Les Paul Special

[Denis]

Last Friday I went to see The Olympic Ass-kicking Team at Sadlacks, a small outdoor joint which has been around for decades. The bass player, Jack Cornell, played most of the gig with a P-bass, but towards the end switched to a Gibson Les Paul Special bass. He said it was a one year only model (1990, I think?) as Gibson "screwed it up by adding binding and all that other junk", the next year. It SOUNDED fantastic! What does everyone think of them? I've heard they are prone to neck warping, but that could have been in reference to later ones.

Badger posted this picture elsewhere so I doubt he'd mind me doing the same.

[Barklessdog]

I've heard they are prone to neck warping, but that could have been in reference to later ones.

I have never heard of any neck problems with later LPs. I have seen none (that I can remember) on Ebay. Lots of early Triumphs with repairs though.

Tom used to play one regularly.

[Dave W]

I've never heard of neck problems with any of the 90s LP basses.

The Specials were made from 1992 until about 1998. The first year model was passive with vol-vol-tone, after that they had a Bart TCT preamp and four controls. This one looks like a first year model.

[ramone57]

I bought a '94 for my son for christmas several years ago that I really wish I had bought for myself.  it's not quite the same as the one you saw, but it does sound great and is without any neck issues.  I should aslo mention that we took out the bart preamp and wired it 2 vol 2 tone.

[gearHed289]

GREAT basses, and a BARGAIN when they come up on ebay or wherever. They sound great, look great, and feel pretty damn good. The necks are a LITTLE chunky, but I'm used to Rics. Mine is super light too, but YMMV. I have the four knob version, but I had the Bart pre removed. It's kind of a non-rev Bird disguised as a Les Paul - all maho/set neck. The ebony board gives it a little Alembic "snap" depending on how you hit it. Oh, and never any neck issues with mine.

[uwe]

Any piece of mahogany with TB Plus pups will always sound good. Amen.

The neck issue thing is a myth, I have 12 LP basses old and new, short and long scale, everyone of them requires less noodling with the neck adjustment than any good Gibson TBird (which in Germany with dry winters and humid summers need constant attention until they have finally settled in after about 10 years or so), the chunkier neck (Ric before the change is a good comparison) being beneficial here. It also gives them a more gung ho sound.

I think no one here has ever said anything negative about the sound of LP Basses, we only marvel at how they never really became popular (they are not unergonomic to play or anything). My pet theory: bassists don't want to look like guitarists and the LP shape is an iconic guitar shape. BTW: Shortly before Gibson deleted the LP bass line altogether a few years ago, there was a final run of slab body worn finish non-binding and non-maple top LP Basses that had a street price of 800 bucks or so. They only came in worn cherry and worn walnut. To all intents and purposes these were Gibson going right back to those first early nineties LP Basses (except that they had four controls and more modern hardware). You still see those around and they are worthy be checked out. Pups on these are a little closer to the neck than on other LP basses.

Uwe

[Barklessdog]

I still think they are better than a t bird, both in sound & ergonomically. Just not as good looking.


Love the Ice Cream Sundae headstocks on the early 90's ones.

[Hornisse]

Speaking of ergonomic, I nearly pulled the trigger on that Les Paul Special 5 on Ebay but bought a Warwick Streamer Stage I 4 banger instead.

[gearHed289]

Speaking of ergonomic, I nearly pulled the trigger on that Les Paul Special 5 on Ebay but bought a Warwick Streamer Stage I 4 banger instead.

Wadja do that for??? SORRY! Kidding....

I've considered a LP 5, but now that I have the BaCHbird, I'm probably going to convert my Paul to BEAD tuning. Depends on how serious this girl I may be working with is. Other than that, I just don't have a lot of use for a 5er.

[godofthunder]

 I could never get the hang of a fiver, I always felt weighed down. When I needed low notes I went to a Fenderbird I built  and had strung BEAD, worked great. I have since sold it but the concept worked great.

[SKATE RAT]

i have that exact same bass. cherry red, two TB's and 3 controls in a straight line."a T-Bird in street clothes" sounds great.i love the neck and ebony fretboard.

notice German drummer!

[Dave W]

What was on the ceiling? 

[Freuds_Cat]

I'm not sure about the ceiling but I hope its less scary than the walls