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The Les Paul Classic Club


Rabs

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So I was looking though all of the clubs just now and theres alot.. BUT there doesnt seem to be one for the Les Paul Classic.. Now they are kind of a re-issue so could come under that I guess.. But my one has been my main guitar now for over ten years and I love the hot pickups and the 60s necks on them. My one is a 1960 ri Classic but ive seen that theres been several different models of them over the years including a Custom Quilt top version and more recently the Classic Plus..

 

Recently I had put it away as I ran out of room and decided to give it a break.. After a few months I got it out again and realised why its my best guitar and just how much better it is than all of my others.

 

So id like to see the different Classics out there.. I will start with mine which is from 2002. Also out of interest.. Do you know how much yours weighs? Mine is over 11lbs, its a proper monster. (also not that it really matters but this is the only LP I have with a one piece back, is that the norm for a Classic?)

 

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My "Classic"...year, 2000.

 

DSC_0019.jpg

 

 

(Changed out the pickups, for Gibson 57, and 57+...as the stock pickups were too "hot"

for what I like to do. Then, I added '59 TRC, and plain pickguard.)

 

CB

That is one SWEEEEEET top [thumbup]

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Hey CB

 

Out of interest.. Do you know how much yours weighs? Mine is over 11lbs, its a proper monster.

 

Thanks, for the kind remarks... [biggrin]

 

Yeah, it weighs in at about 9.5+/- lbs. One of the reasons I bought it, out of all the other one's

I had looked at. It still had all the tone and sustain, that the heavier one's did, and less weight.

Plus, the "perfect" (not too much, not too little) figured top...for me, anyway. Adding, the "57's,"

was the icing on the cake! [thumbup]

 

Cheers,

CB

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Thanks, for the kind remarks... [biggrin]

 

Yeah, it weighs in at about 9.5+/- lbs. One of the reasons I bought it, out of all the other one's

I had looked at. It still had all the tone and sustain, that the heavier one's did, and less weight.

Plus, the "perfect" (not too much, not too little) figured top...for me, anyway. Adding, the "57's,"

was the icing on the cake! [thumbup]

 

Cheers,

CB

So again... out of interest (I really dont want to start a pointless deabte about whats better)... But out of interest does yours have a one piece back? Ive always wondered if that somehow made a difference to the weight?

 

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And just to be sure as some of the backs are very well matched heres the side and you can see theres no join line there

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Yeah, Rabs...mine is a single piece back, too. No center seam line, on the end of the body. So...???

Don't want to give you the wrong impression...mine is not "Lite!" It's still has substantial weight.

But, nothing like my 1980 Custom, which is over 13 lbs, and feels like an "Anvil," in comparison. [tongue]

 

CB

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This is my 2005 Les Paul Classic. It's also not a heavy one, despite the fact I believe it's a solid body? I picked up a new weight-relieved "classic custom" in a local store a couple of days back, and was surprised how much heavier that was!

 

I keep wondering whether I need to change the Ceramic pickups for Burtbucker Pros or 57 Classics? What's the feeling generally? And if I do make the mod, should I go the whole hog and consider adding coil-tap switching etc, or leave the controls as-is?

 

2005LesPaulClassicHeritageCherry.jpg

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This is my 2005 Les Paul Classic. It's also not a heavy one, despite the fact I believe it's a solid body? I picked up a new weight-relieved "classic custom" in a local store a couple of days back, and was surprised how much heavier that was!

 

I keep wondering whether I need to change the Ceramic pickups for Burtbucker Pros or 57 Classics? What's the feeling generally? And if I do make the mod, should I go the whole hog and consider adding coil-tap switching etc, or leave the controls as-is?

 

2005LesPaulClassicHeritageCherry.jpg

Thats an interesting coloured one.. Not seen a Classic like that before.. [thumbup]

 

I also thought my Classic was a solid body until I came on this forum.. Apparently apart from some customs and maybe the odd artist model pretty much all Les Paul's are chambered or weight releived and have been since some time in the mid 80s or something like that.. Which suprised me condsidering how heavy it is.. So you may have a one peice back like alot of Classics but it is (or should be) weight releived.

 

As for the pickups.. well personally I love the hotness of them.. alot of people dont and Charlie Brown as above stuck some 57s in his.. Personally I bought this guitar as it fealt great and sounded great to me.. So id say leave it as a Classic and if you want those options go for a 2012 Studio or Standard... but thats just me :)

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Thats an interesting coloured one.. Not seen a Classic like that before.. [thumbup]

 

I also thought my Classic was a solid body until I came on this forum.. Apparently apart from some customs and maybe the odd artist model pretty much all Les Paul's are chambered or weight releived and have been since some time in the mid 80s or something like that.. Which suprised me condsidering how heavy it is.. So you may have a one peice back like alot of Classics but it is (or should be) weight releived.

 

As for the pickups.. well personally I love the hotness of them.. alot of people dont and Charlie Brown as above stuck some 57s in his.. Personally I bought this guitar as it fealt great and sounded great to me.. So id say leave it as a Classic and if you want those options go for a 2012 Studio or Standard... but thats just me :)

I have only seen one other in full Heritage Cherry (not sun-burst); I believe not many were made? It won't be "pristine" if ever I come to sell it (unlikely) because I love to play it too much - although I do try to look after it.

 

Know what you mean about the pickups. Reason I have it is it felt and sounded good when I played it. This is why I'm undecided about changing anything about it.

 

Mine's certainly not "single-piece" back, definitely two (very well joined at that, but the join is showing up more in the light as the nitro sinks in). But I did think it was "solid" - you live and learn!

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"Pickups," are such a personal preference thing. My Classic sounded fine, but it didn't have the

sound/tone, that I remembered, as a kid playing a Les Paul (Standard) in my mis-spent youth, in the

'60's. I tried and tried, to get that tone, with the Ceramic's, but it just wasn't quite there, no

matter what I did. So, I finally broke down, and installed the '57's, and when I tried it out, the

very first time, after the "mod," it was "Goose Bump City!" [biggrin][thumbup] There was that tone, immediately.

 

So, for me, it was a good decision. Your own preferences, and experiences may differ. I did keep the

ceramic's, and may use them in something else, or re-install them, in the Classic, IF I would decide

to sell it, at a later date(?)...but, that's highly unlikely!

 

Cheers,

CB

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