I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

[UberMetalDood]

Some awesome guitars like EVH, Ibanez, and Suhr have been producing basswood + maple top guitars for a long time. They sound freaking incredible. While I love mahogany + maple in my Les Pauls, I always wonder why Gibson doesn't get some really high quality basswood, put AA maple tops on them and produce a basswood Les Paul. Have they ever made one? Does anyone have a basswood Les Paul clone? If so, how would you describe it compared to a mahogany/maple Les Paul? I'm very familiar with basswood, but I wonder if the fact that a Les Paul would have a larger/heavier basswood body than other basswood guitars has a similar impact on the tone as using a big piece of mahogany. What do you think?

 

[EET_FUK]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

The only good reason that I can think of is that original Les Paul's weren't made of basswood, and therefore would immediately dubbed inferior by various tone-snobs around the globe. I'm sure it would sound incredible, but it wouldn't produce "that Les Paul sound," so many people would be less inclined to buy one.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

They won't do it because the purists would have a freaking meltdown and not buy them.

 

[XPAULPITT]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Ive often pondered this myself. Ive always wanted an alder LP with a maple top and neck.

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Thats simple. It would not be a LP ( at least for the purists). ^ If I am not wrong I think a while back the SLash LP was made of alder with a maple top. I might be wrong.

 

[uOpt]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Basswood is very soft and picks up dings easily.

It is cheaper, so you can't put it into expensive guitars. You might save $10 but the customer expects that you $3000 guitar goes to $2199.

Also, the great basswood sound, which I agree to, seems to come out more often in guitars with a tremolo with a sustain block.

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Basswood is very soft and picks up dings easily.

It is cheaper, so you can't put it into expensive guitars. You might save $10 but the customer expects that you $3000 guitar goes to $2199.

Also, the great basswood sound, which I agree to, seems to come out more often in guitars with a tremolo with a sustain block.

I don't think that there is an audible difference between a fixed bridge or floating trem in a basswood guitar. I have played the hard tail version of the EVH vs the FR version and the only difference was a bit more sustain in the fixed bridge. I suspect that because it's a softer wood that maybe it absorbs some of the overtones you might be able to pick up in harder more resonant woods.

 

[blues]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

The only good reason that I can think of is that original Les Paul's weren't made of basswood, and therefore would immediately dubbed inferior by various tone-snobs around the globe. I'm sure it would sound incredible, but it wouldn't produce "that Les Paul sound," so many people would be less inclined to buy one.

Im not so sure about that. Gibson uses the baked maple fret boards and other materials besides rosewood and ebony. They put ceramic pickups and satin finishes on Les Pauls. That is not what purists would call "that Les Paul sound" or even a Les Paul guitar.. All this is a far cry from the original Les Pauls. Maybe pure tone-snobs would not buy them with basswood but they would not buy the Modals they have been making for the past 15 years either save for maybe historics.

If Gibson wanted to they would use basswood on Les Pauls. They are selling enough of their cheaper non "purists" Les Pauls to make lots of $$$$. For the purists they have the Historic line.

Who knows what some of the woods they use on the cheaper Epi line.

 

[blues]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Found this: Not a Les Paul but looks like Gibson did use basswood:
The X-plorer Studio brings a wider variety of finishes and a new level of affordability to guitarists who have embraced the slightly scaled-down body size. The X-plorer Studio's body is 90 percent of the classic Gibson Explorer, which makes for a more balanced, ergonomic fit with the player. Features include two high-output ceramic mini-humbuckers, a basswood body, mahogany neck with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, and chrome hardware. Includes Gibson USA hardshell case.

 

[jtougas]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

You could always try a 7/8th Tele body from Warmoth.

It doesn't get you the sustain from the set neck, but...

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

I'd be interested in a basswood LP too.

Basswood is like any other "tonewood". There are crap pieces and great pieces. I really like the midrange associated with basswood and I'm getting into lighter guitars, though I do have one heavy SOB that kicks ass.

I would also like to see a semi-hollow LP.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

There was someone here who had/has a sh!tload of Warmoth LPs,maybe one of theirs is constructed as such.
Bolt-ons,obviously,but still...

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Just saw this on Craigslist. It's a homemade Les Paul with a basswood body.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/msg/3944587731.html

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

I'd be interested in a basswood LP too.

Basswood is like any other "tonewood". There are crap pieces and great pieces. I really like the midrange associated with basswood and I'm getting into lighter guitars, though I do have one heavy SOB that kicks ass.

I would also like to see a semi-hollow LP.

I warmed up to basswood a while back when I put a BB3/57 in my Ibanez RG. The tones that I was getting from that guitar were awesome. My Musicman Reflex had a basswood body and so did my EVH Wolfgang. Then I finally got my hands on a basswood Suhr Modern and Surh Classic, and I really liked how those guitars sounded. I figure that a guy like Satriani who is known for his playing and tone always stuck with basswood for a good reason. Basswood has a thick low mid sound and you can put pickups like the PAF Joe in it and hear all the great sounds you want without it sounding thin or harsh.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Just saw this on Craigslist. It's a homemade Les Paul with a basswood body.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/msg/3944587731.html

Holy ****! That is a hour drive from me! I really want to jump on it!

I warmed up to basswood a while back when I put a BB3/57 in my Ibanez RG. The tones that I was getting from that guitar were awesome. My Musicman Reflex had a basswood body and so did my EVH Wolfgang. Then I finally got my hands on a basswood Suhr Modern and Surh Classic, and I really liked how those guitars sounded. I figure that a guy like Satriani who is known for his playing and tone always stuck with basswood for a good reason. Basswood has a thick low mid sound and you can put pickups like the PAF Joe in it and hear all the great sounds you want without it sounding thin or harsh.

I have a super-cheap Ibanez RG120, and despite being one of those "cheap basswood" guitars, it really sounded great. It is in parts now, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it. I'm sure a basswood guitar would also be great for carving a bunch of cool designs into the top.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

There was someone here who had/has a sh!tload of Warmoth LPs,maybe one of theirs is constructed as such.
Bolt-ons,obviously,but still...

I "think" it's Orpheo,mebbe he'll chime in...

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

I don't think that there is an audible difference between a fixed bridge or floating trem in a basswood guitar. I have played the hard tail version of the EVH vs the FR version and the only difference was a bit more sustain in the fixed bridge.

The EVH Floyd Rose had a floating trem?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

A friend of mine had a luthier adjust his Wolfgang so that the FR floated and the neck pitched back to compensate. This guy was perplexed when the tone changed and the D-Tuna device no longer worked. Duh!

 

[Wattage]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

Ive often pondered this myself. Ive always wanted an alder LP with a maple top and neck.

buy an agile

 

[Bfeeney]

Re: I've Gotta Ask (Les Paul Question)

I've thought the same thing about a LP made out of something other than mahogany. I love LP's but I've found I'm not a fan of the wood. Back in the day I was going to go the Warmoth route but then Gibson had to cry like five year olds forcing Warmoth to get rid of the Gibson knock-offs. Right now the only thing left (that I know of) is a bolt-on Douglas Shadow made of alder from Rondo for $145. I wont trash the guitar since I've never played one but I seriously doubt it's in the same ballpark as a set neck Gibson/Epi LP.