W
WickedCoach
Guest
Lets hear any opinions and see pics of your Les Paul's with and or without covers. I've always disliked covers, but since bringing home my studio faded, I think my opinion is changing.
Myaccount876
Amira-Maker
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Covers.
Covers.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
I no longer play Les Pauls. I think a nice '58 or '59 Burst can be a gorgeous looking guitar but that's just looks.
Les Pauls sound flat and lifeless to me...which was Les Paul's goal. He didn't want any resonance at all and that's just what he achieved.
As for covers or no covers, I leave the covers on, although I like the looks both on & off.
I used to always take them off back in the days when only Gibson made paf style humbucking pickups.
Off makes for a slightly more aggressive sound with more (dare I say it?) "sizzle".
It's a good tone for harder rock styles especially for those who play with a massively distorted tone pretty much all the time.
I'm a blues, roots and jazz player and if you notice, most of us leave the covers on. It makes for a tone with more than enough treble but the treble is not quite so aggressive and has a little less...what's the word? "Sizzle".
So the humbucking pickups in my ES-335 have the covers on. Even though I'd love show off the double cream coils under the covers.
But they look to cool to hide on my black Fender Stratocaster.
I no longer play Les Pauls. I think a nice '58 or '59 Burst can be a gorgeous looking guitar but that's just looks.
Les Pauls sound flat and lifeless to me...which was Les Paul's goal. He didn't want any resonance at all and that's just what he achieved.
As for covers or no covers, I leave the covers on, although I like the looks both on & off.
I used to always take them off back in the days when only Gibson made paf style humbucking pickups.
Off makes for a slightly more aggressive sound with more (dare I say it?) "sizzle".
It's a good tone for harder rock styles especially for those who play with a massively distorted tone pretty much all the time.
I'm a blues, roots and jazz player and if you notice, most of us leave the covers on. It makes for a tone with more than enough treble but the treble is not quite so aggressive and has a little less...what's the word? "Sizzle".
So the humbucking pickups in my ES-335 have the covers on. Even though I'd love show off the double cream coils under the covers.
But they look to cool to hide on my black Fender Stratocaster.
Attachments
Last edited:
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Oh Lew. With all the great recordings that have been done with Les Pauls over the decades...
Oh Lew. With all the great recordings that have been done with Les Pauls over the decades...
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
I prefer covers on my LP,but on my SG I have double cremes w/o covers...Normally I prefer covers though.
I prefer covers on my LP,but on my SG I have double cremes w/o covers...Normally I prefer covers though.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Lew...I'd say the LP is heavy as hell and I don't like the lack of upper register access,but "lifeless" I can't agree with....Sustain no problem also!
I no longer play Les Pauls. I think a nice '58 or '59 Burst can be a gorgeous looking guitar but that's just looks.
Les Pauls sound flat and lifeless to me...which was Les Paul's goal. He didn't want any resonance at all and that's just what he achieved.
As for covers or no covers, I leave the covers on, although I like the looks both on & off.
I used to always take them off back in the days when only Gibson made paf style humbucking pickups.
Off makes for a slightly more aggressive sound with more (dare I say it?) "sizzle".
It's a good tone for harder rock styles especially for those who play with a massively distorted tone pretty much all the time.
I'm a blues, roots and jazz player and if you notice, most of us leave the covers on. It makes for a tone with more than enough treble but the treble is not quite so aggressive and has a little less...what's the word? "Sizzle".
So the humbucking pickups in my ES-335 have the covers on. Even though I'd love show off the double cream coils under the covers.
View attachment 36937
But they look to cool to hide on my black Fender Stratocaster.
View attachment 36942
Lew...I'd say the LP is heavy as hell and I don't like the lack of upper register access,but "lifeless" I can't agree with....Sustain no problem also!
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Yeah, 'lifeless?' There's days Lew gets on a roll and you never know what he'll come up with. Somedays it's like 'Grumpy Old Men Part 3.' I'm not ruling out the normal loss of high frequency sesitivity that naturally occurs with age, or perhaps an earwax build up. No telling how much treble he's actually able to hear...
It's been debated many times, it's a matter of taste. I don't like 'toppy' guitars, and LP's are my favorite. I find those 10 lb bodies to be very comforting to hold; they seem to bring out my best playing. For other guys, an LP is like a boat anchor. I'm just glad we have the choices we do.
Lew...I'd say the LP is heavy as hell and I don't like the lack of upper register access, but "lifeless" I can't agree with....Sustain no problem also!
Yeah, 'lifeless?' There's days Lew gets on a roll and you never know what he'll come up with. Somedays it's like 'Grumpy Old Men Part 3.' I'm not ruling out the normal loss of high frequency sesitivity that naturally occurs with age, or perhaps an earwax build up. No telling how much treble he's actually able to hear...
It's been debated many times, it's a matter of taste. I don't like 'toppy' guitars, and LP's are my favorite. I find those 10 lb bodies to be very comforting to hold; they seem to bring out my best playing. For other guys, an LP is like a boat anchor. I'm just glad we have the choices we do.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
I've owned some beautiful Les Pauls including several Bursts from 1958 and 1959 and a three humbucker '58 Custom. They do sound flat to me...which was Les Paul's goal.
Stratocasters do not sound flat to me. Neither does a great ES-335.
I need a guitar that resonates. Les Pauls were created to resonate as little as possible and to have what Les Paul thought of as a flat response. Whether it's actually flat or not is open to question.
But he wanted the response as flat as possible and then went on to invent those awful, totally sterile sounding low impedance pickups Gibson used on the Les Paul Recording guitars. I hated those guitars but that was Les Paul's personal ideal: flat clean tone.
I love the Les Paul tones of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Paul Kosoff as much as the next guy and learned those styles when I was teaching myself to play the guitar in the 60's and 70's.
But these days, in MY hands, I want a guitar that resonates. I love my Strats and my ES-335. And a on a good day, my Teles.
Speaking of Teles, when Roy Buchanan switched to a Les Paul late in his career he lost his tone.
I've owned some beautiful Les Pauls including several Bursts from 1958 and 1959 and a three humbucker '58 Custom. They do sound flat to me...which was Les Paul's goal.
Stratocasters do not sound flat to me. Neither does a great ES-335.
I need a guitar that resonates. Les Pauls were created to resonate as little as possible and to have what Les Paul thought of as a flat response. Whether it's actually flat or not is open to question.
But he wanted the response as flat as possible and then went on to invent those awful, totally sterile sounding low impedance pickups Gibson used on the Les Paul Recording guitars. I hated those guitars but that was Les Paul's personal ideal: flat clean tone.
I love the Les Paul tones of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Paul Kosoff as much as the next guy and learned those styles when I was teaching myself to play the guitar in the 60's and 70's.
But these days, in MY hands, I want a guitar that resonates. I love my Strats and my ES-335. And a on a good day, my Teles.
Speaking of Teles, when Roy Buchanan switched to a Les Paul late in his career he lost his tone.
Last edited:
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Ah, so they're not totally lifeless and flat-sounding.
Ah, so they're not totally lifeless and flat-sounding.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Any opinion I have is referenced to me, the way I play and the way I like a guitar to feel, sound and respond in my hands. Not you or anyone else.
Ever do a low volume bar gig with just a Les Paul and a Twin Reverb on 3?
I certainly have. Many!
It's a dead sound. Chords sound thin and dry and lifeless. Solos sound just as thin and lifeless.
But plug in a nice ES-335 and the sound is warmer, fuller - much more resonant and lively. And more fun.
Any opinion I have is referenced to me, the way I play and the way I like a guitar to feel, sound and respond in my hands. Not you or anyone else.
Ever do a low volume bar gig with just a Les Paul and a Twin Reverb on 3?
I certainly have. Many!
It's a dead sound. Chords sound thin and dry and lifeless. Solos sound just as thin and lifeless.
But plug in a nice ES-335 and the sound is warmer, fuller - much more resonant and lively. And more fun.
Last edited:
Skullkrusher
The T-Files-ologist
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
Typically, I'm a no cover guy, but they have their place.
Typically, I'm a no cover guy, but they have their place.
Bass_Medic_05
Purveyor of Low End
Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??
+2 Covers
+2 Covers
