'The Paul' is coming back

[Sirion]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Well, following that logic, there isn't really much Gibson can do except go into superstrats or lie down and rot: being able to offer a reissue of a guitar at a lower price than the used market is not going to be viable in most cases, and certainly not with something as ubiquitous as a Les Paul. What is more, I am not sure if I agree with your premise. For some people, being able to get one that is clean (rather than having 40 years of sweat and piss in it) might be a selling point; others might have difficulties even acquiring one of the old ones. For myself, I'd have to try the originals against the reissues to see if I agree or not. I'm not in the market, but I am honestly surprised by some of the responses here.

 

[Adieu]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Well, following that logic, there isn't really much Gibson can do except go into superstrats or lie down and rot: being able to offer a reissue of a guitar at a lower price than the used market is not going to be viable in most cases, and certainly not with something as ubiquitous as a Les Paul. What is more, I am not sure if I agree with your premise. For some people, being able to get one that is clean (rather than having 40 years of sweat and piss in it) might be a selling point; others might have difficulties even acquiring one of the old ones. For myself, I'd have to try the originals against the reissues to see if I agree or not. I'm not in the market, but I am honestly surprised by some of the responses here.

ACTUALLY.... most brands whose vintage stuff fetches collector prices have managed to avoid letting it go to their heads

It's just Gibson trying to sell even pricier.

Something made out of cheap home depot wood and THIS barebones, especially in a world of CNC and other automation, really shouldn't cost 4 digits.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Something made out of cheap home depot wood and THIS barebones, especially in a world of CNC and other automation, really shouldn't cost 4 digits.

There is no way Home Depot sells walnut like this.
I now realize I should have left you in my "ignore" file.
You're just a fricking troll.

 

[Adieu]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

There is no way Home Depot sells walnut like this.
I now realize I should have left you in my "ignore" file.
You're just a fricking troll.

You're half right, home depot sell MUCH NICER WALNUT.


I got a leftover scrap here somewhere, lemme find it and snap a picture



...and that's not even oiled or clearcoated. The piece I made from the rest, with a bit of BLO, was dark and gorgeous.

 

[Sirion]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

ACTUALLY.... most brands whose vintage stuff fetches collector prices have managed to avoid letting it go to their heads

It's just Gibson trying to sell even pricier.

Something made out of cheap home depot wood and THIS barebones, especially in a world of CNC and other automation, really shouldn't cost 4 digits.

Unless I am misunderstanding something, the first point has nothing to do with the case at hand. We are not discussing '59 models here, but generic Gibson Les Pauls. Those are so plentiful that it is not realistic to sell them new at the prices used guitars go at. Even if Gibson wanted to, they couldn't possibly compete with the used market if generic Les Paul is the name of the game, and I challenge you to find any comparable American-made guitar that can.

Also: is this really 'THAT barebones'? It seems to me to be pretty much on par with an SG, an Explorer or a Flying V, with a non-standard wood thrown in for good measure. Are there American guitar companies producing similar products at significantly lower prices?

 

[Sirion]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

You're half right, home depot sell MUCH NICER WALNUT.


I got a leftover scrap here somewhere, lemme find it and snap a picture

View attachment 93828

THIS is indeed my one misgiving with the project: they seem to have picked a guitar with less-than-photogenic for their website, and it is hard not to wonder what the rest are going to look like.

 

[Adieu]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Unless I am misunderstanding something, the first point has nothing to do with the case at hand. We are not discussing '59 models here, but generic Gibson Les Pauls. Those are so plentiful that it is not realistic to sell them new at the prices used guitars go at. Even if Gibson wanted to, they couldn't possibly compete with the used market if generic Les Paul is the name of the game, and I challenge you to find any comparable American-made guitar that can.

Also: is this really 'THAT barebones'? It seems to me to be pretty much on par with an SG, an Explorer or a Flying V, with a non-standard wood thrown in for good measure. Are there American guitar companies producing similar products at significantly lower prices?

A Fender strat is a significantly more complex CNC job....hmmm or maybe not that much, I guess they do have a forearn cut in the picture? Anyway, routing the Fender ain't a simpler job, for sure. And it usually has SOME finish work done.

Don't they have basic sub-$1k American models anymore?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

There is no way Home Depot sells walnut like this.
I now realize I should have left you in my "ignore" file.
You're just a fricking troll.

I wish the like button was working.

 

[Adieu]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

There is no way Home Depot sells walnut like this.
I now realize I should have left you in my "ignore" file.
You're just a fricking troll.

I wish the like button was working.

Found it

Show me a cheapo Gibson with wood like Home Depot

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

I'm just happy this may cause Fender to up their game and reissue "The Strat."

In all honesty I don't ****ing get it; was 'the' a fad? Same as brass was?

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Cool axes. I've had a couple through the years. In fact, the first guitar I ever built back in '83 was basically a walnut The Paul with all the edges radiused and the neck joint molded. These should be big sellers, I think.

View attachment 93803

What does walnut sound like? I bought some a couple years ago, was going to build something like that but chickened out because I read very different ideas about how it sounds ("it sounds like mahogany," "it sounds like maple," and "it sounds like trash").

P.s. A Marauder is a fine basis for modding, and I would be happy to own an S-1 if I found one cheap.

 

[Blille]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

What does walnut sound like? I bought some a couple years ago, was going to build something like that but chickened out because I read very different ideas about how it sounds ("it sounds like mahogany," "it sounds like maple," and "it sounds like trash").

P.s. A Marauder is a fine basis for modding, and I would be happy to own an S-1 if I found one cheap.

Bright end. More maple than mahogany. Assuming wood matters lol

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

So The Pauls are bright? Never played one.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Not all Walnut is super bright. I have a Taylor 900 series guitar that is made with flamed walnut back and sides. It's not as warm as the rosewood models, but it's also not as bright as their flamed maple (500 or 600 series?) guitars either. I find mine plenty warm but with nice top end and projection.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

I'm just happy this may cause Fender to up their game and reissue "The Strat."

In all honesty I don't ****ing get it; was 'the' a fad? Same as brass was?

View attachment 93835

I have one of these- I love it! Mine is an '82, completely stock in sapphire blue.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

I found it dark, but not DARK. Seemed to work for most rock stuff, even pop. Not great for funk. As a rule, it's heavier than mahogany.

 

[Blille]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

So The Pauls are bright? Never played one.

Never played one either. My walnut knowledge is from Tele.

Not all Walnut is super bright. I have a Taylor 900 series guitar that is made with flamed walnut back and sides. It's not as warm as the rosewood models, but it's also not as bright as their flamed maple (500 or 600 series?) guitars either. I find mine plenty warm but with nice top end and projection.

I found it dark, but not DARK. Seemed to work for most rock stuff, even pop. Not great for funk. As a rule, it's heavier than mahogany.

Are there different kinds of walnut? I’m surprised to hear it can be warm. Then again it’s not like I’ve played many.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

As far as I know, there is black walnut and grafted walnut. That's the extent of my walnut knowledge, other than knowing black walnut can be real purdy.

 

[dave74]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

Carvin is where I would have went for an all black-walnut guitar with my own custom options(stainless frets included),,, instead of all Gibson's economy-based choices.

Now that it's Kiesel I can't really say. I'd probably give them a shot if I was in the market again someday.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 'The Paul' is coming back

I've heard walnut have dark low mids- great for a bass. I've also heard it have the snap of maple. So, tonally, it seems a little extreme from one end to the other. One thing that is common, though, is that it is almost always heavy.