gibson les paul vrs guild bluesbird

[gmcdeadhead]

has any one ever compaired the two in quality , playability ,ect,. does any body have both of them , and if so which is better? just thought it would be good to no , probably this topic might have been covered before . thanks gmcdeadhead

 

[fronobulax]

I'll be interested in seeing if anyone responds. The only discussion I can recall tends to observe that they are both single cutaways and that LPs from certain times are heavier than BBs from certain times and then the discussion degenerates into comparing BBs across time. If you are interested in specific useful information then it might help to focus your question. On the other hand, if you're like me you don't really know how you want to focus the question, a general, all over the map discussion helps determine what actually is important and needed to focus.

 

[cjd-player]

I don't own a Les Paul, because I bought the Bluesbird. But when I was shopping in 2001, I played several Les Pauls. I liked the Bluesbird better because it was not as heavy, I though it was more versatile tone wise, and the #1 issue for me - because the nut was wider. I'm primarily an acoustic player, but needed to move to electric for our church band. The wider nut made it less different from my acoustics. The skinny necks on the Les Pauls just gave me fits. So for me, I found the Bluesbird better for playability.

Although I bought mine used, the fit and finish were top-of-the-line. No issues there.

 

[bluesypicky]

Hi GMC,

Even though I never A/B'd the two, I have played on both and own one of the 2.

The feel, and weight are very comparable, the Bluesbird might be a few grams (or whatever that is that you use to define very light amounts of weight :lol: ) lighter, but I would say that the main physical difference is in the neck. It is fuller on the Bluesbird. Fits my hand perfectly, but I can se where some would rather the slimmer Gibson profile.
Soundwise, it is totally subjective to what you want and like. They're equally good, just different. The Les Paul sounds more "mid-rangy" to my ears, while the Duncans of the Bluesbird have more screaming trebles.
Two great guitars in my book. (One much more expensive than the other :wink: )

 

[gmcdeadhead]

thanks for the replys , im looking to get a tobacco burst bluesbird , because to me the price of the les pauls are to much. plus i like the guilds anyway.

 

[gmcdeadhead]

if anybody would like to trade a tobacco burst guild blues bird , i have two acoustic guitars that i can part with , a 2007 martin rosewood custom with fishman pre amp on it and/or a 1991 guild mint d4. let me no if anyone's interested . you can pm me , thanks fellows .gmcdeadhead.

 

[Nomodoc22]

I have owned and played many LP's and I feel the weight difference with the BB is very significan't if we are talking about the non chambered LP's. Quality is similar although Im have seen some bad Gibsons and every AAA Bluesbird I have examined was perfect. As far as sound they can both be made about the same
with the right electronics.
To me the main difference is LP's are every were but an AAA amber BB is unique and always draws interest.

 

[bluesypicky]

To me the main difference is LP's are every were but an AAA amber BB is unique and always draws interest.

That too! :wink:

 

[jp]

I'm in full agreement with a lot of good points mentioned above. Generally I've found that Bluesbirds--like all Guilds--are much, much more consistent in quality and feel. The bodies, though slightly lighter, seem a touch broader. There are also so many variations of LPs out there that it certainly takes a dedicated search to find one that suits your style -- 50s chunky necks, slim 60s necks, an array of PU configs, and so forth. Of all the LPs, I only truly like about 4 or 5 of the LP models released over the years, and every example I've demoed seemed to need a little tweaking. The Guild Bluesbirds all seemed to feel right from the get go.

I have an LP Studio Lite which I like for weight savings, simplicity, and the ebony fretboard. I plan to switch out the super hot ceramic PUs some day for a more traditional sound. If the right Bluesbird came along, though I'd swap it out immediately.

 

[mrfjones]

apples to oranges, I prefer the bluesbird but I do like a couple of the lps that are out there. they are really so different I have a hard time comparing them.

 

[Stevo]

I lucked out on a mint 97 bluesbird a few years ago for 900 CAD and I thought it was the perfect guitar for me. However, I recently bought a 1990 Les Paul Custom plus in a georgeous deep cherry sunburst and I think it is a better guitar, although it did cost me three times the price of the BB. The neck is not quite as chunky as the BB, somewhere between the BB and the thin fast neck of the Nightbird. The quality seems tighter on the LP, for example the fit of the inlays is a little sloppy on the BB and there is quite a bit of filler around them but this is a minor niggle, the BB is a finely crafted guitar. I don't like the way that the nickel pu covers on the BB so readily tarnish. I prefer how Guild frets extend right to the outside edge of the binding, I'm not so keen on those binding "nibs" on the Gibbys though they don't seem to affect playability. I like the thin high frets of the LP over the low jumbos of the BB and NB, string bends seem to go easier on the LP. I don't mind the extra weight of the LP and the sustain is amazing. If I could only keep one guitar then it would have to be the LP, but Guilds are fantastic value for money and has been said, the LP and BB are quite different guitars and much is down to personal preference.

 

[Walter Broes]

which is better?

They're both great, but almost too different to compare.

 

[son_of_gloin]

The new LP Standards with their chambered bodies, I think, are more comparable to the BB's now. The options on the neck are more thus catering to more players. I always had my heart set on an ebony BB until i played one. I found the necks too narrow(?) feeling.

But, for the record about a year and a half ago I sold....01 SG, 04 Texas Tele, and an 86 MIJ Tele and bought my Les Paul and very glad i did.