What are some Les Paul Special - spec'ed guitars?

[Krank]

My current favourite is an LP Special. However, being Gibson, as well as taken in on a second-hand trade and all, there are a couple of frustrations with it. The neck itself can be bent a bit too easy (short tenon related?), the pickups are noisy, and there's not a ton of sustain (short tenon related too?). Despite this, I basically like it's solid mahogany tone and the way the neck (which is on the thin side) plays. Aesthetically I like that it's a simplistic classic. What am I looking at for a similar alternative - at the same price point, but hopefully better quality? I was thinking Hamer (what model(s)), others?

[todd richman]

Prairiewood-the luthier is a member here-goes by 57Special. Here is a link about his work:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=398881&highlight=prairiewood

[ricoh]

you can find pretty good deals on the custom shop singlecut lp special. It has a great neck joint (the doublecuts are the ones that give too easily) and a solid '59 profile neck.

Good suggestion...............they are great sounding guitars. I spruced mine up with a pigtail wrap TP and a set of Lollars but the Gibson PU's had some special stuff too. I found them a little too noisy for my recordings so I installed the Lollar's that have hum cancelling in the middle position.

[Sadhaka]

I always thought that the flex of a neck was due to the quality of the wood rather than the size of the tenon. Unless the joint is loose....

[Krank]

Thanks for your answers, much appreciated.

You can find pretty good deals on the custom shop singlecut LP special. It has a great neck joint (the doublecuts are the ones that give too easily) and a solid '59 profile neck. The one I had wasn't any noisier than my tele. I stupidly sold it; looking for another soon.

FWIW, all of the non-Gibson P-90 planks I've played have been a little too hifi for my tastes. Not that there aren't good ones out there; I just prefer the Gibsons.

Thanks, but I need the thinner neck - and humbuckers. The one I have now is singlecut too, btw.

I always thought that the flex of a neck was due to the quality of the wood rather than the size of the tenon. Unless the joint is loose....

Hm, that's kinda depressing. It's not a big problem though.

[Tuco]

Thanks, but I need the thinner neck - and humbuckers. The one I have now is singlecut too, btw.

Humbuckers? Then you're not talking about the traditional Gibson LP Special.

[gvonpaul]

Bombshell guitars. The builder posts here, he can sell 'em better than I can, but man, they are sweet.

[Krank]

Humbuckers? Then you're not talking about the traditional Gibson LP Special.

I guess not. This one's with humbs standard. Wiki didn't say much on the Special's current status. Any link?

[Schroeder]

My current favourite is an LP Special. However, being Gibson, as well as taken in on a second-hand trade and all, there are a couple of frustrations with it. The neck itself can be bent a bit too easy (short tenon related?), the pickups are noisy, and there's not a ton of sustain (short tenon related too?). Despite this, I basically like it's solid mahogany tone and the way the neck (which is on the thin side) plays. Aesthetically I like that it's a simplistic classic. What am I looking at for a similar alternative - at the same price point, but hopefully better quality? I was thinking Hamer (what model(s)), others?

A thin neck on a LP Special doublecut can be the culprit. Stiffness of a neck will be decreased the thinner the neck is and the longer the carved portion of the neck is. If you want a stiffer neck, the wood has to be stiff and quarter sawn to begin with. You can use carbon reinforcement to stiffen the neck.

Here is our version FWIW:
http://www.schroederguitars.com/photos/RTS/Shorty%20Flattop/flattop%20shorty2.jpg

[gkoelling]

Todd posted a link but here's my Prairiewood anyway.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f115/gjk318/Gear/IMG_0157.jpg

You really should at least talk to Rob. This guitar would have been a deal at a far higher price.

[skydog]

+1 on Prairiewood; Rob nails it!
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e41/skydog653/100_0971.jpg

[Stringz]

I guess not. This one's with humbs standard. Wiki didn't say much on the Special's current status. Any link?

You might be thinking of the Special that ran from around 89-94 that came with P100's which were a stacked humbucker designed to fit a P90 cavity and look similar to a P90, but don't sound like either a P90 or the humbuckers that are more commonly found in Gibsons. Not many people around here seem to care for those and swap out the P100's for something more traditional. Nobody even sells P100's on ebay because not many people want them. It might be the case soon where finding one of them with the original P100's intact might be a collectors piece simply because most of the P100's went to the trash can.