Thinking of retiring my main squeeze....but what would i buy to replace it??Opinions please!!!

riffpowers

My main (and only)  squeeze is my 1990 les paul custom. Its been my main and often only guitar since I bought it new, and its had a lot of use over the years!! It's had a lot of things fixed recently, and is playing better than it has for years. It's got plenty of mojo!!

However, having practiced with it for the first time in ages at the weekend I'm starting to think I should retire it from live/band use. 
Its a fantastic guitar , but its heavy, and is starting to get a bit clunky> I think it's starting to show its age a bit.

But as it's pretty much the only guitar I've ever kept (although i've bought a few!!) I've got no idea what to replace it with,

I'm not someone who needs to chop and change sounds a lot, I've pretty much always stuck with the les paul and jcm800 thing.

So I'd be looking for something with a similar feel and quality, probably lighter, that can cover rock/punk/crossover/metal type stuff.

Has anyone any ideas where I could start??!!

Heres a pic of it.
<a href="https://imgur.com/G5aUN76"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/G5aUN76.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Gassage

Les Paul Special.

Moe_Zambeek

I'd definitely consider Reverend, they seem to have quite a lot of users in all of those genres. Look for something with railhammers and you've got serious chunk. Maybe not as characterful as the LP but they work well with gain. 

Similarly the Yamaha revstar range may be worth a look too. 

Neither option are hugely expensive new but resale for both is not great  so used bargains can be had.

mburekenge

You could take it to a great luthier/ tech and get the fretwork looked at, and everything a good going over?

If you love the guitar and it feels like "home", maybe keep rolling with it?

rico

Looks pretty perfect to me, what is 'clunky' about it?

PS it is a well known fact that the awesomeness of a guitar is directly proportional to its age.

crunchman

What weight is yours?  If it's a very heavy like some Customs (up in the 10 to 11 lb range) then you may be able to find another Les Paul that is a bit under 9lbs.  That will probably feel quite a lot lighter.

If you want to lose more weight than that you will either need something that doesn't have as much wood if you stay with a solid body, or go for a semi, or something chambered.

If you have a good amount of money then the doublecut version of the PRS McCarty 594 isn't a Les Paul but is probably as close as you will get without being a big chunky Singlecut.

There have been various chambered Les Pauls over the years.  I remember playing a Custom Shop 58 that was chambered.

Failing that then something like an ES-339 or ES Les Paul.  I've owned both, and due the construction the 339 probably sounds closer to a Les Paul than the ES Les Paul.

If budget is a bit lower then some kind of PRS S2 or SE, or some kind of Les Paul Special/Junior with humbuckers.

@moe_zambeek suggested a Revstar which might an option, but the only one of those I've played was quite a weighty beast.

impmann

SG. Go from one extreme to another!! Seriously, a good SG will cover that sonic ground very well.

underdog

How much are you spending? I'd be talking to @FelineGuitars about mimicking your custom with less weight.

Danielsguitars

I'd have said sg as well as it's still all mahogany but thinner so will get you close but might not have the bottom end of the custom

A lighter custom would be good if you could find one 

I'd also highly recommend a Lp special, they're bloody great

The guy out of clutch was using a junior after a Lp and sounded fantastic, it's a different tone but every bit as good imo

peteri

Calling @FelineGuitars can't recommend them highly enough

ICBM

Wider strap.

Nothing else sounds like a good heavy Les Paul Custom.

guitarfishbay

Just look for a lighter Les Paul, if you try enough you'll probably find one you like that's light enough to make a difference.

If you really want something different you could look at either PRS CU22s or possibly McCarty's.  But they don't sound like Les Pauls

crunchman

guitarfishbay said:

If you really want something different you could look at either PRS CU22s or possibly McCarty's.  But they don't sound like Les Pauls

McCarty is a lot closer than a Cu22.

fretfinder

Les Paul Custom Lite. 

riffpowers

Thanks for the opinions guys, keep em coming!!

It's recently had a good going over by a proper luthier and is playing fantatsic, better than it has for years.

I meant more the weight of it , and the fact that I wnat to prolong its life as much as possible. I think if I carry on like this I'll just make more issues for it. It's starting to feel like an old (but fantastic) guitar that I need to start looking after. I'm not confident in chucking it about like i used to.

The thing is it does sound f'in fantastic, and I've based my whole sound round it. It's more open and aggressive sounding than the average les paul, which is why I'm gonna have a hard time replacing it.

guitarfishbay

crunchman said:

guitarfishbay said:

If you really want something different you could look at either PRS CU22s or possibly McCarty's.  But they don't sound like Les Pauls

McCarty is a lot closer than a Cu22.

Indeed - but it'll likely be heavier than the Cu22, would be worth trying both if weight is a big issue.

ICBM

riffpowers said:

The thing is it does sound f'in fantastic, and I've based my whole sound round it. It's more open and aggressive sounding than the average les paul, which is why I'm gonna have a hard time replacing it.

They are, even with a mahogany neck - it's the ebony fingerboard.

If you are set on trying to find something similar, try an early 90s Studio with an ebony board - or a LPJ (not Les Paul Junior), probably with upgraded pickups. They have a maple neck and the one I've played did remind me of a Custom more than a Standard. Both of these will likely be lighter than the Custom.

riffpowers

ICBM said:

riffpowers said:

The thing is it does sound f'in fantastic, and I've based my whole sound round it. It's more open and aggressive sounding than the average les paul, which is why I'm gonna have a hard time replacing it.

They are, even with a mahogany neck - it's the ebony fingerboard.

If you are set on trying to find something similar, try an early 90s Studio with an ebony board - or a LPJ (not Les Paul Junior), probably with upgraded pickups. They have a maple neck and the one I've played did remind me of a Custom more than a Standard. Both of these will likely be lighter than the Custom.

I've had 2 90's ebony board studios, and although they were nice guitars, they didn;t seem to have the same feel as the custom has. Rounder necks and not as aggressive, I even put the same pikcups in one of them and it was still quite a bit warmer.
I'll keep my eye open for an LPJ.

jimmyguitar

How about the Sid Poole listed here? Thinner and lighter and Sid's guitars are very highly regarded...
http://www.philsvintageguitars.com/gibson.html

crunchman

Given how specific your needs are, If you have the money, then talking to @FelineGuitars might well be a good option.

ICBM

riffpowers said:

I've had 2 90's ebony board studios, and although they were nice guitars, they didn;t seem to have the same feel as the custom has. Rounder necks and not as aggressive, I even put the same pikcups in one of them and it was still quite a bit warmer.

Hopefully not to hijack the thread too much, but that fits with what I've noticed too - the ebony board Studios are closer, but not the same.

There is *something* that makes Customs sound so great, and even accounting for the ebony board and I honestly think the size of the headstock has something to do with it as well. The large 'CBS' Strat headstock has a similar effect on Strats, to me - and extra mass right at the end of the neck will definitely change its resonance, so it's not as unlikely as it may seem.

Gibson seem to also purposely select heavy wood for Customs - or perhaps they're just more concerned with using the lighter stuff for Standards, since Standard buyers tend to be more fussy!

Studios are odd in that the grade of mahogany seems lower - most of the ones I've seen with broken headstocks (which is a lot) seem to have a softer, more 'fibrous' wood structure. I wouldn't be surprised if that has some effect as well.

I don't think it's the binding and the gold plating, anyway!