Can’t a forget Navigator from ESP! Even the Edwards, and Grassroots lines are really solid. I had an Edwards 335 and it was killer. Great price too. Shame they can’t sell them in the states.
I hadn't heard that Max had passed. Sorry for your loss. He and Kris Derrig were both a big inspiration to me as a builder. I actually source my wood from the same town Derrig was born in. Small world. But yeah, your brother was quite the builder indeed!
The Eggle's was a clear standout in the demo, absolute beast for 100% sure and he affirmed it as the nicer to play too, nobody want's to have to fight their guitar as often mentioned regarding most L.P's unfortunately.
@9:25 This is a great point. Neck angle is very important. I have a Heritage H157. The neck angle results in a bridge height that is way too high. The carve is too high also. I have a Epiphone Elitist Les Paul that is the opposite. the carve is shallow and the neck angle is perfect. The guitar plays so well. Try to find a used Elitist Les Paul.
I had a Heritage Custom Core H-150 a few years ago. Everyone online seems to praise them, but my experience was different. Mine was very dark sounding and didn’t have that “chirp” that I want out of PAFs. I swapped the pickups with a Wolftone Dr Vintage set, which I have loved in other Les Paul style guitars. They didn’t help much either. Guitar was still very dark and just didn’t have the tone I wanted. Also the G string would not stay in tune for anything. Bought an R7 and it took maybe 30 seconds of playing the R7 for me to decide to sell the Heritage. It really wasn’t even close. My R7 never goes out of tune and has that “tele on steroids” sound I want out of a Les Paul.
My thought exactly . . . you saved me the time of pointing that out 😀 I have played a handful of SB59/v's and they compare very favourably to my 1968 LP Custom and any Gibson Custom Shops I have tried over the last few years.
@ absolutely, and if we are talking LP custom the SB 57 is also wonderful. I spent a brief amount of time with one and loved it as well.. ultimately I settled on the particular SB 59/V that I bonded with out of the lot, but that SB 57 was Elso very very special. Nice, a 68 LP custom? Very very cool by the way.. as someone who has predominantly played either acoustics or fender style guitars throughout my life, I always had trouble bonding with the LP shape/feel. Never had a problem with 335s and always enjoyed that shape as well, but there is something about Eastman‘s take on the LP that really works for me. Since I got my SB 59/V back in late April, it has quickly become one of my favourite electrics..
@@LucasHaneman I bought my '68 in '74 from a friend when we were putting our band together - my first electric guitar! In the years since I have also come to love Strats and what have you - I have a '92 Sadowsky NYC S Style that is a personal fave. I really want to buy an Eastman (or 2!) and will see if they have any with a more '60s style, thinner neck - I can deal direct with Beijing (live in HK) so when the time comes I may even visit the factory with a bit of luck! Cheers.
I was going to comment the exact same thing. Love my SB59/v. I had an R8 too that I loved, liked it as much as the Eastman, but no point for me having 2 Single Cut guitars and the Eastman costs half so sold the R8 and haven't missed it.
@ wow, that’s certainly saying something about the quality of the Eastmans. I had a similar experience, though I haven’t spent any real significant time with custom shop Gibson’s. Near the end of high school I was getting pretty serious about playing/wanting to study jazz so my parents, went in 50-50 with me on a Gibson 137. The guitar was all right, but I always had some issues with it. Eventually at the beginning of 2012 I was in a local Music Store and they had their first batch of Eastman’s. I fell in love with a T185MX. It’s a 335 shaped guitar, but with a solid maple carved top, carved mahogany, back and sides, and a small centre block under the bridge. Basically it has arch top construction, but it’s a semi hollow instrument. With the fact that the block only runs under the bridge, it keeps the weight down to about 6 1/2 or 7 pounds, but it’s still oddly feedback resistant. Anyhow, long story short I fell in love with that guitar completely and the next day I brought in my Gibson, made an even trade, and never looked back. It’s still one of my favourite electrics for blues, jazz, funk, etc. Fast-forward to earlier this year and I’m playing in a power trio. I had been trying/demoing the Eastman SB 59/V on my TH-cam channel for a while at a different local shop that stocks a lot of Eastmans these days. I tried allthe SB 59/vs’ they had in stock, and found a magical one. One of the most recent videos on my channel is about that specific guitar and how inspiring I find it. I traded in some gear and picked it up earlier this year. Between those two Eastmans, I really have my Humbucker stuff covered.
I've had a few Gibson Les Pauls, a core McCarty Singlecut 594, and now a PJE Macon Carved Top. The PJE blows the others away and is by far the best electric guitar I've played to this point. Love the pickups as well. They're brighter and clearer than the pickups on the other two, but that just means you've got a wider range of sounds using the volume and tone knobs. Want the thicker neck tone of the Heritage? Just dial back the tone knob to 6-7 and you've got it.
What nobody has really discussed is the resale price/value of those instruments. I would think the Gibson R9 will retain a higher percentage of original price and, over time, have the highest resale value.
@reno145 I have and that is why I have a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul that is worth 3 times what I paid for it. You can play it while also making a wise financial decision. That is actually a smart thing to do.
I have a 1989 Epiphone / Gibson on the nut cover it’s original, I put some Seymour Duncan 2.0 pickups in it, it sounds pretty awesome, I’ve had an LTD and various other guitars but I like this one.
One important metric you missed was the weight of each guitar. That has a dramatic effect on the sound. My experience with Les Pauls has been mixed. Always a great guitar, but no two of them sound the same. Many years ago, a Guitar Center near me had a Les Paul shoot out, and I tried every one. There were two of about twenty that simply killed and the others were good, but not great. I still regret not having the $5k needed to buy one of those two great custom shop ones (the sustain was amazing). I suspect that, even if you order a custom shop, what you will get is subject to the wood, the weight, the builder, and the special alchemy that goes on to make a truly great one. Having said that, honestly, I have had great results with Les Paul Traditionals and a Les Paul Slash model for a fraction of the price of a custom shop. I am going to say that, after owning and playing Les Pauls myself, that there are some terrible ones out there. I had a 59 gold top reissue that was heavy and sounded like crap. I sold it and went on the hunt for a new one. I found a great Traditional sunburst that I still have many years later. The most important thing? Play as many as you can because as I said, some are great, but some simply suck. Second, the price point is not important as the Les Paul is a tool in a toolbox. If you are a wealthy cork sniffer that has to have a Porsche and the best Les Paul available, God bless. But a guy with great skills, a great amp, and a Les Paul Traditional can still potentially kick your cork sniffing ass for a fraction of the investment.
Murphy lab for me, since I have a few but the Patrick Eagle and H150 are great. Eastman, knags and collings make one too😊 Prs are ok, i have a double cut 96 original but its realy a different animal to me.
I second that I wish Eastman would have made it into this comparison. And PRS pickups, even the 59/15 LTs have always been quite different from true LP style guitars to my ear. Paul loves the midrange which provides its own unique sound but never quite does the true LP thing. I have some Lollar pickups in a Gibson Tribute that make it feel like a custom shop! As for this matchup I have honestly never heard of the Eggle before this but I was quite impressed with the clarity of those pickups. None of them sound that different from each other on good monitors. For the price I would say it has to come down to what feels the best and sounds right to you in the moment. Any of them would be excellent choices.
Those are all good, obviously the Murphy is amazing (cheap one, Murphy lab can go way more expensive) NIk Huber Orca, the german luthier you mentioned are crazy dough, the Bernie Marsden signature goes for more than 14K. However If I could choose, I would go for the way this man plays to be honest, no matter the instrument, that was a beautiful groove played in an exquisite fashion, and that fellas is really what makes a guitar special, the player behind and that piece played that way is what made the guitars truly attractive. The brand? not that much really. Thank you from West Spain for the wisdom and the beautiful music ❤
I'm not normally a PRS fan, but I recently played a McCarty 594 Single Cut and I had to buy it. My Gibson LP Traditional is now on vacation. Shoot, even the new Epiphone IBGC with Custombuckers is a great Les Paul.
In my opinion as a dyed in the wool Les Paul guy the R9 sounded lthe most authentic. But hands down the Macon from Great Britain had the best overall tone. That's before you went into the coil splitting. The Heritage sounded pretty good in the neck position and with both pickups engaged but I did not like the sound of its bridge pick-up at all. Loved the R9 but if I had the coin I'd either get Gibson to give me coil splitting on a custom shop or I'd be going for the Macon.
Just ordered my third Eastman SB59 today. Awesome guitars! I also have 5 Gibson USA LP’s (Tribute, Classic, Studio, 2 Deluxes) and a Heritage H-150 Standard, which are all nice, but there’s something extra special about the Eastmans. Heritage is nice but not exceptional. Gibsons have the mojo, but the Eastmans are the best playing guitars I’ve ever played.
Collings City Lights. And I also have 2 Murphy Lab LPs ('59, '68) and also 2 Custom Shop Gold Top LPs (R6, R7). Had a Heritage. It was nice enough, but the Collings is way better.
I''m mostly a strat and superstrat player. I've only got a cheap but good Eastman L1, to test drive LP style guitars. This is my 2 cent: When he changes to bridge pup on Giby, it's mostle same kind of voicinh but a bit higher and maybe scooped. On Heritage when changes to the bridge pup is completely different sound, as much as I said "WTF happened?" but I meant it in a good way. The PJE one I think is somewhere in the middle. Switching to bridge made it just more beefy and maybe a tad scooped. I don't have a preference, sound wise. I like PJE look, like Gibson because it's the OG and respect the mission statement of Heritage.
I have the a Heritage Custom Core H150. I could be mistaken, but pretty sure the pickups are potted. I tried a Gibson Custom Shop R9 and it was nice, but it wasn’t $2k better than the Heritage. Also, I found the top on the Heritage to have more flame (but you can find good flame on Gibsons as well, but they know that’s what people want, so Gibson seems to charge more the nicer the fame is, where Heritage doesn’t do that). Custombuckers are slightly brighter than the 225 Parsons pickups found in the Heritage. I’d recommend people try out both Gibsons and Heritage guitars if they have an opportunity and decide which one they like best for themselves. Can’t go wrong with either. Side note… if anyone splices the sound of Custombuckers, but plays a lot of high gain and is worried about feedback, I can personally vouch for Bare Knuckle Mule pickups as a pretty solid potted alternative. They’re pretty bright, but have that Gibson growl. But damn… I love the sound of Custombuckers… that bridge tone is amazing. lol.
I, too, have a Heritage Custom Core H150 in dirty lemon burst. I was told the humbuckers were potted as well. I absolutely love the fit, finish and sound of this guitar. I've never really connected with a Gibson LP and I've tried a couple of the R9s. Tone is such an individual thing, but I cannot ask for more from my Heritage. [EDIT: this one purchased through Alamo Music; great guys!]
The Heritage was too dark and muddy, but it's also around half of the cost of the Gibson 😂 You can just drop whatever pickups you prefer into it and be good to go with a plenty of money to spare. The Eggo sounded really great
The comparison should be done with popular and accessible models. Gibson, Heritage, Eastman, Collins and PRS all make high end LesPaul Style guitars. Patrick James are not easily accessible guitars in the US sand never heard of them before this video!
Guitar prices can go as high as anything. But your practice time is priceless. It doesn’t matter. My Epiphone Standard sounds better than some Gibson standards because of the way we play, all about practice, nothing else
I own a Heritage Custom Core H-150. The Parson's 225 pickups weren't doing it for me, so I put in a set of Jalen "Kingfish" humbuckers, and it sounds amazing! And for the cost, spending a couple hundred for new pickups is still a great deal compared to the Gibson.
Request/recommendatiom… can you guys ever do a follow up episode or in the future add one extra section to the video where you try to equalize the tone by tweaking the amp. How close can the Heritage or Eggle get to the Gibson sound by just tweaking the amp?
The Patrick James eggle sounds the best to me looks amazing and without a doubt the best made. And cheaper than the other two. And as you said more comfortable to play enough said. But it does help if you can play like cooper and he can whistle to 😂
I dig all 3, i liked the Gibson tone the most, that is an above average sounding les paul imo, no nasal at all! Also really loved the Macon, didnt sound like a les Paul to me but that tone had me smiling, it has some semi hollow flavor and great pick ups!
For my money, the Tom Anderson "Bulldog" was the benchmark Les Paul style guitar. Only a couple hundred were made before word started to spread and Gibson had its legal department send a cease and desist order to Anderson and he complied. While his guitars looked very much like a Les Paul, it was narrower waisted with an 'A' shaped headstock. It was also noticeably lighter in weight. There were structural differences like a bolted vs set-neck. A very robust design. The guitar brought in to replace the Bulldog was the Bobcat, but is not what the Bulldog was. The Bulldog came with an ebony fingerboard and stainless steel frets. Hardware and pickups are made by Anderson. I had a 2012 "Sweet and Sour Sauce" red finish (one-of-a-kind). Everything about the guitar needs superlatives to describe it. I think the list price was $4,600, so it would have been price competitive with the guitars chosen for this comparison. Most of them ended up in the collections of some pretty famous players. They truly were a step-up over any Las Paul I've had the opportunity to play. We all have that one guitar that we regret selling. Mine was the Bulldog. Had I known that they'd no longer be available in a year's time, it would still be with me, never to be sold!
I own a Bulldog and it’s amazing. But, like PRS, it has its own thing. It’s in the same general tone family as a Les Paul but has a snap and attack that’s very different
The Heritage sounds like it has a compressor on. It would be well served to have a pickup change. Of these three I think I like the sound of the Gibson over the other two.
Heritage sounds very good but its a bit duller conpared to the Gibson but one mans dull is another creamy/warm/smooth . The Gibson has the best balance of Clarity brightness and warmth .
You can buy a handmade Eastman with a hand applied varnish finish used for $1500 or their regular finish for $1100. In my experience I’d take that over a Gibson anyday, especially since you would need to pay 2.5x the price for the Gibson. If you care about the resale value tho buy the Gibson. This is no offense to Gibson whatsoever, Eastman just make amazing instruments for much less money.
Murphy labs are decent but poor craftsmanship, I had the 58 standard, parts started falling off, toggle failed constantly. Same goes with the 345 tops split
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but there's nothing like a Gibson open-book headstock. No matter how well Les Paul-like guitars perform, even if better in some opinions then a Gibson, aesthetically I'm just drawn to the look of the Gibson headstock. Strange as it is I never considered buying an Epiphone because of its headstock design in the past. And now since Epiphone changed over to open-book, I'm now in the market to purchase one purely for that reason. The Heritage headstock and the PJ Eggly headstocks look so out of place on these Les Paul bodied guitars.
That would be the Custombuckers . They blow away the Herritage pickups . The Heritage pickups are very good but nothing special . They sound like a cross between Duncan 59s and Seth Liovers .Both of which I have owned and while solid were a bit Plain Sounding very clear but but somewhat Plain .
Heritage no longer uses the same machinery and methods to produce their guitars. hey moved to CNC machining and fired many of the original workers who built those original Les Pauls. I heard they moved the original machinery to make a kind of museum and some of it adorns a bar and grill they were planning onsite. That's the last I heard of their plans. I'm sure that CNC machining makes a uniform product but it eliminates the variances that separate the guitars that are good from the guitars that are exceptional. They will all be good but how many will have the level of attention that make them great? A slightly deeper neck that makes for more sustain coupled with the selection of the lightest body for resonance as an example.
Guys 1960 les pauls didnt come with Grovers . They had Klusons just like the 58s and 59s . So no the Heritage is not closer to a 1960 . Not to mention 1960 les Pauls had much thinner necsk than the Heritage as the Heritage has more of a 58 style neck .
Man I love my Eastman sb59/v.... my heritage h150 custom shop is probably equal or maybe a touch nicer than my les paul custom shop....my les paul standard is solid too
Agree with other Eastman SB59 owners to some degree. I own a Murphy Lab which I love and thought that it blew the Heritage out of the water; however the Eggle sounded easily the most versatile.
I went in with no reservations, just an attitude of "show me what 'cha got!" ....without question, for me the Gibson blew the others away by a considerable margin in terms of tone and perceived "feel." The Gibson was right in line with what I think of regarding a classic LP tone, while the "across the pond" one was clear and articulate, but too much so, like it wouldn't make you work for it like the Gibson. The Heritage? .....honestly, to me it sounded inarticulate, choked and far from "musical," IMO. I would love to hear the Heritage loaded with SMD Seth Lovers or some Wolftone PAF's and then do a comparison between it and the Gibson. That would be an interesting and fruitful shootout.
There is a difference between handbuilt pickups and handwound pickups . Not all handbuilt pickups are hand wound. Hand built means hand assembled Don't know about the Mojo Pickups but the other 2 are not handwound .
Heritage is the bomb, but also sad to see no Eastman SB59! And I want to throw out a guitar that wasn't allowed to be sold directly in the US by ESP. The Edwards ELP-130(135)-LT(Lacquer Taste series) in Dark Cherry and Lemondrop. Lightly aged. No longer made, but originally with a nitro finish and stock with Seymour Duncan Antiquities(pre-Custom Shop only models) for under $1400. I got a used one from a guy in Canada via eBay for under $800 with case and after fixing him butchering the wiring just to steal the PIO caps(so dumb), that thing was shockingly good. Lightweight. Perfect neck. Amazing classic rock tone with the Antiquities. Pete Townsend wishes he could have. Oh also, somebody needs to cover the Sweetwater exclusive Sugarbuckers in a shootout.
I found it distracting that the only instrument that sounded in tune with itself was the Gibson. The one thing that drives me nuts about the Heritage is the way Heritage boosters give them a free pass on that pickguard. One of the things I always loved about the Les Paul model is that awesome pickguard. I think the pickguard completes the classy look that Les Pauls have. The pickguard on the Heritage is just old fashioned looking in the worst 1940s way. Similar but to me it absolutely ruins that beautiful top by making the whole instrument look bulbous and overly round, I'm not fond of the headstock. either, I don't think it integrates well with the look of the guitar with that curvy look of that body, but I'll give them a pass om it because I think that is their attempt to rectify the age old tuning issues caused by the original headstock design. The Eggles is very nice, and the blended nitro to tung oil to nitro neck idea is intriguing, but it is just too much of a modern aesthetic for me. The figuring in the top is stunning, but again, maybe so vivid it doesn't fit the same 50's vibe that the more subdued vintage Gibsons had. Personally Pm still a Gibson guy. For all their flaws they are still the top Les Paul ever. And I did put my money where my mouth is, I do own a Gibson R8 bourbonburst, and I will never part with it.
Cooper is spot on, that Gibson bridge pickup was absolutely glorious.
Can’t a forget Navigator from ESP! Even the Edwards, and Grassroots lines are really solid. I had an Edwards 335 and it was killer. Great price too. Shame they can’t sell them in the states.
i get that completely. i have an Edwards John Sykes model that is just unreal.
I liked the Hertitage
As a Les Paul fan, this video is one of the best you guys have put out. Thank you. Pure joy. They are all great. That Eggle is incredible.
My late brother Peter Max Baranet built some nice '59 Burst,replicas.
I hadn't heard that Max had passed. Sorry for your loss. He and Kris Derrig were both a big inspiration to me as a builder. I actually source my wood from the same town Derrig was born in. Small world. But yeah, your brother was quite the builder indeed!
Legend no doubt
You guys produce the best and most informative videos on any given guitar. Thanks! …and very well done, keep it up!
The Eggle's was a clear standout in the demo, absolute beast for 100% sure and he affirmed it as the nicer to play too, nobody want's to have to fight their guitar as often mentioned regarding most L.P's unfortunately.
@9:25 This is a great point. Neck angle is very important. I have a Heritage H157. The neck angle results in a bridge height that is way too high. The carve is too high also. I have a Epiphone Elitist Les Paul that is the opposite. the carve is shallow and the neck angle is perfect. The guitar plays so well. Try to find a used Elitist Les Paul.
I had a Heritage Custom Core H-150 a few years ago. Everyone online seems to praise them, but my experience was different. Mine was very dark sounding and didn’t have that “chirp” that I want out of PAFs. I swapped the pickups with a Wolftone Dr Vintage set, which I have loved in other Les Paul style guitars. They didn’t help much either. Guitar was still very dark and just didn’t have the tone I wanted. Also the G string would not stay in tune for anything. Bought an R7 and it took maybe 30 seconds of playing the R7 for me to decide to sell the Heritage. It really wasn’t even close. My R7 never goes out of tune and has that “tele on steroids” sound I want out of a Les Paul.
Eastman needs to be in the running. The SB 59/V is a wonderful instrument
My thought exactly . . . you saved me the time of pointing that out 😀 I have played a handful of SB59/v's and they compare very favourably to my 1968 LP Custom and any Gibson Custom Shops I have tried over the last few years.
@ absolutely, and if we are talking LP custom the SB 57 is also wonderful. I spent a brief amount of time with one and loved it as well.. ultimately I settled on the particular SB 59/V that I bonded with out of the lot, but that SB 57 was Elso very very special. Nice, a 68 LP custom? Very very cool by the way.. as someone who has predominantly played either acoustics or fender style guitars throughout my life, I always had trouble bonding with the LP shape/feel. Never had a problem with 335s and always enjoyed that shape as well, but there is something about Eastman‘s take on the LP that really works for me. Since I got my SB 59/V back in late April, it has quickly become one of my favourite electrics..
@@LucasHaneman I bought my '68 in '74 from a friend when we were putting our band together - my first electric guitar! In the years since I have also come to love Strats and what have you - I have a '92 Sadowsky NYC S Style that is a personal fave. I really want to buy an Eastman (or 2!) and will see if they have any with a more '60s style, thinner neck - I can deal direct with Beijing (live in HK) so when the time comes I may even visit the factory with a bit of luck! Cheers.
I was going to comment the exact same thing. Love my SB59/v. I had an R8 too that I loved, liked it as much as the Eastman, but no point for me having 2 Single Cut guitars and the Eastman costs half so sold the R8 and haven't missed it.
@ wow, that’s certainly saying something about the quality of the Eastmans. I had a similar experience, though I haven’t spent any real significant time with custom shop Gibson’s. Near the end of high school I was getting pretty serious about playing/wanting to study jazz so my parents, went in 50-50 with me on a Gibson 137. The guitar was all right, but I always had some issues with it. Eventually at the beginning of 2012 I was in a local Music Store and they had their first batch of Eastman’s. I fell in love with a T185MX. It’s a 335 shaped guitar, but with a solid maple carved top, carved mahogany, back and sides, and a small centre block under the bridge. Basically it has arch top construction, but it’s a semi hollow instrument. With the fact that the block only runs under the bridge, it keeps the weight down to about 6 1/2 or 7 pounds, but it’s still oddly feedback resistant. Anyhow, long story short I fell in love with that guitar completely and the next day I brought in my Gibson, made an even trade, and never looked back. It’s still one of my favourite electrics for blues, jazz, funk, etc. Fast-forward to earlier this year and I’m playing in a power trio. I had been trying/demoing the Eastman SB 59/V on my TH-cam channel for a while at a different local shop that stocks a lot of Eastmans these days. I tried allthe SB 59/vs’ they had in stock, and found a magical one. One of the most recent videos on my channel is about that specific guitar and how inspiring I find it. I traded in some gear and picked it up earlier this year. Between those two Eastmans, I really have my Humbucker stuff covered.
I've had a few Gibson Les Pauls, a core McCarty Singlecut 594, and now a PJE Macon Carved Top. The PJE blows the others away and is by far the best electric guitar I've played to this point. Love the pickups as well. They're brighter and clearer than the pickups on the other two, but that just means you've got a wider range of sounds using the volume and tone knobs. Want the thicker neck tone of the Heritage? Just dial back the tone knob to 6-7 and you've got it.
You needed to add the Collins CL Deluxe Series! They are nearby your store! You can practically walk there!
Bill Collings guitars are truly phenomenal for sure.
It was a strange omission. Haven’t played a Collings electric, but the acoustics are amazing
What nobody has really discussed is the resale price/value of those instruments. I would think the Gibson R9 will retain a higher percentage of original price and, over time, have the highest resale value.
Gibson was always win, I prefer PRS's but wished they held their value the same.
I’ve never wasted time worrying about resale value.
@reno145 I have and that is why I have a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul that is worth 3 times what I paid for it. You can play it while also making a wise financial decision. That is actually a smart thing to do.
Eggle 100%! That thing sounds amazing. Loved the sound of that thing plus you get the added benefit of coil splitting.
I have a 1989 Epiphone / Gibson on the nut cover it’s original, I put some Seymour Duncan 2.0 pickups in it, it sounds pretty awesome, I’ve had an LTD and various other guitars but I like this one.
One important metric you missed was the weight of each guitar. That has a dramatic effect on the sound. My experience with Les Pauls has been mixed. Always a great guitar, but no two of them sound the same. Many years ago, a Guitar Center near me had a Les Paul shoot out, and I tried every one. There were two of about twenty that simply killed and the others were good, but not great. I still regret not having the $5k needed to buy one of those two great custom shop ones (the sustain was amazing).
I suspect that, even if you order a custom shop, what you will get is subject to the wood, the weight, the builder, and the special alchemy that goes on to make a truly great one. Having said that, honestly, I have had great results with Les Paul Traditionals and a Les Paul Slash model for a fraction of the price of a custom shop.
I am going to say that, after owning and playing Les Pauls myself, that there are some terrible ones out there. I had a 59 gold top reissue that was heavy and sounded like crap. I sold it and went on the hunt for a new one. I found a great Traditional sunburst that I still have many years later.
The most important thing? Play as many as you can because as I said, some are great, but some simply suck. Second, the price point is not important as the Les Paul is a tool in a toolbox. If you are a wealthy cork sniffer that has to have a Porsche and the best Les Paul available, God bless. But a guy with great skills, a great amp, and a Les Paul Traditional can still potentially kick your cork sniffing ass for a fraction of the investment.
the neck on that gibson was so perfectly allman brothers singing...epic...as we all know only a gibson is good enough...
Murphy lab for me, since I have a few but the Patrick Eagle and H150 are great. Eastman, knags and collings make one too😊
Prs are ok, i have a double cut 96 original but its realy a different animal to me.
Great episode, guys! Fans need Les Paul chapter 2 - shoot out with Cooper next playing a Nik Huber Orca 59 and a Collings!
The differences are mostly down to the different pickups .
You aided in me buying the Kingfish tele deluxe with your review of it. I got it a week and a half ago and i love it. Subbed. Thank you.
I live near the Heritage factory and have toured it. It's on Parsons Street. That's how they named the pickups.
I second that I wish Eastman would have made it into this comparison. And PRS pickups, even the 59/15 LTs have always been quite different from true LP style guitars to my ear. Paul loves the midrange which provides its own unique sound but never quite does the true LP thing. I have some Lollar pickups in a Gibson Tribute that make it feel like a custom shop!
As for this matchup I have honestly never heard of the Eggle before this but I was quite impressed with the clarity of those pickups. None of them sound that different from each other on good monitors. For the price I would say it has to come down to what feels the best and sounds right to you in the moment. Any of them would be excellent choices.
Thanks for this video! The Ruokangas Unicorn and the Huber Orca 59 could be added to that list.
Those are all good, obviously the Murphy is amazing (cheap one, Murphy lab can go way more expensive) NIk Huber Orca, the german luthier you mentioned are crazy dough, the Bernie Marsden signature goes for more than 14K. However If I could choose, I would go for the way this man plays to be honest, no matter the instrument, that was a beautiful groove played in an exquisite fashion, and that fellas is really what makes a guitar special, the player behind and that piece played that way is what made the guitars truly attractive. The brand? not that much really. Thank you from West Spain for the wisdom and the beautiful music ❤
With no Eastman sb59 no contest!
Exactly what I was thinking :-)
Totally agree! Hand built and less expensive. It should embarrass Gibson.
@@spmartin Why? Gibson has a legacy. Overpriced, yes. But fantastic guitars
Because
My exact thoughts!
Chris is our Custom Bucker ❤
Eggle used to live in my little town in western nc. I gig in the towns his acoustic line are named for lol
I'm not normally a PRS fan, but I recently played a McCarty 594 Single Cut and I had to buy it. My Gibson LP Traditional is now on vacation. Shoot, even the new Epiphone IBGC with Custombuckers is a great Les Paul.
The PJEMs bridge PU sounds like my Tayler acoustic. The Heritage sounded the best to me but I liked them all
In my opinion as a dyed in the wool Les Paul guy the R9 sounded lthe most authentic. But hands down the Macon from Great Britain had the best overall tone. That's before you went into the coil splitting. The Heritage sounded pretty good in the neck position and with both pickups engaged but I did not like the sound of its bridge pick-up at all. Loved the R9 but if I had the coin I'd either get Gibson to give me coil splitting on a custom shop or I'd be going for the Macon.
Just ordered my third Eastman SB59 today. Awesome guitars! I also have 5 Gibson USA LP’s (Tribute, Classic, Studio, 2 Deluxes) and a Heritage H-150 Standard, which are all nice, but there’s something extra special about the Eastmans. Heritage is nice but not exceptional. Gibsons have the mojo, but the Eastmans are the best playing guitars I’ve ever played.
The real question is who in their right mind would spend $4,000 to $8,000 to not have the Gibson name on the headstock?
Collings City Lights. And I also have 2 Murphy Lab LPs ('59, '68) and also 2 Custom Shop Gold Top LPs (R6, R7). Had a Heritage. It was nice enough, but the Collings is way better.
I just bought the "other" Les Paul. The Ibanez Iceman IC420. And it is the best "Les Paul" I've ever played for $800.
I''m mostly a strat and superstrat player. I've only got a cheap but good Eastman L1, to test drive LP style guitars. This is my 2 cent:
When he changes to bridge pup on Giby, it's mostle same kind of voicinh but a bit higher and maybe scooped. On Heritage when changes to the bridge pup is completely different sound, as much as I said "WTF happened?" but I meant it in a good way. The PJE one I think is somewhere in the middle. Switching to bridge made it just more beefy and maybe a tad scooped.
I don't have a preference, sound wise. I like PJE look, like Gibson because it's the OG and respect the mission statement of Heritage.
I have the a Heritage Custom Core H150. I could be mistaken, but pretty sure the pickups are potted. I tried a Gibson Custom Shop R9 and it was nice, but it wasn’t $2k better than the Heritage. Also, I found the top on the Heritage to have more flame (but you can find good flame on Gibsons as well, but they know that’s what people want, so Gibson seems to charge more the nicer the fame is, where Heritage doesn’t do that). Custombuckers are slightly brighter than the 225 Parsons pickups found in the Heritage. I’d recommend people try out both Gibsons and Heritage guitars if they have an opportunity and decide which one they like best for themselves. Can’t go wrong with either.
Side note… if anyone splices the sound of Custombuckers, but plays a lot of high gain and is worried about feedback, I can personally vouch for Bare Knuckle Mule pickups as a pretty solid potted alternative. They’re pretty bright, but have that Gibson growl. But damn… I love the sound of Custombuckers… that bridge tone is amazing. lol.
I, too, have a Heritage Custom Core H150 in dirty lemon burst. I was told the humbuckers were potted as well. I absolutely love the fit, finish and sound of this guitar. I've never really connected with a Gibson LP and I've tried a couple of the R9s. Tone is such an individual thing, but I cannot ask for more from my Heritage. [EDIT: this one purchased through Alamo Music; great guys!]
The Heritage was too dark and muddy, but it's also around half of the cost of the Gibson 😂
You can just drop whatever pickups you prefer into it and be good to go with a plenty of money to spare.
The Eggo sounded really great
The comparison should be done with popular and accessible models. Gibson, Heritage, Eastman, Collins and PRS all make high end LesPaul Style guitars. Patrick James are not easily accessible guitars in the US sand never heard of them before this video!
Guitar prices can go as high as anything. But your practice time is priceless. It doesn’t matter. My Epiphone Standard sounds better than some Gibson standards because of the way we play, all about practice, nothing else
I really wish you would have put the Sire L7 in there. Excellent guitar. I personally like it more than Gibson
I own a Heritage Custom Core H-150. The Parson's 225 pickups weren't doing it for me, so I put in a set of Jalen "Kingfish" humbuckers, and it sounds amazing! And for the cost, spending a couple hundred for new pickups is still a great deal compared to the Gibson.
Request/recommendatiom… can you guys ever do a follow up episode or in the future add one extra section to the video where you try to equalize the tone by tweaking the amp. How close can the Heritage or Eggle get to the Gibson sound by just tweaking the amp?
Big fan of the Heritage.
The Patrick James eggle sounds the best to me looks amazing and without a doubt the best made. And cheaper than the other two. And as you said more comfortable to play enough said. But it does help if you can play like cooper and he can whistle to 😂
High end Tokai, vintage as well as new. Easily on par with Gibson's finest.
tokai,combat,crews maniac,bacchus,momose all japanese
My number one is a Maybah Lester 58. Big neck, creamy tones, and really light weight.
While they all sound great and look amazing my personal preference is 1. Gibson 2. PJE 3. Heritage. Thanks for the demo.
There is no best... opinions are like A-holes we all have one.. All of those guitars are amazing.
We all have one, and most of em stink!
I dig all 3, i liked the Gibson tone the most, that is an above average sounding les paul imo, no nasal at all! Also really loved the Macon, didnt sound like a les Paul to me but that tone had me smiling, it has some semi hollow flavor and great pick ups!
Wish I had that guitar and could play like that.
Talk about the New Epiphones J45 with cutaway plz 🤠
Maybach not bad too. I have a 59 Murphy lab it’s worth it
Overall I liked the Hertitage the best, but Gibson bridge pickup was my favorite sound.
For my money, the Tom Anderson "Bulldog" was the benchmark Les Paul style guitar. Only a couple hundred were made before word started to spread and Gibson had its legal department send a cease and desist order to Anderson and he complied. While his guitars looked very much like a Les Paul, it was narrower waisted with an 'A' shaped headstock. It was also noticeably lighter in weight. There were structural differences like a bolted vs set-neck. A very robust design. The guitar brought in to replace the Bulldog was the Bobcat, but is not what the Bulldog was. The Bulldog came with an ebony fingerboard and stainless steel frets. Hardware and pickups are made by Anderson. I had a 2012 "Sweet and Sour Sauce" red finish (one-of-a-kind). Everything about the guitar needs superlatives to describe it. I think the list price was $4,600, so it would have been price competitive with the guitars chosen for this comparison.
Most of them ended up in the collections of some pretty famous players. They truly were a step-up over any Las Paul I've had the opportunity to play. We all have that one guitar that we regret selling. Mine was the Bulldog. Had I known that they'd no longer be available in a year's time, it would still be with me, never to be sold!
I own a Bulldog and it’s amazing. But, like PRS, it has its own thing. It’s in the same general tone family as a Les Paul but has a snap and attack that’s very different
My bulldog is the only guitar I would grab in a house fire. It’s the best LP derivative that I own.
Disappointed you didn’t feature Eastman SB59
You need trying out the Tokai top of the line made in japan
Very useful! Would you do the same with p90's LP? Thanks
I love my Epiphone Les Paul. Best part about it is it has a satin neck. 🙃
I own a bunch of Kiesel guitars. Made in USA but you have to buy from Kiesel
Love the Heritage!!!
The Heritage sounds like it has a compressor on. It would be well served to have a pickup change.
Of these three I think I like the sound of the Gibson over the other two.
I preferred the three basic sounds of the Heritage, however the Mason guitar was the best working guitar.
I was told that best Les Pauls were made at 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, MI.
I agree with the other people. It definitely should have an eastman in the contest. They are amazing.
I would have loved to see how the trump guitar holds up to these 😬
Probably better than a genuine '59 burst.
Gibson bridge pickups are something else
I have the heritage, found it better than by old r8.
Heritage every single day! 💪🏻🤘🏻
PJE was the best to my ear
Just sold Tokai LS1 R8 to a buyer who sold his Historic to buy it…..that tells its own tale….
OG Gibby ftw
Heritage sounds very good but its a bit duller conpared to the Gibson but one mans dull is another creamy/warm/smooth .
The Gibson has the best balance of Clarity brightness and warmth .
The brand Vintage model V100 makes the best Les Paul and Stratocaster copies.
Cooper TH-cam has your pitch just off 440. How do you expect me to steal anything from you? Certainly I can’t be expected to adjust my tuning ?
You can buy a handmade Eastman with a hand applied varnish finish used for $1500 or their regular finish for $1100. In my experience I’d take that over a Gibson anyday, especially since you would need to pay 2.5x the price for the Gibson. If you care about the resale value tho buy the Gibson. This is no offense to Gibson whatsoever, Eastman just make amazing instruments for much less money.
What about Maybach LP?
Thanks! This logic will work great with my wife! :/
Heritage for me!
Surprised Maybach guitars wasn't in the runnings!
Warrior Isabella 59 Brazilian and they can be found for a great deal
Murphy labs are decent but poor craftsmanship, I had the 58 standard, parts started falling off, toggle failed constantly. Same goes with the 345 tops split
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but there's nothing like a Gibson open-book headstock. No matter how well Les Paul-like guitars perform, even if better in some opinions then a Gibson, aesthetically I'm just drawn to the look of the Gibson headstock.
Strange as it is I never considered buying an Epiphone because of its headstock design in the past. And now since Epiphone changed over to open-book, I'm now in the market to purchase one purely for that reason.
The Heritage headstock and the PJ Eggly headstocks look so out of place on these Les Paul bodied guitars.
Honestly my ears enjoyed the gibson as the best sound, second was the pje. I enjoyed the single coil on the pje the best though...
I say the Gibson sounded better.
That would be the Custombuckers . They blow away the Herritage pickups . The Heritage pickups are very good but nothing special . They sound like a cross between Duncan 59s and Seth Liovers .Both of which I have owned and while solid were a bit Plain Sounding very clear but but somewhat Plain .
Heritage no longer uses the same machinery and methods to produce their guitars. hey moved to CNC machining and fired many of the original workers who built those original Les Pauls. I heard they moved the original machinery to make a kind of museum and some of it adorns a bar and grill they were planning onsite. That's the last I heard of their plans. I'm sure that CNC machining makes a uniform product but it eliminates the variances that separate the guitars that are good from the guitars that are exceptional. They will all be good but how many will have the level of attention that make them great? A slightly deeper neck that makes for more sustain coupled with the selection of the lightest body for resonance as an example.
Is PRS Korea Gibson near copy?
No PRS 594?
Guys 1960 les pauls didnt come with Grovers . They had Klusons just like the 58s and 59s . So no the Heritage is not closer to a 1960 . Not to mention 1960 les Pauls had much thinner necsk than the Heritage as the Heritage has more of a 58 style neck .
Man I love my Eastman sb59/v.... my heritage h150 custom shop is probably equal or maybe a touch nicer than my les paul custom shop....my les paul standard is solid too
Agree with other Eastman SB59 owners to some degree. I own a Murphy Lab which I love and thought that it blew the Heritage out of the water; however the Eggle sounded easily the most versatile.
I think the heritage
FGN and Edwards (ESP)
No contest.
I went in with no reservations, just an attitude of "show me what 'cha got!" ....without question, for me the Gibson blew the others away by a considerable margin in terms of tone and perceived "feel." The Gibson was right in line with what I think of regarding a classic LP tone, while the "across the pond" one was clear and articulate, but too much so, like it wouldn't make you work for it like the Gibson. The Heritage? .....honestly, to me it sounded inarticulate, choked and far from "musical," IMO. I would love to hear the Heritage loaded with SMD Seth Lovers or some Wolftone PAF's and then do a comparison between it and the Gibson. That would be an interesting and fruitful shootout.
I like my 594 mccarty
Good for you. I like spaghetti bolognaise.
There is a difference between handbuilt pickups and handwound pickups .
Not all handbuilt pickups are hand wound. Hand built means hand assembled
Don't know about the Mojo Pickups but the other 2 are not handwound .
Heritage is the bomb, but also sad to see no Eastman SB59! And I want to throw out a guitar that wasn't allowed to be sold directly in the US by ESP. The Edwards ELP-130(135)-LT(Lacquer Taste series) in Dark Cherry and Lemondrop. Lightly aged. No longer made, but originally with a nitro finish and stock with Seymour Duncan Antiquities(pre-Custom Shop only models) for under $1400. I got a used one from a guy in Canada via eBay for under $800 with case and after fixing him butchering the wiring just to steal the PIO caps(so dumb), that thing was shockingly good. Lightweight. Perfect neck. Amazing classic rock tone with the Antiquities. Pete Townsend wishes he could have.
Oh also, somebody needs to cover the Sweetwater exclusive Sugarbuckers in a shootout.
Why not have the les paul beater, a PRS singlecut, in this group.
Hard times...sold all my guitars.....very depressed.
I found it distracting that the only instrument that sounded in tune with itself was the Gibson. The one thing that drives me nuts about the Heritage is the way Heritage boosters give them a free pass on that pickguard. One of the things I always loved about the Les Paul model is that awesome pickguard. I think the pickguard completes the classy look that Les Pauls have. The pickguard on the Heritage is just old fashioned looking in the worst 1940s way. Similar but to me it absolutely ruins that beautiful top by making the whole instrument look bulbous and overly round, I'm not fond of the headstock. either, I don't think it integrates well with the look of the guitar with that curvy look of that body, but I'll give them a pass om it because I think that is their attempt to rectify the age old tuning issues caused by the original headstock design. The Eggles is very nice, and the blended nitro to tung oil to nitro neck idea is intriguing, but it is just too much of a modern aesthetic for me. The figuring in the top is stunning, but again, maybe so vivid it doesn't fit the same 50's vibe that the more subdued vintage Gibsons had. Personally Pm still a Gibson guy. For all their flaws they are still the top Les Paul ever. And I did put my money where my mouth is, I do own a Gibson R8 bourbonburst, and I will never part with it.