Les Paul Custom Madness

MIJconvert · Feb 20, 2007

I'm fine with either a LP standard or LP Custom but I do have a thing for a LP Custom.

Who owns a couple of these Customs and how do they sound compared to overpriced Gibbons ( :lol: ) ?

Anyone own high end Customs?

Is it possible to tell what is a great quality Burny LP Custom since it does not have the words "Super Grade" on the headstock.

INdeed, the Custom is the finest looking guitar ever. Ok, subjectively anyways.

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

MIJconvert said:
I'm fine with either a LP standard or LP Custom but I do have a thing for a LP Custom.

Who owns a couple of these Customs and how do they sound compared to overpriced Gibbons ( :lol: ) ?

Anyone own high end Customs?

Is it possible to tell what is a great quality Burny LP Custom since it does not have the words "Super Grade" on the headstock.

INdeed, the Custom is the finest looking guitar ever. Ok, subjectively anyways.

Burny Custom with bareknuckle P'ups in it..It p!sses all over my mates
Gibson custom... Better made, sound and playability.

leadguitar_323 · Feb 22, 2007

Hey Andyt, nice custom mate,do you know the model and which BKP's do you have in it ?? I'm thinking of buying a cream burny just like yours, does it have fret edge binding as well ?
Thanx

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

leadguitar_323 said:
Hey Andyt, nice custom mate,do you know the model and which BKP's do you have in it ?? I'm thinking of buying a cream burny just like yours, does it have fret edge binding as well ?
Thanx

I havent a clue what model it is, i bought it years ago.
Yes it has got fret binding.
The BKP's are a match set of Blackdogs which, if i remember right, Tims replica's of Jimmy Page's Pickups in his famous lester.
Its all original apart from upgraded electrics Cts Pots etc
Im told that its around 1979, but im sure someone here could date it better than me

)
I still have the original P'ups but im told they are pre VH-1's but again im only quoting what im told and dont know from experience.
The machineheads are goto's and still work fine so they have never needed replacing.
I might consider selling it if the price was right

villager · Feb 22, 2007

burny customs are great, so are greco's..however they do all have rosewood boards that I have ever seen ...only ObG did a custom with an Ebony board, and it does make a difference to the feel and the tone...

leadguitar_323 · Feb 22, 2007

Thanx Andyt

where abouts are you ?? i'm in australia {brisbane}

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

leadguitar_323 said:
Thanx Andyt where abouts are you ?? i'm in australia {brisbane}

Im in the uk

MIJvintage · Feb 22, 2007

Likely is a RLC-60 model; I had a black 3 pickup version and sold it so I had to get a 2 pickup model to replace it

That was a great swap and both great guitars but I love playing the 2 pickup model so much more; no more hitting that blasted middle pup

MIJvintage · Feb 22, 2007

also forgot to mention that all of the RLC models I've ever had did have maho tops, not maple like the Gekkos :lol:

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

MIJvintage said:
also forgot to mention that all of the RLC models I've ever had did have maho tops, not maple like the Gekkos :lol:

Im told its an all mahogany construction like gibsons but never knew how to find out for sure.
Where can i find out more about these guitars?

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

villager said:
burny customs are great, so are greco's..however they do all have rosewood boards that I have ever seen ...only ObG did a custom with an Ebony board, and it does make a difference to the feel and the tone...

What does obG stand for?

leadguitar_323 · Feb 22, 2007

Orville by Gibson

Andyt · Feb 22, 2007

DOH

leadguitar_323 · Feb 22, 2007

Hey Andyt send me a PM {private message}...lol,with a price for the burny custom.......curious. 8)

MIJvintage · Feb 22, 2007

Andyt said:
Im told its an all mahogany construction like gibsons but never knew how to find out for sure.

different methods, # one should do the trick though........

(1) look at the finish on the back (mahogany) and see how it has sunken down into the open grain in the wood over time. If it's a mahogany top there should be a similar, sunken into the grain look to the finish there also but usually not as much. If it is a maple top it will be much smoother than a maho top, and won't exhibit the open grain of maho. You'll need to hold the surfaces in a good light to do this, moving the guitar at angles to check the grain.

(2) remove the cover on the control route for the 4 pots & check the back side of the top wood; open/darker grain = mahogany, and closed/lighter grain = maple. You can do the same thing in the switch route; just use a flashlight

(3) remove a pickup surround & check for the interface between the body back & the top; looking for the same as # 2

the maho tops usually sound a tad bit warmer in tone than the brighter sounding maple tops too

My 3 pickup RLC was a center seam top; my current 2 pickup RLC is an off center seam but sounds just as good........

Guitargoblin · Feb 23, 2007

villager said:
burny customs are great, so are greco's..however they do all have rosewood boards that I have ever seen ...only ObG did a custom with an Ebony board, and it does make a difference to the feel and the tone...

My Burny custom has an ebony board, I'm pretty sure. Looks and definitely sounds it (mahogany top too)

MIJvintage · Feb 23, 2007

I've never seen a RLC with an ebony board, not to say they were not any made but if there were any with ebony out there, I haven't seen one example yet. If you really think it's ebony, look at the grain. If the grain is open, even just a bit, it's rose' & not ebony, as ebony should have a completely closed grain

The fret board on my RLC 3 pickup version had a basically jet black finish, end to end, but it had the grain of rosewood. The effect is a look of ebony; many makers call it 'ebonized' rosewood, which is basically dying the wood darker

The fret board on my 2 pickup RLC has the very same attributes except that at the higher register frets, so that whatever the factory used to darken the rosewood has been removed via years of playing. The board actually is now two different colors. It looks a little odd but this beast plays like a world champ. Don't care if she looks odd when she plays like blazing fire.............

The batlord · Feb 24, 2007

I much prefer the Customs over any other.

I'm 99% sure I've seen a Burny with Ebony. There was no grain at all in it and it matched up perfectly with my ObG.

bashbrook · Feb 25, 2007

MIJconvert said:
Who owns a couple of these Customs and how do they sound compared to overpriced Gibbons ( :lol: ) ?

I have an old Burny LP Custom in a darkburst finish. While I've never owned a Gibson LP Custom, I can say that the Burny is better finished than my Gibson Historic Series Standard!
The Burny has a different sound - more "focussed" than the LP Standard and mine has more options due to the push-pull pots and 4 conductor Duncan Seth Lover pickups I've had fitted.

On the downside, it's quite a bit heavier and has a multi-piece back.

As for the fingerboard, I've read that the Burnys use "ebonized" rosewood. Whatever it is, it certainly looks and feels the part and if it is dyed rosewood it has a very closed grain and smooth feel. I've tried to take a photo but it's not easy to get right without natural light (apologies for the finger gunk!).

The batlord · Feb 25, 2007

bashbrook said:
As for the fingerboard, I've read that the Burnys use "ebonized" rosewood. Whatever it is, it certainly looks and feels the part and if it is dyed rosewood it has a very closed grain and smooth feel. I've tried to take a photo but it's not easy to get right without natural light (apologies for the finger gunk!).

Definitely a rosewood board. Clean that thing!

Les Paul Custom Madness

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