Les Paul JR for country style picking?

[jglenn]

Just got my first Les Paul JR this week,a US made Gibson.Got a really good deal from a former boss.Money is very tight for me,as it is divorce time for me again! but I sold my Ibanez 335 style to a co worker,and got the JR for 425.00 cash.
First thing I played on it were some Dwight Hokum style riffs,and this thing just killed for that style of playing!Maybe just better for my playing style,but I got a better country sound than i ever got from the teles I have owned.Anyone else had a similar experience? I have seen Keith Urban using the jr,but more in a rock vein.Other than him,I dont know of another country picker that plays one regularly.
By the way,I really like this guitar,and feel really fortunate to be able to get this one on the cheap,and will put it to good use. I have given fellow players cheap and or free guitars over the years when I was able to,and now a fellow player took care of me on this buy,sweet!

[BB]

Cool! Congrats on your new Jr! I love slab LP's and P-90's.....great combo for any type of music. They excel (imo) in the country pickin' area.

I remember seeing Emily Lou Harris back in the late 70's, ealy 80's. I was pumped to see Albert Lee on guitar. To my surprise, instead of Labert, out came this cocky looking dude with a cig hanging out of his mouth and sporting a limed mahogany 57 (or so) Les Paul Special.....with a B-bender no less!!!

I found out later his name is Frank Reckard and he just tore it up on that LP....it sure sounded country to my ears!

My first 'real' electric was a 57 Les paul Special with two P-90's. I did not play (or even like!) country music at that time.....but that LP Special could pretty much do anything tone wise from blues to rock to jazz to country.

[Jakedog]

I'm not famous, but I use LP Jr.'s for country all the time. I don't pay any new stuff, only older country, outlaw, and honky tonk stuff, but I think these guitars really excel at those styles. They are also great for pretty much anything else you throw at them.

I use mine for everything. the only styles I don't play on a regular basis are jazz and full out metal. But I think that if I did, I could still do it with a Jr.

[refin]

Originally Posted by BB

Cool! Congrats on your new Jr! I love slab LP's and P-90's.....great combo for any type of music. They excel (imo) in the country pickin' area.

I remember seeing Emily Lou Harris back in the late 70's, ealy 80's. I was pumped to see Albert Lee on guitar. To my surprise, instead of Labert, out came this cocky looking dude with a cig hanging out of his mouth and sporting a limed mahogany 57 (or so) Les Paul Special.....with a B-bender no less!!!

I found out later his name is Frank Reckard and he just tore it up on that LP....it sure sounded country to my ears!

My first 'real' electric was a 57 Les paul Special with two P-90's. I did not play (or even like!) country music at that time.....but that LP Special could pretty much do anything tone wise from blues to rock to jazz to country.

I remember seeing that show with Reckard....blew me away.

[Post Toastie]

Kathleen Edwards uses one sometimes.

[jglenn]

I saw the old TV show with Frank Reckard also,I think he played the short 3/4 scale JR if I am not mistaken,but man,he just wailed on that thing!Emylou sure picked some bad assed guitar players over the years!

[H. Mac]

Congratulations, jglenn. The LPJ is one of the best guitar designs ever, and it seems like a cousin to the Esquire.

Here's a current thread from Bad Dog that gets into famous LPJ players.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bad-dog-c...r-players.html

Enjoy!

[jglenn]

Thanks guys. BB,my first good guitar was a Guild Arisocrat with two soap bars,from Seattle music in the 1970's,amazing guitar,225.00 bucks with aligator case.

[jjkrause84]

If you're happy with a rootsier, rounder sound I think P90 LPs do fine for country (in my experience). I feel like they encourage me to play fewer notes, which is usually a good thing....

[Sollophonic]

Gibsons with single P90s can handle almost anything, plus Gibson put some seriously responsive controls on their slabster guitars, which can give you a great spread of tones from one pickup.

[Psyclone]

I love my jr. Everything from rock to blues to gospel to even jazz. The simple nature of the guitar seems to bring out the best in my playing.

They also look very, very cool.

[dblues]

Back in the 80s the places we played required lots of country and all kinds of rock except heavy metal. I went back and forth between my Strat and Jr. The guy I was playing for had an early 60s tele that stayed stashed behind his couch in the living room. I asked him if I could try it on a job and bought some new strings for it. At the end of the night he said "You can play whatever you want but I think that Gibson sounds best." Granted I didn't know much about setting up the Tele but I eventually sold the Strat and just played the Jr.

[ac15]

Originally Posted by jglenn

Just got my first Les Paul JR this week,a US made Gibson.Got a really good deal from a former boss.Money is very tight for me,as it is divorce time for me again! but I sold my Ibanez 335 style to a co worker,and got the JR for 425.00 cash.
First thing I played on it were some Dwight Hokum style riffs,and this thing just killed for that style of playing!Maybe just better for my playing style,but I got a better country sound than i ever got from the teles I have owned.Anyone else had a similar experience? I have seen Keith Urban using the jr,but more in a rock vein.Other than him,I dont know of another country picker that plays one regularly.
By the way,I really like this guitar,and feel really fortunate to be able to get this one on the cheap,and will put it to good use. I have given fellow players cheap and or free guitars over the years when I was able to,and now a fellow player took care of me on this buy,sweet!

You can get great tones for that type of music on any p90 LP. Doesn't have to be a Junior.

[hwy145]

Definitely a possibility, especially for Dwight "hokum" riffs...

All kidding aside, any guitar can be used as a tool for any style, but the tele just lends itself well to the sound many country pickers go for. I have an es 339 that sounds heavenly when performing pedal steel type bends...