Slash Les Paul

[tokairic]

I'm just interested to hear what people think of the 2020 Les Paul Slash series, this one linked is sharp in November Burst. Do you like the black pickups?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPSS00NVNH--gibson-slash-les-paul-standard-november-burst

Great looking - but are they really worth £400 more than a good LP standard. Is it just Gibson charging more 'because they can'.

 

[tokairic]

I've already said it on here but I will say it again: I absolutely love my Slash. So much so, I sold my R8 because I stopped playing it after I got this one. I got her from Wildwood and it is perfect in every way. My opinion is don't listen to those that are saying bad thing because I bet they haven't played one. I feel like it is the best non-Custom Shop Gibson I've ever played or owned. Cheers all! Here she is: View attachment 480647

You got a good one there, but they aren't all that nice with the quilt top. Same price could leave you with standard flame maple.

 

[vintageguitarz]

Slash is a "Has-been", a poser since he has no "style" of his own and it says volumes about Gibson that they would think this clown from the "Hair Band" days is something to tout as a Signature series.

Where are all the really "greats" like Carlos Santana's, the Jeff Beck's, Eric Clapton's, Pete Townsend's, Steve Cropper's, Don Felder's, Eddie Van Halen, or Joe Walsh, or Nancy Wilson endorsing Gibsons?? ...... because they know what Gibson is now, ain't what Gibson was in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's. Gibson is what "Slash" (Saul Hudson) is .... a Has-Been.

 

[danzego]

Slash is a "Has-been", a poser since he has no "style" of his own and it says volumes about Gibson that they would think this clown from the "Hair Band" days is something to tout as a Signature series.

Where are all the really "greats" like Carlos Santana's, the Jeff Beck's, Eric Clapton's, Pete Townsend's, Steve Cropper's, Don Felder's, Eddie Van Halen, or Joe Walsh, or Nancy Wilson endorsing Gibsons?? ...... because they know what Gibson is now, ain't what Gibson was in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's. Gibson is what "Slash" (Saul Hudson) is .... a Has-Been.

The only thing “has been” about Slash is that Slash is awesome and always....HAS BEEN.

 

[NINFNM]

I guess that Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck's, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, Steve Cropper, Don Felder, Eddie Van Halen, or Joe Walsh, or Nancy Wilson are also "Has-Beens", right?

 

[danzego]

True, but I’ll stand by what I said. The lightest weight examples I’ve seen on standards have been slash models. The most sub-9lbs I’ve seen are on those models.

Now, the reason for that? I don’t know. Maybe the lighter 50s & 60s get snatched up so fast I don’t see them as often?

Either way I don’t own a slash. I own a standard 60s.

Well, I don’t know your habits, but I personally have a bit of an obsession with looking at guitars online at shops that post the weights of the ones they sell; places like Sweetwater, Wildwood, Chicago Music Exchange, Music Zoo, Zzounds, et al. I’ve been doing that consistently since I was shopping for my 2019 Traditional, Standard 50s, and Custom Shop Les Pauls.

What I’ve seen is Standards and Slash models alike all over the place in terms of weight, everywhere from mid 8’s to in the 10’s. I don’t know where you’re looking, but in the amount of places I look and as often as I look (both of which are a lot), I’m not seeing any indication whatsoever that they’re targeting any particular weight class in the Slash models.

If you want to insist that’s not the case, despite the evidence being on every single website carrying these guitar series and listing their weight, well....go ahead, I guess. Clearly you won’t be convinced otherwise.

 

[PauloQS]

Well, I don’t know your habits, but I personally have a bit of an obsession with looking at guitars online at shops that post the weights of the ones they sell; places like Sweetwater, Wildwood, Chicago Music Exchange, Music Zoo, Zzounds, et al. I’ve been doing that consistently since I was shopping for my 2019 Traditional, Standard 50s, and Custom Shop Les Pauls.

What I’ve seen is Standards and Slash models alike all over the place in terms of weight, everywhere from mid 8’s to in the 10’s. I don’t know where you’re looking, but in the amount of places I look and as often as I look (both of which are a lot), I’m not seeing any indication whatsoever that they’re targeting any particular weight class in the Slash models.

If you want to insist that’s not the case, despite the evidence being on every single website carrying these guitar series and listing their weight, well....go ahead, I guess. Clearly you won’t be convinced otherwise.

I do the same thing and I think that overall you are correct. My only observation is that although most Standards '50s and '60s and Slash standards are above 9 lbs and some break the 10 lbs mark, I have had a much harder time finding sub 9 lbs Standard '50s and '60s than I had with Slash Standards. They do exist, the sub 9 lbs regular standards, for I've seen them. My purely anecdotal evidence is that I just had an easier time finding Slash Standards that are sub 9 lbs.

For instance:

Gibson Slash Collection Les Paul Standard | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/203600040/slash-les-paul-standard-14/?cat_id=284 (one of the 8 examples)

Wildwooks currently have 16 regular Standards ('50s and '60s) only one of which, a Standard '50s with P-90s, that is sub 9 lbs and a total of 8 Slash Standards, out of 17 in stock, that are sub 8lbs. They have a modern weight relief standard that is heavier than a lot of the Slashes). AMS currently has 3 sub 9 lbs Slash out of 8. zZounds currently has 5 of 13 Slash under 9 lbs. Sweetwater currently has 1 of 10 Slash under 9 lbs.

Granted I already knew of the two that I had linked, because these two were candidates when I got mine, but I did not know of the other 7 that wildwoods had in stock and I didn't know what the AMS/zZounds stock looked like. Sweetwater had more, but I got one of them not too long ago.

 

[danzego]

I do the same thing and I think that overall you are correct. My only observation is that although most Standards '50s and '60s and Slash standards are above 9 lbs and some break the 10 lbs mark, I have had a much harder time finding sub 9 lbs Standard '50s and '60s than I had with Slash Standards. They do exist, the sub 9 lbs regular standards, for I've seen them. My purely anecdotal evidence is that I just had an easier time finding Slash Standards that are sub 9 lbs.

For instance:

Gibson Slash Collection Les Paul Standard | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/203600040/slash-les-paul-standard-14/?cat_id=284 (one of the 8 examples)

Wildwooks currently have 16 regular Standards ('50s and '60s) only one of which, a Standard '50s with P-90s, that is sub 9 lbs and a total of 8 Slash Standards, out of 17 in stock, that are sub 8lbs. They have a modern weight relief standard that is heavier than a lot of the Slashes). AMS currently has 3 sub 9 lbs Slash out of 8. zZounds currently has 5 of 13 Slash under 9 lbs. Sweetwater currently has 1 of 10 Slash under 9 lbs.

Granted I already knew of the two that I had linked, because these two were candidates when I got mine, but I did not know of the other 7 that wildwoods had in stock and I didn't know what the AMS/zZounds stock looked like. Sweetwater had more, but I got one of them not too long ago.

For the record, the ones that you see on AMS are the same guitars as the ones you see on Zzounds site. There are less on AMS, but all the ones there are from the same stock. Looks like AMS updates their site slower.

I will say this: if they indeed are focusing on using the lightweight mahogany bodies for Slash models, why are we seeing 10 pounders and high 9’s on a regular basis? Meanwhile, we still see 8 lb and low 9 lb Standards arriving at retailers? Do you really believe that despite weight never seeming to play a factor in which guitars get made into which model before this, now they’re doing so for the Slash models.....but only some of the time?

I don’t believe that for a second.

 

[RocketKing]

Slash is a "Has-been", a poser since he has no "style" of his own and it says volumes about Gibson that they would think this clown from the "Hair Band" days is something to tout as a Signature series.

Where are all the really "greats" like Carlos Santana's, the Jeff Beck's, Eric Clapton's, Pete Townsend's, Steve Cropper's, Don Felder's, Eddie Van Halen, or Joe Walsh, or Nancy Wilson endorsing Gibsons?? ...... because they know what Gibson is now, ain't what Gibson was in the 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's. Gibson is what "Slash" (Saul Hudson) is .... a Has-Been.

No style of his own?? 'cause bashing someone's thread about a signature guitar is stylish I suppose.
Dude if you don't like Slash and/or Guns n roses that's your business but what's your contribution to the discussion of this guitar?
Looks like you've got an axe to grind.
If you don't like him don't talk about him, easy

 

[ARandall]

^ @vintageguitarz never has anything interesting, competent or relevant to say. He's the forum's 'Idiocracy' content

Slash gets alot of love because he was at the right place at the right time with the right band. Norlin was in it's horrible final years,

At the same time Henry J swoops in, and revamps the Gibson company-

The hideous irony here is that all the changes that took the Les Paul away from the 50's spec all happened before the Norlin era. And the changes back to (close to) the original 50's spec was done by the Norlin corporation. The the final 'horrible norlin years' were responsible for the return to mahogany 1 piece necks with no volute, the smaller &17 degree angled headstock, and the practrice of runs of vintage styled reissue guitars.
All the non vintage changes that stayed....short tenon, zamak tailpiece, Nashville bridge, weight relief, 3 piece top, Henry did absolutely nothing to change. In fact the only thing that did shift for factory guitars was a slow shift to 2 piece tops......complete by about 93

 

[PauloQS]

For the record, the ones that you see on AMS are the same guitars as the ones you see on Zzounds site. There are less on AMS, but all the ones there are from the same stock. Looks like AMS updates their site slower.

I will say this: if they indeed are focusing on using the lightweight mahogany bodies for Slash models, why are we seeing 10 pounders and high 9’s on a regular basis? Meanwhile, we still see 8 lb and low 9 lb Standards arriving at retailers? Do you really believe that despite weight never seeming to play a factor in which guitars get made into which model before this, now they’re doing so for the Slash models.....but only some of the time?

I don’t believe that for a second.

Gibson USA have been weighing body blanks for years. It‘s not even a JC era thing. It’s a practice that they have lots experience with. To see evidence this, up til 2017 Gibson listed the average weight for body of each model in their spec sheet pages, as well as body back density. Unfortunately 2018 resulted we got a much less detailed spec pages. Another evidence of this is seen in the LP Classic. Despite its 9-hole weight relief, they are in the same ballpark as the Standards.

Now what I think is happening is that regular Standards (‘50s and ‘60s) have the same threshold as the Slash Standards. However, some of the lighter body blanks are chosen to be used for Slash. Obviously the body banks aren’t enough to make guitars lighter, for maple are usually heavier and the top on the LP contribute a lot for the weight. For instance, even with the weight threshold for R9s and R0s, I still found 10lbs plus R9s.

As for the AMS and zZounds, I’ve found in the past SNs that we’re available in one but not the other. I know that they are the same company, but often times I found guitars that were not available in both sites. Maybe you’re right that one website updates before the other, but I could swear I saw the other way around, guitars available at AMS but not zZounds. Hence why I did not aggregate their inventory. But you’re right to point it out as to not induce double counting.

With that said, my conclusion is a conjecture because it’s based on anecdotal evidence. I‘ve been on the market for a Standard 3 times since the release of the Original Collection. All three times I knew of sub 9lbs Standards, but I couldn’t for the life of me found them when I was on the market. I know they exist for I‘ve seen them when I browse around just for the fun of it. However, I have had a hard time finding them, in that I only encounter them very far in between. The slash on the other hand seems to always have a few in the market under 9 lbs. My Standard ‘50s is 9lbs on the dot, and my Slash is 8 lbs 11.1 oz. The reason I look at weight is that before the pandemic I played with other people and my back isn’t what it used to be.

Furthermore, even if we had more data, it could be that the regular standards are more popular selling more. So people just jump on those lighter ones making them just harder to find due to the sheer demand for them. However, the current wildwoods inventory is consistent with my experience browsing for LPs.

 

[Angus Blackmore]

PauloQS: "I still found 10lbs plus R9s."

I'd go mental if I had to pay R9 prices and they shipped me a 10 lb R9 .

 

[PauloQS]

There are short neck tenons and there are short neck tenons. I thing the terminology is a rocker short neck tenon and a wide short neck tenon. Based on the factory tour that Gibson put out, the Gibson USA seem to be using the wide neck tenon. The wide has all the side and bottom and side wall surfaces of the tenon are in contact with the walls of the mortise.

Gibson USA has been using the some sort of short tenon since the ‘70s, I believe. Every ‘90s Gibson, which are regarded as some of the best after the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, that I’ve seen, had short tenons.

Thus, I’m not really sure why you’re bringing this up on two different threads already.

 

[MuLLe]

Hi,

Please bear with my English.

I bought the Anaconda burst today. I was only going to check it out .
I have to disagree, I actually tried it next to a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s.
The neck didn’t feel the same, the Slash model was more chunky, it’s. It a huge difference but still a difference, it feels a bit wider, filling up the hand more and even if the radius are the same, the thicker wider neck makes the fingerboard feels more flat.

The setup was different as well, the Anaconda was 100%, felt amazing, sounded insanely good, straight on tones and notes, spot on intonation and no flaws anywhere.
I’m pretty sure as the my friend who also work in the shop that the wood used to Signature models are handpicked for an upper Standard. It has to meet the demands of the player in this case Slash selected picks of material used. A “standard” after his recommendations.

Unplugged there were more clarity in the tone, plugged to an amp was a huge difference. The pickups do a lot of work here of course.
But all in all, the feel of them both were different, the neck etc.
The Anaconda weighs a bit more but it was spot on on everything. I was actually really amazed.
I could feel the tone thru the guitar when I played, tonal vibration delivered thru the whole guitar hehe. Insanely tone actually, my mouth is watering now when I think of it hehe.

So I bought it :O

The worse part is, I was not going to buy it from the beginning, I was going to buy a Vintage Thomas Blug signature guitar for 270 euro. It ended with a different price tag today, but I’m happy .

 

[rjwilson37]

I have to say a big NO!

If the covers are off, I am a big fan of the pickups having to be Zebra for sure.

 

[FingerLakesFan]

You got a good one there, but they aren't all that nice with the quilt top. Same price could leave you with standard flame maple.

Well they come with an AAA Top, upgraded pickups, and a really cool headstock. Sorry, I think for $400 you get a better sounding and much better looking Les Paul. To each their own, but I couldn't pass on this. And, I love it so much, I sold my R8. I've owned several Standards and own Trads and this is far above them. It feels, looks, and plays like a Custom Shop. Just my opinion.

 

[jbash]

^ @vintageguitarz never has anything interesting, competent or relevant to say. He's the forum's 'Idiocracy' content


The hideous irony here is that all the changes that took the Les Paul away from the 50's spec all happened before the Norlin era. And the changes back to (close to) the original 50's spec was done by the Norlin corporation. The the final 'horrible norlin years' were responsible for the return to mahogany 1 piece necks with no volute, the smaller &17 degree angled headstock, and the practrice of runs of vintage styled reissue guitars.
All the non vintage changes that stayed....short tenon, zamak tailpiece, Nashville bridge, weight relief, 3 piece top, Henry did absolutely nothing to change. In fact the only thing that did shift for factory guitars was a slow shift to 2 piece tops......complete by about 93

Sorry, I missed this post originally.

I'm fine with Norlins, and many of the changes pre and post. I played and owned them. But the public at large during the time period had had enough, the damage had been done, etc. Just like the latter years of Henry J. That's what I was getting at.

 

[Petergrifindor]

Big Slash fan, I played a couple and didn't like them. Not too bad guitars for maybe 1200$, but pretty mediocre for the price they ask for them.

 

[juanpuol]

I like the specs and the guitars. I bought a Traditional 2019 recently, but I think if the Slash LP were out when I bought mine, I would probably have saved a bit more to get one.
I like that despite being a signature, only on the back of the headstock it says Slash (you can replace the trussrodcover), so as a fan of Slash I would like to have one that I can also play without showing everyone it is someone's guitar.
The colors are pretty cool as well, but right now I am considering saving to get a gold top if it comes out. I think that is the first guitar I saw him play (with the tabaco burst in the video of Novermber Rain) that inspired me to first pick up a guitar.

Unfortunately in Germany the price between a standard and a Slash LP is around 800€, so it is hard to justify. But as I said, saving slowly in case the gold top comes out next year.

 

[juanpuol]

Big Slash fan, I played a couple and didn't like them. Not too bad guitars for maybe 1200$, but pretty mediocre for the price they ask for them.

What didn't you like about them? It sounds like a slightly better standard. Are the standards also ok for just $1200?