Pictures of the new Les Paul Recording II

[Grog]

Sweetwater just posted photos on the new LPR II................

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPRCNACH/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=none&utm_term=DSA_-_Product&adpos=1t1&device=c&network=s&gclid=COr7_qaUzrsCFew7MgoddTEAoQ

I'm not seeing anything on Gibson's website..........

[Basvarken]

OMG.
Looks like they finally managed to do a decent reissue!

[Dave W]

I see American Musical, Zzounds and Same Day Music have it too (all three share the same inventory even though they're independently owned). They're all calling it a limited edition. That may be why it's not on Gibson's website. But Gibson is foolish not to promote it.

[Granny Gremlin]

Wow, that does look good.  A few points:
- looks like the neck isn't bound (at that price, come on; the 70s ones, which this is modeled after, are) - edit, closups look like might be bound but with thin black binding vs B&W like originals
- control layout looks a little weird; mainly where the pup selector is and how all those slide switches are right under the bigsby and look hard to get at /see  from playing position
- edit:  Rythmn and treble "single"/"dual" switches - interesting; wouldn't have thought single coil mode on these a good idea
- edit: looks like v/t/v/t for the pots; no decade or bass knobs; serious BOO.  might even be a reissue fail (except that those would be easy to replicate; if the pups are good/faithful, I'd be happy)... though the text says it has a decade.... so maybe they just didn't have the custom-labelled knobs when they took the pics
- really wish they'd gone with tullip-knobbed tuners; that wouldn't have really cost them more and it'd be more accurate.
- wrong bridge, but I'm not sure that the 'long travel' whatever it's called is still being made

Anyway, still totally GASing, on my end.... though, if original spec is what I want, those actually might be cheaper.

[Grog]

It mentions a Hi/Low impedance toggle switch, but it's marked like a ground lift. It also has two output jack similar to the last LPR version so it wouldn't need a switch if it were the same. I'm wondering if the knobs aren't just wrong, just using existing stock to get a few photos out there to spark interest & hopefully some pre-orders....... This might be a prototype??

[Granny Gremlin]

I think that is a ground lift (kinda baffling, that).  The Hi or Lo Z is via seperate jacks - look at the control close up.

... since they're wrong about that I am going to assume the writeup is mostly copied/pasted from the original 70s lit (a lot of it sounds familiar) and therefore there is no decade (or bass) control either.

"faithful reproduction" indeed.

... also noticed it seems like the pups do not have an embossed logo.  I actually think that's good - easier to tell the originals from the repros (and Les' pups weren't embossed either).

[Grog]

You can barely see the Gibson emboss on a few of the photos if you look hard for it..........

My wife gave me a two book set for Christmas, "The Les Paul Legacy" by Robb Lawrence. In the second book 1968-2009, there is a full chapter on Low Impedance Les Pauls, about 30 pages of text & photos. This has to be a record.............. The Low Impedance models get some mention in many of the other books, but not this extensive. As more newcomers read about these, it may spark some interest & curiosity, possibly new demand. That must be what Gibson is banking on. We'll see how long it takes to sell 600 LPR's.........

[Granny Gremlin]

Ah, OK.  My monitor at home is the TV and it's not so great on the detail.

[Grog]

The Sweetwater page says the LPR II is no longer available??? The 600 couldn't have sold out already???

[Dave W]

The Sweetwater page says the LPR II is no longer available??? The 600 couldn't have sold out already???

I'd guess that may mean Sweetwater's allotment is spoken for. It's still shown as available for pre-order at American Musical and expected Dec. 30th at Zzounds.

[Grog]

Looks like Dave's Guitar Shop might actually have one..................

http://davesguitar.com/products/gibson-usa/limited-edition-les-paul-recording-ii/

[Dave W]

Looks like Dave's Guitar Shop might actually have one..................

http://davesguitar.com/products/gibson-usa/limited-edition-les-paul-recording-ii/

Finish looks lighter than I expected. Nice looking plank though.

[Grog]

A little more info............

http://www.premierguitar.com/blogs/5-daily-news/post/20121-gibson-releases-the-les-paul-recording

[Granny Gremlin]

Nothing we didn't see in the pictures other than that it's a Jensen transformer in there (that's kinda nice; the original, was not a particularly high quality transformer) and that the LoZ out is balanced (more like the LPSig than Recording which is not).  I wonder if the LoZ out is TRS (like the LPSig) or XLR which is slightly more convenient to use if not mount.

A little silly that with that many knobs on the thing they don't list them all off - we still don't have a definitive answer re the tone controls. I am taking this to mean that the decasde is gone as is the bass cut.  In fact this whole thing is looking more and more like a Recording/LPSig hybrid.

Really curious as to what's going on in the control route.

[Grog]

AMS just posted a new video from Gibson............

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-GIB-LPRC-LIST