Gibson Les Paul - which one

[gbbird]

Dear all,
I have finally decided to round off my guitar collection with a Gibson Les Paul. Having done some interweb research, i note there are several variations on a theme over and above the Studio/Standard/Custom models, such as thin neck, traditional neck, different pick ups, lighter bodied versions etc etc. I am in a quandary as to which one will suit me best, so i wonder if you could help.

I play mainly fast, heavy music (but with some melody i like to think) with mellow moments thrown in for good measure. I always play rather heavy gauge strings, and like soloing, riffing and rhythm in equal measure. I have a number of superstrats with EMGs etc, so i am not too fussed about a metalled up Les Paul, but i do need it to sound meaty and smooth. In terms of neck, i think i prefer thick, flat ones, but tbh not overly bothered either way. Also, i like my guitars to be weighty, so i am not too fussed about the lighter versions, unless someone can convince me otherwise.

I am not a millionaire or famous rock god, so the Customs are out of the question, so i was wondering what Studio or Standard model the PH massive think may suit me best? Just to throw another proverbial spanner into the works, i have not completely ruled out the idea of an Epiphone, although my heart does say might as well go for the Gibby.

Cheers in advance

g

[AdeTuono]

Standard answer; go to your local music shop and try everything they've got. It doesn't matter what anyone here recommends, it might not suit you. You'll know 'the one' when you pick it up.

[Mr Kitten]

What he said ^

I recently decided to buy a bass and after doing a lot of online window shopping I thought I was going to come home with an Ibanez... but after playing everything in my budget (admittedly not huge, £300 tops) I came back with an Aria.

Similar thing happened when I'd decided that I wanted a Fender Jaguar or a Mustang... came back with a USA strat. Although I didn't play everything in my price range then... Just enough to ps off the staff.

[kev b]

I hear the 1959 Standard model is held in high regard,they often come up on the secondhand market,why not see if you can snap one up?

[gbbird]

Cheers fellas, much appreciated. RE the trying em all out, i wil do that (even though i am a terrible impulse buyer) but i was just wondering if, given my preferences and playing style, i could narrow down the search a bit?

[AdeTuono]

kev b said:

I hear the 1959 Standard model is held in high regard,they often come up on the secondhand market,why not see if you can snap one up?

Chances are, if he's got one, the seller might have a couple; if so, buy both and I'll have one. Can't be a lot of good if they're over 50 years old.

[davepoth]

They only made three left handed ones, so they must be rubbish.

[kev b]

Thats right,they only made three l/h examples and I think there's only about fifty genuine ones left.

[6th Gear]

kev b said:

I hear the 1959 Standard model is held in high regard,they often come up on the secondhand market,why not see if you can snap one up?

The Holy Grail. An original will set you back well over USD 100,000. A good second hand 1959 VOS (reissue) can be picked up for around GBP 2,500.

Vintage & Rare Guitars carry a nice stock, bought my one from them. You need to play a few, they're all different.

http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/

[bennyboysvuk]

The Epiphone's sound great, but if you're buying a Les Paul you ought to go for the Gibson since one day you'll wonder what the difference is and the Epi will never be the same again. I speak from experience. If I was ultra critical I'd say the difference is audible, there's something about the clarity of the Gibson in the mid-range, it sounds more detailed. The body also seems to resonate better than the Epi.

As far as I know, the LP Traditional is a heavy beast and has a non-chambered body. The Standard's these days are chambered and are a bit lighter, they also seem to have slightly different spec jack plugs (locking ones) and neck, though I'm not sure exactly what the neck differences are.

If you're in the south, Guitar Village in Farnham have a huge stock of LPs on hand.

[gbbird]

I am near Milton Keynes, does anyone know of a good shop with a large collection of LPs for my perusal?

g

[tuscaneer]

gbbird said:

Dear all,
I have finally decided to round off my guitar collection with a Gibson Les Paul. Having done some interweb research, i note there are several variations on a theme over and above the Studio/Standard/Custom models, such as thin neck, traditional neck, different pick ups, lighter bodied versions etc etc. I am in a quandary as to which one will suit me best, so i wonder if you could help.

I play mainly fast, heavy music (but with some melody i like to think) with mellow moments thrown in for good measure. I always play rather heavy gauge strings, and like soloing, riffing and rhythm in equal measure. I have a number of superstrats with EMGs etc, so i am not too fussed about a metalled up Les Paul, but i do need it to sound meaty and smooth. In terms of neck, i think i prefer thick, flat ones, but tbh not overly bothered either way. Also, i like my guitars to be weighty, so i am not too fussed about the lighter versions, unless someone can convince me otherwise.

I am not a millionaire or famous rock god, so the Customs are out of the question, so i was wondering what Studio or Standard model the PH massive think may suit me best? Just to throw another proverbial spanner into the works, i have not completely ruled out the idea of an Epiphone, although my heart does say might as well go for the Gibby.

Cheers in advance

g

simple answer.les paul standard.i've had mine for 15 years and honestly it is way better than every other guitar i've had.my style is very heavy and very rhythmic(think a mish mash of deftones and downset).i chucked a set of jazz strings on it for maximum weight of sound and also downtune.in a D tuning i can get as low as C without losing too much zing but most importantly these things will sustain for hours.i mean you can really leave a chord hanging for eternity.i go for a fairly "clean" distortion like carpenter from deftones as i hate that horrible dirty sound and tend to play fairly complex and full chords so need good clarity and a nice "wide" sound to my guitars.if that makes sense!! a les paul standard ticks all boxes for player like me.big chords,lots of fast palm muted playing and a nice creamy sound for lead lines.get it bought!!


edited to add..........don't fk about with epiphone as on the whole it just feels cheaper(which i suppose it is!!).the gibson does everything better than the epiphone from feel to playability but most importantly it just doesn't play as weighty

Edited by tuscaneer on Tuesday 11th October 08:39

[gingerpaul]

It took me a couple of years on and off finding the Les Paul for me. Don't be afraid to take your time. The two shops near me I'd recommend are Guitar Village in Farnham and Andertons in Guildford. If you're near there then I'd recommend you try a selection from each shop and take it from there. Makes choosing a fun experience too.

[Animal]

gbbird said:

I am near Milton Keynes, does anyone know of a good shop with a large collection of LPs for my perusal?

Try http://www.coda-music.com/. Branches in Luton and Stevenage.

[Fastra]

Nice review of the Joe Bonamassa version here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_9aoVcEh0s&fea...

[rumpelstiltskin]

Or buy a Yamaha sg1000,i've had les pauls,never liked the muddy sound they can have,sg1000 to me a far better,more vesatile,more clear biting sound,capable from Fender sounds through to a Les paul,and they're generally a cheaper find!