Guilt.....and I feel terrible

[JMP]

After years and years of dreaming about it I finally bought a legit Les Paul. In October of 2019 I bought a used 2016 Les Paul Traditional. It’s an excellent guitar. It’s been thoroughly set up, including fret level and had a bone nut installed by a luthier whom I fully trust. It’s a killer guitar and plays great.

BUT, I always seem to prefer the feel of my 1998 Epiphone Dot. Is it the neck dimensions, fret size, body size, the semi-hollow jangle......dunno. But if I’m being honest, I typically prefer to play the Dot and I feel bad about it.

The Gibson isn’t going anywhere. I just needed to confess and come clean with my personal playing situation. I’m NOT making any judgment or ascertain regarding brand A vs B, rather sharing my feelings. Awww.

Who else got their dream guitar, lived with it, then felt bad for not falling in love with it? I know, 1st world problems.

Perhaps a 335 is the Gibson for me? Discuss.

 

[Oldskoolrob]

No judgement here. Maybe try a legit 335 and see how you feel. I go through phases of using only my LP or only my 6120.....

 

[Standard 64]

the first cut is the deepest

 

[ehb]

Never. I love all of mine equally, from my oldest Lester (Custom) to my Casino and all the others... When I wish to hear a certain color, I grab what gives me that. One is not better, just different. I’ve been playing my Hamer Monaco lately far more than my Lesters and all the others... Who knows what I’ll rotate it off the ‘play’ hanging stands with... It could be a forty year old Ibanez Blazer skrat... a different Lester...or something else...or one of my basses. I rotate all of mine.

 

[Socrates]

Nah...dont feel guilty about it....imagine how Jimmy Page feels when he walks through his vault of 1500+ guitars

 

[redcoats1976]

sold a ricky 330 last year,id had it for 20 years but didnt play it often.i did make a profit on it and i kept the ones i preferred though.

 

[93studiolite]

I feel a little guilty at times. My Les Paul is the guitar I’ve had the longest, but I’ve never been able to fully bond with it. I got it as a Christmas gift from my parents in 1994, so it’s not going anywhere. I prefer to play my PRS or my Strat, and the Strat over the PRS.

 

[JMP]

Good responses. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Keep it coming.

I’m not a collector and only keep 2 guitars at a time (my decision combined with a small home). Maybe I need to force myself to play only one guitar for a period of time to really “get my head around it”. For example, make myself only play the Les Paul for 6 months and see what happens. I mean, worse things have happened to people.

 

[ErictheRed]

Get a different Gibson, they make many different ones with different neck shapes, weights, fret sizes, etc. It sounds like you bought one that isn't quite for you, and that's fine. Gibson Les Pauls are my favorite guitar, but I've played a few ones that I didn't like at all.

 

[mudface]

Never. I love all of mine equally, from my oldest Lester (Custom) to my Casino and all the others... When I wish to hear a certain color, I grab what gives me that. One is not better, just different. I’ve been playing my Hamer Monaco lately far more than my Lesters and all the others... Who knows what I’ll rotate it off the ‘play’ hanging stands with... It could be a forty year old Ibanez Blazer skrat... a different Lester...or something else...or one of my basses. I rotate all of mine.

Exact same here..... my 80’s Squier, my ‘80’s Kramer, my late ‘60’s Kingston Beatle bass,... are all just as pleasurable as my Gibbies. Nothing gets ignored or left out. Though my DSG’s have been favored lately, everything I own have a place in my heart.

 

[DaveSG]

I can definitely relate. I've done a bit of recording in the last 5-6 years or so and an Epiphone Korina G-400 has absolutely slammed every other guitar I've used for recording, including plenty of other Gibsons. It has a 57+ in the bridge so I suppose you could say its 'part' Gibson, but a total match made in heaven. The runner up on the recording front also was another Epiphone, just slightly modified.

Love the feel and smell of the Gibsons, but it does get kinda tough when you have a guitar that is 10x the price of other guitars you own and you don't get 10x the sound/tone, or even 1x the sound/tone.

That said, the two best sounding guitars I've ever heard were an old beat up Les Paul Custom and a 2005 Gibson SG 62 RI limited edition from Guitar Center. I also have a cheapo G400 (Korean) body I picked up for $20 and with some cheapy components thrown on and a 57 classic in the bridge, it held its own just fine, and it is literally 1/100th the cost of what either of these two guitars would cost.

 

[MSB]

While I love Les Pauls, they are by no means my favorite Gibsons... and no guilt at all for it

 

[dmac in SC]

I love my G&L's more than anything I own..This is mostly because I have done the entire setups myself..my methods are unorthodox, and I would NEVER put someone's else guitar through what I put mine through..but somehow they always turn out perfect

 

[jc2000]

I have bought guitars that I thought I loved at the time, but never loved.

 

[Injector]

I love everything about my 2019 Traditional....apart from the neck carve. It just doesn't feel right.

My LP Special, LP Custom, R8, LP Standard and 335 all have necks that I love. The Trad looks killer, sounds awesome and has zero build quality faults but I just can't bond with the neck. I think I'm finally used to it but they I go and play something else. When I return to the Trad it feels all wrong again...

 

[cowsgomoo]

it's normal. And if you're like me, you'll enjoy different guitars, amps and pedals equally, at different times. Don't go thinking there's something wrong and get rid of it, just keep it for the times it's exactly what you want.

A nice and varied collection of gear for all of your inclinations, as & when they happen, is what you need. Don't beat yourself up over preferring one thing today. Certainly don't trade away a good Les Paul because of it

 

[musicmaniac]

There's only one guitar I couldn't get along with. It was a 2014 Epi and it was beautiful! I couldn't get around the neck. Just was too funky so I moved on. If it doesn't float your boat get rid of it and move one. There's too many axes out there to enjoy!

 

[Southwest]

Thanks @JMP this chimes with me. Got my first Les Paul in March and while I really enjoy playing it, my 20 year old Custom 22 is still my favourite. The LP gets played almost every day though - I use it for a different sound palate. The way I see it, the worst that can happen is that once the world gets back to normal, i can A/B it against others (mine was a lockdown present so bought sight unseen) and see if anything jumps out at me. If so, like you, I have a very nice trade to offer. If not then I'm more than happy to bring it home again. I agree it's a nice first-world problem to have.

 

[rjwilson37]

I don't know how many times I have purchased a Les Paul and said I loved it and it's never going to leave me, only to sell or trade it for another Les Paul that I loved. It just never ends. haha

My best friend actually still has my first Gibson Les Paul, I may actually buy it back at some point since he hasn't played it in years.

 

[mdubya]

My 1997 Epi Sheraton MIK hung right in there with my Gibson USA SGs and my Gibson LP 50's Tribute, all of which were great guitars, too.

The Epi was not retired until I got my 2014 ES 335. And the Epi was still a tone match for the Gibson ES, '57 Classics and CTS pots in both.

My recent USA model Firebird may not be quite as precious as my Custom Shop Firebirds, but it is right up there with them for vibes and tone and playability. My SG Classic hangs tough with the Custom Shop Firebirds, too, especially with its killer '64 Custom Shop type neck.

I used to take my $200 SG Special to jams, even when I had Custom Shop guitars, just because I was most comfortable with old faithful. And it gave nothing away from a tone a playability perspective.