saturn Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 When I think of the Gibson Les Paul tone, I almost always associate it with that classic/vintage sound. Even if it's used in a modern song. There are some very good, high output, metal shredder guitars out there, but to me, the Les Paul sounds best when you can hear the tone of the guitar more than the amp effects and high gain. I like to make the analogy of pure maple syrup. The fewer added ingredients, the better. Or straight bourbon whiskey. I mean, if you’re looking to chug whiskey and get plastered, then buy some Jim Beam or Jack Daniels and mix it with coke or whatever. But you don’t get a nice bottle of Bookers or Blantons and go ruining it with Coke. Maybe mix it with a little water but that’s it. Same with guitars. If you want full metal crunch there are plenty of other guitars that get that sound. Why spend the extra cash just to cover up the tone with mega distortion. Not that LP’s can’t get a great metal tone when you want one. I just prefer the more natural overdriven sound. Here are a few examples of songs that I think really capture the pure Les Paul tone. Feel free to add more examples. 1. Free “All Right Now” listen to that HONK in the solo 2. CCR “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” middle section 3. Allman Bros live at Filmore “Stormy Monday” what perfect playing 4. Collective Soul “December” great example of the middle p/u selector position 5. Led Zeppelin III “Since I’ve Been Loving You” I assume this is Jimmy playing a LP but am not 100% sure. It’s just so pure and crystal clear on the recording. You can hear him actually dialing up the volume to go from a clean to overdriven sound. If you listen close, you can actually hear Bonham’s kick drum or high hat squeaking as he plays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 in my opinion you can use a lester for anything and it will give awsome tones not posible with other guitars... i play almost everything (except reggeton or however it is written), and as you, i like more the natural overdriven sound, no guitar gives it to you better than a les paul... but i also use it for metal (even black metal) and it delivers, in fact i have had jacksons, esps, ibanez, and prs... and none of them give me the kind of tone i like (even for black metal). Is like any other guitar is just a cheap replacement just to be used in case you cant play a les paul. The only ones i think can compare are other gibsons, specially the SG, explorer, and the flying V, (i wouldn use a firebird, or any of the other not so famous models with high gain settings). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mca Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I love the clean sound a les paul gets, which it was design for in the beginning, and play that way all the time: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v253/mariocat/?action=view¤t=101_0005.flv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Nothing even comes close...'cept MAYBE an SG. Just something about that *****IN' sound has captivated me since childhood. First guy I ever saw playing a Les Paul was Roy Clark when I was a kid, and I been hooked ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I love the clean sound a les paul gets' date=' which it was design for in the beginning, and play that way all the time: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v253/mariocat/?action=view¤t=101_0005.flv[/quote'] Nice little vid!!!:D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 This is a tad off topic but, the BB pros on my Standard sound great with toggle in the centre. A bit of both pups. I cant say that about alot of guitars that I have played. I cant praise the Burstbucker Pros enough. Its that classic sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mca Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Nice little vid!!!:D/ Thanks, excuse the ear to ear smile on my face, it was the first day I brought the guitar home. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 To me, the epitome of overdriven LP sounds were recorded by Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and early Def Leppard. That LP/Marshall combination. My main guitar and sound with my band is my LP at various levels of overdrive but the funny part is that the sound I go for isn't much like the bands I mentioned above as I go for a tone that is a little less overdriven and has more girth in the low end to compliment the other guitar player who plays a Strat. It really depends on the song; for the vast majority of what we, I go for a rocking, overdriven LP tone but some songs dictate a Strat. So, I end up dragging two guitars with me for playing with the band. Ideally, there are some songs where I'd prefer my SG Junior or Tele, but I'm not carrying four guitars since I can get close enough with the LP or Strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizdomcube Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I love the clean sound a les paul gets' date=' which it was design for in the beginning, and play that way all the time: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v253/mariocat/?action=view¤t=101_0005.flv[/quote'] nice playing :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I love the clean sound a les paul gets' date=' which it was design for in the beginning, and play that way all the time: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v253/mariocat/?action=view¤t=101_0005.flv[/quote'] That was great! And *very* sweet tone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heritage cherry Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 To me the sublime Gibson Les Paul tone is Clapton on the Fresh Cream album playing Sleepy Time Time. Lester through a Marshall, a combination which EC invented. I first heard that as a 13 y.o just starting out on guitar and thought "how does he get that tone!?". Even now when I hear that many many years later, I think "wow !". Now that's what a Les Paul sounds like. Just as good is Clapton playing a Les Paul through a '62 Marshall combo amp on "Beano" (the Bluesbreakers album). Have a listen to Eric's playing on the track Have You Heard. And remember that album was recorded in early 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heritage cherry Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 To me the sublime Gibson Les Paul tone is Clapton on the Fresh Cream album playing Sleepy Time Time. Lester through a Marshall, a combination which EC invented. I first heard that as a 13 y.o just starting out on guitar and thought "how does he get that tone!?". Even now when I hear that many many years later, I think "wow !". Now that's what a Les Paul sounds like. Just as good is Clapton playing a Les Paul through a '62 Marshall combo amp on "Beano" (the Bluesbreakers album). Have a listen to Eric's playing on the track Have You Heard. And remember that album was recorded in early 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer993 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 To me' date=' the epitome of overdriven LP sounds were recorded by Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and early Def Leppard. That LP/Marshall combination. My main guitar and sound with my band is my LP at various levels of overdrive but the funny part is that the sound I go for isn't much like the bands I mentioned above as I go for a tone that is a little less overdriven and has more girth in the low end to compliment the other guitar player who plays a Strat. It really depends on the song; for the vast majority of what we, I go for a rocking, overdriven LP tone but some songs dictate a Strat. So, I end up dragging two guitars with me for playing with the band. Ideally, there are some songs where I'd prefer my SG Junior or Tele, but I'm not carrying four guitars since I can get close enough with the LP or Strat.[/quote'] Have you tried an LP with 3 PUs? With the switch in the center position the middle and the out of phase bridge PU kick in to give you a dirty Strat sound. It's great. A friend of mine has a Classic like that and it's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 A song that gives a good example of classic Les Paul tone is one that I bet most of you would never think of, or maybe even listened to. It is by the Carpenters, and called `Goodbye to Love`. Excellent playing, you have to listen to the whole song as it comes in towards the end. Just goes to show that you never know where you will here good LP tone. Another one I love is EC`s solo on the Beatle`s `While My Guitar Gently Weeps`. Also EC`s woman tone in the solo of `I Feel Free`. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjay777 Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 For some reason, when I think of that pure silky Les Paul tone, Gary Moore's "Still got the blues" comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Have you tried an LP with 3 PUs? With the switch in the center position the middle and the out of phase bridge PU kick in to give you a dirty Strat sound. It's great. A friend of mine has a Classic like that and it's great. No, I haven't. When I go for the Strat, it's usually because I want that big but still bright neck pickup sound or a thin. wiry bridge tone; I don't use the middle pickup or the in between tones much. However, I can get a reasonable approximation of the Strat's neck pup by using the middle position on the LP but it still lacks that hollow, zingy tone that the Strat. Both are great guitars and do what they do very well but are like night and day. The LP covers the vast majority of what I do but I'll always grab whichever tool I think will sound best for the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plank_Spanker Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Isn't that "classic LP tone" a bit intangible? Every Lester I've played (even like models) has had it's own nuances and sounded different. The player has a big part in that sound, also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 Isn't that "classic LP tone" a bit intangible? Every Lester I've played (even like models) has had it's own nuances and sounded different. The player has a big part in that sound' date=' also.[/quote'] That's true, but there is still a certain sound that I can hear as pure Les Paul. It's very punchy and almost sounds like a horn to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heritage cherry Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Yes, very good description Saturn, the horn-like tone. I have often thought that too, that a Les Paul almost sounds like a trumpet or similar horn. But I'm wondering if a Les Paul is just a sub-set of the Gibson humbucker sound/tone viz. I think some other Gibson humbucker guitars sound horn-like too eg 335. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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