best Gibson Les Paul for thrash and modern metal that shreds

[skoora]

This older Classic is on the GC used site for 1799….lol

 

[sacguy71]

From your list I would recommend the AJ LP standard. It just happens to be on sale at MF right now. It sounds perfect for modern metal and the stock gibson bridge pickup is surprisingly good too.

Agree so far. I wish Gibson would bring back the custom shop model of the AJ guitar that would be a dream to play same axe as the Tool Axe Master! Get a Diezel VH4 to blend with my Uberschall and maybe a Dual Rec as well then can play Tool and Korn inspired riffs for days!

 

[braintheory]

Yeah I completely disagree in every way imaginable

Can you get decent metal sounds with a bolt on neck 25.5 scale? Yeah of course, altho most of the time in a kind of boring "YouTuber playing boomer buttrock " way

Les Paul scale set neck guitars just sound heavier and beefier, especially on recordings

They make strat scale bolt on guitars sound plinky and kind of like a toy honestly

With most guitars I would 100% agree with you, but hear my guitar with all rosewood or Padauk bodies. I’ve AB’ed all my Les Paul’s vs them and they sounded without a doubt heavier (not even close). Those woods for bodies just are on a completely different playing field with the density of notes and low end they give. They are also heavier than LPC’s though. Now maybe a set-neck LP style guitar with those same woods would be even heavier sounding, but I didn’t have any such examples. I just compare what I have access to and keep an open mind

I understand most 25.5” bolt-on guitars do sound plinky, small and just not great vs a decent lp, but most of them suck and have lots of bad specs (such as Suhr, TA, Mayones, etc. basically the crap most guys know about), it’s not necessarily the 25.5” bolt-on part that’s a problem/weak link. I’m not talking here about the typical 7.5 lbs bolt-on SS guitars doused in poly where it’s designed for looks rather than sound. Maybe I can make a comparo clip of them all vs LP’s and the results might surprise you

I used to feel exactly the same way as you, if not stronger, but I’m always on the hunt trying new stuff and sometimes my thoughts like that get proven wrong and I also have to account for other specs that may seem minor, but aren’t. With Marchione especially, I’ve tried also their set-neck lp style guitar, set-neck SS and even have his unibody model guitar that’s all one piece of wood minus the fretboard and the 3 bolt-on ss’s to me still just sounded better and 3 other friends I’ve showed it to agreed and they’re also generally lp guys

Perhaps those 3, the 4 Tao’s I’ve played and 1 or 2 others isn’t enough of a sample size or just exceptions to the rule, but I can at least say in my experience trying as many guitars as I could (with also as much diversity as I can find), while in general I did prefer set-neck guitars, my all time favorites for whatever have been 25.5” bolt-ons to the point where I no longer want to keep my ‘57 LP Jr, ‘64 Epiphone Riviera and have already sold a while ago a ‘63 SG Special, ‘64 SG Jr, ‘69/70 LPC, 3 McInturff’s, Nik Huber and maybe I’m forgetting others

I don’t think anyone will find a full rosewood, Paduak or purpleheart body bolt-ss at all generic sounding nor Marchione’s with their unique specs mainly just because I don’t know of any metal guys that even used anything like them. These are not the typical SS sounds like a Suhr, TA, Mayones, ESP, etc that I believe may give some guy not the best ideas of strat scale bolt-on’s

 

[sacguy71]

I love ebony fretboard Les Paul guitars with hot pickups and good neck for playing fast solos and great for chugging.

 

[Speeddemon]

SG Standards with a pick up change is fucking amazing . Can’t believe you don’t see this more

Maybe because of their tendency to neck-dive? I had a Burny SG '61 RI from the mid 80's; it nailed the Angus look to a T, but man, that thin body and (relatively) heavy neck don't work together. Played some Gibsons with the same issue... They look cool, but from an engineering standpoint, the design is a bit off.

 

[Rex Rocker]

The 500T is the ultimate Metal pickup for a Gibson, IMO. Really killer pickup with lots of character. I think you can hear it on old Amon Amarth and Dark Tranquillity records.

I have a Les Paul Tribute with a 500T in the bridge and a Duncan Distortion Neck in the neck, and it's the best-sounding guitar I've ever owned and one of the best I've ever played. The one thing I would change about it is it has the Rounded 50's neck. I would prefer a 60's neck, but that's personal preference.

That being said... I feel like most Metal players would agree with me in liking the 60's neck feels better than the 50's. It's just faster and more comfy if you're not a Blues or those kind of players that wrap their thumb around the neck. But that's my subjective view.

I prefer a Rosewood board over Ebony myself. I kinda like the chunkier character that you get from Rosewood.

But like everyone is saying, any Les Paul will do. Just pick your favorite finish, your favorite neck profile, and slap whatever pickups you like in there.

 

[Techdeth]

Maybe because of their tendency to neck-dive? I had a Burny SG '61 RI from the mid 80's; it nailed the Angus look to a T, but man, that thin body and (relatively) heavy neck don't work together. Played some Gibsons with the same issue... They look cool, but from an engineering standpoint, the design is a bit off.

It’s never bothered me at . But see its opposite . Les Paul’s are not comfortable .

 

[Speeddemon]

It’s never bothered me at . But see its opposite . Les Paul’s are not comfortable .

For your shoulder no. My 11lbs '83 Randy Rhoads Les Paul Custom sent me to the chiropractor more than once.

But otherwise, I love the heft and the chunky tone it gives me. With an SG I found that I'm looking for pickups that add bass and heft to the tone, that a Les Paul has from itself. And bassy pickups and tight thrash metal don't always see eye to eye.

 

[sacguy71]

For your shoulder no. My 11lbs '83 Randy Rhoads Les Paul Custom sent me to the chiropractor more than once.

But otherwise, I love the heft and the chunky tone it gives me. With an SG I found that I'm looking for pickups that add bass and heft to the tone, that a Les Paul has from itself. And bassy pickups and tight thrash metal don't always see eye to eye.

Les Paul guitars are great for studio recording work while seated and playing then. Fender Strats and other superstrats are perfect for live standing playing.

 

[Techdeth]

For your shoulder no. My 11lbs '83 Randy Rhoads Les Paul Custom sent me to the chiropractor more than once.

But otherwise, I love the heft and the chunky tone it gives me. With an SG I found that I'm looking for pickups that add bass and heft to the tone, that a Les Paul has from itself. And bassy pickups and tight thrash metal don't always see eye to eye.

I’ll make some clips . I get a super thick tone that’s tight with it . It’s my soeed metal machine

 

[Rex Rocker]

FWIW, Gibson Les Pauls have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge itself than most other brands. Fender Strats, for example, if they have a bridge humbucker, have the bridge pickup a mile away from the bridge itself compared to Les Pauls. So I find Gibson Les Pauls tend to have more bite in the bridge position than most other brands.

SG's have the bridge pickup even closer to the bridge itself than Les Pauls.

 

[sacguy71]

FWIW, Gibson Les Pauls have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge itself than most other brands. Fender Strats, for example, if they have a bridge humbucker, have the bridge pickup a mile away from the bridge itself compared to Les Pauls. So I find Gibson Les Pauls tend to have more bite in the bridge position than most other brands.

SG's have the bridge pickup even closer to the bridge itself than Les Pauls.

yup which is why Les Paul a great rhythm rock and metal machine. For lead rock and metal, I prefer my Jackson superstrat with Floyd Rose.

 

[Rex Rocker]

yup which is why Les Paul a great rhythm rock and metal machine. For lead rock and metal, I prefer my Jackson superstrat with Floyd Rose.

Depends if you use the neck pickup a lot on your leads too.

Les Paul neck pickups are also in a different position to 24-fret Jacksons... so they're fatter and smoother there, LOL.

 

[Ratou]

les paul custom is my choice

 

[bubucci]

Great choices are LP Customs, Norlins, 90s Studios and 90s Classics. Slimmer necks, heavier bodies. Chambered or Modern weight relieves doesn't have tight enough bottom end. 498T or 500T.
I have few 25,5'' superstrats which sound more robust than average Gibson LP. US Charvels are good example. With modern bass heavy amps are lighter guitars like SG non issue to get heavy.
But EQ and tight playing of whole band still much more important than guitar tone itself for great ballsy sound.

 

[jbru91]

Great choices are LP Customs, Norlins, 90s Studios and 90s Classics. Slimmer necks, heavier bodies. Chambered or Modern weight relieves doesn't have tight enough bottom end. 498T or 500T.
I have few 25,5'' superstrats which sound more robust than average Gibson LP. US Charvels are good example. With modern bass heavy amps are lighter guitars like SG non issue to get heavy.
But EQ and tight playing of whole band still much more important than guitar tone itself for great ballsy sound.

How much of a difference is there between the 498T and 500T. I have an LP Custom coming with a 498T in it and I was looking to swap it if i don't like it. I have heard mixed reviews on the 498T. The Suhr Aldrich seems to get a lot of love for an Les Paul.

 

[Rex Rocker]

How much of a difference is there between the 498T and 500T. I have an LP Custom with a 498T in and was looking to swap it if i don't like it. Hav heard mixed reviews on the 498T. The Aldrich seems to get a lot of love for an LP.

I love the 498T and the 500T. They're different, though.

The 498T has kind of a underwound Duncan JB kinda vibe. It's got a similar mid emphasis as the JB, but it's not quite as hot, and it's slightly more open in the highs and lows.

The 500T has more of a Duncan Distortion meets Duncan Custom kinda vibe. It's got the more open high-end of the Custom as well as the grindy high-mids of the Distortion, but it's not as stuffy in the lower mids as the Distortion or as rumbly in the bass as the Custom.

That's kind of overgeneralizing, but that's a general comparison if you're more familiar with Duncans. The 500T is way hotter and more aggressive in the attack. The 498T is more mid output and has a rounder attack compared to the 500T.

IMO, the 500T is more of a full-on Metal pickup. It does have kind of an old-school dirtiness to the high-end that's very 90's-sounding. The 498T is more of a versatile mid-output pickup that pulls off Metal quite well.

I think the mixed reviews on the 498T come from the people expecting PAF-y tones out of their Les Pauls. It's a great middle-of-the-road pickup, IMO, but it's certainly not a PAF-type. But it's not a full-on tight, sharp, aggressive Metal pickup either. Not that it can't do it, though. I love it for it's dirty character, personally. I normally don't like middle-of the road pickups, but the 498T is the one mid-output pickup that I really dig for what I do because it's got tons of character.

 

[jbru91]

I love the 498T and the 500T. They're different, though.

The 498T has kind of a underwound Duncan JB kinda vibe. It's got a similar mid emphasis as the JB, but it's not quite as hot, and it's slightly more open in the highs and lows.

The 500T has more of a Duncan Distortion meets Duncan Custom kinda vibe. It's got the more open high-end of the Custom as well as the grindy high-mids of the Distortion, but it's not as stuffy in the lower mids as the Distortion or as rumbly in the bass as the Custom.

That's kind of overgeneralizing, but that's a general comparison if you're more familiar with Duncans. The 500T is way hotter and more aggressive in the attack. The 498T is more mid output and has a rounder attack compared to the 500T.

IMO, the 500T is more of a full-on Metal pickup. It does have kind of an old-school dirtiness to the high-end that's very 90's-sounding. The 498T is more of a versatile mid-output pickup that pulls off Metal quite well.

I think the mixed reviews on the 498T come from the people expecting PAF-y tones out of their Les Pauls. It's a great middle-of-the-road pickup, IMO, but it's certainly not a PAF-type. But it's not a full-on tight, sharp, aggressive Metal pickup either. Not that it can't do it, though. I love it for it's dirty character, personally. I personally don't like middle-of the road pickups, but the 498T is the one mid-output pickup that I really dig for what I do because it's got tons of character.

This is super helpful thank you!