Page 97 - Guitar Classics Magazine - The Les Paul Bible 2019

VINTAGE BENCH TEST

YOU GET THAT GREAT MID-50S

P-90 TONE. HI-FI IT’S NOT: BUT
IF SNARLY AND GROWLY NASAL

clarity and in fact, this one sounds airy and bright. It CHIME DOES IT FOR YOU, THIS LES
goes deeper in the bass frequencies, too, but it never
loses focus or definition. Jazz chord inversions are PAUL CUSTOM DOESN’T DISAPPOINT
presented with piano-like clarity and tremendous
detail. Such is the frequency range, the controls have
more to work with than usual, and the variety of
tones on tap may surprise you. pickups anyway. It’s a mismatch made in heaven for OPPOSITE TOP The
As much as a guitar pickup could perform us, however, because the versatility and sonic spread internal wiring hasn’t been
more like a microphone during the mid 1950s, of this LPC are far greater as a result. Switch to the touched since the guitar
this is probably as good as it gets – along with the bridge and of course you also get that great mid-50s left Kalamazoo, and the
bumblebee capacitors
DeArmond Dynasonic. And as we have already P-90 tone. are all original
discussed, aping that design is really what the staple Hi-fi it’s not: but if snarly and growly nasal chime
pickup design was all about. does it for you, this LPC doesn’t disappoint. The OPPOSITE LEFT The ebony
As an audio engineer, Les Paul valued high fidelity two pickups need some adjustment to balance out, ingerboard and pearl inlays
and sonic purity above everything else, and they’re with the P-90 set way closer to the strings, but once are perfectly preserved and
certainly a big part of the staple’s appeal. But it also they’re set you can switch back and forth seamlessly. the slim, lat-topped frets
still have some height left
has bags of character, with ample bass thump and a Better still, these two pickups meet in the middle to
prettiness in the treble that keeps things musical and create a third, very distinct, tone.
ABOVE The ABR-1 bridge and
interesting. Les would later go even further in the The Staple adds high- and low-frequency content stop tailpiece have lost a fair
hi-fi direction with his low-impedance pickups, but to the P-90’s wiry mid-focused roar – along with a bit of their gold plating due
to modern ears, they sound a bit bland and sterile greater sense of articulation and detail. There’s also to years of playing
compared to these. a pronounced midrange scoop that notching back
Maybe Gibson only fitted one staple unit because the neck volume rapidly accentuates. Get the
they were costly to manufacture, and they figured balance right and you can veer towards a pseudo
the jazz guys weren’t that interested in bridge ‘out of phase’ tone that combines T-Bone Walker

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