The double 85 EMGs sound awesome. I ended up putting a 81 EMG in the bridge which was only a personal choice. EMGs plugin and play feature is absolutely great!The 85s have a deep, punch-in-face sound that's perfect for hard rock, or heavy metal.

The two 85 EMGs and the Kahler 2215k tremolo stick out the most. If this guitar had a locking nut it would have been perfection. I'm unsure why Gibson went with locking tuners over a locking nut. The locking tuners work to a certain extent. If you lock the tremolo, and never use it, they work perfectly.

Everything is easy, the Kahler takes awhile to figure out how it adjusts.

I was surprised with the nut on this guitar. Not only does it not lock, the strings slip out and strings cut into the nut over time creating fret buzz. Everything else was very well made.

For the price it should sound play like a dream, not require routing or a nut replacement. If you get this guitar used, consider replacing the nut with a locking nut, or one that's strong.

Gibson has great customer service.

Definite wow factor. Not only does it sound mean, it looks mean. Having everything black makes it look like it means business, and it does!

15 Years, Gibson, and Dean Guitars. Jamming at home, or small gigs with friends.

Hard rock, Metal, Blues, Classical Guitar

Great for metal as the 85's have alot of gain and breakup early on the dial, but still retains that awesome Gibson tone when you dial down the guitar volume and tone knobs. You really can play just about anything with it because it has a nice clean shimmer as well. Remember it's a high end Gibson with top of the line electrics, made in the USA. no cheap chinese parts or light gauge wire that kills tone etc.

First off lets address peoples norrow thinking about it needing a locking nut, which it doesn't. The Shred V comes with real locking tuners that have a little wheel with groves for grip on the backs of them, to individually lock each tuner down completely or as tight/loose as you turn it. They are used on high end Strats to keep it in tune when using those old school design tremolos and they work great so why wouldn't they on a top loader trem like the Kahler? They do work great there too. Plus you still get to use a bone or Tusq etc. nut for better tone transfer that a steel locking nut does. Everything else is typical Gibson and flawless the only thing that would be better is 2 vol/tones for each pickup and maybe an 81 or 60 bridge pickup mind you the two 85's are amazing togehter too.

Fast, Ebony, Flying V, what do you think?

Gibson USA with high end aftermarket parts, done in the states by hand, with a flawless mirror black nitro paint job!!! what else can you say?

She's pretty steep in price but I think it will hold it'd value for a long long time.

I've never need Gibson support and probably never will.

Only 1000 made, looks like it could bomb Russia but almost so nice looking you don't want to take it off the wall or even touch it.

Studio owner/engineer/producer, guitar, bass etc.

anything with a beat, mostly R&R

Any guitar with a tremolo system that doesn't have a locking nut on it *will* go out of tune horribly. That is a fact. The strings will move in and out of the nut as you push and pull on the tremolo bar, get hung up in tension, and change length, therefore affecting tuning stability. Every other Kahler-equipped guitar brand (as well as Floyd Rose) that I have seen comes with a locking nut. Kahlers are DESIGNED to have a locking nut. This is a serious and unforgivable blunder on Gibson's part, and this is not the first time they've done this. It makes you wonder if the people designing the guitars even know anything about them (or at the very least, anything about tremolo systems). If you buy one of these, and actually want it to stay in tune, you'll be going to Kahler's website and buying an aftermarket locking nut. And for a guitar this expensive, that is unnacceptable.

Active Musician

Rock/Metal

Way overpriced! Slap a couple EMG's and a Kahler bridge on it, so it's worth a couple thousand? I DON'T THINK SO, GIBSON!!!