Les Paul for rockabilly?

U

Unsprung

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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
 
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
 
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.
 
tkingen said:
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.
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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.
 
Greg_L said:
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.
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Haha I'm just imaginign Brian Setzer with an Ibanez Jem.
 
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/brow.../116323/number/00581560/cat/346/JF-2?+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.
 
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Greg_L said:
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.
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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 :eek:
 
gibson

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 :D :D :D :D :D
 
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!
 
Big Kenny said:
Nope, good for Stones or all things rock. Too much attack for Rockabilly.
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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.
 
AGCurry said:
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.
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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.
 
rockabilly

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