LP, Thinline, etc. advice

[spauldingrules]

I was wondering if I could get some input from you guys.  It has been awhile since I sold my Gibson Les Paul to play my Warmoths exclusively (besides my Tele which I love), my band has been missing "that" LP tone on a lot of our songs.  I have a Warmoth Strat with Dimarzio area 58s and area 61 pickups, which in my opinion is the PERFECT strat.  No noise no matter what.  I also have a Warmoth Mahogany strat H-S-S style with a Dimarzio "Breed" humbucker in the bridge position and some hotter virtual vintage dimarzio single coils in the neck and middle.  Very versatile, and my main live axe since I can get most tones I need out of it well enough for live purposes.  The neck is maple/maple which I really like the feel of (finished in tru oil with a little poly over it, steel wooled back).

Can I get this Mahogany strat with the maple neck close to LP tones with new pickups?  Or does the maple neck and longer scale chance spoil that chance?  If it were as cheap as building a Strat, I would build a Warmoth LP in a second, but it seems like it will cost over twice as much.  Someone mentioned an H-H thinline as a possibility - can this get "that" LP sound?  What about a VW?

Thanks for any input,

TS

 

[jackthehack]

Probably the closest you would get would be a Strat/Tele(NOT Thinline)/VW with mahogany neck and body and applicable set of HB pickups.

If you really want an LP, custom ordering a mahogany body with carved flame top and mahogany/rosewood neck would only run you about $100 more than a similar Strat...

 

[Nando Vallart]

I agree with Mr Jack!

 

[-CB-]

I dont think you'll get an LP tone from it.

That in mind - you can get a LP vintage mahogany for about $700 when they're on sale at GC.  I only paid $650 for my LP BFG !  The deals are out there.  Hate to shoot down a great W build, but if you want the tone for low $$$ that'll do it.

 

[tfarny]

Better yet (much better in build quality than a bottom-end Gbson): Get a PRS SE singlecut off of Ebay and replace the pickups and maybe the tuners.  About $600-650 total after you're done.  That is a seriously nice guitar for low dollar, with the right pups you'd get a plenty close tone, the woods and construction is same as an LP. Personally I think they're lookers too, better than the 'faded' stuff. Probably what I'll do after I build just one more W. (just ordered today!)

 

[jackthehack]

If you're going to do a flat top LP, the Warmoth parts are the same as a Strat.

 

[spauldingrules]

I really don't want to give Gibson any money.  What is the deal with the flat top LP?  Any tonal differences?  Can I get the TOM bridge on it, or are those for carved tops only?  The flat top is a lot cheaper, and I don't care about looks enough to pay more.  Anyone played both or have any ideas?

- TS

 

[-CB-]

Gibson makes a good guitar.  I hold them no grudges except their marketing practices.  I tend to buy the low end and mod it, so I have my own little niche of the way I see em.

 

[tfarny]

Well, at least go play that PRS SE before you decide.

 

[jtroska]

I really don't want to give Gibson any money.  What is the deal with the flat top LP?  Any tonal differences?  Can I get the TOM bridge on it, or are those for carved tops only?  The flat top is a lot cheaper, and I don't care about looks enough to pay more.   Anyone played both or have any ideas?

- TS

I'm with you on not wanting to give Gibson any money.  I've owned 2 (Les Paul and X-Plorer) and my friend owned 2 (Les Paul and Flying V) and all 4 were lemons.  One of his lemons was a $3,000+ Les Paul Custom.  Meanwhile, my $500 Schecter is holding up great.

I'm not 100% sure about the carved top, but I know this:  I have an all-mahogany flat top Carvin SC90 and I had that all-mahogany faded Les Paul carved top.  Although both guitars were built with mahogany, the flat top Carvin has a very different acoustic (unplugged) tone than the carved top Les Paul.

So much so, in fact, that I just placed an order for a Warmoth flat top LP body hoping it'll sound closer to the Carvin.  I'm not expecting the exact same sound, but I just wanted my next project to sound a little more like the flat Carvin than the carved top Les Paul.  I'm really not sure if the carved top is what's making the difference.  The carved Les Paul sounded louder and more vibrant.  The flat Carvin has less unplugged volume but a heavier/tighter low end that really thumps on the palm mutes.  I can clearly hear this difference even when the guitar is unplugged.  And the amplified signal follows.

But there are other structural differences that may be accounting for the different sound.  The Carvin is a neck-thru and the Les Paul was a set-neck.  The Carvin is also very thin. 

 

[jtroska]

The other thing I'd try for capturing the authentic Gibson Les Paul sound is the 24.75" scale neck.  To me, that makes a huge difference.  The 24.75" scales pulls the strings at a lesser tension and makes the guitar sound/feel more slinky.  For my tastes, I prefer the more taught tension of the 25.5" scale and that was one of my main reasons for ordering a custom Warmoth LP.  But my point is that the sonic difference is considerable.  Probably more so in the scale length than in the wood material.