BluesHawk anyone?

[hippietim]

I'm seriously considering picking one of these up. I really want a P-90 guitar. The BluesHawk seems to have it all: P-90's, can be found with Maestro/Bigsby, semi-hollow, and the vari-tone circuit (like B.B.).

Thoughts?

[Michael R]

I would go for it, I have a Little Lucille which is basically a BluesHawk w/varitone and just love the feel and sound, I also have an older BluesHawk which is pretty beat but sounds/plays great too.

[hippietim]

I won this yesterday:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33040&item=2526632498&rd=1

BTW Mark, all of the BluesHawk's have the varitone circuit. The BB King model adds the fine tuner bridge vs. string through on the standard mode (of course, mine isn't going to be string through), a slightly wider neck - 1 11/16 vs. 1 5/8, and a hardshell case vs. the padded gigbag.

[Huc]

Bought a blues hawk about a year ago thought I would like it but it just didn't happen. The neck felt like a baseball bat with sticky finish on the neck and it went out of tune real fast. The Varitone thing is wierd about the only thing I did like was the weight. Sold it after a couple of weeks and went out and bought a studio-plus LP with a very sweet flamed out top and the tone for the blues let me just say my PRS, Custom Shop Strat and tele are going blind sitting in their cases.

[Tremo]

I have a 70s LP Special with P-90s. Killer axe. I tried a Blues Hawk and was very disappointed. My LPS blows it away.

[Thewizardofaz]

I have a BH in chicago blue with the Maestro. I like it a lot, it's one of my favorites. I like the semi accoustic sound it has, plus the variability of tones with the variotone and three pickup positions. Plus the scale is a Fender strat length, so I don't have trouble transitioning to a different scale. Neck was a bit sticky when new, maybe the lacquer is different than normal. It's fine now though.

Rick

[Charlie Vegas]

:cry: The Blueshawk sounds good on paper, sort of like a Les Paul meets a thinline Tele. But in reality it's a hodge-podge. It's little light weight body and long scale neck make it neck heavy with a strange guitar-strap angle unless you play with the body directly in front of you. The neck width at the nut is only 1.625 which is narrower then any Fender or Gibson. Plus there is a lot of space "allocated" to the outer strings. The intent was to allow for big bends and wide vibrato without falling off the edge of the neck. However it makes for very tight string spacing. The pickups are Blues-90's, NOT P-90's. I find them anemic and are only good for a "plink" "plink" Blues sound. If you're looking for the biting, snarling Bluesy sound of P-90's, you'd be disappointed. The tuners don't stay in tune very well. The factory setup is real bad considering it's an American made guitar. The neck suffers from severe fret sprout. The frets & nut are too high for my liking. I have to play it like it has a scalloped fretboard cause pressing a string all the way down causes the note to go sharp.

I've kept it cause I think the guitar has a cool vibe. But if I want to make it a real player I'll have to change the tuners, nut, and & pickups (real P-90's) and get all the frets redressed.

[Thewizardofaz]

I don't find mine neck heavy at all. I think it may be how you wear it more than anything. I like the narrow width, but I'm not sure where you get 1.625. Mine is 1.7, just measured it. With small stubby fingers like mine, it's a natural. I don't notice any extra space either. Perhaps yours was given a new nut at some time in the past by someone who didn't know what he was doing. The pups were not designed to sound like P-90s. The intent all along was for a brighter sound. I agree it doesn't stay in tune well, though. It could use locking tuners as could most guitars, especially those with Bigsby type bridges/tailpiecs like mine has. Mine had somewhat sharp edged frets when I bought it, but I attribute that to wood shrinkage in the dry climate of Arizona. I did some minor fret filing and it's top notch now. I like fret height too, but most of my guitars I have installed jumbo frets on. There is a website dedicated to the instrument with lots of good information and even sound clips. check out the links at
http://www.blueshawk.info/listen%20here.htm

I'm going to replace tuners eventually, but I think that's about it. I only use maybe 4-6 of the 18 possible sounds, but I love to play with the sounds to see what I can get.
Peace.

[Charlie Vegas]

Thewizardofaz,

Yours may not be neck heavy because of the added weight of the Maestro. If you add locking tuners, chances are yours will become neck heavy.

The Gibson website says the nut width is 1-5/8 (1.625). I didn't measure mine, but the neck is definitely narrower then my Les Paul. Les Pauls are 1-11/16 (1.6875). Since all modern guitars are built on CNC machines, I doubt the tolerance on Blueshawk necks could be as much as 1/16, which is the difference between 1.7 you measured and 1.625. :?:

The fret sprout has nothing to do with Arizona. Every one I've picked up since I've gotten mine is like this and I live in humid Florida.

I know the pickups were not intended to be P-90's, I just don't think there as good as any other single coil pup offered by Gibson, Fender, or Gretsch.

[Thewizardofaz]

Charles,
You may have a point there about the Maestro. Makes sense. It's a big chunk of metal, for sure.

As to the nut, I'm not sure why mine would be wider. I put my calipers on it and it measures right at .7. Not much wider than what the web site says. I also noted that the Little Lucille neck is supposed to be .7. I'm wondering if someone pulled a neck from the wrong bin.

You could be right about the fret sprout. I have the issue here seasonally though. We are below 10% humidity most of the year, but run periods during our monsoons where it's well over 30 most of the time. It's hell on wood stuff.

The pups are just different I guess. I think the sound is more Strat like than P90, which is OK by me. It's not a Strat..the hollow body makes sure of that.

Btw, I'm building a hollow strat that should rock. :) Check it out on my website.
Thanks for the interchange though. It's great having folks to talk to bout my stuff. :)

rick
http://www.wizardsofaz.com/guitars/hollowcaster1.htm

[blueshawk]

I run a website devoted to Gibson 'Hawk Guitars especially the Blueshawk - http://www.blueshawk.info

The site includes some pages for people wanting to buy or sell 'Hawks - http://www.blueshawk.info/'hawk_mart.htm.

The site contains lots of info, sound samples, reviews that might help you decide....

Tone

[blueshawk51]

hello to all, my first post!
HUC I totally know what you're talking about. A friend of mine filled a little ding in the neck, sanded, repainted, and covered it with several clear coats, neck sticky solved. I put some new Gotoh tuners on it. Next will be a graph tech nut and saddles.
I love the coil splitting, the varitone is okay, and the blues ninties are capable of great tone. Pinch the strings and amp it with a Roland cube 30 or a Marshall.
Anyway it is the only one of my guitars that are this needy LOL, and it's coming along.

[anfontan]

I've always loved the looks of the Bluehawk and they sure seem as versatile as can be-though I've never found one locally to check it out. maybe someday..soon..:biggrin:

[anfontan]

I run a website devoted to Gibson 'Hawk Guitars especially the Blueshawk - http://www.blueshawk.info

The site includes some pages for people wanting to buy or sell 'Hawks - http://www.blueshawk.info/'hawk_mart.htm.

The site contains lots of info, sound samples, reviews that might help you decide....

Tone

Ooops, I didn't see the site till I had already posted my reply--nice stuff!

[reverend ripper]

I maybe getting one of these in trade for a parts caster tele...kinda looking forward to it. It will def. be something different. Hopefully it's a "good" different.

[kevin134]

Just saw one on craigslist for sale for $650, wish I had the cash...

[reverend ripper]

yeah...this one has had a headstock break, but pics I've seen look like a pretty solid repair. I'm not too worried about that aspect...I had an old SG that had the same repair and it always stayed in tune just fine.

This guy's only asking $450 for trade value because of it.

We'll see.