• From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Topic: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Hey there folks,

Went to the rehearsal room yesterday to testdrive my new LP Trad. Gold Top through my Marshall JTM45. Wow! This is intensive. the sound so sooooo warm and thick and I never had a better articulation of tone on any other guitar!

Anyways, could you please help me get started and share your experiences. My set up is a Marshall JTM45+Fulltone OCD+Guitar. I controle my Strat only thourgh it's volume poti. Usually, the poti is on 6-7, the Fulltone OCD is on, tone is pretty clean, for solo work I roll up the volume on 10 and there you go, creamy solo sound.

The Les Paul is an entirely different beast though. I currently prefer the middle position with bridge and neck volume on 7. I kicked in the OCD (put on low peak with very very little drive) for Solo work. Still not the best solution I guess. I am not the kind of guy who just kicks in something, I'd like to work more with the potis here. So here's my question....how do you really work with your Paul? I am grateful for all input, because on Friday I will be at my band's rehearsal and I'd like to chekc some of your ideas then. By the way, looking for a clean sound with some little "cream" and for the drive something less distorted than JB Solo sound.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Jimi75's Website

2 Reply by stratpaulguy86 (edited by stratpaulguy86 2009-06-03 11:19:04)

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

The way I use my Les Paul 90% of the time is with my amps gain set at a pretty medium level of distortion/gain and volume pretty loud.  It's important to have the amps set at this very specific amount because if it's too much it won't clean up well and too little you are struggling to get the lead sound.  My dad is an experienced JTM45 + humbucker user so I can speak from experience here.  I would put the JTM45 at about 7-8 for the volume, then use your guitar's volume for color.  I am a bridge pickup nut, but the middle works okay.  For cleaner stuff, the volume knob on the bridge about 2-3 and ease up on the pick attack.  Keep in mind that your amp is crankin' so you should still be putting out a fair amount of volume.  For middle pickup blending of tones, for leads I like the bridge volume full blast and the neck volume backed of between 5-7.  For full blown sustaining leads and super heavy riffing you may need to use an overdrive pedal and bridge pickup maxed, but again it's all a matter of taste.  If this is not making any sense perhaps this video of my pops (and original influence/teacher) getting it done will! cool  Hope this helps!

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfbhmRBq … re=channel

          -Justin

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.

3 Reply by Jimi75 (edited by Jimi75 2009-06-03 11:32:58)

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Great input here Stratpaulguy! Thanks! And your dad rocks. big_smile

Jimi75's Website

4 Reply by stratpaulguy86 (edited by stratpaulguy86 2009-06-03 12:00:10)

  • From: Florida, USA
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,420

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Yes he does! wink  Couldn't ask for a better one! smile  Here he is demonstrating the cleaner side of things believe it or not same settings just with the guitar really backed off.  Some really pretty clean sounds can be had out of the JTM45's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MNdE87-7sw&NR=1

      -Justin

'67 and '74 Fender Twin Reverbs, '74 Marshall 1987 lead mkII, Metro Superlead 100. Pedals from TC Electronic, Ibanez, Dunlop, BK Butler, Electro-Harmonix, Fulltone, Maestro/Gibson, Loopmaster switching, VoodooLab, Boss. Gibson and Fender guitars, Dimarzio pickups.
  • BBJ
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  • From: Edinburgh
  • Registered: 2006-09-25
  • Posts: 299

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Welcome to the world of Les Pauls, Jimi.

I've almost always used mine through a Marshall JCM900 coupled with a Boss GT6 pedal board. Regardless of whether I've used the effects, or gone straight in to the amp, I've always started with bridge p/u set at about 7-8 for volume and about 8 on tone and the neck p/u on about 4 for volume and about 4 on tone with both p/us selected. Obviously, there's always some adjustment during playing. I've switched between bridge and neck for solos, depending on the song or how I've felt at the time.

Amp settings are roughly bass 4-5, mid about 5-6 and treble about 6. Gain is usually set about 5.  As you've probably discovered, they love to feedback at high volumes and you do have to fight them a little but that's all part of their appeal. Have fun.

'Try as you might to keep a lid on a good time, you can't do it. When people want to have a good time....' - Billy Gibbons

6 Reply by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2009-06-03 15:05:43)

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

I run my paul through a high gain amp with B9-M7-T6 with gain around 7 or 8. Then I roll back on my guitar's volume control to cut some of the gain. For soloing, it makes it real easy to roll back up on the volume for more bite through the band. Rolling off on your tone controls gives you a really cremey sound too, which I think you should experiment with.

Another thing I found when I started was just using the bridge pickup. I configured my amp to suit the bridge pickup (scooped EQ), but now that im using both pickups I have my amps dialed in similar to above. Between the EQ on you amp and the tone controls on your guitar, you should have zero problems finding your tone.

Keep in mind your sound will be drastically different "alone" than with the band. I can't explain it, just more going on I guess. So hopefully your band will be cool with you doing some tweaking during practice! wink

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

So hopefully your band will be cool with you doing some tweaking during practice! wink

Yeah sure, the guys are cool. They gave me "my" time with the JTM45 while I was tweaking and so will they do with the new Gold Top. Thanks for your reply.

Jimi75's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-01
  • Posts: 665

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Ask the man himself cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wluTsVh4 … mp;index=9
At about 1:50 he answers your question.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Bluesbreaker wrote:

Ask the man himself cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wluTsVh4 … mp;index=9
At about 1:50 he answers your question.

That was indeed the missing link - thank you so much my friend. Tried it out yesterday and the sound was unbelievable. I pulled back the bridge volume though to get my clean sound, for the solo just rolling up and there you go. The neck pick up was like Joe adviced on 5, tone full up and it added a nice ground to the overall sound.

Jimi75's Website

  • Registered: 2009-01-01
  • Posts: 665

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Joe's the man, isn't he.
I'm also in the market for a Les Paul Traditional. I can't afford a 08 or 09 RI and the Traditional appears to be the best alternative.

  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: LP experienced guys, need your input pls.

Best alternative (or so ive heard) early 90s les paul classics
They go for around the same as a new traditional. Have an ABR1 and the hardware is nickel.
Definately has the look.

on the les paul forums they get reviews.