Gibson Les Paul BFG

2006 Gibson Les Paul BFG gold top. You know the spec already. Nice comfortable sized neck which feels real good in the hand

This guitar suits my style perfect, Rock and hard rock. Think guns and roses, bon jovi or anything 80s. Brighter than a std Les Paul which is great as i play through a Orange Tiny Terror which is slightly dark so the balance is great. Found it to be noisy when the kill switch was on unless you touch the strings or bridge so i swapped the red and white wires over on the kill switch so when on its ground there at the switch. Awesome thick sound through my amp too. Loads of varierty from the pickups too. Very nice when using both pickups on clean, warm and bright together.

Factory setup was ok ish. Had my tech level the fretts and a complete setup now its the best guitar i own. No flaws on this guitar from the factory. No sharp frets. Lovely top with the grooves still in it even tho this is looked apon as bad.
Factory setup could of been better but ??60 later it was great!

Strap buttons seem small so would change if i played gigs but i dont so not bothered yet. Finish is as youd expect. (Unfinshed!) Very good overall and seams to be well built and solid. Stays in tune very well also.

Never delt with gibson

Been playing 3 years now and this is the best guitar ive owned. If stolen id buy another straight away! Love everything about this guitar. Great value for money too.
Ive owned other bits as follows, Kramer striker fr422sm, epiphone joe pass emperor, epiphone Les Paul STD, aria cheap strat, yamaha pacifica 112, washburn D10SCE acoustic. Epiphone Valve junior combo, Laney LV200, Orange Tiny Terror, Marshall TSL212C Cabinet.
Id recomend this as i love it and its solid and sounds great.

My BFG is a 2008 model picked it up about 8 months ago from Long and Mcdonalds. It came with the tone knob cover and trus rod plate. I immediately took off the truss rod plate to add to the natural look. The thing that I love about this guitar is the look and the unbelivable versatility of the sound. I have no need for a kill switch but it's there incase I do someday ... The rounded 50's neck fit's perfectly with my hands (on the large side), The grover tuners keep the instrument in tune after it warms up, It's on the light side being that it's a chambered Mahogany but my guess is that if your an old guy looking for a traditional 20 pound guitar then your not going to like this guitar anyways. I play mostly alternative music with some hard rock, jazz, blues, and everything else kinda mixed in so this guitar is a jack of all trades really. I really feel that it's the best guitar I've ever owned.

This guitar suits my music style like a glove. It is heavy when it needs to be, thin when I want it to be, thick and bold when I want it to be. It can handle any strings, I have 11's on there in standard. I run it through a Marshall TSL100 and Orange PPC412 as well as a VOX 50watt 1x2 with a vintage 30. The guitar is on the noisy side but a decent guitarist finds a way to cover up the noise. It is just a circit that doesn't like being together I think.

Well ... Any one in here from Canada who is complaining about how the guitar was set up guess what ... the problem isn't with Gibson it is with Yorkville Canada. Yorkville Canada is owned and or is in partnership with Long and McDonalds and it's employees set up every single guitar before it leaves the warehouse in Toronto. That being said, it wasn't in bad shape when I got it I don't think but I never realy paid attention. I am a guitar tech and have worked for a retailer for several years. Buying a guitar and not setting it up yourself is kind of like having some one else order you a meal. You'll get food but who knows what it'll be and you probably won't like it. Rather then marking a guitar on factory set up lets mark it on how it can be set up. I have 11 to 48 in standard at about 3.4 16ths ... this is impressive wtih any guitar never mind with heavy guage strings. Neck has just a slight bow if you get rid of the nut and bridge. The Nut was cut clean, fits properly and was glued properly not like a fender. I didn't have to angle file the nut to get rid of any open dead tones. The Finish is beautiful! ... Unfinished, uneven, warn edges, wooden tone knobs, rosewood fretboard with no markers, unfinished neck. I get chills thinking about it. It's like art really. This guitar will look like this for the rest of it's life because you can't get fine ebony finish scratches, or tarnish on the tumbled hardware. It is as beautiful as time could ever make it.

I havent really had it long enough for it to fail fantasticly yet. It feels VERY solid. The hardware looks very well built. The finish will never look any different then it does now though I will say if you care about the back of your guitars (I don't it ads character) The soft unfinished mahogany dents if you even press your nail into it. I have a couple marks from my belt through my shirt on the back of the guitar. The strap buttons are as solid as I have ever seen on a guitar, of course I replaced them with Schaler strap locks.

I've never had to deal with Gibson, I probably wouldn't unless it was an obvious flaw from the factory. Something like the neck fell off fallowed by each individual piece breaking ... short of that I would probably just buy the upgraded $2 part instead of the factory $1 part and do the labour myself.

Sick guitar, It will rock your socks.

I have a black BFG that I bought eight months ago. It has 22 frets, a rosewood fretboard and 50s rounded mahogany neck. I've played several BFGs and mine has the thinnest neck of them. The others were very much on the chunky side, mine is slightly thinner (though not so much as a Gibson 60s neck) so I guess it varies from guitar to guitar. It has a carved maple top and a mahogany body. It claims to be unsanded, but it's relatively smooth so they must do some sanding to it. The pattern not only looks cool (kinda like snakeskin) but it also feels cool. If you run your fingers across the body it's bumpy. The finish is great. My gripe with Les Pauls has always been all that glossy gunky stuff they put on the neck and body. This one has no such finish. The neck has an unfinished, smooth and fast feel like a satin finished Fender neck, only thicker. And the more you play it, the better it gets. The body, though minimally finished and sanded won't give you splinters and feels good too. It has a killswitch, which is an incredibly useful feature that I use almost every time I gig with it, whether it's part of a song or just to mute it in between songs. The hardware is standard for a Gibson LP, only it's distressed to make it look aged. I think it matches the guitar perfectly. It came with the case, I bought it used. I was a little disappointed with the case. I expected a solid as a rock USA Gibson guitar to come in a solid as a rock USA Gibson case (it's Canadian). Granted it gets thrown around and I've taken it to every gig I've had since I got it, but still, it should be able to take that kind of battering. In several years I'll probably buy an SKB case for it. I have an SKB case for my Fender strat and it could last through a hurricane. Anyway, back to the guitar. The only reason that I didn't give it a ten was because when the person shipped it to me the P-90 pickup came completely loose, and the bridge pickup was loose as well, but it didn't come out like the P-90. I had the guys at my local guitar shop fix it and they did a great job. Since it doesn't have pickup rings it's prone to coming loose so they added a foam cushion or something to it and the pickups are in there so good now I don't have to worry about them at all. So it's a minor, fixable problem but you'd think that an American Gibson guitar would be put together well enough that that wouldn't happen.

I play everything from mellow blues, to praise and worship in church, to classic rock, to metal and hardcore. This guitar does it all. I use the neck pickup for blues and praise and worship, the bridge for metal and hardcore and both for rock. The only thing is that the neck pickup is noisy, but it is a single coil and that's what they do. No one notices it when you're playing. When you use both pickups together there's not much noise at all. It doesn't sound like other more conventional Les Pauls (Les Paul Standard, Studio and Classic). It has it's own unique sound. It still sounds Les Paulish, but in it's own way. I have a Michael Kelly Valor Limited and honestly it sounds more like a Les Paul then my Les Paul BFG. It has a slightly brighter sound, but it's still thick and warm like a Les Paul should be. The lead guitarist in my Dad's band has a 70s Gibson Les Paul Custom and the Michael Kelly nails that tone. About the only type of music I wouldn't play on it is country, but come to think of it I wouldn't play country on any guitar. :P

I don't think the guy I bought it from had it set up, but when I got it it seemed like it would be playable. I don't know since because it came with a P-90 that had popped out I could really play it. But really, when you get a guitar expect to have to get it set up. The factory doesn't know your preferences, only you do. You can't expect the company to get it right to your liking. I had the action lowered and I use 10s on it. I might have the action raised a bit and put 11s on it later on.
The good thing about this guitar is that even if it did have a flaw, you wouldn't be able to tell. You could drop it from a three story building and still you won't be able to tell. If I had a super high end $2000+ Gibson Les Paul I'd freak out every time it go a ding in it. With the BFG you can forget about the dings and just play the guitar. As far as quality goes everything seemed to be well made and solid, except that the pickups were loose.

If you gig wearing a bunch of zippers or jewelry or a giant belt buckle any guitar you play is going to get dinged up and have the finish worn off the back. If you don't I think it's safe to assume the finish will last a good long time. I put schaller strap locks on it because it's fairly heavy and it's the last thing I want falling on my feet. I think I'd end up in worse condition then the guitar if it feel on my foot. Most of the gigs I play are little church gigs and stuff like that, so I don't use a backup for it. If I were on tour or had to play a long set of course I'd bring a backup, it would be stupid not to. If a string breaks or something like that it's not a good idea to have the audience sitting there watching you change a string.

Never dealt with Gibson. If something happened to my guitar I'd take it to a guitar store and have them deal with it.

I've been playing for 5 years (I finally moved beyond chords and got serious about it 3 years ago) and I always wanted a Gibson Les Paul. I liked this one right off the bat. It looked different and sounded different then what everyone else was playing. Since I bought it online I went to several guitar stores and tried them out first, since it was a big purchase and I wasn't 100% sure about the thick neck. I liked the ones I tried there, but I like mine the best. It's like the neck was custom built for me. In addition to the Les Paul BFG I have a Michael Kelly Valor Limited, a Squier Affinity Strat (modified) and Tele, a Fender MIM Strat (modified) and a 1979 Peavey T-60. Sound wise my Michael Kelly and T-60 come closest, but the neck feels more like the Tele. The BFG was my first Les Paul. I thought it was the guitar that would hold me over until I got a "real" Les Paul (I was thinking a Les Paul Classic) but now I've realized that this may be the only Les Paul I need. It cured me of my $2000+ Les Paul GAS attack. If you like the sound of higher end Les Paul I'd encourage you to at least look into a Michael Kelly Valor, bigger bang for the buck if you ask me. And if you go with the Les Paul BFG get it used. I saved $300 on mine since I got it used, and that's what made it really worth the price. Mine was $700, with the case and free shipping halfway across the country.

I traded another guitar for this, I have the red top model, with stained mahogany body/neck. I traded for it because I'd been looking for a lightweight LP style guitar for some time, and I like the P_90/HB setujp, though I did have to change a few things. It's got the dark finish hardware, I think that all of these are pretty recent models, the Gibson site says introduced in 2007.
So it's a standard size and scale LP that just wasn't entirely finished and has some odd wiring and different pickups. I think it would be closer to "partially finished Guitar" . Gibson really cheaped out on this one.
To list my mods: Creme Cover for P-90, Creme bridge trim ring/X2N DiMarzio. Aluminum access covers and truss rod cover, polished. Shielding. Moved 3 way switch back to top bout, using shielded wire. used Kill switch as coil tap for X2N. partial sanding of top, sides and back-Danish oil, one coat. Tip put on 3 way switch.

I love the P-90, it's my first one. I'm pretty astounded at the volume from this pickup, it was louder by a good bit than the Burst-Bucker they had in the bridge spot, which I removed for a DiMarzio X2N. I used the kill switch for a coil tap switch for the X2N. The burst bucker has nice tone, but just isn't hot enough to keep up with the P-90.
The maple top makes it a pretty bright sounding axe, and the LP parts they didn't cheap out on all work well, so I'm pretty happy with the sound now.

I thought that the finish, or rather lack of one, and the really sloppy just-off-the -carving-machine top really needed a bit of work. gibson even just wiped stain all over the body and neck that it didn't need, I'd really prefer to have something like this at least completely sanded out and left natural, you could get splinters from the top. I sanded back the edges of the maple top, and some of the top itself and the major unsanded bits on the back and sides so there are no remaining really rough spots , then put on one coat of Danish oil. I didn't entirely sand the top, as this is probably the main determining feature of this axe, but I did take out some of the extreme roughness. i keep thinking that 5 minutes with my DA sander would turn this into a much classier looking instrument . I put the 3 way switch back where it's supposed to be on an LP, Shielded the guitar, and made polished aluminum plates to replace the god-awful transparent glazing plastic Gibson used, and made an aluminum truss rod cover.
The neck is nice, a little thick but not excessively so, and the action dialed in pretty low. Intonation was perfect as received. The case si nice.

The guitar is solid and I would not hesitate to use it live. It stays in tune well, and came with 11's, which it handles with no problem The main concern with having the unfinished top and gigging is that if someone spills a drop of beer or cola or anything on it, you have a spot of new stain. This is a guitar that is meant to be rough and show wear. The lack of position markers on top is not too much of a concern as the side markers are enough for me, and I do occasiionaly play a classical.. The strap buttons are tiny, and a normal strap would slip off easily. I have some of the Stew-Mac plastic strap locks that are just offset discs, and this keeps the strap on, I would not gig with the supplied strap buttons alone. The electronic parts are standard Gibson parts that you would find on any other LP, and are first rate. No unwanted noises. I like the wooden knobs, though I do wonder if they will hold up.

I haven't needed to contact Gibson about the guitar, and as I have modified it somewhat that might not be applicable here. I have asked Gibson for information on other items in the past and they have been very helpful, answering emails pretty quickly, with very complete answers.

I've been playing since 1968, and have had other LP's, have an SG, several Fenders, and I build and repair guitars, so I tend to have around 25 around the house playable at any given time.
This is an odd one, sort of like Gibson putting out an entry level LP a little cheaper by reducing production costs, and making it seem like something special instead of just sleazy finishing. It plays well, and with a bit of work sounds pretty good too. The kill switch is just a silly thing to do, and you can get the same effect by just turning one of the pickups all he way down and flipping the 3 way. And use some real strap buttons!
At least this guitar is made to be altered, adjusted, changed. Now that I made a few little adjustments it's a pretty nice guitar to play, sounds great, and does most of what I'd like a guitar to do. It's still not quite what I want, but it's the closest I've seen so far from Gibson.
So what do I really want? A similar pickup setup on a Lp style body instrument that is semi-hollow and has a Floyd Rose/Kahler/Strat style tremolo, one volume control next to the bridge and bridge pickup, and a tone with a bass(.047) capacitor so it can do wah sounds. 24 frets, on a slight V medium profile neck and a 12" radius fingerboard. A complete finish, even if oil or very thin.

my one is a standerd trans gold as opposed to one of the limited edition finished modles it has a burst bucker bridge pick up and p90 neck pickup + kill switch + two volume and one tone knob, 3 way pickup toggle. one of the coolist features are the plexi glass eletrics covers. as standered if you buy one you should get a gibson hardcase, if not you have been conned
to be honest i did not buy this guitar to be all singing all danceing i got it because it is simple and honest

i have heard people really been critcal about the sound from the bfg but i have found it to be fantastic. unamped it has a great natural resonence very warm and errm... woody sound (sorry). amped up and with a spade full of distortion it really rocks. with the chambered body feedback comes easy which i have read people complain about but it is a rock machine IT IS A GOOD THING and if your not a compleat plonker can be controled, just dont stand so near the amp. i play mostly heavy rock or prog rock ( ac dc, pink floyed, metallica etc)and this guitar can cope with most styles of music so it is a good work horse. i have read alot of reviews from people that have changed the pickups but the stock pickups are still resonble and worth keeping although i am thinking of change for mine. bottem line this guitar sounds great for the money and weather you like the look of it or not the sound (+ the playibility more on that later) is the most important thing.

now this is where things get complicated there seems to be eather good or bad bfg's mine is a very good bfg the shop where i bought it set it up for free and if you shop around you will find plenty of dealers who will do this. because the guitar design is that it is unfinished and rough complaints about lack of binding and the like are pointless but my one for some reason came with a truss rod cover and the plastic toggle on the pickup selector i would not have complained if i did not get them because you are not ment to but if you have a model that dose not have these things its no big deal. i have read alot of reviews that complain about the frets, wobbly hard wear and electrics, and general roughness so try befor you buy if you find a good one it will be well worth the money. i do have some critisium about my model there are some areas of bad workmanship. the dot markers are covered in the stain that they used on the body + i have a very rough patch where the neck meets the body small and easily sorted out but if you pay ??600 for a guitar you expect better for this reason i will mark this guitar down and i can understand why some buyers will rate this guitar low if they buy crap one. which is a shame because this is a great guitar if you get a good one. i would like to note that because the neck is not lackered your hand dose not get stuck to it this is great and makes this guitar very playible as a matter of fact i give this guitar a 9 and a half for playibilty.

this is a gibson it is not going to fall apart on stage if you have a sound one like me then it should outlive you and your children and your childrens children...etc you get the picture. the rough finish on it means that giveing it a dink is not a prob so great for energetic solos (we have all done it).
i do have to ask the question of gibson is why have they put such crapy strap buttons on it i mean for a couple of extra pounds you could have had half decent strap buttons i think this is very mean of gibson. gibson sort it out!

i have never had to deal with gibson which is proberly a good sign if i have a prob with a guitar i would normually take it back to the dealer that reminds me i have not even bothered looking at the warranty opps

i have been playing for 6 years this is my third guitar i also own a jackson and a cheap ibanez and is by far my best guitar i love the rough look of it and the great sounds and playibilty im not a big fan of flash shiney guitars so this suits me just fine it has quite a unique look so it stands out from your average les paul i wanted to get one in the natural finish but could not find so i had to settle for the trans gold (not that bad really). i love the way that it feels and smells (im not pervert honest)and the woodern Knobs are cute i was orangily going to buy a framus renagade pro (also a very good guitar) which proberly have been better value for money but it was the styling that won me over i will proberly buy a framus next. i think that i done the right thing in buying this guitar it is great fun and i can not put it down despite recently breaking my wrist and being in a cast if it was lost or stolen i would save up and buy it again it really is that good if you like your guitars properly finished this may not be the guitar for you but it is worth considering that the finished equivlent will cost you alot more and will look just like any other les paul also because of the chambered body it is a lot lighter then ...well most guitars. i could have bought a fender standered strat but they and copies are very commen(still a good buy for a real one) . my advice is try befor you buy i think you will be converted at the end of the day it sounds great and plays great which for any musical instrement is the most important thing. enjoy

Same as everyone else's. My wife purchased mine through Sweetwater Sound in Indiana as a Christmas present. Despite the drawn out drama with Gibson, Sweetwater was awesome to deal with. Thanks Mike!!

I play more rock and pop so the bridge pickup was too thin for me so I replaced it with a 498T. That was definitely an improvement for my taste. The P90 is definitely warm and smooth, howbeit very noisy. Definitely more "woody" sounding than the Standard that I've borrowed from a friend and not as solid. I'm playing it through pedals into a Solo 50 and it's string definition is not as defined as I'd prefer. It does excel on the high gain channel of my Boogie.

This is the third BFG that I ended up with. The first one had a crack in the neck under the fretboard. The second one had a finish so rough that my shirt sleeve stuck to the body and was stained so poorly (lack of). This third one came and I settled on it because I was told that Gibson was discontinuing the line except for the "Limited". It was badly in need of attention. The action was atrocious, the bridge pickup was missing a spring, the frets were pitted and sharp, and the intonation was horrible. But because of who gave it to me I was determined to keep it and use it. I sent it to Michael at Best Frets (in California... I'm in Michigan) who did an awesome job on the fretwork and pickup installation. But even after all of that, it still won't stay in tune solidly. My American Strat (that I paid half the price of this BFG) is waaay more reliable than the BFG. For this being a $950+ axe, it's not worth half the money my wife paid for it. I recently played a Korean model that was 200 times better... which is sad because I'm trying to stay American with all my instruments.

Like I said... it won't stay in tune. As for durability... time will tell. It feels like it's parts will hold up physically.

As with any company, it's hit or miss there. My first contact was met with excuses and insinuations that it was something I was doing wrong. My wife's contact also could not understand our predicament and my wife was regretful about getting me this BFG. My final contact was more knowledgeable, sympathetic (This gentleman sounded like he actually played), and had solutions.

Having been more reliant on my Martin D-28 and Strat made me see that Gibson's attention to detail lies only where it will benefit them. That is sad considering that I've always viewed American instruments as the superior. I will definitely not be purchasing another Gibson in the near future based on this experience.

I bought this guitar yesterday from Alto Music in Middletown, NY, and got it for $799 w/case, a much better deal than any of the online music catalog houses. They all charge $969 for it. What's up with that? Price fixing? They all suck, IMO. Support your local independent Gibson retailer instead.

Other people have detailed the guitar's features, so I won't.

This guitar suits me just fine in every way. It's exactly what Gibson's propaganda says; a rock n' roll flamethrower. There's nothing pretty about it; the BFG is one mean, bad***, nasty-sounding guitar in every way. It's amazing cranked up with plenty of distortion, but you can play clean country licks as well. Harmonics jump right out of the treble humbucker, and the neck P-90 is great too. Right way, I can tell I'm gonna love this guitar for a LONG time.

This guitar is rough and ready, unrefined and stripped down. That's what it is and nothing more. The factory setup is OK, the neck is straight and I love the snakeskin looking carved top in the black finish. The fretboard is a little dried out, but I'll take care of that when I change the strings this week. The A/F/F is about as good as it gets for a guitar that's supposed to look unfinished and raw.

I think it should last a long time. Don't see why not. The strap buttons are miniscule. I wish Gibson would stop using these idiotic buttons and get something larger.

I have spoken to Gibson C/S on occasion and they were cool. Overall though, I think that Gibson's CEO, "King Henry" Juszkiewicz, is an arrogant jerk who's ideas and philosophies are in danger of hurting the company in the long run. He has priced most of their guitars beyond the reach of the average player, and he treats many of his better indie dealers like crap in favor of GC, MF, and the other big box ********. With the BFG and the Billie Joe LP Junior, which I also own, they did something right for a change. Both are great values for the money.

I am digging this guitar a LOT and will use it on the gig next weekend. It's everything I thought it would be and more. I love the kill switch. I plan to add a pickup cover for the P-90, a ring around the humbucker, and different knobs, as well as larger strap buttons. The chambered body makes it very light, a welcome relief from some of my past Les Pauls, one of which weighed almost 12 pounds! because it's chambered, it generates feedback pretty easily, which I use onstage.

2008 Bullion Burst, very heavy metal looking to me.
kill switch/ 2 vol/ 1 tone/ p90/ burst bucker
Chambered body/stripped down Rock machine

Yes, the sound, Maybe its the lack of paint and clear coat on the wood, but this guitar sings like none other,It just has a diff tone to it,open like it breaths... I think its the chambered body and no paint, allowing the wood to breath.Tons of sustain,pinch harmonics effortlessly,I am playing it thru Diezel Herbert/Splawn Nitro/Marshall DSL/ Mesa Triple recto, thru Basson 4x12 cabinets. It just sounds different.Ive have several and had several other gtrs to compare it to...I love its tone...

Heres what Sucks about this...
kill switch noisey when set to off,unless your hand is on strings or metal
definately needs a Fret dress and crowning the frets, I like the rounded feel on frets and these are like railroad tracks.Wooden knobs ...took them right off.
I love the rough n raw finish,I play my guitars I dont look at them,I try to keep them nice but they get nicked up, and this one will blend right in!

everything breaks.............

Yes,It was worth the coin,chambered body and lack of paint,I think lets it breath unlike other guitars.....Hard Rock at its Best!

Black transparent BFG Les Paul
Gibson Burstbucker bridge pickup
P90 neck pickup
Grover tuners
One-piece maple top
Mahogany body etc

Interesting pickup selection
NO truss rod, pickup surrounds, washers or any binding. For the sake of ??5 I bought a truss cover and some washers - it looks lovely now. I didnt bother with pup covers and surrounds though - it actually detracted from the look when I tried it!

Love the pickups - the main reason I bought this was to get a different sound to my Les Paul with 57 Classics in, and it does this beautifully. The burstbucker gives a crunchier, 'bitier' (yes, that IS a word...) sound than the 57s, and the P90 has a really deep almost hollow feel to it. Beautiful.
You can get a real variety of sounds from it as well.

My favourite setting at the moment is to have the toggle in the middle, with the P90 rolled back to 20% and the bucker on 100%

The kill switch however is blinking useless. The only advantage of it that I have found is that it means the pup selector switch is now down by the volume knobs, so I dont accidentally change pup when I get carried away - and that does happen on my other LP!

I bought this 2nd hand, but the guy had only had it 4 weeks. He said the shop had set it up - whether they did or not I dont know, but it was absolutely perfect. No kidding - I've never picked a guitar up in a shop that was just right. This was.
I've only come across one other guitar that felt as nice and that one had undergone a full setup and fretdress.

The one thing I really love about this guitar is the finish. I really wasnt expecting to - I'd seen lots of pics on the net and thought "urgh - I'm not paying for an unfinished guitar"
But it was cheap so I went for it - so glad I did. Without the lacquer, paint, gloss sheen etc, the guitar feels really woody. The neck is awesome - the back feels really comfortable and you can actually smell the wood. It just adds something to it.

I would gig this without backup. Feels solid, yet mercifully lighter than a standard LP.
The finish is neither here nor there for durability as it is hardly there to start with.
This is what I'd call a 'working guitar' - pick it up and play it, enjoy it, and dont worry about getting carried away and knocking it!

I've heard Gibson support is bad, but I've never had to deal with them yet!

OK. Been playing 25 years, had many Epiphones, Squiers, Westones etc etc etc - only recently decided I wanted a genuine Gibson. I was really really surprised with this guitar - it was ??400 so too good to miss for a proper Gibbo, but I wasnt expecting much. But when I picked it up and played it I fell in love with it.
I really wish that the pics on the net hadnt put me off buying one last year. They arent for everybody - they do look a bit rough. My brother commented "Its definitely 'you'..." when he saw it, what with it being all black wood, black metal, bare pups and so on.

I love it.

I am putting this review in here to add my opinion but also to tell about some modifications I have made that IMHO make this guitar a 10.

Trans red. Most of the features have been gone thru already. P90 and a Burstbucker 3. Kill switch where the pic-up selector usually is. One tone, 2 volumes, and a pick-up selector where the usual 2nd tone knob is. Pick-up selector is tiny. Cool white plush hsc. Unshielded wiring inside. 9 because of the wiring and small pick-up selector.

Love the sound of this guitar. P90 is great sounding clean. Play in a rock cover band that does 4-5 gigs a year. For the clean work,use this pick-up. Not as good distorted alone, kinda gets muddy. Both pick-ups together distorted sound fantastic for rock, the combo is amazing. then the burstbucker alone for leads or hard rock, punk rock and i guess even some metal but I don't play much metal.
Incredible sustain. Longest of any of my guitars. (PRS, Gibsons and American fenders).
Alternate between Orange rocker 30 and Fender twin reverb with a seymour duncan twin tube distortion pedal in front depending on my mood.

Action was fantatic.
P90 is a good distance from the strings and the Burstbucker is closer, which contributes to the BB being much louder, but not abnormaly so. It works well for switching to leads or changing the volume during a song from the verse to the chorus (which is usually louder and more overdriven) then back to the verse.
Finish: BFG (barely finished guitar). I love the look. We have done quite a few work party gigs and all the 'guitar lay people' (ie the people who have never heard of Gibson or Fender - I know- blasphemy
!) there love it, says it looks like snake skin.

Live playing: rock solid. Take it to all my gigs.
One problen that I alluded to above was the unshielded wiring. Makes the guitar when not playing but the distortion is on on the amp. VERY LOUD and noisey. Only turns quiet if you put your finger on some metal part of the guitar. Anoying.
I took it the local guitar repair person and had him put Gibson shielded wire in it for 50 bucks. Still with the kill switch.
It is perfect now. Very very quiet, even with the gain turned all the way up just the slightest, very slightest hum and goes completely away with the kill switch activated.

I suppose I would just go to the local shop where I bought it if there were any serious problems.

Finally, I put a little plastic knob on the pick-up selector to make it a little bigger, so that it would be easy to switch pick-ups during a gig.

I have many other guitars. I play in a cover band for fun but have a good job with enough play money to try various guitar. I have been thru many; this, although less expensive, is one of the best. To most gigs now I bring my BFG and my 335. 335 for blues songs and mostly rhythm playing songs and BFG for more lead, clean(p90) and harder rock, punk and really crunchy songs. Love it.