Gibson Les Paul BFG

replaced the pickups with active EMGs (EMG 85 and EMG P60). Moved the toggle switch near the neck and used the empty slot for an EMG PA2 booster (no killswitch anymore).

The original pickups were OK but burstbucker-3 was too thin and p90 had lots of hum.

Now with the EMGs the sound is AMAZING.

You'll need to install a humbucker frame, it takes a lot of beating without it.

Action and setup were very good. The neck is very comfortable.

I love the looks. Mine is a TransGold.

Oh, it is light as a feather compared to the other LPs

This guitar is a dog

If you are into customizing your guitars, this axe can be a killer. Thank you Gibson for the opportunity

you know how it goes since you are here...
BUT... After a month of having the guitar I went active, replaced the pickups with an EMG 85 (bridge) and an EMG P60 (neck), moved the toggle switch back to the original location and installed next to the pots an EMG PA2 booster...

Thank you Gibson for making this guitar...

I will rate the original configuration with an overall 7. I want heavy gain sounds for both lead and rhythm and good cleans, as well. The BF-3 bridge pup was thin at high gain settings. I guess the chambered body makes the guitar bright as it is, the BF-3 was just not enough. The P90 gets an 8, it had an impressive creamy vintage quality but the hum was unbearable...
So, I went radical and thank god for the extra cash, I was right. Big F****** Giant, turned out to be. The guitar has bottom end, good mids and "friendly" highs. Articulate and crystal clear. Both pups deliver and the PA2 boost just slams...

I haven't really explored the sounds (installed the EMGs 4 days ago) but every setting sounds good. You can be Jimi, Zakk, Tool, and most of all yourself.

mine is the Trans Gold. I love the looks, especially with the two black EMGs. The action was very good right from the factory and the woods were surprisingly well-matched. My guess is that these are very good quality woods. I could hardly find the matching line on the back.
Oh, and it is light. Very light. The neck feeling can be classical, can be shred as well...

Well, feels like a dog this one.

BUT, you MUST install the bridge pickup frame. It got quite a beating from my right hand, I imagined it popping out with springs and all that...

if you are ready to customize this guitar and spend some more money on this baby, then you are in guitar heaven. If not, you end up with a Barely Finished Guitar... Just think of what you want.

LP with a kill switch

Sound absolutely beautiful! Very open sounding.. rich distortion. I prefer to have a single coil pu in the neck position, since it sounds 'more real' with clean settings. The bridge pu is just plain awesome! I don't know it's output. All strings ring true even distorted and you can hear the chords you're playing. Dynamic for a humbucker.. which I very much like. I use a Marshall amp and this is my first Gibson (I do have a Tokai LP as well but it sounds considerably much darker and strings volume-balance is totally off. Excellent build quality, though!) Unplugged this LP is quite loud and balanced. I plug directly to amp without effects most of the time.. sometimes I use some delay but that's just about all I ever use. IMO if you have a good sounding guitar/amp combination you shouldn't color it with effects... The pu's are not wax potted and tend to feedback, but it's not really a problem.

I got mine used and it was set up perfectly for my needs. The nut needs to be changed.. strings don't slide through it well enough. Lubricants didn't help. No biggie, easy fix.

Durability..? well, you certainly don't need to worry about scratching this one.. Personally I quite like it. I'm not too big on fancy finishing. Not having a 'finished guitar' is great since it's a whole lot cheaper to buy and you can be more careless with it.
Strap buttons were terrible and i changed them immediately. No guitar should have such lousy strapbuttons!!!

This is a very good guitar! Great sounds and rugged, carefree finish (if you can call it finish) Playability and sound unplugged is top notch. Came with an excellent Gibson case.

What's different is the 3-way pu-selector is moved next to vol pots and in it's place is a 'kill-switch'. Kinda cool if you like it, I didn't so and wired mine back to its normal place.. removed the kill-switch altogether. No big deal.. Mahogany body and neck. Plays like a million bucks but looks like only a few.. which I think suit a 'stripped down rock guitar' this is. Burstbucker 3 and P90. Rosewood fretboard. Very nice frets!

Sounds great for clean and distorted Rock..Hard Rock type of music that i'm into. You could probably get decent metal sounds too.. but that's not my thing. 60's to 90's rock sounds are all there. The P90 at neck position sounds beautiful, deep, rich and dynamic.. couldnt' be happier about having it there. The burstbucker in bridge pos is the greatest rock sound i've ever heard (especially when played through a marshall). It's sensitive to picking dynamics and just growls the right way. Very clear even with overdrive! Ballsy as hell and has a lot of attitude. Palm muting sounds exellent. Plenty of sustain too.
This guitar is very loud unplugged!!! Also it's a lot lighter to wear on a strap than most 'Pauls' I've played. Acoustically this instrument has a very balanced, open sound. No buzzing at all. Just a clear tone with good sustain.

I bought mine used. Everything was perfect! as if it had been just waiting for me to pick her up and take home.. (which of course I did). Simply the best guitar I've had. (no rating since I got mine second hand)

This is already so 'worn-in' that I wouldn't worry about them scratches anymore.. they'd probably make this look even cooler. LP:s last for ever unless YOU destroy the neck.

Exellent sounding instrument, especially for rock type of music. Well... blues-rock is what I'm into and this puppy really shines. This is one guitar I really wish I'd had a long time ago.. This is THE ONE I've been searching for for over a decade, maybe longer. Very basic features and superior TONE. This is a keeper for sure. Search is over for me now.. I have already started selling my other guitars (numerous guitars from dif manufacturers). If I ever buy another guitar it will be just like this one.. and just to have a back up for when needed.
Phenomenal sound!!

Well if you've bothered to search this out you should already know what a BFG is so I won't repeat what everybody has already writen. Mine is Trans Gold and took me a while to track down. I first discovered the model when I saw someone playing the black version at a gig - I assumed it was a LP copy at first, then noticed 'Gibson' on the headstock. It looked pretty radical so I assumed it was customised. Talking to the owner later I was surprised to discover it was a new Gibson model! A bit of research on the Gibson website and some more research for some reviews online convinced me I wanted one - in fact I became obsessed! Finding the Gold one I was after wasn't so easy - I visited many shops in London and only one Gibson dealer actually had one in stock - a cherry one rather than the gold I was after. The price was quite a bit more than I had seen online, but there was NO WAY I was going to risk buying a dog over the net - I ain't buying nothing I ain't played. Would you buy a car without a test drive? The London dealers were less than helpful - not willing to negociate on price or get one for me to try without a hefty non-returnable deposit to ensure I bought the guitar if is I didn't like it. A little research on the net and a phone call confirmed Coda Music in Stevenage had two in stock I could try - one of them in gold. And at a FAR better price than any of the London dealers! A quick drive out into the sticks to try them out and I walked out of the shop very happy with a new BFG in a Gibson USA hard case!

It sounds fantastic - I absolutley love the tones! I use a Fender Twin for gigs and a Fender Frontman R for practice at home. I was a bit dubious about the pickup combination until I tried it - I was soon won over! The bridge Burstbucker 3 gives the classic Les Paul tone with plenty of bite - particularly with a dirty sound and the tone turned up, it really screams. With a cleaner sound through my Fender Twin some nice Chuck Berry style tones are there too. It's the addition of the P-90 in the neck position that really makes this guitar so versatile - it's really like having two guitars in one as the two pickups sound so totally different from each other - FAR more so than any guitar equipped with either two humbuckers or two single coils. (apart from the old Gibson Marauder - I have one of them too but the BFG makes it redundant). With the P-90 you can get a sound not unlike the Les Paul Special, but actually far more like a '56 Goldtop due to the BFG's maple topped mahogany body. It's with a clean sound that the P-90 really comes into it's own - much warmer and with far more bite than the single coils you'd find in a Strat or Tele. It's surprisingly powerful for a single coil. Very good for a thick chunky '50 rock & roll rhythm sound. I've never heard a single coil pickup sound this good! I do find the Burstbucker (not wax potted) quite prone to feedback though - but that's when the kill switch comes in handy! Or maybe I just play too loud...

I tried two BFG's in the shop. Both sounded pretty similar though the Marshall amp in the shop, although those amps don't have a great clean sound. I thought the gold one had a slightly thinner neck than the black one. I wasn't too sure about the 'chunky' '50s style neck until I tried it, but I found I got used to it quickly and I now find it really comfortable even though it's noticably thicker than the neck on my other 3 Gibsons. I suspect the thicker neck gives better sustain too. I wondered if the chambered weight relief body would kill the sustain, but it's still excellent on mine, as is the classic Les Paul tone - I suspect this varies with each individual guitar though and some are better than others. I am over the moon with mine though. I wasn't too impressed by the setup of the guitars in the shop - I don't think they were set up since leaving the factory, and if so the factory setup wasn't very good. I was pretty certain I could do better myself, and sure enough just a few minutes work at home tweaking the bridge and pickup heights plus intonation resulted in a much better playing and louder guitar. If only Gibson bothered to do this properly at the factory I'm sure they would greatly enhance their patchy reputation for quality and sell more guitars... The finish is not to everyone's taste - if you don't like it then don't buy one - problem solved. Personally, I love it. Gibson don't say what BFG actually stands for - some people say 'Barely Finished Guitar'. This might be true, and in one respect Gibson might have gone too far as on mine I found the top edge of the body was SO unfinished as to actually have a sharp edge at the front, which I didn't notice until I'd been playing it a while and found my arm was getting sore from rubbing against this. Again, that was something I fixed myself in a few minutes with a piece of sandpaper - but another thing I shouldn't have had to do with a brand new USA made guitar. Also, the next day the P-90 came loose when one the the brass inserts that the pickup screws fix and adjust to the body came loose - something else I had to fix myself rather than drive miles to take the guitar back to the shop. It was easy to fix, but I shouldn't have had to. Also, I noticed when changing the strings before a gig that one of the screws holding the Grover machine head to the headstock was loose - so out came the Evo-stick woodglue again.

Apart from the stupid minor (and easily fixed my myself) quality issues mentioned above, this guitar seems really solidly built from quality wood and with good quality hardware. It really feels like it's built to last and I'm sure it will give good and reliable service on the road. I don't think it will wear out or fall to bits in my lifetime. One of the things I love about the finish is that as it already looks 'worn' I don't have to worry about any dings it may receive on the road and it will only look better as the years pass. The strap buttons got replaced with locks straight away as with any Les Paul type guitar that's going to be gigged. I would use it without backup - and have at three gigs already. There isn't room to carry another guitar, and the BFG is versatile enough to make the others redundant anyway.

It had the normal Gibson/Rossetti warranty, but the minor snags were easlily fixed my myself in a few minutes - didn't want to drive many miles to either be given a different (and possibly inferior) guitar in exchange or wait days/weeks while they fixed it and drive another long trip to pick it up.

That said, I found the guys at Coda Music very friendly and helpful (MUCH more so than all the London dealers!) and I'm sure they would have been happy to sort any problems out if I took the guitar back.

Been playing on and off in original and now cover bands for over 20 years. I have 3 other Gibsons (Marauder, Explorer & RD Standard) but this is now easily my favourite! I've wanted a Les Paul for years but never been able to afford one - this model changed all that and to me sounds as good as a Standard or Custom - many other people say the same. After I'd set it up to my satisfaction it's an absolute delight to play - definitley the best playing guitar I've ever had. And the best sounding too. I've finally found virtually my perfect guitar - it just seems to suit me so well. I'd buy another BFG tomorrow if anything happened to this one. In spite of the minor quality issues I think my BFG was terrific value for money. If I could afford it, I'd quite like to try buying another one and stripping the finish back to bare wood and sanding down and refinishing it to a smooth natural wood finish.

The BFG features have already been covered in other reviews, but I would like to mention that it comes with a fantastic quality Gibson hard case (worth in excess of ??100 as far as I know) and a great pack of accessories from my supplier. Dolphin Music included and excellent steel braided guitar lead with gold plated jacks, a Gibson strap and a Gibson cleaning kit. Good work fellas!

I???ll start by saying I only recently took up the guitar ( about 10 months ago ) when I started my second childhood. I???m playing through a VOX AD15VT Valvetronix amp (an excellent little amp imho) and couldn???t be more happy with the sound I???m getting. The P90 pickup at the neck has a great attacking feel to it if 90???s indie is your thing. The Burstbucker in the bridge position has a much dirtier 70???s/80???s rock feel. I'm learning a range of stuff from my boyhood heroes like AC/DC and Black Sabbath right through some Oasis or Stone Roses to more mdern sounds like My Chemical Romance and The Fratellis. The BFG seems well capable of getting a novice like me sounding like my favourite bands.

First of all, the quality stands out as soon as it???s out of the case. It feels solidly put together and really nicely finished. Don???t let the look of the finish put you off, sure it???s no glossy custom paint and lacquer job but neither is it as rough as the proverbial bear???s! It has an almost satin feel to it. The neck is silky smooth; much easier in the hand than the glossy finish on some other guitars I've tried. The ripple finish on the top is a really inspired touch in the design of the BFG. It makes for a unique look and feel to the guitar.
Surprisingly, it was perfectly in tune right out of the case and the action felt good to my inexperienced fingers.
The only thing I have against the look of the guitar is the wooden volume and tone control knobs. I feel they would have been much better if finished in a metal to match the bridge and tailpiece and for that reason I've deducted 1 mark from a perfect ten.

As I've alreay mentioned it feels very solidly put together, but I can't really comment on the BFG's capability to withstand gigging. However, I think the fact it's a pukka USA Gibson speaks for itself. The only difference between this and your average Les Paul model that people have been playing live for decades is the layers of paint and lacquer. That ain't exactly bulletproofing is it!
I will say, however, that this is the second BFG I had delivered. The first one had a serious neck break at the headstock, although I believe this is not uncommon with the Les Paul.
As far as durability of finish is concerned I would reckon a bit of wear and tear will only enhance the look of the BFG.

Customer support from the dealer, Dolphin Music, was second to none. I reported the first guitar's damage in transit the day after delivery and it was picked up by the courier the same day. A couple of phone calls a week later and the replacemet was on its way. Fantastic service. No need so far to deal with Gibson direct.

As I said before I'm in my first year of playing , but have alredy caught the "collecting bug". I'd been hanging my nose over Ebay listings for SGs and LP standards for ages until I decided I really could afford a REAL Gibson. In fact the first time I saw a BFG was in an ebay listing and until I looked up the official Gibson website I thought it had a snakeskin paint finish. I had to have one! A bit of Googling got me the lowest price website and 3 weeks wait until I had my first Gibson!!! I already own a Squier Standard Stratocaster and an Indie Pure Custom and play them through a VOX AD15VT amp. Easily loud enough to get my girlfriend pleading me to plug in the headphones! The BFG definitely sounds and feels the best.
I just love the way it crunches and rings through all the VOX's tones and effects. If it was lost or stolen I'd order a replacement right away. A real USA made Les Paul for a great price. Every home should have one!

First things first. I love Gibson guitars. Now that I've got that out of the way. . . .

OK -- so here's another really ODD chapter in Gibson's recent marketing policy. First, Gibson censors virtually all guitar store websites (except for Musicians Friend and maybe one or two others) from advertising Gibson guitars. What sort of luddite move is that? The future is in internet sales, but Gibson won't play that game. Go figure.

Next -- Gibson comes out with a 'limited edition' Les Paul BFG. I happened to be in my favorite local guitar store here in Houston (Fuller's -- GREAT place) and there was a black BFG hanging on the wall. The sales person told me it was a limited edition BFG, (only like 150 of them will be made) signed by LES PAUL himself. The headstock decal is replaced by a hand-written great-big 'Les Paul' in silver paint-pen ink. It costs about $2k more than a regular BFG. My addiction being what it is, I had to have this guitar.

But before I bought it I looked it up on the internet. The gibson website said nothing about the guitar being signed by Les Paul. The Musician's friend website offers the guitar, and gives a long list of special features (which when read carefully, are pretty much the SAME as the regular edition BFG). NO mention of the Les Paul autograph. So I called Musician's Friend and they dutifully read ths list of wood and finish specs on the guitar, but said they knew nothing about it being signed by Les himself. I was starting to think this guitar was a scam -- a fake. So finally I called Gibson. And yes, they said, the guitar was actually signed by Les. Himself and in person. I asked why in the world they didn't say so on their website, and why Musician's Friend didn't mention that selling point. They had no idea. Clueless.

Makes no sense to me, but onto the guitar review.

I've heard lots of complaints and 'opinions' on the way this guitar was conceived and made. Personally, I like the rough finish, the look and feel of it. I like not having dots on the fretboard (the side markers are enough for me) And the control layout (2 volumes, one tone, pickup selector and kill switch))turns out to be an improvement over the regular 4 know (2-volume, 2-tone) setup. Somehow, with only one tone knob, the guitar does not lose its brightness when you use the guitar volume knobs. You Gibson fans know that normally a 4-knob gibson loses its brightness when you turn the guitar volume knobs down. Not so with the BFG! So I like the BFG setup a lot.

And . . . it's chambered so it weighs in at a featherweight 7 plus pounds.

Only thing I'd have done differently would have been to add the pickup surround to the bridge pickup. Seems like it might be easy to break the windings as they are pretty exposed without the plastic mount protecting them.

For my purposes (roots rock, blues, christian rock) this is a great sounding guitar.

The P90 sounds great in the neck position. Very open and clear when played with mild overdrive, and very full when driven really hard. It's great for chord work -- better than a humbucker as it has more bottom and top end. The burstbucker in the bridge is, well, a burstbucker. Sounds almost exactly like the one in my '59 LP reissue, but with a tiny bit less bottom-end.

The guitar DOES have a fairly open sound -- you can hear the tone nuances really well, even when playing with a band onstage. So it's got lots of personality -- Les Paul personality. If you like the LP sound, you will really like this guitar.

Needed a good setup. The nut was not cut well at all. The intonation and neck curve were off. So my luthier gave it a once-over ($25) and it's just perfect now.

The finish -- is supposed to be primitive and rough. And is is. That said, there are no abraisive areas on the wood and the guitar feels good in the hands. The looks kind of severe, and as such are a matter of preference I guess.

Had a lot of folks tell me it looks like snake or alligator skin from a distance.

I give it an 8 for the nut problems I had to have fixed.

Seems solid as a rock but I wonder how that bridge pickup will hold up with it being exposed on the sides.

Been playing for 40 years and have a nice assortment of kit at home.

I have 2 les pauls. One is a '59 re-issue 'cloud 9' chambered Les Paul. The other is this BFG Les Paul. The cloud9 cost $4800. A new BFG costs about $1200 or so. (This one cost more due to the Les Paul autograph, but it's otherwise the nearly the same as the regular, less costly model).

I actually like the BFG a little better than the Cloud 9 '59 reissue. For the money, you probably cannot beat this guitar if you are looking for a Gibson Les Paul.

it's a les paul with only one tone control an a kill switch.

i have owend two other very expensive les pauls but this beats them all.
the sound is much more open.

this is a question of taste. i like. other people will say it looks horrible.
the set-up was good exept the edges of the frets - too sharp.

i see no problem.

never dealed with them.

i'm playing for 30 years and i can say this is maybe the best guitar i have ever had. i's a shame that i can say this when i look on my other very expensive guitars.

if you want to buy a BFG try different guitars. in my store there where four BFG's. Three of them where bad and only one had this beautiful sound.

First of all I want to say that most Les Paul diehards hate the BFG, all I ask is that make your own desicion.

The BFG is a typical Les Paul, but differs in a few ways; scalloped top, Kill switch, one tone knob, Chambered body, clear pastic covers (on back), and none of the visual frills of other les pauls;(binding, pup rings, truss cover, shiny finish etc.)

My BFG is the Trans Cherry fisnish. My BFG is more vibrant and colorful than the ones I've seen in photos.

I believe mine has the 60's taper neck. Sealed Grover Tuners, black hardware, Burst Bucker-3 on the bridge, and p-90 on the neck (making a veratile guitar). Satin finish feels great (no need to break in). Body and neck are Mahogany, and top is maple. The finish is similar, but a little rougher than my LP faded Standard (I wish I still had that one), I love my BFG alot!

I play all styles of Rock, and the BFG suits them all well. I'm running the BFG through a Marshall 1x12 combo, with Zakk Crybaby as the only effect. The pick ups are balanced and compliment the guitar well. I've owned many Les pauls, but the only one I could really compare it to is the Faded LP Standard. The BFG sounds much warmer than the Faded Standard, maybe due to the chambered body and pick up selection. The p-90 in the neck is nice, and clears things up, compared to a neck humbucker. The p-90 can get a little noisy on high gain settings. Over all this is a great sounding guitar, and there's no reason why this guitar can't be used for other genres as well.

Well the BFG is designed to be a rough, rugged looking guitar with a distressed finish, so Gibson excelled there! The neck is smooth, action is super, Grovers tuners are a +

The BFG is a quality Gibson, so there's no reason is soudn't withstand the test of time.

I had to contact customer support for an issue with my Faded Standard, and they exceeded my expectations. Limited lifetime warranty.

I've been playing for close to twenty years! I've owned MANY Les Pauls from a 78 custom to a 2007 BFG. I was never myself onstage (playing on my standards and customs), but the BFG allows me to be myself. No need to worry about scarring this one up, it only adds to the Character of the guitar

Favorite features include: Chambered Body, p-90/ humbucker combination, strip down basics, satin finish.

If you like pretty guitars, look elsewhere. If you want an axe that'll stay by your side in the trenches get a BFG.

The only mod I'll be doing on my BFG is adding a black plastic switch tip on the pick up selector.

It's a great guitar, but don't take my word for it, go try one out and be convinced.

No need to really reiterate the features, the previous review does a pretty good job of that. I like to look of the "pretty" Les Pauls, but this one caight my eye faster than any of the dozen other LPs that I saw this day.

US made, and I think most people believe that this means a higher level of QC, but I can't vouch for that. The price is right.

It comes with a very nice case.

I play in a cover band, and we're doing everything from Lenny Kravitz ro Prong. It is pretty "dirty" rock n roll, so the guitar suits our style well.

I run through a Line 6 HD147 and a Marshall 1960 cab.

The P90 is noisy, and I am not particularly fond of it alone, but combined with the bridge pickup it can give some great fat and sparkly clean tones.

Overall, it does seem a bit noisy, but it may have something to do with the environment in which I have played it.

Factory setup was decent, although the action could have been lowered. I am not sure what most LP players like as far as action goes, but I prefer to have low action, just this side of buzz.

I like the height that the beidge pickup was set at, it really gives the bridge a hot sound, very loud and clear.

This thing is full of flaws, but that is the appeal of it. Theonly thing that I can mention is that the kill switch didn't have a washer installed on it. I didn't notice it was missing until I got it home (I bought it in Rochester NY and I live in Michigan.) Easily remedied. However, I am not quite sure if the washer was supposed to be there anyhow.

The hardware has a funny finish to it. When I adjusted the bridge I found that there was some black (almost carbon like) residue on my fingers, which didn't wash off easily. Doesn't affect the way the hardware looks or works...yet.

I guess I am really pleased with the way this guitar looks, so although it isn't a AAA top I rate it highly in this catagory because of what it is. The black is my choice of color, the other two are too "pretty."

We'll find out about gigging this weekend, however I don't see any reason why it wouldn't perform well. I definitely would play no guitar without a back up - especially at a paying gig.

It seems as solid as it looks, it is not a museum piece, rather a rough and tough tool.

Strap buttons suck.

I have never dealth with Gibson, but I would imagine that a company that has been around for so long focusing on one thing should have the customer service thing worked out. Hopefully I will never have to find out.

I have been playing for almost 20 years, but it doesn't reflect in my skills. It wasn't until within the past 5 or 6 years that I really got "serious" about playing and learning how to play.

I have always gravitated to shredder guitars like Ibanez RGs and Jacksons. This is the first LP I have ever owned.

If it was damaged, lost or stolen I might consider buying another one, although I am quite fickle and may look for something else.