On 2004-09-02, Moonrec rated this Gibson Marauder a 5...(9896)
Purchase: This was my first electric guitar back in 1980. I paid around $300 for it. I was 16 years old. That was a lot for me, as I was in high school. I had a summer job that got me $200 and my mother gave me the rest. I bought it at Villa Piano in Santurce city, Puerto Rico. I got into the store. There were so many guitars beautiful guitars in there, and suddenly, my eyes catched this beauty. I asked to plug it in and played a few notes. It sounded different than a Les Paul, way different, but I decided to buy it on the spot. I knew what to spect from the other best know guitars, but this one sparked my curiousity.
Pros: First, the looks. It is a classy looking guitar. It is made of Mahogany body and a maple neck. At first, it resembles an LP, but closer examination reveal the obvious differences; The Pick ups are plexiglass enclosed, both of them. I like the sound of this guitar. It talks Country, it talks blues, but it also talks hard rock. Even if it only has 3 switch positions, the three cover the range of this guitar. It is easy to set up, stays in tune and easy to work on stage. This guitar likes finger picking. The sound is full and lush. The pick up outputs are relativelly low when compared to other guitars, but it give it more sustain by the lighter magnetic field
Cons: This guitar is heavy. When I was younger, the weight always left me a sore neck. But, in a way, it helped me in getting stronger!
Quality: This guitar is solid. It can kill a bear with one blow Review Summary: This guitar has a sound of its own. If you think it is a Les Paul, well, it is not!! Maybe this is why some people don't like it. Once you get to know it, you will love it to death. I do, for more than 20 years, it is still my main guitar. On 2004-07-31, Wah-Wah Lead Guitar rated this Gibson Marauder a 4...(9601)
Purchase: I bought this guitar off a shelf in a music store simply because I was curious enough to plug it in. It was just sitting there in the middle of this store full of fenders, and a bunch of low-end guitars. So, when I plugged it in, I knew I'd found the perfect blues guitar. I talked the dealer from $460 to $420, and took it home.
Pros: Probably the best thing about this guitar is how unique it is. You will never find a guitar quite like this. It has the Gibson name, so that means value, but the problem is; almost everybody mistakes it for a Les Paul. This is not a Les Paul, it is a Marauder. If I were to use one word to describe the LP, I would use hot. Whereas the one word for the Marauder would be cool. When you try to play metal, you might get some resistence, but if you're a good player, you can master any style of music on this. Mine has a wine red finish, Gibson deluxe tuners, and Lawrence pickups, and they all came that way from the factory. The unique feel of a humbucker at the neck and a single coil at the bridge is wonderous. I get dark dirty rhythms and wailing screaming leads. And when you put them together, you're in blues city. Just try playing some chops in this mode and you'll agree.
Cons: Anything on this guitar that I wouldn't like and therefore would change, would take away from the uniqueness that I love. Sure I could put in Seymour Duncan pickups, but then it would sound just like all the other guitars out there that do. This guitar has a very wide, fat bridge that is spaced farther from the stopbar than usual. I could put in a tune-o-matic, but the big bridge has a fat sound, and the spacing helps me bend the open strings. (Pushing on them between the bridge and bar.) Actually the only thing I don't like about this guitar are the controls. I like having two volume and two tone for two pickups (makes sense, doesn't it?) but this guitar has one of each. Also, there is a slight wiring problem, (on my individual instrument), if I turn the volume below 7, I get no sound. But this is at no fault to the guitar.
Quality: Have you ever dropped a $2000 guitar? I haven 't. Wonder what profanity you'd scream out if you did? That is probably because you would damage it. I sleep tight with my Marauder, because it is indestructible. If I drop it on a concrete floor (hypothetically), it would get a ding, and throw it out of tune. They best thing about this guitar is it's so solid. It's quality... it's great for the fact that these instruments never costed more than $500. But there are some problems. Like a maple (vs. mahogany) neck, a bolted on (vs. set in) neck, and the controls which I've mentioned. But I'd still rate it above any Fender that was made in Mexico. This is a U.S. guitar, no less. Review Summary: The most important thing about this guitar (if you should ever come across it) is to respect it. It will be a very old instrument (late twenties maybe?), and not super versatile like say, a stratocaster. But you wouldn't play an ES (electric spanish) like an explorer, and you wouldn't play an SG like a telecaster. So don't play this like a Les Paul. Get used to the feel of your instrument, and don't force it to do what you want. And if you play any blues, all I have to say to you is- Get Carried AWAY! On 2001-08-01, Matthew Weaver rated this Gibson Marauder a 4...(561)
Purchase: I acquired this guitar looking a bit sorry for its condition but a steal at 250 pounds at Sound World in Sunderland. At first i thought it was pretty scruffy but then a friend of mine refinished it in lovely Wine Red and fitted a new gibson super humbucking pickup to it and now it rocks and looks the part too.
Pros: I like the looks, the sounds that are available, the bargain the guitar is on the whole (there are alot worser guitars for more money then i paid for it) the worn maple neck (rare for a gibson) and the fact that it is a genuine Gibson
Cons: It only has 22 frets, is les paul shaped which means it looks good but access isnt easy to the higher frets. The new pickup can squeal like a piggy if the distortion is turned up too much. The feel of the guitar is sometimes very nice but other times can feel a bit unpleasant to play
Quality: It's well finished for a 'cheap' gibson, obviously its been refinished but the guy did a marvallous job- very very tidy. The frets are nicely worn in and make the guitar look like a funky les paul. Its the perfect 'giggers' guitar, the one that you can rely on to stay together even when its being chucked around on stage. Review Summary: If you ever get the lucky chance to acquire a Marauder make sure if you're paying 400 upwards that the finish is perfect. The total cost of refinish and pickup and setup on mine made it come to about 350 which is still cheaper then others in worser condition and I love playing it, its got a grungy raunchy sound especially with 10" gauge strings on. Its a steal, who needs an Epiphone les paul copy when these are around? |
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