If your guitar doesn't sound or feel the way you want it to, tweak it.....it's not rocket science......
Guitars are not these delicate one of a kind works of art that some would have you think....they're wood and strings.....duh.....
How many guitars have flown all over the world in freezing cargo holds and come out unscathed?....
"Oh, but, gibs, those rock stars flying all over the world have guitar techs to make everything all better after their guitars have been frozen, burned or have beer or semen spilled all over them....."
To answer that, may I be so bold as to ask if any of you people have access, oh, I don't know, say..... A COMPUTER????????
Can you say "Search Engine"....particularly
www.google.com .........
Gibson and Fender ship their guitars with totally fucked strings that are so light they float.......don't be afraid to change the stings to at least 10's.......
"But....but......gibs, changing to 10's will totally like screw up the neck and the intonation and everything and I will have to commit suicide and stuff....."
Wrong......9 times outta ten, changing from what passes as 9's (some, like the Gibson strings are not really 9's, I'm convinced they're 8's or something on the lower priced models) to 10's, or even real 9's won't drastically affect yer neck or intonation....but on the rare cases that it does, that's why a judicious use of Truss Rod Adjustment (stick that in yer search engine) will make it all better.......one way to make the transition easier is to tune up a note on all the old strings and leave it that way for about a day, and then start changing strings..... and don't ever take off all the strings at one time.....just take an old one off, put a new one on, etc.....makes it easier to tune, too, and when all the strings are on, then you can tune back down to standard tuning,,,,,,
From 9's to 11's or higher, yeah, you're gonna need some adjustment for sure....
I have both a faded "V" and a worn brown "SG" Special....they both were just terrible sounding, and it was the strings......the tuners are great, the necks are great, but the strings blew dead hyaenas.....put on 10's, (with no truss rod adjustment, I might add) using the above formula, and now I have two very inexpensive Gibson guitars that sound and play like their higher priced brethren.......maybe I'm just lucky...........?
But wait,.....I also have a mex Jimmy V strat that had stupid ass Fender "9's"..........changed them to 10's as well with no truss adjustment....wonderful sounding and playing guitar now.....
And a jap tele (yes, I admit, it's a paisley)......changed those so- called 9's out as well......again, great sound for el cheapo price......
And don't get bent because I buy the bargains, I also have 2 american tele's, one 1965, one 1978 or something, an '80s strat, and 2 Les Pauls, one is a standard, one a re-issue '57.......
Oh, and a Les Paul Studio that came with shit strings as well....fixed it nicely with higher gauge strings also......and the fit and finish on it is super....no binding, no problem.....
My point is, fit and finish on Gibsons (and most Fenders) is very good....it's the strings that suck.........
I have bought lots of my guitars online, and the trick to doing that is, go to a real store near you and play and touch the model you want....if you get a severe erection, don't buy it in the store, go online to a reputable site that has a RETURN POLICY..........order it, play it, do not do MAJOR tweaks to it (like spray painting yer name or something)
and send it back it you hate it within the allotted time the store gives you....you WILL have to pay the shipping to send it back, but hey, that's more than fucking fair.....you'll save bucks out yer butt if you love it and keep it, and only pay a few bucks to chunk it back.......
Guitars rule..........I'm addicted.....................gibs