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Idly musing over an LP build

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Chris of Arabia

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I don't normally go for Les Paul style guitars (I was badly scarred by an LP Studio experience), but something has caught my eye that make me think I'll perhaps reverse the trend (for one build anyway).

I'm looking at a hollow mahogany body with a maple cap, but am thinking of going down the Indian rosewood route on the neck, possibly with an ebony fretboard. Has anyone had any experience of such a beast and what did you make of the end result? Pics would be good too if you have any.
 
My strat has a rosewood neck and ebony fretboard... it feels, plays, and sounds fantastic.  Highly recommended.  I didn't put any finish on it, just a little orange oil from time to time to keep it from drying out.
 
I built an indian rosewood / macassar ebony Les Paul.  Very pleased with the results.  What scarred you with a LP in the studio?

MG_0286.jpg
 
WMHOLP said:
I built an indian rosewood / macassar ebony Les Paul.  Very pleased with the results.  What scarred you with a LP in the studio?

MG_0286.jpg
Click to expand...

:laughing11: LOL! It was a Les Paul 'Studio' rather than a Les Paul in a studio. It was one I bought 2nd hand from someone out here in Riyadh. Don't think it was the guys fault and I'm sure he didn't do it himself, but it was an absolute lemon. Whoever did the fret job wanted shooting - they all gradually tapered towards the edges of the fingerboard and didn't maintain an even height, and due to the length of time it'd been out here, the fingerboard itself had shrunk leaving the frets standing proud of the wood. The whole neck/body balance was off too. All in all, it wasn't a nice guitar to play. I bought it back to the UK and traded it for an SA2200.
 
Actually, it's interesting to see both those LPs above use the Warmoth headstock. I'd be curious to know which neck contour you both used.

Love that bound neck BTW, though it's not something I'd be likely to do myself, as I much prefer to use SS frets.

Next question, what pups are on those? A wild guess says Gregg's are Rio Grande's.
 
If you liked that one you would have loved the blue burst they had up there a few weeks ago.  The choice between the blue burst and the bengal burst I got was going to be difficult until someone ended the decision for me when they bought the blue burst.  I think it turned out pretty well though because the bengal burst is unreal.  I don't know about you but I really dig that swamp ash bengal burst they have up right now. 
 
I love my indian rosewood (neck and board) neck on my thinline. LOVE it. So smooth and natural. If I were to make a paul, that would be my first inclination; rosewood with ebony board. Go play a PRS with a rosewood neck, most guitar centers will have one or two of those.
 
Chris of Arabia said:
It was one I bought 2nd hand from someone out here in Riyadh. Don't think it was the guys fault and I'm sure he didn't do it himself, but it was an absolute lemon. Whoever did the fret job wanted shooting - they all gradually tapered towards the edges of the fingerboard and didn't maintain an even height, and due to the length of time it'd been out here, the fingerboard itself had shrunk leaving the frets standing proud of the wood. The whole neck/body balance was off too. All in all, it wasn't a nice guitar to play. I bought it back to the UK and traded it for an SA2200.
Click to expand...

I had almost the exact same experience with my Gibson Les Paul.  I love the bad ass look of those things but Gibson does some shoddy work putting them together.  Still, I love the look and the way they hang when strapped on.  That's why I built my own Warmoth LP--to get the look and feel I wanted and to put it together properly myself.  And it seemed the only way to get a 25.5" scale on that style of body.  That's the other thing I hate about Gibsons--24.75" scales with no string tension and everything flubbing and warbling in pitch.
 
jtroska said:
That's the other thing I hate about Gibsons--24.75" scales with no string tension and everything flubbing and warbling in pitch.
Click to expand...

That's natures way of saying 'put a heavier gauge of strings on it'  :laughing7:
 
Chris of Arabia said:
Actually, it's interesting to see both those LPs above use the Warmoth headstock. I'd be curious to know which neck contour you both used.

Love that bound neck BTW, though it's not something I'd be likely to do myself, as I much prefer to use SS frets.

Next question, what pups are on those? A wild guess says Gregg's are Rio Grande's.
Click to expand...

I used the standard thin contour on mine (the black one).  It's also 25-1/2" scale length.  Pickups are custom wound HighOrders.  The Bridge is an 8.3K A-2 magnet, PAF (asymmetrical) wind, and the neck is 7.8K A-3 with a symmetrical/even wind).
 
Sorry to hear that some have had some problems with Gibson LPs.  I have had the same one (Les Paul Studio) since 1989 and the only thing I have ever had to do to it was fine tune the set up after I bought it and change strings on a regular basis.  It's been to the UK, Korea and back to the states and has never even needed a neck adjustment.  All I can figure is it must have been built on a Wednesday!  Just recently put a set of EMG 81/85s in it.  Fabulous sound through a JCM 800.

Bill
 
I don't suppose anyone knows the item number of that blue dye quilt job do they? Thinking of using it as a reference point if I can.
 
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