Les Paul type with P-90s?

[Twinfan]

Has anyone played any of these, such as the Epi Goldtop?  In some other posts I've mentioned I'm thinking of ordering an Edwards but I'd like to get more of an idea of how it would sound.  In my local music shop earlier this week I tried:

Gibson Les Paul Faded Doublecut - Awful dry feeling fingerboard didn't help.  It was powerful but lacked definition.  Too fizzy for my tastes.  Maybe the board contributed to this?

PRS SE Soapbar II - Quite bright sounding, but good clarity.  Lots of sustain and felt well put together.  Didn't quite have that P-90 "clunk" in the neck pickup.

PRS SE Soapbar Singlecut - Best of the bunch.  Extra meat on the body fattened the sound a bit more.  Full and biting, but still a touch thin sounding.  Clunky neck tone was there.

I'm tempted by a Singlecut Soapbar, but I'm thinking the Edwards LP Custom looks better, will be even better built, and with having more body mass it'll fatten the sound up a bit more too.  Is that the case?

I'm trying to see if anywhere local has a Epi Goldtop I can try on Saturday to get an idea, but have any of you guys played a full-on LP style guitar with P-90s?  What did you reckon to it?

Cheers in advance!

[indysmith]

i've never played the epi goldtop presonally, but by all accounts i've heard, and those on HC, they are fantatsick for the money. i'd definately make sure yu try it before making ur choice

[Skybone]

I used to have a PRS SE Soapbar Singlecut and it was a cracking guitar, wish I'd kept hold of it now... :(

I've never played a Les Paul Junior/Special, but I guess that the PRS SE's are the nearest competitor. The PRS does have a cool "SG" style carve, and that great "wide/fat" neck that really makes you want to dig in. THe pickups are OK, kind of "vintagey" feel, but obviously the guitar would be vastly improved with a pickup change (I wonder which ones?).

I've tried a Tokai Love Rock Gold Top with P90's (though not through an amp unfortunately :( ), and it played really well. As easy to find as rocking horse doings mind... :(

Check out a metal band called "Goatsnake" (especially their "I" album and an EP called "Dog Days") for awesome '56 Gold Top P90 tones (in dropped C#!). "Dog Days" has an excellent cover of Free's "Heartbreaker"... Wow... :o

[sambo]

Les Paul Melody Maker  :D

[PhilKing]

I have a 54 RI Les paul with P-90's on a Goldtop (with wraparound bridge).  It sounds very nice, a bit brighter than the Special/Junior.  The P-90 still works well in the guitar and gets a lot of the sound but without a little bit of the growl that the straight mahogany gives.

[Twinfan]

Thanks Phil - sounds good!  Kinda like a smoother Junior/Special then?  Should be perfect  :)

I've got a Gordon Smith SG-1 that'll be getting a MQ soon, so that'll cover the growling Junior base  ;)

[PhilKing]

Yes - I like the sound a lot.  I also have a 55 black beauty reissue, but that has an Alnico neck pickup, and is stop and tunomatic.  I think you will like the sound and contrast to the special (and you can always put BK P-90's on if the eelctric sound isn't there!).

[Twinfan]

Superb - cheers matey!

[38thBeatle]

Hunter has  a Les Paul Special- see his rather splendid picture of it in the BKP's in your guitar thread. I have played a few and I love the P90 tone and if I had a Les Paul, it would be a Special.

[Twinfan]

I've already got one of those  ;)  and I fancied trying out P-90s in a full bodied LP not just the slab type...

[Philly Q]

Do the Edwards or Epi goldtop have maple tops?  That's going to make a difference - an extra bit of brightness to counteract the warmth of all that mahogany.

Also I think singlecut guitars have a gutsier tone than doublecuts due to the extra mass and the shorter, stiffer neck.  I used to have a (singlecut) LP Special and a (doublecut) Hamer Special.  Even though the Hamer was much better built, and had arguably better pickups (Duncan P90s vs Gibson P100s) the Gibson totally kicked its ass.

[Twinfan]

The Edwards has a maple top.  The Epi is maple or alder I think...