The Metallian Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 If you didn´t have any Gibson and you could buy only one? (A hint for me that doesn´t own one yet! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Gotta be a Firebird...but I am biased ! <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Well I have a 58 VOS, Awesome guitar! But for versitility I may have go with the ES335 Sounds freaken amazing clean or dirty and has a great neck not to mention it is prety comfortable to play. But it is a very tough choice and the 58 has greater sustain and is an amazing beast and is also great to stare at all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjohnson Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 CS-336f. Size of a Les Paul, shape of a 335. Solid wood that is carved hollow. 57 Classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Well I have a 58 VOS, Awesome guitar! But for versitility I may have go with the ES335 Sounds freaken amazing clean or dirty and has a great neck not to mention it is prety comfortable to play. But it is a very tough choice and the 58 has greater sustain and is an amazing beast and is also great to stare at all day. Yes the 335 for 'versatility' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 ('57 or) '58 reissue. Best bang for the buck in the Les Paul world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadCase Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 Could only buy one? Pearly Gates! Yes, the '58 is the best bang for the buck but, if I could buy only one... Pearly Gates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyl Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 The Gibson Buckethead signature Les Paul is the closest match to what I consider my dream guitar. The largest draw for me is the pickup kill switches. I've owned a B.C. Rich s3000g guitar since 1987. That guitar has a humbucker in the bridge position and 2 single coils in the middle and neck positions. There are three switches which control the on/off state of each pickup. The arcade style buttons are an improvement over my B.C.'s design. Finding guitars with on/off pickup switches versus 3 or 5 position phase switches out-of-the-box has never been an easy task. I like the boutique chambered body. Now my personal taste drawbacks... I'm not a big fan of white guitars. I own a white Ibanez Steve Vai Gem. I'd really like a nice blue or maroon color with the kill switches available in other colors also. I'm a sucker for the 5piece pearl inlay on the headstock found on most higher end customs. The existance or non-existance of inlays on the neck aren't a big concern but I think it would be cool to be able to have something if desired - skull&crossbones, little (non-proprietary) chicken bucket icons, w/e. :) I know I'm just one unknown guitarist but I thought I'd post this in case there are others out there that share my sentiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lungimsam Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Guitar: '61 SG reissue with lyre vibrola -walnut Bass: '61 EB3 or reissue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 I have a Standard SG, Studio Model LP, 2009 Nighthawk, LP Jr., LP DC Special and maybe a couple more plus a recently purchased ES-339. I would say that if I were only going to have one Gibson Electric, and know what I know now about the 339, I would have to go with the 339. Great Guitar that is very, very versatile and very affordable for a Custom Gibson. You can play just about any type of music on this guitar. Try one out and you won't be disappointed. I like every one that I have but if I could only have one it is the 339. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 If you are going to go Custom Shop, then a 57 Goldtop or 58 Reissue are the best bang for your buck. If you are talking Gibson USA, then a nice Studio is a great guitar and very versatile. For several years the only Gibson I took with me as I travelled around the world was my Studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qblue Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 If you didn´t have any Gibson and you could buy only one? (A hint for me that doesn´t own one yet! ) A CS-356 w/ Bigsby. Then I would give up all my Strats and other Gibsons, because there would be no reason to have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoRedFoot Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Something they don't currently offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUSHian Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 The Alex Lifeson ES355 or his new LP Axess coming out soon (if I had the money, that is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyoming T/A Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 i like the Axcess--very versitile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob R Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Just bought an L-4CES. Next? A Florentine Byrdland with a tea sunburst finish. Mmmmmm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doin Montary Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 A CS-356 w/ Bigsby. Then I would give up all my Strats and other Gibsons, because there would be no reason to have them. thats funny, you got 5 nice guitars, but that one you dont have is the one that will make you happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doin Montary Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 to the novice ... or newbie ... all les pauls pretty much look alike, what is the difference between a high end and a lower end, yet still custom, lp ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Hi Doin Montary, Your question about the differences between high end and bottom end Les Pauls can be a complex one to answer. A lot depends on the era from which you are buying the guitar, in other words if you are buying a used one versus a new one. Through the early 1970's there were very few models to choose from in the Les Paul, and the differences a lot of the time were mainly cosmetic. A lower end LP would have no binding, then as prices went up you would get more and more layers of binding, or gold hardware, more finish choices and occasionally different pickups. Then towards the late 1970's and early 1980's they began to make a lot more models, but I believe most had the same pickups. Then Norlin sold the company and they went back to fewer models and the same pickups for a number of years. So late 1980's to early 1990's again it was mostly finish choices, hardware choices and binding. I remember when I bought my first Studio in the early 1990's. It was to replace the 2 LPs that I had stolen, a Pro Deluxe and a Custom. I wanted to get a new Custom, but the salesman told me that the $3000 Custom had the same pickups and electronics in it as the $1200 Studio, so I got a Studio. Then in the mid 1990's (1993 I think) they made the Custom Shop a seperate entity and again began making the differences more significant. I don't have any reference books handy right now, so some of my dates may be off some, but that is a down and dirty idea about that period. Now, from the start of the Custom Shop to present the differences become a bit more pronounced. I have to say that I am not all that familiar with the Gibson USA products, especially since the explosion of new models since about 2003 or so. But with the Gibson USA line the basic differences are different levels of finishes and different pickup sets. The 'faded' versions basically have a minimal finish which can look quite nice and I think most of them come with or still use the 490/498 pickup set which is a pretty good general rock and roll pickup set. Then as you move up to the Studio you begin to get a glossy finish with clear coat lacquer on it, some more hardware choices and occassionally ebony fretboard or other small bells and whistles. The Studio is also slightly thinner than the other LPs, the Gibson USA models pretty much use either the 60's slim taper or 50's rounded profiles on the necks, one exception to this used to be the Classic which had a very thin 60's tapered profile. As you go on to the Standard you get binding, burst finishes and more vintage sounding pickups. Then the top Gibson USA model is the Supreme which is thicker than other LPs and has a maple cap on the back as well. If you get a Supreme with a burst finish the front and back are figured maple and there are fancier inlays and a lot more binding. The pickups in the Supreme are the same as in the Studio (490/498). Pretty much all the neck radii on USA LPs is 12 inches. Originally the maple bodies were solid except for the Supreme which has always been chambered. Since high quality light mahogany is becoming harder to find, in order to keep the weight down Gibson USA began chambering the bodies to help keep them light. Considering that in the 70's and early 80's a 10-14lb Les Paul was not uncommon, keeping them light is a good idea. Now with the Custom Shop LPs, originally in the start the differences were mostly cosmetic, solid colour finishes i.e. the Gold Tops, neck profiles, and figured Maple and Bursts as you went to the 58, 59 and 60. Then they began to use Burstbuckers (BBs) in the 59 and occasionally runs of the 58, the standard Custom Shop pickup had been the 57 Classics. The 59 also used to come with two cases, one a replica of the original brown cases and the other the standard black case. In 2003 they began to use the BBs in all the reissues so the differences went back to being neck profiles and finishes. Now with difficulty in getting lightweight mahogany, they use the 'premium' woods in the Custom Shop guitars so they are still solid bodied. The Custom Shop guitars also have more hands on work done in the building process compared to the Gibson USA models (the LP Custom moved to the Custom Shop around 2000 I think). So the differences between a $3000 57 Gold Top reissue and a $7000 59 reissue are the neck profiles, the GT doesn't need a figured maple top while the 59 does and the 59 has a burst finish applied instead of a solid gold one. The 58 used to be available in a plain or figured top at a lower price than the 59, then since most original 58s were plain tops they went to just plain top 58s so they don't use an expensive piece of figured maple. So to summarize quickly within the Gibson USA line there are now a few different models that offer little extras but it is largely cosmetics. Between the Gibson USA and CS models, the CS guitars get higher quality wood, more hands on work, more vintage appeal and a wider variety of neck profile differences between models than most Gibson USA ones. Within the CS models, there are physical differences in the neck profiles and hardware arrangements in the reissues as well as some large cosmetic differences. I don't know if that helps you any. I am sure others will correct my errors (it's 3AM here) or add more info if you need. I know that Joe always has reference material close by to clarify things and others here are well versed in the differences. The big thing with the Custom Shop guitars especially the reissues is the vintage specs i.e. neck profiles (by the way they get smaller as you move from the 1952 reissue to the 1960 reissue) and that is an important thing to keep in mind. What I am trying to say is this, if you are looking for a Gibson USA model and you like the Standard with a 60's neck profile and BB pickups, but only have $1000 or so, you can get an LP Studio with a 60's profile neck, slap in a set of BBs and have a guitar that sounds and feels pretty close to the Standard that you can't afford. But if you fall in love with a 59 reissue but only have $3000 or so and say "Well I'll get a 57 Gold Top instead." You will get a guitar that sounds the same but the neck profile might be too big for you to play comfortably. So with the reissues, it is a bit more involved than just saving a few dollars. Of course it would take a lot more to cover every possible difference from every possible year so all I could do is give a very rough overview. If you have a couple of specific guitars in mind, then someone might be able to give you some more detailed comparisons. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepanshu Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 1963 Gibson classical C-1E with original case This guitar is truly beautiful. The guitar has some crazing of the finish, but certainly doesn't affect the playability of the guitar. Few tiny dings on the lower back, but not all that noticeable. Otherwise, the guitar is in great shape. Comes with the original brown alligator-style case (in good, but slightly rough shape). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doin Montary Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Hi Doin Montary,... a very rough overview. Cheers thanks raptor, thats a very informative answer ... i guess the main thing is like boots, which one feels right, then of course a comparison of the pickups. I would really love to get a 336, or at least play one, last time i drove the 75 miles to a Gibson dealer, they had neither the 336 or the 339 in stock, so i have yet to hold either one. how would you compare the 336 with the new hollowed out lps ? are they close to being the same ? i appologize for asking dumb newbie questions ... if i had a wallet i would go buy one and answer my own questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 You can't really compare any of the LPs to the hollow or semi-hollow body Gibsons IMO. When they began to chamber the Gibson USA models for weight, they tried to be very careful not to alter the tone from that of a solid body. Some people will say they failed, some will say they got it close, others will say there is no difference. Tone after all is very subjective. With the Gibson LPs that were designed to be chambered right from the start like the Supreme and the Elegant, most people find the chambering adds brightness and a bit more clarity to the notes, and I own both and I agree. When they designed ES style guitars they did so to keep the tone as full bodied as possible, in other words not to favour either the bass or the treble tones. So the ES are designed to be versatile beautiful guitars all around, but they do sound different from solid bodies. Now I admit I am out of my depth here because I have yet to buy any of the ES models, so I really am not a good one to speak about their tones except to say that a chambered LP is not going to be a good substitute for an ES. I do want a 335 but every time I think about buying one, my wife says "Cool" until I play them, then she doesn't like the tone. I like them (tone wise), but I am not gigging currently and have enough guitars to cover my needs right now, so I never seem to buy one. There are others around who can give you some really good insight into the tone and build differences between the ES models, and a few who have both ES and LPs and can give some more detail on their differences. DM, don't ever feel like you are asking dumb questions, it is how we all learned about guitars ourselves so we have all been there and have the T-shirt. It is a tough situation when you cannot try the guitars you want to buy. Because tone is such an individual thing, even with the best intentions in the world we might not steer you towards the guitar you really want. Even sending you to listen to sound clips can be misleading because of all the variables in the tone chain such as amps and recording equipment, so what might sound beautiful in a clip, played through a boutique amp and recorded professionally may not sound nearly as nice in person through your amp. We will try to help you as best as we can though. I see you also asked in the Hollow/Semi-hollow forums too. Don't be too quick to dismiss the Epiphones or even (gasp) other brands, at least to start with. Remember you can always change out pickups and upgrade little bits to make it a bit closer to what you want. So how about it guys? Can you help fill in where I run out of gas? How close is a chambered LP to a 336? Or am I right in thinking that they won't really compare well at all? Cheers p.s. if we get no more help for you by next weekend, I will see if I can find a 336 localy and compare it to some of my LPs for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doin Montary Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 p.s. if we get no more help for you by next weekend, I will see if I can find a 336 localy and compare it to some of my LPs for you. i bet you buy a new guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doin Montary Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Your question about the differences between high end and bottom end Les Pauls can be a complex one to answer. ..... What I am trying to say is this, if you are looking for a Gibson USA model and you like the Standard with a 60's neck profile and BB pickups, but only have $1000 or so, you can get an LP Studio with a 60's profile neck, slap in a set of BBs and have a guitar that sounds and feels pretty close to the Standard that you can't afford. Cheers the Les Paul is not the top of my list to purchase, 336 or 335 is first, but if i were to ever win that super lottery, i would want one Light weight and ballsy sound that plays well, ** bells/ whistles /gold plate and pretty woods are not necessary ** i tend to think of guitars like shovels, i never polish my shovel, its a tool, i dont want to be afraid to scratch a guitar, it should be used and abused and plumb wored out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Well, if I could only have "one," and...knowing what I know, Now...I'd get a Custom Shop Vintage Spec, ES-345! Either, in "Faded Cherry," or "Vintage Burst." Just glad, that I have most of the Gibson's I've ever wanted, already. ;>) CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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