Les Paul supreme versus 59 custom ULA

[hwy1378]

So I need help with my decision. I understand for 59 custom I’ll be paying about $7000 and that the supreme is about $4000. I understand they have different Alnico pick ups. Not sure I want a guitar that is aged. Even Mr Murphy said it will continue to age fast compared to New guitars. I’m really confused. So can anyone help with my decision 

[Pinch]

What are the specs?

And if you're not 100% sure you want a relic'ed guitar, don't buy one. Guitars get wear and tear as they're played. If you're planning on playing it, my school of thought is why get a guitar that's been slightly damaged at the factory, and pay extra for it. That's the prevailing opinion on this forum, I would say.

[hwy1378]

11 minutes ago, Pinch said:

What are the specs?

And if you're not 100% sure you want a relic'ed guitar, don't buy one. Guitars get wear and tear as they're played. If you're planning on playing it, my school of thought is why get a guitar that's been slightly damaged at the factory, and pay extra for it. That's the prevailing opinion on this forum, I would say.

Thanks that’s what I was thinking. If I had stupid money, I would get it and hang it on the wall and a glass case but to play it and watch it get worse we all have a hard enough time playing our guitars and gigging with them and they take on wear and tear. I don’t want a museum piece, I understand why guys like them I did like the idea of Alnico 3 unpotted but the supreme has Gibson Burstbucker Pro Humbucker  Alnico 5 . The supreme has a slim neck the 59 obviously has the vintage fat neck and I do have smaller hands. No Jimi Hendrix hands over here.😂

[Pinch]

8 minutes ago, hwy1378 said:

Thanks that’s what I was thinking. If I had stupid money, I would get it and hang it on the wall and a glass case but to play it and watch it get worse we all have a hard enough time playing our guitars and gigging with them and they take on wear and tear. I don’t want a museum piece, I understand why guys like them I did like the idea of Alnico 3 unpotted but the supreme has Gibson Burstbucker Pro Humbucker  Alnico 5 . The supreme has a slim neck the 59 obviously has the vintage fat neck and I do have smaller hands. No Jimi Hendrix hands over here.😂

A note of caution: Burstbucker Pro's and Alnico V magnets are not for everyone. I don't like Burstbucker Pro's at all myself. But worst case scenario, you swap out the pickups.

[hwy1378]

13 minutes ago, Pinch said:

A note of caution: Burstbucker Pro's and Alnico V magnets are not for everyone. I don't like Burstbucker Pro's at all myself. But worst case scenario, you swap out the pickups.

Can you tell me why you don’t like them.

[Pinch]

8 minutes ago, hwy1378 said:

Can you tell me why you don’t like them.

Bass too boomy, treble too ice-picky. I may be exaggerating a little, but Alnico v magnets generally have scooped mids and are tighter-sounding than Alnico IIs. As a result, they generally lack the warmth I look for in a Gibson - at least that was my experience with BB Pro's. I would recommend something like Classic 57s (Alnico II magnets) instead.

But the BB Pro's I've played were in a V, so maybe they sound different in a Les Paul. But generally speaking, Alnico V aren't as warm sounding as Alnico II.

But hey, worst case scenario, with labor you're out an extra $400 or something? It's a lot less than three grand.

Or maybe try a 50s Standard with Burstbucker 1 and 2? (Alnico II) I've only held one (1) in my hands, but I have to say the neck wasn't bad at all. Not slim taper, but no log either.

Edited April 16 by Pinch

[hwy1378]

51 minutes ago, Pinch said:

Bass too boomy, treble too ice-picky. I may be exaggerating a little, but Alnico v magnets generally have scooped mids and are tighter-sounding than Alnico IIs. As a result, they generally lack the warmth I look for in a Gibson - at least that was my experience with BB Pro's. I would recommend something like Classic 57s (Alnico II magnets) instead.

But the BB Pro's I've played were in a V, so maybe they sound different in a Les Paul. But generally speaking, Alnico V aren't as warm sounding as Alnico II.

But hey, worst case scenario, with labor you're out an extra $400 or something? It's a lot less than three grand.

Or maybe try a 50s Standard with Burstbucker 1 and 2? (Alnico II) I've only held one (1) in my hands, but I have to say the neck wasn't bad at all. Not slim taper, but no log either.

Hey thanks for the info. I’m in Wilmington NC and they only have one guitar shop but the guy refuses to carry Gibson. He is a big PRS fan and I have a PRS 594 Mcarty which I love. I just want to get my hands on some gibson’s to feel them out

1 hour ago, Pinch said:

A note of caution: Burstbucker Pro's and Alnico V magnets are not for everyone. I don't like Burstbucker Pro's at all myself. But worst case scenario, you swap out the pickups.

Can you tell me why you don’t like them.

[Pinch]

See above. Too shrill, not warm enough for me. The bass is a little too boomy, YMMV.

NP,  happy to help. Maybe someone who've had them in a Les Paul could chime in here? I played a V with them in it.

Of course it's best if you don't have to swap out pickups, but it happens, and they're not crazy expensive, even if they're not free.

 

Edited April 16 by Pinch

[Sgt. Pepper]

4 hours ago, hwy1378 said:

So I need help with my decision. I understand for 59 custom I’ll be paying about $7000 and that the supreme is about $4000. I understand they have different Alnico pick ups. Not sure I want a guitar that is aged. Even Mr Murphy said it will continue to age fast compared to New guitars. I’m really confused. So can anyone help with my decision 

Yeah, buy a new guitar and relic it the old fashioned way, by playing it and bumping into stuff.

Your Welcome 

Edited April 17 by Sgt. Pepper

[hwy1378]

24 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Yeah, but a new guitar and relic it the old fashioned way, by playing it and bumping into stuff.

Your Welcome 

That’s what I was thinking 

[Sgt. Pepper]

21 minutes ago, hwy1378 said:

That’s what I was thinking 

Remember Supream’s have no control cover to work on the electronics.

[SteveFord]

You said you have small hands.

Take a look at the 60s neck Standards, that new Supreme isn't like the Supremes of yore, it's more like a Supreme Lite.

[hwy1378]

10 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Remember Supream’s have no control cover to work on the electronics.

That’s actually not true anymore. The new version completely changed the guitar in 2023

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 hour ago, hwy1378 said:

That’s actually not true anymore. The new version completely changed the guitar in 2023

Oh  ok, it was hard to tell looking in my phone. I remember they were. 

[Pinch]

8 hours ago, SteveFord said:

You said you have small hands.

Take a look at the 60s neck Standards, that new Supreme isn't like the Supremes of yore, it's more like a Supreme Lite.

This.

I just remembered what the Supreme looks like.

[GeoRadioBoston]

Weighing in here, as someone who has owned both a Les Paul Custom and now a Les Paul Supreme. I did not have a 59, but I did have a newer Custom that I bought brand new in the late 70s that was an amazing guitar. For some dumb reason. I ended up selling it, and have been regretting selling it ever since. I’ve thought about getting another, but realized that there are things about a Les Paul custom that might not fly for me now, including the weight. Two days ago I took delivery of a new Les Paul Supreme. It is absolutely stunning. It’s everything good I remember about the Les Paul Custom and then some. The Ebony fretboard is sheer perfection, it’s incredibly easy and fun to play, and there are little touches like that contour heel that make it even easier to play  than my beloved Custom. I think the Burstbucker Pros  sound phenomenal, and I even like having extras like the coil taps and phase switch. I am a long time Les Paul Custom guy, but you can put my vote in the Supreme column. I get a big silly grin every time I open the guitar case.

[Dub-T-123]

The best answer is going to be to play them and decide yourself 

 

I got a 59 reissue in 2020 and I don’t really know how to describe the pickups but they sound freakin good and the neck is not what I would call fat.

I have played some reissue LPs with just humongous necks. Most of the 59 reissues now come with a neck profile which was laser scanned from an original 59 called “Carmelita”. This is not a fat neck, it’s not quite 60s C either. It has a little more depth to it than the 60s profile, but it doesn’t have any bulky “shoulders” to it so it really doesn’t feel big in the hand 

 

I think the neck is outstandingly comfortable and I prefer it to the typical 60s style which I find slightly wide and thin feeling for my hand. The wide thin combo makes my thumb cramp up on the back of the neck 

 

The pickups just sound like a Les Paul to me. It sounds really sweet clean, in the middle position you can actually get a bit of quack going. Through a dirty amp it just sings. Very throaty when you roll the tone back a bit, very rude when you roll the bridge pickup wide open. Neck pickup sings. It’s a perfect guitar. No idea about the Supreme to be honest and I don’t know anyone here who has one

[hwy1378]

I appreciate your input. I’ll let you all know what I think. I’ve watched so many YouTube videos on this guitar and it sounds like a beast. I’m certain one day I’ll get a custom 59 reissue. Just not yet. I love my PRS mcarty 594 core with the 58/15LT pickup. I feel a great PAF pickup

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 hours ago, Dub-T-123 said:

The best answer is going to be to play them and decide yourself 

That of course is the best advice, but one has to have a store near by and that store has to have ever model he wants to try. You may get the first one, but there’s no way you’re gonna get the second one.

[hwy1378]

Yes we only have one store here and guy won’t carry Gibson. He is a PRS dealer who owns 15 Gibson Les Paul’s but won’t sell them. He believes that my mcarty 594 core is the best PAF pickups and a much better quality guitar because he clams Gibson is so inconsistent in quality. You could find a gem or a lemon. So I get my stuff from sweetwater and try to make the best pick. So I decided to go with the the Gibson Les Paul Supreme Fireburst. Should have it in a few days. I’ll let you all know what I think. I like the dark sound that guitar produces. I think it’s pretty also. It will be my first Gibson. I wish we could post pictures here bigger than 500k. I don’t know how to make a picture that poor quality 😂but the sweetwater website quality is small enough. That’s my guitar it was built January 2024 . I figured out how to decipher the Gibson serial number😂

[Eracer_Team]

@hwy1378 we sign up for an imaging host site like imgur.com and use its jpg link to post pictures here

[hwy1378]

On 4/20/2024 at 9:02 AM, GeoRadioBoston said:

Weighing in here, as someone who has owned both a Les Paul Custom and now a Les Paul Supreme. I did not have a 59, but I did have a newer Custom that I bought brand new in the late 70s that was an amazing guitar. For some dumb reason. I ended up selling it, and have been regretting selling it ever since. I’ve thought about getting another, but realized that there are things about a Les Paul custom that might not fly for me now, including the weight. Two days ago I took delivery of a new Les Paul Supreme. It is absolutely stunning. It’s everything good I remember about the Les Paul Custom and then some. The Ebony fretboard is sheer perfection, it’s incredibly easy and fun to play, and there are little touches like that contour heel that make it even easier to play  than my beloved Custom. I think the Burstbucker Pros  sound phenomenal, and I even like having extras like the coil taps and phase switch. I am a long time Les Paul Custom guy, but you can put my vote in the Supreme column. I get a big silly grin every time I open the guitar case.

Thanks for the input! Yes my supreme is on the way from sweetwater. I’m really pumped to play it and break it in myself. 
 

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 4/23/2024 at 10:24 AM, hwy1378 said:

Thanks for the input! Yes my supreme is on the way from sweetwater. I’m really pumped to play it and break it in myself. 
 

I guess you win.