Gibson Les Paul Classic

Well, it has Les Paul Features. Thin 60's neck, maple top with mahogany body (the best for tone) classic tuners, aged creme hardware (binding, pickup mounts, pickguard) trapezoid inlays. Mine is the Gold Top, which is nice, really nice, and it came stock with 2 of the worst pickups you could put in a Les Paul that carries the label "Classic" because I have not heard of a 1960 Les Paul that came stock with a set of ceramic pickups. Lastly, the bridge saddles on every Gibson I have owned suck. They develope extra grooves in them that your strings like to bouce into and then bounce totally out of the saddle itself, I reccomend the Graphtech Supercharger kit to remedy this. I bought this guitar because I love Les Pauls (espescially Gold Top's) and I bought this to put the thing's in it that I like. It is the best platform to get that classic Les Paul out of, with the maple/mahogany and the quality of the instrument (minus the bridge) is second to none. I honestly don't understand why the Classic and the Standard have such a difference in price point, they have almost all of the same features.

Garbage!!!!! The pickups are SH*T!!!! I got rid of them right away for a set of Dimarzio 36th anniversary PAF's and also stuck a set of Sprague Vitamin Q caps in it. The wood is the reason I bought the guitar. All you have to do to get that classic sound out of the guitar is change the pickups to a set with lower output, BUT that is not to say that everyone will hate these pickups. Apparently, a lot of people that have reviewed this guitar prior to me rather enjoy these high output pickups. They are of good quality, and they do have there own thing going on, it is'nt bad but it is 100% not me at all. I like warmth, clarity, deep low end and highs that are full and not harsh. I won't review the pickups that I put in it, I will base this review on the stock guitar. So, for me, the stock pickups where not versatile enough for what I do. We play modern hard rock (original stuff, www.footsoldierband.com) and these pickups in this guitar do not cut it for the versatility that I want and they warmth that I enjoy out of my Les Pauls.

Beauty!!! I bought it used and had it setup the way I like it. I mean it is a Les Paul, treat it right and it will treat you right. The finnish is great, frets are awesome, and the binding is laid beautifully. They chose some good looking mahogany for this guitar, the neck and the back are awesome. The bridge is the bad part about this guitar, I stated earlier the problems with it so i won't get back into that, but it sucks.

Les Pauls (Gibsons) are built like a rock. I own three, one with a repaired headstock, and they all still play, sound and look awesome. The best guitars that I have ever owned are Gibson, and i have owned tons of guitars. Trust me, I am not just saying that, I have owned almost every guitar you can think of, and if I did'nt own then I probably played it and did'nt like it. Dependable, beautiful, and a true staement of rock and craftsmanship. Just get yourself a new bridge, graphtech supercharger kit is awesome.

Gibson has always answered my emails very quickly and are very accurately, but I have never had to deal with there warranty department because my Gibsons are problem free.

It is a great looking and playing instrument. The wood selection is classic Les Paul and the creme hardware really makes it look the part. I have always wanted either a Standard or a Classic so comparing was a no brainer seeing as I knew what I wanted already. I love everything but the bridge and the pickups but those things are easily replaced so I will give it a pretty good rating just simply becasue I love to look at it, I love to play it and I get tons of compliments on it. If it were lost or stolen I would call my insurance company and get another one of course.

Is an 07 model made in good ol' nashville. 22 frets, mahogany body, mable top. Solid ebony finish (nitrocellulose. Just that basic Les Paul no frills attitude.

with the added hot Gibson 500T (B) 496T (N) pickups, which play fantastically for all styles (but probably not for funk) Comes with a lovely gibson hardshell case, which im certain will keel this bad boy in shape.

I play everything ranging from Jazz to Heavy Metal, and it does those and everything in between except funk i find (but i've got my squier for that).

It's currently being run into a Dunlop ZW-45 Wah -> Zoom G1 (with a custom patch -> Roland Cube 30. Not the best rig, but does the job perfectly at the moment.

Amazing tonal characteristics, and its responsiveness is second to none. Beautiful thick sounding guitar, Had my mum walk in after i got it yesterday and said "wow thats really really round and bassy"

Like everything about it...except those damned strap pins, after reading countless reviews, i decided that i was taking no chances and installed a pair of Schaller Strap Locks straight away.

Action's pretty sweet, needed a string change tho...6 month old strings tend to go outta tune pretty quick...but as soon as that was done it was perfect and ready to go.

Neck pick-up couldve been a bit higher ( i like a bit of a brighter sound in the neck, but am probs gonna swap out of a classic PAF) bridge is perfect.

No flaws

Guitar was made for live playing...already pulling out the windmills on it and its fine so far. Feels like a tank (exactly why i called it "doza" for Bulldoza) Hardware's gibson quality...slightly worried about the tuning pegs...but we'll have to wait and see.

STRAP LOCKS ARE A MUST!! the strap pins are TINY and your guitar is GUARANTEED to fall at some stage, if ur gigging or just playing at home install some strap locks...who wants their baby in pieces on the floor.

Haven't gigged it yet. but ive got one coming up on the 17th of Oct and it'll be my main E standard guitar, with my Tele being in Eb Standard. So there will ALWAYS be a back up no matter what!

Haven't dealt with gibson.

Guitarist pushing 7 years of playing...own a Squier (Plywood)Affinity Tele...and have needed a serious upgrade for 3 years. Got a Monterey steel string as well which is solid.

IF this were stolen, first of all i'd go and shoot the bastard down, then try and buy another one (for it is discontinued)

I love this things big fat tone and heaviness, i still can't get over the fact i own a Gibson Les Paul :D its my dream come true so no complaints.

This was compared to an Ibanez Destroyer, Gibson SG, Explorer, fender Jim Root tele, and this bad boy won out because of its versatility.

Locking tuners would be nice...but we cant have it all.

* Year: 2000
* Frets: 22
* Top: Solid Carved Subtle Flame Maple Top
* Controls: 02 Volume 2 Tone
* Pickups: Were a 496R & 500T but hated them so put a Seymour Duncan '59 Model in the neck and a Pearly Gates In the bridge both Zebra.
* Body and neck woods: Mahogany
* Finish: Heritage Cherry Sunburst
* Bridge style: Tune-o-Matic
* Tuners: Normal Gibson Klusons but i think i'm gonna change them for proper Klusons
* Neck/Scale: '60's Profile and 22 Frets
* Any included accessories: Gibson USA Tan Hard Case

* How does it suit your music style?
Down to the ground i play Hard Rock, Metal and Southern Rock and Metal and Blues and i can play all of them without a worry
* What amps and effects are you using it with?
Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 50 Head and 1960 Lead Cab with a Zakk Wylde MXR Overdrive, 70's Crybaby Super, Boss TR-2 and a Boss TU-2
* Is it noisy?
Silent.
* Rich/Full sound?
Bridge, twangy high gain sound, neck warm strat sort of sound.
Now it's exactly the same just 20 times better!
* What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?
Tonnes of variety
* Likes and dislikes?
Like: All of it.
Dislike: None of it.

* How well was the guitar set-up at the factory?
I do pro guitar setups in a shop so it was fine i did buy it second hand though, so no idea about the original action.
* How well were the pickups adjusted?
Fine when i got them, even better now!
* Properly bookmatched top? Properly routed bridge?
Best bookmatched top i have seen next to my Standard.
* Did the guitar contain any flaws?
With Gibson when you get a bad one it's bad. When it's good it's unbeatable and this one is unbeatable.

* Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Oh just a bit.
* Does the hardware seem like it will last?
It's survived 9 years and not tarnished so yeah.
* Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?
To be honest most Gibson finishes aren't thin, but they aren't thick. I love it though when the natural grain starts showing through on the top and bottom sides.
* Are the strap buttons solid?
I don't trust anything other than Schallers so i have no idea, i changed them immediately.
* Can you depend on it?
Oh yeah! :o) Never once let me down.
* Would you use it on a gig without a backup?

* If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
Very friendly with serial number checks.
* Ever try and get it repaired? Was it under warranty
Do them myself.
* How long is the warranty
I think it would be a Gibson lifetime warranty.

* How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
Been playing 3 years but one of the best guitarists in my City, i'm only 14. Own 3 Gibsons now and they are all great, oh and no daddy isn't mister money bags i had to work to buy them.
* Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
Not really.
* If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I'd make them find it.
* What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?
When i opened the back to install the pickups the previous owner has written his name on the backplate to the pots which i though was really nice.
* Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
Very close to my Standard but i love that guitar to pieces.
* Anything you wish it had?
Not really it's a straight forward Gibson, great and reliable.
* Anything else you'd like to share?
Yeah, go buy one!

Mine is a 2001 Les Paul Classic Goldtop with the usual Les Paul Mahogany body and neck and rosewood fretboard. It has the usual two humbuckers, two volume, two tones, kluson type machines and 3 way selector switch.
I picked up this guitar second hand for ??550 without pickups so no idea what the stock pickups sounded like. I fitted a pair of zebra Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates I had installed in an Epiphone Les Paul.
I am not really a fan of the Goldtop colour, and I don't particularly like playing Les Pauls. I purchased this with the intention of selling on as I got it so cheap but after using it at a few rehearsals, realised it was a great guitar. The neck is a little too thin for my liking but I can live with that.
It came with its original brown hard case.

I play heavy rock and favour a 70s type powerful guitar sound. The Marshall DSL50, Marshall 1960AV Vintage 4 x 12, and THD Hotplate are always working flat out. Only pedal is a Dunlop Wah. If I want to clean things up, I just roll back the volume.
I also have a 2008 Les Paul Standard and this one in comparison sounds more compressed and modern. On the same amp settings, the Classic sounds like more of an 80s "Slash" sound whereas the 2008 sounds more like 60s "Kossoff" type sound. I prefer the sound of this guitar for the music I play.
This guitar does sound great which is the only reason I play it. It fits perfectly the type of music my band write. I always keep it on the 'lead' bridge pickup for that hot saturated tone. The neck pickup has always been a bit muddy sounding for my liking.
I don't find Les Pauls particularly versatile and this one is no exception. Maybe I'm not using it right but I have never used it in my covers band and never use it at home.
What it does though, it does well.

As with all guitars I buy, I always set them up to my preference to get the feel I want. The sign of a good guitar is one that lets you set it up to your specifications without any problems like fret buzz etc. There were no problems with this guitar. I was using 10s but now I've switched to 11s, it really resonates.
The finish, as I've mentioned before, is not to my taste but is well applied. The inlays are a disgusting filthy nicotine colour which is apparently supposed to replicate ageing. If there's a way to get rid of this vomit stain, please let me know!
Everything works as it should and though it is well made, seems a little cruder in construction than the newer models. Oddly though, I like this about this guitar. Gives it more of a hand-made feel. Not sure I would have paid full price for it new though.
The cut of the nut is something I look out for on a guitar to see the attention to detail it hs received at the factory. This one is pleasingly well cut.
The kluson style tuners are not the best but they keep the guitar in tune until the end of a gig and that's all I ask.
All other hardware performs its respective function well.

This guitar has seen plenty of live gigging action in the seven months I've owned it. I do play a little agressively at times and have broken the selector switch knob and the bridge pickup surround so far. Fingers crossed no more broken parts! That's no fault of the guitar though and it certainly doesn't feel like its going to fall apart anytime soon.
It is a very dependable guitar but I always carry a backup guitar just in case. As I change my preference of guitar I use with my band quite frequently this one is sometimes the main guitar, sometimes the backup but more often than not, its there with me.

I've never dealt with Gibson and probably wouldn't if it required repairing. Woul be far too expensive to ship it to the USA!

I've been playing for 14 years and own quite a range of guitars. I have five japanese Squiers Strats as I am a big fan of them.
If the guitar was stolen or lost, I probably wouldn't opt for the same model unless it was as cheap as this one! In my opinion, the new ones they are producing seem to be a league above models like this.
Its a bit heavy for my liking but it does the job and it does it well so I can put up with this. The necks too thin and I hate the colour...but it has the sound! Nothing I can do about the neck but maybe I'll refinish the body in ebony.

Mahogany Body and neck with a maple top, 496r 500t pickups and the usual 2 volume 2 tone and pickup selector as far as electronics go.
Comes with those horribly cheap gibson deluxe tuning keys.

probably one of the most versatile instruments i've ever heard, with some adjustments of course. i'm personally not too crazy about the stock pickups so i put a duncan '59 in the neck (best decision ever) and i played it for a while with a duncan invader. with the 59 in the neck it gets this lush, fat and sparkly but still clear sound on the clean channel. roll off the tone and it sounds in the somewhere in the territory of a jazz box. dirty with the 59 is this smooth like journeyesque sound for big fat sounding sweeps and leads. the invader in the bridge was surprisingly nice sounding in that guitar. through an '82 jcm 800 i had it was on the verge of the edge's sound when i threw on some delay. it did the rock n roll thing well.
but im a metal guy and the invader wasn't clear enough for me so i threw an emg 81 in it and now it's suuuuuper clear and sooooo hot on the output. the lows aren't muddy and the highs are bright but not harsh and sounds really clear and heavy through my bogner uberschall

The jack plate was a little off and 1 of the 4 screws was half out of the wood. i immediately had the frets filed and dressed. the strings were cutting my fingers at the store they were so high off the neck but i knew she had potential after a good set up. bought the grover tulip tuners like on the customs. those are pretty good tuners because they stay in tune better than the kluson plastic craps that i comes with. i'd get locking tuners if they looked as good.

other than the issue with jack plate the guitar was immaculate when i bought it. after dressing the frets and setting it up it plays like a dream. i like my action low enough were tapping is effortless and i dont mind a super tiny amount of buzzing because you cant hear it through the amp anyway.

the finish is nice (i have a goldtop) but its nitro so it is pretty soft. i cant wait til its old enough to start checking

she's gonna be around for a while as long as i dont hit the head stock on anything

i've been playing it for 4 years now and it only has some belt rash and maybe a ding here and there and i dont baby it at shows

i havent needed them

If i didn't have to pay an extra $50 for tuners, $70 for fret filing, and $170 in pickups i'd give it a 10. The lack of fret dressing and the one screw on the jack plate not catching any wood are just unacceptable.

besides that, it plays the way i want it to and sounds how i want it to. the pickups are a subjective issue. i really like the emg and Duncan '59 combo and YES they are both the same volume. the '59 is really hot.
i get the nice thick and clean metal sounds through my bogner she does rock n roll through my hiwatt and the clean is oustanding through the bogner.
ive been playing guitar for almost 9 years and i record bands and make records and ive recorded metal, poppy rock, and punk with it and shes does it all.

you can hear the clean through my bogner and a VHT vintage 30 cab on the new into the moat CD "The Campaign"

i dont need her to get stolen to buy another one

It has all that you'd want, none that you don't.

A true rock and roll warrior. Marc Bolan would be proud.

Just had to lower the strings a tad. This is all simply to taste.

They will have to wrench this guitar `from my cold, dead hands'.

Never needed any.

Guitars are like spouses. To each their own. This one is my life partner.

You know most of the tech info. Mine's black and was made in 2005. Typical LP config wiht the hot ceramic pups

I mainly play hard rock, funk, and blues. With these pups, this guitar is not for the timid. I tend to use the tone and volume knobs more with this guitar than any other to dial in my sound. I think it sounds great with hard rock and blues, but I can't get into it with funk. Pluged into my TS808 and my 65 Reverb Deluxe, I get a beautifully smooth sound in the Rythm position, and in your face, balls to the wall sound for my solos in the Lead position.

This guitar had a less than average set up from the factory. I took it in to a local guitar smith and he converted it from a Jaguar to a Viper. This guitar smokes now.
The other issue that I had with the quality of this guitar is that the pick guard was crooked. Not a big deal, i plan to take it off anyway, but for 1700 smacks their QC department should be a bit more attentive.
Finally, the 1960 stamped on the pick guard was a BAD IDEA. It's very tacky.
For what I paid for it, the set up and crooked pick guard are unacceptable.

This guitar is built like a tank. It will proably out last my grand kids.

If it wasn't for the crooked pickguard, I probably would have given this guitar a perfect score. It's a great guitar

It's a Les Paul... It has 2 pickups 4 knobs and a switch. The pickups are the 500T at the bridge and the 496R in the neck position. It sports the 60's slim tapered neck which was a selling point for me and my short fingers. The tuners are the classic green key Klussens. The trapezoid neck inlays have that greenish tinge and the pickguard has that annoying "1960" stamped into it.

Wow! I had no idea what to expect as I have never played a guitar with this pickup combination. It sounds fantastic. It is really suited for heavy, overdriven and screaming leads and power chords, but it sounds equally sweet clean. In fact, I waited to write this review until I had a chance to do some recording with it. I am absolutely thrilled with the sound! In my practice studio I have only a POD and small practice amp so I couldn't sign off on the sound until I did some studio work. It is excellent.

I had read way too many reviews complaining about QC problems with modern Gibsons - so plunking down nearly 2 grand was a leap of faith. I am happy to report this unit is flawless. As for the action, well, I will have to have a pro set-up done before I pass final judgment. I do think the frets are a little too high and need some dressing, but as I play it more the less and less this bothers me.

No data. It's new. But for this kind of money you'd think Gibson could throw in strap locks.

No data

This is one beautiful guitar. The quality is excellent although I think it is overpriced by at least $500. (This is true for most high end guitars). I love the sound and the playability is great and gets better the more I play it. I love the 60's slim tapered neck. My other main axe is an American Standard Strat which I have been playing for 16 years so moving to the Gibson was quite alien at first. Now, I find these guitars, which really couldn't be more different from each other, are complimentary. Neither of these plays as well as my 1970 ES335 - which is like cutting butter with a hot knife - but they each have a unique sound I could never get out of my ES335. Overall the Gibson Les Paul Classic is a fine instrument. My only real complaint is that ridiculous "1960" stamped into the pickguard - I will at some point replace it.

It was made in USA in early 2000's, I'm not sure when exactly. 22 frets. Mahogany neck and body and a maple top. The body is chambered which makes the guitar a bit lighter - I like it. Electronically it's the usual Les Paul configuration we all know. The pickups are open 496R for the neck and 500T for the bridge - the hottest I know by Gibson. It has a lovely plain honeyburst finish - I'm a Jimmy Page fan, so it's sort of a dream come true. Yellowish trapezoid inlays on the rosewood fingerboard. A Tune-o-matic I had to reverse at once so it didn't get in the way of strings. Gibson deluxe tuners. The neck is a thinner one, like the 60's. Hardshell case. I like all the features about it.

I work as a session player with various bands. This guitar was definitely made for rocking out because of the hot pickups. At the same time it has enough dynamics to play soft. I've read people complaining about the pickups being too hot - I solved the problem by just lowering the pickups. The band, the sound engineer and myself are all happy with the sound. In a concert situation it turned out to be even better (the sound more defined and cutting through the mix) than my '78 Custom, that was a surprise to me. Works best with Marshalls. It gives you a variety of FAT sounds, and the rest depends on how you use them. Despite its hard-rock nature, I can imagine this guitar in any style i can think of.

As I said above, I bought it used, so I can't speak about the factory setup. I like strings high above the fretboard, to let the notes really ring out, so I had to set the action up to suit my taste. The same with the pickup adjustment - how loud do you want them? in what balance? it's all a matter of taste.

I had some trouble with the bridge: it came in the way of strings with its bolts, so I had to reverse it. When I did, I found the cuts in the saddles were off-center. So I had to cut mine instead. Why did they have to make them off-center? Strange.

The finish shows the guitar had been used before, but on Gibson's side, nothing to complain about - looks lovely!

I've taken it to four shows only so far, but it asks to be your instrument for live work! It stays in tune very well (provided the strings are correctly installed!). The hardware is very solid, the finish easily withstands my heavy playing style. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller straplocks immediately, as I do with all guitars I buy. I play it without ever thinking of a backup - I just don't want to part with it! Seriously, it's a tank. No way it could break unless you're Pete Townsend.

Never had to deal with them. With a thing this dependable, I doubt I'll ever have to.

I've been playing for 17 years now. Besides this LP Classic, I own a '78 Custom, a '2005 Heritage H-535, and a '00 Telecaster. Before buying this guitar I did some research and was warned that I might have to replace the pickups - but I found this unnecessary. The chambered body makes for a slightly semiacoustic sound and lighter feel, and I love it. This Classic and my maple neck Custom cover all the Les Paul territory I can think about, so it's really a luck for me to have come upon this axe. If it were stolen, I'd look for another one, but I also would look for a Standard, just for a change. Overall it's a really great guitar, both traditional and modern. Viva Gibson.

Typical les paul set up. Mine was made in 2005. The most beautiful vintage sunburst I have seen. Truly a stunning guitar. It just looks like a guitar that is going to give me years and years of pro quality playing. Awesome.

I play a wide variety of styles, from country, classical to nu-metal and all in between. This guitar can do it all. Before I purchased this guitar, I read the reviews here and there were enough good reviews for me to risk it. I'm SOOO glad I bought this guitar. I don't know what kind of guitar or amp those other guys have, but I'm playing my classic thru a Vox valvetronix, and I am TOTALLY satisfied with the sound. I've read alot about how hot they are...well, I don't know what these guys are looking for, but I find that it only makes the guitar even MORE versatile. I am able to make this guitar sound crystal clean to brutal distortion and all in between. How could you not want that as a guitarist?

I asked that the guys at the guitar centre to set this guitar up for me a week before I actually purchased it, as I live in another town. I had played it previously, and knew that if they tweaked it, it would be awesome, and they did not dissapoint.As far as the guitar it'self goes,it is a work of art. It must have been a good day at the factory, because this guitar was put together with pride. Flawless.

I did change the strap buttons to strap locks, of course. It weighs a ton, and seems like it will take a beating and still rock.

Can't tell you.

I have been playing for 28 years. I have owned all of the name brand guitars including 2 les pauls ( custom,special).This guitar is very special to me. I have been searching for THAT guitar, and I think I've finally found it. It is a re-issue guitar, and it's look and feel does take you back to a time when guitars were built with pride.
This is a high quality guitar. I don't believe it gets any better, so if you can, get one.Get one while you can, and cherish it.