Tell me why (or why not) you own a Les Paul

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Here is an interesting thing I see often: Fender guys spend hours or years trying to find a pedal that will give them that fat LP distortion sound where an LP into a good amp will do it without pedals.

OK, you got me. Hey, I was young and stupid. These days I get where I need to go with a PRS LP look-alike and a JTM45 modeler. Works like a charm. All the 'bluesbreaker' tone I ever wanted.

[dilver]

That’s why.

[j3ffr0]

One of the first guitars I ever saw someone play in person was a Les Paul. I thought it sounded soooo good. But I could never afford one as a teen, or later as a young man.

In my mid-late 20s I moved away from where I grew up for good. When I did my parents offered to buy me ANY guitar I wanted. During the mid-late 90s the Jimmy Page signature Les Pauls were among the most versatile guitars to be found... push-pull pots, coil splitters, phase, and a series/parallel switch. So that's what I wanted.

I still have it, of course.... It's the only Les Paul I'll ever need. It's a great recording guitar.... tons of gain in those pickups, but can easily be tamed by rolling the volume back a little. It can sounds as sweet and creamy as you please or like the devil himself.

And, let's face it. Nothing else looks like a Les Paul! I don't know if the golden ratio is involved or what, but those lines are classic and nothing else comes close. If there were ever a line of electric guitars that were works of art... these are contenders.

[Dave Hicks]

I have a Special Faded Doublecutaway. It's nice and light, but not much like what most people usually think of as a Les Paul.

I once had a Studio Doublecutaway, and every time I played it, I turned the treble up all the way on the amp and guitar and flipped to the bridge pickup. I finally decided I was trying to tell myself something and sold it.

D.H.

[RRuskin]

The LP body is uncomfortably shaped for me.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by RRuskin

The LP body is uncomfortably shaped for me.

That's why I went with my Giffin order. The PRS 594 and import version were fairly close to what I'd want.

[hbg]

I own one because I loved the tone and it's a nice looking guitar. I don't play it much because it's uncomfortable to me and a bit heavy. But it sounds beautiful when I do play it.

[s2y]

Got my Giffen T Deluxe in the mail. Whoever said there's no way to get a Les Paul sound.......




I know everyone says the guitar is awesome on new guitar day. I wanted a Les Paul sound in a more ergonomic package. That's exactly what I got.

[s2y]

Look, ma! No hands!




No resting my foot on a monitor to get upper fret access.

[MatthewFrfly]

I just don't like the design, but if you put an f-hole in it....

[EllenGtrGrl]

I've had a few Les Pauls over the years. They've mainly been Specials (though I did play a Studio for a couple of songs at a gig back in 1993, as a favor to our bass player [the Studio belonged to his brother, who was a bedroom player, who wanted to see it played live onstage]), and a Doublecut Junior I had in the early 90s. I also had for a short time, a Memphis late 70s lawsuit era LP copy, that was the backup to my main guitar (a 1980 Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion).

For some reason, I've never really been wowed by Standards, but I always contemplated having another Junior. A few years after I got rid of my Doublecut Junior (which I got cheeeeeep, due to the previous owner being an idiot, who stripped its TV finish off, and refinished the guitar in clear/natural finish), I began to realize that I was stupid to get rid of that guitar. It was surprisingly versatile, and had tons of sonic attitude live onstage. But money got tight, and I went down the Gretsch rabbit hole for a number of years (getting fed up with them, when I realized that I really found their necks too thin comfort-wise).

When I finally had the opportunity to pick one up cheap (a 2015 Junior being blown out by Sam Ash for only about $380 - I planned to mod it by ditching the robot tuners, and metal nut), I hit a money crunch, and had to part with it to make ends meet. Well, that all changed. My favorite local guitar shop had a 2022 Jr. that I tried out. I loved its chunky neck, and the sonic attitude its P90 had. Throw in a discount given to me by the shop, and the guitar followed me home.

Due to my severe nickel allergy that gives me major dermatitis, I had to replace the nickel plated wraparound tailpiece/bridge (it's in the case) with a compensated chrome plated wraparound tailpiece/bridge I had laying around (I had originally bought it for the 2015 Jr. I only owned for a brief time). The strings were changed to Ernie Ball Cobalts (one of the few brands of electric guitar strings I can use, that don't give me dermatitis), I did some setup work (the nut slots needed filing, due to my going up to .011s for string gauge, and I had to adjust the intonation), and I was ready to rock. I sounds soooo cool! Tons of attitude (even more than my old Doublecut Junior I had in the early 90s) - you haven't heard grinding metal tones, until you've played a P90 loaded guitar at mega gain levels. Until I get the guitar refretted with Jescar EVO Gold frets (which are hypoallergenic), I have to limit my playing time on the Jr. to maybe a half and hour tops, to reduce the risk of dermatitis flare-ups. Once the refret is done, I'll be able to spend a lot more time playing my Junior.

My 2022 Les Paul Junior

[rwmct]

Why would I like one?

Peter Green is one reason (though I also am aware he played a Strat often and still sounded just like Peter Green)

Other reason is, I already have a Tele, and to my mind, those are the two guitars.

Why don't I have one? It is a combination of I can't justify the money and also so many models over the years to choose from, different pick ups, tuners, etc., I don't really know which one I would buy anyway.

[davidd]

Originally Posted by rwmct

Why would I like one?

Peter Green is one reason (though I also am aware he played a Strat often and still sounded just like Peter Green)

Other reason is, I already have a Tele, and to my mind, those are the two guitars.

Why don't I have one? It is a combination of I can't justify the money and also so many models over the years to choose from, different pick ups, tuners, etc., I don't really know which one I would buy anyway.

I saw Peter Green in Fleetwood Mac 4 times and he never played anything other than his LP except a Fender VI bass on Green Manalishi.. I know there is the video of "Need Your Love So Bad" where he is playing a Strat but that is just mimed. He played the LP on that for sure. He played a Strat in his later years when those around him should have been more protective of his legacy than to push him to do what he was clearly incapable of doing. Unbelievable player in his prime, perhaps the best in the 68-70 period.

[fpuhan]

I have two Les Pauls and I rarely play either. One, is a 1998 Les Paul Special SL, which is a bare-bones "working guitar," and the other a 2015 Les Paul "Classic Rock II" which I bought more for its aesthetic appeal than to play.

[xjojox]

I like the sound and form factor of a Les Paul. It kinda saddens me the Gibson puts all of the best workmanship and woods into painstaking recreations of vintage instruments, especially '59's, to include some wonky stuff that I don't particularly like. I prefer modern fretwork, some comfort contours, pickup rings with heights that make sense etc. But every year it's "this time it's really really really closer to a real '59". Meh. Put that attention to detail, wood quality, etc. into a modern LP Standard, don't mark it up a bunch extra just because it has an "R" in the name, and we can talk.

My last two were an R7 and an R9. They were nice guitars but I Have a Knaggs Kenai and a Grosh Set Neck, both of which are more modern takes on the formula and for me at least do it better. So for the moment I am Les Paul-less LOL. But I'll probably eventually get another.