Sweet Jeezus! Sykes LP Sig!

[VulfgangPfuck]

Not gonna derail this thread, but I hear Gibson will also be releasing the Adam Jones (TOOL) signature LPC Silverburst this year as well.

[toejam]

But upper fret access sucks.

I've got smaller hands and still never had a problem accessing the upper frets... and I prefer the beefier, rounded '59 neck profile, too.

[Bengal65]

+2 This is the correct answer. I got a 1977 road warrior for $1400 - real wear, not the fake crap. No ESPee wanabee for me either.

There ya go! A couple of hardware changes and you got a Sykes model. That guy must have played that neck a lot. How many refrets did it have?

[Bengal65]

Man I am going to get myself scorched here but - I just don't get why people like the LP's so much. I have to say I think the necks are comfortable. Not that they are bad guitars or anything.

But upper fret access sucks. They don't have 24 frets. You can't do whammy tricks with them. Scale length is too short for me personally. All mahogany does not get the full spectrum of tonal ranges. I don't like the looks of them at all. There just plain Jane to me.

They get good rhythm sounds but - they typically get buried in the mix when soloing. I much prefer the sound of the Flying V's.

Seriously I don't get it. Not meaning to criticize but I just don't see why they are so popular for what you get.

You need one of these then!

It's 24 frets, yes 24 of them, and has a fantastic access. Pickups sound good too, stock. The Floyd Lic. Trem works great. I have my Agile on the bench. It's getting converted into an inexpensive Schon Signature model (about $9,500 less ) with the Fernandez sustainer mod.
Note: The rondomusic website does not show the cut away at the neck heel, but it's there. I just got mine last week and I can get to the 24th fret, no problem. You gotta check them out. A Les Paul with a Floyd and 24 frets to boot!

[jtr]

Yes,just buy a old Les Paul put on a steel pickgaurd and save yourself $2000. 77 was one of the dog years for Gibson why would you reissue it .

[Endrik]

I don't know about the price tag... I believe it was 3K!

really??? I thought it's gonna cost like 5 or 6k

[Endrik]

Man I am going to get myself scorched here but - I just don't get why people like the LP's so much. I have to say I think the necks are comfortable. Not that they are bad guitars or anything.

But upper fret access sucks. They don't have 24 frets. You can't do whammy tricks with them. Scale length is too short for me personally. All mahogany does not get the full spectrum of tonal ranges. I don't like the looks of them at all. There just plain Jane to me.

They get good rhythm sounds but - they typically get buried in the mix when soloing. I much prefer the sound of the Flying V's.

Seriously I don't get it. Not meaning to criticize but I just don't see why they are so popular for what you get.

you probably have played with the crappy LPs, most of them are crap IMHO.
But if you once get to play with the "magical" one then you'll forget everything you said.

A great LP's sound is unbeliveable, NOTHING comes close to it, no CS Charvel or Jackson, Ibanez, PRS, ESP, Egle, Anderson or even a 57' strat can deliver such amazing tone.
Good ol' LP with PAF pickups has the most insane amount of sustain and power.

[DonP]

How many refrets did it have?

None - yet. The binding nibs are still intact. It's still very playable but not like a Jackson with jumbo frets. If I get it refretted, I'll take it to Dan Erlewine. Big bucks, but I don't want to take a chance on an old axe.

Also, the fret board has grooves in it were the ebony has been played away. This is really an awesome axe with a killer tone, probably why it has been played to death. It's not your "1959" Les Paul tone because of the three piece maple neck, but a great, long sustaining tone unique for LP's of these years.

P.S. LP's didn't get weight relief until 1984-86, so this isn't weight relieved. Short tenon yes, but not the "rocker joint" of newer LP's. The Syke's model, if true to the 1978 specs, shouldn't be weight relieved either. BTW the weight of this axe is around 10lbs., more than my other three "traditional" LP's that weight in the mid 8's.

[DonP]

you probably have played with the crappy LPs, most of them are crap IMHO.
But if you once get to play with the "magical" one then you'll forget everything you said.

A great LP's sound is unbeliveable, NOTHING comes close to it, no CS Charvel or Jackson, Ibanez, PRS, ESP, Egle, Anderson or even a 57' strat can deliver such amazing tone.
Good ol' LP with PAF pickups has the most insane amount of sustain and power.

I'd have to agree. I guess I am lucky with my 4 LPs, because on any given day I can go into a Guitar Center or a Sam Ash with walls of LPs, but none of them can outclass the ones I have.

Also, no one says an LP is for everyone. I had a 72 LP Custom in 1989 for 6 months - great tone but couldn't stand the low "fretless wonder" frets of those years. I didn't get back into LP's until 2003. I like them just as much as my Jacksons - to me, they are all good.

[nor]

really??? I thought it's gonna cost like 5 or 6k

The Hendrix V is about 7k(ish)

[Bengal65]

The Hendrix V is about 7k(ish)

Yea, and to add to this Gibson high cost theme, the Neil Schon is 10K, with maybe a street price of maybe 8K! Insane!

[fuel0707]

I don't know about the price tag... I believe it was 3K!

There's one on ebay right now. Opening bid is $6199 with a BIN of $6299. Here's the link: Gibson Sykes model

[Bengal65]

There's one on ebay right now. Opening bid is $6199 with a BIN of $6299. Here's the link: Gibson Sykes model

Link didn't work, but I found it. Let me get my checkbook out Did you notice on the stop tailpiece, it looks like a drilled hole in the center? I wonder what that was for? That relicing job would be relatively straight forward if one wanted to do it. Not too complicated.

[fuel0707]

Sorry about that, Bengal. I fixed the link. As for the drilled hole, I don't know why it's there but it must be on Sykes' guitar for some reason. Maybe it's for weight reduction.

[DonP]

There's one on ebay right now. Opening bid is $6199 with a BIN of $6299. Here's the link: Gibson Sykes model

Things that make me laugh:

"nice Murphy style aging" (name dropping)
"a copy of his original 1974 Black Beauty Les Paul" (his was a 1978)

So I just need to sand more paint off an swap the hardware and my axe goes from $1400 to $6300? Hot damn, I hit the lottery LOL!