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Les Pauls

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 11:33 pm
by Roger
Players - I'll start off with Robert Fripp and Phil Manzanera.

I've only ever owned a cheap Les Paul copy. Long time ago when Woodruffs in Birmingham closed there was an auction of their stock in Digbeth where I bought a Yamato copy. Pick ups weren't too bad, but everything else was :( !

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:20 pm
by scottj1
Good one Roger :D

I love Les Paul's,they always seem to me to have so much more effort into making them with the set-neck and carved top.

The thick tone doesn't suit everyone though and wouldn't sound right for certain types of music,they do seem to have come down in price relatively speaking.

Gibson like other makers now are turning out so many instruments I don't know if somehow this takes the edge off the appeal a bit?

Who know's..

I'll go for Steve Hackett as my top Les Paul player..

Regards all

Scott

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 3:08 pm
by Roger USA
Wonderful guitars.

I'd go for Steve Hackett, Jimmy Page, Phil Manzanera and Peter Green with a shout outs for Paul Kossoff and Snowy White.

All the best,

Roger

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:59 pm
by Trevor Raggatt
I grew up listening to my brother's rock records which included much Thin Lizzy. I saw them twice before they split up, once with Snowy White and once with John Sykes. The sound which they got from their twin Les Pauls was stunning. So I will nominate...

Scott Gorham,
Brian Robertson
Gary Moore
Snowy White
and
John Sykes


I saw Gary Moore playing solo many times, once in his metal mode but all the other times when he went back to his love of the blues. What a great player and his ex-Peter Green Les Paul produced the most amazing tones. A good friend of mine did the engineering on the "Still Got The Blues" album and speaks really highly of his playing (less well of his character, sadly)

So while we are at it let's nominate Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac fame

Before they went all hair metal and spandex trousers in the mid 80s, Whitesnake had some great bluesy Les Paul playing courtesy of Bernie Marsden - perfectly counterpointing Micky Moody's more biting SG.

Another couple of players in the prog world who merit mention too are Steve Howe of Yes who uses Les Pauls alongside his more characteristic semi-acoustics and Alex Lifeson of Rush. Although better known for playing Gibson semi acoustics, the last time I saw Rush live he was playing a few realy nice sounding Les Pauls. Of course, half of the appeal of Alex's playing is in his "sideways" approach to soloing and guitar lines. With the rich sound of a Les Paul it creates a very rounded live sound which really fills out the sound of their rock trio (with keyboards) format. Of course Alex has now moved over to PRS guitars as his main axe - as so many traditionally Les Paul players have.

Finally, and here's one from left field... Jeff Lynne from ELO, particularly on their early/mid 1970s albums. Listen carefully and there is some great sounding guitar work hidden away in the arrangements.

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:05 pm
by Trevor Raggatt
scottj1 wrote:I'll go for Steve Hackett as my top Les Paul player..



Scott, Roger,

In about 1985 0r 86 I managed to see "GTR" in concert in Manchester here in the UK. If you've not come across it the band was the supergroup which was put together by Steves Hackett and Howe. That was some gig! Great playing. The icing on the cake was the two support bands. The first support band was Steve Hackett doing a 30 minute acoustic set. The second support band was (you've guessed it) Steve Howe doing a 30 minute acoustic set! Amazing!

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:14 pm
by Roger
Scott - good idea to suggest the thread and already we've had some great postings :D

Roger USA - nice to know there's another Phil Manzanera fan on the forum! He played a Les Paul in the early days of Roxy Music, but then didn't use one again until the tour with his own band 801, which I think was in 1977. From memory I believe it was a 1957 model loaned from Lol Cream of 10cc. From then on he's continued to use Les Pauls along with Strats and his Firebird VII, for which he is best known. Also agree with you about Snowy White.

Trevor - always loved those harmonies in Thin Lizzy. My favourite combinations were Gorham/Robertson and Gorham/White, although the vastly underated Midge Ure did a great job when he was with them too! Agree with your comments about Alex Lifeson and Jeff Lynne as well.

I can just tell that this is going to be a great thread :D What next - 335 or SG2000 :)

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:42 pm
by Russ Gannicott
Influencial players -

Les Paul (!)
Danny Kirwan
Peter Green
Slash
Zakk Wylde
Jimmy Page
Peter Frampton
Marc Bolan

Only own one genuine LP - 1978 Deluxe, wine red mahogany with maple cap, P90's and several ponds of lead somewhere inside it. Genuinely too heavy to play for a whole gig! Also got an early 70's Kimbara 'lawsuit' and an similar age Eros.

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:46 am
by matt
Roger wrote:Players - I'll start off with Robert Fripp and Phil Manzanera.

I've only ever owned a cheap Les Paul copy. Long time ago when Woodruffs in Birmingham closed there was an auction of their stock in Digbeth where I bought a Yamato copy. Pick ups weren't too bad, but everything else was :( !


You are the first person I've ever met that owned a Yamato copy ... not the worst guitar I've ever owned but I did give it away in the end... I couldn't keep it but didn't have the heart to strip it apart... I wonder if my friend still has it...

I'm afraid my memory isn't very good with names... although I will confess to drooling over the skills of Frampton, Slash and a local'ish chap I watched play LP called Andy Bole... used to have a shop Boldmere way, nice chap, had a couple of guitars off him but always enjoyed watching him play locally...

I currently have a nice cheap (needs to be with my kids trying to 'learn guitar') Epiphone LP from 2003 .. given to me by my brothers after it travelled a fair few hundred miles to reach me. Apparently my brothers do love me after all :D

If someone gave me any LP older than me (pre 78) I'll be a very happy chap...

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 2:24 pm
by Bob Wilson
Always found LPs a little too bulky but that didn’t stop me craving one because of the sound. Here is my list cut down as much as possible. :D
Les Paul, Peter Green, Slash, Paul Kossoff, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, Jan Akermann, Snowy White, Billy Gibbons, Gary Moore and Lenny Kravitz

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 4:51 pm
by Roger USA
I should add Joe Walsh to my list.

All the Best,

Roger

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 10:22 am
by Oldbones
Lots of great guitarists listed so far. It looks as if Roger USA and I share similar tastes. I'd certainly go along with Steve Hackett, Peter Green and Snowy White as being amongst my personal favourites.

When it comes to guitarists, I always prefer those who are able to develop strong melodic lines. I have no liking at all for the thrash-and-bash brigade who seem to feel that shredding is the be-all and end-all of skill. That's why I use the signature that I do for my posts.

Right at the top of my list, I'd have to place a guitarist who often uses a Les Paul for some of the most sublime, melodic solos anyone could wish for - and that's ANDY LATIMER of the group Camel. He 'retired' some years ago due to ill health, but is now back on the road and in the studio again.

For me, he and the early playing of Peter Green are 'IT' --- magical.

For those who thought "Who???" - here he is in concert soon after his return to the stage after that long and life-threatening illness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFDABNyhnbQ

And for a truly ethereal, extended solo - how about this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ge36EHJyRE

Re: Les Pauls

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:18 pm
by Stevo
I'll just add a couple of names that haven't come up yet.

Randy Rhoads
Mark Knopfler (used a Les Paul on Money for Nothing and Brothers In arms)
Warren Haynes