Gibson Les Paul Axcess. GAS alert !!

[Philly Q]

what all twas getting at Philly is I can put my hands on over 60+ LP's within a 45min drive here.

Which I guess shows Texas does win on Les Pauls per head of population!   :lol:  

I could probably match that 60+ LPs, as it happens, but only because I'm a 10-minute walk from Denmark Street!  I doubt the same would be true in the rest of the UK.

[blue]

within 45 minutes drive, i reckon i could lay my hands on, um, four!  :roll:

[Scotty477]

thing is the UK can fit into Texas (just one state in US) TWICE, ergo think of amount of Les Pauls in stores there compared to here. Simple math and equations. THERE are MANY dud Gibsons still now.
Apart from that, NO-ONE should have to shell out about two grand for somthing that needs to go to a repair shop (luthier) before it's in excellent working order.

I think you missed the entire point of my post. Have another read  

[Dakine]

nope, think got it right.
You were saying QC is better these days when trying many. I say it's better than mid 90's but still cr@p in general for such an expensive instrument.

When I go to a music store I genrally pick up an LP guitar, usually Gibson as PRS SC are not everywhere. That said, IMO, most are awful compared to many instruments (esp. at price range) inc. finish, frets/ends,and general QC. Basically I am saying IMO Gibson have loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong way to go in QC even now as I get to play a vast cross section of LP's locally.

Again, I own a LP BUT do NOT condone what the company seem's to be doing. I feel same way about Ford/Chevy/Dodge etc. etc. and drive a Toyota.

[Scotty477]

Your close but not quite there. I wouldn't call 9 that many. It was the ratio of good to bad/not so good I was highlighting - and what surprised me tbh.

Of the 9 I played they were all spot on. Absolutely spot on I mean.

When I last did that in a short space of time (back in 2000) I think I only got 4 or 5 out of around 15 (ish) that were what I would expect a Gibson or any high end guitar to be like.

I'm tempted to out and play the rest of the new Gibson LP's in my city, which at a very rough guess would be around .... maybe 35-40 guitars - which I could get to within 20 mins.

What I was suggesting was for people to draw a line at the end of 2007 and see what Gibson are putting out now - and perhaps report in a thread here. It would be interesting to see the responses.

Maybe I just got lucky with the ones I played.

[sambo]

I'm a 10-minute walk from Denmark Street!  

:o Lucky so and so...


Or should that be unlucky..... :? :lol:

[Philly Q]

I'm a 10-minute walk from Denmark Street!  

:o Lucky so and so...

Or should that be unlucky..... :? :lol:

To be honest, it's fine for just wandering around looking at guitars generally - but if you want a particular guitar, in a particular colour, there's almost NO chance that any of the shops will have one.  And if by some miracle they do, it'll be £300 more expensive than Coda, or Peter Cook's, or Machinehead - or Thomann for that matter.

[dave_mc]

^ yeah. i thought denmark street kicked ass for trying guitars/pedals.

not so good if you wanted to buy, or wanted amps (even trying was awkward in some of the shops if the shop guy thought you weren't going to hand ovre £1000 within 15 seconds of trying the thing...)

[Tellboy]

The Les Pauls I have looked at recently in Mansons (Exeter) seem to be very good but a lot of that could be down to the shop setting them up and perhaps cherry picking. Although I have always been a LP fan I would not buy one 'straight of the box' especially the price they are now.


P.S.

Due to pre-emptive creative differences and a certain band member's ongoing battle with Sanatogen addiction.

I'm OK now Dave - I just realised you're supposed to drink it and not snort it  :?

[Prawnik]

I share Dave's perception of Denmark Street.  Lots of selection, but unless you are dying to buy right now and price is no object, don't bother.  

Anyway, Machinehead, hie thyself over unto the Les Paul Forum.  They also roast Gibson pretty bad over recent QC problems; it's not just us.  Thing is, when Gibsons are good, they're really really good.

In fact, Gibson Les Pauls sold in the Japanese market (at least Historic models) command a significant premium back in the US over the exact same models and years.  This is not because of the exotic-looking hang-tags.  

This is because Gibson's exclusive Japanese distributor (Yamano Guitars) demanded, paid for, and got the right to pick out choice specimens from Gibson's output.  Yamano only wanted the best looking, playing, and sounding Gibsons, especially considering prices in Japan and the reverence many there have for Gibson.

Unfortunately, Gibson terminated its relationship with Yamano as of this year.

[Scotty477]

I'm on the LP Forum but tbh I prefer to post here. Some members can be very .... erm ....  fixated on their rear end about Les Pauls  :D

It's the same there though. The QC issue is retrospective - and Gibson do indeed deserve to get panned for sins of the past.

I'm suggesting that maybe Gibson have tweaked something on new guitars coming out of their plants - in relation to QC.

I agree that I still wouldn't buy a Gibson without seeing it first, but I'm basing that on previous experience outlined in my posts in this thread.

You say you've noticed an improvement recently in Gibsons as well. It may well be that shop is setting them up but again from experience some Gibsons from years back were way beyond the help of a simple setup.

Time will tell on this issue but it's interesting to see what happens.

[Prawnik]

I'm on the LP Forum but tbh I prefer to post here. Some members can be very .... erm ....  fixated on their rear end about Les Pauls  :D

It's the same there though. The QC issue is retrospective - and Gibson do indeed deserve to get panned for sins of the past.

I'm suggesting that maybe Gibson have tweaked something on new guitars coming out of their plants - in relation to QC.

I agree that I still wouldn't buy a Gibson without seeing it first, but I'm basing that on previous experience outlined in my posts in this thread.

You say you've noticed an improvement recently in Gibsons as well. It may well be that shop is setting them up but again from experience some Gibsons from years back were way beyond the help of a simple setup.

Time will tell on this issue but it's interesting to see what happens.

yeah, the LPF members do tend towards monomania.  That makes them useful but sometimes tiresome.

I don't remember saying Gibson QC has improved lately.  I thought it was always spotty.

[Scotty477]

Ah sorry Prawnik, I got my posts intermingled. It was Telboy that reported an improvement in LP QC.

The Les Pauls I have looked at recently in Mansons (Exeter) seem to be very good but a lot of that could be down to the shop setting them up and perhaps cherry picking.