New / Old 02' Les Paul Standard.....

[DTP]

Dang, these LP's are killing me. I want another and this isn't helping.

Great looking guitar, I hope I can find one that makes me feel that way too.

J.

[DonP]

Hey Don -

Killer guitar! just beautiful - very similiar in color and burst to mine. I don't know how to determine the difference between 490 / 498 vs. BB's - I will say that these had no markings or stickers on them at all other "Gibson" if I remeber, and the BB's I've used and seen all have some sort of sticker on them...either way they got sent to Wolfe

How do you like this compared to your GC R0 ?

Again - awesome guitar you've got.

Steve E

The 490R/498T were like a JB/59 combo (high output bridge, PAF style neck), while the Burstbucker Pros are more of a vintage PAF flavor. If yours were stamped Gibson USA, they would be the 490R/498T. Pros have a white sticker on the back saying (IIRC) "Alnico V", a number (either 1 for neck or 2 for bridge), and a signature of the winder. I think they had a PAF sticker as well.

How does it compare to the GC R0? I'll be honest - tonewise the GC R0 is my #1. They do have different pickups - BBPros have stronger Alnico V magnets, and the BB1&2 have Alnico II's, making the GC R0 more "creamy". The Standard with the more powerful BBPros is more "in your face". Still a great tone, but the GC R0 has my favorite tone. Tuning down a 1/2 seems to take away that harshness in the Standard.

Looks-wise/quality/finish/neck profile, I think these lightburst standards from 2002 are just awesome. The neck on the GC R0 is a little fatter, an R0 neck is almost a 50s neck in the standards. The 60s neck profile is a thinner shredder neck which I prefer. I've gone back and forth about upgrading pickups in my Standard, maybe trying a BB1&2 to see if that is the only difference between a standard and the R0. But for now, it stays as it is 100% original (just a few upgraded historic plastic parts - truss rod cover, pickup rings, knobs).

p.s. I do have a nice set of Highorder double white if I try tone experimenting. 7.8K and 8.5K Alnico II, and a 9.7K Alnico V. I tried them for a short time in my Classic Premium Plus, but 1) They are BRIGHT double white (I should have ordered Ivory); 2) I have push/pull tone pots and missed not having 4 wires to split the coils like my zebra 496R/500T.

[straycat]

WCR's and an RS upgrade kit now you have a real Paul.Speedmonkey you did it the right way my friend.It sounds like a beast now HUH?
Les Paul people if you are not happy with your tone try an RS kit first then if you want(you may not want to)try some different pickups. The RS upgrade kit will open up your guitar,you will have usuable tone controls,very smooth volume control.The kit is the best thing for a L.P.

[speed monkey]

WCR's and an RS upgrade kit now you have a real Paul.Speedmonkey you did it the right way my friend.It sounds like a beast now HUH?
Les Paul people if you are not happy with your tone try an RS kit first then if you want(you may not want to)try some different pickups. The RS upgrade kit will open up your guitar,you will have usuable tone controls,very smooth volume control.The kit is the best thing for a L.P.

I have to agree....I went with the Superpots in the V positions, the biggest thing I notice is that the sweep in consistent throughout the rolloff now - it doesnt go silent then *bang* on anymore, actual useable gradual volume increase..the other thing, as you turn the volume down, the tone doesn't suffer one bit, at all. Pretty slick setup and I think most people will agree when they get a stock wiring setup and the RS set up side by side it's a no brainer....

The WCR's are just insane....I bought them used, the guy had them in a 59' Historic RI and had the poles set up perfectly based on Wagners suggestion....they came that way to me, I dropped them in and with a bare minimum of hieght adjustment the thing just absolutley sings...

Don - re: my pickups I pulled out, the ground plate in the control cavity was dated 9/01/01, but the serial number is an 02' serial number so I'm guessing this thing was actually assembled in January or right before the BB switchout was done...the BB's I've had before are way better than the pups I yanked out, and I don't doubt the Marshallheads are going to be killer when they get back here. I've heard great things about the Highorders too...lots of killer choices out there at the moment...and yeah, 02' Lightbursts Rule

Steve E

[straycat]

Light bursts are very cool.Honey burst is nice too.
The super pots do kick ass, the hoveland/RS caps are where all the magic is made, the very first cap made exclusivly for the electric guitar
I used to work as a guitar tech at RS and these guys know their stuff.I just added a kit to my 92 fusion H-H and it screams like nothing else.

[DonP]

I guess I should mention that my GC R0 is "modded" with 550K CTS pots from Black Rose Customs, NOS bumble bees (had to get 300v for $50 because 400v is crazy money), and pigtail tailpiece with steel studs. I did buy RS tuners and knobs. I wasn't too happy with the tuners, the buttons look like shit (white cream with brown shoe polish - not at all what they looked like on the website). I should have sent them back.

The GC R0 sounded great before the pot swap, but it just has a little more power and upper end. I'm one of those "everything is on 10" guys to volume and tone tapers aren't an issue to me.

[straycat]

If you were not satisfied with the tuners you should call and tell them.Its not shoe polish I can tell you that. I have aged hundereds of tuners and no two come out the same.Some times the plastic will not take the ageing process and some times they will "cloud up" and streak.
You should have tried the full RS kit CTS pots and Hoveland cap you would haved saved some money.The hoveland /RS cap is far superior to the BB caps.This is not hype its the truth.You couldnt give me a box of BBs they are worthless. I would take a box of the Hoveland/RS caps for sure.Because tone is what I'm after not mud.Sure you could sell the vintage BBs on ebay and make a ton of money but who ever buys them is the loser.

[atomic charvel guy]

steevo,
i love the tight ribbons of the flame, it's a real doozy. find any hoodies for me to bum around in?

[DonP]

If you were not satisfied with the tuners you should call and tell them.Its not shoe polish I can tell you that. I have aged hundereds of tuners and no two come out the same.Some times the plastic will not take the ageing process and some times they will "cloud up" and streak.
You should have tried the full RS kit CTS pots and Hoveland cap you would haved saved some money.The hoveland /RS cap is far superior to the BB caps.This is not hype its the truth.You couldnt give me a box of BBs they are worthless. I would take a box of the Hoveland/RS caps for sure.Because tone is what I'm after not mud.Sure you could sell the vintage BBs on ebay and make a ton of money but who ever buys them is the loser.

The tuner buttons looked "cream white" kind of like chalk with no marbling in them. They just didn't look anything like authentic tuners or what was pictured on the website at the time. This would have been in spring '05 when I bought them.

For the caps and pots, I wanted to go for an authentic looking control cavity. I looked closely at pictures of real burst on the LPF and made the cavity look exactly like a 50's (50's wiring as well). For tone, these BB's sound awesome, so if you think the Hovelands sound better, they must be really awesome. But like I said, I don't really use the volume and tone knobs (maybe turn th eneck tone down to zero for a woman tone). I just wanted the high ohm reading across the pots to give me more top end.

[speed monkey]

steevo,
i love the tight ribbons of the flame, it's a real doozy. find any hoodies for me to bum around in?

Keeping my eye out for you. It's been long enough that your mourning period from the loss of the last one should have passed - it's time for a serious search to hook a brother up....

Steve E

[atomic charvel guy]

no it's still alive, after 3 major surgeries dude, but this could very well be it's last summer. help!!!

[straycat]

Hey you like what you like I'm cool with that.Some of the VOS pauls I've seen lately the tuner buttons have looked kind of creamy why I dont know.My 72 SG tuners turned kind of an opaque off white not marbled at all so whos to say.There is no set rule in how things age over time I guess.

[speed monkey]

Hey you like what you like I'm cool with that.Some of the VOS pauls I've seen lately the tuner buttons have looked kind of creamy why I dont know.My 72 SG tuners turned kind of an opaque off white not marbled at all so whos to say.There is no set rule in how things age over time I guess.

I've got a couple of mid 80's Fender Strats that the plastic aged so randomly it's funny...on one the covers of the Lace Sensors are full on yellow, the knobs are dirty, but the pickguard is still bright white...the other, the pickgurad is yellowed, but the rest of the parts are still bright white...who knows.

Bottom line, there's lots of ways sonically and visually to float your boat. This Les Paul I've got now is floating it five feet out of the water for me

Steve E

[straycat]

Glad you like it I'm not a huge LP fan,had 6 over the past couple of years and always flipped them for good profit.The 83 studios are such bad ass guitars I must find another one someday.Got a pending deal on a 96 wine red studio I hope it comes thru.
A while back I found a Kaman LP custom copy for $125.00 black triple binding and a thick maple top and mahogony body the only difference from the real deal is the angle or tilt back of the headstock a really nice guitar.Model G36 it think it was.

[DTP]

What model of LP is that?

Thanks,

J.