Talk me out of Les Paul GAS!!!!

[Del Pickup]

I've started getting a Peter Green/early Fleetwood Mac themed gig organised with another guitar player cos we both love this material.

The more I listen to the songs the more I have a fancy for getting a Les Paul and doing the Greeny mod to the neck pup!! I just love that out of phase honking tone.

A couple of years ago when I could have afforded an LP easily if I'd wanted one I talked myself out of it cos I decided that it was more important to establish my own style and tone and to make use of the gear that I already had - a CS Clapton strat, MIJ tele and MIM strat - to achieve that.

The thing is that I can't find a tone with any of these guitars that gets close to that LP tone of Mr Green's (surprise, surprise!!). And that's what's making me think I need an LP.

Talk me out of it cos I know I don't want the aggravation of trying to get this past my wife and expect to survive the ordeal............

So, if anyone's got any tips on how to achieve the PG tone with a strat or tele, Bassman, DRRI, Hotcake and TS9 please feel free to enlighten me and possibly save my neck!!

[Mark Davis]

Just like Teles can do things other guitars cant and Strats can do things other guitars cant Les Pauls can do things other guitars cant.

EVeryone needs a Tele a Strat a Les Paul and some type of hollowbody or semi-hollow like a 335 type to complete their collection of noise makers.

[DrewB]

Hi, the other half of the Enabler brothers checking in here. I agree with my brother Mark; you're not going to get the PG sound with the guitars you're running now. One thing I'd pay close attention to when you're shopping is finding a Les Paul that has a clear neck-pickup sound before the magnet flip. You're going to be able to get that out-of-phase sound in the middle position regardless of what the individual pickup positions sound like; you might as well get one that has it going on in all switch positions before you flip that magnet around. Les Pauls have no less personality than any other guitar model; each instrument will have its own sonic personality. The individual Les Pauls with the clear neck-pickup sound are harder to find, so be prepared to go through as many as you have to to find the one.

[Caffeine Patrol]

You might take a look at these:
http://cvguitars.com/PGMod/
I owned #46 for awhile; the actual guitar was so-so, but the mods were great.

[blacklinefish]

I tried the mod on my LP with SD SH-55 seth lover pickups. It was very easy because they are not wax potted.

I went through the trouble of switching it back because that middle position is a one-trick pony and it was not for me. With the gain up and the amp driven hard, it is an amazing sound. I miss it. However, I only have one LP and I play clean about 95% of the time. Unless you are in crunch territory, that middle sound just sounds weak (but it is amazing with the amp turned up). So, like I said, I switched it back.

I guess my recommendation is to get two Les Pauls - one to keep as is, and the other to mod by flipping that magnet. I hope that helps.

--gh

/celebrating my 1,000th post by talking about Les Pauls?
//sorry about that!

[Telecaster Joe]

I have an amberburst Epiphone Les Paul Standard that I did the Greeny mod to. I paid $325 for it (used). I left the pickups stock and just flipped the magnet in the neck pickup. I get that great out of phase sound for cheap.
If your not a name snob and can handle being seen playing an Epiphone this might be the way to go.

[collinsman]

Originally Posted by Telecaster Joe

I have an amberburst Epiphone Les Paul Standard that I did the Greeny mod to. I paid $325 for it (used). I left the pickups stock and just flipped the magnet in the neck pickup. I get that great out of phase sound for cheap.
If your not a name snob and can handle being seen playing an Epiphone this might be the way to go.

Or get a VS LP - You can usually find them from $650 - 750.

[TG]

Go here and check out the V100 ICON.

[Del Pickup]

No, no, no!!!

You're supposed to be talking me out of buying another guitar - not giving me reasons as to why I need another one!! I can come up with these myself!!!

You are all very bad people............ do you want me to be hung drawn and quartered by an uncaring wife who can't hear the sonic differences between a strat and a tele let alone having another 'baby' in the house to listen to????

[Colt W. Knight]

Everytime you buy a Les Paul, a chinese child starves to death and an African child dies.

Does that help?

[Joe-Bob]

Originally Posted by Del Pickup

No, no, no!!!

You're supposed to be talking me out of buying another guitar - not giving me reasons as to why I need another one!!

Yeah.....that's not how it works around here. You really should try to make it to the meetings.

[DrewB]

Originally Posted by Del Pickup

No, no, no!!!

You're supposed to be talking me out of buying another guitar - not giving me reasons as to why I need another one!! I can come up with these myself!!!

You are all very bad people............ do you want me to be hung drawn and quartered by an uncaring wife who can't hear the sonic differences between a strat and a tele let alone having another 'baby' in the house to listen to????

Anyone who knows PGFM can't possibly be discriminating enough to tell the difference between PG's snarky sound and a Strat.

Is that better?

[Del Pickup]

Caffeine patrol,

These guitars at CV are amazing and very well priced too! The sound bytes are every bit Peter Green that you would hope - and through a Deluxe Reverb as well.

Oh no, I feel GASSSSSS........... it's not fair. I came here to be told I didn't need one of these........ and look at me - a quivering wreck wondering how I can swing this past 'she who must be obeyed'!!!

And, yes Drew that was more along the lines of what I needed to see but I fear it might be too late............

[frankthomson]

BUY.....THE.....LESTER.....!

[TelZilla]

This is not going to help, but I don't think an LP ever sounded better than on the live version of "Jumpin at Shadows" from the Boston Tea Party album.

Greeny is just the best. You know you can just do that mod by switching the hot and ground on the neck pup- that way you don't need to risk breaking the winding

[robt57]

[BritishBluesBoy]

Stop it. STOP IT.

I SAID STOP IT!!!

I'm gassing so hard right now for a Les Paul...

[eggman]

Del Pickup,

Perhaps I can help. I always wanted a Cherry sunburst LP Std and acquired one in the mid-90s. She weighed 10.5 lbs, at least . It was uncomfortable to play sitting and not terribly well balanced to play while standing. And did I mention that it was heavy?
Anyway, I swapped it for a D-28, and never looked back. The day i made the swap at the guitar shop, there was another guy trading in his LP Std! The reason? Too heavy.
In the end it's your money and if the LP Std is really important to you, then you won't be happy without it. Good luck. :)

Eggman

[beep.click]

Best cure for LP gas is owning one. Cured me, big time.

But maybe that's just me; obviously, some people love those beasts. I can never get them to do what I need a guitar to do.

'Cept maybe the P90 ones. Those are OK. Sometimes.

[rhh7]

I would not buy a Les Paul because the neck design is faulty.

A quote from Ed Roman:

"Set Neck Guitars break the easiest because they are inherently less stable. None of us here are fans of any guitar with a set neck. These are by far the least expensive to build. But they tend to break. (We have more set neck Les Paul necks break than all other guitars put together.)"