• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Here's My 2009 Traditional

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
Now that's how to start the day.

Purdy guitar there, sir.
 

DannyR8

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
219
Thanks everyone :)

I am currently swapping out the flesh for more accurate plastic along with an abr 1 conversion and aluminum tail piece. Since I bought a couple Historics, I am noticing tonal differences and obvious cosmetic differences. We shall see if the conversion makes a noticeable difference. I'll report back when things get done. I am still researching the bridge and tail piece choices. For all I know, the pickups could be the most notable difference but I like to tinker so...........
 

DanD

Active member
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
2,368
I think the pups have the most to do with the tone. My BB Pros in my '13 Standard are ballsier than my '57s or Live Buckers which fall in between the two. Without dropping the BBs down it's really hard to get a smooth singing tone. I find the BBs to be in your face rock pups with a bit less refinement than the other two.

Irregardless of pup type I was able to find suitable tones in all of them by adjusting pup heights and my attack. I still prefer the '57s over the BBs by a long shot. The 57s seem more player friendly/forgiving than BBs. The under wound Live Buckers are real close to 57s but the A5 mags give them a little more sparkle than the '57s and a little less of that smooth singing tone of 57s. But the Live Buckers don't get muddy with higher gain settings like the 57s. I'm probably hearing the difference between the A2 and A5 mags.

They are all good useable pups once adjusted to your preference.

I doubt you hear a whole lot of difference from the hardware. I think the Zamak tail piece may add a bit more high end and brashness to the equation. I think the Zamak bridge cuts a bit more than the aluminum tail which seems to smooth out the tone a bit. But the visual appearance is changed for the better IMHO with vintage looking hardware. Both Faber and Tone Pros make nice conversion ABR bridges. :peace2
 
Last edited:

DannyR8

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
219
Thanks for the input. I think the visual impact is worth the swap alone. If for some reason the tone is impacted in a negative way, then I will switch back. I doubt the tonal change will be drastic though.

The two Historics that I picked up both have Custom Buckers so I know the difference is always going to be there.

The neck pup on the Trad is on the muddy side from time to time but overall is very usable. The bridge is a little on the thin side but again, usable. I have adjusted them dramatically just to hear the difference, both the pole pieces and overall height, and I am still trying to dial them in. I have come closer to what I expect but in my opinion, the Custom Buckers are superior pups. I know I will find a sweet spot with the 57's at some point. Who knows maybe the hardware swap will help what really is not a problem. Now that I have options, it is fun to tinker.

This Trad will be mine for life so I look forward to making it what I really want. I have already rewired the electronics with push back braid throughout, poped in some pio caps, 500k audio tapers, ditched the metal plate inside the cavity and messed around with 50's wiring. I am almost there. Each change that I make stays that way for at least a month so I can get an honest feel for the difference, if any, then I make another change etc. So far everything I have done had an appreciable difference, except 50's wiring on the bridge pup.........that I did not like. So now the neck is 50's and the bridge is modern. Maybe not conventional, but it works for me.

It's a nice luxury to have a few quality guitars so if one goes down for a while there is no reason to stress. If I make changes to the Trad that do not work out as I expect, I just take one of the Historics. Life is tough :)
 

sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
I agree about the hardware, with the possible exception being the tailpiece. I actually like the heavier Zinc on my guitar.

Swapping an ABR for a Nashville was more an aesthetic decision for me. I have enough travel for intonation and (to me) looks much better. Maybe the Mapleflame mod will add something, but it's a pretty intrusive mod. I did the Faber BSWKIT and feel mixed with the results. If I was to do it over again I'd probably just retrofit an ABR to the Nashville bushing/posts setup. I guess you could try the Callaham ABR, but the reviews have been somewhat mixed.

The Traditional and '02-'08 Standard series are great rock guitars. I'd keep that in mind. You already have Historic's to satisfy the Brit Blues thing.
 

DanD

Active member
Joined
Apr 8, 2007
Messages
2,368
...
The Traditional and '02-'08 Standard series are great rock guitars. I'd keep that in mind. You already have Historic's to satisfy the Brit Blues thing.

I think that sentiment holds true through to the 2014 Stds too. That's the main difference between my Std and R9s. The Std is set up to deliver a wider range of acceptable tones and the R9s are more geared towards doing specific tones very well.

You can go from metal to classical on the Std and it will do them all ok. It excels at rock/hard rock and is acceptable all around.

My '57s won't touch the metal end of the spectrum and get a little muddy moving towards harder rock but the smooth bluesy tones from them blow the BBs in the Std out of the water. The clean tones are likewise stellar in comparison. The cleans are softer, smoother and notes/attack are less immediate and not as 'in yer face' as the BBs.

Just my opinion, many people like the immediate attack and clearer tone of the BBs. It's all very subjective! :peace2
 
Top