What do you think of the Gibson LPM and LPJ?

Hi, I've been away for a while. Been busy with life but I'm getting back into music. For inspiration I'm looking at a new guitar.

I've done a few trips to GC and played the Gibson LPJ 2014 (The Fireburst one with satin body) and the 2015 LPM with lacquer body and automatic tuners.

According to the tags, the LPM has Alnico Zebras and the LPJ has 61' Zebras. But looking online it seems to be that they're both the same pickups - maybe just typed in differently on Guitar Center's tag.

Here's the 2015 LPM:



And here's the 2015 LPJ I'm looking at:



I thought they were different because the guitars did sound quite different too. I found I liked the sound of the LPM a lot more than that of the LPJ. That said, it might have to do with those automatic tuners. I have to say, they might not be for purists, but I thought they worked REALLY well. The LPJ I tuned with my phone, so I might have been a little off. Maybe that's what they sounded so different to each other.

Anyway, here are some specific questions you might be able to help me with:

1. Do the 2014 LPJ and 2015 LPM have the same pickups or not?

2. What could be causing the vast difference in sound? The LPM was so much richer and nicer? Would it be the finish, the pickups, the nut, the tuning? Or all of these things?

3. Overall, what do you think of these guitars? They seem really good for the price I'll admit. I like the look of the LPJ and the feel of the satin neck. But I like the LPM's finish for durability. Plus it sounded better to me.

4. What do you think of the GForce automatic tuners? They are apparently different than the 2014 automatic tuners. Are they reliable?

I think the tuners look kind of funny but at least they are behind the headstock. I'm just worried if they are reliable. At least, unlike the old robot guitar, these can be tuned by hand too if the battery dies or the system fails.

I have a Les Paul Studio "faded" that I bought at a GC on a whim in 2012. The neck started separating after about 4 months of owning it. Had to go directly through Gibson for repairs since it was a discontinued model. I have no complaints since, but I have heard of similar quality issues with neck joints and fret boards recently that have me not wanting another Gibson unless it's a mid 90s used mint LP Studio or Standard. Can't really answer much more than that cause I have no experience with the auto tuners and I put SD pickups in my LP as soon as I bought it.

I'd buy a agile or Epiphone or even a new ltd before I'd buy a discount Gibson they are making those to get rid of all the wood that they're not going to use lol

Lol. So far no fairing very well. The reviews by people outside of here seem to be pretty good though.

that's just my 2 cents

Have you noticed a difference in the necks? go try them out again, the 2015s have new neck shapes and widths....they are like 2 different animals.....

They did feel different. That said, I could get used to either. I prefer sating necks because they feel faster than the sticky glossy lacquer necks. That said, sound comes first. I really though the 2015 sounded MUCH better. I doubt it has anything to do with the year. At first I thought the pickups were different. But looking around, they might actually be the same pickups.

The LPM I played twice sounded great.

Only problem is that it would not stay in tune no matter how much i stretched the strings, and the G-force worked correctly only about 50% of the time.