Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Is the Les Paul Jr the perfect blues/classic rock guitar?


Hendrixlvr

Recommended Posts

Hi folks. If you read some of my other posts as of late, you'll see that I'm GASing for a new axe.....I play mainly blues and classic rock and have a Les Paul Jr DC.....I'm thinking this is the ideal guitar for me and my playing style.

 

My question is.....is the Jr the perfect blues/classic rock guitar? In my opinion, paired with the right amp, it sure seems to be

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Farnsbarns

No. The perfect guitar doesn't exist. The best guitar is entirely subjective. The best attainable guitar is governed by buget and availability but is still subjective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The perfect blues/classic rock guitar is the one that is in the hands of the most perfect blues/classic rock guitar player.

 

 

Since there is no consistent consensus on exactly which guitar player is perfect, then I would offer this short list of nearly-perfect candidates for the blues/rock genre, and the guitars that they tend to favor most:

 

Joe Bonnamassa - Gibson Les Paul

 

G.E. Smith - Fender Telecaster

 

Rick Derringer - Warrior Isabella '59

 

Eric Clapton - Fender Stratocaster

 

Jimmy Page - Gibson Les Paul

 

Derek Trucks - Gibson SG

 

John Mayer - Fender Stratocaster

 

Jeff Beck - Fender Telecaster

 

Carlos Santana - PRS

 

Gary Moore - Gibson Les Paul

 

Billy Gibbons - Gretsch Billy Bo Jupiter Thunderbird

 

Vince Gill - Fender Stratocaster

 

Dickey Betts - Gibson Les Paul

 

David Gilmour - Fender Stratocaster

 

Eric Johnson - Fender Stratocaster

 

Peter Green - Gibson Les Paul

 

Lindsey Buckingham - Model 1 Rick Turner

 

Joe Walsh - Any guitar he can get his hands on

 

Buckethead - Gibson Les Paul

 

 

 

Deceased:

 

BB King - Gibson ES-335

 

Jimi Hendrix - Fender Stratocaster

 

SRV - Fender Stratocaster

 

Duane Allman - Gibson Les Paul

 

Johnny Winter - Gibson Firebird

 

 

 

That's right off the top of my head, and my list does not contain the names of several dozen guitar players who I LOVE, but who don't exactly fit into the category of 'blues and classic rock'.

(Adrian Belew, Jeff Lynne, Neil Finn, Tommy Emmanuel, etc, etc)

 

 

Fire away.

[glare]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The perfect blues/classic rock guitar is the one that is in the hands of the most perfect blues/classic rock guitar player.

 

 

Since there is no consistent consensus on exactly which guitar player is perfect, then I would offer this short list of nearly-perfect candidates for the blues/rock genre, and the guitars that they tend to favor most:

 

Joe Bonnamassa - Gibson Les Paul

 

G.E. Smith - Fender Telecaster

 

(etc...for space)

 

That's right off the top of my head, and my list does not contain the names of several dozen guitar players who I LOVE, but who don't exactly fit into the category of 'blues and classic rock'.

(Adrian Belew, Jeff Lynne, Neil Finn, Tommy Emmanuel, etc, etc)

 

 

Fire away.

[glare]

Not a bad list, but of corse there isn't one of any Jr. players.

 

The only consistant Jr. player I could think of would be Leslie West. And a couple Punk guys.

 

Having said that, while some on your list here HAVE had equal success with others guitars (such as Clapton with the 335, Les Paul and SG...which he used exclusively when he used them. Or, say, Jeff Beck, who is a Strat player now), I can't think of any here who have used a Jr. Except on rare occasion, Bonamassa and GE Smith.

 

BUT...that doesn't mean to say a Jr. isn't a bad choice at all, just that it PROVES it's an overlooked one. There is a lot of sounds that can be had with just the bridge pup and the tone control, and also, there does seem to be (to me at least) a better sound from a guitar with one pup that another that is the same but with two pups. Like maybe, having just the one string pull from only one pup might have an advantage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea. I'm fairly good at discerning tones....and alot of the players I'm listening to in these genres are using the bridge pickup....my philosophy (as well as alot of players), is if you're gonna live on the bridge, what's the point of more than one pickup? (And yes I know it's nice to have 'just in case)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

That's right off the top of my head, and my list does not contain the names of several dozen guitar players who I LOVE, but who don't exactly fit into the category of 'blues and classic rock'.

(Adrian Belew, Jeff Lynne, Neil Finn, Tommy Emmanuel, etc, etc)

 

 

Fire away.

[glare]

Neil Finn???.... lyricist maybe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Neil Finn???.... lyricist maybe.

 

 

I have watched Neil for many years, and even seen him live (in Nurnberg, Germany, in the 1990's).

 

Sure, he writes and sings brilliant songs, and his pop-craft is quirky and lovely.

It's what he is known for.

 

But when you watch him play, it strikes you how effortlessly he lays down the rhythm guitar bits and easily drifts in and out of solos. He doesn't struggle, and he always delivers.

Neil isn't a blues or classic rock player, and that's why he wasn't on my list above, along with Jeff Lynne and Adrian Belew.

All three men are unique and unbelievably talented guitar players in their own right.

And Tommy Emmanuel, well....... He's in a world all his own, I reckon.

 

[mellow]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keith Richards

Mick Jones

Keith Urban (not blues or classic rock but dude can squeeze some serious tone from a jr)

Billy Squier

Rick Richards - georgia satellites

 

(No... I'm not that smart, yes...google is a wonderful thing 😉)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, Charlie Starr kicks *** on a Jr.

 

I like mine for the damned near acoustic sounds I get out of it. Full volume and the tone around 5-6 produces a very nasal blues tone on mine.

 

Seems like endless possibilities really. Amazing for a singe P90, one volume and one tone!!!

 

One of the best purchases I've made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Not picking a fight but a question was asked and I have to say no. It's called a "Junior" for a reason; it's a relatively simple and cheap starter guitar. Comes in a gig-bag not a hard case; I think this says a lot. I've played several and they are OK but extremely limited tone-wise due to the single pick-up. How can it be truly a blues/rock machine without the option of the warmer, deeper tones of a neck pickup? I'm also not a fan of wrap-around bridge/tailpieces; no flexibility for changes in string gauges and alternate tunings. One of the LPJs I played had really heavy (for me) gauge strings, I think 11-54s and although the neck was set perfectly, great action, no buzzing, the intonation was out with no way to fix it.

 

So, if it has the perfect gauge of strings so that the preset intonation is correct, and if you "live on the bridge" as many players do, then the LPJ will work. What's good/bad is of course subjective. Personally, I love the look, feel and play of a Les Paul Custom. I find the flat top, funny pick-guard, single pickup and pastel-shade LPJs a little ugly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...