Bloody Les Pauls

sweepy

As above, why do we do it ? lost count of the Les Pauls I’ve had over the past 40 years and yet I still gravitate towards Strats and single coils, my Ryder LP is bloody lovely but I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve picked it up in the last 3 months .
Is it afair assumption that most of us find one design that just “fits”
https://i.imgur.com/3fkkB8N.jpg

RaymondLin

That's because you need to play authentic to get it.

dazzajl

If I had a pound for every player that wants to love a Les Paul and keeps buying them only to flip, I could buy a top draw custom Les Paul. 















And then ultimately flip it 

OilCityPickups

dazzajl said:

If I had a pound for every player that wants to love a Les Paul and keeps buying them only to flip, I could buy a top draw custom Les Paul. 















And then ultimately flip it 

I swear this is because people fall in love with the idea rather than the reality. I adore our Les Paul Studio pickup demo guitar ... but then I acknowledge that bits of it will poke me in the ribs when I play, that unless I rigorously lube the nut slots it'll go out of tune for England, and that you have to be a contortionist to feel comfortable up 'the dusty end' of the fingerboard. It is what it is: a rather conservative guitar, designed for the music of the 40s and early fifties rather than a bleeding edge design.

One of the reasons I love the LP is because it makes me play in a different way to my Teles or Strats ... and that's reason enough to have one around.

Modulus_Amps

I tend to prefer humbucker guitars... unless its a tele

I love the sound of a clean strat, but whenever I go to heavy driven tones I wish it had humbuckers

thegummy

OilCityPickups said:

dazzajl said:

If I had a pound for every player that wants to love a Les Paul and keeps buying them only to flip, I could buy a top draw custom Les Paul. 















And then ultimately flip it 

I swear this is because people fall in love with the idea rather than the reality. I adore our Les Paul Studio pickup demo guitar ... but then I acknowledge that bits of it will poke me in the ribs when I play, that unless I rigorously lube the nut slots it'll go out of tune for England, and that you have to be a contortionist to feel comfortable up 'the dusty end' of the fingerboard. It is what it is: a rather conservative guitar, designed for the music of the 40s and early fifties rather than a bleeding edge design.

One of the reasons I love the LP is because it makes me play in a different way to my Teles or Strats ... and that's reason enough to have one around.

Surely it's because they sound good which they do in reality?

richardhomer

Ergonomically Les Pauls are a disaster for me. I’ve owned 5 over a nearly 40 year period....

Philly_Q

sweepy said:

Is it afair assumption that most of us find one design that just “fits”

Not sure about finding just one design that fits, but there are certainly some which don't.

I've also had lots of LPs and I've pretty much decided they're not for me.  A lot of it is down to the weight, but I've got a chambered R8 which solves that problem and I'm still not in love with it.  The issues for me are actually weight plus the sheer bulk/thickness of the body, including the area round the neck joint.  LPs are just too hefty.

The best LPs for me are the occasional ones they've made with thinner bodies - SmartWoods, The Paul SL, the Custom Lite.  I've owned all of those and they completely solved the weight and bulk issue, and they still balanced well.  Ultimately I sold them all for other reasons - skinny necks etc - but the basic design is good.  They should make more thin-bodied LPs. 

earwighoney

RaymondLin said:

That's because you need to play authentic to get it.

Nah, I prefer my Harley Benton. 

Of course it has upgraded pickups. 

lovestrat74

For me it's the lack of playing space for the picking hand. There just seems to be a hell of a lot more room with an F-style guitar.

mark123

sweepy said:

As above, why do we do it ? lost count of the Les Pauls I’ve had over the past 40 years and yet I still gravitate towards Strats and single coils, my Ryder LP is bloody lovely but I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve picked it up in the last 3 months .
Is it afair assumption that most of us find one design that just “fits”
https://i.imgur.com/3fkkB8N.jpg

hi @sweepy ;sorry to derail the thread a bit but ive messaged you twice about the stripped epiphone gold top ,did you get my pm's ?

OilCityPickups

thegummy said:

OilCityPickups said:

dazzajl said:

If I had a pound for every player that wants to love a Les Paul and keeps buying them only to flip, I could buy a top draw custom Les Paul. 















And then ultimately flip it 

I swear this is because people fall in love with the idea rather than the reality. I adore our Les Paul Studio pickup demo guitar ... but then I acknowledge that bits of it will poke me in the ribs when I play, that unless I rigorously lube the nut slots it'll go out of tune for England, and that you have to be a contortionist to feel comfortable up 'the dusty end' of the fingerboard. It is what it is: a rather conservative guitar, designed for the music of the 40s and early fifties rather than a bleeding edge design.

One of the reasons I love the LP is because it makes me play in a different way to my Teles or Strats ... and that's reason enough to have one around.

Surely it's because they sound good which they do in reality?

Very true ... but in spite of their ergonomic 'issues' :-)

fandango

Philly_Q said:

sweepy said:

Is it afair assumption that most of us find one design that just “fits”

Not sure about finding just one design that fits, but there are certainly some which don't.

I've also had lots of LPs and I've pretty much decided they're not for me.  A lot of it is down to the weight, but I've got a chambered R8 which solves that problem and I'm still not in love with it.  The issues for me are actually weight plus the sheer bulk/thickness of the body, including the area round the neck joint.  LPs are just too hefty.

The best LPs for me are the occasional ones they've made with thinner bodies - SmartWoods, The Paul SL, the Custom Lite.  I've owned all of those and they completely solved the weight and bulk issue, and they still balanced well.  Ultimately I sold them all for other reasons - skinny necks etc - but the basic design is good.  They should make more thin-bodied LPs. 

I’ve got one of the rather rare LP Standards with a thin body (made only in 2014). Love the ‘rounded’ neck, and the balance is perfect. But I don’t like the way the binding digs into the inside of my right arm. Otherwise it’s great.

FelineGuitars

I simply make ones for myself leaving off the bits that annoy me.

So for me a thinner body, and maybe a tummy cut , and an all access heel and weight no more than 8.5lbs

ICBM

If they don't suit you, why keep buying them? It's not compulsory to own one.

dazzajl

ICBM said:

If they don't suit you, why keep buying them? It's not compulsory to own one.

You’re clearly too sensible and pragmatic to understand the lure, the short delight and the inevitable dawning of the truth. That however much we love the sound, some of us are just plank players 

OilCityPickups

ICBM said:

If they don't suit you, why keep buying them? It's not compulsory to own one.

Er .... Mr Agnesi might disagree ....

merlin

FelineGuitars said:

I simply make ones for myself leaving off the bits that annoy me.

So for me a thinner body, and maybe a tummy cut , and an all access heel and weight no more than 8.5lbs

It has been proven possible to improve the design of the Les Paul. As stated by others, it was designed 67 odd years ago and simply wasn't designed to be played the way people do today. 

Check out that clunky and clumsy neck join put right by several makers, but most notably by Jonathon Law of Feline Guitars. 
The all access heel is exemplary, fits the hand perfectly and feels completely "right". My Bluescat doesn't have a tummy cut but I don't need one and the weight is perfect. Earvana nut works wonders and it stays in tune too. 

Basically a Feline is like a bit like having a Les Paul without all the things that suck about Les Pauls, and with much better options in their place. 

Musicwolf

I'm another who just can't get on with.  I want to like them but they just feel wrong.  Each to his own.

thegummy

I wonder if the people who have a problem with them are trying to get on and play music and the shape etc. is actually interfering or bothering them.

Or is it when they're assessing them, actively thinking about the ergonomics that they find problems?

For me it's the latter that draws attention to the problems of the shape etc. but even on the Bernie Marsden with the really thick neck that I really dislike, when I'm actually playing music with it the ergonomics aren't on my mind anymore, I'm just thinking about the music.

stratman3142

ICBM said:

... It's not compulsory to own one.

I need a Les Paul Standard in my life, even though I don't play it that much. But one's enough

 It's Paul Kossoff's fault.