Why I Didn't Buy a Les Paul....and Why P90's! 

This was really fun! I feel like the Les Paul is like a Harley Davidson. They are nice to look at, slightly impractical, make a statement. I think the image based marketing approach of Harley is very similar to Gibsons.

Loved the intro music! After decades of experimentation, I have come to the conclusion that my needs are served by just two pickup types- a vintage-ish low noise telecaster set (Bill Lawrence micro-coils), and P90’s. Strat pickups and ‘Trons don’t do it for me, and neither do most humbuckers.

Beautiful Collings CL DLX Keith. A fantastic instrument from a great builder - nothing less than exceptional quality and people at Collings. Enjoy your new guitar Keith - wonderful tones. Fully deserved! Great show. Best wishes, Ky 🙂

Keith, a Collings is a much, much better choice than a modern day Gibson (if you can afford one). It is made with so much more love and care than the post-60’s Gibsons. Yes they are very pricey, but man oh man they are beautiful and wonderfully made guitars. A great Collings that speaks to you is a “lifetime” guitar.

I bought a Fender solidstate amp and a 1980 black Les Paul standard in 1990. Still sounds great to this day.

You're right about the Les Paul being intended for jazz. It focused was much more on the neck pup, and when people thought of a Les Paul in those days they thought of its namesake who played clean and most often on the neck. In fact, I can't recall hearing Les ever play on the bridge. Over the years the Les Paul, like many guitars, found a different audience than what was originally intended, much as the Fender Jazzmaster made tremendous inroads in rock, starting with the surf frock era. Today the Jazzmaster is thought of as the ideal indy/alternative rock guitar, along with the Jaguar. And the Les Paul is still extremely popular, both as a Gibson offering but also as a form factor which many companies have put their own spin on. And P90s, originally intended for jazz, sure made a name for themselves as great, hard kicking rock pickups.

The best part of getting old is being a better player. I will never forget when my good friend asked an old jazz guy for some advice. The old jazz guy squawked at him and said yeah, the first thirty years are the hardest... Well it's been 30 years an that old dude was right. My bud is finally a bad Ass jazz guitarist. And I'm happy to have been tagging along!

Don't forget to mention one of the most influential Les Pauls of all time...Jimmy Page's Telecaster. LOL

I love P90 bridge pickups. Generally I like Strat neck pickups paired with a P90 (or Tele bridge pickup). Try this the next string change on your HH guitar: rotate the bridge pickup 180deg so the screw poles are on the neck facing bobbin. Raise the screw poles 3/16ths and lower the pickup. Rebalance volume between pickups. You'll get an awesome P90 tome from that generic humbucker. Ive modded all my humbucker bridge pickups this way. It's a reversible mod and no soldering is involved so an easy xhange to try.

Greenys neck was broken twice before Kirk bought it and once since Kirk has had it.

I had to build a strat to get one that wasn't heavy. Roasted swamp ash and roasted maple neck. Came in at less than 7 pounds. Robert Cray pickups. It plays great!!

Your content is absolutely fantastic! I'm hooked!

Have to agree with the players who think it's best to try out a new guitar with as clean a sound as you can get. You make excellent videos and I'm looking forward to any and all that discuss humbuckers and P90s and vintage pickups in general. I'm a big fan of smaller sized amps that get a mic put on them to run through a PA at the gigs we play.

The Mira is my favorite PRS model. I absolutely love it.

As much as I love the idea of many Gibsons, they’ve never inspired once I’ve got them in my hands. Over the years, I’ve gravitated to Gretsches. Their Japanese-built guitars blow most US Gibsons out of the water. However, I recently bought a Collings 360 LTM and it is on a totally different level. Amazing guitar, nothing overlooked in the build.

Interesting podcast Keith. Like you, I'm a big fan of P90s. Having played a Strat for many years I decided that I wanted something with P90s and not having deep pockets, I started to look for an Epiphone Les Paul '56 Gold Top. At the time Epiphone had stopped making them and I couldn't find one secondhand so I thought that my luck had run out but I dropped by a local guitar shop to buy some strings for my Strat and spotted an Epiphone Les Paul '56 Gold Top hanging on the wall. I asked the owner how much he wanted for it, and he said the list price was 500€. However, since it had been on the wall for five years and I was the first person to show any interest in it, he'd let me have it for 350€. He even threw in a gig bag for free. I got it home, cleaned it up, oiled the fretboard, put a set of D'Addario strings on it, plugged it into my tweed Blues Junior and immediately fell in love with it. Been playing it ever since and it definitely fits your definition of the best sound from the least gear 😃

I know you said your "most influential" LP players is on the way but it depends where you are. For instance for anyone in the Netherlands I'm fairly sure you have to include Jan Akkerman. He was really important for a lot of us in the UK as well. The most influential guitarist for players in the UK is probably someone I don't think ever played a LP - Bert Weedon, the man who wrote the book "Play In A Day" which taught us the few chords we needed to get by without having to learn proper Spanish classical guitar. Legend!

Interestingly great content. You always deliver Keith.🤙👍😎

A friend of mine was lucky enough to find a used P-90 equipped Guild Bluesbird from the '90s for $1,000. Really superb chambered made in USA guitar with a nice rounded '59 style neck profile. Sounds as good as any custom shop guitars.

Lovely discussion as ever, Keith. Great stuff.

Your recorded guitar sound is very lo-fi. It reminds me of the portable reel to reel recorder I used in the late 60's.

My “Les Paul” is a Reverend Roundhouse RA. My current P-90 guitar is a G&L Ascari GT-90 from about 10 years ago.

I love these and I still never get notifications from YT. One day I’ll be able to actually chat with you all. Such a great community you’ve built Keith, it’s the only community that I’ve seen that seems to be filled with decent and helpful people. Jeff’s too!

Saw the thumbnail and clicked to see if it was an Eastman singlecut with that violin varnish job, been a little dreamy and curious about them, if i ever get a vintage type LP style it would probably be that but I have a couple other things to snack on first before i go ordering another course, and then I have 2 things queued up in front. They sure look pretty.

Been rocking my Collings City Limits Deluxe since 2004. It is a great guitar!

People underestimate the weight of the maple cap. There was an interview in Guitarist magazine a few months ago with someone involved with the Gibson CS, who said that maple cap blanks can vary between 3-6 lbs. He reckoned the 'best Les Pauls' tended to be around a final weight of 9 lbs, with a heavier maple/mahogany weight ratio. I have a 60th Anniversary R9 that weighs 8 lb 1 oz, but has a noticeable 'front heavy' balance, that is an outstanding guitar. I've three LPs, and it's the only one that has that 'weird' feeling of being 'front heavy'. It doesn't dive or do anything strange, but when you pick it up, you're aware of it.

Great video - always enjoy your conversations! I bought my 1968 LP Custom in 1974 from a friend and it was my only guitar thru my band days so pretty much a LP person even though I have a couple of Strats now, still have the LP. Collings Guitars don't seem to have found their way out to HK which is a shame - would love to check out the model you have there. I guess that's the nature of more boutique lines - there are some beautiful instruments on the website. Right now I'm leaning towards the Eastman SB59/v, which I got to try in Shenzen a few weeks ago - a nice complement to my Gibson (also Gotoh + Lollars - Imperial humbuckers). The complimentary pick-guard thing you mentioned . . . class act, what a cool way to run a guitar company!

I play a Gene Baker B3 with Lollar '50s wind P90's: great guitar ! It has a 24,625 scale length, adding playability to the comfort of the rounded neck.

Collings make amazing guitars! I see an I-35 in my future. 🎸

Man Collings is impressive !

Hey for P-90's check out Carondelet pickups, they do some great customs and even do a P-90 in a single coil shell. Very cool.

Love your videos. Thank you for doing these.

Hi Keith, great stuff as always, maybe a similar case would be choosing a PRS McCarty 594 instead of a LP: pros and cons on each side

3 minutes late!! I was happy to hear you believe in 'tone wood'! I do also, 200%!! LOL I really like the new one!! Looks/sounds great!! I might try a "Music City' bridge on the Mira. It was designed by Uncle Larry Bukovac and Joe Glaser, specifically for Jr's and Customs. It improves tuning/intonation and tone. Really enjoyed it, thanks Keith!! 8) --gary

I love how the neck pickup isn't muddy. I found you looking for a live rig that was lightweight. In my search there were so many rabbit holes. Someone said a Peavey Bandit is a great pedal platform. I said to myself, "self, you already own a Peavey Bandit." I was using it as my drum monitor for shows. Then I wondered, what if I could use my old ART SGE mach II for some delay or other effects. Like bringing old gear back for another run at it. My wonderful tube amp is just too heavy to move out of the studio. I can't afford a crew. Gibsons the necks are too chunky for my small hands. I wanted to be a Gibson guy so bad but after playing so many and not finding one I am comfortable with, I have given up. I have a Schecter single cut Solo II that is still a little too beefy. It gets a pretty good sound. Something about P90s. I don't have a P90 guitar yet. Thank you for the content.

My 1st guitar is a Epiphone LP Special P90. Loved it at the music store, felt there was no need to go with HH configuration. I eventually added the HH LP to what I have. Until that guitar I was living in a single coil world. The P90's just had that no battery power tone that I wasn't getting from a Telecaster and I wasn't the only one that felt the P90 version of the LP Special was better than the HH version. The HH I have is a Mitchell, it has hotter 11-12K DCR HH's than the 8-9K P90's. I really don't have a crappy guitar of the bunch. Some needed a little extra work than others, in the end though they are all quite remarkable players, regardless of price point.

Keith, I want you to know that I resubscribed to your channel because of your comments on Clickbait and the way you want to title and run your channel. I agree with you and I appreciate it. Please keep doing that.

One of my favorite combinations is a Les Paul with a maple neck and P90's. Fralin P90's to be exact. I'm not the biggest fan of mahogany necks. But the maple and slightly underwound P90's just give it a chime that's hard to get otherwise.

By Zeus let the man talk I for one respect him and look forward to him educating me more! Quiet children!😊

I love my Carvin CS6. Classic LP style. Honduran Mahogany 8.31lbs with. Floyd like the Axcess model.

Big Fan Keith, got my eye on a budget Harley Benton single cut with alnico p90s!!! I've had Gibson's LP, SG,Firebird. Loved them all. But something about no frills 6 strings n the truth mentality. That's a bute you got there. Keep pickin

Wow, over an hour and I didn't learn a thing. Still don't know "why P90's". 🤷‍♂

Love the Collings City Limits. Love the P-90s.

This was another great stream... I'm sorry I wasn't available to catch it live. I really like the Collings - thanks for sharing. I love this channel.

Very nice guitar. And I love P90s. Nothing else sounds like a P90 and I've always considered it the missing link between single coil and humbucker. They offer a whole new dimension of tone and feel a lot of players never experience in the black and white, either-or world of humbucker vs single coil.

Given that some of us in the guitar community do not have access to such sublime and allegedly inaccessible instruments due to financial constraints its great to have platforms where we can hear for ourselves the pros and cons of owning and acquiring such instruments and amplifiers . Its much appreciated to utilize others experiences expertise and wisdom to make well informed future decisions. Thank you

Joined the tiny 5 Watt World Amp Club this summer...Only 79 more watts to get to a Marshall 1959HW SLP 100W Plexi HaHa. Marshall 2525H Mini Silver Jubilee 20W Head (channel switching) Marshall JCM-1H 1W 50th Anniversary Amp Head - 2012 (Super-Cute Puppy-sized Marshall Head)

Can’t go wrong with a Collings. I wanted one of their 335 type models 6 years ago but the price was a little too much. I ended up buying a Heritage 535. It blew every Gibson 335 I tried out of the water including the custom shop models.

I owned an 8lb Custom Shop R7 and it was probably the worst sounding Les Paul I’ve owned. No sustain and no upper mids. My Wildwood 60’s LP Standard on the other hand is 9.3lbs, short tenon etc. sustains like crazy and sounds excellent. They really do vary.

I dislike live streams but loved the intro.... To cop Ronnie Van Zandt, "Can he play??" Yep. Play on, Keith.

You're a natural at this, Keith! Engaging, informative and fun. I reckon you'll be fending off numerous marriage proposals if you keep this up... ;)

Rob at Lidgett is awesome! He is a good guy and really easy to work with.

Very cool to see Barber collaboration. Neat pedal. I dont love Dumble sound, but would give it a whirl bc of Davids amazing ear and pedals.

I have had a Collings CL for almost a decade. I have a quilted top and the Lollar PAFs. I have never owned a Gibson Les Paul, but had an SG which I liked. Unfortunately I sold it. Mistake. However, I never liked the balance on the SG. Its neck dive unbalanced nature made me go in another direction to the Collings. I purchased the CL at The Music Emporium in Lexington, MA. Very knowledgeable staff. They were primarily an acoustic shop and Collings was one of the first electrics that caught their attention and that they carried. It is one of my favorite guitars. Tone, playability, and feel. If I had to change anything it would be the thickness of the neck. A little slimmer would be nice. I think. I did install locking tuners and replaced the bridge after I attempted to adjust the original and failed. The new one has synthetic saddles instead of metal. I did not do the installation. How is the "girth" compared to a Les Paul. In photos I would think that the Les Paul has a smaller body shape than the Collings. Every time I think I know what "50s" wiring is I can not tell when I am using the thing. What is the benefit or fundamental difference? The CL is very responsive and I can call up a super wide variety of tones that work with all my amps. Modern - Mesa Boogie MV to a Carr Imperial.

All the best mahogany is gone or protected. As well it should be. Case in point: Chippendale furniture was made exclusively of a mahogany found only in a few Bahamian islands until they were harvested to extinction. Guitars will do the same thing to Koa next.

Found a perfect '80's single cut/2P90's Hohner buried and obviously never cleaned in twenty years.. in the back of a Paris pawnshop...300€! TOO much personality 😜 Priceless 🤣 player's instrument. Keep on keepin' on+++

Beautiful guitar

I like the look of them , but could never get used to the scale and the damn weight . But I do prefer the sound of single coils . I've never actually owned a guitar with a P90 which is weird , because I've had more than a few guitars .

Fpr those who hate the P90's people should have bought Tom Doyle pick-up's which were an expensive aftermarket solution to those seeking optimum performance from a Les Paul..... Unfortunately for all of you, Tom has retired to FL though he may have a limited number of Doyle Coils TRU-CLONES PAF Humbuckers left !!!

I love P90s, but I absolutely adore the mini humbuckers on the St Vincent Music Man. Regardless, something that goes between single coils and humbuggys is usually a good guitar for "if you had to do it with one".

I bought a Heritage 80 about 24 years ago...it weighs about half a ton! Sounds massive but I can only manage two songs on it live....Then shortly after my mum died I had some money left from her estate and bought a True Historic Gold top..weighs about 30% less and its the best sounding guitar I've ever had the good fortune to own ! Reminds me of her whenever I strap it on...In fact my son has now fallen in love with it! Just saying!!

17:49 I own a '77 custom that weighs, cringe, 14 lbs.😮 in my 20's I never cared, and played it almost exclusively, but at 57 years old I play my 6 lb telecaster a lot more.😊

I love my Gibson USA Standard Greeny. That neck pickup and inbetween tone is amazing. It makes me want to sell my Gibson Standard 50's Les Paul.

I have a PRS custom 24 made in Korea in 2009. It has a flat top and I considered trading it in for one with a carved top - but still haven't. Th difference in price is about $450!

Just got a made in Japan Aerodyne Jazz bass today!

Wow, never knew of the AFofM Union? Maybe its because I'm from the Cleveland area (Local #4), I joined the Union at 18 and am now a Lifetime member of the American Federation of Musicians. I'm 68 now. Back then, if you weren't Union you didn't work. Guess i just kept with it.

About to install a set of SD Antiquity P90s and a SD Custom P90 (bridge) in my 3 pickups Rivolta Mondata

So Ive got both a Classic model Les Paul Premium Plus from 95', killer guitar, BUT, I choose the Guild Bluesbird AAA from 99' over that. To me, its just more of that Les Paul thing than even Les Paul can do.

Don't demo a guitar through a bunch of bullshit pedals. Plug it straight into an amp, preferably a tube amp. People want to hear the GUITAR. Period.

Such a beautiful guitar! Ooooh if I had the money :D

I bought a Collings city limits with throbaks and sold it yesterday: the reason? I thought the thing would sound like a Les Paul or better and I found that it didn’t. Now I have a 2023 ice tea Les Paul 60s standard. It is all I wanted in the city limits. I never expected it to be this way; I would have thought Collings all the way: it wasn’t for me. The gibson Les Paul has all the sounds my ear was looking for in a Les Paul recipe style guitar. I did love the city limits looks wise but it wasn’t right for me

No one seems to make a two knob that does volume blend and tone blend. Mid-way on each could then essentially be a four knob with everything maxed. This would lessen the routing and knob fiddling.

Thank you for mentioning and not being a part of this: 11:12

I have a PRS David Grissom and a PRS S2 McCarty and a Custom 22 3 pickup P90 one. I may get rid of the S2, I can't stand that they are over lacquered. It makes it look and feel cheap.

@46:45 it sounds like the 'Message in a bottle' intro - but really tinnie. Not impressed by the sound at all - maybe something is lost in translation from your recording to my laptop? What makes the Collings and LPs go out of tune so easily I wonder.

It doesnt have to be a les paul to sound and play like a les paul. If you close your eyes and it sounds and plays the way you want, thats what matters.

2019 LP Trad = 9.5lbs 💪🏻 Strat = 7.4 MIM Tele = 8.5 Epi SG = 6.9 Casino = 5.7

I missed this live but a question and suggestion. How far are you from Littleton, NH? If you are close enough, travel to Northern Lights Music. Dan is the owner, along with his 2 sons. They are an Alembic dealer. I'm a bassist and got both of my Alembic's there. He also has Alembic guitars. If you haven't used an Alembic or featured them on 5 Watt World, it would be very worth the trip! He has a room you can try them in and have a personal conversation or perhaps just record a session trying them out. Wonderful instruments and people too.

Try a Collings mandolin! So amazing!

Stone in Love might be my favorite Journey song. Don't Stop is great tho. And I tried to learn the solo for Feelin that Way - I have the notes but not the speed or the vibrato.

Collings is on a different level. Gibson are great too though.

⚓️ Thanks Keith 🌈

My "Les Paul' is a Hagstrom Super Swede. It's an amazing guitar. I have played modern Gibsons and cannot imagine spending that kind of money for something that for me has always struck me as kind of...meh. I've played a 1924-5 Gibson F5 mandolin. It was amazing, played vintage LPs that were great (not worth the massive price but that's a collectors matket not a players one) but modern Gibsons including custom shops and Murphy Labs, from my experience, are fine just none of the ones I've played have been amazing. I also got my Hagstrom for $700 which is an absolute asininely good deal on one. The only Gibson I've personally ever wanted is a Firebird but I'm not sure I'll get to a point that I can justify buying a Gibson over a Kauer.

My 83 Les Paul Custom is 11 pounds! But really, I don't care. With it strapped across my body, I can't really tell the difference that 3 pounds makes. And it sounds great! You might be able to hear the difference in lighter woods, but I would submit only enough to say "that is different" and not "that is better."

This just in!: Most alerts deal with avoidance protocols. People are more likely to respond to alerts so most information is presented as an alert. It's also a backhanded way of alerting someone to the awareness of lack of information required to make "better" judgments without calling them "stupid". This message does not escape some of us who, rightly, feel insulted for having been targeted for the emotional "hook". We cannot control the behavior of others but can display the appropriate response to their behavior. This is not "vigilante" nor "detachment" behavior and is not easy. People will be only "people" so long as the continue to view themselves as proactive agents of change.

Over the last two years I have sold 5 different Les Paul type guitars. No I own zero. I feel like I should own one, but then when I get one the terrible ergonomics put me off. My arm gets tired and upper fret access is bad. I will stick to my V and superstrats until the itch strikes me again.

You can't buy the Tokai Love Rock in the US?

Duane Allman, Muddy Waters, Frank Zappa to name a few.. utilized P-90's from time to time...Talking about light guitars the old Danelectros are super light.. sounds hollow? Or may be the effects?

I'd like to see reviews in keeping with "we help you to get the most music from the least gear" of AFFORDABLE pieces of musical equipment, not upwards of $5,000 guitars and such. For instance, I purchased one of the line of acoustic guitars that Yamaha re-did the bracing on, the FG800. I bought one with a beautiful desert sand sunburst finish a few years back for UNDER $200. Recently I went into the high-end acoustic room of the most well-known guitar store chain in this country and played numerous very expensive Martins, Taylors and Gibson acoustic guitars. Perhaps my FG-800 is a fluke, that just came out better than normal, but none of these guitars had the beautiful bass response that my Yamaha does. Can you - anyone explain this?

Thoughts on the Ron Ellis Signature set? Sounds like the best pickups for any Les Paul tone that I've heard.

I found an Aerodyne lefty in a Japanese pawn shop, went home to ask the wife if I could get it, went back the next day and they sold it online. grrrr.

Gimme a Collings loaded with P90’s over a Les Paul any day…especially if it’s gonna be my only guitar!

Gotta a 2017 Revstar, 8.2lbs. Wish it was 7.5, but the new ones had chambering, & larger

About how close are the pickups to the strings?

The reason to get a LP is if you want a Gibson LP. If you want a guitar that does what an LP does without tuning problems, string breakage, and tongue-depressor strength neck joint, you got options.

Oh man, I wish they threw my pick guard in for free! Collings makes one of the finest guitars ever - but they really nickel and dime’d me - 300 for “custom wiring” which was simply a push pull pot for out of phase.. 250 for a pick guard!! 250 for a flared headstock 100 for a thinner neck profile 400 for what they called “ageing” which was tarnished hardware and a finish covered in swirl marks (nowhere near comparable to the Gibson VOS) - when I expressed concern over the swirl marks and that it took away from the beauty of the finish they said they could take care of it - but there would be a fee for that too I wouldn’t pay more any money for a custom deluxe package guitar that was already pushing 10k! Shameful to be honest.

What a fantastic video have a good weekend Keith also do you read music while playing guitar 😊

The Les Paul player vIdeo could be a series so you can do more than 15

Les Paul Keith Richards Eric Clapton Mick Ronson Paul Kossof Jimmy Page Robert Fripp

Seth Lover beat Gretsch to the patent on the humbucking Pup which was a gretsch invention, great minds think alike