My Problem With Les Pauls đžMaybach Lester '58 Aged Cherry Lane Review
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 28. 06. 2024
- In spite of my not being much of a fan, this week we review another beautiful Les Paul which I've shelled out proper money for đ€·ââïž I find them uncomfortable to play and difficult to coax a convincing sound from... will this one be any different? Grab a cuppa and let's find out! đž
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Time Stamps
00:00 intro & coming up
00:54 it's a handsome looking guitar
07:38 made from sustainable tonewoods
08:37 what does it weigh?
08:58 lightly aged nitro finish
10:34 neck profile & measurements
11:34 buttons, knobs, switches & hardware
13:28 fingerboard & frets
14:18 pickup readings
15:02 pickguard on or off?
15:37 under the hood
18:22 this is what it sounds like unplugged
19:27 today's rig
20:34 this is what it sounds like playing something
23:47 volume & tone controls
27:40 let's play something else
29:19 the trouble with Les Pauls
33:23 what I think of this guitar
36:20 it's a different kettle of fish
37:45 more Lester nonsense coming soon
40:50 play out jam
Signal Chain Info:
TC Polytune
Soul Food / RAT
Boss DD3 / Boss RC5 Looper
Amps: Fender Princeton Reverb '65 Tweed 1 x 12
Mics AKG C414 & SM57
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 into Protools
The Guitaristas CZcams channel is fully independent of sponsorship, and supported/gifted products... it's all the thrills without the shills! đžBut this content costs real time and a lot of money to make so my own way of raising a few extra $$ to fund the channel is via the subscription TV Channel at: theguitaristas.tv and I am very grateful to my growing army of loyal supporters there who help fund this content, make it possible, and keep it real. You know who you are. đ
I AM NOT AN EXPERT. Some things I do know and some things I don't know but think I know and sometimes I say things that are not entirely correct. Once I have said things it's too late to correct them so please check any 'so called facts' with an adult, google, wikipedia, or someone else that knows.
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#maybach #electricguitar #guitaraddict #theguitaristas #guitarist #guitarporn - ZĂĄbava
One minute in and Iâm sold on this guy.
Heâs not doing yet another thinly veiled CZcams infomercial like 99% of the gear channels.
This is why we love The Guitaristas. Whatever anyone says, when money/product enters the game, the review is going to weighted in one direction and one direction only. Thanks for this Colin.
Getting special discount price also affects the reviewer reviewing it.
Every guitar Iâve ever bought had strings attached đ
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LOL! Take my upvote and go play your damn guitar. :)
@@theguitaristas Try a U.S. ESP Eclipse, an older Japanese Standard Eclipse, or a Japanese Eii Eclipse. Great guitars.
Yeah, but that's nothing to fret about!
Me too , but i had to tune the damn thing ...
I'd be swapping the tone pots and caps out and wiring it up "50s style" but for sure, you shouldn't have to do that stuff at such a price point.
I mean, it's supposed to be a '58, why the hell isn't at least wired in 50s style? That would at least stop all that top end roll off when turning the volume control down
I love your channel. It actually relaxes me.
Agreed
Bingo. Could not agree more.
In my humble opinion the problem you have with these " single cut models"( so to speak) is mainly related to the type of wiring they are fitted with, the sound that you describe and look for Is strictly connected with the 50' s vintage wiring that Gibson employed, with the hot signal going from the two volumes coupled to the tones, creating a highly Dynamic, responsive and interactive tone from the two pickups, I suspect from the dark, muffled sounds i heard with the pots slightly turned down that this guitar is fitted with a modern wiring( the hot signal going indipendently from the two tones to the two volumes) , it would be worth a try to tweak the wiring to have a whole different guitar in terms of tones, cheers.
I owe a Lester '58. Does have audio 500 pots for Tone and linear 500 pots for volume. However, originally also modern wiring with 47 nF caps (which is awkward for a 58' ). I changed that to 50s wiring with 22 nF cap. Now it works. Like this guitar more than my Gibson Les Paul custom shop!
Iâd love to try one. Just bought an R8 last week actually. I love it. I wonder. I have an R9 and (gawd) about 7 Gibson USA LPs. The finish on the custom shops feels different somehow. Is that just my imagination?
Another excellent review that once again highlights your integrity (re: free guitars/paid promos). My favorite line... "A wonderful piece of furniture"... what a great quote! That's what I think about PRS guitars (I owned many since the late 1980's but have no desire now or ever again). As a longtime Les Paul player who knows the struggles, I'd recommend playing them in the classical seated position. Once I started playing V's regularly I got used to playing just about everything in that position. It works wonders with upper fret access and picking technique once you get comfortable with it (at least it did for me). Looking forward to the Heritage review.
this channel should be called "zen and the art of guitar critique", that's how wonderfully relaxing and simultaneously informative and entertaining your videos are.
thank your for your content. đđ»
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Hi Colin, finding these LP reviews very compelling because I recently bought a Sire Larry Carlton L7 with soapbox P90âs. Caveat Iâm not a great player and this was the first time I bought a guitar that was shipped to me without me ever playing it but there are a lot of great reviews out there. My experience was fantastic for $650 (dollars - Iâm an old Brit living in US) the guitar blew me away⊠incredible quality for the price⊠beautiful look, neck, binding, and perfect setup. The controls are flawless in terms of feel and to my ears⊠and it sounds awesome to my ears⊠btw I play I completely clean through a small Marshall class 5 valve amp. I could never justify Maybach or Heritage money on a guitar but I can honestly say my experience with that Sie has been awesome⊠so much fun to play and incredible value. Anyway⊠thanks again for your brilliant reviews and I look forward to your conclusions on this LP series. Cheers!
Love your vids mate⊠I come for the honesty and stream of consciousness rambling, I dig it
Les Paulâs do nothing for me. Overpriced, Iâll take a Stratocaster or a Tele every time. And your reviews are outstanding !
I would say the same but a while ago I went to a store which had a couple of Strats I was interested in -an American Original 50s ( no longer available) and an American Standard which had lace sensors replacing the original pickups . Loved the lace sensor one then asked to play a 2021 Les Paul 60s Standard that looked great and the sound was stunning so much so I phoned later in the week about it and it was gone . Had to get something and eventually hot a 2019 Classic which is a beauty. Love my Strats but the Gibson was a great price and couldnât walk away from it .
Not really anymore. Fender prices have got so high for the good stuff it's comparable. I paid $2200 last year for a brand new Gibson Les Paul standard 60's. I was looking into getting a good Strat or telecaster and their about $1800 or more.
I don't understand. There are expensive and cheap overpriced and bang for buck stats and les Paul's. I have an Epiphone les Paul custom that is an awesome guitar that's dressed to the 9's. $600 doesn't seem overpriced to me. Then you can go buy a multi thousand dollar strat or tele that may very well be overpriced.
@@tp5401 Fender wins the mid range buyer cause you can get poly finish mexi strats that say STRAT on the head for cheap. With gibson you have to buy one that says "epiphone" which roughly translates to "i wish this were a gibson". If gibson had 2 brains cells they would sell mexi gibson with poly finish and GIBSON on the head for those mid range buyers and double their market value over night. But what the fuck do I know.
â@@Les537
Well the thing is that the Asians can build you whatever you want.
The issue is that due to Western snobbery, nobody wants to pay a higher price for the same care and attention that you would expect - but not necessarily get - with a USA guitar.
We still expect Japanese manufacturing to be cheaper, despite very high labour and operating costs in Japan.
Fender Mexico works because the Fender USA factory is just across the border, meaning that distribution and other cooperative aspects are handled with relative ease, whereas Gibson has production in Nashville, Tennessee and Bozema, Montana.
Been playng The Heritage H 150. I never need anything else. Thats a beauty.
Man, I'm gassing for a heritage. I should probably sell some stuff to get my hands on one.
I just picked up a Heritage H-150 Custom Core. Itâs an amazing guitar (it should be for the money). The only thing that I think a guitar like a Gibson Custom Shop has in it are Custombuckers. As for this Maybach⊠I canât comment because Iâve never actually played one (or seen one here in the U.S.). But for the price, Iâd be looking at some used Gibson Les Paul Standards (or a Heritage H-150 Standard⊠but Iâm from Michigan, so Iâm biased).
My favorite local shop is a Heritage dealer. They were nice when I played them.
Thoroughly enjoy the content, Colin! Always looking forward to your next vid. Thank you!
I definitely appreciate that you buy all your gear and don't receive sponsorship or review free or loaner gear, just like the rest of us people. You should consider making this a bigger part of your brand, it's the thing that makes you the most different from all the other guitar reviewers & shills on CZcams.
Absolutely true !
Iâve got a Maybach Lester 59 and totally agree⊠the wiring is shoddy and lets down whatâs otherwise a fantastic guitar, was wondering if Iâd just got a bad one but this is reassuring (in a way!). Mine is in with the Tech for a new wiring loom to be fitted currently. Thanks Colin, please get the pickguard back on there though ;)
Hello I'm from Kansas and I love your honesty on your reviews. Thank you for doing your show.
Great review. Nice sounding guitar. But tough decision when a Gibson is just a bit more money. And the SG is so much more comfortable. I think you are right the Les Paul always seems to be slipping away from me when playing. But I like there sound. I like what you said in the beginning, I believe people that get free guitars or payed for a review or both free guitar and paid for a review are swayed. I watched a review and heard something out of one particular you tuber's mouth that does reviews that turned me right off. Someone sent him something to review without telling him they were sending it. He said he usually gets $600.00 for a review like that. Gave it a bad review nothing but bad things to say about the product and company that made it with very little review about 3 Min. of review and said he sent the product back . I love your channel and honesty.
Your 1st few sentences summed up my feelings in a fraction of the words. Well done.
Excellent reviews. Thank you for your commitmitment to being honest and independent. I wish other guitar gear reviewers would take notice. I'm not even in the market for another Les Paul, but I'm watching just for the integrity.
Thank you once again, Colin. Your demo was beautiful and almost brought me to tears. The icing on the cake was at 23:10 how much you seemed to be enjoying the play.
Thank you very much for creating this channel.
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I got my hands on one of the newer Standard '50s Pauls a few years back, for a long time I considered selling it on because I didn't care for the tone of it, it was always too muddy for my liking, no good if you like a touch of twang much as I do. As a last ditch effort I tried the '50s wiring mod on it, figured it costs nothing to do if you've got a soldering iron, and easily reversed. My expectations were low, I mean how much difference can switching the contact points between the pots and the caps make? My jaw nearly hit the floor and suddenly it was like the voice of an angel! I'm committed to it now, even screwed a Bigsby on it.
Nice review as usual. Your channel is my first suscribe. What a feeling when you play, it is so cool to hear you. By the way i remember the epi gold top review, what a guitar! Maybe you could add it in the lester comparison. Your R4 was sounding good too.
Thanks for your channel. Cheers from France
Hooray! The Henrys are back! đ
Like many have said before me, truly love your channel Collin. It is unique amongst the CZcams community, so so chill. Thank you!
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I absolutely love your show....your playing is very nice as well....as always awesome work...sir...
OoooOooHhhhh, canât wait for the Heritage review. Nice playing, Colin.
the sun's finally shining- here comes the summer!!
Great video. I started playing guitar with an Epiphone studio LP and it was good for the price. Served its purpose. But sold it and didnât have an LP in the collection until this week. I tried out a Heritage standard H-150 in a local shop and couldnât stop thinking about it. Finally decided to pull the trigger and got it Tuesday.
I havenât been able to put it down. I have never been this obsessed with a guitar. Would love for you to review a Heritage at some point. (Edit: Should have watched the last bit! Excited to see that Heritage review.)
I'm a big Les Paul fan. I enjoy other guitars but I love playing a Les Paul more than anything. So I'll comment from that perspective. Ergonomically LPs are a disaster. I think any honest person knows that. Fat. No upper fret access. Unhinged control layout. To those that love them, that just doesn't matter. They feel amazing on the strap and in your hands (barring a proper boat anchor - I have one and it's just a pain). So the sound...
I don't get the appeal of a Les Paul with non PAF types or P90s. Some people like Randy Rhoads did amazing stuff with '70s pickups when really cranked up. But in general you want that very toppy, bitey sound of the '50s humbuckers or the P90s. Both those kinds of pickups sound very good clean and absolutely amazing with drive.
You talk about Greeny. That guitar is toppy as hell (listen to the live vid of Oh Well). And PG used to work those volume knobs all night and it sounded like a choir of angels clean and like a spicy devil when he turned up - on cranked Fenders most of the time. You need that kind of pickup. A warm pickup in an LP just doesn't sound good clean - you get that under the duvet sound.
And yes. You need '50s wiring or you keep the volumes at 100%. I don't believe anyone wants their highs to drop off as they roll back the volumes.
When it comes to this guitar... it's obviously beautifully made. But what I don't get when the price is approaching that of the lowest premium Tokais (I have that plaintop premium Tokai and it is utterly fantastic) is why there are so many unnecessary non-50s features like a Nashville bridge, a three screw truss rod cover, a two piece back? You can get an entry level MIJ Tokai for presumably still less that's got more vintage features than this or an LP standard (one of the big reasons to not go big G about from build quality and price is getting '50s features without having to go custom shop). Oh. I thought the money might be for a flame maple top, but I could see no sign of the flame going down the sides of the pickup cavity so I assume it's veneer - correct me if I'm wrong.
Look, for some reason basically no one puts in '50s wiring. I have no idea why. It seems only custom shop historic Gibsons and ESP Navigators have it standard. And Maybach, Gibson, or Tokai - if you want that PAF sound you're almost certainly going to have to buy PAF copies from one of dozens of companies that do it really well. It seems only the guitar companies haven't learned the secret at this stage.
I'm not trying to convince you to love Les Pauls though. I think you do or you don't. SGs famously have their own ergonomic problems and a lot of them sound pretty mid-rangey - which I think might be due to more vibration going through such a very thin body (although some do sound the same as Les Pauls, Vs, and Explorers). If you ask me what the perfect guitar is ergonomically and soundwise for a double humbucker vintage design (and I know you aren't but since I'm writing a whole essay...) - that's your 335. Rational control layout (toggle by the knobs where it should be), massive upper fret access. But no neck dive. Not too thin. Comfortable as hell standing or playing on the couch.
I completely agree on the Tokai -especially their nitro finished guitars. I don't think there is a better value on the market and the quality of Japanese made instruments is as good as it gets. I had a three Epiphone Elistists (2 made in the FGN factory and one in the Terada) and they were all immaculate. I also had an Alverez Yairi, basically a custom shop guitar for 1/2 the price and it was astounding. I was forced to sell my collection and will replace the LP and get another Yairi in the next year. I miss my Tak Matsumoto LP and my Yairi every day.
No way. The LP control layout is perfect. The worst layout belongs to stratocasters with all the knobs, switch and bar getting in the way of your picking hand because of the fact that they put the sideways jack on the body forcing the controls forward into your way.
To each their own, but I LOVE LP/SG gibson controls.
@@Les537 100% agree! One reason I never get familiar with Strats!
Another entertaining video, thanks Colin. Its interesting that you said it felt like you were fighting the guitar. I watched an interview a couple of weeks ago that Warren Haynes did with Rick Beato. He was talking about his guitars, and specifically about LP's, and he mentioned that he enjoyed the feeling of having to fight it. So yeah, that must be a thing.
Fantastic 1st instrumental !
The Perfect Noodle ! Thank you !
Thanks Colin!
Hi Colin - over 60.000 subscribers now! Amazing - remember the times when there was a tenth of it! You make a fine job for sure!
Its so funny how different meanings you can have about the playability of guitars!
The Les Paul is MY guitar! When I grab one I feel "at home"! Some people say: to heavy! For me a Les Paul must have a weight around 4 kg - (I owned two Maybach Lester 59 with around 3,4 kg chambered - sold them both, because for MY real Les Paul feeling they were too light!). This weight gives me the right stability - nothing slips away while playing. We all know that the construction ist not very ergonomic - BUT I love it. Love the fat 50s neck and find a 60s slim taper neck horrible, because you have nothing in your hand. And the sound? 2 Pickups, 2 x Tone, 2 x Volume - you can create so much different sounds by using them! In my collection there are PAFs, P90 and even a Junior with a single P90. It's amazing how different they sound and what range of sounds you can create even with the Junior! BTW - all of them have the 50s-wiring electronics which gives me the best control over my sounds I want! And when I use those knobs they do exactly what I want.
So - as I said before: IÂŽm a Les Paul guy and a Les Paul would be my guitar for the lonely island!
Keep on your good work, my friend
Greetings from Germany!
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Cheers man, thanks for sticking with us and still watching! đđ
Honesty and Good morals hardly exists in the real world let alone on the internet, thanks for that and is why i love this channel. I didn't like the sound of it at all, an epiphone for a 3rd of the price would be good enough for me. Loved the video and excited to see the comparison videos. Cheers
The,intro,jam,is amazingđđđđ
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I donât have a Les Paul, but I do have an SG, Tele and a PRS etc.
Just now, I was listening to my washing machine end its cycle, and itâs amazing what inspiration you can get from the rhythms of modern appliances.
Totally honest review as always Colin regardless of price or make, brilliant. That guitar sound we have in our heads is sometimes elusive to find and I guess that is why us guitarists spend so much time and money on different guitars, amps & effects, believing that different kit is going to give us THE sound that we're searching for. Sometimes it does and maybe we should stop searching there & then, but the search never seems to end. I started off many moons ago with a Hondo II Les Paul and loved it, I thought the sound was amazing at the time but soon realised the desire to find a better guitar and sound had only just begun. Since then I have owned and played all sorts of guitars and just enjoyed them for what they are. (A recent surprise was the Vintage V100AFD, for a budget Les Paul guitar it sounds simply phenomenal, they've been around for a while but you might want to check one out). Cheers Andy.
Just a little thing I found out about the control knobs on a Les Paul , With the toggle switch in middle position all knobs on 10 just back of the neck volume to about 81/2 , or 9 & listen to the change in tone , great review cheers .
I miss this channel.. â€â€ always love your content uncle...
Much respect for an honest review. You spent the cash. You have an opinion. I love it.
What a lovely guitar Colin. That is everything you need if you are looking for a Gibson LP style guitar this is all you need without the extra logo hefty price tag. Looks and sounds amazing.
Great video Colin. Shame that the electrics let it down. Looking forward to next weeks video.
Would love to see you add the Epiphone IBG 1959 Les Paul Standard to the mix of the Les Pauls comparison video. Love the channel!!
I think you hit the nail on the head with the "needs to be cranked" comment Colin. Chris Buck makes some fabulous noises come out of Les Pauls but his attacking style maybe suits them better?
The shonky controls aside, that all sounded pretty good to me and I could (and do) spend ages listening to you playing. Even got a looper coming this weekend so I can get more into making some music instead of just playing around.
Thanks Colin, we all really appreciate what you do, keep it up chum.
When I heard the price the price of the Maybach that was a deal breaker for me. I donât own a Gibson because of the price of a Gibson. Call me cheap and I will own being cheap. đ
the older I get (mid 60s) the cheaper I get
It would have to be a fantastic Gibson LP to lay over $2k for me. Just got a Gibson SG standard for $1299! At that price it makes sense to go Gibson.
$500-$800 epiphones is where it's at I'm telling ya.
I totally agree my friend. Itâs about tone, affordability, how they look and so on. I own two Les Paul Ephiphone customs. The one you reviewed last year in ebony. The other is the Matt Heafy custom in ebony I bought last month. Love both of them. Awesome tutorial and cheers đșđșđșđșđđž
@@randalljames1975my 2022 epiphone les Paul custom squashed any desire for a Gibson les Paul. I tried a Gibson les Paul at someoneâs house and it felt the same. Doesnât help that Iâm more of an SG guy, I still want a Gibson sg 61
Thought it sounded good, and a good honest review as always.
Great film Colin, I donât like those loose feeling audio pots. Would be an interesting mod for you. Keep up the great work
Love the vids pal..keep up the good work..just got a vintage v63 on offer from kennys music for ÂŁ199..thought I'll have some of that..frets needed polished and ends done..but it ain't bad at all..maybe worth a look at
I own a Lester 60s slim taper and it's the best guitar I've ever played, better than competing Gibson cs LPS that were 4x the price (eg more resonant).
Hey Col, you know I love your channel. The only thing I am missing is you playing some Punk/Clash tunes ;-)
Thanks again !!
nice axe mt, have a good weekend m, loved the vid.
Please check out a Heritage custom core artisan aged..about the same price with "custom shop" specs. :)
For me, the recipe for a great les paul setup is :
Low output PAFs with the neck pickup lowered below the pickup ring.
Wired 50s style with .o1uf in the neck and. 02uf cap in the bridge.
550k pots.
No muddy neck tones unless you roll off the tone pot. True tele on steroids setup.
I also really like the taper of VIpots even though they're severely overpriced. They're supposed to have the exact 50s centralab burst taper.
I bought a set of brandonwound 59s with a4 magnets.
I'm very very happy
What I forgot; mine does not have the wobbly pots with the pin sticking out, they are not suitable for guitar pots. It puzzles me why Maybach does not perform better here seen the quality build of the rest. Also, in my opinion, fantastic pickups.
Hello Colin my first guitar 'wow' moment was in the mid 60's when I saw a picture of Bob Dylan with a Fender Strat BUT for some unremembered reason in 1972 I decided to buy a brand new Les Paul Custom which I played as my main guitar until 1974 when I bought a Strat so even though I have a nice 1974 Gib. LP I don't play it as much as the Strats. Cheers mate.
So did you buy a 1974 Les Paul in 1972?
@@postoffice146 Obviously no - I swapped it for a 335 but now have a '74 Sunburst Custom !
â@@robertcalvin2643 I wondered if they had pre-released it 2 years beforehand.
More Loud is Good đThanks Colin. Great review! Any chance you might add the Epi 50s Standard to the review list? I realize it's not in the same league but I would love to hear your opinion as to how it compares.
Maybach is a brand that I wasn't aware of. Looks like a nice LP. I always enjoy your reviews.
I just recently got a gibson 50s les paul standard in honey amber which was breathtaking in pictures but such a let down in person . I opened the case and immediately knew it was getting returned which I hate doing. I returned it for a heritage cherry sunburst which is absolutely stunning and not to far off from that one you're holding.
Cheers Colin!
Honest assessment as usual mate...
Ive got a Custom l don't get along with 100% and a Special with 2 p90s that gets far more use, string seperation and touch sensitivity can lack a bit in humbuckers imo.
I get great chunky rhythm out of em, but prefer p90s or a Tele mate.. they snarl better.
Lovely looking guitar the Maybach though.
Totally agree that a guitar in this pricepoint should make the difference, specially in electronics, hardware and pickups. Taking quality shortcuts you are better off with an upgraded Epiphone IBG range imo. It is a gorgeous guitar tho.. Thanks again for the review and the great content Collin!
I love Les Pauls. My nÂș 1 guitar is my Gibson LP Standard 50s. I bought this same model, Maybach Lester Cherry Lane 58 Aged, from Estudio 54 (wonderful online store and service, I totally recommend!). I've seen online so many rave reviews of this Maybach Lester model, saying it is better than a Gibson Custom, etc, that I thought I had to try it. The guitar looked fantastic and was light for a LP (3,75 kg), but I was underwhelmed by the feel and sound. I sent it back. I definitely prefer my Gibson 50s. I think Gibson guitars are simply amazing, in spite of all the hate they get because of pricing, litigations, or whatever. After I sent back this Maybach I bought a Gibson SG Standard '61, and I'm in love! It's definitely easier to play than my LP. I have been playing it non-stop since it arrived. Looks like it's becoming my new nÂș1....
Geez Colin, I was holding my breath on the intro. However, as it turns out, I think we're both a bit too old school - I'd have had to buy the guitar as well. Thanks for keeping the faith.
Thanks for the video mate! I have many Gibson Les Pauls and other japanese copies... But My Maybach lester is my favorite les paul !
I Have the 72 Edelweiss with a 50ies neck profile and love it. Knobs work perfectly fine - so probably yours were loose? However, i had to readjust the bridge a little as it was way to low on the top strings and bring above 14th fret let the notes die out Party quickly. So, although the Setup was far from perfect, i could easily correct it and now i am very happy with this axe.
I been wanting a H150 for years, looking forward to it, also TEAM PICKGUARD OFF for life
the Finish on that Heritage was absolutely gorgeous holy wow, shame about the Lesters control pods.. i honestly expected they would be great, especially when everything about them looks so good. great review as always i look forward to the comparisons
After being a Les Paul player for many years, I now play mainly Fender's, I have a bad back, and I just love how my Strat's, Tele's, and Jaguar's sound. But I also love playing my SG.
Nice!!! Heritage are fantastic. I had a heritage and the Eastman at the same time. Also an R8 and a USa Gibson Traditional. I prefered the Eastamn over the Heritage because I prefered the neck profile (eastman a bit chunkier) Prefered the Eastman was lighter, and also prefere the antique varnish finish feel on the hand, although the heritage was very nice too. Tone wise, my heritage had SD Antiquities and sounded great, was very similar overall to the eastman in that aspect. They had the same frets, so that hgave an imprssion very similar on both. But the Eastman for me had the edge no doubt. Would love to try a heritage custom core. Actually my eastman now has the eritage custom core pickups, and holy damn I love how they sound. The lollars are awesome, more balanced and polite, the heritage custom core pickups, have more bite, more aggressivenes, remind em more on that tele on steroids kind of thing, that I really like.
Looking forward to the following video of the heritage and hopefully a comparison video between the 4 where you can rank them based on your point of view =)
Fork deep in LPs... for a guy who claims that he is not a fan, that is a brave performance :)
I love the look of the Maybach, and it does sound good... hard to assess the controls from here.
Thanks man, have a great weekend.
Linear tone pots with .047 cap is more often seen on vintage Fender Telecasters and lap steels. The linear pot makes all of the filtering action happen over the bottom quarter turn of the pot, and that along with the larger cap makes it easier to get a wah-wah sound (usually referred to as boo-wah amongst lap-steelers) by playing while simultaneously turning the tone knob with your pinky. I guess it might make sense to have that circuit on your bridge pickup if youâre a country or Western Swing player who wants to be able to play Tele licks on a Les Paul. Makes no sense for the neck pickup though, and most Les Paul players would rather have .022 mfd caps and audio taper tone pots, allowing more subtle tone adjustment.
Looks a beauty but my Epi LP controls work much better, tbh. Great review, as always, Colin đ
PS pick guard off - of course! đ
So the Maybach turned out to be only a Maybe. Any plans to upgrade the loom to 50's spec? Really looking forward to the Heritage review!
Out of the LP style guitars I'm lucky enough to own, the one I play the most is a Tanglewood TSB-58. I paid ÂŁ120 for it, second hand. It needed a little bit of attention, but it plays good.
I'd be interested to see how a Gordon Smith Graduate 60 compares with the other Lesters. Perhaps an older one, made in Manchester.
it's not the only reason to have one, but I like the position of the pick up selector on LPs. It feels easier to flick the switch during an up-stoke while playing rather than move my hand down to a switch along-side other controls.
I did shoot this one out in a store against the Eastman SB59/v and the Gibson 50s Standard. The Gibson came in dead last (terrible frets, poor binding work, at least 2 Pounds heavier than the other two, muddy pickups without proper string separation and a pretty uncomfortable bridge). Neither the Maybach nor the Eastman had any of those flaws, but in the end I clearly decided for the Eastman (which is a little more expensive in the varnished version). Reasons:
- One piece body and neck
- Lightest guitar of the three (the Maybach was only slightly heavier)
- Ebony fretboard
- Proper wiring and pots (e.g. identical friction, pickups usable at settings below 10)
- Varnish finish far less sticky than the other two
- No effing pickguards or poker chips (and yes, that is a feature!)
- While the Amber pickups in the Maybach are some of the best PAF replicas available, they are still PAFs and do reduce the amount of contexts especially the neck pickup can be used in. The Lollar Imperials in the Eastman have far more clarity, but can also sound PAF-like when rolling back the tone. At least I prefer them, and obviously the quality difference with Gibson's garbage Mudbuckers goes through the roof.
What did speak for the Maybach was the case (the Eastman case is perfect, it is just not as flashy). Both cases are worlds above Gibson's contemporary plasticky Lifton replicas you are getting when not buying at least a Custom Shop model.
He hit the nail on the head. The classic Les Paul tone is straight into a 50 or100 watt tube amp, cranked up. The purest sample of the LP-Marshall tone was Duane and Dickey of the Allman Brothers. They had the P.A.F. quack tone and everyone was chasing that. As the 70's wore on, high gain and distortion pushed the nuances of tone to the background.
I think Les Pauls tend to suffer more than other types from what I call unicorn disease. You really have to look through them and play a bunch of them to find one that's really good. Maybe it's just me? I don't know.
Or maybe the greats really did work hard to pull great sounds out of it and we dismiss that as a collective. I heard a story where Jimmy Page's tech said something yo the effect of "when I play it I sound terrible, but he plays it and led zeppelin happens
@@atonofspiders Some really do sound better than others. That's not limited to just les pauls. You can find a lot of great guitarists with stories about how they found an amazing guitar after trying dozens or more of the same model. You've never played multiple guitars of the same make and found one to just be better than the others?
i agree. they're more sensitive to 'finding the one that clicks with you'. but its a great model imo.
@@LfunkeyA They are my 2nd favorite after SG's. I'm still searching for my "perfect" LP, hopefully I find it some day.
Colin, Great video mate! Iâd love to see you review a Bacchus Baron. I noticed them when they came out a few months ago and have been intrigued by them ever since. Itâs affordable and Bacchus is a high quality Japanese guitar brand.
Iâd love to see how the Bacchus Baron holds up vs a LP Standard.
At last. Missed your clips
Just got the new 1959 Epiphone IBG Custom shop Les Paul with the Custombuckers. Itâs EVERYTHING Iâve been looking for in a Les Paul for years. The pickups are everything they are cracked up to be. You have to get your hands on one. Itâs different than the 1959 outfit from a couple years ago.
Pick guard on! As it's a bit of a babe! Don't want to scratch it too much.đ
Great overview (as always) but not sure 'okay' warrants 2,000 quid, or 1,600 for that matter. It seems like it's one of those 'okay if everything is on 10' guitars . . . not a lot of 'play' there and the loss of tops on the neck is a bit sad. Shame this one and the 54 both suffer a bit with the controls. I'd take an Eastman over this any day TBH - looking forward to a back to back with your other single cuts, nice to see the H150 make an appearance, and let's see which one emerges as top of the heap! Cheers. đ
I agree re: Lesters. I have two, and love them both, but I tend to play with a good bit of gain on the amp (think 80s hard rock). I use my Fendery guitars for low gain/edge of breakup or clean stuff.
Bought a vintage v100 les paul a while back..after a little bit of fettling and a new set of strings as far as I'm concerned it's a great guitar.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful weekend Colin also happy first day also weekend of summer â€â€â€â€â€â€đđđđđđ
Thanks man! đđ
I love the aesthetics and sound of a nice Les Paul, but playing one sitting perched on an awkwardly low sofa bed for a couple of years when I lived in a tiny bedsit left me with lasting nerve issues in my right shoulder. To this day I can't play uncontoured guitars without getting tingling and numbness in my right arm. Same issue with Teles. I have a Tele Deluxe but I had an arm contour added to it. Leo really nailed it with the contours on a Strat.
I would like to see some company do an LP copy with a sensible headstock, maybe flying V style, something with straight strings and not so much of a break angle, I realise the Mayback has less of an angle to the headstock but it still has the D and G string issues.
I have a String Butler fitted to one of my Les Paul Studio's and it solved the issue! I had tried all the fixes on YT and although they helped a little they never fully solved them going out of tune.
It's a beautiful guitar mate, I do feel exactly the same about Lesters as you though. Shame we can't resist them !! Great playing mate, loved it.
Cheers mate! đđ
I just came to a similar conclusion this week: I am selling my one and only LP-style (my Epiphone Les Paul modern). I just got a standard Epiphone Flying V (same model you made a video about) on a great deal from reverb. I changed the pickguard and put a short maestro vibrola on it, so it has more of a 67' V vibe. The V has the same Pickups that my Epiphone Les Paul modern used to have. I remember not liking the sound of those on my LP, so I changed them to Gibson 57 (N) and 57 plus (B). But honestly... if I now compare the sound of my V (with the stock Epiphone Pickups) to my LP... they sound really close, if not even the V sounding a bit better. Left me quit surprised, actually (important to note is that the positions of both pickups change to about 1cm closer to the middle, when you go from a 58'V style body mounting to the 67'V style Pickguard mounting).
I always thought that you got to have a LP-style guitar, but buying that V showed me, that there's nothing really that special to a LP. Don't get me wrong, they sound good, but to me there's just nothing exciting about them.
Oooof that Heritage looks amazing, the more I see them, the more I want one over any other LP manufacturer including the big G.
It would be an interesting poll to see what style of guitar the viewers of this channel prefer.
Another great video review Colin. The Maybach is way out of my price range, but if i spent ÂŁ2K on a guitar I would expect the electrics to be on point. Wobbly knobs and on/off action is not on. I agree that these LP type guitars need to be dimed to get the sound in our heads. Thanks for posting
Great video as usual. Iâm a sucker for a beautiful LP and this ticks that box but shame about the controls issue. In your opinion, if you could only keep one, would it be the Japanese Tokai or this?
Cheers Gerry, good question I'll probably answer that when I do the comparison đ€
@@theguitaristas đ I thought about that after Iâd asked the question. I can wait đ. Thanks again.
I share your point of view. I think I've had about 20+ Lesters in my life, from Epi to Gibson signatures (jimmy Page, joe Perry, Zakk Wylde) and custom shop '59. The only one I have now is a P90 Special. That one I love. SG is it for me.
What kind of crazy Heritage is that?! The stoptail and bridge donât look like anything Iâve seen in any guitars they currently sell (unless I missed it). Looking forward to that review!
Itâs an early one from 1995⊠has Schaller hardware đ
Stick with what you love ,SG.
Hi again Colin, It looks amazing indeed, but you nailed it: "It looks great, what a wonderful piece of furniture this guitar is", such a proper well appointed phrase, to describe so many LPs. Not a paid shill, my deep respect and appreciation for your posture. Cheers.
Love the spirit you apply to your reviews and your honest no pulled punches reviews of guitars you actually purchased, rather than any danger of sucking up to manufactures in case the freebies dry up!
As usual, lovely chilled, laid back approach that is so lacking in many of the Zip! Bam! Pow! sensationalist phukries many others employ đ€ź
As for the maxim you were struggling to remember verbatim, the main takeaway is probably that if an electric sounds crap acoustically, then don't expect any more than amplified crap even if it's plugged into a Dumble.
And no, adding original 1959 PAFs with zebra coils will not help! đ
Conversely, if said beast sounds sublime unplugged it will probably sound fantastic kitted out with a pair of Woolies (Audition) pups through any half decent backline.
Hope that puts a smile on the start of your weekend đ
Keep up the good work brother.
Peace âïž
Soho Steve
PS I ain't, for one moment suggesting that good quality pups have no positive effect on a good instrument. Just that it's pointless trying to fix a bad sounding instrument with expensive pickups.
And let's not forget that Ry Cooder plumbed a cheap vintage pickup into his early 60s Strat, which had probably been manufactured by the same company that knocked out the Woolies Audition brand. Namely Teisco! đ
Unless your pickups are microphonic, they will only register a change in magnetic field induced by the strings converting it into electricity. Jim Lill did an experiment where he removed parts from a guitar resulting in strings strung between 2 benches with a pickup unde4neath (same height) which sounded the same.
But still some guitarists are so talented that they can see a difference in sound based on the logo on the headstock
@@koekum2142 đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
Yeah, I watched that.
And Johan Segeberg's numerous earlier experiments.
Personally, I've been experimenting with swapping out pickups on my guitars since 1974 when I had one of the fake humbuckers (weedy single coil hiding under a pretend humbucker cover) on my cheapo Avon LP copy with a real humbucker from an Antoria Les Paul copy.
A year later I managed to buy a brand new Telecaster and within a year I'd had the neck pup swapped with a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.
Followed soon after with a Dimarzio Dual Sound humbucker in place of the bridge pickup...!
My poor old Tele has had countless pup swaps and whammy bars since and is currently decked out with three pups - TV Jones bridge and two early 70s pat sticker mini hums.
If only I had known what it would have been worth without my endless customisation journey.
Let's not get into the endless pup swaps on my 76 Artisan or my late 70s Tokai Strat...!
I didn't get on with them for a long time. I thought they were too small. You just have to find a good one though, then they're great. There's a fantastic gold top in SME at the moment... Might be looking to move a Tone Master Twin Reverb which allows you to get the cranked sound at lower volumes too....
Hey Colin, You're on to something. IMO, The Stratocaster and SG are far more comfortable to play, generally weigh less than a Les Paul, and sound great in their own way. However, Les Paul's have the mystique since the 1959/60 is the Holy Grail to collectors, probably due to so many of our guitar heroes having played them on stage where they can really shine at louder volumes. All that said, I own a few of each (Strat's, Tele's, Les Paul's and SG's) and enjoy playing them all. It's all fun and rock and roll games.
sweet guitar mate!
i wonder if you think it would be worth making a film with you replacing the tone pots with audio taper ones and rewiring it 50s style?
im sure it couldnt hurt anything lol!
ill be heading over to a pawnshop soon to look over a epiphone les paul jr.....taking a gigbag with me just in case hahaha!!
I know how this ends! đ€Łđ