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Forty Years of Playing, Now My First Les Paul


Silvercrow

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Hi Folks! Great to be here!. As the title says, I've been playing for over 40 years- had always been a Fender guy, particularly Telecasters. (G&Ls too..ASAT Classic) Anyway, a few years ago I had my long saved for PRS McCarty stolen and since then I searched for an affordable replacement. While having work done on my acoustic, the shop owner directed me to a 2009 Les Paul Cherry faded. Excellent condition and apparently the previous owner sprung for the hard shell case. I picked it up and immediately fell in love; the feel of the 50s neck, worn in and comfortable! And the Burstbucker pros- man, IMO what a versatile pickup set!!! I should have known the scale would be a fit for me- my all-time favorite acoustic had a "short scale"! I walked out the door with it and unfortunately had to put it down to go to work today!

 

I can usually tell when I'm gonna bond with a particular guitar, and I am sure this one and I are going to be really close friends for a long time! Where the heck have I been all these years!!!

 

I'll post some pics but I'm sure you have all seen this guitar. I do have some questions though; as I have never owned a "satin" finished guitar, what is a good polish / cleaner for it? The fretboard was dry and I immediately gave it an ample drink of lemon oil-it came right back to life. I stopped by a local shop that I use for strings & things only, and got a bottle of "Dr. Ducks Ax Wax". I gave it one coat and the finish looks brighter. Any suggestions for continued care are appreciated!

 

Another question; the stop bar tailpiece is raised somewhat from the body, as is the tune-o-matic bridge. Not overly so, but higher than my former PRS, which had the stop bar practically resting on the body. (The McCarty had a stop bar / saddle combo) What is considered normal? The neck and playability seem right on for my tastes- perhaps I'm just not used to these type guitars/ bridge / saddle combos? (I'm a worrier...)

 

Also- is Gibson still making the Studio series? As time goes on I'll probably want another- maybe a slight upgrade in finish. I'd definately want the 50s style neck (love beefier necks) and the burstbuckers seem to me to have more "balls" and tonal versatility than I imagined humbuckers could. I don't like a lot of "bling" but am a little concerned about the durability of the satin finish.

 

Please school me. I'm late to the Gibson / Les Paul party...but hey...at least I showed up!

 

Brian (very pleased) "Silvercrow"

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Hey rct...i've avoided SGs for 57 yrs of playing ...and counting

 

I did the same, and I was pretty anti-SG from about...'77 or so, I used one for a few songs and just didn't like it. But in 2011 I got hold of a couple of the 50th anniversary and man they were nice, I had to get one. I have one of almost every thing else at the moment, so why not!

 

rct

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Yup they still make studios.. And this year they got rid of all satin/faded finishes so they are now all shiny....

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Les-Paul-Studio.aspx

 

Great guitars the Faded Studios, my brother in law has the same as you but a faded brown one.. The neck is a bit fat for me, but that's just me, all my guitars have 60s slim necks :) And actually the BB pros you have in that studio are the same as I have in my 2008 Standard and they are great pups [thumbup]

 

As for the tailpiece and bridge, yup its normal to be raised... As long as you like the way it plays don't worry about it :)

 

As for the finish... Gibson make quite a good polish for it.. And no theres nothing special you need to do.. Just be aware that the finish is quite thin on those guitars so if you polish too much you may actually start to ware through it... So just give it a rub down with some standard guitar polish/cleaner and it should be fine [thumbup]

 

So welcome to the club.. There really is nothing quite like a good Gibson :)

 

Enjoy.

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I just bought my first Les Paul after 20 years of playing. I wonder how could I be a player for so long without having an instrument like this.

 

The neck almost play by itself. Twenty years and I lost the opportunity of being a shredder :-({|=

 

My slow fingers are running faster than ever. The guitar neck asks for being "browsed".

 

I have an official brazilian Fender Stratocaster (manufactured around 80s-90s) but I wonder if American strats also have an inviting neck like the Gibson LPs... I played a few times in american strats, but don't remember if the neck felt this way.

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I just bought my first Les Paul after 20 years of playing. I wonder how could I be a player for so long without having an instrument like this.

 

The neck almost play by itself. Twenty years and I lost the opportunity of being a shredder :-({|=

 

My slow fingers are running faster than ever. The guitar neck asks for being "browsed".

 

I have an official brazilian Fender Stratocaster (manufactured around 80s-90s) but I wonder if American strats also have an inviting neck like the Gibson LPs... I played a few times in american strats, but don't remember if the neck felt this way.

 

I certainly haven't played every type of Strat that there is- but in my experience most have the "modern C" shape- that in my opinion is usable but not the optimal for me. Telecasters have a wide variety of necks- from the "baseball bat" to the modern c. I prefer a chunky neck- the Gibson 50s is the best stock neck I've tried with the possible exception of the G&L "#4". To me the 50s LP is hand filling but not so much that it becomes uncomfortable or restrictive.

 

In the end- we all have different hand geometry and preferences. Hence the multitude of models / variances in all manufacturers.

 

Brian

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I didn't think there was any brazilian rosewood after...1972 maybe, somewhere in there.

 

rct

 

Hey RCT- on the "Strat Board" a couple of weeks ago there was a big discussion regarding Brazilian Strats. Apparently (and research confirmed it) for a couple of years there was a manufacturing plant in Brazil that was Fender owned. I forget the woods used but there were Brazilian Fenders made and released from that plant. I think this may be what he was talking about...

 

Brian

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Hey RCT- on the "Strat Board" a couple of weeks ago there was a big discussion regarding Brazilian Strats. Apparently (and research confirmed it) for a couple of years there was a manufacturing plant in Brazil that was Fender owned. I forget the woods used but there were Brazilian Fenders made and released from that plant. I think this may be what he was talking about...

 

Brian

 

k well, I've only been around Fenders and Gibsons since about 1971. I have no recollection of this...thing. I'd sure like to see this "research" if you don't mind.

 

rct

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I didn't think there was any brazilian rosewood after...1972 maybe, somewhere in there.

 

rct

 

Brazilian Fender Strats were manufactured by a >100 years local company, called Giannini. Their main expertise is on classical/spanish guitars, but they also produce electric guitars/basses. Appearantly, Fender licensed Giannini to produce Fender-branded guitars because of the high(er) brazilian importing taxes at the time. The joint venture lasted 4 years, from 1991 to 1994. It would probably go further if importing taxes weren't relaxed in early-90s.

 

For example, around 1998, a Gibson LP Standard could be bought for a very affordable price, since the local currency (Real, BRL) was overpriced in relation to USD. Of course, our wages were so small that a Gibson LP looked as expensive, if not more than today, even considering that a dollar currently costs ~2,60 BRL and importing taxes start from 60%. Back to the brazilian Fender issue, googling a little I discovered that it used different woods for body (red/pink cedar, a bit heavier than maple) and neck (pau-marfim or in literal translation, "ivory-wood"... basically a maple alternative) in comparison to MIA Fender.

 

In my case, I changed the pickups to handwired (actually manually-controlled machine wiring) alnico ones from a local luthier, and it sounds strong and bright, although the guitar is not so comfortable to play, and there is a lot of buzz from the frets.

 

-----------------------------------------------

Additional info:

 

According to a former Giannini engineer, Carlos Assale (search for "entrevista carlos assale fender" and then translate to english through Google):

 

Interviewer: Carlos Assale, you were responsible to the Fender by Giannini guitars. How could it be possible to license the Fender brand?

 

Carlos Assale: It is true, the Southern Cross project. Giannini had obtained a license to manufacture Fenders here in 1990. The goal from the american company was getting a traditional guitar supplier, for whom it could trust its product line. It was an exchange of interests. Coincidentally, it was at the same time I was leaving Dolphin. Giorgio Giannini - who was a strong competitor, had with me a relation of friendship, respect and admiration - invited me to assume the technical management of the company, and, among other stuff, moving forward the Fender/Giannini project. We started working and sending samples for approval in 1991. I was the interface with Fender along with Roberto Giannini. We visited the Ensenada and Corona facilities a lot of times, worked the product on, gave lessons about design and manufacturing of acoustic instruments. We approved the neck soon, but the body took about two years and a lot of samples. It was needed several changes in the tools. It's incredible how Fender is sensitive to the Stratocaster shape, which is in truth its trademark, its identification. We received a fax from Dan Smith, marketing director from Fender, saying that the product had improved 4000% and their trust was so big that for the first time they would allow a product produced outside their facilities, and without his commercial involvement, displayed the Fender name in the headstock. We built them in batches and they only went to the market after a Fender representative came doing a thorough inspection. They even weighed the guitars. There were produced about 5000 instruments from 1993 to 1995. The project was aborted because of economic peculiarities in Brazil added to very high royalty fees which made everything economically unfeasible. Rumors say that it was due to technical issues that everything halted, but actually it never happened any issue of this kind.

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Oh. Yeah, licensed. Ok, I see what you mean there. Squiers with floyds they were actually. Not intended for here, probably for good reasons. Good luck with it.

 

rct

 

Not really "licensed" as we imagine in the first place, since there was some kind of supervision and ratification of Fender representatives after each batch being finished. From what I have read from Fender history, in 1985 it was not a "trendy" brand like we imagine about Fender after the late 90s (and before the 80s). Fender was recovering its reputation around 1985-1995 and was looking for good partners. Not that the brazilian Fenders were great. The pickups and electrics were pretty subpar, but hardware parts were ok. I didn't understand the "Squiers with floyds"... my MIB Fender has a standard bridge with a SSS pickup set. Don't know how they compare against Squiers and MIM Fenders... or even early-90s MIA ones.

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Not really "licensed" as we imagine in the first place, since there was some kind of supervision and ratification of Fender representatives after each batch being finished. From what I have read from Fender history, in 1985 it was not a "trendy" brand like we imagine about Fender after the late 90s (and before the 80s). Fender was recovering its reputation around 1985-1995 and was looking for good partners. Not that the brazilian Fenders were great. The pickups and electrics were pretty subpar, but hardware parts were ok. I didn't understand the "Squiers with floyds"... my MIB Fender has a standard bridge with a SSS pickup set. Don't know how they compare against Squiers and MIM Fenders... or even early-90s MIA ones.

 

My experience with the licensed stuff was that they put Squier on the headstock because they pretty much had to, and that most of them were slab bodied Strats of not alder and not ash, with some form of Floyd Rose on them. I remember a rep for this area just mentioning that they might license to a few different parts of the world, I guess Brazil was one. We asked to get a couple for giggles but we weren't intended to get those here, so most in America have no recollection of them. I would imagine with the...different woods they used, they wouldn't really compare at all. I've played some of the more recent years Squiers made in India, they use cedar for them, not very Tele like at all compared to what we are used to here, so I'd guess the Strats are pretty dense and different as well. Heck, poplar and basswood make for quite a different Strat, again, compared to what we are used to.

 

Interesting guitars, I wish you good luck with them and long playing!

 

rct

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k well, I've only been around Fenders and Gibsons since about 1971. I have no recollection of this...thing. I'd sure like to see this "research" if you don't mind.

 

rct

 

I don't mind at all- 'cept I didn't do the research! DANG! Should have read before I typed. Anyway RCT- there ya go! FWIW.

 

Brian

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We all succumb, eventually! You held out, much longer than most! [flapper][biggrin]

 

Congratulations, on finally obtaining your Les Paul! [thumbup]

 

CB

 

Thanks! As (if) funds allow I'll be getting a Studio- as long as it has the 50s neck and I love those BB Pros! I had a lot of misconceptions about Les Pauls- most errorneous! I do love a gloss finish and the colors available on some of the Studios got me droolin'!

 

Until last weekend I used to say to everyone that I talked Les Paul to: "I like the way they sound...when someone else plays them!" This from a guy who maybe spent...what...30 minutes playing Les Pauls over a 40 year period!

 

My stolen PRS, and Warren Haynes, helped me to investigate further. I'm glad I did.

 

Brian

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