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2015 vs 2016 Gibson Les Paul Traditional

Thrane

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Jan 12, 2017
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19
Hi,

2015 Les paul 100 anniversary vs 2016 HP.

I'm about to buy a myself a new guitar.
Which one of these are the best buy?

The 2015 has no weight relief and comes with a fat 50ties neck.
Is it right that the 2016 comes with more "exclusive" top?


Please let me hear your comments.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:

1all's Pub

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Aug 15, 2015
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157
2015 will have the fatter neck of the 2 *most likely*. I say that because there is always variation and I have felt some 2016 Trads that had fairly fat necks and some 2015 Trads that had necks that were a bit slimmer than normal. So it's possible to find a 2016 that's fatter than a 2015. That said, odds a given 2015 will be fatter.

It'll also be wider as the 2015 necks are wider still even than the 2016 HPs. So that's something to be aware of.

The tops on the 2016 HPs are pretty good... but, again, I've seen some nice 2015 tops too... so....

But honestly, based solely on the "Les Paul 100" signature on the 2015, I'd pass on it and get a 2016. YMMV
 

Thrane

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Jan 12, 2017
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19
Hi,
Thanks for your replies.
I'm now stucked between a 2016 LP Traditional high performance and the LP traditional T 2017.
Here in Denmark the price are the same for both models (2000 USD).

I like the old specifications of the Traditional T, but the 2016 HP comes with titanium nut and a aluminium case.
 

1all's Pub

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Aug 15, 2015
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If it helps any, the Ti nut can be had after the fact for relatively cheaply if you really want it. AND... from what I've read, as nice looking as those HP cases look... they are supposedly very heavy. Just something to consider.

But then again... I'm a "traditional" guy all the way... so I'm probably biased. :spabout
 

Hal Jordan

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Feb 10, 2017
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I have the case and it is fairly heavy, but exactly what you want if it will be banging around in the back of a van (or taking some hits other places). It is not lockable and I don't know if it is approved for flight, but it looks great!

That said, all the Traditional HPs have G-Force auto-tuners which was a deal breaker for me. They do have "nicer" tops on average depending on what you like, but ultimately I went with the Traditional T instead (got one with the figured maple top). Great guitar!
 

Thrane

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Jan 12, 2017
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19
Hi again,
Okay.
Normally i'm conservative when it comes to guitars and amps. I like vintage orientated stuff. And why reinvent something that works good.
Anyone who knows what the difference between the wide soloist and rounded neck?
 

tatman49

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Oct 17, 2016
Messages
14
I will give you my opinion but first some background, I own:
71 LP all Mahogany one piece body truss rod cover has "The Paul" on it w/ rosewood board
3) 2011 LP Customs Ebony, White & Iguana Burst all have Ebony boards, white has 50's rounded neck
2014 LP Standard Ocean Water w/ rosewood board and slim taper neck
2) 2015 LP Traditional Heritage Cherry & Placid Purple w/ XL Wide necks

I play rock and metal for majority and i played in garage bands in high school until I graduated from high school in 89, moved down to LA from Sacramento did about 100 auditions for bands until landed gig with London for a little over a year. I have played about every guitar you can imagine 71 LP was my first but it sat while I played a Kramer Vivian Campbell model and a Jackson Charvel through 80's and early 90's. Put down the guitar for a long time but in early 2000's picked it up after I had kids and wanted them to get interested in music. Went back to my 71 for years then started playing with a few guys my age and we started doing early Def Leppard, AC/DC, Kix etc. Started collecting the LP's when I had to have the White LP Custom to play Ozzy covers (Blizzard & Diary). I play through an EVH III 5150 W/ 2X12 @ home and 2) 4x12 and split signals and only effects are TC reverb, delay and an old TC Chorus + Pitch Modulater & Flanger.

I can say the 2015 took about 10 hours of playing before I got used to the wider neck and I love not accidentally pushing the string off the fret some of those covers have very energetic solos which I would occasionally fret out the high E. I find barre chords & the F chord are much easier with the wider neck of the 2015 and string placement is the same. I really don't give 2 S***s about the headstock signature and for me the Gforce is great, the low E robotuner gave up last week so I went to Reverb and bought a gforce foe $35 now I still have 5 extra robotuners and one gforce in case of any more problems. It tunes as well as my Shure wireless GLXD16. The 59' pickups respond fantastic to tube amps, note articulation is great on blue channel and they do scream on red channel. I of course opened up the 2015's when I got them and I will say Gibson really tried hard with the finish out of the 2015. There was in my opinion just as much care building the 2015's as there was with my 2011 Customs and I didn't have to swap out for Manlius pickups because these 59's are sweet. Lastly I will say that I like a heavy guitar and the 2015 Traditional's are heavy but 2 weeks of gigging and your shoulders and lower back will adjust, I am 45 and the weight doesn't bother me now. I believe the only things that really matter in distinguishing the 2015 and 2016 will be do you like the wider neck? Do you need access to wider range of tones i.e. push pull knobs and dip switches? The gforce, signature headstock, hologram is all just fluff that "traditionalists" like to have something to bitch about. I like to judge a guitar on how it plays, feels and sounds then on what it looks like. My next one will probably be a Standard HP for wider tonal palette. Anyways, hope this gives some food for thought.
 

1all's Pub

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Aug 15, 2015
Messages
157
Hi again,
Okay.
Normally i'm conservative when it comes to guitars and amps. I like vintage orientated stuff. And why reinvent something that works good.
Anyone who knows what the difference between the wide soloist and rounded neck?

The difference is the width. The 2015s are 1.795" at the nut while the normal Gibson nut width is 1.695". Both have the same string spacing.

In my experience in playing about a dozen 2015s in stores when they first came out, I could stand the extra width at the first couple frets (not too noticeable)... but once I got past about the 7th fret or so it started to get very noticeable and very annoying. And anything above the 15th fret was terrible feeling in my hand. I grew to dislike their feel quite a bit pretty quickly.
 

Karldoog

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Apr 3, 2017
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132
I just got my 2016 Trad Pro III tonight. It plays like butter---the neck is VERY comfortable, and the palette of sounds you can get out of it is mind-blowing.
2016%20LP%20Tr%20Pro%20III%204_zpsrcs5rpf5.jpg
 
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