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Hello all

I am doing some Les Paul research, I am not sure I want to get one yet, but I have always liked them and who can argue with Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Slash etc etc etc etc

Anyway the question is, I have prob $1800 or so, maybe possibly $2,000. I don't mind ebay or the such because if you get from the right people you can get good deals.

There are SO SO SO SO many of them to choose from out there right now, I know the '58 is supposed to be pretty good and i see them for around $2,000, but is a standard just as good etc, I just do not know ANYTHING about the different models etc.

Suggestions, ideas, tips??? THANKS!!

your best bet is to just go into a store amp; try 'em all, man

I'll tell you the ones with maple tops are gonna be brighter, but other than that it's mostly just a matter of finding one you like


Originally Posted by drew_half_emptyI'll tell you the ones with maple tops are gonna be brighter, but other than that it's mostly just a matter of finding one you likeyou do realize EVERY les paul aside from the cheaper studios have a maple top right?

-Mike

yeah and the juniors

I have played a few.

There was one all mahogany one at GC and well I was not to keen on it, it was the faded kind

I like the studios OK but hell i may as well spend a little more and get the binding etc

I know the old try em all but well I can't try every model without going to the gibson factory store, we are a smaller town and they only have so many les pauls here to try.

i think musicians friend has a return policy

but i mean, if you play one in the store amp; love it, then you don't really need to worry about other models, you know?


Originally Posted by drew_half_emptyi think musicians friend has a return policy

but i mean, if you play one in the store amp; love it, then you don't really need to worry about other models, you know?

good point.

unfortunately i am one of the guys that is like well this is good but is this the best i can buy for the money right now

and u get the 60s neck the 50s neck the classic the this the that there is just SO many diff oens

My suggestion would be to buy either a used Reissue (R8,R7) OR one of the following.

1) Faded Standard. Most are ugly. Some aren't. Nearly every one I've played has had killer resonance/tone cos of the (lack of) finish.

2) Musicians Friend LP Deluxe. The ceramic mins are nearly as hot as a PAF, pplus if ya want later you can go with P90s, or DiMarzio P90 sized Super Distortions.

3) Les Paul Classic. The one with ceramic pups. you are giving up looks on all 3 of these compared to a Les Paul Standard (i.e. no pretty tops), but otherwise they are identical in construction to a Standard.

Best thing to do is PLAY PLAY PLAY them....you will know instantly when you find *THE* one...it will feel amp; sound like magic (assuming it's been setup properly)

I'd high suggest staying from GC as well...the guitars they have are poorly setup/beat up in general.

If you can't get anwhere else other than GC, then go with one of the big online dealers like Center City, Willcutt, etc.these guys will help you pick and choose a tone monster from their inventory.


Originally Posted by XSSIVEyou do realize EVERY les paul aside from the cheaper studios have a maple top right?

Les Paul Customs are all mahogany, no maple top on those. Most of the studios have a maple cap, or at least the transparent ones do.

Go to the store amp; play everything they have. Look around for used Studios too, some of them are AMAZING guitars and some are total dogs. Last night I played a $4000 Tom Murphy aged deal that was great to look and was resonant as hell but, it didn't give back what I was putting into it. I wouldn't buy a Gibson from a catalog...you gotta put yours hands on it and find the one that says HELL YEAH!!! And don't rule out making the store do a string change if you like the way a paddle plays amp; feels but sounds dead.


Originally Posted by XSSIVEyou do realize EVERY les paul aside from the cheaper studios have a maple top right?

-Mike

Studios have a maple cap as well, it just isn't a figured maple cap. Unless Gibson has changed something in the last couple years.

My advice - go to Gibson's website and familiarize yourself with some of the models you are interested in. Then go play as many as you can, that way you can begin to understand what the 59 roundback neck plays like compared to a 60s slim taper, or how the Burstbuckers compare to the 498/490, etc, etc. Going on feeling is nice, but it's also nice to know the specs.

The LP Custom (plane jane Custom, not an R model) has a carved maple top. Says so on the gibsoncustom.com site.

The Les Paul Studio (plane jane again) has a carved maple top as well. The Studio Plus has a carved figured AA maple top. This is all on Gibson's site.

As for which one? It'll be different for you as it would for me. I know that the only Gibson LP I would/do want is a Custom, no question. It's a matter of taste and what you like out of an LP. So, like others have said, go play as many as you can and listen/feel for the one that speaks to you and reacts to your touch the most.

Got to agree 100%, It's sad to think that a $2000 guitar line has just as many duds as the cheaper models. My experience at this point is that of the many LP's that I've tried out this year, in the store(25 or so), there has only been one that was a true tone monster. I've played everything from Standards, Fadeds, Studios, R8....all new and the one that had the mojo was an early '90s Standard. The worst was consitantly the Faded Standards, the worst binding jobs I've ever seen. While the tone was ok, the feel was horrible. You have to try them all or at least have a good return policy if ordered and allot of patience. Good luck!

Originally Posted by J MooseGo to the store amp; play everything they have. Look around for used Studios too, some of them are AMAZING guitars and some are total dogs. Last night I played a $4000 Tom Murphy aged deal that was great to look and was resonant as hell but, it didn't give back what I was putting into it. I wouldn't buy a Gibson from a catalog...you gotta put yours hands on it and find the one that says HELL YEAH!!! And don't rule out making the store do a string change if you like the way a paddle plays amp; feels but sounds dead.
The Historics are great, but one thing you need to think about is how fat you like your necks. Many of them are chunkier than the average player really wants.

My preference is for the 50's neck/59 profile, since it's what best defines a LP neck, to me. Some prefer the slimmer 60's profile too, so you've really got to make that decision before anything else.

My personal opinion is that Standards and upward is what you want. My favorite LP's are LP Std Premium Plusses and Historics with a 50's neck.
I'd never hesitate to buy any Std, as long as it's built well and sounds good.
As far as playability, Gibsons are meant to have a final setup AFTER the first purchase, IMO. They cut the nuts a bit too high, allowing the player to choose how he likes his guitar setup. Martin does the same. I think both companies offer a first time setup by their authorized servicemen. If you buy used, figure in the price of a pro setup....$20-$40. THAT's when a Gibson is really a Gibson.

If you only feel comfortable buying something you've played and see, go that route. If you feel confident buying from a seller with an excellent description and closeup pictures, go ahead. I've had good luck scoring great guitars on Ebay, but I drill them with questions and demand closeup high quality pics.

aaronl,

I sent you a personal message...please check your mail.

3Tone

The studio is the best quot;bang for the buckquot; Les Paul. The R7s are the best quot;bang for the buckquot; Historic Les Pauls. Seriously, buy a used guitar. They're around, you don't have to look too hard.

As a lot of people have said, find out what you're after. P-90s, humbuckers, fancy pants top, weight, color, etc... Then hit some dealers. Buying new from an online warehouse is the next best thing to guaranteeing you're not going to get the guitar you want. The person who's processing your order will never have seen, touched or heard your guitar, and probably is in a different time zone from where the guitars are! Deal with a dealer who has a good idea of what they're talking about and are willing to talk to you AND LISTEN TO YOU. They exist. There are stores that care more about making sure you get the guitar you want than just making a sale. That basically means stay away from GC and Musician's Fiend.

As for LP's w/o a maple top the Historic 54 Custom and 57 Custom reissues do NOT have a maple top and the Musicians Friend Studio special edition didn't have a maple top. Standard Customs as well as the 68 Reissue Custom DOES have a maple top.

Now, as for necks...there is the quot;Early 50'squot; neck that you will find on all Historics from the 54 reissue up to the 58 reissues, then there is the quot;59quot; neck which is a bit smaller than the quot;Early 50'squot;, it also has larger/taller frets, then you get to the quot;60 Slimquot; neck which is even smaller than the quot;59quot; neck, then you get to the necks on the Standard production LP's...the quot;50'squot; neck is not as big as the quot;59quot; taper, but it is a bit larger than a quot;60 slimquot; neck then you get the quot;60'squot; neck which is the smallest of all...keep in mind then are not 100% in stone...I have played a few Standards with baseball bat necks and I have seen some Historics that seemed to have the quot;wrongquot; neck.

As for quot;BEST DEALquot;...decide what you want first. If you shop around you can get several different Historics new for less than 2300.00, getting a used Historic is hard...most of them seem to go for as much if not more than what you can buy them new for! The best deal on Historics (new or used) is either a recent (plain top) 58 reissue or a Gold Top of some kind. As for the deal on Standard Production stuff, the new Standards are quite nice of you go through several of them looking for a killer one, Classics are killer guitars if you like the slim neck, Studios simply can't be beat for the money...there are lots if options. If you decide to go with a non Custom Shop PLAY BEFORE YOU BUY, I have played lots of Historics and to be honest they all kicked ass, the Standards are hit or miss.

good luck

DO NOT EVER buy a guitar without playing it FIRST.


Originally Posted by XSSIVEyou do realize EVERY les paul aside from the cheaper studios have a maple top right?

-Mike

Except the Customs