Difficult Decision

[canon_mutant]

Now I know it's ultimately my decision but just looking for opinions. I spent a lot of time searching the forum and though all the LP variants I'm interested in have been discussed except for the one that hasn't happened yet, I haven't seen any post comparing them.

 

I only want to own one LP just cuz there are so many wonderful guitars to own and I'm not independently wealthy. My choices are the Supreme, the Custom, the Axcess, and the 50th R9 coming next year. No place I know is going to have them all to go try out - especially the one that hasn't happened yet . . . No place where I live has any of them at the moment.

 

Of course, the one I would want the most is the 50th R9. That's an easy decision especially considering both the guitar and I are turning 50 next year. That would be entirely too cool. Problem is, that axe is going to be over $5K easy, might go over $6K, and there's just something about paying that much for a guitar. Paying over $3K might suggest therapy is in order.

 

The Supreme has its looks and playability. I have played one and loved it. It kinda loved me back too but I'll spare you those details.

 

The Custom is well a Custom. Can't go wrong there though I personally have not played one. Played a solid body Traditional though and frankly liked the sound of the Supreme better. Don't know if a Traditional and a Custom would sound similar or not?? I thought power chords in particular sounded better on the Supreme than the Traditional. Perhaps that chambered body?? Don't know.

 

Lastly, the Axcess is obviously unique and does have a Floyd and my playing style loves a tremolo, hence my frustrations on other posts regarding the limitations of the Lifeson's Maestro.

 

So, just trying to sort through the choices and wondering if there's anything I haven't considered. Obviously, the Supreme, Custom, and Axcess are all roughly the same price.

 

Any thoughts or advice appreciated. Thx.

[Tim Plains]

50th R9...try $7,500. That's what I was told.

 

If you want the R9 but can't the cost, just buy yourself a R7 or R8. They're just as good. The Axcess, I know nothing about. As for the Custom, I'd say look used. You can probably get one in the mid $2,000 range.

 

Traditionals aren't solid-bodies, swiss cheese. New guitars...only Custom Shop historics are solid. The rest are either weight-relieved or chambered.

[SRV-Zeppelin]

I'd have to side with Tim and say get the R9 if you can afford it. Customs are great as well, though, they're definitely on my "I must own eventually" list. Never been a big fan of the Axcess (purist reasons...). As for the Supreme, it's a great guitar, but it's a b!tch to fix up if you run into electric problems.

 

My advice: Find a 2002-2007 Standard. They're called "standard" for a reason and you can't go wrong.

 

Good luck!

[SRV-Zeppelin]

*EDIT*

 

They're called "standard" for a reason and you can't go wrong.

 

Unless you get geckoburst, that is...

[nikko18]

i would get a r something not necessarily the 50th one cause that will be friggin expensive. or a custom. most likely a custom.

[RichCI]

My advice is this: All models of Les Pauls are good guitars; everyone goes on about reissue this and burstbuckers that but it's really up to you to decide which one YOU like best. I was in the same boat as you (and still am) in that I don't have tons of cash to spend on guitars and, when I was looking for a Les Paul (around 1992), I didn't have any particular one in mind; I was working in a music store at the time and would just try them out whenever we got some new stock in until I found the one I like best (I didn't even want black and don't like gold hardware, but the one that played and sounded the best ended up being an ebony Custom - go figure). I still have that guitar and it's still the only Les Paul I own; it's a killer and I see no reason to buy another outside of wanting a different finish or maybe needing one for a backup (I have other guitars that fill the backup role already).

 

So, head out to some music stores and try out a bunch of them until you find the one that speaks to you.

[retrosurfer1959]

I'm also turning fifty next year and want the 2009 r9 I was told 7500.00 or more so that's gonna be a issue if you think therapy is required over 3k. although I think therapy was required when you said you only want one LP that's just wrong on so many levels.

 

 

Actually they are all nice, so like everyone always says go play a few or a few hundred and then get the one you can't imagine living your life without owning. But do yourself a favor try the R8 and R9 I did and I rarely look back.

[canon_mutant]

As I said in my original post, trying is difficult when no one local has any of the ones I mentioned. Local GC carries a new Standard or two usually, perhaps a Classic, but don't have a Supreme, Custom, or Axcess. The only one I've played is a Supreme some time ago and as I said it definitely spoke to me but that doesn't mean a Custom or Axcess wouldn't. They do have a 68 remake Custom Triburst that weighed a TON and didn't float my boat.

 

Perhaps I was being optimistic pricing the 50th R9 at $5-6K but even at that it would be hard to justify.

 

I haven't been into the local ma-n-pa shop lately. I'll drop by and see what they have. Again, though, lots of times they don't stock the more expensive ones either.

 

I guess I could really test GCs 30/30 policy and just order each one or all three and return the 2 I don't want to keep. Sure would temporarily test the credit limit though!

 

Anyone tried that with GC.com?

[canon_mutant]

So, has anyone played or owned a Traditional and a Custom? Are they pretty similar? Granted I think the Traditionals all get the Classic Pups and most Customs are the 490/498 as I recall but isn't the construction similar and hence the playability and tone?

 

Again, no one here has a Supreme, a Custom, or an Axcess, much less all three. As I said before, I have played a Supreme several years ago and loved it. I have also played a Traditional recently and did not love it but it also had some cosmetic and neck issues. And I've played a 68 Reissue Custom Triburst and did not love it either. Haven't even seen an Axcess.

 

Thx.

[RichCI]

I have a Custom, but it's an older Custom Shop model. It has the 498T/490R pickup combo and all I can tell you is that I love it.