I’m a Les Paul Custom guy. Is it really the fretboard?

vinividi · May 9, 2024

coffeecupman said:
I think it's the frets.

I have two early 80s Norlin customs. One needs a refret badly, the other I had refretted.

After the refret - better intonation, sure. But it's not the same guitar, and I admit I love it a little less.

I'm going to be very careful about the refret of the second one.

I mean, I also think it's the ebony, but I think it's even more the low wide frets.

that's interesting. My 76 has its original frets with some life left in them, but I had been curious to know what would happen should I need to eventually replace them with Gibson's standard fret wire.

27sauce · May 9, 2024

vinividi said:
that's interesting. My 76 has its original frets with some life left in them, but I had been curious to know what would happen should I need to eventually replace them with Gibson's standard fret wire.

My ‘75(76 spec) has new frets. I went with the 50’s jumbo with a low crown, low nut. The feel remained pretty close. I’m pretty particular about nut height, and my guy got it right. There’s no blunt, high feel to the guitar.

There are times I wish I’d gone a little taller. I love the actual size of the fret, though.

71strat · May 9, 2024

The Original LP Customs, have Madagascar Ebony Fretboards- Diospyros perreiri vs Gaboon.
I bought a Madagascar board from LMI 20 years ago, and still have it. Never used it. Its very hard to find, and I believe is on the Banned, or Highly Restricted list.

PinkStrat · May 9, 2024

27sauce said:
Yeah, I feel like I need to have a standard in there somewhere, but I’d be fine if my only LPs were my custom and ‘59 Junior.

I find the difference between a Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Standard models is quite interesting. I’ve found the Customs have a more aggressive tone and more “chewy” attitude as a result of those differences in fingerboard material, heavier weight, etc. It ALL matters! My go to tone for Les Paul Customs is the sound Bill Connors got on the Return to Forever album, “Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy” or Stanley Clarke’s first solo album where Bill was featured on the whole thing. I found an Oxblood LP Custom around the late 2000s that had that Connors thing going on with it. Great guitar which I should’ve bought on the spot but it was $3200.00 at the time so I didn’t buy it.

gaelicsolus · May 9, 2024

27sauce said:
You think so?

Gibson shipped a TON of Customs between ‘68-‘93. It was their flagship model in the 70’s. T-Top, Shaw, Lawrence…then the ‘57 Classic era, Reissues…

I’d guess the number of 490 Customs is near the lower end of production totals.

That they should all have 490s looked odd to me, too. I could swear the stock Customs when I was a kid in the late '90s had stock the ceramic 496R/500T pickups but maybe I'm tripping...maybe that was the Classic with the '60 neck and yellowed inlays that they discontinued in the '00s before it came back with different specs.

I had an SG Studio with the A3 490 set. Hated those pickups. Found out later that I hated the A300K pots even more or instead....

GenghisBomb · May 9, 2024

middle_pickup said:
Ebony fingerboards will give a more pronounced attack, which many people interpret as a brighter tone. A maple neck will do the same, but has a much more pronounced effect on the body of the note. Maple and ebony together will be very different from the traditional burst.

A far too overlooked feature of these guitars is the geometrical differences Gibson played with over the years. The neck angle of your custom for instance will be different from a burst, or what Gibson is reissuing today. That has as much effect on tone as the tonewood choice, nut material, or how the bridge is mounted to the guitar does. It's safe to say that not all Les Paul shaped objects sound like the golden era of Gibson's production. That doesn't mean your guitar is bad though-just different.

I haven't even talked about pickups yet. All that to say it's not just the ebony board. It's all of it. Comparing two Les Paul of different eras is an impossible task. They are different models altogether.

Um, you get that virtually *none* of this actually matters to any degree you could actually discern right?

middle_pickup · May 9, 2024

27sauce said:
A far too overlooked feature of @27sauce is his recognition/discussion of neck angles. 6 pages worth.

lol Forgive me. I only read your original post in this thread.

GenghisBomb said:
Um, you get that virtually *none* of this actually matters to any degree you could actually discern right?

Can't tell if you're kidding.

Gasp100 · May 9, 2024

Dewey Decibel said:
I wanted a ‘54 with the staple neck pickup, I tried one of the early RIs back when they first came out and it was a killer guitar.

I have one, it’s really nice but for LP’s I’m a standard (or R8 if I wanted to spend the money) guy. I guess opposite of the OP; not a super huge fan of the ebony board and all mahogany.

27sauce · May 9, 2024

Gasp100 said:
I have one, it’s really nice but for LP’s I’m a standard (or R8 if I wanted to spend the money) guy. I guess opposite of the OP; not a super huge fan of the ebony board and all mahogany.

The LP I like is mostly maple. Maybe 50/50

vinividi · May 10, 2024

27sauce said:
My ‘75(76 spec) has new frets. I went with the 50’s jumbo with a low crown, low nut. The feel remained pretty close. I’m pretty particular about nut height, and my guy got it right. There’s no blunt, high feel to the guitar.

There are times I wish I’d gone a little taller. I love the actual size of the fret, though.
View attachment 1339073

ah, that does look like a pretty clean fret job and has given me some hope. But I think something you in your post stood out to me, when you said, "my guy." I think the person doing the work is so important, especially with a vintage (or 'old' for you folks who don't think 70s guitars are vintage) Les Paul. They need to not only know what fret wire to put on, but how it should play.

I had a 69 Mustang that I eventually refretted, and the guy did a terrible job. I was surprised since he typically does great work. It was during the pandemic, so I am not sure if his workload then had anything to do with it. Anyway, with the help of YouTube and Stewmac tools, I managed to clean it up to make the guitar playable again, but it did turn me off to refretting a vintage instrument. Maybe I should look at sending it to Gruhn Guitars for the work when they eventually need replacing.

CarpathianWhips · May 11, 2024

I almost traded these CS Wildwood featherweight LPs for a 8.3lb Murphy lab 57 reissue Black Beauty… those 50’s Black Beauties make me weak in the knee area.

Most_Triumphant · May 12, 2024

Love the ebony fretboard. It feels like my old violin growing up. They just feel great under your fingers.

I’ve always wanted a black custom with gold hardware, but in the modern/axces configuration with a hard tail. Closest I’ve seen is the Les Paul Custom Lite, but they don’t have the ebony board.

GenghisBomb · May 13, 2024

middle_pickup said:
Can't tell if you're kidding.

Not even remotely. And I will prove it by proposing a wager. I will buy two LP-style guitars, both with identical specs *except* one will have a maple neck, the other a mahogany neck, and one will have a rosewood board, the other an ebony board.

Everything else will be identical. I will record 10 clips of the same riff on both guitars, as well as have a live recording of the whole process for verification.

I will send you the clips, and you will have 48 hours to figure out which guitar is which. If you guess >7.5 of them correctly, i'll mail you the two guitars at my cost. If not, you remit to me the cost of the two guitars plus $1,000.

PM to make arrangements.

Mathias 69 · May 14, 2024

27sauce said:
Look at this weird one I owned a while back. All maple, chambered with a one piece top.
View attachment 1336099

Hi 27sauce, congrats with your beautiful Les Paul Custom, could you please let us know from which year this pearl is? It must be a heavey instrument ? How much does it weigh ? Les Paul once said he wanted the back of the guitarbody in maple and the top in mahogany. Thanks in advance for more news from you ! Greetings, Mathias69

Sloppyfingers · May 14, 2024

I'm going to join the LP custom club in about a year..I'm a lefty, and plan to put a deposit on an Alpine White one today..Thanks to another "NGD" thread!..I don;t mind the long wait, as it gives me some time to get the cash together..We are never done are we?..It will complete my trifactor of a 54 Gold top re-issue, and cherry burst standard. ..There sure are some nice looking ones in this thread!

flyingveeman · May 14, 2024

27sauce said:
Anyone else prefer the Custom?

After years of playing Standards, Deluxes and Customs, I’ve accepted that I’m a Custom guy.

I keep coming back to that model. I’ve had, and have, great Standards. Everything from a ‘53, to ‘70’s-90’s, and Historic. I’ve been playing my ‘02 R8 lately.

My current Custom is a ‘75 with a maple neck, but I’ve had other long term customs. I thought the neck material might be it, but maple neck standards have come and gone. Not to mention my old Junior is my favorite guitar of all time…

Could it be what I prefer in a humbucker LP is rooted in the fretboard material?

The attack/sustain/decay is different to me.

Here’s a random shot of my current custom and the revolving door of standards/R8. I think that one was a ‘20 model.
View attachment 1335027

A Joe Walsh Quote is in order " When you've found YOUR Les Paul, you'll know it"

27sauce · May 14, 2024

Mathias 69 said:
Hi 27sauce, congrats with your beautiful Les Paul Custom, could you please let us know from which year this pearl is? It must be a heavey instrument ? How much does it weigh ? Les Paul once said he wanted the back of the guitarbody in maple and the top in mahogany. Thanks in advance for more news from you ! Greetings, Mathias69

My current Custom is a ‘75. 10lb 2 oz

Mathias 69 · May 14, 2024

This is my current 1975 Custom. Plays very easy and has a very direct tone ! I am very happy with this instrument !

phillybri · May 14, 2024

27sauce said:
Anyone else prefer the Custom?

After years of playing Standards, Deluxes and Customs, I’ve accepted that I’m a Custom guy.

I keep coming back to that model. I’ve had, and have, great Standards. Everything from a ‘53, to ‘70’s-90’s, and Historic. I’ve been playing my ‘02 R8 lately.

My current Custom is a ‘75 with a maple neck, but I’ve had other long term customs. I thought the neck material might be it, but maple neck standards have come and gone. Not to mention my old Junior is my favorite guitar of all time…

Could it be what I prefer in a humbucker LP is rooted in the fretboard material?

The attack/sustain/decay is different to me.

Here’s a random shot of my current custom and the revolving door of standards/R8. I think that one was a ‘20 model.
View attachment 1335027

I feel bad for that couch. So much weight...

27sauce · May 14, 2024

phillybri said:
I feel bad for that couch. So much weight...

You should, but not because of the guitars.

The V’s combined barely weigh more than the Custom.

I’m a Les Paul Custom guy. Is it really the fretboard?

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