Bloody Les Pauls

terada

For me I find that a well set up, single cut shape with the shorter scale and fatter neck is very playable.

perhaps it is more the type of music you play, as any single cut is going to be problematic for certain genres

Danielsguitars

I've always been a short scale person since i picked up a guitar and even when I've had tele's in the house i pick it up for a while and go back to my LP

I will remedy this with a telepaul build and i have a dc tele idea kicking around, they'll all have short scales

perhaps if people tried flat top junior styles they might prefer them over a full fat version 

Kittyfrisk

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

Apart from the heel, that pretty much describes the original 'The Paul' 

gringopig

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p90fool

My home guitar is basically an L5 replica, so picking up my Les Paul feels like an extension of that pre-war style, except a lot slimmer and easier to play. 

Nobody moans about Gretsch or ES175 upper fret access, and it seems churlish to criticise any 1952 jazz guitar for discouraging modern rock techniques just because it happens to have a solid body. 

terada

gringopig said:

I'm not sure if a Les Paul qualifies as a 'short-scale' lol, Certainly not if you have a 60's Duo Sonic.

I love Les Paul guitars and I have 3 at the moment with one just purchased. They can be super articulate and sweet sounding guitars and, sure, the G string is liable to go sharp now and again if the nut cut angle is straight on but you can fix that and add some lube. It's the shape of the thing and the solidity of the body I like and the glassy high end on a good one coupled with a real low end. They just sound fantastic to me.

Absolutely, I think they suffer a bit from being associated with heavily driven stacks. A good Les Paul through a Princeton or deluxe is a beautiful thing indeed. 

drwiddly

I love the look and the sound of a good LP but after owning Gibsons, a Heritage, Epiphones and a couple of Japanese copies, I finally realised they're not for me. Weight, neck angle and upper fret access all contribute.

I do like a junior though and a couple of years ago I bought a PRS SE Tremonti Custom and that solves nearly all the problems (still a bit heavy) and sounds great with some Oil City Blue Streaks installed.

gringopig

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Jetsam1

I have tried. Really tried. But sorry I just can`t get along with them, even though I can appreciate why they are great.

corona55

It's Les Paul's all the way for me , sound, sustain and playability, the King of guitars.

Philly_Q

Kittyfrisk said:

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

Apart from the heel, that pretty much describes the original 'The Paul' 

This kind of thing maybe?

TTBZ

I started on LPs and loved them. Eventually sold them both off, the 2nd one I should have kept really as it sold for fuck all, but needed the money at the time and I was also getting annoyed with the weight and upper fret access. Been exclusively playing my SG since (2yrs ish) and it fits so much nicer and still gives that "Gibson" tone and feel. Not quite as thick or sustainy which I really missed but I've started getting into it more the past couple of weeks - always happens when you're thinking of selling something keep going through phases of really wanting one, then I play one on a strap for a while and think hmm maybe not..

They do sound fucking great though and black customs just look awesome. I think an ESP Eclipse might be the ideal compromise for me, the thinner bodies with belly and neck contours are comfy, they sound the same to me. Look cooler than a PRS singlecut.

Edit - or that @FelineGuitars The Paul style one looks awesome!

FelineGuitars

Danielsguitars said:

I've always been a short scale person since i picked up a guitar and even when I've had tele's in the house i pick it up for a while and go back to my LP

I will remedy this with a telepaul build and i have a dc tele idea kicking around, they'll all have short scales

perhaps if people tried flat top junior styles they might prefer them over a full fat version 

I think you are right Darren. There is a lot to be said for the flat-tops, be it a junior, special or some other variation

Philly_Q

Danielsguitars said:

perhaps if people tried flat top junior styles they might prefer them over a full fat version 

Agreed, I wasn't including Juniors or Specials in my earlier gripes.  I like them a lot, they're much more manageable, with thinner bodies and shallower neck angles.

That said, I wouldn't mind if the slab bodies had a bit of comfort contouring like Jonathan's blue Lion in the picture above.

Danielsguitars

FelineGuitars said:

Danielsguitars said:

I've always been a short scale person since i picked up a guitar and even when I've had tele's in the house i pick it up for a while and go back to my LP

I will remedy this with a telepaul build and i have a dc tele idea kicking around, they'll all have short scales

perhaps if people tried flat top junior styles they might prefer them over a full fat version 

I think you are right Darren. There is a lot to be said for the flat-tops, be it a junior, special or some other variation

Yes and I've come round to that conclusion after making my first dc, i thought why the hell did it take me that long, i love full fat ones but they can be hard work, the dc is so easy to pick up 

Next flat tops will get body contours and anything else i find that annoys to some extent fixed or at least try it out

TTBZ

thegummy said:

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.

I found when I was playing my LP after getting the SG I started noticing how uncomfortable it was. I'd just been putting up all the usual LP gripes cause it's an iconic design that sounds great, but they were actually really annoying to me. That's when I realised I really just wanted a guitar that gets out of the way and lets me focus on playing, so I'm not thinking about the binding digging into my right arm etc. Them Bernies are great guitars, I'd quite like a black one

Three-ColourSunburst

Mmmm. Distinctly 'Les Paul' flavoured but with a slabbier, contoured body and vastly improved upper fret access - plus a shallower headstock angle combined with a volute to prevent breakages... Sound much like a Yamaha Revstar!

Danielsguitars

Three-ColourSunburst said:

Mmmm. Distinctly 'Les Paul' flavoured but with a slabbier, contoured body and vastly improved upper fret access - plus a shallower headstock angle combined with a volute to prevent breakages... Sound much like a Yamaha Revstar!

i didn't like the one i tried, heavy and fairly dead sounding 

Lebarque

I want to love Gibbos, I really do. But Fender scale length and ergonomics are just 'better' for me. No doubt heavily influenced by the fact that I've been playing a strat for donkeys' years. You just get used to what you use and as you get older, it's harder to teach an old dog new tricks.

thegummy

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

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.

I found when I was playing my LP after getting the SG I started noticing how uncomfortable it was. I'd just been putting up all the usual LP gripes cause it's an iconic design that sounds great, but they were actually really annoying to me. That's when I realised I really just wanted a guitar that gets out of the way and lets me focus on playing, so I'm not thinking about the binding digging into my right arm etc. Them Bernies are great guitars, I'd quite like a black one

When threads like this come up it makes me think how much better feeling the Strat is and wonder if I should get an HH Strat as my joint number 1 instead of a LP.

Can never decide if the sound will still be as good as I want it.

Re: the Bernie - they are incredibly hyped and I can see why, the quality in general is excellent. But the thick neck - a feature that sells it for some people - puts me off. But the fact the quality is so good makes me nervous I'd regret selling it.