Gibson Les Paul Traditional Set up

This video shows me doing a set up on Mark's Gibson Les Paul Traditional.

Today I got to assess and set up Mark's Gibson USA Les Paul Traditional. After close to 500 set ups including a fair number of Chinese Les Paul copies it was fascinating for me to compare them to this.

First off, this guitar had probably THE lowest playing action ever to have come into the shed - 1.3mm low E last fret and 0.7mm high E last fret. In addition the very carefully-shaped nut was cut so low that the lowest 1st fret action was 0.6mm and the highest only 1.4mm. This is a bit under what I'd like and the D was just slightly zzzz-ing the 1st fret when strummed to make the point.

With the low action, the guitar would not bend the high E up near the top frets. There were also some wear grooves in the lower frets and a gouge on the 14th. The guitar had taken a knock in the past and broken a tuner on the treble side which Mark had replaced with a similar one with a darker green button. He supplied me a lighter button to swap out.

My strategy with this guitar was to level for a) cleaning up the fret wear first and b) freeing those bends on the high E second. In reality, 0.7mm is probably too low for the geometry to allow bends regardless of how much fret levelling you do and I wasn't hopeful.
The long and short of this very interesting set up (for me!) is that I did manage to free up those bends - to my surprise. I removed the fret wear and the chip in fret 14, replaced the tuner button and cleaned up the entire guitar.

Final verdict? I loved the sound of the pickups. But how much better is the basic body / construction and hardware than a decent Vintage V100, Rally GL300 or Epiphone? Not a lot if you ignore the end-nibs on the frets and the Gibson on the headstock. **If you're on a limited budget** my advice would be to buy one of those Chinese copies for £100-150, give it a good £100 set up (or buy my ebook and do it yourself of course) and spend £250 on the best pickups and pots you can find.

[MisterBurtonshaw]

Just treated myself to a 2013 Lester Standard (retirement pressie), same as that guitar but with "factory" Grover lockers, coil taps and out of phase(Peter Green jobbie) capability, compound radius fretboard and asymmetric neck. Looks bog standard, which I wanted. The pickups on these puppies are Gibson Burstbucker Pros (PAF recreations). Second hand, of course. It would have been pleked when new and mine also has stupidly low first fret clearance hight. I've noticed that they say the plek machine can measure and cut to a fineness of a thou' of a mm !!! The geometry and possibility of the guitar IS worked out first with the strings on, so, in a way, it is nearer to your method than getting the neck straight and having your wicked way with it! They also say that the person operating a Plek machine needs to be very competent in guitar set-up.... Well, if I was doing the button pressing, I'd suggest/program a slightly higher first fret string high.... purely down to material foibles, it looks like Gibson don't! Mine rattled like an orgy in a granny farm. I think it was due to Gerfingerpokering by the previous owner, the relief was all over the place and the action was about the same at the last fret as it was the first!!! Oh, the bridge was also the wrong way around and the strings were hitting the back of the bridge as the tail piece was literally on the body. Despite all the mad "adjustments" the guitar is incredibly undamaged and clean... other than cracked truss rod cover and rear covers, all replaceable with genuine parts for cheap. After adjusting the relief to just perceptible (as a Plek machine would do?) and raising the action to a bit lower than average at the last fret, it plays very very nicely. Like you I really don't want to break out the nut and I'm going to try a gentle leveling to see if it will allow the guitar to play clean and be set low as it was originally/new. I have found a couple of high frets with my fret rocker that explains some of it's problems, probably cropped up after 11 years of tension... but I'll be using your banana to correct, gently. Fantastic video Sam. regards M

[johnipennie]

Sam. You are so right! I would never pay the full price for Gibson guitar. Or any guitar. I've never paid more than $495 US dollars for a custom. I completely agree with you. And thank you so much for your videos.

[wiseguy]

Since recording this I'm sure you've seen the plek videos all over YouTube. How you have to remove the strings... the machine applies pressure to the neck to mimic string tension..etc.

[stevevallance]

Thanks Sam, I’m glad you took t in the manner intended. I’m worried about everything these days. Enough said. I like the way you preface and hedge a topic. I suppose you kinda have to with the online viciousness today. I just did my first fret releveling on my strat, and it turned out great. So, thanks for that.

[obijuan]

That's so funny that I string a guitar the same way you do. I have no idea how many dozens of packs of strings I have installed the last 30+ years, but long ago I began measuring one tuner's length for the string length before tightening the string. And I reduce it for the lower gauge strings. No one taught me that it just seemed to make sense. Great minds think alike.

[megatrends]

I own a couple dozen Gibson guitars and never have had any fret issues out of the box. I’ve had to do a couple of fret dressing/ recrowns myself from wear on my older ones but that’s normal. Most high end guitars are good out of the box. I also own a dozen Fender Strats which were also great out of the box. I had a Jeff Beck model strat have an egged trem arm hole which I had the use a reamer on to remedy.

Best Gibsons out of the box were my Custom Shop Gibson guitars. A Ltd Edition Black Beauty and a couple of Historic Les Pauls. They were intonated properly which never happens with any guitar received in the post. Some stores will set up the guitar properly before shipping it, Sweetwater comes to mind if it isn’t an economy model.

I acquire many guitars and most need fret dressing if they’re under $1, 000 except Gibson, Fender and Ibanez. Ibanez build quality is probably one of the best kept secrets. The worst are Dean guitars made in China - they all need fret leveling and in some cases very badly. I’ve seen almost all Epiphone guitars needing fret leveling as well.

Well, thanks for letting me babble. Have a nice day, enjoy your videos.

[MrMd]

Stumbled on this video on accident while playing guitar and watching you tube and I must say I found myself addicted to it. Your sense of humor and personality translates well on camera! I'll be looking forward to your videos now. Nice playing too! Love that tone!

[sn_mustang_garage]

That's a great sounding Les Paul. I have a 2016 Traditional Honey Burst and the 57 pickups are my favorite Gibson has made in my opinion. My setup has come from Gibson right out of the box and still perfect. Nice low action but the everything rings out for days.

[ubuntu]

I've been watching loads of your old videos lately Sam. Mainly your Tele and Strat stuff. I didn't know you did whole refrets. I've still got a couple of guitars for you at some point. Need to buy that book of yours first though just to say thanks.

That Morris is a little bastard. I can see he is very afraid of you. :-)

I love your rambles, your genuine forays in to whatever it is that is irking you at that moment. I love it when your missus comes in and gives you another cup of tea and talks guitars! She's a keeper!

At some point I'll probably buy a guitar off you as well. I'm particularly interested in Aria Pro II and Matsumoku era gits. That Korean Strat you did was a wonder.

Anyway, thanks for holding my hand on the soon closing in dark winter nights here. It has not gone unappreciated.

[CryptoMaxi]

I love your videos! Just to let you know, I have Gibson, Fender, Ibanez and so on .... and AGILE too! 5 of them!
I have to tell you that they are great guitars. They all had good pickups, finish, good or even excellent set ups from the factory . I bought them in the USA and they travel all way down from New York to Portugal by boat .

Greetings

[plantagenant]

I have been lent a low end Gibson SG made in 2014. The fingerboard has huge pores in it and the fingerboard seems to have shrunk as there is a bump between it and the neck where it joins. There is minimal finish on and it looks like it was put together fairly hastily. I find the action too low for me but there is no fretting out. For all its faults..( it looks homemade compared to a cheaper Epiphone for example), it sounds amazing. It is light and the simply the loudest and most resonant guitar I have ever played (unplugged) . The pickups are superb. All in all a very good guitar.

[scottjamable]

good video Sam, what about the super glue and baking soda trick on the low slot?

[davetruelson]

So how long does a tune up take? About a week turn weeks later continues to play, I mean repair, US made Les Paul!
Found this since i have epiphone lp std pelham blue 2013. And looking to learn how to setup/repair.

[nicirvin]

I Totally understand or get what your saying. However just because a set of strings come uniform in a packet doesn't mean you can't hybrid them to compensate right. ?

[wreaksrevenge]

Maybe I missed it, but did you check the neck straightness/relief at all? It's interesting to see how your method has changed form levelling with the flat file to using the truss rod beam.

[blankvison]

So simple an idea. but then the best ideas are the simplest. brilliant tip. and what a time saver. oh and now i know how to get my cat to leave the room when hes pestering me too much humanly lol.

[stevevallance]

Oh yeah, I just started my own unboxing videos of Chibsons. It’s great fun, as I bought a 52 tele replica for a friend who had his stolen 30+ years ago. I didn’t video his reaction, but it is why I am buying these things. Last thing, I retired recently, and I am watching everything I can find in regards to guitar, trying to find something to do? Please keep do what you do!

[gyrperegrine]

Hey Sam, what does it say that while doing my guitar exercises, I need Sam in the background doing a set up?

[hollywoodactress]

Excellent video and love the talking explaining your method and reasoning.
BTW what nuts (item) are you using to lift the trust rod file to check the curvature?

[brocky]

Hi Sam big fan strangely entertaining as well as informative! I realise you are completely happy with your banana technique! Just a thought though, what about having your 3 domed nuts positioned at the first fret, the fret nearest the neck joint with the third one mid way so that you can then do the bank ramp in the more conventional way?