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gibson les paul : hard to play


lolo_guitar

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hello

i really wonder why the les paul guitars are not easy to play like a strat

like Ibanez guitars or SG or PRS.

 

i said that because the neck is a problem : you can notice that the neck is a little fat for the hand under the 15th fret

 

so, are there some Gibson les paul which are easy to play?

 

the models that i would like to have are the 2012-2013 and i read some neck were better for some bends or some radius but i don"t know more about that

 

i don't talk about the neck but when the neck - body are together sooner than others guitars = at the 15th fret

 

this piece of wood prevents an easy access to high frets

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The main reason a lot say the Gibson is better for bends is the radius of the fretbaord. Gibsons are traditionally 12" radius, and Fenders are traditionally 7". With a more radiused fretbaord, when you do bends, the string will fret out as you push up because the fretbord is higher in the middle. So, you have to have higher action, or have lower action and have some bends fret out.

 

BUT- those are kinda the old days. MOST Fenders now have flatter radiused fretbaords, 9 1/2" or something like that.

 

Most Ibanez stuff I know of has the flatter 12" Gibson radius.

 

So...the above is an explanation for the "reputation" that Gibson's are easier for bends.

 

However, I wonder if what you are referring to is where the neck joins the body. Les Pauls, in particular, don't have a very long neck in that regard. They have one extra fret over a traditional Strat, and a generous cutaway, but the neck joins the body sooner than a typical Strat. Always been that way.

 

Having said all that, typically, Gibson is known for making really nice, playable necks. As said above, there ARE different neck shapes available. And if anything, while there are many who like the way the origonal Fenders played because of the neck, the newer Fenders are an effort to copy more the way Gibson necks have always been.

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That's funny, I had a hell of a time switching from Les Paul to Strat, always hitting the volume knob by accident. Just got used to it by playing for a while and now I don't even think of it. I guess it just takes time to adjust.

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hello

i really wonder why the les paul guitars are not easy to play like a strat

like Ibanez guitars or SG or PRS.

 

i said that because the neck is a problem : you can notice that the neck is a little fat for the hand under the 15th fret

 

so, are there some Gibson les paul which are easy to play?

 

the models that i would like to have are the 2012-2013 and i read some neck were better for some bends or some radius but i don"t know more about that

 

If you prefer playing Ibanez, Fender or PRS then play them. I don't quite understand what you're saying. My LP (50's fat neck) is the easiest guitar to play for me.

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Hello!

 

Even though, I understand it's also matter of one's anatomical features, I never found any Gibson as hard to play as a Fender.

 

The stiffness of strings due to longer scale-lenght is much more disturbing for me, than any kind of a neck profile.

 

Cheers... Bence

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-60’s neck ok, i must find it

 

- i don’t talk about the neck but take 2 guitars (strat, PRS, ibanez, Charvel) and you will see the differences at the 17th fret

 

-yes my question is not about bends but about “the neck which joins the body”

 

yes! “ the neck joins the body sooner that an strat” !

 

for my lp it’s at the 15 th fret when ibanez, strat or others is at the 17th fret

this is a real problem for me about the price to pay not to play comfortably and in a easy way

 

so i wonder if a les paul is easy to play (except the axcess model)

 

this piece of wood : it blocks an easy access to the highest frets so, when i must play guitar solo, i know it will be difficult if i want to play after the 15 or 17 fret

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...I think the missing TRC on ZW's Custom gives him better access to the higher frets...

 

Hello Bryan!

 

Zakk uses 10-60 strings with low action, mostly tunes to E-flat (and Drop-C#). That's together is calling for buzzing issues. This is why He tweaks the truss rod quite often.

 

Cheers... Bence

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I LIKE that they all feel a little different.

 

I can dig in to my Strats, and my tele and they repsond, playing a fender I think is a bit more visceral.

 

The Les Pauls and SGs, require less "effort" (if you can call it that) due to the scale length and radius.

 

I get along just fine with either.

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...

 

The Les Pauls and SGs, require less "effort" (if you can call it that) due to the scale length and radius.

 

...

 

Exactly! Much softer feel of the strings and fretboard.

 

Also, no substitute for a proper (personalized) setup! It can make big difference!

 

Cheers... Bence

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so, yes a low action + eb tunings but i don't want to play with a non standard tuning

 

famous guitar players have good techs or special guitars just for them or big hands or they like to suffer lol

you can see his finger just in front the 15th fret because we can see that the hand can't go after this

normal: there is the neck which blocks the hand

 

with another guitar : the hand can be at the 16th fret

 

John Sykes is the master but he has a black custom LP that i have not so i can't do the comparison

 

this is not why famous guitarist like it that everybody likes it :)

question is about the guitar, the action, the gauge strings but

i think that every LP is hard to play if you want to reach after the 19th fret

 

the problem with my Epiphone is that the thumb is blocked by the wood of the neck at the 15th fret

and i think it's not just my model that is why Slash plays with his guitar in another way: the guitar in direction of the sun :)-

if it was easy to play, he wouldn't do that

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you can notice that the neck is a little fat for the hand under the 15th fret

 

so, are there some Gibson les paul which are easy to play?

 

 

i don't talk about the neck but when the neck - body are together sooner than others guitars = at the 15th fret

 

 

The neck joint has been a complaint about Les Pauls for a lot of players for a long time. You may want to look at these and see if they fit you're style better.

 

 

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Hello!

 

Searcy is right (as always). I guess, You should be looking at other kind of Gibsons too.

 

No tech can do anything with the Les Paul's fret access. At least, not without a jig saw...

 

Cheers... Bence

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You don't mention a particular model. but..

 

many Gibson's have a Fat 50's style neck.

 

some others have a Slim 60's style neck..

 

the 60's neck will be slimmer.

 

I prefer the fat neck, my hand doesn't cramp up like a slim neck

And introducing the new 2015 extra wide "runway" necks :P

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You don't mention a particular model. but..

 

many Gibson's have a Fat 50's style neck.

 

some others have a Slim 60's style neck..

 

the 60's neck will be slimmer.

 

I prefer the fat neck, my hand doesn't cramp up like a slim neck

maybe the OP was playing this one???

lapsteels055.jpg

if so, i could see the issue.... [laugh][tongue]

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My hands are small, my fingers are short,

The issue was the access to higher frets, but it was just a matter of getting used to it.

That guitar couldn't sound sweeter, or wicked with some distortion, it was worth getting used to.

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