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How long did you play before getting your first Gibson Les Paul ?


DubfromGA

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I'm a new player just getting started along with my 14 year old son.

 

 

We've had a blast thus far and have enjoyed playing. We started him with a Squier Stratocaster HSS and I started with an entry level ESP LTD EC that had their cheapest active pups in it. I quickly lost my fondness for the tones produced with those pickups and went ahead and sprung for a new SG Special.

 

I'm very glad I did and am 100% certain it was the right move for me.

 

I'll always have a desire to own this SG. Great feel and sound.....versatile pickups.....looks that make me grin every time I take her out of the case. So very happy with this one.

 

 

 

He asked me what my dream guitar may be as he didn't have a clue what his would be. I said, without hesitation, that one day I plan on my skills building to the point where I can justify adding another guitar to my SG. That guitar would be either a Gibson LP Standard Plus or Standard Premium. It's the guitar I drool over when I go to stores. It's the guitar I aspire to justify......if that makes any sense.

 

 

Jimmy Page, Ace Frehley, Slash, Zakk Wylde, and many, many others are to blame for this......most of all is guy I grew up with. This kid had vision early on. I vividly remember him bringing his Les Paul and small combo amp into class one day back in 6th grade. It was "show & tell" time. He forgot his guitar strap and simply sat on his knees down on the floor and payed with the LP in his lap. He belted out Kiss's Detroit Rock City and some other riffs that he'd learned. By the time we made it to high school he was unreal.....playing Edward Van Halen's tunes weeks after they were released. I vividly remember going over to his house soon after 1984 was released......and there he was......his amp roaring out "Hot For Teacher" on a Strat style guitar that he'd modded and striped to look like Eddie's. He'd always break out that LP, though, and play some jazzy sounding stuff that was simply amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm figuring that in a year or so, my son is going to want to upgrade his guitar. I've already caught him trying to sneak my SG away to his room. :) He likes the tremolo on his, though. Oddly, he doesn't crank on it like I feared he would....just uses it to color some notes. He saw me looking at online pics of a 2013 Gibson M-III and said......"The red one is the one I like, Dad". I agree that the pickups and Floyd Rose on there may prove to be very, very versatile for him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I'm curious as to how long you played before getting your "dream Les Paul" ?

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Started playing around in 1973, got serious about it in '75, bought my first Les Paul in '79 (Silverburst Custom). Sadly I wasn't anywhere near as impressed by the long-term playability as I was by the looks. In short, it was a Norlin-era turd. Got rid of it less than a year later. Didn't play another one till around late '84 & bought a "reissue" shortly after that. Been a convert ever since.

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Voted longer. I got my first LP after playing for about 6 years or so but I don't know if i'd consider my LP studio my dream LP. I don't think i'll ever be able to afford my dream LP as it would be an original '59 or '60.

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Very first electric guitar I ever played (1963), was a '61 "Les Paul" SG Junior!

I borrowed it, from our drummer's brother, until I got my '64 Strat. I later

bought it, from him, as he really never learned to play it, much. Wish I still

had it!! [crying] I DO still have the '64 Strat, however. [biggrin]

 

CB

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I voted longer. I started playing guitar in 1984. Played a lot in bad high school bands for two years. Then I turned 16, got into cars and forgot all about the guitars. Got back into it briefly in the mid 90's and got my fist gibson. An SG standard. Then I really started playing a lot with a praise team at church about 6 years ago. I did not get my first les paul until early 2013. Just a studio. My dream les paul is an alpine white custom. Still waiting on that.

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Voted longer.

 

I started off as a classical guitar player. For a brief time when I was in high school I played an SG for a few years, but just went back to playing classical guitar. That was the late 70's and early 80's.

 

I've played classical all this time and didn't start playing electric and steel string acoustic guitars until only a few years ago when I reconnected with some old friends and folks I went to school with. That got the old juices flowing, and this time I jumped into it with both feet (as my equipment list will show [wink] ). I picked up a SG Standard in 2011 and my LP Classic Custom shortly thereafter as my first two electric guitars.

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First-off I'd just like to thank you on a great intro.

Loving the way it's heading so congrats to both you and your son.

 

I, too, voted 'longer'.

Started playing in '75; first LP in around '82 after playing a friend's magnificent example of an early Norlin-era Custom but, echoing flyingfrets experience, mine - identical in every respect to my friend's LPC - turned out to be a turd. Put me off buying any Gibson guitars for two decades. *

 

So first LP after 7 / 8 years but I only got my 'Dream Les Paul' (as per the subtitle) in 2006 - so 30 years for me.

 

P.

 

* Henry Please Take Heed !

What you do with the guitars of today will affect the buying preferences of a generation of guitarists for a generation to come ! ! !

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Longer. I started learning when I was 15, and have played off and on since then. 2 months ago, bought my first actual Gibson, a Les Paul studio, and Marshall amp. I had the cash, and the right deal came along.

 

I'm far from anywhere professional and am not a speed demon on the fret board, but I still enjoy it, work my tail off, and decided to spoil myself. I haven't regretted it for a minute.

 

I'll be 50 in July.

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Voted longer....Waaay longer. Started playing back in '72 as a kid. Didn't get the Les Paul until 2013...Waaay longer! rolleyes.gif

Started out on acoustic. Played an Aria Pro II for many years.

Switched to an Ibanez Super Artist for years after that. (That was a pretty nice guitar.)

Sold the Ibanez at a guitar show to buy a Fender American Strat off Craigslist. Finally bought the Les Paul Classic Custom last year.

Long road. Wish I could have gotten it sooner, but life happens! Just glad I finally got the chance to get one!!

Here's a pic of the Ibanez. (Kinda wish I still had it):

 

 

d6231be5-6154-466a-954a-bd20c3c1c8c0.jpg

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I hate to say it, but if you're going to spend a lot of money on a guitar, make sure you cut your teeth on the cheap stuff before reaching for the good stuff.

 

Seriously, good guitars aren't cheap. Spending $2K plus on a guitar is not a small investment unless your net worth is $100K and more. Eventually, you will want to upgrade your amps, pedals, cables and strings. So it's not a cheap thing to get started with. And it will never end if you like it either.

 

After 25 years of playing guitar, it been a expensive journey.

 

Enjoy the ride.

 

Jazz

 

BTW, I waited 15 years before I started buying the good stuff.

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My first actual "Les Paul" (single cutaway style), that most associate with,

as the iconic "Les Paul" body shape, was purchased in 1968, when the "reissue"

of the single cutaway versions were first introduced. I happened to get the

Les Paul Custom, seen below with my Marshall "Major" Stack, and my first Ric

360-12 string.

 

CharlieBrown19Summer1969withMarshal.jpg

 

CB

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"Dream" Les Paul.. Haha that's like going to take a while for a lot of people, including myself.

 

As for a regular Les Paul, I got mine only two years after playing! It was a Les Paul studio 60's tribute so I got it only 4 years ago. This guy accidentally bought two of them off amazon and so a friend of mine (an incredible pianist and former music shop employee) connected us as he knew I had a Yamaha EG-112 used before I even played it.

 

Long story short, I bought a les Paul studio 60's tribute for just 600 bucks in mint condition. Lucky, eh?

 

Hope you'll find what you're looking for!

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My first actual "Les Paul" (single cutaway style), that most associate with,

as the iconic "Les Paul" body shape, was purchased in 1968, when the "reissue"

of the single cutaway versions were first introduced. I happened to get the

Les Paul Custom, seen below with my Marshall "Major" Stack, and my first Ric

360-12 string.

 

CharlieBrown19Summer1969withMarshal.jpg

 

CB

 

 

 

 

 

=D>

 

 

 

Awesome picture.

 

 

Super nice gear, too. You were up an running with a great arsenal.

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Thanks, Guys...that photo has been on here several times before,

and was taken when I was 19. It's the only photo I have, of that

Les Paul, Ric, and Marshall. And, Yeah...I was very fortunate,

to have great "gear," even when I started. [biggrin] Just wish

I'd have stored it, instead of selling it, when I stopped playing!

But, who knew what any of that would be worth, today?! [scared][crying]

 

CB

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