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Please help me identify the model of this Les Paul with Floyd Rose


Jericho-79

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Hey ya’ll. I need a lot of input from all you Les Paul experts here.

I discovered over a dozen pics of MJ’s former guitarist, Orianthi, performing during halftime at a Miami Dolphins home game from a decade ago. In these pics, she’s playing what looks to be a Gibson Les Paul with a Floyd Rose system.

Check it out:

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What model is that LP?

I’m inclined to think that it’s a Gibson Modern Les Paul Axcess Standard. But I’m not entirely sure.

Could it be a Custom Shop version?

Could it be the Alex Lifeson signature?

Could it be the Dave Amato signature?

Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks guys.

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To me she (the guitar, not Orianthi 😉) looks like a Gibson Les Paul Axcess Standard Floyd Rose. This model has always been a Custom Shop guitar. She came with a rosewood fretboard. Pickups should be 496R in the neck and 498T in the bridge position. The tone pots feature series (push)/parallel (pull) switches. 

The Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul Axcess came with rosewood board, covered 496R and 498T pickups, Graph Tech Ghost piezo FR bridge, two output jacks that can be used mono, stereo (magnetic and piezo sounds separately) either with a stereo cable using the "Regular" stereo jack or with two mono cables with "Regular" jack for magnetic sound only and "Life-O-Sound" jack for separate piezo output. The series/parallel options are available through push/pull volume pots. The piezo volume pot is located at the usual bridge pickup tone control position and mutes the piezo signal when pulled. The single tone control for both magnetic pickups is in the position typically used for the neck pickup's tone control. I own one of these, so I know for sure. In addition, I had retrofitted the tone control for a push/pull pot including a polarity ("phase") switch for the neck pickup. 

The Dave Amato Signature came with bridge pickup only, a '57 Plus offering coil split, tone and volume controls. 

The current Les Paul Axcess Floyd Rose guitars come with 490R and 498T and coil split switches. They feature the new Apex headstock for added strength. See here: 

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/CUSX9K662/Les-Paul-Axcess-Standard-Figured-Floyd-Rose-Gloss#  

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/CUSQD2632/Les-Paul-Axcess-Custom-w-Ebony-Fingerboard-Floyd-Rose-Gloss#

 

Edited by capmaster
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On 6/7/2019 at 10:11 PM, capmaster said:

To me she (the guitar, not Orianthi 😉) looks like a Gibson Les Paul Axcess Standard Floyd Rose. This model has always been a Custom Shop guitar. She came with a rosewood fretboard. Pickups should be 496R in the neck and 498T in the bridge position. The tone pots feature series (push)/parallel (pull) switches.

 

Thanks capmaster. That was a lot of helpful information there.👍

But I'm curious about one minor aspect.

Is there such a thing as a Modern Les Paul Axcess Standard with Floyd Rose?

Here's an example:

https://reverb.com/au/item/14165530-gibson-modern-les-paul-axcess-standard-bourbon-burst-chrome-floyd-rose

That Reverb listing is referring to this particular LP as a "Modern" Axcess Standard. I don't know whether or not that seller had made an error.

Is there such a thing as "Modern"?

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New Gibson models sometimes have a  "model lineup" name or category associated with them to distinguish them from previous or other new models.

Recently, there had  been an "HP",  or High Performance line with certain specs, and a Traditional line with more "vintage" specs. etc.

Here's a page with some 2019 Gibson "Modern" collection models.

https://www.gibson.com/Guitars/Les Paul

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OP here. Thanks GibSinCity and pauloqs for that explanation of the "Modern" models.

I did some further research on the Les Paul Axcess Standard.

As such, I don't believe that Orianthi's Les Paul in those pics is a Modern Axcess Standard with Floyd Rose.

Remember that those pics were taken ten years ago. I don't think the Modern lineup existed back then.

Plus, based on those pics, her LP appears to be of an Iced Tea Burst finish. That finish isn't available for the Modern collection.

What do you guys think?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/12/2019 at 10:27 PM, GibSinCity said:

The Axcess first came out in 2008.

Just about the time the pictures were taken.

They were offered in two colors:

 Gunmetal Grey & Iced Tea Burst.

http://archive.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/ProductSpotlight/NewModels/les-paul-axcess-standard-the-s/

 

Would you agree then that Orianthi's Axcess in those pictures is an original Axcess from the late 2000's, and not one from the "Modern" collection?

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1 hour ago, Jericho-79 said:

Would you agree then that Orianthi's Axcess in those pictures is an original Axcess from the late 2000's, and not one from the "Modern" collection?

 

Well, as the 'Modern Collection' was only introduced two months ago...

Pip.

Edited by pippy
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On 6/21/2019 at 5:16 AM, pippy said:

 

Well, as the 'Modern Collection' was only introduced two months ago...

 

According to the links posted by pauloqs above, Gibson Custom released the "Modern" lineup back in 2017. But I don't know if there had been any "Modern" models introduced before that time.

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The link in pauloqs post mentions 'Modern Player's Choice'. The term 'Modern Collection', as you mentioned in your earlier post, was, AFAIK, first coined to describe instruments for the 2019 launch but any way you look at it we are splitting hairs. Gibson has been introducing less traditional and more modern (if you like) features for decades but they have only recently described the Axcess as  'Modern' and I see no surprise that they have now decided to name these new styles as a second range to go along with the more traditionally spec'd instruments.

Obviously as the pictures were taken ten years ago the instrument is simply an early Les Paul Axcess and dates from the late 2000's. But you already knew this.

What else do you REALLY need to know? 

Pip.

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On 6/22/2019 at 6:53 PM, pippy said:

Obviously as the pictures were taken ten years ago the instrument is simply an early Les Paul Axcess and dates from the late 2000's. But you already knew this.

What else do you REALLY need to know? 

 

So are you suggesting that the Les Paul Axcess in the pictures in my OP is the Original Les Paul Axcess dating from 2008 or so?

If so, do you think it has the Iced Tea Burst finish?

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10 hours ago, Jericho-79 said:

Thanks for all your opinions, guys. Right now, I have one thoughtful question.

Does the Les Paul Axcess sound exactly like a regular Les Paul?

 

My first thought was yes, but on reflection, that FR bridge is bound to alter it. 

 

BTW, did you post enough photos of that girl, um.. I mean that guitar?!

Edited by merciful-evans
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36 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

My first thought was yes, but on reflection, that FR bridge is bound to alter it.

 

You are absolutely spot-on, m-e. It will allow the player to make the notes wobble well off-pitch both in an upwards and downwards direction.

Pip.

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6 hours ago, pippy said:

 

You are absolutely spot-on, m-e. It will allow the player to make the notes wobble well off-pitch both in an upwards and downwards direction.

Pip.

 

I'm just applying my experience of FR guitars here. I used them for about 20 years. I disabled a couple using wood blocks. No sonic change there. However, I replaced the cheapest of them with an equally cheap stoptail. This entailed filling approx half of the trem cavity with wood and hermetal. This produced a tonal change. Firstly it eliminated the 'drone' (which never was transmitted through the pickups) you get as the FR freely resonates. 

Secondly, and more importantly it reduced sustain and added definition. It was a change I liked, but didn't anticipate.

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5 minutes ago, Jericho-79 said:

 

How is the Les Paul Axcess sound different from a regular Les Paul sound?

Is the Les Paul Axcess used solely for heavy metal music?

 

I think Pippys last post speaks for itself.

Few guitars are used solely for any genre, even if they were created for them. For example, the Les Paul was not created for rock music at all (there was no rock in 1952).

I used a pointy black FR equipped Jackson Soloist for 16 or 17 years and never once played any metal with it. This may have confused few punters but I was just using the best guitar I had yet found (for soul, ska, rock and jazz).

I dont personally know of anyone using active pickups for music other than metal, but again they can be. They have a beautifully clean signal for studio work.

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On 6/28/2019 at 4:51 AM, pippy said:

 

It will allow the player to make the notes wobble well off-pitch both in an upwards and downwards direction.

 

Could I play a Les Paul Axcess Standard to precisely nail U2 songs?

Like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwkcMDHAgQ8

 

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