Best "new" Les Paul's??

[SLOgriff]

I've always been a strat w/humbucker's guitar guy. I been playing the Suhr S1& S2 Pro Series for a few years now, which are basically super strats, and are really nice guitars. However, the necks are just a little thin for tastes and I find they limit my playing. I need and expect "quality" with my amps and guitars....

Been thinking about getting a Les Paul for a different tone and feel, but it seems there are a lot of "less than quality" Les Paul's on the market these days and I can't make heads or tails of these. I want a solid mahogany body (no weight releaved or chambered), thick neck and quality parts and assembly. I DO NOT want custom shop.

So which ones are the ones to get these days??

 

[Zap]

From what I've read on the LP forums, it seems that the LP traditional is the most popular. For me, it must have rosewood because the baked maple is fugly, looks and feels cheap.

 

[tom_h]

I've always been a strat w/humbucker's guitar guy. I been playing the Suhr S1& S2 Pro Series for a few years now, which are basically super strats, and are really nice guitars. However, the necks are just a little thin for tastes and I find they limit my playing. I need and expect "quality" with my amps and guitars....

Been thinking about getting a Les Paul for a different tone and feel, but it seems there are a lot of "less than quality" Les Paul's on the market these days and I can't make heads or tails of these. I want a solid mahogany body (no weight releaved or chambered), thick neck and quality parts and assembly. I DO NOT want custom shop.

So which ones are the ones to get these days??

To my knowledge, there is no current-production model Les Paul being offered by Gibson that meets your requirements.

The Standards are chambered
The Traditionals are weight relieved.

The only true solid-bodied LP's that Gibson makes currently are the Custom Shop guitars.

 

[not jackie chan]

I too am looking at les pauls but all of the options have my head spinning. I don't really want to buy new, but amazingly there are NO gibson les paul standards for sale right now on craigslist in my decent sized metro area. just lots of epiphones and a few traditional pros for almost new price.
weight relieved seems ok to me (swiss cheese holed) since from what I've read they've been doing this since around 82/83, so just about all standards since then will have this. the chambering on the other hand I want to avoid.

 

[muudrock]

Not sure if your into it, but the Alex Lifeson Axcess is nice. No clambering, not weight relieved, super sweet neck, rosewood fretboard and great neck and no heel. Has a Floyd, which I dig on this guitar which also has piezo saddles too. Pricey, but I found one for a good price.

I don't think Gibson has anything else recently that fits your criteria

 

[Ventura]

Customs are the way to go. As well, the true reissues - '57 Goldtops and '59 Bursts. Great, great axes. I have a '57 GTDB, killer. I also have a '59 Lemonburst (Yamano Select), and it's a stunning instrument - incredible resonance and sustain.

If you need any direction, ask away. There are MANY good "new" Lesters to pick from, just gotta know what to look for....

Mo

 

[Anonymous]

try b4 you buy. even if you order it custom, try it first..if you hate it, send it back.

my buddy ordered one, and the factory sent 2 like models to the store...one was a real dud, the one he was 'posed to get...so he took the other.

 

[not jackie chan]

I'm not really well acquainted with the neck options. I have a 96 or 97 sg standard and I like the neck on it. which les paul neck is closest?

 

[chumbucket]

Not sure if your into it, but the Alex Lifeson Axcess is nice. No clambering, not weight relieved, super sweet neck, rosewood fretboard and great neck and no heel. Has a Floyd, which I dig on this guitar which also has piezo saddles too. Pricey, but I found one for a good price.

I don't think Gibson has anything else recently that fits your criteria

What's a good price on a Lifeson? Any pics?

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

I've always been a strat w/humbucker's guitar guy. I been playing the Suhr S1& S2 Pro Series for a few years now, which are basically super strats, and are really nice guitars. However, the necks are just a little thin for tastes and I find they limit my playing. I need and expect "quality" with my amps and guitars....

Been thinking about getting a Les Paul for a different tone and feel, but it seems there are a lot of "less than quality" Les Paul's on the market these days and I can't make heads or tails of these. I want a solid mahogany body (no weight releaved or chambered), thick neck and quality parts and assembly. I DO NOT want custom shop.

So which ones are the ones to get these days??

To my knowledge, there is no current-production model Les Paul being offered by Gibson that meets your requirements.

The Standards are chambered
The Traditionals are weight relieved.

The only true solid-bodied LP's that Gibson makes currently are the Custom Shop guitars.

This +1.

Buy an R8/R7 and done. If you want solid, non-weight relieved body you have to buy new thru the Custom Shop Offerings... ie Historic Reissues...

or...

Build yourself a time machine and travel back to around 1975.

 

[Mudder]

IMHO the best new Les Pauls are made by Heritage.

 

[mniel8195]

ive heard nothing but great things about the heritage stuff. But if you want something a little more modern and sexy i would see if you could find an original esp eclipse full thickness.

 

[SLOgriff]

Customs are the way to go. As well, the true reissues - '57 Goldtops and '59 Bursts. Great, great axes. I have a '57 GTDB, killer. I also have a '59 Lemonburst (Yamano Select), and it's a stunning instrument - incredible resonance and sustain.

If you need any direction, ask away. There are MANY good "new" Lesters to pick from, just gotta know what to look for....

Mo

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a "Lester"?

R9/R7 refers to '59 or '57 reissue, correct?

I played a new Traditional/Classic (Tobacco burst) at GC yesterday and it was ok. $1,899 and the pickups were hot and crunchy which I prefer. The action was kinda high and the neck could be a little thicker.

The VOS Les Pauls seemed like they were pretty nice but not too pretty. haha

 

[tom_h]

Not sure if your into it, but the Alex Lifeson Axcess is nice. No clambering, not weight relieved, super sweet neck, rosewood fretboard and great neck and no heel. Has a Floyd, which I dig on this guitar which also has piezo saddles too. Pricey, but I found one for a good price.

I don't think Gibson has anything else recently that fits your criteria

The Axcess models might not be chambered or "weight relieved" but they are slimmer than a "normal" Les Paul. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it isn't the same as a solid full-thickness LP.

 

[SLOgriff]

This is the BEST old Les Paul I've ever seen!!!

 

[21_guitars]

I went through this a few weeks ago and ended up buying a new R8. There are some used ones that come up once in a while but the prices were not that much less than a new one.

Good luck,
Clark

 

[21_guitars]

Oh yeah, also bought a new Nik Huber Krautster from steve_k which is sorta like an LP jr. Great guitar to consider buying, I'm very happy with mine.

 

[SLOgriff]

I went through this a few weeks ago and ended up buying a new R8. There are some used ones that come up once in a while but the prices were not that much less than a new one.

Good luck,
Clark

Cool, do you have a picture? R8 means '58 Reissue....correct?

 

[21_guitars]

Sorry, no pics as I am at work, and yes an R8 is a reissue. I like mine, it's the single pickup '58 LP custom shop. There are pics of the same type of guitar on Amazon.

Clark

 

[SLOgriff]

I really like this one!