Gibson Les Paul Standard Review – Are the New Changes Worth It?
While you have to careful about learning your music history from “Guitar Hero,” even playing the super-popular video game for five minutes will teach anyone that the Gibson Les Paul is an unavoidable part of rock and roll history. Since its introduction, the identifiable design and sound have been part of the landscape of popular music, especially rock and blues. Although the shape and primary sound have remained the same, Gibson has made slight modifications to the particulars, from neck thickness to pickup selection.
Only a couple of years ago, Gibson introduced a number of alterations in the favorite Les Paul Standard series. Some of these alterations have been well-received, others not so much. So, what has changed, exactly?
Here’s a summation on the changes Gibson implemented. The new Les Paul Standard now includes Strap Locks (Dunlop), chambered body, Grover Locking Tuners, TonePros bridge/tailpiece, Neutrick output jack, and a setup via Plek. If you’re familiar with Les Pauls, you’ll right away notice the lighter weight, due to the chambered body.
We didn’t ascertain any deficiency in tone due to the chambered body, and played acoustically, the Les Paul Standard had a balanced, deep tone. If you’ve ever gigged with a Les Paul for any extended period of time, you’ll value the lighter weight.
Since I normally substitute tune-o-matic style bridges with TonePros, the upgraded bridge and tailpiece are a welcome addition, as is the Plek setup, which resulted in a solid playing and sounding guitar right out of the box.
We did have to make a minor truss rod adjustment, but for an instrument that was sent halfway across the country, that’s regular procedure. For the record, though, this instrument was ready to take to a show straight out of the box. Not bad.
We were also very taken 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 appreciative they chose to omit the pickguard, but it is included should you desire to install it.
For the retooled Standard, Gibson chose to incorporate an asymmetrical neck profile, and I applaud their decision. The whole point is to have a thicker bass side with a somewhat thinner treble side, and the playability is greatly improved with this profile design.
Think of it as the best of a 50′s and 60′s profile in one neck design. The fretwork and factory setup were the best we’d ever seen from an out-of-the-box Gibson.
As we put the guitar through its paces, we decided to respect a classic matchup, so we played through a Marshall Reissue JCM800. It was unquestionably a marriage made in heaven! The chambered body added a little ES-335 flavor, but only in a good way.
We also dug the Burstbucker pickups, which is saying something because we’re used to swapping out replacements straightaway. The pickups emphasize the Les Paul’s heavy sound, and you can easily grab some identifiable Les Paul sounds here. The Burstbuckers combined with the chambered body is a terrific combination.
We have to say, though, that there were a couple of things we just didn’t care for. Gibson chose to include Neutrik locking input jacks, for example. Some individuals love them, but we’re not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are superior quality, so we appreciate that at least.
Same goes for the PCB mounted volume and tone pots. In fact, all pots, the pickups, the selector switch, and the jack are all coupled to a main PCB board via pluggable connectors. While it’s cutting-edge in a way, it could also greatly hinder changing a pot or swapping pickups. We were left rubbing our heads on this one.
Aside from these small concerns, we think the newest embodiment of the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a lot to offer and that it definitely has the spirit of a classic Les Paul. If the revisions are not to your liking, Gibson now offers the “Les Paul Traditional” that is more, well, traditional. There’s something for everyone in Gibson’s Les Paul lineup.
If you are searching for the absolute lowest price on a used or new Gibson Les Paul Standard, then you need to visit Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all new and used guitars. It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for a Fender Telecaster, an Epiphone G-400, or a PRS Custom 22, Ray’s Guitar Shop has what you’re searching for!
Related posts
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License, which means you may freely reprint it, in its entirety, provided you include the author's resource box along with LIVE links (without "nofollow" tags).