Product: Gibson 60's Les Paul Classic
Price Paid: US $800
Submitted
11/15/1998
at
02:07pm
by
Randy
Email: rgdunn at swpc<dot>net
Features
:
No Opinion
1997 model/ Heritage cherry sunburst plain top/ stock high output humbuckers/ Regular run of the mill Gibson Les Paul Classic
Sound
:
2
If I was some kind of Slash wanna-be it would sound great; But I'm not, and for good 'ol rock n roll (i.e. Joe Walsh, Ted Nugent, CCR, ZZ Top, etc.) the sound is awful. I knew what I was buying when I walked out of the store with the guitar, and intended from the start to replace the pickups. After switching to SD Antiquities, the sound of this guitar was transformed to OUTSTANDING!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
like a higher action then most, but the stock action was a bit too high for me. The plain top is a really nice piece of maple, with a very good finish. There was some imperfections in the finish near the neck joint, and a SMALL flaw on the side. A little more buffing would have cleared this up. The guitar spent 6 months hanging in the store on a rubber-covered hanger, which marked the finish on the sides of the neck just above the neck. One of the volume knobs fell off when I went to adjust it, and the bridge pickup ring had a crack running from top to bottom. I think that most of this stuff was the fault of a careless dealer. Everything else was good. Over all factory fit and finish would be somewhere around an 8 or 9.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
After a few adjustments & new pickups this thing makes for a good stage guitar. Hardware is better then I've seen in a while, and the finish seems to be able to withstand a lot of use. Strap buttons need to be replaced if you like a Les Paul, otherwise you will have an expensive chunk of fire wood very, very soon. The guitar is very dependable; I have not had any tuning problems even with some hard playing. No need for a backup unless you fail to change the strap buttons.
Customer Support
:
5
I'm not real impressed. I called with a question about the neck construction on a '57 Historic model (Neck joint) and the guy didn't have a clue. He didn't seem too interested in talking any more about it, which put me off.
Overall Rating
:
9
When looking for a new guitar I always play it without an amp. You can play 4 or 5 of the same models and each will sound different. I don't even bother to amplify a stock Les Paul. The stock pickups are so terrible that it makes you want to trade it in for a Telle. Pickup replacement is the first call, followed by strap locks. Trust me! When you find a good Les Paul, nothing can come close. You just have to look around a bit.
