New "2015" Traditional Classic ABR Les Paul

[Keith in Dallas]

I received my new "2015" Traditional Classic ABR Les Paul yesterday and have been fiddling with it since. I received this after an exchange of a 2016 LP Studio HP (See my recent review on these). This is a Sam Ash special with the traditional weight relief, 57 classic buckers, ABR bridge, nickel hardware, 60's neck, hand wired circuits, normal volume/tone controls, and G-Force tuning system. The fit and finish was not as good as the 2016 models. The action was so high, you could limbo under it, the knob pointers were tightened against the finish (a pet peeve of mine), and one of the volume knobs was scraping against the finish. Other than that, seems to be well made. The G-Force, to my surprise, is working great on this model even though is has a normal nut - go figure. I installed washers under the knob pointers so they don't scrape against the finish - my OCDness. Anyway, the guitar sounds great - nice and bright with the 57's, however, it lacks the sustain my returned studio model had. Is this due to the 57s? I figured with traditional weight relief vs modern weight relief on the studio, ABR bridge, and the classic 57's, it would have infinite sustain. The strings are over a year old, but never used.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[capmaster]

There are lots of factors contributing to real and perceived sustain.

 

Strings, timbers, pickups and hardware are defining what the player might put out to an amp. All these components provide real and percveived sustain as well. Then there are the amp, its settings, speaker(s) and cabinet(s), and they affect the perceived sustain, too.

 

Strings, their condition, and string action are important. Gauge, winding material - plains and cores are always pretty close -, cleanness, freedom of corrosion, and sufficient room to move allow for good sustain.

 

Pickups define what output level can be obtained. Their frequency response also codetermines the perceived sustain. In general, the more level, the more the bandwidth will be limited, always meaning less highs. The 490R/498T combo of the Studio is significantly "hotter" than the '57 Classics are, meaning less highs, cutting midrange peak, more lows and more overall level. Highs decay fastest, and therefore hotter pickups deliver more perceived sustain by suppressing them.

 

Finally, pickups putting out "hotter" levels are capable of producing more overdrive at given amp settings, and along with the further limitation of the bandwidth by amp and speakers this will further increase the perceived sustain.

 

Just my two cents...

[Keith in Dallas]

Ok. Maybe a better question is for those of you that have both an LP with the 57s and 490/498s, can you tell a difference in sustain? I do like the clarity of yhe 57's better, but the sustain seems to be equal to my PRS S2.

[deeman]

The washers you put on under the pointers may be to blame.

[Ess]

The washers you put on under the pointers may be to blame.

+1

Yes, I have also found this to be the case.

It seems the washers (especially if they are thin plastic), create a damping effect which impairs the sonic interaction between the mahogany back and the maple top. Think of it like the felt dampers on the strings of a piano.

[capmaster]

The washers you put on under the pointers may be to blame.

+1

Yes, I have also found this to be the case.

It seems the washers (especially if they are thin plastic), create a damping effect which impairs the sonic interaction between the mahogany back and the maple top. Think of it like the felt dampers on the strings of a piano.

And I always thought these washers attenuate the pot resonance. ;) I live and learn!

[badbluesplayer]

I'd suggest putting on new strings.

[Rabs]

The strings are over a year old, but never used.

Any thoughts?

 

Maybe try a string change first then??? (also make sure the pickups arnt too high, they can pull on the strings a bit if they are too high)

 

Sometimes its the simplest things.

[shupe13]

Congrats!

[Keith in Dallas]

Congrats!

 

Thank you.

[btoth76]

Hello and congratulations on Your new guitar!

 

First of all, strings break down whether You play them, or not. They are made from various metals, don't expect them to last for a millennium.

 

Many things can affect the sustain of the guitar. There are many You can change, and many other factors that cannot be altered. Among the former: string height, pickup height, nut slots, neck bow and fret level.

 

Often, raising the strings and lowering the pickups can do wonders.

 

Good luck... Bence.

[pippy]

It's probably the G-Force system.

 

No. Not really.

My first thought was also to change the strings. Year-old strings - played or not - will probably be pretty dead. If you don't have a spare set to hand then take the strings off and boil them for five minutes (just in tap water) and re-fit. They will be almost as fresh as new although their longevity will be lessened. Still; very much worthwhile for the interim.

 

If that doesn't work; fiddling with the p'up height doesn't help, nor does anything else anyone might suggest and you are absolutely 100% certain that the lack of sustain is definitely real and not imagined then it could be that the actual guitar itself isn't very resonant. If so then there's not really anything which can be done to improve matters. There are 'duds' out there and this might be one of them.

 

Pip.

[charlie brown]

Which is why it SO CRITICAL to "Try Before You Buy!" I always try an electric guitar,

"unplugged" first, to see how much "natural" resonance, and/or sustain it has, without

the aid of an amp and it's volume levels. That, I do later. But, always "unplugged"

first. If it has great natural resonance and sustain, the chances are greatly improved

that it will sound even better, amplified! In my own personal experience, I can't think

of any instance that didn't turn out to be true. But, other's experiences may vary.

Fresh strings always help, in both instances, but you can still get a feel for it's natural

resonance, with less than perfect stings. It will only improve, with fresher ones.

 

IMHO, as always...

 

 

CB

[Keith in Dallas]

Thanks guys. The guitar is at my tech's place now awaiting a pro setup. When I received the guitar, the action was so high you could limbo under it. I put it back to Gibson's specs, but encountered a lot of string buzz. I added more neck relief, but it made it practically unplayable. He has already discovered 4 frets that need filing due to being too high, as well as the nut being too high. Hopefully, it will feel like a new instrument when I get it back. He will be putting new strings on it as well - my new favorite EB Cobalt 9-46.

[Pesh]

Congratulations on the new guitar; looks like quite a cool piece! Hope the setup helps, and you solve your sustain issues. Could be the smallest thins in the end, so don't fret! (pun intended! )