Using a Les Paul for lead?

[SamusChief]

The body-heavy nature of my cheap Special II mimic Les Paul makes it easier to do bends and get to the higher frets. Does anybody else think Les Pauls are great lead guitars? I don't see a whole lot of lead guitarists using them, so I thought it was weird.

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

They can sound good, obviously.
Whether or not one can jive with the lack of ergonomics is another.
While I can dig the sound, I just can't get on with the feel of an LP at all, nor the lack of upper fret access. I like to be able to get up there and bend the 22nd fret without having to significantly change the position of the hand.
I guess that's why I seem to only own superstrats, even though lately I haven't really been playing much heavy music at all haha.

Would love a neck thru or set neck thru LP, but not cheap obviously.

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I like the look, nay, I love it, however I like radical shapes because the Explorer and the V both give a resting point for my elbow. I want a legitimate Les Paul by Epiphone or something, but ESP has all the metal features, minus the right pickups. Need some DUNCANS!!!!

[ricc]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

you know, I don't think there have ever been lead guitarists who used Les Paul's. I heard Paul Kossoff used Jacksons in the studio. Page used a Tele in the studio and a Hamer live. Beck used a BC Rich for all his leads. Peter Green used Samicks....

ohhh, you mean you don't see a whole lot of sh!tty guitarists using them?

http://www.lespaulguide.com/famous-les-paul-players.php

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I like the look, nay, I love it, however I like radical shapes because the Explorer and the V both give a resting point for my elbow. I want a legitimate Les Paul by Epiphone or something, but ESP has all the metal features, minus the right pickups. Need some DUNCANS!!!!

I'm not into the Explorer/V and various other 'different' shapes personally.
Guess I'm kinda conservative

And regarding, ESP, on this page, I can spot two guitars with Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_eclipse.html

More Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_deluxe_ec.html

And one more with Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_ec.html

While not to my taste finish wise, more Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_will.html

So pretty safe to say they make the Les Paul shapes with Duncans

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Ace Frehley and Slash were the first two that came to my mind. I know that Kirk Hammett occasionally uses one, but I don't consider him as on par with the other two, mostly because his soloing now is not as melodic as it was on say, the Black Album. My only problems with a Les Paul are:
-No elbow rest like the Explorer
-Hurts my back after a while

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I'm not into the Explorer/V and various other 'different' shapes personally.
Guess I'm kinda conservative

And regarding, ESP, on this page, I can spot two guitars with Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_eclipse.html

More Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_deluxe_ec.html

And one more with Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_ec.html

While not to my taste finish wise, more Duncans :

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_will.html

So pretty safe to say they make the Les Paul shapes with Duncans

My bad. I didn't know they made THAT many. I know they had the EC-1000 and a few others. I was more so referring to Blackouts. They have one guitar with Blackouts, and its a Gus G signature.

[guitfiddle]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Haven't heard much Allman Brothers Band? Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, stuff like that?

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I'm a metalhead. My interests go from Alternative to early 90's metal and prog metal/rock. I'm bad at exploring other kinds of music and branching out.

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Slash, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Randy Rhoads, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Les Paul all used an LP.

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

John Sykes and Doug Aldrich both use/used LP's for their lead stuff in Whitesnake

Mick Mars used a LP for leads on the Crue's early-mid stuff

Vivian used a LP for leads with Dio for a while

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Ok, guys, I get it. I'm undereducated when it comes to music. Now I feel like the worlds biggest idiot...

[GuitarStv]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I find the upper fret access to be a little bit of an issue with Les Pauls . . . my fingers clunk around and it just feels cramped when playing way up high. Probably the coolest looking lead guitar though. I'd love to get the chance to try one of those Axcess LPs to see if they're more comfy . . .

[SamusChief]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

ESP Eclipses are GREAT. They made the cutaway sharper so you can access the last few frets easier.

[Red_Label]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I like the look, nay, I love it, however I like radical shapes because the Explorer and the V both give a resting point for my elbow. I want a legitimate Les Paul by Epiphone or something, but ESP has all the metal features, minus the right pickups. Need some DUNCANS!!!!

I've owned a LOT of guitars in the past 26 years -- including real PRS Custom 24s and Gibson LPs. But for the past several years, my favorite axes have been my ESP Ltd EC-400ATs, 400VF, and 401VF. They all came standard with the Duncan JB/50 combo (my favorite) and Grover tuners. I added GraphTech saddles and switchcraft toggles to all. LOVE these guitars!

Oh... and I've been playing lead since I started. I used to be into the whole shred scene back in the 80s -- Yngwie was my guitar god. I was all about Strats for most of the past 20 years, because I do like the way a strat fits my body and feels. But for rock, the LP body and pickups just rule all IMO.