Differences between guitars of the same type

[sunking101]

I have four Les Pauls; a Custom, two Standards and a Special. One of my Standards plays the best out of all of them. Even though they all have approximately the same (very low) action, it feels silky smooth with no buzzing and the fretwork is plain better. My Special and Custom are a slight step down in playability but they aren't far off at all.

Anyway, it's NGD and I took delivery of the fourth of my four LPs this morning. A gold top 50s Standard. It is brand new and the shop gave it a pro set-up. I can tell the nut and saddles have been done, they're perfect. However, the action was a typical out of the box medium to high Gibson factory spec when I had asked for low....

So I've spent the past hour or so dialling in my preferred action and although the guitar plays fine it doesm't trouble my other three in this regard. They play better no two ways about it. All LPs are different and I can"t get this one quite as low as I would like without the A string choking a bit in the very upper registers, and a bit of string rattle on the bottom E. The truss rod is set correctly and the neck is straight so it's probably fretwork . 

It's the lightest of all my LPs at 8lbs10 and it sounds great but I'm just not in love with how it plays. With having more than one LP you're always going to get differences between them (not just in tone) but would you guys add a new one to your collection that didn't play as well as your others? Just curious

[jdgm]

I'm sure you are right about the fretwork but you ought to give it a chance. 

It may settle in a few days or improve with a string change - or (of course) you could pay for a good set-up including fret dress/levelling/etc.

I recently bought a s/h solidbody.  It doesn't play quite as magnificently well as a couple of my others (including my LP Custom) but it's good and getting better.  Had it just over a month but I haven't put new strings on yet.

Edited May 7, 2020 by jdgm

[Eades]

Just send it back and get another one, it might be the one

[Pinch]

Sounds like it needs some fretwork. 

[Twang Gang]

I wouldn't add another LP that didn't play the way I like it.  For me it would just become a case queen when I had 3 others to choose from that played the way I liked.  Either get the frets dressed or return it - I don't think you're going to play it much when you have better options.

[merciful-evans]

Sadly even new guitars rarely seem to have perfect fretwork. I checked my 2015 LP frets at the last string change, and decided to level it. Now it didn't play too bad before, but like you, I prefer a low action. 

In your position, I would likely return it.