New Member...new to Les Paul Guitars

Hi all...am new to the forum and a new guitar player. This past summer I purchased a Baja Telecaster and have been learning to play (at my ripe old age of 50) and really like the guitar but don't like the tone (except when the bridge has distortion and then the thing rocks!).

So I went to my local guitar store and found a new 2019 Les Paul Studio Tribute. Specs look good and the price is below $800. That said, this guitar for 2019 has dot inlays instead of trapezoids, uncovered pickups and a slim-taper neck.

Now, I picked the Baja Tele because I loved the neck...a little thicker than normal. I know the 2020/current Tributes have the Standard neck, covered pickups and trapezoid inlays...however, they are also $1200 (a 50% increase over the 2019 Tribute).

Tonally I have to believe they are identical, cosmetically they are different and the only other difference I see is the neck. I played the slim tapered neck today and it wasn't bad...even coming from my thick necked telecaster.

I'd like to know your thoughts/opinions on the two different guitars.

PS: I have a Boss Katana 50 amp

Thanks...

JT

Funny, my Baja Tele's are my favorites and the tone is awesome, clean or distorted. The Tributes? Gotta play 'em and hear 'em. Hands and ears, hands and ears.

Another aspect regarding Tributes which incurs variance is wood quality and construction. Remember you will encounter multiple-piece construction in Tributes: therefore, glue-up matters, as does the wood batching...

So while true of every instrument, it's especially true the more played the better your sample set, the better your choice.

As Al said, Hands and Ears. :salude

jb_abides said:

Another aspect regarding Tributes which incurs variance is wood quality and construction. Remember you will encounter multiple-piece construction in Tributes: therefore, glue-up matters, as does the wood batching...

So while true of every instrument, it's especially true the more played the better your sample set, the better your choice.

As Al said, Hands and Ears. :salude

Click to expand...

Yup. Unless dots or crowns are important, the more you can compare the easier it is to decide. Price is moot. The dot was the end of the HJ era and from what I've seen of the low end stuff then, it should be cheaper. They ain't da same! Try them, play 'em. I'll say this as an old 64 yr old, why buy the entry level model. Your a big boy now, none of your heros played one, get a proper lacquer finished Les Paul, a Studio on up to the big boys would be better.

Either way, you gotta get hands on, plugged in time to know.

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. The reason I’m looking at the lower priced guitars is that I don’t like neck binding. As a new guitar player I look at the neck a lot and I find the white binding distracting.

I almost pulled the trigger on a new all black Studio yesterday but I didn’t care for the painted neck. It was on sale for $1000. A great price but I’m not necessarily looking for a deal but trying to find what I like.

I did play a bunch yesterday and generally prefer a thicker neck. That said the slim tapered neck on the studio that I played was almost indistinguishable from the rounded neck on a tribute. Probably variation in manufacturing...a thicker slim taper vs a slimmer rounded.

jb_abides said:

Another aspect regarding Tributes which incurs variance is wood quality and construction. Remember you will encounter multiple-piece construction in Tributes: therefore, glue-up matters, as does the wood batching...

So while true of every instrument, it's especially true the more played the better your sample set, the better your choice.

As Al said, Hands and Ears. :salude

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on the multiple pieces...I didn’t think of that. Saw a nice Studio Deluxe today but still looking.

If you don't like binding, want a thick neck, and are OK with something different, I suggest you look at a 'LPJ' [not Juniors] -- viewing it as a mod platform.

LPJs can be had for cheap, have a nice beefy neck [NOTE: maple], and you can change out the HW & PUPs to your liking.

Of course a Studio will give you a nicer finish, and perhaps some figuring on the top.

GLWTSearch :salude