Design Flaws, and why guitarists generally fear change

[Achilles]

You should show a great LP shredder tho.

Since he's been in the news lately, how about Justin?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Since he's been in the news lately, how about Justin?

Yeah he’s amazing for sure.

 

[Los-D]

Oldie but goodie:


BTW, I grew up on Super Strats and by far today I prefer my LP. Warts and all. I also play classical style when seating.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Re: upper fret access

I’ve never personally felt an issue there or noticed a meaningful difference between an lp and other guitars, be it fenders, shreddy/metal guitars or most prs. The only exception tk that is the 594. Really comfy and lovely design there on the cut away/neck heal

I have biggish hands and sausage fingers so maybe that’s why but I could also see that having the opposite affect on a supposedly uncomfortable cut

 

[Eagle]

It’s the huge bulk behind the upper frets.

Compared to RG.

1990 soloist. It’s about as bad as it gets due to the body thickness at this point.

Even a strat of the same era is way easier, 59 strat and Les Paul for example

 

[Eagle]

Probably about the best heel on any production guitar;

But even here I would slightly change the cutaway shape to better accommodate a classical hand position. Ironically this cutaway is perfect;

This cutaway and the 060 heel and you would be perfect. In practice though the heel here is thinner than traditional and doesn’t get in the way.

 

[Eagle]

Oldie but goodie:


BTW, I grew up on Super Strats and by far today I prefer my LP. Warts and all. I also play classical style when seating.

You pretty much have too to play the upper frets seated.

 

[the-trooper]

You should show a great LP shredder tho.

 

[the-trooper]

You pretty much have too to play the upper frets seated.

Timestamped:


24 frets.
Although not sure if this counts since Buckethead isn't human.

 

[laxu]

Re: upper fret access

I’ve never personally felt an issue there or noticed a meaningful difference between an lp and other guitars, be it fenders, shreddy/metal guitars or most prs. The only exception tk that is the 594. Really comfy and lovely design there on the cut away/neck heal

I have biggish hands and sausage fingers so maybe that’s why but I could also see that having the opposite affect on a supposedly uncomfortable cut

To me the original Strandberg bolt-on heel was one of the worst design choices because it went up to about the 16th fret, so it actually did get in the way.

Once you do something better than the block heel of a Strat, it's increasingly diminishing returns. My Kiesel AM7 uses a slanted, slim block heel and it doesn't get in the way at all. The contoured heel on my Carvin C66 is similar to the Fender Ultra Strats and that's good enough too. Obviously Ibanez AANJ and similar are still nicer.

But there are a lot of genuinely bad design choices that keep hanging around due to cost or tradition.

• Tune-o-matic is one of the worst bridge designs out there. Low intonation range, requires a neck angle due to its height, saddles are held by stupid retainer wires or flimsy C-clips, requires a tailpiece, can collapse in the middle over time from too much string pressure...
• Gibson headstock design that tends to break due to both the steep angle and lack of wood around the truss rod.
• Strat block heel. We know this sort of bolt-on connection can be made so much better.
• Non-locking tuners. At least use the split shaft type because that's still better than the regular non-locking ones.
• Ashtray edges on Tele bridges serve no function when nobody uses the ashtray cover anymore.
• Tele control plate is terrible because the 3-way switch has a lot of travel and it sits too close to the knobs when in the bridge position. The solutions are easy: Gibson style 3-way or just angle the switch on the plate.

 

[the-trooper]

held by stupid retainer wires

Ahhh, but that buzzzzzzzzz on certain notes. Who can put a price on that

 

[Sascha Franck]

I swear on my mum this is the first and last time I will ever do this.

View attachment 15315

Totally freaks me out when I see someone listing a Les Paul and they have photos with the guitar lying flat like this. I would never consider buying that guitar cause the current owner is a dumbass imo.

What if a fly decides to land on it?

 

[Los-D]

You pretty much have too to play the upper frets seated.

For some specific parts, yes, but I have decent sized hands and long fingers so for some reason LPs still work (i.e. I can palm a basketball). Classical style also translates better (for me) to playing standing with strap.

For those intricate, specific things, though, I would tilt my posture and/or pull up the guitar Slash-style (or, my favorite, was left leg on stage monitor).

Other awesome LP slingers of course …



And the main reason I got into LPs in the fist place (not Page, not Slash, but Sykes):

 

[Eagle]

For some specific parts, yes, but I have decent sized hands and long fingers so for some reason LPs still work (i.e. I can palm a basketball). Classical style also translates better (for me) to playing standing with strap.

For those intricate, specific things, though, I would tilt my posture and/or pull up the guitar Slash-style (or, my favorite, was left leg on stage monitor).

Other awesome LP slingers of course …



And the main reason I got into LPs in the fist place (not Page, not Slash, but Sykes):

The two I would have mentioned.

 

[Los-D]

It’s the huge bulk behind the upper frets.

View attachment 15344

I was not a fan of the soloist and couldn’t understand why at the time, but it is pretty bulky compared to my RGs.

I am a fan of the (Fender) Charvel DK neck joints:

 

[the-trooper]

I am a fan of the (Fender) Charvel DK neck joints:
View attachment 15362

 

[Sascha Franck]

Regarding neck joints, even just this:

(Anderson from mid 90s)

or that

(Schecter Nick Johnston Indonesia)

while being almost nothing, is TONS better than that bulky nonsense both Fender and Gibson are annoying their customers with for way over half a century already.
At least Fender has gotten it a bit better with some of their newer models, but the vast majority of their portfolio is still as if they were completely ignoring ergonomics.

 

[Los-D]

Regarding neck joints, even just this:

View attachment 15364
(Anderson from mid 90s)

or that

View attachment 15365
(Schecter Nick Johnston Indonesia)

while being almost nothing, is TONS better than that bulky nonsense both Fender and Gibson are annoying their customers with for way over half a century already.
At least Fender has gotten it a bit better with some of their newer models, but the vast majority of their portfolio is still as if they were completely ignoring ergonomics.

Had a NJ Schecter. That’s a good neck joint right there.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Had a NJ Schecter. That’s a good neck joint right there.

I think it could be a lot more sculpted, but at least it's no Fender BS.

 

[metropolis_4]

I’ve never had any issues with either LP or Fender upper fret access. Both feel perfectly comfortable to me all the way up the neck