Updated description copy on the St Vincent page

[Anacharsis]

I actually like the original pickguard, but the new ones look cool, too. I will stick with my original St. Vincent (Polaris White, full rosewood neck) and St. Vincent HH (Charcoal Sparkle) for life. That said, if they made changes to the sound as well, then maybe I could talk myself into an additional pair that will cause me to kick something else out of the collection.

 

[tbonesullivan]

They're regular minibuckers and, imo, offer remarkably little variety for a three-pickup guitar. Paired with the 250k pots, you've got in instrument that can be a little dull at lower gain (unless you eq the living crap out of it), but holds together EXTREMELY well under gobs of distortion. I've yet to find a setting that can overpower the string-to-string separation or introduce grating, harsh frequencies that jump out. Everything is very controlled and that's really the only reason I've kept mine totally stock. I'd be mighty interested to add another one and swap in some brighter pups (or just 500k pots).

Maybe 300K? That is kinda odd, since just about everyone uses 500K pots with minis. But I guess that's what St. Vincent wanted. Not really a big thing to modify thankfully.

 

[darren]

I kinda like the original pickguard, but this is a cool variant. The reverse headstock is a nice quirky twist. I wonder if they’ll be doing the same changes with the SBMM line, or wait a year or two.

I have to say, I really like Annie Clark’s design sensibilities. Her guitars are pretty damn cool, aesthetically and feature-wise.

 

[St_G]

Oh, for sure that's how she wanted it. And if you listen to how she uses guitar - almost like a controller for effects- it makes sense that she'd gravitate towards a base sound without a ton of character of its own. The special sauce tends to come later in the signal chain for her, and that can react poorly to an instrument with a really strong baked-in sound.

 

[St_G]

That's pretty much where I land too.

I kinda like the original pickguard, but this is a cool variant. The reverse headstock is a nice quirky twist.

 

[GWDavis28]

Well Annie (aka St Vincent) is playing Saturday Night Live tonight, I'm hoping to see one of these new guitars!!

Glenn |B)

 

[Jef]

The new Goldie is on the website:
St. Vincent Goldie | Guitars | Ernie Ball Music Man

 

[beej]

Very cool.

 

[GWDavis28]

She played it on Saturday Night Live like I thought looks great!!! Love the solid saddles, new pick guard and the reverse head stock!!!!

Glenn |B)

 

[tbonesullivan]

oooh! "Custom Music Man Gold Foil Mini Humbuckers". Also, looks like the control layout is a standard 3 pickup type, so no "all three together" position.

I noticed that they still have the original St Vincent listed though. I wonder if they are going to have both models concurrently?

 

[St_G]

Yeah, I wonder if these are voiced like GFs or just share the aesthetics. No huge loss on the All-3 thing, imo. Yeah, it's Stratty, but also a little congested.

oooh! "Custom Music Man Gold Foil Mini Humbuckers". Also, looks like the control layout is a standard 3 pickup type, so no "all three together" position.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Yeah, I wonder if these are voiced like GFs or just share the aesthetics. No huge loss on the All-3 thing, imo. Yeah, it's Stratty, but also a little congested.

I have a Carvin Bolt that has the "all three" option, which I think I use once every few years. I never really found it useful. Just too broad of a coverage of the strings.

Neck and bridge though, that I use all the time. Cluck cluck.

 

[Anacharsis]

I like the all three with fuzz. It's a sound to use if you want to experiment, but not if you're going for something conventional and well worn.

I'm not in love with the Goldie model, but I doubt they'll have any trouble selling them out. I sure love my Polaris White/rosewood neck St. Vincent and my Charcoal Sparkle St. Vincent HH.

 

[davideotape]

not gonna lie if these were the same $2499 the standard model is i’d probably have already ordered the red. that $3k just gives me enormous pause. hoping a color im into sticks around into sale territory. current used hhh models in the coolest colors (red, sunburst with gold, any transparent) are impossible to find

 

[St_G]

I glanced at the replies on social media and it, predictably, took all of five seconds to find both the "this person doesn't deserve a signature guitar" guy and the " what if I want to play fret 20" guy.

The first... Whatever. Sour grapes and likely a fair dose of misogyny.

The latter really seems to stem from sheer imagination. Even setting aside the gross overestimation that most players make about how often they need access to the highest frets, IT'S NOT THAT HARD. Like, just how trumpian are your fingers, my man? I own six electrics: a Tele, a Les Paul, a Flying V, a Danelectro 59, a cheap thinline hollowbody singlecut, and the St Vincent. No, it's not a Parker Fly or other deep double cutaway, but it hangs just fine with all of those traditional designs when it comes to reaching the dusty end. Better than most of them, tbh, because of the heel sculpting. I'm reaching around a much larger chunk of wood on my V.

I have to assume that most of these complaints are coming from people who haven't actually played one.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I have to assume that most of these complaints are coming from people who haven't actually played one.

Almost certainly. Plenty of people have been playing them without issue, as well as other guitars with more pronounced upper fret access problems.

I also am really not happy with the amount of hate directed towards St Vincent. So what if she's not a shredder or guitar god. She plays guitar, makes interesting music, and definitely is very talented.

Personally, I like the colors and vibe of the original 3 H model, but that's just me. I also am just not a fan of this type of retro palette in general. Now if one was in some type of seafoam green color, then things would be different.

 

[GWDavis28]

Personally, I like the colors and vibe of the original 3 H model, but that's just me. I also am just not a fan of this type of retro palette in general. Now if one was in some type of seafoam green color, then things would be different.

You never know there could be a BFR at some point.

Glenn |B)

 

[TheSash]

Honestly... I love the Goldie and I'm getting one hopefully!

 

[GWDavis28]

Looks like the Goldies are available in the Vault as of right now.

Shop Ernie Ball Music Man - The Vault

Glenn |B)

 

[Anacharsis]

I glanced at the replies on social media and it, predictably, took all of five seconds to find both the "this person doesn't deserve a signature guitar" guy and the " what if I want to play fret 20" guy.

The first... Whatever. Sour grapes and likely a fair dose of misogyny.

The latter really seems to stem from sheer imagination. Even setting aside the gross overestimation that most players make about how often they need access to the highest frets, IT'S NOT THAT HARD. Like, just how trumpian are your fingers, my man? I own six electrics: a Tele, a Les Paul, a Flying V, a Danelectro 59, a cheap thinline hollowbody singlecut, and the St Vincent. No, it's not a Parker Fly or other deep double cutaway, but it hangs just fine with all of those traditional designs when it comes to reaching the dusty end. Better than most of them, tbh, because of the heel sculpting. I'm reaching around a much larger chunk of wood on my V.

I have to assume that most of these complaints are coming from people who haven't actually played one.

That seems highly, highly likely.

And I agree - I don't go up that high that often, and my St. Vs are no less comfortable up there than most guitars I play and own.

She can in fact shred. Nobody is obligated to like her music. The detractors who claim she doesn't deserve the model are delusional.