Looks like I may have a little inheritance money through, and if that is the case I figured that it should be used for something I have always wanted/needed/coveted/just plain lusted after.

So… the question is simple…

Which Les Paul?

I have a Swamp Ash Studio at the moment, which is cracking good – and if I ever start playing on stages with walls of Marshall stacks behind me again then that would probably be my guitar of choice… or the Gordon-Smith custom made jobbie… so this is going to be purely for my own unadulterated pleasure! Depending on how much I have, and how much the Paul costs I may look at throwing an amp into the equation too so open to suggestions in that direction too (there are way too many to try them all!)

I probably should look at an amp actually – I got a Peavey Windsor Studio and promptly fell out of love with it, and I have an old Boogie .22 Cal which needs some serious rehabilitation… so just now the only amp I have which actually works is a Yamaha THR10… Blackstar Club/Studio/Soloist? Marshall/Orange/Another Boogie?????

Inspire me please!

Depends on how much you have to spend but amp-wise I’d love a Mesa Mini-Rectifier.

As for Les Pauls: This is lovely

http://www.gak.co.uk/en/gibson-2014-les-paul-standard-premium-quilt-rootbeer/90187

The Mini-Rectifier is very tempting… I was just thinking about that a short while back looking at the combo and head/1×12 cab options. Could be interesting!

Budget is possibly in the £3k region, but I will know more in a few days – that was the figure hinted at though.

I am not a fan of quilted finishes… but a flame in that colour could work for me… There are that many flavours these days though, gone are the days of a Standard or Custom (it was always a Standard I wanted, though I did have a close call with a silverburst 70’s custom that was very nearly mine once)

I’ve never really understood the lust over a ‘type’ of guitar, they’re all so different. You could really love the look of something only to discover that it sounds terrible

I think you are fairly safe with Les Pauls 8)

i have nothing constructive to add except i’ll be getting one of these bad boys tomorrow (i seriously cannot wait.love jaguar guitars 😀

mine is the white version.

i traded my ibanez S-420 wb towards it (a great guitar,but not for me tbh at the end of the day).

now i just have to learn some johnny marr stuff.

mikey, I’m not so sure. my dad’s got an ’87 standard, and a newer one ’06 I think, and they are massively different.

Nothing to add either, but this thread’s reminded me I’ve got an early 90’s LP Custom mothballed at my dad’s (white, 3 pickup), had forgotten all about it. Wonder how much it’d cost to get it sent over to Spain….

Les Pauls are very different guitar to guitar… but get a good one and they are exceptional 🙂 I am not sure what the quality is like in the current generation, or quality variation. My studio is stonking, but there is that lust factor!

If it was being bought for any other purpose I wouldn’t necessarily be so wedded to a Les Paul as I also want a 339 and an SG as well (for starters), and something with soap bars… and probably a Fender or two as well! But I have wanted a “proper” Les Paul since I started playing in 1986 so it seems entirely sensible in this circumstance 🙂

emsz: There are different types, as suggested above. I doubt any sound terrible, though, unless they are faulty, which is a possibility these days.

Some of the 70s ones were… erm… less than perfect 😉

Though not as variable of some of the Strats I have played from that era!

Love this one personally http://www.dv247.com/guitars/gibson-les-paul-traditional-aa-flame-top-6-string-electric-guitar-cherry-sunburst–209316

Find a few you like then do a bit of research (shops or youtube) into the different pickup sounds and neck profiles, that’ll narrow it down to a couple of models, then just choose the nicest finish 😀

Mmmmm – that is so the obvious choice… and not a bad one at all! The new 2015 models due very soon are a wee bit different though.

Then there are the Classics and Traditionals too.

The first thing I do with a guitar is play it unplugged – you can tell a lot about them from doing so! If they sound flat and lack sparkle and sustain like that it aint worth plugging them in!

Try a top of the range Japanese tokai, in fact try everything. Prs are nice too at that price point

My inner Gothic Rockgod is being tempted by this one…

These guys are worth a look:
http://www.heritageguitar.com/indexf.html

Guys who quite Gibson cos they were fed up of their shite.

Also look at ESP and Tokai over in Japan. They do some excellent Les Pauls. As in >£2000 ones (though you’d be paying £5000 for a similar Gibson).

Amps – do you play gigs or just in your bedroom?
Volume is very important when it comes to valve amps.

Check out Matamp. Based in Huddersfield, they originally made Orange amps back in the 60s.
I had one for a while – very nicely made and a cool sound. Very low tone.

Yeah, the eyes lit up when you turned on the distortion

That’s nice kronos, with money left over for a Min Rectifier.

I’ve played a few Les Pauls and didn’t like any of them. Give me a nice strat any day.

That is one sexy amp!

I haven’t seen a Heritage Les Paul for years! I tried one once and it was lovely… but in this instance it has to be a Gibson. My Gordon-Smith blows most Gibsons well out the water when it is working, which reminds me I really must get that to the guitar techs for a serious overhaul soon, but that isn’t the point! This is about boyhood dreams being realised and something to remember someone very special by. Some people buy watches or art pieces… I think for me it has to be THE guitar I always wanted!

If I had the funds – it would probably be a handwired Marshall Blues Breaker for much the same reason… alas that is running a bit too rich (and is probably not the amp that, sonically speaking, suits what I want!)

Has to be a 59 replica Sunburst Standard

My Les Paul was actually shit, what a disappointment, just a big dead lump. If I was going to have another go it’d have to be…

Though tbh I’d rather have

(I like that these photos seem to be taken of the guitars in bed)

That is why I try em unplugged first! Great shame that you got a duff one though, it isn’t something unique to Gibson though, I have had or played a number of guitars that just don’t come to life.

Gold Top. Always.

Well, if it’s a classic Gibson Les Paul you want, there’s really only two choices:

A goldtop:
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14111716511288
£3.4k

or a black Custom ‘Black Beauty’
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14092911492577
£3k

You have to watch with Gibsons now. A lot of them have “weight relief”, so check the specs. It means they have taken big chunks out of the guitars so they don’t have the same sustainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
They were also banned from using rosewood on the fretboards so have some new compressed wood material. I’ve played it and it is very good – no different from rosewood. Some traditionalists don’t like it.

Are you dead set on a new one? Because you can save a lot of money on a high end Gibson buying used. You could even get a ‘vintage’ one. I’ve bought guitars off eBay before, never any problem. Expensive guitars have cases.
Nicest guitar I’ve ever played was a 1983 Les Paul custom hanging in a music shop in Edinburgh. Was just ‘right’.

As far as amplifiers go, are you doing gigs or is it just for home use? At home, those Yamaha THRs are awesome.
I’m sure Guitar Guitar were selling these Offset stacks really cheap. Was in an email I got from them (which I’ve deleted)
http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_amps_detail.asp?stock=13050811043832

These little amps are cool and meant to sound good. I’ve not played one yet though. http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_amps_detail.asp?stock=14060215215432

Orange Dark Terrors get rave reviews.

Fender have done some pretty wacky amps recently, their Pawn Shop series.
This Vaporiser one is on sale for £200:
http://www.reddogmusic.co.uk/catalog/product/288746/fender-pawn-shop-vaporizer-surf-green

Personally I have a THR5 in the house and use a Randall MTS amp. They are a valve amps with swappable valve pre-amp modules.

Not made any more and they go crazily cheap on eBay. Amps are about £100-150 and the modules are about £70 each.

I got a 50W combo and 9 modules from Red Dog Music for £400 on closeout.
Sold 4 of the modules and basically got a free amp.

Oh yeah, Jet City amps have been getting great reviews. Cheaper versions of Soldanos.

Orange Tiny Terror.

My brother has one with the 1×12 cab, and it’s bloody amazing. Not only can you fit the whole ‘stack’ in a rucksack but the head will easily do a 4×12 and still sound lovely, while looking brilliant.

I”m not a fan of Mesa, vastly overpriced IMO and I’ve never heard one live that sounds any good.

Cherry or orange sunburst standard

Well you don’t mention just how much money you want to spend, but if it was me and I had enough £’s I’d choose these, a 59 GoldTop with soap bar pick ups and a TwoRock.

Mesas can sound good. They are also easy to make sound shit.
Dual Rectifiers need the Mesa cab. They sound gash with a Marshall one.

I ran a Dual Recto stack for a while and it sounded awesome.

here’s mine..though I’ve got a 1960A cab for live stuff.

Capt. Kronos – Member

That is why I try em unplugged first! Great shame that you got a duff one though, it isn’t something unique to Gibson though, I have had or played a number of guitars that just don’t come to life.

Annoyingly my brother had an Epi Les Paul Standard at the same time which sounded much nicer 😆 Well, when the electronics were working.

(I ended up replacing it with an 80s korean Squier which I love, funny old game)

I have nothing against a used ‘Paul, though doubt I will stretch to anything too vintage!

Some interesting suggestions there!

As to amp use – in the house at the moment, but with thoughts of getting live again at some stage. I need to spend some serious time and probably money getting the Boogie back up and running properly again, but that may just solve the issue anyway!

I’d get on The Fretboard / Gumtree classifieds and start looking for nice s/h stuff. There is some cracking stuff you could own for years and end up not loosing a penny.

Another nod for Paul Reed Smiths – but then you already have one. I have an SAS too and it’s great, but a twin humbucker McCarty is worth a look. I have one of those (too) and an LP Studio – I tried the fancy Standard in the shop and settled for the Studio as it sounded/felt nicer.

And you’re sure you don’t want a 335 or similar? 🙂

Ampwise, depending on musical tastes, the Boogie Lone Star Special is a fantastic amp and worth a look.
And if you’re after a handwired Bluesbreaker, why not ask me about my original 1973, model 2100 ‘Paul Weller’ Lead and Bass 50 that I need to get round to selling…

Have a look for an older LP trad if you don’t want to blow your budget.

Also, for the home use side of things you can find the 1 watt marshalls at a reasonable price. The above approach will leave cash for a decent gigging amp as well