Never could get into the Flying V's. I have an Epiphone Les Paul Ultra (which is a hollowed out Les Paul) so much lighter - great for feedback and high end rock playing. My 50th Anniversary Strat is still my main go to guitar, but I do love my Tele for slide playing and blues/rock.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Junior, I'm told. It sits there, MOCKING ME, saying "Why have you never learned to play me pussy?!?!?! You won me in a radio contest in 2003. I sit here, as nothing more than a cool decoration, never plugged in once. You gay ass-penis. LEARN ME or I'll electrocute you next time you cool your feet in the kiddie pool!" It's like the clown doll from Poltergeist, only the orange-red sunburst pattern on it ties the room together well.
I love the sound of a V, it and an Explorer have the same stock pick ups, so they sound pretty much the same. The shape? Meh. They are next to impossible to play while sitting and that's how I do most of my playing any more. There's nothing wrong with a mid range Epiphone Les Paul...until recently I had a custom shop Eppy Les Paul. I played it next to my studio Gibson and it was damn close in tone and the action was almost exactly the same. The biggest plus was it was about 5lbs lighter, it sacrificed a little bit of warmth and sustain, but those are pretty easy fixes with a couple of stomp boxes. I've never have had a Tele, but it's on my list of guitars to pick up. I do have a bit of problem adjusting to a Fender neck after playing Gibson's for so long though. That and for some reason I have a hell of a time on a maple fret board...they just don't have enough "Give" to them if you know what I mean. Kind of weird, but I have a Fender acoustic and it has a rosewood Gibson style neck...I guess Fender realized that some folks just don't really like that skinny, narrow neck?
Everything I pick up that isn't a Strat I pretty much immediately put down. I don't know what it is, but those just feel right.
It's funny, I generally hate Strats. My friend has one, and I gave it a try and fell in love with it. I went through 47 strats in two different stores, did not like a one of them until I got to #48, looking for the same 'feel' as my friend's strat. Since then, I've gotten used to it, but I guess I'm more like toytoy, my Tele, which was my first 'real' guitar, has a thick neck - almost like a baseball bat, so that's what I liked. Now, I've gotten used to pretty much anything, so given a week with it, I'll learn to appreciate it. I should probably find a V or a SG and give 'em a go, just for a change of pace.
I've had a couple of (American) Strats and they just never felt right to me. I can get used to them after a bit, but the strings are to damn close together for my liking. I'm sure it's all just a matter of what a person is used to. There is nothing like the sharp, crisp, biting sound of a maple fretboard Strat. It gives me chills. I don't play a whole lot of lead type stuff, so I've always gravitated towards the warm, fat sound of a Gibson with rosewood. It's amazing the difference in tone the fretboard can make.
Epiphones are actually a good deal these days. Switchcraft parts, well-picked woods. They just make them overseas. The Epiphone QC is right beside the Gibson plant - thirty or so guys who open the boxes, inspect the whole guitar, play it, set it up, and make sure it's good. If it's not, it doesn't get sold. Gibsons are made in the USA completely, with USA labor, and the neck and body are completely matched (the necks of Epiphones allow for a little space so can quickly adjust the pitch of the neck to the body). Also, Epiphones have polyurethane finish instead of nitrocellulose. That is the benefit of working at a music store - I've gotten to tour most of the factories (except for the Epiphone factories in China of course, I only got a powerpoint of that).
I've borrowed a few strats from friends but they've never felt right in my hand which sucks because I love the sound of them. The Gibsons just feel better to me. I've got a Les Paul now that I absolutely adore. The strings on a strat are just too close for comfort for me.
I don't really need much, since I play bass primarily. I want to get an electric to use for recording, and there's a sweet Gibson LP Junior Special at my store right now. Used for $700, dark aged cherry finish, Burstbucker pickups. Awesome guitar to have for home recordings. Speaking of which, the lady and I moved into our new rental house. Every day off I've been slowly cleaning and organizing my music room. I can finally just walk into the room, plug in and play.
W-O-W. What cosmic wonder in the sky tonight. That moon is as blue as a porn star's balls. Sad trombone.
Years ago I had a Gibson KZ II (Try finding one of those now.) It was a double cut away, kind of similar to an SG. It was solid mahogany and only weighed like 7-8 lbs, I picked it up after I destroyed my Les Paul while playing drunk in a bar one night. That thing was awesome after spending countless hours wearing a Les Paul, it felt like like nothing strapped to me. Horrible sustain, but the sound and feel were great. Gibson didn't make a lot of them and I wish to hell I could find another one. I ended up selling it to one of the original guitar players from Blue Cheer. (Rolling Stone dubbed them the first band to play Heavy Metal.) Man, did that dude have some stories to tell about being a semi famous musician in the late 60's. (If anyone cares, I wrote the story of destroying my Les Paul a few years ago. It's also the story of how me and my bandmates are probably the only band that were actually 86'd from the bar we were working in: <a class="postlink" href="http://toytoy88.blogspot.com/2009/12/crash.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://toytoy88.blogspot.com/2009/12/crash.html</a> ) I really need to rewrite that, obviously I was quite drunk when I hammered it out .
There must be something magical about being in Munich where I eake up extremely early. I don't know if it's my body telling me "dude, there is plentiful beer and it is acceptable to drink it at all hours!". Maybe it is sir snores, snseezes and coughs a lot in my room. But get ready, Munich, I'm back.
Whiskey and water has me confused as to whether this is a R and R post or an Eternal Drunk Thread post. Either way, I'm happy right now.
WEST INDIAN CARNIVAL WEEKEND FESTIVITIES ARE VERY LOUD. I have no idea where the pre-parade day concerts are being held, but I'm pretty sure they're in my backyard. I am simultaneously really looking forward to Monday and not looking forward to it at all. I live on the parade route and, on the plus side, there's a lot of dancing and music, and delicious, delicious food. You also get high just from stepping outside, or keeping your windows open. On the bad side, there are millions of people, you can't move anywhere, it's super loud, and a whole bunch of people get shot every year.
I'm guessing this is assuming the entire city of Munich actually missed you in your absence and the populace was eagerly awaiting your return?
I have played the old....what was it, the goldtop baseball bat Les Pauls that are worth like 70,000 these days? Played like a dream. I think it's something like a 64 or 65, the actual original. It's the only Les Paul I've ever played that felt like something.