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Author Topic: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?  (Read 6899 times)

Marco78

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Hi, now I have only one guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, so I would to get a LP guitar to have a completely different guitar to cover a lot of genres. I love Warmoth guitars, I have find a neck that fit my hand in awesome way. The LP guitar that I could get (Japanese like Edwards, Tokai and so on) have neck that I did't like (too big and wide).
So is it possible in your opinion use a different guitar (same woods, fixed bridge) to have a similar sound of LP? And are there pickups that can be used in this way?

darrenw5094

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2013, 04:20:43 PM »
Yamaha SG would be next in line to the LP.
BKP: Abraxas - Les Paul
Holy Diver - Charvel
Mule - Les Paul
Rebel Yell - Les Paul
VHII - PRS CU22
Emerald - Les Paul
Warpig - Caparison Horus

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2013, 05:14:39 PM »
Yamaha SG would be next in line to the LP.

I have had Yamaha SG, but it have the same problem of LP. I want a Warmoth guitar, because I can choose the neck...

Telerocker

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2013, 01:48:57 AM »
I reckon the neck will be a bolt-on, so that's no glued in like a Les Paul. In any case I would go for mahogany (body and neck). I have a bolt-on all mahogany Saint Blues and I can squeeze some nice Les Paul-tones out of it (Mules in this one).
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2013, 09:17:22 AM »
I reckon the neck will be a bolt-on, so that's no glued in like a Les Paul. In any case I would go for mahogany (body and neck). I have a bolt-on all mahogany Saint Blues and I can squeeze some nice Les Paul-tones out of it (Mules in this one).

Yes I know, only bolt on neck for Warmoth. :)

Zaned

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2013, 11:29:16 AM »
Hi, now I have only one guitar, a Fender Stratocaster, so I would to get a LP guitar to have a completely different guitar to cover a lot of genres. I love Warmoth guitars, I have find a neck that fit my hand in awesome way. The LP guitar that I could get (Japanese like Edwards, Tokai and so on) have neck that I did't like (too big and wide).
So is it possible in your opinion use a different guitar (same woods, fixed bridge) to have a similar sound of LP? And are there pickups that can be used in this way?

Similar? Not really, but that can be compansated with electronics to a certain degree.

I have 3 strats at my home at the moment (3-23 years old guitars) and all of them sound different. The oldest one has the most warm tone (I f***ing love that guitar), but it's still very stratty, in the best sense of the word. The point is that even with different woods, you really don't know what you're going to get before you have the guitar in your hands. You can get a general approximation for sure; a strat: from dull but defined to spanky and piercing; an LP: from muddy and honky to bright and even spanky.

Even with all that, you would probably be quite happy with a Warmoth LP. I have thought about it many times, getting an LP with a bolt-on neck but otherwise the typical mahogany-maple-rosewood specs and an LP scale length. My guesstimate is that it would sound pretty much like a tele on steroids. Punchy, defined, but thick. And with the right electronics, a killer LP tone.

-Zaned
Paths are for followers.

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2013, 04:50:35 PM »
Even with all that, you would probably be quite happy with a Warmoth LP. I have thought about it many times, getting an LP with a bolt-on neck but otherwise the typical mahogany-maple-rosewood specs and an LP scale length. My guesstimate is that it would sound pretty much like a tele on steroids. Punchy, defined, but thick. And with the right electronics, a killer LP tone.

-Zaned

Unfortunately, Warmoth no longer build LP guitar style.  :(

Telerocker

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2013, 05:51:40 PM »


Unfortunately, Warmoth no longer build LP guitar style.  :(
[/quote]

Mahogany tele-style will get you on the way!
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2013, 06:00:28 PM »
Mahogany tele-style will get you on the way!

Yes, could be a good alternative.

Lucifuge

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2013, 09:19:49 PM »
Yeah, Warmoth have stopped making Gibson style bodies and necks, apparently after legal threats from Gibson.

You can still get a short-scale (24.75) conversion neck that will work on their standard Fender bodies, or you could try the VIP (PRS style) body - though they are a lot more expensive than most of their bodies.

Some would probably say that the big wide neck of a Les Paul is part of what gives it its distinctive sound. I can't say for certain what effect the shape of a neck has on the tone as I've never tried 2 different necks on the same body, but it seems to make sense that a neck with more mass would have better sustain.

ericsabbath

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2013, 09:58:49 PM »
get a used PRS CE-24 and something warm like crawlers or abraxas


but I gotta tell you my '73 les paul in the pic has a thinner neck than most fenders I've put my hands on
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2013, 11:00:47 AM »
I used a Warmoth thin neck (.80''/.85'' or 20-21,5 mm) but with 41,2 mm nut witdh. It is perfect for my hand. The "stock" guitar have generally a nut width of 43 mm, that is too big for my hand.

ericsabbath

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2013, 12:48:03 PM »
I used a Warmoth thin neck (.80''/.85'' or 20-21,5 mm) but with 41,2 mm nut witdh. It is perfect for my hand. The "stock" guitar have generally a nut width of 43 mm, that is too big for my hand.

I have long fingers, but my hands feel more comfortable in 41mm too
sorry for the prs recommendation then
I have no idea about the thickness numbers, though
you could buy a "slim taper" type regular les paul (original or copy) and get the neck sanded to proper thickness and shape
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat

Marco78

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2013, 01:01:11 PM »
you could buy a "slim taper" type regular les paul (original or copy) and get the neck sanded to proper thickness and shape

Mhhh... But I don't think that is it possible to turn a 43 to 41 mm nud width! And I think that the operation would be VERY expensive...

Telerocker

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Re: Can a long scale, bolt on guitar play like a Les Paul? What pickups?
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2013, 06:56:32 PM »
I would have a look at Reverend guitars too, as an alternative. They a have a line with glued-in and a line with bolt-ons.
Mules, VHII, Crawler, MM's, IT's, BG50's.