1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

[Charvel1975]

Hello everyone I have a little bit of a dilemma with my 98 Gibson Les Paul Special. I play in a classic rock/hard rock cover band covering bands like, Grand Funk, Judas Priest, Blue Öyster Cult, Cinderella, AC/DC, etc.

The guitar has now for some time just has had this really horrible twangy sound and not as much girth and oomph as my Epiphone Les Paul custom with Seymour Duncan hot rod pickup set or my Peavey Wolfgang copy with Dimarzio super distortions and it's not staying in tune and so I haven't played on it at all. It had factory P100 pickups, except the bridge pickup - which was swapped out for a Dimarzio P90 super distortion some time back. I also had these Grover Deluxe 135 Nickel tuning keys installed a while back as well.

STEWMAC.COM : Grover Deluxe Keystones

It's in standard E tuning with 010-046 strings, factory bridge saddles replaced with GraphTech notched saddles - which I think changed the tone of the guitar overall and not in a good way, all Gibson 500K pots, still have factory 300K Gibson's. I'm debating if I should upgrade both pickups and just get new Gibson P90 pickups, Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 set or Vintage SP-90-1N neck pickup and Hot SP90-2B bridge pickup and replace the saddles with Gibson tune-o-matic saddles and have them notched.

Also does anyone know how to safely remove some writing on the back body from previous owner with what looks like a silver sharpie or something?

[Adieu]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Permanent marker is removed with rubbing alcohol.

Don't know about the twangy issue, are you saying this symptom developed gradually rather than after a mod?

[Gtrjunior]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

If you’ve got a Super Distortion in there I’m really surprised you’re hearing twang...?
A typical p90 will definitely be more “raw” and maybe trebly but still I don’t hear twang in my LP Special.
I have a Super D in my LP Standard and that pickup is a beast.

[Chistopher]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Maybe try some heavier strings, and if that doesn't work, brass saddles.

[Adieu]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Are you sure you got both coils engaged in the Super Distortion?

[67Mopar]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

For the music you're doing, the LP Special with its small mahogany body isn't exactly ideal. I'd go with a 50's/60's LP Tribute with humbuckers.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

For the music you're doing, the LP Special with its small mahogany body isn't exactly ideal. I'd go with a 50's/60's LP Tribute with humbuckers.

Nah, a LP Special with a Super D will hit all of those tones and more.
My LP Special with p90’s can do those tones. Not 100% but pretty close.

[dystrust]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Are you sure you got both coils engaged in the Super Distortion?

+1

Take a look at the wiring and make sure that one of the coils isn't shorted. A friend of mine had installed a Custom 5 in his Strat, and I'd never cared for how thin and weak it sounded. I was working on the same guitar a few months later and noticed that the red & white pair was shorted to ground resulting in an effectively permanent coil split. After I properly isolated that connection the tone was much more in line with what I had been expecting.

[67Mopar]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Nah, a LP Special with a Super D will hit all of those tones and more.
My LP Special with p90’s can do those tones. Not 100% but pretty close.

The Super D is one of the worst sounding pickups ever. The pickup version of a G12T-75 speaker... Horrible! A Gibson LP 60's Tribute with an older Duncan Distortion will bich-slap that LP Special all the way back to the stump it was harvested from.

[Wattage]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

First get rid of the Graphtech saddles, IME they sound horrible and plinky. Might work for a Strat or a Tele but in an LP I don't like them at all. Standard saddles are fine. I would look to see if the bridge has lost it's arc. I have had that happen on multiple Gibsons and it generally has a negative effect on the tone and reduces playability. A good quality replacement bridge is an easy swap. I am pretty sure in '98 they were Nashville style unless it's a Custom Shop model. Make sure the neck has proper relief too.

When was the last time the guitar was properly setup?

The pickups aren't my favorites but they shouldn't create the "twang" you are talking about. What does the guitar sound like unamplified?

For the back of the body I would use a light rubbing compound and then when you're done hit it with a coat or 2 of carnauba wax.

[Gtrjunior]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

The Super D is one of the worst sounding pickups ever. The pickup version of a G12T-75 speaker... Horrible! A Gibson LP 60's Tribute with an older Duncan Distortion will bich-slap that LP Special all the way back to the stump it was harvested from.

Hahahahahaha!!!!
You’re high.

[ehdwuld]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Before you remove the writing on the back in silver sharpie
Could you post an image here

Your previous owner may have gotten it signed by someone
Making its value much higher than you realise

[67Mopar]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Hahahahahaha!!!!
You’re high.

Just say no, to DiMarzio.

[Charvel1975]

Re: 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special Dilemma

Sorry for bumping an old thread but I just came across the specs on my 98 Gibson Les Paul Special-

Dimensions – 12 ¾” (W) x 17 ¼” (L) x 1 3/4” (D)

Body –Mahogany

Neck – 1 piece mahogany

Peghead pitch – 17 degrees

Fingerboard – 22-fret rosewood

Fretwire - 0.090” wide and 0.055” tall nickel/silver alloy

Fingerboard radius – 12”

Inlays – pearloid dot

Scale length – 24 ¾”

Nut width – 1 11/16”

Bridge – tune-o-matic (Nashville style)

Tailpiece – Stop bar

Hardware – chrome

Tuners – Gibson deluxe

Controls – 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle switch

Pickups – Dual P-100s