It's time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!!!!!

[Tashtego]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

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Hey guys, the tuners on ALL current Gibsons are made by Grover...this is from a Gibson rep himself. I don't think the vintage style tuners are bad, I just like the Rotomatics better.

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Are you sure? As of 2005 they were still Gotoh.

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For what it is worth, my 2005 came with Grovers and they are very good, no noticable backlash, stable. As others have pointed out historics are supposed to be the best build quality. I guess some models are less desirable than 59's say. There are plenty of people on the LPForum who are happy with their standards too though. The advice I took was to try out as many as possible 'till one pops out as a winner. I didn't have to go through too many before I found mine. I knew I wanted a custom but I tried some historics as well. They are really nice.

[quakana]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

You want a reissue from the custom shop...best playing les pauls around and they hold their value well but they are expensive. You probably want a 1960 reissue they have medium size necks the 50's are like a louisville slugger cut in half. I own a 59 reissue and love it but its going up for sale to fund my rr limited.

[Chad]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

I kept reading and reading before I bought my first Les Paul and ended up with a brand new 2000 R9. The more I read, the more I spend a lot of times!

It's a beautiful axe, but I just can't get used to the baseball bat neck. The frets are big and fine on mine. I believe they used Dunlop 6105 on the 2000 Historics. Because of the neck and the other negatives previously mentioned, I just don't think I'm a Les Paul person. Plus, I like to relax while playing guitar. It can be hard to relax while playing a guitar that listed for over 8 grand. It's spent most of its life in the case, which is a shame. It'll probably be up for sale when I get time to take some nice pics of it.

If possible, I'd recommend buying locally or at least with a return policy if you buy over the internet. Les Pauls vary a ton from model-to-model and year-to-year.

[siggy14]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

OK i went through many gibson till i settled on my two current, one is a 1987 Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite, Second is a 2005 Les Paul Custom 1968 Reissue Flame top http://www.gibsoncustom.com/flash/pr...iguredTop.html it has the slim 60 taper neck and just sounds awesome, blew away all my other gibson.

So now i know you dont want a custom. So my advice to you is save up spend the money now instead of being like the rest of us and going through a bunch of lower class models, and get this historic 1960 Les Paul, it has the 60's slim taper neck. http://www.gibsoncustom.com/flash/pr...0Standard.html

[Robotechnology]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

Try on the the Standard Faded models with a 60's neck profile. Most really are nice.

[fett]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

Based on what you guys are saying, if I wanted an LP, who knows, I may find a cheap one, I would have to see it upfront and personal. The bucks you guys are talking about makes it a must to play "touchy-feely". [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Zuma]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

I think the best deal out there for a used les paul is the 57 goldtop. If you can not live with a goldtop or the neck size, look for a 60s custom shop reissue or a a standard with a 60s neck. It is nice if you can play first, if not find a dealer with a good return policy just in case....

[Chasbo]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

I would definitely recommend the historics. I have a 2004 Standard and it just plays like a dream, but when I bought my Historic LP/SG Standard, I also played a 57 Goldtop Historic and it just slayed man! Made me have LP envy right there and then, if I hadn't picked up that SG to try out I would have gone with the LP. For my money, it is damn hard to beat the tone of a good LP, but since they can vary so much from instrument to instrument, you really need to try several out before you buy.

No matter how much advice you get here, you still need to get out there and try a couple dozen different LPs to get an idea what they sound like model to model. I would advise you to try Specials, Studios and Customs as well as the Classics and Standards. It will broaden your knowledge about LP's which is nothing but a good thing. Even if you will end up getting a Standard, still try other models when you are looking.

Also keep this in mind as well. From time to time a really nice Gibby makes it out the door that will just blow everything you have ever played before away. It will sound great no matter what you plug it into and will have god-like playability. That's what I experienced when I played the Historic LP/SG I bought last month. In the last 5 years i have owned 7 different Gibby's, all SG's and LP's, and played roughly 100 plus others at different shops. Everything from ES models to all the most popular solidbody models and this one SG stands out far above them all. So keep your eyes and ears open when looking for your LP, no telling what you will find and fall in love with out there.

Chuck

[quakana]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

Try an Elegant, they are from th custom shop...have grovers stock...the 60's neck (just double check that) and are cheaper than the historics....here's a nice natural on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-LES-PAUL-ELEG...1QQcmdZViewItem

[DonP]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

Elegants have fatter necks. Class 5's have the thinner necks.

[j2379]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!

if your not fond of slim necks try one, my SG had a 60's slim taper neck, & i couldnt play it for more than 15-20 minutes without hand cramps. its that small,I dont have that problem with C/Js at all. i like the 50's round necks. also deluxes can be a good deal if modd'd for hums. same as standard but they had the soapbars. plus if its already mod'd no bid deal putting in sperzels or grovers, maybe strip & oil the neck while your at it too.

[lerxstcat]

Re: It\'s time for a Les Paul. Experts help needed!!!!!

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Let me take a few guesses why you feel its time for a Les Paul.
1. Your tired of playing guitars that have excellent upper fret access.
2. Your tired of playing guitars that are comfortable to play for extended amounts of time.
3. Your looking for a guitar that will snap its headstock off with the slightest bump.
4. Comfort bevels just don't do anything for you. You prefer having a binding digging into your forearm.
5. Everybody knows that Gibson vintage tuners are excellent.

Did I get it??

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Correct on all counts! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Seriously though

1 - I'm not a big lead player, and even if I am playing up there, I don't wrap my thumb around the back of the neck anyway. I have a few other LP type guitars, and they don't bother me.

2 - Again, I have a few LP type guitars that I play all the time, and they are fine.

3 - You certainly have a point there.

4 - Yes, I love having a sore arm.

5 - I would probably put Grovers on it. I don't give a shit about defacing a Les Paul. They should smarten up and put real tuners on it to begin with.

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I put Grovers on my LP Standard the day I got it, and 28 years later I am happy with the tuning stability. The weight doesn't bother me, and music that was written and played on a Les Paul is easy to play on a Les Paul. I have furthermore subjected my LP to about 20 years of clumsy pot-stoned handling and the headstock is no worse for wear and a few mild bumps. You can say the same about a tilt-back pointy headstock or the drilled-through Floyd nuts on the Ibanez Wizard necks.

John's '57 Chevy analogy is pretty good, except that a LP neck is one of the smoothest and easiest-playing necks there are for playing lead in low and mid-register. On the upper frets use the guitar's weight to push the strings against, and the extra effort makes you make your rockstar faces automatically. With a Jackson or Ibanez you just have to pretend it's tough! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I play Superstrats 90% of the time, but can't bring myself to sell the Les Paul. Everytime I think I have to, I pull it out to play goodbye to it, and I just can't do it.

Of course I realize that guitars like the Hamer Monacos are better-built guitars, but they are not Gibson Les Pauls. A 1957 Volvo is not the same as a 1957 Chevy, though it is alos probably better built.

Zeegs, I would suggest you find a way to play your prospective guitar first. LPs do vary quite a lot, and you should either play before you buy, or be prepared to buy and sell several times until you find a sweet one. They all LOOK sweet on Ebay, in your hands is a different story.