A tale of THREE fabulous Burst HiLes Pauls...new aquisitions...

Hello guys,

I started my career some 35 years ago on a Sears "Global" Les Paul copy. I soon graduated to a real Les Paul Standard--an "Ace Frehley guitar"--as an inticement from my parents to stay in high school and graduate when I had planned to quit to "become a rock star". :dude:

I always regretted selling that guitar, but times had changed and a guitarist without a whammy bar was like a cow without udders in the 80s...so..

Recently, I realized that it was time to get back to my roots. My plan was, buy a nice "investment grade" Paul to hold onto and do some recording work with. Well, I really went into this totally green. I picked out and ordered a nice "aged" R9--but I wasn't prepared for the artificial checking and beat up appearance of it. I returned that and picked out a different one. As I was awaiting for it to arrive, I went up the local Music Store and spied a beautiful Heritage Red Sunburst Trad Pro III on the wall---I had to have it. I traded one of my Carvins for a great deal on it.
After spending some time playing this gorgeous instrument, I realized that I loved the neck on it---much more than the big, thick 59 neck. And I also realized that for the price I paid for the R9, I could get at LEAST another Les Paul, hell, maybe even two...and to be honest, I saw two different ones on Reverb,com that I just couldn't get out of my mind..

Well, long story short, I returned the R9...and now have acquired a dreamy triple play of Les Pauls.

My 2017 Traditional Pro III



My 2010 Les Paul AAA Standard..



...and my 2017 AAA Les Paul Standard....look at that top!!



I have one with push-pull pots, one with the "springy" pots, and the 2010 is standard pots. I will probably put Dimarzios in the 2010 just for something different. Anyway, I feel like a proud new Papa...

the 2010 has a top that rivals some of the best historics, love it !

fred dons said:

the 2010 has a top that rivals some of the best historics, love it !

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:dude:

fred dons said:

the 2010 has a top that rivals some of the best historics, love it !

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You know, the funny thing was, it didn't look anything like that in the selling photo---I originally was attracted to it because it seems a lighter hue of red than most. But when I opened the case---WOW! I couldn't believe it. The grain is incredible!

renderit said:

So, you like the red ones. Excellent fiddles sir! I must get me a red one.

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Yes sir!!! I sure do! :hee

My original guitar hero was Ace Frehley, and I always liked the Cherry Red Standard he played. I had my own in the 80s, but sold it. I'll eventually get another color, but this was a good way to start.

Congrats! The tops on those LPs are bananas!!!!

I recently picked up a Trad Pro as well (a 2009 Trad Pro [technically a Trad Pro 1, but being the first they just called them Trad Pros]). It's my 3rd Gibson USA LP (among other guitars, including other Gibsons), so I get where you are coming from. For the money I have in my 3 USA models (2 Trads and a Trad Pro) I could have bought a new Reissue (and not saying I wouldn't like a Reiusse, but it is fun to have the variety). I have different colored tops (Honey Burst, Iced Tea & Vintage Burst) and 3 different sets of pickups giving each its own voice--which wouldn't be possible with just a single Reissue.

I also like to mod my guitars (pickup swaps, aged nickel hardware, Faber parts, etc) and wouldn't really feel comfortable modding a Reissue, I don't think. With the regular Gibson USA models, it's not really something I worry about. I'm not a professional musician, just a hobbyist whose been enjoying the hobby for 30+ years now... and I have as much fun monkeying with my guitars, and planning what I want to do with each one, and getting them "just like I want them" as I do playing them it seems. :laugh2:

Anyway, HNGD x3... what a great Cherry Trifecta! :salude

1all's Pub said:

Congrats! The tops on those LPs are bananas!!!!

I recently picked up a Trad Pro as well (a 2009 Trad Pro [technically a Trad Pro 1, but being the first they just called them Trad Pros]). It's my 3rd Gibson USA LP (among other guitars, including other Gibsons), so I get where you are coming from. For the money I have in my 3 USA models (2 Trads and a Trad Pro) I could have bought a new Reissue (and not saying I wouldn't like a Reiusse, but it is fun to have the variety). I have different colored tops (Honey Burst, Iced Tea & Vintage Burst) and 3 different sets of pickups giving each its own voice--which wouldn't be possible with just a single Reissue.

I also like to mod my guitars (pickup swaps, aged nickel hardware, Faber parts, etc) and wouldn't really feel comfortable modding a Reissue, I don't think. With the regular Gibson USA models, it's not really something I worry about. I'm not a professional musician, just a hobbyist whose been enjoying the hobby for 30+ years now... and I have as much fun monkeying with my guitars, and planning what I want to do with each one, and getting them "just like I want them" as I do playing them it seems. :laugh2:

Anyway, HNGD x3... what a great Cherry Trifecta! :salude

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Cool man! I'm on the same wavelength as you! I like the variety, and I feel a little more relaxed about modding one of them--I'm putting some DiMarzios in that middle one, and an RS Guitarworks wiring packet to replace the circuit board in the 2010 LP. Just standard wiring with CTS pots.

I will eventually get another color one--maybe a tobacco burst or an Iced Tea. I actually didn't even realize that I had gotten all cherry bursts until I put them side by side. One is a "Heritage Cherry" (the Trad Pro) but they're all so close.

Push /pull pots on Gibson/Epiphone are not worth a crud.

Congrats, those are some beautiful guitars you have purchased for yourself. I am in the same boat, where I have been playing for 38 years and had to have a guitar to dive bomb with back in the 80's. My first guitar was a Hondo II Les Paul Copy, which was a great guitar back in the day if you couldn't afford a Les Paul. Everyone wanted to play a Les Paul like Jimmy Page until Van Halen came out.

Overall, I really like my Gibson's and have sold pretty much all other guitars, since I don't really need to dive bomb anymore and just love the feel and tone from a Les Paul through a Marshall, Mesa Boogie or Fender amplifier. My little Boss Katana mess around amp does pretty good for just jamming at home, since it has some really nice tones and settings to get what you want.

What kind of amps are you sporting now in this time of your life for your Pauls?

Karldoog said:

Hello guys,

My 2017 Traditional Pro III

My 2010 Les Paul AAA Standard..

...and my 2017 AAA Les Paul Standard....look at that top!!

I have one with push-pull pots, one with the "springy" pots, and the 2010 is standard pots. I will probably put Dimarzios in the 2010 just for something different. Anyway, I feel like a proud new Papa...

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I'm sure a lot of hard work went into being able to afford those.... but damn. You are a lucky, lucky man.

rjwilson49 said:

Congrats, those are some beautiful guitars you have purchased for yourself. I am in the same boat, where I have been playing for 38 years and had to have a guitar to dive bomb with back in the 80's. My first guitar was a Hondo II Les Paul Copy, which was a great guitar back in the day if you couldn't afford a Les Paul. Everyone wanted to play a Les Paul like Jimmy Page until Van Halen came out.

Overall, I really like my Gibson's and have sold pretty much all other guitars, since I don't really need to dive bomb anymore and just love the feel and tone from a Les Paul through a Marshall, Mesa Boogie or Fender amplifier. My little Boss Katana mess around amp does pretty good for just jamming at home, since it has some really nice tones and settings to get what you want.

What kind of amps are you sporting now in this time of your life for your Pauls?

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Thanks, man!
You know what's funny? I just bought a Katana 50w too! Is that what you have? Killer little amp, eh? For years I've been using a Roland Microcube for home-jamming, and I have loved every minute of it. The Katana is basically a Microcube with a 12" speaker!

By the way, I still divebomb, and have the guitars to prove it, lol. :yah

thunderkyss said:

I'm sure a lot of hard work went into being able to afford those.... but damn. You are a lucky, lucky man.

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Thank you, sir! I DO feel lucky!

Karldoog said:

Thanks, man!
You know what's funny? I just bought a Katana 50w too! Is that what you have? Killer little amp, eh? For years I've been using a Roland Microcube for home-jamming, and I have loved every minute of it. The Katana is basically a Microcube with a 12" speaker!

By the way, I still divebomb, and have the guitars to prove it, lol. :yah

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Yes, I have the Katana 50w and a Mesa Boogie V 35w Combo. The Katana has some really great tones that come from it.