Gibson Chet Atkins Sst Review
Contents |
General Information
Original Author: audiopaal
Weapon: Gibson Chet Atkins Sst
Make: Gibson
Model: Chet Atkins Sst
Price: $1200
Specifications
Body: Top Species: Solid Spruce or True Cedar Back Species: Mahogany back with Chromyte reinforcement Binding: Multi-ply top
NECK Species: Mahogany Profile: Slim-taper Head Inlay: Star
FINGERBOARD Species: Ebony Scale Length: 251/2" Number of Frets: 111/16" Nut Width: 2.071" Inlays: Stars
HARDWARE Plating Finish: Gold Bridge: Ebony pin Knobs: Rollers in rim Tuners: Mini Schaller
ELECTRONICS Pickups: Bridge transducer Controls: Active volume, bass and treble (boost and cut) on rim
CASE A brown custom Gibson case, with a golden Gibson logo and pink interior. Very nice!
The Purchase
I've been on the lookout for a new acoustic/electric-acoustic guitar for a while. I looked at many different guitars and tried a few I liked. One day I saw this in a video posted on youtube. Some guy playing a few songs with it and I loved the sounds coming from it. Like an Electric Acoustic with neverending sustain. It creeps me out every time I play how good the sustain is in this one I took a stroll into www.gibson.com only to find out the guitar has been discontinued, so I made a quick turn to Ebay.
There was a few people selling their Chet Atkins, but none of them were shipping international, the usual But I asked three people if they would be interrested in doing so, and I would pay good money for the guitar and finally one kind fellow agreed He actually shipped it for free if I used the Buy it now function, which is awesome as the shipping probably was 150-160 USD…
I waited a few weeks and picked it up at my local postoffice. The guitar looked brand spanking new, it was shocking. This was the best used guitar I’d ever seen, man was I happy
Description/Features
This guitar is simply beautiful. It looks brand new. The star abalone inlays are still like new and the finish is in great shape. It looks like the finish could easily be nicked and scratched, it is painted with a very fine satin laquer. The active volume, treble, and bass controls work very well. They allow you to dial in exactly what sound you want. The pickup on this guitar is simply amazing. It picks up every nuance of your style. The case indluded is gorgeous. Made of excellent leather and it looks killer with the pink fur!
Sound
Very punchy and bright sounding, plus it still has a very good low end register. The active controls allow you to fine tune the sound to fit any style of playing. Both electric and acoustic guitar strings work fine. Acoustic strings by far give it the best tone. I'd say if you want a great acoustic sounding solidbody, this is the way to go. Nothing beats it. Any other styles you can get out of it is just a bonus. A very versatile guitar. Really happy with it The sound is also a little bit more electric sounding than a regular acoustic, but hey it’s a solid body remember
Action, Fit and Finish
Action out of the box was really good. Intonation was perfect. This guitar attracts dust and fingerprints like crazy so just be sure you clean it up alot to keep it looking nice Very nice to play on and a wonderful finish, superglossy I hear the finsh can’t take much abuse before getting scratched, but I take good care of my guitars so hopefully that won’t be a problem. But it’s something to take into consideration while playing the guitar. Other than that I love the small body on this one compared to an acoustic as my arm don’t stick out too much and makes it easier to play!
Reliability
Action out of the box was really good. Intonation was perfect. This guitar attracts dust and fingerprints like crazy so just be sure you clean it up alot to keep it looking nice Very nice to play on and a wonderful finish, superglossy I hear the finsh can’t take much abuse before getting scratched, but I take good care of my guitars so hopefully that won’t be a problem. But it’s something to take into consideration while playing the guitar. Other than that I love the small body on this one compared to an acoustic as my arm don’t stick out too much and makes it easier to play!
Value
To me this guitar was well worth the money, couldn’t have asked for more. I knew to some extent what I was getting but it was better than I had hoped for, so I’m extremely happy with it But if your after a completely true acoustic sound you might wanna go for a regular acoustic, but this is as close as they come I even think the sound in this is better than a lot of acoustics I’ve heard over the years..
Overall Impression
Very good impression so far. I’ve only had it for a month, but so far I like what I see and hear I love the feel of it and the weight of it - it feels really solid. Great Price, Great Durability and Fair Ebony finish. I would buy it again if it were stolen, no question there.
If you are hot on buying a chet, I encourage you to pursue it. I doubt that you'll be disappointed.
Overall Rating
8.5/10
I give it an 8.5 because of the finish that easily scratches (or so I’ve heard..) and the fact that you can only really play it when plugged.
The unplugged sound is just a bit louder than my Gibson Les Paul Nashville Junior. But playing by yourself in the couch it gives enough volume to practice,
but not anymore really.
