A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

[Vincent]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

May I hijack my own thread and ask another question? Here goes:

Can anyone tell me more about the so-called 1960 Classic Re-issues? What years were they manufactured and what is the general consensus regarding their quality and tone?

 

[Innocent_Bystander]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

They've made the Classic with the 1960 pickguard for at least the last 4 or 5 years. It's not really a reissue, definitley not a Historic Reissue of any sort.

Some of the newer ones I've seen have been heavy and had two piece backs. One I didn't really care for, the other I liked, both were Honeyburst. The pickups are hot ceramics but they aren't overkill.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

I don't think any decade is exempt from crap or gold. I've played vintage 50s and 60s Gibsons that were crap, and I've played Norllins that were gold.

The REAL problem during the 70s and 80s...was more player backlash than anything. Its not that there were a ton of really badly constructed Les Pauls as much as there were alot of changes to them, that people didn't like cos they deviated from the classic 50s models. Pancakes. multi piece backs. different headstock shapes. Different bridge...the pups, neck shapes, etc.

I've played a number of Norlins that did not *feel* right, that were stellar Les Pauls tonally, and played great. And I've played some that were horrible.

My 2 best Les Pauls barring my recent R8 were a mid 80s "leftover parts" standard/custom hybrid, and a 92 or 93 standard. The mid 80s weighed a ton..I wouldnt be surprised if it was 12 pounds. But it sustained for days, nd played like absolute butter. and was built extremely well. My 92 was the same, though it was lighter in mass weight, and needed a pup swap.

Many of the standards today are the same...some are great, some are the holy grail, and many are just "OK" A few months ago, I played about 10 different LEs Pauls in my local shop..ranging from used Norlin Deluxes to modern standards/studios/fadeds, to custom shop $5000 "aged" models. The two best guitars in there were a early 70s Deluxe that felt weird but plyed and sounded magnificent, and a Faded standard that was the most toneful Les Paul I've plyed this side of my R8. I was trying to figure out SOME way to grab that standard (economically) and just couldn't do it. One of the employees knew what I did too, and snatched it up. Even with the BB pros it sounded fantastic...tons of low end...clear and full acoustic tone, shook like a quarter operated bed in the poconos, and absolutely played itself. Notes would take off into sustain and controlled feedback with no effort..pinch harmonics galore, and bell like cleans. I think it was absolutely as good as if not better thn my R8.

Try them ALL. NO decade determines if its a guaranteed keeper, or piece of firewood.

 

[JeffB]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

May I hijack my own thread and ask another question? Here goes:

Can anyone tell me more about the so-called 1960 Classic Re-issues? What years were they manufactured and what is the general consensus regarding their quality and tone?

They are like any other. Some people don't like the pups, or the thin/flat neck or the snot green inlays. They are often two piece backs (which personally I don't feel is much of an issue), and in the right piece of wood, I like the 500T/496R (drop 'em both low). I had a wine red classic last year that absolutely was a smoking Les Paul. Built great, toneful, played great and the inlays were more "yellow" than green. It looked really nice. I went through about 6 or 7 production Gibson Les Pauls in 2004-2005 and it was in the top 3...the other two being a faded standard and MF Deluxe.

 

[Pastor of Muppets]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

As I said, my 2000 Classic beats the crap out of my 80s Custom - I love the bridge ceramic but have got an APHII to drop in the neck (when my brother in law comes over with his soldering iron) as, while it's perfectly fine, I want a more vintage, rounded sound for those Kossof moments.

The necks suit me down to the ground as I have small hands, and the biuild and finish quality of mine is superb.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

The Classic is sort of a poor man's 1960 reissue. The Historic 1960 reissue is a different animal altogether. They've been making the Classic since the early 90's.

On Gibson in general, my advice is that I don't care WHO made the guitar, NEVER buy one without playing it first. Aside from defects or QC issues, even if it's a great, well-made all around guitar, it might not be the right one for YOU. It's people who don't bother with this and insist on buying sight unseen who end up with the dogs and a sob story and a proctologist's view of a given guitar maker.

There's also a separate category, The Kids, who haven't been playing very long (because of their age, they haven't been doing anything very long) and can't afford a real Gibson so they play the sour grapes game. Can't have it, must find things wrong with it. They seize on the first bad Gibson they find and tell everybody and his cousins they are all like that, and so never get a chance to experience a good one, which is like nothing else.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

There's also a separate category, The Kids, who haven't been playing very long (because of their age, they haven't been doing anything very long) and can't afford a real Gibson so they play the sour grapes game. Can't have it, must find things wrong with it. They seize on the first bad Gibson they find and tell everybody and his cousins they are all like that, and so never get a chance to experience a good one, which is like nothing else.

I see this happening all the time, and it's a great point. Well put.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: A Question for the Real Les Paul Experts

The 1960 Classics are pretty good until about 2002-2003. The inlays after that are awful color-wise; and they made a change from the one-piece pack to the two-piece back. The Plus and Premium Plus models have higher grades of figuring on the tops than the standard Classic model.

There a LOT of differences to the neck profiles--one of mine is "stupid slim" 1960 profile (but I like it!); while the other one is more of a skinny '59 profile. Both good, just different. I think the first one is my favorite.

With the Duncan pickups I've put in, the LW Gotoh tailpieces and the RS kits I'm installing--I'll have 90 to 95% of the tone and vibe of one of the Historic model Les Pauls. There are still differences, but for me, these guitars are right there.

One of the things that I like about my Classics is their tops--they look more like the tops you'd see in Iwanade's book, The Beauty of the Burst. They have great figuring, without being 5A perfect tops; and I like that.

As always, good guitars are where you find them.

Bill