Done with Les Pauls

jfhudak · Post by **jfhudak** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:12 pm

Hey Fellers,

Okay, I've had it. I'm officially done with Les Pauls. I've been friggin' with Les Pauls for 20 years, and I have never found one that sounds as good right off the bat as my last Firebird or my current Explorer.

Currently, I have a 57 (3 pickup) reissue and a 54 reissue. The 57 is most likely going to go first. My question is this, what do you suggest? What do y'all like to play besides Les Pauls?

Seems like every Firebird I pick up suits me, so I might go with another bird. Who likes SGs out there? I liked the last SG Special I picked up.

Man, I have never had so much trouble with any guitar like I have my Les Pauls. I've owned a shitload over the last two decades and never really been that happy with them. My first two (over 20 years ago) were the only ones that really did it for me, but they were still not as good as the first Firebird I bought back in 1991.

Anybody else have this issue? Might be I'm just not a Les Paul kind of guy.

Thanks Fellers!

Peace

Johnny

Flames1950 · Post by **Flames1950** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:57 pm

Well, I love my Les Pauls, but I like my SG and Flying V too -- especially for playing in the upper registers.

Slammintone · Post by **Slammintone** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:58 pm

Sounds more like you're a Firebird/Explorer type guy. I currently have two Historic LPs, an '06 R8 and an '03 R7 goldtop and they are just wonderful, wonderful sounding and playing axes. But I've owned four others that just didn't cut it for one reason or another, mostly poor tone, and I've gone through and tried boatloads of them to settle on the two I now have. It seems hardest for me to get a good Gibson middle position tone out of the newer Gibsons. Even the much maligned Norlin era Gibsons had the signature Gibson tone that the newer ones seem to have all but lost. It's like most of the newer Historics (which is all I'm interested in Les Paul wise) have a decent enough bridge pickup sound, a rather muddy neck pickup sound and a not so good middle position sound IMO. I also learned that swapping pickups sometimes does nothing to improve these muddier sounding Gibsons so I just look for the ones that sound right to me out of the box and leave them stock.

Mr. Beasty · Post by **Mr. Beasty** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:09 am

jfhudak wrote: What do y'all like to play besides Les Pauls?

Stratocasters ... Telecasters ... SGs ... etc.

Seriously, I hear your pain. I have had my '60s Classic for 12 years. I have tried everything to make it sound good. New electronics, different pick-ups, different string gauges, etc ... today I am still not happy but it is useable with a set of EMG 81/85

and heavy strings

but it still doesn't do Jimmy Page.

I have tried everything to get a good classic rock sound out of it ... to no avail.

I have way better luck w/ strats!

Ricky Lee · Post by **Ricky Lee** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:23 am

I've never met a Les Paul I didn't like! I usually do a cap change on the more recent Lesters and wire for 50's, install aluminum tailpiece and season for sound with PAF's. I recently upgraded my 2005 Lester Standard and it plays and sounds as good as any Lester I've ever played or heard.

FrankieFeenixx · Post by **FrankieFeenixx** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:46 am

Have you tried a LP Junior or Special? I'll take a Jr over a Std any day.
I also love Thinlines - the 345 is my favorite.

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:08 am

jfhudak wrote:Hey Fellers,

Okay, I've had it. I'm officially done with Les Pauls. I've been friggin' with Les Pauls for 20 years, and I have never found one that sounds as good right off the bat as my last Firebird or my current Explorer.
My question is this, what do you suggest? What do y'all like to play besides Les Pauls?

Seems like every Firebird I pick up suits me, so I might go with another bird. Who likes SGs out there? I liked the last SG Special I picked up.

Im pretty suprised to hear this, Johnny, just because to me, LP's are much more "forgiving" than Firebirds. I have had a love affair with 'Birds for a LONG time, and have owned about 15 of them, ranging from custom color originals, to sunburst reissues. To me, they are SO different than LP's, that if you're happy with the ergo's of a 'Bird, and you like the sound of a Paul, then combine 'em!! Either find a 'Bird that someone routed for humbuckers, or get a used reissue and route it yourself.
I routed a friends white '91 FB for humbuckers, and we put in a pair of Duncan Antiquities. Its a NICE guitar, bro.
An Explorer is fairly similar to this, but IMO, a good 'Bird is hard to beat.

Just BTW, another guitar that Im very impressed with is Godin. I have 4 of them, and they are very well constructed, sound great, and seem to have flown under the radar as far as high price points are concerned. I recently picked up an Godin LG SP90, and its a killa. VERY fat and warm sounding, and it plays like a dream. Only cost me $399.00 at (*gasp*) Guitar Center.
(Hey, if its a bargain, Ill take it where I can get it!!

)

45auto · Post by **45auto** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:37 am

SG's oh yeah! sounds like you may be a mahogany guy. are your LP's maple necks? I never cared for those.

jfhudak · Post by **jfhudak** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:31 pm

Hey Fellers,

Thanks for the great responses (as usual!

)!

My issue with Les Pauls is the tone, I just don't like it and never really have. Like I said, I bought a red Firebird back in like 1991 and I played it so much it had to be refretted! Kept it for a VERY long time. It sounded great. I didn't change the pickups or anything. Over the years, I have owned the following Les Pauls which never really measured up and have cost me TONS of money in mods, pickups, etc:

- 4 or more 70's Deluxes (hogged out for humbuckers)
- 69 Les Paul Custom (the only one that sounded pretty good)
- 88 Les Paul Custom
- 57 Goldtop Reissue
- 58 Flametop Reissue
- 57 Custom Reissue (3 pickup - complete dog, no midrange at all)
- 54 Custom Reissue
- 2 x 1960 Classic Plus's
- 1990 Les Paul Standard

I know I am leaving a couple off. So, by my count, that's almost 20 Les Pauls in as many years and NONE of them have been worth a shit, in my opinion. Playability was excellent, but the tone was always an issue.

The guitars that I have tried and LOVED right off the assembly line with no modifications whatsoever:

- SG Special (the one with the two P-90s)
- Les Paul Special (Honkin' baby)
- Les Paul Junior
- Firebird V
- Firebird VII
- Explorer

I should mention that I am just talking about Gibsons here. My Fenders have never let me down. I have a 52 Tele RI that just kills. Joe Walsh for days.

So yeah, I think it's time to accept the fact that I'm not a Les Paul player. The only reason that I kept going back to them is that I liked the looks of them, and I guess on some level I thought I "should" be playing a Les Paul through my Marshall.

The really funny thing is that after all of the work I did on my amp, I am now starting to suspect that if I had just put a Bird or an Explorer through it, it would have been fine. Ah screw it. At least I have a hand-wired board in there now!!

Thanks for the great replies, Fellers! I'm going to try one of those VOS SGs with the Vibrola on it. I'm a huge Pete Ham fan, so I always wanted one of those.

Peace my brothers,

Johnny Reb

Doug H · Post by **Doug H** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:06 pm

I've always been a fender guy, a couple with hb in the bridge over the years, but I don't do that now cause it tends to render the rest of the guitar useless, I'll just get a seperate guitar for that, which I'm about to do.

I've really liked a couple of the lps I've played, but how can you tell what to buy, seems like there's as many models as there are guitars. Some day I'll have to figure it all out because it's about time I owned some kind of lp.

rich2k4 · Post by **rich2k4** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:42 pm

i own a 58 reissue, great guitar.

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:46 pm

Johnny Reb, me thinks ye just aint a LP kinda player!! With that roster of LP's, its just not a coincidence that you have not found a good one.
I think 45auto put it right: "you just MIGHT be a mahogany guy"!!

(I knew a ebony GIRL once... she rocked...)

jfhudak · Post by **jfhudak** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:14 pm

fillmore nyc wrote:Johnny Reb, me thinks ye just aint a LP kinda player!! With that roster of LP's, its just not a coincidence that you have not found a good one.
I think 45auto put it right: "you just MIGHT be a mahogany guy"!!

(I knew a ebony GIRL once... she rocked...)

Hey Ralph,

+1 on the ebony girls!

Yeah, I have always like the sound of mahagony guitars. They just sound woodier to me.

I might just put the Pauls away for now and play the Explorer, but of course this is a good excuse to get another guitar, cause I have to have a backup!

Thanks for all your help explaining the 300k pots man! It helped a great deal.

Peace,

Johnny Reb

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:29 pm

jfhudak wrote: Thanks for all your help explaining the 300k pots man! It helped a great deal.

Anytime, my friend.

Billy Batz · Post by **Billy Batz** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:06 pm

jfhudak wrote:The really funny thing is that after all of the work I did on my amp, I am now starting to suspect that if I had just put a Bird or an Explorer through it, it would have been fine. Ah screw it. At least I have a hand-wired board in there now!!

Oh man Ive so been there before. Im thinking Im not alone as being super amp-centric when it comes to problems with tone. Then you try a new guitar or pickup or something on the guitar end and your like 'yeah thats better' followed by 'shit the amp wouldve sounded much better before....'

The LP thing is tough. I was ready to go out and get a Historic. Thank god I had the JTM100 and a Fender build to distract my wallet because now Im starting to feel the same way you do. I dont think I dislike LPs or anything and I havent owned 10% the amount of LPs you have. Just that getting another LP may not be the best direction for me. I was into getting an SG Customs for a while. I may start checking them out again. Im so damn impulsive.

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