There are many different kinds of Les Paul guitars, dating all the way back to the 1950s. 1986 was a very important year for Gibson, as it changed over ownership to begin manufacturing many different kinds of these guitar models to suit different individual needs. The whole 1980s actually brought about much change for these great guitars, including the end to a design characteristic which had been a hallmark of these instruments, specifically the maple neck and volute. Today you will be able to find Gibson Les Paul guitars with a wide variety of designs, including those which have many digital electronic aspects to models which were remade to resemble those manufactured in the 1950s.
There are many different reasons why the names Gibson and Les Paul are well-known by rock fans and musicians alike. Both modern and classic Gibson models are made with only the highest quality materials, which were specifically chosen to produce a certain sound that is unique to most rock music. From the 1950s and continuing to modern day, these guitars can be seen in many rock music performances, and even sometimes in classical performances.
Part of what makes the Gibson Les Paul guitar so unique is being able to produce a wide range of sounds with the right musician and added effects. Those who wish to purchase one of these guitars will be glad to know that they are available in many different models, including classic designs which date back to its original conception and release. Gibson is a guitar company that has always been known for their high standards and innovative approach to making these instruments. Many people around the world regard the Les Paul as the ideal guitar for experienced players. It will continue to go down in history as one of the most famous and most frequently used guitars in the entire world.
Dedicated to Gibson Les Paul guitars in the firs place and others guitars like Fender,Ibanez...
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Playing Electric Guitar -Fender Stratocaster Vs Les Paul
In the political world you have republicans, and you have democrats. In automotive circles you have Ford people, and you have Chevy people. In the fishing world you have those who prefer inshore fishing, and those who are fans of off shore angling. In the guitar world, you often have two opposing legions. Stratocaster players verses Les Paul supporters.
It is, of course, not all black and white, and there are always off-shoots in any discipline. Politics has its independents, cars have Toyota and Honda fans, anglers have fly fishermen, and guitarists have Ibanez, PRS, Yamaha and more.
But quite often, the world revolves around two opposing forces, day verse night, high tide verses low tide, summer verses winter - all with varying degrees of "in-betweeness". Back in the day, when I first started playing guitar, the picture was much clearer. If you played rock and roll, you were either a Strat guy or a Les Paul player. Nothing else would do.
To the un-trained eye these two guitars have quite a lot in common. They both are hunks of wood with six strings, that plug into an amplifier to make music. But to the guitar aficionado the differences are many. Some of the comparisons that can be made between the Strat and the Les Paul involve differences in:
1. Tone
2. Pickups
3. Feel
4. Weight
5. Amp Compatibility
1. Tone - The first most apparent difference between the two guitars lies in the tone that each produces. A Les Paul "sounds" distinctly different from a Strat. This is largely due to the pick up configuration, that we will cover next, but the Les Paul tone can be described as a more "meaty" of thicker tone, and the Strat as a "sweeter" of thinner tone.
2. Pickups - A Strat pickup configuration typically consists of three "single coil" pickups. These pickups are known for producing that "sweeter" tone that many players prefer. The Les Paul normally has two "humbucker" pickups. Each humbucker pickup is, in essence, two single coil pickups put together. Humbuckers are a higher output pickup and result in more distortion, hence the meaty or thicker tones. The Strat comes stock with a five-way pickup selector switch, the Les Paul comes with a three way (See our article "Playing Guitar and the Pickup Selector Switch"). Because the Strat has three pickups it is capable of producing five distinct tones through adjustment of the selector switch. The Les Paul, with two pickups, is capable of three distinct tones.
3. Feel - Play the two guitars and you will immediately feel the difference. The fret board of a Strat typically has a more "rounded" or contoured shape. The Les Paul fret board is typically more of a flat plane. The pluses and minuses of the two can be argued, depending on who you are talking to, but most would agree that the feel of both is decidedly different. In addition, Stratocasters often are produced with either a rosewood fret board or a maple fret board. The darker rosewood has a slightly different "feel" and produces a bit of a thicker tone favored by many rock players, and the lighter colored maple fret board has a bit of a thinner tone preferred by many country players.
4. Weight - The difference in weight between the two guitars is considerable. In my early days as a touring musician, I was a Les Paul guy. I spent many years with a Paul strapped on my shoulder six nights a week until the discomfort from the weight became nearly constant. Then one night, on a lark, a fellow band mate let me play his Strat on a gig. It felt like a feather on my shoulder compared to the cinder block of the Les Paul, and I was instantly hooked on Strats.
5. Amp Compatibility - Many consider the perfect marriage in tone to be a Strat plugged into a Fender tube amp. There is an unmistakable "clean" tone when these two are put together that is instantly recognizable. Although Fender amps are not usually known for great distortion, a good stomp box is a common cure, and worth the sacrifice for the ultimate clean tone. Conversely, the Les Paul is often paired with a Marshall tube amp for the ultimate distortion tone. Favored by many guitarists from heavy metal to hard rock to grunge, the Les Paul / Marshall combination is often considered to be rock and roll "nirvana".
Other differences between the Stratocaster and the Les Paul include floating verses fixed bridges, differences in headstock shape, volume/ tone switch placement, body shape and contour, and input jack placement.
All these add up to generations of loyal followers of one style and design, or the other. Which is better, the Stratocaster or the Les Paul? Who knows. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference. Talk to ten different guitar players and you're liable to get ten different answers, and all of them are right!
Keith Dean is founder of AdultGuitarLessons.com and a 30 veteran of stage and studio. He toured extensively as a road musician throughout the US and Europe, was a former lead guitarist for Jason Aldean, and has shared stages with Little Big Town, Wild Rose, Winger, Confederate Railroad and more. He is a published songwriter, owned and operated a successful music store, and has instructed numerous students in guitar.
It is, of course, not all black and white, and there are always off-shoots in any discipline. Politics has its independents, cars have Toyota and Honda fans, anglers have fly fishermen, and guitarists have Ibanez, PRS, Yamaha and more.
But quite often, the world revolves around two opposing forces, day verse night, high tide verses low tide, summer verses winter - all with varying degrees of "in-betweeness". Back in the day, when I first started playing guitar, the picture was much clearer. If you played rock and roll, you were either a Strat guy or a Les Paul player. Nothing else would do.
To the un-trained eye these two guitars have quite a lot in common. They both are hunks of wood with six strings, that plug into an amplifier to make music. But to the guitar aficionado the differences are many. Some of the comparisons that can be made between the Strat and the Les Paul involve differences in:
1. Tone
2. Pickups
3. Feel
4. Weight
5. Amp Compatibility
1. Tone - The first most apparent difference between the two guitars lies in the tone that each produces. A Les Paul "sounds" distinctly different from a Strat. This is largely due to the pick up configuration, that we will cover next, but the Les Paul tone can be described as a more "meaty" of thicker tone, and the Strat as a "sweeter" of thinner tone.
2. Pickups - A Strat pickup configuration typically consists of three "single coil" pickups. These pickups are known for producing that "sweeter" tone that many players prefer. The Les Paul normally has two "humbucker" pickups. Each humbucker pickup is, in essence, two single coil pickups put together. Humbuckers are a higher output pickup and result in more distortion, hence the meaty or thicker tones. The Strat comes stock with a five-way pickup selector switch, the Les Paul comes with a three way (See our article "Playing Guitar and the Pickup Selector Switch"). Because the Strat has three pickups it is capable of producing five distinct tones through adjustment of the selector switch. The Les Paul, with two pickups, is capable of three distinct tones.
3. Feel - Play the two guitars and you will immediately feel the difference. The fret board of a Strat typically has a more "rounded" or contoured shape. The Les Paul fret board is typically more of a flat plane. The pluses and minuses of the two can be argued, depending on who you are talking to, but most would agree that the feel of both is decidedly different. In addition, Stratocasters often are produced with either a rosewood fret board or a maple fret board. The darker rosewood has a slightly different "feel" and produces a bit of a thicker tone favored by many rock players, and the lighter colored maple fret board has a bit of a thinner tone preferred by many country players.
4. Weight - The difference in weight between the two guitars is considerable. In my early days as a touring musician, I was a Les Paul guy. I spent many years with a Paul strapped on my shoulder six nights a week until the discomfort from the weight became nearly constant. Then one night, on a lark, a fellow band mate let me play his Strat on a gig. It felt like a feather on my shoulder compared to the cinder block of the Les Paul, and I was instantly hooked on Strats.
5. Amp Compatibility - Many consider the perfect marriage in tone to be a Strat plugged into a Fender tube amp. There is an unmistakable "clean" tone when these two are put together that is instantly recognizable. Although Fender amps are not usually known for great distortion, a good stomp box is a common cure, and worth the sacrifice for the ultimate clean tone. Conversely, the Les Paul is often paired with a Marshall tube amp for the ultimate distortion tone. Favored by many guitarists from heavy metal to hard rock to grunge, the Les Paul / Marshall combination is often considered to be rock and roll "nirvana".
Other differences between the Stratocaster and the Les Paul include floating verses fixed bridges, differences in headstock shape, volume/ tone switch placement, body shape and contour, and input jack placement.
All these add up to generations of loyal followers of one style and design, or the other. Which is better, the Stratocaster or the Les Paul? Who knows. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference. Talk to ten different guitar players and you're liable to get ten different answers, and all of them are right!
Keith Dean is founder of AdultGuitarLessons.com and a 30 veteran of stage and studio. He toured extensively as a road musician throughout the US and Europe, was a former lead guitarist for Jason Aldean, and has shared stages with Little Big Town, Wild Rose, Winger, Confederate Railroad and more. He is a published songwriter, owned and operated a successful music store, and has instructed numerous students in guitar.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Zakk Wylde Les Paul Bullseye Guitar
From his early work with Ozzy Osbourne, to his seminal playing with Black Label Society, to his distinctive solo outings, Zakk Wylde has distinguished himself as one of the most fierce lead players in all of rock. A technique as furious and aggressive demands a guitar to match. Gibson Custom is honored to work with Wylde to create a guitar that features his trademark bullseye graphics, EMG humbucking pickups and raw, unfinished necks. The Zakk Wylde Les Paul from Gibson Custom is the ultimate weapon for guitarists looking to hack out anything from metal to grunge to the most raw shred styles.
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Les Paul Guitar Community
Les Paul, and Les Paul guitars, have been in the news a lot lately, from U2′s The Edge donating his Les Paul guitar for continued Hurricane Katrina relief to the PBS documentary on Les Paul himself. Now fans of Les Paul guitars have a new home on the Web to discover Les Paul news, free videos, an image gallery featuring Les Paul guitars, and more at www.MyLesPaul.com, launched earlier this month.
The goal of MyLesPaul.com is to “provide a website and forum for Les Paul discussion and share the wealth of knowledge of the Les Paul guitars,” according to founder, Alex Chu. The community is quickly attracting Les Paul guitar players and fans interested in “talking shop” about the guitars.
The site home page includes a featured Les Paul guitar photo, submitted by a community member, and a featured free Les Paul guitar video, which will both periodically rotate. The home page also features Les Paul guitar news, available to members and non-members of the community.
Free registration in the My Les Paul community allows fans of Les Paul guitars, manufactured by Gibson, Epiphone, and other companies, to gather and discuss anything from vintage and custom Les Paul guitars to playing. The forum also includes a classifieds and auction area for buyers and sellers of Les Paul guitars. Community members also have access to a photo gallery, where they can post photos of their own Les Pauls.
About MyLesPaul.com
MyLesPaul.com is an online forum and community for Les Paul guitar owners. Guitar owners can participate in discussions about Les Paul guitars, read news and watch videos involving the guitars, and share photos of their Les Paul guitars made by Gibson, Epiphone, and other companies in the MyLesPaul.com photo gallery. The community was launched in March 2007 by Alex Chu.
For more information about the My Les Paul community, please visit www.MyLesPaul.com
The goal of MyLesPaul.com is to “provide a website and forum for Les Paul discussion and share the wealth of knowledge of the Les Paul guitars,” according to founder, Alex Chu. The community is quickly attracting Les Paul guitar players and fans interested in “talking shop” about the guitars.
The site home page includes a featured Les Paul guitar photo, submitted by a community member, and a featured free Les Paul guitar video, which will both periodically rotate. The home page also features Les Paul guitar news, available to members and non-members of the community.
Free registration in the My Les Paul community allows fans of Les Paul guitars, manufactured by Gibson, Epiphone, and other companies, to gather and discuss anything from vintage and custom Les Paul guitars to playing. The forum also includes a classifieds and auction area for buyers and sellers of Les Paul guitars. Community members also have access to a photo gallery, where they can post photos of their own Les Pauls.
About MyLesPaul.com
MyLesPaul.com is an online forum and community for Les Paul guitar owners. Guitar owners can participate in discussions about Les Paul guitars, read news and watch videos involving the guitars, and share photos of their Les Paul guitars made by Gibson, Epiphone, and other companies in the MyLesPaul.com photo gallery. The community was launched in March 2007 by Alex Chu.
For more information about the My Les Paul community, please visit www.MyLesPaul.com
Gibson Les Paul Tribute
Staring
 |
| Less Paul |
 |
| Slash |
 |
| Jimmy Page |
What can I say, this is one of the best guitars which are known to the world.
This model has been produced for almost 50 years and is almost identical to the original model.
It was developed in cooperation with the Gibson guitar manufacturers and musicians and inventors Les Paul. This guitar is suitable for almost all genres of music and is so essential for any band. This guitar is used by all well-known musicians such as former guitarist Slash of Guns & Roses, the most recognizable in today. Of course there is the legendary guitarist Jimmy Page a former band known as Led Zeppelin
which today's younger generation does not know their names. Of course we can not
forget the man who has allowed such a great instrument that you can still admire and hear his unique sound and he is unfortunately already passed away.
At least one thing we can pay tribute to him and say thank you Les Paul wherever you are and your fairy tale never finished and probably never will. I can tell you only that I have not tested a better instrument than the Gibson Les Paul Standard!
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Japanese students have developed a guitar for the disabled
TOKYO - Japan's 55-year-old who is paralyzed on the right half of the body, it will be thanks to the invention of the five Japanese students and their mentors play guitar again.
On guitar will be played so that in a special way spanning a pick operated by foot pedal. "I am delighted to be able to play guitar again,"he said with all that Hisajoši Mijazaki
Models of Gibsons Les Pauls Guitars
Goldtop (1952–1958)
Custom (1954–1961)
Junior (1954–1960) and TV (1955–1960)
Special (1955–1960)
Standard (1958–1960, 1968–2008)
And ther is many more models....
Legendary Gibson Les Paul Guitar
The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s. The Les Paul was designed by Ted McCarty in collaboration with popular guitarist Les Paul, whom Gibson enlisted to endorse the new model. It is one of the most well-known electric guitar types in the world, along with the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster.
The Les Paul model was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation
and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson Guitar president Ted McCarty brought guitarist Les Paul into the company as a consultant. Les Paul was a respected innovator who had been experimenting with guitar design for years to benefit his own music. In fact, he had hand-built a solid-body prototype called "The Log", a design widely considered the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built, as opposed to the "Hawaiian", or lap-steel guitar. This guitar is known as "The Log" because the solid core is a pine block whose width and depth are a little more than the width of the fretboard. Although numerous other prototypes and limited-production solid-body models by other makers have since surfaced, it is known that in 1945–1946, Les Paul had approached Gibson with "The Log" prototype, but his solid body design was rejected.
In 1951, this initial rejection became a design collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul. It was agreed that the new Les Paul guitar was to be an expensive, well-made instrument in Gibson's tradition. Although recollections differ regarding who contributed what to the Les Paul design, it was far from a market replica of Fender models. Since the 1930s, Gibson had offered electric hollow-body guitars, such as the ES-150; at minimum, these hollow-body electric models provided a set of basic design cues to the new Gibson solid-body, including a more traditionally curved body shape than offered by competitor Fender, and a glued-in ("set-in") neck, in contrast to Fender's bolt-on neck joint design.
The significance of Les Paul's contributions to his Gibson guitar design remains controversial. The book "50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul" limits Paul's contributions to two: advice on the trapeze tailpiece, and a preference for color (stating that Paul preferred gold as "it looks expensive", and a second choice of black because "it makes your fingers appear to move faster on the box", and "looks classy—like a tuxedo").
Additionally, Gibson's president Ted McCarty states that the Gibson Guitar Corporation merely approached Les Paul for the right to imprint the musician's name on the headstock to increase model sales, and that in 1951, Gibson showed Paul a nearly finished instrument. McCarty also claims that design discussions with Les Paul were limited to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body for increased density and sustain, which Les Paul had requested reversed. However, according to Gibson Guitar, this reversal would have caused the guitar to become too heavy, and Paul's request was refused. Another switch: the original Goldtop was to be all mahogany and the later Custom was to have the maple cap/mahogany body. Beyond these requests, Les Paul's contributions to the guitar line bearing his name were stated to be cosmetic. For example, ever the showman, Paul had specified that the guitar be offered in a gold finish, not only for flashiness, but to emphasize the high quality of the Les Paul instrument, as well.[ The later-issue Les Paul models included flame maple (tiger stripe) and "quilted" maple finishes, and once again contrasted the competing Fender line's range of car-like color finishes. Gibson was notably inconsistent with its wood choices, and some goldtops or customs have had their finish stripped to reveal beautifully-figured wood hidden underneath.
sorce:Wikipedia
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