What is with the Gibson Les Paul craze?

[mccabekyle]

Originally Posted by screamndemon69

If I play the guitar up around my chest rather than with my jeans button in the center of the back of the guitar it works ok but I just couldn't wear an LP so high onstage.

I'm sorry, but this made me laugh! I know it looks dorky, but I always strap my guitars up fairly high, usually sitting right on my belly. But as long as the shred is melting faces, then no one will care what you look like making it happen!

[Racerx2k]

I've seen lots of shredders with high-slung guitars. I typically wear my guitars toward the higher side of things, cause as soon as it's slung low, and my wrist is forced to bend, all of my speed an accuracy (if that's what you like to CALL it!) goes right out the friggin window.
Now, our other guitarist wears his guitars lower than anybody I've ever seen. He must have ape arms!

[540s]

I mentioned this thread to a friend & his response was "Those guys just can't handle a LP... How much you wanna bet they eat tofu, wear nail polish & open toe shoes too "

I thought it was funny

[rlintz]

Originally Posted by Algiman

They did, but guitarist voodoo says this is bad so they stopped doing it.

As mentioned, 3 screws should be just as good as 4 in a strat type neck joint if the neck pocket is tight.

I think G&L moved from three screws to four primarily because of marketing and the incorrect public perception that four screws provide more stability than three. But come on, if Leo designed all of the early G&Ls with three screws, I'm thinking he thought three were adequate and that's good enough for me. I own three G&Ls - all with three screws and I've hever had any problems.

Randy

[Falcon Wing]

Anyone know a good Gibson Les Paul forum?? I have been looking for a specific one that I would like to have identified....and am bit confused by all of the models.

A link would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Tank]

Originally Posted by Falcon Wing

Anyone know a good Gibson Les Paul forum?? I have been looking for a specific one that I would like to have identified....and am bit confused by all of the models.

A link would be appreciated.

Thanks

Post here what you look for we prolly can help you out. Some of us use LPs too.

For that other quote: "Those guys just can't handle a LP". That is guitar snobbish to the peak. Everyone should play what they think feels right, looks right and especially sounds right (for them).

So as I always say: If you are wired that way, have it that way.

[guitarob]

Lots of good info here:

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/index.php?s=

[jwoods986]

Originally Posted by guitarob

Lots of good info here:

http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/index.php?s=

+1! And a good source for other Gibsons too.

[540s]

Originally Posted by Tank

Post here what you look for we prolly can help you out. Some of us use LPs too.

For that other quote: "Those guys just can't handle a LP". That is guitar snobbish to the peak. Everyone should play what they think feels right, looks right and especially sounds right (for them).

I agree..... but I got a good laugh out of it myself

[Dino]

Originally Posted by eyesonly

You’ve never played a Les Paul? Well I guess you have good reason to be so curious.

Yes it is cool to play a Les Paul. It’s cool like an old corvette or mustang is cool to drive. But just because you have a Skyline R34 doesn’t mean you can drive well either! What you don’t seem to understand is that THE JEM!! Is the poser guitar, whereas the Les Paul is a classic. Ok so half the board is upset and half of them are going yeah my Jem makes me feel so cool

It sounds like you have begun to question why you play a gem and others play a Les Paul. For a start there is not really any Les Paul craze. Les Paul models have been used for Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Pop, Metal so you would see them a lot because a lot of people play them. Most bands in guitar player are rock bands. Most rock bands play Gibson’s. They give a great rock tone, always have and always will. The first thing about a Les Paul is that TONE comes first. If you don’t want to compromise on TONE, you play a Les Paul. To me the GEM has a pretty ordinary sounding McTone. It cuts through well, but has no character. The number of tones you can get from the middle position of a LP with the variations on each tone and volume control is brilliant. You can tune the sound to be just right at any point. You can also set up two different sounds and toggle between them, like clean and lead and the middle point is an edgy rhythm sound. This is just by moving the conveniently located toggle switch, no need to touch a knob. The single cut gives the upper fret access, but the thing about it is that the way the body contacts so much of the neck gives a tonal enhancement.

Les Paul -> Amp = Tone

Ok another way of looking at it. The Evolution pickups have little treble response to compensate for the lack of bass brought about by the Floyd Rose. Right there you have compressed the tonal range of the guitar signal before it’s even gone down the guitar lead. A Les Paul gets extended bass and treble response from using a maple top. It expands the response of the mahogany. Plug in a Junior or a special and you have more midrange because it has no top. So a Les Paul with its mahogany/maple body has an expanded frequency response before it leaves the guitar.

Anyway if you like Jems that’s good but don’t screw up your face at photos of people using Les Pauls. They are really not as bad as you might think. The last Ibanez I owned this year was an RGT42DXFX model with Evolution Pickups installed. Before that maybe 4 years back I had an RG570FM. I used to own an RG470 in the 90’s and loved it. Since then though I have played and owned quite a few guitars of all different sorts. Now with regards to the Wizard necks I don’t find them at all comfortable to play. A Gibson ‘60’s slim taper neck is comfortable and fast. I have owned 6 Gibsons with this particular neck profile. It suits my hand, and I can play my Les Paul as fast as I could my Ibanez or any other guitar. Don’t mistake Vai and Satch playing Ibanez as meaning they are good or that’s all you can play. The Jem and JS are very different animals anyway. There are many brands, many players and many tones. Also feel free to buy another guitar or ten and piss ‘em off if you don’t like them.

I am always! Buying another guitar to try out. So far only a Gibson is good enough My keepers are Les Paul Junior Special Plus (Transparent Amber flame top), and a Les Paul Junior (Vintage sunburst). I love them, but it doesn’t close my mind to buying and trying other guitars. I am a huge Vai and Satch fan, amoung many others but I play what I like and what I play suits me the best.

Expanded frequency response? I think that "famous" LP tone has more to do with the elimination of frequencies than anything else. Unless you call MUD and extended frequency.

[540s]

Originally Posted by Dino

Unless you call MUD and extended frequency.

If youre getting mud it might be from another part of your signal chain

[Falcon Wing]

What model/color Les Paul is this??? Thanks!

[mccabekyle]

Looks like a Standard with some hot-rodded pickups.

[Ibateur]

replaced standard humbuckers with P90s or mini-soapbars??

[elcid]

Looks like mini-hums
Cherry Sunburst Deluxe