Les Paul vs PRS Bernie

[richard]

The 2016 Les Pauls are now showing up in my local shop and I'm going to try out the Traditional (£1699). Next up the line is the Standard (£2099) but I'm more interested in the Traditional because it has a much fatter neck than the Standard and I've grown to love the neck on my Bernie. The Bernie is an amazing guitar and I'm very curious about how it will stack up to a guitar that's more than three times the price.

Now, I guess you have to factor in that the Gibbo is more expensive because of the name on the headstock and it's made in the USA. I'm not going to be influenced by the name so it's down to playability and sound. My Bernie plays like a dream and sounds wonderful with it's Abraxas pups.

So - do you think it's possible I could find something in the Gibbo that the Bernie doesn't have ? Any of you out there that own great Les Paul's but have tried a Bernie ?

[Yellowjacket]

The advantage of a Les Paul is that it sounds like a Les Paul.  My brother happened to find an absolutely killer $900 LP Studio Traditional (with P90s) but sometimes even the 2k or 3k instruments are mediocre.  Gibsons are hit and miss but when they are on, they are really cool.  They have a certain iconic mid focus roar and a nice, buttery clean. 
It's more about a certain flavour of tone than it is about the functionality of what is arguably one of the electric guitar prototypes.

I think the fit and finish of PRS guitars eclipses that of equivalently priced Gibsons.  (PRS is a pretty well known brand so paying for a name goes both ways here)  Of course, you gain some considerable ground tone wise with those Abraxas pickups so consider that as you go against stock gibsons.  My BKP equipped lester takes most LP Standards & Traditionals to task. 

My frustration with my lester right now is in the design limitations.  A short scale guitar with limited upper fret access is difficult to use for anything besides blues or rhythm guitar.  With my approach to playing these days, I am much more interested in an instrument where I can easily play all the notes on the thing and I find I actually prefer oversized frets.   That being said, the guitar sounds awesome which is why I have it. 

[Dave Sloven]

A short scale guitar with limited upper fret access is difficult to use for anything besides blues or rhythm guitar.  With my approach to playing these days, I am much more interested in an instrument where I can easily play all the notes on the thing and I find I actually prefer oversized frets.   That being said, the guitar sounds awesome which is why I have it.

This is why SGs are so good!

[Telerocker]

I like the Les Paul-shape, but not the acces of the upper frets and the weight of solid LP's. I'm not into SG's. I'd rather take the weight of a Yamaha SG, imo a prettier and better balanced guitar.
If you want a good, not very heavy Les Paul that rivals with the real thing, check out the Maybach Lester.

[Slartibartfarst42]

I find the PRS SE range to be exceptional quality for the money, with only the pickups being a weak point but then you're paying a lot less money. My new PRS SE Custom 24 with OFR bridge cost me just £575 and in terms of build quality, it's easily a match for my 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio. I experienced the hit and miss nature of Gibson's quality control myself as the first one I got had no adjustment left in the trussrod at all but the replacement has been superb. There's a solidity about the Gibson that makes it feel special and that's probably just down to it being a big slab of wood but it's there. The Gibson has a certain 'something' that other guitars don't, which is why I've kept it completely stock as I'm afraid that changing anything about it will make it lose its mojo. I love my Gibson so much that I tried a couple of SG models at a similar price point but found I was completely underwhelmed by the experience, which led to me getting another PRS instead. I find that on a Custom 24 the upper fret access is pretty much that of an SG anyway.

To answer the original question, yes, the Gibson will have something the Bernie doesn't, simply because it's a Gibson rather than a PRS but you need to choose the Gibson with care as they sure don't have the consistency of a PRS.

[richard]

Hi Telerocker - just been Youtubing Maybach guitars. They sound phenomenal. They don't seem to be easily available though.

[Telerocker]

Hi Telerocker - just been Youtubing Maybach guitars. They sound phenomenal. They don't seem to be easily available though.

Some pro-players in Holland use them. They don't weigh a ton and  sound very Lester.

This shop has  a collection of Maybachs. The owner is a great guitarplayer and a reliable guy.  If you need further help, give a shout.

http://www.kauffmannsguitarstore.nl/   

[elijen]

hi Richard!
really depends what you're after. aside the obvious headstock name (Gibson vs PRS SE). yes, Les Paul has it's design drawbacks, but I grew fond of the shape and find myself rolling eyes at anything not LP. that being said, I do not own a single Gibson. currently, I'm down to two Bacchus BLP-STD models and searching for another one to make it a Bacchus trio. mostly due to my OCD (needs to be 3). these are MIJ guitars, with top notch hardware, for the third of the price of "the original". and I dare to say can kick the shitee out of any non custom shop model. sadly out of production now :(
I haven't played Bernie, so I can't comment on that. but I want to know, is it the headstock name you are curious about (and how it fairs against Bernie) or is it that you secretly want Gibson LP and are looking for an excuse? I'm not teasing. quite often people get that itch and are uncomfortable with accepting it.
Telerocker is right about Maybach Lesters. they have '56 to '59 models, so you can find the fatties in their catalogue. I prefer more substantial neck as well. awesome guitars, Custom Shop treatmen, made in Chechnya and finished in Germany. plus German QC. Thomann carries those, though they're sometimes out of stock. it's a small operation that puts an emphasis on quality. 

[Brow]

http://rguitars.co.uk/collections/maybach-guitars sells Maybachs in the UK.

Not heard of the brand before but they look great!

[Telerocker]

Maybach is a hit at the moment.