Electric Bard

If I had my own signature model Les Paul, designed just for me, I would start with the new chambered Les Paul bodies. Traditionally, Les Paul’s were pretty heavy, and when I was young that might not have been an issue. My 1980 Strat weighs a ton, which is why I hardly play it standing up anymore. It kills my back if I play it for too long. My Robert Cray Strat is a much more manageable weight, so it’s my go-to gigging electric guitar.

Several new Les Paul models feature chambered bodies, which reduce the weight substantially. That’s a big plus for me, so put a check mark beside that feature. Personally, I like the top of the Les Paul to include binding. The models without binding still look good, of course, but since we’re talking about my fantasy signature model, put a check mark beside binding on the body, please. Skip the pickguard; it hides the beautiful finish, and I don’t need it anyway.

Speaking of finishes, I have to start with a fairly old school approach, and offer up three solid colours, in high gloss: black, white, and burgundy. Those are my idea of classic Les Paul colours. I also like the look of wood, so a dark grain high gloss mahogany wood finish would also look great. For a maple top, a honey colour that lets the wood grain show would be nice, or maybe Gibson’s Desert Burst sunburst finish. I’d probably pass on most of the other sunburst finishes, especially any with red. I know it’s a classic look, but I’ve never been a big fan of the reddish sunbursts. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen too many crappy copies that looked horrid in a badly done red and yellow sunburst finish. Somehow the Les Paul body seems a little too small for some of the sunburst finishes I’ve seen on them. Save those for the larger ES-335 type of guitars.

As I design my dream signature model Les Paul, I can’t help keeping in mind that I’d also like to be able to actually have a hope of affording it, too, so here I will offer a sacrilegious idea. That high gloss finish I’m craving? I don’t care if it’s polyurethane instead of a nitrocellulose finish. I think that makes a big difference to the tone on acoustic instruments, but on a solid body electric guitar, I need some convincing that it really matters as far as the tone is concerned. It just ages differently, and I don’t mind that my thirty year old Strat still barely has a single chip in it anywhere. That poly finish takes a beating, and if it saves me some money, that would be OK by me. Now, if someone can offer me a really great reason why I’d spend more on a nitro finish for an electric guitar, I’m willing to be convinced, and of course if the Gibson crew just say no to poly, well, nitro it is then.

My signature model would include a stock bridge and tailpiece combo, in silver, not gold.

So far, I’ve got a lightweight chambered body, binding, chrome hardware, no pickguard and a choice of high gloss finishes. Tomorrow, let’s move on down the neck.