Help choosing my first Gibson Les Paul

[Jorbissian]

Hi! First time posting in a long while but I’m finally in the market for my first Gibson Les Paul and could use some advice.

I mainly play hard rock and hair metal, e.g. Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Ozzy. So a Les Paul more suited to heavier genres is what I’m looking for.

Budget is anywhere up to $4500. I’m aiming to buy used to get a better deal.

On the higher end of my budget, I’ve been told to look into these for hard rock genres
1) An actual vintage 70’s/80’s Les Paul with T-Tops
2) A current production Les Paul custom with the 490R/498T
3) Historic 1957 reissue Les Paul Custom

4) On the lower end, I found a $900 Les Paul studio from 2003 in a really cool and somewhat rare chameleon green/blue color from a local seller. It has the 490R/498T pickups which I heard are better suited to the heavy genres I play. I don’t care for binding or bling one way or another.

Should I get the studio and pocket the extra cash? Or go for something on the higher end?

Which of the above would you say is best for the genres I like? Or is there another model I should look into that’s better?

G'day mate, I'm no expert that's for sure, if you wanna know about Gibson Les Pauls check out "Trogly's Guitar Show" on Youtube, if you really want to know about the "ducks guts" about a Les Paul this guy is very good, if you have relevant information, serial number, photos, history of a guitar you're interested in this guy charges for some services to work out if it's a good buy or not. All the best, good luck with your eventual purchase, Rock On Man !.

 

[Jorbissian]

G'day mate, I'm no expert that's for sure, if you wanna know about Gibson Les Pauls check out "Trogly's Guitar Show" on Youtube, if you really want to know about the "ducks guts" about a Les Paul this guy is very good, if you have relevant information, serial number, photos, history of a guitar you're interested in this guy charges for some services to work out if it's a good buy or not. All the best, good luck with your eventual purchase, Rock On Man !.

P.S. Studios are always a good buy if you don't mind a light weight Les Paul.

 

[cosmefulanito17]

<a href="https://ibb.co/QKN0rJS">

 

[monstruo_loco]

Something I’d do knowing what I know now & didn’t back then is to get out to music stores (harder to do currently) and decide what type of necks and frets you’re comfortable with & then go from there with pickups, electronics, hardware & weight to fit your needs.
Also, if I could do without I’d wait until prices come back down since the virus has created a noticeable increase in prices from what they were a year ago.
Les Paul Traditional is a good one below used CS models if you prefer a thicker neck & if not then a Classic, which for me would be the next step up unless a recent 50’s or 60’s Standard based on neck choices.
Larger retailers have return periods for trial with option to return if you find something you don’t like or can’t live with that you didn’t notice on first time playing in a store.
Lastly, I would not buy my first Les Paul online unless it came from a well known retailer with a 30 day (or longer) return policy.

 

[MP4-22]

Thanks, it did. Any benefit to getting the regular Custom models with the 498/490 pickups versus the historic reissue customs?

I don't think so.....

 

[Lester]

If the used studio plays nice, buy that. Spend a little money having a pro set it up. Play it for a year and figure out what you like in an LP. Then keep it, or sell it, or upgrade it. No worries, you can always get your money out.

Spend some of the rest of the cash on an amp that will help you get the sounds you want.

 

[Gas4LPs]

Do you like chunky, normal, or thin necks?

 

[rogue3]

Custom. For the harder sound. For that sound,an ebony board, mated with grovers. If weight is not an issue for you, 9 plus lbs. No (sub 9) light weights. One reason a Norlin(like rhodes) fits the mold.

 

[Lester]

...One reason a Norlin(like rhodes) fits the mold.

No, Norlins are terrible (let's keep the prices down as long as we can).

 

[InTheEvening]

So, seems like general reccomendation is to get my hands on as many LPs as I can. And if I don't want to wait, I could get a used studio for now and wait to get a high end one after I have a better idea of what I want.

I asked the seller if the $800 studio is still around, but they said there's a buyer for it already so that option 4 to get the studio used may be gone for now. But we'll see!

I don't really know, sorry.

But here is an example of a Supreme. I have no affiliation with this seller.

Les Paul Supreme '04 - Dave's Guitar Shop

Desert Burst, Carved Flame Maple top and back, Slim taper shaped Mahogany neck, Bound 12″ radius Ebony fingerboard and medium frets, 24.75″ scale length, Factory Gibson 498T bridge and 490R neck pickups, 1 11/16th” nut width, The neck thickness is .83″ at the first and 1.00″ at the 12th frets...

davesguitar.com

Wow, I love the look of the Supremes. There was one used in a local store a while back but I was in a hurry that day I saw it and didn't get to try it out. Ended up getting sold shortly after. Will look at them more seriously now and see if I can try one in person.

Wow. I've never seen anyone so thoroughly go through thanking everyone and replying to each person's comment specifically. That's really above and beyond.

Go you!

Thanks! I appreciate you guys taking the time to help me out, so I try to get back accordingly when I can.

Just my .02, from a bedroom player who plays that kind of music on occasion

I cannot stand the 490/498 pickups. They are so bland and dull and do absolutely nothing for me

I would recommend a Custom though, my hair metal guitar is a Edwards LPC type - full hog body, hog neck, ebony board, maple top - with a set of hot PAF clones I got from some guy in Germany 6 years ago, no idea the brand. Rich, warm, very vibrant and open tone. I swap them out periodically with a set of SD Slash humbuckers, a little darker but snappier

That's helpful to know, cause I do play mostly in the bedroom. Especially now with the restrictions, so don't see myself gigging anytime soon if at all.

Y

DO that.
best to get a feel of the options around

Yeah, I'm gonna try to run the racks in the stores when I get some time off.

You will love the SG.Also their is nothing wrong with Gibson 490r and 490t pickups. A lot of people like them and some hate them.You know how pickups go.Swap o rama

Haha, it's a fantastic time to be in, there's so many pickup options now and opportunities to play with them. I'm excited to try the SG, I've never played a proper one before.

Early 70's or early 90's LP Custom. there is no comparison.

I'll look out for those years. Is it risky buying those online or from Reverb used? Like getting a fake, or having damage that wasn't reported? What's the best or safest way to get a 70's LP? I wish I could try before buying, but 70's and 90's Customs don't pop up locally very often for me so will probably go used online.

My Custom has the pickups you're looking for, I think they sound great and are very versatile. Mine also has a medium C neck, which is not to thin and not to chunky, perfect in my opinion.

Sounds like what I'm looking for, thanks. If I go high end and skip the studio, I think the Custom is it.

my first Les was/is a ‘91 Studio. Honest guitar without binding. You can get in for low $, have $ for a PUP change if you want and always get your $ back out if you find your grail at some point.

Glad to hear the studio worked out well for you. I messaged the seller asking if the studio was still available, I think I'll take that for the short term if it's still available and take my time to figure out if I want to get something pricier in the future.

I love the Axcess. I have both a Floyd'd and a stopbar version.

The Floyd'd comes with the 490/498 pickups.

And yes, they are thinner than Standards, Tradirionals, Customs. They are uber comfortable to play as well.

That's awesome, I would love to try one in person if Ican. Might be blasphemy, but I really liked the neon ones they did a few years back. .

I'd say it depends on whether you want to replicate that '70s hard rock sound (in which case a maple neck and t-tops a la Norlin are your friend) or bring something of your own tone to it, in which case the studio would be a good basis upon which to build. You can always swap pickups and magnets and things, and you might be surprised at what you end up liking!

Thanks! I like the idea of both haha. I really wanted a T-top equipped vintage LP but haven't found any locally to try out. I see them on Reverb but I'm not sure how reliable or safe it is to order a pricey vintage guitar from there without trying it out or seeing it.

I messaged the seller for the studio and am waiting to hear back if it's still available too.

I would get Option 4 (the studio), and keep the cash for now. See how you bond with it and decide what you like and don't like, then go out and buy a higher end one that has the exact specs that you want later. I wouldn't worry too much about pickups, you can always change them out later if they aren't high output enough for you or whatever.

I think that you should start with a Studio if you aren't sure of what specs you want. There are some great Les Paul Studio VM (Vintage Mahogany) models from the early 2000s that came with the exact same electronics and pickups as the Standard, I might start with one of those if not the Studio that you're already looking at. The older ones came with a hard shell case, but the newer had different pickups than a Standard and a gig bag. Something like this:

Gibson Les Paul Studio Vintage Mahogany 2003 - 2007 | Reverb

First iteration of the all-mahogany bodied Les Paul Studio, featuring a Rosewood Fretboard and Burstbucker Pro pickups Available in Worn Cherry and Worn Brown Rolled into the full Les Paul Studio line in 2008.

reverb.com

though that one comes with different pickups. You should be able to find one for $700-800 all day long. These are great because they really do have similar specs to a Standard, just no binding, nibs, or flamed maple top.

No offense, but you seem too ignorant about Les Pauls to be spending $4,500 or thereabouts. You'll likely buy something nice that people recommend, but not like it because of the neck shape, profile, weight, whatever. If you can't try a bunch out, start with a Studio and go from there.

All good points, I'm not in a rush to spend that cash or get a Les Paul immediately, hence I'm asking here and getting the search going early. I'm happy to take my time in finding the right one.

Sounds like the studio is a great safe option for now though. I messaged the local seller to see if they still have it for sale, let's see.

Since the bands you mention do not all use the same model LP, there is no real answer to your too-broad question. You can get the tones you want out of any decent LP; in fact, I think it's a big mistake to think you need to get one with so-called "hard rock/metal" pickups. The sounds associated with the bands you mention are easily attainable in a variety of ways. Personally, I'd get whatever LP feels best to you as a player, and which you like cosmetically, and then work on making sure you have a suitable amp, which is probably mnore important to the sound.

Very true, amp is always a bigger factor. I've got a Peavey Classic 50 which has done the job with pedals, and some quiter modelers for bedroom ues.

If pickup isn't as important, that opens up my options as I do like the look and feel of some of the other models I've seen.

I have a 1993 studio , and mainly play black Sabbath type stuff (doom) on it .
IMHO a studio is the way to go if your not intrested in "Bling" .
I mean if you really think about it most of the bands you mentioned play les pauls not SG'S accept AC/DC .

Woot, another vote for the studio. I messaged the local seller with the studio to see if it's still available. Will probably get that if it is.

G'day mate, I'm no expert that's for sure, if you wanna know about Gibson Les Pauls check out "Trogly's Guitar Show" on Youtube, if you really want to know about the "ducks guts" about a Les Paul this guy is very good, if you have relevant information, serial number, photos, history of a guitar you're interested in this guy charges for some services to work out if it's a good buy or not. All the best, good luck with your eventual purchase, Rock On Man !.

I love Trogly, his Les Paul studio video was really helpful. I'll check out his other ones too now that you mention it.

P.S. Studios are always a good buy if you don't mind a light weight Les Paul.

I would love a light weight Les Paul! Gonna message the seller near me to ask if the studio is still available.

<a href="https://ibb.co/QKN0rJS">

Such an icon, literally the first guitar hero to make me want a Les Paul custom.

Something I’d do knowing what I know now & didn’t back then is to get out to music stores (harder to do currently) and decide what type of necks and frets you’re comfortable with & then go from there with pickups, electronics, hardware & weight to fit your needs.
Also, if I could do without I’d wait until prices come back down since the virus has created a noticeable increase in prices from what they were a year ago.
Les Paul Traditional is a good one below used CS models if you prefer a thicker neck & if not then a Classic, which for me would be the next step up unless a recent 50’s or 60’s Standard based on neck choices.
Larger retailers have return periods for trial with option to return if you find something you don’t like or can’t live with that you didn’t notice on first time playing in a store.
Lastly, I would not buy my first Les Paul online unless it came from a well known retailer with a 30 day (or longer) return policy.

Thanks, that's a good thought about waiting. The prices are insane now. I'll run the racks in the stores and wait it out. For the short term, seems like the studio is a safe option for now.

I don't think so.....

Sounded pretty good.

If the used studio plays nice, buy that. Spend a little money having a pro set it up. Play it for a year and figure out what you like in an LP. Then keep it, or sell it, or upgrade it. No worries, you can always get your money out.

Spend some of the rest of the cash on an amp that will help you get the sounds you want.

Thanks, good advice and seems like others echoed this. I messaged the seller of the studio to ask if it's still available, they said one guy offered to buy before me so if they back out then I can get it. Let's see!

Do you like chunky, normal, or thin necks?

Definitely normal and thin, I'm not a fan of chunky necks.

Custom. For the harder sound. For that sound,an ebony board, mated with grovers. If weight is not an issue for you, 9 plus lbs. No (sub 9) light weights. One reason a Norlin(like rhodes) fits the mold.

I'll keep scouring through Reverb for a good Norlin era model. I really wish I could try one out in person, but don't see any locally right now.

No, Norlins are terrible (let's keep the prices down as long as we can).

I really hope prices start to go back down in a year, everything seems to be going up in price now.

 

[InTheEvening]

Good news! The local Les Paul studio is still available, it’s a bit of a drive but I’m gonna go try it out this weekend. If it feels and sounds good, it’ll be coming home with me.

 

[mudface]

What about the option get’em all?

Just a little time and $$$.

You just need to start somewhere.

 

[JMP]

even tho I play a Standard, if I was in the market for another LP it'd likely be a Classic. it's got many of the features of a Std. at a lower price (new). have a look on Reverb as there are many choices of models in all price ranges. and good luck!

And that Transparent Red finish..... yes! For discussion purposes, we’ll call it wine red.

 

[InTheEvening]

And that Transparent Red finish..... yes! For discussion purposes, we’ll call it wine red.

I love that transparent red finish, especially with the zebra pickups. I was prettyset on getting that classic model a long time back until I saw the pickups weren’t the 498/490 combo, but I’m gonna give it another serious look now since the advice on here is that look/feel >>> pickups and I may even like the tone stock since someone said the 57 classics can cover the genres I like fine. That trans red, Brimstone burst and the LP custom in black or white are probably my four favorite finishes.

 

[InTheEvening]

What about the option get’em all?

View attachment 509155
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Just a little time and $$$.

You just need to start somewhere.

Goals right there.

 

[rogue3]

Since transparent finish has been mentionned,i will throw this out there! happy viewing!

Just may be my favorite finish.

wouldn't be complete without a demo!

 

[pondcaster]

Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[Gitter]

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Love, love. love these! So tempted!

 

[InTheEvening]

Hey guys! So big updates! The Les Paul studio I was going to buy got sold. So I’m back on the hunt.

I went to the store today and got to try out a TON of different Les Paul models, including an SG.

I played the Les Paul Standard 50’s, Custom, Studio, Classic, and Tribute models, as well as an SG standard. Learned a lot, and def was surprised by what I liked.

1) The LP standard 50’s, didn’t like it. It was okay, but couldn’t get the high gain tones I wanted and the neck was chunkier than I liked. Fit and finish was decent but not great.

2) Les Paul Custom ebony, blew me away. The 498/490 pickups sounds great and got all the hard rock sounds I wanted. Frets, binding, everything was well done and it played really well. BEST fit and finish. The neck was a little thicker than I’d like, but I got used to it fine.

3) The LP Studio, I probably got a bad example but it was bad. Kept going out of tune, string broke while playing, and the fret ends were sharp. Sounded fine, as it had the 498/490 but definitely felt different from the custom. I was hoping to love this one but it was a disappointment.

4) The LP Classic, HOLY SHIT! I loved this guitar. Of the bunch, this one was the one that spoke to me. Had the most comfortable neck of the bunch, felt fast and thin. The salesman said it had a slimmer neck than the others, is this true? I wasn’t expecting to like the Classic 57 pickups but they sounded really good, and did fine on the high gain stuff and had an extra bit of clarity and openness on the cleans. The coil tap and phase reversal switch options were fun to play with. I literally couldn’t put the guitar down. If I were to bring one home, this would be it. The fret ends and binding were better on this than the standard.

5) The LP Tribute, dry fretboard, strings were stiff, sounded okay. I didn’t bond with it at all. Kept thinking about the classic.

6) The SG standard, felt really weird to hold after playing all the Les Pauls haha. Loved the light weight but didn’t bond with it much. It was good but not my cup of tea.


TLDR: I can definitively say, I love the Classic and the Custom models most. The Custom has no weight relief, better quality parts, but a chunkier neck and costs twice as much as the Classic which sounds just as good and plays just as well at half the cost.

The only guitar I really wanted to try and might like more than the Classic is the Standard 60’s, which I was told has hotter pickups similar in sound to the classic, and a slimmer neck like the classic as well. But unlike the classic the standard isn’t weight relieved and doesn’t use the PCB board with the cool switching options.


Curious, between Les Paul Classic and the Standard 60’s, are the necks exactly the same? How do they differ tonally? Which do you prefer between those two? I’ll try to play a standard 60’s if I can find one.

 

[Gitter]

I already replied to your other post, so all I'd add is that both the 2020 Classic & '60's Standards are amazing guitars that share some characteristics but are different enough for each to stand on their own merits. You can't go wrong with either. The 2020 Standard 60's and Classic have similar necks and the same pickups (61T, 61R) which are hotter than the 50's Standard (Burstbucker 1/2). The 61's have alnico 5 magnets and the burstbucker 1 & 2 are alnico 2. The difference in weight isn't much. The Classic, despite the name, is a more modern guitar with the PCB and all the switching capabilities while the Standards are more old school.