You cannot change string tension in the way you suggested. String tension is totally determined by scale length, tuned frequency, and string mass per unit length (gauge). What you are changing is string stiffness. That's what you are feeling.
You are increasing the length of the string, because of the extra wrap around the bridge, although the scale length remains the same. String length seems to make a difference to the 'feel' of looseness. Quite often I hear that guitars with a trapezoid bridge anecdotally feel a bit looser than a stop tail bridge with the same scale length. Not sure if this is true or merely anecdotal. I'm not sure what the difference is between string stiffness and tension?
Some strings are a bit stiffer in the same gauge than others, due to the type of inner core they are wrapped around. Used to be an excellent string for jazz and chords, called "SIT" that were made to stay in tune. They had quite a stiff feel for an equal gauge. But they stayed in tune!
@@timaddison707 You can think of tension firstly as simply what makes the string play in tune. The only way you can manipulate tension on a given guitar (with a given scale length) while keeping the same tuning is by changing string gauge (heavier gauge strings require more tension to reach the same pitch). You already know how different gauges feel. Stiffness OTOH is the force required per unit string length change. So a stiff string requires more force to bend by a given pitch. By changing the wrapping or bridge type, you can manipulate the friction over the bridge (and maybe the post-saddle string length to a lesser extent), and thus the stiffness. Sometimes you can feel the difference, sometimes you can't. But the point is that tension doesn't change, because the string has to be in tune. But it may feel easier or harder to bend because of the stiffness. So in that case the changes are not correlated - one changes (stiffness), the other doesn't (tension). But in other cases there will be some correlation. For example, changing to higher gauge strings will change not only the tension (higher) but also the stiffness (higher).
I am very blessed to own a '77 version that lives in a Mojotone cabinet, and sports a low mids control and a bunch of Mullard preamp tubes and a few new tone caps here and there, as well as a re-worked reverb tank and tremolo system and a new Classic Tone OT ... EVERY time I flip that "Standby" switch, I just cannot believe how great it sounds, even at low volumes ... but the urge to crank it up sometime overtakes me and for 22 watts, it gets quite loud without even trying ... I've been at this for over 58 years, and I cannot get over how great this amp sounds.
Hi Zac, I just retired from my job here after 34 years and I decided to treat myself to my first Les Paul. I couldn’t justify buying an R-9 or any custom shop for that matter so I went with a 60’s Standard in the Sweetwater exclusive Heritage Cherry ( similar to yours ) and I snatched one up with a brilliant top as soon as it was listed on Sweetwater. Anyhow, it looks and plays great but I have to mention that my SG’s are still the one I grab for more often. Anyway, great show Zac, I had to come back to this older video you had posted about them 😊
Through the years I’ve played Standards, Juniors and Customs, but for me the best sounding Les Paul has been the Special TV Yellow, the ugly slab with two P90 and wraparound bridge.
After 50+ years of playing single-coils, I just snagged a near-mint '81 LP Custom, and it's a lot of fun to explore this jewel. Has the odd speed-winder tuners, diamond-shaped strap buttons, and especially the Tim Shaw "PAF" humbuckers. And when I'm tired of playing it, there's a ton to read about them. Keeps me happily indoors during this weirdness. Nice episode, Zac!!!
I have been playing a Les Paul since I bought my first Custom new in 1974. It's a 20th Anniversary in alpine white. Over the years it turned a delightful yellowish with age. Many gigs and recording with it. Typical with Norlin era guitars, it's heavy. Ebony fretboard and the 20th Anniversary position marker, gold hardware, it has mellowed over the years. My 3 year old son pulled it off the stand and broke the neck in 1987, so I repaired it. The headstock veneer saved it from totally breaking off and you can barely see the fracture line. I sanded the laquer off the neck which made an improvement. I used bore oil on the mahogany neck and love the satiny feel now. The fracture opened up again after years of gigging..only slightly after another on stage fall, so I reglued it has been great since that incident about 25 years ago. I recently found a 59 reissue cherry sunburst Standard with 2 piece flamed maple top and one piece mahogony back and neck that is a custom guitar built in 2000. It appears to have been an investment guitar, having lived in a case for 23 years. It had factory strings and a push/pull truss rod, really hot, unpotted pickups. It is is easier to play than my 20th Anniversary and barks like a big dog. Love the rosewood fretboard, Kluson tuners and med jumbo frets. It is a real killer.
I have a Harley Benton SG custom and a Boss Katana 2 100 watt with the audio app,…and I couldn’t be happier! I can sound like almost anything I can dream of.
I am a believer in the right tool for the right purpose. A Tele has a sound, use that for what it is. A strat... same thing, it has it's own sound. A Les Paul is different yet. It has that mid-ey nasal sound that works so well with a Marshall type amp. Get the guitar that does the job you need. Love my Les Paul, but I will remain a Fender player primarily.
Geek alert! As for the weight issue, here’s a trick I learned: If you hold a Les Paul vertical by the neck, judge how heavy it feels, then turn it horizontal, hold it by the strap button and the lower bout. If it feels lighter then you’ve got an LP with a heavy neck and when you’re playing it standing up is it’s surprisingly less fatiguing. You did get a geek warning!
I love how no matter what guitar or pickup you use you never have a muddy tone. I'm a big fan of your clean, clear tone. I am also a mostly clean player, so I'm always after that kind of sound you have. I mostly play funk, soul, blues, an a little reggae
Just picked up a sweet LP Standard 60's and it's fantastic. Took me a few weeks to get used to the thinner neck but now I'm fine with it. No weight relief finally and still under 10lbs!!
I have a left-handed 60th anniversary Gibson Custom shop ‘59 Les Paul, and it is an awesome guitar. The weight is OK too - eight and a half pounds. Strings are D’Addario NYXL 010 - 046. The amps I use with it are a Marshall SV20H (with SV212 cab), and a Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb re-issue (I swapped the Jenson for a Celestion Redback G12H 8ohm speaker).
I’ve got an old 76 Les Paul that was getting neglected. It weighs 11 lbs and had some hot pickups that I got tired of. I held onto the guitar primarily for sentimental value. I have newer PRS and Emerald electrics that have been getting all the attention. The Emerald guitar has Fishman Fluence Classic humbuckers which I really like. They remind me of the PRS underwound 58/15 and DGT pickups. I’ve decided to have the Fishman pickups installed in the Les Paul. The guitar will have coil tapping for each pickup via push / pull, classic / modern mode via push / pull, and a phase inverter via push / pull. The guitar should be ready sometime next week. I’m hoping the new pickup sounds / capabilities will breathe some life back into that old guitar and that I’ll start playing it more again.
I am a tele guy, I have a custom shop double esquire, with the bridge pickup turned the opposite way to normal bridge pickup. When I was in Nashville last February I bought Greg Voros’s 78 LP special. What a player. So much fun.
Why play a Les Paul? Because sometimes you don't have time for weightlifting and guitar-playing, so Gibson found a way to let you do both at the same time :-)
Gorgeous sound, versatility, appearance, modifications, story and playing. Makes me wish I had my own Les Paul right now. This video alone may help bump up Gibson's sales. Thanks Zac.
I have six LPs including an R9. With regard to the middle position playing, I’ve found that 50s wiring, both volumes independent, has a great effect on that. Great video, great channel 🤟🏼🎸
I'm a Les Paul guy, but I absolutely love strats and teles and couldn't guess which one I play the most. My channel is a one-man studio, so I have to have all three depending on the song. They each do their own thing that you can't replicate with the others. I don't really understand the "which is better" arguments; it's like picking which is better between a boat, a plane or a car: one can have a favorite, but that speaks more to particular musical tastes than to better/worse.
I recently watched a Michael Bloomfield documentary and noticed how his sound became fuller with P90- and PAF-loaded Les Pauls which i believe he traded his '63 Tele for a pre-'57 goldtop and then the '59 came along sometime afterwards. Speaking of 1959, this seems to be a lot of Les Paul players throughout the 1960s that favored that year in particular and you spoke up my #1 fave: Peter Green! I love the original Fleetwood Mac as I was exposed early on from their appearance on 1969's 'Blues Jam In Chicago Volume 2' and on the P90 Les Paul was either Danny Kirwin or Jeremy Spencer.
Bloomfield could have sounded good playing a Kay or. Guyatone. It was in his hands. But I definitely like the later stuff with him humbuckers than the Paul Butterfield stuff with the tele
Oooo Baby! Now that’s a nice Lester. . . I own a 2006 LP Studio in worn cherry w/ BurstBuckers. After having the frets properly levelled & crowned, it plays like a full on Standard. It really is a nice Studio. I couldn’t afford a full-blown Standard, but I did snag an especially good (used) Studio model.
Awesome video I got a Les Paul a long time after I started playing and your right the knob controls are sweet. I love it for the middle position you can get so many different sounds adjusting the 2 volumes. The model I have has the Jimmy Page split coils option and this adds even more sounds in the middle too. Its the Epiphone Modern model it has the out of phase Peter Green thing.
In my band I am the TELECASTER guy. The other guitarist is a LES PAUL guy. We cherish and value the interplay of the distinctively DIFFERENT tones our guitars make through our tube amp rigs respectively (including effects onboard or independent)..... Nice video..... To add; My Tele has a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge and a stock 1999 MIM Standard Telecaster neck pickup.... I am mostly happy dialing in different tones between both dials with the selector almost always in the MIDDLE..... HAPPY RIFFING :) *The amp I am playing through is a Fender X2 hybrid Head (2016) through a gutted ex Princeton 65 Dyna touch solid state amp (I believe made in 1999 or 2000) converted to 12" speaker cabinet*
Well Zac you got me again ... I had to go hunt down and listen to the "Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills - Super Session" ... NOW I get it. Thanks again for pointing me in a quality direction.
Wonderful information about the Les Paul. Valuable tips for anyone looking into the sonic properties that cab be gotten from these guitars. Thanks for sharing these jems. Personally prefer my LP to have P90's, but your ideas of unpotted and lower bridge output (2 neck pups?) works very nicely though the DR. Chasing tone has become much easier thanks to the sharing you give so freely. Thanks man
It's not often, once I've watched an entire episode of something that I will go back and watch it again. That being said I've watched most of these episodes 2-3 times each... Keep up the great footage!
I was first a Gibson Player, before I went to Fenders. I tried to get a Les Paul a few years ago, but ended up with a PRS Bernie Marsden. I like the feel sightly better than a Les Paul (Tummy Cutout), and it stays in tune, I like the Wraparound Bridge better than the Tune-o-matic, and it was a lot less money. I changed the pickups to the SD Whole Lotta Humbuckers. I was going for that Martin Barre - Jethro Tull Tone.
Thanks for another great video Zak. I agree completely with you on pickup strength, although we seem to be voices in the wilderness these days. Medium strength pickups seem to let your technique and and the guitar's personality be heard. Let pedals and the amp provide the drive.
Les Paul's do not get near enough credit for being a great sounding "clean" guitar. They sound so good over driven, folks forget they were designed to play clean.
I've always had a tender place in my heart for a vintage humbucker. The note bloom is so much different than Fenders and it's always such a fun time changing it up!
Thank you, Zac! I just order 24 of the MH picks. I am an old Fender Medium guy and just tried out a BlueChip TD-35 with a beveled edge. I sent it back, tonight, because of way too much pick noise with my acoustics. I discovered it was the bevel, so I requested an un-beveled replacement. But wow! $40 a pop is too rich for my blood. I'm looking forward to trying out the MH's.
Great tone as always; we can always experience the true sounds of the instruments when you are playing them. Many people stereotype guitars for certain styles but I believe it’s all in the player. Danny Gatton killed on many styles, including country on a Les Paul before he switched to Telecasters. Les Paul himself had great pristine tones; granted his guitars were all modded by him but still...😉. The best Les Pauls and guitars in general are jangly and have lower output pickups. Seymour Duncan makes some of the best pickups and he has been at it longer than any of the other boutique makers out there.
I always love to listen to the round warm beefy tone of a Les Paul but as soon as I am the one playing it, there is something that doesn't allow me to connect with the instrument. Mostly I think it's because Les Pauls are not the most comfortable play seating. Second I think is due to full size humbucker. I definitely prefer mini humbucker like on a deluxe 70s or p90 like on a 54.
Thank you Zac ! As a result of this video I went and tinkered with the 2000 LP Standard I picked up used some years back. Opening it up, I was delighted to find that the previous owner had installed Vintage 57 and 57 Plus pups. I was on the porch, liking it too much however, and my Bluegrass wife (Claire Lynch, who's been off the road for too long) plucked it from my loving arms and got into that swoon thang..?..ya know..what gurls do....meaning I might have to swipe her Gretsch which she stole from me some years back... kids, eh ?
@@AskZac How lucky did I get, eh ? I was a fan, then a cyber stalker, then a pen pal, and now, we have sold our Nashville home and I have absconded with her to our home in Toronto. Her last album, "North by South" is a collection of Canadian songwriters' music played by Claire's band and guests Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown, Grier, Stewbob, that wacky percussionist (whose name I forget) plus the usual suspects in the CLB. PM me your address and I'll send you a copy !
That is a gorgeous Les Paul. I cannot afford a Gibson ‘59 reissue of any kind so I opted for an Eastman SB59 in their varnish finish and it’s a seriously good guitar, super light too at 8 lbs 1oz.
Very nice presentation Zac. Met and heard Bloomfield & Green back in the late sixties. Went to Belmont College 1970 -71. Love your channel! Lived of Nolensville Rd.....
2005 R8 here. No flame at all, which I prefer. It's as understated as one of these can be lol. Heavy bleeding into the binding. The burst is stunning and the neck is very nice chunky C, not the crazy boat oars some R8 have. Wolftone legends. Some fancy retro wiring and caps. Callaham bridge which I'm so so about. 9lbs all in. Kind of a money pit to throw boutiquey parts at. I think about selling it at times but I know if I do I will never spend the kind of money needed to get another one...
I have a 2011 blue swirl flood edition LP. I also have 1 G&L SC3 strat style. I need a tele. Thank you for sharing. I bought my Les Paul because there were sounds I could not get with my single coils. Have a blessed evening
I have 2 LP style guitars but no Gibson LP. I also have a Heritage H535 (es335 style). All 3 have vintage style low output hum buckers. I have always liked the sound of hum buckers and using the volume and tone to get the sound I want. I have 1 Strat style and 1 tele style too but I play the hum buckers much more and change to the single coils for a change every now and then.
On mine I replaced the alnico 2 in the neck pickup to alnico 5 then flipped it. I'm addicted to that sound, I could never go back to a regular middle position on my LP.
I've owned a pile of Gibsons,I'm done with them,ZAC,confirms the reason,you pay top dollar,and the first thing you have to do is start replacing parts!My last custom shop ES 345 had nothing but the wood original every other piece had to be replaced.Nuts!
Bought mine new, had it forever, never changed one screw on it ever. Strings only thing not original now. Plays perfect every day. Stays in tune every day. Not sure why anyone would change anything on my guitar. Can’t improve on perfection. People love to bitch about nothing…..
I alway have really liked to look at instruments as works of art. Aside from the sustain and the rich, silky smooth tone from the neck pickup and the roar from the bridge pickup, I also love the history and the gorgeous design and styling.
I got my first Paul in ‘73, a ‘72 cherry sunburst Standard. Also bought one of the first Music Man’s around that time. A 410 (#000006). The 60 watt model. Man, what a great combination.
Omg somebody actually played a Les Paul clean 😂. That’s harder to find than unicorn 🦄 droppings lol. A P90 or PAF humbucker Gibson sounds fantastic plugged into a fender blackface played clean 👍🏻. It’s a shame more people don’t get to hear one today. I played my Gold Top through a Twin Reverb. Good stuff man However it’s a bummer you didn’t play it more in this video ☹️
Beautiful flame on that LP. Cool story. Not too many can folks can say they went down to the GIbson CS and picked out their own R9. That's awesome! Just got my first LP at the first of the year. 2019 50's cherry sunburst and swapped out the burstbucker pu's for a set of Wizz. I like em. As always another cool video. Love the channel.
Love my late 1990s Les Paul Classic! Factory gold hardware, and bourbon curly maple top, and bourbon every where else. I upgraded the pots, put on a bone nut, changed the pickups to Gibson 500t and 496r. Killer.
I was at the guitar show in Franklin, TN a few weekends ago. The only piece of gear that really impressed me was a 93 LP Custom, which I picked up as an afterthought to test a Gibson Falcon amp. Beautiful clean tones, fat neck with great feel.
Ace Frehley is the reason I wanted to play guitar & fell in love with the Gibson Les Paul...i love my 81' Standard....now, if I could only figure out how to get the neck p/u to billow thick plumes of Smoke!!! ;)
The technique you were discussing regarding playing in the middle position and using the volume/ tone controls to mix the tones. I use that technique on my tele custom.
I use my semi-hollow just like you describe. Turn down bass on amp. Tweek volume and tone balance between the pickups. A lot of sounds to play with. And yes, gone is the scratch plate.
I played Fender guitars almost exclusively for 30 years. I bought several LPs but couldn't get along with them at all, probably user error. Then I saw/heard Mark Knopfler playing his '58 LP and wanted that Brothers in Arms tone. I searched and searched but couldn't find an LP that I liked. Then I found a replica made by a guy named Gil Yaron and it has stayed with me for 10 years, and I absolutely love the guitar and it's tele on steroids tone out of the bridge pup.
Expecting delivery of my first ever Les Paul today. Like you, I've always been a Tele guy. Well, actually I have a love of Jazzmasters too, but I digress. The few Les Paul's that I've played I never liked much. They were very heavy and I haven't like the necks much at all. I've also never cared for the sound of humbuckers. I love the twang of a Tele. However, recently I saw a video of Mark Knopfler comparing his Strat with a Les Paul. He demonstrated the Les Paul sound he got on "Money For Nothing". I never even liked that song all that much, but for some reason I was instantly hooked. I started paying more attention to various Les Paul sounds and decided I had to get one. Sweetwater has a sale right now on a 60's Les Paul standard, so I ordered one. I'm really looking forward to exploring new sounds with my new guitar. Thanks for your overview too. Always enjoy your videos.
Tele and Strat player mostly myself, however a few years ago I had the opportunity to get a great deal on a nice wine red LP Studio with gold hardware. It has a chambered body so I can actually play it for more than 10 mins...it's lighter than my Tele. It's a lot of fun and like you said it makes you play a bit differently, which is a good thing.
if you are a guitar player and listen to "Alberts shuffle" you will own a Les Paul. I saw Leroy Parnell play at the Birchmere with Robin Ford and Joe Robinson, great show , all great players but when Leroy played that Les Paul it sent chills down my spine. Im a tele guy but love strats as well. Only fender amps for me, but I recently purchased a Gibson classic series Les Paul Std. 60s in bourbon burst. Hand wired , no weight relief, 500K pots, orange drop capacitors and plek'd neck. OMG SO beautiful and fantastic to play and believe it or not it is a Les Paul that actually stays in tune! You would have to pry it from my cold dead fingers. Zac, love your videos, please keep em coming. Thanks for sharing stories about your iconic guitars and amps.
I have always bought my les pauls used. I bought the first three in the late 70s into the early 80s. They were a 68 goldtop deluxe, a 76 goldtop deluxe, and an 81 deluxe wine. I bought each for about $250. Years later sold them to help buy our first house. Later, off of the internet auction site, in the early 2000s, i bought three more, for about $600 each. A 75 natural deluxe, a 98 black standard, and a 73 goldtop deluxe. The only one i have now is the 73. It mostly sits quietly in its original, flat top case in the closet, as i use my telecasters daily.
I have an American made Guild Starfire 4,... they were pretty common & used back like the Buffalo Springfield days. It's a 335 type guitar but the pickups were Guild specific. Has a completely different sound. Great rythm guitars.
Great vid. I appreciate some good clean sounds on a les paul. These days hardly anyone playes them clean, which is a shame. Its all high gain and shredding. I always wondered why it is so rarely used in jazz. Any ideas?
@@AskZac Even though I'm known as a "jazz guy," I started off in Bluegrass and Country. Can I send you a video of mine? It's a song I call Northern Hillbilly. It's kind of an homage to my roots and Albert Lee.
I checked out a Marshalls Tucker Video on YT to figure out what acoustic was used on the intro to "Can't you See". Turns out live it was a LP skillfully tweeked to get the acoustic tone.. The use of the multiple volume and tone pots, as you mentioned, can make magic.
I usually am a Gibson guy and mostly use a '76 Explorer. But I've also got a 2016 LP Traditional that I love and tend to use even more nowadays. I tried several of them and this one just felt "right". It sounds great, however I find myself using my Tele the most since I've really gotten into Country music two years ago and I just love playing that. Great content as always! Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Greetings from Germany
Every guitar player should have one in his or her collection. I recently had a Gibson P90 soapbar pickup installed in my LP Standard. I left the Burstbucker Bridge. The guitar has 3 distinct sounds now; Still love my Tele‘s & Strat though.
If you really like the sound of those old records, and tonepros hardware did not cut it for you, try the Faber stuff. The saddles have a wider top and the thumbscrews are brass. It makes the guitar respond faster but slightly mellower. Accents the overall woodiness of your tone and your antiquities will love that.
Mine came with the pickguard off too. After a few years of playing, I noticed that where I tend to use my little finger of my right hand as an anchor, the finish of the guitar was really starting to wear. Soooooo, I put the pickgurard on. Habits: some good and some ugh!
Reach is one main reason for me. Play The Beatles 'I've Got a Feeling' on a Fender scaled neck and then on a Gibson scaled neck and the Gibson makes it a breeze. I prefer the sound of the Telecaster, but sometimes the reach dictates which instrument to use. It never hurts to have both at hand.
Here before but if anyone's 'on the fence' with the Epi TSB LP Jr, I'd say Buy IT! I had to wait for mine but in love. 6 months here and rotating the herd, the weekend pick. Great little axe..
I forgot to mention that I really appreciated the tip on the pickups. Being a Fender guy myself, I find high output humbuckers hard to control. Using a neck pickup in the bridge position is something I never heard before. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Zach, Really well done. When I wind my humbucker sets I go to even lower neck resistance levels. You get just sweet, huge singing, almost single coil tones this way from the neck. There is a lot of room in Mr. Seth Lover’s design for tweaking!
Yes Zak! Im a Fender guy but you sure make a great pitch for a Les Paul with lo- output pick-ups!! Beautiful tones man! And wonderful playing as usual!!🤠
17:35. I believe the standard wiring for a Les Paul (2 pickups; 2 volumes; 2 tones) - is the two pickups "in phase" !! Unless you had them customized out of phase or have a phase switch on your volume knob !!!
Some very valid points. One thing about Les Paul compared to a fender is that I always have to keep turning my volume up if the other guitarist on the gig plays a les paul. Those pickups are a lot hotter
Well done, Zac you've surprised me.? I also have both guitar's, mine's a Cherry satin SX LP Gibson knock-off. I've replaced the pickup's with "Pearly Gates" ZZ Top aftermarket set.
I’ve had several Les Pauls over the years. The best-sounding one had P-90s and a bar bridge, and a carved maple top, like a ‘54 goldtop, except mine was cherry sunburst, part of a small run they did in ‘72. At my age I can’t handle the weight of a Les Paul anymore-they kill my back-so my Gibson now is a 2002 SG Supreme. Best SG I’ve ever had, and I’ve had several of those too-got my first one new in ‘67 when I was in high school; but my Supreme is better. I like your idea of using two Seymour Duncan low-output Antiquity neck humbuckers-I might try that on my SG.
Hi zac..great video...brilliant tale about your ballsey request to Gibson..fair play too you...I own a couple of Gibson les Paul's, 50s standard in cherry heritage cherry sunburst and gold top...love them to death as I do my fender teles...love playing and listening to all the classic blue's on both varieties of guitar 🎸...always love your videos about everything...please keep your channel going, really interesting and inspiring..keep it burning 🔥...lot's of appreciation and gratitude form great Britain 🇬🇧...across the pond 👊👍
I got an early set of Seth Lover pickups from SD. Seth and Seymour signed them on the underside! They're in my LP forever. Besides, I like the way they sound and respond. Alnico 2 magnets, of course.
I have a set of pups in mine that Seymour and Joe Bonamassa designed as backups for Joe's bursts, they are non-potted and low wound also. I got some old caps and pots from Cream Tone, along with an old set of Grovers. I like the feel better top wrapping the stop bar, I don't play hard and I like the action lower. It's just what worked for me... 8) --gary
Your sound is very honest, great story and les paul. Pick out 35 I would go crazy, especially when home :O I cannot afford a custom shop I got myself a standard 60s nice modest burst and very clear tone, bit bell like but there is always a downside it can sound a bit less warm. I had a r7 goldtop but that was so woody could not get trough a mix and I was very disappointed after so many years owning a r7 and still not getting tones I wanted. Thnx for sharing your lescpaul I dig your blues playing 👍👍👍😃
Zac, I'd happily suggest you mod it to 50s wiring. It really opens the tone, for that "tele on steroids" many talk about. This comment may be late, but you never know. Cheers from Brazil.
I had my Les Paul Standard for 30 years before I realized that I could turn the knobs. Now I spend all day with the selector in the middle trying to dial it in to what I'm feeling at the time.
I was in Kansas and ordered a '94 Gibson Les Paul Classic sight unseen. Told then yellow to brown burst finish. Had sent to Hawaii. Finally opened the box in January '96. To my surprise the serial number is 4 2013. My older brother and I birth month and days. His is 20 and mine 13.😂
You cannot change string tension in the way you suggested. String tension is totally determined by scale length, tuned frequency, and string mass per unit length (gauge). What you are changing is string stiffness. That's what you are feeling.
Yes, I happily stand corrected. Changing the break angle changes the stiffness. I was calling it tension, which is confusing.
You are increasing the length of the string, because of the extra wrap around the bridge, although the scale length remains the same. String length seems to make a difference to the 'feel' of looseness. Quite often I hear that guitars with a trapezoid bridge anecdotally feel a bit looser than a stop tail bridge with the same scale length. Not sure if this is true or merely anecdotal. I'm not sure what the difference is between string stiffness and tension?
Some strings are a bit stiffer in the same gauge than others, due to the type of inner core they are wrapped around. Used to be an excellent string for jazz and chords, called "SIT" that were made to stay in tune. They had quite a stiff feel for an equal gauge. But they stayed in tune!
@@timaddison707 You can think of tension firstly as simply what makes the string play in tune. The only way you can manipulate tension on a given guitar (with a given scale length) while keeping the same tuning is by changing string gauge (heavier gauge strings require more tension to reach the same pitch). You already know how different gauges feel. Stiffness OTOH is the force required per unit string length change. So a stiff string requires more force to bend by a given pitch. By changing the wrapping or bridge type, you can manipulate the friction over the bridge (and maybe the post-saddle string length to a lesser extent), and thus the stiffness. Sometimes you can feel the difference, sometimes you can't. But the point is that tension doesn't change, because the string has to be in tune. But it may feel easier or harder to bend because of the stiffness. So in that case the changes are not correlated - one changes (stiffness), the other doesn't (tension). But in other cases there will be some correlation. For example, changing to higher gauge strings will change not only the tension (higher) but also the stiffness (higher).
@@vw9659 Thanks good insight.
That deluxe reverb makes every guitar sound good. Everyone should own one.
Just a few minutes ago, I said to myself, I should check out the Deluxe Reverb amp.
Mark SD I’m biased. But take a look at the silverface reiteration as well. Absolutely beyond pleased with mine!
I have recently bought the 68 reissue. Freaking brilliant.
I was just watching a comparison of the 68 Silverface reissues on Peach's channel. That 68 Deluxe Reverb is high on my list. Any thoughts?
I am very blessed to own a '77 version that lives in a Mojotone cabinet, and sports a low mids control and a bunch of Mullard preamp tubes and a few new tone caps here and there, as well as a re-worked reverb tank and tremolo system and a new Classic Tone OT ... EVERY time I flip that "Standby" switch, I just cannot believe how great it sounds, even at low volumes ... but the urge to crank it up sometime overtakes me and for 22 watts, it gets quite loud without even trying ... I've been at this for over 58 years, and I cannot get over how great this amp sounds.
Hi Zac, I just retired from my job here after 34 years and I decided to treat myself to my first Les Paul. I couldn’t justify buying an R-9 or any custom shop for that matter so I went with a 60’s Standard in the Sweetwater exclusive Heritage Cherry ( similar to yours ) and I snatched one up with a brilliant top as soon as it was listed on Sweetwater. Anyhow, it looks and plays great but I have to mention that my SG’s are still the one I grab for more often.
Anyway, great show Zac, I had to come back to this older video you had posted about them 😊
Through the years I’ve played Standards, Juniors and Customs, but for me the best sounding Les Paul has been the Special TV Yellow, the ugly slab with two P90 and wraparound bridge.
I agree, but I happen to think TV yellow is beautiful
After 50+ years of playing single-coils, I just snagged a near-mint '81 LP Custom, and it's a lot of fun to explore this jewel. Has the odd speed-winder tuners, diamond-shaped strap buttons, and especially the Tim Shaw "PAF" humbuckers. And when I'm tired of playing it, there's a ton to read about them. Keeps me happily indoors during this weirdness. Nice episode, Zac!!!
I love that era of guitar. Loved the speed winders
I have been playing a Les Paul since I bought my first Custom new in 1974. It's a 20th Anniversary in alpine white. Over the years it turned a delightful yellowish with age. Many gigs and recording with it. Typical with Norlin era guitars, it's heavy. Ebony fretboard and the 20th Anniversary position marker, gold hardware, it has mellowed over the years. My 3 year old son pulled it off the stand and broke the neck in 1987, so I repaired it. The headstock veneer saved it from totally breaking off and you can barely see the fracture line. I sanded the laquer off the neck which made an improvement. I used bore oil on the mahogany neck and love the satiny feel now. The fracture opened up again after years of gigging..only slightly after another on stage fall, so I reglued it has been great since that incident about 25 years ago. I recently found a 59 reissue cherry sunburst Standard with 2 piece flamed maple top and one piece mahogony back and neck that is a custom guitar built in 2000. It appears to have been an investment guitar, having lived in a case for 23 years. It had factory strings and a push/pull truss rod, really hot, unpotted pickups. It is is easier to play than my 20th Anniversary and barks like a big dog. Love the rosewood fretboard, Kluson tuners and med jumbo frets. It is a real killer.
Well, you did it again. I am going to dig out the ol' LP that hasn't seen the light of day in a while. Good call - thanks for the inspiration.
I have a Harley Benton SG custom and a Boss Katana 2 100 watt with the audio app,…and I couldn’t be happier!
I can sound like almost anything I can dream of.
I am a believer in the right tool for the right purpose. A Tele has a sound, use that for what it is. A strat... same thing, it has it's own sound. A Les Paul is different yet. It has that mid-ey nasal sound that works so well with a Marshall type amp. Get the guitar that does the job you need. Love my Les Paul, but I will remain a Fender player primarily.
I'm of the same mind.... keep coming back to my fiddly fenders 😂
Geek alert! As for the weight issue, here’s a trick I learned: If you hold a Les Paul vertical by the neck, judge how heavy it feels, then turn it horizontal, hold it by the strap button and the lower bout. If it feels lighter then you’ve got an LP with a heavy neck and when you’re playing it standing up is it’s surprisingly less fatiguing. You did get a geek warning!
I love how no matter what guitar or pickup you use you never have a muddy tone. I'm a big fan of your clean, clear tone. I am also a mostly clean player, so I'm always after that kind of sound you have. I mostly play funk, soul, blues, an a little reggae
Wow, thanks!
Just picked up a sweet LP Standard 60's and it's fantastic. Took me a few weeks to get used to the thinner neck but now I'm fine with it. No weight relief finally and still under 10lbs!!
I have a left-handed 60th anniversary Gibson Custom shop ‘59 Les Paul, and it is an awesome guitar. The weight is OK too - eight and a half pounds. Strings are D’Addario NYXL 010 - 046. The amps I use with it are a Marshall SV20H (with SV212 cab), and a Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb re-issue (I swapped the Jenson for a Celestion Redback G12H 8ohm speaker).
I’ve got an old 76 Les Paul that was getting neglected. It weighs 11 lbs and had some hot pickups that I got tired of. I held onto the guitar primarily for sentimental value. I have newer PRS and Emerald electrics that have been getting all the attention. The Emerald guitar has Fishman Fluence Classic humbuckers which I really like. They remind me of the PRS underwound 58/15 and DGT pickups. I’ve decided to have the Fishman pickups installed in the Les Paul. The guitar will have coil tapping for each pickup via push / pull, classic / modern mode via push / pull, and a phase inverter via push / pull. The guitar should be ready sometime next week. I’m hoping the new pickup sounds / capabilities will breathe some life back into that old guitar and that I’ll start playing it more again.
I am a tele guy, I have a custom shop double esquire, with the bridge pickup turned the opposite way to normal bridge pickup. When I was in Nashville last February I bought Greg Voros’s 78 LP special. What a player. So much fun.
Why play a Les Paul? Because sometimes you don't have time for weightlifting and guitar-playing, so Gibson found a way to let you do both at the same time :-)
HA!!
😂
; ) Genius.
Man, if that ain't the truth
Sometimes I feel like just shredding the crap out of my hand on their fret ends
Gorgeous sound, versatility, appearance, modifications, story and playing. Makes me wish I had my own Les Paul right now. This video alone may help bump up Gibson's sales. Thanks Zac.
Many thanks!
I have six LPs including an R9. With regard to the middle position playing, I’ve found that 50s wiring, both volumes independent, has a great effect on that. Great video, great channel 🤟🏼🎸
I'm a Les Paul guy, but I absolutely love strats and teles and couldn't guess which one I play the most. My channel is a one-man studio, so I have to have all three depending on the song. They each do their own thing that you can't replicate with the others. I don't really understand the "which is better" arguments; it's like picking which is better between a boat, a plane or a car: one can have a favorite, but that speaks more to particular musical tastes than to better/worse.
I recently watched a Michael Bloomfield documentary and noticed how his sound became fuller with P90- and PAF-loaded Les Pauls which i believe he traded his '63 Tele for a pre-'57 goldtop and then the '59 came along sometime afterwards. Speaking of 1959, this seems to be a lot of Les Paul players throughout the 1960s that favored that year in particular and you spoke up my #1 fave: Peter Green! I love the original Fleetwood Mac as I was exposed early on from their appearance on 1969's 'Blues Jam In Chicago Volume 2' and on the P90 Les Paul was either Danny Kirwin or Jeremy Spencer.
You are speaking my language
Bloomfield could have sounded good playing a Kay or. Guyatone. It was in his hands. But I definitely like the later stuff with him humbuckers than the Paul Butterfield stuff with the tele
Oooo Baby! Now that’s a nice Lester. . .
I own a 2006 LP Studio in worn cherry w/ BurstBuckers. After having the frets properly levelled & crowned, it plays like a full on Standard. It really is a nice Studio. I couldn’t afford a full-blown Standard, but I did snag an especially good (used) Studio model.
Awesome video
I got a Les Paul a long time after I started playing and your right the knob controls are sweet. I love it for the middle position you can get so many different sounds adjusting the 2 volumes. The model I have has the Jimmy Page split coils option and this adds even more sounds in the middle too. Its the Epiphone Modern model it has the out of phase Peter Green thing.
In my band I am the TELECASTER guy. The other guitarist is a LES PAUL guy. We cherish and value the interplay of the distinctively DIFFERENT tones our guitars make through our tube amp rigs respectively (including effects onboard or independent)..... Nice video..... To add; My Tele has a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge and a stock 1999 MIM Standard Telecaster neck pickup.... I am mostly happy dialing in different tones between both dials with the selector almost always in the MIDDLE..... HAPPY RIFFING :) *The amp I am playing through is a Fender X2 hybrid Head (2016) through a gutted ex Princeton 65 Dyna touch solid state amp (I believe made in 1999 or 2000) converted to 12" speaker cabinet*
Well Zac you got me again ... I had to go hunt down and listen to the "Bloomfield, Kooper, Stills - Super Session" ... NOW I get it. Thanks again for pointing me in a quality direction.
Enjoy!
Thanks!
Welcome!
Thanks for being concise and having great knowledge depth
Wonderful information about the Les Paul. Valuable tips for anyone looking into the sonic properties that cab be gotten from these guitars. Thanks for sharing these jems.
Personally prefer my LP to have P90's, but your ideas of unpotted and lower bridge output (2 neck pups?) works very nicely though the DR. Chasing tone has become much easier thanks to the sharing you give so freely.
Thanks man
It's not often, once I've watched an entire episode of something that I will go back and watch it again. That being said I've watched most of these episodes 2-3 times each... Keep up the great footage!
You have a pefect demeanor for a neurosurgeon or an Explosive Ordinance Disposal expert -- laid back, detailed and not high strung.
I was first a Gibson Player, before I went to Fenders. I tried to get a Les Paul a few years ago, but ended up with a PRS Bernie Marsden. I like the feel sightly better than a Les Paul (Tummy Cutout), and it stays in tune, I like the Wraparound Bridge better than the Tune-o-matic, and it was a lot less money. I changed the pickups to the SD Whole Lotta Humbuckers. I was going for that Martin Barre - Jethro Tull Tone.
Thanks for another great video Zak. I agree completely with you on pickup strength, although we seem to be voices in the wilderness these days. Medium strength pickups seem to let your technique and and the guitar's personality be heard. Let pedals and the amp provide the drive.
I like the bright finish on that. So many people want the faded but I kinda' miss those sun/cherry bursts. And, yeah, you don't need that pickguard.
Les Paul's do not get near enough credit for being a great sounding "clean" guitar. They sound so good over driven, folks forget they were designed to play clean.
That’s true. Of all my guitars the one that would do Jazz the best would be my old Les Paul Custom with the 490 set.
Couldn’t agree more. A p90 or PAF humbucker Les Paul plugged into a fender blackface sounds fantastic clean 😎
All you have to do is go back and listen to Les Paul play his Les Paul.
Les Paul’s goal was to get the cleanest sound possible.
I've always had a tender place in my heart for a vintage humbucker. The note bloom is so much different than Fenders and it's always such a fun time changing it up!
Note bloom? Surely they make a pedal for that.
Thank you, Zac! I just order 24 of the MH picks. I am an old Fender Medium guy and just tried out a BlueChip TD-35 with a beveled edge. I sent it back, tonight, because of way too much pick noise with my acoustics. I discovered it was the bevel, so I requested an un-beveled replacement. But wow! $40 a pop is too rich for my blood. I'm looking forward to trying out the MH's.
Great tone as always; we can always experience the true sounds of the instruments when you are playing them. Many people stereotype guitars for certain styles but I believe it’s all in the player. Danny Gatton killed on many styles, including country on a Les Paul before he switched to Telecasters. Les Paul himself had great pristine tones; granted his guitars were all modded by him but still...😉. The best Les Pauls and guitars in general are jangly and have lower output pickups. Seymour Duncan makes some of the best pickups and he has been at it longer than any of the other boutique makers out there.
I always love to listen to the round warm beefy tone of a Les Paul but as soon as I am the one playing it, there is something that doesn't allow me to connect with the instrument. Mostly I think it's because Les Pauls are not the most comfortable play seating. Second I think is due to full size humbucker. I definitely prefer mini humbucker like on a deluxe 70s or p90 like on a 54.
Love my Standard 50’s model nothing wrong with it and plays like a dream.
Thank you Zac ! As a result of this video I went and tinkered with the 2000 LP Standard I picked up used some years back. Opening it up, I was delighted to find that the previous owner had installed Vintage 57 and 57 Plus pups. I was on the porch, liking it too much however, and my Bluegrass wife (Claire Lynch, who's been off the road for too long) plucked it from my loving arms and got into that swoon thang..?..ya know..what gurls do....meaning I might have to swipe her Gretsch which she stole from me some years back... kids, eh ?
You are married to Claire Lynch?
@@AskZac How lucky did I get, eh ? I was a fan, then a cyber stalker, then a pen pal, and now, we have sold our Nashville home and I have absconded with her to our home in Toronto. Her last album, "North by South" is a collection of Canadian songwriters' music played by Claire's band and guests Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown, Grier, Stewbob, that wacky percussionist (whose name I forget) plus the usual suspects in the CLB. PM me your address and I'll send you a copy !
@@iangray7410 I love her work! I can't figure out how to pm, can you send me an email to zac (at) askzac.com
That is a gorgeous Les Paul.
I cannot afford a Gibson ‘59 reissue of any kind so I opted for an Eastman SB59 in their varnish finish and it’s a seriously good guitar, super light too at 8 lbs 1oz.
Glad you mentioned Peter Green, one of my favorite Les players. Supernatural tone indeed
Yeah!
Very nice presentation Zac. Met and heard Bloomfield & Green back in the late sixties. Went to Belmont College 1970 -71. Love your channel! Lived of Nolensville Rd.....
2005 R8 here. No flame at all, which I prefer. It's as understated as one of these can be lol. Heavy bleeding into the binding. The burst is stunning and the neck is very nice chunky C, not the crazy boat oars some R8 have. Wolftone legends. Some fancy retro wiring and caps. Callaham bridge which I'm so so about. 9lbs all in. Kind of a money pit to throw boutiquey parts at. I think about selling it at times but I know if I do I will never spend the kind of money needed to get another one...
I have a 2011 blue swirl flood edition LP. I also have 1 G&L SC3 strat style. I need a tele. Thank you for sharing. I bought my Les Paul because there were sounds I could not get with my single coils. Have a blessed evening
I have 2 LP style guitars but no Gibson LP. I also have a Heritage H535 (es335 style). All 3 have vintage style low output hum buckers. I have always liked the sound of hum buckers and using the volume and tone to get the sound I want. I have 1 Strat style and 1 tele style too but I play the hum buckers much more and change to the single coils for a change every now and then.
On mine I replaced the alnico 2 in the neck pickup to alnico 5 then flipped it. I'm addicted to that sound, I could never go back to a regular middle position on my LP.
I've owned a pile of Gibsons,I'm done with them,ZAC,confirms the reason,you pay top dollar,and the first thing you have to do is start replacing parts!My last custom shop ES 345 had nothing but the wood original every other piece had to be replaced.Nuts!
Bought mine new, had it forever, never changed one screw on it ever. Strings only thing not original now. Plays perfect every day. Stays in tune every day. Not sure why anyone would change anything on my guitar. Can’t improve on perfection. People love to bitch about nothing…..
Next Shirt: "Even though I am a Tele-Guy, there are times where you just need a Les Paul."
A Les Paul just sounds like a fat tele on steroids 😅
I alway have really liked to look at instruments as works of art. Aside from the sustain and the rich, silky smooth tone from the neck pickup and the roar from the bridge pickup, I also love the history and the gorgeous design and styling.
I got my first Paul in ‘73, a ‘72 cherry sunburst Standard. Also bought one of the first Music Man’s around that time. A 410 (#000006). The 60 watt model. Man, what a great combination.
Would love to hear that!
I’m having a mini-Humbucker put in the neck of one of my Frankencasters,& a Retro S-D bridge.
A great lightweight, American pickups and satin neck is schecter Korean made made solo-II custom. I like it alot
Omg somebody actually played a Les Paul clean 😂. That’s harder to find than unicorn 🦄 droppings lol. A P90 or PAF humbucker Gibson sounds fantastic plugged into a fender blackface played clean 👍🏻. It’s a shame more people don’t get to hear one today. I played my Gold Top through a Twin Reverb. Good stuff man
However it’s a bummer you didn’t play it more in this video ☹️
Beautiful flame on that LP. Cool story. Not too many can folks can say they went down to the GIbson CS and picked out their own R9. That's awesome!
Just got my first LP at the first of the year. 2019 50's cherry sunburst and swapped out the burstbucker pu's for a set of Wizz. I like em.
As always another cool video. Love the channel.
I'm with you - I cannot bring myself to drill holes in my R-9. The pick guard is in the case. When I die my kids can put it on if they want...
The 12" radius helps with bends. Definitely a different feel from my 7 1/4 Tele!
Might be one of the best pauls I have ever seen
Love my late 1990s Les Paul Classic! Factory gold hardware, and bourbon curly maple top, and bourbon every where else. I upgraded the pots, put on a bone nut, changed the pickups to Gibson 500t and 496r. Killer.
Nice!
I was at the guitar show in Franklin, TN a few weekends ago. The only piece of gear that really impressed me was a 93 LP Custom, which I picked up as an afterthought to test a Gibson Falcon amp. Beautiful clean tones, fat neck with great feel.
Beautiful guitar and playing, Zac! I have a 2010 R7 that was my keeper LP out of several that I owned recently. Everyone needs a good LP!
Thank you, Will. You make that R7 sound great!
Ace Frehley is the reason I wanted to play guitar & fell in love with the Gibson Les Paul...i love my 81' Standard....now, if I could only figure out how to get the neck p/u to billow thick plumes of Smoke!!! ;)
The technique you were discussing regarding playing in the middle position and using the volume/ tone controls to mix the tones. I use that technique on my tele custom.
I had been a tele player for 20 years or more when I got my first Les Paul. There was a big learning curve with all those knobs, but I love it now.
I like the bright finish on that. So many people want the faded but I kinda' miss those sun/cherry bursts.
I use my semi-hollow just like you describe. Turn down bass on amp. Tweek volume and tone balance between the pickups. A lot of sounds to play with. And yes, gone is the scratch plate.
I played Fender guitars almost exclusively for 30 years. I bought several LPs but couldn't get along with them at all, probably user error. Then I saw/heard Mark Knopfler playing his '58 LP and wanted that Brothers in Arms tone. I searched and searched but couldn't find an LP that I liked. Then I found a replica made by a guy named Gil Yaron and it has stayed with me for 10 years, and I absolutely love the guitar and it's tele on steroids tone out of the bridge pup.
Really nice. I just saw your Les Paul in your room organizing video and came to see if you had any videos on it. What a beaut.
Expecting delivery of my first ever Les Paul today. Like you, I've always been a Tele guy. Well, actually I have a love of Jazzmasters too, but I digress. The few Les Paul's that I've played I never liked much. They were very heavy and I haven't like the necks much at all. I've also never cared for the sound of humbuckers. I love the twang of a Tele. However, recently I saw a video of Mark Knopfler comparing his Strat with a Les Paul. He demonstrated the Les Paul sound he got on "Money For Nothing". I never even liked that song all that much, but for some reason I was instantly hooked. I started paying more attention to various Les Paul sounds and decided I had to get one. Sweetwater has a sale right now on a 60's Les Paul standard, so I ordered one. I'm really looking forward to exploring new sounds with my new guitar. Thanks for your overview too. Always enjoy your videos.
Tele and Strat player mostly myself, however a few years ago I had the opportunity to get a great deal on a nice wine red LP Studio with gold hardware. It has a chambered body so I can actually play it for more than 10 mins...it's lighter than my Tele. It's a lot of fun and like you said it makes you play a bit differently, which is a good thing.
if you are a guitar player and listen to "Alberts shuffle" you will own a Les Paul. I saw Leroy Parnell play at the Birchmere with Robin Ford and Joe Robinson, great show , all great players but when Leroy played that Les Paul it sent chills down my spine. Im a tele guy but love strats as well. Only fender amps for me, but I recently purchased a Gibson classic series Les Paul Std. 60s in bourbon burst. Hand wired , no weight relief, 500K pots, orange drop capacitors and plek'd neck. OMG SO beautiful and fantastic to play and believe it or not it is a Les Paul that actually stays in tune! You would have to pry it from my cold dead fingers. Zac, love your videos, please keep em coming. Thanks for sharing stories about your iconic guitars and amps.
THANK YOU
I have always bought my les pauls used. I bought the first three in the late 70s into the early 80s. They were a 68 goldtop deluxe, a 76 goldtop deluxe, and an 81 deluxe wine. I bought each for about $250. Years later sold them to help buy our first house. Later, off of the internet auction site, in the early 2000s, i bought three more, for about $600 each. A 75 natural deluxe, a 98 black standard, and a 73 goldtop deluxe. The only one i have now is the 73. It mostly sits quietly in its original, flat top case in the closet, as i use my telecasters daily.
I get it
I have an American made Guild Starfire 4,... they were pretty common & used back like the Buffalo Springfield days. It's a 335 type guitar but the pickups were Guild specific. Has a completely different sound. Great rythm guitars.
I had a Guild whose model name I forgot.I lost it.It looked like an SG & sounded so good! I would love to hear what the Starfire 4 sounds like.Thanks.
Great vid. I appreciate some good clean sounds on a les paul. These days hardly anyone playes them clean, which is a shame. Its all high gain and shredding. I always wondered why it is so rarely used in jazz. Any ideas?
Clint Strong
Zac, you must be a big guy. That Les Paul looks like a 3/4 size on you. Fan of the channel.
Guilty
@@AskZac Even though I'm known as a "jazz guy," I started off in Bluegrass and Country. Can I send you a video of mine? It's a song I call Northern Hillbilly. It's kind of an homage to my roots and Albert Lee.
@@JazzRockswithAdam Sure! zac (at) askzac.com
I checked out a Marshalls Tucker Video on YT to figure out what acoustic was used on the intro to "Can't you See". Turns out live it was a LP skillfully tweeked to get the acoustic tone.. The use of the multiple volume and tone pots, as you mentioned, can make magic.
I usually am a Gibson guy and mostly use a '76 Explorer. But I've also got a 2016 LP Traditional that I love and tend to use even more nowadays. I tried several of them and this one just felt "right". It sounds great, however I find myself using my Tele the most since I've really gotten into Country music two years ago and I just love playing that.
Great content as always! Always a pleasure to watch your videos.
Greetings from Germany
Every guitar player should have one in his or her collection. I recently had a Gibson P90 soapbar pickup installed in my LP Standard. I left the Burstbucker Bridge. The guitar has 3 distinct sounds now; Still love my Tele‘s & Strat though.
If you really like the sound of those old records, and tonepros hardware did not cut it for you, try the Faber stuff. The saddles have a wider top and the thumbscrews are brass. It makes the guitar respond faster but slightly mellower. Accents the overall woodiness of your tone and your antiquities will love that.
Mine came with the pickguard off too. After a few years of playing, I noticed that where I tend to use my little finger of my right hand as an anchor, the finish of the guitar was really starting to wear. Soooooo, I put the pickgurard on. Habits: some good and some ugh!
Reach is one main reason for me. Play The Beatles 'I've Got a Feeling' on a Fender scaled neck and then on a Gibson scaled neck and the Gibson makes it a breeze. I prefer the sound of the Telecaster, but sometimes the reach dictates which instrument to use. It never hurts to have both at hand.
I break out my Fender Mustang for those Andy Summers chords for the same reason 😌
Here before but if anyone's 'on the fence' with the Epi TSB LP Jr, I'd say Buy IT!
I had to wait for mine but in love. 6 months here and rotating the herd, the weekend pick. Great little axe..
That is a real purty R9 Zac and it has nice tones. Cherry bursts need flames and yours has a plenty.
That was a Gary Rossington inspired lick at the end. Enjoyed the video. The Fillmore East album made me want to play.
Rossington is underrated
So are Collins, King and Gaines for that matter
Gaines was poised to become a God
I am partial to the P90 sound & my LP has them & I love it.
I forgot to mention that I really appreciated the tip on the pickups. Being a Fender guy myself, I find high output humbuckers hard to control. Using a neck pickup in the bridge position is something I never heard before. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Zach,
Really well done. When I wind my humbucker sets I go to even lower neck resistance levels. You get just sweet, huge singing, almost single coil tones this way from the neck. There is a lot of room in Mr. Seth Lover’s design for tweaking!
Yes Zak!
Im a Fender guy but you sure make a great pitch for a Les Paul with lo- output pick-ups!!
Beautiful tones man!
And wonderful playing as usual!!🤠
17:35. I believe the standard wiring for a Les Paul (2 pickups; 2 volumes; 2 tones) - is the two pickups "in phase" !! Unless you had them customized out of phase or have a phase switch on your volume knob !!!
Yes. They are in phase. I was referring to adding a push pull pot to flip the phase. Sorry for any confusion
Some very valid points. One thing about Les Paul compared to a fender is that I always have to keep turning my volume up if the other guitarist on the gig plays a les paul. Those pickups are a lot hotter
Agreed
Well done, Zac you've surprised me.? I also have both guitar's, mine's a Cherry satin SX LP Gibson knock-off. I've replaced the pickup's with "Pearly Gates" ZZ Top aftermarket set.
I play Fenders but the first time I picked up a Les Paul I really loved that grunt. I will be getting one - someday!
I’ve had several Les Pauls over the years. The best-sounding one had P-90s and a bar bridge, and a carved maple top, like a ‘54 goldtop, except mine was cherry sunburst, part of a small run they did in ‘72. At my age I can’t handle the weight of a Les Paul anymore-they kill my back-so my Gibson now is a 2002 SG Supreme. Best SG I’ve ever had, and I’ve had several of those too-got my first one new in ‘67 when I was in high school; but my Supreme is better. I like your idea of using two Seymour Duncan low-output Antiquity neck humbuckers-I might try that on my SG.
Hi zac..great video...brilliant tale about your ballsey request to Gibson..fair play too you...I own a couple of Gibson les Paul's, 50s standard in cherry heritage cherry sunburst and gold top...love them to death as I do my fender teles...love playing and listening to all the classic blue's on both varieties of guitar 🎸...always love your videos about everything...please keep your channel going, really interesting and inspiring..keep it burning 🔥...lot's of appreciation and gratitude form great Britain 🇬🇧...across the pond 👊👍
As usual, great content and information. Always a pleasure to watch your videos Sir :)
Thanks again!
I got an early set of Seth Lover pickups from SD. Seth and Seymour signed them on the underside! They're in my LP forever. Besides, I like the way they sound and respond. Alnico 2 magnets, of course.
Very cool!
I have a set of pups in mine that Seymour and Joe Bonamassa designed as backups for Joe's bursts, they are non-potted and low wound also. I got some old caps and pots from Cream Tone, along with an old set of Grovers. I like the feel better top wrapping the stop bar, I don't play hard and I like the action lower. It's just what worked for me... 8) --gary
Very cool!
Your sound is very honest, great story and les paul. Pick out 35 I would go crazy, especially when home :O I cannot afford a custom shop I got myself a standard 60s nice modest burst and very clear tone, bit bell like but there is always a downside it can sound a bit less warm. I had a r7 goldtop but that was so woody could not get trough a mix and I was very disappointed after so many years owning a r7 and still not getting tones I wanted. Thnx for sharing your lescpaul I dig your blues playing 👍👍👍😃
Zac, I'd happily suggest you mod it to 50s wiring. It really opens the tone, for that "tele on steroids" many talk about.
This comment may be late, but you never know. Cheers from Brazil.
I had my Les Paul Standard for 30 years before I realized that I could turn the knobs. Now I spend all day with the selector in the middle trying to dial it in to what I'm feeling at the time.
I was in Kansas and ordered a '94 Gibson Les Paul Classic sight unseen. Told then yellow to brown burst finish. Had sent to Hawaii. Finally opened the box in January '96. To my surprise the serial number is 4 2013. My older brother and I birth month and days. His is 20 and mine 13.😂
Wow! That is GORGEOUS! I'm not a huge LP guy but those R9's are one of the ones I'd love. Congrats!
Thanks!