5 Reasons To NOT Buy A Les Paul!

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[KunshGuitar]

Can you make this a series? I would love to see Strat and tele.

[Zoso]

I've been thru almost 100 guitars over my 30 years of playing, they were cool but mostly just tools to get the job done. Then I got my 2019 Gibson Les Paul Traditional. I now have an indescribable bond with this beautiful guitar. It's not the most versatile, it's not the most comfortable, and it certainly wasn't the cheapest, but the way it makes me feel while playing makes it worth every penny I paid.

[avjake]

Nobody sold more LPs than Jimmy Page playing a Tele. :-)

[SarcasticComments]

Played guitar for 20 years but always wanted a Standard faded and finally got one and I’ll tell you I’ve never played guitar so much and have gotten so much better since I’m inspired by it. There’s real magic there.

[mikemurdock]

I spent my whole childhood wanting a Les Paul and when I finally got one, I was so disappointed. The guitar just didn't vibe with me at all and I think that happens for a lot of players. You end up trying so many different types of guitars until you find what fits you best. I played many Les Pauls over the course of years, but it wasn't until I tried an ES-335 I realized that was actually the guitar I wanted, but didn't know. The ES got me in the right realm of sound I was looking for, so it was like a big revelation for me to realize that an ES was what I had been trying to sound like all that time. I ended up buying an ES-339 and couldn't be happier. I can get crunchy distortion out of the bridge pickup with some overdrive when I want it, but being a primarily southern rock and country player, the ES gets me where I need to be for everything.

[rom]

I love Les Pauls for the same reason I love 1911's in .45 ACP, they are the best at being themselves. Are they they greatest at everything, nope, but when you've got one in your hand the universe just feels right. 🇺🇸

[LesPendens]

My first good guitar was a 1974 Les Paul Deluxe. Just getting that guitar made me want to practice more and the action was unbelievable. The pros far outweigh the cons.

[scottford]

I was inspired when I got my first gibson les paul. It's a quality instrument than you can really feel and hear. I actually did sleep with it the first night I brought it home... I was actually sharing myself with my wife on one side and my LP on the other...

[akasgsvirgil]

I've owned countless LP's ever since I was 13 and worked cutting lawns and shoveling driveways for two years to save up to buy one. I still have it. I've toured with it, recorded with it, left it in its case for a year or two and I always come back to it. Its a great guitar but, the weight of it gets a little rough, especially towards the end of a two or three hour long gig or stint in the studio. They're not easy on the hands, either. I always need some time to "readjust" the way I play when I come back to the LP after playing my strat or tele. They're so much easier to play, IMO. But, nothing on earth sounds like a LP when playing good old fashioned rock-n-roll. So, years ago, I discovered the LP Jr. It has all the bite and tone of a LP but, without all the weight. Its not as versatile, either. But, plug it in and rip a power chord and there's no mistaking the fact that its a LP Jr thanks to the outstanding P90 that's in it.

But, if Im going to spend quite a bit of time with a guitar strapped over my shoulder, I find myself going to the strat more and more often. Its loaded with red Lace Censors so it screams when I need it to, has a great volume dynamic like the P90 in the LP Jr (Junior players or P90 fans will know what I mean), and I can go from country "twang" to crunchy rock without pedals or changing amps. But, I always come back to that Les Paul. While its not as versatile or as easy to play as the strat, it has that certain "tone" I just can't get from any other guitar.

LP's are not for everyone for a variety of reasons that range from affordability to style preferences. If you're a working musician and want the LP sound without the LP price tag or you're concerned about the knocks and dings that come from playing a lot (and at $3000+, I don't blame you), an Epiphone is for you. But, I would encourage you to consider a LP Jr before you get any Eppy. They're far more affordable than LP Standards/Customs and sound great. Remember, while you're not going to notice any audible difference between the Epiphone and its Gibson counterpart, you have to understand that Epiphone and Gibson DO NOT shop for their materials at the same store. In the short term, this doesn't really mean much. But, in the long term, as in decades from now, it will make a difference in both the appearance of the instrument and its resale value. This is not to say that the craftsmanship of Epiphones is poor or the materials are shoddy. In fact, Epiphone craftsmanship is quite good. But, the lower cost materials do not withstand the test of time as well as Gibson's do. In my line of work, I rarely encounter a player that has a 30 year old Epiphone as compared to players who have 30 year old Gibsons or Fenders etc. So, if you're going to make the choice to get a Gibson, you should plan on keeping it for a while, unless, of course, you have wads of cash and can afford their hefty price tag.

Cheers!

[carlkochersberger]

I love the sound, the heft, the feel, and the look of a LP. Epi's are more in my price range/talent level. They work for me.

[athathoth]

I bought my first LP a few months ago. It's an Epiphone and I love it. My second Epiphone. I feel like it rounded out my selection. I have a strat, two super strats, an odd shape and a Flying V. A sound for whatever I want. Good video.

[kennywonglabow]

So as the owner of three different Gibson Les Pauls- gotta say with just slight exception to the last one, these are good reasons.
My response would be that Strats and LPs have the exact same amount of versatility: it depends on the wisdom of the musician and their available tech. Pickups, pedals, amp settings, tone/volume combos on the guitar itself as well as the most important touch- a musician’s feel- can easily compensate. The Commodores made Gibsons sound funky and Curtis Mayfield made his Fenders sound round and warm.

[ludlow]

A Strat was my ride or die for years. Then I started working with a renowned singer who said she only liked the Gibson humbucker sound so I decided to give LPs a whirl. Within a couple years I had massive debt and 5 Gibson Les Pauls. I’m down to two, but they are my main guitars. Thanks a lot Inger. 😂

[djfuzzystump]

My first “good” guitar was a Strat player series complete with a Sweetwater PLEK. Plays great, used it everyday for a year - then got the itch for a LP…after tons of listening and trying a couple out in a guitar center settled on the LP Classic. Since owning it for the past year I rarely pull my Strat out of the case. Every time I do I’m reminded a) how light it feels and b) how much better I like the FEEL and sound of my LP.

[brucegregori]

Nice video! - I think LP's are super versatile myself, depending on how you set them up. I would caution that with two humbucker-style guitars in general. But the mix is 24.something scale, two humbuckers, and either all mahogany or with a maple top gets you there, ala PRS McCarty. Once you start getting to different scale lengths, and 24 frets, the sound changes, at least for me. But I think I can cover just about any gig with a LP or a LP-inspired guitar. I think with strats you still have that single coil thing that is really hard to overcome completely. A tele with a neck HB is a close second for me, but the scale length makes it more snappy and that can get away from that "round sound" the paul is famous for. I don't play LP's that much any more and graduated to PRS a long time ago because to me they fixed all the issues you have with Gibson and retained alot of the same tone. The McCarty 594 s2 is a complete LP sound to me for 1700 US!

[td]

I've always been a fan of Les Paul and his playing ever since I was a teenager. I bought a tribute model last year and it inspires me to play things that I've never played before

[Callowaya]

I come from an Ibanez background, too. But always wanted a Gibby. And when I got one, it wasn’t as hard to get used to as I thought it would be. Sure, it was different, but that sound!! A Les Paul sounds and plays like nothing else!

[markallen]

Gibson LP is the best guitar I have ever had. I've owned well over 30 guitars. I agree with "try before you buy". I've owned strat and a tele, those were nice also. Versatility depends on the LP model, I have a Traditional Pro V, mine does everything.

[Phipps]

You summed it up really well. Well done! Most of all the versatile thing and the totally different playability.

Anyway I compared esp, maybach etc. Alternatives for almost the same amount but they were built and finished so unproperly compared with the original.
Even my epiphone was way less qualitively made (of course in asia)

[mickymalibu]

I’ve been a lifelong Strat player and love them, I have 3 at the moment. I’ve always liked the idea of a Les Paul but in 35 yrs never found one I could live with until 2016 when I found my Standard. Absolutely love it, it is the one but took me a while to really feel at home on it. Now it is my go to guitar, no it’s not as versatile as my Strats but if you need that LP sound it is the daddy, nothing compares and the playability is awesome, it wasn’t at first but I stuck with it.