Guitar Gear Forum

Anyone heard of one of these?

Not a Sonex. Not a Marauder.

Would.

Ehh that one is icky to me for some reason

That's from the "dark era" of Norlin, when they decided to create new models like the Sonex, Corvus, this one etc.. these are bolt-on neck guitars with low quality wood and parts. I guess that can be cool in a "trashy/punk/garage rock" way if you find one for about $400-500 and upgrade the parts. Otherwise no.

I like the color.

You know there is a big ass pool under that p/g. The bridge is interesting, wrap over tail. The headstock is odd too. Great color though looks like GT gold.

Gibson logo is off center by quite a bit, that would screw with my OCD. Lol

They’re super cheap garbage.

Bolt-on? I had no idea and rescind my "would".

If I had a tune o matic, I would for sure. Not sure about that bridge.

GuitarBilly wrote:That's from the "dark era" of Norlin, when they decided to create new models like the Sonex, Corvus, this one etc.. these are bolt-on neck guitars with low quality wood and parts. I guess that can be cool in a "trashy/punk/garage rock" way if you find one for about $400-500 and upgrade the parts. Otherwise no.

While I agree in general, If you can get a decent price, like under $500 I think it's a decent entry level Gibson. I've been playing the crap out of the Sonex I picked up last year. I like the chunky neck and the action is super low. The hardware and electronics on the Sonex are Japanese. They did it to save money. I suspect the challenger was the same. Only the Sonex custom had the Dirty fingers pickups that everybody thinks are in all the guitars. The Japanese pickups are weird, but I like them. They only read 8K or so, but they are super loud and trebly. I play the Sonex with the tone rolled off a bit and it sounds normal to me.

I assumed it was like a junior or something.

thermionic geek wrote:

GuitarBilly wrote:That's from the "dark era" of Norlin, when they decided to create new models like the Sonex, Corvus, this one etc.. these are bolt-on neck guitars with low quality wood and parts. I guess that can be cool in a "trashy/punk/garage rock" way if you find one for about $400-500 and upgrade the parts. Otherwise no.

While I agree in general, If you can get a decent price, like under $500 I think it's a decent entry level Gibson. I've been playing the crap out of the Sonex I picked up last year. I like the chunky neck and the action is super low. The hardware and electronics on the Sonex are Japanese. They did it to save money. I suspect the challenger was the same. Only the Sonex custom had the Dirty fingers pickups that everybody thinks are in all the guitars. The Japanese pickups are weird, but I like them. They only read 8K or so, but they are super loud and trebly. I play the Sonex with the tone rolled off a bit and it sounds normal to me.

yeah, under $500 it's fine.

Not sure why they didn't have a pickguard designed for the single pickup model.... it looks a lot better with two pickups...

TurboPablo wrote:Bolt-on? I had no idea and rescind my "would".

I still would

ajaxlepinski wrote:Not sure why they didn't have a pickguard designed for the single pickup model.... it looks a lot better with two pickups...

I think a friend of mine in highschool had one of these - or it was at least pretty similar looking. I feel like I remember it having black plastic covered EMG looking pickups


Can't remember what model it was exactly but it played well

I know it was old

My first guitar was a Gibson Challenger silver/black pickguard, single p/u. It was cheap, but the action was great and the tuning was rock solid. The p/u was horrible - I ended up installing a 500T I think. I wish I still had that guitar....

68sixstringer wrote:My first guitar was a Gibson Challenger silver/black pickguard, single p/u. It was cheap, but the action was great and the tuning was rock solid. The p/u was horrible - I ended up installing a 500T I think. I wish I still had that guitar....

Yeah I think that's how these guitars were marketed, to be a decent first guitar with the Gibson brand.

I hate these guitars so much

I knew a kid in high school that bragged about his Gibson. It was one of these things. I hated him and it.