Les Paul Standards vs. Customs & Why?

[shoe]

As I've been finding myself lately really gravitating to the sound of my VOS 1960 plain top Les Paul Standard, I've become curious as to why folks chose Les Paul Standards over Les Paul Customs and vice-versa.

Through my own observations, I'd say that most organic classic rock stuff (Allmans, Zeppelin, Skynard, Aerosmith, etc) tends to be played on Standards (with Fogarty & Framptom being the exceptions) while more metal tends to be played on Customs (John Sykes, Zakk Wylde, Adam Jones (Tool), Randy Rhodes, etc).

I also realize that there are a few different variations of the Custom including the fact that several were all mahogany (no maple top i.e. Black Beauty I believe) while others sported maple necks instead of mahogany (namely 70's era Customs favored by Wylde & Sykes).

So to that point, what style of Les Paul would you use for which styles of music? I've been thinking about getting a '68 reissue custom (black one at Wildwood), but I really love the organic nature of my VOS Standard and wonder if I would wander away from the tones that I favor by going the Custom route.

Obviously I'd ideally like to try these things side-by-side, but for now I'd love to get the perspective of the folks around here.

[shane88]

i prefer LPs that are all mahogany > maple seems to make them sound more "hifi" ie there's more info across the spectrum and i go for a more focused mid type sound

of course all this can be altered by turning knobs in the signal chain and no 2 guitars are gonna sound exactly the same anyway

[Atomic Punk]

I prefer neither. They're both too damned expensive. Not to say I wouldn't take one if offered..........

[derekd]

Can't stand LPs. Too heavy, don't like the necks. I appreciate their place in music history, just not for me.

[FeloniousBishop]

I own two Les Pauls but I don't even know the difference between a Standard and Custom (except I guess the Custom costs more...) One of mine I know is a Std but I don't even know what the other one is.

I would just play them until you find one you like that you can affod rather than decide up front whether to get a Standard or a Custom.

[Rocco Siffredi]

Get the 68! I have had two, The first was an antique natural flame top from 2002 that I stupidly sold. The current one is a 2007 68 VOS in Black. It is one of the best Pauls I have played. I like it more than the 2001 R9 I had as well as the Collings CL Deluxe. It is a good bit heavier than either, but it seems to have more sustain and girth to the sound. I also love the ebony board an tuxedo trim. Cool guitars.

[dkaplowitz]

Originally Posted by FeloniousBishop

I own two Les Pauls but I don't even know the difference between a Standard and Custom (except I guess the Custom costs more...) One of mine I know is a Std but I don't even know what the other one is.

I would just play them until you find one you like that you can affod rather than decide up front whether to get a Standard or a Custom.

My '68 VOS cost more than my R8, but not as much as any R9 (even used ones).

That being said, I have one of each, the R8 Standard and the '68 Custom. I'm not the biggest LP guy on earth, but I like having a couple around for when I feel the need for that sound.

[surfshack]

all 3 of them are different.......

first - LP Standard......great all arounder......blues (clean or distorted), hard rock, classic rock, the mellowest sounding of the three and the most complex sounding.....if i had to pick one this would be it.....there is a reason these are the most desirable of any LP's.....it just has the "right" stuff!




second - '68 RI......the difference between this and the LP Standard is that the '68 RI has an ebony fretboard (not rosewood).....and so it has a brighter, bigger tone......it's not as mellow and organic as the LP Standard....i guess you could say it's more for edgier hard rock , 'cause it feels like it has a faster and more edgier sound. ebony has a brighter tone and different feel (than rosewood) as far as it's sustain. you'd have to play one to see what i'm talking about. but they are KILLER sounding guitars with a big low-end and they absolutley rip on a cranked amp. i have a set of seymour duncan "pearly gates" pickups in mine and they sound killer with the guitar.
it has a more "in your face" punch and tone than the LP Standard......
i love this guitar!!




third - Les Paul Custom Black Beauty.....mine's a 35th Anniv. made in '89 and the difference between this and the '68 RI is that instead of a maple top it is an all-mahogany body with an ebony fretboard. it is a different sounding animal, definitly an acquired taste. some like it, some don't. the all-mahogany body is more mid-rangey in tone and the lows and highs are different feeling and sounding than the '68 RI and LP Standard. it's not as organic sounding, it is more of an edgier, faster more deliberate sounding guitar. but it is killer as well , it'll scream thru a cranked amp with more of a midrange grind than either the '68 RI or LP Standard. you have to spend time with one to appreciate it though.....like i said , some like it , some don't. you'd have to try one, to see if you like it or not.




i hope this helps and i didn't totally confuse you now!

[FeloniousBishop]

So what is the difference between a Standard and a Custom exactly?

[trower]

For starters, Customs would include gold hardware, and of course the headstock inlay beside the other appointments mentioned such as wood. It's a Standard stepping out on a Saturday night.

[shoe]

Originally Posted by FeloniousBishop

So what is the difference between a Standard and a Custom exactly?

The color of the hardware notwithstanding, there are a few major differences:

1. The most major (and consistent) difference is that Les Paul Customs have ebony fingerboards
2. Some 70's (and early 80's) Les Paul Customs have maple necks instead of the usual mahogany necks. Zakk Wylde is a fan of this iteration.
3. The Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" as mentioned earlier does not have a maple top....its just a mahogany body and neck with an ebony board. I do not know if there are "Black Beauty's" out there that also have a maple neck....I suppose anything was possible during the 70's.

[dkaplowitz]

Originally Posted by trower

For starters, Customs would include gold hardware

Not mine.

[FeloniousBishop]

thanks Trower and Shoe

edit: ok just saw dkaplowitz's reply so in the end the only difference is the custom has an ebony fingerboard and the diamond design on the headstock? Most have a maple top and a mahpogany neck.

Doesn't seem that different to call it "custom" - I'm kinda supised that's all it is. Did the Customs get higher quality wood in the bodies and necks?

[shoe]

Originally Posted by dkaplowitz

Not mine.

Dave....its a '68 VOS that I'm currently coveting and that's what's lead to my inquiry. I love my 1960 VOS and the only Les Paul I've liked better was a Warren Haynes model that I should have bought when I had the chance. The '68 VOS is the other LP that's really piqued my interest. In what situations would you chose your Custom over your Standard and vice-versa?

[dkaplowitz]

Originally Posted by shoe

Dave....its a '68 VOS that I'm currently coveting and that's what's lead to my inquiry. I love my 1960 VOS and the only Les Paul I've liked better was a Warren Haynes model that I should have bought when I had the chance. The '68 VOS is the other LP that's really piqued my interest. In what situations would you chose your Custom over your Standard and vice-versa?

Yo Pete,

I was just playing mine for a little while tonight. It's an exceptional guitar! The biggest superficial difference between my R8 and this are the weight (the '68's just over 10lbs, which seems pretty standard weight for these, and maybe for Customs in general). It has a slightly different vibe than the R8, but not an apples to oranges difference. It resonates almost as well as my R8 acoustically. It has more sustain than the R8.

I haven't A/B'ed them enough really to tell the subtle differences yet though. I feel like I want to say the '68's more suited to heavier rock where the R8 can cover a lot more styles/shades, but I was playing over some bluesy funk tracks tonight and the '68 had a lot of nice range between the bridge and the neck pickups with volume and tone adjustments. I think I'm still trying to get used to Lesters since I came up on S style guitars pretty much exclusively. I "get" Lesters, but I'm not sure if I've really felt like I am at home with them entirely either.

You get many in stock by you @ Wildwood or somewhere else?