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.

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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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!