So next year I will have.....

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 10:57 am

A Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. I turn 30 years old next year and I've always joked with mum and dad about getting a Gibson Les Paul for my 30th birthday.
This may actually be happening!!!

But do I go vintage or reissue. The new 2015 one looks great but it has features I would have to change (namely no robot tuning shite, proper Gibson stamped mini humbuckers and I'd want a traditional control set)

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 12:33 pm

Yeah, the new ones are a little too far from the originals IMO.

The older the better on the vintage ones, but they aren't all that cheap anymore. It all depends on your budget TBH, but the last nice early 70s one I tried was Â£2.5k

My advice would be to look out for a secondhand one, they re released them at times in the 00s, like this:

Gibson LP Deluxe

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:19 pm

Buying a new Gibson Les Paul (although mine was a studio) was a great experience-normally I'd say it's worth it to get a new one and break it in yourself....

But that being said 2015 for Gibson is a total joke. With that set of "features" I think I'd be looking out for a gently used or NOS older one.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:38 pm

I've got a Traditional, and I've got to agree, it was a great experience, and although the setup wasn't perfect, the build quality is excellent - on a par with anything else I've owned.

Its just these 2015 models. Only the Custom Shop RI stuff is not going to have the stupid auto tuning.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 7:41 pm

See if you can find a Custom Shop RI on thegearpage. You can pickup a lot of good deals on CS Gibsons there for $1700-2300 USD unless you're talking the fancier bursts which are more expensive.

I do remember the Custom Shop doing red and blue sparkle deluxes, but I don't know if they did a deluxe with Mini Buckers in Pelham. They did do a run of 1956 goldtops in all custom colors and you can convert those easily.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:57 pm

jcyphe wrote:

that looks so sweet, love it

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:11 pm

I saw a 1972 Goldtop Deluxe for Â£1295 in this guitar shop near me. This was about 2010/11 iirc.

Always loved the lock of these because of

Curious as to how the sound differs from a Standard.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:57 pm

Rob, I love you, but that fucking mings. That control layout. Yeuch.

James · Post by **James** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 10:17 pm

I thought you'd picked out an amazing guitar until I scrolled down a little and saw the mini-switch in the place of the fourth pot. It sounds petty but that one detail manages to ruin the whole look.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 11:25 pm

That's my gripe with it. If it didn't have that mini switch, it'd be perfect. I might just by a p90 goldtop and whack some mini-Hums in it.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 11:37 pm

Get a MiJ Tokai Goldtop with P90's and fit some GFS mini humbuckers.

George · Post by **George** » Tue Dec 16, 2014 11:41 pm

Noirie. wrote:Get a MiJ Tokai Goldtop with P90's and fit some GFS mini humbuckers.

dude this is a carte blanche 30th birthday present

singlepup · Post by **singlepup** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:53 am

I agree with NickD. Gibson made some great Les Pauls in the 00s. I had a fantastic 03 LP Standard. Go for a used one if you can. I think they started mucking about with the design in 08?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 3:31 am

Yeah I had an 07 Studio and remember the following year they started putting tone-holes all over the bodies.

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:26 am

singlepickup24 wrote:I agree with NickD. Gibson made some great Les Pauls in the 00s. I had a fantastic 03 LP Standard. Go for a used one if you can. I think they started mucking about with the design in 08?

You're right - it was 08 that they redesigned the Standard. The Traditional has been the original style Les Paul since, up until 2015 when it too joins the ranks of messed about with models - if only with the robot tuning. My Traditional is a 2014 model and has no chambering or weight relief.

Nick - they started the weight relief in the early/mid 80s, they just didn't advertise it. IIRC its the chambering that started around 08.

This is a fairly comprehensive summary of weight relief and chambering, although it isn't entirely right on the Traditionals, some of them, like my P90 goldtop have no weight relief at all.

Gibson USA
Weight-relief started around 1982/1983. Every Gibson USA Les Paul between 1982 - 2007 is weight-relieved. They do not have solid-body construction. Weight-relief is also known as "swiss cheese holes" and refers to the nine holes drilled out of the body in order to reduce the weight of the guitar.

Chambering officially began for 2007 but the late 2006s are also chambered. Any Les Paul made after October 2006 maybe or likely is chambered. Every 2007 and newer Gibson USA Les Paul is chambered, except for the Les Paul Traditional. The Les Paul Traditional has swiss cheese holes. Chambering is essentially hollowing out the body. Again, this is in order to reduce the weight of the guitar.

Gibson Custom Shop
Gibson's Custom Shop makes regular production guitars and historic reissues. The regular production guitars, such as the Les Paul Custom, are also weight-relieved. They do not have solid-bodies.

The historic reissues are solid. All historic reissues, be it Standards or Customs, are solid. The exception being the chambered reissues. Chambered reissues are often referred to as Cloud 9 guitars. They are identified by their serial number, which begins with CR

Noirie, George - MIJ Tokais are nice, but the Gibsons are definitely nicer.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 2:20 pm

Yeah I'm thinking if it's gonna be a 30th present, I love it to be a pucka Gibson.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 3:56 pm

I still intend to pick up a LP Custom at some point. I never seem to have the spare cash whenever I find one that's good at a decent price.

What year was it they started messing about with the fretboards? I'll be avoiding anything since that point on.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 6:38 pm

Nick wrote:Buying a new Gibson Les Paul (although mine was a studio) was a great experience-normally I'd say it's worth it to get a new one and break it in yourself....

But that being said 2015 for Gibson is a total joke. With that set of "features" I think I'd be looking out for a gently used or NOS older one.

Its a shame.

I would have said go new otherwise if it is an option, to own a real decent expensive guitar straight from the factory/shop is almost a privilege these days.

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 7:28 pm

Maybe I should get this instead lol

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Wed Dec 17, 2014 8:15 pm

Thomas wrote:I still intend to pick up a LP Custom at some point. I never seem to have the spare cash whenever I find one that's good at a decent price.

What year was it they started messing about with the fretboards? I'll be avoiding anything since that point on.

I think that was only while they were having issues with importing wood. Pretty sure mine is rosewood.