Gibson Les Paul Standard Review - Should You Buy It?
Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is synonymous with rock & roll and blues guitar. Although the shape and thick, chunky sound have remained steadfast throughout the years, the details, from pickup selection to neck design, have been modified to reflect Gibson's long-term desire to innovate.
The last major round of alterations made to the Les Paul Standard come about in 2008. Some of the changes have received positive critiques while others have not. We'll take a look at the particulars and let you decide for yourself.
There are numerous revisions to note, including a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, chambered body, Neutrik locking output jack, asymmetrical neck, Bourns pots, Grover Locking Tuners, Dunlop Strap Locks, and a Plek'd setup. Possibly the most apparent change, if you're even remotely familiar with Les Pauls, is that the new Standard is much lighter, likely due to the chambered body.
We were mildly afraid that the chambered body would have a negative effect on the tone, but, fortunately, it didn't happen. The trademark Les Paul sustain was here in all its glory, as was the characteristic thick, meaty tone. We were glad, though, that the instrument was a bit lighter. If you've played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.
We were pleased to see some of the hardware upgrades, especially the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek'd setup resulted in a real playable and superb sounding instrument literally out of the box.
Granted, a minor truss rod adjustment was required, but that's ordinarily the case when you get a guitar via UPS. Out of the box, the Les Paul was pretty much gig-ready, a testimony to both the Plek'd setup as well as the TonePros hardware.
We were also very impressed with the finish, which was a flamed Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Try as we could, we found no problems in the fit or finish. While a matter of personal taste, we're also glad they chose to omit the pickguard, but it is included should you want to install it.
We were fascinated when we found that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we're glad they did. The profile boasts a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.
Another way to look at it is as a hybrid of the 50's and 60's style neck. In addition to the enhanced neck profile, the fretwork was wonderful, especially for a mass-production instrument.
It's hard for us not to think of a Les Paul without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we found, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.
The Burstbucker pickups seemed to be a pretty good fit, since they are aggressive and dark by nature. There are certainly some textbook Les Paul tones to be found here, though the chambered body/Burstbucker combination has its own particular flavor. To each his own. We liked them.
We have to say, though, that there were a few things we just didn't care for. Gibson chose to include Neutrik locking input jacks, for example. Some folks love them, but we're not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are high quality, so we appreciate that at least.
Even less enjoyable are the volume and tone control pots, which are PCB mounted. It seems handy at first, since the jack, selector switch, pots, and pickups are all connected to the main PCB board. But it could really slow down the effortless act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.
Still, these concerns are minor. Overall, the new Gibson Les Paul Standard is a wonderful guitar in many ways, and we sense the spirit of classic Les Pauls here. Gibson also now makes a "Les Paul Traditional" that might appeal to folks who want a more orthodox Les Paul. Obviously, Gibson has something for everyone in their Les Paul series. - 23812
The last major round of alterations made to the Les Paul Standard come about in 2008. Some of the changes have received positive critiques while others have not. We'll take a look at the particulars and let you decide for yourself.
There are numerous revisions to note, including a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, chambered body, Neutrik locking output jack, asymmetrical neck, Bourns pots, Grover Locking Tuners, Dunlop Strap Locks, and a Plek'd setup. Possibly the most apparent change, if you're even remotely familiar with Les Pauls, is that the new Standard is much lighter, likely due to the chambered body.
We were mildly afraid that the chambered body would have a negative effect on the tone, but, fortunately, it didn't happen. The trademark Les Paul sustain was here in all its glory, as was the characteristic thick, meaty tone. We were glad, though, that the instrument was a bit lighter. If you've played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.
We were pleased to see some of the hardware upgrades, especially the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek'd setup resulted in a real playable and superb sounding instrument literally out of the box.
Granted, a minor truss rod adjustment was required, but that's ordinarily the case when you get a guitar via UPS. Out of the box, the Les Paul was pretty much gig-ready, a testimony to both the Plek'd setup as well as the TonePros hardware.
We were also very impressed with the finish, which was a flamed Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Try as we could, we found no problems in the fit or finish. While a matter of personal taste, we're also glad they chose to omit the pickguard, but it is included should you want to install it.
We were fascinated when we found that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we're glad they did. The profile boasts a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.
Another way to look at it is as a hybrid of the 50's and 60's style neck. In addition to the enhanced neck profile, the fretwork was wonderful, especially for a mass-production instrument.
It's hard for us not to think of a Les Paul without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we found, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.
The Burstbucker pickups seemed to be a pretty good fit, since they are aggressive and dark by nature. There are certainly some textbook Les Paul tones to be found here, though the chambered body/Burstbucker combination has its own particular flavor. To each his own. We liked them.
We have to say, though, that there were a few things we just didn't care for. Gibson chose to include Neutrik locking input jacks, for example. Some folks love them, but we're not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are high quality, so we appreciate that at least.
Even less enjoyable are the volume and tone control pots, which are PCB mounted. It seems handy at first, since the jack, selector switch, pots, and pickups are all connected to the main PCB board. But it could really slow down the effortless act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.
Still, these concerns are minor. Overall, the new Gibson Les Paul Standard is a wonderful guitar in many ways, and we sense the spirit of classic Les Pauls here. Gibson also now makes a "Les Paul Traditional" that might appeal to folks who want a more orthodox Les Paul. Obviously, Gibson has something for everyone in their Les Paul series. - 23812
About the Author:
If you are shopping for the absolute lowest price on a used or new Gibson Les Paul Standard, then you must visit Ray's Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all new and used guitars. It doesn't matter if you're shopping for a Fender Telecaster, an Epiphone Casino, or a PRS Custom 22, Ray's Guitar Shop has what you're looking for!
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