Traditional vs Standard 50s

[AwfulQuiet]

No worries for you English! It's rather good actually!

This is the problem when people have expectations set for them by someone else, it can lead to disappointment when the item in question doesn't live up to the hype.

I am sure there are tons of excellent Les Pauls out there that don't have those issues, and some which may feel better than your Traditional.

That being said, I'm glad to hear you're keeping the Traditional!

 

[Duane_the_tub]

So, I tried the Standard 50s today, Tobacco Sunburst. I really wanted to like it but it wasn't what I expected it would be.

First, build quality: Traditional beats it by a mile, I really mean that. There was some residue (glue?) around the neck joint and around the fretboard. Binding on the neck where it meets the body was all over, very unprecisely done. Nut looked poorly cut and you could feel it sticking from the upper side of the neck. Pots felt cheap. The whole guitar felt cheap to me, I don't know why, maybe because of these visual flaws that I noticed right away. It was a bit lighter than my Trad.

As sound goes there wasn't a fair comparison because Burstbuckers can't compete with Wizz. They are different flavours, someone likes Burstbuckers but to me Trad with Wizz pickups has that vintage bite that we all love. Especially neck pickup where my Trad shines being spanky and with much more attack than you get from a dull feeling Burstbucker. Playing unplugged my Trad was brighter, maybe because of the Faber bridge.

All in all I'm keeping my Trad and now I appreciate it even more. I really wanted to like the new Standard but with no avail. Looking at them in pictures or reading on forums you get the idea that they are something fabulous but in reality... not so much. Even if you take these little visual flaws aside, the Standard felt like much cheaper guitar than the Traditional.

And to mention, this wasn't in store testing, the guy came to my house with his Standard so the guitar was setup properly and played for a few months.

I still think the new Standards are great guitars and I believe people being happy with them but in this case maybe I'm spoiled because my Traditional turns out to be great guitar.

Thank you all, sorry for my English, I'm not a native speaker.

Cheers!

Your experience with the new Standard sounds similar to mine. Glad you didn't just blindly take the plunge, and that it has helped you appreciate your Trad more.

 

[AwfulQuiet]

Your experience with the new Standard sounds similar to mine. Glad you didn't just blindly take the plunge, and that it has helped you appreciate your Trad more.

I picked one up in the store a little while ago, played it for a few minutes. It was nice, but nothing special.

Finish was fine, no major problems as the OP experienced, but they were asking full MSRP (a small shop, not a large chain). That's kind of a bitter pill to swallow considering what the used market has to offer in the same price range...

 

[flamesarewicked]

My personal fav is the 13 traditional .. ive had the 17 model before with the nylon nut.. the neck wasn’t nearly as chunky as the 13.. it was more R8 and the 17 was closer to a R9..


I will own another 13... just find the right color/price on one

 

[1allspub]

I got a chance to handle a couple of the new Standards (both of 50s and 60s), and they’re nice, no doubt. But, all they really are is just a later model Trad with a Standard truss rod cover.

Totally vote to keep the 2017 Trad.

 

[Dogbreath]

New here but I've lurked a bit. I have a 2019 Traditional and I would not even consider trading it away for a new Standard. I've heard great things about them but my Trad is sweet, and if I was tempted to get a Standard I would have to buy one outright and give it a good try first.

 

[Latearrival]

Why bother? I have my Trad set up just the way I like it, so I would never trade or get rid of it!

Why not try something different - like an SG (I bought a 2018 SG Standard last year and absolutely love it!) - or even a Tele with a Humbucker in it?

 

[Dogbreath]

Why bother? I have my Trad set up just the way I like it, so I would never trade or get rid of it!

Why not try something different - like an SG (I bought a 2018 SG Standard last year and absolutely love it!) - or even a Tele with a Humbucker in it?

Great point.

 

[lpfan1980]

The new, pretty girl next door. Always very tempting.

If you're board, why not?

Nothin wrong with a swap hr mite like yours better you might like his better-let us know!

 

[jstarr]

My new 60s Standard in Unburst was a fantastic guitar. Fit & finish was really nice and it certainly didn't feel cheap at all. Also had a killer flame top. I just prefer the Traditional.