Why You Need A Gibson Les Paul

Jonathan dives into the history and why you will love and need to have a Les Paul in your collection of guitars! It may not be your first or your last but you need to own one at one point in your life!
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[@OrbitlynX]

Couple years ago I didnt think I need a Les Paul, now I have 4. :D

[@smackothy]

LMAO so real, love the ‘:D’

[@flashingit]

Same here. 4 Gibson LP

[@qua7771]

7.

[@DavidV63]

It's like pokemons ^^

[@jaypaulson5181]

Yep- every Paul is different- got mine (‘80) in 1985, and have never been able to find one like it… Forever my number one!

[@MyDadWasALifeguard]

Same here ..a 68 Gold Top in 1985..I just bought a used studio a few weeks ago Gibson has put out so much Shiite recently..imo

[@theuserthatishere]

started on a paul, later realized fender is cool too. own and love both!

[@Steve.Cutler]

Just got my first les paul about 6 months ago. Took me 40+ years..lol Love mine!

[@hod8931]

Yep, spot on IMO. Still need my tele and strat too but LP's are their own thing.

[@MrSmiley1964]

When I started playing all of the rockers played Les Pauls, but watching Steve Cropper on SNL (1978) made me want a Telecaster. But when I went shopping all I could find was a Strat. That directed my playing until 2004, when my wife bought my first Les Paul for me on our first Christmas as husband and wife. I won't part with it, to death do we part. I'm looking for a '58 RI and the cash for it now. Mighty tasteful playing Johnathan.

[@Datimdavis2900]

I am 62 and have been playing for about 50 years. I have numerous Les Pauls, a Flying V a non reverse Firebird, and a Yamaha Revstar standard. What drew me to the guitar was a 1976 LP Deluxe in cherry sunburst-the one that got away. I love how heavy they are and how they sound through my MesaBoogie Mark I. I love my Les Pauls!

[@sealedgravy3702]

Great jamming at the end of the video, Jonathan! I liked that you were hitting the toggle switch liberally to give us a sample of the tones the Les Paul and the guitarist can bring out of the instrument. Well done, my man!

[@craigwillms61]

a blast from the past. I had that exact Les Paul Deluxe. Wish I would have kept it.

[@JustMe-mn5hk]

Thank you Jonathan, and everyone else at casino guitars for all the awesome work y'all do! I've played and performed with straps and Kelly's all my life, but a few years ago I receive a Les Paul from a friend that passed away.. I knew I would love it just because it belonged to him! But it didn't take me long to find out I love it also because it's a Les Paul! I truly didn't know what I was missing! RIP Monty and thank you for all the wonderful memories!

[@dw7704]

I think part of why I like them is that my first electric was a LP copy I later got a beatup used one Love it.

[@seppi65]

I went for the R4 reissue, love the P-90s and wraparound bridge

[@timothygutkin5711]

I owned an identical deluxe to that one my first Les paul I was super excited....after a couple of days I couldn't wait to get rid of it

[@ratwynd]

I have the best of both worlds! LP like thing made in the Fender Corona factory. A 1996 Guild Bluesbird. 24.75" scale, humbuckers w/ 4 knob controls, mahogany and maple cap with beautiful sunburst. During 1996 and 1997 after Fender bought Guild, they were built in the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, CA prior to Guild building their factory in Tacoma. I have not opened it up yet to examine the pickups for markings but they are black open coil buckers. Beautiful nitro finish in mint condition and OHSC. Body chambered and lighter than almost all LPs I have ever handled. She sings the Blues! I never found an LP I wanted that I could afford. After finding the Bluesbird I quit looking (other than for appreciation of a beautiful instrument).

[@guitarjonathan]

Derrick and I were literally just looking at one of these on Reverb!!!

[@MrSkyfish7]

Les Pauls have about a dozen specs to them that are on the edge of being flaws. It is rare that you find a Les Paul that gets all 12 of them right, and those are the rare "masterpieces". The combination of the good and the bad give each one its character. More people I've met name their Les Pauls than any other guitar. Something about them make them individuals. I have one that stays rock solid in tune, has a thinner neck, medium weight and sounds closer to my SG. My other has a thicker neck, has a singing sustain on the higher strings, is amazing for the Allman brothers sound, but it is heavy and if you look at it wrong that G string goes just a hair flat. I also own a perfect guitar, its a PRS. Always in tune. Perfect neck. Sustain when I want, bark when I want it. I'll never need another PRS. But the Les Pauls... I want to try all I see, I want to learn the personality of them. What does it get right? What does it get wrong? What does it get SOO right that I can look past what it gets wrong. I'm always on the look out for another that speaks to me.

[@jimbeam-ru1my]

"those are the rare "masterpieces"." it's not a masterpiece when you build a guitar right. other companies are able to build all their les pauls right.

[@dw7704]

Some people prefer heavy guitars. Of course many don’t My LP is about 10 pounds, and I am good with it, but I have two light guitars and love those It depends on your back and how much you play one guitar standing, etc.

[@jimbeam-ru1my]

@@dw7704 10 pounds isn't heavy for a les paul.

[@dw7704]

@@jimbeam-ru1my depends on the era. It’s not the heaviest one, but for many 10 pounds is too heavy for a guitar It’s heavier than most LPs from 54 til now

[@jimbeam-ru1my]

@@dw7704 9-10 lbs is common for fifties les pauls. under norlin they could get from 12-14 lbs. a les paul under 9 lbs is a really light les paul.

[@applehead252]

I totally agree. Something is very unique about them and I have almost everything literally and the lp just makes me play different and the sound is unique along with how comfortable to play sitting down it is . I have a gold top reissue.

[@TheBenwaugh69]

Got my first Gibson Les Paul a few weeks ago a classic from 2000 and I’m super stoked now I need a Marshall half stack to chase that vibe down .:) I enjoy the middle setting with the bridge pick up rolled off just a touch .

[@kellygrant3074]

The only Paul I've connected with is a "Limed Mahogany" (T.V. yellow) Special with the black P-90's. The flat top, with almost no neck angle, flat pick-guard, wrap around bridge; straight up punk rock killer axe. It makes ALL the sounds, even the pull pot for the Greenie, stays in tune no matter what, nice chunky neck, sexy brown and pink case, flawless fret finish and LOUD! Half off retail on CL. I will never sell it. I have played so many Pauls that suck rocks, but 30 seconds in I knew this was gonna be my #1. Happens to have been a factory plek, and a Sweetwater spec, 2019 must have been a good year, or I just got lucky. Cheers!

[@WeekendWarriorGuitars]

LOVE my '71 Les Paul Deluxe and your Deluxe sounds just as great! You can't go wrong with a Les Paul.

[@bradconklin2878]

My 1st Les Paul, I bought in ''78. A '76 Custom just like the one to your right. Still have Still kicks ass , beautifully.

[@emartinezr]

The reason some people feel shy about a Les Paul is that because the LP tone is so big and chunky.... it sort of commands a certain confidence or outspoken-nessfrom the player. You can't hide your guitar when it's a Les Paul because it's going to growl and sound larger than life......

[@Mr.Owl9]

I've given up on search for a Les Pauls these days but Johnathan made a great video...

[@RealROCKnROLLA]

I'm gonna take a drive to try out a used 2019 r9 this Saturday. I hope I like it, the price is delicious👌

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

Les pauls are great and they are definitely a staple in rock music. To me tho, I remember when i was a kid that out of all the guitars out there, the one i wanted to graduate to and someday hope to own one was the brian may red special. Now that i do, there is still no other guitar that can take its place. Great video Johnathan and awesome playing. Rock on 🤘

[@ThePedroDB]

The Brian May guitar is in a class of one. Which model do you own? I used to own the Guild BHM Pro - and it was lovely - but at the time I didn't see much benefit over the BMG Special and sold it. Big regrets ever since despite owning two BMG Specials (neither of which are Red...)

[@itslikethesamebutdifferent8020]

@@ThePedroDB oh man sorry you sold it. I have the Guild BHM 1993 version. You are correct, the red special is on a class of its own.

[@nellayema2455]

Love a Les Paul with mini-humbuckers. Great playing, Jonathan!

[@mikemorgan4774]

That add for the Johnson J-Station. Best piece of kit ever!

[@Mankwokheiman]

I need one.

[@Soul-d5m]

Im on my fifth Les Paul and they are the best. I traded both of my strats for one Les Paul and I couldn't be happier.

[@markkenific6587]

Great video and terrific explanation about the mystique of a Les Paul. I have 4 Gibson LP’s and 2 Epiphones. My go to is either my 04 Standard Plus or my 17 Traditional. Both great guitars.

[@mulemusic]

Perfect description! I've been lucky since playing since the 60s. My first good guitar was a new 68 Tele, followed by a 71 LP Deluxe. Have had pretty much only Les Pauls, Strats and Teles since then. (I tried an SG, but just could never connect. ES 330, 335 and 345 were in the herd at times) But the Les Paul is work horse.

[@chrisvega544]

I've seen that Deluxe hanging on the back wall in other videos ... glad to see & hear it played. That thing is awesome! Thanks!

[@GordonPavilion]

I own a Les Paul Classic Custom Shop, wine red with a mahogany top and Tom Holmes P/Ups (split coil)…really nice sounding and playing guitar … and just beautiful to look at.

[@mortbot]

Yup, love mine.... but I still always go back to my strat.😀

[@DavidCarterVideos]

After a lifetime of Fender Strats and Teles, I got my first Gibson Les Paul in February of this year. A totally different beast but it just sounds soooo good when it's cranked up through a Marshall amp. Having loads of fun with it.

[@opinionhaver574]

I love all guitars but the Les Paul has always been my favorite. Currently very fortunate to own a Custom, a '50s Standard gold top (P90), a '60s Standard and an R9. They're all awesome but the R9 is on a whole other level. I was skeptical before I tried it. Now I know. Thanks for the video - great playing.

[@danielgrubb9496]

This was an awesome video. More of this... To the point, showed some cool tones, enough opinion without meandering haha! Love you guys!

[@kurtweiand7086]

Really enjoyed this segment on Pauls! They are definitely my fave guitar's 💓! I have a 60' custom shop burst. And still own my first one a 69 Deluxe with a Lollar P90 in the bridge!

[@robertspreitzer8126]

Yup everyone needs a Les Paul in their arsenal. I’m a super strat guy but damn that LP is in a league of its own.

[@MARTINA-gc3tq]

Circa 2016/7 I was in Cambridge, England walking past a music instrument shop . A cherry burst Traditional caught my eye. Thirty minutes later I was walking home with a Gibson in my hand. I can’t even play a guitar! I gave to my son for his birthday…….he can play.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I love my 2 Gibson Les Pauls. One being a 61 Jr. I've got to get my hands on 59 Reissue Custom Shop. Someday.

[@cageliner]

I had a Custom many years ago. My current Les Pauls are a 2014 Les Paul Melody Maker with P-90S pickups and a 2013 '50s Tribute with mini humbuckers in place of the P-90s. Both sound like Les Pauls but the MM is brighter.

[@bryanhenderson8807]

I believe Les Paul was testing and designing his guitar in the Epiphone shop after hours. He found that mahogany had the best sustain. I believe he had an Epiphone he cut in half and glued to the solid block of wood. My first Les Paul was a Epiphone Standard cherry burst, that I thought was great and sounded great. Nothing beats the sound of a Paul. Great demo, Jonathan showing us what Pauls are made of, getting that big, thick sound.

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

Casino guitars is awesome! Was there right before covid hit, the weekend the bad tornado hit Nashville... drooled over a klon they had in their display case. I should have asked to touch it but I didn't....

[@bobcabo4509]

I used to have a '52 and a '71, but could never warm up to them. The '55 Junior was another matter. That was a great guitar.

[@phillipjennings963]

Awesome playing !

[@garrysimmons111]

I've always been an "I'll play anything" guy with no obvious preference for body shape or scale length, but I seem to be playing my Les Paul's a lot lately. Especially since I bought a late 2006 (chambered) that feels and sounds like a proper LP but has the weight of an SG (7.25 lbs).

[@Frosenborg]

Agreed. I got six, all different models. They have that sound that, you just can't quite get from other guitars.

[@scottcutrer223]

The best Les Paul video ever!

[@davidrees1840]

I really appreciate you giving the Deluxe some love -that neck pickup is, imo, Gibson's best humbucker bc the rest always sound muddy or woofy on the low E and A. Also, it looks just like my 1st guitar (a '75 LP Std), which I had to refinish with opaque paint due to 6 big body cracks. I'd love to get a Deluxe some day...

[@CyclopsGuitars8642]

Nice jam at the end Johnny,sounded wicked pissah!!

[@tubularbelter]

I own Teles, Strats an SG a 335 an LP special DC but my 1992 Les Paul Classic Plus is beautifully made, beautiful looking and beautifully sounding "good wood" period icon and the custom shop couldn't make me a better fit.

[@bertgetner9397]

Awesome demo Jonathan. Grabbin' a little bit of the Reverend's tone.

[@PaulMihelic]

Jonathan I have a Gibson LP Standard, a Gibson LP Tribute and a Epiphone 59 Standard LP. They all are great but I really love my Esteban acoustic. Something about that black guitar.

[@eoinjennings519]

We need all the guitars but especially Les Pauls !

[@JohnO-yd3te]

Great playing !

[@Galaxy3370]

Love your playing with the LP. Now we need you to do the same on 335. It sound so different from your Spotify playlist!?

[@homegrownson]

Until a few years ago I had not made the Jump to a Real Les Paul, Then after finally finding one I loved enough to Buy, within 2 weeks a friend offered me theirs at a price I couldn't refuse in a trade and had 2, one of those became a Tractor and Another a Vintage BMW Convertible only to find a few months later the Slash Victoria Goldtop when doing a pawn shop search for gear. It's Light, its Pretty and it plays like Butter, add in hott Slashbucker Pickups and its a Monster

[@benharvey356]

Great outtro soloing too!

[@bsen9928]

I like your guitar sound! What brand of mini humbuckers are you using?

[@BasswipeNC]

I have an Epi Les Paul. Sometimes I wish I had sprung for a Gibson. But I do like my Epi.

[@robertwillett4122]

Best guitar ever conceived.

[@dlflash56]

My first "real" guitar was a 1974 Les Paul Gold Top. I was in the Navy and ordered it new, through the base exchange. The price was $390 with case. I sold it back in the mid 80's to a friend, who promptly dropped it and broke the headstock... he had it less than a week. At the moment, I own a total of 9 Les Paul's, including my pride and joy, a 1959 Les Paul Special DC... of which I am the second owner. I also own a 1977 LP Custom, natural, with a maple fretboard, A R9, a R0, 2x LP Deluxe's, 1999 & 2001 LP Classic and a 2018 Traditional... plus 3 Limited edition Epiphone LP's... So technically I own 12.

[@davedavid7061]

this is the first comment section that hasnt kicked the piss out of Gibson. My 21 Standard is flawless

[@bottomkitchen250]

This is a great episode. (I mean, they all are really). I think the controls are the way they ought to be for guitar. To me, it makes sense to have the individual controls for each pickup. I love the bridge and stop tail setup too. They are just perfect in my opinion.

[@gddion]

It never occurred to me until just now that the Slash signature Les Paul is a signature model of a signature model

[@Foofang65]

Great play. Even better hands 👍

[@Nick.Webster]

I love my Les Paul and it has taught me perfect pitch as I now find it much easier to hear the D and G strings going out of tune

[@Foofang65]

Love em👍✌️

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

I started playing guitar at 14 and played a crappy Memphis LP copy for 2 years. At 16 I got my first job and after working 6 months I bought a mint 1973 tobacco burst Gibson LP Deluxe for 400 bucks in 1982.

[@davidwood351]

Great rockin outro Jon

[@ryangunwitch-black]

Yeah i probably need one. Or at least a TV Yellow Jr. 💛

[@spacelab2756]

That LP seems to suit your playing style very well.

[@mikemoe3107]

His right hand always looks so tense...but works haha

[@realmongo7565]

Good video Jonathan!

[@davegallagher7428]

I love LP’s but because of my big gut, short, arms, and neck and shoulder problems. I need something 7 pounds or less so that pretty much puts LP’s off the table. I have actually considered getting one of the new LP Lites And swapping the pick ups out for some PAF style pick up, but is that really a LP or just a guitar with Gibson LP on the headstock? Stellar playing Jonathan!

[@charlesbolton8471]

If it’s a Gibson (or Epiphone) and it says Les Paul on the headstock then it’s a Les Paul. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Standard, a Custom, a Studio, a Junior, a Speical, or any of the other variations it IS a Les Paul. If you want a light weight Les Paul you should look for an ES-Les Paul.

[@ThePedroDB]

I always thought the LP was a bit of an 'outdated Dad guitar'. As an 80's kid, Superstrats were (and Jems, mainly, still are..) my thang. However, if you want that classic 70's Rock tone - in my case Thin Lizzy - only an LP will do. As you said, not all LPs are equal. I now own 3x LPs (all axcess heel joint HP models) and my 2016 HP Studio with the 490R/498T pups absolutely 'nails' that tone and has amazing sustain. My 2018 HP2 Standard with Burstbucker Pro's is a unexpectedly bright sounding (is that 'more versatile'?). The Titanium Zero Fret nut on the HPs allows super low 'Jem level' action and playability to be achieved. They feel amazing. Both are keepers...

[@YanYeiDei]

I love my overpriced Lespaul. My first was an 83? 85? Lespaul Deluxe. I still only have one, but it's a 2020 Lespaul Standard 60's Re.

[@shanedingz]

I’ve never played a Gibson LP. I love my modified Epiphone Standard Pro.

[@dw7704]

There are some nice Epi LPs

[@tonywhetham8165]

I absolutely love them but you should always shop around for one because they can vary substantially.

[@TheWelhaven]

I tried several custom shop LPs and boutique option before I had to admit to myself that they aren’t my thing. More into the simpler design of LP Jr. and Specials. Currently I own a Collings 290, which is just what I want. I also love SGs and Flying Vs.

[@brunoantony9257]

i used to hate Les Pauls, now I have four and prefer them to my Fenders

[@bigtuna6463]

Good video from a tele lover!

[@stephenmckenna6488]

Had one. Loved it. Weighed about 13 lbs. Switched to a 335. Glad I did.

[@guitarjonathan]

Hard to argue with this!

[@phucknuts]

My 1976 les Paul custom is 13 lbs. People don't believe it when I tell them...but the old les Paul's were really heavy

[@ratwynd]

I play a ES335 and find it a bit heavier than some other similar center-block semi-hollows of the same size. My very similar D'Angelico Premier DC feels noticeably lighter. The DC has P90s so I tend to grab it more and the ES335 feels more 'bulky' even though the same size. The DC has also been mod'ed with new wiring harness with a master volume and treble bleed which I like a lot, similar to a Gretsch, another reason I prefer it. The ES335 is unmodified as of yet but is still an awesome instrument. Both great instruments with great playability and tone, one almost 10x more money. Kinda crazy how Gibson can demand those prices and get them.

[@phucknuts]

@ratwynd I play a hagstrom super Viking and a guild starfire five Both rather heavy.. But fantastic guitars. I would probably rank the guild just above the hagstrom. But I think both are underrated

[@festushansen2362]

Thank you, but a two years ago I found that a Samick made Epi LP Standard from 97 did the job just as well after a few cheap mods. Enabled me to free a healthy amount of money by selling the 2019 Custom I owned.

[@DoctorEnigma01]

Everyone likes to complain about the headstock, the headstock IS part of the sound and nobody talks about it. I own 7 Gibson’s 4 of them Les Paul’s and never broke one, I don’t lean them against amps, I don’t even use guitar stands unless it’s hanging from a wall, when I’m not playing it, it goes back in the case, I use strap locks and a genuine leather strap which also eliminates neck dive on the SG (another stupid complaint) i clean them after playing them, I take care of them! Just like my pickup truck, 27 years old and still looks and runs great. Treat it like a piece of artwork, because it is, they don’t break because of poor design, they break because you were careless with it.

[@Pj32Sr]

Paf pups are an experience in them selves. So alive

[@michaeljoyce3286]

I’ve played a lot of Les Paul the only thing that bothers me is you can pick up the same model, and each one has a slightly different thing about them sounds weird but it’s true but on a happier note, I recently walked into a big box store and saw 1955 reissue TV, yellow less Paul with P90 as I continue to look at it the medallion on the back was different serial number was different. I asked the person how much it is and he said it’s $1000 yeah thousand dollars. I played it for a while has sustained for days it was different. I asked to see the case and gave them the thousand bucks open the case towards me come to find out it’s a custom shop Gc made a boo-boo I asked again and told the sales associate Dude do you know what you got here and he looked at me and smiled and said yeah and I said it’s 1000 bucks he said yeah OK so I’m the new owner

[@wikolib6821]

For 750 on sale the black gold SE McCarty single works for me.

[@buddylobos5277]

My first real expensive guitar. In 1971 a Black Custom. It was $740.00 delivered. They're like riding a buckin' bronc. You need to let them know who's in charge.

[@samright4661]

Gibson has more balls than most guitars ! They gave Rock it’s sound

[@jeffreyfarrar1571]

Other famous Les Paul icons were Randy Rhodes, and Ace Frehley from the biggest band in my lifetime, KISS.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

What else got redesigned, and people liked the old one so much they started making it again, and then both versions go on to be really popular? SG was like the new coke that everyone loved and then they brought back the original recipe anyway

[@Juno58]

I like the LPs tone, but sadly i don't like the angle of the neck, which makes the strings high above the top. Flat guitars like Strats or PRS are more my thing, makes the playability better to me.

[@drg6161]

I legitimately can't stand owning a Les Paul (it is my least favorite guitar by far), but I definitely acknowledge that you need to have one

[@saleseng]

I love my Fender but Gibson Les Paul all the way and if you want something a little bit lighter and sleeker just get a double cut version😊

[@timedwards5600]

Thnx for your video.

[@user-ql1pc7pi9x]

I would love my '68 Custom RI more, if the factory nut wasn't cut too low, which has led to frustration with nut replacements. I'm on my 4th (graphtech), and still not satisfied.

[@frankhughes5702]

The one problem I have with Gibson les paul is that headstock tilt it's way too sharp of a angle. Why haven't they corrected this?

[@erikolsen1333]

2 modes of thinking less is more and more is more EVH Wolfgang’s and superstrats have the 1 knob. As an early guitar player I’d say stick with mastering one knob before “needing” more.. So far it’s the circuits 2 tones 2 volume. And that’s really what goes into the sound of the guitar. Personally they are a little too slim thick for me. Too short and heavy. But I play bass and violin. So for muscle memory it’s nice to keep some variables consistent at times. If I swapped my Gibson for my strats i would have to make micro adjustments in my playing… which in the end I think is good players just need to be aware of it. I have a reissue V from the 2000s for me it scratches that itch.

[@garyshepherd9226]

Mine stays in tune and sustains - perfect.