Played a 2014 Les Paul Traditional today...

equalsql

And bugger....it was really really nice..

Had a neck as thick as a shovel handle, all the way to the headstock and it just sang.

The front pick-up has an almost hollow-flute/single coil tone to it and it sounded gorgeous for blues when played clean. Dirtied up it sounded the mutt's nuts. Clear and articulate with real bite.  The 2014 standard felt like a toy next to it.

The honeyburst finish was just gorgeous and I now have major GAS for one of these.

If you are out looking for a new 'ahem' Lester...then you really should try one of these out.

jounetsu

The 2014 range does look really nice, I haven't played any yet though. The traditional certainly does look especially interesting what with the solid (non chambered) body that seems to be becoming a rarity on the LP...

mellowsun

The Traditionals have been much better than the Standards for several years I think.

Back in 2009 I spent a day in Guitar Village with a friend getting his 40th birthday present Les Paul. The Standards sounded brittle and harsh, the Traditionals much smoother. 

siraxeman

Love those chunky necks myself!! My 2012 Trad oddly has a slightly thinner neck than every other Trad i've played. Still looks, feels and sounds awesome.

Now my bandmates new 2014 LP Trad is HEAVY!!!! Really want to get my scales and take them to a gig or rehearsal and see exactly what it weighs..my guess is 11lbs ish held mine (8.5 lbs) vs his one in each hand and mine was MILES lighter - even he was shocked at the weight differential. I told him that Gibson had done away with the weight relieving on the current Trads. Personally I don't envy him. Mines nicer IMO being Iced Tea vs his Cherry sunburst...and mine has a lovely flame to his quite plain top. Still both great guitars but i cant hear any more tone in his heavy beast over mine..so i'm happy to not have that weight hanging off my shoulder on gigs/rehearsals. He got a nice wide padded strap and whilst that helps...he did say at the end of the gig last sat night (his first with his new guitar) that his shoulder was ready for a rest and was feeling it!

badlydrawnbanjo

Did it have that silly 12th fret inlay? That would be a big no from me I'm ashamed to say.

Loobs

hollow flute? 

equalsql

Loobs said:

hollow flute? 

Aye..as in flute hollow tone.

equalsql

badlydrawnbanjo said:

Did it have that silly 12th fret inlay? That would be a big no from me I'm ashamed to say.

Yes indeed...but it actually looked very nice. I thought it might be a bit cheesy, but whoever designed it did a very good job and it gives just that touch of extra quality to what is a fine guitar.

underdog

Can't argue with Gibson's QC of late (well I've only been looking at Les Paul's) not seen a bad one yet.

p90fool

mellowsun said:

The Traditionals have been much better than the Standards for several years I think.

That's my experience too, though maybe I should say "more Les Paul-like" instead of "better".

siraxeman

Interesting hearing people express that view...seems not uncommon. Can someone quantify why that is ?

The Standard basically started to differ from the Trad only a few years back...2007/8 ish IIRC ? When they started to chamber the bodies...this in answer to my own question about is all I can think of that causes the preference for the  Trad in many folks.

I am, as I type waiting for a guy to arrive to come n take away my 2004 Standard. Proper keen he is...driving up here in Wigan all the way from Cambridge! I bought recently as per my other thread LP Trad GASsage...a lovely Iced Tea 2012 Trad. And since I got that I needed to sell something to pay the bill when it arrives for the Trad. So I guessed 2 LPs wasn't really necessary so that was the guitar elected to be sacrificed. Bought the Trad £1150...sold my Standard for £1200. The 2004 Standards only really differed in pickups and nickel hardware to the Trads up to 2013...pretty much the same guitar but I fancied the nicer neck on the Trads (even tho this one is the slimmest I've come across on a Trad) and its colour appealed even though I love the colour of my Lightburst Standard, and well this Trad is pretty much still like new...so feel I've done well really got a newer guitar in better condition with a slightly thicker neck and nicer case...and am £50 up on the deal! Basically its like I've just done a swap really at the end of the day.

The 2012 Trads - I'm aware are laminated rosewood boards, now this is something I'd rather not have if I'm honest but in all fairness if it ever does become an issue its gonna be 10-15yrs down the line...so I'm not concerned about it. I can always get another in that time anyway..and odds on I will.

Now, on that score - pickups are subjective to personal taste. I do find myself preferring the 57 Classics on the Trad a bit more, but its hardly night n day difference. And the chrome (Trad) vs nickel (standard) isn't something I'm bothered about in fact the fact that chrome stays shiny and doesn't dull like nickel is a plus to me!  

mellowsun

siraxeman said:

Interesting hearing people express that view...seems not uncommon. Can someone quantify why that is ? 

For me, the main thing was the difference in the pickups. The Standards had modern burstbuckers, the trads had more vintage, low-output buckers.

EdGrip

mellowsun said:

siraxeman said:

Interesting hearing people express that view...seems not uncommon. Can someone quantify why that is ? 

For me, the main thing was the difference in the pickups. The Standards had modern burstbuckers, the trads had more vintage, low-output buckers.

Isn't that a bit like selecting a car based on the tyres?

Adam_MD

I would have thought the tyre analogy was closer to strings. They'll wear out after a while and occasionally just break. Pickups could last the life of the guitar.

siraxeman

Burstbucker Pro's aren't that different to 57 Classics in output...if anything they are MORE vintage than the 57 Classic Plus at the very least on the Trads..so this sounds a bit of an odd thing to read! Contradictory to my experience...naturally I did A/B comparisons only a week ago!

Catthan

Had a  '11 trad. faded, limited run for Canada and a couple leaked to UK and were £500 cheaper than other trads and were desirable as the previous '05 std faded run was apparently very successful. Didn't really liked the gtr although it was not a dud, but the BB pros went within 2 weeks.. I must say though that the BB pro neck in a chambered '08 std I tried was amazing but I had already gotten the "purist" bug and tried to get LP with as much wood as possible without venturing into the historic line. But the impression I've had ever since is that '08 stds were a well designed revision of the LP. Offering no cheese-holed trads was a good call from  Gibson though people will know need to find the lighter ones.