Les Paul Standard Review
Posted by professor J from Los angeles on Feb 5, 2010
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Experienced guitar player and musician
Reviewer's Play Style: all styles
I must say I was worried about some of the changes Gibson made to the guitar, especialy the chambered body. I never had an issue with the non-chambered bodies being to heavy and the possable sonic repercusions had me worried. After playing the guitar i worried no longer. The guitar sounds just beautiful. I found the new tuners to be a welcome change since the nicest thing I can say of the previous ones is that they were total crap. After a thorough test run i have nothing but praise for the guitar. Although the price tag is a bit high I didn't knock off any points in value from the review since the tone of this guitar is worth every penny.
Les Paul Standard Review
Posted by professor J from Los angeles on Feb 5, 2010
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Experienced guitar player and musician
Reviewer's Play Style: all styles
I must say I was worried about some of the changes Gibson made to the guitar, especialy the chambered body. I never had an issue with the non-chambered bodies being to heavy and the possable sonic repercusions had me worried. After playing the guitar i worried no longer. The guitar sounds just beautiful. I found the new tuners to be a welcome change since the nicest thing I can say of the previous ones is that they were total crap. After a thorough test run i have nothing but praise for the guitar. Although the price tag is a bit high I didn't knock off any points in value from the review since the tone of this guitar is worth every penny.
Nice, but...
Posted by Steve from WV on Dec 28, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: 30+ years
Reviewer's Play Style: Classic Rock
I really dont know where to begin. Having owned multiple Pauls and other gibbies all I can say at this time is it is indeed not my fathers LP - or the one I played in the 80's or 90's. My last LP was a 2007.
I'm not really dissing the guitar; It looks like a LP but thats where it kinda stops. I'll start with the good...
Finish - HC Sunburst, Nice and flamey but not too wild. Everything you would expect in a good LP. No issues with binding on the body or neck areas.
Neck - Here is where you will either love it or hate it. This is not what I would consider a bad thing but the diferent profile takes some getting used to. It is more flatter/wider and puts me more in mind of a high end Jackson Soloist. It is very comfortable. The quality of construction is good. I found no issues with where the binding meets the frets or bad inlay work. The plek job is awesome. I feel like I've played this guitar for years (well broke in) but yet its new.
Tuners - I was a bit worried about the locking style because of my lack of experience with them. No bad stories to tell though. They work flawless and hold tune quite well with a set of 10.5's
There were no intonation issues and no other tuning problems to mention.
Strap locks - Dunlop style and great addition!
What could improve;
Pickups - Burstbuckers? You would think these should kick tail but they do not. I found myself having to turn down the tone on my rig and I run it halfway to start. The BB's are just too bright with not enough meaty midrange that I expected. Neck pickup is way too hot! 57 classics or 490/498T would of been a better choice. Which leads me to another issue - the printed circuit board inside the control cavity. It was once quite easy to swap pickups. Now I am a bit "afraid" to even open the thing up. It's like Gibson is trying to make it more dificult to customise on our own. The locking jack is nice but a friend has replaced three on his gold top so far. Step on your cord and kiss the jack goodbye..
Case - disapointed with quality. It was made in Canada with a big proud maple leaf sticker on the front to proclaim it. No combo lock and the tolex was of poor fit with gaps and such.
Bottom line - Still a nice guitar that needs little if any tweaking. Look to the LP Traditional Plus if you want the old style neck and non chambered body.
simply amazing
Posted by Relegation6458 from Boston, MA on Oct 29, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Active Musician
Reviewer's Play Style: Metal, Jazz, Blues,
Gibson Les Paul's have something that no other guitar does. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but there is no guitar that feels more legit than the Gibson Les Paul. This particular guitar stands up to the Les Paul name but goes even further. Being a weight lifter, the heaviness of typical Les Paul's has never bothered me, but having the weight relieved body really helps me perform better. Don't believe everything you hear, i have gotten this guitar to play as fast as a Jackson or Ibanez with a proper setup and it sounds much fuller thanks to the large body. People never look at the Les Paul as a go-to death metal guitar, but i still have yet to find a guitar that inspires my song writing abilities and makes me feel more at home than this.
Best LP ever!
Posted by MannyBlue65 from Los Angeles on Oct 24, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Active Musician
Reviewer's Play Style: Rock and Alternative
This guitar is built for live performances. There is no need to change anything or add anything to this guitar. Everything you ever wanted in a Les Paul, this guitar has it. This guitar is built ready to ROCK!