All this Gibson talk!!!

[lefty]

Shawn,
I notice that on some of your LPs, you pass the
strings over the top of the stop bar, as I've seen
other guys do. Is this so you can get the stop
bar close to the body for string tension? I've found
with LPs, sometimes you need to elevate the bar
quite a bit so the strings don't hit the back of
the TOM. This necessitates raising the action.
Will passing the strings over the bar allow for
lowest action without bottoming out on the
stop bar?

theo

[toejam]

Shawn,
I notice that on some of your LPs, you pass the
strings over the top of the stop bar, as I've seen
other guys do. Is this so you can get the stop
bar close to the body for string tension? I've found
with LPs, sometimes you need to elevate the bar
quite a bit so the strings don't hit the back of
the TOM. This necessitates raising the action.
Will passing the strings over the bar allow for
lowest action without bottoming out on the
stop bar?

theo

Yes, lots of Les Pauls have different neck angles. A lot of people feel you get better sustain with the stoptail down on the body, but not all of them can because of the neck angles. People usually top wrap so they can lower the stoptail. Or you can also top wrap to get less of a break angle of the string over the bridge to provide less tension, so it will give the strings a slinkier feel and easier to bend.

[danastas]

Yes, lots of Les Pauls have different neck angles. A lot of people feel you get better sustain with the stoptail down on the body, but not all of them can because of the neck angles. People usually top wrap so they can lower the stoptail. Or you can also top wrap to get less of a break angle of the string over the bridge to provide less tension, so it will give the strings a slinkier feel and easier to bend.

I read about this in Dan Erlewhine's book. He tested a lot of guitars this way and claims he found no difference in sustain. But hey, that's just one set of ears.

[Rupe]

to the guy who has bought all of the close-out specials and found many of them to be duds...did you ever think that maybe there was a reason these particular ones were being blown out? I think by the very nature of your shopping habits, you end up receiving mostly "bottom of the barrel" examples.
I was a Gibson dealer for many years and rarely had issues (orange peel in the paint was the most common...and it was the one issue that was too common IMO). When I did, I sent the guitar back, as did most of the other dealers that I knew. These guitars end up being sold at discounts to other dealers, and the worst ones typically get blown out for heavy discounts to the consumer.
When I go to a store these days, I rarely encounter quality issues on Gibsons...those ones end up being sold through mail order When I do find something wrong, it is still typically a finish flaw.

[fett]

I will have an LP and it will be old. I just have to be patient. Until that happens, I will just play around with knockoffs. And I would never buy one on the net. So it had better come to my pawnshop.

[toejam]

I will have an LP and it will be old. I just have to be patient. Until that happens, I will just play around with knockoffs. And I would never buy one on the net. So it had better come to my pawnshop.

You're going to pay a lot more for a Gibson Les Paul than any other guitar in your collection then. Even pawn shops are aware of what Les Pauls are!

[Robert Burns]

Here's another chunk of firewood.



Two of those elusive "GOOD" Gibsons in one place??? Can it be???

God Kenny! How do you live with yourself??

[KennyF]

God Kenny! How do you live with yourself??

Like I always say; "It ain't easy bein' me". :ROTF:

Thanks bro!!!

[fett]

You're going to pay a lot more for a Gibson Les Paul than any other guitar in your collection then. Even pawn shops are aware of what Les Pauls are!

You forget, I have lots of money and all the time in the world. Being 56, I figure about 10 years. If it doesn't come my way, oh well.

[Mr.Lizardman]

to the guy who has bought all of the close-out specials and found many of them to be duds...did you ever think that maybe there was a reason these particular ones were being blown out? I think by the very nature of your shopping habits, you end up receiving mostly "bottom of the barrel" examples.
I was a Gibson dealer for many years and rarely had issues (orange peel in the paint was the most common...and it was the one issue that was too common IMO). When I did, I sent the guitar back, as did most of the other dealers that I knew. These guitars end up being sold at discounts to other dealers, and the worst ones typically get blown out for heavy discounts to the consumer.
When I go to a store these days, I rarely encounter quality issues on Gibsons...those ones end up being sold through mail order When I do find something wrong, it is still typically a finish flaw.

My '79 Tobacco Sunburst LP Custom is marked as a 'second' on the back of the headstock- but I see no reason why it would be- plays and looks great! Looks used and aged, but not too bad- it makes it have some character and keeps me from being too worried about playing it. It's REAL, though- not the imitation aging. I gather Gibson doesn't release 'seconds' as such anymore- at least not stamped that way. Maybe they repaint them in solid colors or something to help cover it up? I couldn't see them throwing them in a bonfire or something!

[DonP]

My '79 Tobacco Sunburst LP Custom is marked as a 'second' on the back of the headstock- but I see no reason why it would be- plays and looks great! Looks used and aged, but not too bad- it makes it have some character and keeps me from being too worried about playing it. It's REAL, though- not the imitation aging. I gather Gibson doesn't release 'seconds' as such anymore- at least not stamped that way. Maybe they repaint them in solid colors or something to help cover it up? I couldn't see them throwing them in a bonfire or something!

When Henry J bought Gibson in 1986, he took a pile of seconds and ran a chainsaw over them. "No more seconds" from that day on. If a Gibson was bad enough to have been marked a second, they would destroy it (at least back then).

I think Pete (lhrocker?) on this forum put one back together and painted it and it turn out quite good looking.

[atomic charvel guy]

Speed Monkey's is the one for me. I like tight thin flame ripples, and I've always been a fan of plain tops. as long as they don't have the "spray can" look paint job. The outlandish overbearing ridiculouso flametops they make can be overbearing at times , nice as they are. What's better than a magic Les Paul Standard? Not much.

[Jeff Albertson]

to the guy who has bought all of the close-out specials and found many of them to be duds...did you ever think that maybe there was a reason these particular ones were being blown out? I think by the very nature of your shopping habits, you end up receiving mostly "bottom of the barrel" examples.
I was a Gibson dealer for many years and rarely had issues (orange peel in the paint was the most common...and it was the one issue that was too common IMO). When I did, I sent the guitar back, as did most of the other dealers that I knew. These guitars end up being sold at discounts to other dealers, and the worst ones typically get blown out for heavy discounts to the consumer.
When I go to a store these days, I rarely encounter quality issues on Gibsons...those ones end up being sold through mail order When I do find something wrong, it is still typically a finish flaw.

Yes..yes they must X-ray a factory sealed box and then put it on sale!? I could post plenty of pictures of nice LP's that I currently and have owned. Matter of fact, the last time I did it people started throwing "fits", like I'm a secret Gibson rep. How f-cking stupid is that? I will say that I have to go thru 10 LPs to find one good one.

I certainly admit Gibson has had good years and bad years. Anybody want a pancakes Norlin style? Most of what I've seen in the past 4-5 years aren't worth the bark of the tree that was hacked down to give them life. My eye sight is 20/50 or better and I can still hear okay good without a hearing aid...that might change soon (25 years of loud amps). A tree's life would be much better spent reducing greenhouse gases, than becoming a LP right now. 25 years ago when you could buy a "second" LP Custom for $650 bucks, it wasn't much of an issue....now the second stamp is gone, but there are still plenty of "seconds" for sale.

All I can say is look at quantity and do the math. Any dealer that I have ever talked to will admit they have way too many problems. There are at least two big Gibbo dealers, that I buy from, that will remanufacture the defectoids. One is in California and one is in Colorado. Look at the top of the box...there's a sticker that says something about 15%...why do you think that's there?

If you really want I can make of list of common problems..then you could go on a scavenger hunt at the GC. You would be done in 15 minutes.

Does anybody anybody want to argue the point that a $3000 guitar should not sound great and be built without defects? I don't. Regardless, if you've found different. I say great. Like I said...after all the crap I've seen...I don't buy it for a second and I'm NOT a dealer and I couldn't care less if people buy Gibson.

[Jeff Albertson]

Like I always say; "It ain't easy bein' me". :ROTF:

Thanks bro!!!

That's nothin', bro. You should try keeping track of 20 of them. At least, the square cases (Chrvel, Fender Jackson, etc) can be stacked!

[KennyF]

That's nothin', bro. You should try keeping track of 20 of them. At least, the square cases (Chrvel, Fender Jackson, etc) can be stacked!

Ya lost me Jeff...