Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior :)

[Securb]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

No one's saying they're not versatile. They just aren't as versatile as a 2 HB guitar because of the inherent limitations of a single PU. You can do everything on a neck PU that you can do on a bridge PU, which doubles your tonal options, and being able to combine them gives you a third tier of tones.

You are totally missing the point here. A guitar like a Les Paul Jr. with a single P90 forces the player to dig into their dynamics and technique more to get a palette of tones. Yes a two pickup guitar will have more switchable tonal options. Digging into a guitar like a Lester Jr will force you to think outside of the box and help you open up a world of tonal options.

The best comparison would be a rock drummer vs. a jazz drummer. A rock drummer will have more drums (more tonal options). Jazz drummers are trained to get tones from hitting the drum head in different ways and in different places. A good jazz drummer can make a 3 piece kit sound like a rack of drums.

Part of the art and enjoyment of playing is pulling the tone out of the P90. If you find a single pickup guitar limiting I guess that is on you.

To say that a single PU guitar is just as, or almost as, versatile as a 2 HB guitar takes a huge stretch of the imagination. .

I am saying it and it is not a stretch of the imagination

 

[regan]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

I can get my bridge HB to sound a helluva lot like my neck HB just from where and how I pick & using the vol/tone controls.
I have a strat/tele/LP/335 & I'm not going to give them up but I'm also aware that all I 'need' is a junior if I want a bright rockier sound I'll use a rigid pick close to the bridge with the vol/tone maxed out, for a warmer jazzier sound I'll roll the tone down and play up by the neck with the flesh on my thumb.

I don't think there's a song (that I'm capable of playing) that I couldnt do on a Junior and have it sound every bit as good as on a strat/lp etc,If anyone can't tell me of one I'd be interested and reconsider my viewpoint.

I'm not saying a neck pup doesn't add a little variety or that I don't use one when it's there, but there's infinitely more tonal variation and nuance in the way you play than where a pup is placed.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

You are totally missing the point here. A guitar like a Les Paul Jr. with a single P90 forces the player to dig into their dynamics and technique more to get a palette of tones. Yes a two pickup guitar will have more switchable tonal options. Digging into a guitar like a Lester Jr will force you to think outside of the box and help you open up a world of tonal options.

The best comparison would be a rock drummer vs. a jazz drummer. A rock drummer will have more drums (more tonal options). Jazz drummers are trained to get tones from hitting the drum head in different ways and in different places. A good jazz drummer can make a 3 piece kit sound like a rack of drums.

Part of the art and enjoyment of playing is pulling the tone out of the P90. If you find a single pickup guitar limiting I guess that is on you.



I am saying it and it is not a stretch of the imagination

I'm not missing the point at all: Everything a player does on a bridge PU can be done on a neck PU, and with both PU's on together. That's a lot of tone options. If a single PU guitar 'forces' a player to be more creative in his approach, why couldn't he find the motivation before? It's the player, not the tool.

Talking about hardware only, a 2 HB guitar is far more versatile than a single PU guitar.

 

[regan]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Talking about hardware only, a 2 HB guitar is far more versatile than a single PU guitar.

What tone can you get out of a 2 HB guitar that's far different from one with sole p90?

 

[blueman335]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

What tone can you get out of a 2 HB guitar that's far different from one with sole p90?

A whole bunch of them, like a neck HB tone, or two HB's on at once. Many players here are very fond of those two sounds. I wire my guitars for independent volume controls so I can mix in different amounts of each. Can't do that with a single PU. Just look at the 7 wiring options I listed for 2 HB guitars. Simple physics: 1 coil can't do what 4 can.

If someone can't get more sounds from a 2 HB guitar than they can from a single P-90 guitar, it's not the equipment's fault. I don't understand why you don't put the same kind of effort into playing a 2 PU guitar. You only do that when you're forced to, with a single PU guitar? Take the player out of the equation: If he can't, or won't, step up his playing until he's 'forced' to, that's a different subject. That's a mental thing, and has nothing to do with the instrument. If he was blindfolded and didn't know how many PU's were on the guitar he was playing, would he play any differently if he was just using the bridge PU? Does the mere presence of a neck PU throw playing techniques out the window?

It's nice that you're so passionate about LP Jr's, but you're talking about playing skills, not instrument capabilities, and if you hold back, for whatever reason, depending on how many PU's you have or don't have, that's a different issue, one that involves your approach to playing.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Why is everyone acting like they're going to be stuck on a desert island with one guitar??

A LP or SG Jr. is simply another utensil in the drawer. Whether or not you make it your primary instrument is up to you, but most players who own one already own most of the classics. It's not as if they're stuck with one dog eared P-90 for life.

As a Gibson player, I agree with everyone who avoids the "mistake year 2015." Some may call it the "Les Paul death bed scribble era." The fat wide neck made to match the horrible brass nut, the robot tuners, the circuit board harnesses, the death bed scribble logo......it was so bad that Gibson took dealers guitars, replaced the tuners, and gave them back, just so they'd sell.

 

[Securb]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

if you hold back, for whatever reason, depending on how many PU's you have or don't have, that's a different issue, one that involves your approach to playing.

Once again you don't get it. When you are playing a LP Standard and want to get certain tones you will instinctively flip a switch. When you limit yourself you start to come up with more techniques to squeeze those tone out of your axe. This is why I love my Excelsior so much and it is my main practice amp. It forces me to approach tone in a different way seeing there are no tone controls. Yes the same techniques can be learnt and practiced on a two pickup guitar. However the single P90 makes you think outside the box. It fosters creativity. This has helped me greatly, it has helped others I have talked with also.

If you can't see it that is cool. However, this is a good time to say don't knock it til you have tried it.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

What tone can you get out of a 2 HB guitar that's far different from one with sole p90?

A high-pitched whining noise, apparently.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Once again you don't get it. When you are playing a LP Standard and want to get certain tones you will instinctively flip a switch. When you limit yourself you start to come up with more techniques to squeeze those tone out of your axe...It forces me to approach tone in a different way seeing there are no tone controls... the single P90 makes you think outside the box. It fosters creativity. This has helped me greatly

It's not sinking in quite yet. It's the player's habits and approach to the instrument, not the instrument itself. You may feel 'forced' to play differently. That's a conscious choice that's going on in your mind. If it takes a certain instrument to get you out of your complacency, it ain't the instrument, it's what's going on in that noggin of yours. Maybe that's what you needed to step up your game. Fine, but most players don't feel the need to take that route. Of the few players that have been identified with single PU guitars, how many have maintained single PU's as their main guitar over the years? The ones I can think of, it was an image, a novelty at one point, and they moved on to a more versatile guitar.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

^ Some people seem inclusive, but other seem to be 'exclusive'. Why does it have to be 'you have a Jr and cannot have anything else'. This is the bit I can't understand here.

I'll tell you one thing. I have never used my vol and tone controls as much as before I built my Jr. I can explore my other guitars with way more knowledge and understanding.

So after owning and playing a Jr (and a Tele esquire) I have become a much more complete player.

Thank You Jr.

This has been a paid presentation for the Jr appreciation society.

 

[Securb]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Maybe that's what you needed to step up your game.

Step up my game? Blueman do you even have a game outside of your livingroom? You ramble on with all of this sage information but it seems to be regurgitations from other internet forums. I am starting to wonder if you even really play. Please post a picture of you actually standing on a stage holding a guitar and I will back off on my statement. When I say holding a guitar I don't want a picture of you on a stage working as a roadie.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

So far, the arguments in favor of Jr's are basically that it is sometimes needed to improve a person's playing. That's fine if it works for you: deprivation to improve skills. Go for it. Great that you're a better player for doing it. Happy as some may be about that, the claim that a single PU guitar has as much tonal variety as a 2 HB is an emotional statement, is not one backed by science.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

I've always looked at a guitar as a tool to serve a purpose. For me, I love the versatility of having more than one pickup in all of my guitars except for my acoustics.

I've had single pickup guitars that achieved awesome tones–but I never gigged with them. I never want my tone to sound exactly the same on every single song–I like to spice it up a bit. Call me lazy if you will but I prefer to use both a Bridge and Neck pickup (especially love what a Middle pickup does on a Strat) for both Rhythm and Lead. I don't see it as being lazy, I like diversity and I love to be able to use one guitar throughout an entire gig and get various tones.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Step up my game? Blueman do you even have a game outside of your livingroom? You ramble on with all of this sage information but it seems to be regurgitations from other internet forums. I am starting to wonder if you even really play. Please post a picture of you actually standing on a stage holding a guitar and I will back off on my statement. When I say holding a guitar I don't want a picture of you on a stage working as a roadie.

You're the one who said: "When you limit yourself you start to come up with more techniques to squeeze those tone out of your axe... it is my main practice amp. It forces me to approach tone in a different way seeing there are no tone controls. Yes the same techniques can be learnt and practiced on a two pickup guitar. However the single P90 makes you think outside the box. It fosters creativity." Sure sounds like you stepped up your game, and a single PU guitar was what was it took to make that happen. You said this all yourself. This is reason to lose your temper?

Look up 'Resurgence Fort Myers' on YouTube. There's two videos of me playing at an outdoors festival in downtown Fort Myers. The third video's from a bar gig, but edited rather weird.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Likewise not interested in a Junior.

I've only owned two single pickup guitars; a Charvel 25th Anniversary reissue and the first incarnation of my Model series mutt. The lack of a neck pickup drove me absolutely insane with both guitars. Even if it was possible to get somewhat close in terms of tone, the feel of the bridge pickup was very different. Sure I could adjust my technique to achieve different sounds, but it didn't change the fact that it wasn't really the tone I wanted in the first place. The mutt was an easy fix; I just installed a neck pickup. Luckily for the Charvel collectors out there I sold my 25th before I ended up routing it.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Same here. If you don't want to use the neck PU, don't. But there's are times when you'll eventually want to.

Just like the middle hum bucker on a triple. :doh:

 

[Aceman]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Absolutely not true. You can use the same style and dynamics with both PU's, and have twice the tonal variety. Out of necessity, you may get more creative in your playing and get more sounds out of a Jr than you may normally get from your bridge PU, but adding a 2nd PU with a whole set of tones of it's own, plus the tomes that come from the middle position, plus all the wiring options... you can't do anywhere near that with one PU. Just too limiting for me.

That what us triple bucker guys say about you dual hum bucker guys and your limitations. Third bucker is another 50% increase!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

I'm not missing the point at all: Everything a player does on a bridge PU can be done on a neck PU, and with both PU's on together. That's a lot of tone options. If a single PU guitar 'forces' a player to be more creative in his approach, why couldn't he find the motivation before? It's the player, not the tool.

Talking about hardware only, a 2 HB guitar is far more versatile than a single PU guitar.

Yet you miss the point that everything you can do on a two pickup guitar, you can do on a THREE pickup guitar. It's 50% more options than you have now! (a lot more depending on the pickup and wiring). Maybe what you need to step up your game is triple bucker black beauty. Really push your picking technique to the limit.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

I think it is totally bad@$$ and pure rawk!


(unless those are robotuners. Then FAIL)

what does the forum Think about this guitar?
the simplicity speaks to me...1 pickup, 2 knobs, 6 strings.
looking into some YT Reviews but I wanna hear from you guys as well

 

[Wattage]

Re: Interested in a Gibson Les Paul Junior

Robotuners are a quick swap and then you sell them to recoup plus the new tuners you put on