Loud Goldtop

[Sweetfinger]

Chambered?

is the goldtop chambered? Are the other Pauls chambered?

[JGundry]

I would guess that the neck on the Goldtop is thicker which will make for a louder guitar. Also I agree with Possum that it may have lower resistance pickups usually sound clearer, less muffled and louder than higher resistance pickups.

[01redcobra]

No, none of the guitars are chambered. One is a studio, one is a classic and of course there's the Goldtop. My '58 Custom is also as loud as the Goldtop but that's another story.

[01redcobra]

I'm gonna have to go with the lower resistance pickup theory for now. But they actually should be the same resistance as the ones in my Flying V, my Explorer and the Classic. I will have to get a reading on the Goldtop for comparison.

[Dr. Guitar]

to chime in on a more luthier based opinion.

Make sure your guitar is properly set up. Gibsons are never set up at the factory (never ever not a single one), and not many out there can do it right. As stated before, the distance between the pick up and string can have a big effect, but a poorly set up guitar can effect it as well. Action that is too low, strings not being properly supported by the nut/saddle both can hamper your sound. Gibsons come with too tall of a fret wire (in my opinion). Many LP owners don't understand that proper action is measured between the top of the fret, and the bottom of the string. It has nothing to do with the illusion created by the extra space you see between the fingerboard and string.

An x-factor can be your finish too. I've worked on guitars with "too soft" a finish that had no sustain or volume at all, no matter what you did with them.

I say, be exacting with your set ups. Make sure the guitars are all done up right, and the same. If at that time you still have subtle volume differences, then start looking into the pick ups/different woods/construction.

[David Schwab]

My friend and I were talking about this today... he has about 12 Les Pauls and they all sound different. I have played about 5 of them when I'm at the work shop, and they really do sound different. They all sound like Les Pauls, but they all have their own tone. It's just the way it is. That's a loud guitar is all.

[Zhangliqun]

but a poorly set up guitar can effect it as well. Action that is too low, strings not being properly supported by the nut/saddle both can hamper your sound.

That's my vote. Some saddle slots are cut better than others. The finish, as you said, can be a factor too, and as we know, each individual piece of wood has its own personality. I bet the softness/hardness of the wood in the immediate vicinity of the bridge posts makes a big difference too, as can a loose or badly drilled bridge post/bushing hole.