Les Pauls

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TexRoadkill

TexRoadkill

Audio Bum
What is a Les Paul?


Just kidding.

I was thinking of getting a Les Paul and I'm more concerned with sound than finish. I'm leaning towards the studio's or a studio gothic. I havent had a chance to try them out yet but will soon.

I'm looking for more of a classic rock tone ala Zeppelin or Neil Young as opposed to a heavy metal tone and I mainly play rythm.

Any comments or suggestions?
 
Personal opinion; don't go for the studio or a lesser model.

The best advise I can give for searching for a Paul is don't buy one mail order, you have to play them. Like you say, it's in the sound and that is what you have to look for; there are some nice LP's out there but some of them just don't come up to standard. Take your time and get the one that plays the nicest both acousticly and plugged in.
 
Yeah, make sure you play it first....

Les pauls are Nice, but if your used to a strat or something else, you might not like the Les Paul...

My wife bought me a nice sunburst Les Paul for my birthday.. and I couldn't get used to the neck... I ended up trading it for another Strat...

Joe
 
les paul

Yea, im a strat kinda guy myself, althoght i havent played a lp
how are the necks different? are they thicker?

also i ve heard the tuning machines on gibson guitars are horrible
 
I don't know how i can explain it....

My strats feel nice and sleek, but the Les Paul neck felt like I had my hand around the fat part of a baseball bat...

Maybe thats a bad analogy.. but something just didn't feel right...

Joe
 
I, too, am used to my strat.

The Classic series has a slim tapered neck(and hotter pickups). Not like the thicker Custom or Standard necks.

The LP has a smaller scale neck(shorter) so it feels different having frets subtly closer as well as string distance to each other.

It sounds so good though when you play a, "A" chord wide open BAM! I picked one up last year and wouldn't trade it. It weighs a ton though so get a 4 inch or better strap!!

[:D]
 
Bat analogy OK

My first store-bought guitar was a Les Paul Custom. Top of the line. I paid $550 US for it in 1983. Thinking my music days were over, I sold it 8 years later for the same price (I want to shoot myself for that - it got snapped up in 2 days).
I have to agree that compared to my Strat, it felt klunky. I like the baseball bat analogy. No question the Les was a beautiful guitar - gold hardware, black finish, mother-of-pearl inlays, etc. My Strat can't touch it for workmanship, but maple necks rule and the frets feel better to me.
I also made the mistake of getting it mail order (Sam Ash) as it never felt as good as my friend's Les Paul. But back then money was tight (when isn't it?) and the same model guitar in Boston was $850, while in New York it was $550. I know the level of my playing back then (maybe even now) could not have justified a nearly 50% price difference.
 
I was under the impression the studio's were cheaper because of the painted finsh, no binding and less cosmetic frills.

Are the pickups and general construction lesser quality? Are they like the mex strats?
 
also-

I was planning on spending around $1200. Is that too cheap for a decent one?

Anybody know any good websites with non biased descriptions and history info?
 
Buy a Studio from the early 90's.

While recording my record, I aquired 2 Gibson Les Pauls, one is a cherry finish custom, from the early 80's...the other is a white Studio with gold hw from 1993 (I think....these are if I am reading the SN's correct..you never quite know with Gibson). They SOUND so similar, and they PLAY identical. To test, I played on Jeff's (who is the guitar player from Blessid Union of Souls) white Custom from the 80's also. ALSO, a very similar sound and feel. And THOSE two LOOKED quite a bit alike, in fact. The only visible difference being the binding, inlay, and headstock work.

The studio I found is much thicker and heavier than the brand new ones I have played. Also, it has an ebony fretboard, a NICE one, in fact. The inlays are also a different size and materiel than the NEW studios. The frets seem bigger, too. With 10 years of playing experience on it, of course it was nicely broken in when I first got ahold of it....but broken in junk just feels like old junk to me. And I like this LP Studio. If you listen to my work, you will have no idea which parts are which of the to Les Pauls.

Anyways, I don't know who else actually OWNS LP's on both ends, so I thought this may help you in your search.

Good luck!

H2H
 
Oh, and Standards, Studios, AND Customs have the EXACT SAME pickups...a 490R and a 498T

H2H

Sorry, 1 more thing. FYI - A guy is selling his LP Custom in the "For Sale" section below for like $1300...you may want to ask him about it. I don't know him, or anything about the guitar..but you never know.
 
Les Paul Studios are great guitars.

Bought a '93 model brand new, which in less than 10 years has gone from a list price of $950 up to $1950. That says something about the value of Les Pauls. But don't get for one that reason, go and play some first (they all have different feels and weights). Some of the higher models are ridiculously priced and don't sound that much different, only finished nicer, almost too nice to play.I'd hate to have to keep worrying about scratchin a $4000 paint job. Get a early 90's Studio, some of the newer ones will give serious back trouble.
 
Something that hasn't been talked about yet is that LP's have a flatter neck radius than Strats, as well as bigger frets. I think this, along with the shorter neck, makes string bending easier. But, the strat fretboard is shaped more like the inside of your hand. Better for those 6 string bar chords.
 
I once owned a 59 Les Paul (don't even ask me what I did with it!). Anyway, I played a friends Historic Collection Gold Top and it was a really sweet guitar. He put Seymour Duncan Mini humbuckers in it and it sings so beatifully. reminds me soundwise and feel-wise like the ol' 59. Not sure on the price.

Look around also for a Tokai "Love Rock". That is the best LP knockoff by far and for less dinero.
 
i used to have a '75 L P custom it was a pretty guitar but i didn't like the neck (the baseball bat thing). I started giging with it and the heaviness will get to you. the fucker would make my right arm go numb by the end of the 3rd set. A les paul is a very uncofortable guitar to play for 4 hours. I started using it less and less until it was sitting in the closet most of the time. i sold it for 250 bucks ( mistake)

my wife said " i can't believe you sold that guitar...its SO pretty" I told her "well...YOU stand onstage and hold that bastard for 4 hours then"
i swear it felt like that guitar weighed 50 lbs
 
My 58' standard was a little heavy, but a nice playing axe better than any strat Ive played. Kind of closer to the feel of the tele.
 
Well I broke down and stopped at GC after a work. There was a hot little red, wood grained Studio that I had to take home. This little sucker has tone for days. I always thought my main problem was the POD but it was that damn Ibanez after all. I tried a bunch of em but they all sounded awesome. It was like trying to pick your favorite stripper.

I now officially have more guitars than talent.

Of course now I need a Marshall Cab ;)

Thanks for the input, guys.
 
Glad to hear Tex

I'm just about ready to bite the bullet on a new Standard Flame top. Just thought I would pipe in, since this thread is also making me lean toward getting that long sought after Les Paul. Great tips and suggestions here. Guess I'll play the thread whore a little more and see how many other questions of mine are answered before I have to ask them. Kick ASSssssssssssss!

Dick
 
I played the new axe for a few hours tonight. Man that thing is sweet. I finally have some great sustain and that ballsy chunk I was always missing.

Now, where can I score a Marshall cab at 1:20 AM?

I was getting a bit dissapointed with my Pod but damn that guitar really makes a difference. I even love my Pod now.
 
This Les Paul vs Strat thing drives me nuts! :D

Two different tools for two different jobs, guys.

IMHO, if you're on a budget the Epi Standard is a more substantial
piece than the Gibson Studio.
 
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