I have had two Les Paul's. And as much as I wanted to love them, I absolutely hated them. I have found that Schecter is the guitar that suits me perfectly. I don't really care what anyone else thinks, this is my own personal preference. Love it or hate it, it is what it is.
Absolutely! I doesn't matter how smart an instrument is designed, how good the neck is etc. If it doesn't make you pick it up and actually play it, it's useless. For me it's my Les Paul. I find it so gorgeous. Whenever I see it, I want to pick it up and practice - even though it's my heaviest and most uncomfortable guitar.
Yes aesthetics give you a "vibe". But it's not enough to make a guitar sound good. At the end of the day the guitar that sounds and plays better is the one you will stick with. And quite frankly most guitars look good really.
My PRS korina One is a similar guitar, but only one pot for volume/tone, turn it up all the way for maximum treble, turn it down a little for less treble - farther for less volume.
Mike you are a real guitarist when you admit you have so much to learn and that going to others makes you better. I also love that afterward you say I have so much work to do. So true for every guitarist. I’m an old guy just starting my journey. I only have four cowboy chords and you might wonder why I might call myself a guitarist. I found that as soon as you can play a song you need to do this because it makes you want to improve and not quit. You inspire me to keep trying and like so many others you are a community guitar friend. This video shows that side to me. Thanks
The Farmer Guitar you hear on one speaker of every Rush album, ever... And yes, Alex Lifeson is versatile. And he writes so much stuff on that one old Tele.
@@j_freedI don't have either of them, but Teles and P-basses will probably always be part of recordings for as long as we use electric guitars. Just too damn much versatility for their characteristic tones, and EVERY sound engineer will know how to mix them well.
I used to think so. I played telecasters from 1993 until about 6 months ago. I still have one. But I picked up a Les Paul Special on a whim... and it's the best sounding guitar I've ever picked up. To hell with mudbuckers.
My philosophy on anything you wish to master is to truly truly nerd-out about it. To genuinely enjoy getting into the details that no normal person would even wish to know. Getting over the hump of “I know enough to know I don’t know enough” is just about enjoying the process
I absolutely agree with you, Mike. I own a Les Paul Special, Gibson's proverbial slab of mahogany with two P90s. It's a strange relationship because of the company's iconic history. But, as you pointed out, unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool Les Paul (which I'm not), it will take time and effort to master that guitar.
I love Les Pauls aesthetically but not ergonomically. A great burst can look gorgeous but they’ve always been awkward to play and usually weigh too much. My current favorite is the Reverend Sensei HB I have. It’s like a LP and SG combined, with all the benefits and none of the classic drawbacks. Gorgeous guitar, way lighter and more comfy, sounds killer. Love Reverend stuff. It’s so good. Of course, a good junior is super cool, love a good junior too. I just wish Gibson would do double cuts in tv yellow as a standard production option.
The truly good LP's are sub 9lbs. Murphy Labs, 59-60 reissues, Bursts basically. All the post Tele Zep is played on those bursts. They feel and play WAY differently than the usual LP you pick up in a store. Even the $3K+ stuff. They don't hold a candle to the "Bursts". Find one, play it, you'll be sold.
I got back into playing electric about 4 years ago. In that time I've bought/sold/traded a total of probably 30 guitars. And I keep coming back to the same Squier Telecaster. It doesnt always give me the exact sound I want, but it gets close enough, and keeps me coming back for more!
If you put ANY guitar into a great guitarist's hands, he/she will make it absolutely SING. It's usually not the guitar, but the guitarist that has the limitations.
I have 7 electrics. Two are LP's. One is a Traditional Pro with Probucker pickup's that can be split to single coils, and a Special with P90's. I love both of them and would never get rid of them.
My first guitar was a Les Paul studio and it taught me so much. I’ve played everything with that guitar, jazz, funk, rock, metal, they really do it all. You just have to learn how to work with it. Also, playing at higher volumes changes the dynamics of your guitar and if your not used to it, it’s easy to say it won’t do what you want. But at the end of the day your going to learn best on the guitar you like anyways so it doesn’t matter what you play as long as you enjoy it.
Agreed! My favorite guitar ist upgraded Epiphone Les Paul standard. I put Seymour Duncan pickups in it and all American made wiring. I used that guitar exclusively on my first rock album with my garage band. I wasn't a Les Paul fan when I got it. I meant to buy an SG at the guitar shop that day but ended up with an LP that I adore.
The whole Jimi approach is dimed amplifier + volume on the Strat turned way back. There's no boost pedal for the solo necessarily, you inch up the guitar volume. He really controlled the dynamics.
So I feel the exact same way… about the strat. I naturally lean to the Les Paul. The strat highlights all of my mistakes. I too play at church and I felt that the spank on the strat was too much. I’ve bought and sold 4 strats.. I’ve been without a strat for about a year and a half and I miss it.. yes me and the strat fought all the time but there’s something about the struggle that caused me to bond further with the strat than I realized. I can’t fight, get mad, and leave anymore… I’m going to give it another shot. Come back to me stratty!!
trust me man, if you can well on strat you can do it on any guitar. after playing humbucker all my life .. playing strat was just eye opening. every mistake was amplified but it has improved my playing alot.
kept buying and selling Strats...then a few years ago found a love for blues/jazz/Mayer....and now I love single coils and my Teles. Selling a bunch of my humbucking guitars now...
I’ve played for 20 years never have I ever been so inspired to play guitar as much as I do now when I got my Gibson standard. I’ve had other Gibson’s under 2,000 and never liked them but I encourage you to try the new Gibson Faded Standard since 2022 they are the highest quality Gibson’s I’ve seen in the standard line up and you get Satin nitrocellulose neck and body and flames maple top and they seem to never wanna come out of tune👍🏼 they’re also the best bang for buck for all the hand done stuff on it. There’s real magic when you play and own the actual real deal Standard guitars.
This Les Paul JR has been my favorite since I got the Billie Joe Armstrong (from Green Day) signature. I love playing straight up punk style with that p90
Same here. in 1976 I saved and bought a Black LP Custom with the gold hardware. It was the "fretless wonder" model where the frets were basically bumps on the fretboard. Guitar was great except "G" tuner had miles of slop and the nut for the "G" had a defect causing the string to never tune correctly. Sole it for half price and started my love for Fenders especially for the Telecaster. Like Mike I once in a while by another; play it a little; and then get rid of. I do have a well worn '98 DC Standard in the back of my closet when someone "needs" a Gibson LP sound. For my Humbucking personal fix I use my 549 PRS.
The honesty in Mike's videos resonates so much with me! I can relate to the things he says and understand how he thinks, both in the musical side of things and the human part of being a guitar player. I much prefer his videos which feel like talking to a friend, than shredder or virtuoso videos that make me feel overwhelmed by information from a teacher that, without saying, makes me feel I'm never gonna make it. Beautiful videos Mike!
I've owned and still do own many very high end guitars. Not all of them gel with me, regardless. I just picked up one of the 150 Epiphone Annv Crestwood models in creamsicle orange and it's absolutely flawless in construction with US elecronics, plays like a dream and sounds awesome. Most of all, it's so FUN to play!
I have owned 2 les Paul’s and I have loved them both I had have no issues they stay in tune perfectly. It’s all about how your nut is cut. I also play my les Paul more than my Strat and tele.
at 61 with decades of playing...I've evolved into a single coil (blues/jazz) guy...selling my Gibson/Eastman LPs, and SG soon (keeping the T486 though).....don't play them much on account of my current musical interests lending better to Tele/Strats....
I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. Play every Sunday at church. Used to be a Strat and Tele guy who drooled over push-pulls and phase switches. And then I got my Harley Benton Junior. Like you said, it’s a HUMBLING experience, but I was more locked in and inspired than I have been in a long time. It’s addictive. I think now I’m a Junior/Esquire guy.
Having smaller hands, the Gibson necks are just to thick for me, Their weight is too much as well. I tend to go with makes like Schecter, PRS, and makers who have smaller necks and such. The only way I would take a Gibson, is to sell it for something better. (imo)
Yeah if that’s the case then maybe that guitar doesn’t fit you well and just look for one that is. However I’m like low key skinny and I still play those heavy les Paul’s so it depends also what you yourself can handle…
Ive heard a lot of older players mention how they like the tones that comes from lower output pickups. They like to let the amps/pedals do the heavy lifting. I think if youre chasing tones, maybe try that approach. It may not be so much the guitar itself, but the way you choose to use it. Tones are affected by the guitars volume knob nearly as much as the tone knob. Youre right, if you can master the lpj, then going to the lp should be amazing.
Very cool to see you growing as a player. And yes, every electric guitar player one day must come to terms with the cold hard fact that the guitar is only about 35% of your sound and the amp is maybe another 35%. Which means another 30% is your technique and how you master the interaction of all your pots and how much you dig in. That's why so many people "keep it simple". I never had any love for Les Pauls because they were obnoxiously heavy and really the only sound I liked was the bridge pickup dimed. For the last 25 years or so the only Gibson I have is a ES-335..so much more versatile and satisfying to play!
I love Gibson, and I’ve owned two Les Pauls and had many copies as well. It’s my preferred body shape/neck shape (fat not thin). That said, I sold my standard over a year ago and grabbed a 594 S2 for a really good deals swapped out the pickups and the next Paul I get will at some stage of life be a 59 reissue and I’m gonna call it a day.
I have a 2016 LP Traditional, and a 2022 '57 Murphy Lab goldtop and I absolutely love both of them. The custom shop one is the best LP or electric guitar I have ever played period. I loaned my '16 Traditional to my friend who has a couple of Epiphone LPs and mainly was using a 10-15 year old US Strat. After two weeks he fell in love with my traditional so bad that he sold the other three and bought his own 50's Standard and it reignited that fire that he had lost in the last few years since his son was born. They most definitely aren't for everyone, but if you've been playing as long as I have you end up picking apart guitars relentlessly for so long that in the end you find what suits you best. The LP and the Tele are by far my two favorite electric guitars ever made. You can't get a Strat sound out of either, but that's ok if that's not your style anyway. Good on you for selling off what you knew you'd never really play or didn't jive with overall. I used to have a junior just like that, and I absolutely loved it. I'm still mad that I sold it, but I think I'll end up with one someday again if the opportunity and a good deal present themselves.
I've been playing for round-about 17 years, most of my guitars have been Epiphones (so a hell of a lot of Gibson designs), my main one is a LP Special Double Cut, and I will be the first to tell you: the Les Paul, especially the Standard, is not for everyone. I've never played a Les Paul Standard or Custom that has wowed me enough to buy it; LP Specials, LP Juniors, various hollow/semi-hollow models, Firebirds, and Explorers I have loved and either bought or considered buying. Truth be told: LP Jrs and Specials are their own beast, the only thing that they have in common with the Standard is the name and shape. Which is probably why you're digging the Jr: it forces you to get creative. What's your experience with other Gibson designs? Because if you want an HH guitar, you might like SGs, 335s, Vs, or maybe even Explorers better than a Les Paul. Which, if I were to recommend a body style for the genres you've listed: the ES-335 might be your best fit.
I currently have two Les Pauls, one a standard and one a standard pro and love the sound and playability of both guitars. I really enjoy your channel and your honesty and striving to be better, I really find that refreshing.
Similarly, I got a Tribute, in tobacco burst, and I fell in love with it. But last month I got an Epi SG Special with p90s (great price, second hand on Ebay, it was an impulse buy) and I haven't touched the LP since. This SG has some real juju to it, I can't put it down. But I could never say that I was done with the LP, It's been a lifelong goal of mine to get one, and it sounds so good..
Same here, Bought a brand new Standard and it just wasn't my thing. They are absolutely gorgious, but I end up selling it. Maybe it's because of the 24.75" scale. still don't know why, Cause I am more of a humbucker player and always thought I needed aGibson. I always considdered the Les Paul Junior more or less as the gibson Telecaster, you can get a nice twang out of it.
I've played maybe 1 or 2 Les Pauls in my life that I enjoyed. I've played a bunch of Jrs. and loved them all. One volume, one tone, one pickup bolted on top of a slab of wood, yet there's so much versatility in it. One day I'll buy one :) My EVH Wolfgang doesn't leave me longing for much.
I don't get it. I have a Les Paul Standard and a MX hendrix strat. I love both but without a doubt playing the Les Paul is like playing a Stradivarius. Every note is more pronounced, every little bit of vibrato resonates. I can't get those sounds on a strat. I think your mistake was buying a tribute.
I've had 3 LPs, one I had to sell and still miss to this day. The second is even better and I plan to keep it forever but the third I just traded for an ESP. I think guitars, regardless of brands or style, speaks to us or doesn't. I bought my dream PRS about 5 years ago after wanting it for 30 years... I sold that 2 weeks ago because it had just hung on my wall for 18 months... Congrats on finding something you love and enjoy playing! That in and of itself is a wonderful thing!!!
I had a 2016 Les Paul Traditional Honey Burst with 57 classic pickups which are my favorite Gibson PAF puckups. Was my favorite guitar I have ever owned. The sustain was just insane. As soon as Gibson no longer offered the 57 pickups in 2017, the LP's weren't the same. There is so many great LP's, just got to find them.
I bought a Les Paul Tribute, and I liked how it sounded and how it looked, but sitting and playing it was just awkward. I just never got along with it. I went through some other Epiphone Les Pauls, 335-types, and SGs, and the final single guitar hanging on my wall that I will never sell is a modern collection SG Standard with the batwing pickguard. It’s so comfortable, and sounds so great.
I just sold my Tribute a couple of days ago and bought a Fender Vintera 50’s Telecaster. If I were to buy another Gibson it will be a Les Paul Special. Fender fits my style of playing better.
Jazz guitar ? Even though he doesn’t play a “ Les Paul Jr. “ , you might want to check out Pat Metheny . He plays a single pick up , in the neck position , Ibanez Jazz box ( Sweetwater has his signature model : Ibanez Pat Metheny Signature PM200-Natural ) with just a volume & tone . Maybe listening to his playing can impart some tips that you are looking for . IJS
I love my Epiphone Les Paul. I think one of the top of the line Epi LPs hit that same sweet spot as a Mexican Fender, especially if yu do the American electronics with Seymour Duncan pickups upgrade. BTW you can play any guitar for any gig in any genre. The important thing is to simply play.
I have a bridge-pickup-only guitar. They're great! Just keep an open mind about things like string gauge, down-tuning etc. to get the sound you want in addition to the more obvious tone/volume knob adjustments. I really like the ernie ball mammoths tuned down to C# on gibson scale with a bridge pickup.
I use to hate les pauls, and Gibsons in general. I had bought a few new and they were all poor quality so I sold them. Then bought a Japanese made copy of a les Paul and I love them!
Mike I really like your channel and your take on all the models of guitars you own and have played. I own a “les Paul” style guitar. I use quotes bc I had the adventurous idea to build one. I am one of those people who like to know why something sounds the way it does and it was before you can find anything on TH-cam. To make this short, two things I’ve learned, 10 is not always your friend, and 50s wiring. I got lucky and decided to wire my humbuckers and pots that way and I feel it gives my guitar more clarity and dynamics. Especially around 5 on volume.
I have an Epiphone Coronet that I threw a Seymour Duncan antiquity P90 into. That thing is almost like playing an acoustic guitar. It is so dynamic and very tricky to figure out to play, but if you ride your volume and tone knobs regularly, you’ll figure out where the sweet spot is for different settings and how to achieve different tones. I typically play straight into my amp. Occasionally, I will use a fuzz face that I modded
I'm very much a les paul player. I could use it for anything. A junior...i think that's kinda pushing it...i don't like the LP clean bridge sound much. But, i also don't change my amp for a clean tone ... it's all in the guitar controls, and it's just a bit too far for the lp bridge pickup to go - it gets too thin before it gets clean. Anyway, the key is to set your amp more distorted and brighter than you want and then use the controls. If either volume is on 10 for all that long, it probably means your amp isn't turned up enough. If your bridge tone is on 10, your amp is set too dark.
Mike, Get your hands on a Custom Shop R9. Light years better than their normal standard lines. I regret selling mine to this day. Everything about it was amazing. Best guitar I've ever owned. I'm going to find another one..... Someday.
i too am a recent convert to the (not so) secret world of the junior. i just came across it but players have known its magic for 70 years. its 20 guitars in 1 all accessible by the tone/volume knobs and your picking hand. i have one like yours in ebony- big 50s neck. i love it. i cant put it down. once you know, you know.
2018 is when Gibson turned things around and FINALLY gave us a Les Paul with no frills like weight relief, fancy electronics, and an overall better build quality, talking about the Standard 50s and 60s model. I got one of each and had to go through many of them to find the ones I bonded with by actually going to the store and not online, not worrying about what finish they are. I just wanted a "Meat and Potatoes" Les Paul and not a LP trying to be something else.
Problem is that guitar design has come a long way since the 50s and 60s. But somehow, Gibson bent over backwards to make something unsuitable for anyone whether they want a vintage or performance guitar The design and concept is timeless. I personally wish they'd come up with actual modern solutions to some of the particulars, whether that's the nut or string pull or what have you
I've got a 1992 Standard since that year. It's still the one guitar I'd take to the island. Lately I've been playing it through an Origin compressor, an MXR Timmy for low gain, a Friedman Dirty Shirley pedal for higher gain, into a clean Fender Twin. It does everything from funky rhythm to hard rock leads... most people don't know how to use those 4 knobs I guess.
If u take your amps panel and dial the eq lower the bass boost the mids a bit roll off the treble and increase a little of the presence. Put gain about half way to middle put your volume up at 12 and then put your master at whatever you think is best. Oh your guitar roll off your tone know down to 0 or 1-2 is fine and then boost volume to 5 at the most on the guitar and control volume from your amp and you will get a pretty decent jazz tone (if that’s what ur going for) also play closer to the neck and away from middle or bridge. I have a very low end guitar with a p90 at the neck (the only good thing about it lol) and it has just two knobs one volume one tone and I have really had to make it work and squeeze as much tone as I can. I found out the settings i mentioned work best. It also helps to have a thick pick and decrease your attack on your right hand and u should be able to make a nice warm tone come out
As a Kramer Baretta player (single pickup) I get what you are saying. They are great "schools", the same way an acoustic guitar is a "school". You are forced in a way to learn how to use dynamics, pick attack, chord voicings etc.
We guitar players are so strange. For 20 years I’ve played all sorts of guitars.. many fender strats, telecasters, gretsch hollow body’s, vintage univox, Yamaha and even a schecter. And I finally found my way to a Gibson Les Paul. I’ve played many of them over the years but strangely enough I fell in love with one in particular and i haven’t reached for my other guitars much since getting this one. It doesn’t matter what you play as long as you love it and make it sing
I thought I was a Strat guy until I picked up a Les Paul. It was absolutely the best guitar I ever played. I gave up on buying other electrics because the Les Paul does everything I need it to. Even the neck, which people complain is too chunky, fits my hand perfectly. I'm never getting rid of it.
I LOVE P-90's. I thought I would like the Gibson P-90 growl more, but I end up reaching for my Fender Noventa Jazzmaster more, with the 3 P-90's. It's more like a super hot strat with some P-90 growl thrown in. And the longer scale length gives it more treble snap.
your last video on the lpj made me buy one. I also maybe don't use it as much as i want to. but every time i play it there is something magical. it makes me think more too.
My first Les Paul was an Epiphone with p90's, since then the les paul shape just feels very natural to me. When I bought my first stratocaster and telecaster I had to get used to them. Now I cannot live without a Les Paul or Stratocaster since I play very different types of music on both.
How about getting a higher level Les Paul? I've tried Studios, Tributes and Specials but always go back to a Standard, Traditional or a Classic model. Play a Traditional next to any of the models you've had and you'll see.
If you have to ‘try’ to love anything, then dump it. I assumed I was supposed to love Les Paul’s but I’ve never had chemistry with one, I always find I’m fighting them to play what I want, and now that I work in a custom shop for another co, it’s apparent what a bastard they are to set up, and stay. With so many alternatives to Gibson LP, it was screamingly obvious when I found the right fit in a Maton electric BB1200JH. I have endless love for that guitar.
Maybe it's being a semi regular P bass player but having one pickup is sorta normal. Bass+cord+amp is pretty much the rig. Punk stuff used a pick, bluesy/jam stuff is with fingers.
I get my gain to edge of break up , still pretty clean, and go through a ds1 and a delay. Volume on guitar about 3 and play softer for cleaner stuff. Volume on ten for hard rock and dig in. Set up your peddles and amp to respond to your touch.
my 2013 LPJ with the maple neck is been made into a beast i put orange drop caps and Mallory pots and some ernie balls strings , find the LP that works for you or get a SG with P-90's
Kinda like glasses, if you have to get used to them, they aren't right. Leo Fender - for whatever reason - got so much right with the telecaster for me.
If you actually listen that guitar's namesake, Les got so much variation out of where his picking hand was when he played. Way before considering which pickup was selected or the tone controls. He was doing that with a big hollowbody playing with Bing Crosby. He was more restrained because it was Bing's sessions. But Les' execution was there. Considering Les, the player and how operated, the infinite permutations of the Les Paul Standard guitar is kind of funny.
Any one that loves guitars and is serious about guitars needs a Gibson in their collection. Then there's the options and the expense of course. I've never owned a Gibson as I've been a big Fender man for a over a decade now. Now that I've plenty Fenders I'm looking into Gibsons and the OCD is starting. I will start with a Les Paul Junior, then a Les Paul Studio. Then a Les Paul with P-90s and maybe an SG Junior. From past compulsions and OCD about guitars I now know I need these in my collection and will have fun acquiring them over the next year.
Funny story. After I watched this video, I hooked up my looper pedal and plugged in my Firefly Junior (double cut LP Junior copy) to play it. Within ten minutes, unplugged that guitar and got out a Strat. I’m probably going to trade in the Junior soon. I love how it plays but I’d really rather have something with a neck pickup.
I have had two Les Paul's. And as much as I wanted to love them, I absolutely hated them. I have found that Schecter is the guitar that suits me perfectly. I don't really care what anyone else thinks, this is my own personal preference. Love it or hate it, it is what it is.
I love LP's, but I just got my first Schecter Solo Blackjack and the thing is amazing.
My life my rules my style my attitude, love me or hate me I dont care but don’t play with me
Schecter's are great guitars and basses!
I've been eyeing up a schecter solo recently, lol
@@sheeps4485 🤝
LP is my only guitar, and it's been that way for 58 years, I love the way they sound, I love the way they feel, I love the way they look.
Same page here
I fully agree that aesthetics play a part (no pun intended) in how we feel or bond with our instruments. Great episode, Mike!
Absolutely! I doesn't matter how smart an instrument is designed, how good the neck is etc. If it doesn't make you pick it up and actually play it, it's useless. For me it's my Les Paul. I find it so gorgeous. Whenever I see it, I want to pick it up and practice - even though it's my heaviest and most uncomfortable guitar.
Yes aesthetics give you a "vibe".
But it's not enough to make a guitar sound good. At the end of the day the guitar that sounds and plays better is the one you will stick with.
And quite frankly most guitars look good really.
P90’s are super versatile. Roll back the tone for warmer tones. Use the volume as a gain for over driven tones. I love them.
My PRS korina One is a similar guitar, but only one pot for volume/tone, turn it up all the way for maximum treble, turn it down a little for less treble - farther for less volume.
Mike you are a real guitarist when you admit you have so much to learn and that going to others makes you better. I also love that afterward you say I have so much work to do. So true for every guitarist. I’m an old guy just starting my journey. I only have four cowboy chords and you might wonder why I might call myself a guitarist. I found that as soon as you can play a song you need to do this because it makes you want to improve and not quit. You inspire me to keep trying and like so many others you are a community guitar friend. This video shows that side to me. Thanks
zip it up when youre done
@@RiffShark007you always a loser or just in comment sections?
Ok
You’ve become my favorite guitar channel since you started doing longer videos and sharing your journey. Each notification warms my heart!
The answer to all your issues is hanging on your wall - the Telecaster.
yep that all you need!!
The Farmer Guitar you hear on one speaker of every Rush album, ever...
And yes, Alex Lifeson is versatile.
And he writes so much stuff on that one old Tele.
@@j_freedI don't have either of them, but Teles and P-basses will probably always be part of recordings for as long as we use electric guitars. Just too damn much versatility for their characteristic tones, and EVERY sound engineer will know how to mix them well.
I used to think so. I played telecasters from 1993 until about 6 months ago. I still have one. But I picked up a Les Paul Special on a whim... and it's the best sounding guitar I've ever picked up. To hell with mudbuckers.
Nope, I have both and a Les Paul with P90s beats the telecaster. Don’t get me wrong, I really like my telecasters, but I love my P90 Les Paul.
I sold my Les Paul in 1985 and bought a Squire Strat. I still have that Strat. I just gigged with it today.
It's Official... I Don't Care.
Lol
My philosophy on anything you wish to master is to truly truly nerd-out about it. To genuinely enjoy getting into the details that no normal person would even wish to know. Getting over the hump of “I know enough to know I don’t know enough” is just about enjoying the process
I absolutely agree with you, Mike. I own a Les Paul Special, Gibson's proverbial slab of mahogany with two P90s. It's a strange relationship because of the company's iconic history. But, as you pointed out, unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool Les Paul (which I'm not), it will take time and effort to master that guitar.
I love Les Pauls aesthetically but not ergonomically. A great burst can look gorgeous but they’ve always been awkward to play and usually weigh too much. My current favorite is the Reverend Sensei HB I have. It’s like a LP and SG combined, with all the benefits and none of the classic drawbacks. Gorgeous guitar, way lighter and more comfy, sounds killer. Love Reverend stuff. It’s so good. Of course, a good junior is super cool, love a good junior too. I just wish Gibson would do double cuts in tv yellow as a standard production option.
I completely agree. Got an LP recently and find it really uncomfortable to play
The truly good LP's are sub 9lbs. Murphy Labs, 59-60 reissues, Bursts basically. All the post Tele Zep is played on those bursts. They feel and play WAY differently than the usual LP you pick up in a store. Even the $3K+ stuff. They don't hold a candle to the "Bursts". Find one, play it, you'll be sold.
I got back into playing electric about 4 years ago. In that time I've bought/sold/traded a total of probably 30 guitars. And I keep coming back to the same Squier Telecaster.
It doesnt always give me the exact sound I want, but it gets close enough, and keeps me coming back for more!
If you put ANY guitar into a great guitarist's hands, he/she will make it absolutely SING. It's usually not the guitar, but the guitarist that has the limitations.
Sort of but it’s in-fact the tone of the actual guitar as well as the les Paul sounds also different from a Strat it’s just a fact.
Dude I love your videos so much, they’re so relaxing
You should really try a Yamaha Revstar Standard p90s - my favorite ❤️
I have 7 electrics. Two are LP's. One is a Traditional Pro with Probucker pickup's that can be split to single coils, and a Special with P90's. I love both of them and would never get rid of them.
My first guitar was a Les Paul studio and it taught me so much. I’ve played everything with that guitar, jazz, funk, rock, metal, they really do it all. You just have to learn how to work with it.
Also, playing at higher volumes changes the dynamics of your guitar and if your not used to it, it’s easy to say it won’t do what you want.
But at the end of the day your going to learn best on the guitar you like anyways so it doesn’t matter what you play as long as you enjoy it.
Agreed! My favorite guitar ist upgraded Epiphone Les Paul standard. I put Seymour Duncan pickups in it and all American made wiring. I used that guitar exclusively on my first rock album with my garage band. I wasn't a Les Paul fan when I got it. I meant to buy an SG at the guitar shop that day but ended up with an LP that I adore.
The whole Jimi approach is dimed amplifier + volume on the Strat turned way back. There's no boost pedal for the solo necessarily, you inch up the guitar volume. He really controlled the dynamics.
Great video and great information. I have been playing for years, and when I discovered the depth of the volume knob and what an eye opener!
So I feel the exact same way… about the strat. I naturally lean to the Les Paul. The strat highlights all of my mistakes. I too play at church and I felt that the spank on the strat was too much. I’ve bought and sold 4 strats.. I’ve been without a strat for about a year and a half and I miss it.. yes me and the strat fought all the time but there’s something about the struggle that caused me to bond further with the strat than I realized. I can’t fight, get mad, and leave anymore… I’m going to give it another shot. Come back to me stratty!!
trust me man, if you can well on strat you can do it on any guitar. after playing humbucker all my life .. playing strat was just eye opening. every mistake was amplified but it has improved my playing alot.
kept buying and selling Strats...then a few years ago found a love for blues/jazz/Mayer....and now I love single coils and my Teles. Selling a bunch of my humbucking guitars now...
@@pramesh.gurungyea if you think a strat exposes your weakness wait until you try a tele… now the tele is all I play
Not me, man. I love my Les Pauls. I’ve got 6 of them and they’re all different.
Love the Les Paul, Telecaster too. There’s enough difference between the two that makes having both worthwhile.
I’ve played for 20 years never have I ever been so inspired to play guitar as much as I do now when I got my Gibson standard. I’ve had other Gibson’s under 2,000 and never liked them but I encourage you to try the new Gibson Faded Standard since 2022 they are the highest quality Gibson’s I’ve seen in the standard line up and you get Satin nitrocellulose neck and body and flames maple top and they seem to never wanna come out of tune👍🏼 they’re also the best bang for buck for all the hand done stuff on it. There’s real magic when you play and own the actual real deal Standard guitars.
A Junior is probably the only Gibson I’d buy unless I came into a ridiculous amount of money. It’s the closest to being “worth the money” to me.
Especially if it a Harley Benton. Under $200.
@@ThatHuskyisCrazy Yeah as a young father of 3 kids, good import guitars are my bread and butter. Can’t beat the value.
Juniors are kinda stunning too they have that like indie look to em
This Les Paul JR has been my favorite since I got the Billie Joe Armstrong (from Green Day) signature. I love playing straight up punk style with that p90
I almost unsubscribed without watching, glad I didn’t… It’s official, you’ve completely embraced the dark side of click bait!
Lol
I had the tribute and fell in love with a LP. So i traded both my Highway1,Ibanez and that for a 01’ standard. Best thing ever to happen.
He said the word "I" one million times.
Same here. in 1976 I saved and bought a Black LP Custom with the gold hardware. It was the "fretless wonder" model where the frets were basically bumps on the fretboard. Guitar was great except "G" tuner had miles of slop and the nut for the "G" had a defect causing the string to never tune correctly. Sole it for half price and started my love for Fenders especially for the Telecaster. Like Mike I once in a while by another; play it a little; and then get rid of. I do have a well worn '98 DC Standard in the back of my closet when someone "needs" a Gibson LP sound. For my Humbucking personal fix I use my 549 PRS.
I realized I wasn't a Les Paul guy when I decided not to go to dental school.
The honesty in Mike's videos resonates so much with me! I can relate to the things he says and understand how he thinks, both in the musical side of things and the human part of being a guitar player. I much prefer his videos which feel like talking to a friend, than shredder or virtuoso videos that make me feel overwhelmed by information from a teacher that, without saying, makes me feel I'm never gonna make it. Beautiful videos Mike!
Bro, I feel the same way watching your videos as you do watching Shaun. Love how humble and honest you are🤙
I've owned and still do own many very high end guitars. Not all of them gel with me, regardless. I just picked up one of the 150 Epiphone Annv Crestwood models in creamsicle orange and it's absolutely flawless in construction with US elecronics, plays like a dream and sounds awesome. Most of all, it's so FUN to play!
I have owned 2 les Paul’s and I have loved them both I had have no issues they stay in tune perfectly. It’s all about how your nut is cut. I also play my les Paul more than my Strat and tele.
Have you tried SGs very much? As a strat player (and I've heard other strat players say the same thing) I MUCH prefer playing an SG over an LP
I'm traditionally a strat player and when I have tried a few SGs they were too light and the necks were rather whippy.
at 61 with decades of playing...I've evolved into a single coil (blues/jazz) guy...selling my Gibson/Eastman LPs, and SG soon (keeping the T486 though).....don't play them much on account of my current musical interests lending better to Tele/Strats....
I play my Epiphone ES-335 more than I play my Gibson LP Standard. Makes me wonder if I’d like a Gibson ES-335 🤔
I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about. Play every Sunday at church. Used to be a Strat and Tele guy who drooled over push-pulls and phase switches. And then I got my Harley Benton Junior. Like you said, it’s a HUMBLING experience, but I was more locked in and inspired than I have been in a long time. It’s addictive. I think now I’m a Junior/Esquire guy.
Having smaller hands, the Gibson necks are just to thick for me, Their weight is too much as well. I tend to go with makes like Schecter, PRS, and makers who have smaller necks and such. The only way I would take a Gibson, is to sell it for something better. (imo)
Yeah if that’s the case then maybe that guitar doesn’t fit you well and just look for one that is. However I’m like low key skinny and I still play those heavy les Paul’s so it depends also what you yourself can handle…
Ive heard a lot of older players mention how they like the tones that comes from lower output pickups. They like to let the amps/pedals do the heavy lifting.
I think if youre chasing tones, maybe try that approach. It may not be so much the guitar itself, but the way you choose to use it. Tones are affected by the guitars volume knob nearly as much as the tone knob.
Youre right, if you can master the lpj, then going to the lp should be amazing.
Very cool to see you growing as a player. And yes, every electric guitar player one day must come to terms with the cold hard fact that the guitar is only about 35% of your sound and the amp is maybe another 35%. Which means another 30% is your technique and how you master the interaction of all your pots and how much you dig in. That's why so many people "keep it simple". I never had any love for Les Pauls because they were obnoxiously heavy and really the only sound I liked was the bridge pickup dimed. For the last 25 years or so the only Gibson I have is a ES-335..so much more versatile and satisfying to play!
25% is made better in mixing
@@sgholt As a Mixing engineer, that number is too generous, but hey let's not break anyone's heart xD
I love Gibson, and I’ve owned two Les Pauls and had many copies as well. It’s my preferred body shape/neck shape (fat not thin).
That said, I sold my standard over a year ago and grabbed a 594 S2 for a really good deals swapped out the pickups and the next Paul I get will at some stage of life be a 59 reissue and I’m gonna call it a day.
I have a 2016 LP Traditional, and a 2022 '57 Murphy Lab goldtop and I absolutely love both of them. The custom shop one is the best LP or electric guitar I have ever played period. I loaned my '16 Traditional to my friend who has a couple of Epiphone LPs and mainly was using a 10-15 year old US Strat. After two weeks he fell in love with my traditional so bad that he sold the other three and bought his own 50's Standard and it reignited that fire that he had lost in the last few years since his son was born. They most definitely aren't for everyone, but if you've been playing as long as I have you end up picking apart guitars relentlessly for so long that in the end you find what suits you best. The LP and the Tele are by far my two favorite electric guitars ever made. You can't get a Strat sound out of either, but that's ok if that's not your style anyway. Good on you for selling off what you knew you'd never really play or didn't jive with overall. I used to have a junior just like that, and I absolutely loved it. I'm still mad that I sold it, but I think I'll end up with one someday again if the opportunity and a good deal present themselves.
I've been playing for round-about 17 years, most of my guitars have been Epiphones (so a hell of a lot of Gibson designs), my main one is a LP Special Double Cut, and I will be the first to tell you: the Les Paul, especially the Standard, is not for everyone. I've never played a Les Paul Standard or Custom that has wowed me enough to buy it; LP Specials, LP Juniors, various hollow/semi-hollow models, Firebirds, and Explorers I have loved and either bought or considered buying. Truth be told: LP Jrs and Specials are their own beast, the only thing that they have in common with the Standard is the name and shape. Which is probably why you're digging the Jr: it forces you to get creative.
What's your experience with other Gibson designs?
Because if you want an HH guitar, you might like SGs, 335s, Vs, or maybe even Explorers better than a Les Paul. Which, if I were to recommend a body style for the genres you've listed: the ES-335 might be your best fit.
Also, keep your amp LOUD and play softly. The dynamics and tone variations you get with your fingers alone will scare you.
I currently have two Les Pauls, one a standard and one a standard pro and love the sound and playability of both guitars. I really enjoy your channel and your honesty and striving to be better, I really find that refreshing.
Why not get a guitar from a decent guitar company like Gretsch? Gibson these days are more concerned with paying their lawyers than their luthiers.
Similarly, I got a Tribute, in tobacco burst, and I fell in love with it. But last month I got an Epi SG Special with p90s (great price, second hand on Ebay, it was an impulse buy) and I haven't touched the LP since. This SG has some real juju to it, I can't put it down. But I could never say that I was done with the LP, It's been a lifelong goal of mine to get one, and it sounds so good..
At the starting of the video I thought why the video is on VR MODE 😂😂
Let me know if I'm wrong, but couldn't you learn those lessons on the Tribute? I think those pickups express dynamics very well.
Same here, Bought a brand new Standard and it just wasn't my thing. They are absolutely gorgious, but I end up selling it. Maybe it's because of the 24.75" scale.
still don't know why, Cause I am more of a humbucker player and always thought I needed aGibson.
I always considdered the Les Paul Junior more or less as the gibson Telecaster, you can get a nice twang out of it.
I've played maybe 1 or 2 Les Pauls in my life that I enjoyed. I've played a bunch of Jrs. and loved them all. One volume, one tone, one pickup bolted on top of a slab of wood, yet there's so much versatility in it.
One day I'll buy one :) My EVH Wolfgang doesn't leave me longing for much.
I don't get it. I have a Les Paul Standard and a MX hendrix strat. I love both but without a doubt playing the Les Paul is like playing a Stradivarius. Every note is more pronounced, every little bit of vibrato resonates.
I can't get those sounds on a strat.
I think your mistake was buying a tribute.
i'm very happy and I didn't realize how valuable it was for me that my first guitar i ever played and learned on was a p90 guitar
Lmao I just sold my Les Paul Tribute in exchange for a Silver Sky SE a week ago. Looks like we're on the same page, couldnt agree more!
I've had 3 LPs, one I had to sell and still miss to this day. The second is even better and I plan to keep it forever but the third I just traded for an ESP. I think guitars, regardless of brands or style, speaks to us or doesn't. I bought my dream PRS about 5 years ago after wanting it for 30 years... I sold that 2 weeks ago because it had just hung on my wall for 18 months... Congrats on finding something you love and enjoy playing! That in and of itself is a wonderful thing!!!
Where did you sell them? Ebay?
@@RmNaNtCbScRrn EBay back in the day, Facebook marketplace recently.
I would really miss having a neck pickup! Those Juniors will cover a lot of stuff though! Glad you're digging it!
I had a 2016 Les Paul Traditional Honey Burst with 57 classic pickups which are my favorite Gibson PAF puckups. Was my favorite guitar I have ever owned. The sustain was just insane. As soon as Gibson no longer offered the 57 pickups in 2017, the LP's weren't the same. There is so many great LP's, just got to find them.
I bought a Les Paul Tribute, and I liked how it sounded and how it looked, but sitting and playing it was just awkward. I just never got along with it.
I went through some other Epiphone Les Pauls, 335-types, and SGs, and the final single guitar hanging on my wall that I will never sell is a modern collection SG Standard with the batwing pickguard. It’s so comfortable, and sounds so great.
I just sold my Tribute a couple of days ago and bought a Fender Vintera 50’s Telecaster. If I were to buy another Gibson it will be a Les Paul Special. Fender fits my style of playing better.
I'll be honest I never thought about buying a gibson les paul. With my edwards. It's perfect
Jazz guitar ? Even though he doesn’t play a “ Les Paul Jr. “ , you might want to check out Pat Metheny . He plays a single pick up , in the neck position , Ibanez Jazz box ( Sweetwater has his signature model : Ibanez Pat Metheny Signature PM200-Natural ) with just a volume & tone . Maybe listening to his playing can impart some tips that you are looking for . IJS
I love my Epiphone Les Paul. I think one of the top of the line Epi LPs hit that same sweet spot as a Mexican Fender, especially if yu do the American electronics with Seymour Duncan pickups upgrade. BTW you can play any guitar for any gig in any genre. The important thing is to simply play.
I have a bridge-pickup-only guitar. They're great! Just keep an open mind about things like string gauge, down-tuning etc. to get the sound you want in addition to the more obvious tone/volume knob adjustments. I really like the ernie ball mammoths tuned down to C# on gibson scale with a bridge pickup.
I use to hate les pauls, and Gibsons in general. I had bought a few new and they were all poor quality so I sold them. Then bought a Japanese made copy of a les Paul and I love them!
Mike I really like your channel and your take on all the models of guitars you own and have played. I own a “les Paul” style guitar. I use quotes bc I had the adventurous idea to build one. I am one of those people who like to know why something sounds the way it does and it was before you can find anything on TH-cam. To make this short, two things I’ve learned, 10 is not always your friend, and 50s wiring. I got lucky and decided to wire my humbuckers and pots that way and I feel it gives my guitar more clarity and dynamics. Especially around 5 on volume.
I have an Epiphone Coronet that I threw a Seymour Duncan antiquity P90 into. That thing is almost like playing an acoustic guitar. It is so dynamic and very tricky to figure out to play, but if you ride your volume and tone knobs regularly, you’ll figure out where the sweet spot is for different settings and how to achieve different tones. I typically play straight into my amp. Occasionally, I will use a fuzz face that I modded
And avoid fluorescent or point due north. To me that’s the best sounding pickup out there. Not as noisy but still has the tone of the originals.
Still waiting for you and Shull to collab. Fantastic playing mate!
Highly anticipating the video when Mike discovers the Thinline Telecaster’s influence on Midwest Emo ¨̮
I bought i Les Paul Classic this year and love it its the only guitar i play now, it teaches me everyday how it can play anything
I'm very much a les paul player. I could use it for anything. A junior...i think that's kinda pushing it...i don't like the LP clean bridge sound much. But, i also don't change my amp for a clean tone ... it's all in the guitar controls, and it's just a bit too far for the lp bridge pickup to go - it gets too thin before it gets clean.
Anyway, the key is to set your amp more distorted and brighter than you want and then use the controls. If either volume is on 10 for all that long, it probably means your amp isn't turned up enough. If your bridge tone is on 10, your amp is set too dark.
My Les Paul is mostly sentimental. I rarely pick it up to play it
Mike, Get your hands on a Custom Shop R9. Light years better than their normal standard lines. I regret selling mine to this day. Everything about it was amazing. Best guitar I've ever owned. I'm going to find another one..... Someday.
i too am a recent convert to the (not so) secret world of the junior. i just came across it but players have known its magic for 70 years. its 20 guitars in 1 all accessible by the tone/volume knobs and your picking hand. i have one like yours in ebony- big 50s neck. i love it. i cant put it down. once you know, you know.
2018 is when Gibson turned things around and FINALLY gave us a Les Paul with no frills like weight relief, fancy electronics, and an overall better build quality, talking about the Standard 50s and 60s model. I got one of each and had to go through many of them to find the ones I bonded with by actually going to the store and not online, not worrying about what finish they are. I just wanted a "Meat and Potatoes" Les Paul and not a LP trying to be something else.
Problem is that guitar design has come a long way since the 50s and 60s. But somehow, Gibson bent over backwards to make something unsuitable for anyone whether they want a vintage or performance guitar
The design and concept is timeless. I personally wish they'd come up with actual modern solutions to some of the particulars, whether that's the nut or string pull or what have you
I've got a 1992 Standard since that year. It's still the one guitar I'd take to the island. Lately I've been playing it through an Origin compressor, an MXR Timmy for low gain, a Friedman Dirty Shirley pedal for higher gain, into a clean Fender Twin. It does everything from funky rhythm to hard rock leads... most people don't know how to use those 4 knobs I guess.
If u take your amps panel and dial the eq lower the bass boost the mids a bit roll off the treble and increase a little of the presence. Put gain about half way to middle put your volume up at 12 and then put your master at whatever you think is best. Oh your guitar roll off your tone know down to 0 or 1-2 is fine and then boost volume to 5 at the most on the guitar and control volume from your amp and you will get a pretty decent jazz tone (if that’s what ur going for) also play closer to the neck and away from middle or bridge. I have a very low end guitar with a p90 at the neck (the only good thing about it lol) and it has just two knobs one volume one tone and I have really had to make it work and squeeze as much tone as I can. I found out the settings i mentioned work best. It also helps to have a thick pick and decrease your attack on your right hand and u should be able to make a nice warm tone come out
As a Kramer Baretta player (single pickup) I get what you are saying. They are great "schools", the same way an acoustic guitar is a "school". You are forced in a way to learn how to use dynamics, pick attack, chord voicings etc.
We guitar players are so strange. For 20 years I’ve played all sorts of guitars.. many fender strats, telecasters, gretsch hollow body’s, vintage univox, Yamaha and even a schecter. And I finally found my way to a Gibson Les Paul. I’ve played many of them over the years but strangely enough I fell in love with one in particular and i haven’t reached for my other guitars much since getting this one.
It doesn’t matter what you play as long as you love it and make it sing
Perfect timing, as I’m waiting delivery of an Epiphone 59 Les Paul from Sweetwater.
You’ll love it!!
I have that same LPJ and it’s my favorite guitar I have hands down. Although I did swap the p90 out for another.
I thought I was a Strat guy until I picked up a Les Paul. It was absolutely the best guitar I ever played. I gave up on buying other electrics because the Les Paul does everything I need it to. Even the neck, which people complain is too chunky, fits my hand perfectly. I'm never getting rid of it.
I LOVE P-90's. I thought I would like the Gibson P-90 growl more, but I end up reaching for my Fender Noventa Jazzmaster more, with the 3 P-90's. It's more like a super hot strat with some P-90 growl thrown in. And the longer scale length gives it more treble snap.
I'm play mostly metal and hardcore. My friend has used my Ibanez AG with fishman pickups to play jazz. It's more about setting your eq right
your last video on the lpj made me buy one. I also maybe don't use it as much as i want to. but every time i play it there is something magical. it makes me think more too.
I have a Gibson LP Special P90 which is not my go to guitar, but its always there for those right moments 👌
My first Les Paul was an Epiphone with p90's, since then the les paul shape just feels very natural to me. When I bought my first stratocaster and telecaster I had to get used to them. Now I cannot live without a Les Paul or Stratocaster since I play very different types of music on both.
How about getting a higher level Les Paul? I've tried Studios, Tributes and Specials but always go back to a Standard, Traditional or a Classic model. Play a Traditional next to any of the models you've had and you'll see.
I think I could never sell any of my Les Pauls. Currently have 9 and I usually use all of them, they have quite different tone and feel too.
To each their own. I've got 2, a 2001 Standard and a 2003 Special. That with my Tele, my tones are covered. My search is over.
If you have to ‘try’ to love anything, then dump it. I assumed I was supposed to love Les Paul’s but I’ve never had chemistry with one, I always find I’m fighting them to play what I want, and now that I work in a custom shop for another co, it’s apparent what a bastard they are to set up, and stay.
With so many alternatives to Gibson LP, it was screamingly obvious when I found the right fit in a Maton electric BB1200JH. I have endless love for that guitar.
Maybe it's being a semi regular P bass player but having one pickup is sorta normal. Bass+cord+amp is pretty much the rig. Punk stuff used a pick, bluesy/jam stuff is with fingers.
I get my gain to edge of break up , still pretty clean, and go through a ds1 and a delay. Volume on guitar about 3 and play softer for cleaner stuff. Volume on ten for hard rock and dig in. Set up your peddles and amp to respond to your touch.
my 2013 LPJ with the maple neck is been made into a beast i put orange drop caps and Mallory pots
and some ernie balls strings , find the LP that works for you or get a SG with P-90's
Jr's with a p90 are the best. i'm surprised most of my guitars aren't this similar configuration...
That’s a fantastic video showing stuff that nobody does like getting the most out of your guitar sound
Kinda like glasses, if you have to get used to them, they aren't right. Leo Fender - for whatever reason - got so much right with the telecaster for me.
If you actually listen that guitar's namesake, Les got so much variation out of where his picking hand was when he played.
Way before considering which pickup was selected or the tone controls. He was doing that with a big hollowbody playing with Bing Crosby. He was more restrained because it was Bing's sessions. But Les' execution was there.
Considering Les, the player and how operated, the infinite permutations of the Les Paul Standard guitar is kind of funny.
Any one that loves guitars and is serious about guitars needs a Gibson in their collection. Then there's the options and the expense of course.
I've never owned a Gibson as I've been a big Fender man for a over a decade now. Now that I've plenty Fenders I'm looking into Gibsons and the OCD is starting.
I will start with a Les Paul Junior, then a Les Paul Studio. Then a Les Paul with P-90s and maybe an SG Junior. From past compulsions and OCD about guitars I now know I need these in my collection and will have fun acquiring them over the next year.
Funny story. After I watched this video, I hooked up my looper pedal and plugged in my Firefly Junior (double cut LP Junior copy) to play it. Within ten minutes, unplugged that guitar and got out a Strat. I’m probably going to trade in the Junior soon. I love how it plays but I’d really rather have something with a neck pickup.