Good Bad and Ugly

[endial]

What did you switch the pickups to? I like the mismatch look it kind of gives it an attitude.

Thanks!
The Zebra is a Bootstrap Skookum and the chrome covered one (neck) is an Epiphone pup from a G-400 which I need to swap out one day soon. The G-400 pup is too overbearing. The Skookum no longer comes in Zebra but you could possibly request they make you one. They are very reasonably priced PAFs and I really like them.

Hey, don't get too down about that Trad Pro V. It's a damn nice looker for one, and likely a real player after some getting used to and a set-up. If this one isn't just right what you had in mind though, I assure you there will be others, and maybe better opportunities.

 

[LesPaul60sTribute]

Years ago I bought a Standard (2013) - It was really nice but I found out fast that the sweet honeyburst Tribute with P90s was really my favorite Les Paul. My story is similar to yours. I kept both.

 

[JoeRockHead]

Thanks!
The Zebra is a Bootstrap Skookum and the chrome covered one (neck) is an Epiphone pup from a G-400 which I need to swap out one day soon. The G-400 pup is too overbearing. The Skookum no longer comes in Zebra but you could possibly request they make you one. They are very reasonably priced PAFs and I really like them.

Hey, don't get too down about that Trad Pro V. It's a damn nice looker for one, and likely a real player after some getting used to and a set-up. If this one isn't just right what you had in mind though, I assure you there will be others, and maybe better opportunities.

It took me awhile but I found a little video of the bootstrap PAF it sounded pretty awesome. They offer "burnt chrome" options which look pretty cool for a real junk yard punky look as well.

 

[RocketKing]

Keep the lpj.
It's obviously the one you want! They'll be other guitars you click with

 

[rjwilson37]

Yep, get rid of the new Traditional, it is not the one. Upgrade your LPJ and of course make it your own and enjoy it forever. It took me a lot of LP's before I found the two I just love entirely. Sure I had some nice LP's over the years and really loved them, but after getting my Studio HP and my Custom, it was all over, I found the two I never want to part with.

 

[JoeRockHead]

well I took back the Trad pro, and feel really good about keeping the old LPJ . Rather than jumping right in and making upgrade / mods to an instrument that I'm so find of already, I took the cash I already put down on the Trad and ordered a Marshal DSL20CR combo, I already have a Fender 007 Bassbreaker which is nice but missing a little bite, so I'm thinking this might scratch the itch that the Trad couldn't do. We'll see when it arrives in a week or so...

 

[endial]

@JoeRockHead 's cash:

 

[Brian Krashpad]

- you are so used to the Jr that the Trad feel “off”.

Just a note because this is a recurring mistake (caused by the Brain Trust in the Gibson Model-Naming Dep't, so not your fault). An LPJ is not a Les Paul Junior. Two totally different guitars.

 

[CB91710]

Wasn't planning on keeping both, it's either make payments on the Trad pro, or return it and do upgrades on the LPJ, I can't really swing both right now. I'm leaning towards the LPJ, I have a feeling I will be kicking myself in the ass down the road if I let it go.

If the Trad isn't speaking to you, then return it.
It will never be what your LPJ is to your hands or your soul.

 

[lpfan1980]

I've tried numerous times to find reasons to unload my LPJ and have yet to succeed. All I have to do is play it and it goes back into the collection. It ain't broken. Has sentimental value. Plays great. Sounds great (There've been improvements*, and it's a killer guitar for modding). I love the neck. It's a dear, old friend. It's earned its' place and I'm keeping it.

Since I got the LPJ, I've been fortunate to acquire many, much 'better' examples including a Custom. Your time will come for that stuff, and one day you'll be glad you kept that old dog. I certainly am.

Quick fuzzy pic:

View attachment 472763


*Bone nut. Tuners (not locking, but better ratio). Pickups. Mine came hand wired, stock (No PCB, not that it matters. Just easier to customize.). Keep an eye on the stock bridge as mine had collapsed and needed replaced.

NICE! One cover on one off unique-hows the sound? good I bet!

 

[endial]

NICE! One cover on one off unique-hows the sound? good I bet!

Thanks! A good portion of that look is laziness, and a preference for function over aesthetic. It functions quite well, I might add. And kind of a throwback to pre-internet days of the impossibility to locate a pup cover without having to "mail-order" one from an ad in the back of a magazine.

 

[Burny FLG]

Just a note because this is a recurring mistake (caused by the Brain Trust in the Gibson Model-Naming Dep't, so not your fault). An LPJ is not a Les Paul Junior. Two totally different guitars.

Thanks wondered why it was a junior, as it's not! What is an LPJ?

 

[musicmaniac]

Nothing like a Les Paul and a Marshall!

 

[Cjsinla]

Thanks wondered why it was a junior, as it's not! What is an LPJ?

An LPJ is an LPJ. I can’t remember, but I don’t think it’s an acronym.

 

[CB91710]

Thanks wondered why it was a junior, as it's not! What is an LPJ?

They came out a few years back when Gibson was really hitting the market hard and trying to get a Les Paul in every bedroom.
They had the LP100, LPJ, and probably a few others.
These were budget-level genuine Gibson USA guitars. The LPJ was a satin finish barbones and around $500 or $600... down at what the LP Studio was going for in the early 90s.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

An LPJ is an LPJ. I can’t remember, but I don’t think it’s an acronym.

^This. It's a dumb name, and was virtually certain to cause exactly the confusion that ensued. Not one of Gibson's finer moments, but not all that big a deal either. Pales in comparison to idiocy like the Firebird X, etc., haha!

Fwiw, I have a similarly stupidly-named SGJ.

I did a few cosmetic mods to make it a bit more SG and a little less whatever the J is.

 

[metalmike222]

^This. It's a dumb name, and was virtually certain to cause exactly the confusion that ensued. Not one of Gibson's finer moments, but not all that big a deal either. Pales in comparison to idiocy like the Firebird X, etc., haha!

Fwiw, I have a similarly stupidly-named SGJ.

I did a few cosmetic mods to make it a bit more SG and a little less whatever the J is.

That's a pretty fiddle, sir!
I picked up an LPJ right at Christmas last year from a pawn shop for $400. While it'll never be what my 79 LP Standard is to me, it's a really SOLID US made guitar for what I paid for it. It has a hole in the finish on the top, so I MIGHT eventually try and refinish it, but I've heard that can be a real pain on the non-grain filled guitars. Definitely needs new pickups as the stock pups are almost as bright sounding as my SG, but it feels surprisingly nice to play.

 

[Cjsinla]

^This. It's a dumb name, and was virtually certain to cause exactly the confusion that ensued. Not one of Gibson's finer moments, but not all that big a deal either. Pales in comparison to idiocy like the Firebird X, etc., haha!

Fwiw, I have a similarly stupidly-named SGJ.

I did a few cosmetic mods to make it a bit more SG and a little less whatever the J is.

I think yours was the companion to LPJ.

 

[CB91710]

^This. It's a dumb name, and was virtually certain to cause exactly the confusion that ensued. Not one of Gibson's finer moments, but not all that big a deal either. Pales in comparison to idiocy like the Firebird X, etc., haha!

Fwiw, I have a similarly stupidly-named SGJ.

I did a few cosmetic mods to make it a bit more SG and a little less whatever the J is.

Not unlike my 2014 Epiphone "Aged Cherry"
I've never really bonded with it, and the setup has been a bit of a problem child. When I bought it, I liked the aged finish, but after a few months, I found myself wishing that I had bought the straight-up G400 Pro with the gloss finish and headstock.
I upgraded it with SD Zebra JB/59, and like it even less... the chrome covers worked better.

I keep going back and forth on what to do with it... swapping the pickups back out of it, resolve the neck/nut/setup issues, put covers on the Duncans and have it shot with a gloss clear.....

 

[lessdrop]

Sometimes you just don't know what you got till it's (almost) gone. So, I have owned a used 2014 Gibson LPJ for a couple years now, my only Gibson, I always felt it was a good playing guitar and got allot of compliments on it from better players then myself. It's bare bones as can be, dull plated hardware, chocolate brown barely satin finish, not what I would call pretty at all. Sound is OK, but would like more "oomph" then I get out of the stock 61 zebra pickups. I really dig Paul Kossoff sound. In the back of my mind I always wanted a "real Les Paul". Anyway, I picked up a new Trad pro V beautiful red wine color, cream binding, asymmetrical neck, all kinds of bling and electronics, push pull stuff up the yin yang. After a few weeks of drooling over it, the honeymoon is over, and I find myself more in love with my old LPJ then ever. I was going to sell it to help pay for the Trad Pro, but now I don't think I can or should View attachment 472595 part with it. The neck is less comfortable, but it's straight as an arrow with no buzz at all anywhere, (I also find my fingers slipping off the bound fretboard if the Trad but not the LPJ) and I never once miss any of that push pull crap. I am thinking of returning the Trad Pro, and doing some upgrades to the LPJ, like Grover high ratio locking tuners, 57 Classic pups, and a bone nut. Any thoughts?

Keep it