Hi all. Been mostly away from the gear forums for the past 8 months, focusing on my solo nuevo flamenco gig.

But I picked-up a Tom Anderson Bulldog (high end LP clone) several weeks ago, and then a True Historic R0 this past Saturday. Both guitars are the finest playing, sounding, and looking LP style guitars that I've ever played or owned. The LGS that I bought both guitars from (used) has had a lot of the True Historic Reissues over the past several years, and this is the nicest one according to the guy who runs the shop (who's a close personal friend of 30 years). I also believe that, because I've played nearly all of the other ones and this one is special... which is why he texted me a pic when it came in and enticed me to come check it out. LPs seem to work that way... even these expensive Custom Shop ones. Some just have some special mojo, while others don't. This one was the favorite Reissue of its former owner (out of dozens of Reissues that he's owned) and he only let it go because he's become obsessed with 70's Customs over the past year and has been collecting a bunch of those. I suspect that he'll have regrets about doing so down the road. Maybe I'll sell it back to him for the right price! :D  He also owned the Anderson at one time. He found vintage Grover tuners and put them on the LP (he puts Grovers on all of his LPs), but the original Klusons are included and I may eventually throw them back on there, because I like the looks of Klusons better.

Both of these guitars have their own strengths and weaknesses.... though the "weaknesses" are pretty minimal. The Anderson sounds thicker and more sustainy, and it's also more versatile in having coil splitting tone controls. It's bridge pickup is definitely bigger sounding than the LPs is (the LP is loaded with Lindy Fralins). The LPs bridge pup is more angry and bitey than the Anderson. The LP is slightly less sustainy than the Anderson, but makes up for that in a special clarity and woodiness. I haven't weighed it yet, but it seems very light. Which probably accounts for its specialness. The LPs neck Fralin has nearly as much sustain as the Anderson's neck pup, but it clearer and more articulate. It's a thing of beauty to hear. I've had LPs loaded with Fralins before, but never had one sound this good. Both guitars are holy grail level LPs, and though I'd love to choose one over the other and gain the financial stake back... I simply can't do that at this time. I love 'em both equally (the Bulldog is my fourth Tom Anderson guitar and there are no better guitar made IMO). So it looks like I'm "stuck" with both for the time being. Cue the Hewy Lewis "[Happy To Be] Stuck With You" background music.

Beautiful guitars, I'm jelly! 

I picked up a '16 Standard with my tax return this spring, myself.

She's a beauty man! I'm not sure I've ever seen a Standard with a top that nice before!  


But here's the REAL question (with any Gibson LP)... how does she sound? I've had/played some that were duds, some that were okay, some that were good, and some that were great. More than any other guitar, it seems like every Gibson LP is unique. Like people! Some are ugly inside and out. Some are beautiful outside, but ugly inside, and some are beautiful inside and out. I've got a '91 Studio that's WAY fugly on the outside, but she's a beauty inside. Haven't see that extreme level of uncertainty/variation with other brands over the years. Pickup swaps can help over most stock Gibby pups... but still, an LP is either alive, or it's dead.

Thanks!

It's a Plus Top, and they have AAA maple tops. And it sounds great. It came with their Burstbucker Pro 1&2 set, which has A5 magnets instead of A2 mags like the regular Burstbuckers. They're clear and articulate and I like them better than the regular Burstbucker 1&2 set that I also have (the brighter top end if the A5 makes a difference). And overall, it sounds great for anything up to old school metal/hard rock. If you try to do more modern sounds, you really have to have the right speakers, amp, and amp settings, otherwise it just falls apart when you start chugging. The pups are just too open and loose to be able to do that consistently. I may eventually swap out the pups for a Duncan Custom (my go to favorite for Les Pauls) and a Jazz. But I have enough "metal" guitars that it won't happen anytime soon. Besides, sometimes a guy needs to play low to mid gain stuff with open and loose pickups, it's good for the soul.

Very cool. My R0 has Fralin's in it. The doc puts Fralins or Bonamassas in every Reissue that he's had. Dunno what the OEM pups even were.

I had a set of Fralins in my last Standard that I liked, but not as much as I'm digging this tone. Dunno if they're different Fralins..  or just because the guitar is better than my Standard was. But they seem to stay tight and articulate no matter the gain level and are just amazingly musical at all settings.

Awesome guitars.

You have me jones'n for an Anderson. The wife seems to be on board.... Now just have to figure out what and when.

I've heard nothing but good things about Fralins. I need to try a set one of these days, along with some Lollar Imperials.

I've had two Classics, a Drop Top Classic, and the Bulldog. My buddy has had dozens come thru the shop and he has five himself. He says that not a dud has ever come through. Andys are special. Tom seems to take QC more seriously than nearly every other maker out there. Buy a dozen Les Pauls and you might get at least six duds. Buy a dozen Andys and you likely won't get one. One guy buys two Andys every year at the shop. He's got over two dozen. So he's a fan! Best guitars made.

Lindy builds great pups. I had one that showed up DOA and he worked with me personally to recitfy it. And sent me a T shirt for the trouble! Nice guy.

Nice
the Quilt top on that Tom Anderson is amazing!

She is purrrday for sure.

Beautiful guitars, guys.

My basic plain-Jane LPs are envious.

I like the flamey/quilty lookers, but I'd take a girl-next-door plain top player with life/mojo/tone every day over a cold, dead beauty queen. I've owned a LOT of beauty queens over the years... and they're all gone. Some were great and I just got bored with them. Many looked more inspiring than they sounded. I'm over the looks thing frankly. These guitars are GREAT guitars, so that's why I couldn't resist.

Nothing wrong with a beauty queen that can sing, too.

Thanks!

But like Red Label said, tone is a big part of the deal. I used to have an '82 Les Paul Standard plain top that I really bonded with. So much that I'd probably be willing to trade several of my guitars for it. It's the one that got away.

Yup... TONE and playability are everything to me now. A sweet top might lure me in, but it won't keep me (and never has).

I replaced my pic of the LP in the OP to reflect it in its OEM case, and with the Kluson tuners put back on. The vintiage Grovers on it are great, but I wanted it to look like a 1960 LP SHOULD look. I just like seeing Klusons on LPs. Always have.

Nice!

That '82 I mentioned above was my first LP and it had Grovers with chrome keystone buttons, so that's what I gravitate towards. The kidney shaped ones on my '16 annoy me. Lol

Yeah, I've had lots of LPs with Grovers (and my '91 Studio does), but they always looked wrong to me. Especially on a Reissue/Historic recreation. I get why people prefer the Grovers (they're BETTER!), but the Klusons are what's in my image of what a classic, iconic LP is supposed to look like.