Even with stock pickups?

@@mabbatic yep. It’s top notch. Added locking tuners and strap locks

@@truthfactreality6814 Good to know. My Frampton model Epiphone isn't that great. Even with upgraded pickups. I have Lee Malia Explorer though that will beat a lot of Gibson's. That one came with Gibson pickups.

Hi, thank you very much for your nice comment. I also think that the Armada is a beautiful instrument, but it is a full scale instrument and not a short scale. Short scale guitars are, for example, 20.3/4 inch or shorter and are often referred to as children's or travel guitars. The most famous short scale guitar was probably John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325, which he played at the beginning of the Beatles period 1960-65. Keep on Rocking! Ron ✌

Ok

Why? That r9 and 68 reiisue has amazing resonance

Free improvisation about gimme shelter, keep on rocking! Ron

Rolling Stones, give me shelter

they get good money for them

I got one for 480 used its a 2023 model

The intention of copies is to come as close as possible to the original. The Japanese succeeded in copying American and European products very well in the '70s and '80s. From a playability perspective, you can absolutely use a good Asian Gibson copy and play it in everyday use. From an investment perspective, the original is of course always the better investment in the collector's field and the professionals always rely on the original. Keep on Rocking! Ron

those were very good guitars. better than gibson was making at the time. you can still buy japanese copies, Tokai is a great brand

Hi, without seeing the guitar it's not possible to give an exact answer. LP stands for Les Paul but the S could stand for Standard, Studio or Special / B = probably color and 5 = decade of construction. You can send a photo to Gibson customer service and you will usually receive the response you need within a few days. Keep on rocking! Ron

I could email you pics, it is a goldttop with black on the back. By the way I figured out something with the number... it is actually LPSB6NH1, 6 stands for 60s neck is not as wide as others (50s). Still... B is a mystery… maybe it was initially black and someone painted it because Goldtops have a "GT" in the model number.@@ronwall

Hi, just giving an exact assignment/designation based on the letters and numbers without the serial no. is a bit like reading in a crystal ball. The year of manufacture is just as important as which line Stanard, Studio, Junior etc. was the guitar built. For example, I own a Studio Goldtop that has an LPSBGNH1 which is: Les Paul Studio Body Gold Nikel Hardware 1 (1=fits quality check). If your supposed 6 could also be a G then BG could stand for Body Gold. But Gibson could give you the exact details using the serial number. Regards, Ron

Hi, the two Epiphones, the JC and the JB Lazarus, are both absolute top Les Paul guitars. Both have a very comfortable and quick-playing neck. While the JC is a slightly larger eye-catcher but has South Korean humbuckers built in, the Lazarus has American humbuckers that give me goosebumps when playing with their full, rich sound. But both guitars have an absolute 'addictive factor'. Whatever you decide, you won't regret purchasing either of the two beauties.

@@ronwall that’s really good of you, thanks. Order going in now👍🏼

Hi, thanks for the great demonstration. I'm thinking of buying a Gibson Les Paul custom from sweetwater for $5000. Do you think there is difference in quality between this and Jerry's Gibson Les Paul custom?

Hi, there are many different Les Paul Customs models that differ in neck shape, pick ups etc. In terms of workmanship, all of the guitars are absolutely high-end. Whether the custom you saw at Sweetwater is the right one for you, '58 / '59 / '60's neck shape - the humbuckers and the weight is the right Gibson for you, only you can decide for yourself. But in terms of quality, all custom models are absolutely top instruments that give you a lot of fun to play and last a lifetime.@@jimjim7008

​​@@ronwallthanks for the reply. After my comment to you yesterday I paid a local guitar shop a visit with my '97 Gibson Les Paul standard which has same pup configuration (498T/490R) as the 2023 Gibson Les Paul custom. I plugged both into JVM Marshall and both sounded exactly the same. The neck profile on the custom was chunkier than my standard. After an hour of play I prefer my standard for comfort and playability. But the custom black beauty looks more elegant and had a nicer feel. I have a '91 Gibson Les Paul classic with all stock (500T/496R) wanting to sell to fund for used custom with more comfortable neck. Then I could sell my standard too somewhere down the line and keep the custom for life. I think that would be my future plan. But for now keeping my '97 standard because it's a fantastic player in terms of sound/tone and playability. Thanks

Hi, thank you very much for your message. Of course, opinions always represent a subjective view. But you can draw your own conclusions from different opinions and form an opinion that is valid for you, which is a good thing. It's good that you love your '75 J50, I love my '76 J50 too, even though it has shrinkage damage (binding crumbled, top and sides have several cracks and I've already reattached the bridge several times). Although it is my problem child in my guitar collection, I love playing it and luckily all the quality defects don't affect the sound. Keep on Rocking! Ron