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New Guitar Day: Les Paul Standard

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  • New Guitar Day: Les Paul Standard

    Picked up a Chicago Blue Les Paul Standard today:



    Was searching for a new guitar, and wanted something with two hum and no trem. Thought about a PRS, but the two guys I jam with have PRS guitars, and I wanted to bring something a little different to the mix. I always hated it when I'd be at a stop light and six sport bikes, all the same make and model, would pull up next to me. I always think "geez, couldn't at least one of you think on your own?" So, I figured a Les Paul might add some spice to jam night, and the music store I hang out at has a ton of Les Pauls hanging on their wall.

    I tried an Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul which was heavenly. The only downsides were: it had a trem, it was a bit expensive, and knowing me, I'd be so afraid to ding it that I wouldn't play it enough to get my money's worth. Sweet, sweet guitar though.

    Next I tried some Traditionals. What they say is true: you need to play a lot of Les Pauls to find the one that feels right to you. I did find one that felt good, although the neck was chunkier than I like. Next I tried a few Standards, and the Chicago Blue jumped out at me. Then I went back to the Traditional, and I could definitely feel that the Traditional had a thicker neck than the Standard. It turns out that the Standard has an asymmetrical neck profile, which really fit my hand better.

    They had a 1960 reproduction model as well that was used, which had a very thin neck for a Les Paul. I just didn't bond with it like the Standard though. And as sacrilegious as it may be, I preferred the locking tuners on the Standard over the Kluson tuners on the 1960, I didn't like the way the bridge posts screwed right into the wood on the 1960... I'm just not a "vintage" guy I guess.

    I was able to try the Standard and the 1960 out at jam night, and the Standard just was funner to play, and it sounded better. Plus, it's brand new, so I get to give it my own "character marks" instead of buying someone else's. And it was significantly cheaper than the Alex Lifeson so I won't freak out when it happens.

    - E.
    Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!

  • #2
    See, I am a traditional kind of guy (not the guitar, the features). Gibson gets a lot of flack about the new Standards (they made the current changes in 2008), but here is a case of it working for someone. Congrats on your new axe.

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    • #3
      Good score now post some close up pics.
      Really? well screw Mark Twain.

      Comment


      • #4
        Congrats.

        Is that a trans finish, or solid blue?

        Comment


        • #5
          Trans finish. May lighten up as it ages.

          - E.
          Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!

          Comment


          • #6
            Don: Yeah, I'm just not a traditionalist when it comes to guitars. If you put locking tuners on a Rhoads, it's still a Rhoads to me. Same with a Les Paul or a Strat. I look at true reproductions of teles, or LPs or whatever, and I think that you're writing off some obvious advancements that have been made in hardware over the last 60 years.

            Floyd Rose on a Les Paul? Yep, still a Les Paul as far as I'm concerned. :-)

            - E.
            Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by AlexL View Post
              Trans finish. May lighten up as it ages.

              - E.
              I've got the same trans blue on a 2001 custom shop LP. Looks the same as yours all around. You have great taste!

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              • #8
                Thank, Ward! I wasn't necessarily hunting this finish out though. I was going strictly by feel. They only had two Standards to choose from, but out of the 2 Standards and 4 Traditionals, this was the best for me. I enjoy it more every day. I love the Plek treatment that these get. Setup and intonation is perfect; something that I only used to feel on other people's guitars, for some reason.

                - E.
                Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Nice guitar. I've never been able to bond with a Les Paul myself but I'm sure the right one is out there somewhere for me. But it's going to be behind a big line of Jacksons hehe.
                  GTWGITS! - RacerX

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by AlexL View Post
                    I wasn't necessarily hunting this finish out though.
                    Me either. I bought mine used. It was a good deal on a great guitar, but I do think it is a good looking combination of color & hardware. Congrats again.

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                    • #11
                      I'm a fan of blue Les Pauls. Yours looks cool! I wish Gibson made more purple as well as blue Les Pauls. The blue ones I have are in Midnight Manhattan Blue, Trans Blue Flame top, and Pelham Blue. Congrats on acquiring yours
                      Rudy
                      www.metalinc.net

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Les Pauls?

                        You could say I've recently become a fan...


                        I have three right now. I love Chicago Blue. I might get one someday if I could find one in stock to try out... It is true you have to find one that speaks to you, a Gibson is not a guitar I'd mail-order.

                        I have similar taste to you; I like the new 2008-style Standards, *except* for the locking jack. I don't like the super thick necks on some of them, but the 2008 and the 1960's feel pretty good.

                        I think we need more pics.

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                        • #13
                          OK, requested pics. Not sure why the pics in the JCF album are showing up so damn small... so I put them on my web space.









                          Enjoy.

                          - E.
                          Good Lord! The rod up that man's butt must have a rod up its butt!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Very nice. Color is a bit darker than Jackson's Trans blue.
                            GTWGITS! - RacerX

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              That's a beautiful finish! Love that super dark blue, even in the sun!

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