Do all Gibson LP's sound good?

[Lenis]

Say an LP of the same year and model. Will some actually sound better? will some sound bad? Sound better as in...?

[johnbeloe]

yes..without a doubt...you can get a gibson les paul standard that will sound like pure heaven and one that will sound like crap....many many factors go into, starting with variations in wood

[Lenis]

Originally Posted by johnbeloe

yes..without a doubt...you can get a gibson les paul standard that will sound like pure heaven and one that will sound like crap....many many factors go into, starting with variations in wood

darn.. Will the average player be able to tell?

[FennRx]

Originally Posted by johnbeloe

yes..without a doubt...you can get a gibson les paul standard that will sound like pure heaven and one that will sound like crap....many many factors go into, starting with variations in wood

+1

[dwagar]

Originally Posted by Lenis

darn.. Will the average player be able to tell?

plugged into an amp, I don't really think so.

I don't think I've met a Les Paul I didn't like, well, some of them might need a tweak or two.

[jomo]

Originally Posted by Lenis

darn.. Will the average player be able to tell?

Hard to say. A couple years ago I couldn't tell the difference in a tube amp and a solid state. I think the more you play and the more you experiment the better your ear gets. I have played Epis in stores that totally rock, then pick up a beautiful LP and it just sound empty. That's why you read people say they will pick a guitar by the sound and not the looks. Also, the way it feels means a lot. Sometimes I'll pick one up and not want to put it down.

[nick1962]

Depends on the player - a good player can make the best of an average guitar. And unless your soundman is any good you can have the greatest LP ever made and still sound shit.

[johnbeloe]

Originally Posted by Lenis

darn.. Will the average player be able to tell?

hard to say but the most important thing is to play the guitar unplugged (acoustically). If it has a brilliant acoustic tone, is sweet, alive and airy, and resonant with great sustain and harmonics/overtones, then you know with the right pickups, caps, pots, wiring and setup etc you will have a stunning sounding guitar. Try and find a really resonant guitar, where when you play you can feel the vibrations of the guitar's wood through your hand on the neck, and on your lap (from the guitar's body)Really close your eyes and listen to the acoustic tone!! This is how I chose my guitar and I've never looked back!

[v8ko]

Is this for you? is it a gift?

The "average" player is a tough title to hang on some people lol. I know guys that say they can smoke anything and theyre not so good then others are to modest.

Im not sure if I really had intentions to buy a real LP when I first started playing (although I picked up the controversial Ibanez copy lp) it seemed cost prohibited for my skill level and imo a lesser instrument can be easier to play at first....

If at all possible bring someone with you to help perhaps you have a guitar teacher or someone you can trust that wont just agree with you or just say "wow thats pretty".

BTW generally an average player should be able to pick up a guitar and bond with it right away or not.

[Dolan]

Its simple, one person may think its a dog and another pure heaven.

[marc1kim]

Originally Posted by Dolan

Its simple, one person may think its a dog and another pure heaven.

I agree, tone is a subjective thing. I had a 05 faded standard that looked a million bucks, but was a total dog tonewise.

[ac4rd]

Ptgold has posted an interesting link in another thread:
Great LP article

I don't know if I agree 100% with this article, but it makes very interesting reading.

I also endorse JohnBelow's comments on finding a guitar that sounds live and resonant even unplugged. (The article linked above also has a lot of comment on that.) I've bought a lot of electrics over the years that I never even tried on an amp first--at guitar shows, pawnshops, and such. If it feels "alive" even unplugged, it's got the special magic. That doesn't mean that one that isn't "alive" isn't good, as far as I know--but I know the best guitars I've owned over the years have all felt that way.

After 30+ years of various Fenders, I didn't really expect a Les Paul to feel like that because of the extra weight. But when I was shopping for my first LP last year, I found that lots of them DO have that lively resonance.

Play lots of them while you're shopping--one of them will wag its tail at you, lick your hand, and ask to you to take it home with you! Good luck! --ken

[dwagar]

I think everything matters when it comes to tone, and every Gibson LP is going to have its own 'voice'. Just find it and work with it. Some guys will like it, some won't, most won't care.

[Lenis]

My Gibson LP has less sustain than an epiphone LP junior I wonder if its one of the "crap" ones. Is bad sustain one of the key signs of a "wood dead/tone dead" LP?(p.s. little sustain even with high action)

[ac4rd]

Originally Posted by Lenis

My Gibson LP has less sustain than an epiphone LP junior I wonder if its one of the "crap" ones. Is bad sustain one of the key signs of a "wood dead/tone dead" LP?(p.s. little sustain even with high action)

Have you ever had it set-up by a pro? I suspect a lot of things can affect sustain, though I'm no expert. Might be worth taking it to a pro and asking if a setup job would help ...

[v8ko]

Originally Posted by ac4rd

Have you ever had it set-up by a pro? I suspect a lot of things can affect sustain, though I'm no expert. Might be worth taking it to a pro and asking if a setup job would help ...

Thats excellent advice.

I just bought a 96 custom that sat for years and was probably put away sweaty at that. Anyways I took the chance and picked it up even thought it sounded pretty bad lol. I spent probably a couple hours on set up (1 hour a night for 2 nights) and now of it sings. They guy had it so out of whack

Sometimes a simple string change can help, quick intonation check etc.

[Lenis]

Wooo Mabey I don't have a doggie

[Splattle101]

I had a similar experience with a Squire strat: it's not a Les Paul, but the principle is the same. The thing was cruddy, had five strings including some bronze ones, the intonation was from Mars, and the truss rod adjustment made the neck look like a long bow. I gave them a pittance for it, bought a pack of new strings, and sat down to clean it up.

Two hours later I had the neck flat, the intonation and action right, new strings on, springs adjusted to keep the bridge flat, pick ups adjusted and the fret board oiled and the crud cleaned away. It played beautifully. I left it overnight to see if the neck would settle down. No problem.

It hasn't moved since, and that was six years ago. It plays very nicely for such a cheap guitar, and it was worse than a dog when I picked it up. It was un-playable.

That said, not all Les Pauls sound good to my ear. The ones that don't sound good probably need some love.

Splat

[Gigan]

When I play my R7 it sounds like sh#t when I hand her over to my 30+ year experienced Blues playing buddy she sounds like Butta!! I dont think she likes me yet! Im still trying to make her sing for me.

[brianbzed]

With anything that is mass-produced, you're going to find a few stellar ones, a bunch of average ones and a few stinkers! Gibson is no exception. When choosing a new guitar, I like to play them unplugged first. If you get the same resonance from the body and the neck, then that guitar is a candidate.
I have run across low end Gibsons that screamed and custom shop one-offs that were dead as a stone. Play several of the same model-one will speak to you!

Originally Posted by brianbzed

With anything that is mass-produced, you're going to find a few stellar ones, a bunch of average ones and a few stinkers! Gibson is no exception. When choosing a new guitar, I like to play them unplugged first. If you get the same resonance from the body and the neck, then that guitar is a candidate.
I have run across low end Gibsons that screamed and custom shop one-offs that were dead as a stone. Play several of the same model-one will speak to you!

[Robster]

I have a little trick I use to test the resonance of a guitar. Strum a few chords and pick a few licks, while resting your chin on the guitar body and pressing down a little bit. If it's a truly resonant instrument, it will vibrate your whole head, and you'll be able to 'feel' the sound in your ears. Try it! It works!

Rob

Originally Posted by Robster

I have a little trick I use to test the resonance of a guitar. Strum a few chords and pick a few licks, while resting your chin on the guitar body and pressing down a little bit. If it's a truly resonant instrument, it will vibrate your whole head, and you'll be able to 'feel' the sound in your ears. Try it! It works!

Rob

I used to that all the time sitting on the couch watching TV and picking the guitar! I love it!

[meursault]

Originally Posted by ac4rd

Ptgold has posted an interesting link in another thread:
Great LP article

I don't know if I agree 100% with this article, but it makes very interesting reading.

waow very interesting !!! and some advices are ok for any brands !!! nice !

[Horse]

interesting indeed...... im not too sure the view that there is always a high percentage of dogs is true with every maker though.... you will get few saying their PRS is a dog...

[Vintage_Burster]

Originally Posted by Lenis

My Gibson LP has less sustain than an epiphone LP junior I wonder if its one of the "crap" ones. Is bad sustain one of the key signs of a "wood dead/tone dead" LP?(p.s. little sustain even with high action)

I too have one of those Juniors. They are Sustain machines!

Last time I counted, the Junior beat it by around 5 - 10 seconds. Im not sure if I did a fair test though (same notes ect.)

[eaglewolf]

I've never checked the sustain, but the R9 I bought really sounded beautiful unplugged - much more so than the 68 reissue I compared it too. When I plugged them in the differences were evident there too. I don't know if that is always the case, but it sure seemed that way to me with this one. She sang to me, so I brought her home!

David

[LongBeach]

Originally Posted by Lenis

Say an LP of the same year and model. Will some actually sound better? will some sound bad? Sound better as in...?

They all sound better when someone other than myself is playing them!

IMO - you just have to try out lots, & lots of them and find the one you
bond with.