The Ergonomics Of A Les Paul Guitar...

BlackSG91

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Now probably this is a discussion that was discussed before on other forums and such. We all know the ergonomics of a Les Paul guitar is not the greatest compared to a Gibson SG or any other guitar like a Parker Fly. One of our forumites whom I call good ol' Tony Manhattan thinks the ergonomics of an LP suck...everything from the shape, the cutaway and the whole design sucks! I beg to differ.

Personally I really like Les Pauls...that's why I own 2 of them. It's a type of guitar you have to get used to when your playing it. It's like the old Chinese saying "Try not to make the shoe fit the foot but make the foot fit the shoe." I actually find the shape and everything of an LP well thought out. The body is very well balanced and the upper fret access is not as bad as some people put it out to be. You just have to change your hand position to reach the upper frets with greater ease.

I think of how classical guitar players play their guitar while sitting down with them in between their legs. The neck joins onto the body at the 12 fret on a traditional classical guitar. The whole guitar has 19 frets and I see how some players access the upper frets on a guitar without a cut away on the body by reaching their hand over the fret board. I apply this same method on a Les Paul guitar but it is more easier than on a classical guitar.

Overall I think a Les Paul guitar has some ergonomics to it with an arched top for resting your forearm on and the cutaway is actually well designed and eye-pleasing. I like having the pick guard on for resting the rest of my fingers on while I'm picking. Some people take the PG off which is easy to do since there are only 2 screws holding it to the body.

I also like the control setup with a separate volume and tone control for each pick up if it's your regular 2 pup LP guitar. I find the 3-way toggle switch in a real good position and it fits my playing style. I think LP guitars are a classic solid work-horse instrument. Getting used to playing on one is the key. I feel at home playing on my LP's. What are your thoughts on this matter?


;>)/
 
I like the Les Paul. I like the weight of it and the feel of the neck on my Traditional. I really like the position of the pickup switch; I can operate it far more quickly than I can my SG. Not so great for me is upper fret access. .
Other things? I'm in two minds about the position of the output jack. It gives the guitar a clean look, but it does invite damage to the finish as you fish around with the plug trying to find it.
 
I realize that I am in the minority regarding the Les Paul.
It is a very popular design and there are probably more players
of LP style guitars out there than any other type of guitar except
maybe Stratocaster style guitars. Those are probably the top 2.
But...
I find the LP style to be extremely uncomfortable in many ways.
It's subjective. I like blue. You like red. He likes green. She likes yellow.
I will say this about Les Pauls. For the most part they seem to sound OK.
There are good ones and bad ones in every style of guitar.
 
I realize that I am in the minority regarding the Les Paul.
It is a very popular design and there are probably more players
of LP style guitars out there than any other type of guitar except
maybe Stratocaster style guitars. Those are probably the top 2.
But...
I find the LP style to be extremely uncomfortable in many ways.
It's subjective. I like blue. You like red. He likes green. She likes yellow.
I will say this about Les Pauls. For the most part they seem to sound OK.
There are good ones and bad ones in every style of guitar.

I bet you like LP guitars as much as cell phones eh Tony Manhattan...no?:hmmm::D


;>)/
 
Now probably this is a discussion that was discussed before on other forums and such. We all know the ergonomics of a Les Paul guitar is not the greatest compared to a Gibson SG or any other guitar like a Parker Fly. One of our forumites whom I call good ol' Tony Manhattan thinks the ergonomics of an LP suck...everything from the shape, the cutaway and the whole design sucks! I beg to differ.

Personally I really like Les Pauls...that's why I own 2 of them. It's a type of guitar you have to get used to when your playing it. It's like the old Chinese saying "Try not to make the shoe fit the foot but make the foot fit the shoe." I actually find the shape and everything of an LP well thought out. The body is very well balanced and the upper fret access is not as bad as some people put it out to be. You just have to change your hand position to reach the upper frets with greater ease.

I think of how classical guitar players play their guitar while sitting down with them in between their legs. The neck joins onto the body at the 12 fret on a traditional classical guitar. The whole guitar has 19 frets and I see how some players access the upper frets on a guitar without a cut away on the body by reaching their hand over the fret board. I apply this same method on a Les Paul guitar but it is more easier than on a classical guitar.

Overall I think a Les Paul guitar has some ergonomics to it with an arched top for resting your forearm on and the cutaway is actually well designed and eye-pleasing. I like having the pick guard on for resting the rest of my fingers on while I'm picking. Some people take the PG off which is easy to do since there are only 2 screws holding it to the body.

I also like the control setup with a separate volume and tone control for each pick up if it's your regular 2 pup LP guitar. I find the 3-way toggle switch in a real good position and it fits my playing style. I think LP guitars are a classic solid work-horse instrument. Getting used to playing on one is the key. I feel at home playing on my LP's. What are your thoughts on this matter?


;>)/

Les Paul wants to slide off your leg backwards. Not bad standing though.

IMG_20170415_14207.jpg

Looks tiny on me...horrible upper fret access. Silly ass switch location IMHO...switch should be just about where either my right middle finger or right little finger is...like an SG or Firebird.
 
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To me, nothing slings nicer then a good ole old school Les Paul. Before I started having wrist/hand issues a Les Paul was my all time favorite stand up jam/playing guitar. The body just pocketed so nice and with a nice built/playing Les Paul, again to me, it was just the best of the best...
 
My one, and only, beef with a Les Paul is the ridge on the edge of the top where my forearm always gets beat up when I play for extended periods.

89E664CB-6CD3-422B-8EDE-932046728126.jpeg

8233110B-F429-4E89-AF84-31BEB76BE06E.jpeg

Everything else about them is fine with me.
I do like the SG design better for physical comfort though, amongst other things.
 
My one, and only, beef with a Les Paul is the ridge on the edge of the top where my forearm always gets beat up when I play for extended periods.

View attachment 12682

View attachment 12683

Everything else about them is fine with me.
I do like the SG design better for physical comfort though, amongst other things.
The SONEX is beveled there ........very comfy ........sustains for days like a lester.......VERY comfortable.......
2017-12-06_16.45.04_grande.jpg
 
Thing is: at first guitars weren't designed to be ergonomic.

They were designed to sound good and have a minimum match with a human body.

The Les Paul is one of the designs that still resemble a classic Spanish guitar, so do the math...
 
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A solution I'd prefer to that would be the Les Paul Axcess. It has a much smoother heel and a slightly thinner body. It is also available with a Floyd Rose.

But they are pricey!

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard - Iced Tea

I was thinking of the Axcess Les Paul guitar earlier and it does seem like a big improvement in ergonomics with the belly cut and better upper fret access the way they carved away the excess wood off on the back heel. But it is a SIN Witty Smitty to have a Floyd Rose on a LP...didn't you know that?:confused:
 
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