NGD but probably won't stay (pics added)

[jklotz]

The Gibson Nick Lucas Custom (L-100) arrived today. It's a 1996 (the year we had the summer Olympics here). It's in great shape, given it's age. A small bit of checking in the lacquer, a bit of fret wear on the first 3 frets and a few dings here are there, but overall it's beautiful to look at. No cracks, loose braces, etc and the neck is straight. It has mojo in spades!

Strings were shot, so I changed them out, polished the frets and gave it a cleaning. Waverly's needed a drop of oil. The truss rod needed a tweak, but it plays great now with nice low "fingerstyle" action and no buzzing. Man, that maple back and sides combined with the deep body, the thing has low end (way better than the L-OO's I've tried) but still retains the punch and clarity. It sounds great. I don't understand why Gibson would dump this model? Something about that maple b&s's with the addi top and deep body - it's a great formula!

So I really like this guitar. It fits a place in my stable that nothing else I have can do. The neck is thin, about like the Martin MLO neck and I need a fuller neck. hence the "probably won't stay" comment. I assumed a vintage inspired model like this would have a vintage inspired neck. The maple brings something unique to the table I haven't had before. For Tommy E. type stuff, it's really awesome. Plus this nut feels like a true 1 3/4". I haven't measured it yet, but it feel a tad wider than any other Gibson I've played. I'll pull out the calipers tomorrow when I take some pics for you guys.

[darylcrisp]

sounds like a really cool guitar. post some pictures if you don't mind, i'm not familiar with this model.

d

[mercy]

It has a standard Gibson nut, 1.725. In my opinion that makes it a strummer. If you like the body get one made with a wider nut. I play fingerstyle only and have gone to a 1 13/16 nut. Ive had several builders make guitars for me with that nut for less than the price of that guitar retail.

[GeneralDreedle]

I have one of these, a 2014 model, it has the 1.725 nut. I'm learning blues fingerpicking on it and I'm not a pro but it seems to do great, I really love the guitar

[jpd]

They are Beauties!

[Earl49]

"... but probably won't stay....." I have moved along several truly nice guitars that eventually did not fit for me. A player's only interactions with the guitar are physical - holding it, fretting it, playing it. Then you have to decide about the tone. No matter how wonderful it might sound, a guitar that you do not enjoy playing is a liability, not an asset. Good luck!

[zombywoof]

Bozeman did produce acoustics with a full 1 3/4" nut in the 1990s. I owned one. Oddly it was a WM-00 which was part of Gibson's first attempt at a budget line which was introduced in 1998.

[jklotz]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Bozeman did produce acoustics with a full 1 3/4" nut in the 1990s. I owned one. Oddly it was a WM-00 which was part of Gibson's first attempt at a budget line which was introduced in 1998.

According to my digital calipers, it's 1.74". It feels like a 1 3/4" width to my, and I'm super picky about such things.

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by jklotz

According to my digital calipers, it's 1.74". It feels like a 1 3/4" width to my, and I'm super picky about such things.

Unless you are talking about a Legend J45 or L-00, Gibson's versions of guitars from past catalogs are more "Inspired By" (to borrow a term from Epiphone) than spot on recreations.

The NL is a particularly hard guitar to pin down. No guitar was more fluid when it came to specs than the NL. They were constantly changing. But the point is if an original guitar sported a French Heel V neck, un-scalloped bracing, a 2 3/8" string spread at the bridge, 25" scale, or whatever what you often get is not what was there but what Bozeman is using with their stock guitars.

It is not a good or bad thing. It is just par for the course with factory guitars. And there are really only two kinds of guitars out there. Those you like and those you do not.

[jklotz]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

And there are really only two kinds of guitars out there. Those you like and those you do not.

That's an interesting way of putting it. I really like everything about this one, just wish it had a fuller neck. Not quite sure where it leaves it on your "like/not like" scale?

It's such a cool guitar. I'm going to hold onto it for a bit. I know the skinny neck will force me to part ways with it eventually, but I'm really enjoying having it around at the moment.

[62burst]

Sorry to hear your report about the thin neck on the Nick- it's the only guitar I've really been gassing after, for the very reasons you've mentioned... and I was ready to pull the trigger on the one that GeneralDreedle snagged, despite it's incident with the leaking humidipak.

If by "thin neck" you mean that this older example sports a rather shallow neck profile, I can understand why you're thinking it's ultimately not going to work out-
Even though I've repeated it until blue, the thin neck profile was the only part of the Gibson Jackson Browne 12 fret that I couldn't get on with. I wonder if Zombywoof might've finally heard, as he recently ended up with a Fairbanks version of the Smeck Stage D. instead of the JB . ; ).

ps- Still on the hunt for a used NL L-00.

[jklotz]

Originally Posted by 62burst

Sorry to hear your report about the thin neck on the Nick- it's the only guitar I've really been gassing after, for the very reasons you've mentioned... and I was ready to pull the trigger on the one that GeneralDreedle snagged, despite it's incident with the leaking humidipak.

If by "thin neck" you mean that this older example sports a rather shallow neck profile, I can understand why you're thinking it's ultimately not going to work out-
Even though I've repeated it until blue, the thin neck profile was the only part of the Gibson Jackson Browne 12 fret that I couldn't get on with. I wonder if Zombywoof might've finally heard, as he recently ended up with a Fairbanks version of the Smeck Stage D. instead of the JB . ; ).

ps- Still on the hunt for a used NL L-00.

I half thought about getting on Kevin Kopp's waiting list to get one of his, but its almost a 2 year wait and it costs $5500. Pretty sure the "CFO" (AKA wife) would nix that idea. So sure, in fact, that I saved myself from getting the stink eye by not even bringing it up.

I guess this is Gibson's "slim taper" profile? It feels a lot like the Martin MLO, which I also find way too shallow. Guess I just like fat necks.

BTW - Gibson calls this a L-100. I also mistakenly called it a L00 NL and was corrected.

[Fresh1985]

Beautiful guitar. I know where your coming from, I have let 1 or 2 fantastic guitars go due to necks being too skinny, but if it ain't right it ain't right.