I would not buy a les paul even if I could afford one! Respect the man behind the name but I don't like it.... prefer an ST with double humbuckers or HSH. But what the hell do I know!?
@@firbolg It's all a matter of preference. There are plenty of other guitars designed better for Floyd Rose trems. Having on on a LP defeats the purpose of some of it's design features, without the stability of a maple neck, or the ability to replace the neck if it should develop a twist.
In 2014 Gibson did a limited run of traditional pro II’s with a Floyd rose for guitar center. I’m a big Alex lifeson fan and wanted one of his accesses but couldn’t afford it so I picked up one of the traditionals and I love it. I’m on team Floyd on a LP. That epiphone looks really cool too.
I got rid of my Axcess a few years ago and I'm looking to get a slim taper traditional pro 2 and go with that. It's set your mind f*** though to do all this cuz it goes against the grain and then I have Charvel Jackson's that have the Floyd I even picked up a custom 24 PRS that has a Floyd so I really don't need a less Paul with a Floyd It would be nice to have one if I can find a slim taper neck if not the mojo of a Les Paul and the go-to of a Les Paul will always be a stock tail and develop your vibrato I don't miss a Floyd when I play my Les pauls....
Just got a LP Custom in VOS black with locking Floyd and it plays like a fuckin dream. Stays in tune. Resonates for days. I couldn’t be happier. Blasphemy or not, play what you want to play. Life is too short to be concerned about what’s right or wrong with a guitar. Great video!
The "blasphemy" part would be chopping up a older Paul for a Floyd.(Thats where to controversy came into play in 80s) That being said every guitar I have, has a Floyd.
I think it was Scott Gorham who said in an interview (I believe he played an axcess at the time) he said something to the effect of "yeah Floyd rose from the factory is great on a les Paul but don't go ripping up your 50s les Paul to fit one you just don't fucking do that"
Bought new and still have a mid 80’s LP custom with a locking kahler trem that came stock from gibson. Sounds great. No issues with sustain. Main axe for many years.
And in the shred community Khalers can be nothing but hijinks so good deal! I've seen those guitars on craigslist up until recently and I've been playing for decades I didn't even know Gibson installed factory Khalers on Les Paul's They're very rare few and far between and you got a good one 👍
Neal Schon had his own signature model Les Paul with a Floyd, if you check them out its basically the prelude to the Axcess. Also I remember seeing Journey on their Escape tour, early on the show Neal broke a string and the whole guitar went out of tune, Neal couldn't stop laughing. Took his tech almost the whole show to restring it !
It's sounds fantastic. Yes, "purists" will say blasphemy. Then all those "purists" here that "don't stop believing" lead and love every single bend and trem from that Les Paul. It has its place on guitars. It just depends on what you are using it for.
I was originally screaming blasphemy thinking it's just a Jackson Charvel shred guitar vibrato system then I got a Les Paul Axcess And really it's up to your mental assessment of why you play guitar and what guitars do for me to go back and forth. I sold the Axcess Just wasn't for me more so than that was a tweener neck I didn't care for it I like 60 slim tapers so I'm looking to get a Traditional with a slim taper neck with a Floyd Rose and I'll be back in the game 🤣
Just finished my Les Paul style with floating bridge build. I purchased a Agile neck thru with a floyd rose. I purchased the guitar for the wood and rout only. I gutted the entire guitar. I put a titanium nut with the Sophia 2:92 bridge with titanium posts. Changed the tuners to Graphtec ratio locking tuners. Put in Bareknuckle Silo pickups with coil splits push/pull. Added special pots for tone with both bass and treble cuts for each pickup. Put in a JJ 6-way switch for added series/parallel configurations. Then added the roland GK pickup with a 13 pin output. The Sophia 2:92 Pro bridge is not as radical whammy as a floyd but allows you to do muting, double stops, unison bends, and pedal steel type bends while staying in tune. I now have 2 sophias, 2 floyds, a kahler, and a Vega trem. All stay in tune really well.
Well done. I agree with your conclusions as well. Floyds were available on Les Paul Custom Lites and Studio Lites in 1989. I have an '89 Custom Lite with a Floyd, it's my #1.
I love LPs with Floyds SO much. Unfortunately as a lefty it's almost impossible to get so I'm about to pull the trigger on another favourite of mine finally released as a lefty, the ec1000fr.
I recently got an Epiphone Alex Lifeson, & after a few modifications I love it. It was a little muddy for me, so I put in a Seymour Duncan JB & Jazz. I replaced the trem arm with one that's a tighter fit, & put a lower nut on there. It's definitely lighter than my 74 LP Custom, & sounds just as good to me. You didn't mention that it's neck volume know is also push pull to select series or parallel. I'm a new subscriber, & thankful I stumbled across your channel. Great reviews & awesome playing.
Best idea to keep the LP in tune. They are notorious for going out of tune with the nut and head stock issues. Locking the strings from bridge to locknut deals directly with the problem.
Eddie Van Halen put the pickups and electronics from a Les Paul into a strat and nobody acused him of "Sacrilege". Its a personal preference of bridge styles and nothing more.
I think that's my custom-built Agile AL3000 at 6:15! The guitar is a neck-through build (came with the Floyd from the factory) that eventually gained a wide variety of modifications, including a Sustainer, relocated controls, mids boost, kill switch and more.
You may wanna talk to Aldo Nova as well about being one of the first to have a Floyd in his Les Paul. He told me some time back that Floyd Rose himself installed it into his guitar.
I was waiting for him to mention Aldo Nova. But he didn't. Aldo's also has a diff head stock as well ( an Explorer head stock.) I believe there is a YT video about the history of Aldo's LP, pretty interesting.
I remember Neal and Brad having one at about the same time. Brad was definitely on TV first playing one with Ozzy. What I don't think was mentioned is Gibson changed the Les Paul neck angle on the Axcess. It doesn't angle back the same way as a normal Les Paul. It's flatter like a Fender. I love mine.
@@lfader it's definitely not a 50s Chunky neck--not super thin either. Check out Trogly's review/teardown. He gives all the spec's. I love the neck...Hope that helps.
@@Rico_B hey thanks appreciate that. I kind of figured it might have had that tweener neck not a fat 50s not a slim taper 60s just a little bit more shoulder on it but they're very doable!! The money on Les Paul's right now especially customs since lockdown is absolutely ridiculous It's almost double complete rip off Epiphone stepped up the quality on their build so that guitar is worth checking into!👍
@@lfader Hey one more thing, I just read this in Guitar World from Alex: “I would call it a ‘moderate radius,’ Lifeson says. “Not too chunky, but not too thin. For example, my ’76 ES-335 has the thinnest neck in the world. But then my ’58 Les Paul had quite a chunky neck, which is a little too big for me. So I wanted something sort of in the middle, with really nice playability."
@@Rico_B thx I figured that I go on as a '60s slim taper and then there's a 59 neck and a 58 neck which is beefier and then there's a tweener which is between a 59 & 60 slim And that's what basically the neck is on all the Gibson Les Paul axcess guitars There's still kind of like a slim D but they have more shoulder they're doable they're a little thicker for open cords You kind of adjust it out if you like slim necks like I do but still very doable and the epi build quality now price point compared to Gibson Access newer 5500 the used is around 4k 😬 all less Paul's have spiked significantly and I think it's a insult and ripoff to players but it's collusion Craigslist and reverb which I scour for guitars and I've seen that Lifeson sig about 3 or 4 times on Craigslist It's a beautiful top! Hey thanks for getting back appreciate it 👍😎 Also on the Epiphone Vivian Campbell signature model for neck profile they put Vivian Campbell profile ??? what the hell does that tell me?? 🤣
That was a very good review,I've owned lots of LP's over many years with tuning being my main complaint apart from weight,a LP with a Floyd Rose or any equivalent is perfect if you love the LP sound.
Custom Shop LP Standard Axcess owner since 2014. Sounds, feels and plays incredible. NEVER goes out of tune and NEVER breaks strings, even when transported daily! Literally haven't broken a string since 2014 and often get lazy and leave them on for much longer than I should. They cost a small fortune but keep their value. It's an expression tool! The man who invented the LP put all kinds of whammys on both his and his wife's LPs!
@@mrcoatsworth429 He did not. There is a photo of Eddie Van Halen holding a Kes Paul fitted with a Floyd Rose and it was autigraphed by Les Paul....It seems like it was also a quilted top!
If Alex Lifeson of Rush, Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, and Neal Schon of Journey use them live, it's not blasphemy. It's a sonic wonder. Especially Alex Lifeson's guitar.
You just can't go wrong with a floyd Rose when it's properly set up and intonated . Even if you don't touch the trem bar at all. The tuning stability is absolutely amazing especially if you're playing stuff like SRV with a the grand bend you have the piece of mind knowing that your going to be spot on for the next song .
Yep my recommendation for Floyd’s is trem stop for no backward motion and an evh d tuna get the stability ease of string changes and drop tunes without retuning for 15 minutes
I want a Burny RLC-85S. It's a Japanese LP style guitar with a Floyd Rose AND a sustainer system. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it doesn't have two volume and two tone knobs to tailor the sound. Kramer also makes an LP style with a Floyd. It's called the Assault 220. But there's no sustainer and doesn't have 2 volume and 2 tone controls either. I have a Dillion LP copy that I added DiMarzio pickups to. A Tone Zone in the bridge and Air Zone in the neck. They're set up for coil splitting and with the 2 volume and 2 tone controls, you can really get some good tones out of it. I just can't bring myself to carve it up to put in a Floyd Rose.
I like all my guitars because of their different character and what they inspire me to play, for me it´s just a color in a production. If you have to have a tool to feel comfortable with on tour, do what it takes.
As for the whammy bar being loose - there is an adjustment screw at the bottom of the block that tightens up a spring-loaded ball bearing at the tip of the whammy bar that takes up the play. You should be able to make it fairly tight. Having said that, I'm not sure if that particular Floyd Rose on that Epiphone has that adjustment, but every single Floyd Rose, both genuine and licensed, that I've owned over the years (Kramer, Fender, Ibanez) have all had it. So pop open the back cover and have a look.
I personally don't like the adjustments on newer Floyd whammy's, so I buy the old style and replace (except FRX - completely different). Its a pain to adjust old style on standard Floyd, but once you have it, you can just pull up and twist bar to loosen or tighten while playing. Can make it stick or make it flop around in seconds... again, while playing.
Bought my first FR equipped guitar in '82. Kramer Pacer Carrera, black on black on black. I had a '74 Gibson L6-s I modded with a preamp under the pickguard that sat in hock for 10 years. When I got it back in '90 the first thing I did was have a top-mounted floating Kahler installed. But my '86 Charvel with Floyd has been MY guitar since I picked it up in '94. Just got my A.L. EPI AXCESS from Sweetwater and had to ship it back to them the day I got it to get the piezo fixed. It's gorgeous, and the pro buckets are hotter than hell, but what difference if I'm not getting the total package I paid for. I know when I finally get it back I will agree 100% with you and my Charvel may get ignored a while. But, as far as a Floyd Rose on a Les Paul goes... Basphemy and Sacrilege? That's why I got into Rock and Roll... >;^j
Re: volume control location. Notice that Neal Schon has his controls relocated, so that the master volume on his is right where you wanted to find it, between the bridge pickup and the bridge, so that he could snag it with his pinky.
I picked up a Dusenberg Trem and put it on my LP Studio, not dive bomb material but nice nontheless for those chordal vibrato and no cutting or modification required
For me when I found out about about the axcess with a Floyd belly cut and heel joint it made it more appealing to me. In fact I want one really bad and could care less about any purest views. Different stokes for different folks and I’d gladly shell out the 5-6 grand for one. Great video as always!
As a Nightfall owner, all I can say is this. A Floyd Rose seems to add sustain to an already sonically able guitar. Think about that for a minute because the FR is easy to modify with brass blocks, titanium hardware and all that.
Brad Gillis replacing Bernie Torme on the Blizzard tour the MTV tape of that gillis is a massive lead guitarist!! Brad gillis with Ozzy that was jaw dropping -🌟🌟🌟
I have a 2000 standard and I put on a floyd frx !! No routing no removing the nut the only mod that is needed r 2 small holes behind nut to hold the locking system on and I love it can put it back to stock in 5 minutes
The tremolo arm has a factory defect. Both of mine have it. My new Epi Custom Ruby fixes the issue by lining up the metal dowel that locks the arm in line with the arm, not almost perpendicular which can't possibly price torque against the trem nut and sleeve insert.
Actually in the 80's they produced also a Studio light version with FR. Same as the Custom with less refinements: no bindings, dot marks, etc. but same electronics. I own one of it.
I have 5 Les Paul's, a Standard, Deluxe, and 3 Studio models, 2 of those Studio models are Shred models with Floyds, a Tabaco Burst 2012 and a Cherry Sunburst 2014. Those two Floyd equipped models stay in tune better than my stop tailpiece versions and sound just fine.
Brad Gillis would have had to have the route to pull up on the Floyd with his work on Ozzy's Speak of the Devil. He breathed new life into all those old Sabbath tunes and it is still one of my favorites to this day. 🔥
Can any owners of the Axcess explain how to work controls to turn off humbuckers and engage only the piezo? Or is the piezo voice always blended? Thanks.
I bought a Gibson Axcess when they first came out. I was always a vintage guy, I even had a vintage guitar store for 15 years, but I fell in love with the Axcess the first time I played it. I'm a 6 night a week gigging musician and love the fact, I can confidently go from one song to another, without having to check my tuning! It also has a very convincing single coil sound, when the coil tap is engaged. I bought a Epiphone Alex Lifeson as an affordable backup but was greatly disappointed in it. The coil splits didnt sound good and the tremolo had to be set too high to keep it from buzzing. It was also heavy as hell. I didn't keep it for more than a week before I sold it to a Alex Lifeson freak I knew. He seems to like it but hes never owned an Axcess.
The whiners and complainers have never played a les paul with a Floyd rose. They are fun and they stay in tune and you can dive bomb. I forgot to mention they have great tone to, a little different than a traditional les paul but still very good.
Ace Frehley stuck a Washburn Wonderbar on his two main LP Customs (his cherry sunburst 74 and one of his black ones) in the mid 80s. That’s a unique system, it uses a torsion bar instead of springs. No routing required, either. Just a couple screw holes in the headstock for the string lock. But it’s big and clunky… as if a Les Paul needs more heft. Gibson also made a Custom for Eddie Van Halen with a Steinberger TransTrem. And when he did that Les Paul show in 88, Les Paul gifted him one with a Floyd. Eddie said he found it dumb to ruin a beautiful Les Paul with a Floyd (which is kind of mind blowing coming from him) but he didn’t have the heart to say it to the man himself. Gibson also made a couple Floyd-equipped Les Pauls for Richie Sambora. And then there was the Bowen Handle… Sambora did an ad for those back in the early Bon Jovi days. I think Schaller made a similar type of unit that would fit in place of the tune o matic. Quirky little contraptions that never caught on.
I had a factory Les Paul Lite I think it was and it had a Schaller Floyd and I absolutely loved it. It was killer. Nothing wrong with a Floyd on an LP. I love a good trem. They stay in tune and give me more expression. It's just another paintbrush in the artists took kit. Too each his own though. In art there are no rules. They sound as good. Just different. Look at Alex Lifeson if Rush. His tone is killer. I saw Brad Gillis with night ranger in like 84 and he mostly played his red strat, but he did use a Floyd equipped Les Paul if my memory serves me . I also saw Brad on the Ozzy tour. I was going to see RRs, but he passed so the concert was delayed and Brad was the guitarists. I saw more Kahlers. Man, I need one of those epis. Very cool. Will check them out at their website. Cool Video .. great playing man. Great tone sir. Thanks brother for the cool videos.. appreciate it sir. Southern Indiana USA. Tim .
I've been trying to find a new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess for a little bit but it seems that don't make them anymore. These were $899 new but I've only seen 2 used ones on Reverb in the $1500 range that makes them a no-go at that price. They only came out about three years ago. I have a PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd so I reckon that's close to the Axcess except the Piezo.
I have the Epiphone Les Paul plus top pro f/x with a big brass block and an EVH Wolfgang humbucker in the bridge...best sounding guitar I've ever owned.
I want so bad I've been looking for one I bought a Wolfgang special which I love but I may get the Kramer assault plus ? How much does it way the one u have ? Is it weighted ? I think they look awesome 👌
I have one that my guitar tech put a trem block in for more trem stability ! Don't really know yet if I like the brace because the trem arm is very stiff ! He also put a bone nut in place of the locking nut! I know folks are going to call it crazy but I'll try it for a minute to see if it stays in tune ! What Amp were you initially playing out of ! Really sounded awesome and great playing on your part ! Cheers !
Do you have any suggestions on how to get the crunchy metal sound on a 1983 gibson explorer 3? The pickups it came with originally are ok. Thank you for your input.
I wanted to shout out one of my favorite Les Paul (sort of) with a Floyd players, Steve Hackett who used a few iterations of the law suit era Les Paul copies with Floyd and Sustainers most memorably on "Firth of Fifth"...
GREAT video RJ! Hard tails aren't even on my radar when I shop. Not even for baritones or 8 strings. A guitar doesn't necessarily have to have a Floyd, Wilkinson, or a Kahler, a Bigsby is fine too.
I got a Fernandes Monterey deluxe that is exactly that a Les Paul body with a floyd rose. . it sounds great .. it has also the sustaniac . . so NO SUSTAIN ISSUES EVER.
Absolutely with a Floyd Rose !!! Although I don't own a Gibson LP but I do own a totally awesome creamy smooth esp Ltd ec - 1000fr qm violet shadow and man in my opinion the LP style guitar was totally born to be equipped with a FR ... I have a esp Ltd mh - 327 with a FR that looks cool just like any strat style guitar does but it's not as sleek and flowing in uniform like my EC does ... It just makes my guitar incredibly beautiful and the added effects from a FR is just a next level experience ... Thanks ... GOD BLESS !!!
You don't need to route a recess cavity when installing a floyd, the angle of the neck is enough. Its different when they are factory installed tho, in those cases the neck angle is usually 0 like with a strat
Your first sentence sums up my reaction. I don’t know why but doing all this to an SG seems OK, while doing it to a Les Paul 🤮 Just an emotional reaction - seeing all of those cavity covers on the back gave me an intestinal disorder. I did really like the piezo pickup concept and sound though.
I've got a Gibson CS Axcess Custom with a Floyd Rose and its my main guitar now. I totally agree with your observations about a Floyd Rose with the Gibson neck scale. Super comfy!!!
Well I tell you..besides the point but is LP story....just last year I picked up a 2019 50's LP Standard Doesn't seem like it was played much because it was quite stiff playing and had quite a break when stop tail piece screwed all the way down So have gone back and forth with top wrapping and adjusting So settled on tail piece all the way down and have to say with all the playing I've been doing it has gotten SO much easier to play and sounds fantastic w full string tension Loving it
Over the years I've owned several Les Paul's, They never stayed in tune thru an entire song, let alone a entire set. I finally installed the FRX on my Black Beauty 2011 Traditional LP, and tuning issues were gone...!!! I have lost total respect for Gibson, for they never honor their warranty! Its always neglect on the owners part....!!! So say what you will. Anyway, Have a kick ass Rockin Day...!!!🤘🤟🤙
Ah yeah the bar-wobble is really the main thing I dislike about standard Floyd's. You can of course replace it with one of the "push-in" styles for stability, but I just tend to prefer the regular PRS trem :P
I have an Epiphone Alex Lifeson signature (the Standard *with* the piezo-loaded Floyd Rose onboard, not the just released 'Custom' version with the cheapo Floyd), and I'm absolutely blown away by it. I also own a regular Les Paul, and thát one feels quite clunky by comparison :) Big plus on a fixed bridge: you obviously won't go out of tune when you break a string. But since I hardly do that anyway (just use good durable strings) it doesn't matter to me. And downtuning is a problem on a floating trem of course. Other than that: I feel that the Floyd *adds* some crazy good and useful sounds / harmonics! Very versatile indeed... No loss of sustain on mine, it just keeps ringing out ;) If you are a traditionalist and absolutely *DO NOT* want a Floyd on an LP, then you are neck-deep in luck: The world is awash with those 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not sure when the first time was that I noticed Floyd Rose Lebrado system attached to the last part. I know one instance was when I saw at least one photograph of Tom Scholz holding one. It looked incongruous, but I thought twice before I condemned it. Not sure if it is the one that he used on all the classic cuts or how frequently he used it after that modification was installed. I’ve owned a few Les Pauls since my teenage years were about to end (2 Epiphone, 1 Gibson). I highly doubt I would have one of those bridges attached to it, but I might be talked into installing a Kahler bridge.
Sounds like a good way to finally get a LP to stay in tune!
😂🤣
Sacrilege! Blasphemy! If I wanted a guitar that stayed in tune, I wouldn't be buying a Les Paul!!! Tradition!!! Tradition!!!
I never had an issue keeping one in tune when the nut is cut right.
I would not buy a les paul even if I could afford one! Respect the man behind the name but I don't like it.... prefer an ST with double humbuckers or HSH. But what the hell do I know!?
@@firbolg It's all a matter of preference. There are plenty of other guitars designed better for Floyd Rose trems. Having on on a LP defeats the purpose of some of it's design features, without the stability of a maple neck, or the ability to replace the neck if it should develop a twist.
LP with Floyd? Hell yeah.
I bought a Les Paul Axcess Custom with Floyd Rose from the Gibson Demo Shop. Love it! Stays in tune and sounds great.
Likewise, but from Thomann....
In 2014 Gibson did a limited run of traditional pro II’s with a Floyd rose for guitar center. I’m a big Alex lifeson fan and wanted one of his accesses but couldn’t afford it so I picked up one of the traditionals and I love it. I’m on team Floyd on a LP. That epiphone looks really cool too.
I got rid of my Axcess a few years ago and I'm looking to get a slim taper traditional pro 2 and go with that.
It's set your mind f*** though to do all this cuz it goes against the grain and then I have Charvel Jackson's that have the Floyd I even picked up a custom 24 PRS that has a Floyd so I really don't need a less Paul with a Floyd It would be nice to have one if I can find a slim taper neck if not the mojo of a Les Paul and the go-to of a Les Paul will always be a stock tail and develop your vibrato I don't miss a Floyd when I play my Les pauls....
You can get the Harley Benton ESP clone LP with a FR 1000 for only 300, but I got scared of the price and bought an old Kramer instead
I have the Epi, it's cool af.
I believe Neal Schon of Journey was also one of the first to put a Floyd Rose on a LesPaul as well. I think it was a breakthrough!
Just got a LP Custom in VOS black with locking Floyd and it plays like a fuckin dream. Stays in tune. Resonates for days. I couldn’t be happier. Blasphemy or not, play what you want to play. Life is too short to be concerned about what’s right or wrong with a guitar. Great video!
The "blasphemy" part would be chopping up a older Paul for a Floyd.(Thats where to controversy came into play in 80s) That being said every guitar I have, has a Floyd.
Exactly it's like taking an old mustang and making it a convertable. I don't care if you take your new guitar and put a trem in it.
Yup.
I think it was Scott Gorham who said in an interview (I believe he played an axcess at the time) he said something to the effect of "yeah Floyd rose from the factory is great on a les Paul but don't go ripping up your 50s les Paul to fit one you just don't fucking do that"
Bought new and still have a mid 80’s LP custom with a locking kahler trem that came stock from gibson. Sounds great. No issues with sustain. Main axe for many years.
And in the shred community Khalers can be nothing but hijinks so good deal!
I've seen those guitars on craigslist up until recently and I've been playing for decades
I didn't even know Gibson installed factory Khalers on Les Paul's
They're very rare few and far between and you got a good one 👍
Neal Schon had his own signature model Les Paul with a Floyd, if you check them out its basically the prelude to the Axcess. Also I remember seeing Journey on their Escape tour, early on the show Neal broke a string and the whole guitar went out of tune, Neal couldn't stop laughing. Took his tech almost the whole show to restring it !
Yeah, good point. never have a FR-equipped guitar as your only stage guitar 😁
The body was made by Gibson and the neck was made by Jackson the ghosts built these guitars I had a navy blue model
It's sounds fantastic. Yes, "purists" will say blasphemy. Then all those "purists" here that "don't stop believing" lead and love every single bend and trem from that Les Paul. It has its place on guitars. It just depends on what you are using it for.
I was originally screaming blasphemy thinking it's just a Jackson Charvel shred guitar vibrato system then I got a Les Paul Axcess And really it's up to your mental assessment of why you play guitar and what guitars do for me to go back and forth.
I sold the Axcess
Just wasn't for me more so than that was a tweener neck I didn't care for it I like 60 slim tapers so I'm looking to get a Traditional with a slim taper neck with a Floyd Rose and I'll be back in the game 🤣
There is nothing to be a purist....just dinky extend the guitar features
Just finished my Les Paul style with floating bridge build. I purchased a Agile neck thru with a floyd rose. I purchased the guitar for the wood and rout only. I gutted the entire guitar. I put a titanium nut with the Sophia 2:92 bridge with titanium posts. Changed the tuners to Graphtec ratio locking tuners. Put in Bareknuckle Silo pickups with coil splits push/pull. Added special pots for tone with both bass and treble cuts for each pickup. Put in a JJ 6-way switch for added series/parallel configurations. Then added the roland GK pickup with a 13 pin output. The Sophia 2:92 Pro bridge is not as radical whammy as a floyd but allows you to do muting, double stops, unison bends, and pedal steel type bends while staying in tune. I now have 2 sophias, 2 floyds, a kahler, and a Vega trem. All stay in tune really well.
I love Agiles! I appreciate them more the older i get.
Well done. I agree with your conclusions as well. Floyds were available on Les Paul Custom Lites and Studio Lites in 1989. I have an '89 Custom Lite with a Floyd, it's my #1.
RJ, you do great demo's. You get to the point, which is my kind of demo. Thanks!
I'm installing this Floyd. Floyd Rose FRTX03000 FRX Surface-Mount Tremolo Bridge System Kit with Nut - GOLD as we speak. No routing.
I love LPs with Floyds SO much. Unfortunately as a lefty it's almost impossible to get so I'm about to pull the trigger on another favourite of mine finally released as a lefty, the ec1000fr.
I just bought a black Gibson Les Paul Custom Axcess. I am fan of Alex Lifeson, Neal Schon, and Brad Gillis
I could’ve sworn Brad Gillis had a washburn wonder bar on his Les Paul custom with Ozzy.
He definitely did! He had a Floyd rose from Floyd’s garage without fine tuners on his strat.
I recently got an Epiphone Alex Lifeson, & after a few modifications I love it. It was a little muddy for me, so I put in a Seymour Duncan JB & Jazz. I replaced the trem arm with one that's a tighter fit, & put a lower nut on there. It's definitely lighter than my 74 LP Custom, & sounds just as good to me.
You didn't mention that it's neck volume know is also push pull to select series or parallel.
I'm a new subscriber, & thankful I stumbled across your channel. Great reviews & awesome playing.
Best idea to keep the LP in tune. They are notorious for going out of tune with the nut and head stock issues. Locking the strings from bridge to locknut deals directly with the problem.
Eddie Van Halen put the pickups and electronics from a Les Paul into a strat and nobody acused him of "Sacrilege". Its a personal preference of bridge styles and nothing more.
Exactly. At the end of the day guitars are just tools. whatever tool does the job best for you music wise is all that matters.
I think that's my custom-built Agile AL3000 at 6:15! The guitar is a neck-through build (came with the Floyd from the factory) that eventually gained a wide variety of modifications, including a Sustainer, relocated controls, mids boost, kill switch and more.
Agile are great modification platforms given their price. Love mine, planning on adding Fishman pups and considering adding this FRX.
2008 Gibson Les Paul Axcess Floyd Rose Ice Tea Burst My Number One!!
Justin Derrico has a signature Les Paul with a Floyd and it looks awesome!
Alex Lifesome also played a les Paul with a floyd in it.
You may wanna talk to Aldo Nova as well about being one of the first to have a Floyd in his Les Paul. He told me some time back that Floyd Rose himself installed it into his guitar.
I was waiting for him to mention Aldo Nova. But he didn't. Aldo's also has a diff head stock as well ( an Explorer head stock.) I believe there is a YT video about the history of Aldo's LP, pretty interesting.
@@strivingx67 Yeah Troggly's video about that guitar with the Explorer headstock is cool!
I think Aldo's black Les Paul had the Floyd put on it in 81
I remember Neal and Brad having one at about the same time. Brad was definitely on TV first playing one with Ozzy. What I don't think was mentioned is Gibson changed the Les Paul neck angle on the Axcess. It doesn't angle back the same way as a normal Les Paul. It's flatter like a Fender. I love mine.
I'd love a Gibson with a Floyd!!! 😍😋
R.J. Another Great video! I have a Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul with a Graph Tech Ghost Trem (with Piezo’s)-Love it!
Is that neck a '50s - a tweener or a '60 s slim taper?
@@lfader it's definitely not a 50s Chunky neck--not super thin either. Check out Trogly's review/teardown. He gives all the spec's. I love the neck...Hope that helps.
@@Rico_B hey thanks appreciate that.
I kind of figured it might have had that tweener neck not a fat 50s not a slim taper 60s just a little bit more shoulder on it but they're very doable!!
The money on Les Paul's right now especially customs since lockdown is absolutely ridiculous It's almost double complete rip off
Epiphone stepped up the quality on their build so that guitar is worth checking into!👍
@@lfader Hey one more thing, I just read this in Guitar World from Alex: “I would call it a ‘moderate radius,’ Lifeson says. “Not too chunky, but not too thin. For example, my ’76 ES-335 has the thinnest neck in the world. But then my ’58 Les Paul had quite a chunky neck, which is a little too big for me. So I wanted something sort of in the middle, with really nice playability."
@@Rico_B thx I figured that
I go on as a '60s slim taper and then there's a 59 neck and a 58 neck which is beefier and then there's a tweener which is between a 59 & 60 slim And that's what basically the neck is on all the Gibson Les Paul axcess guitars
There's still kind of like a slim D but they have more shoulder they're doable they're a little thicker for open cords You kind of adjust it out if you like slim necks like I do but still very doable and the epi build quality now price point compared to Gibson Access newer 5500 the used is around 4k 😬
all less Paul's have spiked significantly and I think it's a insult and ripoff to players but it's collusion Craigslist and reverb which I scour for guitars and I've seen that Lifeson sig about 3 or 4 times on Craigslist It's a beautiful top!
Hey thanks for getting back appreciate it 👍😎
Also on the Epiphone Vivian Campbell signature model for neck profile they put Vivian Campbell profile ??? what the hell does that tell me?? 🤣
I built my own, weighs about 10 1/2 lbs and Installed the EMG 81 85 sounds fn Awesome I'd put it up against any gibson LP!!!
That was a very good review,I've owned lots of LP's over many years with tuning being my main complaint apart from weight,a LP with a Floyd Rose or any equivalent is perfect if you love the LP sound.
Custom Shop LP Standard Axcess owner since 2014. Sounds, feels and plays incredible. NEVER goes out of tune and NEVER breaks strings, even when transported daily! Literally haven't broken a string since 2014 and often get lazy and leave them on for much longer than I should. They cost a small fortune but keep their value. It's an expression tool! The man who invented the LP put all kinds of whammys on both his and his wife's LPs!
Alex Lifeson's Axcess LP's have Floyds. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. Cheers.
Les Paul himself gifted Eddie Van Halen a LP with a Floyd on it. All the naysayers can go sit down.
And Eddie didn't like that Les had put a FR on it lol
Neal schon got number two and put it on a paul
He never gifted Eddie with a floyd Paul .....
@@samjonez4854 Yes, he did. A 1988 Les Paul Standard. Read 'Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen'.
@@mrcoatsworth429 He did not. There is a photo of Eddie Van Halen holding a Kes Paul fitted with a Floyd Rose and it was autigraphed by Les Paul....It seems like it was also a quilted top!
If Alex Lifeson of Rush, Dave Murray of Iron Maiden, and Neal Schon of Journey use them live, it's not blasphemy.
It's a sonic wonder. Especially Alex Lifeson's guitar.
You don't need those guys to justify anything ....
You just can't go wrong with a floyd Rose when it's properly set up and intonated . Even if you don't touch the trem bar at all. The tuning stability is absolutely amazing especially if you're playing stuff like SRV with a the grand bend you have the piece of mind knowing that your going to be spot on for the next song .
Yep my recommendation for Floyd’s is trem stop for no backward motion and an evh d tuna get the stability ease of string changes and drop tunes without retuning for 15 minutes
Thank you! Great video! You are an excellent musician!
I want a Burny RLC-85S. It's a Japanese LP style guitar with a Floyd Rose AND a sustainer system. The only thing I don't like about it, is that it doesn't have two volume and two tone knobs to tailor the sound. Kramer also makes an LP style with a Floyd. It's called the Assault 220. But there's no sustainer and doesn't have 2 volume and 2 tone controls either. I have a Dillion LP copy that I added DiMarzio pickups to. A Tone Zone in the bridge and Air Zone in the neck. They're set up for coil splitting and with the 2 volume and 2 tone controls, you can really get some good tones out of it. I just can't bring myself to carve it up to put in a Floyd Rose.
I have a Duesenberg vibrato on my LP. Can reverse without damage. No dive bombs no locking nut. Stays in tune. I am happy with it.
I like all my guitars because of their different character and what they inspire me to play, for me it´s just a color in a production. If you have to have a tool to feel comfortable with on tour, do what it takes.
As for the whammy bar being loose - there is an adjustment screw at the bottom of the block that tightens up a spring-loaded ball bearing at the tip of the whammy bar that takes up the play. You should be able to make it fairly tight. Having said that, I'm not sure if that particular Floyd Rose on that Epiphone has that adjustment, but every single Floyd Rose, both genuine and licensed, that I've owned over the years (Kramer, Fender, Ibanez) have all had it. So pop open the back cover and have a look.
I personally don't like the adjustments on newer Floyd whammy's, so I buy the old style and replace (except FRX - completely different). Its a pain to adjust old style on standard Floyd, but once you have it, you can just pull up and twist bar to loosen or tighten while playing. Can make it stick or make it flop around in seconds... again, while playing.
Bought my first FR equipped guitar in '82. Kramer Pacer Carrera, black on black on black. I had a '74 Gibson L6-s I modded with a preamp under the pickguard that sat in hock for 10 years. When I got it back in '90 the first thing I did was have a top-mounted floating Kahler installed. But my '86 Charvel with Floyd has been MY guitar since I picked it up in '94. Just got my A.L. EPI AXCESS from Sweetwater and had to ship it back to them the day I got it to get the piezo fixed. It's gorgeous, and the pro buckets are hotter than hell, but what difference if I'm not getting the total package I paid for. I know when I finally get it back I will agree 100% with you and my Charvel may get ignored a while. But, as far as a Floyd Rose on a Les Paul goes... Basphemy and Sacrilege? That's why I got into Rock and Roll... >;^j
Re: volume control location. Notice that Neal Schon has his controls relocated, so that the master volume on his is right where you wanted to find it, between the bridge pickup and the bridge, so that he could snag it with his pinky.
Where Trogly?
I picked up a Dusenberg Trem and put it on my LP Studio, not dive bomb material but nice nontheless for those chordal vibrato and no cutting or modification required
Thank you for demoing the Lifeson model with the GK 250ML!! That was awesome!
For me when I found out about about the axcess with a Floyd belly cut and heel joint it made it more appealing to me. In fact I want one really bad and could care less about any purest views.
Different stokes for different folks and I’d gladly shell out the 5-6 grand for one.
Great video as always!
As a Nightfall owner, all I can say is this. A Floyd Rose seems to add sustain to an already sonically able guitar. Think about that for a minute because the FR is easy to modify with brass blocks, titanium hardware and all that.
As another proud Nightfall owner, I agree tremendously!
Brad Gillis replacing Bernie Torme on the Blizzard tour the MTV tape of that gillis is a massive lead guitarist!!
Brad gillis with Ozzy that was jaw dropping -🌟🌟🌟
I have a 2000 standard and I put on a floyd frx !! No routing no removing the nut the only mod that is needed r 2 small holes behind nut to hold the locking system on and I love it can put it back to stock in 5 minutes
Catching up with you vids Pare! Thanks for the Epiphone love! Let's chat soon!
The tremolo arm has a factory defect. Both of mine have it. My new Epi Custom Ruby fixes the issue by lining up the metal dowel that locks the arm in line with the arm, not almost perpendicular which can't possibly price torque against the trem nut and sleeve insert.
I have a LP Axcess Custom, and it’s incredible. Can’t say I prefer it to my standard, but it was and incredible guitar. Never any tuning issues :)
Actually in the 80's they produced also a Studio light version with FR. Same as the Custom with less refinements: no bindings, dot marks, etc. but same electronics. I own one of it.
I have 5 Les Paul's, a Standard, Deluxe, and 3 Studio models, 2 of those Studio models are Shred models with Floyds, a Tabaco Burst 2012 and a Cherry Sunburst 2014. Those two Floyd equipped models stay in tune better than my stop tailpiece versions and sound just fine.
It is super blasphemous. With that being said, after watching the video, I kind of want one now.
Brad Gillis would have had to have the route to pull up on the Floyd with his work on Ozzy's Speak of the Devil. He breathed new life into all those old Sabbath tunes and it is still one of my favorites to this day. 🔥
well there's esp ec1000's
Can you make a tutorial how to put it on?
I bought a Custom Lite with factory Floyd Rose on it in 1989 and it rocks
Can any owners of the Axcess explain how to work controls to turn off humbuckers and engage only the piezo? Or is the piezo voice always blended? Thanks.
I bought a Gibson Axcess when they first came out. I was always a vintage guy, I even had a vintage guitar store for 15 years, but I fell in love with the Axcess the first time I played it. I'm a 6 night a week gigging musician and love the fact, I can confidently go from one song to another, without having to check my tuning! It also has a very convincing single coil sound, when the coil tap is engaged. I bought a Epiphone Alex Lifeson as an affordable backup but was greatly disappointed in it. The coil splits didnt sound good and the tremolo had to be set too high to keep it from buzzing. It was also heavy as hell. I didn't keep it for more than a week before I sold it to a Alex Lifeson freak I knew. He seems to like it but hes never owned an Axcess.
That GK sounds lovely!
The whiners and complainers have never played a les paul with a Floyd rose. They are fun and they stay in tune and you can dive bomb. I forgot to mention they have great tone to, a little different than a traditional les paul but still very good.
Ace Frehley stuck a Washburn Wonderbar on his two main LP Customs (his cherry sunburst 74 and one of his black ones) in the mid 80s. That’s a unique system, it uses a torsion bar instead of springs. No routing required, either. Just a couple screw holes in the headstock for the string lock. But it’s big and clunky… as if a Les Paul needs more heft.
Gibson also made a Custom for Eddie Van Halen with a Steinberger TransTrem. And when he did that Les Paul show in 88, Les Paul gifted him one with a Floyd. Eddie said he found it dumb to ruin a beautiful Les Paul with a Floyd (which is kind of mind blowing coming from him) but he didn’t have the heart to say it to the man himself. Gibson also made a couple Floyd-equipped Les Pauls for Richie Sambora.
And then there was the Bowen Handle… Sambora did an ad for those back in the early Bon Jovi days. I think Schaller made a similar type of unit that would fit in place of the tune o matic. Quirky little contraptions that never caught on.
I had a factory Les Paul Lite I think it was and it had a Schaller Floyd and I absolutely loved it. It was killer. Nothing wrong with a Floyd on an LP. I love a good trem. They stay in tune and give me more expression. It's just another paintbrush in the artists took kit.
Too each his own though. In art there are no rules.
They sound as good. Just different.
Look at Alex Lifeson if Rush. His tone is killer.
I saw Brad Gillis with night ranger in like 84 and he mostly played his red strat, but he did use a Floyd equipped Les Paul if my memory serves me . I also saw Brad on the Ozzy tour. I was going to see RRs, but he passed so the concert was delayed and Brad was the guitarists.
I saw more Kahlers.
Man, I need one of those epis. Very cool. Will check them out at their website.
Cool Video .. great playing man. Great tone sir. Thanks brother for the cool videos.. appreciate it sir.
Southern Indiana USA.
Tim .
Not entirely sure how you're making an avowed Strat guy dig a LP w/a Floyd RJ, but here we are. Thanks for a great vid!!
I've been trying to find a new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess for a little bit but it seems that don't make them anymore. These were $899 new but I've only seen 2 used ones on Reverb in the $1500 range that makes them a no-go at that price. They only came out about three years ago. I have a PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd so I reckon that's close to the Axcess except the Piezo.
So is the Alex lifeson back in production? I have been wanting one and waiting
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Plustop Pro FX and I love it.
I have the Epiphone Les Paul plus top pro f/x with a big brass block and an EVH Wolfgang humbucker in the bridge...best sounding guitar I've ever owned.
I want so bad I've been looking for one I bought a Wolfgang special which I love but I may get the Kramer assault plus ? How much does it way the one u have ? Is it weighted ? I think they look awesome 👌
I love Les Paul, with or without a Floyd. Could be fun!
Great video!! I say do what you want with your guitar, after all it's YOUR guitar!! Cheers!!
New subscriber here, I mostly see you play as a guest on someone else’s UA-cam channel and you look super badass who doesn’t talk.
I plan to have my epi custom modified with one of those floyd roses that do not need to be routed (no back springs).
I have one that my guitar tech put a trem block in for more trem stability ! Don't really know yet if I like the brace because the trem arm is very stiff ! He also put a bone nut in place of the locking nut! I know folks are going to call it crazy but I'll try it for a minute to see if it stays in tune ! What Amp were you initially playing out of ! Really sounded awesome and great playing on your part ! Cheers !
AHHHH! MY EYES! 6:54
I'm calling the cops to report a murder!
I have one too. I love it!
Do you have any suggestions on how to get the crunchy metal sound on a 1983 gibson explorer 3? The pickups it came with originally are ok. Thank you for your input.
I wanted to shout out one of my favorite Les Paul (sort of) with a Floyd players, Steve Hackett who used a few iterations of the law suit era Les Paul copies with Floyd and Sustainers most memorably on "Firth of Fifth"...
exactly, Burny or Fernandes have a model that is a plain LP copy with sustainer and Floyd Rose factory installed
@@riniones I've seen both Fripp and Hackett play Fernandes'.
GREAT video RJ!
Hard tails aren't even on my radar when I shop. Not even for baritones or 8 strings. A guitar doesn't necessarily have to have a Floyd, Wilkinson, or a Kahler, a Bigsby is fine too.
the Dave Amato version is killer..cuts through a mix better than any other Les Paul I own
I got a Fernandes Monterey deluxe that is exactly that a Les Paul body with a floyd rose. . it sounds great .. it has also the sustaniac . . so NO SUSTAIN ISSUES EVER.
Absolutely with a Floyd Rose !!!
Although I don't own a Gibson LP but I do own a totally awesome creamy smooth
esp Ltd ec - 1000fr qm violet shadow and man in my opinion the LP style guitar was totally born to be equipped with a FR ... I have a esp Ltd mh - 327 with a FR that looks cool just like any strat style guitar does but it's not as sleek and flowing in uniform like my EC does ...
It just makes my guitar incredibly beautiful and the added effects from a FR is just a next level experience ...
Thanks ... GOD BLESS !!!
You don't need to route a recess cavity when installing a floyd, the angle of the neck is enough. Its different when they are factory installed tho, in those cases the neck angle is usually 0 like with a strat
Great review, love the sound when you first start playing, what effects you got running?
If it sounds good and plays good it's good! Nice playing R.J!!
Your first sentence sums up my reaction. I don’t know why but doing all this to an SG seems OK, while doing it to a Les Paul 🤮 Just an emotional reaction - seeing all of those cavity covers on the back gave me an intestinal disorder. I did really like the piezo pickup concept and sound though.
Oh yeah, there was a late 80's Gibson Les Paul with a Kahler. I had one and loved that too.
Super cool video!
I've got a Gibson CS Axcess Custom with a Floyd Rose and its my main guitar now. I totally agree with your observations about a Floyd Rose with the Gibson neck scale. Super comfy!!!
Thanks for this video! Now the decision is clear - I will order one of those Epiphone Alex Lifeson Axcess!
Well I tell you..besides the point but is LP story....just last year I picked up a 2019 50's LP Standard Doesn't seem like it was played much because it was quite stiff playing and had quite a break when stop tail piece screwed all the way down So have gone back and forth with top wrapping and adjusting So settled on tail piece all the way down and have to say with all the playing I've been doing it has gotten SO much easier to play and sounds fantastic w full string tension Loving it
Over the years I've owned several Les Paul's, They never stayed in tune thru an entire song, let alone a entire set.
I finally installed the FRX on my Black Beauty 2011 Traditional LP, and tuning issues were gone...!!!
I have lost total respect for Gibson, for they never honor their warranty! Its always neglect on the owners part....!!!
So say what you will.
Anyway,
Have a kick ass Rockin Day...!!!🤘🤟🤙
Axcess are fantastic. I had a Shred but sold it, couldnt get used to the Richlite fretboard
Ah yeah the bar-wobble is really the main thing I dislike about standard Floyd's. You can of course replace it with one of the "push-in" styles for stability, but I just tend to prefer the regular PRS trem :P
I have an Epiphone Alex Lifeson signature (the Standard *with* the piezo-loaded Floyd Rose onboard, not the just released 'Custom' version with the cheapo Floyd), and I'm absolutely blown away by it.
I also own a regular Les Paul, and thát one feels quite clunky by comparison :)
Big plus on a fixed bridge: you obviously won't go out of tune when you break a string. But since I hardly do that anyway (just use good durable strings) it doesn't matter to me.
And downtuning is a problem on a floating trem of course.
Other than that: I feel that the Floyd *adds* some crazy good and useful sounds / harmonics! Very versatile indeed... No loss of sustain on mine, it just keeps ringing out ;)
If you are a traditionalist and absolutely *DO NOT* want a Floyd on an LP, then you are neck-deep in luck:
The world is awash with those 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not sure when the first time was that I noticed Floyd Rose Lebrado system attached to the last part. I know one instance was when I saw at least one photograph of Tom Scholz holding one. It looked incongruous, but I thought twice before I condemned it. Not sure if it is the one that he used on all the classic cuts or how frequently he used it after that modification was installed.
I’ve owned a few Les Pauls since my teenage years were about to end (2 Epiphone, 1 Gibson). I highly doubt I would have one of those bridges attached to it, but I might be talked into installing a Kahler bridge.
There is a version of the les paul by Epiphone called the les paul plustop pro fx
Great guitar, great demo.