Gibson electronics (Les Paul in particular)

[grrrpoop]

This is most specifically about my Les Paul Classic, but also about Gibson Les Paul's in general, perhaps even any humbucking Gibson in general.

Question: do these guitars have bad "earthing"?

Not sure if that's the right way to describe it, so I'll describe the phenomenon I'm experiencing:

Plug guitar in, doesn't matter if it's clean or dirty (may be more noticeable dirty) and takes your hands off the guitar (might want a strap for this ). Now, touch ANY metal part of the guitar (bridge, pickup cover, string, tuners, anything!).

Does it make a "popping" noise? Like an audible click?

I took my LP Classic (new, and shop fitted with nickel covers) back to the store to get them to look it over before xmas, and since it's under warranty the guy told me he'd send it to another store (with an accredited Gibson tech i think). There was a delay when that stores tech was on vacation over xmas, and eventually the guy I was dealing with just looked at it himself and compared it to other Gibson guitars in his shop. He asked me to come in and try some of them out to prove his point (which is that all Gibson's exhibit a flaw similar to the one I've got).

He's got a point, at least with the guitars he has in-store.

I tried a new LP 58 reissue (£4250), a new LP Goldtop (£2100) and compared it to my (new) LP Classic (£1500).

The 58 sounded the worst by a small degree, but all had an audible pop when u touched the strings if no other portion of skin was touching something metal.

Why is this an issue?

Well blasting away distorted u probably won't notice it, I certainly don't. However, if I do some delicate clean work and take my fingers off the strings whilst moving to another area of the neck, and the other hand isn't on something metal, I get an annoying *pop*.

This is on top of several other quality issues I have with Gibsons. In terms of quality of finish, it's not worth the money. In fact it's borderline crap and if I hadn't seen worse guitars on sale I'd assume I'd been sold a second. At first glance it's a beautiful guitar, but when you look at the binding you'd think it'd been masked off by a monkey. Big overspill inside the cutaway, and up the neck it overspills at several points, including onto the nut which is white as opposed to cream meaning u get a bright pinkish splodge at that point

In terms of tone and playability, I'm enjoying the guitar, but all these little niggles are almost adding up to disatisfaction with it as a whole.

Anyway, back on topic..

Has anybody got anything to say about the seemingly dodgy electronics? Is this just the way it is so I should just get used to it? Has my Ibanez JS1k spoiled me by being totally silent?

[jemke]

I also have a gibson LP. I have the same problem, thats why I hate playing it!!

When I play distorted parts, the pu sound very, I mean very noisy. When I touch a metal part it is almost gone and I have a minor noise, but still more than my jems.

I don't know the reason for this. For me this is a reason to stay away from gibsons.

[PerpetualBurn]

My Les Paul Classic has the tightest most crisp tone from the electronics ive ever heard....its certainally never popped...very odd. maybe i got lucky!

Rob

[grrrpoop]

Originally Posted by PerpetualBurn

My Les Paul Classic has the tightest most crisp tone from the electronics ive ever heard....its certainally never popped...very odd. maybe i got lucky!

Well the tone of my LP seems fine too, the popping only occurs in the circumstances I described which (being honest) are pretty rare.

Following my little popping guide does yours fail to do the same?

If so, good for you, as all these niggles are really taking the shine of what should have been my pride and joy

I'm tempted to start playing around, trying other Les Pauls and closing my eyes to how they look and just go for feel and tone. Not particularly cos of the popping, but because of this article (which really hit a nerve).

[PerpetualBurn]

Never go by how gibsons look.... ever... lol

I tried out about 40 different gibsons in a shop, i had 3000 to spend, and left with a Les Paul Classic, one of the cheapest of the bunch, it was the better instrument by far. Some of them just have that something, and others just fall behind due to bad wood and quality control.

Its a lil tricky really.

Oh, btw, no, following your guide, my one still doesnt pop either!

Rob

[kent]

There is something wrong with the wiring of your guitar. A real guitar tech can fix it. Regardless of whether you or I or anyone else thinks Gibson makes good stuff or crap, I'm assuming you want your guitar to work properly so keep taking it to different techs until you find someone who knows what they are doing and all will be well.

Good luck.

Kent

[Gabe Nickelson]

Originally Posted by grrrpoop

I'm tempted to start playing around, trying other Les Pauls and closing my eyes to how they look and just go for feel and tone. Not particularly cos of the popping, but because of this article (which really hit a nerve).

Well, I can say I wouldn't trust that article. The 'guy with 30 years experience' claims that first guitar is a 55 custom. Well, that's the first one that anyone has seen without soapbar (P90 + Alnico 5) pickups ala 1954 LP Custom (which were replaced by 57 humbuckers in 1957) and with a white pickguard. Unless that guitar was heavily modified then it's not as it seems. I say bullsh!t.

As far as my Les Pauls, I've owned 4 and never heard of the popping noise.

Gabe

[Two hands31]

My cheap-@ss Schecter doesn't even do this, how sad is that?

[cusplaya]

Originally Posted by Gabe Nickelson

Well, I can say I wouldn't trust that article. The 'guy with 30 years experience' claims that first guitar is a 55 custom. Well, that's the first one that anyone has seen without soapbar (P90 + Alnico 5) pickups ala 1954 LP Custom (which were replaced by 57 humbuckers in 1957) and with a white pickguard. Unless that guitar was heavily modified then it's not as it seems. I say bullsh!t.

As far as my Les Pauls, I've owned 4 and never heard of the popping noise.

Gabe

Good eye man!! Looks almost like open coils on that thing and if so we are talking MODIFIED which should have been duely noted within the context of the article!! I will say however, that my '76 custom weighs in at about 10-12 lbs, and the tone problem is just as described. The contsruction is also as follows:
1. Three piece maple neck(unless you count the wings on the headstock which would make 5 pieces total)
2. Sandwich mahogany body with thin veneer in center
3. Three piece maple top not evenly split either.
4. Vintage sunburst finish
5. Multiply binding
6. Perfect block inlays on the ebony fretboard
7. Very even fretwork (Though very worn now.)
It was the first electric guitar I ever bought, and it's a very pretty guitar. but the tone leaves much to be desired to me. A buddy of mine has an SG that has a warmth of tone that just blows me away!!!And no mine dosen't POP!!!

[Globbits]

i get popping from cheap strat copys thru cheap amps. I think some of it's earthing, and some of it's the electrical circuit you're amps working off. some house's have crappier wiring and earthing than others.

[grrrpoop]

Originally Posted by Globbits

i get popping from cheap strat copys thru cheap amps. I think some of it's earthing, and some of it's the electrical circuit you're amps working off. some house's have crappier wiring and earthing than others.

It doesn't pop whilst your fingers are in contact with something metal on the guitar, so actual playing is fine, it's just moving around the neck; if neither hand is touching something metal then as soon as contact with something metal is made again there'll be the *pop* noise. Maybe *click* would be more accurate??

Ah well..

Two hands31: My cheap Hohner LP copy which I part-eX'd against the Gibson didn't do it either! My JS1000 doesn't do it, in fact the only guitar I have which DOES do something similar is an ancient LP copy with dodgy electronics

kent: it's a brand new guitar and has only been in use 4 months, and as such I would assume it's still under warranty. The guy I bought it from said as much when I got him to look at it. If I take it elsewhere, I'll have to pay to fix something that's been present since day One. And I paid over the odds for it to start with. Sorry if I seem overly negative, but this was meant to be my dream guitar and there have been too many let downs

I'll get my guitar back from the store sometime next week, still waiting on transport to get me there and back. I'll see how I get along with the guitar, maybe take it to another local store who has a dedicated guitar tech (who should have been the one looking at it anyway according to the guy I bought from..)

I'm just sick of being messed around. I knew I could have got it cheaper elsewhere, but I wanted to keep giving the guy my business since in the past he's been helpful. I should have taken more time looking over the guitar cos if I had then the binding would have put me off for sure. Tonally I think it's ok, but when I get it back I'll be giving it a damn good test.

*sighs*

If I'd waited and tried more guitars perhaps I wouldn't be having all these doubts and annoyances now.

I'm very tempted to try and sell it back at a small loss just to get some money so I can go out and look for something better.

Thnx for the feedback so far, some helpful comments

[mingincorn]

Don,t know about bad eathing but i know they have bad build quality or to be more accurate totaly sh@t, had a so called new and improved 2002 les paul for all of two day's before i swapped it for my lovely JEM7VSBL.

[Gabe Nickelson]

If you want to buy a good quality Paul, I recommend the Historic editions. Every single one of those I've played was excellent with no problems and attention to detail. I think the price might be about $500-$5000 more though, depending on the model.

Gabe

[cusplaya]

Sorry to see your dream shattering before your very eye's, I know that hurts. I bought my LPC in '87 and thoght it was the greatest axe ever built. Now I compare it to many other guitars I have opportunity to get my hands on and realize that it is mediocre at best. Further more, it is so d@mn heavy that my neck and shoulder start to cramp up after about 45 minutes or more on my feet with it. But it shore looooks puurrty!!!

[grrrpoop]

I read that rockdinosaur article when my LP was away being looked at so I couldn't verify or dismiss any of the negative tone comments I was reading about and the paranoia built up.

Sorry about that

I got my guitar back, plugged it in and just rocked away.

Screw the crap electrics, screw Gibsons poor attention to detail, my guitar still looks like the mutts nuts and it sounds GOOD

As it turns out, mine's not THAT heavy, you can see that it's all one piece of wood and not a sandwich, and yeah, looks and feels ok.

Thnx for the feedback, the Dream is still alive, my guitar is sexeh and it loves me