Mr. Robot Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hi guys - I would appreciate your opinions on this one. I have two Gibsons with humbuckers - a 335 and a 175. I now want to get a Les Paul, but I am thinking that I already have a lot of humbucking tone here.I have played a faded DC LP with P90s and I liked the different tone - better than a Strat. Therefore, I am thinking that I might be better to go for something with p90's on it, like a Junior or a Special - unless of course you can get a Les paul Standard with P90s. If I could, would you recommend for or against a Lester with P90s? Either way, I'd appreciate your collective wisdom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 You can never have too many humbuckers but I'm all for P-90s. Just play a Les Paul with them and you'll be hooked. There was a 2007 GOTW Les Paul with P-90s, I think. Don't forget R4 and R6 historics have P-90s. :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 '56 Goldtop reissue...P-90's and a "Gold Top" to boot. ;>) But, the "Faded" series double cutaways are fun, with great upper fret access, and 2 P-90's, as well: Here's mine, in TV Yellow. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSG_Standard Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 The faded LP doublecut is pretty cool...look for an LP Gem Series, they are LP studios with P90s, very cool axes...or buy a used LP Deluxe with mini HBs and swap them pups for P90s, they are direct fit with no mods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Robot Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 '56 Goldtop reissue...P-90's and a "Gold Top" to boot. ;>) But' date=' the "Faded" series double cutaways are fun, with great upper fret access, and 2 P-90's, as well: Here's mine, in TV Yellow. [img']http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq333/charliebrown1949/DSC_0027.jpg[/img] CB Great advice guys. Interestingly, i am looking at a new yellow TV Faded DC at the moment, identical to yours, except it has "Special" engraved on the truss rod cover. WTF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfChaos Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Hi guys - I would appreciate your opinions on this one. I have two Gibsons with humbuckers - a 335 and a 175. I now want to get a Les Paul' date=' but I am thinking that I already have a lot of humbucking tone here.I have played a faded DC LP with P90s and I liked the different tone - better than a Strat. Therefore, I am thinking that I might be better to go for something with p90's on it, like a Junior or a Special - unless of course you can get a Les paul Standard with P90s. If I could, would you recommend for or against a Lester with P90s? Either way, I'd appreciate your collective wisdom.[/quote'] It is not the Gibson humbuckers exclusively as much as it is the combination of Gibson humbuckers and a beefy chunk of mahogany-topped-with-maple that will give you the excellent sounds from which the Les Paul has gained a fiercely loyal following and the high praises of guitar players such as Joe Walsh and Jimmy Page. Even so, you might actually like better the sound of the P-90-loaded '56 Les Paul Gold-Top Re-Issue. For my tastes, however, that's a darned-pricey piece of wood when there are plenty of $2200 Gold-Top Les Paul Traditional guitars that are fine axes as well. In fact, you might actually prefer the Les Paul Traditional Plus, which includes a AA-figured top that comes in several aesthetically-pleasing color-variations. Then, there's the new chambered Les Paul Standard Plus, which is lighter than the Traditional and resembles more the sound of the ES-335 than does the Les Paul Traditional, which is weight-relieved but not chambered. The new Les Paul Standard Plus also has locking tuners, which is a very nice, time-saving feature, if you don't mind the slight loss of high-end tones that comes with the greater mass of the metal tuners, versus the lower-mass Kluson-style tuners of the Les Paul Traditional. A good thing to do before buying a guitar is to zero-in on one model of guitar by trying several models in succession through the same amp at the same settings, on both guitar and amp. Also, be sure to try different specimens of the same model as well, since guitars often vary wildly in both tone and feel, even within the same production run of the same model. Chances are, if you try enough guitars in succession and test a good sampling distribution of guitars from a place such as Guitar Center or Sam Ash, you will encounter that special axe that has a certain feel that you find hard to describe in detail, but that you know intuitively carries a mark of distinction in both tone and playability. I like to test a guitar before even plugging it into an amplifier; I do this by sitting down with it and letting it rest against my stomach as I pluck the third or fourth string and then gently touch my index or middle finger to the end of the headstock to feel for a special bit of resonance. An excellent specimen of a particular model will invariably create a distinctive feedback loop of resonance, which translates nicely to rich tone when amplified through quality gear. cheers, --Professor Chaos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 If you like the look of a black LP Custom then an interesting alternative would be one of the GOTW (26 or 28 I think) Les Paul Classic Customs which was identical to the regular Classic Custom except for a pair of P-90's. I tried one out (yesterday, as it happens) and it has a nice '60s profile neck but with what were much more like '58-style small frets. Very comfortable. It also has an ebony fingerboard and the whole thing was very classy. I'll post a snap so you can see what I'm on about. Unfortunately the one I tried had had a neck breakage.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarJunkie Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I know you're in Australia so the price would be somewhat higher, but these can usually be found on ebay for anywhere between $600 to $900 US. This is my 1995 Les Paul Special. There are a couple of differences between this version and the faded DC model (other than the obvious single cutaway). These ones have a gloss finish, a bound neck, MOP Gibson logo, and a 5-ply pickguard. One thing to note though, is that these also come with P100 pickups which isn't a bad thing, but a little different than P90s. The P100 is a stacked humbucker, so it sounds about 80-85% like a P90, but without the hum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Robot Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Great info. Thanks everyone for taking the time and great advice. I want all of them, naturally So much choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRV-Zeppelin Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Get the 'buckers. You just can't beat the awesome tone of a Les Paul - keep in mind that since it is a solid body guitar and has that thick maple cap, it'll sound completely different than your other guitars. P-90s will give you a thinner tone and actually sound more like the guitars you already have - so if you want variation in the sound of your guitars, get the humbuckers. You'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chongo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Get the 'buckers. You just can't beat the awesome tone of a Les Paul - keep in mind that since it is a solid body guitar and has that thick maple cap. Well, actually, I guess we should acknowledge that the Les Paul in most of its current variations is NOT a solid body guitar any more. It's mostly hollow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Let me add another point of view. I don't think a Les Paul is necessarily what you want. It's like saying, "I have a Jeep and a PT Cruiser, now what kind of Chevrolet should I get?" I realize I'm in the minority, but the Les Pauls I have played that I liked comprise a list of exactly one, which is the 1970 Deluxe I now own. If it were me (and, of course, it's not), I'd ask "what am I looking for in an electric guitar that I'm not getting from what I have now?" That's actually a useful question, and one that I ask myself from time to time. It may be that a Strat (and, God knows, there are infinite varieties of Strats, as many as there are of LPs) or Tele or who knows what, until you pick it up and play it. No question, LPs are attractive, but so are '59 Cadillac convertibles, and I don't own one of those owing to a lot of practical considerations. I'd check out other machines, such as Heritage, or Collings, or any of the many varieties of boutique instruments, which may fit you better, and sound better to boot, and may not be more expensive than the current lineup of Les Pauls. Just an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandean Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 What Gibson is that without pickguard??? Les Paul Faded DC ? Special DC ? Custon Shop DC ? http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/7920/sakurak.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six-string Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 i can't get enough guitars including Les Pauls with P-90s so heres a few that may have been suggested.... first we have the Gem Series Les Paul Studio model...very nice with gold hardware etc and awesome P-90 tone. or if you have the cash try a Custom shop Reissue 1956 Goldtop....exquisite guitar.. or if you like it stripped down and basic.. try a Custom shop Reissue 1958 Les Paul Junior. guaranteed fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rushview Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 God Damn that Gem Sapphire is hot! I remember when they came out in '95ish that I wanted the Sapphire model so much. There's one signed on the wall of my local Hard Rock Cafe and I'm still concocting the plan to pry it off the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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