Any Nighthawk owners?

[vegetablejoe]

I picked up a '96 Nighthawk SP2 last year because it seemed to have a lot of new tones, different from my strat and lp, and because it was offered at 40% off.

Now it just sits in the corner. I reach for the strat or tele first. I wish I knew what to do with it. It doesn't seem to need any mods, nor does it lend itself easily to mods.

It's a great rhythm guitar for me. But what else can it do? Am I missing out on its capabilities?

Any opinions? Thanks.

JaimeG

[geno]

I bought a 94 NightHawk Custom a few years ago,I tend to play my Fenders more to,but the 3 pick up hawk has way more sounds,and it is a fine looker.Amberburst maple top on mahogony all gold hardware nice binding and the inlays match my J-200.Its a 95 and my favorite acoustic.I keep both of them in storage with my one of a kind custom built Stratoblaster "ROCK" built by retired luthier Gene Rock,he worked at fenders research department,and builds one of a kind special order guitars.Mine has been apraised at between 5K and 6K at 5 different Seattle stores including Guitar Center.The nighthawk has chimes, growls and twangy sounds too.I usually play my US strat and my Epi Dot and save the good stuff for special occasions and recording.I bought them as investments.The Nighthawk I payed $1,000 for with case.I hope to see them go up in value someday and mine is like new.I have had a blues hawk too but sold it and my Les Paul Studio.The blues hawk just seemed plain and cheap compared to the NightHawk,but did have pretty good tone with the mini soap bars.The Nighthawk has a mini soapbar,a single coil in center and a angled Humbucker on the bridge.It sounds fantastic through my Mesa Boogie Mark IV.Mine seems to run between $600 and $1300 in the resale market.

[vegetablejoe]

Geno,

I'm glad you love the Nighhawk. I love the way it looks and feels, but I just don't find it's tones suited for blues music, which is what I mostly play. My son gets more use of out of it than I do, since he plays other genre.

You seem to have paid quite a bit for your Custom. Only got mine for about US$400 without hard case, tho it is only a 2 pickup model, with the gold harware tarnished a bit, having been displayed in a store for many years.

Cheers,

jaime

[geno]

I may have payed to much at $1000 but it was brand new still.It was bought buy a guy that didn't play and wanted to learn,he paid $2500 from Music Works here in town with his Permenant Fund check,(free money the St. gives us each year from oil revenues)and within a month he pawned it.It sat in the store for 5 years.They originaly wanted the new price, it kept going down through the years,The owner kept it in the case in her office.I found a made in USA strat in her store still had the plastic on the Pickguard for $350 she told me about the Nighthawk and showed it to me.I told her it was too much, about a year later I went in and asked her if she still had it she said give me $1000 cash and its yours.I went and got it a few days later.Not a mark on it, still had factory strings, in spotless case.One of the first ones made when Gibson won the new guitar of the year with it.Since they don't make them and it is in exellent condition I figure it as an investment with a good chance of being worth more than I payed some day.

[Budman2k]

I had a 97 three pickup model and it was a nice guitar. Like any guitar I've played that has multiple pickup/tone options I always seem to find only two or three that I really like. If you only can afford one guitar it makes sense. After I was able to purchase a few more guitars I found I was playing the Nighthawk less and less so I sold it. I wound up getting what I paid for it after 6 years! Not too bad!!

Budman

[blueshawk]

I run a website all about 'Hawk guitars - although it's main focus is the BluesHawk there is a lot of stuff about NightHawks - and the NightHawk bit is growing all the time....

Give it a try - http://www.blueshawk.info

Tone

[blueshawk51]

Hey I have a '97 Gibson Blueshawk, I am improving it many ways. I did buy a second hand epi Nighthawk, red sunburst quilt top 3 pups. It looked great, played well, had a lot of plans for it. That was about the time I realized I was going to need to put some work into the Blueshawk. I traded it in on a Ibanez Saber custom 570. This was probably smart. The Ibanez plays in tune for hours and, gives me many tone settings w/ it's 3 pups, in much the same way I was looking for in the Nighthawk.

[Nighthawk]

Hi I'm a newbie, and this is my first post. I am the proud owner of a Nighthawk, I believe it is a 1996. It is the three pickup model, amber flamed top with parallelogram neck inlays and a Floyd Rose bridge. I could live without the Floyd Rose but otherwise, I love this guitar. Its true that my American Deluxe Tele is my go to guitar but I find uses for the Nighthawk. It can produce many, many, many sounds. It is a Gibson but it doesn't sound like a Gibson. Since I have a 335, that's fine with me.

I got the guitar from Gruhn's guitars in Nashville. When I bought it the guy at Gruhns told me that guitar had belonged to the product manager for Nighthawk at Gibson but he sold it because he was going blind. Just a story he told me.

Frankly, I can use this guitar for just about any style, it will do anything. I also own a Valley Arts Brent Mason Custom, which is similar in intent but not in style. I like the Nighthawk better than the Mason but I am not parting with either. I believe if you buy a guitar and you like it, you will find uses for it. If you don't, it should be sold. I have yet to sell any Guitar I have purchased.

[Nighthawk]

I run a website all about 'Hawk guitars - although it's main focus is the BluesHawk there is a lot of stuff about NightHawks - and the NightHawk bit is growing all the time....

Give it a try - http://www.blueshawk.info

Tone
Yes, I think I have your site book marked. There's a lot of material there.

[S. Rock]

welcome, Nighthawk. I just came on yesterday. this is the first that I've heard of the "Nighthawk" guitar. of course, there's alot of guitars out there that I haven't heard of. are there any pictures anywhere ? I started playing in '66. I started on an old Gretsch. during the Army, I started playing accoustic and did so for many years. the last year or so I've gotten back into playing electric though. again, welcome.

[Nighthawk]

welcome, Nighthawk. I just came on yesterday. this is the first that I've heard of the "Nighthawk" guitar. of course, there's alot of guitars out there that I haven't heard of. are there any pictures anywhere ? I started playing in '66. I started on an old Gretsch. during the Army, I started playing accoustic and did so for many years. the last year or so I've gotten back into playing electric though. again, welcome.

S. Rock,

Thanks for the welcome. I spend a lot of time at the Telecaster website, which has a lot more activity than this one.

Currently I do not have any pictures of any of my guitars. I will try to get around to doing that and posting some soon.

Not to be off thread here but my other guitars are an ES-335, a Valley Arts Brent Mason Signature Custom, a Fender American Deluxe Telecaster, A MIJ Telecaster that I am thinking about putting EMG-T pickups in and a Guild D25 acoustic. Yes, I am having my fun.

I used to be a singer in a band on Long Island back in the late 60's early 70's but I awlays wanted to play. I could not afford the gear and I was intimidated by the players around me. After many years of not playing I realized I could now afford anything I wanted, so I got the D25. Then I wanted the electric experience and so the MIJ Tele... The rest just sort of came along as part of the disease package that goes with this so called hobby. I have gotten quite proficient in about ten years or so and I am now part of an eight piece band just doing it for fun. "Keep on rockin' in the free world"

Well, I guess this link shows you what a Nighthawk looks like. Mine is sort of this color but I mine has parallelogram inlays on the neck.

http://www.blueshawk.info/images/players_NH/srPA090012.JPG

[S. Rock]

that's a nice looking guitar, Nighthawk. I like your amp, too. I got a Crate G60 back in '85 when I got my '73 Les Paul Deluxe. funny thing is, I'm leaning back toward my old Gibson Explorer tube amp these days.

what was the name of the band that you were in back when ? did y'all cut any albums ? I had a cousin in a band about the same time down out of Baton Rouge.

[Nighthawk]

Hi S. Rock, the name of the way back band was first Paraphernalia and later became KRIS, named after the dirty black dog of one of our members. We were so clever... We cut something like six songs in a studio somewhere in New York city, nothing commercial. Today they would call it a demo, though it was professionally done. We were Long Island based but I left there over twenty years ago.

Now I'm here in Mass. and about six years ago I got invited to join a just for fun band as a player rather than as a singer which is what I was in the way back band. In this current band, there's no ego shows, its covers and originals with the current emphasis on recording originals. I know it sounds way overdone but we are eight pieces, three guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, harp and percussion. The percussionist and the drummer switch back and forth and sometimes both play drums ala The Allman brothers. We do rock, blues, country, and some jazz standards. We do two and three part harmonies and three of us sing lead on various numbers. We have five guys writing in this band and currently have 42 original songs. If any member brings in a cover they want to do, we do it, no questions, no complaints, no bull****. Believe it or not this works. We've been at it for six years and going strong. Nobody is making their living at this, so there is little stress. We play out occasionally. Frankly, I'm loving it.

What's your story? I see some of it above but feel free to elablorate.

[S. Rock]

Mr. Nighthawk, sir, I ain't forgot ya. been kinda busy these days. I'm originally from Baton Rouge and I started playing in 1966. my first guitar was a '59 Gretsch Anniversary Model, which I got second hand. I still have it. in '68, my cousin let me use his old Gold Top LP. such started my quest for a LP. I finally got one in '85, a '73 LP Deluxe. in the late 60's early 70's my cousin was in a band by the name of "Potliquor". they made a pretty big name for themselves around Louisiana. I don't know if their fame reached all the way up there where you're at. anyway, I'm still playing and writting a few songs now and then. I have a friend in Austin, Texas that I send them to. one of my songs is supposed to be on his next cd, whenever that will be. nowadays, I play as a hobby, more or less.

[Nighthawk]

Posting pictures of my actual Nighthawk. Additional Tele content too.

[genome]

I have a 93 special I love it, in fact if any of you have a standard you'd like to get rid of let me know.