Very Intersting....Gibson "redesigns" the Les Paul

[Jeff Albertson]

I don't want to cut into anybodies sales here. I know that the minimum order for USA is huge and you guys don't want to get stuck with those "beauties". Sell, sell, sell. Sorry, Gibson is great. [pssst...if you're buying a Gibson USA...buy a pre-2007 Les Paul. Just make sure you look it over real good and play it first! Just say no to Gibson turds...]

[gitfiddler]

come up with "new" design for more $$ and people will buy them, the old solid ones will then be deemed "superior", used prices go way up. Then Gibson will reissue the "old vintage" solid ones for wayyy more $$$

it's the new coke conspiracy idea but with much more $$$ involved. Bastids

[DonP]

[pssst...if you're buying a Gibson USA...buy a pre-2007 Les Paul. Just make sure you look it over real good and play it first! Just say no to Gibson turds...]

I have plenty of pre-2007 LPs. To say not to buy one is like saying don't by a pancake Norlin. It is still a Les Paul, just a different flavor. Might be better than a regular LP for certain types of music; you never know.

Personally, I've never liked Class 5's because I always thought they had crappy heavy mohagany and that is why they were chambered. Now that all production LPs are chambered, the Class 5's will dump in price because now they are almost all the same (except long neck tenon).

I have my wonderful LPs and I luckily have no need for any more, well maybe a 2003 R0.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

The Les Pauls we have been getting for the past few months are noticeably lighter than ones we have had in the past, and honestly most people who are playing them in the store and buying them (those dumbasses, i know) really like the fact that they are lighter, myself included...part of the reason i switched from a Les paul-style Heritage to an SG was the weight. To each his own I guess.

[straycat]

A friend of mine just bought a new silver burst L.P.1 of 400 made I mean the
1st of 400.A very nice guitar really light.He is a pro musician that plays a 60s classic live.He really likes the guitar but does not like the 57s and will go with burst buckers.I told him how the chambers are made and he is not real happy that Gibson is doing this but he still likes the guitar.Maybe a little tweaking and testing it may end up a pretty good guitar.
I have noticed on the chambered L.Ps there is a pronounced feed back problem.I guess you could fill the routes with expanding foam of some sort that may cure the problem.

[sk8boardbob2]

I'm guessing no one here has seen that acoustic on eBay which had sides made out of Popsicle sticks? If you can find it, it's worth the search.

[Tashtego]

I heard that was the guitar used to record "Ice Cream Man"

[Jeff Albertson]

A friend of mine just bought a new silver burst L.P.1 of 400 made I mean the
1st of 400.A very nice guitar really light.He is a pro musician that plays a 60s classic live.He really likes the guitar but does not like the 57s and will go with burst buckers.I told him how the chambers are made and he is not real happy that Gibson is doing this but he still likes the guitar.Maybe a little tweaking and testing it may end up a pretty good guitar.
I have noticed on the chambered L.Ps there is a pronounced feed back problem.I guess you could fill the routes with expanding foam of some sort that may cure the problem.

"The first "Spanish-style" electric guitar was built and sold by Lloyd Loar, another early experimenter. His design was the direct predecessor of the modern electric guitar, and it inspired Orville Gibson, another guitar pioneer, to create the electric guitar model that revolutionized the instrument: the ES-150. Slide guitarist Alvino Rey developed the prototype of the ES-150, which has been called the first modern electric guitar. The final version was built by Gibson employee Walter Fuller. Though the guitar was an immediate success, it had some flaws. The vibrations from its hollow body were picked up and amplified, which created feedback and distortion. This led Les Paul, a guitarist and inventor, to develop the solid body electric guitar in 1940.

Paul's innovation, which was called "the Log" because of its solid body, involved mounting the strings and pickup on a solid block of pine to minimize body vibrations. The "Log" consisted of two basic magnetic pickups mounted on a 4 × 4 in (10.2 × 10.2 cm) piece of pine. To make it look more like a conventional guitar, Paul sawed an arch-top guitar in half and attached the pieces to his model. The solid body proved effective in eliminating the problems of the ES-150."

What exactly are they thinking? It sounds harsh and trebley. The exact opposite reason of why a (an educated) person picks up a Les Paul.

[straycat]

I agree.

[slashrox]

I prefer the older L.Ps anyway.

+1 .. Although I haven't played the newer les pauls, I have played my uncles LP standard (I'm pretty sure its either a '92 or '95) and I think it sounds pretty awesome, The sustain on it is great. Also played his Epi LP Custom w/ Seymour Duncans (I think thats a '92) and also sounds awesome and great sustain.

Yes they are heavy, but I guess thats where all its sound & sustain is from, plus the body's mahogany...so its gotta be heavy

If I ever end up buying a LP, I'll be going for the pre-2007 ones. Same goes for Epi LP's too.

[tanpsi]

They sure do come out with some some bizarre variations of the classics, it may be a little bit of the designers trying to justify their jobs or just getting bored.

But one variation I would like to see is the Studio with the slim neck.

[straycat]

The 80s studios have the 60s neck and about as small as they get for Gibson.From what I've heard the wood is new generation growth and quite a bit heavier than the older growth.So to keep the weight down around 8 lbs they had to route the bodies.
The historics will not change thank goodness.

[DonP]

(I'm pretty sure its either a '92 or '95)

The first and fifth digits in the serial number tell you the year. The second thru forth tell you what day of the year.

[slashrox]

The first and fifth digits in the serial number tell you the year. The second thru forth tell you what day of the year.

Thanks for that, I'll have a look next time I play the guitar

[lynchfan6]

Geez,,,all this talk about Gibson lately. My only Gibson is a 1996 Les Paul Classic with a heritage cherry sunburst finish (which I don't think is an option for this model anymore.) Anyway, I can't find a single flaw with it, so I guess I got lucky, as it was bought from Musician's Friend for me by my parents when I graduated college. It sure is heavy, but plays great and sustains like no other guitar. I'll for sure be keeping it.....I think it is from a good year for the Classics from what I hear. Anyway, I can honestly not find a single flaw on it construction-wise, but of course I spent a lot of time adjusting the action, etc...to get it just right....but I do that with all of my guitars. But the workmanship appears to be awesome. I haven't really tried out any other Les Pauls EVER to see how the quality control really is, as I don't intend on ever getting another. As great as it sounds, a Les Paul is just not my first choice for playing comfort,,,,mainly the neck and fret access for my style.