Gibson Les Paul

[welshchris]

As I said I've screwed with just about everything on all my guitars over the years to experiment.

I'll say the two biggest differences to guitar tones I've come across by a really massive margin are pickup choice and string tension (be that due to string gauge or scale length)... For me all the other things pale nearly into insignificance next to those two items and I'll include fat necks/ thin necks rosewood or maple fret boards, body wood material all of it..

As we all know get your guitars set up properly a well fret dressed, setup and intonated properly would be my most significant item regards tone, if you're comfortable playing happy with the guitar in your hands (+intonation is on the button), you'll play better and for longer every time you pick it up.

[Zuff-1A]

My Les has seen a lot of modification over the years started as a Black 2002 standard (I bought new). Oh and it's a heavy one 10lbs+ , my poor back.

Over the last 15 years

Tuners changed to Gold Gotoh 510
Bridge Changed to a Gold Tone Pros
Pots Changed to bareknuckle
Caps Russian Paper in oil

I only ever really used the neck pickup so took the bridge one and it’s pots out 5 or 6 years ago.

Last year had the bridge pickup hole filled, pot holes and toggle filled, respray in slightly yellowed Olympic white nitro, frets levelled and new nut. All done by a very talented luthier Ernie at Avalon guitars for me. (loved it so much had him do similar work done to my strat).

OK pickups. The guitar has been fitted with quite a few over the years, I play in an odd low hybrid tuning so appreciate what works for me might not be everyones thing.

Original Gibson - (decent pickups just felt that lacked a little something)
70s Super Distortion – Cool Pickup gigged it for a year or two. Was a friends he had ended up with it from an old Budgie Les Paul. I returned it to him.
Bareknuckle War Pig (Ceramic) – A gift so it replaced the Super Distortion, great pickup, currently lived in the neck of my Strat.
Bareknuckle Mississippi Queen – At this point I wanted to try some humbucker sized P90s. Superb pickup just lacked a bit of low for our crazy tuning. Would be fantastic for most other “normal” applications.
Bulldog Custom Humbucker sized P90 – High output pickup used it for years. In the end though the noise from a P90 when using a load of fuzz and volume just got to me and it came out.
Lace Drop N Gain Neck - Great with the Lows, super quiet, my main squeeze for the last 2 years. (the bridge version doesn’t sound anywhere near as good by the way to my ears)

And as of last night a ZombieDust Custom Neck . - I believe they are going to so as a signature job for sale. Just over 10K, Alnico 5 blades under gold cover. I’ll get to blast it through a big amp later this week. We talked a lot about what I needed I a little amp in the house sounds great.. so fingers crossed does exactly the same through the Matamp.

Pics of the guitar now with the ZombieDust


And with the Lace before I changed last night.

Wow Cool Les Paul, looks like kind of signature guitar!!
"Only neck" idea is really cool too!
With pickup 10K it must be very fat and strong sounding axe? I guess it sounds distorted even through world most cleanest amp? Just noticed Low E

[Zuff-1A]

As I said I've screwed with just about everything on all my guitars over the years to experiment.

I'll say the two biggest differences to guitar tones I've come across by a really massive margin are pickup choice and string tension (be that due to string gauge or scale length)... For me all the other things pale nearly into insignificance next to those two items and I'll include fat necks/ thin necks rosewood or maple fret boards, body wood material all of it..

As we all know get your guitars set up properly a well fret dressed, setup and intonated properly would be my most significant item regards tone, if you're comfortable playing happy with the guitar in your hands (+intonation is on the button), you'll play better and for longer every time you pick it up.

It is good point and opens new electroacustical direction but I think you talk about strong string to body power and not about dynamics and how tone is influenced by different materials? If there is not worth mentioning tone differences between thin/fat necks, bridge type,
body wood and fretboard wood then our discussions are totally pointless

Then I think guitars made of full aluminium are totally durable/playable and do not allow
weather conditions like wood plays offen ? Think about the guitar tuning came from a warm to a colder

[Mr. Legit]

This is another contender I am curious about as well. These ECP hallowed grounds come up for sale every once in a blue moon. Maybe its the vintage wire? Does this mean Sciencefriction that the bridge pickup to you is less fantastic without the wire?

I love the bridge pickup. Part of the reason I went with the ECP set was they sounded exciting, and I got a bit tired over the years of reading so much conjecture about pickups. The vintage wire definitely got my attention, and it was just good timing. I don't think the vintage wire in the neck makes the bridge pickup a lesser piece by comparison. Going from the Custombuckers to the ECP HGs, the bridge position became more dynamic, articulate, and a bit more single coil character to it I think. It may have just been me hearing what I wanted, haha. But nah, I don't think the bridge is less fantastic. Sorry, I hope that wasn't too blah blah. Next time I get some humbuckers, I'd like to try OX4, everyone seems to love them here so they must be fantastic.

Were you after that vintage 50's tone? I want to try ThroBak MT-102Bs, and they are supposed to be modeled after Mick Taylor's Les Paul pickups, but gosh you're description is right on the money for the tone I am looking for.

[sciencefriction]

Yeah, I want my guitar to sound as close to a vintage 50's Les Paul as I can afford. I try not to get too caught up in stuff, because it's a lot of money and work to experiment. I'm pretty happy with what a pickup & electronics swap did for me. I looked at ThroBak pickups for awhile too, back before I had a Les Paul. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the great pickup winders. I guess it boils down to what personally excites you, and works best with your guitar. I'm always cautious to speak too highly of stuff, because I don't know if my experience with the same as someone else's.

[welshchris]

It is good point and opens new electroacustical direction but I think you talk about strong string to body power and not about dynamics and how tone is influenced by different materials? If there is not worth mentioning tone differences between thin/fat necks, bridge type,
body wood and fretboard wood then our discussions are totally pointless

Then I think guitars made of full aluminium are totally durable/playable and do not allow
weather conditions like wood plays offen ? Think about the guitar tuning came from a warm to a colder

I suppose what I'm trying to say is yes bridge type, wood, neck thickness, weight of the guitar have an effect. Its just my opinion its not a very big one at all in the overall picture. Ok a les paul might have a tiny bit more top due to the maple cap than say an SG but a fractional turn on a amp dial and you'd never know the difference. For me the real major difference between a traditional fender and gibson sound is pickup type (single coil vs humbuckers) and the variation in scale length of each guitar. You stick a decent humbucker in a strat and it'll rock as good as a les paul every day of the week.

Not saying there's anything wrong with folks messing around to see what works for them, I'm a compulsive tinkerer so not having a go at anyone

as an example The reason I went neck pickup only was because was interested if the magnetic pull off the bridge pickup was dampening the string vibration when not in use (since the magnetic pull is always on). I can report taking the bridge out made zero difference, since I never used anyway it never went back in.

You mention aluminium guitars I've played a few. I don't like the feel of the ECG standard thin neck profile and fretboard radius, a pain to keep in tune coming out of a cold van, the initial cold feel oh and they weigh a load.. so those would be the reasons I don't own one.

Obviously I'm talking about everything pre the first pedal or amp once we get to the world of transistors (Ge or Si), resistors, capacitors and valves there's loads more tinkering fun to be had.

[Zuff-1A]

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Here my LP completely upgraded
It is "The Guitar" now
Faber ABR-1 + Faber one piece posts
RS Guitarworks Machined luminium tailpiece + Retrospec steel studs
all 500K pots + vintage Bumble Bees .022 bridge / .018 neck
vintage 4/6 nut
Dave Stephens in neck position
Raw Vintage RV-5760 in bridge position
Tone Pros (screw in) Kluson tuners

[sciencefriction]

Nice! The full monte, sounds like everything turned out how you wanted. Beautiful guitar, reminds me of mine- plain top cherry burst.

[Zuff-1A]

Bigger sounds better !

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[Zuff-1A]

Here PAF-s in the sale from our Forum

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