RIFF GAUCHE

Gibson Les Paul Standard 1990 Cherry Burst

















Gibson Les Paul Standard 1990 in Cherry Burst

Bought this one new in '91 or '92, although the guitar was made in 1990. It's a heavy one and weighs 10lbs.

I didn't like the original pickups, especially the bridge, so I had Shadow EQ5 active pickups installed. They have an active five band eq on board with +/- 15db boost / cut on each frequency. They also work actively or passively, if the battery dies the guitar doesn't. They also split to single coil with push / pull pots on the volume controls.

Shadow pickup: http://www.shadow-electronics.com/viewp ... _id=&id=86

I have no idea what neck is on this, at that time there were no 50s or 60s neck carves, I'm guessing it's nearer to a 60s.

Very very nice !

I don't like the mic's but you pics are very nice

Thanks guys. The Shadow pickups are actually very good, at the time I bought the guitar everyone had active pickups. Funny how times change. I bought a used set of Tom Short pickups for this one but I'm not sure whether to have them installed or not, I'm used to the Shadows, it has some serious sustain with those.

I've always heard of these pickups but never see them installed on a guitar. Really curious about how they sound, and how the onboard EQ can shape the tone...

captain.bondage a écrit :Paul, you've got 2 Shadow EQ5 in a guitar ? You MUST tell us (me) what they sound like !!

When I got this guitar I originally wanted EMGs, two 91s with coil split but could not get them as there was some sort of hassle with the Irish EMG importer. There was a Shadow demo guitar around the area, with a single EQ5 in the bridge plus a Shadow midi pickup. So I tried it out upside down, adjusted the EQ and output etc and ordered a pair for the Les Paul.

They can sound like anything you want ... literally. When I got them first I spent a lot of time adjusting them, I kept changing the EQ and output for months. Then I settled on the adjustment that is on them in the photos. It has been that way since the early '90s.

I still really, really dislike the cherry sunburst (why, God, why do most LPs have this color??).
Having said that, this guitar seems really cool. And like the others, I really wonder how those pickups do sound.

I know what you mean about the cherry burst, it wasn't my first choice either. At the time there was wine red, black or cherry burst available in the Standard, and black or white in the Les Paul Custom.

I really wanted a brown / tobacco burst in a Standard or a Custom but they were not available, so the only burst that was available was the cherry burst.

Typical Gibson, giving the customer what they don't want, never what they actually want at all.

I hear ya...

guiliguiliguili a écrit :I hear ya...

Cherry burst does grow on you though ... after twenty years or so

SouthpawGuy a écrit :

guiliguiliguili a écrit :I hear ya...

Cherry burst does grow on you though ... after twenty years or so

its easy to change...

hehe