Les Paul Mega thread

[Barklessdog]

I meant the LP Signiture, was that not a 70's bass?

[hieronymous]

A few shots of my Triumph:

[Pilgrim]

My Lpsig

Isn't that the version they called the Les Paul before that name was assigned to the famous solid body?

I'm not sure how much of that instrument's DNA is in the Casady bass, but I suspect there's a lot of it. The layout, switches and cosmetics are nearly identical.

[Dave W]

I meant the LP Signiture, was that not a 70's bass?

Yes, it came out in the early 70s. I don't think Les had anything to do with the styling but it does have a low impedance pickup and he's responsible for that design although he may not have done that particular version.

[Dave W]

Isn't that the version they called the Les Paul before that name was assigned to the famous solid body?

I'm not sure how much of that instrument's DNA is in the Casady bass, but I suspect there's a lot of it. The layout, switches and cosmetics are nearly identical.

I'm not quite sure what your first sentence means. It's a 70s bass (came out in 1973 IIRC) and was always called the Les Paul Signature. The solid body Les Paul Bass "hobbits" you see in this thread first came out in 1969.

The Casady is an Epi reissue version of the LP Signature.

[uwe]

I've read that the late Les was involved in both concepts Recording/Triumph and Signature. In an interview in connection with the Signature he said that he was unhappy about the Recording/Triumph being shortscale (hence the nickname "hobbits" here), but that that was a Gibson business decision, not his. And that the LP Sig was to make belatedly good on that. Les was a fan of the P Bass and sound and wanted a bass that could replicate a P sound (which an LP Sig can do better than an Epi JC) "and do other sounds as well". And he wanted it to be hollowbody to discern it from the Fender P and also for the acoustic tinge it gave the sound.

[Highlander]

What are the three pots on the LP Sig for...?

Nice looking bass... what do they go for, or are they rockin horse doins'...?

[uwe]

Vol, tone and chicken head "level controller" with pos 50, 200 and 500. Plus an extra jack at the side for a really low signal for studio work straight into the board.

[Basvarken]

And he wanted it to be hollowbody to discern it from the Fender P and also for the acoustic tinge it gave the sound.

That is kinda funny, because he invented first solid body (the log) to avoid the semi-acoustic related characteristics.

[Barklessdog]

In an interview in connection with the Signature he said that he was unhappy about the Recording/Triumph being shortscale (hence the nickname "hobbits" here), but that that was a Gibson business decision, not his. And that the LP Sig was to make belatedly good on that. Les was a fan of the P Bass and sound and wanted a bass that could replicate a P sound

When I met him back stage I ask him about Truimph basses. He told me the same story, but added what great basses they are.

[uwe]

That is kinda funny, because he invented first solid body (the log) to avoid the semi-acoustic related characteristics.

But the Sig was intended (also) as a studio bass where feedback isn't an issue.

[Basvarken]

Yeah I know. But I meant that the one aspect that made a his design unique was the fact that it was solid body. Gibson gave their solid bodied guitar his name.
It is kinda awkward that the very bass (and six string guitar) they named the Les Paul Signature wasn't a solid body...

[Dave W]

I agree. And no offense to Les but I'd like to see some confirmation from Gibson that he was involved in the Signature series. His memory sometimes was inaccurate.

[chromium]

There's an anecdote from Les in the Wheeler book relating to the re-introduction of the Les Paul in the late 60s, where he stated that Gibson was planning to phase out their solid body guitars altogether, and he convinced them otherwise - that rock players were clamoring to find old Les Pauls, and that they were the "hottest thing for rock".  That might lead one to believe that the Sig semis were a Gibson-born idea, but can't say for sure.  I still have never seen anything about the origins of the Signature series.

Then again, if he was so adamant about having his name pulled off the SG you'd think he'd have done the same with the Sig if he wasn't at least partly responsible for it.

Ah the glorious mysteries and contradictions!

[Dave W]

There's an anecdote from Les in the Wheeler book relating to the re-introduction of the Les Paul in the late 60s, where he stated that Gibson was planning to phase out their solid body guitars altogether, and he convinced them otherwise - that rock players were clamoring to find old Les Pauls, and that they were the "hottest thing for rock".  That might lead one to believe that the Sig semis were a Gibson-born idea, but can't say for sure.  I still have never seen anything about the origins of the Signature series.

Then again, if he was so adamant about having his name pulled off the SG you'd think he'd have done the same with the Sig if he wasn't at least partly responsible for it.

Ah the glorious mysteries and contradictions!

I take all that with a big grain of salt. After all, Wheeler is one of the sources for the false claim that Les and Mary had a network TV show that ran from 1953 to 1959. In fact, their "show" was a Listerine commercial consisting of two songs sandwiched between three Listerine blurbs, and it ran for something like 18 months in 1953-55. And Wheeler further claimed that the "show" was the real reason behind the Les Paul TV Model. 

Les said that he wanted his name off the SG version because he didn't like what they did with it. Maybe so, but the original LP wasn't his design and the SG version far outsold the original, hard to see why he would want out of a successful model. Besides, he later said that it was because of his divorce proceedings. That seems more likely to me.

I don't believe for a minute that Gibson was planning to phase out solidbodies.