Gibson Les Paul Standard Review – Fusion of Old and New

The Gibson Les Paul is a part of music history, to say the least. Ever since the 1950\’s, the Les Paul has been noted for its characteristic shape and the powerful, thick sound. Throughout the years, however, numerous details (from the neck specifications to the pickups) have varied.

The last major round of alterations made to the Les Paul Standard took place in 2008. Some of the modifications have received good critiques while others have not. We\’ll take a look at the particulars and let you decide for yourself.

Here\’s a rundown 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 instantly notice the lighter weight, because of the chambered body.

We were mildly afraid that the chambered body would have a bad effect on the tone, but, luckily, 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 guitar was a bit lighter. If you\’ve played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.

Since I normally exchange 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 instrument right out of the box.

As you might expect, we did have to adjust the truss rod, but that\’s standard fare for an instrument delivered by UPS (or any carrier for that matter). Even without the truss rod tweak, we could\’ve easily taken this guitar to a gig and played with nary a problem.

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 preference, we\’re also appreciative they chose to omit the pickguard, but it is included should you want to install it.

The neck profile has also undergone a transformation. It now has an asymmetrical profile, which is thicker on the bass side and thinner on the treble. Though it sounds a bit odd, the end result is a nice one: enhanced playability.

Another way to look at it is as a crossbreed of the 50\’s and 60\’s style neck. In addition to the enhanced neck profile, the fretwork was great, especially for a mass-production instrument.

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 definitely 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 immediately. The pickups emphasize the Les Paul\’s heavy sound, and you can easily grab some noticeable Les Paul sounds here. The Burstbuckers combined with the chambered body is a strong combination.

For all the things we liked, there were still several changes that we wish hadn\’t been chosen by Gibson. That includes the locking Neutrik jack. Though Neutrik jacks are very high quality, we just didn\’t like not being able to pull the cord out instantly.

Even worse are the control pots (volume and tone), which are all mounted on a PCB board. In fact, all the electronics (pickups, selector switch, and jack) are coupled to this board. In some ways it\’s cool, but it could make the once-simple act of changing a pickup much more involved. We\’d pass on the PCB, if left to us.

Aside from these minor concerns, we think the freshest incarnation of the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a lot to offer and that it unquestionably 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 lowest prices on all new and used guitars. It doesn\’t matter if you\’re searching for a Fender Stratocaster, an Epiphone Casino, or a PRS McCarty, Ray\’s Guitar Shop has what you\’re searching for!