Gibson Les Paul Classic (Triple Pickup)

I have a few questions. I recently went to a guitar store near to my house, looking for a new guitar (obviously). My most recent purchase was an Epiphone Les Paul Special II. I hated the guitar, but I loved the pickups and tone, so I've decided to look for another Les Paul.

The store has two guitars that are essentially this:
http://weatherfish.com/audio/guitars/gibson_lpcustom.jpg

A triple pickup Gibson Les Paul Classic.

Now, about the guitar, I have a few questions for anyone who has experience with the guitar:

1) How are they? I mean with three pickups and everything. How's the tone on them?

2) I happen to be a left-handed guitar player. These guitars happen to be right-handed. What I am planning on doing is removing all 6 strings and changing the nut to a lefty nut, then restringing it upside down. Does anyone have any experience with this? Has anyone here ever done that with a right-handed guitar? How annoying would the controls be to my strumming hand if I were to do this?

3) The guitar looks like an SG, but it's an LP. What does this signify or mean to the guitarist/model? When I first picked it up I thought it was in fact a Gibson SG, but when I looked behind the body of the guitar, it said "Gibson Les Paul Classic."

4) And my final question is this: The guitar itself costs $380, with a 60 day warranty. For $410 I get an extended 1 year warranty, and for $430 I get an extended two year warrenty. The guitar is used. Which plan would you suggest me getting if I were in face going to purchase this guitar?

Thank you in advance. Answers to any of my questions would be greatly appreciated.

-- Alex

You must mean the EPIPHONE if its for 400 bucks! :eek: Anyways, my friend has that same guitar and loves it. I haven't played it much but he swears by it and another one of my friends, guitarist of 9 years, has used it in a few shows. Its lived up to standards so far. And ya know what, if YOU like it, thats all that matters really.

Yes, I do mean the Epiphone... I didn't notice that I said Gibson.

Thanks for the advice!

This is quite a coincidence ...

My main guitar is a Gibson SG left handed turned upside down to a right handed lol

When I bought it I just changed the strings and played it as a righty for a couple of years ... then someone asked me if I ever got it setup correctly (intonations and everything)... I didn't even know back then that you could actually setup a guitar at all :)

I went back to the store and paid so they could set it up for me. They changed the nut also.

You kinda get used to having the knobs on top but it does come with it's problems. Your hand is actually picking at a certain angle since you have to clear the knobs with your forearm. What this does it that your other fingers (not those holding the pick) tend to get closer to the strings and so you often make more noise and have to be careful.

The pickguard is also a problem, the body of the guitar is now unprotected from pick attacks.

It is also more difficult to play the higher frets since the top cutaway is deeper. So you end up getting your hand stuck between the neck and the cutaway. Hopefully i'm clear enough here. Kinda hard to describe what I want to say :) There's less room for your hand.

I bought mine because it was a real good deal.

Hope this helps you take your decision. And I'd take the 2 years warranty, most factory problem should have appeared after 2 years (it will have seen enough humidity and temperature changes over 2 years for you to spot any problems with it).

P.S.: I so don't understand why they call this one a LP ... it's an SG... an SG I say!!! ;)

Interesting guitar. Obviously a reissue of some sort, but I believe reading that the original SG model that Gibson made was named after Les Paul (a more affordable version) without his permission, but Les hated the model and didn't want his name associated with it. It caused a temporary separation between Les Paul and Gibson for a few years, back in the early 60's. Gibson renamed the model SG and manufactured it instead of the Les Paul until they reunited again in the late 60's. Gibson then began making both models and the Les Paul was again back on the market.
But don't take my word on that, because I may have only partial facts correct without researching it. My memory might be a bit foggy on the issue.

Thank you all for your advice!

I just have to say that this is a great community.

from the description I think it may be an Epi re-issue of a 1961 Gibson Les paul sg Custom. Which was very similar to the later Sg guitar, but had a slightly different pick guard, and various different electronics internally.

Personally, I am not a big fan of Sg shaped guitars. I find them too thin, and the neck joints tend to give trouble after a couple of years.

Anyway, if you like the guitar that's all that really matters

I absolutely love SG's but they're so darn expensive. :(