sawing and routing, are more cost-efficient when performed by automated machinery. However, the elements that set a high quality instrument apart from the run-of-the-mill can only be performed by skilled craftsmen. The final sanding and shaping of the carved top of a Les Paul or the artistic blending of colors in a sunburst finish are examples of craftsmanship that machines can't perform. A "semi-production" guitar ­ combining automated production and hand craftsmanship ­ offers the best value. Rule 8: Evaluate the Neck Joint. I like a glued-in neck because it keeps the angle accurate. I've seen other players wedge a guitar pick or a matchbook cover in a bolt-on neck joint to try to get the neck angle right. The neck joint should be tight and rigid so that none of the string vibration is transferred to the neck. If the neck joint is loose, the strings lose vibrational energy to the neck and the guitar loses sustain and tone. Many electric guitars and basses are built with bolt-on necks because the process is easier and faster, but a traditional, fitted, glued-in neck is more solid. A Gibson neck is fitted for "pitch" or angle and then centered side-to-side with the use of gauges. It is then glued in to maintain the neck's axis to the body forever. Minor adjustments, to accommodate changes in string gauge or in climate, can be accomplished with an adjustable truss rod ­ a Gibson invention ­ or an adjustable bridge. (See Owner Adjustments at the end of this list of rules. ) 14 Rule 9: Check Appointments for Functionality It sounds obvious, but it's surprising how many guitars are sold that don't work right. The nut and headstock should be designed so that there is enough downward pressure to keep the string from rattling around in the nut. The cutaway and neck heel should not only look good but also allow easy reach into the upper areas of the fingerboard. [. . . ] To assess the neck, hold the guitar so that you can sight from the nut down the entire length of the neck. If the fingerboard appears flat, the truss rod should be loosened by turning the nut counterclockwise (no more than one-quarter turn at a time). If the fingerboard has too much curvature, the rod can be tightened by turning the nut clockwise. 19 The Bridge The bridge maintains intonation and action (string height). Adjusting the truss rod or changing string gauge can change intonation and/or action. [. . . ]