Author Topic: Les Paul advice (Read 9654 times)

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #15 on:** March 04, 2007, 04:33:04 PM »

Coda Music in Luton and Stevenage have a wide range of Tokai Les Pauls, they just got a new batch of limited edition ones. They are a fraction of the price for pretty much the same quality so you might want to look into them too.

richardmca · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2007, 09:29:36 PM »

Quote

As for where to buy, Chandlers and Vintage & Rare are fine, but their prices are stratospheric. If you decide to buy new, I'd recommend travelling a bit - try Peter Cooks in Hanwell, Coda in Luton or Stevenage and Guitar Village in Farnham. The shops may be small and pokey, but they have big stocks on site and the prices are much cheaper.

I'd also recommend M&M Music in Southampton - maybe a bit of an excursion for a Londoner, but there is a good stock of fairly interesting Gibsons there at most times, and the guys in the shop are very down to earth about the quality. You can rely on getting an honest answer over the phone about whether it's worth making the trip down there to play whatever they've got.

I've only ever played one LP I liked, and that's the one I bought 15 years ago - a really tatty 72 Deluxe - no cosmetic appeal (unless you like the battle-scarred look, and I do) but just plays beautifully. Absolutely agree with other posters - you can't buy without trying, and it may take you a long time. It's difficult if you have your heart set on something though, to stand back and make a good decision with your head. I had a disappointment with an SG Custom I bought new without trying (2006 VOS 61 Reissue) because I always fancied one. Stupid. It looks great, and smells great (what do they put int that nitro?) but it will be going to BKP soon to have a major transplant, because it's useless to me at the moment. But that's partly because I didn't have experience with SGs - some SG nuts who have played it think it's great. Which also illustrates the point that the guitar that is for you will never come out of a catalogue - you have to play it, and I would say forget the way it looks. You might be like me and find something tatty that does more for you than the pinups.

ElTel · « **Reply #17 on:** March 08, 2007, 06:43:09 PM »

Hi,

Are'nt Gibson Les Pauls simply costing way too much now anyway?
You may spend £1500 - £2000 and get a good one. On the other hand you may spend a lot less [say £250 to £500] on another make and get a beauty...?

Of course if you just have to have a Gibson Les Paul then buy carefully... I'm off to have a strum on my Epiphone LP..... 8)

ElTel

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #18 on:** March 08, 2007, 07:01:21 PM »

Quote from: Antag

My advice could be summed up in two words: SHOP AROUND

I went through similar doubts to you a few years back (FWIW, I now own 3 LP stds). Gibson's quality control is highly variable & there are some truly shocking instruments with "Gibson" on the headstock.

However, there are nice ones to be had. You need to be patient, go to as many places as you can, inspect the guitars thoroughly & not get carried away when you see one that has the look (colour/finish etc) you want. IMO you are taking a BIG risk if you buy unseen.

Things in particular to watch out for:
Fretboard & fretwork - I've lost count of the number of Gibsons I've tried that had unevenly filed or poorly installed frets & poorly sanded fingerboards. For example I remember one guitar that looked as if a fairly competent luthier had installed frets 1-8, then handed over to the cleaner who proceeded to sand the upper fretboard with a house brick, press frets 9-22 in so hard some of them pitted the board, then sanded them down until some of them looked almost painted on :eek:

Pickups - leaving aside opinions on tone, microphonic pickups can be a problem.

Hardware - some guitars have been on the rack for years with all sorts of people putting their grubby mitts on them so you will see corrosion (pickup covers & bridge/tailpiece most). You might not mind the "aged" look but I like my guitars to look new.

Tuners - while most tuning problems actually come from the nut, I have seen some where one or two of the tuners are either very stiff, or so loose they "slip".

Weight - this isn't always the case, but the heavy LPs (>10lbs) tend to be very bassy (big booming bass, tons of sustain, but sometimes a bit muddy). Lighter ones (8½lbs or less) seem to "sing" a bit more. OK, I'm generalising & it's not necessarily true that light=good & heavy=bad. Play several & listen hard to how they respond to your playing.

Most problems are fixable, but some of them (frets) involve major expense to put right. I guess it depends how much you want a Les Paul.

Personally, I think it's worth it - I love mine :)

Hope this helps, YMMV etc...

Find one that you like the look and feel of and consider keeping enough money in reserve to have it given a pro fret dress and set up - or even a refret.

We are doing just that for Antag with a couple of his LPs
Making a good guitar into a great guitar

Or consider going custom built and get all the features you want

richardmca · « **Reply #19 on:** March 08, 2007, 08:54:58 PM »

Quote

Are'nt Gibson Les Pauls simply costing way too much now anyway?
You may spend £1500 - £2000 and get a good one. On the other hand you may spend a lot less [say £250 to £500] on another make and get a beauty...?

Yes! If you are just looking at them as an instrument, they aren't good value. I've got a good one, and that's enough to stratch the itch for me. But I can see why people want to 'collect' them, and then you are into a completely different set of values, which are only partly to do with the intrinsic quality of the instrument. Without doubt you can spend 1500 - 2000 a lot better than on the average LP. Almost anything halfway decent from the East, for example. Duesenbergs. Hand-built UK luthier stuff. But for some people the LP vibe is worth the extra. There's no reasoning with it. You are either a victim of this disease or not. (I have been, but I'm cured, praise the Lord 8) )

The only note of sanity you can hope to inject is to say: find a GOOD one, don't just buy any old bit of rubbish just because it has Gibson on the headstock.

shaman · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2007, 03:08:38 AM »

ok..1 word: RE-SALE...realize..I am a lefty...(we cant really shop around..) I have owned quite a few LP's...1 thing I can say,regardless of quality-I have MADE $$$$ off of each one-recently sold an 81 Custom..Norlin job...doubled me $$$$-bought an awesome standard and some BKP's with profit....I live 1 hour from the Nashville plant-I had issues when they went "Musician's Fiend..."I have visited a few times since...the quality is DEAD ON...had them make me a custom j 200 acoustic..wine red..talked to the dude in Bozeman-he kept me posted thru whole process-could not ask for anything better-gonna pay my kid's college funds, UNLESS HE TAKES UP GUITAR,TOOOO-

shaman · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2007, 03:09:10 AM »

ok..re-sale..not exactly one word

Muzzzz · « **Reply #22 on:** March 09, 2007, 08:30:52 AM »

^ :lol:

snipesace · « **Reply #23 on:** March 13, 2007, 04:12:11 PM »

like everyone has said, shop around, I have seen many a terrible les paul, but I have also seen many increadible ones. As for the construction, better to get 2002 standard model than...well any standard since 1970 :P just be sure that when you find one you like, you really play it and give it a good run down, as for the money..well, if you have the money and it is worth it to you, then that is really all that counts. just don't get suckered into buying a premium plus model, I have seen tons of standards with better tops than the premium plus models.

Antag · « **Reply #24 on:** March 13, 2007, 04:57:41 PM »

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

Find one that you like the look and feel of and consider keeping enough money in reserve to have it given a pro fret dress and set up - or even a refret.

Of course, the real issue here is whether a guitar costing >£1200 should need any of these things.

Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

We are doing just that for Antag with a couple of his LPs
Making a good guitar into a great guitar

FWIW, I followed none of the advice in my first post when I got my Goldtop. I've always really wanted a Goldtop so when I saw a 60s neck std in that finish I had a rush of blood to the head :)

So I got Feline to refret it for me. He made a fantastic job of it, so good in fact that it's nicer to play than my Desert Burst (a very nice Les Paul that I did take care buying after a long search). So now that's getting the Feline treatment too :lol:

I probably won't get my Vintage Burst refretted though. That one is a gorgeous Les Paul & the most immaculate fret job I've seen on any Gibson...

Gary · « **Reply #25 on:** March 13, 2007, 05:47:12 PM »

Good advice, guys. I certainly plan to try extensively before I put down that much cash. I did that with my Strat and I've got a guitar that I still love two years down the road.

I'm not overly bothered about going to places like Denmark Street as they all have a price match policy. I used that when I got my Strat from Turnkey - they dropped nearly £100 without blinking then I had to haggle over a set of strap locks costing £13 (They eventually gave in when I pointed out that Fender's website included them in the spec!). I've also had outstanding customer service from vintage and rare which is unusual in that part of town.

I'd be interested to know why snipesace thinks the 2002 models are any better than 70's models?

richardmca · « **Reply #26 on:** March 13, 2007, 05:55:15 PM »

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I'd be interested to know why snipesace thinks the 2002 models are any better than 70's models?

So would I. I know that 'sucking in the 70s' wasn't confined to the Stones, and I've had some of the most comically useless strats from that era, but I've also got a great LP from 1972. Can you generalise totally about these things? I think you can pick up bargains from these unfashionable periods if you are prepared to try them.

Twinfan · « **Reply #27 on:** March 13, 2007, 06:23:26 PM »

There are great and awful guitars from any era. It's just that the seventies had more than it's share of awful ones. Try them all, you might find a great one.

Kilby · « **Reply #28 on:** March 13, 2007, 07:26:14 PM »

Vintage & Rare and Wunjo always seem to be decent folks (compared with the rest of that bloody street)

Echoing everybody else, try every LP type guitar you can find, including Tokais and Gordon Smith (amongst others). Yeah I know you want a Gibson, but if you try everything you will get a much better idea of the neck, weight etc that you definately want from a Gibson.

I would also suggest looking into the New Kings Road Vintage Guitar Emporium who carry a lot of Gibsons http://newkingsroadguitars.co.uk/

I also second the suggestion to head down to Pete Cooks.

dave_mc · « **Reply #29 on:** March 13, 2007, 07:36:00 PM »

Quote from: Kilby

Vintage & Rare and Wunjo always seem to be decent folks (compared with the rest of that bloody street)

Echoing everybody else, try every LP type guitar you can find, including Tokais and Gordon Smith (amongst others). Yeah I know you want a Gibson, but if you try everything you will get a much better idea of the neck, weight etc that you definately want from a Gibson.

I would also suggest looking into the New Kings Road Vintage Guitar Emporium who carry a lot of Gibsons http://newkingsroadguitars.co.uk/

I also second the suggestion to head down to Pete Cooks.

+1 on the first two paragraphs. in wunjo they actually ask if you want to try stuff, unlike some of the other shops... that was quite a shock, coming from shops with big notices displaying stuff like "DON'T ASK TO TRY IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO BUY" and guff like that. V&R are nice too.

not +1 on the last two as I haven't been to either of those shops. :lol: EDIT: i'm sure they're great, just I can't personally recommend them. Nice to see you back too, rob, hope everything's going ok. :drink: