Using a Les Paul for lead?

[astrozombie]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Are you sure about that? The liner notes to "Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar" says it had DiMarzios.

I've seen Carvin ads with that same guitar and pickups.

if im not mistaken.

or maybe it was a photo in guitar world.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

You're looking at this from the wrong angle. The problem is there are too many imperfect players.

So THAT'S why you don't have a Tele...:scratchch

 

[Kam]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Jesus Christ, this thread sprung up fast.

I've never had a problem with high fret access on Les Pauls. Honestly, I don't know how you guys have so many issues with it. My hands are pretty average sized (if not smaller) and the chunky heel has never slowed me down. Now, I guess I'm not a shredder by any means and if I ever find myself sweep-picking then I'll know I've probably failed at life but I do enjoy the odd spazzed-out Jimmy Page impersonation from time to time and the heel on a Paul has never got in my way.

And as for playing lead on one of them; a Les Paul neck pickup IS my one true definition of awesome lead guitar tone. Thick, meaty and dripping with harmonics...what's not to love about that?

Ah, **** you guys, now I want a Les Paul again. :banghead:

SGs are better, anyway. :friday:

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

So THAT'S why you don't have a Tele...:scratchch

 

[formula73]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

bwahahahaha

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

:friday:

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I've never had a problem.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

SGs are better, anyway. :friday:

:bling:

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Most of the famous Les Paul players mentioned aren't BLAZING fast (except Zappa, but anyway he's an SG guy)

How come nobody mentioned Al DiMeola? Elegant Gypsy is one of my favorite guitar albums.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Most of the famous Les Paul players mentioned aren't BLAZING fast (except Zappa, but anyway he's an SG guy)

How come nobody mentioned Al DiMeola? Elegant Gypsy is one of my favorite guitar albums.

Doug Aldrich is pretty BLAZING fast to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukkjRtdcWfI&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV0E1nYW8p0

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Doug Aldrich is pretty BLAZING fast to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukkjRtdcWfI&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV0E1nYW8p0

I was thinking the same about Mr Moore too having in mind the solo of "Walking by myself".

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I thought that the Les Paul was the ultimate electric guitar back when I was seventeen or eighteen years old in 1967 or 68.

All my favorite rock/blues players (except Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Albert King) used one.

But they're designed to have no resonance and they don't. Not much anyway. They always sound dry, flat and one dimensional in my hands. Plus, it is hard to play up high on the neck of a single cutaway Les Paul and they're heavy.

I loved Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy so I started playing 50's Strats and around 1970 I saw Roy Buchanan on PBS and started playing 50's Teles as well. For whatever reason, I prefer the tone and resonance of a nice Strat or Tele over the non-resonance of a Les Paul.

But sometimes I want that fat overdriven humbucking pickup tone and a Les Paul, as I said, sounds dry, flat and one dimensional in my hands. A 335 is the ticket. Even Clapton switched to one for some of the best tones of his Cream era guitar work.

So if there's an ultimate electric guitar, IMO, it would be a Strat, a Tele or an ES-335. It wouldn't be a Les Paul...even though Peter Green's tone on Supernatural was recorded with a Les Paul and sounds supernatural!

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Yeah "Ultimate" is completely another matter.

For me "Ultimate" means what suits my style best (I play Metal). And that is a tightly constructed superstrat with strong pickups. In Metal there is no such thing as mellow or sweet. Every note has to hit you like a sledgehammer and dissapear as an F-16.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

Doug Aldrich is pretty BLAZING fast to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukkjRtdcWfI&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV0E1nYW8p0

He'd be the guy that's not "most"

 

[some_dude]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I love Les Pauls for lead. I don't have any issues with upper fret access, mostly because I almost never play far enough up on the neck for the access to be an issue. All the best sounding sh*t is done down low anyway.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I love Les Pauls for lead. I don't have any issues with upper fret access, mostly because I almost never play far enough up on the neck for the access to be an issue. All the best sounding sh*t is done down low anyway.

ya ive never had a problem with using LP's for lead either.

1) I dont really play that high up anyways. I usually only go up to about the 17th fret of so.

2) I've never really been able to play with blazing fast "shred" speed anyways.

LP's work for me :14:

 

[BrianS.]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

I want a legitimate Les Paul by Epiphone

:sad:

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

If there's one thing I've learned from playing big jazz boxes for the past few years, it's that if you can't play something the problem is within you and not your instrument. It takes a few minutes to adjust, yes, and familiarity does count for something, but in the end a Les Paul shouldn't have any effect on your speed or playing ability in comparison to a shred stick.

 

[formula73]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

:sad:

I lol'd hard.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Using a Les Paul for lead?

If there's one thing I've learned from playing big jazz boxes for the past few years, it's that if you can't play something the problem is within you and not your instrument. It takes a few minutes to adjust, yes, and familiarity does count for something, but in the end a Les Paul shouldn't have any effect on your speed or playing ability in comparison to a shred stick.

I'm not sure I agree 100%, but I think the material that I can play on any guitar, and the material I can play that's worth playing, overlap pretty well.