Anyone with experience in comparing a great sounding historic series Les Paul vs. a CL? Alas, I have no shops nearby to try a CL out. The singlecut PRS's I played alongside a particular '58 historic LP I'm interested in sounded too polite/smooth jazz in comparison. How rude/raw and a bit unrefined can a CL get?

Thanks, Robert

I have an Historic LP and a CL Deluxe along with a few other LPs. I don't think the Collings will give you that exact rawness of the LPs Burstbuckers, but the Lollers in the City Limits puts you in the same general ballpark. It's a bit more polite, just as you found the PRS, which is merely different, not worse. For hard, fractal rock (no, that's not an HBO show from the 80's) I'd tend to grab the LP. For modern, cleaner rock I'd grab the CL. Truthfully, I'd try them both and wouldn't necessarily be able to predict the winner in advance for any particular song. Both guitars are excellent, although Gibson makes more lemons than Collings, which rarely ever does.

Robert, I have played a couple of CLs and they didn't really do it for me in terms of a 'raw' sound. The Lollar humbuckers, to my ear, are very smooth and wet-sounding.

That's not to say they won't work. I just think it's easier to get dirty with Burstbuckers.

Thanks guys! Any thoughts on how far swapping the Lollars out for Burstbuckers (or some other vintage voiced HB pickup) would go towards recapturing some of the 'rawness', etc of a vintage LP?

Robert, sounds to me like you might just be better off looking for a good historic series LP (if that's the sound you know you're looking for).

quote:

Originally posted by mwilkins:
Robert, sounds to me like you might just be better off looking for a good historic series LP (if that's the sound you know you're looking for).

That might be his best bet in the end, but it wouldn't get him the action, fit & finish, and solid tuning that the CL has (each of my Les Pauls have one or two tuning issues that I've had to adjust to). And the CLs sure are purty.

But it would be cheaper to start with an Historic, and easier to find too.

I have my Burstbuckers sitting in a case, unused. If I'm feeling crazy I may pop them into the CL and see what happens. My only real issue with the CL is its purity of tone - kinda HiFi - so the test with the Bursts will, at minimum, be interesting.

I chose my 59 VOS Les Paul out of 50 or so Historics, it had that mojo happening that a few out of many Gibsons produce.

Couple of factors though, Collings come in around a pound or two lighter then most light weight Les pauls which doesnt seem much but may make a huge personal difference over an extended late night performance.
Burstbuckers are not dipped and feedback easy giving a rudeness that I love but may annoy others.
High fret access is akward with a Les Paul but all those little traditional construction methods give us that sound that so much classic music was created on and tends to be the nostalgic benchmark that we compare everything else with.
The new matt VOS Les Pauls are now pleked on the new machine Gibson invested in and treat certain instruments to and that makes a huge difference to the consistency of the historics available today, playability wise anyway.
I go crazy when I hear the ping of a string getting stuck in the nut of a so called hand finished instrument and it seems to be a little better with the pleked pieces.

Les Pauls look as sexy as it comes.

Collings are the best no doubt about it and may have those little design adjustments that make you choose over Gibson and also look just as good in the spotlight maybe even more unique while maintaining the classic design.
They also have a clearer voice which translates to the desired tone for many.

Im waiting on the NEW PRS Dave Grissom DGT model. That will be interesting.
If that doesn't fit my choice for next instrument then Im also going to get another Collings Electric because that clarity makes a set neck short scale humbucker type of guitar more versatile when played for many styles.

Thats my thought about it all anyway.

Dont forget the amp,speaker,tubes etc change everything once get the sound you want running out of that guitar cable, so good luck.

I really appreciate the comments from everyone. Elambo, if you do swap the BB's into the CL, let us know how it goes.

I wonder how an acoustic/unplugged comparison between a 'good' LP vs. a CL would go. If the differences become less discernible in that setting, then perhaps a simple pickup swap would allow one to adjust to their sonic whimsy while maintaining consistent playability over the years. Any more thoughts there?

Thanks,

Robert

Although I adored the I-35 I owned, I couldn't find a CL that I liked. Just too refined sounding for me. I much preferred the Gibby Historics, but even those left me wanting compared with the I-35.

I loved the tone and resonance of my I35 also but annoying when your hand get stuck accessing highest frets, the horns of the instrument should be a little more open.

quote:

Originally posted by Guitarhak:
Although I adored the I-35 I owned, I couldn't find a CL that I liked. Just too refined sounding for me. I much preferred the Gibby Historics, but even those left me wanting compared with the I-35.

The I-35 is my favorite guitar of all right now, and the CL is great, but I don't think of them as comparable. While not exactly apples vs. oranges, they are red apples vs. green apples and I guess I prefer green apples. For the same reason as you - the CL is a little snobbish. A little too intelligent. A little too George Plimpton. Except for those times where refined is what you need, then it has no equal.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert L.:
Elambo, if you do swap the BB's into the CL, let us know how it goes.

I definitely will. If it happens it'll be a while from now.