Les Paul for rockabilly?

[Unsprung]

More specifically, the Gibson Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway like I'd tried at GC last month. It's a flat top LP with P90 pickups. Was I dreaming, when I played it, or would this particular LP be a good choice for rockabilly? It seems to me that having a flat top and P90s is what's giving it the rockabilly tone, despite not being a "typical" hollow bodied Gretsch. As I'd mentioned, in another LP thread, I'll be able to use it as a surf guitar, to add a Bigsby B5 to it.

I'm in the process (lay-away) of buying a used MIM Fender Standard Stratocaster, so I'll have a good surf guitar choice with that, but I have absolutely nothing in the way of a rockabilly guitar. Right now, my rockabilly choices are the above mentioned LP, or a Gretsch Electromatic G5127. Also as mentioned in the other LP thread, the price difference between the Gibson and the Gretsch will be negated by the price of a Bigsby B5 for the Gibson, if that's the way I go. I've at least played an example of the Gibson, but so far I haven't found the model of Gretsch that I'm considering.

Matt

[Big Kenny]

Nope, no p90's for rockabilly. Filtertrons, TV Jones, D'Armonds, or just a MIM tele with a good delay and sweet verb. A Gretsch 5120 would be perfect

[Greg_L]

If you can afford it.......Gretsch all the way.

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by Greg_L

If you can afford it.......Gretsch all the way.

I'll re-mortgage my house!!

[tkingen]

If you get past the rockabilly fashion it won't matter which guitar you use. It's all about the licks and motivation behind the licks than about the shape of your guitar or the type of pickups.

[Sloan]

DO IT.

P-90's rule all.

[Greg_L]

Originally Posted by tkingen

If you get past the rockabilly fashion it won't matter which guitar you use. It's all about the licks and motivation behind the licks than about the shape of your guitar or the type of pickups.

I disagree. While many people do look for 'fashionable' rockabilly guitars, there really is a distinct sound needed from a hollowbody that you just can't get from a typical Ibanez with a floyd.

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by Greg_L

I disagree. While many people do look for 'fashionable' rockabilly guitars, there really is a distinct sound needed from a hollowbody that you just can't get from a typical Ibanez with a floyd.

Haha I'm just imaginign Brian Setzer with an Ibanez Jem.

[Greg_L]

I hear the Reverend Horton Heat uses a BC Rich Warlock.

[Unsprung]

My biggest problem in trying to find a rockabilly box is, I've yet to find a Gretsch Electromatic G512x, Epiphone WildKat or Epiphone ES-295 to test drive. Guitar Center and Sam Ash both seem to only stock the higher end Gretsch hollow bodies, and I've yet to find a store that stocks either of the Epiphones. With that Gibson LP FDC that I'd tried at GC, the typical rockabilly sound WAS within that guitar, from a brighter "Tele" kinda twang in the lead position, to down and dirty rockabilly tone in the rhythm position, as well as potential for use as a surf guitar in the middle and rhythm positions. To be honest, I nearly dropped it, when I started playing it, thinking "my God, I'm getting THESE tones from a Les Paul!?!" Maybe it was the Vox Valvetronics AD30VT that I was playing through? I don't think so...it's just a good thing I managed to keep my witts about me, and not drop a $700.00 guitar...THAT would've been embarrasing, not to mention possibly costly.

For not being able to find any of the above mentioned choices, I'll likely go with a gold sparkle Peavey JF-2 EXP for my rockabilly/surfabilly box. I can get that one via 90-day lay-away at a store more local to me than Indy, and since it's not a big-box operation, such as GC or SA, that particular box is likely to still be hanging on the wall, when I go back in January, after I get my used MIM Stratocaster out of lay-away. At least I didn't nearly drop the Peavey, but the tones I got out of it (through another Vox Valvetronix AD30VT) were very much like what I'd got out of the Gibson a week later at GC.

http://www.peavey.com/products/brows...F-2%3F+EXP.cfm

I do already have an MIM Telecaster, but it don't have a tremelo/vibrato, which I'll want for the surfabilly. Besides my coming Strat, I've also got an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90 that I'll be adding a Bigsby B5 to, so I've definitely got my surf guitar choices covered.

Matt

edit: I did try out a used, Bigsby-equipped Epiphone AlleyKat, at GC, but it definitely didn't have any kind of a rockabilly tone. Also, I'd considered the Ibanez Artcore AFS75T, until I'd tried 2 of 'em (1 at GC and 1 at IRC Music), and they too lacked the right rockabilly tone.

[Greg_L]

Those artcores are junk. I have yet to hear one sound good for any genre of music.

[tkingen]

Originally Posted by Greg_L

I disagree. While many people do look for 'fashionable' rockabilly guitars, there really is a distinct sound needed from a hollowbody that you just can't get from a typical Ibanez with a floyd.

Well, you may be right. When thinking of a guitar I usually think of Tele's, Strats, Les Pauls, 335's, L5's, SG's, Tennesean's, etc - and an Ibanez with a Floyd doesn't cross my mind

[dave.....]

i am a les paul man so you know what my thoughts are.......... however you played it you liked it....... my lp jr w/ p90s is great for rockabilly

[Big Kenny]

Nope, good for Stones or all things rock. Too much attack for Rockabilly. I have p90's on my Blues Hawk and while they sound great for Blues and Rock they miss the mark on Rbilly. Danny Gatton can hit it fine with rails on his Tele but I just can't ride with the p90's, much as I love 'em.
I don't,for a second,think I'm right or that you're wrong, just my experience and taste. Nice topic, love the show!

[AGCurry]

Originally Posted by Big Kenny

Nope, good for Stones or all things rock. Too much attack for Rockabilly.

This just goes to show how subjective our perceptions are. When I think of rockabilly, it's all about attack!

Back in the day when rockabilly was new (and no one called it rockabilly), there were all kinds of cats playing all kinds of music on all kinds of guitars.

[Greg_L]

Originally Posted by AGCurry

This just goes to show how subjective our perceptions are. When I think of rockabilly, it's all about attack!

Back in the day when rockabilly was new (and no one called it rockabilly), there were all kinds of cats playing all kinds of music on all kinds of guitars.

That may be true, but I've never seen a pic of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Johnny Cash, or Elvis playing anything but hollowbodies back in the day.

[dave.....]

rockabilly is probably 25% guitar and 75% guitar player...... i dont know i have had wayyy too many meds today

[faderbug]

Originally Posted by Sloan

DO IT.

P-90's rule all.

second! with p-90's you're up for anything!

[Greg_L]

Originally Posted by dave.....

rockabilly is probably 25% guitar and 75% guitar player...... i dont know i have had wayyy too many meds today

Well, I used to play in a rockabilly band for years, and I'm a decent guitar player, and my SG doesn't sound rockabilly no matter what amp I play through or how hard I try.

[dave.....]

sorry i am realy on way too many meds today

[Big Kenny]

Nor does a Les Paul but don't tell Dave.........And I'm not sayin' it can't be done, it just doesn't sound as .......... Nashville? But at the same time if you ever listen to the Hellecasters ( Will Ray, John Jorgenson and Jerry Donahue) those guys have no trouble at all pulling those sounds out of their Tele's. So in that respect Dave, it definitely has a lot to do with playing talent and style

[LI_Slim]

I realize that there it takes a great deal of skill to copy the sounds of yesteryear really well. But it seems to me that unless one is in a pure cover band, it makes sense to apply different sounds to the classic music.

[metalj]

I think a good all tube fender, or musicman amp with alot of clean headroom is almost just as important as your guitar choice for that sound.

For sure use a Tele or hollowbody Gretchish guitar. THe P-90's are great pickups, but may distort your amp sooner than most singles.

[Unsprung]

Originally Posted by metalj

I think a good all tube fender, or musicman amp with alot of clean headroom is almost just as important as your guitar choice for that sound.

For sure use a Tele or hollowbody Gretchish guitar. THe P-90's are great pickups, but may distort your amp sooner than most singles.

Big Kenny also suggested a Tele, as did someone replying one of my posts at the Surf Guitar 101 forums, and I have 2 Teles to chose from...a Squier Fat Telecaster (Fender American Telecaster HS knock-off), and a MIM Fender Telecaster. For the Squier I have GFS Lipsticks and a Fender 4-way switch, and for the Fender I have DiMarzio Twang Kings and a Fender 4-way switch. If the GFS Lipsticks perform anything like Seymour Duncan Lipsticks (for Strats), I should get some good rockabilly tones out of the Squier.

Another reply to my Surf Guitar 101 post suggested that Strats also sound great for rockabilly. I currently have a used MIM Fender Stratocaster on lay-away, with 2 or 3 payments to go. I'll be using my Strat quite a bit, with my (Fender) Tele...Tele lead/Strat rhythm, Strat lead/Tele rhythm...for country and psychedelic, but from what folks are telling me, about playing rockabilly, with two Teles and a Strat to chose from, I'll not want in being able to dial-in just the right rockabilly tone, for any given rockabilly creation. Since a Strat has a tremelo arm, it's likely I'll use the Strat quite a bit for surfabilly. I'm just trying to decide on which combination (neck/middle/bridge) of Seymour Duncan pickups to use, for the Strat - Lipstick/Lipstick/Lipstick, Vintage Rails/Vintage Rails/Twang Banger or Vintage Rails/Vintage Rails/Vintage Rails.

As to Les Paul for rockabilly, I wouldn't be the first. Carl Perkins used a P90 equipped Les Paul, as well as a Stratocaster, for rockabilly. In that, Carl's LP had a typical LP carved top, while the one I tried has a flat top, but I'll go out on a limb and say it's the P90s that are responsible for the good rockabilly tones from a Les Paul. I don't see myself buying a Vox Valvetronix AD30VT anytime soon, although that's what I'd tried the Peavey JF-2 EXP through, as well as ALL of the guitars I tried out at Guitar Center (Strats, Teles, '72 Tele Deluxe, Ibanez Artcore AFS75T, Epiphone AlleyKat, Gibson LP Melody Maker, Gibson SG Classic, Gibson LP FDC). The only reason I tend to test drive through the Vox is 'cause it's the closest to my Peavey TransTube 258 EFX I have at home. From two years of experience with the Peavey, dialing up and tweaking the effects are MUCH easier to do, than with the Vox.

With the Peavey JF-2 EXP eliminated from my to-buy list, my 6 years of G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) will come to an end at 15 guitars/basses in my collection, instead of 17, once I add a baritone, lap steel and electric 12-string to the collection. I'll be selling my Squier Bullet Special, sometime soon, since I've bought a Fender So Cal Speed Shop Strat, and I don't really need 2 guitars having the same configutation. Who knows...maybe some aspiring Tom DeLonge wanna-be will greatly appreciate the Squier Bullet Special, if they get tired of being out-bid on eBay, for a Fender Tom DeLonge Strat.

Matt

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by Unsprung

With the Peavey JF-2 EXP eliminated from my to-buy list, my 6 years of G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) will come to an end...

Nah. Sorry to burst yer bubble, but GAS (and that's G for "gear") only ends when you die.