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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 25, 2014 11:41:40 GMT
I'm sure there are a few people on here who play the guitar so I'm looking for a bit of advice from anyone that knows much about Les Pauls. I'm looking at buying a Gibson Les Paul but I'm not good enough to justify paying the money for a standard. I was looking at the studio model but was wondering if any of you could give me any advice on the other models and what you think is the best value for money?
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Post by slpmarc on Jul 25, 2014 12:12:28 GMT
China street studios in Fenton will help you. www.chinastreetmusicstudio.co.uk/Mention Marc Espley, Gary should be able give you all the advice and be able to get what you want
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 25, 2014 12:21:54 GMT
China street studios in Fenton will help you. www.chinastreetmusicstudio.co.uk/Mention Marc Espley, Gary should be able give you all the advice and be able to get what you want Cheers for the help, Marc. I live in Liverpool though, unfortunately.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2014 12:58:12 GMT
are you looking at a Les Paul just because of the shape and sound?
in other words, have you thought about looking at copies that aren't Gibson?
if you're not that good as yet then i'd just get a cheaper model to be honest, most music shops will part ex guitars as you move onwards and upwards which saves on the cost of splashing out straight away.
i had about 6 different guitars that i "upgraded" along the way with the music shop near me until i finally was able to justify my genuine Fender Telecaster. there were plenty of other guitars out there with a similar sound for me to use until i was able to justify the real thing.
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Post by Pedropotter on Jul 25, 2014 13:54:19 GMT
I'd agree with Mick. Unless you have your heart set on a Gibson your best bet is to find a decent guitar shop that will let you try few out. There are loads of alternatives to Gibsons - often better value. I always go to Frailers in Runcorn, they are the dogs bollocks. No pressure and they let you spend hours trying different ones out. Most staff in guitar shops are up their own arses in my experience and they try make new players feel inadequate for some reason.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 25, 2014 14:22:20 GMT
I've played for about ten years on and off but I'm starting to fully get into playing. I need a new one really as my current guitar has locks on the strings and it winds me up having to unlock them every time I want to put it in drop d and other tunings (I also have two electrics but neither are great). I was going to get an epi les paul but I know I'll end up wanting a gibson since I've wanted one since I started playing. I'd consider trading my guitars in but none of them are worth enough to get rid of and I kind of like the idea of collecting them and looking back at the ones I've had.
Long story short is that no matter what I get now, I'll always want a Gibson. I was looking at the melody makers since they're cheaper and if I ever get really good, I'll be able to justify the amount for a standard.
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Post by slpmarc on Jul 25, 2014 14:25:57 GMT
China street studios in Fenton will help you. www.chinastreetmusicstudio.co.uk/Mention Marc Espley, Gary should be able give you all the advice and be able to get what you want Cheers for the help, Marc. I live in Liverpool though, unfortunately. Still give him a bell, he does delivery
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Post by andrewguk on Jul 25, 2014 14:28:18 GMT
Check this bad boy out....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2014 16:13:38 GMT
Sticking my oar in here mate, i haven't bought an electric guitar for many years but....if you're going to be playing guitar for years to come then regardless of what standard you are now, you'll definitely improve and so i'd suggest you do yourself a favour and buy what you have your heart set on. If you can afford it of course. Don't concern yourself with "i don't think i'm good enough to have summat THAT good" You will be when you've been playing it for a while and then it's worth more than every penny.
If you buy shite, you buy twice...as the saying goes and speaking as someone who has bought in excess of 2 dozen awful cheapo guitar effects pedals in my life, only to sell them on to actually buy decent ones. I'd say get the best gear that you can afford, if it's a love of yours and not just a phase.
I was extremely, extremely fortunate enough to have a Gibson SG when i was an average 16 year old guitarist, i'm now an average 'typing error' year old guitarist and it's still my guitar of choice. Because as my mate said not so long ago when he was having a doodle on it "Well if you've got one these, you dunna need owt else do you?"
Get something that you want though, not what anyone tells you to get or you think you should get, if you like the sound of the Gibson guitar, then go for that IF you can afford it. As you may end up going through say 3 different guitars before actually buying a Gibson and thinking "why didn't i just buy this in the first place?" y'know.
That's just me blurting out some advice which may be of no help whatsoever, and it certainly dunna help you along the lines of cheaper models etc. but yeah.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 25, 2014 19:24:42 GMT
Sticking my oar in here mate, i haven't bought an electric guitar for many years but....if you're going to be playing guitar for years to come then regardless of what standard you are now, you'll definitely improve and so i'd suggest you do yourself a favour and buy what you have your heart set on. If you can afford it of course. Don't concern yourself with "i don't think i'm good enough to have summat THAT good" You will be when you've been playing it for a while and then it's worth more than every penny. If you buy shite, you buy twice...as the saying goes and speaking as someone who has bought in excess of 2 dozen awful cheapo guitar effects pedals in my life, only to sell them on to actually buy decent ones. I'd say get the best gear that you can afford, if it's a love of yours and not just a phase. I was extremely, extremely fortunate enough to have a Gibson SG when i was an average 16 year old guitarist, i'm now an average 'typing error' year old guitarist and it's still my guitar of choice. Because as my mate said not so long ago when he was having a doodle on it "Well if you've got one these, you dunna need owt else do you?" Get something that you want though, not what anyone tells you to get or you think you should get, if you like the sound of the Gibson guitar, then go for that IF you can afford it. As you may end up going through say 3 different guitars before actually buying a Gibson and thinking "why didn't i just buy this in the first place?" y'know. That's just me blurting out some advice which may be of no help whatsoever, and it certainly dunna help you along the lines of cheaper models etc. but yeah. It's been a lot of help. I'm on my third electric guitar so far and I'm 24 so have plenty of time to improve. Up to now, I haven't spent more than 300 on a guitar and haven't bought one for about 7 years (not including my acoustic). I'm not sure I want to spend like 2000 at this point but what you say about investing in something I'd love rather than a "decent" guitar makes sense. A studio at 699 is very tempting. I went to Dawsons on my way home from work today and had a look at them. I just hope I make a final decision soon, before I make an impulse buy and splash on a standard.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 25, 2014 19:29:21 GMT
Check this bad boy out.... That's something you wouldn't even see in a Tenacious D film. I like it
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2014 11:33:46 GMT
Doesn't matter what you get as long as you join a band. The best fun ever, it should be illegal. Whether you're twatting the strings away on your own with a Les Paul Gold Top and a Marshall 200 watt head or a Hondo Mk.II with 4 strings and a 15 watt Selmer amp with a booted in speaker and leads that don't work, that's not what it's about. Join a band. But there is one thing. Make sure you get an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedal. That's the fucking law round these parts.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 26, 2014 12:06:37 GMT
Doesn't matter what you get as long as you join a band. The best fun ever, it should be illegal. Whether you're twatting the strings away on your own with a Les Paul Gold Top and a Marshall 200 watt head or a Hondo Mk.II with 4 strings and a 15 watt Selmer amp with a booted in speaker and leads that don't work, that's not what it's about. Join a band. But there is one thing. Make sure you get an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedal. That's the fucking law round these parts. I've been saying recently one of my mates that the most fun I can remember having was being in a band whilst in school. It was so fun. I really want to start one but I don't know that many people who would be interested.
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Post by pickins on Jul 26, 2014 20:43:08 GMT
Epiphone's are a good stepping stone to Gibson.
I have both and there is no great difference unless you are a purist. Go to a music shop and play a few.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 2:16:00 GMT
Doesn't matter what you get as long as you join a band. The best fun ever, it should be illegal. Whether you're twatting the strings away on your own with a Les Paul Gold Top and a Marshall 200 watt head or a Hondo Mk.II with 4 strings and a 15 watt Selmer amp with a booted in speaker and leads that don't work, that's not what it's about. Join a band. But there is one thing. Make sure you get an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedal. That's the fucking law round these parts. I've been saying recently one of my mates that the most fun I can remember having was being in a band whilst in school. It was so fun. I really want to start one but I don't know that many people who would be interested. Start jamming. Invite like minded people round to your place and just jam. That's when the magic happens.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 3:25:29 GMT
Epiphone's are a good stepping stone to Gibson. I have both and there is no great difference unless you are a purist. Go to a music shop and play a few. I've played Gibson's that are pretty awful and some really horrible Fender specimens. Unless you're buying a pre CBS Fender or a 1950's Gibson Les Paul there is no real guarantee of quality. All these guitars make a different sound as well, especially when paired with classic amps like Vox, Marshall and Fender. Read about Neil Young's guitar "Old Black" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_blackI've got an Arbiter Flying-V with a DiMarzio bridge p/u that i've had for nearly 35 years. It sounds and plays better than every Gibson Flying-V i've ever picked up and it's a Japanese copy with a bolt on neck from 1971. It's a beautiful guitar, with a ridiculously sweet action. I could never part with it, even though I really don't like the shape for sitting down and strumming. With a V, you have to be standing with the guitar down low and hitting it hard for it to look right. Oh, and you have to be a skinny 22 year old as well. The old adage "You can never be too thin for Rock and Roll" is very true. I'd had two guitars from the age of eight, the first was a Hondo Les Paul copy that was given to me free and then a Grant SG copy (Angus Young fan), but this V caught my eye and my imagination. I couldn't take my mind off it. It was for sale in one of the old guitar shops up Hanley duck. It felt quite incredible in my hands even then. Me and my mate George (who now plays guitar with Nick Cave and Groove Armada) would walk up to Hanley just to mooch around Hope Street playing this guitar and that guitar for 10 minutes or so, then buy a new plectrum. George was one of three brothers and they pooled resources. He had this beautiful guitar - a Hagstrom Futurama. At the time we were obsessed with Eddie Van Halen and his Frankenstrat. When Van Halen popped up, they changed everything. Listen to Eruption. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FrankenstratWe sussed it though and I can still play Eruption. It's not hard once you figure it out. Yeah right. I begged my Dad for 180 quid for this guitar, and he flat refused me - it was such a lot of money back then. A week later the V was gone from the shop and my dream was over. Two months later it turned up for my 14th birthday and that fucking stunned me. I'll never forget that moment and i'm welling up as I type - thanks Dad. He also made me go to school that day as well. I'll never forget that either. If I was in the market for a guitar now i'd probably be looking at an old Fender Telecaster with a Fender Twin Reverb amp, for sure. You have to look hard and do your research, be prepared to travel and get a feel for the thing. You'll know when you find it though - you'll be grinning ear to ear. Hunting guitars is brilliant fun too. The last band I was in I was playing bass. Really enjoyed that - although i'm no bass player (heck i'm no great shakes on a guitar either). My mate loaned me his Fender Precision Bass, but we didn't have an amp and we sounded truly awful with bass through the vocal PA. But if there is a bass sound that I like, it's the growl that comes out of an old 200 watt Trace-Elliot GP11 Head - Nicky Wire from the Manics has the sound i'm describing. I looked high and wide for one in good nick, then found this guy in Essex who hoarded old Trace. He sold me a GP12SMX 15" combo that was so loud it could make your trousers flap. Proper old amp with the old Trace sound. Never got round to getting a Rickenbacker 4001 though - the bass guitar.In short, don't just go for the name Gibson or Fender unless you're only really interested in having a slice of brand Americana - and thats fine . But if you find something that delights you when you pick it up, it will delight you for years. I can't think of any inanimate object that gets even close to the relationship, love and respect that I have for my old V. If I was just playing principally for my own amusement, without question, i'd go for the best acoustic I could find. I mean why wouldn't you? Here's my old mate George talking loads of sense. He"s from Penkhull too. This is the sound a V should make. Pure filth.
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Post by jonah77 on Jul 27, 2014 8:49:31 GMT
I had a Fender Precision bass when I was in a band(called The Indigos) and it was mint, teamed up with a really old, really big bass amp. I always wanted a rickenbacker bass but could never afford one. Being in a band is possibly the most enjoyable thing a man can do with other men and no women, I loved it. We use to rehearse in the back room of the knave in Chell Heath and I looked forward to every session. I'd love to get back into playing in a band but I sold my amp and good bass and I've only got some cheapo knackered thing now.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 9:55:09 GMT
The Knave. What a superb pub.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 11:36:06 GMT
Nobody ever played a V better than Bob Mould. Maybe KK Downing from Judas Priest, but Bob's your man, or indeed your uncle, if you like the sound of a V. It's just one of those instruments that has its own wall of sound. Very forgiving live as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 10:25:09 GMT
Did you find a guitar then?
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 29, 2014 12:19:43 GMT
Did you find a guitar then? I've made the mistake of discovering that Dawsons do 12 month interest free finance on purchases over £250. I'm going into Liverpoo on the way home from work to have a look at a couple. Stuido Pro is 999, classic 2014 is 1500 and there's a 2013 standard for 1500. My favourite looking online is probably one of the classics but the colour I think I prefer isn't in stock in Liverpool so I might need to order it. Would you say it's risky getting one delivered? The alternative is trying to get to the Manchester store.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 15:31:14 GMT
Did you find a guitar then? I've made the mistake of discovering that Dawsons do 12 month interest free finance on purchases over £250. I'm going into Liverpoo on the way home from work to have a look at a couple. Stuido Pro is 999, classic 2014 is 1500 and there's a 2013 standard for 1500. My favourite looking online is probably one of the classics but the colour I think I prefer isn't in stock in Liverpool so I might need to order it. Would you say it's risky getting one delivered? The alternative is trying to get to the Manchester store. I'd get into the shop so you can speak to the guys. There's usually at least one person working in a music shop who really knows their guitar onions, you can't beat the help an experienced guitarist can offer. One of the Les Pauls you like will feel better than the others for sure. Try an SG as well. Funnily enough I found a YouTube of my own guitar! Never thought i'd say that. The guy demoing is so knowledgable. Try and get in if you can. Have you got an amp?
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 29, 2014 15:42:28 GMT
I've made the mistake of discovering that Dawsons do 12 month interest free finance on purchases over £250. I'm going into Liverpoo on the way home from work to have a look at a couple. Stuido Pro is 999, classic 2014 is 1500 and there's a 2013 standard for 1500. My favourite looking online is probably one of the classics but the colour I think I prefer isn't in stock in Liverpool so I might need to order it. Would you say it's risky getting one delivered? The alternative is trying to get to the Manchester store. I'd get into the shop so you can speak to the guys. There's usually at least one person working in a music shop who really knows their onions, you can't beat the help an experienced guitarist can offer. One of the guitars you like will feel better than the others for sure. Funnily enough I found a YouTube of my own guitar! Never thought i'd say that. The guy demoing is so knowledgable. Try and get in if you can. Have you got an amp? Yeah, I've got a couple of Marshalls (main one being an mg100fx that I bought a couple of weeks ago second hand). The only way I was going to consider ordering one is one colour of classic is in stock in liverpool so I was going to try it out and, if I liked it, order the other one online from them.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2014 15:47:10 GMT
Looks like you're all set then. Let us know what you go for and post some pics!
Best of luck with it, you'll have years of fun. Guaranteed.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 29, 2014 15:49:16 GMT
Looks like you're all set then. Let us know what you go for and post some pics! Best of luck with it, you'll have years of fun. Guaranteed. Cheers and will do, **************. Cheers for the help (everyone).
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Post by supersimonstainrod on Jul 29, 2014 16:10:04 GMT
Definitely give a few a try.I think the Les Paul has quite a chunky neck profile,if memory serves,and if you're used to guitars with thin,fast necks it may be quite a big adjustment to make.
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Post by Ryan_Shawjosh on Jul 29, 2014 16:40:02 GMT
Definitely give a few a try.I think the Les Paul has quite a chunky neck profile,if memory serves,and if you're used to guitars with thin,fast necks it may be quite a big adjustment to make. My current guitar has a fairly fat neck. I'll just see what they feel like. I was going to try them out regardless but if I preferred the 2014 classic, I was going to order the vintage sunburst one online rather than Heritage Cherry.
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Post by pickins on Jul 29, 2014 23:14:48 GMT
Main issue I found when first playing a LP was the weight, they are quite heavy. Definitely recommend trying one first.
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yamfan
Academy Starlet
Posts: 231
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Post by yamfan on Jul 30, 2014 1:24:55 GMT
My old man has an absolutely mint 1965 Hofner Abassador with its original case. It's semi acoustic and has a really nice deep sound to it. I think it must be rare because when he took it to the music shop near to old Lewis's in Hanley for a set of strings, the bloke got quite excited and offered him a Gibson Flying V and £200 cash, this was almost 30 years ago. The old man politely declined, bought his new strings, and still gets it out for a strum nowadays. He's in his 70s and can bang out some pretty tidy riffs even now, he's only got to hear something a couple of times and he can play it pretty much note perfect. I can't even bang a drum in time
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 4:24:42 GMT
Main issue I found when first playing a LP was the weight, they are quite heavy. Definitely recommend trying one first. It's true that. I like the SG for it's comparative lightweight.
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