Les Paul Questions

[DonP]

weight doesn't bother me and one of my Les Pauls, a Midnight Manhattan Blue LE, tips the scale at 12.3 lbs.

That is one massive LE. I have 3 LP's that weigh 8lbs 14oz, and my heaviest 77 Custom weights 10lbs 14oz. I'd be curious as to how your LE sounds with all that mass behind it.

[Twitch]

To clue everyone in, my range is gonna be the $800 to $1000 range, so I figure for that much money, it should say Gibson on it.

[DonP]

That is one massive LE. I have 3 LP's that weigh 8lbs 14oz, and my heaviest 77 Custom weights 10lbs 14oz. I'd be curious as to how your LE sounds with all that mass behind it.

I will say the CR8 is wonderful to play weighing in at 7lbs. 2oz. You can spin it around real easy

[DonP]

To clue everyone in, my range is gonna be the $800 to $1000 range, so I figure for that much money, it should say Gibson on it.

I think you are looking at Studios at that range. You'll need about $1300 to hit a Classic, but if your not opposed to a solid color, maybe a black one could be had for $1K.

[Twitch]

Im kind of bargain hunting. I figure I may be able to find a Standard in the $1k to $1100 range used. Black is what Im after, but a dark trans red or blue would be acceptable. Im not one for the bursts unless I luck into a silver burst. I even may consider an older Epi Custom if I can find one in aged white or black with all the trimmings.

[Grandturk]

If I were you, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Classic. Studios and Epiphoneys may be OK for some, but certainly not for me - I think you'd always end up pining for "the real deal."

That said - there's a lot of smoke and mirrors and nonsense mumbo jumbo out there about Les Pauls. Always keep in mind - "it's just a guitar." Vintage correct may or may not have anything to do with how well the guitar plays and/or sounds. Things like plastic color, thin binding in the cutaway, holley peghead vanear, inlay shape, pickup cover shape - etc, etc, etc - even down to the "long neck tenon" - lots and lots of BS. Play the guitar - and if it rocks - get it.

[rdamaral]

This is good info, cuz I am looking for a LP Standard....

[Newc]

If I were you, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a Classic. Studios and Epiphoneys may be OK for some, but certainly not for me - I think you'd always end up pining for "the real deal."

That said - there's a lot of smoke and mirrors and nonsense mumbo jumbo out there about Les Pauls. Always keep in mind - "it's just a guitar." Vintage correct may or may not have anything to do with how well the guitar plays and/or sounds. Things like plastic color, thin binding in the cutaway, holley peghead vanear, inlay shape, pickup cover shape - etc, etc, etc - even down to the "long neck tenon" - lots and lots of BS. Play the guitar - and if it rocks - get it.

This post right here.

If you ask anyone to offer an opinion on a Les Paul, you'll always get t=someone who has a specific definition of what is and is not a Les Paul. No offence to DonP, but while he does offer factual information about the neck types and such, most of what he said is the same old puritanical rhetoric I expect from Les Paul People - this isn't "correct" and that isn't "correct".

All that matters is how it sounds TO YOU and how it plays IN YOUR HANDS. Period. It doesn't matter if it was made in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80, 90s, or 2000s. It doesn't matter if it's a Classic, VOS, Rx, etc. It doesn't matter who owned the company or what it comes with.

All that matters is how it sounds and how it plays FOR YOU.


As for the Orvilles and Agiles and whatnot - get a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard before you get these others. I bought a used '93 Standard in '95, and kept it until last year. It was a great guitar. Was it weight-relieved/chambered? I don't know and I don't care. The inlays were a tad green, but that didn't matter. It played great and sounded great, which was all that mattered.

I also had an Agile 2500 Goldtop while I still had the LP. The Agile played and sounded just as good as the LP. Maybe I had a great Agile, maybe I had a crappy LP. No one can say for sure, but both played great and sounded great.


When/if you get to the point where you want to sort through a dozen Les Pauls of various models/specs, and you fully understand the subtle nuances of each spec difference of each guitar AND what you're looking for, then you might want to concern yourself with the Classic/VOS/Rx stuff.

[roodyrocker]

I think you are looking at Studios at that range. You'll need about $1300 to hit a Classic, but if your not opposed to a solid color, maybe a black one could be had for $1K.

Yep, I'd tend to agree with that statement about getting a Les Paul Studio in that range. I'm not sure why others say a Studio isn't a "real" Les Paul. Like I said before, they are USA made and I have two of them. My Blue Teal Flip Flop sounds very heavy and I consider it a real Les Paul, just without the binding The other Studio I have is the Platinum Studio which is a stunner in the looks dept but I haven't gigged it out live yet.

That is one massive LE. I have 3 LP's that weigh 8lbs 14oz, and my heaviest 77 Custom weights 10lbs 14oz. I'd be curious as to how your LE sounds with all that mass behind it.

That LE is the heaviest guitar I own. Nothing else, Gibson or otherwise, weighs anywhere close to it. It sounds great but I don't really think the weight of the Les Paul makes it sound any better or worse than lighter ones. As far as feel goes though I'm probably the opposite of most Les Paul owners. I'd prefer it to be a bit heavy than too light. Just personal preference. I've played this 12.3 lb Les Paul out live and many Gibson guys tell me they couldn't do it due to the weight. I don't mind it although you definetly feel the weight of it after a few songs.

[Chad]

12.3 pounds? If that were mine, I couldn't sell it fast enough. That is CRAZY weight for a guitar! Even with a Neotech strap, that'd still be too much to deal with.

[Devotee]

Might be ok with a backbrace

Some awesome replies to this thread (mine not included ). Keep 'em coming! Procuring a Les Paul is on my lifetime to-do list so i'm finding this thread really informative and educational.

[DonP]

If you ask anyone to offer an opinion on a Les Paul, you'll always get t=someone who has a specific definition of what is and is not a Les Paul. No offence to DonP, but while he does offer factual information about the neck types and such, most of what he said is the same old puritanical rhetoric I expect from Les Paul People - this isn't "correct" and that isn't "correct".

No offence taken Matt. You have me pegged 100% correct - I pretty much don't like any Les Paul that doesn't look like it came out of Beauty of the Burst. But I'd like a Firemist Elegant, a Midnight LE would be very nice (ebony fretboard yum!). But by and large, I prefer my Les Pauls to be historically correct.

Actually, this carries over to all my guitars. If my Jackson or Charvel came with a JT6, I keep it that way. I like to have the original pickups in my guitars. With my Mopars, I like them looking like they came out of the factory in 1970 (Challenger). My 1990 Trans Am GTA is 100% original, although I'm thinking of upgrading to headers and a high flow exhaust.

[DonP]

Thanks DonP and TR. Don heres one Im looking at locally here in town. I like the color and the price, but its a Studio and the inlays appear to be smaller than they would be on a Standard. Whats your opinion on it?
http://bloomington.craigslist.org/msg/2158142011.html

Here's one for $700 in black.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/msg/2168247442.html

[DonP]

Ok, how about $550?

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/msg/2165802311.html

[roodyrocker]

12.3 pounds? If that were mine, I couldn't sell it fast enough. That is CRAZY weight for a guitar! Even with a Neotech strap, that'd still be too much to deal with.

Yep, 12.3 lbs. And that wasn't on a bathroom scale. I bought a digital paint scale that is pretty accurate. You are right about most Les Paul guys selling it due to that weight but it sounds great and that blue just looks killer!
Whenever I pick up a Les Paul that feels as light as a Strat I tend to stick it back up on the rack. I'm not saying they all need to weigh in at 12+ lbs. I'd say the 9-10.5 lb range is close to ideal in a LP.