Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Mr. vanity says: I just watched and listened to Mick Ronson on YouTube playing live with David Bowie on "Moonage Daydream" (Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars) with uncovered coils and the tone outweighs the sparkley factor any and everyday of the week. I am a tone monkey and I cannot just play a guitar 'cause it is pretty. It better sound excellent or put the thing back down. I have heavily modded my guitar with Seymour Duncan '59 and JB Model pickups, a Wilkinson brass roller bridge, a brass stop tailpiece and TonePros locking studs. My Les Paul has been greatly improved in tone, I care less about WOW factor. I still favor uncovered coils and to each their own.

Easy forum brother....So uptight...Just a forum! :1: I'm guilty of it too,but working on it..

 

[JeffB]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Mr. vanity says: I just watched and listened to Mick Ronson on YouTube playing live with David Bowie on "Moonage Daydream" (Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars) with uncovered coils and the tone outweighs the sparkley factor any and everyday of the week. I am a tone monkey and I cannot just play a guitar 'cause it is pretty. It better sound excellent or put the thing back down. I have heavily modded my guitar with Seymour Duncan '59 and JB Model pickups, a Wilkinson brass roller bridge, a brass stop tailpiece and TonePros locking studs. My Les Paul has been greatly improved in tone, I care less about WOW factor. I still favor uncovered coils and to each their own.

That guitar is around here locally at a guitar shop (or was as of twoyears sgo, have not been there in quite some time). Mick stripped the finish off to get the tone to open up. The covers were removed because he felt the gold looked hideous with the natural wood.

 

[Markk]

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.

I understand what you're saying. It's definately more fun to play a hollow-body'ish guitar at low volumes. But in my experience the sound you hear while on stage and the sound your audience hears 'out there' is a bit different. I think it's because you hear the acoustic part of the guitar while playing that may give you the (false?) sense of dead/live feel while playing a Twin at 3 with an LP or hollow-body whereas getting into the high-volumes the above mentioned scenario takes a more secondary role (?).

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

"Dead" might just be someone's way of saying that the guitar lacks bite. That can definitely be the case with Pauls IME. It's part of what gives them their signature sound, and also why when used for rock-n-roll, they are such a good match with a top heavy, cutting amp like a Marshall. Les Pauls were originally designed to be mellow, jazz oriented guitars. That is where they are right at home, inherently. They were even made to look like a miniaturized, single cut jazz guitar without f holes. It takes some manipulation to get classic rock-n-roll tones out of them – manipulation like putting them through trebly, high-powered amps and using overdrive to one's advantage. They are also shorter scale guitars than many, which makes them smoother and "muddier" than, say, a Tele. I can definitely see how they might seem "dead" to someone coming from a Strat or Tele. It doesn't mean they aren't great at what they do, though.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

"Dead" might just be someone's way of saying that the guitar lacks bite. That can definitely be the case with Pauls IME. It's part of what gives them their signature sound, and also why when used for rock-n-roll, they are such a good match with a top heavy, cutting amp like a Marshall. Les Pauls were originally designed to be mellow, jazz oriented guitars. That is where they are right at home, inherently. They were even made to look like a miniaturized, single cut jazz guitar without f holes. It takes some manipulation to get classic rock-n-roll tones out of them – manipulation like putting them through trebly, high-powered amps and using overdrive to one's advantage. They are also shorter scale guitars than many, which makes them smoother and "muddier" than, say, a Tele. I can definitely see how they might seem "dead" to someone coming from a Strat or Tele. It doesn't mean they aren't great at what they do, though.

It is interesting that most of the classic Les Paul Players of the 60's who defined the sound and who are still living (Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor come immediately to mind) do not play Les Pauls much at all anymore. They play Strats and Peter Green plays a Howard Roberts.

I think you kind of out grow it. I still love the way they look...but I like the sound of other guitars better than a Les Paul.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

It is interesting that most of the classic Les Paul Players of the 60's who defined the sound and who are still living (Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor come immediately to mind) do not play Les Pauls much at all anymore. They play Strats and Peter Green plays a Howard Roberts.

I think you kind of out grow it. I still love the way they look...but I like the sound of other guitars better than a Les Paul.

Yep most of my favorite players that I grew up listening to that were LP/Gibson guys switched over...Blackmore,Beck,Clapton,Green,Taylor...All the guys you mention..Only exception out of my favorite players would be Page...I've always wondered why they switched also..Lately I have seen some of these guys on LPs again though..Maybe it's just an evolving thing? I've seen Clapton,Beck,and Knopfler on Pauls pretty recently..

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

When i was younger i'd use uncovered humbuckers, but found I sometimes got one of the outer E strings caught under the lip of the bobbins (even on the bridge bucker !) so i started using covers to protect the pickup. The covers also helped keep my sweat out of the pickups.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Covers. No covers. whatever it takes.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

If the covers are aged, then yes. If not, then double creme bobbins.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Yep most of my favorite players that I grew up listening to that were LP/Gibson guys switched over...Blackmore,Beck,Clapton,Green,Taylor...All the guys you mention..Only exception out of my favorite players would be Page...I've always wondered why they switched also..Lately I have seen some of these guys on LPs again though..Maybe it's just an evolving thing? I've seen Clapton,Beck,and Knopfler on Pauls pretty recently..

I think it's because the player's individual personality comes through more on a Strat. Beck sounds like Jeff Beck, Knopfler sounds like Knopfler, Clapton sounds like Clapton...each playing a Strat but getting a different tone. The tendency with a Les Paul is to crank up the amp or crank up the overdrive and THAT TONE then defines what you're going to sound like, instead of YOU deciding what you're going to sound like. I actually love the classic sound of a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall...but it's a more one dimensional and cliched tone compared to the almost unlimited range of a Strat.

Real artists want a wider range of colors and that's why they might come back to a LP once in a while for that one color but for the most part stick to a Strat for its wider range of colors.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

I think it's because the player's individual personality comes through more on a Strat. Beck sounds like Jeff Beck, Knopfler sounds like Knopfler, Clapton sounds like Clapton...each playing a Strat but getting a different tone. The tendency with a Les Paul is to crank up the amp or crank up the overdrive and THAT TONE then defines what you're going to sound like, instead of YOU deciding what you're going to sound like. I actually love the classic sound of a Les Paul through a cranked Marshall...but it's a more one dimensional and cliched tone compared to the almost unlimited range of a Strat.

Real artists want a wider range of colors and that's why they might come back to a LP once in a while for that one color but for the most part stick to a Strat for its wider range of colors.

I agree....I can do everything our band does with just a strat...I also like to pick up the LP or the SG to do some Sabbath or Cream tunes..Basically I Like having the different guitars for those tonal differences and I Love having choices and to be able to mix it up a bit.

Given a choice though,I'd always pick a strat or a tele over the LP/SG anyday...And over a 335...

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Got a LP guitar again these days, but it is not something I like to play much.....too much of a dead gluestick for my taste, allthough I got myself a decent one...Les Paul could make his guitars sound clean and nice, same with Mr Beck....I'm waiting for a couple of L-90's for mine...hope they will show up soon (so no covers there )

 

[Thanatopsis]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

I think they can look good with covers, or with open coils, but they look way better with the covers IMO.

Here is my '04 Standard after first installing the pick guard. (That model year did not come with a guard.)

I love it! What is that finish called? I've never seen it before and I'm really liking it. Definitely covered on that one too. Although I think it would look pretty nice with zebra also.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Les Paul- pickup covers or not??

Mr. vanity says: I just watched and listened to Mick Ronson on YouTube playing live with David Bowie on "Moonage Daydream" (Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars) with uncovered coils and the tone outweighs the sparkley factor any and everyday of the week. .

Bowie and Ronson, really?