How to pick a 1st Les Paul?

[Robnik33]

For ergonomics, it's just that the shorter scale 24.75 neck feels stubbier, flatter & wider. They generally are 12 inch fretboard radius. The lower bout is the same +/- dimension as a Fender Telecaster. The LP is definitely the slimmer waist of the 2 between the upper & lower bouts. The upper bout is narrower than the Telecaster's.

I find the ergonomic issue is not the scale length, it is the difference in where the bridge sits horizontally on my body when sitting (with guitar on my left leg). I measured horizontally from the center of the bridge to my navel vs my Strat, the LP sits almost 3" further to the left. Just doesn't feel right. No issues with the position standing, other than the weight

 

[GRAVITY-LHP]

I don't know. Do I? What I vaguely know is that I want a classic feel and sound - I want what's inspired players for the past 70 years.

Can you elaborate? I'd love to open up the search to other brands as long as they stay pretty close to the OG.

I can see that. However I've been loving my dreadnought acoustic again lately and that thing is huge so I'm hopeful I can handle an LP, lol. Maybe not though! I agree completely that setup and fret level/polish makes a huge difference in that "yeah" feeling.

Maybe this is what my little thought exercise is really about. What is the Les Paul experience? Will I know it when I try the axes?

Just a player. I COULD spend up to $1700 comfortably, but in all honesty I prefer sub-$1000 guitars so I don't feel like I have to baby them.

You can for absolute certainty have a full blown Les Paul in your budget.

I sold this over the weekend on flea verb for $1675 to pay for …. A different Les Paul.

It didn’t suck for the lucky buyer.

Stock LP Standard Plus w some buckle rash.

 

[Tommy Biggs]

I’ve only had 2 LPs, but both have been great for me. (My brother is playing the first or I’d have only bought one…)
My .02 is that they are easy enough to make sound great, so I focus on intonation, tuning stability and playability.

I like maple necks and ebony boards, I never really prioritized color. I think I’m in the minority on that.

 

[Mad Max]

I went to GC recently, with money set aside to buy a Gibson Les Paul and I couldn't find a good one. I have a ESP-LTD EC-401VF LP style guitar that is better than any of those Gibsons I played. I would play one for a minute and say "Man! They want $2K for this?"
So as others have said, at least right now, I would steer you away from a Gibson. Maybe at some point they'll get the QC to the point where you don't have to play 20 of them to find a good one.

 

[Wallaby]

OP since you are in Colorado, maybe you could schedule a visit at Wildwood to sit down and actually play a few guitars and get to know the differences in person.

I think a stiff neck and a very rigid neck joint are a great start. After that, for me, liveliness and resonance count for a lot, along with a not-too-flat neck angle.

The more guitars you handle and play the more their individual characteristics become apparent.

 

[ChicknPickn]

Get one of these for $298 US + shipping and play it while you're thinking it over. I did, and my Les Paul itch is scratched. Unreal. Harley Benton SC-550 II, weight relieved, mahogany neck and body, Alnico pickups, stainless frets. That top is NOT a veneer, btw.

 

[gridlock]

First Les Paul, I would definitely go with a Gibson brand used Tribute or a Studio.

You can pick up a used Tribute for $900 or less or a used Studio for $1000 or less.

Over the last few years, I’ve owned some really nice Studios. A few photos of these.

 

[jvin248]

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If going for 'The Gibson!' then make sure to study the signs for repaired headstocks. They are fragile and often break when you are shipping to a buyer so you can get cash to pay the rent. Or you may not see the repair until you own the guitar. A repaired Gibson will only sell for half what a used unbroken Gibson sells for, so it's a risky venture. There are a lot of 'tough guys' who say they don't worry but they are the first criers when the rent is due.




Get an Epiphone, Reverend, PRS SE (22 fret model for LP, 24 for SG tone sets), or have you seen the Harley Benton SC450/550?



.

 

[Lowspeid]

Play A LOT of Les Pauls, and I mean A LOT. They are all unique, and there are so many variations. Like @Peegoo said, be patient. Take your time. They are expensive guitars, and can be more challenging to flip if you decide you don’t like it.

Like others have said buy used, if possible. I owned several Les Pauls before ending up with a minty 2018 R8 last year, and it’s a forever guitar. My kids will sell it when I die and likely get more for it than I paid.

Last piece of advice: You might have a color, model, and pickup preferences already set. Throw those out the window. I always wanted a Black LPC. I’ve played several, and owned one for a short period of time. In the end the R8 was the “sound and feel” that I was wanting. I NEVER would have walked into a guitar store looking for that guitar. It’s still not my favorite color, and it’s not as flamey as I’d like, but when I play it I feel connected in a way I never did with my SG (sold), my American standard and Delux Teles (sold), or the LPC (partial trade for R8).

They aren’t cheap. Take your time.

 

[TomBrokaw]

My 90s LP Studio plays great and I like the way it sounds. Ebony fretboard. There are two on my local CL, an 89 for just under a grand and a 95 for 2500, although that seller is cheating and posting from a different city. ETA: also a 97 for 975. So they're an option.

Definitely check out the Studios. They're not quite as pretty, but they do the thing.

 

[gimmeatele]

Get one of these for $298 US + shipping and play it while you're thinking it over. I did, and my Les Paul itch is scratched. Unreal. Harley Benton SC-550 II, weight relieved, mahogany neck and body, Alnico pickups, stainless frets. That top is NOT a veneer, btw.

View attachment 1127444

Just bought one of these with EMG pick ups and it is a superb guitar, absolutely love it. I have a Gibson LP standard which given how much it is now worth I don't want to damage it, this HB is more than a poor relation, they are fantastic guitars

 

[G Stone496]

So, how do you find a good one?

Generally when I shop guitars I play them unplugged, get a feel for the natural responsiveness, and then plug in to a low wattage amp clean channel. Is this still a good approach for a Les Paul?

Also does it need to be a Gibson/Epiphone or can the copies also have “it”?

I pick 'em up, if they don't feel super heavy, I sit down with 'em in a quiet space. Then I play 'em acoustically and if I feel the neck resonating against my left palm or thumb, feel the top lower bout resonating against my right forearm and the back resonating against my belly it's a good one.

Then still not plugged in, I get a feel for how smooth and fast it plays and evenness of volume note to note. Next I'll plug it in and make sure all the electronics work. With a LP and it's 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, if the pickups are halfway decent, you're gonna be able to dial in pretty much any sound you want.

As far as should it be a Gibson or can a Epiphone or other brands have "it"? Just my personal opinion, I tried a bunch a different brands and the Gibsons seem to have something that the Epis and other brands get close to but can't quite reproduce. The Gibbys seem to have a little bigger sound, thickness, heft, weight or fatness to the sound. I got a Kiesel CS6 Goldtop and it gots top notch materials and top quality construction. But the sound is only maybe 90% there compared to a Gibson.

 

[JohnnyThul]

A Gibson may look expensive, but in the long run it's the "cheapest" option. I have been into Les Paul's for a long time and I owned copies and originals, but I never lost money on a Gibson. On the contrary.

So, if possible, buy a Gibson.

Now, if you want custom shop specs on a budget, then I'd look into higher end Japanese replicas ( Tokai, Navigator, Bacchus etc). They offer the same look and higher end specs at a low price. Downside is, they offer a range of models from cheap to expensive and it is not so easy to distinguish them without some homework.
And they are usually seldom seen in shops to check out.

What distracted me from a lot of copies is cosmetics. The inlay material for example most of the time looks cheap compared to the original. And they are not easy to change. Plastics and Hardware, that is easy to change along the way.

Soundwise, the test for ne was always how a Les Paul behaved above the 12th fret. A lot of them have dead spots in higher registers. The better ones ring out evenly above the 12th fret. You can of course make any guitar better with a good setup, so, if possible have the guitars set up, before checking.
Next thing is neck humbucker. If you don't want to change parts or electronics, check for the neck humbucker sound in overdrive mode. It needs to have enough clarity to not mud out. It may sound cool for those Slash type leadsounds, but for anything else it's just annoying.

Check the nut, a lot of Les Pauls have bad cut nuts, and if possible, have it checked and replaced by a pro if necessary. The g string can be a notorious issue with these guitars, a well made nut can take care of that.
I would highly suggest having a Switchcraft toggle installed, because any other toggle I ever had failed pretty soon. AFAIK all Gibson Les Pauls use this toggle, not sure about other companies.

 

[Festofish]

There’s nothing wrong with a Studio. I’ve got a bunch of guitars but there was something different about the Gibson. I’ve got an Epiphone that’s amazing but it ain’t a Gibson. I think their prices are ridiculous.

 

[northernguitar]

If going for 'The Gibson!' then make sure to study the signs for repaired headstocks. They are fragile and often break when you are shipping to a buyer so you can get cash to pay the rent. Or you may not see the repair until you own the guitar. A repaired Gibson will only sell for half what a used unbroken Gibson sells for, so it's a risky venture. There are a lot of 'tough guys' who say they don't worry but they are the first criers when the rent is due.

This is wrong, and it’s obviously your agenda speaking. No, they don’t ‘often’ break. And if you aren’t a careless klutz, there’s no risk of it. I guess I’m a ‘tough guy’ who just knows how to care for a guitar. If the headstock broke, it’s entirely on the player. And unless you buy direct from the factory, ALL Les Pauls get shipped, and again, they don’t break.

All in all, I say go for the Gibson. Something special about them. For me, as good as it can be, a poly-finished LP or copy just doesn’t have the same allure as a nitro-finished Gibson.

 

[ChicknPickn]

Just bought one of these with EMG pick ups and it is a superb guitar, absolutely love it. I have a Gibson LP standard which given how much it is now worth I don't want to damage it, this HB is more than a poor relation, they are fantastic guitars

Really hard to believe, the quality for the money. Heck, hard to believe even if you don't know the price.

 

[NHFlyCaster]

We dropped in GC one day and there was a cherry red 2015 Gibson LPM on the used wall. It had Kluson tuners instead of robot tuners, and no case for $650.00. Not bad for a USA Gibson LP. Gibson started Pleking everything in 2014 the frets are nicely done The neck is like .050 wider on each side. It has 61 zebra open coils. All in with Gibson brown case for less than $1000. Plays well and sounds grest.

Liked it so much I got one with robot tuners and original gold case (said good for 15 foot drop) like new for $1200 from Chicago Music Exchange. This one in vintage sunburst. The robot tuner settings are tweaked for more accurate tuning vs speed. They're good, not perfect the pegs still turn by hand. These will probably be swapped for Grover locking tuners because a lot of alternative tunings aren't needed.

These are nice LPs for a fair price. Mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood board.

 

[beyer160]

Straight-up USA Gibson Les Pauls are very spendy.
And with the QC issues they've had over the years, they're not a safe bet.
Even new - and especially used (why do most guitars get sold?).

I have owned a few US LPs and they were OK, but I ended up swapping pickups and putting GraphTech nuts on them anyway. No doubt lowering their resale, but upping their playability.

There's a plethora of LP knock-offs out there, and they vary wildly in price and quality.
I have found the AGILE brand to be amazing - better IMHO than the US Gibsons.
They can be had for under $500 too. Check Reverb and eBay and the Rondo website.
Agiles are made under the auspices of Rondo Music, an American family company from New Hampshire someplace. They send the specs to a leading Korean manufacturer and voila.
The upper level models (3000 series) come with Tusq nuts and saddle inserts in the TOM.
Grover tuners that really hold pitch.
Flawless fit and finish and fretwork.
Wiring is decent and they come with full-size pots.
I have two - one that's a double cutaway with humbuckers and a singlecut with P90s.
Both are excellent guitars that I would put up against any US Gibsons.
Factory pickups, OTOH, left me cold, so I swapped in Tonerider A4 humbuckers in one and Lollar P90s in the other. Now they sound great!

I went the Agile route because I never cared for Epiphones and there are SO MANY copycats out there that need major surgery to play and sound good - best leave those to the pawnshop.

I have a black LP Studio that does all the Les Paul stuff, but there will always be a part of me that wants a burst like Jimmy Page had on the poster on my wall as a kid. I've been able to resist the temptation to plow a bunch more money into acquiring a new guitar that does the same thing as the Studio but in a different color. However, I did pick up a sunburst Agile AL-3000 off Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. I didn't like the pot tapers so I spent $20 on new ones (the old ones worked fine, but I use my volume knobs a lot so I'm picky), and I have a set of Duncan '59s I'll probably put in it the next time I change strings. Otherwise, I can't believe how great this thing is. The playability is the same as the Studio, and they're both boat anchors. My Studio has aftermarket pickups so I can't judge the stock ones. The only real difference is the feel of a poly finish vs nitro. I do dig the aesthetics and feel of a nitro finish, but in practical terms it makes no difference. I'd be happy playing a gig tonight with either. I consider my burst needs satisfied.

However, I recently acquired a black Heritage H140 that puts both in the dirt. Honestly I think it looks kind of fugly with the tiny headstock and pointy horn, but when I start playing all is forgiven. I'm seriously considering letting the Studio go, but the Agile is staying.

 

[IronSchef]

If you are looking at $1000 budget, I’m thinking you could do really well with either:

Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus​

here you get real Gibson pickups, and all the bling of a top end Gibson LP - just no Gibson headstock. You can get these new under 1k

i had this one I regret selling

you could also go Gibson - I would suggest, as others have, a used “tribute” or “studio” model to stay under your budget

i got my 2013 LP Studio last year for $799 - super happy with it

lastly, again as others have said - look at other brands … some great LP style choices out there — love the PRS Single-cut SEs - several choices new and used within your budget

 

[kuch]

I've owned quite a few Gibby LPs. 1st was a the Paul, several studios, several DCs, and 4-5 Standards. All of them were in VG to mint condition and played very well and sounded good. I recently picked up a Epi LP Standard for my grandson who didn't bond with it so I'll be selling that soon. After setting it up yesterday I plugged it in. Plays and sounds really good.
If you're just testing the waters, I would suggest going to your local music store and compare the Gibbys with the Epis just to get a feel for what they are.
Here's a pic of my grandson's:

Good luck in your search. Have fun!