Sitting in a dedicated room at Wildwood Guitars while on vacation in Colorado, surrounded by no less than 7 examples of 335's and 355's, it became quite clear how wrong the entire idea had been that simply by having more guitars to try, I would find THE ONE. They were ALL good in their own way. And while I did walk out with a guitar I love to play, I realized how lucky we guitarists are to live in a time where there are so many sonically excellent options to choose from. In truth, I don't ever expect to to find the perfect guitar, be it a Les Paul, 355, or PRS, because the journey itself is simply an amazing reward all its own. If you can afford it, and come across something that inspires you and brings out something different in your style, then buy and experience it! But also be willing to move on as the journey brings even more than you ever imagined it could. As people, and as guitarists, our ideas of tone evolve, it only makes sense that the guitars around us would do the same.
I love this comment, As a gigging player I would say to Jonathan, Dude, They all sound great and they'll each sound different in different rooms through different amps and different PA's. There is no perfect one and I hope you don't get stuck in buyer's remorse if you have to send 2 back. Or FOMO that there is another one out there you haven't found yet. You are too good a player .. The joy is in playing in front of happy people, getting tight and in the pocket with the other guys in your band, enjoying that the people are laughing and having fun because your band is good not because mine or yours is the best sounding guitar. Please take this with the love it's sent with and go out and blast tonight with your band! You are already one of the lucky ones.
I have three Les Paul guitars, two are '59s 60th anniversary and Historic Les Paul. I've thought about selling two Les Pauls several times, but in the end I decided to keep all three, because each one also sounds a little different. Just to add, I'm a left-handed player, so there's a lot less choice for '59. I would keep all three guitars, all three of yours guitars sound great, each in their own way. And btw all three are beautiful Les Pauls.
Got my first guitar when I was 10 years old in 82. It was a 1975 Aria Les Paul custom copy. I still have it today. Now I have several Les Paul copies and three Norlin era Gibson Les Paul guitars. I play hard rock and metal and I modify all my guitars. I came close to purchasing an R9 a while back but could not bring myself to it because I like to modify my instruments. I'm the guy who would install a Floyd on a Les Paul. So I purchased a Vintage V100 AFD and installed Dimarzio Tone Zone and PAF pickups, CTS pots, Switch Craft switch, Tone Pros bridge and Grover kluson style tuners. I also installed stainless steel frets and a Graph Tech Tusq nut. My brother has the R9 and he tried my Vintage and asked me if he could buy it. He said the Vintage sounded, felt and played way better. He loved how well it stayed in tune as well. That really blew my mind. So I did a proper set up on his guitar so he would stop asking. Nope, he still asks to buy my Vintage.
@@cromBumny Yes, I agree. For the past 15 years I have been refurbishing old 70's copy LP copy guitars. I have also done a few kits in the past 2 years. There is a company that builds kits to specifications of the manufactures called Precision Guitars. I was thinking of getting a 59 kit with a quilted maple top. The kit is about 1K after all the options that I have chosen. I was thinking a 59 with a neck and belly carve to make the guitar more comfortable to play sitting down.
My first 'good' guitar was also an Antoria les paul custom. I bought it in 1975, aged 15, from a music shop in Glasgow, Scotland. I now have a 2011 Murphy R0, which many friends have commented on.... Saying it's one of the best they have ever played.
Great vid and beautiful playing. I would keep the Gibson Les Paul 1959 60th anniversary reissue (factory burst): i would age the sounqualities myself by playing it constantly.. it is, like you said, a journey....
Great video! I think I agree with your assessment. I prefer the light aged model a little more. They all sound great, but that one is just that extra 5%.
I gravitate towards the lower end of the sound spectrum; but know it may not cut through the mix. This is a very expensive journey, but worth it! Let me know if you decide to keep them all. Love your playing and content. Keep going!
Your videos have been a great help to show that VOS v Murphy Lab v aged levels isn't clear cut. The versatility of the VOS guitar would be the choice for my rock leanings. I'm on the hunt for my first custom shop Les Paul. I've had luck with top wrapping on a standard - for me it added upper mids and bite to a guitar I hadn't loved before. On my Les Paul Customs top wrapping hasn't made a discernable difference.
Man your lead playing at the end was outstandingly beautiful and moving. An elite player ☝👏👏👏 Tonally the heavy aged ML is just above the light aged ML. Visually, I prefer the light aged. But as you pointed out, each guitar is unique in its own way and has a purpose in the context you would be using it. As far as top wrapping, I recently switched to 9's and I love the slinky feel. Especially because I love using a lot of bends in my playing. I am not one of those players that likes fighting with the guitar. The production of your videos/demos/audio is by far the best on You Tube. I would definitely love to see a demo and your opinion on top wrapping. If you have the time, maybe compare it with the lighter gauge 9s.
Glad to know the playing at the end resonated with you. I play everything from the heart, but that style is my favorite above all! Thanks for the observations and suggestions! I also don't want to fight a guitar. I set up all of my guitars with as low action and as slinky of a feel as possible. I've been tempted to try 9's. During COVID I fell in love with tuning down 1/2 step with 10's and played that way for 1.5 years. My playing improved so much (because I was fighting less with the guitar) and then I gradually built back up to standard tuning. I bet 9's would give me that slinky feel in standard. Thanks again for the kind words and thoughts!
@@RatherBeRiffing I picked up on that vibe right away from your style of playing/phrasing and tone. Ya a 1% er. Funny, I did the same thing awhile back tuning down a 1/2 step before putting the 9's on. I'm looking forward to your next presentation. Take care.
To my ears the Heavy Aged sounds the best, love that woody tone. 2nd would be the 2019, and last the Light Aged. I'd be curious to hear which is louder acoustically because the Heavy Aged and 2019 have quite a volume/punch/fullness to them that I don't hear in the Light Aged. Great video!
The heavy aged is the loudest. I find it has more headroom and it has that dry, woody, and sweet character even unplugged. It lost some acoustic volume when I lowered the action, but it still retained its distinct voice. The light aged doesn't have the same punch, but has a wonderful ring acoustically and a touch sensitivity that is quite addicting. It's a little more snarly for lack of a better word. Really cool in it's own right, but I'm leaning on the heavy aged.
There's no "deciding" on these examples from a YT video. Thanks for sharing though - they all sound great on this pc. Good to hear your impressions of feel and in-room sound. By the way I was typing this note as you changed guitars and I had no idea until I scrolled back up, rewound and watched again.
Sound wise, it’s pretty much splitting hairs. The most distinctive tone was the light aged. Loved the bite. Honestly, if you’re looking for a more “woody” sound, I’d go on a pickup search for the 2019, because that guitar is just sexy. You can’t have just one Gibson Les Paul, cuz you gotta have one with P90s. 😏
I have owned 6 different Les Pauls I settled on a Standard 60's model the reason was the neck. It was just more comfy every time I picked it up it just felt like "home". I love your 2019 seemed to have more mids to me. (I like that)
You reminded me how much I love the slimmer 60 profile neck I had a killer B3 SL with a carve like that and truth be told, I miss it. You've got me thinking I should be considering a '60 in my Les Paul hunt now!
Your last video the one with a little checking seems to be the guitar you love the photo when you were a child plus those sounds , the Brett board nice dark , the flame that you like !
Just went through this with my LP 58 VOS and 60th anniversary 59, which I had listed on Reverb to sell. Yesterday I took it off because I finally came to the understanding that each one does its own thing and both are near perfect in their own way. But honestly, fundamentally it’s the joy I get from playing each one, and how they make me feel. Fact is you always get a great tone from all your guitars, so I’d say go with the one or two that give you the most pleasure to play and look at. Which one you put on a chair just to look at to look at whilst watching tv :)
Great insight as always, Lorenzo! The only thing I’ve ever missed about any guitar I’ve moved is exactly that - the unique joy and feeling when playing it. They all bring a little something different out of you!
I would say, keep the 2019 and the 2024, the 2019 will feel very familiar and home like and it barks....the 2024 you liked very much but the bigger sound is great too!! The heavy age also reminds me of The Beast burst, the bernie marsden les paul!! For me, the 2019 is the best specd and sounds great, while the 2024 is a bonus!!
@@RatherBeRiffing You can keep the light age one as it is pretty much in the middle, but you will miss the other two...but if you keeo the other 2, you wont miss the light age!!
They all sound great... hard for me to say which is best... to me it depends how it feels while you play it... and if you still can't choose just pick the nicest looking one.... also instead of top wrapping your tail piece they make spacers that raise the tail piece so it raise the angle the strings go over the bridge, but still allows the tail piece screws to be snug... I put them on my les paul....not a huge difference honestly.... the ones from Callaham are the spacers I used
Heavy aged gets my vote. For me it’s all about the comfort of the neck and if the guitar feels like its broken in and comfortable to play. Pots, pickups and EQ can all be changed.
Wow. This actually is an excellent video on why it’s not really viable to only have just one. Sonically, I think that I still prefer the 2019. Aesthetically, the top on the heavy aged calls to me. In my case, I can’t accept one. In fact, I just went a little different direction and bought a Standard 50s plain top in Pelham Blue. No it isn’t Murphy Lab or even Custom Shop, but it just has that “thing”. Then there’s the Heritage H-150 Standard that I bought two months ago. Absolutely insanely great guitar. And I’m almost certain to buy another Les Paul in 2025. More is living in luxury for sure.
Wow, you’re sounding huge… and I truly digged the Gilmour vibe on 8:07. Great video! What amp are you using? Btw, even though all 3 are sounding great, Id give the edge to the non-Murphy Lab
Something as subtle as a slight variation in the pickup height or the age of the strings can change the tonalities and harmonic structures, especially when they are as close as these guitars. I would choose the heavy aged for looks only, but ultimately would choose the one with the best feeling neck.
Hi Johnny, to me: the heavy aged ticks more boxes. Visually, I ike the top better and soundwise, I find it more articulate, with a better note separation and very nice overtones from 2:46 to 2:54. They are all three great guitars, but if I had to choose one... it would be the heavy aged. Very nice tone & playing BTW ! Cheers
Thanks as always! I’m leaning heavy. I wrote that section with the heavy aged so I think its voice lent itself to the expression. That is a sign of a keeper for me as well - how readily creative I am when playing it. Cheers!
I really like your 2019 Les Paul, to my ears it sounds a bit rawer which I like, especially the bridge pickup. But none sound bad, very very nice guitars. 🤩
I noticed that there is a Trinplex plugin... I'm curious how it sounds in relation to your recorded tone. Your recorded tone is unbelievable... I can feel the amps when you strum a chord big daddy. I took a break from metal madness last week to record a melodic progression to explore some riffing. I added some cinematic strings... The guitars sound beautiful in the mix. Thanks for the inspiration
I don't play . I love guitars and music and being an old cat ,have a fascination with the Les Paul .All the heroes of my generation played a Lester (Look! slang!) The heavy aged spoke to me . Ive grown nostalgic for things from the past and I watch all the vids I can on old Les Pauls and that one checks the box . Im heavy aged too .Still kicks ass and is unique .
What you yourself are looking for is the most important to you. For me I am looking for that woody sound of old real guitars as well clarity and note separation. I found my perfect one although being after I modified it and have invested a lot of time to set it up so that I do get all I can out of it. For me it feels like your 2019 has hotter pickups. It is most rock but least vintage sounding Les Paul here. Great for power chords and solo's as well. Though not a sound I am looking for. I am not fully satisfied with Murphy Lab versions either and heavy aged might be a bit to much for some people but still it sounds better to me. I am pretty sure I could make it sound even better. That would be changing harness and pickup hookup wires and full setup. That would give it more resolution than what you get from the other light aged one and still you would keep that woodiness in the sound. I decide about most of the guitars while I hear and play them unplugged. If the sound is there I can make it sound good plugged in as well. For me, regarding top gain, it felt like the light age has still little bit more gain than heavy aged. But anyways lot of can be influenced by setup as well. If I like string to string balance of the pickups I keep that. But If I am not satisfied I do balance it myself until I get what I want from that specific guitar. So if someone took enough time for the original setup it might be good. Though I will do that many times true few sessions until I pull out what I perceive as maximum tone. So there is way to open up the Les Paul to sound much nicer and more clear and detailed especially on clean setup. If that is what you want/looking for it can be done. If you were in Amsterdam Netherlands I would modify it it for you free of charge for the work done. Also you could hear my R7 and decide do you want to go that way in the first place. Parts are not that expensive depending on what you want to do or what's needed to be done. For example if your pots are having nice taper and measure 500 plus KOhm why not keeping them? Same thing is with the bumblebee caps. If they are not fake once but real once then you do not need to change them as well so all you are changing is like 2m of braided cable plus like 20cm solid grounding wire. So parts cost like 20 Euro. There is a lot of work because pickups must be opened and dismantled to change the hookup wire. There is smallest chance that Gibson listened to me and finally started using proper dual layer low capacitance braided wire then this all is not needed. Then everything else is in the setup. If the bumblebee caps do not have oil fill port that is closed off wit ha bid of solder then those are fake and in the middle of them you have 10cents worth polysomething (PP, PS or what ever plastic film gets used for those) caps that were embedded in brown plastic to look like real deal caps. Then you need to go with quality paper in oil caps. You can go Mojo, Original Russians or original Bumblebee Spragues or any other version depending on what you want tone pot to do and how it reacts. Caps are from 15 Euro to 100 Euro depending how crazy you want to go. There are even cheaper caps that sound really really good. I like to go with smaller 15nF for the neck pickup and 22 nF for the bridge pickup when I build my harness. If your pots are having bad taper or measure like 420 to 450 KOhm then you need 4 pots. You can go from 35 Euro for stock CTS and pray for good once or get selected over 520 KOhm once or go vintage taper or boutique selection pots. Or even look for original 50-ies pots but you will pay fortune for those. Or you do not like pickups at all and you want SD PAF replica pickups and you buy premade harness and change it your self. Every decent Boutique pickup winder uses proper hookup wire and with good harness it is only solder job needed. SD has als very good replica bridges he makes with his friends. All made from authentic materials and way it was done before. There is no end what you can do. But at the end there is no way around good setup. Some people will say they can do it them self and if that is it OK sure go ahead. I have had long time professionals that couldn't believe that there is more that can be doen with the setup until they have seen it them self :)
Another amazing video!! Rich tones coming out of those guitars,amps,pedals and you hands..❤ They all sound great, but to try to help you out, if you like relics the look of the heavy Relic is the way to go , but honestly I really enjoy the sound of you original Les Paul that you have for 5 years, and I bet that she is lots less expensive than the others. But again if you looking for the Vintage feel and look? You already know which keep. 👏👏😎🫡🤘🏼
My preference would be as follows - 1st Place - Non-Murphy (This guitar cuts through the mix the best) 2nd Place - Light Aged Murphy 3rd Place - Heavy Aged Murphy How many agree with me? 🙂
Honestly I've had a 2001 studio les paul and that's been my main les paul. At this point it's more nostalgia than anything. I did a few mods, switched wiring to 50s wiring, did a complete refinish to a more 58 flat fark burst, and put 58 twang tron pickups in it. (Best pickups I've found for a les paul). Really I have to think that all the les paul heros where playing, back in the day, where standard of the line les pauls modded to their flavor. That's exactly what I'd like to think I've got.
@RatherBeRiffing the 50s wiring definitely changed it up a bit. I had the stock pickups in when I switched to that and I distantly remember this new clarity and bright sparkle that it gave. All said and done, I spent more money on upgrades than I did when I bought the guitar.
I still like your original Les Paul . It sounds somewhere in between the heavy age and the light aged if I was to keep two out of the three I believe it would be the light aged and your original vos. That's just my opinion. It all comes down to what you like and prefer. They all sound fantastic but they are all their own thing. That's what I have found with my Les Paul's.
I don’t know if by telling you this I might put you off or make you fall into a big rabbit hole (😅): 1. Pickup height was for me a revolutionary discovery, as I am able (and you certainly are too) to hear differences, especially in the pick attack, even after only a 1/8th turn of their height screws! 2. The same is true for the pole pieces height! 3. The center position is dramatically affected by the balance between the two pickups, and I found a simple rule to tune it: to get the most “quack” out of it (yes, this is in fact true for single coils, too) you simply have to look for the most precise volume balance between the neck and bridge pickup (playing back and forth with a clean uncompressed tone). 4. Real (measured) pot values might be responsible for a lack or an excess of clarity of otherwise identical guitars. I wouldn’t be surprised if your non-Murphy lab LP had the highest real pot value of the three! I mean, for example, 514k vs. 485k, for a 500k pot. Pickups are very sensitive to load! Having said that, I hear the same differences as what you described, except I hear more low mids in the light aged Murphy lab than the other two guitars. My favorite is the heavy aged Murphy lab, too, because it has this sweet and warm tone. I might be a little biased, though, because it’s stunningly beautiful as well! Obviously the “feel” factor is crucial for a final decision, but in my case I would also take the unplugged tone into account: if that is coherent with the characteristics you identified when playing plugged in, that’s very good. But if, for example, the one you like most unplugged is not the one you like most plugged in, I would consider playing with pickup height some more and checking the effective pot values to be sure I’m not giving away a wonderful sounding guitar with a not so great electronic setup.
I think I preferred the heavy aged but the truth is they all sound great. and in the video, they are closer than I imagine they are in real life. I'd take the one that feels the best in hand.
They all sound great. There's nothing tonally that one gives you, that you couldn't get from the others by adjusting somewhere along the signal chain. Personally, I'd pick the lightest one. That matters as you get older. Also, I wouldn't worry about versatility here (at this price point). I'd choose the best sounding/feeling one that does the best "Les Paul sound" you like best. You need versatility, use a different guitar or run it through an EQ pedal or plugin.
Great points - thanks! All similar weight, but the heavy is bringing me the most joy when I play it so maybe I'll just go with that as the deciding factor.
@@RatherBeRiffing The heavy aged? 👍You may be responding to that resonance bump the thinner finish and exposed woods provide that we talked about before. Resonance is a very powerful persuader. 😆
5:19, that passage right there, that is the secret sauce. Heavy Aged LP all the way. All three are nice, and with minor changes you could make each of them sound exactly as you wished. But, if you only want to choose and keep one of them, the heavy aged Murphy Lab has about everything you could want out of a Les Paul. (IMHO) Take what I say with a grain of salt, like many other players, I have close to a half dozen Les Paul guitars, each of them different from the others in many ways. EDIT, trying top-wrap is always a good idea with a newly acquired Les Paul. As for that "Tele on Steroids", just buy a Telecaster, they are unlike any other guitar.
Love that you keyed in on that particular passage. What stood out to you about it? The heavy aged has the most headroom when it comes to pick attack and I feel like that passage showcased that well. I was digging in pretty hard and the note was still full and had that great pang to it. I do have a good Tele and I hadn’t thought of that as another reason to go with the heavy aged - makes sense. Thanks as always!
I'm curious to know what the weight of each of those guitars are? Overall, I liked the sound of the murphy lab heavy aged the best; it sounded very airy and round; the notes sorta just bloom beautifully. Awesome comparison.
Thanks, Michael - appreciate you sharing your observations. They were all under 9 lbs. The heavy aged is 8 lbs 13 ounces. The others were about the same.
If it were me, I would choose the light aged. When you mentioned "Telecaster on steroids", that is what I think of a great sounding Les Paul (I also think it looks the best too). Difficult choice though, good luck!
Very hard to pick but all guitars are different so it would come down to how it feels and plays in your hands. I’m not really into the aging thing so I would go with the 59 VOS
The heavy aged is the best one. It has a sweeter sound than the others and is not as bass-heavy, I feel like it cuts through the mix better and the top is also my favorite out of the three!
To me the Murphy heavy aged wins across the board on tone. I too love that low end woody growl. But I have to say, that 2019 top gets me to lean a bit that way just on looks only and for the minor sound differences across all three it is a contender for sure. I would be really interested if you do decide to let the 2019 go give me a shout.
Thanks, Eric! I'll keep that in mind should I ever part with it. Funny enough, that one was painted by Tom Murphy, though not a Murphy Lab. I wish it had the ML lacquer, but it's killer regardless.
I like the heavy-aged. Each Les Pauls has its own voice, but I've found the variation among LPs to be much less pronounced than Strats, which can vary more dramatically (Ash vs Alder, Rosewood vs. Maple fretboard). I have a wonderful 2012 R9. Since then, I've played a few other LPs, and they all sound a bit different, but not so different that I have wanted to sell my 2012. Any choice you make among the 3 will be a good choice.
I love all of them… they all sound great and look incredible… I guess I’m a little stingy but I would find a way to keep them and tell my wife to buy another pair of shoes… its a triple win brother. Got to say I love the sound of your setup. Your rig sounds very nice and I can listen to you play all day big daddy. I get the feeling you are an expert in boutique tones. love to know more on how you arrived with the equipment your using to get such a deep warm recorded tone. Your playing and sound are killer boss… I know your looking for just one, but this is not the same as trying to find the perfect girl. There’s only the one perfect girl for each of us but you can have all the guitars you want without the jealousy. I’d wear my fingers down to a nub on those three guitars…
Thanks as always, Lonny! Your analogy had me chuckling. I guess I could keep them all without any trouble ha! I’ll have to do some videos on my setup in the future. I have an older video called “my guitar signal chain…” for some info in the meantime.
This one would be extremely easy for me. The best one sounding to me also looks best to me also it's likely significantly more reasonably priced. I would keep the non aged one
I don’t like relic guitars but the heavy aged definitely sounds the best to me. They are all beautiful and sound great. But if I could only have one it would be the heavy relic.
Can you do a video with those three les pauls without effects (just clean and distorted)? My ears are having trouble picking up on the nuances especially with the effects. The effects sound good, but I happened to be looking down the whole time because I just wanted to hear you play and I was working on something, so I could never tell when you switched guitars. Maybe just labeling the guitars with numbers and not describing them will eliminate any inherint bias listeners may have giving you more accurate answers. At the end you can tell the listeners which guitar was 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
In all these years I haven't owned a guitar that had it all: sound, looks, weight, neckshape etc. Although I'm not into this ageing stuff, I have to say that the heavy aged version sounds best to my ears. But since they all sound great, I would go for the lightest one and for the one with the most comfortable neck shape.
Thanks for sharing as always, Gary. I’m starting to realize it’s probably a unicorn to find everything in one guitar. It’s helpful to hear your experience on that as well.
On paper the light aged is the one. That extra clarity and like you said “Tele on steroids” thing is perfect in a Les Paul for me. But after hearing them, the low end and power of the heavy aged is addicting and personally I wouldn’t be able to look past it… and it looks absolutely killer! The non Murphy was still great but had an almost fizzy top end for me. Doesn’t stand up to the other two in my opinion 🙏🏼
Thanks for the observations, Ben! I couldn’t relate more. The Tele on steroids should be the one, but that powerful woody tone of the other, combined with the looks, is winning me over.
After carefull listening with great headphone I think that the NON Murphy Lab LP is the most "HiFi" sounding: note-to-note separation and detail are amazing, sound is cristal clear but still powerful. As a consequence it has a bit less personality. On the opposite side is the Heavy aged Murphy Lab: not just for the darker sound, but there is little note-to-note separation. On the other side it does sound very musical, which normally make it an "inspiring" instrument. The Light Aged LP is the one I preferred, as - despite the fact that it has less bass, which is easy to add or compensate for, it seems musical but retains clarity and notes separation. I think that nowadays attack and sustain are very important, as the rest can be more easily compensated in the signal chain, but if i had to decide on the basis of this video it would be the light aged Murtphy lab.
The sound is only one aspect of a guitar , for me it comes down to the feel of the instrument , meaning how it sits in your lap ,how does the neck shape feel in your hand ,how does it resonate through your body , every instrument is different because no piece of timber is ever the same even if its from the same tree , so choosing a guitar for yourself, I feel ,is a very personal experience but when you find the one it’s pure joy .
You could be happy with any of those LPs but my pick would be the light aged. It just had that certain something. Is it possible to make the backing track at 8:07 available for download? Very David Gilmourish!
I was lazy and didn’t put ,y headphones in, so I didn’t hear any sonic differences. Given that, I’m a huge sucker for the factory burst, so your non-Murphy Lab was my favorite. I don’t think you can go wrong, no matter which you decide to keep.
@@RatherBeRiffing My 2018 R9 VOS had that it and takes forever for it to fade. I hated that. My 2023 Murphy heavy aged destroys that 2018! I do not miss it at all.
If lm correct and hearing you right the Les Paul that compliments and fits you like a glove is the 2019 it has the perfect neck profile the way l see it “a marriage made in heaven” because you can always change the pickups. There’s another UA-camr that tried 5 different pickups for his M2M Gold Top, check it out won’t be hard to find and keep in mind the grass isn’t always greener in someone’s else’s backyard . The 2019 Wins trust me…..
Great video as always!! If I had to pick one it would be the 2019. The look is more my favorite with the red in the burst and flames and I'm more of a rocker and love the upper mid bite. I'm in a similar boat. Got a standard 2016 and a 2010 r9 and i believe one has to go. Having a tough time letting go of the 2016, been with me 6 years and it looks and sounds great. R9 is magical too. Seeing what else i can sell to balance it out. It sucks getting rid of good ones, hope you can keep the 2019 and maybe one of the others but it is never easy. Have you tried tweaking pickup heights to see if that helps even out the differences? That one is always tought to dial in for me. What heights do you usually go for?
Thank you! I feel you - it’s hard to let good ones go. I do experiment with pickup height extensively. I usually start with the recommended height from the Beauty of the Burst book then tweak from there. Funny enough, the two Murphy Labs have the same pickups and heights and sound so different. Their electric tones mirror their acoustic tones.
The reason I subscribed to your channel (just came across it yesterday) wasn’t due to your content or all the incredible guitars…….it was your playing/phrasing and more specifically, your tone. I’ve watched several videos today trying to figure out what it is that I’m hearing. Am I hearing a very slight phase shifting or flange or something? Or is it just that you often use two different amps (and pan them left and right)? Whatever it is I gotta know!??!
Thanks for the kinds words and sub! I'm glad you dig my playing and tone. I'll have to do a video on that. There is a tiny bit of slow stereo Leslie style modulation on some clips (David Gilmour influence).
Heavy aged one has more going on... more harmonic overtones and just more everything. Detail, punch,... has it all. I did it blind too... and picked that one every time.
Without playing one and assuming they all played the same, Iwould have to decide its purpose. Is it only for recording or giging. I loved the non murphy rythem track, and the number 1 leads.
I just tried one at gc in Orlando. it is supposed to be close to an old les paul. glue, Brazilian board, and old mahogany. I enjoyed playing it. The 4k price tag was a little rich because I am not sure if it will hold value. that part scares me.
Out of curiosity when you are doing the demos is your volume and tone on your guitar knob all the way to 10 or are you rolling back any of the tone or volume on any of your demos?
TBH, I dislike the sound of Heavy Aged the most. I liked the non-Murphy the best sound. But as far as Gibsons, I would choose the best looking and feeling LP, because I would definitely change the pickups for my prefered set of DiMarzio DP103 36th Anniversary PAF's both in neck and bridge. I like the look of Light Aged one. So, I would choose between R9 and Light Aged based on the feeling in the hand. That is my opinion and preference.
Sitting in a dedicated room at Wildwood Guitars while on vacation in Colorado, surrounded by no less than 7 examples of 335's and 355's, it became quite clear how wrong the entire idea had been that simply by having more guitars to try, I would find THE ONE. They were ALL good in their own way. And while I did walk out with a guitar I love to play, I realized how lucky we guitarists are to live in a time where there are so many sonically excellent options to choose from. In truth, I don't ever expect to to find the perfect guitar, be it a Les Paul, 355, or PRS, because the journey itself is simply an amazing reward all its own. If you can afford it, and come across something that inspires you and brings out something different in your style, then buy and experience it! But also be willing to move on as the journey brings even more than you ever imagined it could. As people, and as guitarists, our ideas of tone evolve, it only makes sense that the guitars around us would do the same.
That’s a great take on the guitar hunt - you are spot on about the journey!
I love this comment, As a gigging player I would say to Jonathan, Dude, They all sound great and they'll each sound different in different rooms through different amps and different PA's. There is no perfect one and I hope you don't get stuck in buyer's remorse if you have to send 2 back. Or FOMO that there is another one out there you haven't found yet. You are too good a player .. The joy is in playing in front of happy people, getting tight and in the pocket with the other guys in your band, enjoying that the people are laughing and having fun because your band is good not because mine or yours is the best sounding guitar. Please take this with the love it's sent with and go out and blast tonight with your band! You are already one of the lucky ones.
Man, they all sound so good! Enjoy all of them!
Thank you! It's been fun having them to compare and sharing on the channel.
@@RatherBeRiffing Do you still have all three?
That thumbnail is pretty epic, all three are stunning!
Thanks! It was fun to figure out a way to capture their beauty.
Love your videos..Such great tone and phrasing. Huge PRS guy, but excited for this vid
Thanks for the kind words - much appreciated!
I have three Les Paul guitars, two are '59s 60th anniversary and Historic Les Paul. I've thought about selling two Les Pauls several times, but in the end I decided to keep all three, because each one also sounds a little different. Just to add, I'm a left-handed player, so there's a lot less choice for '59. I would keep all three guitars, all three of yours guitars sound great, each in their own way. And btw all three are beautiful Les Pauls.
It's amazing how unique each one is even within the same model! That makes sense to me to keep them all, especially as a lefty.
Such great production on your videos. Still looking forward to a Yaron Bone 59 video one day!
Thank you! It will come. I'm glad to know there are folks out there that want to see it. I want to really do that one justice!
Got my first guitar when I was 10 years old in 82. It was a 1975 Aria Les Paul custom copy. I still have it today. Now I have several Les Paul copies and three Norlin era Gibson Les Paul guitars. I play hard rock and metal and I modify all my guitars. I came close to purchasing an R9 a while back but could not bring myself to it because I like to modify my instruments. I'm the guy who would install a Floyd on a Les Paul. So I purchased a Vintage V100 AFD and installed Dimarzio Tone Zone and PAF pickups, CTS pots, Switch Craft switch, Tone Pros bridge and Grover kluson style tuners. I also installed stainless steel frets and a Graph Tech Tusq nut. My brother has the R9 and he tried my Vintage and asked me if he could buy it. He said the Vintage sounded, felt and played way better. He loved how well it stayed in tune as well. That really blew my mind. So I did a proper set up on his guitar so he would stop asking. Nope, he still asks to buy my Vintage.
That is the problem with expensive guitars...you don't modify them.
@@cromBumny Yes, I agree. For the past 15 years I have been refurbishing old 70's copy LP copy guitars. I have also done a few kits in the past 2 years. There is a company that builds kits to specifications of the manufactures called Precision Guitars. I was thinking of getting a 59 kit with a quilted maple top. The kit is about 1K after all the options that I have chosen. I was thinking a 59 with a neck and belly carve to make the guitar more comfortable to play sitting down.
My first 'good' guitar was also an Antoria les paul custom. I bought it in 1975, aged 15, from a music shop in Glasgow, Scotland. I now have a 2011 Murphy R0, which many friends have commented on.... Saying it's one of the best they have ever played.
Thank you for posting all your specs! Love your videos, and your playing/insights of course ! ! !
You're very welcome and much appreciated!
I love the fact that Jonathan is wanting to make the best decision with no regrets I respect to the utmost !!!
Great vid and beautiful playing.
I would keep the Gibson Les Paul 1959 60th anniversary reissue (factory burst): i would age the sounqualities myself by playing it constantly.. it is, like you said, a journey....
Thank you! It’s racked up some miles already so probably just keep going with it.
Great video! I think I agree with your assessment. I prefer the light aged model a little more. They all sound great, but that one is just that extra 5%.
Thanks as always! Well said! That light aged has really impressed me as an all rounder.
BUT. I do agree about the Heavy Age. It has a very unique sound.
Glad to know someone else was hearing that too. It has a great woody vibe that is quite addicting, especially on the neck pickup for lead playing.
Looks so Beautiful
Thank you!
I gravitate towards the lower end of the sound spectrum; but know it may not cut through the mix. This is a very expensive journey, but worth it! Let me know if you decide to keep them all. Love your playing and content. Keep going!
Your videos have been a great help to show that VOS v Murphy Lab v aged levels isn't clear cut. The versatility of the VOS guitar would be the choice for my rock leanings. I'm on the hunt for my first custom shop Les Paul. I've had luck with top wrapping on a standard - for me it added upper mids and bite to a guitar I hadn't loved before. On my Les Paul Customs top wrapping hasn't made a discernable difference.
Man your lead playing at the end was outstandingly beautiful and moving. An elite player ☝👏👏👏
Tonally the heavy aged ML is just above the light aged ML. Visually, I prefer the light aged.
But as you pointed out, each guitar is unique in its own way and has a purpose in the context you would be using it.
As far as top wrapping, I recently switched to 9's and I love the slinky feel. Especially because I love using a lot of bends in my playing. I am not one of those players that likes fighting with the guitar.
The production of your videos/demos/audio is by far the best on You Tube.
I would definitely love to see a demo and your opinion on top wrapping. If you have the time, maybe compare it with the lighter gauge 9s.
Glad to know the playing at the end resonated with you. I play everything from the heart, but that style is my favorite above all!
Thanks for the observations and suggestions! I also don't want to fight a guitar. I set up all of my guitars with as low action and as slinky of a feel as possible. I've been tempted to try 9's. During COVID I fell in love with tuning down 1/2 step with 10's and played that way for 1.5 years. My playing improved so much (because I was fighting less with the guitar) and then I gradually built back up to standard tuning. I bet 9's would give me that slinky feel in standard.
Thanks again for the kind words and thoughts!
@@RatherBeRiffing I picked up on that vibe right away from your style of playing/phrasing and tone. Ya a 1% er.
Funny, I did the same thing awhile back tuning down a 1/2 step before putting the 9's on.
I'm looking forward to your next presentation.
Take care.
To my ears the Heavy Aged sounds the best, love that woody tone. 2nd would be the 2019, and last the Light Aged. I'd be curious to hear which is louder acoustically because the Heavy Aged and 2019 have quite a volume/punch/fullness to them that I don't hear in the Light Aged. Great video!
The heavy aged is the loudest. I find it has more headroom and it has that dry, woody, and sweet character even unplugged. It lost some acoustic volume when I lowered the action, but it still retained its distinct voice.
The light aged doesn't have the same punch, but has a wonderful ring acoustically and a touch sensitivity that is quite addicting. It's a little more snarly for lack of a better word. Really cool in it's own right, but I'm leaning on the heavy aged.
There's no "deciding" on these examples from a YT video. Thanks for sharing though - they all sound great on this pc. Good to hear your impressions of feel and in-room sound.
By the way I was typing this note as you changed guitars and I had no idea until I scrolled back up, rewound and watched again.
Jonathan your playing his so beautiful your choice of instruments simple so beautiful
Thanks for the kind words as always!
Sound wise, it’s pretty much splitting hairs. The most distinctive tone was the light aged. Loved the bite. Honestly, if you’re looking for a more “woody” sound, I’d go on a pickup search for the 2019, because that guitar is just sexy. You can’t have just one Gibson Les Paul, cuz you gotta have one with P90s. 😏
Pretty subtle stuff indeed , especially over UA-cam. I’d love to have a P-90 Lester!
Go with the light aged it sounds more pleasing.
Thanks for the input - it's a great sound one for sure!
I have owned 6 different Les Pauls I settled on a Standard 60's model the reason was the neck. It was just more comfy every time I picked it up it just felt like "home". I love your 2019 seemed to have more mids to me. (I like that)
You reminded me how much I love the slimmer 60 profile neck I had a killer B3 SL with a carve like that and truth be told, I miss it. You've got me thinking I should be considering a '60 in my Les Paul hunt now!
Your last video the one with a little checking seems to be the guitar you love the photo when you were a child plus those sounds , the Brett board nice dark , the flame that you like !
That one certainly made some special connections with me!
The light aged does it for me!!!
I think it's the best all rounder. It does everything a great Lester should do in my opinion.
Awesome playing! Add my vote to the light aged 🤘
Just went through this with my LP 58 VOS and 60th anniversary 59, which I had listed on Reverb to sell. Yesterday I took it off because I finally came to the understanding that each one does its own thing and both are near perfect in their own way. But honestly, fundamentally it’s the joy I get from playing each one, and how they make me feel.
Fact is you always get a great tone from all your guitars, so I’d say go with the one or two that give you the most pleasure to play and look at. Which one you put on a chair just to look at to look at whilst watching tv :)
Great insight as always, Lorenzo! The only thing I’ve ever missed about any guitar I’ve moved is exactly that - the unique joy and feeling when playing it. They all bring a little something different out of you!
I would say, keep the 2019 and the 2024, the 2019 will feel very familiar and home like and it barks....the 2024 you liked very much but the bigger sound is great too!! The heavy age also reminds me of The Beast burst, the bernie marsden les paul!!
For me, the 2019 is the best specd and sounds great, while the 2024 is a bonus!!
That makes sense to me. As much as I want to limit it to one, those two compliment each other perfectly!
@@RatherBeRiffing You can keep the light age one as it is pretty much in the middle, but you will miss the other two...but if you keeo the other 2, you wont miss the light age!!
@@anmolatwal right on!
They all sound great, and are beautiful guitars. I liked the heavy aged, but I don't think I could part with 2019. Gorgeous and very distinct looking.
I prefer the heavy aged ML. It had a woodiness that I dug.
I'm digging it's woodiness as well! It's fun to play as well and something I don't hear in many of my other guitars.
SWEETNESS
They all sound great... hard for me to say which is best... to me it depends how it feels while you play it... and if you still can't choose just pick the nicest looking one.... also instead of top wrapping your tail piece they make spacers that raise the tail piece so it raise the angle the strings go over the bridge, but still allows the tail piece screws to be snug... I put them on my les paul....not a huge difference honestly.... the ones from Callaham are the spacers I used
Thanks the suggestions - much appreciated! I'll have to try that spacer trick - makes sense!
Heavy aged gets my vote. For me it’s all about the comfort of the neck and if the guitar feels like its broken in and comfortable to play. Pots, pickups and EQ can all be changed.
Great points! I'm leaning heavy myself.
They all sound great! Heavy aged sounds more free and the non Murphy aged sounds thicker. Light aged somewhere in the middle.
Thanks! I agree, there’s a distinctive character to each one.
I could understand that !
Heavy aged does have most harmonic content for me.
Wow. This actually is an excellent video on why it’s not really viable to only have just one. Sonically, I think that I still prefer the 2019. Aesthetically, the top on the heavy aged calls to me. In my case, I can’t accept one. In fact, I just went a little different direction and bought a Standard 50s plain top in Pelham Blue. No it isn’t Murphy Lab or even Custom Shop, but it just has that “thing”. Then there’s the Heritage H-150 Standard that I bought two months ago. Absolutely insanely great guitar. And I’m almost certain to buy another Les Paul in 2025. More is living in luxury for sure.
It's been fun to come to that realization as well. The top on the heavy aged got me as well!
Wow, you’re sounding huge… and I truly digged the Gilmour vibe on 8:07.
Great video!
What amp are you using?
Btw, even though all 3 are sounding great, Id give the edge to the non-Murphy Lab
Thank you! I’m using a Two Rock Bloomfield Drive and Blankenship Twinplex in stereo.
Something as subtle as a slight variation in the pickup height or the age of the strings can change the tonalities and harmonic structures, especially when they are as close as these guitars. I would choose the heavy aged for looks only, but ultimately would choose the one with the best feeling neck.
Hi Johnny, to me: the heavy aged ticks more boxes. Visually, I ike the top better and soundwise, I find it more articulate, with a better note separation and very nice overtones from 2:46 to 2:54. They are all three great guitars, but if I had to choose one... it would be the heavy aged. Very nice tone & playing BTW ! Cheers
Thanks as always! I’m leaning heavy. I wrote that section with the heavy aged so I think its voice lent itself to the expression. That is a sign of a keeper for me as well - how readily creative I am when playing it. Cheers!
For all things rhythm, non Murphy Lab. For lead playing, heavy age. Fantastic playing, love that lead tone soo much.
I really like your 2019 Les Paul, to my ears it sounds a bit rawer which I like, especially the bridge pickup. But none sound bad, very very nice guitars. 🤩
I noticed that there is a Trinplex plugin... I'm curious how it sounds in relation to your recorded tone. Your recorded tone is unbelievable... I can feel the amps when you strum a chord big daddy. I took a break from metal madness last week to record a melodic progression to explore some riffing. I added some cinematic strings... The guitars sound beautiful in the mix. Thanks for the inspiration
Sorry, it's the Two Rock Bloomfield plugin by Mixwave...
My preference is the Light Aged
I don't play . I love guitars and music and being an old cat ,have a fascination with the Les Paul .All the heroes of my generation played a Lester (Look! slang!) The heavy aged spoke to me . Ive grown nostalgic for things from the past and I watch all the vids I can on old Les Pauls and that one checks the box . Im heavy aged too .Still kicks ass and is unique .
The light aged one👍
What you yourself are looking for is the most important to you.
For me I am looking for that woody sound of old real guitars as well clarity and note separation.
I found my perfect one although being after I modified it and have invested a lot of time to set it up so that I do get all I can out of it.
For me it feels like your 2019 has hotter pickups. It is most rock but least vintage sounding Les Paul here. Great for power chords and solo's as well. Though not a sound I am looking for.
I am not fully satisfied with Murphy Lab versions either and heavy aged might be a bit to much for some people but still it sounds better to me.
I am pretty sure I could make it sound even better. That would be changing harness and pickup hookup wires and full setup. That would give it more resolution than what you get from the other light aged one and still you would keep that woodiness in the sound.
I decide about most of the guitars while I hear and play them unplugged. If the sound is there I can make it sound good plugged in as well.
For me, regarding top gain, it felt like the light age has still little bit more gain than heavy aged.
But anyways lot of can be influenced by setup as well.
If I like string to string balance of the pickups I keep that. But If I am not satisfied I do balance it myself until I get what I want from that specific guitar. So if someone took enough time for the original setup it might be good. Though I will do that many times true few sessions until I pull out what I perceive as maximum tone.
So there is way to open up the Les Paul to sound much nicer and more clear and detailed especially on clean setup. If that is what you want/looking for it can be done.
If you were in Amsterdam Netherlands I would modify it it for you free of charge for the work done. Also you could hear my R7 and decide do you want to go that way in the first place.
Parts are not that expensive depending on what you want to do or what's needed to be done. For example if your pots are having nice taper and measure 500 plus KOhm why not keeping them? Same thing is with the bumblebee caps. If they are not fake once but real once then you do not need to change them as well so all you are changing is like 2m of braided cable plus like 20cm solid grounding wire. So parts cost like 20 Euro. There is a lot of work because pickups must be opened and dismantled to change the hookup wire.
There is smallest chance that Gibson listened to me and finally started using proper dual layer low capacitance braided wire then this all is not needed. Then everything else is in the setup.
If the bumblebee caps do not have oil fill port that is closed off wit ha bid of solder then those are fake and in the middle of them you have 10cents worth polysomething (PP, PS or what ever plastic film gets used for those) caps that were embedded in brown plastic to look like real deal caps. Then you need to go with quality paper in oil caps. You can go Mojo, Original Russians or original Bumblebee Spragues or any other version depending on what you want tone pot to do and how it reacts. Caps are from 15 Euro to 100 Euro depending how crazy you want to go. There are even cheaper caps that sound really really good. I like to go with smaller 15nF for the neck pickup and 22 nF for the bridge pickup when I build my harness.
If your pots are having bad taper or measure like 420 to 450 KOhm then you need 4 pots. You can go from 35 Euro for stock CTS and pray for good once or get selected over 520 KOhm once or go vintage taper or boutique selection pots. Or even look for original 50-ies pots but you will pay fortune for those.
Or you do not like pickups at all and you want SD PAF replica pickups and you buy premade harness and change it your self. Every decent Boutique pickup winder uses proper hookup wire and with good harness it is only solder job needed. SD has als very good replica bridges he makes with his friends. All made from authentic materials and way it was done before.
There is no end what you can do. But at the end there is no way around good setup. Some people will say they can do it them self and if that is it OK sure go ahead. I have had long time professionals that couldn't believe that there is more that can be doen with the setup until they have seen it them self :)
Another amazing video!! Rich tones coming out of those guitars,amps,pedals and you hands..❤
They all sound great, but to try to help you out, if you like relics the look of the heavy Relic is the way to go , but honestly I really enjoy the sound of you original Les Paul that you have for 5 years, and I bet that she is lots less expensive than the others. But again if you looking for the Vintage feel and look? You already know which keep. 👏👏😎🫡🤘🏼
Thanks for the kind words and input! Ideally, I’ll keep the ‘19 and heavy aged.
Amazing playing, tasty sound👍
Thank you, I appreciate you listening!
My preference would be as follows -
1st Place - Non-Murphy (This guitar cuts through the mix the best)
2nd Place - Light Aged Murphy
3rd Place - Heavy Aged Murphy
How many agree with me? 🙂
Just picked up a 2024 ML 1960 ultra light age. Without a doubt the best guitar I’ve ever played
Congrats!
Honestly I've had a 2001 studio les paul and that's been my main les paul. At this point it's more nostalgia than anything. I did a few mods, switched wiring to 50s wiring, did a complete refinish to a more 58 flat fark burst, and put 58 twang tron pickups in it. (Best pickups I've found for a les paul). Really I have to think that all the les paul heros where playing, back in the day, where standard of the line les pauls modded to their flavor. That's exactly what I'd like to think I've got.
Sounds like some killer upgrade and you've got something all your own there. I bet the 50's wiring changed things quite a bit.
@RatherBeRiffing the 50s wiring definitely changed it up a bit. I had the stock pickups in when I switched to that and I distantly remember this new clarity and bright sparkle that it gave. All said and done, I spent more money on upgrades than I did when I bought the guitar.
I still like your original Les Paul . It sounds somewhere in between the heavy age and the light aged if I was to keep two out of the three I believe it would be the light aged and your original vos. That's just my opinion. It all comes down to what you like and prefer. They all sound fantastic but they are all their own thing. That's what I have found with my Les Paul's.
I am also curious about top wrapping. I think it would make an interesting video.
I don’t know if by telling you this I might put you off or make you fall into a big rabbit hole (😅):
1. Pickup height was for me a revolutionary discovery, as I am able (and you certainly are too) to hear differences, especially in the pick attack, even after only a 1/8th turn of their height screws!
2. The same is true for the pole pieces height!
3. The center position is dramatically affected by the balance between the two pickups, and I found a simple rule to tune it: to get the most “quack” out of it (yes, this is in fact true for single coils, too) you simply have to look for the most precise volume balance between the neck and bridge pickup (playing back and forth with a clean uncompressed tone).
4. Real (measured) pot values might be responsible for a lack or an excess of clarity of otherwise identical guitars. I wouldn’t be surprised if your non-Murphy lab LP had the highest real pot value of the three! I mean, for example, 514k vs. 485k, for a 500k pot. Pickups are very sensitive to load!
Having said that, I hear the same differences as what you described, except I hear more low mids in the light aged Murphy lab than the other two guitars.
My favorite is the heavy aged Murphy lab, too, because it has this sweet and warm tone. I might be a little biased, though, because it’s stunningly beautiful as well!
Obviously the “feel” factor is crucial for a final decision, but in my case I would also take the unplugged tone into account: if that is coherent with the characteristics you identified when playing plugged in, that’s very good. But if, for example, the one you like most unplugged is not the one you like most plugged in, I would consider playing with pickup height some more and checking the effective pot values to be sure I’m not giving away a wonderful sounding guitar with a not so great electronic setup.
I think I preferred the heavy aged but the truth is they all sound great. and in the video, they are closer than I imagine they are in real life. I'd take the one that feels the best in hand.
For me, the tone with the heavy is the one! Looks the best as well.....
Thank you!
They all sound great. There's nothing tonally that one gives you, that you couldn't get from the others by adjusting somewhere along the signal chain. Personally, I'd pick the lightest one. That matters as you get older.
Also, I wouldn't worry about versatility here (at this price point). I'd choose the best sounding/feeling one that does the best "Les Paul sound" you like best. You need versatility, use a different guitar or run it through an EQ pedal or plugin.
Great points - thanks! All similar weight, but the heavy is bringing me the most joy when I play it so maybe I'll just go with that as the deciding factor.
@@RatherBeRiffing The heavy aged? 👍You may be responding to that resonance bump the thinner finish and exposed woods provide that we talked about before. Resonance is a very powerful persuader. 😆
@@davidbaron8330 Indeed it is, David!
5:19, that passage right there, that is the secret sauce.
Heavy Aged LP all the way.
All three are nice, and with minor changes you could make each of them sound exactly as you wished.
But, if you only want to choose and keep one of them, the heavy aged Murphy Lab has about everything you could want out of a Les Paul. (IMHO)
Take what I say with a grain of salt, like many other players, I have close to a half dozen Les Paul guitars, each of them different from the others in many ways.
EDIT, trying top-wrap is always a good idea with a newly acquired Les Paul.
As for that "Tele on Steroids", just buy a Telecaster, they are unlike any other guitar.
Love that you keyed in on that particular passage. What stood out to you about it? The heavy aged has the most headroom when it comes to pick attack and I feel like that passage showcased that well. I was digging in pretty hard and the note was still full and had that great pang to it.
I do have a good Tele and I hadn’t thought of that as another reason to go with the heavy aged - makes sense.
Thanks as always!
They all sound great. For me, it's the heavy aged. It does seem to be more open and articulate, with punch. Again, they are all great.
Thanks for the observations. 3 great voices. I'm gravitating to the heavy myself.
I'm curious to know what the weight of each of those guitars are?
Overall, I liked the sound of the murphy lab heavy aged the best; it sounded very airy and round; the notes sorta just bloom beautifully. Awesome comparison.
Thanks, Michael - appreciate you sharing your observations. They were all under 9 lbs. The heavy aged is 8 lbs 13 ounces. The others were about the same.
So, which one stayed? 😬
Heavy aged and possibly the 2019.
If it were me, I would choose the light aged. When you mentioned "Telecaster on steroids", that is what I think of a great sounding Les Paul (I also think it looks the best too). Difficult choice though, good luck!
Thank you! I see the appeal of that one for sure.
After this video, the heavy aged is now my dream guitar..
It’s a great one!
Very hard to pick but all guitars are different so it would come down to how it feels and plays in your hands. I’m not really into the aging thing so I would go with the 59 VOS
The heavy aged is the best one. It has a sweeter sound than the others and is not as bass-heavy, I feel like it cuts through the mix better and the top is also my favorite out of the three!
Thanks for sharing, Henry! I think it’s the keeper for me.
To me the Murphy heavy aged wins across the board on tone. I too love that low end woody growl. But I have to say, that 2019 top gets me to lean a bit that way just on looks only and for the minor sound differences across all three it is a contender for sure. I would be really interested if you do decide to let the 2019 go give me a shout.
Thanks, Eric! I'll keep that in mind should I ever part with it. Funny enough, that one was painted by Tom Murphy, though not a Murphy Lab. I wish it had the ML lacquer, but it's killer regardless.
I like the heavy-aged. Each Les Pauls has its own voice, but I've found the variation among LPs to be much less pronounced than Strats, which can vary more dramatically (Ash vs Alder, Rosewood vs. Maple fretboard). I have a wonderful 2012 R9. Since then, I've played a few other LPs, and they all sound a bit different, but not so different that I have wanted to sell my 2012. Any choice you make among the 3 will be a good choice.
Thanks for sharing! I’ve got a bunch of Strats and come to think of it, they do vary even more.
I love all of them… they all sound great and look incredible… I guess I’m a little stingy but I would find a way to keep them and tell my wife to buy another pair of shoes… its a triple win brother. Got to say I love the sound of your setup. Your rig sounds very nice and I can listen to you play all day big daddy. I get the feeling you are an expert in boutique tones. love to know more on how you arrived with the equipment your using to get such a deep warm recorded tone. Your playing and sound are killer boss… I know your looking for just one, but this is not the same as trying to find the perfect girl. There’s only the one perfect girl for each of us but you can have all the guitars you want without the jealousy. I’d wear my fingers down to a nub on those three guitars…
Thanks as always, Lonny! Your analogy had me chuckling. I guess I could keep them all without any trouble ha! I’ll have to do some videos on my setup in the future. I have an older video called “my guitar signal chain…” for some info in the meantime.
This one would be extremely easy for me. The best one sounding to me also looks best to me also it's likely significantly more reasonably priced. I would keep the non aged one
I don’t like relic guitars but the heavy aged definitely sounds the best to me. They are all beautiful and sound great. But if I could only have one it would be the heavy relic.
Can you do a video with those three les pauls without effects (just clean and distorted)? My ears are having trouble picking up on the nuances especially with the effects. The effects sound good, but I happened to be looking down the whole time because I just wanted to hear you play and I was working on something, so I could never tell when you switched guitars. Maybe just labeling the guitars with numbers and not describing them will eliminate any inherint bias listeners may have giving you more accurate answers. At the end you can tell the listeners which guitar was 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
But, as usual, epic playing, brother!
Ultimately it sounds like you’re vibing most with the heavy aged one, but is it just the newest one vibe
Both of the MLs sound great, and agree that the non-ML isnt as exciting. Id take the light aged ML given the top is just fantastic
That top on the light aged drew me in as well - very unique!
I prefer the sound of the light aged. What does a Murphy Lab light aged cost?
In all these years I haven't owned a guitar that had it all: sound, looks, weight, neckshape etc. Although I'm not into this ageing stuff, I have to say that the heavy aged version sounds best to my ears. But since they all sound great, I would go for the lightest one and for the one with the most comfortable neck shape.
Thanks for sharing as always, Gary. I’m starting to realize it’s probably a unicorn to find everything in one guitar. It’s helpful to hear your experience on that as well.
On paper the light aged is the one. That extra clarity and like you said “Tele on steroids” thing is perfect in a Les Paul for me. But after hearing them, the low end and power of the heavy aged is addicting and personally I wouldn’t be able to look past it… and it looks absolutely killer! The non Murphy was still great but had an almost fizzy top end for me. Doesn’t stand up to the other two in my opinion 🙏🏼
Thanks for the observations, Ben! I couldn’t relate more. The Tele on steroids should be the one, but that powerful woody tone of the other, combined with the looks, is winning me over.
After carefull listening with great headphone I think that the NON Murphy Lab LP is the most "HiFi" sounding: note-to-note separation and detail are amazing, sound is cristal clear but still powerful. As a consequence it has a bit less personality.
On the opposite side is the Heavy aged Murphy Lab: not just for the darker sound, but there is little note-to-note separation. On the other side it does sound very musical, which normally make it an "inspiring" instrument.
The Light Aged LP is the one I preferred, as - despite the fact that it has less bass, which is easy to add or compensate for, it seems musical but retains clarity and notes separation.
I think that nowadays attack and sustain are very important, as the rest can be more easily compensated in the signal chain, but if i had to decide on the basis of this video it would be the light aged Murtphy lab.
I like the tone of the first one best
The sound is only one aspect of a guitar , for me it comes down to the feel of the instrument , meaning how it sits in your lap ,how does the neck shape feel in your hand ,how does it resonate through your body , every instrument is different because no piece of timber is ever the same even if its from the same tree , so choosing a guitar for yourself, I feel ,is a very personal experience but when you find the one it’s pure joy .
Well said and completely agree!
That intro is killer! I’m trying to remember the song ugh!! Help! Sounds like Billy G
Thank you! It’s reminiscent of Waitin’ for the bus.
That’s it! Thank you! 🤘
You could be happy with any of those LPs but my pick would be the light aged. It just had that certain something.
Is it possible to make the backing track at 8:07 available for download? Very David Gilmourish!
Thanks! Big DG fan. I plan to make backing tracks available once I hit 10k subs.
The Wildwood edition R9's have Wildwood speced custombuckers making that one not a direct comparison to the two stock Murphy lab ones?
Indeed - wildwood spec pickups on the 2019.
@@RatherBeRiffing I think wildwood swaps the Alnico 3 for A2?
I wonder what the magnet differences are in each pickup?
I was lazy and didn’t put ,y headphones in, so I didn’t hear any sonic differences. Given that, I’m a huge sucker for the factory burst, so your non-Murphy Lab was my favorite. I don’t think you can go wrong, no matter which you decide to keep.
It's hard to argue with the classic factory burst. That's the one that originally hooked me!
Did you make your decision?❤❤
Indeed I did. Only kept one. I will post an update this weekend!
@@RatherBeRiffingplease❤
Does the 2019 also have the binding bleed on the neck binding?
It definitely has Wildwood speced custom buckers. They do not sound exactly like the stock ones.
It does indeed have binding bleed.
@@RatherBeRiffing My 2018 R9 VOS had that it and takes forever for it to fade. I hated that. My 2023 Murphy heavy aged
destroys that 2018! I do not miss it at all.
In the beginning there was none but after a while of intense playing it occured and got worse.
If lm correct and hearing you right the Les Paul that compliments and fits you like a glove is the 2019 it has the perfect neck profile the way l see it “a marriage made in heaven” because you can always change the pickups. There’s another UA-camr that tried 5 different pickups for his M2M Gold Top, check it out won’t be hard to find and keep in mind the grass isn’t always greener in someone’s else’s backyard . The 2019 Wins trust me…..
Pumped
Almost time!
Great video as always!! If I had to pick one it would be the 2019. The look is more my favorite with the red in the burst and flames and I'm more of a rocker and love the upper mid bite. I'm in a similar boat. Got a standard 2016 and a 2010 r9 and i believe one has to go. Having a tough time letting go of the 2016, been with me 6 years and it looks and sounds great. R9 is magical too. Seeing what else i can sell to balance it out. It sucks getting rid of good ones, hope you can keep the 2019 and maybe one of the others but it is never easy. Have you tried tweaking pickup heights to see if that helps even out the differences? That one is always tought to dial in for me. What heights do you usually go for?
Thank you! I feel you - it’s hard to let good ones go. I do experiment with pickup height extensively. I usually start with the recommended height from the Beauty of the Burst book then tweak from there. Funny enough, the two Murphy Labs have the same pickups and heights and sound so different. Their electric tones mirror their acoustic tones.
The reason I subscribed to your channel (just came across it yesterday) wasn’t due to your content or all the incredible guitars…….it was your playing/phrasing and more specifically, your tone. I’ve watched several videos today trying to figure out what it is that I’m hearing. Am I hearing a very slight phase shifting or flange or something? Or is it just that you often use two different amps (and pan them left and right)? Whatever it is I gotta know!??!
Thanks for the kinds words and sub! I'm glad you dig my playing and tone. I'll have to do a video on that. There is a tiny bit of slow stereo Leslie style modulation on some clips (David Gilmour influence).
Heavy aged one has more going on... more harmonic overtones and just more everything. Detail, punch,... has it all. I did it blind too... and picked that one every time.
I agree - there’s something special about that one that shines through to my ears as well. Very cool that you favored that one blind!
Are you running a chorus on the cleaner tones? If so, is it a plugin or post fx?
Three beautiful girls. I would take the heavy aged home. She's that way for a reason.
What is the weight of these guitars? .thnaks for review
Don’t recall exactly, but they are all in the upper 8lb range.
I'd keep the light aged if i had to choose one.
That tone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!
Liked the heavy aged BUT the light aged sounds a bit better
Without playing one and assuming they all played the same, Iwould have to decide its purpose. Is it only for recording or giging. I loved the non murphy rythem track, and the number 1 leads.
Great point and those are my preferences as well!
have you ever played a warrior 59 isabella. would love to hear your opinion.
I have not but I’ve always thought they look cool!
I just tried one at gc in Orlando. it is supposed to be close to an old les paul. glue, Brazilian board, and old mahogany. I enjoyed playing it. The 4k price tag was a little rich because I am not sure if it will hold value. that part scares me.
Out of curiosity when you are doing the demos is your volume and tone on your guitar knob all the way to 10 or are you rolling back any of the tone or volume on any of your demos?
Everything on 10 in this video.
TBH, I dislike the sound of Heavy Aged the most. I liked the non-Murphy the best sound. But as far as Gibsons, I would choose the best looking and feeling LP, because I would definitely change the pickups for my prefered set of DiMarzio DP103 36th Anniversary PAF's both in neck and bridge. I like the look of Light Aged one. So, I would choose between R9 and Light Aged based on the feeling in the hand. That is my opinion and preference.
If you let the heavy aged go, I have an interest….for real
It's a specimen! I'm leaning on keeping that one.
Can’t blame you there bro!😎