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.

maple neck. heck i don't know what the body is. looks great
just like a epiphone LP-100. no name tuners probly gibson baldwin.
wrap around bridge, just single though no stop tail.
1 volume 3 tone controls. pickups no name very quiet humbuckers.

sounds allright with some work ( more on that later) i play grunge
90's rock mostly so it suits me pretty good.
pretty wide range through digitech RP200.
nice sound in rythm setting treble is (well, trebly).
pick ups may need re potted.

no set up at all so, have at it. problly not very good guitar for beginners. you will have to lower the bridge and file some fretts was not happy at all with the intonation in fact its awfull.
might even take it in to luthier.

after setting up problly withstand live without backup.
when mine arrived i had a broken tuning peg (witch you cannot track down) had to put on some wilkinsons. finish should last pretty good,
strap buttons solid.

havent needed to.

i have been playing for playing for seven years.
have a taylor as well. if it were stolen i wouldnt buy another because i would want mine. would buy an epi les paul special instead.
with alot of work can be a very good guitar just needs help in the intonation department.
i put gibson decals on headstock so it has some street cred.
just not the best ive owned.

Usual Les Paul features with ceramcic pickups .Mine's the ebony model.

I play mainly punk rock/ska punk and this guitar is perfect for these styles. The bridge pickup provides excellent crunch rock rhythm sounds and adds a bit off bite to the clean sounds.
The neck pickup is great for smooth creamy solos although these don't feature heavily in the above styles.

Almost perfect straight from the box. Just needed to raise the neck pickup a bit as it sounded a bit weak and crappy. Sounds great now though. The aged binding and inlays are a nice touch and I think it looks a bit better than the standard but I'm sure there will be people that disagree.

Well I haven't had the guitar for long enough to comment on reliability, but It's a Les Paul and the things are built like a brick shithouse so i would imagine that it will outlive me (and I'm only 20!)
Not to sure about the strap buttons as i tend to move bout a lot so prefer to gaffa tape my strap on.
Wouldn't gig without a backup because it only takes one string breaking...

Not had to deal with them yet

Great guitar. Managed to get one at the old retail price (they've just gone up by ??150). Still kinda pricey but definately worth it. Made my amp (an Ashdown Peacemaker) come to life after using and Epi LP with it for the last few years.
The main thing that set this apart from the LP standard was the pickups. And the thing that set it apart from every other guitar in the world is the fact thats it's a Les Paul. End of.
If it was stolen i would prostitute myself to raise the money to replace. Or I could just get it insured..

Mine is a 2000, so Ive got a really bloody thin neck, got it used, came with 57 classics, wrap around tail peice, graphite saddles, vintage tuners, 57 classic pickup covers. A tad bit on the lighter side as far as swiss cheese guitars go.

Pretty much everything gibson slacks off at in the factory was fixed by the person who used it before me.

Stock would be a 6, gibson needs to get their stuff together on the new ones, chambering is the worst, it would have gotten an 8 if they werent carving the majority of the body out now.

57 classics set at the right height, wrap around sunk as low as it goes, no chambering, yeah, its pretty much amazing. If you get one of gibby's good USAs (their QC is suspect, play the thing before you buy it, period, end of story goodbye, but a good one is a gift from above) with the right pickups they can run with historics. Its not a real burst, but damn, we cant compare a production modern guitar to a 1700 guitar run from the 50s forever.

As far as modern guitars go, this is just about the best Ive ever heard (heard a tom murphy 59, sorry, its better), played through a vox ac30, 1959 100w, 18w, deluxe reverb, you know the deal, it sounds good through every single one.

10 because Ive heard one instrument better and it costs 7g so I think this little lady does good for herself.

Stock would get a 7, classic pickups suck. But hey, its better than an epiphone.

Mine is plain top, thats how I like it, its main competition was a 58 reissue, vanilla custom and a 1960 plaintop (GC exclusive btw) so there are obviously no matching issues. There were lots of "upgrades" (thanks GC for nickle and diming me, they are called modifications, and theoretically they detract from the value).

Low action, perfect for me, I use an Eric Clapton-esque light touch (about the only thing I have in common with him, cept he looks like my grandpa :D )so I need LOW action because I dont press very hard and I dont "attack" the strings, I "play" them.

Well since this was done by a pro (the guy who was the previous owner was a professional guitarist) I wish I could give an 11 here, stock? Oh lord, 2007 USAs might as well have epiphone on the headstock. But since Im rating the one I have, another 10, mostly because it feels played, in fact, more so than the VOS historics (my favorite feature of historics is the already broken in feel), the frets are low and even, the neck is thinner than thin because its been played. Its coated in poly, I wish it was nitro, but at least they dont pull a fender and make it into a tank.

I dont play live, the person before me did, so what am I supposed to put? Its obviously able to withstand live playing becuase its done it. I suppose thats the ultimate test isnt it?

If Gibson can do one thing right, its that they usually dont break and fall apart.

I wouldnt gig with a stock classic, they just dont make em like they used to do.

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA yeah I bought it used from Guitar Center.

If it breaks, well Ill try and get a good luthier to fix it, but I doubt it would retain the magic, I wouldnt take a replacement if they offered, but Im giving them a No Opinion because I didnt get the guitar new.

Now here is where I differ from most people, Ive only played for about 3/4 of a year, this is my second electric, my first being a standard mexi strat, becuase of the price the gibbys are generally played by older guys who have played a while and the epis are thrust on us university types. Im lucky, I can afford a gibson and a marshall, not everyone can, but if you have the money I HIGHLY suggest that you at least take a look.

If it were lost and stolen I would actually cry. See, this is a special guitar. I went and played every gibson I could find locally and THIS was the one that spoke to me, the sound that comes out of this thing justifies its price 5 times over. To be honest, this guitar is irreplacable, like a good dog. The truth is I probably wouldnt replace this with another classic, that is gibsons fault, I would get a historic 59 (big frets, oval shape neck) and have it shaved down to be ultra thin like this, and it would be this ones sister. Gibsons are special, they arent made like fenders, you cant just "replace" one, you have to go find one that can make you happy but it WONT be the same one.

As far as Im concerned, the guitar is perfect, every issue has been fixed by someone who knew what they were doing, so the stupid stuff gibby pulls at the factory has been done right and I cant really find any fault with the guitar as it is. Classics are rubbish as of 2007, this is an older one so there you have it.

This one won a big shootout, it beat; 58 plain top VOS, 59 historic, 1960 plain top lemonburst, 1960 VOS historic, alpine white les paul custom, ebony les paul custom, 2007 silverburst classic, 2007 cherry classic, 2007 cherry standard, John Mayer Strat, Eric Clapton Strat, Eric Johnson Strat, American Strat.

It was really down to the 58 and this, but I have small hands and fretting chords on a 58 causes me thumb discomfort. Had I not found this, I would have had the neck shaved on the 58.

I wish it had a coffee maker, other than that, some real 50s pafs might be cool but I like it as is.

Spend your time when you look for a gibson, close your eyes and ignore what it says on the headstock or what it looks like, just play, listen, and one will find you.

2006 Les Paul Classic, Wine Red with Nickel hardware. 1960 engraved on the scratchplate. Beautiful finish, American car manufacturers could learn a thing or two from Gibson about how to make something pretty. The wine red is just beutiful, and brings out the woodgrain below. Be nice to have a flame top but this is a good second best! Features have been covered below, but I have a couple of gripes. The stock pickups I like, but they lack the ability to be coil tapped, which is a shame. It would be nice to have a single coil in the neck for a bit more versatility. Also, I know its a classic style, but really, is there anything wrong with putting the cable jack on the front?

A lovely Les Paul sound. I'm playing this through a mesa F-30 head and 2x12 recto widebody cab, and I have to say its a great match. I don't use any distortion pedal cause for rock rhythm and blues the classic puts out enough to overdrive the mesa quite nicely. I get a nice lead tone out of it too, but nothing extreme. Clean tones are nice and bright, but the lack of a single coil lets it down in that regard. All in all very playable. Just make sure you have a good tube amp! Anything less and you're wasting your time with an expensive guitar

Had the action re set low when I bought it, its nice and low with no buzzing unless you play slap bass on it! The "slim neck" is really a "slimmer" neck. I've only got little hands so it still feels fairly large to me. The finish is good, but not perfect - the binding on the frets is a little sloppy in places, but thats what I was expecting from a yankee guitar. The bridge, stop bar and tuners are rock solid which is what I was expecting, and I am satisfied with that.

There was some belt wear on the back, but this was a display model so it was worth it for the price.

I got schaller locks put on, the stock buttons were a joke. Seems very dependable so far, but I've only had it a couple of weeks so we will see. I bought the guitar for stage use so I certaintly hope it will withstand live use. I would not gig without a backup unless I could learn to restring a guitar in under 10 seconds!

Like I said, haven't had it long enough, and the dealer I got it from is ace. Trumps Music in Sydney, check em out!

I've been playing for about 5 years. I've got a Maton MS520 through a Laney LC15R. The Maton (which is essentially the same as the MS500 - there a plenty of reviews) is excellent, and you'd be mad not to get one if you're in Oz. I bought the Les Paul cause I wanted a second guitar with a bit more presence that the maton and it certaintly has that. I'm satisfied. I'd rate this higher but for the price. These are selling in Australia for about A$4000! For that price I could get a deluxe strat and pretty good acoustic. However, if you want that Les Paul sound, you gotta get a Les Paul.

If it was stolen I'd buy another with the insurance proceeds.

I have a 2002 in Heritage Cherry SB, 496 & 500 pickups, 60s profile neck, blah, blah, blah. All the LP Classics are made in Memphis, TN of course, and all feature rosewood necks, mahogany back and neck, and maple tops. Mine isn't a fancy AAA flame or anything, but nice and vintage lookins.

Sounds great through anything I've plugged into. Its quiet until you play it, then its as loud as your amp will push. I get pretty much any sound I want to dial in. OK, here's something you might consider if you've read some of these reviews about the pickups sounding too distorted and such - Those guys evidently don't know how to pick out a guitar. I played mine at guitar center BEFORE buying it; I actually sat down in front of a fender tube amp, plugged it up and played. . . .and played . . . and played. What a strange concept. Get the picture? On a distorted setting on the amp, lo and behold it sounded distorted! On a clean setting it sounded clean. Go friggin' figure! I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't like it, would you? I certainly wouldn't pay big bucks for a guitar, then bring it home and use Harmony Central for a soap box to stand on and basically say "Hey everybody, look at me. I'm an dumbass! I went and played this guitar, didn't like it, then paid $1700 for it. Here's why I didn't like it". How does it feel being STUPID?! OK,back to the guitar: Personally, I like the pickups and that was a contributing factor. Giving a poor rating on this axe because the pickups don't sound as shimmery as 57 pafs or Seth Lovers is like complaining about an electric razor because it won't slice tomatoes. The pickups do what they were designed for. I've played all my life, ar at least since I was old enough to wrap my hand around my Dad's guitar, and I was looking for a good rock guitar. This was and still is it. I've had it for 2 years now and still can't wait to get it out of the case in the evening. It plays as nice as my other LP which has the 57s, but it does drive the amp a lot harder, kinda like comparing a Porsch 911 with a Lexus. Both are great cars, just way different.

The action from the factory was fine, but I adjusted it a little for my own taste. Actually, I raised it just a little, not because it was buzzing (which it wasn't), but because I like to a little room to dig in when I'm playing. I lowered the neck pickup a little which gave it a sweeter sound, then adjusted the poles to get an even sound on the strings. I know that sounds odd to lower a pickup after raising the strings, but it helped tame the neck pickup in case I want to get mellow. The intonation was fine, but I had to tweak it once I raised the strings. The finish is virtually flawless, no complaints. I've heard more than one complaint about the stock tuners, but this one stays tuned, so I'm leaving them alone. Maybe I just picked a good guitar, you think? Or, maybe they really can be problematic. Anyway, so far, so good.

This guitar will withstand anything I'll ever put it through. My dad's old Gibson withstood me banging on it and, after 65 years, it still stays in tune, the neck hasn't warped, and the finish, well, the finish is all beat to hell. That last part didn't sound too good, but its true. I was hard on it because I didn't know any better. "Are the strap buttons solid?", the review asks. "No" I declare, because I always take them off as soon as I get a guitar and replace them with strap locks! Actually, they're still solid, they're just not on the guitar anymore. As for using this without a backup, yes. However, I always take a backup in case I break a string. "Can I depend on it?" Did OJ really do it? Does Dolly Parton sleep on her side? Did Clinton have sex with that woman? Of course I can depend on it. I can depend on pretty much any guitar for that matter, but this one actually sounds good in addition to being dependable. You know, that's kind of a dumb question: Can you depend on it? What's it supposed to do - burst into flames or something? I've had guitars that I wish could do that, but this ain't the one.

Never had any issues, but the warranty is good for life. I've dealt with Gibson only once in the past (I bought an ES-137 and the pickups were wired backwards; they fixed it within a week) and they've been very helpful in the past, so I trust they'll take care of me if I have any problems with this guitar.

Been playing for 41 years. I own this guitar, and a Gibson Les Paul antique limited issue, an ES-137 Custom, a couple of Telecasters, a Strat (which I'm selling this week; never been able to bond with a Strat for some reason), and an ES-175 jazz box. If lost or stolen I'd save up and replace it with the same model. This is a great axe, what can I say? Mine only weighs 7lbs 6 oz. which is a relief, but I don't mind the heavier LPs either. My suggestion would be not to buy one of these off eBay unless the seller has a return policy. By all means, play one first to see if you like the features. You might prefer 57 classics, or a 50s syle neck, or a different guitar altogether. If you play it and don't just love it right away, don't bother with it. Personally, I couldn't be more pleased with a guitar, but that's me. And that's all folks!

This is a 2001 honeyburst model that I'm glad I got when I did--in 2003, the year they first jumped from 1399.00 to 1649.00 in the summer and by late fall they were coming in at 1999.00--frickin' thieving bastards at Gibson! Features are typical Les Paul. Slim Taper 60s style neck. Decent weight for a LP. The tuners have turned out not to be very dependable--they're the vintage green kluson style and they don't hold tune very well--especially the g-string. The "Hot" ceramic humbuckers that came stock had to go--too sterile for me. I dislike the inlays--they're kind of a nicotined yellow in certain light, and puke green in others-I would like pearl instead of plastic or acrylic or whatever these are. I'm not going to ding it too bad for features here though--they certainly are Les Paul features, I just wish they would have used different tuners, pickups and inlays. This guitar, for all practical purposes, is a LP Standard.

First of all, this guitar, after an extensive set-up (see below), has great primary tone--i.e. the resonance is lively from headstock to body, projects nicely for a solid body when it's unplugged. Like I said above, the stock pickups were too sterile for me, powerful, yes, and passable/adequate, yes, but not the tone I was looking for in a Les Paul. I grew up listening to all the first and second wave of Les Paul blues and rock players (Clapton, Beck, Page, Allman, Gibbons,Frampton,etc.) The stock pups will NOT give you that tone (Gibson didn't design the guitar to, they wanted to market it as a vintagefied 'hot modern screamer')BUT I wanted that tone. So I put in some Duncan Antiquities (7.5 at neck, 8.5 at bridge) and they absolutely NAIL the sound of the classic Les Paul that I grew up on--they really do--I LOVE THEM. They sound really good with every amp I plug them into--from JC 120s to Small mid-sixties Epiphone/Gibson tube amps. This guitar is extremely versatile and will do Jazz, Blues, Rock, R&B, Hard Rock,country and even metal with the right pedals. I'm going to give this a ten for after the mod--it was a 7.5-8 before that.

Well, here's the thing: the guitar's hanging on the wall and the dealer I bought it from wanted to move it, so they said 1250.00 out the door (1180.00 before taxes). So, since I noticed that the new ones they were hanging on the wall from the shipment they just got in were sporting price tags of 1650.00, I said I'd check it out. I really liked the guitar and I could tell it was a keeper, but the problem was it had fret buzz that wouldn't go away without putting too much relief in the neck and/or raising the action too high. Basically the guitar tech had to do a complete redress of the frets and clean up the nut work (recut it). After that, it played great and is the perfect combo of action, resonance and playability. But Gibson shouldn't have let this come out of the factory like that, even though it DID come with a card that said "inspected b xyz"--don't know why they even bother with that BS--Gibson needs better QC and more consistency in their products.

This guitar has withstood live playing, and despite a few dings (very small) and belt worming (but not through the finish) It's been solid but I am careful with it and wipe it down, etc. I also immediately replaced the dinky strap buttons with some locks, now I know the thing is not gonna fall off the strap easily.

Don't know

With the set-up, the pickup and strapbutton swaps, I'll give it a 10--it's like magical and mystical, sounds beautiful, plays great, super tone--everything I would want from a Les Paul except ebony fret board, real pearl. Before the mods, a seven. Another note, I feel mine was a fantastic value, especially compared to what they're going for now, which is one of the biggest ripoff/cons I've encountered.

Gibson Les Paul Clasic 2003. No need to go through the bits and pieces.

Main reason for this review really. I have to admit to being most shocked as to how bloody powerfull the pickups were. I purchased the guitar as I have wanted one for many years and was able at last to do so. It went for a set-up came to band practice and damn near blew every ones head off. Even the Marshall Stack was shocked!

In all seriousness though, after many years of playing, I was quite shocked at the Pickups. Very harsh to my ears and not really that controllable from the pots. One set of Seth Lovers later and my Guitar is now what I wanted. I spent a lot of time looking for one of these that had been built well, full knowing that the custom shop stuff was out of my reach. so for the asking price and a set of good humbuckers I now think the guitar is a peach and sounds just like it should. It cleans up really well on a driven amp and there are plenty of sounds to be had from the pots themselves. An old friend of mine once said that less is more with pickups and I really think he was spot on.

I mark the sound of the stock instrument as a 5 purely on the basis of the sounds I got when first playing it, however, any of you metalers out there, those ceramic pickups are bang on if you want massive grunt.

Again, a 5. Full setup, frets dressed, ends flattened, nut re cut and the Guy in the shop wondered why I wouldn,t pay the full asking price? It just goes to show that these guitars in order to be bang on need to cost a lot more. I accept that Gibson is a business and as such have to have entry level product but the basic fact is that the likes of Yamaha, Squire ect who are chasing the entry level Guitarist are turning out product at a 10th of the price with much better standard of set up.It should have a good standard of setup if not from the factory, then from the shop. Perhaps Gibson should be lowering the cost to shops and getting them to perform a decent grade of setup.

Its going to look well battered in 5 years and so it should, it's not to hang in a room, it's to play. Gibson put really awfull lacquer on the neck, indeed it will take 20 years to cure properley, but thats the buzz. They,ve always been like this and thats what we want. Peter Greens looked like shit and sold for a million quid lately! play it dont fawn over it.

No dealings......yet!

Love it to bits, play it everyday and will till I drop. I like most of you have had all sorts over the years. Right now, a battered strat, the gibbo, a tele, and a yam 812 give me everything I could ever need but I have to admit to this one being a bit special I don't know what it is but as soon as I play it it feels like joining a special club...its just so damn sexy.

Low figures for other bits but as far as the overall rating goes it's got to be a ten. If you want a slice of Rock and Roll cool get an LP its just to good to miss.

Mine is a honey burst finish that looks spectacular. Very nicely done in typical Gibson quality. It's a year 2003, reissue of the 1960, including 60's style slim (tapered) neck and cream colored pickguard with "1960" written on it. Nice cream colored binding around the guitar. Had to replace the tuners it came with. They didn't keep the guitar in tune very well, so I bought Grover tuners and had them put on...big improvement. The heavier Grovers also added better balance to the guitar, as the thin neck along with the plastic tuners seem to cause the body end of the guitar to be much heavier than the neck side which isn't a big deal when standing. But when sitting and playing, the guitar was a minor hastle to balance on my leg. The addition of the heavier tuners made the balance better (although not perfect). Head angle is 17 degrees, which is optimal for sustain, of which you'll get plenty of from this guitar. Maple top, mohogany back. Very appealing to the eye. Neck feel is stupendous. Has a great feel, straight neck, low action, easy string bends.

I play mostly rock, pop and blues. This guitar has very hot pickups from the factory- 498 & 500 ceramic uncovered pickups. They really growl, but not so much that they don't still have the trademark Les Paul sound. I use either a Music Man 100 watt, or a Peavey 5150 120 watt amp and the guitar sounds nice and warm out of either. I don't use many effects...I let the Les Paul speak for itself without many modifications aside from a touch of flanger once in a while. Love the toggle switch in the "up" position..wow, what a great tone! Also sounds hot, crisp in the "down" position. But I rarely use the middle position...doesn't seem to sound as good that way.

Finish is excellent as noted above, as well as binding. Setup from factory is fine, neck was straight. I did lower the action a touch on my own, but that is just due to personal preference. The only flaw on the guitar is that the truss rod is slightly damaged. It's difficult to adjust the neck due to this imperfection, but not impossible. Very sweet looking guitar from all angles. Even the back side looks great.

I do play it live often, and it's a workhorse. Doesn't just look nice, it also is durable, made to last. Nice heavy, dense wood which I like. Some people don't like heavy guitars, but I do. Dense wood is great for tone and sustain. The only issue I have is mentioned above, that I replaced the tuners because they didn't keep the guitar in very good tune. Get Grovers installed and you'll be impressed.

Have not dealt with customer service.

I've played about 20 years and own a Hamer Duotone, Tele, Guild acoustic, ESP bass, and Dillion acrylic guitar. If stolen/lost I would replace it with something similar or the same. Love the look, the feel, and the sound. Dislike the original tuners & broken trus rod. Favorite feature is the honey burst finish...love that color! I did compare other Les Pauls and this had the hot pickups I wanted.

I am writing this review on a 2000 Gibson Les Paul Classic. I bought the guitar on ebay about 3 weeks ago.

The features on this guitar are prety standard as far as les pauls go. Two tone, two volume, three-way toggle for the pickups. The pickups are the 496R and 500T humbuckers, Gibson's hottest pickups. The guitar comes standard with a 60's neck which is thin and very playable, the neck is also very fast. The body is mahogany with a non-figured, two piece, maple top. The neck is a solid piece of mahogany.
I rated this guitar a 10. There is only one upgrade on gibson les pauls, and that is a flame maple top, which, being a visual thing and having no affect on tone whatsover, makes no difference to me.

I play a variety of music, covering jazz, bluses, classic rock (hendrix and santana), ska, a bit of punk, and my own mix of those listed. I use a marshall DSL 100 with a 2-12 cab, also a marshall. The pedals i use tend to vary, and mainly include an overdrive (to boost the signal for leads only, i definately like the marshall crunch as-is), a uni-vibe (for hendrix-like warbling leads), a wah, a boss delay, and a volume pedal.

This guitar can cover ANYTHING, enough said. I have found that the pickups are perfectly matched to get the classic, warm, blusey sounds from the neck, and hot, saturated leads that cut through anything from the bridge. The pickups are very hot, however, a warm, crystal clean tone is easily found just by rolling back the volume to arround 5 or a little below. The guitar does have a slight hum, but that is un-noticible when playing at any real volume.

When I got the guitar, i was extremely pleased to find that the tone was extremely bright, chimey, and rich. The bass notes sung and complemented the highs very nicley. This guitar is very bassy, it could double as a bass for the lower strings, a nice touch =).

I cannot make any comments on the original setup, however i can say that all the components were still in very good working order.

This guitar is like a rock, period. It weighs a ton, but that weight comes with two benefits: SUSTAIN and durability. I would trust this guitar to withstand a gig better than all my other guitars, including two strats and a sg. The strap buttons had been replaced on my guitar before i bought it and it now has straplocks, which I strongly suggest. Les Paul's are as much instruments as investments.. any 2-grand guitar is worth protecting.

I spoke to a gibson customer support person to varify the serial number on my guitar, cuz you never know these days with the chinese look-alikes.
The person was a big help, but gibson seems to be in short supply for customer support as i waited on the phone for what seemed like forever until i got a person to help me.

I have been playing for seven years, and one day I said to myself.. "I think its time to get what I've been waiting for..", and that was a gibson les paul. This guitar ROCKS, I wouldnt trade it for the world. It is reliable, beautiful, and most of all, it sounds amazing... Think Jimmy Page or Slash, it meets their tone perfectly, maybe because its the same guitar they use??? I personally love the pickups on this guitar, but I have read many reviews where people have been upset with the fact that they are too hot and were muddy. I have a few things to say about this.. This guitar is NOT muddy, if it seems muddy to you, its either your amp, worn out strings, or you just dont know what muddy sounds like. Each note sings clear when I play, so I cant understand why people say this guitar is muddy.. Now a word on the pickups. If the pickups are too hot on your guitar, check the distance between the strings.. f.y.i.. if you cant even fit your pick between them, you might want to consider lowering them. When i got this guitar, the pickups were so high that the strings were buzzing on them, and, the tone was a bit harsh. BUT, as soon as I lowered them, the gates of heaven opened and this guitar sang!

If this guitar were stolen, I would do two things.. Cry, and find the guy who took it from me. It was definately worth the price I paid, I almost feel like I was the one doing the stealing.

This Les Paul is the same as the Standard just hotter pickups...Great hardcase and a spair pickguard included.

I use my Les Paul Classic with a Laney LV200 and a Boss DS-2. Waiting to get a couple more pedals but I think the stuff on my amp is good enough for the mean time. I totally love the sound of this gutiar. I play all kinds of music and it suits me well. But, I usually play Blues and Rock music so the pickups are just awesome with the distortion and overdrive I use.

Everything is great. Action is nice and low. The Brite Wire strings bend quite well to my surprie. I love the neck cause its nice and wide unlike the Squier Strat I own.

Well...This guitar is real durable. I knocked it a couple of times and it didn't even have not even a small dent on it. I think I would still use it with a backup just in case a string snaps or something. You never know would you.

Never dealed with them and I hope I won't need to. Anyways, this thing is built to last isn't it?

This guitar overall is a really great guitar. Compared to my Strat, this guitar beats it hands down and more. I just wish it would just be a little less pricey. But other than that, great gutiar.

Standard LP setup with a slim 60's neck.

I actually like the sound of this guitar with the stock pickups. In case this makes you think I'm not any good then, I've been playing for 20 years and I've studied classical guitar at the university level. I suppose if they are too hot, you could lower them some.

This guitar was purchased used and the only thing I've done is leveled off the 14th fret to get rid of some string buzz. Other than that, the setup was perfect. The action is decent and the neck has the right amount of relief.

The tuners work great and stay in tune perfectly. If you're having tuning problems, try using some lubricant on the nut. I think it's called guitar lube. You can also buy paint and plastic safe lubricant from hobby stores. Or buy a thing of graphite powder for lock lubrication. I can play for hours without going out of tune.

I have had to re-solder the ground wire in the control cavity (Remove ground buzz noise in the amp) and the volume control is starting to make noise. Both easy enough to fix.

What is up with all the guitarist not being able to setup their own guitars?

N/A

I've been playing for 20 years. I would buy this guitar again if it were lost or stolen.

I can't say I'm a big fan of LP controls. It makes it more difficult to cut the volume when finished playing or performing volume swells during leads. I wish it had better access to the upper frets. I love this guitar for the sound and the sustain.

Made 2003 has all the features as other reviews light burst color

I'm with most of the serious players this guitar pickups are TOO HOT for most players and too muddy I'm having them changed as I write this review for the pro. it's ok to be a hot pickup but hot and muddy is a very bad combonation! I'm playing thru a Mesa Lonestar amp 1/12 combo

I loved the the neck on this guitar but the set-up was bad for a Gibson, while my pickups are being changed my tech is doing the set-up as well. The finish was good but no guitar goes without flaws! I have PRS,Strats,G&L,Yamaha,Ibanez Benson, and all of them have flaws.

The guitar is very heavy don't know if will take a hit like a fender and really don't want to know. I'm going to replace the strap buttons when it returns. If your smart you will never go to a gig or session with one guitar, I bring three.

no dealing with them yet!

I've been playing for 34yrs, My other review show some of my gear I used different pedals depending on the work. If the guitar was stolen I would buy a Standard and save some money. I say that because of changing out the pickups. Gibson should really take a good look at there pricing, Too high and still have to have work done on it.

2001 Honey Burst Gibson Les Paul Classic. Rosewood fretboard, yellowed trapezoid inlays, single ply binding on neck and body. Les Paul Classic on headstock, Classic inlaid on trussrod cover, Gibson inlaid on headstock in plastic MOP. Four gold tophat knobs. Yellowed pickup selector switch, cream plate, open coil 496R and 500T pickups. Slim 60's neck. Mahogany neck and body, maple cap on top. ABR-1 Vintage Tune-o-Matic bridge.

Great sound. A bit better than my Les Paul Studio. Pickups are hot, good for distortion. Pickups clean up decently, neck is good for blues. Pickups don't sense pinch harmonics very good.

Plays excellent. Stays in tune well. Nothing wrong here.

Very solid, I will take a point off because of the Gibson headstock breaks that occur so easily.

Never dealt with them.

A very nice guitar. A step up from the Les Paul Studio and most guitars on this planet, but not on the level of the Standards, Customs, or Custom Shop Les Pauls. Mine is pretty light and is an excellent guitar. I highly recommend it.

This is a 2005 Gibson Les Paul in honeyburst, made in U.S.A. Let's quickly go over the features:

* Manufactured in: Nashville, TN

* BODY Top Species: Carved maple
* Back Species: Mahogany
* Binding: Single-ply top

* NECK Species: Mahogany
* Profile: 1960 Slim taper
* Peghead Pitch: 17?
* Thickness at 1st fret: 0.800"
* Thickness at 12th fret: 0.875"
* Heel Length: 0.625"
* Neck Joint Location: 16th fret

* FINGERBOARD Species: Rosewood
* Scale length: 243/4"
* Total Length: 18.062"
* Nut Width: 111/16"
* Width at 12th fret: 2.062"
* Frets: 22
* Inlays: Yellow Pearloid Trapezoid
* Binding: Single-ply

* HARDWARE Plating Finish: Nickel
* Bridge: ABR
* Tailpiece: Stopbar
* Knobs: Amber Top Hat
* Tuners: Green Key

* ELECTRONICS Neck Pickup: 496R ceramic magnet humbucker
* Bridge Pickup: 500T ceramic magnet humbucker
* Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch

* CASE Exterior: Black Reptile Pattern Hardshell
* Interior: Dark Grey Plush with Black Shroud
* Silkscreen: Silver 'Gibson USA' logo

* STRINGS Brite Wires .010-.046

The guitar came with straplocks which is a must for heavy Les Pauls. I'd like to mention that Gibson should make their body top 1 piece, if you're paying for over 100 dollars for a guitar, it shouldn't have 2 piece top, same goes to PRS...

The stock pickups are decent but not excellent, again, a guitar of this price range shouldn't need aftermarket pickup replacemnets. The nature of the pickup is hot, almost too hot. The output often distorts going through a clean channel, but it's ok, cause this guitar wasn't made for Jazz. The distortion sounds fat, perfect for rhthym, however, the extreme output of the 500T muffles things up a little. The lead sound is kicking, it cuts through the mix and it screams. What the 500T lacks is harmonics, doing fat squels might be more diffcult. I've played 2 Classics with the same pickups going through 2 different stacks. One was a MESA triple Rectifier, the other was a Peavy half stack. There are no complains going through a MESA, sounds fat and the amp clearly made the guitar sounded better. The Peavy sounded decent too but lacks warmth and character which could be a combination of the amp and the guitar. Les Pauls are generally good for most types of music except maybe Fusion. I think by this time you guys know that this is not a shred machine, so let's not dig into it...it's twice as hard shredding on a Les Paul than say...an Charvel. The rhythm sounds ok, nothing facy, just your typical distortion sound. I gave this section a 4 because the pickups are not articulate, which is something very important. No reason for a top notch guitar like this to have mediocre pickups.

I'm going to omit the set-up section because everybody's different so there's no point going into it...Pickups were adjusted probably for a Les Paul, bridge pickup going right up against the strings leaving only maybe 2 inches distance. I also gave this section a 4 because the finish on my neck wasn't even, it wasn't smooth, which is pathetic for Gibson to allow this type of craftsmanship out through factory.

Can not commend on this section yet because I've only had it for a month. Finish seems well done but any Les Paul (or guitar)will have dents and scratches from time to time, if you play the damn thing that is. Strap buttons as I said before were replaced, because stock buttons were terrible, Gibson needs to fix this issue, childish mistakes for a guitar in this price range. Les Pauls are fairly dependable but should not use it without a backup, shouldn't play a gig with no backup guitars period.

N/A

I've been playing for 10 years, full time music student. I also own a U.S.A. Jackson Kelly and too many American Strats. Try to avoid buying a Les Paul online, Gibson's quality control is mediocre at best. Make sure you try it before you buy it, inspect the neck and feel if it's a soild guitar to your judgemnt. Didn't even mention Les Paul has a bad reputation for crappy headstocks that might snap if you drop it. Overall I think this guitar is excellent, but not in this price range. Not only did Gibson fail to improve in their quality, they've also managed to jack up the price for Les Pauls...not acceptable.

2001 classic wine red very nice top for a classic.It had stock parts when i bought it. Now has new bridge picup.The stock picups are way to muddy for my taste. I got rid of the slopomatic for a tone pro bridge and tail piece.Well worth the investment. Makes a huge diference.The picup in the bridge now is A sreanin demon it cleaned up the mids alot very good tone with this guitar.

I play blues to thrash. In stock setup i was not happy,after changes it is absolutly amasing. Very balanced and full. It can cover any style of miusic. The dislikes are the stock picups and poor setup . I had the fretes leavled and recrowned , do it if you can $$$$$$$$$$$$$ well worth the $$$. The stock setup was ok but once setup by a pro it will play like custom.......

setup was ok for a production guitar but can be made to play very well. The stock picups do suck, but I hve always changed out picups with seymores anyway. There the best picups for the money!!!!!!!!!!!! The top on my guitar is very nice the best that i have seen on a classic. The only flaws i had were poor setups.

never used

once setup well worth the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just bought a used 2005 Les Paul Classic with a unique "Guitar Center Exclusive" color of "Light Burst". This guitar is just plain gorgeous. The back and neck are slightly red in color with an excellent display of the mahogany wood grain. The maple top is unique in that it looks marbleized. Definitely an unusual wood grain pattern. Stunning. Hard to describe actually but so far every person that has seen it has been equally fascinated with it. To my knowledge the pick-ups are the stock 500T in the bridge and the 496R in the neck position, however the previous owner put nickel plated pick-up covers on them. I like the looks of it too much to remove them. The tuners are great and more stable than the typical Grovers or Schallers. The fret work is the best I've ever owned in my 21 years of guitar playing. The 60's neck profile is really nice. It sort of flattens out in the back in a very comfortable way. It just feels "right".

Stellar tone. I raised the bridge pick-up slightly and lowered the neck pick-up a little. I generally like the bridge pick-up to be a little dominant over the neck pick-up. These two pups seem quite balanced now and they complement one another perfectly. The 500T is quite a versatile number. Plenty of output but never harsh or noisy. It is never muddy either. It's definitely a nice tone whether it is clean or distorted. The neck pick-up is smooth as butter. After I lowered it a bit I eliminated any mud or boominess. Lowering it also seemed to enhance the higher frequencies as well. It sounds exquisite now. Before I bought this guitar I had always been most fond of Gibson's 57 Classic pick-ups and I thought I might replace these at some point. Now that I have played through these pick-ups a while I have completely changed my mind and I plan on keeping things the way they are. Leave well enough alone. Imagine getting the best of both worlds between 57 Classics and say a Duncan JB. These are high quality pick-ups if set to the right height. The incredible resonance of the body certainly helps things as well and I have heard many comments so far about how well this particular guitar sounds unplugged. Some guitars have it, others don't. This guitar came from good wood. Words fall short of its tonality.

The first thing I did once I brought it home from the store was to change the strings and give the neck a good cleaning. Not that it needed a cleaning. As a matter of fact I find it hard to believe that the previous owner ever touched this guitar. It could have had a "New" tag on it and I would've never caught on. In the course of changing to new strings, I needed to make some slight intonation adjustments to the bridge and a couple of minor tweaks to the truss rod and I may still tinker with all of that after a while (I'm terribly picky). That being said, the neck is awesome and the fret work is top notch. The gloss finish is beautiful and it looks like the $2800 that it retails for. The folks who made this guitar had to spend some serious time on it. I've spent a lot of time looking for imperfections and have come up short. Also the neck binding is extremely well done and prevents any sharp edges from the frets' ends. This is one of the nicest Les Pauls I've ever seen.

Seems more than solid. I installed locking straplocks since I can't fathom dropping this from a loose strap. That would be tragic. Past that it is built like a tank. This particular guitar weighs in at a hefty 9.75 lbs so you could chuck it through a windshield if needed and it would survive. Of course that would also be tragic, but you get the point. When I changed the strings I popped out the pick-ups for a closer look and admired the stout wiring and soldering. Well done. Should last for years before needing any repair.

Once I got this jewel home I called Gibson's 24/7 hotline to check out the serial number. The fellow I spoke with was very friendly and seemed to like his job. He was very helpful and didn't seem to be in a big hurry to get finished talking to me so that he could answer the next phone call (unlike most other customer service reps from other companies I've had to deal with in the past). Not that it matters but he had a pleasant southern accent and seemed a real gentleman and glad to be of service. No complaints there.

This is easily the nicest guitar I have ever owned. I've played for almost 21 years now and I have been giving guitar lessons for roughly 8 or 9 years (full-time for the past 4 years). I've played many many guitars (including other Gibson Les Pauls) and this particular instrument is truly special. I wouldn't trade it for a PRS, a high-end American Fender, Baker, Ernie Ball, Brian Moore, Warrior, Zion, or whatever else. Not that any of those are bad, but when you find something that is as good as this, you hang on to it. After 21 years of playing I feel like I have finally "arrived". Can't beat that feeling.

Go to Gibson web site for the skinny on this guitar. It's one solid, well made guitar with some mass to it.

Simply put - wonderful. I play rock and blues. Full of tone and plenty of sustain. Lows can get muddy, but a tweak on the amp solves it. Fairly quiet at all volumes. Cable can make a big difference. Enjoy it most playing lead. Very easy to bend notes, vibrato, and super sustain. Not a shredding device.

Tops in fit and finish. Love the action. Just right for me. 1999 model and still has plenty of luster after all these years. Great fit and finish. Neck straight and true. Bought used and set up by tech prior to receiving. No fret buzz. While I was skeptical of the stock tuners, this baby stays in tune. Not bothered by humidity changes.

This thing is a rock. Chrome finish still good although some signs of age. Replaced stock strap buttons with locking ones.

N/A

I love this guitar and would be heartbroken if I lost it or if it were damaged. It plays so well and has such a handsome solid appearance. Mind you the current retail price is ridiculous, but one can easily find a good deal on a used one. Some people give it bad rap claiming one is simply paying for the Gibson name. However, let me tell you that it's worth it because there's such a wealth of information and resource regarding the LP. It's so easy to get replacement/mod parts and accessories for it. The true value of a guitar to me is the appreciation and enjoyment I always get whenever take this baby out to play it.

1999 Heritage Cherry Burst - Made in the USA. Got it off of eBay for $1000. The privious owner really didn't play it much at all. As soon as I received it I took it to Zion guitars and had Dale Brown set it up - his shop is 4 miles down the street from me. Otherwise much better condition than most I've seen that are 2004/5 models hanging at Guitar center. Everything on it is stock from the factory except the strings and the pick-ups.

I really love the guitar. I didn't care too much for the ceramics very much...for certain types of music they have application, but I found them to lack versatility. I swapped the pickups Seymour Duncan (Alnico II pro in the neck and JB in the bridge). It suits my style of playing better, has a far better range and covers classic rock and blues perfectly. I run it through a TSL100 head and 1960V cabinet. I can't think of a better combination than a Gibson paired up with a Marshall 1/2 stack. For effects I use a TC Electronics G-Major and a BBE Sonic maximizer. There is nothing I dislike about the guitar - aesthestically or audibly.

I got lucky here. I had a 2003 Copper top that took me 4 tries with Musician's friend to get it right. The first one looked like the frets were put on in a 7th grade woodshop class - glue all over the board...the nut chipped, and file markes in the board that I couldn't relate to. The second one came to me with somes aged bridge and stop tail piece (I'll tolerate the vintage vibe just so far) and the neck was not set even (it didn't affect the playability, but I found it unacceptable - now I'm thinking quality control issues at Gibson). So, back it goes...Three times a charm...not EVEN. The third one comes back with some much orange peel on the neck and headstock I didn't know whether to play it or squeeze it...Fourth one finally came to me fine... I eventually sold it (divorce is expensive!) for exactly what I paid for it. I was determined to get another as soon as I could manage - I took a leap of faith with eBay and I couldn't be happier with how things turned out - it was, as you can see, easier than my experience with Musician's Friend... The top is fairly figured...not one ding...no worming on the back...It made me wonder if it had ever been played much at all. I think the mid to late nineties were a better year for the Les Paul Classics than more recent years....this one is really cherry.

Very solid and built like a Hummer.... The strap locks are a little lame, but I don't run around like a fucking idiot when I play and have never found this to be an issue...but for the money (the new ones and the Standards with a price tag north of $2000) Gibson might want to look at the competitive landscape a bit more dilligently. The headstock needs extra caution - if it's being commandeered by an idiot jumping around while playing

I've spoken to Gibson several times...they are very helpful, knowledgeable, and available via phone.

Looks great...sounds Better than it looks.

This is a 2005 Les Paul Classic, vintage sunburst. It has a 496 and 500 pickup setup. Aged plastics and trapazoid inlays. Two volume controls and two tone controls. I give a 10 because of the versatility in tone using the toggle switch and tone knobs.

This guitar sounds smooth as silk. Toggle switch down makes a great scorching lead. Middle toggle makes that creamy lead. I feel that any guitar is only complimented by the amp that the player uses. Compared to other guitars using similar style pickups, this rocks the house.

This plays like butter. It's not like a strat where a play can wrench the guitar to get sounds (that's a totally different animal, which I also love playing). This guitar seems to allow fingers to glide across the fretboard like it's ice. The neck isn't quite as fast as an ibanez wizzard neck, but it's got a great feel to it. The finish is great. It's not birds eye triple flame burst pinstripe leopard skin finished... In my opinion it's awesome... I tend to like guitars simple, clean, and sharp looking... something that looks good to be played, not to have behind a glass case on display.

Extremely sound... Gibsons tend to be very reliable. Finish will most likely wear like any other guitar.

None needed so far. The warranty on this guitar is for a year or two.

I have to say, I'm sick of people bad mouthing Gibson guitars... First, if a les paul standard cost the same as an American std. strat, some of the complainers would stop... Second, I'm sure that the quality and single handed workmanship has faded since the 1950's... well duh... if ALL guitar companies spent the time and effort to create a guitar like they did at one time years ago, the price would be astronomical today, compared to the demand of today's market... Third, when playing a gibson and an epiphone back to back, there is quite a difference... not that epiphone is a lesser guitar... but some people say "if you change the pickups and..." well then that's fine... go for it... Finally, I have an old gibson es 175D and now this les paul classic and I'd have to say that they are both unique and quality. Overall, I give this guitar a 10 for it's classic style, great tone and finish, and playability.

made in early 2004 in usa
22 frettes.496r and 500t pick ups,slim 60 neck ,mahogany body in 2 pieces!!!!! instand one like before
i' m surprise , i never read some one who complain about it.les paul classic were better built in the 90' s
maple top cooper finish.
gibson case

i don' t like those pick up.it' s not the sound of the legend.
it's only great if you play metal.i have replaced stock pick ups with duncan antiquity.
guitar sound great with new ones

action was so low for my playing but it' s not important.every one should do the action he loves.
no flaws on mine but i see new ones whith it!!!it' s not great from a legend company.mine is perfect.as i wrote before , i don' t like the 2 pieces body instand one piece.
because of this i only give a 6

no probleme about it.the finish is little fragile but it's nitro like all gibson.
for the rest , it' s a les paul.you can count on it

sorry , i don't know

i have owned about 5 classic les paul.i think i don' t buy a new one actually.the level of building is less better than the 90 ' s.
i love

the slim 60 neck. but i prefere definitively the older, better build with better selection woods.

This is 2004 model. It's your classic Les Paul Mahagony body and neck along with a Maple top. The controls are the same as always. Nothing else new to say about the features.

This guitar sounds fantastic! It was used so I pulled out the burstbuckers and sold them. Installed set of pickups a Rio Grande BBQ/59 combo. Thinking about swiping out the 59 for a Texas. The sound is full, rich and with great clarity! I can get any sound I want outta this guitar except for Death Metal. Which these pickups aren't hot enough and wasn't designed for that purpose. But anyway I've heard a review saying how many subpar Gibsons are out there that you really have to try out a ton of them in order to find a gem. I wouldn't be surprised to hear something like that because of the QC of Gibson....probably alot of disgruntle employees that don't care for the company because maybe they are just focusing on making a profit instead of accessing value to the products and or employees. I haven't compare alot of Gibsons to mine but I sure as hell love it!

action is great! Low with very little fret buzz. This one did an excellent fret job. The neck is straight as an arrow. In terms of the quality of wood. Acoustically it sounds awesome! Plays like butter! Hardware and electronics were all properly done! Everything in this guitar was very professionally set up!

Gibsons are very tough but sensitive guitars. They are built big and strong but fragile at the same time. They cannot take the abuse of a Fender. If you accidently drop your Gibby from a stand or fall off your strap and not being able to catch it. Be ready to shell out around 400 bucks to have the headstock repaired. Gibson Les Pauls are notorious for the cracking headstock repairs. Just the nature of the beast! Be sure to get some strap locks and becareful.

don't know???

I've been playing for 10 years. I own 2 ESP EC-1000 LTD. Those are some great guitars for your buck that you won't have to worry about losing sleep over if it gets damage! A great compliment to my Classic! I run her through my Laney Vh100r and Marshall 1960a cab with V30 and CL80 in X configuration. The only effects I use is a Boss CE-3 Chorus and Boss D5 Delay. If it were lost? I would get it again but I would wait for a good deal like this one. I love everything about this guitar except the pickups...I just prefer a different choice for that. The weight isnt't all that great but what are you going to do? They've been made that way long before I was born so I just deal with it.

Basic two humbucker with individual volume and tone, three way switch, tone-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece. Maple top, mahogany neck and body, rosewood fretboard. Body and neck binding in cream color. Vintage tuners.

I forgot the exact model of pickups. But I bought the classic for two reasons one was the pickups, sound is fat and crunchy. Maybe, just maybe it could have a bit more clarity in the high end but nothing's perfect!! It has no coil splitters so you gotta like a humbucking sound. I do and that's why I got a Les Paul.

Typical Gibson. Semi-handmade and not terrible attention to every little detail. But I used Carvin guitars that totally suck but they look great so my emphasis on looks have been trhown out the window. I have owned several gibsons and sometimes the finish isn]t perfect, the fretboard may have some smears of some kind. But overall they feel like a well played old guitar. Even the new ones. And to me it's all about sound and feel rather than looks!! That's why I use Gibson which seems to be the only guitar manufacturer in the old school mindset of making decent guitars that may have some astetic flaws. Amen to Gibson I hope they never change this!! A real Gibson player like myself knows what I am talking about and the slogan rings true.... Only a Gibson is good enough!!

Very reliable. The only issue I've had is with the three way switches. The open design collect dust and become scratchy or drop off altogether, I usually purchase a closed design for my Gibby's and switch them out right away. And to this day Gibsons are very reliable in my experience.

I'm mixed here. I tried to get a custom paint job. I tried several dealers that just never contacted me again so I tried to contact gibson directly. They sent me an email the very next day and told me I had to go through a dealer. Ok I expected as much, but what I don't get is why when I tried again after 3 months the dealer said Gibson had not yet given them a price quote, yet Gibson replied to my email right away? I just dont get it.

Overall these are maybe the best feeling and only true player's guitars left on the market. Too many other are thinking on the mail order market. "Let's make the guitars look good, but they can stink, as long as they look good people will order from the internet". Such as I have experienced with Carvin which deals in mail order only!! Gibsons however are a bit expensive, are they worth the price? That's for you to judge!

See all reviews below.

This guitar would suit many styles of music and sounds fantastic. I have been playing for 18 years and have settled on Les Paul, PRS Mccarties, and Strats as they seem to have some of the best tone and vibe compared to many of the copy companies. I tried to like many others but came back to the big three. There is just a vibe alive with these and the Les Paul stands tall against most others. The tone is amazing, great clarity, sustain, and a depth I do not hear in other guitars. I replaced the stock pots/and caps to enable me to better use the tone and volume controls but the pickups have great clarity for clean to blues to metal. I will probably change the pickups to WCRs but you could do fine with the stocks. Great resonance.

Wonderful action after a nice pro set up and tremendous build quality! I am very impressed and stands up to my Hamers and PRS.

Never had a problem with any Gibson!

Fantastic!

Great guitars and has al the vibe and tone in the world. You can't beat an LP. Period.

It's a 2003 classic 60 LP, standard features.
I think it's ridicolous that a 2000 euro (=$) guitar doesn't have the straplocks... wtf they are thinking at Gibson?

I'm disappointed with pickups. They're extremely muddy even at a big distance from the strings. Almost not usable with a metal distortion, it fuzzes too much. The sound is never clear, even lowering the distortion or with a standard crunch. Not usable for a clean sound because of the power of the pickups.

Set up was not good. The pickups height was wrong, the action was wrong. The fretboard needed work with a leveler, the 3rd string didn't sound good. Disappointing for such a expensive guitar.

I hope it will last.

Never dealt with the company

It was a gift... I would never buy such an overrated guitar. The astonishing look doesn't justify the lack of care in luthier work and the lack of good sound. Disappointing.

- 2004 Gibson USA Les Paul Classic
- Opaque Copper Natural finish which looks stunning under various lighting (looks quite similar to the Bullion Gold at times). Discontinued in 2005!!!
- Transluscent natural finish on the back and sides...truly sexy.
- 1960 slim tapered neck which is very comfortable yet full enough to hold the sustain and provide tone
- Gibson 496 Rhythm and 500 Treble ceramic pickups (pretty damn hot)
- Lush hardshell case with combo lock and velvet cover...very sweet

The rest you should all know if you consider yourself to be guitarist :)

Take a good look at the exact model and finish here:
http://www.gibson.com/Files/images/lpcscnnh_wall.jpg

Perfect 10 - no nonsense and no frills, just top quality materials you'd expect from a guitar of this price range. A little heavy on the shoulder after some 30 minutes of playing (~4.5 kg guitar)

Unplugged: Deep, full and solid. Very warm. Incredible sustain - hardly any string vibration is lost to the body.

Plugged: Taking into account the construction and woods used, the pickups are well balanced, very full, very hot and freakin loud! Tone wise they have punchy bass, thick and searing mids, and clear highs to cut through just nicely. When clean, they provide a good solid rhythm sound, but as soon as you turn up the overdrive they start to rough up and roar quite noticeably, which is what you'd expect from this rocker of an axe. Lower overdrive levels provide a great blues vibe on the neck pickup and classic rock open chord rhythm on the bridge. With mid-high overdrive, they provide a great rocky tone and character just right for power chords. As for lead, just think Slash all the way - they roar, scream and even sing - tons of character and immense sustain.

I play mainly rock and blues with some funk, pop, classical on the side (and dabble a bit on the jazz..well, I try). Having said that this axe is a rock guitar all the way, and one flagship of a rock guitar I reckon. Though it will cover blues on the lighter end and border on the line crossing over to metal on the heavier end. Anything cleaner than blues is not gonna happen on this axe - it's not made for those styles - too hot and rough.

I play through a Traynor Custom Valve 40 (YCV40) amp with a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay and CE-5 Chorus Ensemble pedals. It drives the amp well - perfect rock setup that can still cover heaps of ground.

Perfect 10 - I bought it as my primary rock axe and it does just that no worries.

Factory set up was OK, but not perfect. Action is nice, but I get a bit too much buzz on certain frets. Intonation is near perfect, but a bit off that you can tell. Pickup height seemed alright though the bridge was a fair bit too loud over the neck, so I lowered it. The rest is just fine. Beaut guitar. Finish is flawless and doesn't mess up easily - should last forever. You get what you pay for.

7 - due to imperfect factory set up.

Built like a freakin tank. Will live the road trips and all. Only draw back is the small strap buttons and weird angle of the one near the neck...it kinda makes me a bit worried the strap would come lose especially when you're rockin it out. I think strap locks would be a great idea to avoid any regrets...

9 - those strap buttons!

Not bad...they reply on email within 24 hours and are polite and provide adequate detail. The website and manual are all that's really needed, but would be nice to have factory specifications mentioned. Though they probably ignore you if you don't quote your serial number in my experience.

Been playing almost 8 years. I also own a 2001 PRS Santana SE, Yamaha CPX8 electric/acoustic and FG-401 acoustic. I also have an old classical I intend to bring back to life one day. You know my amp and pedals from above. I would most definitely replace it if it were stolen, after beating the crap out of the person who stole it and giving them slow, painful end.

I compared it to the Les Paul Classic Double-Cut which I originally intended to get because I liked the single volume/tone controls and pickup selector down near the bridge, but they were out of production this year...but I reckon it's a blessing in disguise because if you're gonna get a Les Paul, GO FOR THE REAL THING. The double cuts are a go at the PRS market, cause they're lighter, brighter and only Les Pauls by name.

Everything else is just what you'd expect from this Les Paul. It was made to rock and rock hard, and it does that just that.

9 - does what it was meant to do, cheaper than the Standard but just as good quality in my opinion. Worth the money if you can afford it. 9 because of the imperfect areas I mentioned up above.

I've already given a write up on this guitar. (14/11/04) But I've just recently put two Seymore Duncan 59' Zebra's in the Neck and Bridge The sound of the guitar has just been transformed. I can highly recommend this to anyone. The original were starting to get on my nerves after a while. As they can be a bit "harsh" and "brittle" sounding. Where as the 59's are not quite as high output, more vintage sounding. But they do seem to have more sustain.

2 ceramic pick-ups, set mahogany neck, rosewood fret-board- yellow inlays. 50's slim taper neck. and if you need to know more search the website or others reviews i tried to cover thing that maybe others did not list in specifics.

this guitar sounds amazing. however it really depends on its intended use and very heavily on the players ear. with the right amp and cab as well as having a skilled player behind it can amaze you. it is a very fat warm toned guitar and sounds a little fuzzy and compressed. due to the pickups. these ceramic pickups in vein of harmonics.----- there is one minor problem with the classic and other guitars by gibson using the ceramic pickups i.e.. flying v and explorer.... that being that at high levels with a high gain amp this guitar will produce a microphonic feedback. this is because of the pickups not because of your tubes and there is no gate that will rid you of it. this guitar was designed to be used with mid gain to low gain amps. so buyer be ware this guitar will give you alot of noise in comparison to other les pauls. if you are dead set on this les paul try all the ones the store has because you will hear a difference between each or all of them and dont be picky about color find the one that sounds the best. regardless of what others have said les paul made by gibson have a distinct sound and can not be replicated. heritage guitars sound worlds different and feel different hamer's do as well but it is all it sounds "like" it , but sounding like something is not that thing being it. the only other guitar i can say resembles this is a vintage les paul custom. with original pickups for years i would say 1973 to 1986 and some newer ones as well. do your self a favor and try out all different types of les pauls. there is nothing like the natural sustain of a les paul as well as its rich tonal range and warm thick sound. i have looked everywhere.

finish is fine. get you guitar professionally set up for you and your string choices as well as they style you play.


so for all of you who care i am judging this based on my action that i set so yours might be different but for me mine is rated as follows

it is a gibson. tuners are fine these tuners are made for gibson by grover but have the gibson name on them they are not bad. they go out of tune but if they are going out of tune often they you should probably have your guitar set up, and if the problem persists than you should looking to locking tuners. i have giged with this guitar it is great however i have to use the rhythm position as a kill due to the amount of feedback i was getting from the pickups. as far as i can tell and as far as other gibsons i have owned they last forever if you take care of them but they will break like anything.

never dealt with them.

amazing guitar the best thing to do is take your head amp combo whatever you have and try it with this guitar and others if you like the sound and feel. this guitar is for you. i play professionally and i am not a studio guitarist. i play black melodic death metal or now commonly called metalcore. so if this guitar works for you and your sound get it it is all preference based as far as an overall rating. this guitar has been good to me and it had the best tone out there as far as new guitars are concerned. i hope this helped.

2003 3 i think. you know all the specs. i dont own it, i played one for about an hour while shopping for a new guitar. pretty heavy for a paul.

sound wise, this is a great guitar. the ceramic pickups have great output and makes for a great blues-based rock sound (think gnr or acdc) also pretty versatile for other styles as well.

this is the reason i did not buy the guitar. the inlays are supposed to be "aged yellow". the ones on this paul were definitely the color of mountain dew. gross! that and the binding was so off-white that it looked almost orange. combined with the black finish, this was one ugly guitar.

built like a rock, heavy as hell. just about the same as any other paul out there. good ol gibson quality for sure.

i havent heard anything about gibson support either way, so no answer for this one

i've played about 9 years now and i've always been a fender guy. i started using a friend's les paul studio a few months ago and fell in love with it. I decided to go shop for a new guitar and was looking at the pauls at the store. this one sounded awesome but looked like monkey butt. i wasnt about to spend $1400 on something that sounded great but looked terrible. i ended up getting an sg standard in ebony finish which not only looks gorgeous, it sounds amazing (a little brighter than the pauls though) and it's much much lighter.

2005 les paul classic sunburst,carved maple top,great exposed pickups,very nice slim neck,gibson lps are heavy,this is my only draw back this is a sweet rock unit,i hated the green enlays but i also hate the white ones on the standard lp to bright,i can live with the green cause the sound.

wow,wow ,pow ,this is a the rock lp you play zep,sabbath,motor head,these pickups rule the meanest lp made by far,if you play radio tunes get the standard

overall good fit finish action a solid 9

this guitar is a tank 9 lbs of guitar,i find the strap bottons are to small so a 9

gibson is huge it takes time to get service

i traded for this guitar , i love it,its like being young again,go try this guitar,and make your marshall stack scream

Since the Les Paul is probably the standard by which all other guitars are guaged I will assume that most reading this know the features. Basica two pickup, three position switch with tone and volume for each pickup. Mahogany body, maple cap, mahogany neck. Pretty standard stuff.

This guitar sounded great through my Budda SD30 and Genz-Benz Reflex 2x12 cabinet? Sustain was very good, tone was fat, no harshness and it had a very good rock sound. Lots of bottom and fat upper mids without being too trebly. I really love the sound of Les Pauls.

Initially I was very pleased with the guitar. The action was perfect, fretwork was clean and smooth. Finish was good but not as good as some guitars I have. Tuners while being the much maligned Klusons were tight and remarkably smooth and the guitar stayed in tune. Neck played light lightning. That is where the kudos stop.

At the 12th fret there is a scallop for lack of a better term where the person sanding the neck slipped. Close to the binding on the 6th string side is a gradual indentation from either and attempt to fix a dent or a slip of the hand. It was unnoticeable at first but could be felt and I was able to get a good picture of it and put it on a Les Paul forum. The people on the forum could not believe that such a QC mistake had made it through production. So I decided to send it back to AMS for a trade up to a Standard in hopes the QC is better on more expensive models. I would have loved to keep the guitar since it did sound and play well but for $1800 shipped its just too big a flaw to overlook. I have owned in excess of 20 guitars in my life from the cheapest Jay Turser to some custom stuff and I have never seen a neck flaw like this on any of them. Its a shame but I still love Les Pauls.

I would imagine thigs guitar could take a lot of careless use. Perfect working mans guitar.

Didnt call Gibson directly but I play on sending them an email with a picture of the flaw. AMS are top notch people and I will always do busines with them.

Been playing guitar for 24 years. I wish I would have been able to play this guitar before buying. Unfortunately where I live they dont stock too many Les Pauls. I have mail ordered several guitars and this is the first one that I have send back. Be warned I have been told on many ocassions not to buy a Gibson sight unseen due to QC issues.

I do love the sound of a Les Paul. Nothing sounds like it..not even PRS which some people claim. The closest I have some is a Hamer Artist. Infinitely better built than the Gibson its just not a Gibson Les Paul. I wish you could order the Classic with better tuners but they really arent too bad. Im still a fan of Gibson but you just have to be careful buying one, they are like snowflakes, no two are alike.

2005 Guitar Center exclusive model made in the USA. 22 fret maple gold top on mahogany with a natural finish (not red stained) back. You know what this guitar has if you're shopping. Thin wide neck with ceramic pick ups that smoke! If you're looking for the Allman Bros sound, DO NOT BUY THIS GUITAR but if you're looking at a guitar with infinite sustain and that oh so sweet crunchy lead, BUY THIS AXE! The best feature after the kick azz pick ups is the wide thin neck. This is one fast smooth instrument.

THE SOUND IS AMAZING AND I'VE HAD EVERY BRAND OF GUITAR MADE AND THIS ONE SMOKES THEM ALL. When I saw this guitar I said I'll take it without even playing it (gotta love GC's return policy). The finish and everything else was flawless and then I plugged her into the El Diablo and WOW!!!!!!!!!

I always have to set the action up on my guitars because I like it low but I didn't have to make any changes with this guitar at all. It came with a perfect set-up for me. The only thing I did was put .09 guage strings on....

Gibson guitars last lifetimes. I'm not sweating this one!

They are excellent!

If you like rock music from old Zep to Slash to Hoobistank to Megadeath, this axe is for you. I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and have played and owned Les Pauls before but none compare to this one. The Standard has a baseball bat neck and those Burstbuckers that are way to bright for me. Try the Classic out and you'll see why so many are happy with it!

What I have is a 2003, American, Gibson Les Paul Classic in Vintage Sunburst. It has 22 frets on the rosewood fretboard, green trapizoid inlay, binding, mahogany neck, 2 ceramic buckers (498R & 500T), simple Maple Top, mahogany back, 2 Volume, 2 Tone, 3 way pick-up selector, tuneomatic bridge, soapbar tail peice...this puppy's STOCK. But lets face it coil tapping would be nice, tremolo might be cool, you need strap locks, possible a active/passive option...LP's are not known for options they are known for tone!

My style is Rock, Blues, Funk, Heavier Country, Alternative, Punk, basically all but Classical and Reggae...not that it's bad but I am. I use a JCM800, Vox Valvetronix AD120VTH, Fender Combo's and an assortment of 10" or 12" cabs.

It's a little noisy for a humbucking guitar...but a lot of that's do to how resinating the body and bridge is...but no doubt that this guitar is BEEFY and HOT! Some say it's a little to hot for their tastes but I like it. I own a Paul Reed Smith and this LP is definitely a more toneful and beefy than the PRS.

Neck pick-up is real calm and rythum friendly, middle pick-up takes it up that extra notch for a more bright rythum or a neat jangly sound and the bridge pick-up is pure raunch an bright distortion.

All and all the sound rocks and I am very pleased...but there could be improvement.

I bought the guitar used and it was profesionally set up so I have no idea on that...but the action after set up is awesome!

Cosmetically beautiful for a non-flame top sunburst.

My main complaint is that this is a supposed 1960 re-issue but really its more or less a nice Les Paul at a nice price. Where's the pick-up covers? Where's the tennon joint? Where's the true 60's bridge?

Also, like most Les Paul guitars the tuning pegs have a slight problem with staying in tune...unfortunatly they just look to cool to change out...they are functional until I can re-tune between a couple of songs.

I give it an 8 simply because I like everything about this not so re-issue, re-issue except the tuning pegs.

I play shows 3-4 times a month and practice with bands another 2-3 times a month so I have given this puppy a little work out and hope to wear it out some day.

With that said, it stays in tune alright, hardware is great, nice finish that has a vintage vibe without looking worn out, strap button suck and couldn't hold on to anything, I can mostly depend on it...I'll probably change the tunners to locking ones, unless I do that I would not play without a backup.

Never dealt with

I've been playing 11 years, and have owned multipule PRS guitars, Fender American Strat's and Tele's, an Ernie Ball Axis Sport, a Parker, Taylors, etc...I play Marshall, Vox, and Fender amps. If this guitar were stolen I'd buy another in a heartbeat!

Ilove the 60's neck, looks and sounds. I hate the tunners, am okay with the aged look, and wish it had the tennon joint.

I played multipule Gibson Les Paul's (Standard, Custom, Re-issue, Special, Signature) and by sound and playability this model is easily my favorite under $3400.

I recomend this guitar to anyone who has a budget and a few other guitars. Good #1 guitar, excellent backup. (unless the tunners get changed)

2003 Les Paul Classic Honeyburst. Bought off Ebay for 1,000.00, case is junk. Finish on guitar is gorgeous. One of the lighter Les Pauls. Pickups are HOT! Maybe too hot for some people. Tuners are kind of cheezy.

This guitar sounds like a million bucks. I have owned a Les Paul Studio/Jackson SLSMG/Ibanez SZ520/ESP LTD MH400 and this guitar is by far the best that I have played. I owned the Studio and hated it because of it's weight and the muddiness of the guitar. Then I thought I would be smart and sell it to buy 2 lower end guitars. I was able to achieve "decent" sounds out of my 2 cheaper guitars...but my sound was just missing something. The Classic has finally gotten me to where I want to be. I play it through a Peavey XXX head/Carvin Legacy 2x12 Cabinet w/Vin 30's. The cleans are so smooth and milkey when using the neck pickup and shimmering and shiny when using the bridge pickup. Mix em up and you are in heaven. Distortion...forget about it. Put it on the bridge pickup....look out. This guitar screams. You can't hit harmonics and solos with ease. Flip the switch to the neck...some serious low end...almost too much. I have no dislikes about the sound. AMAZING. I will never dog Gibson again for their pricing. You pay for what you get.

This is the easiest guitar that I have ever played. The action is perfect. The neck is so thin and wide...unlike most Les Pauls. I have not had to do anything. The guitar was set up Perfectly.

Like all Les Pauls...built like a tank. You do not need a back up. The only thing that scares me are the tuning pegs.

If you email them or call them...they will give you support on any matter.

Been playing for 6 yrs. Sold some things to buy this guitar. I don't own much any more except what was listed above. I do have a Taylor 410 CE and a 1982 Ovation. This is the only electric I want and need. I may upgrade my amp and cab soon, but I'm very happy with my sound right now. If you are torn between what Les Paul to buy...try the Classic. You won't be disappointed.

2004 Les Paul Classic in Cherry Sunburst. See other reviews for features. This guitar is basically a non flame top standard with hot pickups.

I'm using this guitar with a ZVex Nano head and a Pignose 1x10 combo as a speaker cab. I'll experiment with speakers later. The combination of the pickups and a 1/2 w tube amp means very little headroom. I bought this guitar for high gain as I have a 57ri Strat.

I've been able to get sounds I've wanted for years and tried various overdrives with my Strat to get. Pinched harmonics come out at will and I'm a hack player (and proud of it).

I've rated it a 10 but I dont want or need clean sounds from this guitar.

I was able to spend an hour with four Les Paul Classics and narrowed it down to this one. I personally dont like Cherry Sunburst but this instrument was had the best feel, weight and sound of the four. I checked each instrument with a tuner and this one stays in better. It always needs a slight tuning adjustment from the case.

I have not had it long enough to comment. Also my Strat is well battered so that's the dodgy gig guitar.

I've been playing various guitars since 1980. IMHO Les Pauls are like Musicman basses in that you have to put up with everything else to get that sound.

I wasnt actually looking for a LP. I was after a 'superstrat'. I'd tried various Fenders and an Anderson Drop Top. I tried a Les Paul as you do and decided the sound complimented what I do. I'm not in a position where I need identical guitars.

The Classic compliments my other guitars and fills in a hole. I dont know if I would be happy with it as a sole guitar. I've given it a 10 in context of the above.

If you are after a Les Paul, please try as many as you can.

This is my second Classic. Its a 2004 in Lightburst. My other is a 98 in Honeyburst.
This newer one is pretty much the same except they have changed the bridge to one with inserts for the bridge posts to thread into instead of threading right into the wood. I have'nt had any problem with the 98 made this way but the inserts are an improvement.

The 98 and the 04 sound pretty identical. No change there seeing they both have the same features. In other words it sounds great. Typical Les Paul with hot pickups.

Compared to the 98 the o4 was set up much better from the factory. The 98 had to have a lot of tweaking done to it for a nice setup. The o4 was right on out of the box except for a slight tweak on the G strings intonation.
No finish flaws were found anywhere and the frets were a little better than the usual flat crowns Gibson is known for.
Its a plain top but theres no wierd marks in it and it looks real nice.

I've played the crap out of the 98 and its held up quite well with only a fret level done and the usual string changes and periodic setups to it since new. I expect the 04 to be just as reliable.

Never used them.

This is my 7th Gibson and my 4th Les Paul. I also have a Norlin era Custom,2000 Standard, 61 SG Reissue,Faded SG,and a koa Explorer. The only dog of the bunch was a 68 Custom that would'nt intonate and stay in tune worth a hill of beans. I sold it long ago. Besides that...I've always been satisfied with there products. I was going to go for a historic this time but cant justify the price....ecspecialy since my guitars do get played alot in the bar/cover scene and could'nt feel comfortable putting a beating on it.

Spec as Below. Its a Gibson Les paul so same ol' same ol' But with higher out put pickups, and a very ver fest neck.

I tried a standard and a classic together. I tried them both through a boogie F50 (Not the best of amps I know, but just your basic vavle amp) no reverb, no pedals, on nothing. Just the guitar and a dry amp. For me the classic won easily. The tone of it was far better, and the slim taper neck was so much faster to play than the standard. Yes the standard it very pretty with its flame top, but is it really worth the extra #300 ($500). I myself really don't think so. After a few years the grain will fade any way.

The tone pots work well, giving large variations in the general tone.

General sound is very thick and full. Back off the pick-ups and it cleans up quite nicely.

9/10 bacause only a real 59' would get a 10/10.

The truss rod cover is a little shody. It just isn't finished as good as the rest of the guitar. The selector switch was loose.

But on the whole the guitar is very well made. After all it is a Gibson.

Only thing I really hated was that horrible tacky cream scratch plate, with "1960" printed on it in gold. Removing that was the first thing I did to it when I got it home. Now the guitar looks much better.

Some have said the yellow/green inlays look terrible , I would agree but only think they look bad on the wine red, and cherry burst.

But they do go very well with the honey burst and vintage burst. They seem to match each other very well.

It does need a set-up and the frets are too high but thats only my preference. Overall it is very playable from stock.

A 7/10 only because of that vile scratch plate! Otherwise an 8/10.

Built like a tank so you could drive a car over it and I recon it would still play. The strap buttons are typical of most guitars, I wouldn't trust 'em. So I'm gonna change 'em for strap locks.

The finish is very thick, so should last quite a few years.

Never used 'em

Great, very pleased to have one atlast. I'm a bit of a purist, I only use valve amps, and guitars with a good name on them. I've got a Standard strat, and a standard tele. This LP finishes off the trio quite nicely. I've been looking for a number of years for a nice LP but couldn't quite justify the cost. Also over here, in the UK, new prices keep going up so when I tried this one I loved it and I loved the price even more.

sadly there is only a little flame on the maple top but the colour (Honey burst) and finish more than make up for that.

If your looking for a 1959 stanrard this isn't it. I know I've played one. They're awesome.

But if your in the market for great quality Les paul at a great price. Then If I were you I'd go and try one of these.

2003 i think, just bought second hand. usual les paul stuff but oh so crappy yuky green colour inlays, disgustingly cheap looking pick up selector tip, stupid rubbishy "1960" engraved on the pick guard and i really hate the "clascic" engraved on th truss rod cover. reag rest of reviews for specs, its a les paul with all usual standard les paul features.

wassamatter with the les paul people that they stick out a supposed replica of a 1960's spec guitar which we all kinda crave for and someone in that company makes em stick on hot pick ups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! unbelievable is not a word big enough for here! i kinda imagine the line of thinking here, goes something like this............." i got this great idea, we'll make our guitars to the old specs so all the people who want an old classic les paul can buy one from us! lets make it sound like those old guitar greats like jimmy page and that fella from black sabbath, kool eh?" everyone would want one right? course they would! one big flaw......... thos guys back in the seventies had guitars that didnt have a hot pick up, what did they do? they used a pedal! something like a fuzz face or tonebender etc. what ireckon gibson have tried to do is make their classic sound like those guys from the seventies but by pluggin the guitar straight into an amp! thats two totally different things fellas and it dont work. so boys and girls (girls feel free to e-mail me by the way)get this guitar cos it plays a dream (apart from the frets which are too high like most guitars today, get em stoned down by someone good), seriously it plays a dream and all you gotta do is change the pick-ups to something not as hot, hey how about a 57 paf which the 1960's guitars most probably would have had and then you got yaself a fine machine! then you can get a proper marshall head like a superlead, play through a 4x12 with your guitar plugged intoan effects pedal (bit like those guys in the seventies did) and whoah baby, this boy can play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it' so simple really1

okay as mentioned the frets are silly, too high. get em stoned. finish is okay. pick ups crap! didnt get it from factory so cant really blame gibson for final set up. had 10;s on it, put skinnytop/heavy bottoms on it, lowered action after stoning and i play all night!

snash down doors with it

dunno, dont expect much after they read this from me

bet a lot of people buy these and are dissapointed but seriously dont be put off cos they are only a step away from being fantastic. plus your only other choice is to buy a real old les paul and thats gonna really hurt the pocket. get one, change the small niggly things cos it is worth it plus you got to remember cos this is really important, all those guys in the seventies nearly always mucked about with their gear from amps to effects to guitars, thats why we get signature models mister! thats what gave us originality in music. what do you expect from the music world when if all you can do is walk in a music shop and some drogo sells you off the shelf products that everyone else has got? you gonna sound like the next guy that walked in before you. weird out kids and muck things up!

2003 Les Paul Classic. I'm sure you know what it is.

The stock pickups are way too hot for my taste. I should have bought a LP Standard or a PRS. The stock pickups have a ceramic magnet, and ceramic magnet pickups are screamers. Perfect for metal or very hard rock, but not perfect for other types of music.

I installed a set of Burstbuckers. Much better.

The store set up the action, and they did a fine job. The finish could have been better. Where the neck meets the top, it looks like they painted over some dust - not much, but enough for me to see it now.

I should have considered a PRS.

This is where Gibson goes downhill in my opinion. The crappy vintage tuners they are using belong on a $160 guitar, not a $1600 guitar. I bought a set of Gibson sealed tuners, made by Grover, but what do you know, they don't fit in the same size hole as the vintage tuners. Great thinking Gibson - use different spec'd products so your customers get frustrated.

I should have bought a PRS.

I replace the strap buttons on all of my guitars with strap locks. Better safe than sorry.

Gibson customer support - now there's a real conflicting title. In calls to Gibson concerning replacement parts and tuner problems, I found them to be unconcerned for the most part. I really don't think they care.

Next time, I'm going to buy a PRS.

Gibson is a screwball outfit in so many ways. They could have the guitar buying public eating out of their hand, but they just make it tough to do business with them. I sincerely hope their arrogance puts them behind the eight ball.

No pictures of current guitars for sale on the internet.
Cheap ass "vintage" tuners instead of a solid, sealed Grover tuner. Hey Gibson, there's a reason they are "vintage" - ie - OUTDATED. Get a clue.
If I ever decide to get another dual humbucker guitar, I will not buy a Gibson. I'll buy a Guild Bluesbird or a PRS - hell, I'd put two 'buckers in a Tele before I gave Gibson another penny.

Am I a bit pissed? Sure I am, and why not!

2 humbuckers 4 nobs, blah blah same like all the others

SOUNDS GREAT for the price my friend paid it better sound good. my friend has a roland 60watt amp and has a fender 40watt amp.

set up wonderfully, damn its set up nice, sunburst finish, nothing scrwed up or anything.

he gigged with this occasionaly. it lasts

N/A

i also play guitar, i have a an original 60's strat. it sounds better than the les paul cuz i modified it and stuff, ye les pauls r good, but i dont know y everybody makes a fuss about them, of course they sound but they feel bad in ur arms, everything is so flat sided, the body shape is UGLY it looks like a giant log, as for the looks it sucks the sound is great, but i HATE the way it feels, MY STRAT IS A LOT BETTER, I DONT GIVE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.

If you are reading this, then you most likely are researching this guitar because you are most likely interested in having one some day. That or you already have one and you are interested in knowing how other owners feel about their's. That being said, you most likely know that a Les Paul is one of the most honest, no-frills, musical instruments money can still buy. I say musical instrument because in the 25 or so years I've played, I've owned many "guitars". I waited a long time to finally pick up a Les Paul, and I can honestly tell you that this thing is beyond a mere "guitar". I wasn't built by a machine in Korea, and I'm sorry if you disagree, but there is a huge difference. The next time I hear somebody bithching about the price of a Les Paul, I'll walk them over to the Schecter section of the music store and simply tell them, "There you go rock-star, shred for us"!

I've always been able to coax decent sounds out of cheaper guitars, but now I'm going to have to get used to the boomy tone of this log. The pick-up's are so responsive that you can really hear all of the nuances in you playing with this axe. The bridge P/U is "aggressive" to say the least, but a volume back off will tame it right down. the neck P/U is woody as hell, warmer than Aunt Jemimah's Doo Rag. Through my Marshall DSL 100, this guitar screams, sings, roars, bellows, honks, cries, whistles. I've noticed that I'm dialing the presence and treb into the amp a little more with this guitar that with the Strat, but this is like comparing apple's to Gorilla's really... I'm playing in a psych-rock band, Floorian, www.floorian.com. This guitar will no doubt round out our sound nicely. Loooooong sustain with overtones/harmonics, smells of heaven.

The guitar set-up from the factory was not good as the strings were set waaaay too high. Perhaps Sasquatch was doing the set-ups that day, and I know he's got big hands, and feet too. I lowered the bridge, but I can tell the truss is causing a slight bow in the neck. This fine instrument will be going to my good friends at J. Thomas Davis Luthiers next week for a complete professional set-up. There was a microscopic ding below one of the volume knobs which helped tremendously with price haggling. No one would see this unless I pointed it out to them. There was a small red fleck in the neck binding, again, microscopic. Overall beautiful finish on this guitar.

So far this LP seems extremely solid, but I worry about smacking the headstock into something. The guitar has mass like a cinder-block, but it feels as if the overall finish and adornments are delicate. this is the first guitar I've ever owned that I'm "fanatic" about. I don't know, that will probably fade with time. I try to keep the sweat and finger acids wiped off and the Nickle plating on the bridge and stop piece scratch easily.

Haven't dealt with them, hope I never have to.

I've been playing for around 25 years. I currently own a sweet little Mexican Fat Strat, (one of the best budget guitars on the planet). An Epi SG, and old Kramer Pacer Series with a Floyd Rose,(nice old axe from 82). A 100W Marshall DSL with a Peavy M412 cabinet. ProCo Rat, EH Big Muff Pi, (American), an MXR Phase 90, (and no, I haven't cut r28 out of the circuit), a Line 6 DL4 delay, Dunlop Crybaby wah, A goofy-ass Dan Electro Back Talker reverse delay, (fun for atmospherics). E-Bow. I just play and go nuts! I wish it had a sister... Try not to pay to much attention to the hype, good or bad about Gibson right now. Save up some bread and go play a few of them, if you like one, buy it and make beautiful music.

This is a 2002!
Made in the USA!
22 or 24 frets
Same specs as a 1960 standard except for the shitty plastic tuning keys!
I'm thinkin' of changing them to Grovers!
and I would rather have the chrome PAF's or Seymore Duncan Phat Cats (P-94)
it's heritage Cherry Sunburst!
Beautiful guitar!

the treble pickup is HOT!
I'm a big fan of the P-90 sound, but this pickup is really hot!
I play thru a Mesa Boogie f-50 1/12 combo!

I just don't like the plastic tuning keys!
Pickups could've been the chrome 57's or Seymore Duncan Phat cats or p-94's!
I can't stand the fact of the angle of the straphook! It really makes no sense! Straplocks is a must!

GIBSON is the way to go!
Always reliable!
You can pull the guitar outta the case and it'll be in tune!
I can see the plastic tuners breakin' at some point in time!

n/a

15 years of guitar playing!
I own an acoustic and a Mesa Boogie f-50 1/12 amp!

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
yes, this is the second one, exactly the same one!

What do you love about it? It's a Gibson!!!

What do you hate? plastic tuning pegs and the ceramic pickups!

What is your favorite feature? the Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish!

Why did you choose this one? this is one I had gotten rid of years ago and hoped to get another one again! But I was hoping for a Gibson Les Paul Custom in Heritage Cherry Sunburst!

Guitars I'd like to collect someday:
Gibson Les Paul Custom White Finish/Chrome
1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom Natural Finish/Chrome
Gibson Les Paul Custom Heritage Cherry Sunburst/Chrome
Gibson Les Paul Junior TV DC
Gibson Les Paul Junior TV White DC
Gibson SG Custom White finish gold hardware

les paul classic sunburst finish with the cream trim and all the features prominent in the 60's,including the numbers 1960 inscribed in the pick guard(to remind you what year it is, right?). Hot humbuckers and the all the styling cues of the era.excellent finish.comes with a nice hardshell case

This guitar has to be the fullest,most resonant instrument ive ever played,up to par with an original 1960's classic my friend has. doesnt have as much low bite as my esp f-207 with active emg's, but what would?
for a stock guitar, this thing cant be beat.i play mostly black metal, along with some acoustic(days of the new,alice in chains) and it suits all of these fine, although i had to get used to the shorter scale and the higher palm mute position, its actually easier to shred on with the shorter scale.This was the last guitar i played after trying out high end ibanez jem models and neck throughs, and seeing the guitar on the wall i assumed it was just another "old man" reissue,with nothing but blues and slow hand capabilties. i played it for 5 minutes and bought it right there.It may look tame, but it can shred.

guitar came prepped and ready to go...no complaints.didnt have to change a thing on it.no flaws,top looking excellent,the only thing that throws you off is the "aged" inlays and the tuners.higher quality hardware.ive owned alot of jap guitars and fenders, this being my first gibson, im very happy with it

very well built,a bit heavy but thats the trade off for all that tone and sustain.id use it in a gig,probably be a bit careful not to slap it around like my other guitars.alot of weight to be slapping....

ive been playing for about 7 years now,mostly influenced by grunge,barouque music and modern virtuosos.thats said, it fits my needs.i love the sound of it, and the only real downside of it is probably sleeper visual, not very metal looking guitar, but it fits the role when in the right hands.i compared it to high end ibanez and ESP guitars before buying it, and it suprisingly beat the hell out of the others(only thing lacking was the tremolo).id recomend this guitar to anybody who wants to take there music further.there are limits to an instrument, and i will enjoy finding the limit to this one,if there are any.

I recently acquired a 2003 liteburst Les Paul Classic in trade for a 2001 Fender American Deluxe Telecaster and a Fender mexican standard stratocaster and $100.00. I really enjoy playing this beautiful instrument in our five piece rock and roll band. The pickups are HOT, more gain than the noiseless single coils on my 2001 Fender Deluxe American Fat Stratocaster. This guitar is meant to ROCK! Nice slim 60's neck, medium jumbo frets, very easy to coax all sorts of sounds out of it. I frequently get the party started with "trick" guitar bi-dextral finger tapping techniques during our performances.

We play 50 to 75 gigs per year of classic rock and roll. I like the look and feel of this guitar, but the sound is what I like the most, which is pure rock and roll! The neck pickup is woody, buttery, creamy, and thick as a milkshake, perfect for fenderish bluesy, not too distorted soloing. The bridge pickup is flat out down and dirty high gain heaven, perfect for marshallish, steam roller, get out of my way, take no prisoners soloing. Both pickups at once produces nice, airy, clean guitar sound, perfect for rhythm guitar strumming.

I had the guitar for three months now, and I can't find one thing second rate about it. This is the low end Les Paul, but it is a beauty none the less. I've played a few new, higher priced Les Paul Standards and Customs at the music stores, and while these guitars have upgrades like quilted tops, figured tops, more expensive inlays on the neck, different pickups, etc., I like this Les Paul the best.

The Gibson Les Paul has withstood the test of time for over 50 years and will continue to be a part of rock and roll as long as there is rock and roll. This guitar means business, and the business is rock and roll.

If ever needed, parts are available locally here in Florida at most any big name music store.

Been playing continously in various rock and roll ensembles since 1966. A superb rendering of this historic symbol of good ol' American Rock & Roll. All you guys fooling around with $300.00 mexican strats and all hat, no cattle epiphone les pauls should get a second job, or give up one bad habbit (tobacco/alcohol) for a year and buy yourself a real guitar. You won't be sorry!

This les Paul was made in 2002, USA. Light-burst finish with stock ceramic pickups,Mahogany body, Maple top...you know the rest of the features. This guitar has all the features anyone would need to play rock, jazz or whatever.

This guitar fits my style of playing perfectly. I play mostly rock/ Metal and some occasional blues. I am playing throught a Mesa/Boogie DC-10 100Watt combo and it sounds terrific! The pickups are perfect for this guitar, they sound sweet through the Boogie.All you who have said the pickups are too 'Harsh'... you need to do some better research before you pay over $1000 for a guitar. Did you not play the guitar before you purchased it? It probably sounds harsh because you are #1 an amateur guitarist who doesn't know how to use tone controls on your amp(if it has any) and #2 playing through a crappy solid state amp that will never sound good(Try playing a sold state amp live with a band and you will realize what I am talking about- just listen to Metallica's latest CD...the guitars sound incredibly thin and weak...what happened to the Mesa/Boogie days?)! As was mentioned in other postings, this guitar was made to be a hot-sounding, agressive guitar, thus the open coil ceramic pickups. Bottom line- know what you are buying before you buy it!

This guitar was set up pretty good when I got it but I had some minor adjustments made and it plays like a dream. I previosly owned a 1970 Les Paul Deluxe and this one plays just as good. No flaws, just a beautiful Les Paul.

This guitar is a Les Paul, it will withstand live playing as long as you do not treat your guitar like Pete Townshend... The hardware is durable and the strap buttons are Schaller and are reliable...never had any problems. I always use other guitars while playing live for different sounds on different songs but this guitar doesn't need a backup- end of story.

Never had to deal with them, never had any problems.

I have been playing for 20 + years and this guitar is a gem! I have owned a 30-year old Les Paul deluxe before and this one plays just as good and is a well-made guitar. If it were stolen I would have to have another one. It is a quality instrument and is superior to most guitars made today with very few exceptions(but who can afford those guitars anyway??) The only thing I wish this guitar had is another Les Paul classic(Tobacco sunburst)sitting next to it in my music room!

Pretty basic gibson LP mahogany body, mapletop, vintage sunburst. Top doesn't look as good as standard due to less flaming top but it's defenately ok.

With slightly hotter pickups than LP standard it sounds more cutting and slightly brighter, still having that classical LP growling sound. I play old school heavy rock and i use Peavey 5150 EVH head thru 4x12 marshall cabinet, total asskicker for a head i say. The downside of those pickups is that sound loses soul slightly... Again... It's good but not as good as LP standard.

It's gibson. It's well built. It's the mercedes benz of guitars. Top is NOT AAA-mapletop, it's just a good looking mapletop. Factory set-up was ok, but what the hell, what would you except for a 1?K? guitar? It should be set up in the factory.... Gibson strings SUCK so i strongly recommend immediately changing them... Gibson makes good guitars they shouldn't make strings.

Hell..... Gibson=Reliability&customer support

Again.... Gibson know what they do and do it well...

It's good

2003 Les Paul Classic with the usual LP setup; 2 volume, 2 tone, 3 position p/u switch. Heritage cherry sunburst. 496r/500t pickups. I gave it a 10 because it has what is expected in a Les Paul.

I play mostly rock and blues and this guitar is definitely high output. Some people in this forum think that the pickups sound harsh. That's what controls are meant to adjust, both on the guitar and on your amp. I play this guitar through an old Sound X305R tube amp (bet most of you have never heard or seen one- fabulous amp I bought new in 1968), a Peavey Classic 30 tube amp, a Fender eighty-five solid state, and a few others. Absolutely killer sustain and gain.

Finish is excellent. Mr. Gallo was going to keep this one for himself, but I got it. The maple top is nicely bookmatched with some interesting characteristics. The red burst border is very wide, the widest on any Classic that I've seen. There is no orange peel in the finish. Looks great.

Everything looks like it should hold up very well. Les Pauls are solid guitars. I've owned Gibsons since 1967 and have had great luck with them. You should always have a backup when gigging, though I certainly have gigged without one.

This guitar developed a short in the bridge pickup right after purchase. Mr. Gallo tested it and determined that the short was in the pickup itself, probably a bad winding. Gibson sent out a new pickup and the replacement was fine. I have never seen this happen in a Gibson, but there is no such thing as zero-defect manufacturing. The dealer is the key here, and Angelo is the best.

This guitar is exactly what it should be- a high output rock guitar. I own 3 Les Pauls, this Classic, a Class 5, and a Faded Special. All sound different and all sound great. I can't believe what I read in this forum about people buying this guitar and changing the pickups. Why did you buy this guitar? Did you play it before you bought it? Did you buy it from Musician's Friend (Fiend) through the mail thinking it would sound like a 1960 re-issue? It makes me sick to think that a great guitar is being butchered by some ignorant people who didn't do their homework. You should've gone to a reputable dealer and played guitars until you found the sound that you wanted. A reputable dealer will help you to find a guitar that suits your needs, not just make a sale, but the burden is still on you to find the right guitar. DiMarzios and Duncans? You should've bought an ESP or Jackson. No Gibson should be treated that way. I have a 1967 SG Standard that still plays and looks great. I just bought a killer ES-335 from Angelo Gallo. I have an ES-135 and the 3 Les Pauls. I also have 3 Guilds, 1 Schechter, 1 Alvarez, 1 1967 Harmony Sovereign acoustic (original owner), and 1 Ibanez clone bass. I also have 5 amps and numerous effects, old and new. If somebody stole it any of it I'd have to hurt them.

By the way, Barry, who also bought his Classic at Angelo Gallo, are you the SCPD LT., that I met there one day? If so, go to Angelo's and leave a contact number for Lou. I'm on the job too (USCS)

Everyone knows the features. I personally like the configuration of the LP style guitars so I'll rate this high. For the money they charge, it shouldn't bankrupt Gibson to add some features/options like coil splitting, out of phase, etc. You can get that on the new Jimmy Page custom shop guitar but for what they charge, I'd rather make the mods myself.

This guitar has everything you need to create a good tone. The reviews that bash the sound are more likely due to poor technique, bad ears, sorry or improperly set up gear or all of the above. Replacing pups is cheap and easy...why get rid of a guitar (that you presumably liked) just because of the pups? Better yet, why buy a guitar that you know has hot ceramic mag pups and then complain about them? The stock LP Classic is great for rock and (higher octane) blues. I must admit I wasn't 100% happy with the pups. I put a burstbucker pro I in the neck and a SD pearly gates in the bridge. Very happy with the results there.

I bought this used and the action was horrible at the shop. Set up for slide or something. I wouldn't have paid the $$ if it didn't play well. There's just too many great guitars out there to settle so take your time. I have found plenty of LPs that just don't seem right. It has to feel like magic, you know? After a simple set up, this guitar plays great. Honeyburst (non flamed)top. BTW, it looks fantastic with the nickel covered burstbucker and the white pearly gates.

Everything about this guitar is solid. No worries whatsoever.

Have not dealt with Gibson. I'll rate them based on their website though. Nice site with lots of content...links to wiring diagrams is a plus.

I would definitely replace this guitar if stolen or lost. It was my backup (to a 2003 Standard) but after the pickup change it is increasingly difficult to know which one to pick up first. I play in a cover band and we do modern rock stuff. Everything from Rage to Matchbox 20. This guitar allows me to do it all. I'm sure there are other, less expesive guitars that would do the same job. That's for all the LP bashers out there. Make money, spend money. You can't take it with you.

This particular Classic is bullion gold, a finish that was recently discontinued. Thus, the $1400 price tag, down from nearly $1700! Aside from the normal LP Classic stats (496R/500T ceramic pickups, slim-taper neck, aged tuning keys and inlays, arched top, etc.), it came with an original hardshell case. A couple screwdriver/ratchet tools were included, which come in kinda handy. Not a TON of features, but the features on it are excellent ones. I will, however, be installing Schaller strap locks, because it's worth spending $14 to help protect a $1400 investment. I considered putting Grover tuners on it, but after spending some time with the stock tuners, I see no reason to.

Plenty of people complain about the harshness of the hot ceramic pickups, but I personally think they're fantastic. If you're going to be mainly playing country or acoustic/clean stuff, DON'T buy a Les Paul with hot ceramic pickups and then complain about it! This guitar was meant for balls-to-the-wall rock. If that's what you play, then look no further. Crank up the gain! However, I've found that the neck pickup can get deep, resonant clean sounds when necessary. In fact, when I'm working clean I like to use the neck pickup almost exclusively; the bridge pickup is the way to go when you want it dirty.

Surprisingly, the guitar didn't need much of a setup right out of the box. It just needed to be tuned; it was comfortable to play without making any adjustments. However, I did lower the action and lower the pickups a little. The bridge pickup was especially close to the strings, but that was easily fixed. The gold top is flawless and the body binding is great. The neck binding could have used a little more work. There are a few tiny imperfections here and there. Not a big deal, but definitely noticeable close-up. However, everything else is great. Very comfortable.

It's a Gibson. If there's one thing anyone can say about Gibsons, love 'em or hate 'em, it's that they're built to last. You could safely gig without a backup, but it's definitely good to have a backup on hand in case a string breaks or something...but odds are, if you resort to a backup when using this guitar, it's not the fault of the guitar itself. Everything is very solid.

Never dealt with them, though I hear they're great.

I've been playing for a year and a half, never missing a day and probably playing maybe a couple hours a day on average. I also own an Epiphone G-400 that I've upgraded with '57 Classic Pickups and Grover Tuners, and a Fender Highway 1 Strat. This guitar is a ton heavier than the G-400, but not so heavy that it's uncomfortable to play standing up as long as you've got a padded strap. I find it easier to play than the G-400 from the 15th fret down; higher than the 15th fret and the deep double-cutaway on the G-400 really proves its worth. I find it a little tough to solo up really high on the neck on this Paul, but I'll get used to it. It's tough to compare it to the Strat because they're such different guitars...suffice to say I like this guitar more than the Strat. If it were stolen, I probably would't buy another one simply because I'd have to come up with almost $1700 to buy a new Classic, and still over $1000 for a used one! If I had the dough, I'd get another, though I'd probably get a vintage sunburst if I had a choice. And if I found the guy who stole the guitar in the first place, I'd probably smash him over the head with it. The guitar would come out unscathed!

2003 Les Paul Classic , ebony body ,creme colored pick guard with 1960 inscribed ,creme colored bindings, 60s tapered neck ,trapezoid inlays , 496R and 500T pick ups (very hot by the way) .Based on a 1960s standard .Beautiful finsh ,The one minus is the plastic deluxe tuners , but actually I like the way they look so not really a minus

I Play a wide variety of stuff depending on mood , mostly into the Cream era Clapton , Page , Schenker , Priest , Zakk ,Iommi ,just to name a few of the zillions of guitarists I dig .I use a Koch powertone II (check my review of that Amp,its a killah)with a TC electronics G major with a bunch of other pedals thrown in, The Classic sounds extrodinary , some think the stock pick ups are too hot , in my humble opinion , they great I have that exact set up in my 67 reissue V , 76 reissure explorer and explorer pro . Im using a set of hybrid strings , i normally perfer 009s ,but the hybrid the low E ,A ,D are I believes 10s and the high E,B,G are 009s .
The tone is excellent , I notice alot of guys try to nail their favorite players tone, im a firm believer that even if you use their exact gear you may come close but you aint nailing it , The majority of tone comes from your fingers and the way you attack the strings , and how you fret the notes ,in other words the only one nailing claptons tone is clapton ,That said ,Im a gibson man , I have 3 pauls , a 68 Custom , a 2003 Standard , and now this , I love em all ,
The tones are superb , I can wail , I can make her cry like a baby , I can make her growl , or i can make her whisper , chords sound very full , with the pick ups ,she can screetch with the best of them ,
The difference between this and my standard is the standard has burstbuckers on it and the wood is AAA flamed and as a result is 2k
This baby while about 500 dollars cheaper ,is no slouch , she can hold her own

I buy the bulk of my guitars from Angelo Gallos ,here in LI NY , Mr. Gallo does the bulk of my Tech work , and a great job he does.Right now the guitar has the hybrid set , but probably when I go for a set up after a few months Ill probably trade 009s , cause Ive been using 9s since the 70s, just my perference , but as it , I picked the guitar off the rack plugged in and I knew it was a keeper , Im fuzzy as hell when it comes to my guitars , I cant deal with guitar store where the guitars arent set up or badly out of tune , anyway this baby was user friendly from the get go . The main concern I have with any of my guitars is playability first looks second , this one plays and looks great , so Im a happy camper with this one

Ive never had a problem with Gibson Guitars ,I get regular set ups , I would replace the strap locks ,Id never gig without a back up , if shit can go wrong they will lol , Look Im not going to do a Townsend and smash the guitar , so i expect a long and happy relationship ,
Guitars are meant to be played ,so I expect wear and tear but thats ok , it gives the guitar character.

never dealt with gibson , but they make great guitars , for my needs Angelo Gallo is da man

Im 45 , been playing since the 70s , I have approx 13 guitars , Les Paul custom , standard , the classic , 67 V ,76 reissue explorer , explorer pro , ES 335 , tony Iommi SG ESP JH-3 ESP Kh-2 , Fender american fat strat , LTD baritone. gear up the ass , half the crap I dont use . guitars are my vice , I love em , Im using a 120 watt dutch made Koch ,makes almost anything sound great , I switch off every few weeks to keep the guitars in grat playing shape.
Right now if I was to go out and gigs Id bring the Les Paul Classic and 67 reissure V,
The classic more than holds her own , and while expensive ,1450 is alot of money its not the 3plus K a custom is going for or the 2k the standard is ,I definitely will get my moneys worth out of this classic .
And yes if it was nicked as in stolen Id buy another , Les Paul Classic is a winner.
Lastly I was looking at the LTD EC 1000 deluxe which for the money is a helluva nice guitar IMHO ,I especially like the trans amber with the duncans , but the bottom line its a nice guitar , but its not a paul ,and i feel you get what you pay for and nothing in my opinion humble as it is beats a gibson

I have just bought this guitar so I guess that it was made around 2003 ish. I specifically wanted a Gold Top, and thats exactly what I got. I initially wanted a a Gold Top Standard but the shop didnt have one in, but they had a Classic, so I tried it and was knocked out by the tone and power of the pickups, so I am glad that I bought the Classic now. The features are well described below so no need to add anything here. Prior to this I had a 2002 spec Les Paul Standard in Lightburst which was nice but seemed to lack the punch and power I had expected from a LP.

The power and tone from this guitar is just awesome. I have been playing over 30 years and have been forever in search of the elusive Kossoff/early Clapton/Ralphs/Page tone. Well I have finally found it ...now I here you all say yeah we know!! But seriously folks this thing sustains forever. Now I have read here that a lot of people do not like the sound of this guitar and in particular the ceramic pickups but I dont care whether they are alnico or ceramic as long as it sounds good.

I am using this guitar with an Engl 50W head and 1x12 cab with Celestion V30 driver .a nd I can back the volume down and back the tone on the guitar off and I get this sweet thick sustaining tone with bite as well. And the more I turn up the vol pot the more it screams. Its just simply awesome. Great for palm muting as well.

Great quality, setup not bad but then they all need a bit of a tweak when new. I usually polish the frets and rub down the edge of the fingerboard to give it a played-in feel.

No problems here...after all its a Gibson. Although I must say the tuners are total crap and I will get the shop to change them or I will put a warranty claim in to Gibson as they just dont hold tune.

No experience to speak of.

Fantastic.

'00 LP Classic with '60 slim taper neck, beautiful honeyburst, std. Les Paul features, Std. case with pink plush. Newly installed Burstbucker #1 (neck) and #2 (bridge). ( with "Patent Applied For" decal on the back top-ten-cool.)

I've had the guitar for approx. 1 year now and I'm loving it. But what I've been reading (and fearing) about the pickups has come true. The ceramic 496 R and 500 T are great pickups, but I'll promise you this: You will never optain that beautiful smooth warm les paul tone using those edgy high-gain monsters. They are better that most everything else, but are not very suitible for classic LP tones. Just had them changed for Burstbukers #1 & #2. I bought them almost brand new for aprox. 120$ (1100 Dkr.) wich is about 1/3 of new in DK. (the guy had them installed in an Ibanez, but disliked the sound.) An ooh my. I havent written this review until now, because I havent been shure about what to think about the Pups. The sound rating is after the pickup change (otherwhise sub -3.) I have never dreamed of what I've been missing for the past year. The open coils are noisy, feedbacking, way to loud and chunkachunka hard for my style. The Burstbuckers completes this guitar to what it was ment to be. A beautiful playing machine for those of us who adorse the late '50s LPs. Very nice Gibson, thanx a bunch. Smooth and Crystal-Clear. I have never had good tone from my Bridge pup, only lots of output and sharp treble.. But The BB#2 really makes me wanna use my bridge pickup, and the blend tones are full and really intresting with a very "fenderish" (though 112% Gibson tone and none-hum) glassy tone.

Slimtaper neck, a little high frets, compared to a Custom, but very comfortable though.

Using it alot. It's a Gibson goddamit. Everything is top-notch. Had Schaller straplocks installed though, and I'm very careful when using it. Gibsons are not ment to be roughly handled as their necks might snap or break if they tilt off thier stands. Never thought of using backups, as I'm changing strings pretty often.

Never used it.

Wonderful guitar. Nothing less, Using it through a Cyber twin, (or Pro-Junior (with a TS-9 RI)) I can, since the pickup change, optain smooth callsic LP tones.. Can't stop playing it.

This guitar has a beautiful and eye-catching buillion gold finish, you have 4 controls that controls volume and tone for each of the two humbuckers. ...It is a fuckin Les Paul,what else can I say?
You have a nice hard case included which is very solid and very nice also.

Really amazing. I like a lot of different styles (jazz, rock, hard rock, blues..) and with this guitar, you have the sound. I changed the original pickups which weren't good for a Seymour Duncan Jazz ine the neck position and a Di Marzio Steve Special in the bridge position. The Jazz is amazing and I think it is the best pickups I have evr heard..anyway...With those 2 very different pickups, I get the shredder sound, the jazz sweet tone,...The sound is warm, full, rich...The only thing is you cannot really play some funky rythms because the sound may be a bit heavy...But that's all. If you really want this sound, it may be a good idea to put a push pull system that split your pickups..In the future I will do that. Basically, the guitar sounds great but the original pickups are not that good, so change it for a Jazz and something more rock in the bridge position (Di Marzio Steve Special is a bit to aggressive for me, try another Seymour, they are excellent

Perfect. The neck is very comfortable, the guitar is heavy but you get a fuckin good sustain from it...No buzz, no flaw

I have this guitar since 1996. I have to say that I really take care of it but it is a solid and reliable instrument. I have heard that the neck is fragile but you are not supposed to use it in the way Cobain did it...Great, solid, Reliable.

I have never had to deal with them

I have been playing for about 8 years and this guitar is with me from the beginning. It is the best guitar. In fact I do not think I will sell it because it is a beautiful instrument to see and a very reliable and rich guitar to play. I know that the management in Gibson is stupid and the prices are very high but believe me, their instruments are really good, they allie beauty and sound. I have also owned one mexican strat, one US strat, one Peiphone Les Paul, a Gibson J-100 accoustic..And really, among all my electric guitars, This one is the best. I plan to buy another gibson, maybe a 58 reissue from the historic collection as a complement guiatr with a new pickups configuration...Nothing to add.

New 2004 Les Paul Classic, Wine Red. I originally bought this guitar because I wanted a Les Paul with the hot pickups. I expected to get a typical Les Paul Classic with a plain top. Boy was I surprised!! I ordered the guitar from EM Shorts in Kansas, and when the guitar arrived I was stunned: the guitar has a GORGEOUS FLAME TOP on it. I have never seen a regular Les Paul Classic with a top like this on it, it is just beautiful. Kudos to Gibson for the bonus top!! Has the other Classic features: Super hot ceramic humbuckers, aged parts, 1960 on pickguard, nickel hardware. Another surprise was the binding in the cutaway. Gibson originally used the "thin" binding in the cutaway on the Les Paul Classic, then switched to the "thick" binding which is not vintage correct. My guitar has the "thin" binding, which makes it look much more authentic. Also, the "made in USA" logo which used to be stamped into the wood in the back of the headstock is gone now, and the serial number is a decal, its not stamped into the wood. Im a detail freak, and these small details make this guitar look much closer to an actual 1960 Standard. Kudos to Gibson for their attention to detail!! Guitar also has the 1960 slim taper neck, medium frets, and a very nice black and grey Gibson USA hardcase.

I have owned two Les Paul Classics in the past, and I knew what to expect with the sound. I wanted hot pickups, and am pleased with the tone. I play classic rock, and classic 80s style metal, and these pickups do just fine in these areas. The pickups do generate some noise, but thats to be expected with any pickups at high gain settings. I would say that the sound is very focused, with tight bass and good treble response. The pickups cut through very well in all positions, and do not sound thin or too bright. I love the crunch and the harmonics, these things were meant to rock, and belong in a Les Paul. I run this guitar through Fender tube amps, and have actually gotten some nice clean tones out of it. Granted, its not going to sound like a Paul with PAFs, but I have gotten some good useable clean tones. I have two other Les Paul style guitars (Heritage H-150CMs with Duncan Pickups) and use them for most of the cleaner stuff. I bought this guitar to rock, and thats what it does. Not a lot of variety here, but enough for me. My Heritage guitars cover all of the other cleaner sounds.

I have to say, Ive owned Gibsons in the past and have NOT been impressed with the quality. That being said, this guitar is AWESOME. Everything on it looks great, and is properly finished. The top is amazing, as mentioned earlier, and is properly bookmatched. The seams and joints are all tight, with no excess glue showing. The frets are good, and the guitar plays great. This is truly one of the best looking Gibsons that I have ever seen, and Im glad its MINE!! I still think that the finish on my Heritage guitars is smoother, and a little more refined, but this Gibson is a close second. I dont know if Gibson is trying harder to make a better guitar, or if I just got the pick of the litter, but this guitar is great. Im going to give it a 9 because I still think the Heritage guitars are a little better.

Have been playing for about 9 years now, and have settled down with Les Paul style instruments. Used to be a Fender guy, but think they sound too wimpy now. I love my two Heritage guitars, and this Les Paul. All three play, look, and sound great. I love the fact that my guitar came with a flame top when it was supposed to be a plain-top. I dont know what else to say, the guitar has exceeded my expectations and is a joy to own. I like the fact that Gibson has made the guitar more "vintage correct". I was down on Gibson but now think that I may purchase a Les Paul Standard next. Again, great guitar, does what its supposed to and looks great doing it!!

Features; see the guitars that Jimmy Page; Joe Perry, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons, Gary Moore are holding! Basically 2 open coil ceramic humbuckers, slim taper neck, maple carved top. Suh-weeeeeeet!

Rip roaring Les Paul sound. Need I say more. And I mean roaring. Back off the gain and you can get some more subdued tones out of this beast. I call it "The Hammer"; it can hit hard or soft, but it always makes an impression. Had read many reviews which have said that the pickups are too hot, but haven't found that to be true with my playing.

This was actually built in December of 2001 and had, believe it or not, been hanging in this guitar shop since then. So it had been played during that time; but there no visible signs of wear from guitar testers or from where it was put together in Nashville. The guitar was set up for me at the shop (great job, by the way!). I never consider the initial set up when grading a guitar. For one, it's a personal choice on how you like it. And second, if it's been sitting around and played awhile, it's gonna be affected.

I installed strap locks; the Gibson ones are notoriously puny. This has been mentioned numerous time before in reviews. Everything about how this guitar is put together is incredible. This is my "holy grail."

Registed my warranty online. Website is regularly updated with general news about Gibson artists and new products.

I've been playing this time around for about 3 years (not counting the acoustic noodling I did waaaay back in high school) and I have lusted for a true blue Les Paul ever since I saw Ace Frehley sporting one in the Kiss "Alive" album booklet. I traded in an Epiphone Les Paul Standard which was a great product as well. But...for those who say you can't tell the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson, I beg to differ. I was very impressed with my Epi and would buy another one, but stack it against the Les Paul Classic and there's no comparison. My LP actually feels like it weighs a pound or so lighter than the Epi. And the slim taper neck has got to be the best feature on this axe. I'm trying to be very objective on this review seeing that I've wanted one of these forever. But the first time I strapped it on at home it just screamed; great feel, great sound. Well worth my money spent.

1999 Cherryburst. Bought sight unseen, then resold after a few months. Was mint, excellent construction. The guitar had zero playability, which may be this guitar alone but worth considering - you have to find one of these you're sure about before putting down you money.

Hot sound, sterile and harsh. Probably good for hi gain bleeding leads, useless for most else. Now, that doesn't make it a bad guitar, but I think I can find a $400 guitar that does what this guitar will do.

This one was terrible. The fret work was obivously factory and substandard. I imagine the prior owner didn't quite know how to set this guitar, but it's hard to imagine it was good when he got it and he messed it up. After hours of work, dressing, leveling, smoothing edges it got better but I think it suffered from a slight fretboard hump at the 14th fret, which is more than I wanted to deal with.

This one may have been somewhat of a lemon, but I suspect the Classic is a very durable guitar and would last forever.

You may find a good one and it's hot characteristics may be great for your needs. I think the line is a loser simply because you can do better at what it does for a lot less money. The one I acquired may have been a lemon, so I'll just say don't buy one without playing a crap out it, with your gear.

1999 Classic honey burst finish, came with the 496/500 pickups, and all standard equipment

Great sound acoustically (unplugged), the tone with the stock Pups was a bit too much for me now. I kept trying to like it, just couldn't get used to it - too hot, I play mostly blues now. I've played heavier music in my younger days though, and it would be an excellent choice.

I do my own setups so it doesn't matter how the factory sets it up, I'll redo it anyway. The top on this is amazing for a non-burst top, its obvious that someone took extra time to match the grain on the two sides, you can't tell without a real closeup! Everything else is welldone, too

Yes, yes and yes to all. This is a Gibson,after all.

n/a

I've been playin for 35 years, own 5 Les Pauls now, and would definitely get another Classic if I lost this one. It is the equal of many of my way more expensive LP's. It is the best deal out there in my opinion. Get an older model without the two-piece backs though...

2003 Les Paul classic Ebony with gold hardware.. You know the rest..

I play all kinds of music, from jazz to metal.. this guitar handles it all perfect!! I also own an ibanez and a fender am std. This guitar crushes them into little bits and eat them for breakfast..

I'm thinking of replacing the pickups but i havent found the right pu's yet.

No complaints!

I never play without backup, even though i have no doubts about this guitar.. But you know, every now and then, a string breaks or some other shit related to Murphys laws...

I have emailed them a couple of time and have always gotten an answer.. Even though it sometimes can be weeks before they respond..

It will probably have a longer lifetime than me..

I also own an old ibanez, a fender am std strat, this guitar seems much more reliable than those two, and i loooove the sounds it produce..

I play my guitars through a Line6 Flextone2 XL at home and a Marshall JCM 900 when i'm playing with my friends. If you tweak the amp a little bit, this guitar will make your dreams come true..

2003 Les Paul Classic. Light Burst. 496R and 500T pickups. Standard Les Paul accoutrements. Nothing fancy, but everything you need.

I was kind of concerned after reading some of the previous reviews as to the stock pickups. I have owned this guitar for a little over a month and love the guitar and the pickups so far. At the guitar store, I played this one next to a Gibson Les Paul Standard through a 30W Marshall amp with identical settings and the pickups in the Classic sound brighter and more impressive. (I also own a Gibson Les Paul Special Faded Cherry with the stock 490R and 498T pickups. That guitar sounds great, but the Classic blows it away.) The pickup are hot, butI can find most any sound I'm looking for after tweaking the tone knobs. Sustain is incredible.

Absolutely flawless, especially compared to the Faded Cherry Special I bought earlier this year. (The Faded Special was perfect after a fret dressing covered by Gibson's warranty and a professional set up.) Binding, fretwook, fretboard, finish, neck joint....everything was perfect. An absolutely beautiful guitar. Much better than some others I'd seen in other stores. (Look around. Quality will vary.) Action and intonation right on the money from the factory. My tech did an adjustment at the nut and a little tweaking (included in the price of the guitar), but was almost dead on from Gibson.

I have no doubt this will withstand live playing. I thought by LP Special was a solid guitar (which it is), but it feels like a toy compared to this one. Built like a tank. I don't gig at the moment, but if I did, I would see no need for a back up (except for the occasional broken string.) Hardware will last forever if properly taken care of. Standard Gibson strap buttons. So if you jump around a lot, you may want to consider straplocks. Otherwise an incredibly well built guitar.

I dealt with Gibson a few times in reference to the Faded Special I bought earlier this year. They were prompt and courteous in their responses, although not always a fountain of useful information. Haven't had any dealings with them about my Les Paul Classic though. From what I have seen so far, I don't think I will need to contact them anytime soon.

Adrian at Guitars Etc. was great. Helpful, but not pushy. Gave me a great deal too. Would gladly buy from them again.

All in all, Gibson seems very helpful. I have no reason to believe that Guitars Etc. would be anything less either.

In addition to this guitar, I own a 2002 Gibson Les Paul Faded Cherry Special. I love them both, but the Classic sounds so much better. The pickups aren't for everyone, but I love them so far. I am a dinosaur from the late 60's and 70's "classic rock" era....although I do like some 80's stuff (Metallica, Tesla, Queenrsryche, etc.) This guitar suits my style just fine. Now all I need to do is find an amp that will do it justice. (Leaning towards a Marshall.)

I'm reviewing my 2003 Les Paul Classic built in Nashville, Tennessee. It's solid Mahogany with a Maple top, 60's style slim taper Mahogany neck and a Rosewood fretboard. It's got a pair of Gibson ceramic magnet humbuckers, the 500T and the 490R to be exact. Each pickup has it's own volume and tone control and are switchable via a 3-way toggle, in typical Les Paul style. It's got a nickel tune-o-matic style bridge with a stopbar. The tuners are vintage kluson-style deals. It came with a pretty roadworthy hardshell case with a lizard skin exterior and nickel-looking hardware. It's got everything you need and nothing you dont, I think an 8 is a good rating for that.

I play post-hardcore/screamo and punk. I'm running it through a Boss TU-2 tuner and a Line6 Modulation Modeler into a Mesa Dual Rectifier with a Marshall 1960 4x12 cab. The sound is super thick and very chunky but still manages reasonably good note definition just like a Les Paul should. I will say that these pickups are not for everyone, they are smokin' hot and have a mean sound to them that won't clean up without a fight, especially the bridge. The guitar is capable of a wide range of music but the pickups make it ideal for more modern sounds. I think the pickups are for metal actually but they have a raw and slightly rude sound through the Mesa that really suits my music. Because the pups aren't super-versatile, I'm gonna give'r an 8 even though the sound is nice and thick with a sweet, well-defined bottom end.

I had it set up before I even took it home but when I tried it out in the store the factory set-up was quite good. The fret job was good and the pickups were well placed, although I think some people would prefer the bridge humbucker lower than the factory had it set. I've heard Gibson USA has been popping out a few duds these days so always try before you buy.

This guitar is my main gigging guitar, mainly because I can't afford a backup. I'm playing 8-9 shows a month right now and it's keeping up very nicely. I had a couple little on-stage accidents and the headstock is sporting some dings but otherwise this thing's a tank. Gibson's strap buttons are notoriously crappy so I fitted it with straplocks on day one. If you dont move around much when you're playing though, I'm sure the stock ones will be alright.

Never dealt with them, dont plan to.

This guitar is a great rock guitar. For more classic, toned down sounds the Les Paul standard is probably your best bet since it sports much cooler Alnico pickups. My biggest complaint is that it is brutally heavy, it's gotta be pushing 10 pounds and sometimes it gets a little hard on the shoulder. This guitar has made me a Gibson man, up next is an SG. I played this alongside a Les Paul Standard, a Les Paul Studio and a PRS CE 22 (yuck) and it came out way on top for my style of music. The Vintage Sunburst finish is really nice too without being too "pretty".

1960's styling and looks. Open coil pickups. Gold top-hat knobs and vintage switch tip. Slender neck, gorgeous vintage burst finish, green keys. 496 at the neck; 500T at the bridge. Black hard card with Gibson logo.

The sound of this guitar out of the box was disgusting, rude, hard and unbalanced. Perfect for you grunge-metal types, I suppose, but not quite a good fit for an old bag like me. If I hadn't paid so little for it I would have been angry. But alas, with the guitar unplugged, I knew I had a great axe because it had loads of vintage vibe and nice acoustic sound coming from the body. I prefer fat necks and this one has the slender 60's neck, but it was somehow still fun to play. So I experimented and swapped out the tinny pickups and ended my search with a Burstbucker 1 at the neck and 2 at the brige. OUTRAGEOUS. The guitar responded mavelously and is a charm. Smooth, balanced, biting, controllable, sweet, chimey, fun, fun, wonderful. Having covers on the Humbuckers helped (the stock pups have exposed coils). I LOVE IT NOW! Absolutely the best Les Paul I have ever played so far. F Y I - in the past I have had or played, and can compare this to, recent models: LP Junior Special, LP Standard (50's neck), LP regular Standard 2001. They were nice but my mops them up. I play Allmans, Clapton, Doobie Brothers and more. After I had my new pups installed, I later read that the Duane Allman LP has Burstbuckers too. I can now understand why. It's important however to remember, that, you must have a vibrant piece of wood or the pups don't matter too much.

Action was respectable. I tend to like higher action as I have thick hands so I raised it up a bit. No problem. Original PUPS were removed and sold and replaced (see previous comments). The vintage burst finish is gorgeous - it's the tobacco sunburst look. The neck, back and sides look cool too. Very shiney. No flaws that I am aware of. The Lead/Rythum switch tends to send a "pop" through the amp when moved at volume.

It seems durable, as do most of the Gibsons I have had or played. It seems very durable, but I do not gig out.

Not needed at this point, however, I should mention that I have a friend who is an expert with guitars and amps and he assists me with my stuff when I need help.

I have been playing 20 years or so. I also own a vintage, professionally converted(to guitar) Fender Bassman top and a Mojo speaker cab with Jensen C12N and Celestion G12H80. At present, I use 3 pedals: Small Clone Chorus, OD808 Overdrive and Holy Grail Reverb, but I am always experimenting. This LP Classic works well with all. If this guitar was ever stolen, I would be crushed and depressed. Recommendation: If you are looking for a thick, smooth, balanced Les Paul, try this model and put in a set of Burstbuckers. You're welcome!

Mine is a 2001 model in Cherry Sunburst. I think that's the last year Gibson made the classics in that particular color, but I could be wrong. I'm sure you all know the features, But I replaced the stock pikups with Duncan Distortions in both the neck and bridge positions.

This guitar is the most powerful sounding guitar I've ever played. I play this through a Peavey 5150 II head that drives a Mesa Boogie recto cab. The effects come primarily from a t.c. electronic G-Major. So obviously, my rig is suited for hard rock and metal. I also have GHS ZW .010 thru .060 strings on it.
The tone is the thickest and richest of any guitar I've ever held in my hands. I was not disappointed with the stock Gibson pickups, but I thought the sound could be improved upon with Duncans. In the bridge position, the stock pickup emphasized the mid frequencies, whereas the duncan accentuates the high end alot more. In fact, I have the bridge's tone pot rolled down to about 6.5 so the high end won't take my head off. In the neck position, the stock pickup seemed to have a slightly more hollow tone to it, but the duncan sounds fuller and sings a little more.

Incredibly solidly built. Super tight fit and great tone transfer all the way around. Although, as everyone knows, access to the upper frets when soloing can be a bit of a pickle.

Of course, you always want a back up because strings are always a variable. But the music industry's marquis players have been gigging with Les Pauls for decades, so 'nuff said on reliability.

I bought it on ebay.

Been playing about 12 years now, and have owned every major manufacturer model except for PRS. For years and years, I stayed away from Les Pauls because I just couldn't justify the hefty price tag for what I considered to be a one-dimensional guitar. No real "bells and whistles" at all on this puppy. But I realized that many of my favorite guitar heroes are noted Les Paul disciples (Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Neal Schon, Frampton, etc.). So I took a chance and bought one for as cheap as I could on ebay, and I've been a convert ever since. I loved it so much that I bought a Les Paul Custom not long after. But hey, that's another review.

American made 2003 Gibson Les Paul Classic Goldtop. Mahogany body with carved, bound maple top, 22 fret bound mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, Two Gibson ceramic magnet humbuckers (496R, 500T), two volume and two tone controls with tophat knobs, threeway pickup selector, nickel ABR bridge and classic tuners, thin 60's style neck, aged inlays, black hardcase.

I play just about anything from blues to metal and this guitar can do it all!. I run it through a Marshall JCM900 100w with a 1960a cab and it can deliver deep, clean tones right through to full on distortion. The pickups really drive the tubes and the Marshall just laps it up. saying that, I've also run the guitar through a 30w Marshall transistor amp and the results weren't so great. This guitar needs a tube amp to get the best out of it, hence the 9/10 rating.

The guitar was set-up fine when I got it and my Tech said that he'd done nothing to it so all credit to the Gibson boys. The finish is perfect and I can honestly say that there isn't a single fault on it

It's a Les Paul... these things will survive just about anything. Just be careful with the headstock! Strap locks are worth a thought if your the energetic type. If I had to, I'd gig this one without a backup, but I tend to always have a second guitar around in case of string breaks.

I've never had call to use them. Lifetime warranty.

This is one fine guitar. I've been playing since 1980 and have amassed a modest collection but this guitar is the centrepiece without a doubt. I also own a Gibson Les Paul Studio, Gibson Explorer, Fender American Std Strat, Fender Semi-Acoustic and an old Hohner Les Paul copy (my first guitar!). Amp-wise, I'm a Marshall guy, with a JCM900 100W plus 1960a cab, Marshall 30w and an AS50R. The only pedals I use are a Crybaby and a Boss DD3. The LP Classic basically gives me everything I need so i can't see me needing to buy anything else for quite a while.

2003 Les Paul Classic in Honeyburst. New Black Case, instead of the brown they used to come with. Features as listed on Gibson's site, and below.

Bought it new from Guitar Satan, Seattle.

I played a Gibson SG for the past year and what a difference the extra wood makes! First thing I did was to replace the tuners and pickups. I put Planet Waves Trim-Loc tuners on it because they are the BEST tuners! They cut the string for you and are super accurate. If a string breaks at a show I can have another one on and tuned in 30 seconds. The only down side was that I had to make the tuner holes bigger to fit the tuners. I wanted to cry when I did it, but it was worth it.

The stock pickups are too muddy and hot for my taste.
Pickup Change:
I put in the same setup I have in my SG - Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck and a Seymour Duncan Distortion in the bridge.
Neck - The Duncan 59 model is a wonderful pickup for the neck position. Warm, articulate and able to SING. The pickup on the LP is much closer to the nut than that on the SG. The difference translates to a very warm and singing tone that the SG just can't wuite get.
Bridge: The Duncan Distortion didn't work out. Since I play through a Mesa Dual Rectifier and Marshall 1960TV cab with V30's, my tone is already a bit scooped. With the SG it's no problem because it has more mid range response thant he LP. This didn't work with the LP because the scooped tonal profile of the Duncan Distortion made the LP lack mids. So, I dropped a Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge. MUCH better. The Custom Custom has more of a reverse scoop tonal signature which blended very well with the scoop o the LP's tone woods, and the scoop of my rig. It added mids and still kept the crunchy character.

Two things really amaze me about this guitar: Tone and Sustain.
The tone covers such a wide spectrum. From crystal highs to meaty lows, this guitar does it. I am shocked at how I can play a Drop D chugging riff, and then sweep the high strings in a 'd' and get some great chime.
The guitar sustains so much that I had to adjust how I played some of my bands songs. When transitioning from dirty to clean I would let the low D ring out (Drop D dor that song) while I played the verse riff. That low note sustains so much that I now have to mute it. Once I got used to it, I truly appreciate the sustain. Amazing for leads.

The pickup selector switch was installed backwards. Perhaps it was loose and some jerk off rotated it funny. Who knows.

I play Ernie Ball Regular SLinky's, tuned one half step down. So, I always perform a setup on my guitars when I get them. The setup was a breeze.

The finish is Beautiful. I have always admired the beauty of a Les Paul. No major flaws. The fretboard binding could have been filed a bit better, but other than that I have no complaints.

People complain about the green inlays. They are green like baby poop, no question. But...The Duncan Pickups I dropped int eh guitar are Cream on Black. this gave the guitar a more vintage look and actually made the inlays look groovy. Besides, on stage in dim light, it really doesn't matter.

I put Dunlop Strap Locks on it because the stock strap buttons just don't cut it for me. My SG withheld TONS of abuse and I expect this guitar to do the same. I will probably not jump around as much because the guitar is heavier than the SG.

Never really had to deal with them.

I have been playng for 13 years. I am the music writer/ guitar player for a band. I mentioned the amp and cab I use. I also own a Gibson Faded SG Special and a Fender Standard Strat (US). I LOVE this guitar. Over the last month it has become an extension of my hands. It just plain feels great and plays better. The sustain is always there, even unplugged. Because I like to customize my guitars, I would not have opted for a Standard. The only advantage a Standard offers me is White Inlays. Even then I loose the pointers on the volume and tone knobs. I LIKE the pointers. The 60's neck has truly grown on me and I have a hard time playing the SG anymore. I almost NEVER pick up the Strat anymore, it just doesn't even compare.

There is a reason why Gibsons are expenisive. They are worth it. I will hopefully have this guitar for the rest of my life. If it were stolen, I would definitely buy another (after serving my jail sentence for killing the guy who took it).

2001 Honey Burst. Got a great deal on it since it had been hanging on the wall for a while and the store had just gotten a big order from Gibson. Typical Les Paul set-up. 1960 slim-taper neck. Modern ceramic humbuckers - open coil. Has what you want in a Les Paul but could lose the pickups and put on some alnico's instead. I also would prefer some real pearl inlays instead of the pukey green plastic ones, but I would have had to have spent another seven hundred bucks for that!

Run it through a Korg AX1000G multi-fx or just straight into a Hiwatt DC40 Bulldog(1x12 combo, all tube, 2 channel job with 4 El-84's) or a Roland JC-120 or Blues Cube 60. Sounds best through the Hiwatt. Unplugged, there's tons of sustain and lively resonance throughout the body, neck and headstock - i.e great primary tone. Contrary to some views expressed here, I find that a Les Paul can cover quite a variety of sonic territory - Jazz, Blues, Funk, Pop, ROck, Hard Rock, Metal, even country if you take the time to dial it in right. I've spent some time trying, and I find the ceramic humbuckers are o.k., they're functional for the music I play: Blues, R&B, mellow pop stuff, rock and hard rock. But they're not that great. My all-time favorite tone is Clapton's on the first Cream album - "Sleepy Time Time" and "Spoonful". For clean with a Les Paul I like Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. So for a fat, full, rich, lead tone or a bubbly, jangley rhythm tone these pups don't cut it. They're too bright. They do work great for a Metal sound and ear piercing ice pick leads. They're hot, with scooped mids and kind of a sterile sound. Now I base all this on 20+ years experience and I also did a comparison with my friend's '78 Les Paul Standard with original pickups. I dialed my Classic/Hiwatt combo to get the most pleasing sound to my ears(both clean and dirty channels) and he did the same with his Standard/Marshall combo; leaving the amp settings exactly where they were set, we then swapped guitars and his Les Paul nailed the sound I had been looking for with the Hiwatt, and when he plugged the Classic into his Marshall, it sounded quite a bit thinner and harsh than the Standard. That sold me...I'm gonna try some Fralins in it. Again, the stock pups are adequate but I didn't buy a Les Paul for adequate, I want GREAT! Gibson should do better than to market a '60 replica with modern humbuckers.

I had the Tech at the shop go over it completely -- fret dress, nut cut(touch up)and new strings. When he was done it was great(and he did it for free!). Before hand, there was some fret buzz in different places that only high action and/or too much neck relief could resolve. It should have been more carefully checked at Gibson - I don't know who fills out those check cards that come from the factory or why. Other than that(which could have been a costly fix for a new guitar), everything's been great: great finish, cool, natural book-matched top, binding's fine, electronics etc fine also. I did do a bit more of tweaking with the neck relief and string height and she plays great - good sustain, low action, and almost no fret buzz - unless I hammer-hand it after playing my Strat.

Watch the Neck!! Put strap locks on it! Remember strings break! Wipe it down! Always bring extra underwear - just in case...

I sent in the Warranty card; haven't heard from them - it's been six months.

I have a Strat, a Taylor and this... I've also owned Gretsch, Heritage(535)and a ton of other gear - amps, pedals etc - I'm on a continual quest for tone and hope I find it with the Fralins. For a Les Paul and especially for the price I paid I think it's a pretty good deal - you find them for around $1250 used. I don't think I would want to pay the $1650 or more they're going for now in most places. If I could find a similar deal on a great Custom (yeah, right) I would probably go that route - I love the ebony fret board, real pearl and headstock inlay. But if I needed another Paul, I would definitely check these out, they've got a great vibe to them and are great players. Shop around though and play as many as you can, I compared to several Classics, Standards, SG's - quality seems to vary among them although I did notice that the Classics were the most consistent in quality and outshone most Standards I played(there's quite a few dogs among the Standards). IMHO the guitars weakest point is the pickups, followed by the plastic inlays - but it still is a solid guitar and therefore gets an 8.

This is an excellent gigging and an excellent guitar...all around.You should already know that gibson uses solid mohogany with a maple cap.It has gibson deluxe tuners,uncovered 500T and 496(496?) uncovered humbuckers.IT IS ONE LOUD GUITAR...it's the loudest stock guitar gibson makes.Peter Frampton has one as his back up to his Frampton Signature Gibson Les Paul Custom.I had a cheapo Fender Frontman 25R and blew the amp (with no pedals) while playing it.So now i'm getting a Fender Cyber-Twin off Ebay.The guitar is heavy...like all les pauls.Frets are larger than I am used to since I was a fender player.A little odd feeling...The action is a little too high...but i'll lower it when I get the chance.I suggest you get a good amp to handle the power, and the little phillips head screwdriver that comes with it comes in handy for anything.I use it on all my guitars since it is small and fits in cases easily.I still can't get used to the 4 knobs fortone and volume...controls a little irritating for such a simple guitar.

I can get fender sounds down to the classic les paul sounds and man...can it scream.It is one loud mother.Almost too loud.I play blues and classic/acid rock mostly...some 80's stuff as well...and it's good for all of that...an excellent gigging guitar.Less feedback than my Fender.

It came with lots and lots of birdseye in the wood.Heritage Cherry Sunburst makes the maple cap look beautiful. So many of my favorite colors it took me 2 hours to decide.Everything is excellent except for the action which is a tad too high.I could fix the problem in less than 5 minutes...no big deal.

This is probably one of the loudest les pauls I ever tried,Finish is beautiful...one nick since I bought it.I hate the case that came with it.It closed on my guitar when I was putting it in the case and put an pencil eraser sized nick in it.The case's lock screwed up 4 hours after I bought the guitar...but hey...this ain't a case review. I would gig without a backup.

never had to use customer service.

I wish it had easier to use controls (like fender uses) I have been playing for about 7 years now (i'm thirteen). I paid for every dime working when I could for two months.I have never owned a les paul standard...in fact this is the only gibson i've ever owned.It's a little too loud...but you never know when you'll want the loudness.I might try a LP standard if I could scrounge up the cash(if it wasstolen).I currently own a 2002 Fender 50's custom shop relic,a 2003 Gibson Les Paul Classic (this review) a Framptone Talk Box,a Dunlop Cry Baby from hell,a Dunlop univibe, and a Boss Phaser..i've owned accoustics from a cheapo 14.00 classical to a big baby taylor.If I never bought this guitar, I probably would have either bought a high end martin or a high end taylor.I really miss my old taylor.If I could sell it...I just might sell it.If you're thinking of buying one with only one known nick in it except for some hardly noticeable light pickguard scratches and some missing gold paint off the "classic" truss rod cover, contact me and make a reasonable offer.Thank you

This is a made in USA (Nashville to be precise) 2003 Gibson Les Paul Classic. It's got a mahogany body with a carved, bound maple top and a 22 fret bound mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard. It has two Gibson ceramic magnet humbuckers (496R, 500T) each with their own volume and tone controls. Mine has the Vintage Sunburst finish, nickel tune-o-matic bridge and green-key tuners. It has a thin 60's style neck with aged inlays. It came with a Gibson hard-shell case and a tool.

I play this through a Mesa Dual Rectifier with a Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab. It has a very thick sound, the weight of the body translates into rich sustain. The high-output of the pickups help to give it some bite so that it doesnt sound too muddy but it takes some EQ tweaking if you want to roll off a little bit of the powerful low end. It seems fairly versatile, Les Pauls are one of the most widely used guitars around. Some people may prefer the sound of the lower output, cooler Burstbuckers found in the Les Paul Standard.

I kept the factory set-up as opposed to having it set up before i took it home because it seemed quite good. I have found minimal fret buzz on the G-String but it's nothing that can't wait until my next set-up. Also, the truss rod cover was ever-so-slightly loose but a quick tightening with Gibson's included tool and it was good as ever.

This guitar gives the impression that it could withstand being rolled over by an 18-wheeler. It's heavy, it's solid and it's got a tough no-frills finish. The fact that it already has aged pieces will make it even more impossible to tell that it has aged at all. The only issue is the strap buttons, they are far too small and their shape makes it very easy for a strap to slide right off. When I bought the guitar i also bought some Schaller strap locks and now it's perfect.I would absolutely use this guitar without a backup and I'll have to because I needed to trade in my other guitar to afford this one.

Sorry, I've only had it for 2 days

I've been playing guitar for about 6 years and have owned a Strat, an Ibanez Sabre and this Gibson. I play in a band and I'm very hard on my equipment. I'm constantly moving gear from my car to venues or to our practice space. I played about 15 guitars and spent around 3 hours deciding that this was going to be my main guitar. I plan to purchase a Gibson SG in the next couple of years as a backup/alternate guitar but it is by no means necessary. The Les Paul is versatile, durable, well-built and it sounds sooooo sweet.

Gold Top.The features are the same as everybody else's. Read theirs to get the info. Tuners though could be a bit better.

Amazing! Playing through a Marshall DSL and 4x12 with a turbo Rat thrown in here and there. I am in love with the sound out of this baby. PLay mostly hard rock a'la Nashville Pussy/Motorhead/Supersuckers vein, and this guitar nails the sound to a T.

Gold top was flawless. First peron to touch it since it left Nashville and everything was perfect. Still not a fan of the tuners, but they can be easily overlooked when the rest of the guitar was perfect.

Bought the guitar on a Thursday, played a show with it on Friday. I had a permanent smile the whole night. Everything on this guitar is built to last as long as you take care of it (as with anything) Could use some strap locks, there is no way I am going to let this one fall off me. Never use a backup, I play rock 'n roll. If a string breaks, (which hasn't happened yet with any of my guitars) you just keep on playing.

Don't know yet. And I hope to never find out.

I've been playing guitar for about 5 years now, and this will be my last guitar purchase. I don't need anything else now that I found this piece of perfection. I still have my Les Paul Studio for old time memories, but the Gold Top is my only axe that I'll be playing from now on. Those guys in Nasville outdid themselves, and now I can say I have my very own little piece of heaven. I won't lose it or get it stolen because it never leaves my side.

2001 USA, Honey burst

Great! Using with a Selmer Zodiac Head and Selmer cabinet, Vox Valvetone, Dunlop Cry Baby, Boss DD3, and Marshall Bluesbreaker 2.
Its very close to the sound what i always wanted. There's no need more words.

The finish is very nice.
The pickups, switches all great.
I only had some problems with the tunes, but its fixed.

I played few shows whit it, and it has great sound and nice looking.
I've never used in studios, but I will, thats for sure. The home made records sounds very clean, and strong, the solo sound is also amazing.

Never need it.

Its my first Les Paul, and Im in love with her:)
I think its a great instrument, and I'll definitely keep it.

Don't know the exact year but they are both late 90's Les Paul Classics in Gold Bullion and Cherry Sunburst. 60's slim neck normal Classic pickups and normal control layout.

They are Les Pauls for goodness sake what else is there to say.

I play classic rock with a few blues numbers dropped in. These guitars are capable of sounding just as I want for any song. OK you need to play with the tone controls just a bit sometime but both pickups respond well and produce some amazing tones.

I play through a Marshall AVT150 and 4x12, great amp, and the only effect I use is a little chorus and some echo. The combination of the guitar and amp do the rest.

The gold Top was absolutely stunning straight out of the box. No need to adjust anything, even the strings suited my playing. The cherry Sunburst was bought second hand and needed a string change but then it was perfect.

No problems here, a good clean after a gig and some tlc on the neck with a good rub down using Lemon Oil and everything will last for ever.

I take both guitars to gigs only in case I break a string, if I new this would not happen then I would be happy to take one. In fact, most times one or the other sits on it's stand for the duration

Never used them, but I would imagine they would be good.

I've been playing guitar for 25 years, I've had Japanese guitars, a couple of Shergolds, (old, UK guitars hand made in the 70's), a Tele and a couple of Strats. If I said all I now own is my two Les Paul Classics and an old Shergold does that answer the question?

2002 Copper Top. You know the features.

Amazing tone. These pickups are pretty hot though. Definitely not your father's LP. This should be called the LP Modern instead of Classic. If you're looking for a more subdued, classic sound go for the standard. This is the modern rock sound. Tight with lots of low and sparkly top. GREAT definition even with lots of gain. Couldn't ask for more.

Low action but the bridge pickup was set a bit high. The pickup is very hot and would not clean up with the volume knob so I reset it lower and everything was fine. Only one gripe...the neck pickup ring is wider than is should be (or the holes are drilled too close together) so the ring is bowed up in the center. A bit annoying for a $1500 guitar.

Seems solid as a rock...only time will tell

never dealt with them

If it were stolen I'd track the thief down and well...you know the rest. ILOVE this guitar.

2000, US , 22 frets , switch for rhythm or treble or both, maple top mahogny back, knobs, tone for rhythm and treble and volume knobs for rhy./treb.

SWEET can do pretty much every style i'm guessing but i play classic rock (jimi,cream,etc) and some dave matthews nd its amazing feels and looks great bassically plays itself, really no dislikes i love it all, oh ya i play mostly through a fender cyber twin which also is really sweet.

came from factory with low action but i raised it for more rich sounds and recently i lowered it again for easier play REALLY easy to raise/lower action perefect condition

this guitar is built like a tank could not only withstand live performances but anything you could think of it'll take, finish looks like it'll last very well, hardware is solid as with all les pauls, clearly dependable, no need for a backup on gigs

never needed them

great value esspesially with the deal i got, plays amazing all the time, i've played for 5 years and had this for 1.5 and love every part of it, stolen/lost i'd buy it again in a second or get a different les paul

2002 Copper top. It took me 16 years to finally breakdown and get a Gibson. I have always been a Strat player....Until I deviated with a PRS Custom 22 (which was an easy acclaimation for me). I really liked the way the classic looked and I wanted something with hot pickups (the 500T can wake the dead--and then shake the fillings out of their teeth). Anyway I guess the natural choice for me was a Gibson with a slim neck--which is sort of funny since I have very large hands; I'm also a lefty but play righthanded where all my strength is in my fretting hand...anyway, in the past I've always found the Les Paul necks to be CLUMSY...not this one!!!! I got it from Muscian's Friend (held my breath as I opened the case) and it came FLAWLESS!!! Body, binding, and neck were perfect. I changed the strings (10s) and set the intonation and that's it.

It sounds quite unlike any of my other guitars that's for damn sure. This motherfucker is a very hot guitar--I keep a fire extinguisher by the stand!! I play it through a Hughes & Kettner Duotone head and CC4x12 cab and I also play it through a Line 6 AX212--which is a very underrated bit of equipment (see the reviews). In any event it is a most forgiving guitar to play--tonally speaking. All in all it is the baddest bitch in my stable which is comprised of: a 1957 Fender Strat reissue; a 1997 American Standard Strat; a 2002 Fender American Series Strat; a PRS Custom 22 10 top whale blue with dragon IIs). It feeds on Blues and Rock and Roll...Seriously, it it plays hardball.

PURRFECT! The copper top is really one of those colors that works well in all lighting....think of a top of a duracell battery...it's richer than the Bullion gold, and I'd wager it wears better over time

Solid as a rock--good thing the cops weren't using one on Rodney King! I wouldn't play it in the rain, put cigarettes out on it or let Pete Townshend use it...so it should be just fine; I baby all my bitches though.

EXCELLENT INFORMATIVE CURTEOUS KNOWLEDGEABLE PATIENT

16 years playing. If it were stolen I'd find the person--which would be easiy enough since I'd be looking with some sap with only one ass cheek since he would have had to have gotten past my rottweiler Daisy.

It's a Les Paul, should I have to say any more? If you are reading this, you already know. Gets a 9 because of cheap tuners and lack of included accessories.

Awesome!!!!!!! obdviously, its a paul, prs's might be all the rage right now, but the LP is a time tested classic. cant go wrong with a LP. Using it with a 2x12 Peavey ranger. Stock pickups kind of classic rockish, i'm more into new rock. replaced them with an EMG 81/85 set. After this, its the perfect guitar. no hiss, feedback, just pure LP tones.

overall setup was good, needed set up, but other than that, no flaws. its made in the USA............not in korea

this guitar will last forever and take quite a beating. i've had it for about 18 mons. now and still sound as good as the fedex guy delivered it to my door.

Havent had to deal with this, but i imagine gibson has goos support.

i've been playing for about 5 years now and have owned and played a variety of guitars and there is a reason that 2 companies have survived, gibosn and fender, which i own guitars by each.if gibson made bad guitars, they would not be around today. even though i got mine new for 1300, which is low for this guitar, considering what musicians friend charges, i feel that it is still a lot. gibson charges a lot but they are quality guitars. if it was stolen i would hunt down that sorry sack of s**t and beat him to a bloody pulp to get this thing back, if not, i would still buy another. i also wish that this guitar was a goldtop. it is a HCSB. PRS charges less for solid colors and i think it is stupid that gibson charges almost 400 more for goldtop.

My Gibson Les Paul Classic has a 1960s slim tapered neck, and 496R humbucker in the neck position and a 500T humbucker in the bridge. It has vintage tuners and an awesome light burst finish (kind of like heritage cherry, but a little more subtle and a little less red)

This guitar kicks almighty rear-end. The neck pickup is good for blues and jazzy stuff, and the high output bridge pickup sounds like it could move mountains. Awesome sustain. This guitar can scream howl and generally bitch you out, or it can't be sultry and seductive.

Mine came from the factory set up to go. It felt like a million dollars the first time I played it. Pickups, binding, inlays, switches all great.

Well I've rocked this guitar out live on a few shows and it seems to be pretty sturdy, I replaced the strapp buttons with strap locks (as it only makes sense to do on any guitar, honestly) be cause I didnt want anything to happen to it while I was jumping on and off the club tables. The only reason to have a backup when playing this guitar is the same reason for ever having a backup, you never know when your gonna break a string.

Haven't had to seek help yet.

I have been playing a few years now and I own a few other guitars, they are all crap though. However, I live in guitar stores, all i do is try new things, I have played every Les Paul being sold today, I few 1970 les pauls, american and mexican strats and teles, gretch guitars, jackson, shecter, every Ibanez JEM guitar double necks, the works. And I have to say that my Les Paul Classic is still the best guitar I have ever played, if someone were to steal it I would torture their entire family very slowly until it was returned.

One pce mahogony body, slim taper 60's profile neck, ceramic 496R pick up at neck with 500T ceramic at bridge. Cherry sunburst bookmatched maple top, nitro finish, vintage tuners fitted in bushes without a nut, nickel hardware, single bound neck & body, trapezoid inlays (aged) standard Les Paul control lay out.

I am no stranger to Gibsons and have owned Semi's, SG's, Les Paul standards, Junior's as well as a pleathora of Fenders and I was a bit concerned with some of the negative reviews regarding these pick-ups. THEY ARE THE BRILLIANT. Yes the bridge pick-up is brighter with the tone all the way up than a Les Paul standard and they drive a valve amp harder (No bad thing) but when you use the tone contol its possible to get all the traditional sounds and you can wind up the bite when you want it. It may be a high output pick-up but it always remains articulate. The neck pick up is as sweet as any alnico but without the boomy bass. The mix postions can yeild some really great clean and lead sounds using the volume and tone controls. This guitar blows my old Les Paul Standard out of the water. Yes its different but in a totally satisfying way. All of my guitars sound different and VIVA LA DIFFERENCE!! I play through a Mashall TSL 602 and a Laney LC15R and it sounds fantastic through both. I used to own a Line 6 modelling amp and the guitars true qualities never really came through with that (they don't with my Pandora 3 either). USE A GOOD VALVE AMP AND IF THIS COMBINATION DOES NOT GIVE YOU A GOOD SOUND TRY THE DRUMS OR PIANO.

This was my second (actually first) suprise. The factory set up was really good. Excellent fretting, well cut nut superb playability straight from the box (this guitar was still in its original shipping case and was NOS). I changed the strings to 10's set the intonation and pick up height and it plays like a dream. My last new Les Paul a 93 standard needed a lot of attention and full pro set up. Looks like things have improved over the years in Nashville.

Its a Les Paul with all that implies. The 60's neck takes all the abuse the 59 profile does (which the 61 SG does not). The headstock is the weak point on Les Pauls as everyone knows. The vintage tuners work just fine and look the part but are not as durable as Grovers. Nckel hardware is beginning to age (and looks way cool). Watch out for that headstock and it will last longer than you will.

Sent them an email and they replied quickly. Lot of info on Gibsons web site.

Been playing 30 odd years but still consider myself a beginner. Still love music still love guitars (actually love both more as I get older and lose interest in other things). I bought this guitar because it played so well expecting to change the pick-ups after the bad things some people say about them. I have owned many guitars over the years (and still do) but this ones my baby.

I have a 2002 Les Paul Classic in the Natural Copper color, really well done; almost seems like a Gold Top but a little darker. It boasts a carved maple top on a thick mahogany back, along with its mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. It has the usual 22 frets and plays beautifully. The guitar was set up just the way I like it, so no changes were needed. The action was high, but not too high. It comes with the 496r and 500t humbuckers. Talk about ROCK!
(Hard case is also included.)

The sound is great, especially if your into hard rock. And chances are if your looking at getting this guitar, thats the type of music you play. It doesn't have that real jazzy sound like the Standards, but by tweaking the tone and volume knobs, you can get some pretty smooth tones. And of course it has no problem shredding like a wolf on crack! Again for me, this guitar delivers the perfect sound. And don't forget about the trademark Gibson sustain. You could hit a note, go clean the bathroom and come back to find the guitar still ringing that e note (Or Whatever floats your boat).

Again, for me the guitar was set up great. The action was high, but not too high. As most already know, Gibson tends to set up the action higher then other companies. But you can always tweak it to where you like playing it. Just beware of the fret buzz, which can be especially horrific if your playing through the clean channel. The pick ups were adjusted well and sounded great. The Copper Top was done really well and so was the cream binding. But at the bottom of the cutaway, there was a slight rash in the finish, but since it was on the bottom side and barely noticible, I really didn't care. The tone and volume knobs were on real well, but the 3 way selector was a little loose. But easily fixed.

This guiar is heavy in its sound and heavy in weight. Its built like a tank. The guitar will definately withstand live playing, but will you? Can you handle the weight of the LP on your shoulders! It's definately heavy, but you get used to it. I've gotten through plenty of gigs with that thing on my shoulder all night. The finish looks tough and seems to last, even with some of the abuse I give it from jumping around. I could definatley depend on this guitar, but not having a back up just isn't smart. One thing is that the strap buttons suck; they are way too small. Even if you have a thick levy leather strap, the damn thing would fall off. You must buy strap locks, it's not a luxury, it's a necessity. You spent a lot of money on this guitar, you don't want it falling to the floor.

Never had to deal with them yet, so I can't say. Heard from many people that they suck. Heard from many people that they were helpful. Whatever.

Overall this gutar kicks ass, its definately made to rock. I love it. If it were stolen I would hunt that bastard theif down and hit them over the head with this mammoth guitar! I love the huge rock sound and killer sustain. And by fiddling with the tone and volume knobs you can get some pretty smooth tones. The only complaint I have was the little rash on the under side finish, and the crappy little strap buttons. But other than that, it's all good. It's definately the best guitar I have.

It's a Les Paul you know the features. The difference between the Classic and the Standard is basically the Classic has the slim tapered neck and hotter pickups. Pickups can be changed at will, so the real question is if you prefer the fatter rounder neck of the Standard or the slimmer faster neck of the classic.
Three position pickup selector, and each pickup has its own volumne and tone control.

This guitar represents the definitive sound of Rock. The guitar will sound very good thru most amps, but with high gain amps like mesa, bogner, soldano, diezel it is just ridicoulous. The pickups are a bit hotter than those on a standard and sound very good on most everything except the cleanest of amp settings. The overall sound is big, rich, and full. No other sounds like it. I own others, PRS,Music Man, Strats, and they are good, but in no way in the same league of rock as this one.

Okay, this is where Gibson has been etting a lot of flack. Mine came in excellent condition and fit and finish from the fret work to the vintage sunburst and hardware was perfect.
Many are complaining here about "Action" How high or low you like the action is a personal choice/preference. Gibson LP's come with the action a bit higher than most mordern players would like but there's a reason for that. Articulation! every note of every chord and lick can be heard without the buzzing one gets from super low action guitars. If you want lower action it is no problem, to adjust it, try to find a balance between action and acceptable buzz. Don't kid yourself into believing this will make you play faster, it doesn't only good technique will improve seed. Still if you feel more comfortable with lower action, go for it, but don't blame Gibson for setting its guitars to play without buzz. Any of these fast neck, low action guitar makers out there are sending you guitars that buzz, at least a little bit. In high gain applications buzz don't matter too much because the distortion will cover it up, only on cleaner settings will it be more apparent. I think a lot of people here complaining about action are inexperienced however, this is not meant to offend any who have legitamate complaints.
realize that the basic design of this guitar has remained unchanged for over 50 years so stop whinning about action, do you really think a PRS, or Axis,ibanez sound close to this guitar? Not in a million years.

Lifetime warranty. Dependable? Oh yeah.

Called once and got guy on phone who helped me research serial number, really cool.

In the day of $2000 guitars, this one is worth it, it will last forever, and will deliever that true rock tone no other can.

2002 Les Paul Classic. This model has the "copper-top" finish but looks very close to a goldtop (at least this one does). The store had a goldtop and the difference between the two finishes is minimal. The guitar came with the ceramic 496R/500T pickups w/o covers, plain pickguard and the 60's slim-tapered neck. I have my doubts that this is a "true" slim-tapered 60's neck but more on that later. Somehow this guitar came with the Gibson "Historic" case. I checked on the case and this was no mistake. It was shipped with the Historic case. As far as features go, its a Les Paul so it is not supposed to have tons of features nor would I expect it to.

I'm a blues, r&b, and classic rock player. Occasionally I do some jazz gigs but thats what hollowbodies are for. I generally play through either a Holland Jazz or Mini Jimi amp or an older blackface Fender Twin, Deluxe, or Princeton Reverb. Pedalboard includes a Fulltone Clyde Wah, Klon, Fulltone Fat-Boost, Choralflange, Boss Delay and tuner, and an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. Now that all that's out the way let's get to what you really want to know. The guitar sounds great. Yes I also had the pickups changed to Classic 57's. I don't think that the stock pickups suck as much as some players do but they weren't a good fit for me. They were great when I wanted the guitar to scream but seemed to loose definition when I turned down or rolled back on the tone knobs. When I even lowered the pickup height, the sound was a little cleaner but still not quite the clarity of the 57's. I definately agree with those who feel that the ceramic pickups have a more modern sound. As I mentioned above, the pickups did not have covers and I planned to put the covers on them but I ran across the 57s' at a very good price so the swap was a no brainer. The 57's put you in the Cream-era Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, early ZZ Top ballpark. The stock pickups, with the height lowered, was closer to the Jimmy Page sound which ain't bad at all. It just wasn't for me. Still, off the shelf, the guitar sounded very good; definately above average.

It seems that set-up and finishing details vary greatly among Gibsons. I also have a newer Les Paul Jr. Special that needed a lot of tweaking before it was right. But that was a $600 guitar. On a $1,500 guitar the set-up should be near perfect. And I must admit, that this guitar was just that. PERFECT! This was the best off the shelf new guitar I ever bought. And I've bought more than my share over the years. No flaws in the finish. No nicks or dings on the guitar anywhere. And no fret buzz! Someone actually took time and care in setting this guitar up. All I had to do was put on a set of 11's and tweak the intonation a bit. My only criticism is that I had to install strap locks. On a true historic reproduction guitar I can see that you might go with vintage style strap buttons, but when Gibson made the change to more modern pickups, the true historic reproduction deal went out the window. That aside, no complaints.

NOTE: The reason I question what Gibson refers to as a "60's slim tapered neck" is that I own a '57 ES-225 and the neck on this Les Paul is remarkably similar. In fact, that's why I chose this Les Paul over several others in the store. My first thought was that this Les Paul must have the fat 50's neck but the shop said it was the slim 60's tapered neck. I don't claim to be an expert nor am I complaining about the neck; this was just my observation. In the end, do you really care what taper the neck is or how it feels in your hands?

I would hope that this guitar or any $1,000 + guitar holds up well. I don't plan to abuse it and it will always travel in the case but I always have a backup. Hope the finish and hardware ages as gracefully as my other 57 Gibson ES-225. Definately change those strap buttons! The rating is based on my experience with the older Gibson.

Since I've never had to contact the company, I can't offer a true opinion in this category.

I've been playing for more than 30 years and I own too many guitars to mention them all but more axes Gibsons than Fenders. In addition to the ES-225 and the Les Paul Jr. mentioned earler, I own a Heritage 535 that I'm very fond of. In fact, I even considerd purchasing the Heritage version of a Les Paul. But once I played this Les Paul, I had to have it. The more I play it the more I fall for it. Years ago, I had the opportunity to play a Les Paul Standard for some time and this guitar compares favorably with a 60's Les Paul. Sure its not exactly the same but no two guitars are the same anyway. The Les Paul Classic may be a tad heavier than some older Pauls I've played(or maybe I'm just getting older!), but it has the tone one would expect from a Les Paul. With the stock pickups the guitar has a more modern or edgier tone but with the 57's its a lot smoother and, for me, a lot more versitle. You may find that the stock pickups work fine for you. I did play several gigs with the guitar before I decided to make the change.

I always recommend playing several guitars before you choose one. In this case I think I played 5 or 6 Classics before I settled on this on. Each guitar seemed to have its own personality but this one fit like a glove. Again, this was the best off rack guitar I've ever bought regardless of price.

'94 Les Paul Classic Goldtop. This one's quite special cause it has the Reissue finish and not the normal bullion gold finish; right from the factory (not refinished!)!!! It also has the '57 Classics instead of the 496R and 500T! This is because the collector I bought it from ordered these features right in the factory (Nashville; where he also picked other Les Pauls). It was in an untouched mint condition when I bought it in August '02. (that's 8 years!!)

Sounds amazing!! The best guitar for blues and blues-rock. A thousand times better than the others with the 496R and the 500T!! It sings/cries so sweet and has sustain till the cows come home! I've played different other Les Pauls, mostly old and new (2002 with Burst Buckers) Standards but this one sounds way better, altough the Burstbuckers are nice too. Only negative thing is that in my opinion the clean sounds aren't as good as the overdrive sounds.

THE traditional gold finish. Nickel hardware, nice aged binding and inlays (not so exaggerated aged as some custom shop Les Pauls). The action was a bit low but after my dealer set it higher it played and still plays great. It's pretty heavy too (4.3kg)

Les Pauls are made to last for decades!! It is a heavy undestroyable bomber!! I even dropped one on the headstock one time and I did't break! I know I've been lucky but to me the LP is THE rock solid guitar!!!

Never had to call them, so no comment!

Dreamguitar to me: top in sound, look and comfort. Only the price is (Gibson typical) high even for a unique one like this, at least for students like me!!!!

Just want to add a comment to my review back in YR 2000. Anyone wanting to add a very nice tone to your lead sound, replace the 500t with a Duncan "Pearly Gates"! It's not a metal or crunch PU (not recommended for you trashers) but it's got the sweetest distorted tone I've ever heard (Blues & Seventies Rock). The clean tone is not bad either, the strings are clear & definded!
I've tried a few PU's for the bridge trying to find "that tone", my search has ended with the "Pearly Gates".

I am a fucken guy i bought this guitar. It has a slim taper neck of the 60's it also has a smaller headstock then the standards has two humbucker pickups 496R/500T pickups. Umm this guitar also sounds good even with very low action. Tune-a-matic bridge and gibson keystone tuning machines. 3 way toggle switch trapezoid inlays and classic decal on the tross rod cover mahogany back and neck/ rose wood fingerboard and maple top .

umm i play modern a 100% just not punk cause that would be gay. No affense to punk players but if i played that i would use strat. Which i Did. This guitar has amazing bottom end with a marshall. got it with 9 gauge strings that have been on it for two years (cause it was made in 2000 and i bought it in 2002) then i switched to skinny top heavy bottoms and i cried it sounds great and even better. great clean not to exciting like fender but it does sound pretty damn.

Well even thought there is no such thing as a factory setup it was pretty low action that i am not used to but i do like and the nut had to be filed a little to fit the bigger strings yeah and that is all. the top is stunning not bookmatched perfectly the top part is but the bottom you can tell. the pickups were a little hight but i lowered them. pretty much a good set-up just a little adjusting to my personal playing.

This thing is as tough as a fucker just wipe it down or there goes a fucked up finish. So wipe down if you get sweaty like fucker and also make sure that you get straplocks. for 1500 undred bucks i would to have straplocks. if strings couldn't break would gig without a backup.

great warranty. Umm haight and ashbury music even replaced my case when the lock part broke so that is fucken cool.

i have been playing for 2 years i really like this guitar it is an amazing you should always pick one up if you like pauls maybe change the pickups upon personal taste but this guitar is a shit load cheaper and just plaing as cool as the standards. also sick ass finishes peace out

mine is a les paul classic that was made in 2000 it has a amber finish. it features to humbuckers and 3 way-toggle switch. the humbuckers are really hot or another way to say high output. The rhythym humbucker is beautiful the bridge on the other hand takes a little getting used to. just adjust the height and then it is the shit. it has passiive electronics. and a mahogany back.

i LOVE the way this sounds. I play emo-core and then everything else. it sounds good in most situations but the clean can get a little dirty. but if you take a minute to adjust the amp accordingly it sounds great.

it seems to be made really nicely. No fret buzz. NO peeeling on finish. umm it has good pickup wiring and it also seems to had good inotation cause i did the harmonic thing

it seems reliable.
Never gig without a back up cause if you break a string you fucked. if string didn't break i would

good nice warranty

i have been playing for 2 years i am the the 15 year old who always wanted a paul and i got one. it is a great guitar great value(well the classic is) loads of sounds and just plain old cool. if some stole this i would cry. or i would serve them their balls for breakfast.

Heritage Cherry Sunburst, 496R & 500T pickups, nothing really new here, oh, AND a cool case with the fluorescent pink lining. So ugly it's perty.

I play through a Peavey 1960's reissue 50 Watt tube amp, usually though an Ibanez Tube Screamer. The amp's ok on it's own, unless better amps are around to campare it to. With the Tube Screamer, though, and depth of tone I get through the 496R, the setup sounds great. I am completely pleased with the pickups. I use .009-.042 strings.

I really enjoy this guitar. It's like regaining the passion to play again. My old guitar was a nice quality cheaper guitar, but I just didn't have much motivation to play on my own anymore. I bought this instrument and now I play pretty much on a daily basis. I've never oened a guitar with sustain like this, and the pickups are very sensitive. My guitar solos have increased in quality tenfold because of this. It's added quite a few new sounds that I always tried to play with the last guitar, but could never quite find. For someone who's not a gifted musician who can make any guitar sound expensive, this guitar will improve your playing.

I haven't found any flaws yet, after 2 months of ownership. The laminate job on the guitar, though, tends to get somewhat ... sticky, on the back of the neck. I never had that problem with the last guitar. An occasional cleaning helps out, but believe it or not, that tack sort of helps you bend notes by adding extra anchorage for your palm. I am wary about the tuners, but the guitar tends to stay in tune as well as other guitars I've owned.

Added strap locks, and the drilled holes for the stock strap buttons were crooked. Managed to get the strap locks on straight enough with a little elbow grease.

Other than that, no problems.

NA

2000 Les Paul Classic. Heritage Cherry Burst, carved maple top, mahogany body and neck (slim taper: LOVE this neck), rosewood fingerboard, trapezoid inlays, 2 vol + 2 tone controls, three way toggle switch, antique tuners (green plastic designed to look like "pearl"...nice touch). Came with brown HSC.

I play this guitar through a '67 BF Bandmaster (Vintage 30 ext.cab) and '70 SF Pro Reverb with a modified (808) Tubescreamer from Analogman. To my ears this guitar sounds GREAT, whether playing it dirty or clean. Neck pickup is very warm and vintage sounding, bridge pickup cuts like a knife without sounding brittle or harsh. Can get almost any sound I need with this combo simply by adjusting the tone and volume controls on the guitar.

I liked the factory setup with one exception...it appears my A string is giving me some wierd growl as the note decays and believe this may have something to do with the setup or the strings that came on the guitar...plan to have this looked at. Otherwise, the guitar is TRULY a work of art (absolutely beautiful burst) and the action was set up just right for my playing style. Very happy with this guitar.

Seems solid enough to me but have only owned it a year.

Called about the tuners after purchase as it seemed I had trouble keeping guitar in tune. The guy I spoke to was nice but could have been better informed in my opinion. After putting new strings on and ensuring they were put on correctly to "lock" them in, haven't had this problem.

Love the look of this guitar, and with the slim taper neck this guitar just begs to be played...absolutely effortless. I disagree with the folks who slam the pickups...Like some of the other reviewers here I originally thought how could so many people be wrong and thought about replacing the pickups; however, the more I played this guitar with the stock pickups the more I liked their sound and versatility...you just have to tweak the vol and tone controls on the guitar to get great tones.

My Les Paul is the 1960 Classic Plus model. It was built in July 1992. It has a cherry-sunburst two-piece, lightly (but tastefully!) flamed top, one piece mahogany back, one piece mahogany wide-thin neck (back and neck are Gibson cherry red) with traditional accoutrements (stop-tail, ABR-1 bridge, reissue PAFS cause the original pick-ups were awful).

If you worship at the altar of Bluesbreaker-era Clapton tone (like me), you gotta have a correctly-built, sunburst flame-top Paul. If you're hip to that, then the 60 Classic is exactly what you want---at fraction of the cost of the Historic models (which are w-a-y nice, but W-A-Y over-priced).

I ordered my Les Paul through the music store at the end of my block (who didn't carry Gibsons!). The deal was, I had to buy whatever Gibson shipped, because they were only getting $80 over cost. I filled out an order form and tried to be as specific as I could. After holding my breath for three months, it arrived and let out one big-ass sigh of relief. It was exactly what I wanted, set up and ready to rock. The only thing I didn't like were the pickups. Everthing was period specific except the PUs, which were super-distortion ceramic-magnet over-kill monsters. Out they went!

I've always thought of Gibsons as Musical Instruments, as opposed to Fenders, which are electric guitars. I don't mean any disrespect to either company, it's just that if you drop a Gibson, it WILL break. If you drop a Fender, a string MIGHT go out of tune.

Never had a problem.

My Les Paul Classic Plus is a 1992 model. Since then, I noticed they've changed the neck profile (mine is wide and flat, now they're chunkier) and the added the word CLASSIC to the decal. Too bad, I like mine better. If you're a traditionalist (like me) you can save a pantload of money buying one of these, as opposed to the Historic series. Mine is structurally identical to the Historic series. OK, maybe the top isn't as flashy, but it's got enough iridescent shimmer for me. It plays great; looks great; hell, it even smells great. If anything happened to this guitar it would break my heart. I had a bunch of 'Pauls in the '70s and '80s which were, frankly, crap. Three-piece necks, butcher-block bodies, yecchhh. Get an early '90s Classic Plus like mine and you won't be disappointed.

An incredible gold-top finish, I don't see why everybody likes the sunburst, honeyburst, etc. finishes on their LPs, but this is dA sHyaT. The standard stuff for an LP. 2 volume knobs, 2 tone, with a 3-way pickup selector. 2 humbuckers, 496R, 500T, slim-taper neck, and a whole other pile o' crap. Really great hard case.

The sound is fatter than your fat ass. There's nothing left to say, odelay?

Slick. The buillon gold finish is absolutely amazing, so you can even enjoy the guitar by just staring at it. There's one flaw, which is that one of the strap button thingies is a little crooked, but it's still solid. About the action, this guitar plays like a monkey (meaning it's quick and agile. Not meaning it has rabies and eats bananas and picks fleas off another one's back).

One of the strap buttons is a little crooked, like I said before, but you can tell that it's completely solid. The guitar can hold it's own against a block of cement it seems, in terms of how solid it is.

They'll never have to hear from me.

This guitar is for rock, and does the job like it were nothing. The finish, the nice heavy weight (because light guitars are for wussies), and the incredible tone, makes everything else I've seen look like poo-poo.

Year manufactured-2001 USA
22-frets
Solid top
Standard les paul setup

Sound is as expected from a les paul use it with a peavey 5150 & fender hot rod de-ville straight in, very full sound.
Over all satisfaction pleased

The Factory set up was horrible I recieved it from the store I ordered it 31/2 months later it arrives frets were un even buzzed to the point of unplayable from about the tenth fret to thirteen. pickups were ok top was good. Guitar contained many flaws the finish on the cut away looked as if it had been knocked against something and left a mark. Th e finish on the neck has a slight orange peel affect to it. the binding on the top of the body where you arm rests looks as if it was gouged out and then repaired a guitar in this price range should be perfect. not in the almighty world of Gibson, I have a Epiphone Korina flying v that is a second and has no flaws.. go figure. This is the third Gibson I have bought with problems as described the only reason Im not selling it is because I would loose my ass on it.

Reliable not a problem.

Customer support questionable. dealt with them shortly after I bought it, they said they would do anything to rectify the situation. Only to hear from the store I bought if from saying Dont ever contact the Company again you bought the guitar from us you deal with us, gee can you say loose a customer? Still not satisfied will most likely contact Gibson soon see what they do.

have played for 25 plus years. own 2 Epiphones not problems there.
would have been nice to have a few to look at before purchasing the dealer acted like I should be gratefull and bow to their feet that they did me such a favor for buying it. should not have accepted the instrument because of the flaws. then I would have waited mmmm 3 more months maybe up to 6. They said part of the problem was the string binding over the fret in my 25 plus years of playing I have never heard of this happening, I know it was a line the d string still buzzes in that area.. after I took it back to them they said it will be a month before I got it back thats when I contacted GIbson, Im going to contact them anyways still dissatisfied. My thoughts are the dealer got annoyed I went over their head but when you give a business your business and have spent a lot of money there over a period of time one should expect better service. Would buy another but would try a few out. The store made me feel Like I had to take this one. They will never get any business from me again. Wanted a real les paul.
Moral of the story shop around, definately there are some nice Gibson's out there.

1997 Vintage Sunburst Pretty top nicely book-matched.
Nice binding on body and fret board, similar but not as nice as on a custom. Slim taper neck is superior IMO to many other LP models.

About those pickups....hmmm...It's like the have a smiley face eq put on em. Seems like a lot of your mids are scooped out. Excellent high output for doing the chunka-chunka metal thing, or some really hot blues leads. Surprsingly smooth for a jazz feel, these pickups back off extremely nice. With vol and tone at around 8 the guitar is smooooooth. When I'm playing country or clean open rock stuff I think i could use a little more even-ness in the tone, but thats why I own a tele as well. So I think for the moment I'm going to keep the stock PUs

Mine was a well used 1997. It hadn't been set up in awhile either. Intonation was out, lots of buzz. wimpy 9's were on it. Once I put a set of 12's on her, the fret buzz went away and the action stayed nice, never got too high. Then I did a basic set up and she's been perfect ever since. The neck with the binding is so sweet, the guitar just begs to be played.

So far so good. The guy that sold it didn't have anything bad to say in that reguard, looked like he'd played it too. This wasn't a closet-classic.

Those strap pegs do suck though. Replace them before you need to replace the whole guitar. Don't let your guitar take a face plant on the basement floor. Sure smashing gear looks real cool on stage, but it's never cool when you didn't do it on purpose.

I've have a '76 Gibson since about 1990 and never had to deal with anyone at Gibson. They answered an e-mail once.....

I really like this guitar. It's very similar to a custom for less than half the price. If you can find a used one, even better. It's everything you ever wanted in a LP.

If you are going to replace the pickups, try the PAF's or a boutique PU like a Rio Grande. Don't bother with the Seymore Duncans, those sound almost as nice as the stock....but not quite.

The features are stock,the same as an original '60 Les Paul with the exception of the pickups mine is cherry sunburst. The guitar is absolutely stunning but i don't give it a 10 because they should have '57 PAF humbuckers instead of the open coils for vintage authenticity.

Now, i really wanted this guitar for a long time but i was leery about the pick-ups because i'm a vintage-head basically. but i just wanted to play it when i got it so i figured i'd give them a try. Let me tell you, i was beyond impressed. Even with the stock PUs this guitar is has that great thick tone that a Les Paul is known for! All i did was adjust the height of the pickups to get rid of all that dirtiness in the sound. i just put them to the point where the sound is clear, yet has some dirt for a bluesy tone and presto!
also, i will stress that if you have a tube amp, it is easier to come close to the vintage sounds (eric clapton, bluesbreakers)even with the stock PUs. all you have to do there is adjust the volume accordingly.
don't kid yourself, eventually, I am putting PAFs in this guy but, for now i'm quite satisfied with the sound as it sounds superb to the pieces of cheap crap i've played in the past. my style of playing really shines now (laid back blues, G.E. Smith?)
I even got the tone dead on for Zeppelin songs! Playing Black Dog with a CE-2 chorus gives you an almost exact tone he had (Page used a Leslie Speaker)
Also, this guitar sounds good in any of the toggle switch positions, but my faves are the treble and middle positions. i'm just not a fan of that bassy tone. but i will use it sparingly in doing certain numbers

i thought it was set up great! surprisingly, i didn't even have to change it, just the pick-up height. but that's nothing

in being a vintage replica, it is gonna be prone to wear-and-tear so that's fine with me, i'm forward to it getting a little banged up cuz it will look more authentic, but not deliberately because i don't abuse my gear in any way.

the only thing is those strap buttons! they're so small that you need a new strap where the strap slots haven't been stretched out. because if not it will slip out if you're not careful. mine did yesterday and i bent the top tuner on it. so i just switched the top for the bottom one so it's negligable for now but i'm calling gibson for a replacement tuner. i think they should have larger buttons. but there must be a reason why they put those on because i don't get it.

i haven't called them yet about it but i assume they'll accommodate me because they sent me a bunch of gibson flyers + a custom shop catalog for no reason even tho i asked for only one on an SG! and they seem friendly on the phone so who knows?

I have owned three guitars before i bought this and none of them compare to this Les Paul! I can barely put it into words but this guitar is amazing in every way! even the way a new gibson smells is amazing. kind of feeling you may get from smelling fresh cut grass in the summer.If you know and understand what a Les Paul should sound like, you won't be in for any rude surprises. if you've always wanted a vintage Paul but can't afford it, this is the next best thing! Don't be scared away because of the stock pickups. you can eventually replace them. but as long as you adjust the stocks right you'll still get that tone. those PUs i think make the guitar more versatile anyway which can be useful in some situations. i mean the real sound is in the guitar itself anyway. and this guitar has premium wood which gives it a resonant, thick bluesy tone and more! i even like the top on this. it doesn't have flame but it has melty-looking rings which gives it a psychedelic styling to it which suits me well. the neck is thin yet fat and it fits my hands like a glove! all in all this is absolutely the guitar for me and can be for you. seriously, give this guitar a test-drive, you won't be let down, trust me!

2001 model. Bought it to replace my 2000 cherryburst LP classic. Honeyburst in finish. Ordered from WaWazoo Music in NY. Lucky, lucky, lucky - beautiful icetea tone, not the ugly shitty yellowish tone at all. Came with HSC (strangely - a little crammy, always afraid to break the lead/rhythm knob when closing the case tight) and wrench. All the features are standard on a LP Classic, which are adequate for me. Love the neck!!!! Not like that of a Fender definitely, but fits better than a Standard in my not-so-large hand, which helps easy and smooth playing.

Typical LP sound - warm, loud, and great sustain - sounds even great not plugged in. the PU's have been a controversial topic. I have to admit the bridge pickups were a little hot, but fortunately, by adjusting the height and tweeking the tone knobs, I was able to control them well. They are pretty crunchy when used for rhythming, bright and loud when not distorted. The neck pickups on the other hand, are GREAT - heavy and full of crunch for rhythm and when used for soloing, you just have to love that warm womanly tone full of sustain(think of Slash????). I was even able to get some very useful sound out of the middle position, which is fairly unusual. I run a Boss SuperChorus, a Proco Rat, and a Crybaby through a Marshall G30 (not a great amp, but sufficient in my apt). Running the guitar directly through the amp and if you know how to tweek, this LP Classic offers a variety of sounds. Unlike other people, I find the exposed humbucker pickups look much better than the covered ones. The guitar really sounds awesome. I use 10 gauge strings, but even with the 9 gauge factory installed strings, this guitar sounds fantastic. So I didn't even bother to change them when i got it.

The guitar was phone ordered since I'm in Arizona and I was fully prepared to do the setup all over again by myself. But it was set up PERFECTLY right out of the box: intonation was dead on, action was low without any buzzing, and I was surprised by its ability to stay in tune. Didn't have to do anything - was I lucky or what??!!!!! The one I bought from APlusGuitar 7 months ago sucked, I could not believe they let it out of Gibson factory and the dealer's store like that (buzzing, Super DULL G string, bridge was not horizontally leveled, bowed neck)!!!! But this one - I cannot find any words other than "perfect" to describe it. The finish is beautiful. Icetea toned honeyburst, lots of grains on the top, bookmatched well. The grains on the back and the back of the neck are amazingly beautiful!!! The heavy feel of the wood is typical of LPs and is awesome. All hardwares are shiny and controls are tight and smooth. Binding is perfect and all frets are delicately filed and smoothed out.

This is no doubt a beautiful and durable piece of instrument. With proper cleaning after each playing and a customized humidifier, I don't expect the finish to tarnish and the neck to warp any time soon. One drawback is of course the tiny strap buttons. But since I don't gig anymore I'm not too worried about them. Otherwise, I would definitely get them changed or put strap locks on them.

Haven't had any need to deal with them and hopefully will not forever. Get good at setting up your guitar and doing minor repairs by yourself and develop a good relationship with your local luthiers.

Been playing since 8th grade and I'm almost 30. Have played quite a few fenders and LPs and always been a Les Paul fan - they are the best and you can't replace the unique tone with anything else. And the playability of the Classic is definitely a plus!