Les Paul / Harley Sportster

[alby]

The Gibson Les Paul Standard is the Harley Sportster of the guitar world.

 

It suffers from the same conservative herd-mentality obsessiveness.

 

For all the posing to the contrary, the truth is that many musicians (believe it or no) can be narrow-minded traditionalists when it comes to personal instrument choice.

 

Both the Gibson Les Paul Standard and the Harley Sportster are popular because of their iconic status, and not because they are better or even equal to many other guitars / motorcycles costing less.

 

That does not mean I dislike the Gibson Les Paul Standard, I own one, but it's simply another guitar to me, and one that is somewhat costly and sonically limited by modern standards.

[dimmypage]

ya but what about the les Paul Custom

 

[hondro]

sportster?

 

 

if anything its a Harley Softail

[leopardstar]

and you point is......?

[fleadog]

Yah, the sportster is more like the hello kitty strat in a "real" biker's eyes.... Always remember, bigger is better.....

[alby]

dimmypage,

The custom is pretty alright, and it has all the traditional visual cues.

 

hondro & fleadog,

Yeah maybe the Les Paul Standard is more like a Harley Softail than the Harley Sportster but......

 

The Harley Sportster is actually much older than Harley Softail, plus the Harley Sportster is not trying to pretend its something it's not, whereas the Harley Softail tries to hide the fact that it has rear suspension.

 

I don't see that the Les Paul Standard is trying to hide anything.

[alby]

and you point is......?

Sigh......lead a horse to water

[inkblot]

Lets all throw away our Les Pauls and stop listening to anything recorded before the 80s lest we be traditionalists or worse, narrow minded.

 

I don't know what makes the LP more iconic than a strat or a Martin acoustic. Personally I play an LP because it plays right and has sounds I want, probably the same reason past players who famously used it did so. I also have a 335 style guitar but neither says "Gibson" on the headstock. No doubt there are those who feel that it has to be Gibson or it just isn't real but those people congregate at other forums, HCEG is pretty well known for being into cheaper guitars

[dimmypage]

dimmypage,

The custom is pretty alright, and it has all the traditional visual cues.

 

 

Its also a favorite of in need crackheads and pawnshops,That one was sold to a pawnbroker for $100 --it was mine:wave: I got it back and immediately sold it:thu:

[BobbaFret]

You can not compare the Les Paul Standard to the Harley Skirtster.

[aenemated]

 

+

 

 

... i reckon i'm pretty boring and lame.

[BlueJames]

Skirtster? Tell that to Sportster rider Sonny Bolger.

[aenemated]

sonny barger, rather?

[BobbaFret]

Skirtster's are lame,I don't care who you are.

[aenemated]

my first bike was a sportster, SO BACK OFF.

 

that little bastard was fun as hell.

[BobbaFret]

Yeah they are a good bike to learn on.

[soundcreation]

Personally I can see the beauty in lots of different things. Softails, sportsters, R6's, CBR's, Les Pauls (weather gibson or Tokai etc) Strats,....hell even some jacksons and ibanez!

 

It's like saying you only like one type of food. Sure I like fancy food but sometimes good old meat and potatoes are the only thing that will do.

 

Why limit yourself.

[GarysBlues]

My first bike was a Sporty. I thought it was pretty cool when I was 16. OK for around town, but for the road? Need something Bigger.

 

Les-Pauls are not my thing. I play them but they certainly are not my favorite electrric.

 

But you know what, I certainly don't knock those who dig them?

[rwingsfan]

Hmmmmmm....Sporty's have very close to same amount of HP as a big twin and 1/3 the weight. For around town they are great, nimble and fast. Always kills me how most yuppies and some of the old guard still diss the sporty when in fact they are quite decent, although still not as cool as my Shovelhead...

 

 

[LeftyTom]

Having either the Gibby LP or the Sportster leaves the same quandry: if one lacks the ability to use it for its strengths, having one is a weak status symbol.

[Edward]

I tend to look at Gibson and Harley as two 'heritage' type companies whose product is as much or more the brand image as the actual guitars / bikes. Of course, my view is largely impacted by the scandalous price of both over here.... With very rare exceptions, the only people you'll see on a newer Harley these days in England are mid-life-crisis city bankers who have bought into the brand marketing; meanwhile the sort of folks that they fancy themselves to be have a tendency to look on Harleys with derision as a result. I look at them in exactly the same way as Gibson guitars: when the Japanese can produce something that for my purposes is as near as makes no damn difference for half the price, I have no interest in shellnig out for the brand, or "heritage."

 

No offence intended to those whose preference is otherwise - many folks are prepared to pay the extra and don't have the same negative perceptions of those brands as I would - more power to them. If they do so in an informed manner, that's cool by me, I just think it's a shame when some folks (not anyone on this thread, I might add) seem to think that simply buying the most expensive and the big name automatically meansbest.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

I tend to look at Gibson and Harley as two 'heritage' type companies whose product is as much or more the brand image as the actual guitars / bikes. Of course, my view is largely impacted by the scandalous price of both over here.... With very rare exceptions, the only people you'll see on a newer Harley these days in England are mid-life-crisis city bankers who have bought into the brand marketing; meanwhile the sort of folks that they fancy themselves to be have a tendency to look on Harleys with derision as a result. I look at them in exactly the same way as Gibson guitars: when the Japanese can produce something that for my purposes is as near as makes no damn difference for half the price, I have no interest in shellnig out for the brand, or "heritage." No offence intended to those whose preference is otherwise - many folks are prepared to pay the extra and don't have the same negative perceptions of those brands as I would - more power to them. If they do so in an informed manner, that's cool by me, I just think it's a shame when some folks (not anyone on this thread, I might add) seem to think that simply buying the most expensive and the big name automatically means best .

 

 

Plus Harleys last about half a winter on British roads, are slow, cumbersome, don't handle, and rot like a tomato on a hot day, have {censored} electrics, second only to older Ducatis, and simply look rediculous anywhere apart from in a showroom. Did I leave anything out Ed?

[vrm]

Hmmmmmm....Sporty's have very close to same amount of HP as a big twin and 1/3 the weight. For around town they are great, nimble and fast. Always kills me how most yuppies and some of the old guard still diss the sporty when in fact they are quite decent, although still not as cool as my Shovelhead...

 

Cool Bike!

[JoeBoy]

Hmmmmmm....Sporty's have very close to same amount of HP as a big twin and 1/3 the weight. For around town they are great, nimble and fast. Always kills me how most yuppies and some of the old guard still diss the sporty when in fact they are quite decent, although still not as cool as my Shovelhead...

 

Makes me think of Indian Larry.

[herrteufel]

I agree that traditional guitars like Les Pauls and Strats are similar to harleys in that they are overpriced and under engineered. But they have classic style, have simple construction, and have huge aftermarket support. You can take a base model and build it into something awesome that perfectly suits you.