Gibson Walnut Les Paul - 'The Paul"

[Dru Edwards]

Gibson is reintroducing "The Paul" after it's been gone 40 years. Walnut body and neck. 490R / 498T pickups. Looks sweet. I'm interesting to try one out just to see how it's tonally different than the standard Les Paul woods.

Anyone play any of the originals? Thoughts on this?

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Elect...sary-2019.aspx

[davidd]

Why? Gibson just can't stop doing stupid things. If God had wanted a walnut LP he wouldn't have made mahogany and maple. It's like new Coke.... what's the point?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by davidd

...It's like new Coke....what's the point?

FYI around 1980 Gibson had not only an all-walnut LP but companion SG ("An SG - For Half A G" as the period ad copy read) and 335-S models (the latter changing to mahogany early on), all of which I played back in the day; while it's been over 35 years since I handled my last one I do remember them having a distinctive natural "soft-smile" EQ - one that would morph into the more highly-processed "scooped" hard-rock/metal tone before the end of the decade - which well complements rock-oriented pickups like the 490R/498T (the original used Dirty Fingers as I recall). While it may not be your cuppa tea - personally I'm no fan of those 12-13 pound boat-anchor '59-59 bursts (or the Louisville Slugger necks associated therewith) that some die-hard LP players/collectors consider the Holy Grail - I always considered it a latter-day variation on those mahogany slab-body pre-'59 Juniors/Specials, well within the broad variety of tone associated with the Les Paul name. Furthermore, as traditional species become increasingly regulated/expensive manufacturers are actively looking to alternative tonewoods, and in case you're not aware walnut has a century-long history in guitar construction; given the resounding (pun intended) success of the J-15 - I've never played one that I didn't like (and some I've absolutely loved) and I'd take it over a J-45 any day - and the fact that there's a precedent in Gibson history, IMO it's only logical that the walnut solidbody line be reintroduced. Personally, if/when they ever decide to reissue the SG version, with the Slim-Taper neck of the originals - and produce a matching EB-3 style bass - I'm on it...

[Bob Womack]

I was unimpressed the first time around. Because the guitar lacked the maple cap it didn't have the mid push and sustain of a normal LP. It also had its pickup selector way back behind the bridge. The only Gibson that has a selector that is less accessible is the Flying V. The neck is most comparable to something between a '57 baseball bat and a '59 medium thickness. I prefer the '60s slim taper myself. And finally, it lacked the binding on the neck which I find comfortable.

However, it has a bevel and a belly cut for those who don't want to work around the square contours of an LP.

Bob

[jonfields45]

I owned one of the originals and liked it at the time, but that was some time ago...

[ghostnote]

I never had one, but I do have a Les Paul Junior Special that has those same pickups, and I like them a lot. I didn't really expect to, since I have a couple of guitars with the Classic 57s that I usually prefer. But I was pleasantly surprised - I bought that guitar just to rock out, but now I use it for all kinds of music.

[davidd]

Maybe I am just getting too stuck in my ways but it is so fugly.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by davidd

Maybe I am just getting too stuck in my ways but it is so fugly.

Eye of the beholder, I guess. I find it's understated look quite elegant.

[AxeDude]

That top bevel looks like the lower level PRS solid body guitars.

[packmule]

I remember trying out the original version of these (and "The SG") back in the day when they first came out and was completely unimpressed by them. They were ugly, sounded meh, and the neck on them wasn't to my liking. That said I also would have been comparing them to my '68 Gold top Les Paul at the time, which was hard to beat...

[muscmp]

i like the look of walnut as i have 6 jbl speakers in walnut as well as a stereo console. of course, it depends upon how it sounds.

play music!

[frankmcr]

There's also a Standard Paul in figured walnut:

http://www.gibson.com/products/elect...ed-walnut.aspx

[batsbrew]

i owned one,
way back in 1980, when i was gigging in washington DC, this is at louies' rock city (now defunct)

it's in the background.

i can tell you this,
i never wanted to use it, and it was strictly a backup guitar,
based on the fact that the Ibanez Artist 2619 i was playing, absolutely slayed that paul in every aspect.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by batsbrew

i owned one,
way back in 1980, when i was gigging in washington DC, this is at louies' rock city (now defunct)

it's in the background.

i can tell you this,
i never wanted to use it, and it was strictly a backup guitar,
based on the fact that the Ibanez Artist 2619 i was playing, absolutely slayed that paul in every aspect.

Now that's a cool pic! Those Artist guitars from that time period were great. Do you still have either guitar?

BTW: Perhaps Gibson will reach out to you to use your pic in their marketing "The Paul - sometimes they're just too good to play on stage ".

[Bluz56]

Bought a Paul around ‘77-‘78. Didn’t care for the neck, pups or sound. Sold it...hope the reissues are better.