FirstI list the features of the Gibson Les Paul 59 FB Light Aged guitar. Then you have a video or two, purchase links. I'll tell you how this post is built. First I list the features of the Gibson Les Paul 59 FB Light Aged guitar. Then you have a video or two, purchase links Selainhobby main gitar sy juga hobby jalan-jalan ke toko gitar, bukan mau beli, tapi nyobain aja #kereSampai pada teknologi jaman sekarang yang serba prakti Perbedaannyatidak hanya soal harga yang mencolok, tapi lebih dari pada itu. Baik Gibson maupun Epiphone, keduanya mempunyai keunikannya masing-masing. Hal itu tampak dalam spesifikasinya, karakteristik sound, dan cara pembuatan gitar itu sendiri. Saya tidak akan menilai mana yang baik dan buruk, atau siapa yang menang di antara keduanya. TheBest Electric Guitars with P90 Pickups. Yamaha PAC611HFM Pacifica - Editor's Pick. Epiphone Les Paul Special I P-90 Limited-Edition - Budget Pick. Epiphone SG Special P-90 - Best Under $500. Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 - Best Under $1,000. Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s P90 - Premium Pick. Gretsch Guitars G2622T-P90 Cekharga Gibson Les Paul terbaru diantara 5,809 produk. Temukan juga harga gibson les paul original,gibson les paul custom,gibson les paul gold,gibson lespaul updown,gibson les paul hitam. Bandingkan harga dan promo terlengkap hanya di BigGo Indonesia Vay Tiền Nhanh Chỉ Cần Cmnd. MusicRadar Verdict A heavyweight LP with a raft of usable tones. Pros +Good build with unshowy plain maple top.+Pickups have a little more kick, plus we get expanded sounds.+Good price. Cons -Over-heavy weight despite the weight relief.-Not everyone likes PCBs and push-fit connectors. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test. While Fender splits its guitars into series and periodically updates or refreshes them, Gibson’s main USA production division prefers the annual makeover approach. This year’s line-up was seen by many dealers as a return to form “A new chapter in Gibson’s illustrious history, with their focus firmly back on crafting only the world’s finest guitars!” said one. As ever, the Les Paul sits central, with eight models if we count The Paul 40th Anniversary bookended by the start-up double-cut Les Paul Junior Tribute and topped off with the Les Paul High Performance. Add to the list the Les Paul Studio and Studio Tribute, and that leaves us with the three most classic Les Pauls, the Standard, Traditional and Classic. Today we’re looking at the Classic is a catch-all name and for 2019 swaps its 2018-spec dual P-90s for ’61 Zebras and adds the circuit board previously used on the Standard, along with Traditional aka nine-hole weight relief. At £900 cheaper than the Standard, the 2019 Classic is essentially a stripped-down Les Paul before you drop to the Studios and is offered in Honeyburst as here or Gold Top - it was originally also offered in Ebony and Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Outwardly, all three of the 2019 models share the same construction one-piece neck, headstock widening wings and two-piece centre-joined backs. The Classic features a A-less plain top’ and ’61 Zebra open coil Classic name has been applied to various-spec LPs since it appeared back in 1990, then in a highly vintage spec. Today’s more cost-effective dress, with its plain maple top, evokes a more 70s Deluxe style, enhanced by the metal-topped knobs. Unfortunately, that perception is reinforced by its weight, which makes it the porker here despite its Traditional Weight Relief at a whooping Grover Rotomatics reference one of the most common LP mods and we get a no-wire ABR-1 tune-o-matic. Likewise, the ’board appears very dry and with such low-profile frets you do really feel the ’board’s surface more than you would with a higher wire. String height is identical to the others and neck relief sits between the two. SoundsThe Classic has an initial response that all points to a strong plugged-in performance. The Classic’s neck feels very similar to the recently-reviewed Standard, despite the differences, but the weight has a big impact, particularly on the hugely unbalanced feel played seated. Of course, if that doesn’t bother you, you might be on to a winner here as it’s a great player as supplied. Like any classic design, what you hear coming out of your amp might not be your idea of a great Les Paul tone, yet playing these three we’re hearing wonderful and subtly different flavours. It might well be that the Classic has the bite and power you like with more lower-end grunt than the others. There’s a little more nasally P-90 flavour, a slightly cocked-wah voice that provides a grainy texture, especially with some crunch and Marshall-y gain. Running the Classic with both pickups in tap mode is quite something; experiment with the phase switch with both pickups on to hear it. If only the damn thing wasn’t so heavy... The rather dowdy-looking Classic’s fundamental flaw is its colossal weight in a different colour and with a lighter weight it might be game on, but that’s not what’s here. Plugged in, is where the Classic drops in heft and grunt aplenty but with enough clarity to access older snappier and soulful voices. It will no doubt be a while until new Gibson’ settles in and has a noticeable effect on the instruments we can buy. These interim models, however, are three strong dishes that employ existing features we’ve seen before, albeit not in quite the same the horrors of robotic’ tuners, over-wide necks and zero frets now pretty much consigned to the past, these three zone in on the Les Paul in classic style Traditional, sonically expanded Standard and affordable Classic shades. They need a little TLC, which we’d hope would be undertaken before they’re sold, but they’re tidy, not over-priced and have the right name on the headstock. They might well be quite historic models, too the end of an era. Just as we conclude our test at the start of 2019, the new Gibson management announced there will apparently be a completely new 2019 range of Classics’.“Designs like the Les Paul and the SG once again embrace the features and construction details that made them legends in the first place a Les Paul Standard ’50s spec and a Les Paul Standard ’60s spec as well as one with P-90 pickups,” says Cesar Gueikian, Gibson’s chief merchant officer. “The Contemporary line also introduces a new concept with the Les Paul and SG Modern.” These new ranges “will be available for purchase later this year”. What that means for these original and clearly short-lived 2019 models that are in-store is anyone’s guess, but we suspect as the year progresses there will be deals aplenty to be had 2018 models are already discounted in many stores. Whatever happens while the dust settles, it looks like 2019 is going to be quite a year for Gibson lovers. Watch this space! Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad. Most Popular Home Features Image credit Future The Gibson Les Paul - the guitar, the myth, the legend. This genuinely iconic electric guitar has had a rather large hand in shaping rock 'n' roll ever since it was released way back in 1952. Many of the biggest axe-wielding stars from Slash and Gary Moore to Billy Gibbons and Jimmy Page have opted to make this single-cut beauty their number one guitar and, as a result, have firmly cemented Les Paul's place in music history. With the Les Paul being so popular for so long, it would stand to reason that there's a myriad of different options available. We know this can get a little confusing. That’s why we've put together this handy guide to the best Les Pauls you can buy right now, at various price points. We have also listed them in order of series, from the budget-friendly Epiphone to the high-end Murphy Labs custom shop model, to make it a little easier to navigate. We know that the guitar marketplace is awash with incredibly well-built single-cut guitars, from the likes of PRS, Heritage, and ESP, to name a few. Still, we’re solely focussing on Gibson/Epiphone for this article. So, with that being said, let’s dive into our Gibson Les Paul buyer’s guide right now. Best Gibson Les Pauls Our top picksIt's hard not to recommend every Les Paul, but it would undoubtedly be the Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s if we have to pick just one. This is the flagship offering from Gibson, and it's hard to beat. It looks stunning, plays like a dream, and most importantly, sounds killer. For the financially savvy, we recommend checking out the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Humbucker. This stripped-back, no-nonsense guitar may not have all the bells and whistles of the Standard but has bags of attitude and a sound to Gibson Les Pauls Product Guide Image credit Epiphone 1. Epiphone Les Paul 50s StandardThe ideal option for beginners or the budget-consciousSpecificationsBody Mahogany/ Maple VeneerNeck MahoganyScale Indian LaurelFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups Epiphone ProBucker 1/2 HumbuckersControls 2 x volume, 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switchHardware LockTone ABR Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Stopbar TailpieceFinish Metallic Gold, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage SunburstReasons to buy+Looks just like the real deal +Nice feeling neck+Pickups are surprisingly good Reasons to avoid-The thick finish can put some players off If you’ve been paying attention, you'll know that Epiphone has gone through a somewhat extensive revamp over the last couple of years, following in the footsteps of Gibson - literally. The new "inspired by Gibson" range takes the much-loved models from their American brethren and makes them more guitar may be the budget option, but it's still a Les Paul through and through. This Epiphone Les Paul features a mahogany body and mahogany neck with a long neck tenon. However, it does sport a maple veneer rather than the solid maple top found on the Nashville counterpart. A significant change for the new model is the Kalamazoo headstock - something Epiphone fans have been crying out for. Gone is the modified Gibson design, in favor of the original headstock that harkens back to Epiphone's past. So if you're looking for the best Les Paul, but you don't want to remortgage the house, this is an ideal option for you! Read our Epiphone Les Paul 50s Standard review Image credit Epiphone2. Epiphone Les Paul CustomThe budget option with a touch of class SpecificationsBody MahoganyNeck MahoganyScale EbonyFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups Epiphone ProBucker 2/3 HumbuckersControls 2 x volume, 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switchHardware LockTone ABR Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Stopbar TailpieceFinish Alpine White, EbonyReasons to buy+Ebony fretboard+Slim neck +Who doesn't like the look of a Custom? Reasons to avoid-Some may consider it expensive for an Epiphone The Les Paul Custom has been a mainstay among rock royalty since it was introduced in 1954. It has been seen draped over the shoulder of Randy Rhoades, James Hetfield, Mick Mars, and of course, Les Paul himself. The Epiphone Les Paul Custom does a great job at re-creating this stunning guitar at a much more wallet-friendly price. The ever-popular 60s slim taper neck is adorned with a genuine ebony fingerboard and large block inlays, resulting in a guitar that plays as good as it looks. It also comes loaded with the Epiphone ProBucker 2/3 humbuckers, with era-appropriate wiring and CTS pots. So if you’re looking for an axe that is dripping with vintage mojo but at an accessible price, then look no further than the Epiphone Les Paul Custom. Image credit Gibson3. Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Humbucker The back to basics, no-nonsense GibsonSpecificationsBody MahoganyNeck MapleScale RosewoodFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups 490R/490T HumbuckerControls 2 x volume, 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switchHardware Compensated Wraparound BridgeFinish Vintage Cherry Satin, Worn White Satin, Ebony Satin, Natural Walnut SatinReasons to buy+Simple design+Comfortable neck +490T/R pickups Reasons to avoid-Compensated wraparound bridge not for everyone The Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute is a stripped-down rock 'n' roll machine at its heart. This guitar boils down the Les Paul to its most essential elements, making it the perfect option for the player who isn't looking for all the bells and whistles. This modern take on a vintage style Les Paul special comes loaded with the 490R and 490T open-coil humbuckers, which deliver a warm, punchy sound. This simple guitar strays even further from its vintage roots with the inclusion of a maple neck, which offers superb comfort and playability with its rounded edges, as well as added strength. We must say, the Les Paul Special Tribute offers tremendous value for money, giving you the ability to purchase an American-made Gibson guitar for under $/£1,000. If you're the type of player who likes a no-nonsense instrument built to melt faces, do yourself a favor and check this one out. Image credit Gibson 4. Gibson Les Paul StudioA reliable studio companionSpecificationsBody Mahogany/Maple TopNeck MahoganyScale RosewoodFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups 490R/498T HumbuckerControls 2 x Push/Pull Volumes Coil-Tap, 2 x Tone, 3-way toggle pickup switchHardware Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-Matic/ StopbarFinish Tangerine Burst, Wine Red, Smokehouse Burst, EbonyReasons to buy+Classic Les Paul tone+Nice finish options Reasons to avoid-We would rather have a case instead of a gig bag Originally conceived as a more affordable, basic version of the Standard, the Les Paul Studio has developed a reputation all of its own since its debut in 1983. The term "studio" comes from the idea that no one cares what your guitar looks like in the recording studio, it's what it sounds like that matters - and this bare-bones guitar sounds like a Les Paul! This simple electric guitar isn't just for the recording studio. Many notable players have used them on tour. You can often see Jade Puget of AFI or Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance putting these guitars through their paces on stages worldwide. The current iteration of the Studio features a rosewood fingerboard and slim taper mahogany neck and a mahogany body with the Ultra-Modern weight relief. The 490R and 498T humbucking pickups provide the high-output you want from a modern Les Paul, and the two push-pull pots offer a coil-tapping option, meaning this guitar is the perfect companion in the studio.Image credit Gibson 5. Gibson Les Paul JuniorThe student model turned punk iconSpecificationsBody MahoganyNeck MahoganyScale RosewoodFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups Dog Ear P-90Controls Volume, 1 Tone Hand-wired with Orange Drop CapacitorsHardware Nickel Wraparound BridgeFinish Vintage Tobacco Burst, EbonyReasons to buy+Classic P-90 tone+Pure simplicity +Comes with a hard-shell case Reasons to avoid-Fat 50’s neck not for everyone When Gibson released their new student model way back in 1954, they could never have imagined that not only would it still be around today, but that it would be a firm favorite of many punk and rock guitar players. This beautifully simple instrument has long been associated with hard-hitting players such as Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day to Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, and many others. Sometimes simple is better, and this guitar really is as simple as it gets. The single-cut mahogany body houses a solitary dogear P-90 pickup, single volume, and tone control, as well as a vintage-style nickel wraparound bridge. Don't let the lack of features fool you. This guitar certainly packs a punch, and backing off your tone or volume can get a wide range of sounds out of its limited set-up. Image credit Gibson 6. Gibson Les Paul Standard '60sThe Standard by which all others are measuredSpecificationsBody Mahogany/ AA Figured Maple TopNeck MahoganyScale RosewoodFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups Burstbucker 61R/61TControls 2 Volumes, 2 Tones & Toggle Switch Hand-wired with Orange Drop CapacitorsHardware Nickel ABR-1 Tune-O-MaticFinish Iced Tea, Bourbon Burst, UnburstReasons to buy+A joy to play +Stunning looks+Great sounding pickups Reasons to avoid-More finish options would be nice The Standard is Gibson's flagship Les Paul and arguably the most iconic. From its beautiful flame maple top, bound body, and mother of pearl Gibson logo to the throaty mid-range bite of its humbucking pickups, this guitar sounds just as good as it looks. The introduction of the original series saw Gibson go back to what made their guitars so legendary in the first place. No more robot tuners, PCB quick connect pots, or extra wide necks, just simple, elegant guitars. The Les Paul Standard 60's features a solid mahogany body with a stunning AA figured maple top and an incredibly playable slim taper 60's-style mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard and trapezoid inlays. The Gibson Les Paul Standard 60's is easily one of the best options if you’re looking for a new Les Paul. This guitar certainly impresses with its beautiful looks and killer tones. So, if you're unsure which is the best Les Paul to go for, you can't go wrong with a Les Paul Standard. Image credit Gibson 7. Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s P-90 Gold TopGibson is going for goldSpecificationsBody Mahogany/Maple TopNeck MahoganyScale RosewoodFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups 2x P-90Controls 2 Volumes, 2 Tones & Toggle Switch Hand-wired with Orange Drop CapacitorsHardware Nickel ABR-1 Tune-O-MaticFinish Gold TopReasons to buy+Who doesn’t love a gold top?+Tone for days Reasons to avoid-Avoid if you don’t like large necks First of all, how stunning is this Les Paul? This beautiful guitar pays homage to the LPs of the early '50s, without the insane price tag of an original vintage example. Like the 60's Standard, this guitar features a solid mahogany body with a maple top, but this time it comes with a larger 50's-style mahogany neck and a dual set of P-90 pickups. The sweet sound of these pickups is the result of the Alnico V magnets, audio taper potentiometers, and orange drop may not have the budget for an authentic vintage gold top, but you can still get the look and sound with the Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s P-90. Image credit Gibson 8. Gibson Les Paul ModernA modern take on a classicSpecificationsBody Mahogany/Maple TopNeck MahoganyScale EbonyFrets 22 Medium JumboPickups Burstbucker Pro Rhythm/LeadControls 2 Push/Pull Volumes Coil-Tap, 2 Push/Pull Tones Pure Bypass/Phase & Toggle SwitchHardware Aluminum Nashville Tune-O-MaticFinish Faded Pelham Blue Top, Sparkling Burgundy Top, Graphite TopReasons to buy+Modern contoured heel+Cool finish options Reasons to avoid-Traditionalists should avoid Gibson has always been cutting-edge, and the Les Paul Modern proves they are still innovating. This contemporary instrument is loaded with features that take the Les Paul into a new sonic place. This guitar is built for comfort and speed, and the ultra-modern weight relief means this instrument is no longer a back-breaker - read more on our favorite lightweight Les Paul alternatives. The contoured heel joint gives unprecedented access to the higher frets, and the asymmetrical neck profile and compound radius ebony fingerboard give this guitar an incredibly slinky feel, which is a joy to play - especially for fast playing or metal. So if you find yourself longing for a Les Paul with modern playability, then this is definitely the Gibson for you. Read our Gibson Les Paul Modern review Image credit Gibson 9. Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard ReissueBag yourself a burst… for a fraction of the priceSpecificationsBody 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany/ 2-Piece Figured Maple, Hide Glue FitNeck Solid MahoganyScale Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue FitFrets 22 Historic Medium-JumboPickups Custombucker Alnico III UnpottedControls 2 Volume/2 Tone CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil CapacitorsHardware Nickel ABR-1Finish Washed Cherry Sunburst, Iced Tea Burst, Dirty LemonReasons to buy+A fantastic replica of a vintage '59+Most comfortable LP neck Reasons to avoid-The price may put a lot of players off -Avoid if you are looking for modern features Often referred to as the "holy grail" of electric guitar, the '59 Les Paul is one of the most coveted instruments of all time, with originals easily going for $/£100,000. These guitars were created during Gibson's golden era and have been the weapon of choice for so many rock gods, such as Slash, Jimmy Page, Joe Bonamassa, and Bernie Marsden. If you're anything like us, then you don't exactly have a spare 100k sitting around - and even if you did, there's no way you'd blow it on a single guitar - well, the next best thing would have to be the Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue. The clever people over at the Gibson Custom Shop have meticulously recreated every detail of this priceless vintage guitar. From using lasers to scan the original dimensions, to the use of period correct hide glue, and even going as far as to recreate the plastics down to a molecular level, they really have tried to capture every detail of this rare guitar.Image credit Gibson10. Gibson Custom Shop 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Murphy Lab AgedA gold nugget from the golden era of guitarsSpecificationsBody 1-Piece Lightweight Mahogany/ 2-Piece Plain Maple, Hide Glue FitNeck Solid MahoganyScale Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue FitFrets 22 Historic Medium-JumboPickups Custombucker Alnico III UnpottedControls 2 Volume/2 Tone CTS 500K Audio Taper Potentiometers, Paper-in-Oil CapacitorsHardware Nickel ABR-1Finish Double Gold with Dark BackReasons to buy+Absolutely beautiful guitar+As close as you can get to a vintage '57 LP Reasons to avoid-Aged guitars aren’t for everyone If you thought the '59 was accurate to its vintage counterpart, then the Murphy Lab takes it to a whole new level. The brainchild of master builder and guitar aging pioneer Tom Murphy, the Murphy Lab has one goal - to make highly precise aged guitars indistinguishable from the originals. If you have ever been lucky enough to play an original gold top, you'll probably have noticed that the finish has cracked. This is referred to as "checking." This is a reasonably common phenomenon found on nitrocellulose finish guitars. The Murphy Lab has managed to expertly recreate the look and feel of this, bringing an air of authenticity to this Les Paul. Even the light aging around the headstock, and yellowing lacquer over the Gibson logo, make this guitar feel like a true vintage example. We’re well aware that this process isn't for everyone. Still, if you're looking for a custom shop guitar with an added level of detail, then it's worth looking at a Custom Shop Murphy Lab Les Paul. Best Gibson Les Pauls A brief historyImage credit FutureThe Gibson Les Paul has gone through many, many changes over the years. Quite frankly, we don't have time to go through every variation, so let's just discuss the most critical milestones in the evolution of the most famous single-cut guitar of all time. Making its debut in 1952, the "Les Paul Model" was the creation of Ted McCarty, John Huis, and Les Paul. Although there are varying stories about this, depending on who you ask… Some say Gibson had the final design before contacting Les, and some say Les came up with the design himself. We know that Les approached Gibson in 1941 with an idea for a solid-body guitar - The Log. Gibson, uninterested at the time, didn’t take Les up on his new invention. Fender would ultimately beat them to the punch with the release of the Broadcaster/Telecaster. In an attempt to catch up to their Californian rivals, Gibson needed a solid-body guitar, and they needed it fast. They would eventually team up with the seasoned inventor, and thus, the “Les Paul Model” was born. Beloved for their insanely good looks, unbeatable playability, and the definitive Les Paul tone, these guitars sell for upwards of $/£100, version of the Les Paul featured a trapeze tailpiece and a set of "soap bar" P-90 pickups. It was also gold - yes, that's right, the first Les Paul models were all Gold Tops. The classic sunburst finish didn't come into production until much later, but we’ll get to 1957 the Les Paul went through some significant changes. Now sporting a set of PAF patent applied for humbucker pickups and the far more recognizable Tune-O-Matic bridge and 1959, and 1960 would see the release of the "burst." A group of sunburst Les Paul's that would go on to be among the most sought-after guitars of all time. Beloved for their insanely good looks, unbeatable playability, and the definitive Les Paul tone, these guitars sell for upwards of $/£100, with guitars this good, the next few years must have been looking good for the Les Paul? No. It's unfathomable now, but these guitars really weren't that popular back in the day. The sales of the Gibson Les Paul had been steadily declining for years. Gibson needed to do something drastic to keep up with the rising popularity of the Fender Stratocaster. This led us to the Les Paul redesign - the SG. Although still bearing the Les Paul name, the guitar we now know as the SG would take on the mantle for the next few years. Gibson would later re-introduce the Les Paul in its single-cut glory in then, Gibson has been churning out an array of Les Pauls at differing price points, from various factories over the years, from Kalamazoo, Nashville, and Memphis. We could go on all day about the history of the Gibson Les Paul, but let's leave it there and move on to some buying Gibson Les Pauls Buying adviceVintage Gibson Les Paul Gold Top with finish checking Image credit FutureWe know that buying a Les Paul can be daunting. At the end of the day, these are expensive guitars, and you want to make the right choice. Don't worry, we have your back. Here, we will discuss a few things to bear in mind when purchasing your new Les Paul. Les Paul neck profiles You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we you have been looking at Les Pauls for a while, you'll have noticed that Gibson offers different neck profiles. These range from the slim-taper 60's neck to the chunky 50's profile. There is no right or wrong neck for you. It really is a personal preference. Suppose you’re unsure which is suitable for you. In that case, we recommend sticking to the more universally loved '60s profile, as this fits most players' needs. If you’re looking at vintage reissue guitars, you won't get a choice, as they come with the neck profile that is correct for the era it's reissuing. Pickup choice Next, you need to find your sound, and this comes in the form of the pickups in your Les Paul. If you want to nail the searing classic rock tones, then seek out the PAF-style humbuckers. Perhaps you favor the bold attack of the P-90, then it's worth looking at a Les Paul Junior, Special, or '54 reissue. Gibson offers a few Les Paul's with a high-output pickup option for the modern player, perfect for bringing the house down with high-gain riffage. How much does a Gibson Les Paul weigh? It's no secret that the Les Paul is a heavy guitar, but don't worry if back problems are stopping you from getting the guitar of your dreams. Gibson has a few models in their extensive catalog that utilize the "ultra-modern weight-relief." This process is usually found on the "modern" series of instruments. It uses a series of small chambers to keep the weight down and make the guitar more manageable. If you’re a traditionalist, and this sounds like something you'd like to avoid, there are plenty of guitars on offer that come with zero weight relief. Looking after your Les Paul’s Nitrocellulose lacquer All Gibson guitars use nitrocellulose lacquer. Although great for allowing the guitar to "breathe" and aiding in the resonance of the instrument, this finish does have its drawbacks. The main point to remember is that it can react with rubber - especially the rubber on cheap guitar stands! This is called "stand rash" or "nitro-burn" and is basically a chemical reaction between the stand and the guitar. So if you’re looking to have your new prized possession on show, we highly recommend getting a nitro-safe guitar stand. The Hercules brand of stands is our go-to. It's also worth mentioning that dramatic temperature changes can have a detrimental effect on your guitar's shiny new finish, so keep the guitar at room temperature. If you're going from a cold environment to a warm one, then let the guitar acclimatize before opening the case. While you're at it, it's probably a good idea not to get your new guitar wet or feed it after midnight. So there you have it, that's our guide to the best Gibson Les Pauls on the market right now. There is only one last thing to do - crank your Marshall stack, plug in, and let rip! Read more about how how we test products and services and how we make our vs Gibson what's the difference?Check out the best cheap electric guitars under $500Bigger budget? Try the best electric guitars under $1,000Only the best good enough? Explore the best electric guitars under $2,000Complete your rig with the best guitar amps under $1,000Blow the budget with the best high-end electric guitars Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*Join now for unlimited accessUS pricing $ per month or $ per yearUK pricing £ per month or £ per year Europe pricing € per month or € per year *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Join now for unlimited accessPrices from £ All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox! First and foremost, I'm a guitar enthusiast – a fanatic, some might say. I'm a firm believer that most of the world's problems can be solved with a Gibson SG and a catastrophically loud amp. As Senior Deals Writer on Guitar World, I write about guitars for a living, but in a past life, I worked in music retail for 7 years, advising customers on the right guitars, basses, drums, pianos, and PA systems for their needs. I also have a passion for live sound; I'm a fully qualified sound engineer with experience working in various venues in Scotland, where I live with my wife and dog. Most Popular With a history going back all the way to 1955, the Gibson Les Paul Special has been a popular fixture in the lineup ever since. It was originally introduced as a mid tier model to sit between the student grade Les Paul Junior and the high end Les Paul Standard, but thanks to its unique tones and incredible all round performance, it has gained a cult following all of its own. In this KillerGuitarRigs Review we got to spend some extra time with the LP Special, the guitar that we named as our Editor’s Choice in our roundup of the best P90 guitars. In this extended coverage, we’ll be going into detail about the aesthetics, features, build quality, tones, and overall performance of this amazing guitar. If you’re in the market for a guitar with P90 pickups and budget isn’t an issue, we think you’ll really love this Gibson – keep on reading to learn more about it! ContentsGibson Les Paul Special Who Is This For?Appearance / Features / ControlsPerformance / SoundOther Guitars to ConsiderGibson SG SpecialGibson Les Paul JuniorFinal Thoughts on the Gibson Les Paul Special The Gibson Les Paul Special is a premium US made guitar that we think is best suited to intermediate and advanced players. The price point is well above that of a typical beginner guitar, and its chunky 50s style neck is quite prohibitive for less experienced players. Guitarists with more experience, however, will appreciate the huge tonal range, pro quality electronics, and the high end fit and finish. Appearance / Features / Controls Gibson Les Paul Special - TV Yellow - In-Depth Demo! The test guitar we received came in the iconic TV Yellow finish – arguably the best color for a Les Paul Special. It looked fantastic, and it was abundantly clear that incredible care and attention had gone into the fit and finish of this guitar. If you’re not into the TV Yellow, it also comes in a Vintage Cherry finish. As expected from a Les Paul, it was made with all mahogany. Being a Special, it had a slab style body – this means that unlike the Les Paul Standard, there was no maple cap. This kept the weight down by comparison, with the guitar weighing just 7lb 11oz. The neck was also made with mahogany, and of course, had set construction. It had a Vintage 50s profile, which is a notoriously chunky shape. It’s not the most forgiving for newer players or those with smaller hands, but if you like a substantial neck, they don’t get much better than this. Topping the neck was a fantastic rosewood fretboard, which both looked and felt great. It had 22 medium jumbo frets, which like many new Gibsons, had been PLEK treated at the factory. The assortment of hardware was all of the usual high Gibson standard. It had Gibson Deluxe Tuners, a Graphtech TUSQ nut, and a wraparound bridge. Finally, as for the electronics, it came with a pair of incredible Gibson P90 pickups, a 3 way selector switch, hand wired pots, and period correct Orange Drop capacitors. Performance / Sound Gibson Les Paul Special Review Starting with playability, we actually found the Les Paul Special to be a real joy to play. Despite the gargantuan depth, the neck had a real worn in vintage feel that made it a lot more comfortable than you’d think. The nitro finish was also a big contributor to the sublime neck feel. It never felt sticky, and as time goes on and the lacquer starts wearing away, it will only get better. In fact, it wasn’t just the neck that the nitro improved – we felt it gave us a much closer connection to the guitar in general – it’s hard to explain until you actually feel it, but that barely there finish makes a world of difference. Being so much lighter than a traditional Les Paul, we found that it was incredibly comfortable to hold for longer periods of time, especially when standing – something working musicians will love about this guitar. Tonally speaking, the LP Special was an absolute riot. This model hasn’t changed much at all since its first introduction in 1955, and for us, this is one of the best things about it. It had a raw, vintage quality to the tone, albeit with more modern reliability and better resistance to the 60 cycle hum that plagues single coil pickups. The Gibson P90 pickups used in this model are some of the most versatile we’ve ever encountered. They’re able to handle high gain like humbuckers, and yet, they can still clean up like traditional single coils. In the neck position it was warm, and surprisingly thick sounding. It was clear and articulate, and served up some nice crunch when played with high gain, and when running through a clean channel was exceptionally sweet sounding. The bridge pickup delivered big across the board – epic lead tones with everything from aggressive overdrive through to crystal clear country sounds. It was super responsive, and all it took to completely change up the sound was a slight roll back on the volume pot. With the tone knob down it retained its clarity well, and when we dimed it, it stayed full-sounding, without even a hint of brittleness. Other Guitars to Consider The Gibson Les Paul Special is a team favorite at KGR, but there are still some other great options to consider. If you’d like to take a look at some alternatives before going ahead and buying, check out some of our other favorite P90 models. Gibson SG Special If you’re set on a 2 pickup model, but the Les Paul style body isn’t your thing, then the Gibson SG Special might be a great choice for you. Like the LP it’s all mahogany, but of course, it has the iconic double cutaway SG body, with beveled edges for improved comfort. Another key difference is the SlimTaper neck, which is significantly thinner than the Vintage 50s profile – this makes it a much more forgiving guitar for newer players, or for anybody looking for a faster playing model. Gibson Les Paul Junior For those who don’t need 2 P90 pickups, the Gibson Les Paul Junior is a solid alternative. It’s another slab body Les Paul with a single cutaway, and a Vintage 50s neck, with the main difference being the absence of a neck pickup. It has a single P90 in the bridge position, and delivers a surprisingly wide range of tones. It’s even lighter than the Special, making it a great option for gigging players looking for a comfortable P90 guitar. Final Thoughts on the Gibson Les Paul Special The Gibson Les Paul Special is a unique guitar that offers the vibe of a Les Paul, but with an edgy twist. It’s a raucous guitar with an incredible tonal range – it does everything from country to punk, and sounds amazing in the process. It’s a beautifully made guitar, and aesthetically speaking, is one of the best looking on the market. The feel is absolutely incredible, and the playability is amazing. If you’re looking for the best P90 guitar on the market, we honestly don’t think we could think of anything better than the Gibson Les Paul Special. MusicRadar Verdict With its added features the 2008 Standard moves into a more boutique area but remains very well priced and quite old-school. Pros +Sharper than usual build and set-up. More vintage-like old LP tones. Price. Cons -The neck profile may divide opinion only because we love the '59 profile so much. Frets still need more profiling. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test. Simple, classic. With a few modern twists... Gibson Les Paul 2008 StandardIt's 50 years since Gibson unveiled the sunburst Les Paul Standard, kicking off the journey of an initially far-from-popular instrument. Now, along with Fender's Stratocaster, it's become the world's most popular and recognisable electric Fender, Gibson has various historically accurate reissues available, but has also chosen in 2008 to release a new Standard. The new Standard advertises an enlarged neck tenon plus a properly chambered body to trim weight and add resonance. Time to open the case then…What's new?The new 2008 Standard looks forward with numerous changes that would seem to be aimed to bring it in line with, most obviously, more modern brands like PRS and it's the advertised chambering of this model or simply slightly lighter mahogany, or both, the 2008 is a little lighter and seems a little more alive as you tap your knuckles on its body. Here the body back is one-piece and the maple top subtly figured. Without the pickguard it also looks a little leaner and less fussy."If Gibson keeps up this improved, detailed construction, a few other boutique single-cuts will begin to look rather costly."Although the 'board and inlays seem dry and dirty, set-up is good the guitar arrived with a 'Plek'd' sticker on the bridge pickup including the nut, although we suspect opinion might be split over the tuners - one of the numerous changes to the 'standard' formula that we see are Grover locking types with chromed tulip buttons, not the more classic plastic of the traditional Klusons. The lock is achieved very easily with a large rear thumbwheel, which clamps the string in its post the tuners, the tune-o-matic and stud tailpiece lock to their posts. They are TonePros parts and, while the claim of increased sustain may be hard to confirm, they certainly won't fall off when you take all the strings advertises an 'asymmetrical' neck profile that's quite rare, especially on production electrics - the only other one that sticks in the mind is the profile used on the original Music Man Eddie Van Halen the bass-side is more 'D' shaped and the treble side is more of a 'C' with a shallower shoulder. It's slightly less deep at the first fret, at the 12th than Gibson's '50s rounded profile that, while similar at the first fills out to by the the 2008 has a BurstBucker Pro 1 at neck and a BurstBucker Pro 2 at the bridge and Bourne gold-plated pots visible through a smoked translucent control cover; also new is the Neutrik locking output jack tidily inset into the guitar's the electrics backplate and things all looks rather high tech the four square pots are soldered onto a Gibson logo'd PCB; the pickups connect to the PCB with clearly marked solder-less push-in connects; likewise the outputs to the toggle Guitarist's Dave Durban put the new 2008 Standard through its pacesThe 2008, while offering what seems like a slew of modern updates actually sounds older. What we mean here is that, certainly on the bridge pickup, which sounds a little hotter than a '57 Classic, we have more edge and spark to the sound; it clears up nicely too and you can really get older Les Paul voices - more classic blues Peter Green than modern rock Slash, if you neck pickup is very sweet and tuneful, again though there's a little more definition to the sound but it's lower in output compared to the bridge pickup and seems less balanced as a is a set-up you might prefer, of course, but we found it a little too unbalanced before we started messing with pickup heights. The mix, however, results in increased clarity - pull down both volumes and there's more single-coil like clarity than you might the 2008 feels like a modern production Gibson. Those frets still feel a little intrusive initially, and while the 2008's slightly slimmer neck feel will have its fans, some players may yearn for the more familiar neck shapes available in other areas of the Fender, Gibson's main business is providing us with umpteen versions of its classic guitars they may be historically accurate or signature versions or look a little to the future, as with the certainly have no problem with that and, barring a few minor quibbles, we have no problem with this guitar - especially with this year's trim price and its palpably sharper the slightly edgier, older sounding 2008 Standard will suit you, is really down to what you want from a 'Paul. What we will say is that if Gibson keeps up this improved, detailed construction, a few more boutique-y other-brand single-cuts will begin to look rather costly. Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad. Most Popular Gibson’s back-to-basics approach has seen the rejuvenated company streamline its electric-guitar catalogue and carve it up into three distinct ranges. The Original Collection and Custom Shop are the primary destinations for purists looking for vintage-style looks and specifications, while the Modern Collection is where you’ll find a mixture of the stripped down and souped pretty at the top of the heap in the Modern Collection is the Les Paul Modern. During Henry Juszkiewicz’s reign, this model would probably have been called the 2020 Les Paul Standard – it certainly inherits a few features from some of Gibson’s more experimental riffs on the Standard’ chief alterations to the classic recipe are an Ultra-Modern’ weight relief pattern, a slim-taper neck with an asymmetrical profile and contoured heel, a 10- to 16-inch compound radius ebony fingerboard with binding but no nibs, locking Grover Rotomatics and an aluminium Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge that’s secured in threaded inserts rather than screwed straight into the binding is bright white and the hardware a mirror-like chrome, while the mildly futuristic clear top-hat knobs provide access to a quartet of push/pull potentiometers hard-wired to an internal either of the Burstbucker Pros’ volume controls into the up position puts the corresponding pickup into single-coil mode. The neck pickup’s tone control is where you’ll also find phase switching, while the bridge pickup’s tone control activates a pure bypass’ that routes straight to the bridge humbucker with the tone control removed from the the brown-stained neck and back has the kind of hue you’d have found on Goldtops of yesteryear, the Les Paul Modern is offered with a trio of eye-catching metallic tops Faded Pelham Blue, Graphite and Sparkling Burgundy, with the latter featuring on our review guitar. Aside from a few areas of slight bleed into the white binding, the finishing looks sharp, without a hint of orange peel’ – and the deep, blood-red top really pops when framed by the binding and useModern it may be, but this Les Paul isn’t so radical a rewrite that it feels in any way alien. In fact, played acoustically, the formula is very familiar. Although its mahogany body is heavily chambered, this guitar is still reassuringly substantial, with a smooth and balanced unplugged voice and no shortage of sustain above the 12th fret. The body thickness may be 10mm shallower than usual behind the contoured heel, but it doesn’t seem to have a negative sonic asymmetric neck carve is subtle but effective. The slightly more rounded bass side and skinnier treble-side taper combine with the compound-radius fingerboard to offer a smooth, comfortable ride, but it’s definitely not a modern shred profile – relatively small medium-jumbo frets serve to keep things firmly in the classic’ ballpark and may alienate more technical said, it’s one of those guitars that encourages the more stoic among us to be a little more daring. Although there’s still a fair bit of mass to negotiate – this isn’t an SG, after all – when you get to those upper registers, the slinkier heel area makes soloing above the 17th fret considerably easier than on a traditionally constructed LP with the full-fat humbucker tones, we’re greeted with plenty of treble, clarity, dynamic range and articulation – gone are the days when a new Gibson neck pickup is likely to sport a woolly blanket. With a clean tone and spring reverb, it’s easy to get lost in a seriously expressive pool of tones that remind you there’s so much more to these guitars than hard rock. While original PAFs, Patent Number humbuckers and expensive PAF clones might get closer to the sonic high-water mark of the golden era, Gibson’s pickups have made significant strides in the right direction of is keen to describe the LP Modern’s single-coil voices as having P-90 characteristics, so we pull up the volume pots to see how close they get. Unlike many coil-split circuits, there’s no significant drop in level when switching from full humbucking mode, so that’s a good start. The treble softens and you do hear some of the wiriness, chewy midrange and nasal single-note tones that characterise Gibson’s iconic single-coil. The LP Modern isn’t going to fool anyone in a blind comparison with an old P-90 Goldtop or Special, but the single-coil voices here provide some interesting colours in their own right and respond particularly well to gain. We can imagine them being a real boon for your function-band neck pickup’s phase switch, on the other hand, does result in a big drop in output – but it hollows things out nicely for percussive funk and scratchy special effect’ lead tones. Flip to the pure bypass mode, however, and it’s the other end of the spectrum entirely. The additional kick and upper harmonic presence it brings to the bridge humbucker is tailor made for those big rock riffs and show-stopping Les Paul Modern might not have the romantic allure of a heavily aged Burst reissue or even a flamey Standard, but it’s a seriously versatile performance tool. With no built-in effects or Robot Tuners in sight, it feels like a contemporary take on a classic design rather than a gimmick and it retains enough essential Les Paul DNA to keep a high proportion of Lester fans FeaturesPRICE £2,299 inc. hard caseDESCRIPTION Solidbody electric guitar. Made in USABUILD Weight-relieved mahogany body with carved maple top, mahogany set neck with asymmetrical slim taper and modern contoured heel, 10-16” compound-radius ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl trapezoid inlays, 22 medium-jumbo frets, Graph Tech nutHARDWARE Chrome-finished aluminium Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece, Grover locking Rotomatic tuners with keystone buttonsELECTRICS Burstbucker Pro rhythm and Burstbucker Pro+ lead humbucking pickups with 3-way toggle pickup selector switch, 2x push/pull volume coil-split and 2x push/pull tone phase, pure bypassSCALE LENGTH WIDTH at nut, at 12th fretNECK DEPTH at first fret, at 12th fretSTRING SPACING at nut, at bridgeWEIGHT Gloss nitrocellulose Sparkling Burgundy as reviewed, Graphite, Faded Pelham BlueCONTACT Gibson Like this? Try theseChapman Guitars V2 ML2 Modern Standard £499, Gretsch G6228 Players Edition Jet BT £1,979, Nik Huber Orca ’59 £7,250

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