Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

wildstar

wildstar

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I fell in love today! I meant to try out a Fulltone Fat-Boost 2, and grabbed the first guitar I could find off the wall that didn't cost thousands. It was a Gibson, looked like a Jr., Special, or some other Les Paul-type without a carved top. The pedal didn't do anything for me... but boy did I love that guitar!

The shop says it's a 1998, and the truss rod cover says "The Paul." I've never heard of this model. Can anyone tell me about it? I've found some info on the web, but not much. Anyone own one?

I might be going to the shop on Monday to make a deposit!
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

YDDDY### Y=Year D=Day of the year As far as I know about standard issue Gibbers. I always thought "The Paul" was a '78-'80 issue with ' late '80-'82ish being called Firebrand with the Gibber logo burned in. I own a really cool '79 The Paul. Great lil hidden gems sometimes. Norlin era Gibber.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

The newer pauls, usually called "the paul SL", I think are pretty good guitars. Mahogany. flat-top bodies and pretty much Les Paul otherwise. I bought one in 1998 fo $550 or $600 and i thought it was a good deal.

-dave
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

BTMN said:
YDDDY### Y=Year D=Day of the year As far as I know about standard issue Gibbers. I always thought "The Paul" was a '78-'80 issue with ' late '80-'82ish being called Firebrand with the Gibber logo burned in. I own a really cool '79 The Paul. Great lil hidden gems sometimes. Norlin era Gibber.
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yeah I own an "80 "the SG" Same concept as "the paul", .Walnut body(gibson i guess acquired a stock of walnut cheap) The burnt in gibber logos wrere called "Firebrands" . Stupid good guitars for the money at the time. Exccellent values still when you can find them.
I dont know about the new ones.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

Thanks, guys. This one is thin like any flat-topper, but has a slightly carved top contour. Plain old red finish, but nice. Really resonant, unplugged. Fat, sweet, sustaining tone when plugged in. Light weight, neck feels great under the hands.

And this coming from a guy who HATES Les Pauls.

I've found a lot of info about those late '70s/early '80s "The Pauls," less about these late '90s models. This particular one seems like such a sleeper, a real player's guitar:

"She may not look like much, kid, but she's got it where it counts."

I think I may be plunking down some money real soon.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

Might be a smartwood model. Where is the toggle switch...
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

Toggle is in the normal Les Paul position, up above the neck joint. Normal control pot layout as well. Pickups are uncovered humbuckers, but I don't know if they're stock. Serial number is 92518340, which I guess makes it a 1998.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

played one (i think it was purple?) way back in the day when i was guitar retarded (guitarded?). I liked it a lot more than the fancier one they had in stock, especially because it was about half the price.

If my memory serves me correctly (and it doesn't always :smokin:) it's basically a Les Paul Special (y'know, the bare basics to make it a 'les paul' no fancy B.S. to make it cost more) but the body size is more like an SG. For people who want a nice 'medium' i guess.

i'd pick one up today if i had the money and it was as purple and sweet as the one i remember. but like i said, my memory...:smokin:
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

I almost got one of those back in 1999 as my second guitar after I outgrew my squier. I played it back to back with the epi custom I have now and you know how that ended. I didn't like the looks of the epi at the time, I thought it was gaudy with the gold hardware. To me, the Paul felt cheap and was so so. Granted, that coulda just been a dud, but who knows.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

That's a real The Paul. I think he's talking about one of the II model Studios. Nothing amazing. Just a studio that was a little thinner with dot inlays I think.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

drew_half_empty said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-THE-PAUL...ryZ38086QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

like this?
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No, not like that. That's the much oder model. The one I found is 1998, and doesn't look so strange. Toggle is in the normal position, and it's a solid red finish. But it does have this nice, slight contour to the top that I've never seen in a Jr. or Special-type flat-top LP.

I think Empty Pockets described it perfectly:

Empty Pockets said:
If my memory serves me correctly (and it doesn't always :smokin:) it's basically a Les Paul Special (y'know, the bare basics to make it a 'les paul' no fancy B.S. to make it cost more) but the body size is more like an SG. For people who want a nice 'medium' i guess.
Click to expand...

I don't think this model, in general, was ever that special. And looking at the one I found in the shop, you wouldn't get excited. Which is why I grabbed it, hoping to avoid EXACTLY this kind of GAS Situation. But you know how it is... sometimes a guitar just has that mojo, and you're a goner.

:biglaugh:
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

I didn't think they made flat top "The Paul's" in the late 90s, mine was a The Paul II that had a carved top and no amenities basically...

SG/LP combo, yeah.

...don't tell anyone about this pic. Which I took for the ebay auction ;)

lp.jpg
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

danglybanger said:
I didn't think they made flat top "The Paul's" in the late 90s, mine was a The Paul II that had a carved top and no amenities basically...

SG/LP combo, yeah.
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That's it!!! The only difference is that the one I found doesn't have a pickguard. Which is a plus, in my book. Maybe I have the name wrong, or just didn't notice a "II" on the truss rod cover or something.

OK, I think I have to buy this guitar. There's no really no other choice. :laugh2:

Uh, wait a minute... what ebay auction? If you're selling yours, PM me.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

haha, sorry, I sold it about 2 years ago...

It was a fairly resonant axe. All mahogany, no maple top.

I A/B'd it with expensive set neck epis at the time, the Epis didn't even come close (even though this one needed a fret levelling right off the bat :P)
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

I bought a 1998 The Paul ll recently (see http://i7.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/c2/52/5717_1.JPG ) which I guess looks the same as yours except for colour. One-piece mahogany body, and a lacquer finish which reacts with the wrong kind of guitar-stand, it seems! A Les Paul with Strat weight. It has stock Les Paul pickups and no pickguard as standard. The sound seems a little lightweight compared to a Les Paul but then it weighs a lot less. Mine has a muddy but bluesy tone. Not sure I like it.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

for whatever my opinion is worth (the Paul wasn't my sort of guitar at all, so I sold it), it definitely gave the gibson sound, light, had a tummycut that was comfy...

Mine was particularly resonant, and gave all the gibsony tones... In the end I wanted Fender twang, sparkle, and definition though, so I sold it. The Paul was too muddy for me... but so are all gibsons.

I actually didn't mind the stock bridge pickup for a humbucker, 498t iirc, it was fairly grindy and harsher than most buckers... the 490r was very deeply, smoothly voiced, and did decent jazz tones...

It played and sounded MUCH better than the epis that were present, and better than most of the Gibson SGs that were around it, but really, I think it was all down to that particular guitar being a decent example. Seems like people have varying opinions of them, the only reason I didn't like mine is because Gibsons don't do my sound.

And the stand thing is ALL nitro finishes :P
 
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Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

LeggsLane said:
I bought a 1998 The Paul ll recently (see http://i7.ebayimg.com/08/i/000/c2/52/5717_1.JPG ) which I guess looks the same as yours except for colour. One-piece mahogany body, and a lacquer finish which reacts with the wrong kind of guitar-stand, it seems! A Les Paul with Strat weight. It has stock Les Paul pickups and no pickguard as standard. The sound seems a little lightweight compared to a Les Paul but then it weighs a lot less. Mine has a muddy but bluesy tone. Not sure I like it.
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Yep, that's it! I think I just got lucky and found a nice one. Or maybe I have poor judgment!

danglybanger said:
Mine was particularly resonant, and gave all the gibsony tones... In the end I wanted Fender twang, sparkle, and definition though, so I sold it. The Paul was too muddy for me... but so are all gibsons.
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Normally I'd agree with you. This particular guitar delivers LP goodness, with little or no mud.
 
Re: Info about late '90s Gibson "The Paul?"

In the interests of less mud and more edge on my The Paul ll, has anyone had experience of the Pearly Gates humbuckers (not the 'Plus' ones) in neck or bridge on a Gibson solid, please?
 
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