I would never even think about selling my LP. It may not be the guitar I play most, and it’s definitely not the most comfortable to play, but I love the tone, and I know I would instantly regret not having a LP, and would end up buying another one later that I do not love as much. So my LP will be with me forever.
I played either a Strat or Tele live for years and never thought about Gibsons. Bought a Murphy Lab 59 LP recently and gigged it for the first time a few weeks ago. I was blown away over how easy it is to play in a band situation. Sound wise it sits comfortably within other instruments but absolutely sings when taking a solo but without the harshness you get from single coils. It’s now my main guitar for live situations from now on.
Whenever I own a Les Paul, then eventually sell it, I ALWAYS regret it. Bought a used Tribute (no binding and no pearloid Gibson logo inlay) and love this guitar! Chambered so it’s just a hint over 7 pounds. Buffed the satin top out and it shows and goes! I’m a pro guitar tech so I’ve got a hack for everyone; Instead of top wrapping the tailpiece, go purchase two 3mm thick steel bushings. Put them under the posts retaining the tailpiece. This not only slightly raises the tailpiece but you tighten the posts all the way against the bushings and the body which transfers more sustain into the guitar from tailpiece to tuners. Solid yet slightly easier string tension. Cheers!
That’s a great live sound! And instantly identifiable as a quality Les Paul. It just has such a full and warm sound. Probably why I have never gigged a Strat (at 61 already, probably never too late 😂).
To me a LP is the ultimate live guitar, specially an under 9 pounder The full and cutting sound, how they feel hanged, the right arm, the absence of buzz...
I am a hired gun in the PNW for rather 2nd tier kind of gigs. My main 2 guitars were either my Les Paul/Tele, or Les Paul/Strat. You can kind of get the ‘single coil’-honky Tonk tone from anything I’ve found, depending how you play it. But I know for sure, you need a Les Paul for that ‘Les Paul’ tone. That’s the tone that will change my night from a “meh” gig to a “oh HELL YEAH” kind of gig. Keep it, find out what makes the Les Paul sound good to you, and use it to the best of your capabilities!
Johnathan, your tone at this outing, was liquid gold. I agree the 335 sounded beautiful, maybe I am biased as a LP player myself, although I do play strat at home and gretsch, but for pure, cutting sound, the warmth and purity won’t be beaten, we are strange animals the way our minds chop and change over choices on “the tone”. Seriously you did sound really good at least from that recording.
I have strats, Revstar, PRSs but for sheer power…. Nothing beats my les paul, makes me play differently too. This thread made me contemplate why I have one and I thought of how my original heroes sounded with them. Clapton (Beano), Kossof, Knopfler, green, gibbons, Gary moore, Gilmour, Beck, Page and so on… monsterous legendary tones. I mean, faults an all who doesn’t need a LP.😊
I would suggest NOT SELLING IT!!!! There’s just something special about the Les Paul sound you can’t really get from other guitars. I own a 2019 Trad Pro V and stays in tune and sounds amazing!!!
Your Les Paul sounds awesome. That first solo sounded glorious. People claim Les Pauls are not as versatile as a strat, for instance, but I disagree. I use a Les Paul as my Number 1, and with that and my HX Effects I can cover pretty much anything. The weight is a problem, but I think it’s worth it.
I've only started playing in a band the last 5 years or so, despite first learning guitar in my teens (now in my 50s). I love playing my Strat, my Tele, my "name other guitar here", but when I'm going to play live the only guitar I will play is my LP. When you are a band on a budget, meaning you play through relatively low cost sound gear, nothing is capable of sounding "good" live except my LP. At least, that has been my experience. By no means am I or the members of the band sound experts, and we have always had to do it ourselves, we've never had a sound guy or played through a house sound location. Every other guitar just fails in those situations except the LP. I truly love them.
I love playing my EJ Strat (same fretboard radius as my Gibsons) sitting alone and recording with it but jamming I always end up with a Les Paul. I also love playing my Les Pauls sitting alone and recording with them. Play around with the volume and tone knobs and pickup adjustments and a Paul can sing whether clean or distorted. If I could only have one it would be the Les Paul but I would miss my strat. :)
I don’t have a problem with tuning on my Gibson Les Paul, my Tokai Les Paul or my Gibson SG. It seems to be slightly more prevalent with Gibson and a myth has taken hold because of it.
Ha yes I've got a PRS custom 24 10top collecting dust as I found the same by using my Les Paul traditional one night. By comparison the PRS doesn't come close.
I appreciate your observation and agree as I love my strat but after hearing playback on recordings I have settled on my 335. Still love my fenders at home
Amazing live clips! Have you ever gigged an HSS Strat? I’m wondering if that might help with the imbalance you mentioned between the neck and bridge pickups?
I am been a Strat guy all my life, in the last few years I started to use LP live. and live only. A LP is one of the best guitar that you can play standing, a nightmare where sitting down. First thing to check is the balance, if LP is not too heavy on the butt than it's gonna be a conformable guitar. 2 volume and 2 tones makes it extremely flexible for overcome those moment live when you have too much or too little volume for the part. I set my basic tone with the guitar volume on 6 on the front PU and almost full on the back PU. If you notice LP neck naturally falls in a great and confortable position when you are standing. A Strat is unbeatable when sitting down at home
If the weight becomes an issue, take the Keith approach and check out the 2008-2012 Les Paul’s. They are essentially chambered and tend to weigh less. There was a black one on reverb that I was looking at until it came down that was 7.9lbs. Your tone is amazing on the Les Paul.
je n ais jamais ete un joueur de les paul , a vrai dire j ai toujours ete un joueur de stratocaster et de telecaster , et puis en debut d annee , je ne sais pas ce qui m a pris , j ai vendu mes deux telecaster , pour acheter une les paul MIJ de chez Edwards , une envie soudaine , alors que quelques mois auparavant j avais aussi vendu une epiphone JJN signature qui ne m a jamais vraiment convaincue , cette Edwards LP 125 de 2021 dans un etat absolument neuf est devenue la guitare dont je ne peus plus me passer , je prends toujours du plaisir a jouer ma stratocaster , mais avec cette Les paul , il y a vraiment quelque chose de particulier , un son , une facilité , une inspiration differente , le sustain est exeptionnel , la reponse , la moindre nuance de jeux est retranscrit avec bonheur , et puis la qualité de finition de cette guitare est a tomber , la touche palissandre ; moi qui ne jure que par l erable , est absolument magnifique , c est de la marqueterie ; tellement conquis par cette guitare , que je vais acheter la meme en Goldtop avec P90 si j arrives a en trouver une , je comprends a present pourquoi la les paul a tant d adeptes , et pourtant a la base je suis plus stratocaster que les paul , mais il n y a que les imbeciles qui ne changent pas d avis .
I can't add much other than saying after top wrapping my CS LP now I really enjoy playing it. It sounds and plays positively very different than it did before.
At 6:26 you asked about having a guitar that feels good at home but prefer another in a gig - well I am a LP player but also like other guitars. I generally always use a humbucking guitar live unless I need a very specific sound, because I find the extra signal strength makes playing easier. Live gigs are where LP's excel. My LP is definitely not comfortable at home though, too heavy and off balance.
I went to the local guitar shop, last Friday, with the intention to maybe grab a Maybach Lester. I ended up comparing the Maybach with an Eastman, a pretty heavy used Gibson LP CS with a broken headstock, and a Gibson LP VOS from 2008. That was an eye-opening experience. As much as I dislike Gibson for its politics, I instantly fell in love with the (most expensive of the bunch) LP VOS and took it home. It is super easy to play, intonates very well across the entire fretboard.... but I have to practice precision, as it's so unforgiving. I think the prior owner put hotter pickups in it, but the attack this guitar has is so good! Makes me even wanna sell my PRS CE24. >.>
Love my Les Paul .. bought mine 2011 - first I'd ever owned - took it straight to a gig and plugged it in there and it was "wow!" .. everyone in the band turned round and went "What's that?!" .. I've never looked back .. (was previously playing a PRS Custom 22)
I love my Les Paul! I don't think you'll regret keeping it. I'll never get rid of mine! I'll hand it down to my son one day along with my Mark III and '65 Vox AC30 Top Boost. Cheers - Luther
If you want to sell think of it three or so weeks and yes do play it. Did that with a synth I thought I was to sell, I couldn't and still have it in the hobby room 🤠 I think it is science, quote of the day and a keeper 😂
It’s definitely a thing to figure out: how easy or hard should the guitar be to play, and in which situation do you want more or less string tension fighting back against you? I find that at gigs, you're kind of amped up and excited, and you want the guitar to fight back just a little bit more to compensate for the extra effort you tend to put in. But when practicing or recording, then you kinda want a much easier guitar to play, one with more subtlety. A Les Paul screams and yells, it cuts through any live mix, typically. Live, if a song requires whammy bar stuff, I have a second guitar available for just that song then use a fixed bridge for the rest of the set. Yeah, sucks to schlep two guitars, but I find trem systems, any one of them, are kinda risky live. I tend to be a bit of a heavy-handed sloppy player live, and I'll inadvertently activate the trem if I'm not careful. Sure, I should practice to be more in control, but the crowd usually loves it when you're absolutely going for it and banging on your guitar with abandon. It seems like the crowd wants to see you fighting your guitar. If you're playing easy, and you're making it look easy, the crowd thinks you're bored and merely phoning it in, and they kind of ignore the band. Gigging is weird, it's a show more than a recital. The crowd wants drama. They want to see you leave it all on the stage. Ok, maybe not at an event or wedding, but certainly in a bar or a club or venue.
Would love to know what you might have tweaked on your live sounds to use with Les Paul vs other regularly gigged guitars - particularly going from single coils to Les Paul
I noticed you were using the Wireless in the Gig video too. I have not seen a guy play a les Paul as HIGH up on the Body as David BeeBee, since the 60's kind of a throw back, Think George harrison.
Lovely live solo - phrasing and development 👏 while live ain’t easy. 64 and a pro guitarist for years (of the holiday camp/cruise/ship/functiin/pubs(when they paid). I have two problems with the les Paul. - I find them easy to noodle on (eg not phrasing and develop) - I don’t sound like I expect to sound on a gig so quickly pick up my tele or strat. Last time I bought one, my friend the guitar shop owner said ‘you’ll sell it in 9 months’. And I did. Listening to your solos maybe I should have persevered
I love my Les Paul’s . Live they are amazing. They can cut through a mix or sit right in the middle of the mix. They don’t hum and sound great. I will only play a different style guitar live if the other guitar player in the band wants to play a Les Paul. If that is the situation I will probably grab a tele, strat, or something with P-90’s or maybe something with filter tron pickups.
The last time I gigged my Standard I took it out as a backup so I could use it for a few songs. I am 58 and still use 11s on mine but could not do a whole gig due to the weight. Mine is an '89, pre weight relief! Still feel I would suffer if I really had to but I sing too and weight is an issue there. Regarding Strats, you can dial out that inbalance but it takes forever - lots of pickup height adjustment. I usually use my SSS Strat since the other guy has a Lester. To be honest, a good HSS Strat is my go to if I am not sure what I might be up against!
What about a hardtail strat? Would that be more stable for gigging yet give you that sensitivity and comfort you prefer? I've recently fallen in love and now prefer my hardtail strat.
John, what is “home base” for your tone knobs on a Les Paul? I know you need to make adjustments based on your amp / interface and venue, but where do you start off before you fine tune? Maybe 8 on the neck and 4 on bridge? Thx
Well… You’ve achieved “top wrap”. Kudos! No, I’m just curious as to why you fellows have ditched the pick guard😜 in all seriousness, you sound fantastic. Obviously, there’s no issues with attempting anything. You seem very comfortable with it. Thus, what’s coming out? Sounds great and has a fantastic feel. VERY inspiring!
The layout of a LP is perfect for live. The controls are easily available while being out of the way of any extreme hand movements. I play a lot through in house backline and using single coils is way too risky
Sounds great. Can’t go wrong with an LP, Tele w noise cancel lead . Strat w mini screamin demon lead works great. Don’t ditch the LP. You sound very natural on it.
hey John! I have your pod go presets and I was wondering, do you change anything in your own patches (on the hx stomp) when you go from the strat to the les paul?
P.S. what gauge strings were you running on the DGT? (Scale is a touch longer so, .10’s don’t really seem “too easy” to me but, everybody’s mileage varies. Also, they seem to have bigger bumps than the Gibson’s. I’m leaning more towards mine than the Gibby lately.
When I first got a Les Paul, I had been playing Strats and a thinline Tele for years, and I found it hard at first to adjust to the smaller more squat feel of the Paul. Strats make you have to work a bit harder to make a good sound, whereas the LP had me playing a little more carefully and being a bit more restrained. It's like going for a brisk walk wearing tee-shirt and sweatpants, and then trying to do the same wearing a suit. I found I had to pkay more conservatively and let the guitar play the way it wanted to, rather than expressing myself only. After getting used to it, I found that it forced me to be more tidy and classic in my playing,.... more like Mick Taylor, and less like Jimi Hendrix on acid ( ie not as wild) ... more " respectable" maybe, more of the guitar the way it wanted to be played, and less transparently myself.... more Joe Pass... less ( drunken) Django Rienhardt! Nice, but different. Also I'm quite tall and have long arms and fingers, but had to be mire measured and deliberate on the LP, just because it felt so tiny.
Funny I gigged Saturday night and I was using my thinline tele almost the whole night mostly because of weight and it cuts through the mix great. I don't tend to use strats for the reasons you mentioned. Anyways the last 3 songs I used the Les Paul and was thinking how much I loved it. Mine only weighs 8.25 lbs but is still much heavier than the thinline and I have a shoulder issues. When playing with another guitarist I try to use what they aren't so we can stand out better. But Saturday it was just me and I came away wanting to play my Les Paul more as well.
At home I love playing my Jazzmaster and Jaguar, but live I can’t get them to fit into the band mix as well as I can my tele or PRS. Never gigged my Les Paul. Gonna give it a go now
My Les Pauls (one with humbuckers and one with P-90s) absolutely have that extra push, but when I use my boost pedal with my Fenders, it all evens out.
I have come to appreciate that I prefer the Humbucker sound. Especially the PAF less hot sounds. There’s a natural midrange and punch that sits great in a mix. I think the High Gain Les Paul/Marshall in the 80’s, with generic Hair Metal music put me off? I have come to really like that sound (in other music), but also the clarity in the cleans. Country, Funk, Blues, and of course Rock all sound ace. Good Gibson into a Fender amp are a thing for a reason! 😊
For me it's the song that mostly dictates the guitar on gigs. But I agree that practicing at home the single coils of a Strat or Tele do sound rich and nice. But in a gig situation, they can be a bit thin. My new 335 is getting re-fretted - the frets were too low and I'm removing the nibs. Most gigs I'm using that 335 and a Strat. They get about equal playing time, but I find the Strat a bit more flexible for different songs - there are more songs where the Strat is a better fit it seems.
Those are my “go to” for live performances. The ES-335 and Telecaster get the job done. There are times the 335 sound feels too heavy. I know it’s time for the Tele. I couldn’t agree with you more about the Strat, but that fretboard never lets me down
90% of sounding good live is just playing the right notes. That said, it's amazing how much gear I've been through to get the exact feel and tone I want at my shows.
I switched from a LP to a strat for a 2 guitar band I thought it filled out the sound a little better and the other player plays only dual HB guitars. That said, sometimes I put the LP in Eb and so it comes out for that. It's always fun to play a LP, but I prefer my strats to anything else now.
My Les Pauls have a full creamy tone on leads that kind of wrap around the band sound. My Strats n Teles have a more piercing thinner tone that also has their place. Also liking my Vigier Kaos that fits in between the Gibson and Fender but has a faster easier playing neck. Option paralysis?🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😂😎
I know its not always legally or practically easy but I honestly feel it would help underline your points (which are always on point!) if you provided more "live" footage.
i am not very good at guitar. but i have swapped between mainly LP and Tele style guitars for years and i don't really notice. i know they are different to play, but i never thing one is significantly different to the other i have some others as well and its pretty much the same - though i always found strats and SGs difficult to play. they are a little too friendly to the player, i'm used to the less accommodating guitars like the LP
I love my strat so much but I just always play my LP live. My next few rehearsals, I'm gonna go through every dang thing to get a strat to be magic in the band mix. With the LP, it like you just have to plug it in and it sounds great in the mix.
From the sound board I'd much rather mix with a Les Paul or 335, so much easier to get the sound heard in the mix without being harsh. Less harsh = more volume I can push, pretty simple
That LP of yours has a distinctive voice (which, I think, is different from “tone” and as you well know, not all do). That voice seems particularly well suited to your playing. Whenever I see one of your videos with that guitar I get pretty happy, whether it’s a live clip or in your room. I don’t know - it’s just a great sound for the way you approach your playing. I’ve watched along on your journey with the Les Paul, and I feel ya. I’m a decades long Strat player with my own LP on the rack, but I never really clicked with it and have thought so many times about moving it on. As a last ditch effort, I decided to play the LP exclusively for a while to see if I could find love and not just lust, and then after a couple of months I finally got it (which also involved a gig). For now, anyway, it’s the one I want to play all the time. That said, I remember what an old-timer once told me: “We all eventually end up playing a Telecaster anyhow, so it don’t matter. Enjoy the ride.” My vote is for you to play it more. Sounds exciting to me.
I would never even think about selling my LP. It may not be the guitar I play most, and it’s definitely not the most comfortable to play, but I love the tone, and I know I would instantly regret not having a LP, and would end up buying another one later that I do not love as much. So my LP will be with me forever.
That Live sound is Fantastic - it's powerful and cutting through the mix like a hot knife through butter.
I played either a Strat or Tele live for years and never thought about Gibsons. Bought a Murphy Lab 59 LP recently and gigged it for the first time a few weeks ago. I was blown away over how easy it is to play in a band situation. Sound wise it sits comfortably within other instruments but absolutely sings when taking a solo but without the harshness you get from single coils. It’s now my main guitar for live situations from now on.
You need to get that JS1200 you keep borrowing out to a gig. Best of both worlds with the way the controls work.
Whenever I own a Les Paul, then eventually sell it, I ALWAYS regret it.
Bought a used Tribute (no binding and no pearloid Gibson logo inlay) and love this guitar!
Chambered so it’s just a hint over 7 pounds.
Buffed the satin top out and it shows and goes!
I’m a pro guitar tech so I’ve got a hack for everyone;
Instead of top wrapping the tailpiece, go purchase two 3mm thick steel bushings.
Put them under the posts retaining the tailpiece.
This not only slightly raises the tailpiece but you tighten the posts all the way against the bushings and the body which transfers more sustain into the guitar from tailpiece to tuners.
Solid yet slightly easier string tension.
Cheers!
That live sound was killer.
That’s a great live sound! And instantly identifiable as a quality Les Paul. It just has such a full and warm sound. Probably why I have never gigged a Strat (at 61 already, probably never too late 😂).
To me a LP is the ultimate live guitar, specially an under 9 pounder The full and cutting sound, how they feel hanged, the right arm, the absence of buzz...
I am a hired gun in the PNW for rather 2nd tier kind of gigs. My main 2 guitars were either my Les Paul/Tele, or Les Paul/Strat.
You can kind of get the ‘single coil’-honky Tonk tone from anything I’ve found, depending how you play it. But I know for sure, you need a Les Paul for that ‘Les Paul’ tone.
That’s the tone that will change my night from a “meh” gig to a “oh HELL YEAH” kind of gig.
Keep it, find out what makes the Les Paul sound good to you, and use it to the best of your capabilities!
Great chops.
Great playing John. Your tone was outstanding too 🤩
Johnathan, your tone at this outing, was liquid gold. I agree the 335 sounded beautiful, maybe I am biased as a LP player myself, although I do play strat at home and gretsch, but for pure, cutting sound, the warmth and purity won’t be beaten, we are strange animals the way our minds chop and change over choices on “the tone”. Seriously you did sound really good at least from that recording.
I have strats, Revstar, PRSs but for sheer power…. Nothing beats my les paul, makes me play differently too. This thread made me contemplate why I have one and I thought of how my original heroes sounded with them. Clapton (Beano), Kossof, Knopfler, green, gibbons, Gary moore, Gilmour, Beck, Page and so on… monsterous legendary tones. I mean, faults an all who doesn’t need a LP.😊
I would suggest NOT SELLING IT!!!! There’s just something special about the Les Paul sound you can’t really get from other guitars. I own a 2019 Trad Pro V and stays in tune and sounds amazing!!!
Your Les Paul sounds awesome. That first solo sounded glorious. People claim Les Pauls are not as versatile as a strat, for instance, but I disagree. I use a Les Paul as my Number 1, and with that and my HX Effects I can cover pretty much anything. The weight is a problem, but I think it’s worth it.
💚Yes. Billy talent records with tele Single coil, but live with HSS strat.
I've only started playing in a band the last 5 years or so, despite first learning guitar in my teens (now in my 50s). I love playing my Strat, my Tele, my "name other guitar here", but when I'm going to play live the only guitar I will play is my LP. When you are a band on a budget, meaning you play through relatively low cost sound gear, nothing is capable of sounding "good" live except my LP. At least, that has been my experience. By no means am I or the members of the band sound experts, and we have always had to do it ourselves, we've never had a sound guy or played through a house sound location. Every other guitar just fails in those situations except the LP. I truly love them.
I love playing my EJ Strat (same fretboard radius as my Gibsons) sitting alone and recording with it but jamming I always end up with a Les Paul. I also love playing my Les Pauls sitting alone and recording with them. Play around with the volume and tone knobs and pickup adjustments and a Paul can sing whether clean or distorted. If I could only have one it would be the Les Paul but I would miss my strat. :)
I love my Les Paul - great tuning stability too. People slag them off (usually PRS owners) but there is a reason so many pros use them.
I don’t have a problem with tuning on my Gibson Les Paul, my Tokai Les Paul or my Gibson SG. It seems to be slightly more prevalent with Gibson and a myth has taken hold because of it.
Ha yes I've got a PRS custom 24 10top collecting dust as I found the same by using my Les Paul traditional one night. By comparison the PRS doesn't come close.
Last solo clip - don’t look back in anger (?) - the direction the solo took - such great note choices !!
My number one for live shows is without a doubt my Les Paul. Glad you finally saw the light!
I'd be proudly displaying a solo like that first one too ... if I had one 🙄
So glad that you decided to keep it. 👍
I appreciate your observation and agree as I love my strat but after hearing playback on recordings I have settled on my 335. Still love my fenders at home
Amazing live clips! Have you ever gigged an HSS Strat? I’m wondering if that might help with the imbalance you mentioned between the neck and bridge pickups?
I just discovered SGs about a week ago on NGD. Ever gigged an SG? Mine eyes have been openeded.
I am been a Strat guy all my life, in the last few years I started to use LP live. and live only. A LP is one of the best guitar that you can play standing, a nightmare where sitting down. First thing to check is the balance, if LP is not too heavy on the butt than it's gonna be a conformable guitar. 2 volume and 2 tones makes it extremely flexible for overcome those moment live when you have too much or too little volume for the part. I set my basic tone with the guitar volume on 6 on the front PU and almost full on the back PU. If you notice LP neck naturally falls in a great and confortable position when you are standing. A Strat is unbeatable when sitting down at home
If the weight becomes an issue, take the Keith approach and check out the 2008-2012 Les Paul’s. They are essentially chambered and tend to weigh less. There was a black one on reverb that I was looking at until it came down that was 7.9lbs. Your tone is amazing on the Les Paul.
The only reason to sell a les Paul is for a better one.
I would only sell Les Paul to get more Paul
There’s a growl to a LP that I’ve not heard from any other guitar, absolutely love mine and I’ve been mainly a Strat guy all my musical life
je n ais jamais ete un joueur de les paul , a vrai dire j ai toujours ete un joueur de stratocaster et de telecaster , et puis en debut d annee , je ne sais pas ce qui m a pris , j ai vendu mes deux telecaster , pour acheter une les paul MIJ de chez Edwards , une envie soudaine , alors que quelques mois auparavant j avais aussi vendu une epiphone JJN signature qui ne m a jamais vraiment convaincue , cette Edwards LP 125 de 2021 dans un etat absolument neuf est devenue la guitare dont je ne peus plus me passer , je prends toujours du plaisir a jouer ma stratocaster , mais avec cette Les paul , il y a vraiment quelque chose de particulier , un son , une facilité , une inspiration differente , le sustain est exeptionnel , la reponse , la moindre nuance de jeux est retranscrit avec bonheur , et puis la qualité de finition de cette guitare est a tomber , la touche palissandre ; moi qui ne jure que par l erable , est absolument magnifique , c est de la marqueterie ; tellement conquis par cette guitare , que je vais acheter la meme en Goldtop avec P90 si j arrives a en trouver une , je comprends a present pourquoi la les paul a tant d adeptes , et pourtant a la base je suis plus stratocaster que les paul , mais il n y a que les imbeciles qui ne changent pas d avis .
I can't add much other than saying after top wrapping my CS LP now I really enjoy playing it. It sounds and plays positively very different than it did before.
I think every guitar player should own a nice Les Paul and nice Stratocaster.
mais aussi une telecaster !!!
At 6:26 you asked about having a guitar that feels good at home but prefer another in a gig - well I am a LP player but also like other guitars. I generally always use a humbucking guitar live unless I need a very specific sound, because I find the extra signal strength makes playing easier. Live gigs are where LP's excel. My LP is definitely not comfortable at home though, too heavy and off balance.
I went to the local guitar shop, last Friday, with the intention to maybe grab a Maybach Lester. I ended up comparing the Maybach with an Eastman, a pretty heavy used Gibson LP CS with a broken headstock, and a Gibson LP VOS from 2008. That was an eye-opening experience. As much as I dislike Gibson for its politics, I instantly fell in love with the (most expensive of the bunch) LP VOS and took it home. It is super easy to play, intonates very well across the entire fretboard.... but I have to practice precision, as it's so unforgiving. I think the prior owner put hotter pickups in it, but the attack this guitar has is so good! Makes me even wanna sell my PRS CE24. >.>
Keep it John! It suits you well!
You are one of the 10 Greatest Guitar Players in the world!!! .. You have the musicakity and all the Ingredients in your playing we wanna hear!!! ;-))
Geez, steady on there Eddy😂
John could you post more videos your gig? Very like it
Love my Les Paul .. bought mine 2011 - first I'd ever owned - took it straight to a gig and plugged it in there and it was "wow!" .. everyone in the band turned round and went "What's that?!" .. I've never looked back .. (was previously playing a PRS Custom 22)
It’s fun to see JNC in full tear-down mode at a gig.🎉
I love my Les Paul! I don't think you'll regret keeping it. I'll never get rid of mine! I'll hand it down to my son one day along with my Mark III and '65 Vox AC30 Top Boost. Cheers - Luther
If you want to sell think of it three or so weeks and yes do play it.
Did that with a synth I thought I was to sell, I couldn't and still have it in the hobby room 🤠
I think it is science, quote of the day and a keeper 😂
Ripping! What's the rest of your signal chain after the Lester in the opening shred moment? Cheers!
It sounded really nice in that clip, JNC. Next gig take that DGT back out and let's compare the live tones.
That solo was amazing. Great fingers and the best guitar ever….
It’s definitely a thing to figure out: how easy or hard should the guitar be to play, and in which situation do you want more or less string tension fighting back against you? I find that at gigs, you're kind of amped up and excited, and you want the guitar to fight back just a little bit more to compensate for the extra effort you tend to put in. But when practicing or recording, then you kinda want a much easier guitar to play, one with more subtlety. A Les Paul screams and yells, it cuts through any live mix, typically. Live, if a song requires whammy bar stuff, I have a second guitar available for just that song then use a fixed bridge for the rest of the set. Yeah, sucks to schlep two guitars, but I find trem systems, any one of them, are kinda risky live. I tend to be a bit of a heavy-handed sloppy player live, and I'll inadvertently activate the trem if I'm not careful. Sure, I should practice to be more in control, but the crowd usually loves it when you're absolutely going for it and banging on your guitar with abandon. It seems like the crowd wants to see you fighting your guitar. If you're playing easy, and you're making it look easy, the crowd thinks you're bored and merely phoning it in, and they kind of ignore the band. Gigging is weird, it's a show more than a recital. The crowd wants drama. They want to see you leave it all on the stage. Ok, maybe not at an event or wedding, but certainly in a bar or a club or venue.
Would love to know what you might have tweaked on your live sounds to use with Les Paul vs other regularly gigged guitars - particularly going from single coils to Les Paul
I have hot pickups in all my Strats and Tele Bridges. But my Gibson Lp and SGs are fun to play at home and live too.
I noticed you were using the Wireless in the Gig video too. I have not seen a guy play a les Paul as HIGH up on the Body as David BeeBee, since the 60's kind of a throw back, Think George harrison.
Lovely live solo - phrasing and development 👏 while live ain’t easy.
64 and a pro guitarist for years (of the holiday camp/cruise/ship/functiin/pubs(when they paid). I have two problems with the les Paul.
- I find them easy to noodle on (eg not phrasing and develop)
- I don’t sound like I expect to sound on a gig so quickly pick up my tele or strat.
Last time I bought one, my friend the guitar shop owner said ‘you’ll sell it in 9 months’. And I did. Listening to your solos maybe I should have persevered
It seems most guitarists have their favorite tones, and end up sounding like themselves. So, best to play a guitar that you really enjoy playing.
I love my Les Paul’s . Live they are amazing. They can cut through a mix or sit right in the middle of the mix. They don’t hum and sound great. I will only play a different style guitar live if the other guitar player in the band wants to play a Les Paul. If that is the situation I will probably grab a tele, strat, or something with P-90’s or maybe something with filter tron pickups.
The last time I gigged my Standard I took it out as a backup so I could use it for a few songs. I am 58 and still use 11s on mine but could not do a whole gig due to the weight. Mine is an '89, pre weight relief! Still feel I would suffer if I really had to but I sing too and weight is an issue there.
Regarding Strats, you can dial out that inbalance but it takes forever - lots of pickup height adjustment. I usually use my SSS Strat since the other guy has a Lester. To be honest, a good HSS Strat is my go to if I am not sure what I might be up against!
Love that top-rap Johnny.
What about a hardtail strat? Would that be more stable for gigging yet give you that sensitivity and comfort you prefer? I've recently fallen in love and now prefer my hardtail strat.
My neck-thru hardtail HH strat sustains like a LP and feels twice as good.
John, what is “home base” for your tone knobs on a Les Paul?
I know you need to make adjustments based on your amp / interface and venue, but where do you start off before you fine tune? Maybe 8 on the neck and 4 on bridge?
Thx
Well… You’ve achieved “top wrap”. Kudos! No, I’m just curious as to why you fellows have ditched the pick guard😜 in all seriousness, you sound fantastic. Obviously, there’s no issues with attempting anything. You seem very comfortable with it. Thus, what’s coming out? Sounds great and has a fantastic feel.
VERY inspiring!
I think 6:50 says it all. "KEEP"
The layout of a LP is perfect for live. The controls are easily available while being out of the way of any extreme hand movements.
I play a lot through in house backline and using single coils is way too risky
Sounds great. Can’t go wrong with an LP, Tele w noise cancel lead . Strat w mini screamin demon lead works great. Don’t ditch the LP. You sound very natural on it.
Sounded alright to me. I've never liked Les Pauls, but I can tell when someone's playing one well.
Wow Dude! Studio level soloing live? Very nice!
hey John! I have your pod go presets and I was wondering, do you change anything in your own patches (on the hx stomp) when you go from the strat to the les paul?
P.S. what gauge strings were you running on the DGT? (Scale is a touch longer so, .10’s don’t really seem “too easy” to me but, everybody’s mileage varies. Also, they seem to have bigger bumps than the Gibson’s. I’m leaning more towards mine than the Gibby lately.
When I first got a Les Paul, I had been playing Strats and a thinline Tele for years, and I found it hard at first to adjust to the smaller more squat feel of the Paul. Strats make you have to work a bit harder to make a good sound, whereas the LP had me playing a little more carefully and being a bit more restrained. It's like going for a brisk walk wearing tee-shirt and sweatpants, and then trying to do the same wearing a suit. I found I had to pkay more conservatively and let the guitar play the way it wanted to, rather than expressing myself only. After getting used to it, I found that it forced me to be more tidy and classic in my playing,.... more like Mick Taylor, and less like Jimi Hendrix on acid ( ie not as wild) ... more " respectable" maybe, more of the guitar the way it wanted to be played, and less transparently myself.... more Joe Pass... less ( drunken) Django Rienhardt! Nice, but different. Also I'm quite tall and have long arms and fingers, but had to be mire measured and deliberate on the LP, just because it felt so tiny.
@@chrisgmurray3622 It’s the sustain. You end up holding notes for longer and letting it sing. Well, that’s what I end up doing anyway.
Maybe consider a used Gibson Standard Faded? Mine is 7.5 lbs. Not so bad on the shoulder. Not the prettiest LPs but they sound great.
Funny I gigged Saturday night and I was using my thinline tele almost the whole night mostly because of weight and it cuts through the mix great. I don't tend to use strats for the reasons you mentioned. Anyways the last 3 songs I used the Les Paul and was thinking how much I loved it. Mine only weighs 8.25 lbs but is still much heavier than the thinline and I have a shoulder issues. When playing with another guitarist I try to use what they aren't so we can stand out better. But Saturday it was just me and I came away wanting to play my Les Paul more as well.
At home I love playing my Jazzmaster and Jaguar, but live I can’t get them to fit into the band mix as well as I can my tele or PRS. Never gigged my Les Paul. Gonna give it a go now
My Les Pauls (one with humbuckers and one with P-90s) absolutely have that extra push, but when I use my boost pedal with my Fenders, it all evens out.
I think jimmy page often used a tele in the studio, but used a les paul live.
what about a Strat with HH pickups?
I have come to appreciate that I prefer the Humbucker sound. Especially the PAF less hot sounds. There’s a natural midrange and punch that sits great in a mix.
I think the High Gain Les Paul/Marshall in the 80’s, with generic Hair Metal music put me off? I have come to really like that sound (in other music), but also the clarity in the cleans. Country, Funk, Blues, and of course Rock all sound ace. Good Gibson into a Fender amp are a thing for a reason! 😊
I use strats to practice at home with two 4x8 cabs and a 1w head but Les paul and Sg at gigs through an ac30 and a koch twintone
What pedals did you use with the les paul
i'm really happy about this 😅
For me it's the song that mostly dictates the guitar on gigs. But I agree that practicing at home the single coils of a Strat or Tele do sound rich and nice. But in a gig situation, they can be a bit thin. My new 335 is getting re-fretted - the frets were too low and I'm removing the nibs. Most gigs I'm using that 335 and a Strat. They get about equal playing time, but I find the Strat a bit more flexible for different songs - there are more songs where the Strat is a better fit it seems.
I think it's time you try a les paul jr live and realize how versatile it is
Beebee’s drummer has THE perfect sized kit for pub/club/hotel gigs! Most drummers I know think they’re playing Wembley :-/
Is that a Nux wireless hanging off that guitar?
Those are my “go to” for live performances. The ES-335 and Telecaster get the job done. There are times the 335 sound feels too heavy. I know it’s time for the Tele. I couldn’t agree with you more about the Strat, but that fretboard never lets me down
Killin brother. Wow.
How about the Revstar?
90% of sounding good live is just playing the right notes. That said, it's amazing how much gear I've been through to get the exact feel and tone I want at my shows.
Try to get your hands on an ESP Eclipse. E-II or Custom Shop Japan.
I switched from a LP to a strat for a 2 guitar band I thought it filled out the sound a little better and the other player plays only dual HB guitars. That said, sometimes I put the LP in Eb and so it comes out for that. It's always fun to play a LP, but I prefer my strats to anything else now.
told you so. the les paul is a powerhouse of tone
Yea I'll never give up my les paul.. Only one that beats it, for me, is my les paul junior. (try one!! )
My Les Pauls have a full creamy tone on leads that kind of wrap around the band sound. My Strats n Teles have a more piercing thinner tone that also has their place. Also liking my Vigier Kaos that fits in between the Gibson and Fender but has a faster easier playing neck. Option paralysis?🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😂😎
I know its not always legally or practically easy but I honestly feel it would help underline your points (which are always on point!) if you provided more "live" footage.
i am not very good at guitar. but i have swapped between mainly LP and Tele style guitars for years and i don't really notice. i know they are different to play, but i never thing one is significantly different to the other
i have some others as well and its pretty much the same - though i always found strats and SGs difficult to play. they are a little too friendly to the player, i'm used to the less accommodating guitars like the LP
Sounds so much more fuller than the strat !! A keeper !!
I love my strat so much but I just always play my LP live. My next few rehearsals, I'm gonna go through every dang thing to get a strat to be magic in the band mix. With the LP, it like you just have to plug it in and it sounds great in the mix.
From the sound board I'd much rather mix with a Les Paul or 335, so much easier to get the sound heard in the mix without being harsh. Less harsh = more volume I can push, pretty simple
strat , tele . lp , when guitarplaying means something to you . these 3 guitars are must have's imo , along with an acoustic ,
I think I missed the Jazzmaster memo too😉
That LP of yours has a distinctive voice (which, I think, is different from “tone” and as you well know, not all do). That voice seems particularly well suited to your playing. Whenever I see one of your videos with that guitar I get pretty happy, whether it’s a live clip or in your room. I don’t know - it’s just a great sound for the way you approach your playing.
I’ve watched along on your journey with the Les Paul, and I feel ya. I’m a decades long Strat player with my own LP on the rack, but I never really clicked with it and have thought so many times about moving it on. As a last ditch effort, I decided to play the LP exclusively for a while to see if I could find love and not just lust, and then after a couple of months I finally got it (which also involved a gig). For now, anyway, it’s the one I want to play all the time. That said, I remember what an old-timer once told me: “We all eventually end up playing a Telecaster anyhow, so it don’t matter. Enjoy the ride.”
My vote is for you to play it more. Sounds exciting to me.
LPs definitely seem to cut through the mix much better. I don't have one now but that's my recollection..
John basically pooped on that other dude... 😢
If you have a nice Les Paul, don't ever sell it. I speak from experience.
Jimmy Page played a lot of studio stuff on his Tele and other guitars but used his Les Pauls for most of his live work.
Don't sell it unless you happen to find one that you prefer and end up buying. Any serious guitarist like you should have an LP in their stable.
A happy ending!
That live clip: SHREEEEEEEEED!
Sooooo Sally can shreeeed!