Gibson Les Paul and the G-string problem

  • My Goldtop Standard is rock solid, my buddies Custom Shop Alpine White... not so much lol. All depends on the setup and hardware. They should of called it the G string Butler lol. It's an amazing invention, my classical guitar could use one! I'll probably grab one for my SG as it can be a bit finicky at times.


    Happy and safe Xmas @G String

  • Maybe the company didn't want potential customers to get scared away when doing a google searches - especially picture searches :D

    Maybe it's just because I play in rock bands, but seems to me like that would be a marketing plus! ^^

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • Just imagine if they had called it the G string Butler! Do not google that please, just trust me.

    Happy Hols to all!


    Ash

    Have a beer and don't sneer. -CJ. Two non powered Kempers -Two mission stereo FRFR Cabs - Ditto X4 -TC electronic Mimiq.

  • I bought a Gibson Les Paul in 2015 and never played and liked it much because it would always go slightly out tune real fast. Yesterday, I installed a string butler V3 on it and it really solved the tuning problems on my Les Paul! :) Only negative thing about it is the name. Googling it was hell :D

  • Meanwhile I've received the second LP and it has qualitiy issues as well (action too high, tuning problems, and the finish covers the binding a tiny bit at one spot). So at least I gained nothing. To make things even worse the new guitar just feels different in a bad way. The impression of "feeling at home", which I had with the first model, sadly is gone. That's why I'm thinking about getting the first model back (regardless of the quality issues) because nothing beats that feeling.

    I could have farted and it would have sounded good! (Brian Johnson)

  • I can relate to that, Stephan.


    I once bought a L6 Tyler Variax '69 that had about a dozen "issues". I sent it back to the wholesaler and went through five other '69 models and a '59 (six alternative guitars) before deciding in the end to go with the original one. It had the most problems, but I knew what they were and had figured out how to fix them. It also felt and sounded the best of the lot.


    It blew my mind the the QC coming out of Korea for L6 guitars at that time was so-poor that each of the 7 guitars had multiple problems.


    A few years later I decided to grab an '89 model as well 'cause it had a locking (FL-style) trem. The first one I got had the machine heads all at different angles and not in a straight line. It was so-bad I could see the problem from across a room, even with my bad eyesight (bought it "blind" over the 'phone). I took a cab to the wholesaler 'cause I wanted to see their faces when I showed them the headstock. They couldn't believe that it had somehow passed through the Korean QC inspection as well as the L6 wholesaler's one in Australia... and neither could I. Luckily the second one it was swapped for turned out to be OK.


    Those tuning pegs were so-out-of-whack that one couldn't even fit a quick-winding tool onto the ones that were too-close to their neighbours. :huh:

  • OMG!

    To be honest I'm disappointed about the QC at Gibson too. I mean...they shot a photo of the QC of each LP Classic 2019 and put it in the case to prove that they did QC. Maybe they did QC but a poor one...


    On the other hand the first model felt and looked so good...I just got to have it! :)

    I could have farted and it would have sounded good! (Brian Johnson)

  • As a few have said, the issues are due to the break angle - and the binding this causes in the nut.


    It has been this way since the day they were made, so the binding isn't a QC issue. Their nuts have always been like this.


    The only fix needed is to have the nut cut, and by all means, take it to a luthier for it to be done. I'd think it is the most common job any luthier will do on a Les Paul so it should be no problem for them to do it effectively.


    Lubricating is something to do 'on top' of having the nut cut properly, and if you fancy, have a better grade nut installed that is then cut properly.


    The string butlers do work, and are non-destructive, which is a big plus - but cutting the nut properly is the proper fix and will sort out the G issue.

    PRS Custom 22's - Fender Strats - Diezel VH4 - Carol Ann OD2 - Toneking Imperial MK2 - Colin the Kemper - CLR Neo ii.

  • As a few have said, the issues are due to the break angle - and the binding this causes in the nut.


    It has been this way since the day they were made, so the binding isn't a QC issue. Their nuts have always been like this.


    The only fix needed is to have the nut cut, and by all means, take it to a luthier for it to be done. I'd think it is the most common job any luthier will do on a Les Paul so it should be no problem for them to do it effectively.

    Yeah, don't do it yourself ...=O

  • Yeah, don't do it yourself ...=O

    Why not? Read about the topic and collect some information, use the right tools and maybe try on another nut or similar material.


    I never understood why guitar players don't take the time to learn some easy things to setup their guitars themselves. If you can learn to play a song with your hands, the same fingers should be able to do simple works like changing tuners, adjust trussrod or cutting a nut.


    It is just a nut. If it is broken you can fix it - or change to a new one. You can do this a thousand times.


    Of course you can find a luthier to do it. But the most things are not rocket science and you get a better feel for your instrument by learning about the specific funtionality.

  • What sucks is that it isn't done at the factory. Imagine the increase is customer satisfaction.

  • When the Gibson head stock was designed nobody bent strings like we do today.

    B.B. King talks about his cousin Bukka White with his slide playing note bending and ferocious vibrato.

    He developed his bending and vibrato emulating Bukka.

    A great nut job really helps but I like the string butler on my dog eared LP Jr.

    I can hit it like I live, real hard.8)

  • Ibot39 You are so right... Would you do that if you had a 100K+ LP that had developed a G-string problem whilst in your care? ;)