What is with the Gibson Les Paul craze?

Inzane · #1 10-24-2007, 11:29 AM

I don't read a lot of guitar magazines, and mostly because there aren't many available in my area, but I do pick up Guitar World occasionally (lately every other month or so if there's something that interests me). Anyway one thing that I've been noticing the last few months is whether its in the ads or the articles, there are all these obscure bands I've never heard of and they're all shown holding Les Pauls. ??

Now there's no way all these guys could possibly be in endorsement deals with Gibson. So it makes me wonder... With guys like Satch and Vai, Ibanez can say "see, we make great guitars.. THESE guys play them.". But with all these other misc. guys shown playing Les Pauls, (assuming they're not all in endorsement deals) its more like "See.. look at me, I'm cool because I play a Les Paul." Which is like reverse endorsement sorta.

Has anyone else noticed this?

And what is so great about a Les Paul anyway? (No, I've never held or played one... yet).

spider murphy · #2 10-24-2007, 12:07 PM

you can't think of any known great players who use les pauls? the les paul has been around a long time, and has a very solid , and growing following. thats why you see so many of them. it doesn't have much to do with who's a great player, and who has endorsement deals, it has to do with its popularity among players.

Inzane · #3 10-24-2007, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spider murphy

you can't think of any known great players who use les pauls?

Of course I can: Zakk Wylde, Slash, and Ace Frehley immediately come to mind. I know the list of Les Paul players is huge. But that wasn't my point.

I'm talking about all these nobodies in all the magazine ads. Its like a stereotype rock star checklist:
hairstyle- check!
clothing- check!
Les Paul- check!

The reason I find it strange is perhaps partly due to my exposure to THIS website. There are more than a few people here that have stated quite clearly that they don't like Les Pauls.

spider murphy · #4 10-24-2007, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inzane

Of course I can: Zakk Wylde, Slash, and Ace Frehley immediately come to mind. I know the list of Les Paul players is huge. But that wasn't my point.

ah ok...it sort of seemed like you were saying that gibson couldn't say "see we make good guitars...these guys play them", and that mediocre players use les pauls to make themselves look more like a "rockstar"(prob true for some, but the same could be said abt any high end guitar).

Shredder87 · #5 10-24-2007, 01:05 PM

Hmm... Les Pauls... they're like Marmite, you either love them or hate them.

It's undoubtable that the LP is an excellent guitar, that is why they have been in production for so long.

What really matters though is personal taste. Some people dig the beefy Gibson tone; others dislike it and prefer a thinner sound. Some like the nice thick neck; others prefer something a little skinnier, e.g. an Ibanez.

Personally, while I respect the LP and acknowledge it's a great instrument... it's not for me. I like my thin necks and lightweight bodies. But that's merely a personal thing.

And let's not get started on Strat Vs. Les Paul...

'87

Dino · #6 10-24-2007, 01:29 PM

It's because they all shop at Guitar Center and that is what they push... They make Ibanez and other great guitars seem low end and push these out dated overpriced boat anchors(not juse LP's) on Emo idiots who don't know any better. It's because the stores like GC are endorsed by Gibson and Fender, not the artists. They brought back the bigsby style trems, that should tell you something right there.

IMHO.

ibanezking · #7 10-24-2007, 01:45 PM

its got to be just a "COOL" thing

........ Les Pauls are just NOT nice guitars to play.........

Too heavy - check!
Not versatile - check!
over complicated layout - check!
Very poor upper fret access - CHECK!
Poor tuning - check!
.....................

thats why i bought my Les Paul double cut
as it addresses all the above

Max

FloridaNative · #8 10-24-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shredder87

I like my thin necks and lightweight bodies.

I don't know why but that just struck me funny! hehehe It makes me wonder what your girlfriend looks like.

hehe

**jemaholic** · #9 10-24-2007, 01:54 PM

I personally hate them.

Too heavy.
No floating trem.
Single cutaway.
24" scale.

...but they are great guitars to lots of people who play that style.

I read a quote from Satch that really summed it up

I'm paraphrasing)

(Les Pauls are great guitars, but they are a 50 year old design - it simply won't do what I need a guitar to do...)

-jemaholic

Davey · #10 10-24-2007, 02:20 PM

Les Pauls are gorgeous... but so are super-strats, both in their own ways.

To me an Ibanez is like a brand new Subaru, but a Les Paul is like a nice vintage Rolls Royce

Inzane · #11 10-24-2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino

It's because they all shop at Guitar Center and that is what they push... They make Ibanez and other great guitars seem low end and push these out dated overpriced boat anchors(not juse LP's) on Emo idiots who don't know any better. It's because the stores like GC are endorsed by Gibson and Fender, not the artists.

Yeah.. I was wondering how many of these amateurs and wannebe "rockstars" had a genuine liking for the LP and if it was suitable to their style, vs. it just being a fashion statement. You know --> They are cool and "in the know" if they play a Les Paul. :P

Algiman · #12 10-24-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibanezking

Not versatile - check!

Max

I do know what you are getting at, but I can't think of another guitar that has had popularity in so many musical genres - jazz, blues, rock, thrash and so on, except for the strat which arguably isn't so good for the high gain stuff or the deep jazzy sounds. If that isn't a sign of versatility I don't know what is.

Algiman · #13 10-24-2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inzane

Yeah.. I was wondering how many of these amateurs and wannebe "rockstars" had a genuine liking for the LP and if it was suitable to their style, vs. it just being a fashion statement. You know --> They are cool and "in the know" if they play a Les Paul. :P

You could probably find a comment on a Gibson fan forum saying exactly the same about superstrats! Both comments would be correct IMHO.

FloridaNative · #14 10-24-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibanez249

Les Pauls are gorgeous... but so are super-strats, both in their own ways.

To me an Ibanez is like a brand new Subaru, but a Les Paul is like a nice vintage Rolls Royce

I agree with you about the Roll Royce, but I can't see Ibanez as a Subaru, maybe like a Nissan Skyline or something, but a Subie, I don't know I just don't see it.

Inzane · #15 10-24-2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FloridaNative

I agree with you about the Roll Royce, but I can't see Ibanez as a Subaru, maybe like a Nissan Skyline or something, but a Subie, I don't know I just don't see it.

Actually I was going to make a car reference too, but more general.

To me the Ibanez guitars we know and love are like the Japanese sports cars.
And the American classics like the Fender Strat and the Gibson Les Paul are like domestic muscle cars. (and similar to cars, the old vintage strats and LPs are superior to their modern versions, right? ).

I think the guitar world to auto world parallel works quite well here. I guess I like my guitars just like my cars... Japanese!