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Long-time player, long-time Lester fan, PRS-Lover, FINALLY a Les Paul Owner

dccrank

By dccrank
in Gibson USA

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dccrank

dccrank

Posted
Posted

Hello Forum,

 

I am newbie here... first post.

 

But no newbie to life (near 50), no newbie to guitars (first guitar was Christmas day when I was 14... best day EVER! A Sears Harmony (:D which I still proudly own and have hanging on my bedroom wall). And no newbie to lusting after a Les Paul. God it was a beautiful thing, right?

 

Man, I loved the look, the tone! Rock and Roll WAS the Les Paul. I grew up with Jimmy Page on the radio. Then that strangely amazing freaker Ace Frehely. And then others and others. That Les Paul sunburst!! Holy good lord that was the dream.

 

But then I started playing my Harmony. Learned a bit. Then worked all next summer building and painting fences to buy an amp. (yep, a whole year with an electric guitar with nothing to plug it into!). Funny.., how that didnt stop me from playing that first year... huh. Couldnt imagine it now, to be truthful.

 

And then still working on and on to buy a new, better, electric (a Yamaha this time... just before the Super-Strat years began... it was a mighty fine guitar. Still is). That Strat-like neck became molded to my hand.

 

I do well at work. Years go by, and promotions, and money becomes easier. I got some now. Got some extra actually.

 

I make the decision. I am going out to buy my Les Paul. [biggrin] After all these years!!!

 

I go out looking. My favorite guitar stores. I pick up the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen... A brand new Cherry sunburst Les Paul standard.., with full knowledge that I had the intent, and money, to buy the thing before I exited the place!! What a feeling!!! OMG!!!

 

And I hated it.

 

{wtf}

 

That neck! I hated it! I hated the way it felt in my hands. A two-by-four. Rough. They said maybe you want to try a 50's neck. Tried it. Hated it. Tried every damn Gibson they had. Loved them all, but hated how they felt in my hands. Damn..., damn..., damn....

 

I walked away. Bewildered.

 

I tried other stores. Many, many guitars. A few years pass. Many stores. I gave up. Finally my favorite guitar tech at my store says "I think you need to try this..." He puts a (sorry) used PRS Custom 22 Artist in my hands. Jesus ****in christ! Most awesome connection I ever felt with anything non-human-female ever! What a feel!! What tone! What a gorgeous guitar!! I bought it. And loved it, and still do many years later. And I'be bought several more PRS since. Just awesome guitars.

 

But my first love never left me. A Les Paul.

 

More years go by. Decades later, actually. And I decide to try again. I want to love a Les Paul.

 

I go to a store I havent been before. I see a simply gorgeous, brand new, heritage Cherry burst Les Paul Standard (called Traditional now, I guess). He actually said it was a Limited edition (more on this later). The top was stunning... just a beautiful chevron. The quality-control was perfect. Not a flaw. What PRS would call a 10-top. Perfection. He put it in my hands.. and... WOW. I played, unplugged, as he walked away. Just feeling this guitar. Ummmmmmm, I LOVED it. It felt amazing. I could PLAY on this thing. I was instantly playing new things.... just brought out experimentation. And she was gorgeous!! I was smitten. Sunk.

 

Sold.

 

I am now, finally, the proud owner of a Les Paul Standard (specifically, it is a 2015 Les Paul Traditional Japan Limited). So, it was, I learned, built for the Japanese market... and this was over-stock or something... but they tweaked it a little different than the typically USA models. Whatever they did, I suppose I must like. (and no, I am not Japanese, hehe). It has the old 2014 specs (neck width, bone nut, etc), except the addition of the Gforce (which I may, or may not change.. so far it seems pretty cool).

 

I am in love with it. Awesome tone. Awesome feel. Awesome looks. Just puts a smile on my face.

 

PS: I play it through my Marshall JVM410C. ****in screaming!!!!

 

Sigh. Happy to finally be a part of the Les Paul club!

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dccrank

dccrank

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Hello Forum,

 

I am newbie here... first post.

 

But no newbie to life (near 50), no newbie to guitars (first guitar was Christmas day when I was 14... best day EVER! A Sears Harmony (:D which I still proudly own and have hanging on my bedroom wall). And no newbie to lusting after a Les Paul. God it was a beautiful thing, right?

 

Man, I loved the look, the tone! Rock and Roll WAS the Les Paul. I grew up with Jimmy Page on the radio. Then that strangely amazing freaker Ace Frehely. And then others and others. That Les Paul sunburst!! Holy good lord that was the dream.

 

But then I started playing my Harmony. Learned a bit. Then worked all next summer building and painting fences to buy an amp. (yep, a whole year with an electric guitar with nothing to plug it into!). Funny.., how that didnt stop me from playing that first year... huh. Couldnt imagine it now, to be truthful.

 

And then still working on and on to buy a new, better, electric (a Yamaha this time... just before the Super-Strat years began... it was a mighty fine guitar. Still is). That Strat-like neck became molded to my hand.

 

I do well at work. Years go by, and promotions, and money becomes easier. I got some now. Got some extra actually.

 

I make the decision. I am going out to buy my Les Paul. [biggrin] After all these years!!!

 

I go out looking. My favorite guitar stores. I pick up the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen... A brand new Cherry sunburst Les Paul standard.., with full knowledge that I had the intent, and money, to buy the thing before I exited the place!! What a feeling!!! OMG!!!

 

And I hated it.

 

{wtf}

 

That neck! I hated it! I hated the way it felt in my hands. A two-by-four. Rough. They said maybe you want to try a 50's neck. Tried it. Hated it. Tried every damn Gibson they had. Loved them all, but hated how they felt in my hands. Damn..., damn..., damn....

 

I walked away. Bewildered.

 

I tried other stores. Many, many guitars. A few years pass. Many stores. I gave up. Finally my favorite guitar tech at my store says "I think you need to try this..." He puts a (sorry) used PRS Custom 22 Artist in my hands. Jesus ****in christ! Most awesome connection I ever felt with anything non-human-female ever! What a feel!! What tone! What a gorgeous guitar!! I bought it. And loved it, and still do many years later. And I'be bought several more PRS since. Just awesome guitars.

 

But my first love never left me. A Les Paul.

 

More years go by. Decades later, actually. And I decide to try again. I want to love a Les Paul.

 

I go to a store I havent been before. I see a simply gorgeous, brand new, heritage Cherry burst Les Paul Standard (called Traditional now, I guess). He actually said it was a Limited edition (more on this later). The top was stunning... just a beautiful chevron. The quality-control was perfect. Not a flaw. What PRS would call a 10-top. Perfection. He put it in my hands.. and... WOW. I played, unplugged, as he walked away. Just feeling this guitar. Ummmmmmm, I LOVED it. It felt amazing. I could PLAY on this thing. I was instantly playing new things.... just brought out experimentation. And she was gorgeous!! I was smitten. Sunk.

 

Sold.

 

I am now, finally, the proud owner of a Les Paul Standard (specifically, it is a 2015 Les Paul Traditional Japan Limited). So, it was, I learned, built for the Japanese market... and this was over-stock or something... but they tweaked it a little different than the typically USA models. Whatever they did, I suppose I must like. (and no, I am not Japanese, hehe). It has the old 2014 specs (neck width, bone nut, etc), except the addition of the Gforce (which I may, or may not change.. so far it seems pretty cool).

 

I am in love with it. Awesome tone. Awesome feel. Awesome looks. Just puts a smile on my face.

 

PS: I play it through my Marshall JVM410C. ****in screaming!!!!

 

Sigh. Happy to finally be a part of the Les Paul club!

post-79084-030782500 1465356719_thumb.jpg

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dccrank

dccrank

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Congratulations! She sure is pretty. I think your search is the longest I've heard of so far, but at least you finally found it. Enjoy and hope to see you around.

 

Indeed, Brantobrien, it was a long, frustrating quest.

 

Funny thing: At the store I bought it at is an employee with an original 59 Studio. Beat to crap, he says, but it's golden. Magic. I know what he means. We all do, right? Guitars. Mojo. Magic.

 

We talk, and his love of guitars just shines... one of us. I pass him this (so different!) Lester I am about to buy, and he stuns me by saying, "feels just like my 59, same neck".

 

He meant it. I challenged him, he tried again. "Same neck! I love it!"

 

But I was shocked... it felt nothing like the other Les Pauls I tried with 50s necks or 60s necks..... I tried sooo many!!!! I guess we all feel something different.

 

What is it about this one, I cant say. But I love it. And I got my dream Les Paul!!

 

I can die now.

 

hehe

 

BTW: as an added bit of nonsense: my wife asked me why this guitar was so special. I (stupidly) first just said, "Look at her..., she's gorgeous!!" I could see that she didnt get how this was any different than my other guitars (PRSs, which are all gorgeous). And I do love them! Hey, it's complicated!!!

 

I finally just said.... truthfully...., "No excuses left...., She makes me try harder!".

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jdgm

jdgm

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Nice guitar, congrats, glad it came right in the end; I resisted buying a LP until 2011.

Well I should have bought decades ago because since then my playing - and everything associated with it - has really gone up a few notches.

[thumbup]

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IanHenry

IanHenry

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Indeed, Brantobrien, it was a long, frustrating quest.

 

Funny thing: At the store I bought it at is an employee with an original 59 Studio. Beat to crap, he says, but it's golden. Magic. I know what he means. We all do, right? Guitars. Mojo. Magic.

 

We talk, and his love of guitars just shines... one of us. I pass him this (so different!) Lester I am about to buy, and he stuns me by saying, "feels just like my 59, same neck".

 

He meant it. I challenged him, he tried again. "Same neck! I love it!"

 

But I was shocked... it felt nothing like the other Les Pauls I tried with 50s necks or 60s necks..... I tried sooo many!!!! I guess we all feel something different.

 

What is it about this one, I cant say. But I love it. And I got my dream Les Paul!!

 

I can die now.

 

hehe

 

 

 

BTW: as an added bit of nonsense: my wife asked me why this guitar was so special. I (stupidly) first just said, "Look at her..., she's gorgeous!!" I could see that she didnt get how this was any different than my other guitars (PRSs, which are all gorgeous). And I do love them! Hey, it's complicated!!!

 

I finally just said.... truthfully...., "No excuses left...., She makes me try harder!".

 

Beautiful Les Paul DC, but I'm not sure what an "original 59 Studio" is?

 

Ian

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dccrank

dccrank

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Beautiful Les Paul DC, but I'm not sure what an "original 59 Studio" is?

 

Ian

 

 

Thanks for the kind welcome all!! And you're right IanHenry, he said 59 Les Paul "Special" not Studio.

 

I could never be just a collector... just having a Les Paul cause it is iconic and beautiful. I totally get why some do this and kudos to them..., but I buy guitars I love playing that are ALSO beautiful. And I do collect, so totally understand the thrill of just having that beauty hanging on the wall.

 

But having a Lester on my wall that I didnt love to play would be soooo unfulfilling.

 

Man, I am a happy man I finally found the one.

 

By the way, in case anyone is wondering... I do play a lot. And write and record. Never made any real money out of it.., but it's a passion and always has been.

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Desmosedici

Desmosedici

Posted
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Hey DC,, nice !

The Japanese spec LPs are top-notch, and there's a long history there worth uncovering.

Anyway, just a word of caution. You may already know this, but the Nitro finish on these guitars burns when resting on the rubber padding on guitar stands. Do yourself a huge favour (and the guitar) and cover the rubber with a sock or similar.

Enjoy the LP, bud!

 

Cheers

 

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merciful-evans

merciful-evans

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Anyway, just a word of caution. You may already know this, but the Nitro finish on these guitars burns when resting on the rubber padding on guitar stands. Do yourself a huge favour (and the guitar) and cover the rubber with a sock or similar.

Enjoy the LP, bud!

 

Cheers

 

 

A sock ! :o have you no style man? No elan?

 

 

 

 

Something like this is far more suitable

GLOV012.jpg

 

 

........a sock!?

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dccrank

dccrank

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A sock ! :o have you no style man? No elan?

 

 

 

 

Something like this is far more suitable

GLOV012.jpg

 

 

........a sock!?

 

Hehe.... funny. Great tip though.... I got some fancy argyle socks, maybe those will do!

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