Gibson Les Paul Special SL

The features are just what makes a Les Paul great to me,, nice chunk of mahogony,nice natural finish,great pickups and hardware,smooth tuners,3 way standard switch. This to me was Les Pauls original idea for a great guitar!!!

The sound of this baby is dead on 100 percent warm Gibson!! Itll do rock,,rockablilly,blues to a tee,jazz,what ever youre fingers can do.If youre playing class music she,ll do it all!The pickups are full with the right combo of good sounds coming out of both the lead and rhythm pickup!!

The guitar was setup nice,the action was a bit lower than Im used to,but,Ive brought it up a bit for my playing.the fit is nice and snug,the sustain will put a smile on youre face!The only flaw I can see is Me!! not buying this guitar sooner!!All in all Gibson did this guitar total justice and Ive waited a long time for them to make this for me at this price!!!

This guitar feels rock solid!! Im sure being a Gibson,itll last as long as I can still play it, and when I get some gigs together shell be right with me forever. Ill take this guitar wherever I travel and cherish it!!

I havent had to deal with the company.I dont know anything about them other than the history about Gibson..Im sure theyll keep an even keel if I should have to call on them

Ive been playing over 17 years,have owned a few old Gibsons,, a 69 Es 335 TDC..miss it!! a 1982 SG..nice ax,,a 68 ES 330..another great one.older Fenders 69 original thinline Tele,,wish I still had it,,,and a 72 blonde Tele,Today I have a 91 American Strat standard,a custom home built Tele.A Washburn Les Paul from 1991.nice one 2 Acoustics a 28 Gibson L3 and a Washburn acoustic This Gibson Les Paul SL will stay with me forever and will more than makeup for selling off the classic Gibsons Ive owned in the past!!I wished for a long time for Gibson to come up with a super affordable great sounding Les Paul and they came through!!! Overall, I know what sounds great to my ears,I have a musical gift and this makes me extremely happy !!

Mine is the Special SL (sans laquer, a poly finish) with the 490/498 'buckers. Basic Les Paul features.Nice natural finish.

I play Blues, Southern Rock, Metallica, Alternative. I think the 490/498 pickups sound as good as anything Gibson makes these days. I lowered them both down a little to get a creamier, smoother sound. I use the middle position (both pickups on) the most with the tone on 7 for the bridge pu, and 4 for the neck pu. GREAT rich tone! Easy to dial in that "hollow" tone I love, and can almost nail the Dickie Betts sweet clear tone,Hard to do without a maple cap.
I A/B a tube amp and a peavy solid state amp. Who needs an accoustic when you can run this thru the acoustic setting on my zoom 505 in to the peavy? (set bass 10- mid 0- treble 7) Very good acoustic tone! Then hit the switch and rip electric! I run the tube amp side through a modified Tubescreamer and a Danecho.
I am getting another one in black finish as a backup and might try the Duncan Antiquities pick ups>

Gibson scabed on a small piece on the bottom where the jack is to make the body wide enough. This should of been used as a painted Ebony guitar, but I must say the join was done extremely well. You can't see it at all on the front or back no matter how close you look! You can only see it on the edge where the end grain doesn't match. No big deal but I would prefer a joint down the middle if they had to do it.
The guitar looks very nice, the finish very well done but with minute imperfections from the open grain not being sealed enough- if you put your eyeball right down close in just the right light.The finish is a little thicker in some places than in others. I put heavier strings on it so I had to set it up and widen the string slots. It was set up OK but not really well. Intonation was way off. Had to get some lemon oil on the fingerboard. Plays like a dream now.
Overall fit and finish as good as my american strats. Not something to put in a glass case for display, just a real players guitar.

The finish is very durable. Gibson says this finish seals the wood so I don't need to worry about humidity or have to use a humidifier in the guitar case like you do with the laquered ones.
I don't think set necks are weaker than bolt-ons, all the broken necks I've seen have broken off right above the joint where the wood is thinner. But they ARE way more expensive to fix! I better get some straplocks! The tuners are smooth now but I don't know how long they will hold up. They are almost on the loose side. I haven't looked inside at the wireing.
This guitar will only get better with age, as it gets played in.

Lifetime warranty!

This is a Paul you can drag everywhere and not worry (too much) about.I love the unpretentious simple clean looks, the killer fat tone, the fact it doesn't weigh half a ton, the playability and the price. And it DOESN'T have a whammy!
I started playing in the '70s And yes I went thru all the Jackson-Hamer-ESP-Ibanez crap phase that all sounds so synthetic to me now. I still pick up a Fender now and then, but I have found my guitar.
My old custom made my arm go to sleep where it rested on the sharp edge of the binding. And was way too heavy. And valuable.
I'm getting another one of these! I wish they made an SG version of this one.

I believe this is a 2002 gibson Les Paul Special HB. I was happily surprised when I got the SL, it came with mini-trap inlays instead of dots! (as advertised on musicians friend) The traps look very awesome. I wont elaborate on its features... read previous reviews

Sounds superb going through my Marshall AVT20, save for the hum which supposively can be fixed by grounding the pickups. I have carpeted floors and if I move around alot and then touch anything metal on the guitar, I get a static shock. I've been playing my friend's les paul double cut studio for a while, and the SL sounds just as good, and maybe a little better (it has a slightly warmer tone)

Action came medium. I found that adjusting the low e string any lower brought on some fret buzz. The neck seems to have a very slight upward curve, which fits my taste. The neck is very fast and smooth along with the fretboard (which is almost like glass). The guitar came in perfect shape, no nicks or dents. It has a pretty (natural) finish, but the laquer is a little thick for my liking.

This thing feels like solid steel. It should hold up for years. I got the natural finish instead of the ebony (which I like more) because of the finish problems other people had posted. At least if the natural finish chips or scratches you wont notice it as much. I don't play gigs or anything like that, but you would not need a backup.

Never had to deal with gibson, but my friends have and their support was excellent.

Wow! Gibson. Les Paul. $549. Sounds great (except for the grounding problem) What more could you ask for?

i forgot to add some things in my last review so ill tell you some things. This guitar was made in 2001. it has 2 humbuckers. a 490 neck pickup and a 498T bridge pickup. it is a bit lighter than most les pauls. It has really great tuners. the guitar stays in tune really well. all in all its really just a normal les paul. the gig bag it came with was really good too.

the sound it PERFECT. you cant really ask for anything better. for the price you pay it is really great. this guitar sounds really great on any amp. really. the sustain is so good. i can hold note forever. there are no complaints in the sound. it sounds just like a really expensive les paul model. you can cover alot of ground with this guitar.

the guitar was set up better than some of the reviews i read. mine came to the door IN TUNE. i took it out of the box and started playing. the pickups were good. like i said in my other review, the finish sucks. its hard not to crack or dent the finish. but the dings that i made you cant see while i play so i dont care. i really am more for the sound than the looks. but if you want to have this guitar in perfect condition, you better be REALLY careful. and for me i have to clean the black finish like everyday. i have really sweaty hands. but its worth it. it looks great clean.

this guitar will last. the strap buttons are great. i can really depend on this. if you dont like switching guitars during gigs, then you wont need a backup. its that good. (just dont hit the finish with anything!!!)

i havent had to talk to them.

im sorry i didnt add some of these things in my other review. once i sent it in i thought of some things to add that i thought were important. all in all this is a great guitar. feel free to email me if you want to ask me about the guitar or whatever.

It has great les paul-like sound.
Sounds just like a standard(no lie).

It sounds great through my fender princeton65 and in my marshall jcm 900 w/ 4x12's.
I really love this guitars sound.

Setup to my expectations, just the way i thought gibson would be like.
Great polished finish,i love my natural finish.

Very reliable, 15 gigs,noproblem.

Very helpful, told me all i wanted to know.

Really great,i play punk and ska and ska-core. It sounds so good,i wont play anything else since ive bought it. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON 2000.00 LesPaul, GET THIS AND IT SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME!!!!!!

Im not sure what year this is. But it was made in the great USA. It has 22 frets. Mahogany body with contoured back
Mahogany slim-taper set neck Rosewood fingerboard Chrome hardware ABR bridge Stopbar tailpiece Two volume and two tone pots. I love the neck. Mine is in ebony (black) finish

I played this guitar through a Line 6 spider amp and a marshall amp before i bought it online. It sounded great. I have a cheap peavey amp right now. Still sounds great!

The guitar was really set up well. Everything was great. But i acidently bumped the guitar against a medal effect pedal, and now there is a little crack in the finish. I think I can touch it up but I hope it will be ok. But im not happy with the finish. but everything else was great.

This guitar will be ok for a long time. the wood and everything is like a tank. I can really depend on this guitar. I would use a back up guitar cause i like to change guitars and styles when i play. But i can depend on this guitar.

never delt with them yet.

i have been playing for about 5 years now. this is my 3rd guitar now. If it was stolen i would call the cops what else could you do? the guitar is alot better than my other guitars. The only problem i have with it is the finish.

Not too many features, but enough to get the job done. This is all I need in a guitar, I love it. If I were to add anything, I would get locking tuning machines.

Great sound, great sustain, great tone. I love it

Okay action, but Gibson sucks at setting up their guitars (and guitar center) but I got it set up by a great repairman I work with and it plays like a dream. It's extremely light and comfortable to play. Finish is nice and natural, the way i like it.

I have had little problems with the guitar. I dropped it and busted a tone pot, but I got it fixed. My only problem is the damn G string, doesn't stay in tune as well as I would like it. Otherwise, extremely reliable. Tank.

NA

Buy this guitar, I like it better than a standard. I will keep this guitar forever (as I do with all of them), but the next guitar I would get after this would be custom built for me, so I'd have to say that this is the last manufactured electric that I will ever buy. You did well, Gibson.

All mahogany construction, set neck, Gibson 490R and 498T humbuckers, stop tail piece, strap buttons, tuners, 2 tones and 2 volumes. Thinner body than LP Standards, no maple cap, flat top. Tummy cut in back. Small block inlay. Rosewood board. No pickguard, which looks naked and I gotta say good. Very thin lacquer finish, lack of sealer makes grain apparent through the finish.

This guitar sucks. Just kidding. It's the best bang for buck guitar I've ever bought. I got it on clearance at the Musician's Friend clearance/seconds warehouse in Kansas City probably about a year ago. It had two finish flaws or digs, one of which was a good 3/4 inch long chip/peel on the body near where your forearm would rest. I got it for $389. Holy shit, what a good price.

It sounds very middy, kind of dark, but it has enough highs. It can sound jazzy--I've got flatwounds on it now. Because it's all mahogany without the maple cap that LP Standards have, it lacks some of that twangy top end nasal snarl that the very best (but by no means all) Les Pauls have. The sound is a little primitive and unrefined (SG-like), chunky and dark but with a ton of mid range bite. It cuts through pretty well with a band, awesome for dirty crunch chording, and pretty good cut for leads. Admittedly, my strat is not as harmonically rich and cuts through (HB in the bridge) for leads better. Sustain is very good. I use .11s and it's a thick sounding guitar.

The stock pickups were quite good tonewise, but lacked some of the clarity and were a little too hot. I replaced them with Seymour Duncan '59s which give this guitar the brightness and snarl it needed. I'm thinking about trying the Alnico II pros for even more nasal sweetness.

Pretty good. Made in USA. Very solidly built, but sloppy. All the working, functional parts are darn near perfect and solid. But the finish is thin and nowhere near perfect, etc. I didn't buy it for the way it looks, I bought it for the way it plays and sounds. The setup and feel is very solid and good. The frets are huge--a big plus. The fretwork is in the "railroad tie" school, which is poor. You'll find this on $3,000 Pauls too though.

This is the only Les Paul I will ever play. I love the flat top. I can't stand carved tops, I just can't play them, my right hand refuses to sit correctly on them. I love the way Les Pauls look with that bookmatched maple carved top, but I can't stand playing them.

I'll give it a 7 for the fit with respect to it's function as a guitar, with consideration of the price.

The feel is very solid and good. Very good player. Be carefull with all set neck guitars. Other than that, this thing will hold up. It's a totally simple and stripped down guitar. The only thing I didn't like were the strap buttons. They are like tiny little buttons and the slip right out of the strap. Do yourself a favor--replace these with the wide, catchy Fender buttons, or never take your hands off the guitar when it's strapped on you. Or both. If it falls and hits the set mahagony neck or headstock wrong...toast (like any Les Paul). Otherwise this will hold up for 100 years.

Never dealt with Gibson.

Been playing 9 years. Have owned between 7 and 10 guitars (?) and 15+ tube amps. Am a guitarophile.

This guitar is the simplest two pickup Les Paul you can buy. It's a great value.

It's a 1999 year made solid body, 22 frets guitar. All-mahogany body & neck, rosewood fretboard. It has 2 volume & 2 tone controls. 2 i think,2 T90 (humbs) pickups. My has ebony finish, but there is also natural one. Calssic Les Paul shape. Tune-O-Matic bridge. Of course 24 1/4" string's lenght. Came with deluxe Gig Bag, which is pretty cool, but i'll probably hardcase. Gibson strings (best strings ever!)> It isn't jackson, esp or ibanez features, it's basic Les Paul

It's good for rock and jazz. I'm using it with Marshall amp. Sounds cool. Sustain is very long. On the rhytm postion sounds jazzy. The normal postion is good for playing solos song (Santana's styled). The treble good for all that hard rock fast solos -Gn'R, Metallica. There's little buzz, when it's not in use - when you touch strings by hand it stops. I think it's a grounding problem, but it isn't bad. All you need from guitar.

It came with action little too high, not a problem, I changed it. Pickups were in bad setting - neck's one was too low and bridge one was too high. Not real problem I'll fix it soon. I had too adjust strings lenght - the G one had g on open string lower than g on 12th fret. It gets dirty fast 'cause of the black color. Other things great. It needs just little adjusment.

It'll last long, I know it. Build like a soviet tank.

Never needed too and hope never will

I'm playing for 2 years. If it'll be stolen I'll steal another one 'cause I don't have another 500$. The sound is cool, long sustain -i love it. I have it only for month. It very light, much much lighter than other LP's. I love this guitar

I'm writing this review primarily to add info to what others have stated here. This model is actually called a Gibson Les Paul Junior Special HB. Check the website; it's the one with dot inlays and two covered humbuckers. The Les Paul Special SL had the stacked p100 pickups (look under the "discontinued" section). Also wanted to point out that this guitar is NOT solid mahogany; rather, it is a mahogany body with a FLAT maple cap. It's a great rock 'n roll axe, and I highly recommend it; it is a great value.

Great for rock 'n roll!

No problems whatsoever.

I assume it'll hold up well, but who knows?

No experience.

One of the best values out there. A great, American-made axe at Epiphone prices! Gotta love it.