Should I be looking for a Les Paul or a semi-hollow?

Bucket

I've been trying to pin down what my next major guitar purchase will be.

I've been set on a Les Paul for a long time - ideally a nicely aged white or black LP Custom, although I've been wondering about sunburst stuff as well. Anyway... my question is, should I do that, or should I look for a 335 or similar?

I've always loved both, and always known there would be a place for both in my collection. But at the current stage my playing is at, and the kind of things I'm enjoying, I'm wondering if a semi-hollow would be a better call for me at the minute. Here's the rest of my collection, electrics-wise:

Blackmachine B6 - swamp ash, bolt-on maple neck, two humbuckers
Strat - alder, three single-coils
Flying V - mahogany, two mini-humbuckers
Tokai - mahogany + maple top, set mahogany neck, two humbuckers

At the minute I have a Les Paul on loan to me, and having compared the two, I can confirm the Tokai (PRS shape with 24 frets) does not sound like a Les Paul - although it's closest to the ballpark out of the stuff I have. I wonder if I would have more sounds available to me from a semi instead of a Les Paul - I hear it said that they're more versatile.

If I did decide on a semi, the next question would be - which one? And how much am I expecting to spend? My two favourites out of Gibson's recent range are the VOS 1958 reissue 335, and the Lucille. Is there anything else I should be looking at? What are older 335s (say, 80s or 90s) like?

It's a tough question, and I suspect it'll turn out to be one that only I can answer, but I'd appreciate some thoughts from others on this.

Phil_aka_Pip

IMO you will find a 335 easier: it's a bit lighter, and high fret access is better. They are quite versatile too, and I don't think you'd regret getting one. Isn't Lucille a 345? If so, you'll end up with that rotary tone control that IMO isn't a lot of use and you're better off without it. My natural blonde (oo-er) 335 is IIRC a 1982 model and one of my favourite toys. IMO you're better off with natural because they have to use decent wood for it whereas you can hide any old crap under a paint job and you'll get a better tone.

BUT - the only thing that sounds like an LP is another LP. Once you've got a good one, you'll love it.

Ultimately you want (neeed?) both

Bucket

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Ultimately you want (neeed?) both

Oh I know, just a question of what would be more useful to have first.

meltedbuzzbox

Go to a shop that has plenty of stock and choose with your ears and hands.
Paper list guitar shopping doesn't usually work out that well.

munckee

I prefer 335s but taste varies, you seem to have humbuckers covered, I'd spend the money on a Jaguar instead!  Re the point about a natural I would have thought wood makes less difference on a semi hollow its mainly the block and the air providing the tone.  

zepp76

As has been said, you've got humbuckers covered so how about a Les Paul with P90's? If you haven't played a guitar with P90's I suggest you go out and try one, they are magical things (that may be laying it on a little thick). 

Kebabkid

Try a 339 as that might give you the best of both

CloudNine

munckee said:

I prefer 335s but taste varies, you seem to have humbuckers covered, I'd spend the money on a Jaguar instead!  Re the point about a natural I would have thought wood makes less difference on a semi hollow its mainly the block and the air providing the tone.  

Even if there was any correlation between it looking pretty and sounding good, which there isn't, it's only the top laminate you can see.

Natural 335's sound better than coloured. Awesome, ha ha. Red cars go faster as well. 

Bucket

zepp76 said:

As has been said, you've got humbuckers covered so how about a Les Paul with P90's? If you haven't played a guitar with P90's I suggest you go out and try one, they are magical things (that may be laying it on a little thick). 

I've had stuff with P-90s and I do like them.

Winny_Pooh

Les pauls are so crude compared to your Blackmachine, do you really need one?

Danielsguitars

I'd go with a p90 Lp too, a good one is better than a burst imo, try a wraparound version as well as the tom bridge version, they're different and sound it

I've found a 335 too big compared to what I'm used to although I love them I'm not sure I'd use one that much

dindude

All sounds a bit grown up to me. Buy one of the new RG550's in Neon Purple and be done with it.

Seriously though - only a Les Paul get's that girth, depends upon how much you are enjoying the one you have on loan. I like Les Paul's but I can absolutely live without them. They only do one thing for me, and if I did have one it would be P90's for sure.

335's are great too, but the size, man the size is too big, a 339 is a good shout if you find the same.

I do have to agree and say that you have HB's covered though. So easy to fall into the trap of every guitar sounding different, and they absolutely do, but do you really need all those flavours of humbucking sounds.

I quite liked your new trimmed down collection, it has balance. Go on holiday instead.

Appreciate the above is general ramblings of a mad man!

Bucket

Winny_Pooh said:

Les pauls are so crude compared to your Blackmachine, do you really need one?

I appreciate that, but the Blackmachine sounds about as far removed from a Les Paul as would be possible while still having HBs.

Phil_aka_Pip

And whatever you have you need HBs on it. HBs were invented to cure the inherent problems of SCs.

Phil_aka_Pip

CloudNine said:

munckee said:

I prefer 335s but taste varies, you seem to have humbuckers covered, I'd spend the money on a Jaguar instead!  Re the point about a natural I would have thought wood makes less difference on a semi hollow its mainly the block and the air providing the tone.  

Even if there was any correlation between it looking pretty and sounding good, which there isn't, it's only the top laminate you can see.

Natural 335's sound better than coloured. Awesome, ha ha. Red cars go faster as well. 

Point taken about the top laminate, But you can't be arguing that crap wood under a paint job sounds as good as good wood. It's just that the top laminate won't make a huge difference.

Strangefan

How about an es les paul? Best of both? If I wasn't a strict one electric only lad it's what I would have  

Danielsguitars

Don't forget different pickup types, I've got a mojo dual foil in a dc junior
I can split coil it for strat type tones and in humbucker mode it's like a different flavour of low wind paf, great pickup 

I've found a 339 cramped up the dusty end, that's my only complaint 

p90fool

Phil_aka_Pip said:

And whatever you have you need HBs on it. HBs were invented to cure the inherent problems of SCs.

Problems like clarity, string separation and dynamics?

JayGee

Would it be very wrong of me to suggest that a hollow/semi-hollow bodied guitar and P90s can be a marriage made in heaven.

Or there’s always the Gretsch option...

JD50

Strangefan said:

How about an es les paul? Best of both? If I wasn't a strict one electric only lad it's what I would have  

Or Gibson Midtown Custom?

CloudNine

Phil_aka_Pip said:

CloudNine said:

munckee said:

I prefer 335s but taste varies, you seem to have humbuckers covered, I'd spend the money on a Jaguar instead!  Re the point about a natural I would have thought wood makes less difference on a semi hollow its mainly the block and the air providing the tone.  

Even if there was any correlation between it looking pretty and sounding good, which there isn't, it's only the top laminate you can see.

Natural 335's sound better than coloured. Awesome, ha ha. Red cars go faster as well. 

Point taken about the top laminate, But you can't be arguing that crap wood under a paint job sounds as good as good wood. It's just that the top laminate won't make a huge difference.

I am disagreeing with the fact that you think prettiness of the wood somehow improves the tone, regardless of whether it is in a laminate guitar, or any other type of guitar. You said that they were hiding the crap wood, and therefore you would have worse tone, which implies you think that pretty wood sounds better.