Cheapest decent Les Paul??

1

1ManGarageBand

New member
(My first post in this forum.)

I've been a Tele player for 49 years.

The older I get the more I covet a black Les Paul, in large part because they're so damned pretty; I'd like to hang one on the wall and just look at it from time to time while drinking beer.

I'm pretty ignorant about LP's. My memory of the few times I've played them is that the frets were too small and they were heavy (beside the fact that they sounded great).

I've been looking at the Gibson LP Studio ($1270 in the catalogs).

QUESTIONS:

1.) Is there a cheaper LP or clone thats as beautiful and sounds decent?

2.) What neck style would you recommend for an old tele player?

3.) Is it possible to buy one without pickups installed?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

My advice would be the Gibson Les Paul Studio. They have cheaper Gibson Les Pauls, but they are not a REAL LP. I have a Strat and a Tele and I like the way the Les Paul neck feels - try it. They are heavy - that is part of the sound. There are plenty of clones, if you want to change out pickups and switches and.... Yoy won't find a new anything w/out pickups. Good Luck!
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

1.) Probably cheaper, looks are something else and tone often gets debated around here. I never settle for less than a Gibson headstock but not everybody has that kind of scratch laying around.

2.) I prefer the current prodcution necks and the 50s fatter necks are ok as well. Teles tend to have a somewhat meaty neck so I'd think you'd be ok with the current procuction necks, though the 60s neck may be a little closer to Tele territory. I do find that the thicker necks resonate better.

3.) Unless you special order the guitar, it will have pickups in it.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

Get a real one if you are really 61 - we just rent on this planet anyhow.
I owned a black LP Studio and a black Gretsch Duo Jet the Duo Jet cost over twice what I paid for the LP, I miss the LP.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

epiphone black les paul standard-$379.pickups and electronics upgrade... you shouldn't get over $650 in the complete package... unless you have to have the gibson name
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

epiphone elitists have a more friendly price range than even a lot of low end gibsons.. and theyre excellent quality
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

cheaper than Gibson LP Studio ($1270 in the catalogs)?

Are you willing to go used? If so, I recommend the Gibson LP standard - same thing as the guitar greats through history played

I have an epi lp standard & can hear the difference...if you are gonna get one, get the best one & do it once. Someday I plan to get one too & use the epi as a backup - I could never part with the epi - it was my first real guitar.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

Epiphone Elitists are around 900, you can also find some very nice Epi Standas and Customs if you shop around
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

dasfonzie said:
Epiphone Elitists are around 900, you can also find some very nice Epi Standas and Customs if you shop around
Click to expand...

I agree. Especially the Customs. They are the prettiest, if you like black, and they have the warmest tone.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

Yeah but at your age, there's no point in mucking about with knock-offs. Get the real thing. Considering you've played the BEST guitar for 50 years, the Gibbo will just be awkward, heavy, foreign, short-scaled,,, and simply put, will make you fall in love with your No1 choice all over again. Tele-cant-be-beat...
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

I can relate, my friend. I'm a Tele player, too, but Guitar Player put a picture of Jeff Beck's 'Blow by Blow' 54 LP on their May cover.:32:

Also in the May GP, a review of 20 or so budget solid bodies. They said good "things about the Epi Standard - "everything a good Les Paul should be" or words to that effect. Your affinity for black helps you, too. They charge more for the 'bursts, since they need a pretty piece of maple on 'em.

GP actually gave an Editor's Pick to a different LP-ish axe, an ESP. Nice guitar and a good deal, but it's not as authentic a Les Paul as the Epi. With a 24-fret neck, it's not gonna do that fat neck pickup tone right, either.

Gibson prices are ridiculous, but even hardcore Tele guys should have a LP around. Buy an Epi, then stick some SD's in it, just in case you ever take it down off the wall and play it.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

Edwards...Tokai are kinda the no brainers for best bang for the buck. They look just about 100% but they aren't 100% "feel" wise (for me anyway).

Hear good things about Agile, but I cannot stand the nut width and aesthetics (and prefer rosewood boards as well).

If you search through a couple you can find some killer Epis. The MIC Standard Plus and the "sig" axes (SpaceAce, Zakk models) seem to have the best consistency.

You prolly are better off finding a used Gibson LP Studio with a good piece of wood...if ya want it all ..feel, looks, and tone.
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

tone4days said:
i thought the LP painted on the cover of 'blow by blow' was 'oxblood', not black ... am i misremembering?
t4d
Click to expand...

I've always heard it called 'oxblood', but the one on GP sure looks black. Did he have more than one LP? It seems that Les Pauls kinda came and went pretty quickly for Mr. Beck.

Edit: found this picture on the web -
JBoxblood.jpg


Here's the page I found it on. Interesting read, especially about the mis-placed bridge pickup. But it still looks black.

Boy, did we ever hijack this thread.
 
Last edited:
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

yeah - as i understand it, it was a stock '54 les paul goldtop, taht some guy wanted some changes to ... he wanted it refinished in oxblood and gibson humbuckers installed .... the sale fell through ... beck bought it while on tour in america ... in photos it appears to be black; but is a dark brown/maroon ... found this pic of the actual guitar ... look at that trainwreck of a bridge pickup route and bridge/tailpiece ... how do you think it intonates :D

JBoxblood.jpg
 
Last edited:
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

Beck's Paul is Oxblood, and has a definite red hue to it when seen in sun light. The Oxblood Historics are awesome guitars.

For a best bang for the buck LP, I would try to find a mid-90's LP Classic Plus or Premium Plus. Plan on replacing the Pickups with Duncan Antiquitys, Pearly Gates, or Seth Lovers for authentic PAF tone--and then get a lightweight tailpiece. You'll have 90-95% of the Historic vibe and tone for half the dinero. Since you're a Fender player, you'll probably like the 1960 Slim-Taper neck better than the 50s' necks.

If you want a BIG neck LP, then treat yourself to a Gibson Historic '58 Plain-Top, or the '57 Gold Top for humbucker tone--or the '56 Gold-Top if you want P-90s. You CANNOT go wrong with these guitars--they are holding their value really well.

Other than a Historic, the best advice I can give is to buy the best, fanciest, most incredibly flamed top you can afford. They hold their value.

And they look great! ;)

Bill
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

back on topic - i know guys rave about the value of the agile LPs .... for low dough, you get in the neighborhood and have a perfect canvas to play upgrades with ... no one will confuse it for the real thing unless you are in a smokey bar :D ... but the tone and playability can be pretty damn close

good luck
t4d
 
Re: Cheapest decent Les Paul??

1ManGarageBand said:
(My first post in this forum.)

I've been a Tele player for 49 years.

The older I get the more I covet a black Les Paul, in large part because they're so damned pretty; I'd like to hang one on the wall and just look at it from time to time while drinking beer.

I'm pretty ignorant about LP's. My memory of the few times I've played them is that the frets were too small and they were heavy (beside the fact that they sounded great).

I've been looking at the Gibson LP Studio ($1270 in the catalogs).

QUESTIONS:

1.) Is there a cheaper LP or clone thats as beautiful and sounds decent?

2.) What neck style would you recommend for an old tele player?

3.) Is it possible to buy one without pickups installed?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!
Click to expand...


Check out the 1993 Ebony Gibson Les Paul Studio Mark has for $775
(scroll down. fifth guitar from the bottom of the page)
http://www.marksguitarloft.com/catalog.php?cat=electrics

Might be just what the doctor ordered.
 
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