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

shrinkwrap

Grestch Pro Jet or Gretsch semi such as 5420. These have the blacktop filtertrons - humbuckers, but they don't sound like PAFs. More costly models available. Surprisingly versatile sounds from the filtertrons.
Oh.. just saw someone already said this.

Phil_aka_Pip

@CloudNine yes I do think that a fine regular grain sounds better, mainly because that's what you see on expensive "good-sounding" acoustics. You are not likely to see knots or other blemishes on them, and I think that's not just for cosmetic reasons. Like I said, I take the point about a laminate top, if it's a high quality wood and the other layers aren't then it won't make much difference.

CloudNine

@Phil_aka_Pip   I think that the even grain, blemish free wood you see on high end acoustics, is more about aesthetics and possibly stability, but I question any tonal advantage. And I own a £5k + acoustic with some lovely wood. The tonal advantages in that guitar is really about the builder, build technique, bracing etc.

Going back to electrics, if you had a strat with a beautiful grained alder body, would you expect that to sound better than some plain or horrible looking body, with knots etc. ?

Winny_Pooh

You know what may make a bigger difference to your musical life than a new LP? 

Two of these and a new mic.

https://m.thomann.de/gb/neumann_kh_120_a.htm

rossi

Maybe a Midtown would suit.A cross between Les paul and a eS339 its a semi hollow 339 sized guitarb.The body is machined out mahogany  and a mahogany  top  glued on .A bit like PRS SE  semi hollowbody and a Fender Thinline.It works and gives a good tone  from heavy rock to mellow  jazzy vibes  .Cant really fault mine at all and I have looked hard .its worth bearing in mind that  certain makes of guitar of a similar design  wont sound like Les Paul because its got different pick ups even if they look similar .Its a factor that many tonewood critics strangely ignore .

Phil_aka_Pip

@CloudNine I'll ask Colin Fulton, he's a good luthier. Yes I quite agree the cosmetic advantages of even grained blemish-free wood and the price tag duly attached. Not at all disputed. And now you mention it, I do remember seeing basses made of spalted maple, so maybe I'm wrong, but then again a bass is a bass It seems intuitive to me that vibrations will pass around wood with even grain and no knots better than they will through anything else, but maybe it's not measurable.

EDIT are 59 Lesters valuable because they are rare or because the wood gives them a particularly desirable tone? It's likely to be a bit of both.

Danielsguitars

Phil_aka_Pip said:

EDIT are 59 Lesters valuable because they are rare or because the wood gives them a particularly desirable tone? It's likely to be a bit of both.

Mostly rare imo, a well built guitar will get you very close using the same specs without the price tag and worry, vintage guitars are the best looking though and difficult to recreate in new guitars, close is good enough for most

People can go on about wood and glue forever, a good guitar to you is still a good guitar, if 59's were made with balsa wood everyone would build with that

It's alot of hero worship too

Chalky

335 - you know it makes sense. You'll get used to the size quickly. And Gibson Lucilles usually have a 490/498 pickup set compared to the Classic 57s of the 335, making them a bit smoother on the neck and a tad bitier on the bridge.  The Varitone can be very useful if you need a wide variety of tones, but its usually only liked by folks who work/ride the guitar volume controls - if you usually leave everything on 10 then you probably won't appreciate it.

CloudNine

Phil_aka_Pip said:

EDIT are 59 Lesters valuable because they are rare or because the wood gives them a particularly desirable tone? It's likely to be a bit of both.

This is a different thing altogether, and you are drifting from your original point, and away from visual look of wood, and into ageing of wood. Good quality, very old mahogany, makes a difference. Old wood makes a difference full stop in my opinion, both acoustic and electric. How it looks is irrelevant mostly. A burst will usually sound pretty good because of the old mahogany, regardless of how the wood looks. It won't sound good because it has a flamey maple top. 

Your original point was that the Natural 335's sound better, because they use the better looking wood, and they cover the rubbish looking ones with paint, and those ones sound worse as not so pretty wood doesn't sound as good.

So, taking the laminate thing out of the equation. Do you think a beautifully flamed/grained CS336 (carve top) is likely to sound better than a plainer one? I suggest that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to think that it will.

Legionreturns

For 335 money you could buy a nice Les Paul AND a Gibson midtown, which would tick both boxes. 

Just thought I'd throw that spanner in the works! 

Skipped

I don't know why I retain certain things in my memory, but I recall you being crazy about a Historic Les Paul you encountered in........Coda I think.
A couple of years ago.
I think it was an R8.

So......unless a 335 has ever grabbed you like that, I would try to find that guitar (the nearest to that guitar).
Les Pauls are not an obvious safe choice (even when millions love them) because of that fat little body so the first question always has to be - are you a Les Paul guy.

Legionreturns

For Les Paul related GAS...talk to @ellwood ;

He's buying and selling about 3 R8's per hour at the moment

stickyfiddle

Don’t discount the 336. Far better than a 339...

ellwood

Legionreturns said:

For Les Paul related GAS...talk to @ellwood ;

He's buying and selling about 3 R8's per hour at the moment

But guilty! No R8s for sale here guvnor! Am down to one R8 now


But they are rather bloody good...

lespaulcustom68

I have 4 Les Pauls at the moment - custom, standards (HB's and P90's). All different in tone and finish. Sold a Lucille to fund  one of the Les Pauls. Personally found the physical size of a typical Gibson semi a bit of a struggle when standing - not so the Pauls.

Schnozz

So we're looking for something like a Chambered Gibson R8...Hmm...

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/724/689/3ad.gif
I give up.

ESBlonde

Go and play all you can get your hands on, one will eventually speak to you (give it time), buy that one and it won't matter if it's a LP or 335 because next time it will be the other. 

bacchanalian

How about a used Collings i35lc? Versatile and addresses a few issues I have with a 335.  It is slightly less wide but feels a lot more manageable. Very nice neck if you are not into slim taper.  Choice of pickups is excellent. Small points, but I prefer where the jack socket and strap buttons are. Also, the Collings is very light even compared to a chambered LP.

pintspiller

I find a semi sounds that close to a solid, that a choice between the two can be decided by the feel when you play or the weight. 

dindude

bacchanalian said:

How about a used Collings i35lc? Versatile and addresses a few issues I have with a 335.  It is slightly less wide but feels a lot more manageable. Very nice neck if you are not into slim taper.  Choice of pickups is excellent. Small points, but I prefer where the jack socket and strap buttons are. Also, the Collings is very light even compared to a chambered LP.

This is the correct answer. So long as you have £5K to spend!