I have a chunk of money coming my way in January and the gas is getting strong for a "proper" Gibson LP. I've got a Gordon Smith LP-alike, which is actually a nice guitar and gets close to an LP sound wise, but if I'm honest it's never really scratched that itch.
My ideal would be a black Custom but my back's dodgy so I think that's a non starter.
So I know roughly what spec and finish I want but have no idea what the various models are. Mid to darkish burst, nothing cherry or clownburst. Ideally I want a natural top with some figuring, but nothing ultra blingy. Edge binding (so I think that rules out Studios?). Nothing baseball bat sized in the neck dept, although I'm not adverse to something reasonably chunky. I like metal tipped tuners rather than the snot green ones, although I guess I could always change them.
Price limit would be £1500ish. Happy to go second hand.
Thoughts??
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Real Les Pauls don't have to be mega heavy, but if you're considering going down the chambered route you'll never scratch that once-in-a-lifetime LP itch, they just don't have the same sound or dynamic response of the solid or drilled ones IME.
I'm not one of the macho "it has to be 10 pounds plus" brigade, but if they don't have a certain heft you may as well get a 335 IMO.
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Chambered ones from 2007 weigh around 3.3 kilos ( 7and 1/2) pounds. Same as my USA Strat and Tele.
£1500 would buy you a hardly used mint condition example with all case tags. I just turned down a desert burst 2010 Standard in shop condition for £1200 because I felt it was slightly too much in the current market.
In the studio using a range of amps including a 60s plexi, none of us can tell the difference between a chambered and a weight relieved les paul, with the exception of a 1970s LP pancake body which sounds shite.
Vintage v400mh mahogany topped dreadnought acoustic FS - £100
i traded my musicman axis ss for a 2008 lp standard on the music radar forum last year and i must say i was slightly underwhelmed by it initially. but the a-symetric neck has really grown on me (i've always favoured 60's profile but this is really comfortable), i put a bare knuckle abraxas set in it which has fattened things right up and the pcb control thing is a bit shit but easily changeable. its now my current favourite guitar which i find very hard to put down. i even prefer it to my lp custom.
get one!!!
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee512/bandmaster188/tn_zpsf16b0522.jpg
not my amp by the way
They always have loads in stock - try them
http://www.andertons.co.uk/Products/Products.asp?keyword=les+paul&type=search&attributeXML0=||||#1387736157901page-1
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Plain tops just don't do it for me. I hadn't thought about a 335 tbh but I suspect I would still be hankering for a Lester if I went for one. And don't they sound very different to an LP?
Those Traditionals look very nice and could well be the answer but, before I dismiss them completely, just how heavy are Customs? Do they vary much year by year?
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I've been gigging since 1986, and have been complimented on my playing lots of times (including by people you've heard of), my songs and even my clothes. Once the guitar player in a support band asked me a few technique questions, which made me a little uncomfortable to be honest.
But, "tone"? (It's a bit of a bollocks word anyway, it doesn't really mean anything).