Guitar Center Les Paul Special

[Publius pro tem]

I wouldn't call $1000.00 cheap

For an American-made guitar with a set neck?
With a real-deal gloss nitro finish?
(Not to mention a factory hard case?)

That's a damned decent price.
And I'm a HUGE P-90 fan!!!

The only thing cheap about studios is the lack of the high gloss finish

It's not a Studio, it's a Special without a carved top - and they are gloss finished.
They do them in a natural Mahogany too - damned nice guitar.

This is basically the same thing Gibson was doing in the late 1990s.

These are amazing players ... the 60s tapered neck carve.

Yep.

Damned shame you HAVE to go to Guitar Center to get it - I guess you did okay with them, eh?

Good on ya!

 

[Justin_Case]

Got mine with the President's Day sale $200 off coupon.

 

[studio1087]

Nice guitar to be sure, but I'm puzzled because, like me, you recently bought at least one (maybe two?) Studio Tributes.

It's your perogative, of course, but right now the last guitar I would buy is another cheap Gibson Les Paul with dual P90s. Why'd you buy this?

Peace

Rex


P. S. Before anybody gets all a-flutter because I said Tributes and Specials were "cheap," I mean in the relative-to-other-Gibsons sense.

I have three P-90 Gibsons and none of them sound the same.

I think (my opinion) that single coil guitars or P90 or Jazzmaster style guitars that have the same pickups but different body wood and top wood sound a whole lot different than humbucker guitars with different body and top wood.

I know plenty of guys with several humbucker Les Pauls.

My three Les Paul P90 guitars sound wildly different.

The spruce cap on the 50's tribute makes the P90's sound brighter than the other two......it's got real top end bite.

The solid mahogany body (without cap) on the P90 Special makes the P90's sound chunky. The P90 Special like the OP has in this topic is my favorite....it sounds huge clean and overdriven it sounds more huge. It's got chug and chunk that sounds big as a house.

The LP JR is a cross between the two. It's a bit like the Special but with less body mass it's a bit brighter and more reactive to right hand technique.

I love P90's.......I also have a Godin 5Th Ave Kingpin Jazz Box. I truly believe that Gibson makes the best P90's in the world. You've got the body of a humbucker and the pluck and bite of a Tele. I love the pluck and bite.

Just my opinion but I don't think there's anything unusual about having several P90 models. To me, several P90's makes more sense than several humbuckers. P90's really take on the flavor of the lumber around them.


Congratulations truetone6. That's a beauty. the neck binding against that red has to be awesome looking.

John

 

[truetone6]

Thanks John! They used a nice piece of wood for the body.

 

[pineder]

Truetone, I'm still enjoying mine. I have literally no complaints at all.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54276127@N03/5502847632/in/photostream/

Enjoy it!!

BTW, where did you get your Strat? I used to have a 01 Strat same color.

 

[Ed Man]

Sweet axe!!!!

 

[Mr Insane]

I tried a special, the one way I played didn't connect with me. Hopefully someday I'll find one that does.

 

[truetone6]

Truetone, I'm still enjoying mine. I have literally no complaints at all.

IMG-20110305-00153 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Enjoy it!!

BTW, where did you get your Strat? I used to have a 01 Strat same color.

Thanks guys! My strat is also a 2001. The color is "Sky Blue" I got it used at my local music store


"Sky Blue" 2001 Fender American Stratocaster
"Sky Blue" 1955 Lincoln

 

[BluesZep]

I got mine last week, and I'm enjoying it a lot!

My only complaint is the toggle switch, that isn't switchcraft.

 

[BluesZep]

The Special:

With her Gib sisters:

With all sisters:

 

[ctkarslake]

Sweet. Is there something different/special about being a "Guitar Center LP Special"?

What am I missing here?

 

[pineder]

Binding, gloss finish, different tuners for less than $1000.

The alternative does not include binding, gloss finish, Klusons for $1299.

 

[LPClassic07]

It appears Musicians Friend had them at one point:

Buy Gibson Les Paul Special Electric Guitar with P-90 and Gloss Finish | Solid Body Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend

I played one at GC yesterday and will probably go back this week to pick it up. Originally wanted the low-priced Epiphone LP Special with P-90s that GC sells in store for $299. But then I saw (and played) the Gibson. Love the neck, and the finish looks much better in person (heritage cherry). Only comes with a gig bag and they're making me pay extra to upgrade to the hard shell case.

 

[truetone6]

Yeah I had to get a Gibson Thinbody case from another GC. Still,I think it was worth it. It's a really nice guitar.

Here is a video(not mine) of a Guitar Center Les Paul Special

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82-PfpUhJ4Y]Guitar Center Les Paul Special[/ame]

 

[malcostuart]

congrats ! looks the beeswax to me; " P90s for ever "

 

[raffo]

This was the LAST guitar on my list. Heck, it wasn't even ON my list.

Then I picked one up, at GC... and couldn't put it down...

 

[ToneasaurusRex]

I have three P-90 Gibsons and none of them sound the same. . . .

I love P90's.......

Just my opinion but I don't think there's anything unusual about having several P90 models. . . .
John

John, thanks a lot for that post. Great perspective. My Tribute is my first experience with P90s and I am very happy; I love the tone, too.

I know there are lots of guitarists out there who find what they like and stick with it. You like P90 Gibsons, other guys might have five or six Ibanez JEMs or nothing but Stratocasters, whatever. Maybe I'll get that way someday, but right now I'm trying to explore and diversify.

Rock on with those P90s!

Peace

Rex

 

[Indyclone]

I picked one of these up at GC over the weekend... I liked it a lot... a nice light 1 piece body.. but it had the pinkest "cream" binding I have ever seen.

 

[LPClassic07]

I'm now leaning towards the Epi over the Gibson. Gibson is the better guitar, no question about it. But for my first P90 guitar, the Epi still played nicely and is a steal at close to $250 with a trade in discount. I originally went it to GC looking for a MIM strat HSS -- which I could grab along with the Epi and still have almost enough money left over for something like a Blackstar HT-5 Combo. But that Gibson was nice….damn it…I don't know. Maybe I'll make a plea to throw in the hard case at no extra cost.

 

[Blue Moose]

This isn't showing up in the GC online catalog. Do most of the stores have 'em in stock?