Did you buy your LP without trying or comparing it?

[Ren]

Every magazine you pick up makes the common sense point of trying several examples of the guitar you want before handing over any cash. This is a great ideal, but in my experience (at least in the UK), you're unlikely to get much of a selection of the same model, and so you tend to go with whatever they have (as long as you're set on the model, e.g. 08 Standard HCSB).

 

Also I have some sort of weird, totally illogical thing about wanting something (when it's new) that no one else has touched, and so have bought two Les Pauls and taken them home in their unopened boxes - I feed off that anticipation and excitement..! It's like a sort of religious ceromony opening the box...

 

With my latest '08 model Standard, they're in such short supply over here, that I just reserved the one I new existed in the shop without ever having played it. My sense tells me this is stupid - don't be an early adopter, wait til there are more around and try a few. Ok, for action adn stuff, I can fix this, but as to the different characters of the slabs of wood, of course they'll be a big variation. But I also (prolly stupidly) feel some sort of karma, that that guitar was meant for me! hey, I'm an artist!

 

 

Just wondered if others understood this same illogical way of spending thousands of pounds/dollars?

 

cheers

[ChanMan]

If I had to pick from the list, I would be closest to #1.

 

How about "Played all the various models and brands you could find, prior to deciding on a Les Paul Standard"?

 

 

 

 

Interesting poll... curious about the results

[RichCI]

Same for me, ChanMan; I wasn't after a particular model and played a crap load of different LPs while working in a music store until I found the one I bought.

[Witmer]

I didn't know as much when I bought my guitar as I do now, so I tried the display model, (against a PRS, but not the other LPs) decided I liked it, and then bought one "just like it" in the box in the back. I got lucky.

[Thundergod]

When I bought my first LP I was going for a SG standard... I played that thing (they only had one SG standard in natural burst) and it just didn't do it for me... I played her for 2 days before deciding I wouldn't buy it.

 

When I got her back I found out they had a standard faded that came in by mistake... they had it still in the box, didn't know what to do with her as they didn't even know the price it was to be sold at.

 

I bought that one... at 100 less than what they were selling for at the time in GC or MFers (got her for $1420)... which is kind of weird, here everything costs more than in the states... (our currency is the US dollar).

 

I played her through some amps and decided she was the one... so maybe a little of #2 and a little of "But I also (prolly stupidly) feel some sort of karma, that that guitar was meant for me!".

 

The second les paul I got (which doesnt get talked about very much around here... ) is a white studio I bought from a friend, I had played her many taimes so I knew she was ok... it's a little beaten and scratched but I bought her to refinish her, so maybe when i do that I will post pics and talk about her.

[Ren]

If I had to pick from the list' date=' I would be closest to #1.

 

How about "Played all the various models and brands you could find, prior to deciding on a Les Paul Standard"?

[/quote']

 

Yeh, I was making the supposition that one had already decided on the actual model.... a whole massive subject in itself.. cheers

[Ren]

voting so far is showing I'm a sucker!

 

And, if you work in a guitar shop I guess you've got the opportunity to try loads - I didn't think of that.

[ChanMan]

I believe my LP was fated to be mine, too, Thunder... I played a BUNCH of Gibson Les Pauls. Everything fell into place the day I found her and brought her home.

 

Id' say definitely #1, given that criteria, Ren. Once I decided on an LPS, then I played as many as I could to find the best of the bunch

[AXE®]

I probably played close to a hundred or so before picking the two(off the rack) Les Pauls I use now.

 

The Standard looked at me and I looked back thinking there was no way that it would have that"feel".

Well I was wrong, I didn't have the money at the time for it and was passing through the Manassas Va area at the time.

When I returned a few days later with the money it was not hanging on the wall.

Disappointment set in immediately, the guy who owned the shop chuckled a little when he saw the look on my face and said I knew you'd be back, and bent down behind the counter and set the case up and said here it is.

It had a sold tag on it with my name on it.

 

Tha Classic Gold Top is one of those freaks of nature. Bone stock to this day, heavy and very playable with tone and attitude for days.

 

Payed less than $1,600. for each. not both.... each.

[surfpup]

Don't think I could buy a guitar in the LP price range without trying it. It would have to be some kind of great deal. I spent a couple hours playing different ones when I bought my Classic gold top. I actually walked in wanting a CSB, but after a couple hours the gold top won out.

[rocketman]

I also played about 100 of them before buying my first one. The second one was ordered from Gibson but I played a bunch of chambered ones so I knew how it would sound.

[greatwhitenorth]

I played a bunch in different shops around the city, and three different LP's in the shop the day I found mine. Mine was the first that I tried that day, and I loved it right away, but I felt obligated to try the others through the same Traynor YCV 50. While I was playing one of the runner-ups someone picked my baby up and played a few licks on it before putting it back. I swear, my heart skipped a beat. As my wife and I payed for my early birthday gift, the guy who was playing it said "That's a great guitar man". I thanked him and said to my wife later, "I can't believe that joker was touching my baby". Don't get me wrong. I really liked most of the brand new and used LP's that I tried in my quest, but this one was a keeper from the first few chords.

 

GWN

[retrosurfer1959]

Done both over the years, usually play before I buy but I have quite a few so I don't go out looking anymore if I find an amazing one I buy it, say I'll sell something else then keep all of them

 

Bought my current favorite a Warren Haynes at MF after a great offer (they cancelled a different sale order so steep discount) the luck of the draw or skill of the Custom Shop was with me it's my favorite now.

[dpgumby62]

My first LP I bought after playing a few through an amp, all used btw, new was out of my range at the time. All played well and sounded good, but then my ear isn't so great, so it would have to be a really bad one to put me off. I ended up going with the black LP which I still have. I had tried an LP Custom a couple of years earlier, which was great, but for some reason or other I didn't go ahead and buy it. Pity, that was a really nice guitar. Oh well.........

 

On the other side of the coin, I have just put a deposit down on a new Slash signature LP Standard (Gibson USA model) with nothing more than a quick play in the store unplugged. It was the only one available, and I dont think all that many would have made it down under, so given I was after this particular model, then it was either buy it or see it go to someone else.

 

So yeah, I've done both.

[RichCI]

I'm reading where a lot of guys tried a lot of LPs before buying. I worked in a music store when I was shopping for my LP so you guys who tried a lot (over 20 being "a lot" IMO) must have drove some sales people insane unless you were picking them off of display.

 

I think it's worth noting that somes you just get lucky. I know exactly how I like a guitar to react to my playing; it's not a issue of pickups or neck shape or string height or this kind of wood or that kind of finish or whatever, it's really boils down to how whatever ranges of frequencies that I like to feel in a guitar resonate. When I bought my 52 RI Tele, it was the first and only example I played (in this case, I was shopping specifically for a 52 RI Tele, not just any Tele) and it just felt right the first time I got my paws on it. I didn't need to try any more and, literally, it was a 10 minute shopping experience which included the time it took the guy to find what I wanted in stock, me to hit a couple of chords unplugged, plug it in to hear the pups while trying to hide my wild enthusiasm, negotiate a better price and have them ring up the sale. The guitar awesome and I felt no need to look at anything else; that one was what I wanted, end of story.

 

Does this say that Fender makes a greater percentage of "good" guitars? Not necessarily (although I got lucky with my Strat that I bought at a clearance sale) but it does indicate that don't always have to dig through a mountain of guitars as long as you know what you want in a guitar, how to recognize that quality and when to stop when you find it.

[urbs]

The LPS i have now was bought after several trips at the local GC . I happened to be working right down the street so i spent my lunchtime down there buggin the sales guy . Like i said in the satisfaction thread I LOVE my LP !!!!

[Picker]

The first one, yes. How could I go wrong, it was a Gibson, right? Never again after that.

[RichCI]

Sweet V, Picker! And welcome to the boards. =)

[littlekenny]

when I have enough money to start seriously shopping for a LP I'm going to be trying a lot them, classics, standards, traditionals etc

[pippy]

Played lots over a longish period of time.

 

It took longer because I was really looking for a '07 / '08 VOS and didn't try mine until I'd played every '58, '59 and '60 VOS RI I could track down in London.

 

It was only when I was, mentally, going back over all the guitars I'd tried that I remembered seeing the '95 RI on a wall and went back in the next day.

From the first moment I started to play it I thought 'Jesus Christ Almighty!' (Sorry if I used the Lord's name in vain - no hate mail, please!).

I spent the next 40 minutes or so playing it unplugged just listening to it's incredible tone.

Still, I compared it with the four VOS guitars in the shop (which I'd already tried, beforehand, in any case) just to confirm to myself that the '95 was really that much better (to my ears), plugged it in for a few minutes, and bought it.

 

Incidentally, all this faffing about actually worked in my favour : Mistaking my dazed expression for one of 'Will I/won't I', the assistant offered me a pretty big reduction in the ticket price as a sweetener..................

[Bram]

I'm reading where a lot of guys tried a lot of LPs before buying. I worked in a music store when I was shopping for my LP so you guys who tried a lot (over 20 being "a lot" IMO) must have drove some sales people insane unless you were picking them off of display.

 

I think it's worth noting that somes you just get lucky. I know exactly how I like a guitar to react to my playing; it's not a issue of pickups or neck shape or string height or this kind of wood or that kind of finish or whatever' date=' it's really boils down to how whatever ranges of frequencies that I like to feel in a guitar resonate. When I bought my 52 RI Tele, it was the first and only example I played (in this case, I was shopping specifically for a 52 RI Tele, not just any Tele) and it just felt right the first time I got my paws on it. I didn't need to try any more and, literally, it was a 10 minute shopping experience which included the time it took the guy to find what I wanted in stock, me to hit a couple of chords unplugged, plug it in to hear the pups while trying to hide my wild enthusiasm, negotiate a better price and have them ring up the sale. The guitar awesome and I felt no need to look at anything else; that one was what I wanted, end of story.

 

Does this say that Fender makes a greater percentage of "good" guitars? Not necessarily (although I got lucky with my Strat that I bought at a clearance sale) but it does indicate that don't always have to dig through a mountain of guitars as long as you know what you want in a guitar, how to recognize that quality and when to stop when you find it.[/quote']

 

I completely agree with this. In guitar shops I always compare/test as many Les Pauls as possible, but I even don't touch the ugly ones.

 

My personal factors:

 

1) Looks: I don't even touch an ugly, futuristic, cheap looking Les Paul. This is where it all starts; if I don't like the looks, I don't feel comfortable with the whole instrument (even if it would sound great).

 

2) Build quality/comfort: How does the neck and throughout guitar feel in my hands? Does it feel comfortable and solid? If it doesn't play well or doesn't feel right in my hands, I look further for the next guitar (again: even it would sound great). Sometimes I feel that the guitar only needs a good set-up (action/intonation) and it that case I'd bring it to a professional luthier (if everything else is to my taste).

 

3) Tone: If these two above factors are good for me, then it's time to judge on the tone. All of this can go very fast (maybe in 5 or 10 minutes). Judging on these three factors all starts when playing the guitar unplugged. Once plugged-in, the pickups and electronics have to be right. I don't feel comfortable going home with a guitar that needs too many changes to sound right...

[SRV-Zeppelin]

I played my LP standard (see avatar) both dry and through an amp for a total of about 6 hours before I bought it. I didn't have to compare it; I'd already played numerous LP models before and I knew I wanted a 2007 standard. It was just a matter of making sure I liked the guitar.

[Murph]

I don't have a dealer within an hour drive one way. I've bought 3 Gibsons, a J45 RW, my ES-339, and just ordered my daughters Les Paul studio from MF. The studio had to go back due to a flaw in the fretboard, but I expect perfect satisfation with MF. And Gibson.

 

I don't need to drive 2 hours several times to try out guitars once I study the specs, when they will ship them to my house to try for free. If I don't like it, I send it back.

 

I wish I had a dealer closer, but I don't.

 

Best to ya.

 

Murph.

[Dynadude]

I bought my Studio DC off of eBay, but only after talking with the seller/owner on the phone a few times.

 

He said it was perfect, posted great pics, and when it arrived, it was just as he described.

 

You get a sense of honesty from some people, and this guy was like that. He needed the cash, and had rarely played the guitar.