Les Paul Traditional Here comes another one

BlueFinn

Les Paul Traditional? How do these guys come up with this stuff? Overall this is a nice looking axe with all the “traditional” visual cues that I like to see in a Paul. I also like the fact that Gibson left all the weight in. I love strapping on a Paul and feeling like its furniture. I’m not too sure about the chromed parts, I’m a nickel man but I like the classic tuning heads with improved ratio.

I’d like to actually play one to see what all the fuss is about Gibson’s new Plek system. Anyone actually seen one of these yet? A Les Paul based on the 80’s I’m not sure I would be trumpeting that but there are a few features here that have me interested.

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/divisions/gibson%20usa/products/lespaul/traditional/

herb · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 6:41 am Post subject:

The way that I read that, the mahogany part of the body is chambered and weight relieved, with a complete maple cap over it. It's still a nice piece, the pickup combination is perfect for me! Cool

SAguitar · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 7:50 pm Post subject:

Gibson seems to regularly try to re-invent the Les Paul! At least this one sounds like they're trying to include features in it that we players like, and that would be a change for the better! Cool

Personally, I like the chrome parts more than the nickel. I'm always trying to polish my nickel hardware so that it looks like chrome, and it never gets there! Laughing

herb · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 10:30 pm Post subject:

Yep! And the nickel eventually corrodes to a dull gray. Mad

It's also absorbed by human skin and it's poisonous. Shocked

BlueFinn · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 10:39 pm Post subject:

I hear ya... I like the chrome at first when I'm trying to keep the guitar as perfect as possible but later when it has some wear the "blue chrome" seems a bit out of place. Besides in my earlier post I said "i'm a nickle man" that was a type o. It should have read "I'm a nipple man" LOL

Either way it is a nice looking guitar and it does (as pointed out) have 57's in it. My choice all the way.

herb · Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:35 am Post subject:

Right! Typo! Wink

Same here! Wink

Jack Daniels · Growing Lion Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 883

If I understand this correctly: this has the 9 holes drilled in the body for weight relief and not that it is chambered. So in all practical purposes, this is same guitar that gibson made from about the mid 80's until about 2005 or 2006. After that, Gibson did actually start chambering the bodies. I think that was actually 2007 that they went full chamber. So the traditional is really going back to the classic Les Paul from the last 20 years. I wondered if the chamber'd guitars would actual go over or not. The fact that they are "re-issueing" the 9 hole bodies so soon must mean something about the sale of the newer all chambered ones.

Either way.....I find the not weight relieved bodies much more tonefull. Of course you millage may very. YMMV.

JD

BlueFinn · Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject:

Good point JD, I can only speak for myself but I don't care for the weight relief bodies. I have an 07 Gold Top that feels like the body is just barely heavier than the neck. My 335 and my Strat both weigh more. The real shoulder killer of the bunch is a 1980 LP Custom which seems to be in the 9.8 pound range. When I hang that it just feels like it's going to sustain for weeks. Give me the old 10 pound Norlin any day.

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 5:49 am Post subject:

All right, BF! There's a guy in my camp! Although when my back is hurtin, I appreciate my lighter guitars, when I'm feeling good, I like my chunky Les Pauls, too. Cool

Stay tuned,
Stan

Jack Daniels · Growing Lion Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 883

This is the BFG...but the 07 and 08 Les Paul Standards are chambered very simular to this.

The Mid 80's to 2006 did not look like this. They had 9 holes drilled in them. All in the upper arm area of the body. I have a pic somewhere. I will look. They must be on my other computer.

BlueFinn · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:29 am Post subject:

Where's the beef? My older LP feels like a 30/30 my new Paul feels like a BB Gun.

SAguitar · Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 8:47 am Post subject:

JD, this is one of the other pics you submitted way back when for LP chambering, but it is not the earlier, "swiss cheese look" either...

Jack Daniels · Growing Lion Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 883

Right Stan. That is the Supreme. To me, the is the perfect chamber set up for an LP.

This is the Cloud 9 chamber next to a BFG. Its almost completely hollow. Each one sounds different.

I still think a chambered guitar should have the tail piece and bridge connect to the butt of the guitar...like the supreme. This gives the sustain and tone balance of a 335 while still retaining a little of a solid body tone.

JCP · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:34 am Post subject:

I've got an '07 chambered Studio. Meh. It sounds good enough, but being a double cutaway guy, if I play a LP, I don't want to give away anything. I'll take the un-weight-relieved, 10 lb chunk of concrete.

Are there any current LP's that are not weight-relieved in any way?

Jack Daniels · Growing Lion Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 883

Historics.