Gibson Les Paul Special SL

You know the features- the only issue for those who are contemplating buying is that some of the stuff on this gitfiddle is junk- i replaced the plastic cord input with a steel one, the strap buttons were switched immediately with schallers, and despite what everyone else here thought, i thought the tuners were ugly low quality plastic junk, and replaced them with locking tuners. just for looks, i replaced the white pick up rings with black ones, and the selector switch accessories with black ones as well. with all those switch outs, it looks better, and is a bit more reliable. i'm not complaining though, it's a wonderful instrument for the price.

Sound is stellar, I'm so in love with this guitar.

Finish is weak, but i bought it to play, not stare at, and I'd rather sound good than look good. Factory set up was ok, but i had it set up by a pro a year ago and it still feels perfect. I did have to have some work done on the nut, the B string tended to pop out when i bent it too far. All in all very nice.

I think it will last forever with the minor mods I've done. I would gig without back up no problem.

N/A.

What i have here is a 2002 les paul special with "worn finish". I rocked on this thing at a sam ash and had to have it. It came stock with 490 and a 498 pickup. It has a worn cherry finsih. It looks good. It is basically a stripped down basic les paul.

ok. mine probably sounds much different than yours because of all the mods i've made. I have sperzel tuners, a shaved neck, and emg pickups(81&85). so mine kicks the shit out of the stock version. it's very quiet. once you remove the laquer and shit of that neck its smooth as fuck.

i hade my action set up so it's all good. the finish is cheap as fuck. it dents really easy. just to give you an idea most gibson guitars have 11 coats of finish. this ax has 2. it does allow to actually hear the guitar though. which is a nice feature. it's my stage ax, but i've put alot into it as well.

no problems. built like a tank. if you dragged it through hell, it would only get hotter.

n/a

ive been playing 5 years. i have a standard fender strat, an ibanez rg series, and and esp mh-300. this paul is my ax of choice.

Gibson Les Paul Special SL. Made In America (we still make the best guitars, by far) 2002. Standard Les Paul configuration: Two humbuckers, 22 frets, three way toggle, two volume two tone. All mahogany guitar, no maple cap. Natural finish. I like natural or transparent finishes because usually the best pieces of wood are used for these guitar (no way to hide the flaws). Pickups are alnico magnet 498T and 490R. The 498 has an alnico V magnet, so I guess this is sort of Gibson's version of Duncan's Custom V. The pickups are alright, nothing special, just alright. The tuners are inexpensive Gibson non-locking. This guitar needs locking tuners. More on tuners and pickups later. Neck is classic style slim taper. It is IMHO perfect in size, not too large like a custom or a studio, but not too small like an Ibanez. Scale is of course standard Gibson 24 3/4.

First, remember this is a five hundred dollar guitar, not a five thousand dollar guitar. FOR THE PRICE, this guitar sounds awesome. It has a very full rich, mahogany, sound. I play hard rock/heavy metal (think Metallica crossed with Dream Theater). I use it with either a Peavey 5150 or Marshall JCM 900 amp and two celestion G12-75 speakers. First let me say that these speakers are, well, nothing special. They are not Vintage 30's or Greenbacks. I'm getting a new cab very soon. Going through the 5150 there is a lot of hiss, of course everything has a lot hiss through this amp. I love the sound of this amp, but the hiss has got to go. Fairly quiet going through the Marshall but not EMG quiet. It does work fairly well for my style of music. It will work very well, after I make some needed modifications. I play most of my music on the high gain settings and live, I dial back the guitar volume (as opposed to switching channels) for a cleaner sound. For Studio I just track in parts and use different amps for clean and dirty.

I bought it used so the action was fantastic. It was very low, just the way I like it. The closer to the fret board the better for me. Everything was in good shape. I do need to send this guitar to a tech to fine tune everything, dress frets etc. I should say that almost every guitar needs this done to it, at least I think it does. This guitar does need some modifications to bring it up to standard for a professional musician. More about this later. Just as a sidenote; I hate the the pickups covers, those have got to go!!!!!

It is a Gibson, should withstand live playing for the next two centuries. Hardward is fine, but I think a Tone Pros locking Bridge would be a great investment. I hate the fact that the bridge and tail piece fall off when you're cleaning the guitar. Put strap locks on. This is a must with any Gibson. I can depend on it, but I'm not stupid, I would never gig without a backup unless I couldn't afford a second guitar. DON'T drop this guitar. You will break the neck at the headstock. The angled head stock is this or any Gibson's weak point. Other than that, very durable.

I've talked to Gibson customer support several times about various issues, not necesarily pertaining to repairs. I have three Gibsons and none of them have ever needed to be repaired. They are quite friendly and helpful, but again, I've never tried to use a warranty.

OK, here we go. I've been playing for ten years or so. I'm entering my last year of music school. This is only pertinent because it means I play quite a bit. I also work part time in a music store so I get to play a lot and I mean a lot of guitars. How good is this guitar? Depends on who is playing it. It only matters if the player likes the guitar not the rest of us. That having been said, let me say that compared to other five hundred dollar guitars, this one is the best that I have played. Epiphone isn't close. ESP/LTD, not close either. PRS Santana SE; not a bad guitar, but not on this level either. PRS Tremonti SE: I have to be honest here. I have read all the reviews on this guitar and even played one at the NAMM show, and I'm not as impressed as everyone else is with it. I think this Les Paul is a far better piece of craftsmanship. I think the wood is better quality, the hardward is certainly better quality and the pickups are far superior( and I don't even like the pickups that much). I have read reviews that say this will run with a Les Paul Classic, Standard, Custom or an american PRS. This is simply not the case. I have played a number of these guitars and this one isn't in that class. It is 1/3 the price as well, so I wouldn't expect it to run with those dogs. It does a decent job of keeping up with them considering that it is 1/3 the price. Quite honestly I have a 70's Vintage Explorer and it eats this guitar alive. It is no contest. I bought this guitar strictly as a stage guitar, not a recording guitar and it is adequate for that. Actually, I bought it for a backup stage guitar and it is more than adequate for that purpose. This guitar needs and will very soon get locking tuners, new pickups and a Tone Pros locking bridge. The tuners are ok, but this guitar goes out of tune far too often for me. The pickups are again adequate, but I have Seymour Duncan Invaders and Dimes on my other guitars and they are far superior. The tone is much richer. The bridge coming off everytime I re-string just annoys me. The changes, predominantly changing the tuners, will make this guitar useable in the studio if I wish too use it. I probably won't though because tonally the Explorer is far superior and my guitar tech is modifying a super strat style guitar for me, specifically for that purpose. It might sound like I'm complaining about this guitar, but I'm not. I was a little disappointed with it at first, but then I remembered how much this guitar cost me (not much) and decided to just enjoy this fine instrument. If you're looking for a single cut guitar and you have a limited budget, I would give real consideration to this guitar. It is the best guitar that I've played in it's price range. If you can afford a two thousand dollar Les Paul Standard than buy that. It is superior to this guitar(no contest). But if you're looking at an Epiphone Les Paul or one of the various ESP/LTD's or a PRS SE or even an SG special or Les Paul Studio, definitely look at this guitar before you buy. I think it is better than the korean guitars and can give the studio a run for its money. Bottom line; great guitar for the money. If you can afford a Les Paul Standard, Classic, Custom, an american PRS, Baker or anything else in that price range, buy it. If not condsider this guitar as an option.

Mine is the 27th electric guitar produced at Gibson USA, Nashville TN on October 26th, 2002, per the serial number 02992527. The features are standard Les Paul, minus the sequins. These guitars feature the same mahogany body & neck, and the same functional hardware as the Studio Les Paul. It is a real Gibson LP guitar, which is the most important feature of all. I am giving it a 10 here because for me, it is exactly what I was looking for.

I've had about 10 electric guitars starting off with a Silvertone with a built-in little tube amp in the case to and 1987 Ferrari Red American Standard Stratocaster. My favorite guitar off all of them over these past 20 years was a 1981 or 82 Gibson 'The Paul' Firebrand that I bought while in the Army in Germany in 1982. I loved it, it had such a sweet, mellow tone but could also scream. It never sounded shrill. A very close second were the 87 Strat that I bought new and an older Guild electric that I bought used. I LOVED those 3 guitars, but I think the Gibson and the Guild had the better sounds, and the Strat was basically just too sexy to walk past, and had that awsome Strat sound. I guess I'm just an old humbucker. Anywhooo, my guitars are all gone now and I started thinking to myself, Lord, I love to have another Gibson, nothing fancy, just a sweet little American made Gibson with all its humbucking glory...but I assumed it was impossible due to the cost.

I walked into a music store and there she was; 'Made in USA', two chrome plated humbuckers, chrome tune-o-matic bridge and stop piece, you know, a beautiful, if a little plain, guitar. I picked it up and started playing it, and knew immediately I was buying one. The one in the shop was set-up by a pro, and when I took mine out of the box I was rather disappointed at the high action and rough frets that reminded me of fish bones sticking in my hands. And the 'faded cherry' paint job got old REALLY fast, at least as far as I was concerned. But...knowing full well that withing my arms rested a diamond in the rough I proceeded, after much agonizing indecision, to head for the work shop...

10. Rock solid, no bells, no whistles. But; take head with your Gibson electric lest you break it's neck! That was the sad, unfortunate fate of my 'The Paul' and oh, how I mourned!

Gibson is really prettt decent for a huge company. I called and spoke with a customer service rep. and we talked for 10 minutes and I never felt rushed. The dude I was speaking with loved Gibson electrics, and it was obvious.

Well, down in the shop the paint job with its' waxy coat came off, and the wonderful mahogany body and neck are a joy to behold. It's in the process of getting an oil finish, and if you'd like to see it email me at geos999@hotmail.com and explain to me how to do it and I'll gladly oblige. Also, I carefully smoothed out those rough frets and oiled and polished the rosewood finger board. Gone is the chinsy plastic "rythym/treble" ring around the toggle switch, and those toy guitar volume/tone knobs are being replaced with Gibson gold speed knobs. I am so in love with my guitar, I never thought I could feel this way again. If you are a Gibson humbucker fan, you owe it to yourself to pick one up at this price while you still can. I am very grateful that Gibson is producing a no-frills players piece like the Les Paul Special SL. An answer to my prayers. Thanks, Jesus.

This guitar is great. It was made in the great USA.Its got two gibson humbuckers.Two volume and two tone nobs (hehe nobs). Its got a three way selector. I like both the pickups but for different uses.Its got a nice black finish but let me just say the finish is why its a little cheaper than the other gibson les pauls.Gibson non locking tuners.It came with a gig bag.

I pretty much play punk,ska,classic rock and this guitar is perfect of course its a gibson duhh!! (dont worry i love fenders too)I play this out of a line6 spider (also awesome). Its not noisy unless your playing it duhh its a punk/rock guitar (humbuckers keep the hum down)I can get any sound i want out of this guitar.I cant find any dislikes yet all likes.ITS GREAT TO HAVE A REAL GIBSON LES PAUL FOR YOUR FIRST GUITAR !!!!!

It was set up perfectly from what i know about it.Pickups were just right. the pickups were a little loose but i tightened them right up.

Ive never played it live (im 15).Im sure it probably could. Let me tell you something this guitar can take a beating my strap came of my guitar when i was playing and it slipped and when it crashed all of its wieght went on one of the tuners and bent it. i was freaked out by then i mean this thing was my baby. but i think i seem to sound better (im not recommending dropping yours though)

Never delt with them no probs yet

Ive been playing for maybe a year and maybe half was with this guitar. I would probably get this guitar again but if not i would probably stay with gibson maybe fender.I love my humbuckers. I compared it to other gibsons same sound just different finish.I wish it had ....... i cant think of any thing. ITS JUST PLAIN AWESOME!!!!

I bought mine used and it looks to be a 2001 model, sold as a Les Paul Special SL, though it has chrome covered humbuckers so it may be an HB model. It's a pecan/caramel color and has cream pickup rings and selector cap, mahogany body and slim-taper neck (faster than my LP Classic), dot inlays, and maybe medium-jumbo frets. No pickguard, no frills, just a plain old stripped-down meat and potatoes Les Paul. I can't compare it to a higher priced Gibson, because these are inexpensive.

I play hard/modern rock in my band and gig regularly. I also play blues and clean jazz. I'm using this guitar through a Marshall VS265, as a backup system for my Les Paul Classic and Mesa Dual Rectifier. The tone on this LP Special challenges that of my LP Classic, but the Classic is still better. The guitar has a whole lot of singing, liquid sustain. The neck pickup is very warm, but clear. The bridge pickup is very smooth, if perhaps a little on the bright side. Selecting both pickups gives a better sound than on my LP Classic, it's more chimey/twangy and serves clean funk/rhythmic styles better- kind of in the way some may use the in-between position on a Tele. This makes it a very versatile guitar. The overall tone is well balanced. You get very nice rock and metal tones, as well as sweet jazzy cleans and twangy stuff as well. I can't seem to put the darned thing down- it just sings and sustains with Les Paul tone!

I've had a handful of problems with Gibson's quality control over the years. One day they seem to be on the ball, and the next day they're slacking again, especially in the area of fretwork. However, this guitar played great in the store before I bought it, and once I got it home I raised the action to 2.5mm bass, 2.0mm treble, and put GHS Boomer .010's on it. Neck relief= .008" @ 7th fret. This is my setup for all my guitars. This one has no buzzing even with very low action, and has excellent fretwork. The nut and hardware are great. The finishes are quite fugly in my opinion, but that's ok for the price. The tuners are VERY responsive- a tiny adjustment makes a lot of difference. Everything else on it seems pretty solid. My only gripe is something that is typical with Gibson's that I wish they would fix: the bridges on alot of Gibson's are too far forward. They need to bring it back at least 1/8" farther so you can intonate them w/o having to adjust the saddles all the way toward the back of the guitar.

It's used and has clearly been played to death, so I'd say it's holding up well.

If they made perfect guitars, we wouldn't need customer support.

I've been playing and gigging for 24 yrs. I own a bunch of Fenders and Gibsons. If you want the Les Paul tone at an inexpensive price and don't want to settle for an Epiphone (I don't like Epiphone guitars in the least), then try these real Gibson's. They sound almost as good as a $2,000.+ Les Paul Standard or Classic, and much better than an Epi. These are perhaps the best bang for the buck Gibson has ever put out. I like the newer red color I see on the new models.

2002, it's a faded model, American made (oooh, quality). Flat top, solid Mahogany body and neck, Rosewood Fretboard, Mother of pearl inlay. 490 & 498 humbuckers. Satin Finish. Gibson Deluxe tuners. No nonsense guitar nothing that isn't needed (the way I like it).

Perfect for My music (Blues, Classic rock, Rock) Playin' it through an old silvertone 100W head and Crate 4 12" cab, with a Korg AX1G effects unit. makes ya wanna cry with the tones I can get. Big fat sound, The only noise there is, is the noise I make myself. Excelent sustain.

I haven't made any adjustments since I bought it (except tuning), low action no buzzing. pickups set up fine. Satin Finish hides the fingerprints and scratches well.

This Guitar is Like a rock, and as heavy as one. Ive used it in gigs and have had no problems. I think it can take a beating and still kick. But it isn't that old, time will tell.

Don't need 'em

I've Been Playing for about four years, out of my eight guitars this is my favorite. I'd cry if it were stolen, but then I'd go and buy another one just like it. I really like the sound of humbuckers and the feel of the neck. No complaints. I got it because it's what I've been wanting for a long time, and then HEY! It's on sale! So I bought one and I love it! When I even think about this guitar I feel like dancin'. Great guitar.

Black finish. I called around and found out why these are so much cheaper than the other Les Pauls. First off, it is NOT a carved body like the real LP's. It has a flat surface. Second, They use a different finish than the real LP's. Without having to put on a Laquer finish by hand (like the standards that take 10-17 days to complete), they use a cheaper polyurithane finsish (which takes about 4 hours) Thus, less labor time = major savings to the consumer. Also, the inlays are plastic instead of real pearl. It took me forever to figure it out, since Musiciansfriend had no idea why it was cheaper. Gibson was able to tell me. Also, this guitar is made specifically for sale at Musiciansfriend. Hope this helps.

Great sound. Same pickups as the Standards and Customs.

Finish is kind of cheap. Gets pretty bad fingerprints and forearm marks on it from playing. but not noticeable from stage. I've had to adjust the neck on mine a few times since i got it, kind of bends up alot. Maybe its just mine. (i like my action low, which may be a factor)

Guitar has been fine since i got it a year ago. Strap buttons are too small, didn't hold strap very securely, so i put on Dunlop Strap Lock system. (great)

Overall, I love this guitar! Been playing 10 years. Don't spend your money on a real LP when this is good enough!

Mine was a 2001 model, made in the USA. Flat-top, mahogany body, 2 standard pickups, read the other reviews for details.

I've been playing for 6 years, and it was all on a strat. This was my first humbucker guitar. I'd been lusting after the LP for years; it seemed that it was the ultimate guitar. guess what---I HATE IT!
the sound is perfect les paul, so it's not the guitar's fault. it's my fault for buying the hype. this guitar sound really fat and dark. clean playing is practically muddy compared to the strat; distortion is thick as bricks. yes, it's perfect les paul, but I guess that just isn't the tone for me. still, it's extremely quiet. I'm well aware some people like this type of tone, but my personal taste is for cleaner, lighter sounds, so that's how I rated it.

setup was just fine from the factory. of course, I adjusted it to my liking. it's an american made gibson, so it's top-quality. however, the tuning keys are a different story. they are awful. they're the green "vintage" type keys, and they do NOT stay in tune. you'll definitely have to change out the keys. that was the only real problem.

such a solid instrument. don't worry about this category.

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I wish I hadn't bought the hype about les pauls. sure, they're damn fine guitars, but they simply are not my style. the necks are too big and strangely shaped...I like the smoother strat necks. the frets are high and sharp...I like rounded, low frets. and forget about playing it comfortably when sitting down. and that damned single cutaway is a pain. It's simply an entirely different guitar from the strat, and you'd better be damn sure you want this style. I sure don't. please email me for more opinions; I'm glad to help.
axlroseusa@netscape.net

Flat-top, mahogony LP. Mini-trap inlays, vintage tuners, cream plastic parts -- no bindng. 490 & 498T hums. Nice, clean-looking player's LP with the familiar layout.

The guitar is nice and quiet, even at stage volumes. Pickups are quite powerful, but very bright -- I have to EQ the head to near-flat to get a tolerable, listenable sound; but when it's dialed in, it sounds great. My live stuff is nearly all bridge-only, hi-gain work, but man - that neck PU also sounds great through a nice clean amp.

I'm rarely satisfied with a vrand new setup, so I gave it the usual treatment -- adjust the truss rod and action, install new graph-tech saddles (these are amazing -- I can't stress this enough), re-intonate, set pickup height, etc... Oiled the fingerboard (lemon oil), and sanded the neck using 1500 - 2000 grit 3M wet-or-dry to get rid of the horrible tackiness found in stock form. The guitar is an absolute top-shelf player now... I can't put it down. It's already been paying its dues at shows and been working out great. Interestingly, this was a "Scratch and Dent" item from MF, but there was nary a flaw on it when it arrived. It was in perfect condition.

Get yourself some strap locks -- this should be required. The finish (this one's ebony) is prone to scratching and gumming up, but will surely last a while. Hardware is pretty solid, though I tend to tighten everything a touch when new anyway -- you'd be amazed sometimes at how many new guitars arrive with loose knobs, tuners, etc. With those saddles and new strings, I'm confident without a backup, though I usually bring one for the hell of it anyway...

I don't deal with the manufacturers. If it's something I can fix, I do the work. I've heard a lot of horror stories about MF, but I've had pretty decent luck with them, though their packing is typically horrifying.

Playing 15 years -- modded Big Apple strat, another strat rip-off, Epi Les Paul Deluxe, Takamine acousteic, Fender Musicmaster short-scale bass, Mig-60 and 2 Mig50h heads, Marchall 4X12 cab, Crate Vintage Club with 3X10s (great clean sound).

For the money, this is a great guitar. A little time spent setting it up will yield a very nice, highly playable genuine Gibby for not much dough. It does what you want it to, reliably and in style. Sure, there are some cheapie tuners and a plastic jack plate on the guitar, but these are minor compromises for what overall is a solid bargain. For less than half the cost, this LP has edged out my beloved Big Apple as my main guitar. Unless you're ardently anti-Les Paul, you really can't go wrong...