LP tone

Best LP tone I've heard is Slash on Appetite, but he didn't record that album with a Gibson. It was a clone made by Kris Derrig in California. It was fabled that Slash originally recorded the album on Gibsons, including an SG that he threw through a window because it sounded so bad. Derrig came to the rescue and the rest is history.

Derrig died of cancer before Appetite was released, so he unfortunately never knew the part his guitar would play in Slash's and Appetite/GnR's success.
 
There was a guy named Les Paul who used to play them.

I grew up in the 60s/70s… everybody played them. From Mike Bloomfield on the LP was everywhere. As noted by others, some noted LP players did some monumental recordings with Teles and Strats (Page, Beck, Gibbons) and vice versa (Gilmour), so we mostly envision their concert/album images for associations. Because of this, I think of Beck’s Blow By Blow, Frampton Comes Alive, Kiss Alive, Page TSRTS Live, and Boston’s first records when I visualize a Les Paul.

Mega-important design in the history of modern music.
 
The first song I recall noticing the power of a rock guitar sound was Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good." I and a couple neighbors would play it on a jukebox in a pizza place when I was a kid. (Couldn't let dad know rock and roll was messing with my brain).
 
RickP said:
There was a guy named Les Paul who used to play them.

I grew up in the 60s/70s… everybody played them. From Mike Bloomfield on the LP was everywhere. As noted by others, some noted LP players did some monumental recordings with Teles and Strats (Page, Beck, Gibbons) and vice versa (Gilmour), so we mostly envision their concert/album images for associations. Because of this, I think of Beck’s Blow By Blow, Frampton Comes Alive, Kiss Alive, Page TSRTS Live, and Boston’s first records when I visualize a Les Paul.

Mega-important design in the history of modern music.
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ACE! Of course.
 
Slow Dog Noodle said:
I think of Slash. Just saw him and G&R at Wrigley Field. Was amazed at the tone he was putting out there in a stadium setting. Just totally killer sound from his arsenal. And he had one pedal, a wha that he used occasionally. So impressive. I'd throw Duane Allman in there too - I see Lew did above.
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I wonder if his new pickups help. His new signature are hotter than his last. I’m curious to try them out. The 1.0 sound phenomenal in a zach myers. I bet 2.0 would break up so much easier and give even more versatility to the knobs
 
I have heard such a wide range of tones come from Les Paul guitars that I am not sure it has a signature tone. I think the tone is more about the pedals, amps, speakers and cabinets being used than the guitar itself. You can fine tune your tone with guitars and pickups but the meat of it is in the rest of the signal chain. Of course this is just my opinion.
 
JasonE said:
I have heard such a wide range of tones come from Les Paul guitars that I am not sure it has a signature tone. I think the tone is more about the pedals, amps, speakers and cabinets being used than the guitar itself. You can fine tune your tone with guitars and pickups but the meat of it is in the rest of the signal chain. Of course this is just my opinion.
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No doubt that a pedalboard will color the guitar/amp tone in many shades, and for some that becomes their signature tone. But, there are truly magical and unique tones that a good LP & amp can produce, and they'll do so without any pedals.

Gary Richrath used only his '59 LP with PAFs into a Marshal. No pedals. Same for Martin Barre. Just his PRSs into Soldanos. Man, that's signature sounds in spades, right out of the box. Like a good steak done perfectly on a grill, it don't need no A1.
 
Tom Bradovich said:
No doubt that a pedalboard will color the guitar/amp tone in many shades, and for some that becomes their signature tone. But, there are truly magical and unique tones that a good LP & amp can produce, and they'll do so without any pedals.

Gary Richrath used only his '59 LP with PAFs into a Marshal. No pedals. Same for Martin Barre. Just his PRSs into Soldanos. Man, that's signature sounds in spades, right out of the box. Like a good steak done perfectly on a grill, it don't need no A1.
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I can't disagree with any of that. You can do that with just about any guitar and get great tones. What I am trying to say is that when you hear someone say a LP won't do some sound, you see someone do a video making it do exactly that. People say the LP has a mid range grunt that is huge. Then they say you can't make it sound bright and snappy like a Tele. I have seen it done.

Pedals aside, the amp and cabinet are going to make more of a difference in the tone than the guitar, to a point. I have owned my fair share of LP guitars and still own two today. I like them. I just never specifically grab one of them with the thought in mind that they do a thing that none of my other guitars do. I typically grab a PRS or a Suhr first. I usually prefer a double cut guitar. I go through times when I really like the single cuts and will play those more. Even when going through a single cut phase, the LPs are typically not the first ones I grab. I usually grab a PRS.
 
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