Awesome New Helix Accessory :)

[bsd512]

It arrived today.  Makes my Helix sound even better. :)
 

[spikey]

Nice Axe! Real pretty!

[bsd512]

Thanks!  I've been wanting one of these since forever.  It's my first - and pretty much blows my toy allowance for the year.  Probably food, too.  Beans and rice from hear on out.  :lol:  But I finally got one!  It's everything I'd hoped.

[specracer986]

Is that a Standard or Traditional? I've been wanting a Standard HP, but I don't really need it. The Honeyburst with natural back, has caught my eye.

Congratulations.

[bsd512]

It's the Standard HP.  Thanks!

[bsd512]

Oh, and @Spikey - it has a built-in tuner - it tunes itself.  G-force is pretty great! :)

[VB70]

I had regrets when i bought my Standard LP..... That i didnt buy it 10 years earlier!!!

[MusicLaw]

Congratulations! A Les Paul sounds great with a HELIX!

[amsdenj]

Helix accessory - I love that! I have a '57 Les Paul Deluxe - it was a gold top with the small humbuckers. But I was into changing things when I was young, so it looks more like a Standard and has Tom Holmes humbuckers with split coils and stainless steel frets. Not that guitar looks, feels, plays and sounds fantastic. But you know what, I seem to be preferring either my Strat or my Variax Standard on gigs. I like all the sounds I can get - mostly acoustic. tele, Les Paul and Strat. And three pickups just provides a lot more tone options than two - especially given that the two pickup tone of a Les Paul seems to be falling out of style.

 

So that Les Paul sits in the case a lot. Its real heavy. and I don't really want something to happen to a 50 year old guitar. 

[DunedinDragon]

My Les Paul Standard is about 5 years old now and pretty much looks the same as the OP's picture.  It's been an absolute workhorse and with the weight reduction is much more comfortable to work with than LP's I've had in the past.  Even though the Les Paul seems to be falling out of style, there are certain types of songs that just really need that heavyweight punch a Les Paul delivers.

 

After several years I've settled on three specific guitars that, for my use, are necessary to really cover any type of material I might play.  The Les Paul for classic rock, heavier rock, and some forms of blues; a Stratocaster for funk, soul, R&B, southern blues and rock, contemporary country, punk, and some types of more contemporary rock; and a Gretsch hollow body for jazz, older country, 50's rock and roll/rockabilly, and finger picked styles like ballads or instrumentals like Chet Atkins.

 

But I have to admit, my very favorite guitar to play is my Les Paul.  Everything about it just feels very comfortable.  But that may be because I started playing Les Pauls in the late 60's and I've always had one since then.

[MusicLaw]

I love the LPs. I have Two Customs, a PlusTop Pro, and a partially hollow LP Florentine. Also have a Custom Strat w/ vintage noiseless pups, and a Sheraton II Pro. The Florentine is a blast to play -- even unplugged. It shares traits of the LP Customs in a lighter partially hollow body and has a good bit of the bell like chime and ring of the Sheration II Pro, in a smaller comfortable size. With the Helix, the nuances of each of these are right there at my fingertips! :)

[surfsup1955]

Beautiful! Congrats on that decision. Always wanted one myself, but I seem to always cheap out when it comes time to pull the trigger.

[laxtlo]

OMG its beautifull !! Honey Burst standard HP ? Or is it Herritage cherry sunburst ? :)

[TLF2007]

Beautiful accessory!!

[Verne-Bunsen]

It arrived today.  Makes my Helix sound even better. :)

 

 

 

She's gorgeous, congratulations! What amp(s) have you been enjoying playing her through?

[Verne-Bunsen]

...especially given that the two pickup tone of a Les Paul seems to be falling out of style...

 

 

...Even though the Les Paul seems to be falling out of style...

 

I'm asking these questions genuinely, not being snarky nor contrarian in the least: When did this happen? And by what metric has it been indicated? 

[MusicLaw]

There are many of us who feel the sound of a Les Paul will forever remain as a foundational component of what a guitar should sound like. The same may be said of a Strat and of a 335 style guitar.

[DunedinDragon]

I'm asking these questions genuinely, not being snarky nor contrarian in the least: When did this happen? And by what metric has it been indicated? 

 

Well certainly when you compare against the heyday of the Les Paul back in the late 60's and 70's, they're not at prominent or popular.  Gibson and Les Pauls tend to take a lot of criticism on many of the boards due mostly to Gibson pricing, but I don't pay much attention to that.  You generally get what you pay for when it comes to guitars.  I do think there was a period of time where Gibson got a bit complacent about their quality control back in the late '80s and '90s and that still lingers in some people's minds.  But clearly the biggest factor tends to be the shredders that have moved more toward the ESP's, Schecter's and such for lower end dual humbucker type guitars and hotter pickups because that's what their current guitar hero of choice plays.

 

Personally I think it has mostly to do with what's trendy and some level of price consideration.  None of that really matters to me.  I play what I feel works best for me whether it's popular or not.

[jdalaz]

.....  But clearly the biggest factor tends to be the shredders that have moved more toward the ESP's, Schecter's and such for lower end dual humbucker type guitars and hotter pickups because that's what their current guitar hero of choice plays.

 

Personally I think it has mostly to do with what's trendy and some level of price consideration.  None of that really matters to me.  I play what I feel works best for me whether it's popular or not.

I would argue that ESP's are played by many people because they are built extremely well; not simply because they are "popular" 

[bsd512]

Thanks, all!  I am very very happy with her.  I'm coming from an ultra thin neck Schecter with active pickups so it's a little getting used to for me.  The neck shape is a bit different from a traditional Les Paul, though, so that eases the transition somewhat.  The 2017 Standard HP has an asymmetrical neck, sort of like half-a-tear-drop shape with the thicker side under the low E string where your thumb would be, so for me it still feels and plays great, but still thicker than the Schecter I'm used to.  I love it, though.

 

OMG its beautifull !! Honey Burst standard HP ? Or is it Herritage cherry sunburst ? :)

 

Thanks! It's the Heritage Cherry Sunburst Standard HP.

 

She's gorgeous, congratulations! What amp(s) have you been enjoying playing her through?

 

 

All of them. :)  Ok, not really, I do have a day job but I'm having a lot of fun going back through my patches I made for my active-pickup Schecter and listening and enjoying.  They all sound great, and I think the crunchier amps like the Litigator definitely sound better (to me) with this guitar.

 

But I still like the higher gain Angl Meteor by itself and the various JCM models with a little overdrive in front.  But I really need to explore more of the amps available in the Helix - the tones from this guitar are giving me a new appreciation for many of the amps I didn't really pay much attention to before, like the Soup Pro, Matchstick Jump and those of that feel.  Hard to pin-point it, they just sound "better" and more organic. :)

 

And there's so much variation possible within the guitar itself - the volume and tone knobs have a more pronounced affect, the two pickups can be split or tapped with the push pull knobs, and with one setting just the inner coils of both pickups are combined which is subtle but distinctly noticeable, too.  Much is possible!

[DunedinDragon]

I would argue that ESP's are played by many people because they are built extremely well; not simply because they are "popular" 

 

I wouldn't argue that.  These days most guitars in almost every range tend to be built pretty well.  Not like the old days.  But the ESP's and Les Paul's appeal to fairly different markets and they certainly have a much lower price point than a Les Paul Standard which is clearly boing to be a factor in the decision-making,

[amsdenj]

I'm asking these questions genuinely, not being snarky nor contrarian in the least: When did this happen? And by what metric has it been indicated? 

 

I don't have any quantified metrics (and I should), but I can treat myself as an an anecdote (and I know a collection of anecdotes is not necessarily a trend). I think there's a general trend towards greater articulation and control, whether its warm blues or heavy metal. Single coil and single pickups tend to provide a more focused tone since the pickup is seeing the string from a single perspective, focusing on the overtones that are prominent at the point where the pickup is placed.

 

Combined pickups see the string from multiple places at the same time, mixing the signals create by the different overtones. This creates cancellations and reinforcements depending on the pickup position, construction, etc. The further apart the pickups are, the greater the difference between the overtones captured by each pickup and the more likely there are to be more extreme cancellations and reinforcements. This is typified by the sound of a Gibson guitar with both pickups turned on since the pickups are as far apart as possible. I find the tone to be a bit nasally, scooped, and results in a tone that less distinct then the other pickup selections. When this is distorted, especially a lot, it can become even more indistinct and muddy. 

 

I've also observed that in videos that feature Les Paul, you often see mostly neck and bridge pickups these days, while in the past, the two pickup combination seemed to be more common. For example, listen to old Mike Bloomfield tunes compared to Joe Bonamassa.

[Verne-Bunsen]

Well certainly when you compare against the heyday of the Les Paul back in the late 60's and 70's, they're not at prominent or popular.  Gibson and Les Pauls tend to take a lot of criticism on many of the boards due mostly to Gibson pricing, but I don't pay much attention to that.  You generally get what you pay for when it comes to guitars.  I do think there was a period of time where Gibson got a bit complacent about their quality control back in the late '80s and '90s and that still lingers in some people's minds.  But clearly the biggest factor tends to be the shredders that have moved more toward the ESP's, Schecter's and such for lower end dual humbucker type guitars and hotter pickups because that's what their current guitar hero of choice plays.

 

Personally I think it has mostly to do with what's trendy and some level of price consideration.  None of that really matters to me.  I play what I feel works best for me whether it's popular or not.

 

I suppose I hadn't considered the rise in popularity of those guitars from the perspective of diminishing the popularity of the "big" makers, namely Gibson and Fender. But I guess it stands to reason. No one dominates a market forever. Still a long way to go before those towers topple though :lol:  

 

Gibson's prices are definitely a point of consideration. When I bought my first Les Paul I owned two Telecasters; the Paul cost more than half-again what both of the Teles did combined! It is the Mercedes-Benz to the Tele's Jeep Wrangler though, no doubt. 

 

I don't have any quantified metrics (and I should), but I can treat myself as an an anecdote (and I know a collection of anecdotes is not necessarily a trend). I think there's a general trend towards greater articulation and control, whether its warm blues or heavy metal. Single coil and single pickups tend to provide a more focused tone since the pickup is seeing the string from a single perspective, focusing on the overtones that are prominent at the point where the pickup is placed.

 

Combined pickups see the string from multiple places at the same time, mixing the signals create by the different overtones. This creates cancellations and reinforcements depending on the pickup position, construction, etc. The further apart the pickups are, the greater the difference between the overtones captured by each pickup and the more likely there are to be more extreme cancellations and reinforcements. This is typified by the sound of a Gibson guitar with both pickups turned on since the pickups are as far apart as possible. I find the tone to be a bit nasally, scooped, and results in a tone that less distinct then the other pickup selections. When this is distorted, especially a lot, it can become even more indistinct and muddy. 

 

I've also observed that in videos that feature Les Paul, you often see mostly neck and bridge pickups these days, while in the past, the two pickup combination seemed to be more common. For example, listen to old Mike Bloomfield tunes compared to Joe Bonamassa.

 

That is an interesting observation. I guess we tend to see things through our own filters, I love the vowel-y sounds of a Paul on both pickups! Especially a P90 Paul... Very different from Tele or Strat. But I mostly relish that tone when the signal is clean to "slightly broken up". As you say, when the gain goes up that sort of "character" starts to make things a bit indistinct. 

 

Sorry for the derailment, but thanks for the replies!

[Verne-Bunsen]

 They all sound great, and I think the crunchier amps like the Litigator definitely sound better (to me) with this guitar.

 

 

 

I've been loving the LP + Litigator combo as well, fantastic! Of course the Litigator is great with just about everything, but still.... 

 

I'll say it again, that's one pretty guitar. Enjoy!

[brue58ski]

Everyone's talking about the guitar. I thought he was referring to the guitar strap. (That's a joke there son).

[zooey]

I've th

 

Combined pickups see the string from multiple places at the same time, mixing the signals create by the different overtones. This creates cancellations and reinforcements depending on the pickup position, construction, etc. The further apart the pickups are, the greater the difference between the overtones captured by each pickup and the more likely there are to be more extreme cancellations and reinforcements. This is typified by the sound of a Gibson guitar with both pickups turned on since the pickups are as far apart as possible. I find the tone to be a bit nasally, scooped, and results in a tone that less distinct then the other pickup selections. When this is distorted, especially a lot, it can become even more indistinct and muddy.

I've thought this exact thing, though not as well articulated.

 

My main guitar has three humbuckers, and custom switching that gives you 76 electrically distinct coil combinations, all more or less humbucking. (Yes you read that right, 76, with just a 5-position switch and 3 3-position mini-toggles.) Running clean, or even clean-ish, there's a ton of interesting variety there, including lots of sounds that are generally kind of similar but clearly not the same, lots of fun.

 

But once you're fairly dirty, as you say, the simplicity and focus of a straight-up neck or bridge pickup wins out to my ear. At minimum, the semi-subtle variations that are pretty entertaining cleaner just get lost, not a great tradeoff for less punch and clarity.

 

 

Metaphysically, or something, it seems like the world is noisier and more overstimulated than in days of yore. It takes more focus and punch, aka obviousness maybe, to cut through. Maybe today's more single coil/neck-bridge tendencies are related.

[Bikedude]

Helix accessory - I love that! I have a '57 Les Paul Deluxe - it was a gold top with the small humbuckers. But I was into changing things when I was young, so it looks more like a Standard and has Tom Holmes humbuckers with split coils and stainless steel frets. Not that guitar looks, feels, plays and sounds fantastic. But you know what, I seem to be preferring either my Strat or my Variax Standard on gigs. I like all the sounds I can get - mostly acoustic. tele, Les Paul and Strat. And three pickups just provides a lot more tone options than two - especially given that the two pickup tone of a Les Paul seems to be falling out of style.

 

So that Les Paul sits in the case a lot. Its real heavy. and I don't really want something to happen to a 50 year old guitar.

 

I have a 72 Goldtop Deluxe, and I couldn't leave mine alone either. Put in HB's Grover tuners. Didn't even keep the mini's. Like you said, it's too heavy for 4 sets now days, and my Suhr Strat, RW Tele get the most play thru the Helix. I have a first gen Variax I'm going to try, as I just got the cable today.

[amsdenj]

I don't remember why I bought that gold-top. I didn't really like the sparkle. And I didn't want the small humbuckers. It was probably quite a bit cheaper and those were dry days for me. In fact, that guitar was the first thing I bought on time. Had to limit food in order to make the payments.

 

But its still here after all these years. Me too I guess.

[bsd512]

Figured I'd post my first recording with it.  I know I'm no where near as good of a player as all of the people on this board - all you guys and girls are pretty amazing players as evidenced by the SoundCloud clips and songs you've posted.  I figured I'd post it up anyway - I'm loving this new guitar.

 

Bridge pickup.  On the Helix, this is the Angl Meteor (ENGL Fireball) feeding an OwnHammer Orange 2x12 combo-mic'd cabinet IR followed by a little delay and reverb.

 

I also recently acquired EZDrummer 2, which I think sounds better than Logic's built-in drummer and is easier to customize.  Logic's drummer is nice but is somewhat hard to control if you want something specific - there are ways around that, but it's somewhat cumbersome and time-consuming.  EZDrummer definitely puts the EZ in making drum tracks.

 

Anyway - hope you like it.  I didn't spend a lot of time on it - came up with it yesterday, tweaked it a little last night, and recorded it this morning.  Helix, a decent DAW (Logic in my case), and a virtual drummer make the process pretty easy - at least for getting something rough like this done pretty quickly.  I know there's way more involved for professional quality stuff, but for an amateur like me, it's never been easier.

 

https://soundcloud.com/user-22828532/x-62-110