I know everyone here is head over hills for chris great playing but I think a real shout for Richard barrett who was much more restrained with perfect phrasing and timing showing class and taste
I been waiting for a shootout like this for a while. And the fact that someone chose the two most perfect musicians to bring it all together is justifiably amazing. Not any do we all get to hear the A B comparison of these great guitars, but to have Chris and Richard play them so beautifully, I found myself forgetting about the main idea of the show and got lost in the incredible playing styles of these two.
Great video, I do remember Steve Hove (Vintage n Rare partner) saying that Guitarist had just been in to do this video when I called in to collect the 53 - 59 Conversion. I've only just watched the video, and it was really good to hear the comparisons. I am totally happy with my guitar. Well done everybody.
Owner of many bursts here. They vary widely. It's so refreshing to hear someone talk about this. Lots of people nowadays think all vintage guitars walk on water, but it's not true. The best are supernatural, and they keep the whole craze going.
There is no confusing a reproduction with an original. The materials are different, it even smells different. But my point is there are many great guitars these days. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the guitars were absolutely horrible and that got the whole vintage craze going. Guitars are so much better now. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good instrument. @@flybynight1929
"The best are supernatural, and they keep the whole craze going." True. Gibson couldn't produce a modern guitar to keep the craze going if their lives depended on it. Gibsons burst of popularity when Slash came around was caused by a replica. If Slash would have been handed a real les paul he probably would have passed and Jackson or something would have benefitted
@@jimbeam-ru1myi doubt that.. if slash played a jackson it wont appeal on people.. yes they might love the music but not the guitar.. les paul has charisma .. they are beautiful looking instrument.. even slash never existed people will love les paul because it has some magic in the way it looks..
Well that was fun! Lovely interaction between the guys. I feel vindicated - the 2 that I liked ended up being the finalists so that was fun. I picked up on that comment about asking more of a guitar than it's designed for (or similar comment) and that resonated. I bought my 68 LP Custom in 1974 and a couple of years later figured I'd swap in some Seymour Duncans, (the bridge was a new 'Distortion' model) because that was sorta the thing to do then . . . they lasted one week! We had a midweek residency and by the second night I felt like any sense of dynamics or subtlety had gone out the window, so I'm happy to say the original stock Gibsons are still in place and sounding great 😀
Les Pauls are my favorite so I enjoyed this video. I have a 2002 premium plus top in desert burst. It has 50s standard knobs and wiring with burstbuckers 1 and 2 but has a fatter 60s neck. It is hands down the best guitar that I have ever had.
I could watch Richard and Chris play all day - they're both such outstanding and tasteful players. Really inspiring. 😎 Listening to so many great Les Pauls also inspired me to dust off my old "The Paul" that I bought new back in 1978, but which I'm ashamed to say I've neglected of late. I didn't think it could possible compare to the formidable line-up in the video, but I was delighted to find some really good tones. Thank you for rekindling my appreciation of it. 👍
It really was a pleasure to hear Chris and Richard play these wonderful guitars together. I also love the low key thoughtful commentary from Jamie Dickson. He is a fine host.
Fantastic video lads, thanks for taking the time to make and share this. The Grainger burst sounds phenomenal, by far my favourite from this comparison. The Collector's Choice '57 was also fantastic in my opinion, and definitely makes me want to go out searching for a goldtop to add to my collection!
Absolutely brilliant concept, executed wonderfully. Love this video. Chris and Richard really do well explaining the nuances and pro/con of the various editions of LP. If I’d seen this 15 years ago I’d have saved a lot of frustration buying stuff.
Since no one else said it i will, The Granger has a "BLOOM" to the notes the others did not have as much of.When i picked my R9( a 2018 true historic) this was one of the main things i was looking for. The notes seem to get bigger after they are picked or plucked(if you play with your fingers like Chris does a lot of the time). To Be fair i think a lot of why the Granger had that in spades over the others is due partly to those original P.A.F's it has in it. Would loved to have heard that 53 conversion and Knopfler with real P.A.F's in it. That would really tell the story best.
Just bought a set of Alan Dingwall (Spirit Pickups) pafs. I went with his recommendation of an alnico 2 in the neck and an alnico 3 in the bridge. Definitely the best set I've tried.
9 месяцев назад
The neck pickup on the 54 goldtop is the voice of god. Period. Had the chance to try a 54 goldtop a couple months ago... i was mesmerized at that same fact.
Gold top r7 sounded the best by far when comparing the majority. The granger came very close, but the gold top has the clarity, the bite, the fatness.. and the looks
Thanks for the wonderful video! The 53-59 sounds exactly like what I want a guitar to sound like, but it is such a pleasure to listen to Richard and Chris play together, regardless of the instrument. I think you might sell a bunch of Blues Juniors, too, if they all sound that good. And the conversation (which is always a hallmark of Guitarist videos) is excellent too.
Brilliant video guys. Stunning guitars and playing. Can I just say though, that Marshall with that pedal board sounded phenomenal. I need to try that JTM45 pedal!!!!
Great vid. Chris’ playing changes the tone quite a bit because he plays with his fingers. It softens the tone even when her plays the black standard 24:30
I love comparisons like these! I doubt I’ll ever have an opportunity to play a 59 Les Paul and compare it to reissues, a Jimmy Page Les Paul, and standard Les Paul’s. the next best thing is listening to other people do it. My two cents is that in general I preferred the guitars with the more vintage less hot pickups. Having said that, all of the guitars sounded really good and the guitar playing was great!
What is the deal with the "wolverine" wear on the grainger burst? The pictures on reverb, and Denmark Street Guitars don't show the same gouges, did that wear occur from being gigged since it was sold?
This is one of the most useful and relevant comparisons of the various incarnations of the Les Paul. It confirms for me that 'old wood' is the real determining factor. Closely followed by old pickups. That said, of these, I would most like to have that Collector's Choice Gold Top. It makes me wonder... Can I make do with one kidney? Merry Christmas to all.
So much for Old originals just being a imagined myth! That Granger burst completely dominated over the others! The Knopfler 58 came in second for me sound wise. Extremely nice re-issue no doubt! and the 53 to 59 conversion definitely had some character but lacked the real P.A.F's unfortunately. I have never heard of those digwall pickups? I can only suppose they are along the lines of OX4,Wizz,Throbak and Stephens design P.A.F repro's?
I've got a few sets of DIngwalls, the guy lives just up the road for me. I've had OX4s in a Les Paul, and have tried Les Pauls with Wizz, Bare Knuckle and Throbak. The Dingwalls blew them all away
@@itsmikee1994 That is good to hear. By any chance have you put them up against a set of late 50's P.A.F's? Just curious how they would fair against the old original's? I know all old PAF's are not the same but most do share some important elements with each other. The closest "modern" P.A.F i found are by Stephens designs. He has offered sets with NOS wire and is quite obsessive chasing the P.A.F mojo, what made them tick so to speak. Guy really knows his stuff.👍
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 I haven't I'm afraid, I haven't been lucky enough to try them against an original set. But Alan is very highly regarded, and uses the same methods and materials Gibson used years ago when they made the originals. Ramon Goose has some experience with old Les Pauls and may be able to share more insight on the comparison than I can.
Spirit of 59 by Amber are the real deal. German made with vintage authentic alnico 4 magnets. Bloom and Everthing you would expect. But has to go with the correct wood and hardware to fully deliver.
Obviously missing was a Murphy Lab. Would love to see that compared in the future. Totally different than the CC and custom shop stuff before in pickups, finish etc
Best part of this video is the American flag pillow. Reviewing our guitars from over here in the states (I’m from the California Oblast) is one thing, but tossing around our pillows is different.
I enjoy the fact that you need a jtm 45 pedal when you are playing through your vintage Plexi, because them things are CLEAN at any reasonable volume lede I can say from my own experience
It's a shame "Vintage & Rare" is by appt only (setup since the pandemic and continues afterwards). I regularly go to Bath and only get to look through the window of this place. Fortunately, GuitarBitz is close by (which is on "Quiet St" which is slightly ironic :) ).
Brilliant and heartbreaking in equal measure .Big bucks for them all , 57 reissue best for sound and value . The Knopfler up against the 2002 would be a great battle as both were pretty full on . I recently failed to pull the trigger on a great 2019 Standard in unburst and have regretted it ever since . For me the best Jack of all trades was the 53 conversion but puzzled about the pickups and how that would affect value . Ask me in half an hour and I’d probably change my selection again !!
I just want to throw a shoutout towards my little Tobacco Burst Les Paul Tribute. It's an absolutely GLORIOUS little tone machine and I HIGHLY recommend checking them out and they are VERY affordable! I've played VASTLY more expensive Les Pauls that just don't feel as good as my little underdog Tribute. I can't believe Gibson quit making them. They're really cool and I feel like I've got a really underrated gem.
Obviously an amazing selection of guitars, but I will say this: Chris Buck will sound like Chris Buck regardless of the guitar he plays; and let's be honest, we would have to be splitting hairs in order to pick out the neck pickup for every Les Paul he's played - he just lives in that wooly, slightly muffled zone. Not to dump on Chris Buck, but given his very distinct playing style and sound, he would not be my choice as a representation for the wider demographic of players. Conversely, Richard Barrett is a great choice as his style seems to be more representative of the approach most players would take - or at the very least, aspire toward.
Those guys slay. All those guitars sound great. Chris plays with his raw thumb more often so things will sound different from player right away. But the ‘59 definitely takes the cake. Chris became a different player. The page #2 is pretty cool. Those Dingwall pickups are very great pickups. In the semi that ‘53 conversion sounds pretty amazing….at a fraction of the cost
Fantastic clip gents. 59 for the win was the right choice. While the Goldtop sounded wonderful, I liked the 53 conversion more. Both that, and the 59 really sounded like Les Pauls, not hot Telecasters. Also, I dont think 2002 Standard disgraced itself! Its in esteemed company here, but its sounded great! There's definitely players out there that are after that heavier LP sound, and although those pickups are hotter it still sounded Iike a Les Paul. Cheers
I own 3 Lefty Gibson Pauls- a 1999 Standard that could tear through steel, a 1998 Custom gold top ‘57 that is smooth as silk, and a 2012 T that has splitting electronics for the pickups that’s more glassy even in full humbucker mode-a ‘modern sound’. They all have their place in the music I make. Somehow having only bought new guitars I somehow have a set of 25, 24, and 11 year old guitars. I don’t think there really is a ‘Les Paul sound’ as they all really vary- and they sound totally different to V’s, Explorers, and SG’s. I find Fender models tend to have less variance in their tones.
I’d love to know the DC resistance readings on each of these pickups as I feel that plays a huge role in how the guitar reacts to pedals or to an overdriven amp (glad you showed the magnet material). Regardless, great comparison video
Grainger burst is a good example of a burst that has some level of fame where it can be just seen as a casual guitar but still having that it factor to it it's what you could classify as a humble burst
Haha I found it funny when it showed on screen the real 59 burst was being played through a Blues Jr. idk. It was just weird reading that. Still sounded great
Bro at the end slippped and said the Goldtop was livelier. Shhhhh, it’s only worth 1/100th of the other don’t say that. Everything from 58-60 is absolutely magical (thinks someone who’s never played one). There’s more than a few duds out there
To be fair literally all of those points were discussed in the video - including the fact that not all original ‘Bursts sound great and that the Goldtop is worth a fraction of Grainger. So, nobody ‘slipped’ - they did exactly as hoped and expressed an honest opinion on camera. If we wanted to hide that viewpoint, don’t you think we’d have just edited it out? This a really odd comment to make since all the points you’re making were expressed throughout the video but thanks for the feedback.
There’s something mildly amusing about the ultimate in ‘burst unobtainium being played through a Fender Blues Jr. , perhaps the dictionary definition of amp “obtainium”.
The pickups in bursts were quite weak and suitable for blues, but many rock players changed them for hotter to push the amp and I think many guitar players think that as a burst sound rather than with factory stock pickups.
(Sarcasm Incoming) I cannot think of a worse person to do any kind of quality shoot out than Chris Buck... the guy can make broom handle sing, so of **course** everything is going to sound amazing when he plays it! \,,,/
I'm sure I will have some other degree with me and some. That dis show me what's the weather the Jimmy Page. Let's fall asleep up to me is perfect. You can get any sound. Do you want from a subtle soft sound to a biting? Gut, wrenching, lead, that's just my opinion.
