Les Paul models.

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frequency_

New member
I guess Gibson les paul are great guitars, but i see there are so many diferent types of les paul, and the price varries... do you guys know... are there big diferences between the models? if so which type is best? (basicaly for studio use, and recordings) thanx
 
Just do a little research. There are tons of variables between the different models. Neck sizes and shapes, pick ups, finish, etc...
 
Nobody is going to be able to tell you which is best. That's why there are so many different models, because everybody has different needs. But we can probably at least give some suggestions because this is the internet and we love to give out advice to anybody that'll listen :D

If it's for studio use, then make your decision on the tone and playability and not cosmetics. So things like finishes, body binding, pick guard, inlays, tuning peg keys, or any other visual element wouldn't be as important to you since this guitar will be heard and not seen for the most part.

Based on that, maybe the Studio, Vintage Mahogany, BFG, or Studio Plus would be a good starting point. These models do away with a lot of the cosmetic appointments and are available at a lower cost.

But really you can't go wrong with a Standard. These retain their value very well, and are a good all-around LP. Even as an LP fan, I do think that the Standards are overpriced by a couple hundred dollars, but if you have the cash they're great guitars.
 
yes, i guess there are diferences on the shape frets etc. but are there diferences in the actual sound quality that every type produces?
 
They're all in the same ballpark as far as tone. They're all double-humbucker solid-body mahogany-backed electric guitars. Some have maple tops, some don't. Unless you start looking into Specials or Juniors or Custom Shop models, they're all pretty close in tone.

There are subtle differences that are caused by the differences in woods in the body, the wood on the fretboard (although I think they all use ebony fretboards), and whether or not the body is chambered. Some people claim to be able to tell the difference in tone based on something as seemingly subtle as the clear coat on the finish or the mass of the tuning pegs.

But the biggest difference in tone from LP to LP is the pickups. It seems that a lot of people who buy the lower-end LPs like the Studio end up swapping out the pickups anyways.

This advice has been given hundreds of times on these forums, mainly because its true: go play all of the guitars you can and you'll find the one that's right for you. Actually pick them up and play them in the store, pawn shop, friend's house, wherever. Once you've played several, you'll get a feel for what you like and what you don't.
 
I have one of these....Hagstrom Swede GOT. I love it. It is my favorite guitar at the moment. Rich full tone and good sustain...easy to play and "feel"....



Give one a try and see what you think. I have never bought a guitar, "untried" before....I wouldn't really recommend it, if you are going to spend a lot of money on one.

Here is a youtube with a swede being played and one about Hagstroms, what they are made of and the resonator fretboards . I love that white Swede he shows....hope this is helpful to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFBJNn22FQc&mode=related&search=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDaTm2MCFHc&mode=related&search=


http://store.musiclandcentral.net/haswelgufrsh.html
 
frequency_ said:
yes, i guess there are diferences on the shape frets etc. but are there diferences in the actual sound quality that every type produces?
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Absolutely. Don't be fooled by the "budget" line Les Pauls. They are decent guitars, but they are no way shape or form comparable to a top of the line Les Paul. I have a Les Paul Special and it is weak compared to a real LP. I used to play a "The Paul" that came close to having the same sustain, weight and tone of an LP.

The Special that I have now says it has the same stock pick ups as a Les Paul Standard, but that's a lie. They are weak in comparison to a Standard and the weight of ther guitar which matters a LOT when it comes to LP's is a lot lighter than a Standard.

If you're just hobby recording then one of the lesser models would probbaly do, but if you are a serious guitar player who intends on playing a recording for a lifetime, I would suggest that you save up and get a Les Paul Standard or Custom.
 
Les Pauls, like all guitars, are each different. Pick up one, straight off the rack, play it, then pick up another, same model, there will be slight differences in the feel and tone. The only way to choose the right one for you is by trying out as many as you can and then pick the one which appeals to you most.
 
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Tadpui said:
Nobody is going to be able to tell you which is best. That's why there are so many different models, because everybody has different needs. But we can probably at least give some suggestions because this is the internet and we love to give out advice to anybody that'll listen :D

If it's for studio use, then make your decision on the tone and playability and not cosmetics. So things like finishes, body binding, pick guard, inlays, tuning peg keys, or any other visual element wouldn't be as important to you since this guitar will be heard and not seen for the most part.

Based on that, maybe the Studio, Vintage Mahogany, BFG, or Studio Plus would be a good starting point. These models do away with a lot of the cosmetic appointments and are available at a lower cost.

But really you can't go wrong with a Standard. These retain their value very well, and are a good all-around LP. Even as an LP fan, I do think that the Standards are overpriced by a couple hundred dollars, but if you have the cash they're great guitars.
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Les paul specials are good too..they're flat top, but i love how my dads sound..and i tried the vintage mahogany, oh my god..such great tone. But its really all about how much you can spend, what you want it to look like(shouldnt be that important, but hey..sometimes its about the looks), how fast of a neck, what kind of pickups etc.
 
JPXTom said:
Les paul specials are good too..they're flat top, but i love how my dads sound..and i tried the vintage mahogany, oh my god..such great tone. But its really all about how much you can spend, what you want it to look like(shouldnt be that important, but hey..sometimes its about the looks), how fast of a neck, what kind of pickups etc.
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I have a Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway, which is really a Special by a newer name - it says Special on the truss rod cover. It's actually lighter than my Telecasters (Squier Fat & MIM Fender Standard), and the P90s have amazing tone. I also have an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90 (single bridge position P90, and a volume and tone knob) that's got some tones that I can't easily replicate with the Gibson. I may eventually buy another flat top Gibson Les Paul, but I already have an Ibanez JTK2 Jet King, so I'm not in any real hurry for another Les Paul. If I do go for another Les Paul, it'll truly be more of a G.A.S. (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) attack than a necessity.

Matt
 
with the fine quality of off brands at $400, a lot of the upper cost instruments is GAS....

we were just talking about a friend who got screwed on a new Gibson LP $2000 something, the necks twisted...its a pos.
hopefully he can return for a swap. it was brand new so there's some warranty I'd think!

I guess thats my post here....sometimes you have to have a few weeks to really test drive something. feel it out, play with your instrument.
 
Obvious advice, but try as many as you can. I tried a lot of standards, studios etc. and couldn't find one that was right for me.

I swore I'd never touch a special (snobbery I admit but I also considered them 'inferior') but the guy in the shop convinced me to try a double-cut tv special and I was totaly blown away by the sound and feel and bought it.

Later I tried an epiphone standard and was more impressed by the sound than the Gibsons and bought that too.

I may be really sticking my neck out here but I A-Bd a Gibson Standard with a Tokai Love Rock and to me the Tokai had much better tone. Try them out and see (or hear) which is best for you. Everybody has different tastes. No one is right. No one is wrong.
 
...in the end...if a high end Les Paul, does not feel good in your hands(and they don't for a lot of people)... or hasn't got that tone, you are wanting...and the mid-priced, "other" brand does....go for the one you will enjoy playing. If you are going for "collectibility"...then it matters more as to what you get....right?
 
I have a Gibson 'The Paul' that I've had since about 1982-its a black walnut body and neck with a flat top-no maple cap on it. It has a nice Gibson tone, and looks a lot like a les Paul Special with humbuckers-it has been a great guitar and most definitely a keeper.

It had a lot of battle scars over the years so recently I stripped it down and painted the body-I found a picture of the way it would have looked originally-though mine was somewhat rougher-and combined the 2 to see the difference.

There are a lot of Gibsons out there like mine that are not as well known as the LP Customs and Standards that are worth searching out!
 

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Anfontan said:
I have a Gibson 'The Paul' that I've had since about 1982-its a black walnut body and neck with a flat top-no maple cap on it. It has a nice Gibson tone, and looks a lot like a les Paul Special with humbuckers-it has been a great guitar and most definitely a keeper.

It had a lot of battle scars over the years so recently I stripped it down and painted the body-I found a picture of the way it would have looked originally-though mine was somewhat rougher-and combined the 2 to see the difference.

There are a lot of Gibsons out there like mine that are not as well known as the LP Customs and Standards that are worth searching out!
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Sweet! I played a "The Paul" identical to yours for years. It was a 73' model. Great guitar. I sold it to my older brother a few years ago.
 
toad_uk said:
Try them out and see (or hear) which is best for you. Everybody has different tastes. No one is right. No one is wrong.
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yeah, i just ordered two Fender-Squier 51's and they played like night and day! So to verify my sanity I started measuring and etc...
and one was a 9.5 radius, one a 12 radius! the woods were totally different.. one weighing much more than the other! you get the idea... and the sound was just as different!

the same exact guitars....i'd never ordered two identical guitars before.

same with a friend who buys Texas Special pickups from Fender, he measures all the ohmage and stuff...and their not precise perfectly and he hears tone differences in the same part number/ "same" pickups....

pretty frkn wild. kind of fun though finding that one that grooves you out...
 
thanks guys that realy helps, i went to a guitar shop the other day to try some of the standard models. there was some guitars that was varnished and some that werent. I was amazed when the guy there told me that the varnished ones cost like $1000 more! He said that gibson uses the most expensive varnish and thats what makes the price go so high, i played with both of them and didnt find any big diference in the sound...think maybe its worth buying an unvarnished les paul.
 
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