More GAS For LP/Rush Lovers.....

[soulman969]

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...son-les-paul-standard-axcess-outfit-epiphone?

Rush to Get the Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul
Epiphone honors real rock royalty with the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Axcess Standard, the brand’s latest signature release, designed in collaboration with the Officer of the Order of Canada and Rush co-founder himself.

 

[Biddlin]

Yeah, but no. With that bridge work it ain't gonna be light enough...

 

[soulman969]

Ya' wanna play heavy music ya' gotta play a heavy guitar!

 

[Raiyn]

Ya' wanna play heavy music ya' gotta play a heavy guitar!

Heavy? Rush?

 

[Davis Sharp]

That guitar has a lot going on: Piezo electric pup in the FR bridge. push=pull pots, 2 outputs.

But...

 

[Biddlin]

Ya' wanna play heavy music ya' gotta play a heavy guitar!

True, dat! But you'd better carry of these to rest between "heavy " songs:

6 lb. 10 oz. ea
Now that's what a guitar should weigh!

 

[soulman969]

That guitar has a lot going on: Piezo electric pup in the FR bridge. push=pull pots, 2 outputs.

But...

View attachment 14879

The Epiphone site itself isn't showing any restrictions on an order. At least it allowed me to put it in my cart.

 

[soulman969]

View attachment 14880View attachment 14881
True, dat! But you'd better carry of these to rest between "heavy " songs:
View attachment 14882
6 lb. 10 oz. ea
Now that's what a guitar should weigh!

Be nice if they were all 7lbs or so. I'm not that lucky but at least most of mine are under 8lbs. Only my Gold Top and my G&L ASAT Spcl. hit 9lbs.

My basses average about 9lbs too so as long as it's under 10lbs I can live with it.

 

[Davis Sharp]

The Epiphone site itself isn't showing any restrictions on an order. At least it allowed me to put it in my cart.

Yeah, I also saw it on the Chicago Music Exchange site. I don't know why Epi thinks I'm in The Netherlands.

 

[Biddlin]

I find the trick with my custom is to wear it a wee bit higher than my other guitars. I still need a small woman to walk on my back after a set.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I love Rush, glad to see Gibson and Epiphone , honor Alex Life son !!!!

I got fourteen guitars .... My Wife would kill me !!!!

 

[soulman969]

Yeah, I also saw it on the Chicago Music Exchange site. I don't know why Epi thinks I'm in The Netherlands.

My grandfather was Dutch. Born and raised in The Netherlands.

Maybe I can get an exception for that.

 

[LSAR]

Weighs about the same as my '50s Standard GT, maybe slightly more. I'm guessing just under 9lbs.

Flawless build so far as I can tell, just needs a little setup tweaking and I'll gut to explore some tones more tomorrow.

 

[Anton Evans]

View attachment 14887 View attachment 14888 View attachment 14889 View attachment 14890
Weighs about the same as my '50s Standard GT, maybe slightly more. I'm guessing just under 9lbs.

Flawless build so far as I can tell, just needs a little setup tweaking and I'll gut to explore some tones more tomorrow.

How does it sound and feel?

 

[LSAR]

How does it sound and feel?

So far I'm loving it, sounds like an LP honestly.

The ceramic neck pickup/probucker 3 bridge pickup is a bit of a different combo than my '50s Standard, defnitely more bite in the bridge pickup and perhaps just a bit more overall on the neck as well but I don't notice a lot of difference in the two on the neck pickup. The Piezo is an interesting animal...the control layout takes a minute or two to get used to and the piezo volume had to be dialed up to match the output of the magnetic pickups a bit better (there's a small trim pot to adjust this on the preamp board in the back, so very easy). On its own I'm not sure I notice a lot of difference between the piezo and the neck pickup but it adds some really nice depth to the sound when blended in with the regular pickups, and I'm sure as I learn to dial in the acoustic tone it will stand better on its own as well.

For feel, I often rest my hand heavily on the bridge and this has forced me to adjust a little bit (though that is not a problem). The bridge feels really nice, a well made piece of kit and a bit pricy in its own right. Very stable once dialed in and strings are stretched. The neck is similar in size to what my Wilshire P-90 was, a decently round '60s sort of profile but certainly not a huge neck or a tiny shredder. It feels very fast and easy to play, for lack of better description. Frets are a bit thinner and taller than my standard '50s, they feel good once polished, and the board darkened a noticeable amount with oil.

If they do like the Gibson and make one in Crimson Red I'll be buying it too.

 

[Ron Pipes]

What's exactly is the Lifeson Profile in regards to the neck profile? Any similarities to other Les Pauls? I'm hoping it's not similar to Epiphones 60's style Slim Taper which seems to be more of a shallow flat D shape.

 

[Anton Evans]

So far I'm loving it, sounds like an LP honestly.

The ceramic neck pickup/probucker 3 bridge pickup is a bit of a different combo than my '50s Standard, defnitely more bite in the bridge pickup and perhaps just a bit more overall on the neck as well but I don't notice a lot of difference in the two on the neck pickup. The Piezo is an interesting animal...the control layout takes a minute or two to get used to and the piezo volume had to be dialed up to match the output of the magnetic pickups a bit better (there's a small trim pot to adjust this on the preamp board in the back, so very easy). On its own I'm not sure I notice a lot of difference between the piezo and the neck pickup but it adds some really nice depth to the sound when blended in with the regular pickups, and I'm sure as I learn to dial in the acoustic tone it will stand better on its own as well.

For feel, I often rest my hand heavily on the bridge and this has forced me to adjust a little bit (though that is not a problem). The bridge feels really nice, a well made piece of kit and a bit pricy in its own right. Very stable once dialed in and strings are stretched. The neck is similar in size to what my Wilshire P-90 was, a decently round '60s sort of profile but certainly not a huge neck or a tiny shredder. It feels very fast and easy to play, for lack of better description. Frets are a bit thinner and taller than my standard '50s, they feel good once polished, and the board darkened a noticeable amount with oil.

If they do like the Gibson and make one in Crimson Red I'll be buying it too.

Thanks for the rundown. I'm getting one as a gift and was curious about it. Sounds like a winner!

 

[Space1999]

For feel, I often rest my hand heavily on the bridge and this has forced me to adjust a little bit (though that is not a problem).

I have played with my palm on the bridge for so long I doubt I could handle playing any other way if I had a choice.

I really do admire the guitar though. Where’s the whammy bar?
I thought that was a very substantial looking piece and certainly cooler that a lot of skinny looking ones.

How could you play any song on Grace Under Pressure without it?

Pat

 

[LSAR]

I have played with my palm on the bridge for so long I doubt I could handle playing any other way if I had a choice.

I really do admire the guitar though. Where’s the whammy bar?
I thought that was a very substantial looking piece and certainly cooler that a lot of skinny looking ones.

How could you play any song on Grace Under Pressure without it?

Pat

For me it's no issue because most of my playing is at home, sitting down. I haven't quite adjusted to playing it with a strap as of yet, but then I'm hardly adjusted to doing that with anything. Basically I used to rest the pinky-side of my hand along the bridge/strings to palm mute and now I rest the thumb-side of my hand on the bass end of the bridge pickup ring. It's actually become a bit more comfortable and palm muting is still easy enough. I'm playing my other guitars the same way now, and it doesn't really impact where the pick naturally hits the strings.

The bar is around though, and getting used:

Turns out I hadn't given Grace Under Pressure a proper listen and focused much on the guitar, but listening now that'll be on the list of vinyl I need to pick up for sure. My abilities are nowhere near Alex's though, especially looking at some of the solos on the Clockwork Angels video release. Wow. I certainly won't ever put the trem through his level of use and proficiency.

And for @Ron Pipes I wish I had a way to give a bit of a more scientific answer, but I can say that compared to my '50s Standards it is not near as substantial. Definitely thinner and unlike the '50s doesn't have huge and noticeable shoulders to it. Compared to "slim taper" though...the term has been used so long and so broadly by Epi it's hard to say what any one person has in mind for it. It definitely does not have the flat backed, almost D shaped profile many (especially bolt on) Epi's have had in the past. It's a pretty round, comfortable shape without being large, and without being small. It's in '60s territory for sure, but not so much in slim taper territory. I play thumb over probably a fair bit more than some would say a person should, and this fits into my hand very comfortable, where those D shapes to feel unnatural to me.

 

[Ron Pipes]

@LSAR Excellent info, and good to know before I pull the trigger on one of these. I'm a huge, huge Lifeson fan, but I'm also a guitar player that struggles with Carpal Tunnel. I find that no matter how I play, and with or without a brace to keep the wrist straight and aligned, Epi's 60's slim taper profile is just not something I can get along with for much more than an hour or so on any given day. It has something to do with that flat back that just doesn't agree with my playing. Any other profile is pretty good with some better than others, but that flat back would have been a deal breaker.

So.....this is good news and I'll definitely be giving this the green light to try out. From the few pics I've seen of the neck it looks like something I can work with, but that can be difficult at best to determine from pics so you're info is spot on with what I was needing to know.