How to pick a good 1st Les Paul?

[Securb]

If you've been a Fender guy all your life (Howard Roberts aside), you might like Securb's Custom Lite.

The Custom Lite is my go to with my heavier band. The guitar has 100% LP vibe Last night, I left it at home and took my Traditional, I can not stress how heavy the Traditional felt when I first put it on. However, it played and sounded fantastic.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Personally, I've never played a solid body guitar that was louder and more resonant unplugged than an Epiphone Sheraton strung with heavy strings. The Sheraton has a hollow body that resonates better acoustically.

I'd skip playing the guitar acoustically unless you gig and record with the acoustic sounds from your electric guitar. For the overwhelming majority of us, all that matters is how the guitar sounds through an amp.

Oh, yeah, for sure. I wouldn't expect my Les Paul to be louder and more resonant than a hollowbody. I just meant *within reason* comparing it to other Les Pauls.

But if I had judged my Les Paul based on the pugged-in sound, I would never have bought it. With the thin insipid 490T and the muddy and generic 490R, that is. As soon as I brought it home, I put a Black Winter in it. The same BW that had been in my Epi. And in my Gibson, it sounded like a sledgehammer.

I don't know, maybe I just bonded with that particular guitar. Maybe for the wrong reasons. And I rarely ever play clean, even. But whenever I strum my Tribute, I just can't help but smile. And it's the same feeling that made me pick it at the store. Which is not the same feeling I had with the Epi (which I just picked because it looked pretty, TBH).

 

[Mincer]

If you've been a Fender guy all your life (Howard Roberts aside), you might like Securb's Custom Lite.

The Custom Lite would most likely be my choice. Even the pink ones from the 90s were cool. I also like 'The Paul' models from the 80s, and the non-frilly Studios of the late 90s. But generally, I like more modern upgrades. Non vintage tuners, weight relief, tummy cut, plain dots, satin finishes, and if possible, no binding.

 

[nienturi]

I think if i were in your position i'd buy a used Heritage H-150 and i would search for relatively lightweight (considering a les paul), rings well unplugged, Duncan pearly gates or seth lovers or antiquities on it (since it is used it could be modded).

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I wanted to share my thoughts on resonance (IMO mostly about the body) vs liveliness (IMO mostly about the neck).
Both involve sympathetic vibration, so it's easy to conflate the two.
Wrote a whole long comment. Then deleted it.

Find an LP with good bones that feels right in your hands. Pickups, hardware, etc. can always be changed later.
You can do a lot of things to change the tone of a guitar.
There isn't much you can do to alter the feel, though.

Many dismiss the back-of-the-headstock tap test, since it reveals nothing about the tone of an individual guitar.
But IMO it can tell you a lot about the liveliness of a mahogany neck.

 

[Seashore]

I wanted to share my thoughts on resonance (IMO mostly about the body) vs liveliness (IMO mostly about the neck).
Both involve sympathetic vibration, so it's easy to conflate the two.
Wrote a whole long comment. Then deleted it.

This is food for thought. I don't know if I've ever noticed one without the other. I would've liked to read your comment.

 

[NegativeEase]

Buy an ESP LP!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Buy an ESP LP!

+1.

Overall, in that price range, I think the build quality of LTD's is way better than Epiphone. Maybe not "better", but more consistent for sure. And on top of that, they are way better spec'd with way better hardware and arguably better pickups.

The thin-bodied EC's are one thing, but the FT EC's get more Les Paul-y even.

I used to have a silverburst EC-1000 which was solid. But I also had an EC-401 which was magic.

I always wanted an EC-1000T for the fat body and the 22 frets, though.

 

[Napthol]

I've owned two Gibsons and several Epiphones. Right now I have a 50's Goldtop which I love very much. I highly recommend the Epiphones. Unless you have got $2800.00 to spend. I put a Screamin' Demon in the neck with an Alnico II Pro in the bridge and it sounds really good.

 

[jeremy]

i like those ltd guitars a lot, but that comes back to something i said earlier in this thread. i love my hamer, but it doesnt sound as "les paul" like as my gibson. i feel the same about the esp models. a buddy has a eii eclipse that is a fantastic guitar, but its not as "les paul" like as a gibson. id say both my hamer and his esp are better guitars in some ways, but theres something the actual lp has the others dont even though they all look and are similar in many ways. does that matter? thats up to you. i eventually decided i wanted a real lp in my arsenal so found the right one for me

 

[Aceman]

You need to figure out which one (neck) feels good in your hands. I fully agree with the acoustic resonance as a first check, but that isn't everything. Electric sound is whatever - The electronics are totally replaceable. The amp will drive the sound.

But, most LP's Weill have that mid punch and generally fatness that a Strat doesn't. Balls, if you will.

I have 4 of them, and three have maple 3 piece necks. Those are a different sounds and feel than a fat or thin mahogany neck. Obviously rosewood/Ebony makes a difference also. All mahogany vs Mahogany maple makes a difference in bodies.

But a Les Paul is a lot more complex mixture than a Strat. Neck size, material, board, and body pieces. That's 4 major factors, with 8 levels, and that ignores things like having a Dark piece of mahogany and a dark maple cap etc...which can happen.

And then there is the better or worse by preference Gibson pickup choices.

Some come with Seth like pups, some with Distortion or C5 like pups, and the occasional X2N of a Dirty Fingers, etc....

Thus the original advice: Play it, feel it, like it but it, and then do whatever you want for you with it. Try, and preferably buy used.

 

[Chistopher]

Honestly, with a Les Paul you can also get pretty far by just thinking "This guitar makes me feel the coolest", and then make sure it sounds nice and plays nice. A lot of the specs on a Les Paul are probably different than what you're used to with regards to ergonomics, so you're not really likely to find a "perfect" one right off the bat, cause your hands aren't used to it yet. The Les Paul's that I've liked the most are because they made me feel cool.

Also don't let the people that don't like Gibson pickups tell you what to think. It's a lot easier to enjoy your instrument without them in your ear.

 

[donaldr]

Your budget will definitely drive your choice. And as it been said many times, try a bunch before you find the one that speaks to you.

I had a very small budget, so I got a 2014 Les Paul LPJ (not the Les Paul Junior) and I'm very happy. Sounds and plays as good as all the Classic I tried.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Your budget will definitely drive your choice. And as it been said many times, try a bunch before you find the one that speaks to you.

I had a very small budget, so I got a 2014 Les Paul LPJ (not the Les Paul Junior) and I'm very happy. Sounds and plays as good as all the Classic I tried.

Many of the lower-end Gibbos with the satin finish have a certain something going on. The finish looks and feels very rustic, but it's also really thin and lets the guitar breathe. Many of them have got somewhat unusual wood combos (my Tribute has a maple neck, the first Faded Studios had Mahogany tops) which set them apart.

My Tribute's finish is not perfect. It has a couple rough spots and it dents easily. But man, I love the way that guitar sounds and feels when you strum a chord.

But as with anything Gibson, try before you buy. Many Gibson turds are floating around.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

But there's also some things to consider with the Studio and below models. They have very slightly thinner bodies than Standards. So if you're one of those dudes that want their Les Pauls super traditional, there are some aspects that make those a bit... quirky, I guess.

Then again, original Customs and Standards from the 50's were spec'd different as well. And people sometimes get very passionate about what makes a Les Paul a Les Paul.

 

[Aceman]

Here is a Cost tip: A Les Paul Studio is all the Les Paul you really need. Mahogany body/neck, Maple Cap, rosewood board, Tune-o-matic...

Take this for example (bonus, it comes with 59's already!):

https://reverb.com/item/69283279-gib...dio-2008-ebony

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Here is a Cost tip: A Les Paul Studio is all the Les Paul you really need. Mahogany body/neck, Maple Cap, rosewood board, Tune-o-matic...

Take this for example (bonus, it comes with 59's already!):

https://reverb.com/item/69283279-gib...dio-2008-ebony

Also, Les Paul Studios from the 90's seem to be particularly well-regarded as they're from the "good wood era".

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Lots of good advice above.
Here's how I would approach it.

1. Pick a neck either fat 50s or slim 60s

2. Decide on your budget:
If 5k then buy a Gibson custom
if 2.5k then buy a Gibson standard.
if 1k then buy a Gibson tribute or studio or LPJ
if under 1k then buy an Epiphone, they are pretty close since you're going to want to change pickups anyhow.

3. Esp's look and feel great but they are not the "true" feel and sound of a Les Paul. They are a beautifully shaped guitar that is a lot different than what an LP is all about.

 

[Aceman]

I will say this weekend I saw a lot of nice $2.5k Standards out there. I wouldn't feel bad about spending that on a righteous LP standard if I was only getting one.

That said - hit Reverb and think hard about an Epiphone Elite/Elitist in the $1500 zone. Every bit as good as anything Gibson ever made. (Which is why they stopped)

 

[Aceman]

Lots of good advice above.
Here's how I would approach it.

1. Pick a neck either fat 50s or slim 60s

2. Decide on your budget:
If 5k then buy a Gibson custom
if 2.5k then buy a Gibson standard.
if 1k then buy a Gibson tribute or studio or LPJ
if under 1k then buy an Epiphone, they are pretty close since you're going to want to change pickups anyhow.

3. Esp's look and feel great but they are not the "true" feel and sound of a Les Paul. They are a beautifully shaped guitar that is a lot different than what an LP is all about.

They are the Modern LP Gibson should have started making in the late 80's. Love the 59/JB in many of those.