Les Paul. Which one??

ventura said:
Some of the best aftermarkets I've worked with are Sheptone (PAF replicas), and the BKP "Mules". Stunning pickups that totally add a gorgeous level of authenticity to a good wood Lester.

Mo
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Noted. Thanks Mo. FYI I looked up Rt.66 but I am nervous about buying an LP now without actually touching it first.
 
Tonemeister said:
Noted. Thanks Mo. FYI I looked up Rt.66 but I am nervous about buying an LP now without actually touching it first.
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Well, Jim & Janine are one avenue to getting a Lester into your hands. For sure, there's also eBay, and as mentioned, everything but the straightness and quality of the "wood" can be worked with. If there's a solidbody Custom out there weighing in at 9 to 10 lbs, and it's in good shape with zero fret wear, might be a worthy contender. If there are some R7s or R9s out there (code for "Reissue 57" or "Reissue 59") with similar characteristics, they too might be a good purchase. Haggle on the price - and stay away from 2012 models if at all possible.

Follow your instincts on this one - that's the only piece of advice I can give you that may truly make this journey smart. Follow your instincts.

Cheers,
Mo
 
Tonemeister said:
Went to guitar center today and tried out a bunch of Les Pauls. Thought they were all pretty much "meh". Standouts were the Les Paul Custom (black and gold) and the 59 Reissue Iced Tea VOS. I could never pay what they are asking for something of that quality. I just don't see what the fuss is about these guitars. I am going to try out more though. I figure if so many people love them then there must be something to the myth. It's been an illusive search I must say.
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Ok. complete 180 here. I went to another GC in my area which had a larger selection of LPs and the guitars were generally in much better condition. The best ones were the ones they keep in the glass enclosure with a key :roll I tried out some of the new Standards, Traditionals. Didn't like the pickups that much and the added electronics and wiring seemed to change the tonality a bit. You could run a true bypass on the circuitry but then you only get the treble position output. I compared these against a 57 Goldtop Custom Shop Reissue, an R9 Reissue and an Alpine White Les Paul Custom, w/ Ebony Fret board (apparently they aren't making them with Ebony anymore due to restrictions). This had 480s and 490s so it wasn't all that appealing to me but it sustained like a mofo. In summary the best playing guitar was the 57 and the best sounding too. It seems like it will be wonderful for any blues/classic rock. I was hoping it would be great at high gain settings as well. The pickups are BB1 and BB2s which are not wax potted so they, theoretically could have more microphonic feedback. I will be using this in the studio only so I'm not worried about that. In summary, I am really psyched about the purchase and I think the guitar sounds wonderful. Thanks to all for your help!
 
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