The Les Paul thread

[Shorts_Mike]

I use 9s on my LPs. Some people will say that's too light; it's not manly; whatever. Don't care. I prefer it.

Same.

 

[budda]

I use 9s on my LPs. Some people will say that's too light; it's not manly; whatever. Don't care. I prefer it.

9-42 or 9-46?

 

[tedtan]

I use 9s on my LPs. Some people will say that's too light; it's not manly; whatever. Don't care. I prefer it.

Billy Gibbons typically uses 7-38 or 8-40 and I’ve never heard anyone complain about his tone, so you’re still playing heavier strings than him. Same thing for Mark Knopfler (8s), Frank Zappa (7s and 8s), Peter Frampton (8s), Joe Perry (10s in the 70s, but more recently 9s and even 8s).

And not Les Paul players, but Toni Iommi (8s) and Yngwie (8-48) play pretty light strings and get frequent compliments on their tone, too.

 

[budda]

Theres something to be said for not fighting your guitar to play it.

 

[soliloquy]

I think a few years ago (maybe late last year?) Rhett Shull and Rick Beato did A and B between thicker and thinner strings. They both came.withba better appreciation to thinner strings. To their ears, think strings had a sharper attack where it could cut through and add more clarity to the mix.

And I think it was Shull that was thinking 'thicker strings = more attack" but that was only true acoustically. Once plugged in, thinner strings worked better?

Pull up the video, it was fascinating.



But yes, top-wrap, raise the saddle and you have slinkier strings

 

[cardinal]

I was trying to stick with 10s on Gibson scales but was really struggling in particular with some Dimebag solos. The bending is so fast and furious. Then I read that he used 9s and so I tried it and haven't looked back.

 

[NoodleFace]

I like a heavy top skinny bottom set myself for that reason. Allows me to vibrato to my hearts content while also having some meat with heavy riffing (and helps offset me making the low strings go sharp with my heavy hand). I moved to 10-46 on my LP in standard, but I'm thinking a 9-46 might be slightly better.

After about $1000 in work on my 75 LPC (SS frets, fretboard refinish, new tusq xl nut, BKPs) it is now my favorite guitar to play.

 

[budda]

I like a heavy top skinny bottom set myself for that reason. Allows me to vibrato to my hearts content while also having some meat with heavy riffing (and helps offset me making the low strings go sharp with my heavy hand). I moved to 10-46 on my LP in standard, but I'm thinking a 9-46 might be slightly better.

After about $1000 in work on my 75 LPC (SS frets, fretboard refinish, new tusq xl nut, BKPs) it is now my favorite guitar to play.

I was 10-52 for a good 15? Years. Stopped gigging and went 10-46 since the guitars i bought came with then. Downtuned a les paul 12-54 and thought it was pretty sweet, just an adjustment. Tried 12-60 (my old go to) and it felt awful. Only recently tried 9-42 to simulate the 12-54 B feel and it was a big success.

I dont top wrap but i raised all my tailpieces to clear the tom.

 

[wiretap]

I was 10-52 for a good 15? Years. Stopped gigging and went 10-46 since the guitars i bought came with then. Downtuned a les paul 12-54 and thought it was pretty sweet, just an adjustment. Tried 12-60 (my old go to) and it felt awful. Only recently tried 9-42 to simulate the 12-54 B feel and it was a big success.

I dont top wrap but i raised all my tailpieces to clear the tom.

I was a 12-54 guy for years in Drop C#, can’t remember what I used on my B guitars before the Drop pedal came out (what a touring game changer. Flying to Europe with ten guitars among 3 dudes sucks ass) but I’ve been rocking the Ernie Ball Beefy Slinkies (11-54) with a 56 on top for Drop B lately and dig it a lot. A little tighter down low and a little looser up top.

 

[MythicSquirrel]

I use 11-52 on my SG and LP now but I used to exclusively use the d'addario baritone 13-62 on my Les Paul it just thunders in the low tunings

 

[Mk7]

Going to get me what some may call an ugly duckling LP purely because it appeals to exactly for this reason ... an Gibson LP Studio Swamp Ash.


Super curious as to how it sounds and what I will do to modify it

 

[budda]

Going to get me what some may call an ugly duckling LP purely because it appeals to exactly for this reason ... an Gibson LP Studio Swamp Ash.
View attachment 146245

Super curious as to how it sounds and what I will do to modify it

It should sound like a les paul (moreso if you put a lower output pickup in the bridge)

People asking more for these even though iirc they didnt sell too well cracks me up. Pretty sure this is the smartwood model?

 

[crushingpetal]

It should sound like a les paul (moreso if you put a lower output pickup in the bridge)

People asking more for these even though iirc they didnt sell too well cracks me up. Pretty sure this is the smartwood model?

I remember the smartwood thing. I thought that was an attempt at "eco" woods. Maybe I'm wrong about that. But swamp ash isn't "eco", whatever that means.

Nonetheless, a swamp ash paul is cool.

 

[budda]

I remember the smartwood thing. I thought that was an attempt at "eco" woods. Maybe I'm wrong about that. But swamp ash isn't "eco", whatever that means.

Nonetheless, a swamp ash paul is cool.

Either way mk7 has an LP that’ll be easily recognizeable.

 

[tedtan]

I remember the smartwood thing. I thought that was an attempt at "eco" woods. Maybe I'm wrong about that. But swamp ash isn't "eco", whatever that means.

Nonetheless, a swamp ash paul is cool.

It was 20 years ago, it’s just not any more.

 

[JSKrev]

Going to get me what some may call an ugly duckling LP purely because it appeals to exactly for this reason ... an Gibson LP Studio Swamp Ash.
View attachment 146245

Super curious as to how it sounds and what I will do to modify it

Refinish it in black like my old 335s. Resale value is overrated.

 

[RevDrucifer]

If I could actually play a guitar with lighter strings in tune, I’d have 7’s or 8’s on everything. I completely agreed with that Beato video, thinner strings have more snap/attack to them and I prefer the way the sustained tone sounds with thinner strings. I’ve been using 10-46 in standard but I have 4 or 5 guitars with 10-52’s I keep in D-standard/Drop-C that I put in standard all the time.

This is my own guitar nerdy shit that others would scoff at, but to me it sounds like the thicker the strings, the more mids are present in the unplugged sound of them and less of the ‘natural guitar’ sound is present. I went up to 11’s on one of my Strats and absolutely hated the sound of them, just dull and lacking that snap.

I can see why some people say they make for a “bigger” or “thicker” tone, we just have different ways of getting tones.

 

[Church2224]

My 1976 Les Paul Custom I just got from one of my best friends. I'll try to get some better pics sometime. Thing is an absolute tone machine!

 

[Mk7]

It should sound like a les paul (moreso if you put a lower output pickup in the bridge)

People asking more for these even though iirc they didnt sell too well cracks me up. Pretty sure this is the smartwood model?

As far as my research took me that model is the tail end of the smartwood thing with some years having the stamp and the truss rod cover. I guess I am going with black hardware and zebra pickups

 

[wiretap]

My 1976 Les Paul Custom I just got from one of my best friends. I'll try to get some better pics sometime. Thing is an absolute tone machine!


View attachment 146271

View attachment 146272

Hell yeah, 70s wine red customs are the best shade of wine red, and throw in the yellowed binding, winnnerrr