Good day, fellow Les Paul players.
The other day I purchased my first Gibson product: a 2012 Gibson Les Paul Traditional in Desert Burst from Long and McQuade. The instrument is secondhand, but I was surprised to learn so. With the exception of a minor chip in the finish on the lower rear edge of the guitar, the instrument is flawless. More importantly is that the guitar is an absolute pleasure to play. The 50's style neck, being much thicker than the 60's style neck, is a beautiful thrill to experience. My ability to play faster on these necks is increased, despite the considerable width that the hand must fit into. Simply put, my hand does not become as fatigued as it might otherwise on a thinner profile neck. Perhaps others may feel the same way, or perhaps my hands are better suited to a larger neck profile. The '57 pickups are delightfully rich and are incredibly full sounding. The tonal variety that is possible with these pickups is unreal, great for live Jimmy Page tones, especially the early Led Zeppelin. I debated between this model and a 2013 Traditional. A few things worth commenting and inquiring about:
1. Despite my purchase being a 2012 model and thus having a "Swiss Cheese Weight Relief" in place, this particular guitar is heavier than the non-weight relieved 2013 model. The instrument also "knocks" more solidly than the 2013 model, which surprised both the guitar technician and myself. Upon an informal means of measuring the instrument's mass, I've determined it weighs in at 9.6 pounds. I'm wondering if this is an unusual case given the fact that the 2012 models are weight relieved? I'm certainly not complaining. Being quite young still, my back can handle the load many hours at a time. The guitar absolutely roars and the mass, no doubt, only enhances such a growl.
2. Being relatively new to the Les Paul player's club, I am unfamiliar with the distinction between a "rimburst" and a "teardrop" finish. I am hoping somebody can explain to me the difference between the two, and perhaps comment on which my particular model is.
3. The original owner removed the stock tone and volume knobs and replaced them with black speed knobs. Although it certainly does not look horrible, I much prefer the look of the vintage tophat style knobs anyways. I am wondering if anyone has a vested opinion on whether or not the vintage amber or the gold tophat knobs would look better on a desert burst? Perhaps some may have photos to compliment their opinion?
4. Lastly, it is my intention to swap out the "Traditional" truss rod cover and replace it with a blank one. However, I have noticed that almost all blank truss rod covers are less "beveled" than the vintage covers on many player's guitars. Jimmy Page's Number One Les Paul comes to mind in terms of having a bold beveled edge. The covers were outlined by a bolder white binding than the blank covers available today. Would anybody know where I might find one of these bolder antique bell truss rod covers that were seen on the vintage Les Pauls?
5. Should I ever wish to refinish the guitar, preferably to a washed cherry sunburst, would anybody recommend a particular individual skilled in the refinishing department? Preferably located in western Canada.
My sincerest thank you to all whom share their input.
I must apologize for the less than stellar photograph. My phone camera was all I had available at the time.
Thanks again,
Cisco.
The other day I purchased my first Gibson product: a 2012 Gibson Les Paul Traditional in Desert Burst from Long and McQuade. The instrument is secondhand, but I was surprised to learn so. With the exception of a minor chip in the finish on the lower rear edge of the guitar, the instrument is flawless. More importantly is that the guitar is an absolute pleasure to play. The 50's style neck, being much thicker than the 60's style neck, is a beautiful thrill to experience. My ability to play faster on these necks is increased, despite the considerable width that the hand must fit into. Simply put, my hand does not become as fatigued as it might otherwise on a thinner profile neck. Perhaps others may feel the same way, or perhaps my hands are better suited to a larger neck profile. The '57 pickups are delightfully rich and are incredibly full sounding. The tonal variety that is possible with these pickups is unreal, great for live Jimmy Page tones, especially the early Led Zeppelin. I debated between this model and a 2013 Traditional. A few things worth commenting and inquiring about:
1. Despite my purchase being a 2012 model and thus having a "Swiss Cheese Weight Relief" in place, this particular guitar is heavier than the non-weight relieved 2013 model. The instrument also "knocks" more solidly than the 2013 model, which surprised both the guitar technician and myself. Upon an informal means of measuring the instrument's mass, I've determined it weighs in at 9.6 pounds. I'm wondering if this is an unusual case given the fact that the 2012 models are weight relieved? I'm certainly not complaining. Being quite young still, my back can handle the load many hours at a time. The guitar absolutely roars and the mass, no doubt, only enhances such a growl.
2. Being relatively new to the Les Paul player's club, I am unfamiliar with the distinction between a "rimburst" and a "teardrop" finish. I am hoping somebody can explain to me the difference between the two, and perhaps comment on which my particular model is.
3. The original owner removed the stock tone and volume knobs and replaced them with black speed knobs. Although it certainly does not look horrible, I much prefer the look of the vintage tophat style knobs anyways. I am wondering if anyone has a vested opinion on whether or not the vintage amber or the gold tophat knobs would look better on a desert burst? Perhaps some may have photos to compliment their opinion?
4. Lastly, it is my intention to swap out the "Traditional" truss rod cover and replace it with a blank one. However, I have noticed that almost all blank truss rod covers are less "beveled" than the vintage covers on many player's guitars. Jimmy Page's Number One Les Paul comes to mind in terms of having a bold beveled edge. The covers were outlined by a bolder white binding than the blank covers available today. Would anybody know where I might find one of these bolder antique bell truss rod covers that were seen on the vintage Les Pauls?
5. Should I ever wish to refinish the guitar, preferably to a washed cherry sunburst, would anybody recommend a particular individual skilled in the refinishing department? Preferably located in western Canada.
My sincerest thank you to all whom share their input.
I must apologize for the less than stellar photograph. My phone camera was all I had available at the time.
Thanks again,
Cisco.
