I don't like Les Pauls

ICBM

thegummy said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of music do you play? And is it mostly clean sounds?

I'm guessing he plays *both* kinds...

ICBM

Rocker said:

I might be the only member here who prefers the middle (both pickups in circuit) option on Les Pauls.  I can adjust the volumes and tone controls to get that sound which fits into the overall group sound.

Not at all - I use the both-pickups sound about three-quarters of the time.

However, I have no use for the separate volume and tone controls, and find them annoying - for me, there are only three obviously distinguishable sounds... with the pickups perfectly balanced, and with one of them inaudible. There's just no useful range of the "blend" thing that people go on about (unless the pickups are out of phase), so for the balance I just use two pickups that match properly and for the other two sounds I use the switch. The problem is when you want to turn down, you have to move both volume controls by the same amount to keep the balance, which is a faff.

The one that avoids this is the three-pickup Custom, which has the 'middle' position (bridge and middle pickups) running through the bridge controls only, so there is no blending. That's one of the reasons I like those, even though the combinations are limited.

TTBZ

I've never bothered with the middle position and blending with the volumes either, just ends up being varying shades of meh. I like separate volumes to allow instant clean-up though. Usually just use my neck pickup for clean and switch over to the bridge for everything else. 

mcsdan

Each to their own. I play Les Pauls and love them. Also play strats, teles, jazzmasters,ES, acoustics etc and love those too. If you don't get on with them then so be it. Finding what you don't like is as valuable as finding what you do.

I find them very versatile but also they often aren't that way from factory.  I've spent a while tuning the pickups and controls in mine. They play great when setup but often need to be tuned for the pickups/electronic.  I go with 11s on Gibsons which adds some weight to the sound but also like the tension that provides.

All of my LPs have changed pickups and wiring which mostly revolves around lower output pickups, better taper pots(500k or above),50s wiring and a change in caps (.015 neck, .022 bridge). They are very clear sounding after this and find this gives lots of variation in sounds from both bridge/neck and the middle position lets me dial in how much "treble" and "bass" I want . Always on the controls to vary the sound.  Gibson in the past has given 300k pots (or less) and the taper hasn't been good so have sounded very dark.

If I had to stick with only one guitar it would be a Les Paul (my r8 to be precise!)

From the OP it seems like the Epiphone Les Paul Special (with p90s) has rather tainted your opinion. Yes p90s are Les Pauls (I have a r6) but the right feeling LP with decent wiring/pickups sounds amazing. I've not heard the Epi Specials but would consider them a mod project from the outset for both wiring and pickups.

All good fun seeing what works and doesn't

ennspek

OK. Thanks.

PolarityMan

It's ok not to be into Les Paul's . Not everyone digs the pure chunkinrss if tone. Plus it's always good to have more female players on the instrument.

Richardrichard

PolarityMan said:

It's ok not to be into Les Paul's . Not everyone digs the pure chunkinrss if tone. Plus it's always good to have more female players on the instrument.

You're right, adding this one back to the pool of available instruments is one more for those female players!!

PolarityMan

Richardrichard said:

PolarityMan said:

It's ok not to be into Les Paul's . Not everyone digs the pure chunkinrss if tone. Plus it's always good to have more female players on the instrument.

You're right, adding this one back to the pool of available instruments is one more for those female players!!

 

thegummy

ICBM said:

thegummy said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of music do you play? And is it mostly clean sounds?

I'm guessing he plays *both* kinds...

I wish I knew what this means.

P.S. Lately I've actually been spending a bit of time in the middle position of 2 humbuckers cause I remember reading your post that you use it most of the time.

Philly_Q

thegummy said:

ICBM said:

thegummy said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of music do you play? And is it mostly clean sounds?

I'm guessing he plays *both* kinds...

I wish I knew what this means.

P.S. Lately I've actually been spending a bit of time in the middle position of 2 humbuckers cause I remember reading your post that you use it most of the time.

Country and Western?

But that could be extended to...... (shudder) Americana.

Voxman

thegummy said:

ICBM said:

thegummy said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of music do you play? And is it mostly clean sounds?

I'm guessing he plays *both* kinds...

I wish I knew what this means.

Country AND Western ( from the Blues Brothers film)

ICBM

thegummy said:

I wish I knew what this means.

TTBZ

Philly_Q said:

TTBZ said:

For me the ESP/LTD Eclipse is the best modern evolution of the LP. The USA ones and some of the LTDs have a sculpted heel with full thickness body. 

Going up the price scale, there are Feline, PRS Singlecuts, Knaggs, Nik Huber and Patrick James Eggle of course.  And probably others I'm forgetting.  There are things I like about all of them - but always small details I would change!

Apart from Feline most of the more high end options just look like shapeless blobs to me. Much as I like PRS I don't think much to their singlecut shape, looks wise at least. ESP is just different enough and looks great I think, not just for metal either.

webrthomson

mrkb said:

Im after a modern version that fixes all the flaws (heal/upper fret access and weight) - im tempted to try a PRS Mccarty - is there anything else that comes close to the sound but with better ergonomics? 

@mrkb With @richman6100 - check out Felines LP's - this is the back of mine with upper fret access and a tummy cut:

Front looks pretty good too:

Philly_Q

TTBZ said:

Philly_Q said:

TTBZ said:

For me the ESP/LTD Eclipse is the best modern evolution of the LP. The USA ones and some of the LTDs have a sculpted heel with full thickness body. 

Going up the price scale, there are Feline, PRS Singlecuts, Knaggs, Nik Huber and Patrick James Eggle of course.  And probably others I'm forgetting.  There are things I like about all of them - but always small details I would change!

Apart from Feline most of the more high end options just look like shapeless blobs to me. Much as I like PRS I don't think much to their singlecut shape, looks wise at least. ESP is just different enough and looks great I think, not just for metal either.

I don't disagree - it's mostly the body shapes which don't quite work for me.  I don't like the treble side horn shape of either the Huber Orca or the Eggle Macon, the PRS Singlecut shape just isn't as nice as their doublecuts... and as for Knaggs, although they seem very well made I just can not imagine myself playing one, all their designs look... wrong.

The ESPs do look good.  But I know I'd hate the neck shapes.

richman6100

@webrthomson ; That, there, is rather special. Love it.

webrthomson

richman6100 said:

@webrthomson ; That, there, is rather special. Love it.

Thanks Jonathan and the boys at Feline exceeded every expectation I had – properly amazing guitars!

richman6100

webrthomson said:

richman6100 said:

@webrthomson ; That, there, is rather special. Love it.

Thanks Jonathan and the boys at Feline exceeded every expectation I had – properly amazing guitars!

Pretty much my experience too. 

WiresDreamDisasters

LPManic said:

When people say that LPs feel wrong - what do they mean exactly? What does “right” feel like?

Like watching your wife kiss another man, I would imagine.

I like Les Paul's. My wife kisses me.

WiresDreamDisasters

TTBZ said:

Philly_Q said:

TTBZ said:

For me the ESP/LTD Eclipse is the best modern evolution of the LP. The USA ones and some of the LTDs have a sculpted heel with full thickness body. 

Going up the price scale, there are Feline, PRS Singlecuts, Knaggs, Nik Huber and Patrick James Eggle of course.  And probably others I'm forgetting.  There are things I like about all of them - but always small details I would change!

Apart from Feline most of the more high end options just look like shapeless blobs to me. Much as I like PRS I don't think much to their singlecut shape, looks wise at least. ESP is just different enough and looks great I think, not just for metal either.

Those are fit AF.