The Ergonomics Of A Les Paul Guitar...
- Thread starter BlackSG91
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OP
BlackSG91
Ambassador of Anarchy
I think I read somewhere a professional luthier cut the lower horn off and flipped it in reverse and glued it back on to the body to make it look the way it is. It is sure strange to look at it first but I think it looks pretty cool.
;>)/
Bocc69
Ambassador of Metal Health
Yup, if your gonna do that song, you really need to whip it good.
Dave Sloven
Ambassador of DOOM!
Chairman Mao said: "A guitarist with a Les Paul is like a woman with bound feet."
That is my beef with a lot of guitars. SG fits me and my arm just right.
Yes!
OP
BlackSG91
Ambassador of Anarchy
Remember back in the 1980's when Super-Strats were being made left, right & centre but no Super LP's? Well I sure like the way ESP/LTD has re-invented the Les Paul guitar into a much more comfortable playing instrument with it's belly cuts and wider cut-away for easier access to the upper frets and they even come with 24 frets which is a bonus.
;>)/
;>)/
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
It's pretty obvious that the ergonomics of the guitar never was the main selling point for Les Pauls. But honestly, personally I really don't think much about that stuff. The ergonomics that matter the most to me are scale length and neck profile. Of course if I played for hours onstage every night I guess a lighter guitar would be great, but as long as I get a good feeling when I pick up a guitar, I don't really think about the size or shape of the body.
Btw., I recently weighed all my Gibsons, and I was a bit surprised by the results, really. Here's what I found:
2011 Les Paul Traditional: 4.1 kg (9 lbs)
2005 SG Special Faded w/Vibrola added: 3.7 kg (8.2 lbs)
2014 Derek Trucks signature SG w/faux Vibrola Lyre cover: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
2013 Future Tribute: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
2009 Les Paul Junior: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
1975 SG II: 2.7 kg (6 lbs)
All numbers are rounded. I was surprised that the Les Paul Junior wasn't actually heavier. I have always felt it weighed more than the Derek Trucks. I was also a bit surprised how much heavier the Special was than the other SGs.
Sorry for being a bit off topic.
Btw., I recently weighed all my Gibsons, and I was a bit surprised by the results, really. Here's what I found:
2011 Les Paul Traditional: 4.1 kg (9 lbs)
2005 SG Special Faded w/Vibrola added: 3.7 kg (8.2 lbs)
2014 Derek Trucks signature SG w/faux Vibrola Lyre cover: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
2013 Future Tribute: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
2009 Les Paul Junior: 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs)
1975 SG II: 2.7 kg (6 lbs)
All numbers are rounded. I was surprised that the Les Paul Junior wasn't actually heavier. I have always felt it weighed more than the Derek Trucks. I was also a bit surprised how much heavier the Special was than the other SGs.
Sorry for being a bit off topic.
Goldmember
Ambassador of Golden Yoo-Hoos
I'm feelin' guilty now just not having one. Me thinks a Gold Top would suit me well.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
I can't help but think a properly adorned strap might facilitate the retention of the guitar so that it does not wander or slide on the leg like mentioned.
SG for easy listening? OKNot enough sustain and punch in the SG's lightweight construction. I use my Gibson SG for practice sessions when I wants a lightweight guitar, but it can't compete with a Les Paul or a Double Neck for monstrous tone...unless you are playing easy listening music...
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Session 5
Ambassador of Strings & Wings
Les Paul guitars sure look comfortable when a monkey is playing one.
;>)/
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY Blackie ?
Good tone, yes...but not the same punch as Rhoads or Gary Moore on a Les Paul, IMHO.
I can't help but think a properly adorned strap might facilitate the retention of the guitar so that it does not wander or slide on the leg like mentioned.
LOL! Yes! I am surprised Mom let me play this. She was afraid I would break a 20 year old string!
You make great points here...some of you may notice that I have been trying to write a bit less in my recent posts, but this one might be an exception. I am, by my own admission, an opinionated a$$hole, so I apologize in advance for yet another opinionated response.
I grew up admiring the tones of Gary Moore, Don Felder and Angus Young. I bought two new Gibson SG's, and while I loved the upper fret access and the 24.75" scale, I could just never bond with it. Maybe because they look so small on me...I don't know, but this 2016 is a good one. The problem is I spent more on it than I paid for it to make it right, and I guess I just can't develop any love for it. My students love playing a genuine Gibson though, so it sees regular duty in that regard.
I spent a fortune once on a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Custom - in white - and I kept it less than a week. I never really mention it, because I only had it such a short time, but I just couldn't bond with it, no matter how hard I tried. Like my current Gibson SG, everyone loves it but me.
I grew up surrounded by Gibson's in Mom's studio and I believed they were the best - The professional's choice - and it was a real let down that I couldn't make one work for me.
So, I ended up with a 1987 MIK Stratocaster my bandmates bought for me in 1988 and I played that for almost 30 years. It was safe, it was comfortable, but I never, ever, in all those years felt like it sounded good. Nobody complained, but I wasn't happy with it on a personal level...Kinda like the farm girl that wears jeans and no makeup. She is safe and fun, but she doesn't ignite something deep inside of you.
Gahr, this is an awesome description. The Les Paul was designed as a sit-down studio guitar!!!
Now, I've come to realize that, for me, the "good feeling" of which you speak, is truly multi-faceted. After 3 decades of searching, I am finally able to put it on paper.The biggest part of this equation is Scale Length, Fretboard Radius, Fret Height, Intonation Quality, Neck Girth and Humbucker Tone. Once I figured this out, I was able to find my missing 'mojo' so to speak.
It's ironic that while I find the Les Paul uncomfortable to play, i suppose the same could be said about a doubleneck. While seated, the doubleneck is as comfortable - if not more comfortable - than a Stratocaster. A Les Paul is uncomfortable and unbalanced while seated, yet is a bit more comfortable while standing. The SG is the most comfortable in both positions.
Mom's 1979 Gibson les Paul Custom weighs 15 pounds. My Von Herndon Doubleneck weighs 12.2 pounds. After two hours playing while standing, you feel just about any guitar much over 8 pounds, IMHO. However, it is here that I find the most interesting things about the Doubleneck.
The sheer mass of wood has to contribute something to its tone. I cannot tell you what it is, but when you hear it in person, it's like the difference between Jenny McCarthy's voice and James Earl Jones. The unique position of the bridge pickups (and the awesome quality and articulation of the Thro-Bak SLE-101's) gives it a rich, deep voice, that is somewhere between the bridge and middle pickup voicing on a Les Paul Black Beauty. It's really hard to describe it, but it's so obvious that my wife can pick it out from all my other guitars from the other room. She can hear no difference in the other guitars.
This doubleneck actually did not cost me very much to produce. Fully constructed, including over $100 spent (albeit needlessly) on custom MOP truss rod covers and two sets of Thro-Bak SLE-101's, two custom made aluminum claws, two full wire harnesses and 15 feet of copper tape, it cost a little more than 1/3 the $6,999.95 retail price of a brand new 2016 EDS-1275.
So, what is it about this Doubleneck??? Perhaps, it's a bit like the mystique of that woman who is always seductively and impeccably dressed, sultry and exotic, that walks on 4" spikes with perfect balance, the one who keeps you awake at night thinking about her, the one with a near perfect hourglass shape - it's something unique and captivating - like the woman I married.
On the other hand, maybe some of my captivation with the Doubleneck is juvenile in nature??? Is it because Felder and Page played them and they were cool and unusual and financially out of reach to a poor farm boy??? Perhaps, it is how we, sometimes, as human beings, gravitate towards the difficult things, whether it be a challenging goal, or a difficult relationship - like climbing Everest or running a marathon - in order to feel some sense of fulfilment and purpose???
It's always a Mystery, not what it seems to be
It's always a Mystery, just like you and me....
I cannot escape my senses. The things I see and feel, that somehow are missed - or perhaps dismissed - by others. I see the most minute details in paintings. I hear the most insignificant details in music. While some could sit down to a beer and a can of pork-n-beans, I want a perfectly set table, the finest wine and give my guests a truly remarkable dining experience.
I only live when I am playing. It is the only time I feel truly alive. The rest of the time, it is as if I am just waiting for that feeling again. My life is filled with love and happiness, but there is that spark that only ignites me through music.
I believe this is why it is so difficult for me to find a band home. Some play only for the money - others only for the girls - but I play to feel alive...
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