Les paul custom new or old?

Musical_Mystery_Tour

roberty said:

Blaendulais said:

I've a 57 RI Custom. It is superb. I didnt play any standard ones when i bought it tho.

Yeah same. Mine's a headstock repair. I drilled a bigsby into it in a fit of lockdown madness. It weighs as much as a coffee table. It's great

I stuck a Bigsby on my LP (not a Custom), based on the (questionable I know) notion that the extra mass would improve the sustain, which I think it might do, a tiny bit. I don't actually use it as a vibrato at all, so I lock the lever back out of the way, thus it is it's purely for looks (which I think are good in spite of what other may say) and that potentially increased sustain. It also serves to make it a better blunt instrument if it ever kicks off at a gig.

guitarmanessex89

Just picked up a 1970 BB. Glorious neck, bigger frets, non original pickups and a Bigsby. It looks cool as hell, weighs a ton and just growls for days. It’s a huge contrast to my 2017 M2M with Whiskerbuckers. That guitar is light and sweet, very much in that classic burst territory. This is mean and thick, but still tons of clarity. It’s heavy but far from dead. Extremely resonant and tons of sustain. Not going to say it’s better than a newer model, but it’s just cool as fuck and puts a smile on my face. Play a few and see what appeals to you. You won’t go far wrong. 

tony99

guitarmanessex89 said:

Just picked up a 1970 BB. Glorious neck, bigger frets, non original pickups and a Bigsby. It looks cool as hell, weighs a ton and just growls for days. It’s a huge contrast to my 2017 M2M with Whiskerbuckers. That guitar is light and sweet, very much in that classic burst territory. This is mean and thick, but still tons of clarity. It’s heavy but far from dead. Extremely resonant and tons of sustain. Not going to say it’s better than a newer model, but it’s just cool as fuck and puts a smile on my face. Play a few and see what appeals to you. You won’t go far wrong. 

oh you have to post a piccy come on!

PhilKing

I like customs, through the years I have had a few.  My first was a 1971 (with the Gibson embossed T-Top pickups), and to this day I wish I still had it (it's nearly 50 years ago that I traded it).  It wasn't heavy for the era, had a great neck and had been refretted with larger, but not too large frets.  Stupidly at my young age, I traded it in on something that I then traded yet again.  My next one was an early 90's Custom Plus, in cherry sunburst.  I had a friend at Sam Ash and I tried all the ones they had in stock, and picked this.  It had the seam for the top under the D string, so it was slightly off center.  I traded that for a 1972 55 Custom reissue (with P-90 and Staple pickups).  I was never really happy with this one, as it weighed a ton and even though the pickups sounded nice, I didn't play it much, so I sold it.  This is it:


Then I had Will Scott (in Pembroke), make me a 25.5" scale custom with a wraparound, as I was fancying a Les Paul again, but had been playing Strats for a long time.  I still have this one, it is Gretsch Orange like Marc Bolan's re-necked standard.


The next one I got was a 1970 Custom, and I still have it.  The neck is a bit bigger than my 71 was, and it is a bit heavier, but it sounds great.


I then got offered an original 1955 Custom in pretty bad shape.  It sounded great and was lovely to play, so I bought it.  I took it to @WezV and he restored it (https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/138616/50s-lpc-restoration/p1), and now it is one of my favorite guitars and looks brilliant:


What I am trying to say is just play some and don't worry about the age or anything.  Small frets can easily be replaced, so "fretless wonders" shouldn't be an issue.  
 

Creed_Clicks

The best looking LP for me. Are they all heavy, even the Epiphone LP Customs? Or when did they become lighter/chambered etc.

MCluer

Depends what your budget is? The early Norlins are going up and up in value, if that's your thing.
I have a 72 Custom, had it years, it weighs a tonne, sounds incredible, sustains for ever. It's beaten up and I love it. Guitars have come and gone, but my custom is going nowhere. 
Personally I don't think the new ones have that 'I just want to play it' vibe. The older ones do.

billando

This would probably be my main gigging guitar. Do old ones come with reliability issues?

Loobs

pt22 said:

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Man, it's so tedious that everyone someone asks about a Gibson LP someone has to wheel out a Feline link. 

DarrenClewes

billando said:

Contemplating getting a gibson les paul custom after i sell some other stuff. How does brand new customs compare to older and what would be best eras and eras to avoid? Btw i dont want coil tapping or any fancy stuff just a nice resonant ebony les Paul.

I can't vouch for old LPs - I have heard that the consistency is all over the shop. I CAN say that both me and my band mate have bought new LP Customs in the past year (him: a black LP and Me: a silver burst VOS) and they're both fantastic guitars. To be fair, I'd expect it for the money but they are both perfect and sound monstrous. 

billando

I have a 2013 r8....is there no point selling it to get the custom tone wise?

fretfinder

Loobs said:

pt22 said:

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Man, it's so tedious that everyone someone asks about a Gibson LP someone has to wheel out a Feline link. 

It’s not just me then. I have nothing against a Feline but it is not and never will be a Gibson Les Paul. Not worse and not better, just not a Gibson Les Paul.

Back to Les Paul Customs, I bought a 1986 ebony LPC two days after my first child was born in December 1987 for £450. I sold it a couple of years later for £550 and thought I’d done well. I’ve missed it ever since and for the last few years have been trying to find one (a Gibson, not a Feline ) that’s not too heavy, in decent condition and affordable. Unfortunately they are not easy to find.

FelineGuitars

I do love the look of the classic Black LP Custom 

Think seeing my heroes like Joe Perry , Ace Frehley , Peter Frampton and bands like Cinderella, Hanoi Rocks and Guns and Roses just made it seem so cool to me 

Finding one that I'd enjoy weight wise has always been a thing 9prefer in the 8lb-8.5lb range and with big frets too.

Think playing an ex-Ace Frehley 3 pickup one with the Dunlop 6000 fretwire was a head-turner as to the benefits of the big wire for ease of vibrato

pt22

Loobs said:

pt22 said:

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Man, it's so tedious that everyone someone asks about a Gibson LP someone has to wheel out a Feline link. 

Yes I'm sure it only happens in threads about precious Gibsons, and not in every-other-freaking “what should I buy?” threads in the history of guitar forums. Maybe you need thicker skin. 

Is it the suggestion that maybe there are other interesting options, or the Feline suggestion that’s got you bugged?

OP is ready to throw down thousands in what is commonly known as a minefield of used Gibsons where most people will tell you quality differs guitar to guitar. But of course, that’s the charm, isn’t it? 

So forgive me when I suggest an option which could be interesting and scratch the itch without a minefield of issues. This from a former Les Paul Custom (1989) owner who does miss his, but would probably not want to deal with the hassle of finding another decent one when there is a Feline I’ve played which fits 99% of the criteria other than a name on a headstock.