Standard/Classic/Traditional/Tribute?

[Minoraie71]

I've owned a Gibson Les Paul Standard that I unfortunately had to sell a couple of years ago. Now I'm on the hunt getting a Les Paul again. But what I dint know is which one to get. I've tried finding some quality information about the differences between the various Les Paul that's available. The ONLY things I care about coming to the guitar is the tone and feel. Can I go with any of the ones mentioned or do they actually sound and feel differently? I usually change pickups in all my guitars, so pickups sounding different won't be a deal breaker for me.Tone and feel only.

 

[jb_abides]

Given your scenario, the biggest factor will be (1) neck profile (feel), then (2) finish (gloss versus faded), and (3) weight (which is more an individual guitar of course, not model).

And you don't mention new/used. So, in the current Cesar-era, Traditional and Tributes are effectively discontinued, Classics are limited to online exclusive from Gibson. So what's *NEW* aka Cesar-era rules out most of what you inquired about, and the 'Standard' model is totally re-vamped, back to more of its classic interpretations.

Hard to help with more on Standards unless you get Year/Era specific. A late-teen HJ-era 'Standard' is more akin to today's 'Modern' and a late-teen HJ-era 'Traditional' is most like today's 'Standard' .... so what's your frame of reference...? Another data point, the HJ-era Standards have compound radius for a more modern feel.

So if you change pickups, what about the wiring harness? Pots and caps and wiring vary. So that matters, too. For example, most recent Classics of a decade or so have push-pull features. And HJ-era Standards, too

 

[Minoraie71]

I'm thinking of a used one. I like both the 50's and 60's neck shape. To make it easier to understand what I'm asking is the quality and tone of the different ones in general. I don't know s lot about the differences, so that's what I want to learn. My price range is $2000-2500.

 

[Minoraie71]

I'm thinking of a used one. I like both the 50's and 60's neck shape. To make it easier to understand what I'm asking is the quality and tone of the different ones in general. I don't know s lot about the differences, so that's what I want to learn. My price range is $2000-2500.

 

[Bedroom Thrasher]

If the sound of the pickups doesn’t matter, then what do you mean by ‘tone’?

 

[Minoraie71]

If the sound of the pickups doesn’t matter, then what do you mean by ‘tone’?

The actual tone of the guitar...pickups can be changed to your own liking, but if the tone from the guitar and good, no pickups can save it. I often listen to how the guitar sings acousticly. If it sounds huge and have good sustain without even plugging it in, it most certainly sounds great when plugged in.

 

[overtonezaudio]

They are all mahogany and maple with rosewood boards, some tributes have a maple neck, so it's just kind of an individual thing as to how the guitar's acoustics are. Wood wise, they are basically the same spec between the standard, classic, tribute, studio, traditional, whatever.

Then there's tests out there on youtube that suggests wood has nothing to do with tone and it's all in the pickups. Based on my experience I have a hard time believing the results of those tests but maybe they're onto something, I dunno.