Need some help deciding on a Les Paul

Hi

As an owner of 10 LPs, I would say 'play them and see what feels best'.   I know you say you have done that, but models of any make can differ from guitar to guitar..  If you are sure, then buy the best you can afford.

You talk about 'upgrading' pickups, but I would ask why?  First of all, modifications to any guitar are not necessarily an 'upgrade'. I find that many of those who do 'upgrade' tend to say the guitar is better if only to justify what they have spent.

Secondly Gibson pickups are very good.  I have what Gibson gave me in 8 out of 10 of my LPs.  The only ones that have pickups changed were two I bought used and the previous owners had changed them.  One, a Standard has Bareknuckle PG Blues, which are ok but not as good, IMO, as the Gibson pickups in my other guitars.  The other, a Catalina, has WCR Godwood and again I wouldn't have changed them.

Bareknuckle Mules are just under £200, so if it was me, I would put that money to getting the Traditional.  As for 'discounts' my experience ( am in UK) at getting any discount has not been that good.  Most seem reluctant to give you anything; usually they just chuck in a set of strings so anything you get is a bonus.

When you do look into an R9, check out the other Reissues as well.  They may save you money.  I have a couple of R9s, but to be honest I found my R8 and two R0s suit me better.  They were also cheaper.

Good luck

With regards to the pups, in the Trad I would give them a chance, but I've had Mules in previous LP's and they seemed to have a bit more top end - more like a Burstbucker I guess. The 57's seem a bit darker (is that the right word) to my ears.

In the Classic I'd be replacing them because I don't like open-coils and in the Studio it would be to go to a more traditional setup, rather than the coil splits etc.

But I get where you're coming from...I guess I was hoping that someone would talk me into one of the cheaper models...!!

probably too early in the selling year for a 10% discount Adrian, - pretty sure that the margin on Gibson is not great and the high volume that they have to commit to makes it very tough to make a penny out of them. As has been said and I am sure you know it already go spend some time in Andertons, - they are very relaxed about it, - we spent a few hours playing this game last year, - but it being 2015 (really bad year for Gibson models) we walked away and bought a (under the bed) 1993 LP custom.

- I would phone ahead, - Nick if he is working on the day that you are there is really helpful, although they all are, from my experience they will bend over backwards, - certainly had a lot better experiences at Andertons than the other large shop in the South in Brighton.

Just to throw a different spin on things...just saw this on eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111952631978? … EBIDX%3AIT

Can't remember whether 2004 LP's are rated as being very good, but I am in love with the top on that thing!!

I would agree with the comment about good or bad years, but I understand (from reading on mylespaul.com forum) that Gibson had trouble getting hold of good slow grown wood after about 1993/4. Personally not sure how much difference that really makes. As I am sure you know they also started chambering their bodies differently at some point, from holes to cavities. If you have n’t already have a look around on mylespaul.com

I'm not a Les Paul guy although I hope to own one one day, but primarily I'm a strat guy and I just wanted to add my 2 cents to those who say try them. Go with your ear. I have played cheap incredibly low end 'strats', (Squires in various incarnations MIM as well) and have hit upon more that one that will go toe to toe with any custom shop strat. And I have heard incredibly expensive American made strats that have absolutely no sparkle at all. So go with your ears. It is highly probable that none of us will walk away with an ancient Les Paul as Joe did, but you can walk away with one that sounds spectacular all the same.

Just had to chime in here, I've owned about 45 Les Pauls over the last 15 years. ( I know, GAS BLAH, BLAH,BLAH)
Currently I have 3 in my  live/ recording rotation. I am not a strong believer in Good/Bad years. I own a modded
76 deluxe that is completely over the top as a player. Norlin era Gibbys are not known for their quality. I also own
a beautiful CS series 58 Fametop reissue. (Chambered Series). I strongly suggest That you don't discard these out of
hand. This particular guitar was pulled off a shop wall to test a Marshall DSL. I had always read all the negative posts
about "swiss cheese bodies" so I really didn't give the guitar a second thought. After a half an hour playing the amp
I left the shop with the LP and completely forgot about the Marshall. That was 5 years ago, and the guitar has been
at every gig/ recording session since. Swapping out the pick-ups is a matter of personal taste, but I have found that
different pick-ups don't always fix a guitar. I once bought a second hand Flying V that had A 60's era set of patent
number pickups installed. When I decided to move the guitar along I took the pick-ups out, and replaced them with
a modern Gibson re-issue 57 Classic set. I put the 60 patent number set in a Classic 60 L.P. and the guitar sounded
no where near as good as the Flying V. Different horses for different courses I guess. I guess what I'm saying in a
roundabout way, is the only real choice if you are buying to keep and play is to find the LP that best fits your
needs right out of the box. There is no magic bullet that is the answer to all questions. I no longer get caught up in the
whole boutique , gotta have it mentality. If the guitar "bonds' with me upon fist reaction. It comes home with me
regardless of  Good/Bad wood years, pick-up brand, chambered body, low price, etc…. Hope this helps.
Fred