1 Topic by guitarman19853 (edited by guitarman19853 2009-08-12 06:49:06)

  • From: Pittsburgh PA
  • Registered: 2008-12-24
  • Posts: 76

Topic: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

I've always liked Les Pauls, but they have always been out of my price range.  Especially since to me, if I'm going to have one Les Paul, it has to be a flame top.

Well I came across this gem in a local music store. 

http://www.ryan-white.net/LPCPP.jpg

It's claimed to be (I'll get to that in a minute) a Les Paul Classic Premium Plus.  It has quite a bit of wear, but nothing that I wouldn't expect from a 10 year old guitar.  Now, I've done a little searching and I'm not 100% sure this is the Premium Plus.  I belive it might just be a Plus.  One, because this flame isn't quite as good as some pictures I've seen of premiums and because I can't find any record of Gibson making this guitar in this finish.

The guitar plays well, has good sustain.  Really thin neck, which I like.  I believe its the 60's style neck.  Store wants $1500 for it. 

Two things though.  It doesn't stay in tune too well.  Might be the vintage style tuners.  I don't have any experience with les pauls but maybe all the vintage style ones are crappy.  Could've been strings.

But the biggest thing for me is that it didn't have that WOW factor.  There was nothing about the guitar that made me say I must have this.  It felt good but (skip a few words if you don't want to read sacrilege) I have an old Samick that feels and plays the same if not better (that guitar was a play first, be shocked at the brand later thing).  Then theres the pickups.  They were muddy.  Very muddy.  Bright and tinny and yet still muddy when pushed into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe in the store.  To check myself on this, I plugged said Samick (that has been upgraded with a Duncan JB & '59) into my stock Hot Rod Deluxe at home.  It wasn't the amp.  It was the guitar.

I don't know if I expect any Les Pauls to wow me.  I mean its a dual humbucker guitar.  How much can it be different from the others?  Like when I picked up the G&L Semi-Hollow ASAT that I ended up buying for the first time... It had probably 2 year old strings and the most atrocious setup ever from sitting in Guitar Center for so long.  But even in this sad state, it wow'd me.  I could feel that it had something special.  I probably attribute this to the semi-hollow (only one i have) and the special G&L pickups.

I don't know, I could probably upgrade the tuners and pickups and still be well under $2000... but with the wear and just overall bleh of the guitar... is the classic premium plus really a WOW Les Paul?  What would be?

Side Note:  If I don't buy this it could be years before I buy a Paul.  I really shouldn't spend the money on this right now but if I do decide I want this, I should jump on it.  It's too good of a price to let it go.

guitarman19853's Website

2 Reply by Big E (edited by Big E 2009-08-12 08:06:39)

  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 373

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

My brand new Les Paul Traditional just came today and all I got to say is that it was well worth the wait and the search.  Guitarman19853 I was a lot like you I looked at a ton of classics and Standards and wanted the wow factor as well. This guitar delivers that and more and I the price was really unbelieveable on a new guitar. Check out the gear pages for sale section there are a bunch of nice guitars.

By the way where in the Burgh are you I am orginally from there and bought a bunch of guitars at Hollowoods and Johnny B Goods when he wasn't trying to rip someone off!

Keep looking until you find "The Guitar"

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2008-04-23
  • Posts: 553

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

Hi,

don't buy just because of the big G on the headstock.
Your old samick has proven there a good and bad ones out there.
Probably its some dead horse hanging in the shop that went through many hands.
Or why is the price that cheap? If it doesn't wow you I wouldn't buy it.
If you buy anyway because of the low price you'll always look on for another.
Also pimp and mod will not help significantly. If the wood doesn't sound then any mods will fail.
Van halen ones said 'you cant polish a bunch of muck'. wink
Thats beeing said but these are the things that make you go hmm.
If I were you i'd look on for another Les that really kicks me.

Good luck
Alex

...it's a musical journey
www.u2-experience.de

Stratovari's Website

  • From: Pittsburgh PA
  • Registered: 2008-12-24
  • Posts: 76

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

I think one of the issues is that I haven't really played any good Les Pauls.  I have played my buddy's Epiphone Elitist, which felt good but has a thick neck and he strings it with 12's (not wrapped like Joe does) tuned to standard so it feels like playing bridge cables.

It felt good, familiar.  Like I had been playing it for years.  But it didn't feel anything special.  If that makes any sense.  The sound plugged in was pretty bad.  But unplugged it was pretty loud and resonant. 

It was very light for a les paul.  It was definitely lighter than my Am Deluxe Ash Strat.

I decided in the store that I needed to try other les pauls.  They had a ton there but they were closing.  Theres a big Gibson dealer pretty close to me.

I live in the South Hills suburb area of pittsburgh.  Basically 5 or so miles north on 19 from Guitar Gallery, that big Gibson dealer I mentioned.  I've bought a bunch of stuff from Hollowood, but unfortunately I believe they are having a bit of a hard time now as everyone is I'm sure.  It took 3 months or so to get an amp from them that they had to order from Peavey.  They also no longer carry Gibson because of their inability to move the kind of stock Gibson makes dealers order.  The place I found this Les Paul though was Pianos N' Stuff

guitarman19853's Website

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

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

I think you just proved that you can't shop with your eyes but only with your ears Guitarman.  Shopping for a great looking and sounding Les Paul is probably the hardest task in guitar shopping.  You can find Strats, Teles, PRS's, and SG's all day long for under $2k that'll blow you away.  Les Pauls are a completetly different animal and are VERY inconsistant.  I went to help my father shop for a Les Paul and it was a losing battle.  Every guitar up to the Custom Shop models were grossly overpriced for the sound, playability, and craftsmanship.  Flame tops ain't all that they're cracked up to be man.  I own a '58 custom shop Les Paul with a plain top and it has embarassed every Les Paul that I've every played.  The best bet and value for a quality Les Paul is to find an '90's-early '02 Les Paul Standard or Classic.  They weren't full of holes back then (I think), and I believe that they were made a little better back then.  I'm not a big fan of the stock pickups they used at the time (the current Burstbuckers are MUCH better), but a pickup swap will put you where you want to be.  Keep hunting ebay, the Gear Page emporiums, and all of your local guitar shops until you find the guitar that speaks to you.  Good luck!

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

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

Ok,

It sounds like you like the neck.... which is good. that is something you cannot change.

The things you don't like about it, you can easily change.
1. The tuners
It could be the tuners on the tune problem, or it could be the nut. Nut sauce works really well for that.  Could also be the strings like you said.

2. The pickups
Pickups change guitars DRASTICALLY. I never realized this fully until I built my own strat. Lipstick tube vs. rails vs. P-90 sized humbuckers- all drastically different in sound that totally affect the guitar's tone.

So the question is, would it beat the Samick if it had the same pickups and some nice Grover tuners? It might... and that could just be enough incentive to buy it. Otherwise, get some other pickups you think you might like.... sell the stock ones on ebay... sell the stock tuning pegs on ebay too, so they're not a total loss.

- 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: Pittsburgh PA
  • Registered: 2008-12-24
  • Posts: 76

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

If the guitar is indeed a premium plus, it should be early - mid 90's.  The serial number was something like 00004XXX

Which is another concern, its a bit of an odd serial compared to the other premium plus'

I should've taken a pic of the serial number.

guitarman19853's Website

  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 184

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

Personally, I haven't had great luck in the local shops (including two Guitar Centers). I did purchase a Les Paul Classic Antique through Musician's Friend and maybe I was lucky, but it is a great guitar. Wonderful tone out of the box. It is the heritage cherry sunburst and fairly plain as far as the figuring, but gorgeous to me.

I have found that invariably my guitars have to be tweeked after they have aclimated to the desert climate a bit. I know Gibson went through some serial number fluctuations over time like almost everybody else, but you should still be able to track it down. Contact Gibson?

Guitarman19853, it sounds like you are unsure about that Les Paul, so I would be tempted to keep looking.

BTW I have a Samick LP clone too. It is a great guitar, but kind of heavy (solid wood).

You'll find what you are looking for eventually. It will let you know.

Nothin' but the Blues
  • BBJ
  • BBJ
  • Platinum
  • Offline
  • From: Edinburgh
  • Registered: 2006-09-25
  • Posts: 299

Re: Les Paul Classic Premium Plus?

I agree with what everyone else has said. Don't buy it just because it says Gibson on the headstock if it's not talking to you.

I love LPs but it took me years to find a good one. I also have a 22 year old Fernandes LP that has a neck that is far better than any of the necks on any of the Gibsons I've tried.

If the guitar in question is a 90's LP then the first digit should've been a 9. The 5th digit would have given you the year it was produced, eg, a 5 for 95.

I'd resist the urge to buy it and hold off until the right one comes along....and it will in time. It's a lot of cash to part with if there are still going to be doubts about it in your mind.

'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