Members Sheraton Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 I understand this is no contest all things being equal. But what if all things aren't equal? What if the LP Jr was 2X to 3X the price? I picked up a 2003 Melody Maker today off of CL. Mint condition (other than needing a setup). It's the older one with the single P-90 in black. Once I got it set up with new strings this, thing ROCKS! A simple mahogany slab with a single P-90 at the bridge, a stop tailpiece and a tune-o-matic. The body is a little thinner than a LP Jr and it's a little lighter. Somewhere between a LP Jr and a SG Jr. It has the ugly thin headstock, no pickguard and the open grain black finish, but for 1/2 to 1/3 the money... This thing plays and sounds great. Do these play and sound significantly different than the LP Jr's? I'm thinking a LP Jr pickguard would improve the looks a ton. Will one fit? What color on a black guitar? White, pearl, tortoise, black pearl? Whaddya think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members profgalen Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sheraton Posted July 11, 2010 Author Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 Here's a few pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MONGOOZ Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 looks like a pretty good rock machine to me.....and i'd go with the black p.g. if it fits..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norcal_GIT_r Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 Awesome guitar you have there!!!I love my Melody Makers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Metalrulez Posted July 11, 2010 Members Share Posted July 11, 2010 Why screw with it? The thing looks good as is.It plays and sounds good then rock out in the red room. Some times the simple machines are all that is needed to do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PunkKitty Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I'd leave it as is. It looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members profgalen Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I have the 2 pickup MMRI. I love these pickups. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shaun126 Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I love the look of the MM, but {censored} those necks are awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JMR Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I've always kinda wanted the double cut with two single coils melody maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreatDane Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 Here's a few pics. i wouldn't change a thing. that thing is awesome looking. and i bet it will wear well in all the right places the more you play it. good score! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sdgails Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I love the look of the MM, but {censored} those necks are awful. explain..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spike Li Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 That thing is begging for a Hello Kitty Pickguard But seriously I think you should leave it, looks good how it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vintage clubber Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I understand this is no contest all things being equal. But what if all things aren't equal? What if the LP Jr was 2X to 3X the price? I picked up a 2003 Melody Maker today off of CL. Mint condition (other than needing a setup). It's the older one with the single P-90 in black. Once I got it set up with new strings this, thing ROCKS! A simple mahogany slab with a single P-90 at the bridge, a stop tailpiece and a tune-o-matic. The body is a little thinner than a LP Jr and it's a little lighter. Somewhere between a LP Jr and a SG Jr. It has the ugly thin headstock, no pickguard and the open grain black finish, but for 1/2 to 1/3 the money... This thing plays and sounds great. Do these play and sound significantly different than the LP Jr's? I'm thinking a LP Jr pickguard would improve the looks a ton. Will one fit? What color on a black guitar? White, pearl, tortoise, black pearl? Whaddya think? looks like a true rock & roll machine. like the crate vc amp too! now go play some "Mississippi Queen"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Metalrulez Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I love the look of the MM, but {censored} those necks are awful. Have you ever played one or are you just spewing some {censored} you"heard"on the internut? I have one of the new RI ones and the neck is great. Nice and chunky. Not thin and wimpy. So,what does awful mean?:poke::poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phillbis Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 The neck on the MM is somewaht comparable to the neck on the Jr.Here's mine.Here it is all grown up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oldskool Texas Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I've owned and (stupidly) sold two of those P90 Melody Makers. Great guitars - every bit as fun and punchy as a Junior, but with even less weight. If I could buy one of them back for what I sold them for, I'd pull that trigger in a heartbeat. I did put a black Jr pickguard on the red one and think it improved the look a lot. Go for the tortoise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cuppster Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I was lucky enough to get one on special at MF for $299. The sunburst finish is extremely thin, and the neck feels like raw mahogany. It's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 Melody makers would be pretty nice at about $300, but almost $500 for a minimally-finished, single-pickup guitar is too rich for my blood... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cuppster Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 Actually, I think $500 isn't a bad price at all, considering that it's made in the US. Even though it's only an inch thick, it's built like a tank. And that single pickup is worth half the price, at least... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shaun126 Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 Have you ever played one or are you just spewing some {censored} you"heard"on the internut? I have one of the new RI ones and the neck is great. Nice and chunky. Not thin and wimpy. So,what does awful mean?:poke::poke: I've played several of the re-issues. Why the {censored} would I repeat something that I read a stranger say, on the internet? Awful for me would mean, like holding a painted baseball bat....or if you want to be kind, "nice and chunky". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sheraton Posted July 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 I've owned and (stupidly) sold two of those P90 Melody Makers. Great guitars - every bit as fun and punchy as a Junior, but with even less weight. If I could buy one of them back for what I sold them for, I'd pull that trigger in a heartbeat. I did put a black Jr pickguard on the red one and think it improved the look a lot. Go for the tortoise!I had a early/mid '60's SG Jr in alpine white that I sold in 1985 for $200 when I stopped playing electric (and guitar almost completely) for 20 years. This MM is as close as I've come to matching that one for sound and feel. People seem to really like the pickups in the current versions but the P-90 version like this are the best ones to me. I'll probably leave it as is for a while but tortoise is likely what I'll look for. The neck isn't as fat as the SG faded I had a year or so ago. I really like it and I'm not a big fan of fat necks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Willyguitar Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 One of the advantages of the junior (for me) is the simple wrap around bridge - one of the things that seems to make it resonate in a particular kind of (great) way, so long as you have one with a good enough intonation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sheraton Posted July 12, 2010 Author Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 One of the advantages of the junior (for me) is the simple wrap around bridge - one of the things that seems to make it resonate in a particular kind of (great) way, so long as you have one with a good enough intonation. Interesting point. Ive had a couple wrap around bridge guitars, the SG Jr I mentioned above and a PRS SE Soapbar II off the top of my head. This one is every bit as resonant as the PRS and I think comparable to the SG Jr I mentioned. But that was 25 years ago, it was a 20 year old guitar at the time and was a little thinner. What I'm saying is that I don't notice a difference in resonance between wrap around and stop tail/tune-o-matic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Willyguitar Posted July 12, 2010 Members Share Posted July 12, 2010 Interesting point. Ive had a couple wrap around bridge guitars, the SG Jr I mentioned above and a PRS SE Soapbar II off the top of my head. This one is every bit as resonant as the PRS and I think comparable to the SG Jr I mentioned. But that was 25 years ago, it was a 20 year old guitar at the time and was a little thinner. What I'm saying is that I don't notice a difference in resonance between wrap around and stop tail/tune-o-matic. Maybe it's not resonance exactly, but the response of the strings - a kind of tightness and solidity. That said, I have rarely played a gibson junior that doesn't resonate really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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