Whats The Difference Between Les Paul Standard ,Goldtop, Custom, etc?

[Erik2005]

Hello all,

What is the difference between the Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Goldtop, and Custom? Do they have the same pickups but just different finishes? I was looking at the Standard but does it sound the same as a custom? If you guys could take a look at these pictures (at the link to follow) and tell me which Les Paul this is (and which one its Epiphone equivalent would be) I would really appreciate it! here is the link (the two photos are at this one link) : http://community.webshots.com/album/23755069yaXqYgRdXM
I thought this was a 56' Gibson Goldtop Les Paul but the Pickups on the one in the picture look different than the 56' Goldtop Les Pauls pickups I looked at on the internet. Thanks in advance everyone!

-Callaway

[Erik2005]

anyone know? =)

[lalimacefolle]

as far as I know, the price, the finish, and the woods used are different

[lalimacefolle]

by the way, the guitar is a gold top, epiphone did a reissue a couple of years ago...

[Erik2005]

Isn't the one in the picture a Gibson Goldtop though? How come the pickups look more chrome'ish than a 56' reissue (changed pickups out?)? Also, would the Epiphone GoldTop be the equivalent of this guitar? If I want to get a different finish, so if the one in the pictures is a Goldtop then which other Les Paul sounds the same as the Goldtop (so I can get a different finish), the Standard, the Custom, or the Studio? Thanks again!

[Edited by Erik2005 on 10-24-2001 at 12:21 AM]

[lalimacefolle]

on the goldtop, different woods (who don't look as good as other ones) are used, because you don't see it, so, I guess a studio would sound similar, since the finish is not a see through one

[Erik2005]

TTT(To The Top)

[PonyOne]

OK, I take it this is in response to the mail i sent you, since all the models in question are ones i suggested to you...
I was talking about the Epiphone versions; a Les Paul Goldtop costs MORE than a PRS. Studio's are the cheapest Gibson LP's, you can pick em up for like $600 if you look in the right places, but you might as well spend 500 on a Goldtop epi instead.

As far as the Epi's go, the 100, Studio, Custom and Standard all use the same pickups. Actually, wait, I'm pretty sure that one of the models uses pickups made by Gibson, like the ones in lessr-model Gibson LP's. Probably the Studio. So if you get one of those, basically, you're getting a Gibson made in Korea.

All the Epi's are made of mahongany, some of them have alder in them too. The tone is pretty damn good. The 100 has a bolt-on neck, which gives less sustain than the others, which are set-neck, but if you're doing your little punk thing, you won't notice the difference. The bodies & necks for all the non-100's are all probably cut from the same batch, piled up, then finished differently.

The Goldtop uses P90's, which are totally different from humbuckers. They're basically huge single coils, if memory calls correct. Sorry, I'm really worn out at the moment.

Go to http://www.epiphone.com and look at the E-series guitars. They're cheap, look cool, sound great, and the pickups are different from standard epi humbuckers; they're like a combi of a distortion pickup and a standard.

You really don't need to get the exact same guitar one of your idols use, it's all about YOUR sound, not theirs.

[Erik2005]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply, and I sent you an e-mail, not sure if it got there I guess =). Anyways, im thinking maybe I should go with the custom. That goldtop in the picture does not look like it has the same pickups as a stock one, so im guessing maybe they are humbuckers (the ones that come from the factory look more white'ish). Does the goldtop sound particularly different? Anyways, whats the difference between a Standard LP and a Custom, and will I be able to play some higher notes if I need to? Which one would be better for punk music (Goldtop, Custom, or Goldtop)? Also what is a $100-$200 amp that has good distortion and can get loud also? Thanks!

-Callaway

[Edited by Erik2005 on 10-24-2001 at 07:07 PM]

[Erik2005]

TTT

[Erik2005]

Anyone know what the Goldtop's pickups sound like compared to the Customs's? What is the tone difference between a Custom, a Standard, and a Goldtop? Trying to decide which to buy bu im not sure what the differences are. Thanks again guys!

[PonyOne]

I already told you, dude. A Custom is a standard that's been dressed up. In other words, ther is no differene other than the finish (doesn't affect sound in this case), and the color of the hardware (rarely if ever affects sound).

P90's sound like big single coils; they're warmer, have more chunk and more buzz to them. Humbuckers have more raw power.

If I was you I'd get the goldtop, but I play less punkish stuff than you.

For beginner punk it really doesn't matter what you use. Spend !$180 on an Epiphone Les Paul Special or an SG Spcial, or get a $150 Washburn, a Vox Pathfinder amp, a distortion pedal, and some new CD's instead of $500 on your first guitar.

I had a friend whose first guitar was an $800 Epiphone Noel Gallagher Supernova ES335. He swore to God it was the perfect guitar for him, based primarily on the huge British flag painted on it. And besides, Noel Galagher (supposedly) played one so it had to be good, right?
As it turns out, it is not actually what Noel plays, nor was it the perfect guitar for him; he sat down with my Tele a week later and wished he would've spent the $800 on a really nice tele.

Don't do something just because the guitarist from a low-talent band like Sum or Blink uses them; punk bands use anything and everything. Rancid, for instance, uses hollowbidy guitars, strats, and LP's.