Pulled a coupla guitars from storage for general cleaning and love recently

[Seeker of Rock]

FTR, I use Joyo wireless live shows. Inexpensive but their wireless systems have worked.

 

[Seeker of Rock]

I just finished jamming with my friends... 3 hours with about a 20 minute break for some chit chat, a glass of bourbon, and some chips and salsa. I stood for the entire time, using my new H-530 hollow body/P-90 guitar (just over 6.5lbs).

The Joyo battery pack for the pedal board and the Joyo JW-06 wireless setup did great. I also tried a pair of KZ ZSN Pro in-ears which turned out to be very nice. I have tried several of my headphones (K-240s, HD280 and 7506s). The $20 in-ears did a better job and were more comfortable. I might have to pick up a spare set.

BTW, Congratulations! and cheers on the bourbon and chips/salsa!

 

[RFR]

That said, I’m surprised Jimmy Page’s frail frame played Les Pauls live for so many years. I’m guessing like me, it was the sound he wanted most and dealt with the negatives as a sacrifice.

Generally vintage bursts were much lighter.

Now think of poor Randy Rhoads with his smallish frame playing a 70s LP custom night after night! Back breakers!

 

[Seeker of Rock]

Generally vintage bursts were much lighter.

Now think of poor Randy Rhoads with his smallish frame playing a 70s LP custom night after night! Back breakers!

Allow me to drop some historic knowledge on the LP weight and history…read if you will, don’t learn if you don’t.

Here we go…

‘Vintage burst’ is a term that began as a finish in 1958 as the Les Paul Standard model was evolving back in its heyday.

All Les Paul models as they quickly grew in the mid ‘50s used better and more available wood back in the day. Select resonant pieces of Mahogany that were light but resonant…true tonewood. Demand wasn’t great so selection was discreet, weight wasn’t a factor because they had enough light AAAAA woods that discarding the rest didn’t matter.

Circa 1969 Gibson was sold to a conglomerate that assumed the Gibson name. South American water or beer company merged with something else IIRC. Norlin was the merging buyer with rights to the Gibson name, trademarks, etc. CBS did the same in late ‘60s when they acquired Fender.

After Norlin acquisition, parts were used until depleted as new parts and designs were fabricated. Typical corporate protocol and Kalamazoo Michigan plant still produced Gibson products , but pushed for new more economical designs. Welcome the ‘SG’ model.

So that quality wood of the ‘50s that had great res once but was also lightweight became scarce and Norlin profits became priority. Les Paul model went SG ‘Les Paul’ in the Gibson line…Les(s) wood, good tone wood, BAM! a winner in the new Norlin ‘60s profiteering corp!

Then ‘60s emerging guitarists didn’t like the SG ‘Les Paul’ and starting searching/buying ‘50s single cutaway Gibson guitars, ‘burst’ finish ‘58-59’ as that was peak production and most available.

Norlin recognized and the original single cutaway standard model body was brought back 1969, same Kalamazoo plant and same Norlin owership since 1960 buyout.

The premium tonewood mahogany body with carved maple top of 10 years prior was now under Norlin owership and strictly profit from an owner trying to sustain the product of a company they bought.

Early ‘70s Gibsons are valued (check it if you don’t believe me) because Kalamazoo tried to fight Norlin on wood/materials quality for one of their ventures, Gibson guitars.

Gibsons after ‘74 (20th anniversary editions) began to be value-engineered for additional profits. Gibson Les Pauls post 1974 anniversary still included the multi-layer ‘pancake ‘ body but substituted cheaper ceramic capacitors in the passive electronics and thinner (less metal cost) fretwire a.k.a. the ‘fretless wonders.

*Spoiler alert…Randy played a 1974 Les Paul Custom and it was likely a heavy ass guitar *

So Les Pauls from mid ‘70s on had the pancake body and were heavy as fuck. Light tone woods were expensive, heavier slabs of same Mahogany wood wascheaper. Take two lighter layers of premium light Mahogany, glue a cheaper layer between them to get the width, voila! Money savings everywhere

Early 1980s began a search by custom demand to recreate the 2959 Les Paul standard (‘burst) to spec. Gibson introduced the ‘Heritage’ series and there is where Tim Shaw and the Shaw ‘PAF reproduction’was birthed.

Heritage series was nice but not acvurate, so discontinued in 1982 corporately, but too Gibson luthiers kept refining and building customs and one-offs.

That kept on as the ‘prehistorics division within the factory.


Two of my Les Pauls are Norlin era, one is a very early luthier select/made 1986 prehistoric factory ‘1959 reissue’. Before the 1993 ‘Historic, Art’ factory opened under new corporate ownership. ‘Prehistorics were legitimate up until Juskiewtcz takeover in ‘86 and (parts leftover never unused) in 1987-ish the gorgeous Tim Shaw designed PAF reissue pickups were replaced by Bill Lawrence designed ‘circuit board’ modern pickups that called itself ‘The Original’. First official historic releases in early ‘90s used (IIRC ‘57 Classics or an early iteration of). Pups got confusing in the ‘90s and 2000s….’57 Classics, Burtbuckers, Probuckers, Custombuckers, buttbuckers….I didn’t care for that ___ bucker naming system.

So in my pics is the ‘dark heritage sunburst’. It’s around 8-9 lbs, maybe a little heavier than the Strat. It’s when Gibson elite team pre-historic started really selecting and setting aside woods with traits similar to those used in the ‘50s. She’s a beauty and is light and resonant.

The ‘85 Custom is my absolute favorite but is 10lbs.

The ‘98 Standard you see in my pics I haven’t weighed, but EASILY 11+ lbs. Not chambered but Swiss cheese weight relief era…she’s just a fucking beast of a guitar to play upright. That one has some hot pickups, a set called 490/498. A tone machine nonetheless

The rest of this post is a little Gibson Les Paul history. I’m a lover and a fan

I can play the fuck out of a plastic toy guitar if handed to me, put it through a modeler and it will be twisted and corrected to sound fine. Or better yet press buttons to program a guitar line. However, IMO there is no substitute for a real quality guitar… real tones and a real feel.

I have a close friend, a credit correction lawyer, he got into guitar/now recording a couple of years ago. He loves to argue (it’s his day job) but hates to lose and he will argue all day long about simulated guitar tracks vs real playing on a real instrument. I lol in empathy, but you either get it or you don’t. It’s that simple.

However, re: manufacturing…same day, same year, same pieces of wood…these are instruments made of organic materials. Each will have its own vibe, it’s own sound. That’s what makes choosing one so much fun.

 

[Seeker of Rock]

FWIW, I kinda stopped following the late ‘90s Juskiewtcz era when I started seeing ‘Les Paul Alien Yellow Flame Paint Classic Standard Custom ‘50s neck/‘60s neck curve/a little ‘70s/modern hot neck’.

Then to ‘robot Les Paul’ hit the market.


Gibson under Juskiewtcz (a player says he) went bankrupt Chapter 11 I believe in 2016. Now with same brand name under new ownership, 2017-present. For anyone following this far, that’s the ‘burst 1958’ up until now. FTR, I believe 1957 guitars were same as ‘58 and ‘59 instruments but only available in Ebony with gold appointments. Same instrument but block inlays and fancy hardware and headstock and available with 3 humbuckers. I could be wrong on the year and const. of the ‘57 Custom . May’ve lacked the maple cap or something that the ‘58 had.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

Now with same brand name under new ownership, 2017-present.

Private equity, but with a management team who also play, for whatever that's worth.

 

[Seeker of Rock]

Private equity, but with a management team who also play, for whatever that's worth.

I haven’t played a new Gibson yet but plan to. I’ve read good things online. Juskiewtcz did goods things in his reign then the vision seems to have strayed. I think most buyers just want a really good guitar for a modest price. If they keep to that formula I think they’ll do fine. Before I bought my Standard I remember walking into a Mars music store(still miss that place) to buy a JC-120 (which I did) and just looking through Les Pauls. There were so many variations it made me dizzy. LPC seemed like the only straight forward LP model without 10 sub variations.