So, you just spent 2-3 grand...

[The_Sentry]

...On a killer guitar. A Les Paul.

Right?



OK, maybe it's just me, but if I was to take everyone's word on "what needs addressing" on these guitars, you'd think that the following components were substandard:

1. The guitar isn't setup, thus unplayable.
2. The wiring (pots and caps) are garbage.
3. The pickups are no good.
4. The nut is crap and needs to be replaced.
5. The Kluson tuners won't hold their tuning.
6. It's chambered in some cases, and it's not a "real" Lester.
7. The strap pins won't do the job...you're gonna need straplocks...

...and on and on it goes....

So....you're here, right? You've got this beautiful guitar in the corner of your eye after finding this site.

Question: How seriously do you take all of this talk? And, in your opinion...for that price shouldn't that guitar be smokin' hot and ready to go as is? Or, is it a case of no matter what the price of a guitar, and no matter who makes it, it's going to have a bunch of crappy components on it, and it's not going to be ready to play right off the showroom floor or right out of the box?

 

[Blues Power]

dont forget the PCB's in most of the newer ones. try and work on that lol

im done in the guitar buying business. the name brands are too cost prohibitive and I dont want to own any copy.

glad i have everything i need nowadays. ole BP feels for you younger guys just staring out.

 

[jason_mazzy]

hrmmmmmm sounds like the topic of a good thread!

 

[dennistruckdriver]

1. The guitar isn't setup, thus unplayable.
2. The wiring (pots and caps) are garbage.
3. The pickups are no good.
4. The nut is crap and needs to be replaced.
5. The Kluson tuners won't hold their tuning.
6. It's chambered in some cases, and it's not a "real" Lester.
7. The strap pins won't do the job...you're gonna need straplocks...

Here we go again....

1. Guitar purchasers should always have a setup done to make it fit an individual playing style.(Check out this online article: MyRareGuitars.com >> Guitar Articles >> That Is Not MY Guitar Until... It Is Setup To My Specifications)

2. Wiring is adequate for its intended purpose. Many Les Paul owners are perfectly satisfied with their stock guitar.

3. Pickups are fine, but maybe not for every style or preference.

4. Nut is adequate for its intended purpose. It holds the strings in place.

5. Kluson tuners are fine, and DO hold tuning.

6. What does chambering have to do with whether or not a guitar is a 'real' 'Lester'?

7. They are the same strap 'pins' that they have come with for over 50 years. Schallers are always a good idea, anyway.

Why are so 'anti-Gibson'? You never have anything nice to say about them?

 

[LongBeach]

the set-up I could overlook, and have, 4 times thus far.

The crappy pots, pickups, etc. I could not overlook.
Nor would I buy it if that were the case.

 

[dennistruckdriver]

....The crappy pots, pickups, etc. I could not overlook....

They are only 'crappy' for snobs. They are very adequate otherwise.

 

[zplapplap]

I love my LP. It is the best guitar I've ever owned. But, the plastic nut is garbage and I shouldn't have to void my warranty to get a decent bone nut on a 2k guitar. Getting a set-up is something I would do regardless, so I don't care about that.

 

[AmazingJourney]

I've got 2 Gibson Les Pauls, a Studio and a Classic. I've had no issues with either, but then again, my playing is done in my home or with friends at their place. Maybe I'm not as picky as some of the folks here, but if I had to make all these changes every time, I think I'd leave the guitar at the store.

I have to admit being part of this forum has peaked my interest in making some mods to some of my cheaper guitars. But I know that will lead to another addiction because as I gain more confidence I'll want to keep going.

 

[Horse]

They are only 'crappy' for snobs. They are very adequate otherwise.

yeah i can testify to my 3 mates who own LPs, and that ive played hard many times that the talk can be a load of toss!!!! Gibbies have mojo, have good pups, (ok the pcb is a shit move) oh chambered? cool! more body and interest to the sound (stick that in your pipes and smoke em anti chamber geeks).....

but plastic nuts suck big b*lls and have NO place in a gibson les paul!!!! WTF.............

have to say my local shops have a slew of new Standards and the finishes are really varied and sweet!

Sentry aint being anti Giiby, he plays devils advocate, which is cool

 

[River]

The two Gibsons I have were fine at the time of purchase. Did not even need setups, except that I like my action higher than average.

 

[Mr Insane]

1. The guitar isn't setup, thus unplayable. - I consider that more of a slam against the retailer who sold it.
2. The wiring (pots and caps) are garbage. I don't see a problem with them, the only negative thing I've heard against them is from this site.
3. The pickups are no good.
4. The nut is crap and needs to be replaced. I wouldn't say they're no good, but I will replace mine with one made out of bone.
5. The Kluson tuners won't hold their tuning. hit and miss
6. It's chambered in some cases, and it's not a "real" Lester.
7. The strap pins won't do the job...you're gonna need straplocks I have had problems with the strap falling off all my guitars.

This thread is just more MLP snobbery to me.

 

[Basura_Ka]

imo gibson is one of those brands that have a certain image. Its like a really nice sports car. U dont have to get a ferarri but owning one says something. I havent owned a lot of guitars but i do have a 1200 ibanez. And for that money it still has crappy pu's. What ur paying the $2000+ for is for the tone difference and the status

 

[zplapplap]

This thread is just more MLP snobbery to me.

After re-reading the first post, I don't think so. The Sentry was raising Gibson Les Paul issues frequently discussed in the forums. I certainly don't think he's a snob.

 

[axepilot]

1. The guitar isn't setup, thus unplayable.

No setup will please everyone. All I needed was a few small tweaks

2. The wiring (pots and caps) are garbage.

Not my take

3. The pickups are no good.

Not my take

4. The nut is crap and needs to be replaced.

Mine just needed a little filing

5. The Kluson tuners won't hold their tuning.

Disagree. The stock Klusons on mine hold tune just fine. They get blamed for tuning problems that are caused by other things, like a badly fit / filed nut

6. It's chambered in some cases, and it's not a "real" Lester.

What's a "real" Lester? My Standard is chambered, my Studio is not - both are sweet guitars

7. The strap pins won't do the job...you're gonna need straplocks...

Agree on this. The stock, non locking pins are a disaster waiting to happen with Les Pauls. However, smart owners know this and install strap locks



Les Pauls are not "one size fits all" guitars. They are not for everyone. What I see as great for myself, someone might see as "this sucks". Les Pauls have their own quirks, but the players that use them know that and know how to work around them.

 

[Mr Insane]

My bad, I misread his post. I emmidiately thought those were complaints he had. My apolagies to Sentry.

 

[Studio06]

Sentry you make some excellent points. Wouldn't it be amazing if Gibson sold just the body-neck and let us customise to preference? It's not gonna happen but I'm sure some forum members would like that.

 

[Blues Power]

in all fairness when i bought my 02 one pot went bad after about a year. I replaced that then replaced the other 3 for tonal reasons as well as the neck pup

but there was nothing worng with them

my nut is fine my bridge is fine, my tuners are perfect, my flaming is supurb and my finish is great and i do my own set ups

i couldnt expect Saul to have me set up 100% being 3000 miles away and never met me nor knew my style or preferences

on my 80 which I bought new I had that gutted and re wired with new pups and pots within the first 6 months but again it was for tonal reasons not anything else and that bridge and tuners are still original

come to think of it I wonder whre those T-tops are nowadays lol

 

[Thunder Dump]

I'm very happy with my Classic Antique right out of the box. But I think it's no different than BMW M3 owners buying a $70K car and then bringing it to Dinan for another couple grand to get some extra performance out of it. There are people who always need to modify, tinker, and push the envelope with their gear--be it a guitar, an amp, a car, a gun, a fishing pole, a computer or whatever. There is always room for improvement, regardless of price point. It's just a matter of how much 'more' do you need. Plus, as you become more experienced in a subject matter, you have more access to varying opinions and resources regarding what people consider to be 'the best' in that area. A n00b starting out on a $500 guitar, after coming from a $100 guitar, may think it is the best thing going because they don't know any better. Take me for example, I love the stock pups in my CA and I've never questioned the wiring in any of my guitars. That's just not the level of detail I go into. Until I read it on here just a few short months ago (and I've been playing for over 30 years), I didn't realize *that* many people modded that kind of stuff. It all has to do with your circle of knowledge.

The Gibby's are fine for most people as they come. The fact that many pro's and semi-pro's choose to change X, Y and Z out of the box doesn't make it a bad guitar, in the same way that the M3 is fine for most people as they come even though many will still see the need to mod it further.

 

[Basura_Ka]

lol @ "my nut is fine.." and "my flaming is superb.."

 

[Raku10]

Here we go again....

1. Guitar purchasers should always have a setup done to make it fit an individual playing style.(Check out this online article: MyRareGuitars.com >> Guitar Articles >> That Is Not MY Guitar Until... It Is Setup To My Specifications)

2. Wiring is adequate for its intended purpose. Many Les Paul owners are perfectly satisfied with their stock guitar.

3. Pickups are fine, but maybe not for every style or preference.

4. Nut is adequate for its intended purpose. It holds the strings in place.

5. Kluson tuners are fine, and DO hold tuning.

6. What does chambering have to do with whether or not a guitar is a 'real' 'Lester'?

7. They are the same strap 'pins' that they have come with for over 50 years. Schallers are always a good idea, anyway.

Why are so 'anti-Gibson'? You never have anything nice to say about them?

so $2-3k for adequacy not Excellency? These descriptions fit a lot of other guitars, which cost 1/2 1/3 of the gibson price.