Gibson Les Paul Standard - 60s neck profile

[jpfeifer]

I've finally decided that I should never go to Guitar Center anymore. Only because I it keeps fueling my G.A.S.

I've always wanted to own a guitar with the classic Gibson tone but never had the $$ to get the real thing. I've had Les Paul and 335 copy guitars over the years but have since traded them or sold them for other equipment. None of them felt like hanging on to.

This weekend I visited Guitar Center to kill a couple of hours playing some guitars. I decided to start getting familiar with the various Gibson models that I would consider (if I did have the cash one day). I played a custom shop 335 and some of the newer Les Paul Standards. (the 335 was to die for) I wouldn't normally go for a Les Paul thinking that they are too heavy and not versatile enough, however the newer 2007 models are much lighter due to a new way that they make the bodies. There is a weight-relieved design they are doing now on the newer Les Paul Standards, which is essentially a chambered body.

I was really impressed with one particular Les Paul Standard. It was actually lighter than the 335 and sounded very good for jazz/blues tones that I like. It sounded almost like a semi-hollowbody in some ways. It also had the screaming Les Paul tone that they're famous for. The burstbucker pickups sounded very warm, and the nitro finish felt great, like I was playing a vintage Les Paul. I really enjoyed playing that guitar. Maybe someday ...

-- Jim

[SuperSwede]

It will come to you Jim!

I really like the new burstbucker pickups too, they are so versatile. They can do that PAF thing as well as the modern sounds. You should also check out "Heritage" les pauls, they are made by old Gibson builders and sound and feels very much like the old original LP´s.

[250Keith]

I've always wanted a LP just cant keep the money in my pocket long enough to get one. One of these days it will happen.

[Plank_Spanker]

The new Standards are sweet, and I love the Burstbucker Pros in mine.

[Lev]

here's an interesting insight from Joe Bonamassa on Les Paul pickups from an interview on www.modernguitars.com

Tom: Let's talk about the guitars you used on Sloe Gin.

Joe: Mostly the (Gibson) Les Paul '59 Historic Reissue that I've played for the last 2-3 years. It's wonderful guitar. I have original pickups from a 1964 335 (Gibson ES-335) in it and a few tweaks here and there, but it's generally just a cool guitar. I was just reading a magazine here on the bus and everybody's talking about how they mod pickups. You know, there are so many people who make a living trying to reinvent the wheel. I'm looking at the article thinking, "You know what, a good guitar is a good guitar." The airlines are so bad about guitars these days we're pretty much renting stock Les Pauls. We have a little set-up we do with our Les Pauls, but to be honest with you, the difference in the sound between the stock Les Pauls that we're renting and the ones that I've tweaked out, to the normal discerning human ear, is very little. It's been a revelation to me. It's really gotten me to concentrate more on just playing the guitar as a guitarist, not going "I need this gear, I need that gear or I won't get my sound." It's mostly in the hands.

[Plank_Spanker]

I'm definitely hooked on my new Standard, and it's about all I play these days. It's the most versatile sounding LP I've ever played. The guitar can be be clean, bright and articulate; warm, fat and buttery smooth; driving and aggressive, or brilliantly howling. The pickups stay musical and articulate all the way to the stops - there's no mud or hair to deal with. The volume pots don't shave off the high end, and the tone pots actually work as they were envisioned to work. It has ten miles of sustain. Those Burstbucker Pros and the chambered body are a magic combo.

Did I say that I really love this guitar?

[pie_man_25]

the Les Paul standard is a great guitar, but I've never heard that they chamered the body in any way, but I would love to have them, maybe If I got anther SAGA kit, or perhaps an EPI, although I do hate epiphone for their poorly made basses (except the thunderbird, that's a keeper, although you're still rolling the dice with that one).

[Plank_Spanker]

Gibson is taking tons of heat for not advertising the chambering. While it's not a bad thing and is very obvious as soon you pick up a new LP, I think that they should be a bit more forthcoming with the news.

[Mark]

Its chambered alright some like some dont....

[jpfeifer]

The guy at Guitar Center, who was surprisingly knowledgable about it, said that Gibson is calling this a weight-relieved body. I read some reviews of guys who bought some of the earlier 2007 models when Gibson first did this and there were some problems, such as wood shavings being left inside the body rattling around. But since then Gibson has changed the design a bit to fix that problem. The latest reviewers have been raving about the Les Pauls with this body design. The guy at Guitar Center said that any of the 2007 Les Paul Standards will have this body design.

Mark where did you get this picture? this is really cool, it shows alot of detail.

To my ears (and my back) this is actually an improvement on the original Les Paul design. I also like the sound better since it's a bit more airy like a 335 and the weight is soooo much more agreeable for an old guy like me :-) I compared one of the new 2007 standards to a custom shop 50's reissue and the weight of the newer 2007 Standard was much lighter.

But I'm sure that the Les Paul purists may not like this new design because it doesn't have the same mass of wood that an original Les Paul would have. Some people want the extra weight since it would have more sustain, etc. But for me, this newer one is a better guitar because I thought that the orginal Les Paul design was too heavy.

-- Jim

[Mark]

It was on the Les Paul forum it is of the BFG LP. They quoted an email from Gibson where they stated they took the boreing of weight relief hole to the chambering and research showed this type of chambering was fine tuned for maximum tone/sustain. There are proponents on both sides of this policy. One thing everyone seems to agree on is the distaste for Gibsons not fully disclosing this method.

[hubberjub***]

I've always wanted to own a guitar with the classic Gibson tone but never had the $$ to get the real thing. I've had Les Paul and 335 copy guitars over the years but have since traded them or sold them for other equipment. None of them felt like hanging on to.
-- Jim

Looking at your signature it doesn't seem like you have too much of a problem with finding nice guitars. You have a Hamer Newport. In my opinion they are of a higher quality than any new Gibsons in production. They sound great and the attention to detail is staggering.

[wingsdad]

They (Gibson) came out with the Epiphone Les Paul Ultra early this year. Feature/selling point: chambered mahogany body reducing the weight to about 5.5 lbs. vs. the usual Epi LP Std or Custom's 7 lbs. (which is still about 1.5 lbs. lighter than most Gibson LPs). Also blatantly selling 'increased resonance', not dodging decreased sustain potential. The Epi LP Ultra also adds a 'belly contour' to the lower midships of the body's back. All that for 500 bucks:
Epiphone LP Ultra at Sweetwater
(of course, they don't actually have it in stock...they're not as deeply stowed in Gibson's pocket as GC/MF)

Oddly enough, it's aparently manufactured in Korea, not in the Gibson/Epiphone China factory.

If Rocket should bounce back here for a visit, he got an Ultra and had a number of custom Gibson upgrades done to it.

[mark wein]

I love my 2004 Les Paul standard...even if it is one of the uglier finishes....

Latte Creme at 9.6 lbs...no weight relief here:

[Iago]

Ugly?? That's one of the most cool looking LPs I've ever seen!

[mark wein]

Ugly?? That's one of the most cool looking LPs I've ever seen!

Thanks! Many people say that but I've always wanted a more traditional sunburst or even a goldtop....this guitar sounds and plays too good to not play, though...

[Plank_Spanker]

That Lester looks nice, Mark!

[mark wein]

That Lester looks nice, Mark!

Thanks!

[Plank_Spanker]

Can't resist......................it was a nice day to update some pics. Here's my Standard LE again..................