Is the Les Paul toggle poker chip out-dated?

Jack-Flash-Jr

On one of the other topics (canna remember) someone mentioned eyepokers looking futuristic, strats modern and les pauls old fashioned. Not sure if I agree but I do think that the Les Paul characterisation of the neck pick-up as "rhythm" is out-dated... the "treble" is accurate as it refers to the tonal shift but implies that bridge pick-up is "lead"...
How many players use bridge for rhythm and neck for lead nowadays? Outside of classic rock (and even within classic rock) a LOT...

singemonkey

I was the one who mentioned that. Les Pauls are really old fashioned looking. They're pretty much styled in the same way as Gibson arch-tops from the '20s, '30s, and '40s. A lot of people who want to look more modern remove the hokey old pick-guard. Then there are the funny old bell knobs, the absurdly vulnerable tuning pegs, the fret end nibs - where the binding pops up to cover the fret ends - on some.

But for me that was the big charm. It's so beautifully incongruous. Jimmy Page in silver sparkly moon and stars with this relic of the jazz age hanging around his knees blasting out Satanic riffs? That's as good as it gets. I think the looks are the key reason that Les Pauls were pretty much never used in surf music - which has always taken its image cues from the space age.

So yeah. The silly "instructions" on the toggle switch ring, add to the magnificent, heavyweight charm of the Les Paul.

dee

^^^^ What that man said ^^^^

I think it is a bit of a "let it be, it's always been like that" situation. Just look at the Telecaster, there is no reason to mess with something that is perfect as it is. Those who want to change it can, but for the rest of us, we are perfectly happy with our 50+ year old design. We love 1960's muscle cars, classic movies and old guitars.

As it is, I think I soldered my switch the wrong way round in any case, so the poker chip label is irrelevant in any case ?

ZarK

My truckster is obviously a modern take on a Les Paul. It doesn't have the chip ring. In fact the whole toggle is actually a dummy for cosmetic purposes only. The real toggle is positioned near the volume and tone controls. The original should stay as it is imo. Gibson has a few modern derivatives of the Les Paul and that is where I wouldn't mind seeing them modernizing the layout... Maybe even copy some of the ESP features which makes for a much more playable instrument…

singemonkey

Weirdly the '52 LP (the original) didn't have the 'poker chip.'

Tokai-SA

singemonkey wrote: Weirdly the '52 LP (the original) didn't have the 'poker chip.'

Hmm, that's very nice...recognise the case? ?

Bob-Dubery

It's hard to mess with a classic. People expect Les Pauls to be Les Pauls.

I have heard people bemoaning what they see as a failure to improve and modernise by Martin. Well Martin are trapped by being Martin. They might want to use solid wood bindings or issue new body shapes, but the market will most likely go "Yech! That's not a Martin!" You start putting wood bindings on a D28 then suddenly it's not a D28 anymore.

I think this is especially true of "classic" designs. I think a lot of "classic" guitars these days are sold to men who have go the kids out of the house and now feel entitled to a mid life identity crisis. So they're going to go out and buy a Harley and a Strat and a D28 (and wear lots of bandanas). So they want something that looks like the guitar that Jimmy Page played, or that Clapton played or that Stephen Stills played.

vic

singemonkey wrote: Weirdly the '52 LP (the original) didn't have the 'poker chip.'

Is there ANYTHING more beautiful ? Maybe, but NOT in this context ?
Those soapbars are just super cool :?

PJH

If it ain't broke......

vic

Jack Flash Jr wrote: On one of the other topics (canna remember) someone mentioned eyepokers looking futuristic, strats modern and les pauls old fashioned. Not sure if I agree but I do think that the Les Paul characterisation of the neck pick-up as "rhythm" is out-dated... the "treble" is accurate as it refers to the tonal shift but implies that bridge pick-up is "lead"...
How many players use bridge for rhythm and neck for lead nowadays? Outside of classic rock (and even within classic rock) a LOT...

The middle position is my favourite, but it depends... Remember the Les Paul was designed and voiced way back as a jazz guitar....intended to be played sitting down ! (then the weight is not problem ? )
These jazzers, and even early rock 'n rollers, would more than often use the neck pup for the riffs and melodies (fat warm sound)
In terms of rhythm playing....one seldom hears today a strumming-type rhythm on electric guitars (as in for eg Proud Mary) if I'm not mistaken. An acoustic guit sounds better for traditional rhythm playing imho.

MikeM

I was teased by a forum member yesterday because my switch is 90' from normal either pointing forwards for neck or backwards for bridge :?

And typically I used bridge for rhythm and neck for leads.

AlanRatcliffe

MikeM wrote: I was teased by a forum member yesterday because my switch is 90' from normal either pointing forwards for neck or backwards for bridge :?

Makes sense. I have to have at least a 45 deg. angle or I change the switch too easily (and I still do, even if the switch is sideways - that's why I moved the toggle down to the control section on my Sanox), and I like the direction of the switch to correlate with the pickup - forwards is neck and backwards is bridge.

Gearhead

Said forum member was not teasing, just lol'd because he was 'fixing the problem' with the switch ?
I do think it is amusing how Mike plays either rhyd or leathm whichever way you look at it.