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Please compare the Newport and the Artist!!!


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Can you describe the sound, feel and playability between these two guitars. I just got my Newport, yesterday and I am in love. I have a chance to get an Artist in a trade deal as well. I don't want it if is sounds and plays the same the Newport. Do these two guitars cover the same ground or what?

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What model Newport for what version of the artist?

Is your Newport a phatcat pickups and bigsby trem or a newport pro which is humbuckers and a tom bridge or a custom with humbuckers and a trapeze tail piece? And is the Artist a Studio Artist ( flame maple top no binding dot neck with a TOM bridge or a wrap around bridge) or an Artist custom ( flame maple top binding on neck and body, crown inlays, humbuckers and a TOM bridge)?

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They're not redundant at all to me. There is some overlap, but even then they're different.

I have a Phat Cat/Bigsby Newport and an Anniversary, which is the same as an Artist Mahogany HB.

With a Newport with Phat Cats, hardly anything else will play and respond like it does, what with purpose-wound big single coil pickups and a solid spruce top. It's reponsive and expressive in a way that other electrics are not.

The Artists are tighter, as they're not as hollow as the Newport, not as big-bodied, and don't have spruce tops. For more contrast against the Newport, I'd recommend a humbucker model. An Artist with humbuckers will push an amp and compress the tubes in a way the Newport w/Phat Cats would not.

I like the Newport for totally clean jazz, rockabilly, surf, classic rock, and all kinds of blues, whether clean or clean-to-dirty. It's so responsive I consider it the ultimate blues guitar. When pushed the Newport has great snarl and grind, like a good ol' P90 hollowbody. An Artist with humbuckers sounds more like a solidbody by comparison, but has that body, wood, and air that you get with a semihollow. But it's not as woody and airy as a Newport.

At the overdrive/hi-gain end of things, my Anniversary is one of the best. Very fat and creamy sounding, but articulate. When played in clean mode, it also does great jazz and classic rock. A regular Anniversary with maple top would have more snarl and upper midrange. The all-mahogany Artist has a sweetness to it that only mahogany seems to deliver. I like it for jazz about as well as the Newport, but the two are different flavors. The Newport is more linear, a tad drier, but also very dynamic and airy. The Anniversary is very sweet and has a certain lilt to its tone. I don't think the maple-topped ones would quite have that same sweetness, but might provide a little more contrast to the Newport.

As I said, I have one of each and they're my two favorite guitars. I like the ways they are different and think they complement each other nicely.

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My Newport has a bigsby and the phat cats. The Artist that I am considering the a Custom with humbucker pickups.

Thanks Johny B that was helpful.

Which Gibson would the Artist Custom sound the most like?

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Don't worry, the Newport and Artist occupy different spaces.

The Newport is really its own thing. That lively, responsive spruce top coupled with the PhatCats can go everywhere from Tele twang to airy hollow body. But that top is like a dynamics amplifier...every nuance of your playing just jumps out.

The Artist isn't as responsive, but as a result it is smoother. It lives right in the rock and roll pocket, but with enough range to venture elsewhere. With the small body it handles like a sports car to the Newport's sedan.

I'd hate to have to choose between the two!

-Jonathan

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The best description for an artist is a LP meets a 335. The artist is a very versatile guitar and like others have said a different beast than the Newport with Phatcats. Which is better or more suited to you depends on the style of music you play. I don't envy you having to choose between the two.

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I have one of each, and my recommendation is DO IT.

My Newport has Seths, but it's still WAY different than my Artist Custom. I agree with the "Les Paul meets 335" description. Except that it crushes both of them, IMO.

My Artist is my #1.

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Guest galejt
The Artists are tighter, as they're not as hollow as the Newport, not as big-bodied, and don't have spruce tops. For more contrast against the Newport, I'd recommend a humbucker model. An Artist with humbuckers will push an amp and compress the tubes in a way the Newport w/Phat Cats would not.

At the overdrive/hi-gain end of things, my Anniversary is one of the best. Very fat and creamy sounding, but articulate. When played in clean mode, it also does great jazz and classic rock. A regular Anniversary with maple top would have more snarl and upper midrange. The all-mahogany Artist has a sweetness to it that only mahogany seems to deliver. I like it for jazz about as well as the Newport, but the two are different flavors. The Newport is more linear, a tad drier, but also very dynamic and airy. The Anniversary is very sweet and has a certain lilt to its tone. I don't think the maple-topped ones would quite have that same sweetness, but might provide a little more contrast to the Newport.

Spot-freaking-on!

If writing about tone is like dancing about Architechture, then JohnnyB is the I.M. Pei of the HFC. His description of the Artist nails it. My Newport is a spruce top non-cheese slicer with Seth Lovers. Much of what he says still applies to my apprectiation of its sound. Great post!

Jim

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Spot-freaking-on!

If writing about tone is like dancing about Architechture, then JohnnyB is the I.M. Pei of the HFC.

Jim

I have never seen an IM Pei reference in a guitar forum before. :rolleyes: That is very funny. As it turns out, I am a commercial real estate developer by day.

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