Les Paul(s) (Page 1 of 2)

Mine one-and-only is a 2001 R8 (1958 Reissue) with a modest Butterscotch Flame-top.  It ways about 8.5 lbs. and has a nice big, thick and comfortable neck.  The entire guitar resonates in my hands like no other Les Paul I've ever played.  It's a bright toned guitar which allows me to roll the tone controls back with room to grab some treble when needed...I had treble bleed caps added to the volume pots but it is otherwise stock w/ '57 Classic pups.

I'm too cheap for a reissue but if I got one it would be a plain top 58'  I love the pain tops because you never see people wanna play them anymore.  Everyone likes the figured tops better. 

I own a 2002 Les Paul Classic.  I picked this guitar over the Standard that year because it looked better with its plain top.  I have Grover Rotomatics for the tuners.  RS Guitarworks Pots and Caps Kit.  The original pickups were ceramic (yeah I spelled that wrong) magnets, the 500T and the 496R.  The difference in sound on these pickups were terrible.  If you got a good lead sound with the 500T you would hate the neck pickup sound altogether.  If you got good sounds with the neck pickup the bridge was so hot it would rip your head off when you switched to it.  Plus forget about playing clean with that bridge pickup it was harsh and trebly.  I had a old ES-335 from 1968 (It was restored when I bought it with newer pickups in it) it had Gibson 57' Classics or I think thats what they were.  Everybody said they loved the sound of those pickups and would offer to buy me a set for those.  I never went for it instead I took the pickups out of it and put them in my Les Paul Classic.  They sound deep, strong, most of all round!  I can play anything with that Les Paul and its all I need in the Les Paul department.  It has that creamy sound to it that you think of from the 60's with Cream or Eric Clapton but still has enough umph to it to chunk out Zeppelin Jimmy Page sounds.

AD3THREE, I agree with you totally. The plaintop (especially in lemonburst)
looking awesome great. I had the chance to buy one from 2002 but they had also the 1998er
Butterscotch flametop. I liked the look of the plaintop better but the butterscotch sounded so much better that I went for it. You know, here this AAAA+ Killerflametops or extreme birdseye they call it "porn optic" LOL! But as long it sounds good...

Alex

I was a strat player for years. Even when I was jobbing with different bands in the 90's all I ever wanted to use was a strat. I had a steady day job that kept me busy and didn't want the routine of constant rehearsals so I just filled in on a regular basis for different bands and I was playing for pay almost every weekend without the rehearsals. During that time I came across all kinds of Gibsons, mostly Les Pauls but there wasn't one that made me want to take it home, and I really wanted to like one.
I tried old Orvilles, Edwards, Tokai's(Owned an 82 for a couple of weeks) along with numerous Ginson Pauls, historics, standards, customs, nothing, nada, zilch.

Then while looking at a completely different guitar (EBMM) I stumbled across a used 57 historic. It took about 10 minutes to know it was coming home.
Incredible ringing tone, sustain for days, and it weighs 8.4 pounds.
Other than changing the pots to RS, replacing the caps with old poi VQ's, and retro fitting Gotoh vintage locking tuners, the only thing that continued to bother me was the big heavy neck. I've had a lot of experience doing this so I carved the neck down to fit my hand. It's smaller than a 59 but bigger than a custom and I gave the back an elliptical profile so there's a bit more wood on the bass side. Please DON'T do this as a do it yourself project. Have a luthier do it unless you've had a lot of experience shaping necks. One mistake and it's the pretty much over.
I could never sell this guitar. I've done a lot of gigs and jams with it through various amps and it always makes me smile. I've also tried others since I got mine and it's back to the same thing. I'm pretty sure there's another one out there that I'll take home at some point but as long as I have this one I'm not worried about finding another.

I think a Burstbucker 3 come close to that high of output.  Burstbucker pros are in the 9's.  Burstbucker 1 is in the 6 to 7's and burstbucker 2 are also 9's but the pros are wax potted making them less microphonic.  It on http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Divisions/G … 20%281%29/ I know its less then the 500T or the Dirty Fingers Humbucker.  Those are in the 16's

Yea they come stock with pro's - It may have been changed, or just a freak pickup.  If you get your hands on one that around 9 like your neck (mine are around here too) you may like them.  They are nice and tight with a but more attack then the BB 1 and 2, yet still very PAF like.  I agree thats way too hot, I prefer them on the milder side as I feel they are more articulate.  Too hot = Too muddy

Ben

I have a 2007 Les Paul Studio that I just switched out the stock pickups for the matched set of Seymour Duncan '59's.  Then I put on 11's and wrapped it over the the stopbar.....

My new love is my new 2008 Les Paul Goldtop Traditional.....she is my go to guitar....

Mine's a Gibson les paul classic antique 08' Honeyburst with a big flametop, still original and just topwrapped it.

Going for new wiring 50's style with cts and some caps like orange caps or something (bumbelbees i prefer, just the looks only ;-) )

Maybe some burstbucker 2 and 3 or else some Voodoo 59's or...

Those lp are an addiction :-) sometimes an expensive one too

Saving up for a 59 or 58 lp RI for the future...