Hmm I'm in a bit of a dilemma
I started a thread re having a me wants for a Gibson and after a lot of deliberation ended up getting a Gibson les paul DC special.
I got it online from mansons so I have 14 days to decide if it's for me.
On the plus side..
It's light, plays well with good access to the dusty end of the neck.
P90s sound awesome.
On the downside
The neck is very shallow and the P90s are extremely noisy.
I know thats part of the sound but jeez these are so bad I have to turn the vol knob right down to shut the little sods up.
Now if I had two vol and tone pots i could live with it coz I could turn one vol pot off and flip the selector on to that pick up inbetween songs.
So only having 1 vol and tone pot is another bad mark.
If Its a keeper I'd have to address the P90 hum.
Do I change the P90s and hope i can learnt to live with the shallow neck.
I have a chinese Burny that i bought very cheaply to sell on but after setting it up realised it plays really nicely.
The neck profile is comfortable but once again the access to the dusty end is a bit restrictive but part of the Lester charm.
Do I reject the Gibson and spend some cash turning the Burny into a players guitar?
The shopping list would include
A set of P'ups wiring loom and pots for the Burny which turn it into a players guitar but not add any value to it.
Decisions decisions
Comments
I had Seymour Duncan SP90-3s in a Yamaha SG1802 and I couldn't get over the noise (but I don't like Single Coils either)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv6kK9Ef3_8
Here's a thought though before spending lots of dosh on doing up any guitar - think about what your current rig is and what you're playing it through. Because we hold the guitar in our hands and have the physical contact with it, we tend to focus on the guitar. But sometimes a move up to a better amp or (if you're a home player) MFX unit with good headphones, can improve your sonic world far more dramatically than upgrading pick-ups.
Similarly, if you enjoy playing the MIC Burny, upgrade the deficient parts and get on with gigging or recording. I did exactly this to a Hamer XT Sunburst.
Assuming that the Burny has regularly sized humbuckers and you desire a P90-esque sound, you could do worse than buy the DiMarzio Bluesbucker listed in the forum classifieds. (Not mine!) With a push-pull pot, the pickup can be split to the screw coil for pseudo Strat sounds.
Return it, and either spend the money upgrading the Burny or put it towards getting a proper Gibson, with the traditional controls and a fatter neck - you might be surprised how cheap the entry point is for this - a second hand 'worn finish' Les Paul Studio is around £400, or a normal Studio around £500 if you don't like the matt finishes. You might even find the LPJ (not Jr) model for under £400, although it will need the pickups upgrading.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I use a H&K Grandemeister 36 live which gives me all the tones i need. I push it pretty hard and ride the guitars vol knob to give me the sounds I want.. 40 years of playing through Marshall stacks has given me habits that are hard to kick so I don't use pedals.
I didn't think about the consequences of adding a single coil guitar to a really hot valve amp until i plugged it in lol.
To be honest ... sound wise it's absolutely stunning when you churn out some chords, but the background noise is beyond belief.
I used to have an ac30 back in the 70s that had totally destroyed itself and caught fire.
The sound it made just before it died is pretty similar.
At home I use a Sansamp Flyrig through a small mixing desk
<○> Big Norm Feedback
This whole journey started as a me wants coz I wanted a raw Gibson snarl for my rock band that I'm in.. I play in an 80s party band most of the time so most of my guitars are having to cover a lot of styles.. luckily my Prs's cover that but theyre a tad too polite for tits out rock.
I've decided to return the Gibson as it doesn't quite fit.
Next thing is to keep an eye out for something else.. I don't mind a faded finish but my budget is £500 - £600.
I'm still toying with the Burny upgrade. I've various pick ups in the bits drawer so all I need to find are some pots and stuff.
It's either that or flog that for 250 and increase my budget for a proper Lester.
<○> Big Norm Feedback
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
<○> Big Norm Feedback
Gibson Les Paul Less Plus any good ?
<○> Big Norm Feedback
No need to shout!
2015 model I think? So you'll have the wider neck, adjustable brass nut and robot tuners if you can live with them.
Not a chunky neck, either, although they call it "rounded" as opposed to slim taper.
The thinner body did appeal to me though.
I dare say that @HarrySeven would be delighted to hear from you.
<○> Big Norm Feedback
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/137720/gibson-les-paul-studio-t-2016-ebony-for-sale-price-drop-now-600-ono#latest
The yard is nothing but a fence, the sun just hurts my eyes...
I fed the dry rosewood fingerboard with Bore Oil, polished the frets as they were turning green and set it up with new strings. It absolutely growls through my H&K amp.
im totally in love with the stripped satin no frills look.
<○> Big Norm Feedback
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I can't believe how quickly it went from being a right dog to princess.
It was in such a rough state, I nearly walked away.
Once i sorted the dry fingerboard, polished the green frets and ditched the rusty strings, the true guitar started to shine through.
If I change anything it'll be the tuners but there's no rush
There's no bells and whistles but I don't need them, plug in to a cranked valve amp and wail.
<○> Big Norm Feedback