NGD: My new Tribute Les Paul

[FrankenFretter]

She just arrived last night. Duff already gave a review, so I'll just cover the things that are unique to my own experience.

1) I've always felt that my Vox Night Train was a bit flat, tonally. I could never get much bottom end out of it, even with the new 2x12 cab I just acquired off of Craig's List. With this LP, the bottom end is very present, and so are the mids.

2) Although it was very nearly in tune when I got it, the A and D string have a slight buzz when fretted, even as far up as the second fret. Might need a slight truss rod adjustment.

3) The strings turned my fingers almost black within a few minutes of playing. They sound bright and new, but they have some nasty residue on them from something.

4) It sounds great through both the Night Train and the Marshall. It has that trademark Les Paul™ sound, as well it should, and the neck pickup is sweet and mellow. It does seem to be less sweet than my brother's Epi LP Standard, though. Might be just my imagination, but then again maybe not. We'll have to A/B them when he comes down to visit next month.

And of course, this thread would be meaningless without pics, so:

 

[bcdon]

Very nice, Sean!

That's a mighty fine looking LP! It looks like Christmas day for the two of you. :drool

 

[bcdon]

3) The strings turned my fingers almost black within a few minutes of playing. They sound bright and new, but they have some nasty residue on them from something.

Maybe they rubbed the entire guitar with some sort of polish? Have you tried running a clean rag with a little isopropyl alcohol along the strings?

 

[FrankenFretter]

Maybe they rubbed the entire guitar with some sort of polish? Have you tried running a clean rag with a little isopropyl alcohol along the strings?

Nope, haven't tried that yet, Don. I may just change the strings, and give the whole thing a good rubdown, so to speak. I just need to decide whether I want 9s or 10s on her. I'm leaning toward the 10s, I think.

Here's how bad it was last night:

 

[marnold]

I had that happen with my old Floyd Rose guitar. It was actually coming off the fretboard.

 

[M29]

Very nice Sean very nice indeed!!! I am curious what the tags are on the tone knobs?

 

[Tig]

Very nice, Sean! I'd love to have one myself.
That's the problem with GAS... it is contagious!

 

[FrankenFretter]

Very nice Sean very nice indeed!!! I am curious what the tags are on the tone knobs?

The tags are explaining the series/parallel push/pull switching. I do wish this had come with the top-hat knobs instead of speed knobs.

 

[MichaelE]

Very nice LP! :applause

A member at an amp forum I belong to had the same problem. He never did figure out where it was coming from, either the strings or the fretboard.

I suspect the fretboard.

 

[M29]

Thanks Sean!

 

[FrankenFretter]

I had that happen with my old Floyd Rose guitar. It was actually coming off the fretboard

A member at an amp forum I belong to had the same problem. He never did figure out where it was coming from, either the strings or the fretboard.
I suspect the fretboard.

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll have to give the fretboard a good cleaning. Right now I have a hard time doing anything that doesn't involve playing her, though. The finger staining seems to be abating somewhat now, maybe due to it getting worn off by constant use. I'm at work today, and all I can think about is coming home to play the new guitar. Frustrating and distracting.

Very nice, Sean! I'd love to have one myself.
That's the problem with GAS... it is contagious!

Doug, you should get one. I see you already have a Les Paul Jr, so why not get a grown up LP to babysit Junior?

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Congrats! I love plaintops. What is the Tribute a tribute to, btw?

 

[duhvoodooman]

Sweet lookin' gitfiddle. Love those CSB LP's! :AOK :dude :rockon:

 

[FrankenFretter]

Congrats! I love plaintops. What is the Tribute a tribute to, btw?

I believe the tribute is to the man himself, Mr. Les Paul. Or it could be a tribute to the Les Pauls of the 60s. Of course, for all I know it could be a tribute to fish tacos. Mmmmm....fish tacos....

 

[NWBasser]

Oh, this was going along so well until the fish tacos. Yumm, I loves me some fishy tacos.:drool

I think I've had some D'addarios on my acoustic that left a dark gray residue on my fingers.

Bass strings don't to that to you.

Go get a bass.oke

I can't wait to get my non-stained hands on her and hear how she screams.:AOK :dude

 

[markb]

I had a Framus Golden Television (honest!) in the 70s that had a fingerboard dyed black to look like ebony. It used to turn my fingers black in a few minutes playing. Same goes for a couple of cheap fiddles I've played now I come to think of it.