How To Set Up A Les Paul Style Guitar

[@yurikalashnikov2460]

I have not had cable television programming since 2001 but I DO own a TV. Should I top wrap or not?

[@jeffreyeagen4896]

Great tip about the Lizard Spit polish! I'm gonna have to get that because I never thought about a difference between polishing the nitro and poly finishes. I only have a couple nitro finished guitars, but I definitely don't want to mess them up!

[@RaymondLandis]

Hey Dylan, I agree with you concerning the "seeing things" part of your pitch about the Stew Mac Nut Slot Gauge... I'm 61 and I have one of those and it's an essential tool for me! Also, Dylan, I really appreciate your commonsense approach to all this... A lot of things really depend on how everything feels to the player and what the player expects to get from the instrument... You offer a lot of relief from the stress of all the "technicalities" that often hang us up when trying to set up an instrument... Thank you and stay blessed!

[@robyates136]

Re: top wrapping. I was a complete non-believer. But I was never really happy with my ‘03 Standard compared to my ‘73 Custom. So I tried top wrapping, and it totally came alive. Now. I will appreciate maybe there was something else about the setup that was wrong that top-wrapping fixed. But now all my Standards are top-wrapped and my Customs are not. I had played that Standard for nearly 20 years so I knew it like I know very very well. It changed it. Might be a fluke. Maybe no-one but me noticed. And I totally had a collapsed bridge on the ‘73 which a Les Paul expert tech identified - I nearly sold that guitar.

[@billhines2354]

Btw, some guitars need the tail piece raised quite a bit not to hit the bridge. That's when I top wrap, who gives a crap about the shine on the tail piece, it doesn't make it go faster.😊

[@brooksphillips2234]

A tail piece can be replaced! I prefer top wrapping myself!

[@jessehutchings]

25:43 My favorite riff ever

[@bthompson1229]

Thanks for the clear set up instructions! Will definitely be using it to tune up my SG

[@stephenwhite7931]

If I tune half step down, should I raise the strings a bit? Or would thicker strings fix the buzzing?

[@rattletraprock]

Lol! I top wrap because I'm an old fool who has always named Billy Gibbons as a major influence. If it's good enough for Billy, it's good enough for me. An I have several TVs.

[@brooksphillips2234]

I started to top wrap several months back and I like the way it plays!

[@dougiemonday]

Hey Dylan, What do you think the ideal break angle is for the strings over the bridge? Should it mirror the neck break angle? I agree no top wrap is better.

[@moodywaugh]

Uploaded today, and already at the top of the search when you search "Gibson Les Paul", Wowza!

[@johnlloyd9613]

Generally a Nashville bridge has screws to the back, ABR-1 screws to the front

[@DylanTalksTone]

And imports are a crapshoot

[@Aonghuis]

Just raise and lower it like a normal human being ! That gave me a chuckle.

[@roberthastings708]

Great tips! I'll refer to this when I give my LP to my son. It will move from central Texas to New York. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@timziegler3765]

In most cases the LP is a joy to set up

[@AlJohnsGuitar]

I can't wait!!! I have a pro-IV that plays really great, but let's make it play better

[@jessprice1518]

Thanks! That was super informative 👍👍

[@rongroves9620]

Really like your videos. I've been subscribed for some time now.

[@ministryinsong]

Brilliant never worked on a Les Paul type and I've just been given my friends to set up - not Gibson but really unplayable just now so this has been really helpful thank you. And you wouldn't believe it but I struggled to find a good polish in Scotland for my J200 so your polish has been a fantastic find and its on Amazon! Subscribed! Many thanks.

[@fpcawolff]

I do not own a TV but I own a Les Paul Special TV Yellow. Should I top wrap or not?

[@charlesjaphe]

good stuff

[@timothypotter2137]

What a great sounding guitar!

[@b.rodclark334]

My Cort LPX (ex-Effector) is definitely cool!

[@MUSIC-ri3it]

What cloth were you using when oiling the fretboard? Thanks! 🙏🏼

[@Tonedefy]

Opinion on 50s vs modern wiring w/ treble bleed?

[@Seraphim4316]

Following cause I’m curious too.

[@viktortulbya2107]

Joe bonamassa has great tone:) but I don’t too wrap

[@rong648]

New to Les Paul's, how do you determine the height of the stop bar?

[@ricktheexplorer]

I have a 57 LP copy with a Bigsby style tremolo. The 'tailpiece' in question is naturally low, like half a cm off the body behind the bridge. The guitar stays in perfect pitch, even with me diving on it. It's beyond my best guitar; it's in it's own separate category, and will get modded once that bank fund meets the assembling cost. 3 humbuckers; I see why Jimmy Page switched to just 2 humbuckers, but Peter Frampton stuck with 3, and I have to now, because for any amount of money, I won't get a better LP until my reverse mortgage. Dylan gave me some pointers, and this guitar will be fantastic. I see no way to raise that tailpiece behind the bridge, it's fixed and low.

[@delboyoelmundo4718]

Thanks Dylan I’ll set my own tone

[@marcocelestino4308]

What string height do you suggest then ?

[@JP-jy7sk]

As a non- television person, I’m offended, and needed to tell everyone that I do not own a TV. 😅😂

[@jturquoise]

Damn. Perfect! Thanks ! Been looking for a good video about this !

[@Lazarus_G]

lmao, you were right about so many things. I didn't want a TV because I don't watch it much. But I have one or when I have company over. Also, I don't need o top wrap and there's no reason not to raise the freakin' bridge. It was literally made to do that!!! *facepalm*

[@robertwillett4122]

I'll top wrap, thank you. I have four T.V.s. lmao. I do it because I'm a believer in physics. The lower the tail piece, the less stress on the studs. Their is a lot of force pulling on the tail piece. It seems to almost always make the break angle correct. Yes, you could raise the stop tail and have more pressure pulling on the studs. Yes it could Mar your stop piece. If you stop doing it, or the strings will hide it. I've seen too many times the stop tail studs lean towards the tension from the strings. People say better sustain but I can't tell. The strings do seem a little easier to bend. To me all that doesn't matter. What matters to me is the leaning studs. And physics says it's only common sense it's stronger, more stable. If you do this and angle your g and b nut slots you will never have any of the famous my Gibson L.P. won't stay in tune. I like it this way and now my Les Paul is in tune 90% longer. Just my humble opinion. Great show.

[@swissanthony]

What height did you set the strings ?

[@GuitarMagik]

Dylan great Video ! But people take off the jewelry if you don't want scratches ..Thanks Dylan for setting me straight ...I thought Dylan hit his Guitar with his bracelet and he did not ..But its such beautiful axe be careful ....

[@DylanTalksTone]

That’s the mic on my shirt … not my bracelet

[@ramencurry6672]

Coincidentally I own a Gibson Les Paul.

[@ramencurry6672]

Dylan got a new tattoo

[@DylanTalksTone]

not lately

[@matt926uk1]

shouldn't you set your pickup height before doing the intonation?

[@DylanTalksTone]

No because you need to play it

[@matt926uk1]

@@DylanTalksTone but youd have to do the intonation afterwards again then because moving the pickup height can affect the intonation.

[@DylanTalksTone]

That’s a myth. If you set the pickup height properly it doesn’t matter

[@kevinjenner9502]

A fairly obvious yes.

[@matt926uk1]

@@DylanTalksTone 🤣

[@jessehutchings]

23:30 😂😂😂 Top wrapping weirdos

[@wowyummyyy]

LIKE👍👍 👍 👍 👍 👉🏽 💯 💢 💯 💢 💯 👈🏽 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩🤩

[@bradleyberdahl6148]

comment

You didn't show us your method of stringing the guitar?? You skipped it!

[@Stewbert_72]

Plenty videos show that

[@jihadjohn4119]

@@Stewbert_72I should be expecting that in a 30+ minute vid..

[@pharmerdavid1432]

That crap about top-wrapping is absurd, players I respect swear they can HEAR the difference. It isn't just the angle, it's because top-wrapping holds the stop-tailpiece down - think about it? There IS more downward tension on the stop-bar tailpiece when top-wrapped. It's minimal, but it DOES make a difference. It isn't just Jo-bo, dozens of my favorite guitar players top-wrap. I used to think it was hokum, and it doesn't feel as smooth resting my hand on it, BUT...?

[@jaydo3553]

Top wrapping will add string tension instead of making them lighter feeling. The only reason people use to string wrap is because a lot of les Paul’s hit the back of the bridge coming out of the tailpiece and that will kill resonance. Top wrapping changes the angle so it’s not so extreme and doesn’t hit the bridge. Someone claiming to hear the difference is just weird. Most people that use to top wrap back in the day aren’t still doing it. This has been tested and proven to be a myth. If you have a good les Paul that has a low bridge and is built correctly then it’s fine. Use your own ears and not another players. If you’re a player then you know what’s what

[@riklionheart23]

No TV since 1998… I don’t top rap. Just saying 😎

[@dennissmith863]

enough with the overdrive.......play the thing clean. natural sound first.

[@DylanTalksTone]

No… I’m not a boring old man

[@agustindebourbon9720]

*promo sm* 🤣

[@JasonHobbsGuitarist]

Your guitar is not built like an old les Paul, that’s why you can’t top wrap. Sucks to be you. There are reasons for top wrapping on vintage style lessons Paul’s and unlike these modern les Paul’s. When you know you know.

[@DylanTalksTone]

No one said I “couldn’t” top wrap… I just think it’s stupid. You do you though. Also… it doesn’t suck to be me …. My life is incredibly good.

[@JasonHobbsGuitarist]

@@DylanTalksTone Top-wrapping creates a shallower break angle over the bridge saddle, since the strings pass from the top of the bridge instead of halfway through it, and many players report that their strings feel looser and slinkier as a result. The idea is that with the shallower break angle, the strings are free to move more easily over the bridge when you bend. By the way, Joe Bonamassa for instance uses 11’s, the top wrap takes some of the tension away. This is a known fact, like I said, if you know you know. Less tension on the vintage ABR-1 studs as well. If you don’t own a vintage style Les Paul you’d never experience this though. Secondly, players report an increase in bottom end and sustain when they top-wrap, and they attribute this to the fact that the tailpiece is screwed right down against the body, creating a more efficient transfer of energy from the string into the body, and from the body back into the string.

[@DylanTalksTone]

The guitar was designed to just raise the tail piece. It doesn’t “kill sustain” as the top wrapperites want to believe. It’s ok though. You are welcome to join whatever cult you like.

[@JasonHobbsGuitarist]

@@DylanTalksTone tell that to Billy Gibbons while you’re at it. ✌️

[@DylanTalksTone]

I have talked to him about it.