Tim Plains Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Alright we could be here all day discussing this one... ...but if you were on in charge of the Les Paul product line...all Les Pauls...what would you change about them? Be realistic and don't say "I'd make everything of the best material." Let's have specifics and reasons. If I were in charge, I would make these changes: 1. R9s would have stricter weight requirements. They weigh anywhere from the low 8 lb range up to as much as 9-1/2 lbs. (Mine's in the low 8s...giggiddy!!) The reason would be to further differentiate between R8s and R9s. So, the heaviest R9 I would allow out the door would be 8-1/2 lbs. Obviously, this would drive the price up, but I'm sure people would be willing to pay a bit more of a premium knowing their guitar is the absolute tops! 2. All Custom Shop guitars would get an upgraded nut. Gibson USA guitars would still get the plastic nut. Why?...because people pay a premium for CS guitars. If a bone nut would cost me $5 more, I'd charge an extra $50 for it. 3. Non-historic Les Paul Customs would no longer be weight-relieved. True solid-bodies. It's a Custom for Pete's sake! It shouldn't have holes in it. 4. Bring back Jimmy's No. 1 and put it into regular production. No fancy aging, no autographs, just a $10,000 Gibson Les Paul. 5. Gibson stopped selling B-stock in 1985 because they found dealers were not selling them as a discounted rate. The dealers were benefiting and not the customer; so, Gibson put an end to it. I'd bring B-stock back and have them only available for purchase through Gibson's website. Why destroy so many guitars? Your turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckledzepplin Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 1.return standards to solid bodys and have a special chamered les paul 2. lower the cost of the guitars 3. all guitars with plek'd frets 4. all 500k pots and better capacitors on all guitars 5. better quality check Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlekenny Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Make the heel smaller or less obnoxious to allow for easier upper-fret access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleSixx Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Well a few things I'd change have been mentioned. I do have a decent suggestion. I would allow Custom order without having to spend $250k on 25 guitars. You'd be allowed to order one. I'm sure there would be a wait, but at the end of the day if a customer could pick and choose what they want I'm sure they'd wait 6 months (I would). Rumor has it they are bringing back custom orders but who knows for sure right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I would insist that, for all guitars whether USA or custom, they do a better job on cutting the nut no matter the material used and have stricter overall QC. Plus everything else already mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Well, if they have any 10 pound R9er's, they can always send 'em my way! I won't *****. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 brass nuts, and more historically acurate tops the tops now-a-days are soo different from the tops of the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Make the Standard - well Standard quit changing it and leave it as the ICON it should be. I also don't get the concept that they cant put a bone nut on all custom shop guitars that's kind of the basic 1st step of a custom guitar is hand fitting or plek'd nuts now I guess. They should also include strap-locks on all custom guitars and most importantly Make the Gibson line easier to sell so that more small Mom -n- Pop music stores that actually care about music would be able to sell them and make the sales on line easier and safer by allowing dealers to list prices and stock. I don't understand how Gibson protects the dealers by restricting the prices being posted if other industries do this the web would be even harder to purchase from safely than it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Fix Les Pauls so the G strings sounds in tune at the low register AND the high registers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hi13ts Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Weight-relieve holes on all USA production Les Pauls. (We don't really need chambering) ALL guitars plek'd. Tone Pros bridges, stop pieces on all USA production Les Pauls. Longer neck tenon on all USA production Les Pauls. Neutrik jack on all USA production Les Pauls. And yes, Gibson is in dire need of better quality check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Id have QC go over the finished product a little more carefully and be a little more picky as to what gets shipped. Id pay more attention to the nut. Theres no excuse for strings being caught up in the nut. Last, Id have a higher quality case. Other then that I wouldnt change a thing. To me a Lester is the perfect guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 brass nuts' date=' and more historically acurate topsthe tops now-a-days are soo different from the tops of the past[/quote'] Tops of the past are soo different than tops from the past. Have you ever looked at Beauty of the Burst? The didn't all look the same...huge differences, just like today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 better QC better pots/caps (at least in the USA) lower prices (totally dreaming on this one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Bone nuts, ebony board option on standard, and better rosewood necks (thinner grains), longer tendons with smoother transition to the body. Gibson strap lock with longer standard les paul length screws. No chambering on Standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I'm not gonna b!tch about the price. I challenge any of you to build a Les Paul for less money. Stop all the cloak & dagger sh!t with the lines. Custom is a Custom, with color changes from year to year. Maybe do more limited runs with different options, a few Bigsby's, three pickups, change it up, but it's STILL a Custom. Do a Custom with Grovers, or locking tuners with the Tone Pros bridge. Offer different pickups. Do something to make a Custom Shop guitar actually a custom piece, instead of double the price for cosmetics. Standard is THE Standard by which all others are judged, leave it the fxck alone!!! Stop this chambering, drilling, hidden bullsh!t. If you wanna offer it, come clean and advertise it as such! Make it an OPTION people can buy if they want it. Leave the bodies as solid as can be, so weight (and wood density) can be easily ascertained. Keep the Studio line for the guys who still buy them, get rid of ALL the Faded, Worn, Satin (BLEMISHED) guitars. Sorry, a new Gibson that missed the paint booth is NOT what the Gibson name should be about. Market that sh!t as an Epiphone - otherwise known as the cheapo line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadCase Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Bone nut. Solid bodies standard, weight relieved & chambered would be their own series'. No fleshy colored plastics... yuk! No snot green inlays... again, yuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I'm not gonna b!tch about the price.I challenge any of you to build a Les Paul for less money. Stop all the cloak & dagger sh!t with the lines. Custom is a Custom' date='[/b'] with color changes from year to year. Maybe do more limited runs with different options, a few Bigsby's, three pickups, change it up, but it's STILL a Custom. Do a Custom with Grovers, or locking tuners with the Tone Pros bridge. Offer different pickups. Do something to make a Custom Shop guitar actually a custom piece, instead of double the price for cosmetics. Standard is THE Standard by which all others are judged, leave it the fxck alone!!! Stop this chambering, drilling, hidden bullsh!t. If you wanna offer it, come clean and advertise it as such! Make it an OPTION people can buy if they want it. Leave the bodies as solid as can be, so weight (and wood density) can be easily ascertained. Keep the Studio line for the guys who still buy them, get rid of ALL the Faded, Worn, Satin (BLEMISHED) guitars. Sorry, a new Gibson that missed the paint booth is NOT what the Gibson name should be about. Market that sh!t as an Epiphone - otherwise known as the cheapo line. i disagree with the price thing. a LP Standard costs about 500 bucks to make. the markup on a Gibson is RIDICULOUS. and the ironic part is that the Faded I own, has trounced a few Historics and all the regular Standards (from the same year) here in Indy. This is prolly due to the chambering. i think the thinner finish makes the chambering sound better. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 i disagree with the price thing. a LP Standard costs about 500 bucks to make. the markup on a Gibson is RIDICULOUS. and the ironic part is that the Faded I own' date=' has trounced a few Historics and all the regular Standards (from the same year) here in Indy. This is prolly due to the chambering. i think the thinner finish makes the chambering sound better. IMO[/quote'] Is that a guess about the cost being $500 for Gibson to make a guitar? Sounds a little low to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FennRx Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 i read that another forum (from someone who "knows) perhaps the figure is exagerated, but i bet not by much. consider this: when you go into a drug store and get a RX for say 20 generic Vicodin tabs. if you pay the cash price (no insurance), my pharmacy will charge you $15.99. so you figure a $2 dispensing fee (pay my techs, myself for "work" done), so youre paying $13.99 for the drug. that drug costs the store prolly $1 at the most. that's 12.99 in pure profit. Gibson (and most companies) does the same thing. because they know you will pay it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 They should give the option of 6 in a row tunning machines, and white pickguards screwed to the body (at least 10 screws). 3 single coils and 5 way switching also... Oh, and dont forget the useless tremolo, and 3 pots instead of 4. ...top mounted diagonal jack? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 i disagree with the price thing. a LP Standard costs about 500 bucks to make. the markup on a Gibson is RIDICULOUS. My challenge stands. If you can build a Les Paul cheaper' date=' do it. You may call their markup ridiculous, but I urge you to look into any succesful product and follow it from inception to retail. Just on the retail end, after what the dealers pay, is a substantial markup. If you could afford the real estate, utilities, insurance, taxes and such, you could go into business and beat 'em up. I'm a capitalist pig. If your product is selling, that means people are voluntarily [i']giving[/i] you their hard-earned money for it. Nobody is holding a gun to your head. Do you think Henry and Friends bought Gibson as a benevolent move for all us guitar players? They bought it to make MONEY, coincidentally with a product they loved. Sounds like a dream job to me.... $500 Les Pauls would mean Les Pauls ONLY from the Pacific Rim, and none of my money would be given voluntarily. I like getting a good deal, and I shop accordingly, but I've NEVER been proud to own a guitar that was the cheapest I could find. How would you feel showing your pride and joy to somebody and they said "Wow, I bet you didn't pay sh!t for that - I mean, LOOK at it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzboy Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 1.return standards to solid bodys and have a special chamered les paul2. lower the cost of the guitars 3. all guitars with plek'd frets 4. all 500k pots and better capacitors on all guitars 5. better quality check I would agree with above and I would PAF style pickups more rather than different number like 498, 496, 500 etc. Just make them all PAF with except of the P90 being the single coil and that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlekenny Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I would agree with above and I would PAF style pickups more rather than different number like 498' date=' 496, 500 etc. Just make them all PAF with except of the P90 being the single coil and that's it.[/quote'] That's why they have historics, Gibson USA=Modern Gibson Custom=Traditional Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I WOULD MAKE LES PAULS FREE of course there would be no economic fallout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Are you running for POTUS? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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