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Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus

Summary
Price New Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus @ Musician's Friend
Manufacturer URL http://www.gibson.com/
Features 9.4 (33 responses)
Sound 9.6 (36 responses)
Action, Fit, & Finish 8.9 (36 responses)
Reliability/Durability 9.8 (33 responses)
Customer Support 9.3 (19 responses)
Overall Rating 9.6 (37 responses)
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Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: USD 1925
Submitted 09/09/2009 at 07:05pm by Robert Ogle

Features : 10
2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus in heritage cherry sunburst. The chambered body is perfect ??? light weight and still a Lester. The asymmetrical neck profile is perfect for me ??? not a thin as the 60???s, not as fat as the 50???s. The other new features are items I like ??? locking tuners, straplocks, ect. - vintage purists might balk at these ??? their trip...not mine.

Sound : 10
It sounds like....a Les Paul! Slightly different tone than the solid wood 58 reissue I owned for 5 years, and then sold ??? those PU???s were 57 classics. This one has burstbucker pros which are not as dark ??? but they still sing jazz if you so desire. They have just slightly higher output than BB 1&2 ??? classic LP tone to my ears. Drive sounds balanced and thick thru my 60 watt 6L6 tuber ??? great sustain/cut at the upper frets. Clean is harmonic/rich as it should be ??? zero dislikes.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Action is perhaps the most comfortable I???ve ever played ??? had to be, or I wouldn???t spring for that much $$$. Beautiful flame maple top - setup close to right on. Purchased new, but this one has a few finish mirco-indentations courtesy of past looky-loos. They???re only visible at an angle, but that???s kool - contributed to $600+ off the sticker price.

Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
I assume it's as reliable as other LP's I've played/owned.

Customer Support : 9
Called Gibson once - to get info on my former LP. They were helpful - got me the info I requested - nice on the phone

Overall Rating : 9
I???ll give it a 9+, it???s that good. Purchased new, gorgeous tone, great action, sexy look, and lightweight ??? best humbucker-equipped rocker/jazzer/blueser I???ve played. Have 5 other electrics, one Martin, 5 amps ??? started playing around 1964.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted 06/23/2009 at 08:28am by ms3

Features : 9
It's a 2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus in heritage cherry sunburst. I won't bore you with the features as if you are reading this, you have no doubt seen them listed on the Gibson website. It came with a hardshell case from Gibson.

The guitar has the female end of strap locks already on it, which are compatible with Dunlop strap locks.

I'm giving it a 9 in the features because of the stupid cable lock. There is no need for that on this guitar.

Sound : 10
I primarily play through a Johnson JM120 marquis with a variety of effects from Boss to Maxon. My style ranges from blues, rock, hard rock, alternative to a bit of bluegrass.

The sound is absolutely phenomenal. People have complained about every aspect of the 2008 Standard but let me tell you, it sounds more "classic" than I could have hoped for. I've been playing massive amounts of guitar for well over 10 years and this guitar has given me the exact sound I've dreamed about since I first played a Les Paul as a teenager.

The chambered body does not even remotely make it sound like a hollow body, in my opinion, as many have complained. Perhaps when played "acoustically" it is louder and a bit more like my epi dot with gibson '57s, but when plugged in, it is all solid. (and seriously, who buys a Les Paul to play acoustic guitar on? Non-issue.)

The sustain is almost never ending. I honestly couldn't believe how long I could hold a note on this thing.

The sound is very rich. It sounds like a Les Paul is supposed to sound, but it is surprisingly versatile as well. Just playing around with the pick up selector and the different pedals gets me any sound I want.

I have no dislikes at all regarding the sound. The quality of the sound is why I bought this particular guitar.



Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
The flaws common in Gibsons are non-existent in this guitar. I looked it over completely as soon as it was in my hands. The finish is superb, the factor set-up was actually done quite well. The action was fine.

Reliability/Durability : 9
This guitar will definitely withstand live playing. The only delicate aspect is the finish. It's so beautiful that I would cry if I were to scratch it.

The hardware definitely will last. I have had other Gibson products for 10 years and they work fine. If this guitar is built like those, this will be my main guitar for the next 40 years.

I would never gig without a backup because I hate changing strings in a rush. But except for a broken string, there would be no need to bring a back up. Even the pick up selector seems more "heavy duty" than the other 3 way selectors on my other guitars.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I haven't dealt with the company yet and I hopefully won't have to but the guitar does come with a lifetime warranty. I'm not sure what it entails as I have yet to read the book but as long as you mail the warranty card to Gibson within 15 days, its yours.

I should note, I guess, that the store I bought it from offered me 1 year of free set-ups and adjustments. The salesman valued that at $300 which I thought was a bit over valued until I realized you can take it in once every 2 months. Presumably this would cost about $50 a pop without the free set-ups.

Overall Rating : 9
I have been playing for quite a while and this guitar gives me a sound that is better than anything I could have asked for.

I have had an Ibanez s470 for a good 10 years now and while the Gibson sounds much better, the Ibanez is one hell of a durable guitar. Seemingly more so than the Gibson (perhaps due to the chambered body making it lighter? I've always subscribed to the school of thought that heavier = better quality)

If it were stolen or lost I would buy a new one, especially if I could get a similar deal to the one I was able to secure.

I didn't compare it to other makes of guitar because I knew I wanted a Les Paul. I did however compare it to other Les Pauls and I was thoroughly satisfied with the 2008 LP Standard.

I was able to get this guitar brand new for several hundred dollars less than the $2699 ask price that is commonly found on the internet. If you have the cash and can get a deal, get this guitar now before the price goes up when the economy improves.

Anyways, with that said, I bought this guitar for the un-frickin-believable sound it makes. There are a few things keeping it from being a perfect ten. If given the option, I would give this guitar a rating of 9.5. It's better than a 9 but not quite a 10.

This guitar is favorite toy. I cannot put it down!! Don't let the rating of 9 fool you. It is everything I have wanted it to be since I was younger, but now I have the experience to thoroughly and accurately rate the product.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: USD 2,200
Submitted 12/26/2006 at 11:23pm by Dragoneyes

Features : 10
I bought this guitar in 2006,but it was a 2005 model. It has a AAA flamed top. It has an Amber finish with the standard tune-o-matic bridge. The neck is a 50's style which is my favorite. Nice rosewwod frets that are smooth and very easy on the fingers. It came with the standard black snake skin case. It came with the Burst bucker pro pick-ups on it.

Sound : 10
I play alot of Hard Rock and Blues and it does it very well. I did however replace the bridge pick-up with a Dimarzio Super Distortion pick-up. I like the tonal range better. The pick-ups are hot and they sound great. The neck is true and my strings that I use are Ernie Ball Hybrids.They give it a bigger sound. I love the harmonics that this guitar can make and my only gripe is it is a little on the heavy side. When you play it clean it is really clean.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
I got it and as most of my guitars I had to tweek it to my taste. I adjusted the action but that was about it. Gibson's quality control has gotten a lot better so as far as flaws my guitar had none.

Reliability/Durability : 10
I've had this guitar for almost 2 yrs. now and I believe it is still showroom quality. I take good care of all of my axes. I did replace my strap buttons with Schaller locking srap buttons so I won't loose my axe during playing. I can depend on this guitar that my back up almost never comes out of the case. I think this guitar will out last me if it is taken care of.

Customer Support : 10
I have had no problems with my guitar except when I had a brain fart and had to call Gibson to find out which way the intonation screws faced cause I took the bridge off to clean it and forgot which way it faced. They were very nice and helpful.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing over 20yrs. and I've owned 3 Gibson's and they are worth the money. I also own an Epiphone Tony Iommi SG and a Takamine Acoustic and an Epiphone Ace Frehley Les Paul. I run them through my SKG Pedal board into my Ibanez Weeping Demon to my Fender tuner into a Boss A-B switch and A effect loop has a Boss Noise Suppressor into a Marshall EVH Compressor,then into a Boss Overdrive Pedal. Loop B goes into my Boss Amp Modeler and the both loops go to my Peavey Valve King 212 Combo Amp which is connected to a Marshall AVT 412 Cab. I get a great wall of sound that will blow your hair back. If you have the money try out this guitar, it is well worth it.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: USD 2100
Submitted 12/26/2006 at 01:23am by Dr. "O"

Features : 9
2002 model. 50???s neck. Burstbuster pickups. Nickel hardware. Stunning bookmatched flamed maple top finished in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. The flame extends all the way to the outer edge of the body and picks up the light from every angle. The flame pattern is not perpendicular to the bookmatched joint. Instead, it angles back slightly away from the neck. The flame from both slabs meets in the middle to form a mildly inverted "vee??? or chevron pattern. When I bought this guitar from Sam Ash I had three with the 50???s neck to chose from. They all felt, played and weighed about the same so I took the one with the most unique flame pattern.

Sound : 10
I enjoy playing a lot of old school stuff, such as: old Stones, country rock, rockabilly, even a little surf music. However, my first love is the Blues, and NOTHING can belt out the Blues like a Les Paul. Drive the bridge pick up hard and you get screaming leads. Switch to the neck pickup, drive it hard, and you get rich mellow tones with chunky, well-defined bass. Ease off on the volume and you achieve a whole new level of mellowness. It is the consumate blues guitar (no offense Stevie). By the way, it???s not too shabby for other styles of music either.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
The paint job was fine. The binding was fine. The fretboard inlay work was mediocre at best. Upon close inspection you can see some filler around almost every inlay. I have an Epi ???56 Goldtop that has absolutely superb inlay work. The high E saddle on the bridge had two notches cut in it. Not a big deal, but... The frets are huge on this particular years model and I???m not sure they were ever dressed before the guitar left the factory. The high E also had a ping that no amount of truss rod or bridge adjusting could ameliorate. IMO the 2003 and subsequent model years have smaller frets (could it be that the frets were actually dressed ???).

Played the guitar heavily for a good year or so figuring it just needed to get broken in. The frets got no better. They felt square ??? more like speed bumps than frets. While moving up the neck, my fingers would constantly get stuck on a fret before reaching their final destination. The guitar was virtually unplayable for lead work. Seriously considered trading it in for a later model on many occasions. Could not find one that had a beautiful top like this one. As a last resort I had the frets leveled and crowned. What a difference. It felt like a new guitar and became a joy, instead of a chore, to play. If you have this trouble and you otherwise like the guitar get a good fret job done on it before making any hasty decisions.

Rating before the fretwork and set up was a 5. Now it gets an 8. Come on Gibson. A guitar that costs over two grand should be a work of art.

Reliability/Durability : 10
The Les Paul could withstand a nuclear blast so it can certainly withstand a heavy dose of gigging. Perish the thought, but I think that whatever or whomever a Les Paul happened to fall on would get the worst of it. That being said it's always a good idea to have a backup. I have had some crazy things happen to guitars over the years.

Customer Support : No Opinion
I have a local guitar tech who knows his stuff and does any major work I need done. I can do the simple stuff myself. Before I buy an instrument I check it over thoroughly to make sure it is sound and blemish free. If it had major issues right out of the box or off the wall I would not accept it. I have had three Les Pauls and a couple of other Gibson models over the years. I have never had to deal with Gibson.

Overall Rating : 9
I have always liked the Les Paul. This is the third one that I have had over the last 40 some odd years of playing. The first two (early 70???s Deluxe goldtop and a late 80???s Standard in Triburst) are no longer with me. I did not get rid of them because I didn't like them. Never could afford to buy an original one. Even back in the late 60???s they were already going for a couple of grand or more.

I have a respectable assortment of guitars and amps. Some of my other favorite guitars are: two Fender AV ???57 Strats, a USA Custom Guitar Tele, and an Epiphone ???56 Gold Top with P90???s (another killer blues guitar). My favorite amps are: a 1970 Vibro Champ, a Marsh Amps 5F2-A Princeton clone I built from a kit, and a ???66 Deluxe Reverb. I don???t use any pedals. The only effects I use are a slight bit of tremolo and/or reverb if the amp has it.

If I could have only one guitar, it would be a Les Paul. It has substance. It is built like a brick shithouse. It is meat and potatoes with gravy on top. It looks good, and after some work, it plays good - sounds even better.

Whether it be goldtop or sunburst, it is a rock and roll icon. What else is there to say ?


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1999
Submitted 06/27/2005 at 05:53am by SB971

Features : No Opinion
'03 Les Paul Standard Premium Plus w/ all the normal features...

Sound : 8
The sound of the Burstbucker PU's is awesome! Very heavy tone out of each PU and unreal sustain. The only thing I'm not totally happy with is the neck PU seems kind of "muddy" for lack of a better word... I use the bridge for lead and the combination of both for rhythm. Maybe it's just not the right sound for me, may be perfect for others

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Very good detail work throughout guitar. No machine could stamp out such a great feeling and playing guitar, there's definately human input in each ones construction. Play a few different ones, each one has it's own character... The only downfall is the weight. I like a bit of weight, but this one does kill me after a couple of hours!

Reliability/Durability : 10
Been playing this guitar very regular for long hours each time with no problems yet. I really can't foresee any coming. Very quality built.

Customer Support : 10
I dealt with cust support when I first bought the guitar about some tech questions. They emailed me back usually within hours. I also asked about the pickguard that came with it having no hardware (you have to install yourself if you want the pickguard on). The rep emailed that they don't ship the hardware with the guitars for whatever reason, but said if I wanted it, he would ship it to me free of charge. I received it in the mail 48 hours later! What more could you ask for in support?!?

Overall Rating : 9
I've always been a die-hard Fender fan and own many of them (Strats and Tele) but I have to say that I truely LOVE this guitar! It doesn't take the place of my Strats, but when playing with my band, I generally play the LP just for the heavier sound for rock music. I have to say though, when it comes to playing some good blues, I have to go back to the Strat. It just sounds better for that. But the LP is still a great all around guitar. Not a cheap guitar to buy, but it's a Gibson, tell your wife/husband it's an investment! A real joy to play!


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1675.00
Submitted 06/02/2005 at 07:20pm by gigglebutton

Features : 9
2002 Les Paul Standard w/AAA Premium Top 50s neck, i am sure everybody knows the equipment and specs on these guitars so i wont bother with that

Sound : 10
The new burst bucker w/alnico 5 magnets are the best stock pups in Les Pauls yet! This one has the 1&2 burstbuckers, You can turn the vol down at the guitar and your treble doesnt disappear, when run wide open as soon as you put your hand over the rear pup it will feedback as they are not waxed so you need to get them potted,get some nice clean sounds at low vol an some nice crunch from 4 up

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
The finish department at Gibson is on top of things, nice blending of the colors, the Heritage cherryburst is beautiful, i am seroiusly considering ordering a custom shop 59 in this color! The string alignment is spot on as well as the pups, bridge etc. The top is a wonderfull AAA bookmatched with between tiger/fiddleback flame goes from edge to edge, it is very deep and vivid on this one(why i got it) grain is nice and even,well done! The neck i am still adjusting,cant seem to bring the "G" around, i have strung it with XL150s, i may need to get the frets touched up a bit here and there, usually do it myself as i see no need in having a luthier level them all when only a couple need some work. I dont care for the wide neck binding and wish they would go back to the historic thin neck binding,hey gibson,this wide neck binding takes up valuable fret space! lets get with it!!! also,the nashville bridge i dont care for,if you need to change a saddle its hard or impossible and the dealer wants to sell you a new bridge when all you need is just a saddle to set the cut where you want it, also nice to see that they have got rid of the babyshit brown case color and gone back to black now ditch the soft handle and get the hard ones back on there!! i have been playing, buying(and selling) Les Pauls since the early 70s, back when 3 piece tops were the norm though i am fond of the early neck shapes. The 50s neck is not all that big to me and really feels like what a 60s neck should be imop.also, there are some machine fret insert marks along the fret borders this should not be!!! i compared measurements with the ones in the book beauty of the burst and most are in the same specs, i found the neck to be narrower by an average of 1 m.m. at the body and the body thickness is tenths of a mm in difference from neck joint to end,where on 59s they are averaging 2mms thinner at the butt button. no biggie, i weighed it at the post office on there scale and its 8lbs9oz. a lite one for sure. the flame is deeper on this one than the 59 40th ann historic i had,and just a tad better than the 58 historic i had, i would reccomend searching out the AAA tops if your dealer has ordered any, i think they must come out of the custom shop now and then when they get good wood in. oh, the crown inlays have alot of filler around them guess thats about it! i would give the heritage cherry burst finish on this beauty a 10 but the rest i give an

Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
they are the industry standard!

Customer Support : 8
i have emailed gibson and they generally respond in a few days(they get floods of emails)

Overall Rating : 8
i play this thru marshalls which i have been using for over 40 years(now you know i am an old geezer ha!)various pedals(still havent gone digital)also have several other gibsons, i dont really play anything else though i am putting to gether a strat w/a bender on it. i may get the aluminum tailpiece for it and try the 50s mod on the tone pots, the thing bugs me most is the goofy assed wide neck binding!! might go back to a historic just on that point but try to find a cheap used one thats been beat up a bit or a plaintop 58 if i can find a rounded neck, the ine i had had a U shape flat bottom on the neck hwere my friends has a beautiful fat rounded one and feels great but its tough to buy over the net and dpend on the other guys description.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1700.00
Submitted 02/26/2005 at 05:57am by Matt Garcia III
Email: garc129 at aol<dot>com

Features : 10
2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus, production date 7/27/2001. Purchased in 10/2002. USA built, Cherry Sunburst, with red back. Flamed maple top, nicely grained mahogany back, 22 medium jumbo frets, rosewood fingerboard, 2 volume, 2 tone controls for the very nice 496r/498t pickups. Tuners are Grovers, came with case.

Sound : 10
I rememeber seeing Jimmy Page wailing on his '57 when "The Song Remains the Same" movie, and knew then I had to play guitar, and I wanted a Les Paul!!! The tone is AWESOME!! Full rich distorted, to crunchy, to outright clean. I play it through a Marshall AVT150 Combo, with a tube preamp, and let me tell you how great this guitar sounds clean. Tube clean, is much warmer than solid state clean, and then there is overdrive. This guitar is the standard I set for my tone. I also own a 2004 Fender USA Strat w/DiMarzio's, and a 2004 Jackson SL3 with Seymours.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
The guitar was not set up from the factory. I guess they get it to certain specs, and then the owner has a professional set up done to accomodate their playing style. I originally took it to a "Biggie" here in Houston, who just set it to Gibson specs, and then charged me. After a month of playing, I found Al Martinez at Lone Star Guitar Shop here in Houston. Al wielded his truss rod wrench, nut files, and feeler gauge, and now this guitar's action is so low, it almost plays itself. I had to pay twice for a setup, but what Al did, made it worth it!!! All milling, and fit of this guitar was just great. There was a big scratch on the back, from kids at the Guitar Center, that eventually came out with some buffing with Novus Scratch remover. Now it is fine. I had one high fret, that I used some emory cloth on to get a buzz out, then repolished all the frets, now no buzz!!!

Reliability/Durability : 10
I think this guitar would stand up to live playing!!! I think everyone famous has played one onstage at one time or another!!! The hardware is sturdy, and if you keep it wiped off, the finish, and hardware should last a lifetime. Keep it ot of the rain, and away from water. Nitrocellulose lacquer will disolve with water. They tell you that in your owners manual!!! Also keep rubber away from the finish, like the surgical rubber they use on stands, and hangers. There is a chemical reaction that happens that will damage the finish of a Gibson.

Customer Support : 10
Gibson Customer Service is great!! They will help you with any questions. The Guitar Center lost my pickguard while they were in possession of this instrument. I emailed Gibson C/S, and they sent me one, FREE!!! This instrument has a lifetime warranty, excluding wearing items (frets), and electronics.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing over 20 years on and off. I had carpal tunnel syndrome, and had to put it down for a few years, but now I'm surgically repaired, and can jam again!! I also own a 2004 USA Fender Strat w/DiMarzio's, a 2004 Jackson SL3, and a Epiphone PR5-E electro-acoustic. This is my 1st good guitar, as Randy Rhoads would put it, and it had to be a Gibson Les Paul. If someone stole this guitar, I would have to declare WW3 on his monkey ass!! I'm very happy with my Gibson!!! I would probably buy a Reissue, if I lost this, or it was stolen.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 12/14/2004 at 05:48pm by Anonymous

Features : 8
This is a Les Paul with burstbuckers. I have no idea how it is different from other Les Pauls. I guess I got this in July of 2002. My wife was very ill and was looking for a distraction. This Les Paul is great, finish is the desert burst, never bothered to mount the pickguard. The tuners seem fragile but never had a problem and I use 11's so the tesion for trouble is there. Wiring is good, ground is good. The neck and fret work is great, equal to that of a high end Fender. Must admit though I like the way an LP sits in my hands and as much as I like Strats I just don't get the same feeling.

Sound : 9
I love the tone from an overdriven amp and humbuckers, to me it is all that is good in this world and it very easy to get that sound with this guitar. I play thru a Prosonic, a couple of Sunns, one a reissue of the Model T, Sound City, Blues Junior and a chassis someone put togeather for me, 30 watts 6L6's and a Celestion Blue. What I enjoy most about this guitar is the tremendous tones you can get by just changing your attack on the strings, very, very receptive.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Gibson takes a lot of heat, maybe they should, I don't know but this guitar is a quality piece of work, Finish was flawless, intonation dead on, fret work excellant. I can't bitch about it.

Reliability/Durability : 8
I haven't had any type of trouble at all in two years. I play alot and it seems to enjoy being played.

Customer Support : 7
I've delt with Gibson on a couple of guitars I have owned, they have treated me well. Ever e-mail Fender's service desk? Didn't think so.

Overall Rating : 9
I like this guitar. I have some Strats from various years with various mods, a Tele, an ES 446s, SG and some typical stuff. Like I said I like humbuckers and P 90's. Effects, not much really, wah wah, reverd, delay and a Hot Plate by THD which is great. You can crank the shit out of your amp and preserve your ears, my hearing is blown pretty much from pre-THD crank. It's always a joy to pick this thing up and noodle, like spending an afternoon with an old friend. If it were stolen I doubt I'd chase down another, but I would get another Les Paul, whatever was available, affordable and felt right.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1575.00 used
Submitted 12/22/2003 at 12:59pm by Mike

Features : 9
2003 Made in Nashville, TN - USA. 22 Frets, AAA Maple top. 2 Tone, 2 Volume, 3 Way Switch, H/H, BurstBucker Pro pickups. Solid Mahogany Body with Maple "cap" top, and 60's Slim Taper Solid Mahogany Neck. Wine Red finish on a Flamed maple top. Tune-O-Matic bridge, Klusion (Green) tuners, 24 3/4 Scale Rosewood Neck. Came with the Charcoal color case which isn't quite as loud as the New Orleans Brothel Pink that my ES-335 has.

Sound : 10
I play mostly Rock and Blues with a little country thrown in there. I have a Marshall 30w solid state amp, and a Fender Blues Deluxe tube amp. I use an Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer sometimes as well. This guitar has a different sound than my ES-335 (Duh!) or my Fender (American) Strat. It's a full warm Les Paul sound with some nice bite to it. It's not quite as HOT as my 1996 LP was, but that's all because of the pickups. I've been able to wrench out some really nice tones on the three different selector settings. It has that classic Les Paul sound. Just what I was looking for to augment my guitar collection.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
I bought this guitar used, and it wasn't really set up the way that I like it. I put a set of 10's on it. Then I went to work with my digital calipers, feeler gauge, and chromatic tuner. I had to lower the bridge at the high E position to get it back into factory spec. Then I tuned it up and set the intonation. Ahhhh... that's it! It dialed right back in to that classic Les Paul tone. Beautiful action. And a good feel for the 60's style neck. I prefer this slimmer neck to the fatter 50's style (although most Les Paul players don't) The bridge was centered correctly on the top in relation to the stop bar and neck (I've heard that Gibson has a problem with doing this consistently). The neck has the usual peculiar bow around the twelfth fret on the low E string. I've read about this before as well. Then I started noticing it on other LP's including my own. I would never try to adjust it out though; because I am sure that Gibson has a reason for it. It always seems like changing a minor imperfection such as this will lead to Fret Buzz. Which I think is by far a worse problem.

Reliability/Durability : 9
This is the bonus area. This is one solid guitar. I would never think twice about it not making it through a gig. These guitars are guaranteed for life (to the original owner). Gibson wouldn't just do that for marketing reasons. If that were the case other companies that only offer 90 days to 1 or 2 years warranty would do the same. It also has the Nitro Cellulose Lacquer finish, so in case anything does happen scratch and dent wise. It can easily be repaired. I immediately changed the strap buttons to Dunlop Strap Locks. I just can't figure out why Gibson still insist on putting small strap buttons on guitars that cost upwards of $2000. I mean one mishap and a $1,000 of resell value just flew out of the guitar. I would use this guitar with out a backup. One last thing is that it seems like the nuts and screws always need some attention on Gibson guitars. A little tightening every now and then is something I would recommend. Otherwise you might loose a piece of hardware.

Customer Support : 9
I have had very good response from Gibson's customer support. Both from emails and phone conservations.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing forever (20+ years). I also own an ES-335, and a Fender Strat. This is my second Les Paul. I had a 1996 that seemed to have a little hotter pickups in it. The 96 also had a 50's style neck. I got this model because it has the Slim Taper 60's style neck, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the BurstBucker Pro pickups to hear them as well. It is a smooth sounding guitar. I love the Les Paul sound. I hear a lot of Les Paul bashers saying that they can make their guitar sound like an LP or a Strat, and I always think that if you want that sound. Why not get the original gear that gives you that sound. Otherwise it's just imitation. One last little dislike is that the pick guard seems a little cheesy. I have this beautiful pick guard on my ES-335 that is well secured and doesn't rattle at all. The Les Paul pick guard always seems to be not quite so secured. I spoke with a friend of mine who owns a music store, and he told me that all LP's are like that. For what I paid for his guitar. I thnk that I got one heck of a deal. It is absolutely beautiful.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 05/07/2003 at 03:49am by Anonymous

Features : 10
Les Paul Standard, 60's slim taper neck (50's profile is the other option), in Lightburst. Has a light amount of flame across the Maple top, which shows up best in bright light. I'm not sure if this would be one of the "A-graded" tops. If so, I imagine it would be an "A" or "AA" top at best. Mine was made on Monday, March 31 2003. They come stock without the pick guard, nickel hardware, Kluson tuners, new Burstbucker pickups, nice selection of finishes to choose from, and still sport cheap strap buttons. All the features a Les Paul should have. The new black cases have black interior- much cooler than that brown/pink satain interior crap.

Sound : 10
I play mostly through Marshall amps. I have a '99 LP Classic Honeyburst and compared to that, this sounds a bit better. I love the new Burstbucker pickups; they have a lot of bite and attack while retaining a warm low end. Overall the tone seems very full and balanced from low to high. Gets great tones in all pickup selections for just about anything- Jazz, Rock, Metal, etc. I'm a classic and modern rocker with an alter-ego for light Jazz. Sounds beautiful in every respect.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 6
This guitar was very difficult to get set up right. I have been doing setups on guitars for about 15 years. The action needs to be set quite high to keep frets from buzzing on the Low E string on different areas of the neck. When sighting down the neck, there is more curvature on the bass side than the treble side. When you tighten the truss rod to bring the bass side up to where it should be, there is not enough curvature on the treble side and it buzzes. Conversely, when you loosen the truss rod to bring the treble side down to where it should be, there is too much curvature on the bass side and it buzzes. All of the Les Pauls in my local store were the same. I've never seen this phenomenon on other brands.

I found a happy-medium and now the guitar plays well, but the action must be set well above Gibson's recommended spec's of 3/32 Bass to 5/64 Treble at the 12th fret.

The fit and finish, as well as every other thing on this guitar is immaculate. After I adjusted the intonation, the guitar plays in tune all the way up the neck better than any guitar I've ever owned.

Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
The guitar is tough and dependable. Like I said, the strap buttons are still the crappy ones. Too early to tell about the finish. If the hardware is infact nickel, then it should begin to look nice and worn within a few months time like on my LP Classic.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 8
Been playing since Frampton came alive! I own a few Les Pauls, a few strats, and some other stuff. Of all the Gibson's I've ever owned over the years, this one sounds the best. However, I feel that more time and attention needs to be given to the neck, fretboard, and frets before leaving the factory. To spend over a thousand bucks on any guitar, and then have to send it off for another hundred bucks for a grind and polish of the frets, is a complete slap in the face from an American company with such a wonderful history.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $2,000.
Submitted 05/06/2003 at 05:47pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
2003 Les Paul Standard Plus in Lightburst. Has light flame in the maple top, which shows best in bright light. I prefer flame tops, but not highly decorated. Has the new Burstbucker pickups which I think are the cats ass. I put a pick guard on mine because I hate Les Pauls without the infamous pick guard; they just don't look like Les Pauls to me without them. Blah, blah with the rest of the features.

Sound : 9
The tone is sweet for clean jazz and blues, and kicks major ass for rock and metal. The Burstbuckers have a nice amount of bite and pick attack while still sounding thick. Nice balance throughout the tone from low to high. This guitar sustains longer and intonates far better than any guitar I've owned in the 25 years I've been playing. Sounds better than my stock 1960 Les Paul from 1999.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 6
Factory setups are ass as most of us already are aware. That's fine with me, because I take much pride in setting them up myself. This guitar's fret work is lame. For a guitar costing $2,000. the fret work should be phenomenal. In this case, it's a good thing I prefer high action, otherwise there's buzzes all over the fuckin' place.

Here's a tip folks: if you sight down the neck from the bridge and notice the bass side has a deeper curve than the treble side, or likewise, the treble side appears straighter than the bass side, DON'T BUY THAT LES PAUL!! And don't be screwed into believing that the bass side SHOULD bow more because the string tension on that side is higher, that's bullshit (see the back of a pack of D'Addario's for the tension rating for the low E string). Take a look at the higher priced Fenders or Ibanez, or something like that- both sides of the neck should be EVEN on both sides!

Reliability/Durability : 10
Great. Among the most durable.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 8
Been playing for 25+ yeras, much of it pro. I've had a Les Paul for every decade, and each has had fret problems and nothings else. Otherwise, they are among the most beautiful electric guitars made in the USA to date. The tone remains unparalleled, and in the case of the Plus models with the new Burstbucker pickups, are about as tonally versatile as 2-humbucker guitars get.

Buy one now, but beware of the frets!


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $970 used
Submitted 05/03/2003 at 08:40pm by John Petzinger

Features : 10
2002 Les Paul Standard Premium Plus. BurstBucker V Pickups with Alcino magnets. Beautiful AAA flame Maple top. Great working Klunson tuners and a much improved case.

Sound : 10
A true classic. I love these BurstBucker pickups to death. They totally resemble those old vintage pickups that I've played. Sounds great on any amp and a wide variety of tone can be achieved easily

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Bought it used so it had quite a few dings but none too extreme. Pickups and action are perfect. Its a Desert Burst AAA flame top and it looks absolutely fabulous. Electronics are impeccable.

Reliability/Durability : 10
No doubt a super solid guitar. I will always keep this baby.

Customer Support : No Opinion

Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing for nearly six years and this is by far the best guitar I have ever played. It is about a million times better that my Squire Strat. I just love its timeless beauty and superior sound. Beautiful.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1600
Submitted 02/13/2003 at 03:49pm by Darrin

Features : 10
2001 model Les Paul Standard Plus. Made in USA. You know the features already. 490R and 498T alnico humbuckers. Beautiful AA flame top with Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish. Chrome Grover tuners. Came with tan Gibson case. I love the Grover tuners. Never been a big fan of Klusons, which some favor for their "vintage appeal". They look cheap and don't work as well as Grovers.

Sound : 10
I play mostly hard rock (Turbonegro, Supersuckers, classic AC/DC, Stooges, MC5) Occasionally I'll throw in a little blues or country/rockabilly. Great sound. It's a Les Paul. What more can I say?
I plug this baby straight into my Mesa/Booogie Mark IV. Sounds just beautiful cranked. The Les Paul is the finest guitar for hard rock playing, bar none.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 3
OK, here's where I start complaining. The factory setup on this guitar was horrible. Intonation was off and had quite a bit of fret buzz. Guitar Center paid to have it set up by a guy who used to work for them. He did a lousy job. Still had some fret buzz when he was done. The guy had the nerve to tell me it was because I picked the strings too hard! Sorry, I know fret buzz when I hear it. I ended up paying to have it set up properly. Now that it has a proper setup, it's a fantastic guitar.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Again, this is a Les Paul. Quality workmanship and materials throughout. I depend on this guitar like I depend on my Mother. I take a backup (Les Paul Studio) with me on gigs, in addition to my two Teles, only because I tend to break strings.

Customer Support : 4
I didn't deal with Gibson directly. Guitar Center's support was OK. They did have it set up for me free of charge, even though the guy did a poor job.

Overall Rating : 9
I've been playing for almost 26 years. During this time, I've accumulated a small arsenal of guitars. It's my fourth Gibson and by far the best. I also have a couple of Teles, two Yamaha acoustics, Yamaha bass and a Sho-Bud pedal steel. The Les Paul Standard Plus is the crown jewel of my collection. By far my favorite. I didn't do a lot of comparison shopping when I bought it. I knew I had to have this guitar as soon as I saw it. This has been my dream guitar since I was a kid. I've always lusted after the Les Pauls played by Ace Frehley and Jimmy Page.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1460
Submitted 10/28/2002 at 12:11pm by eric thompson
Email: endmonkey<at>yahoo dot com

Features : 10
It looks like any other standard plus, which is to say GORGEOUS, and has the same equipment.


Sound : 10
The neck pickup sings like an angel, and the bridge pickup can sound like the devil himself. These sound better (in my opinion) than the "classic" LP pickups.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Not a scratch or blemish on it. For being a AA top, it looks as good as any AAA or AAAA top I've seen in 20 years of playing.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Like everyone else says, built like a tank. Put straplocks on it, and that's all it needs.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never had a need

Overall Rating : 10
Been playing 20 years. Run this through a Boogie Studio Pre, a Korg A3, and into a pair of Kustom amps. Used to have a rack full of gear and a floor covered with pedals to get the sound from these 3.

It is honestly the best playing and sounding guitar I've ever seen. Even above my Jackson custom.

Buy from A Plus (www.aplusguitars.com), best prices by far, and they are super-helpful. But hurry, they only had a few left. And I might just pick up another one.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1600
Submitted 10/06/2002 at 03:10pm by Anonymous

Features : 9
2001 Les Paul Standard plus made in USA all the standard Les Paul features(490r and 498t hums, normal electronics) Got mine in vintage sunburst, looks like the old tobacco burst Les Pauls. Its your typical Les Paul, an absolutly amazing guitar.

Sound : 10
I play all kinds of music, and this guitar suits many styles. The neck pickup has a dark, great clean sound, and sounds really fat and lush on overdrive. The bridge pickup sounds awesome for riffs, power chords and really cutting leads. Has a very rich and full sound I play through a marshall AVT-50 halfstack and these two just love each other. All together, sound is the main reason the Les Paul has been popular for 50 years.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 8
The guitar was set up almost perfect when I got it. The action was very nice and low, making the guitar incredibly easy to play. The bridge pickup was a little high for me, so I lowered it. The flamed maple top is gorgous, and natural mahogany back is beautiful. There is a little string buzz on the low E but you can't hear it through the amp, so I'm gonna leave it.

Reliability/Durability : 9
Everything on this guitar seems sturdy enough to withstand playing live. I might get strap locks because I dont want to chance dropping the guitar on the ground! I would use it with out back up if I had to, but you never know when your gonna break a string.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Didn't talk to gibson at all.

Overall Rating : 10
Im 16 and been playing for four years. I own a marshall AVT-50 halfstack, a fender Lead 2, a univox acoustic, and an Ibanez stagestar. I would buy this guitar again if something happened to it. I have a feeling Im going o use Les Pauls the rest of my life. I love the neck, the feel of the carved top and the whole body. It is a work of art to create art on in my opinion. As Les Paul himself said about the Les Paul guitar. "All the other guitars are just planks of wood compared to it"


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1700
Submitted 09/24/2002 at 07:09pm by Anonymous

Features : No Opinion

Sound : No Opinion

Action, Fit, & Finish : No Opinion
well the finish was beutiful i had a vintage sunburst which are awesome, umm as far as the action, well i always drop the strings colser to the neck to get better playing anyways so that didnt matter for me. All the hardware was great and i have no complaints

Reliability/Durability : No Opinion
this guitar is built well and i would gig with it woithout a backup, if i had enough money to gig with a backup i would get another les paul.

Customer Support : No Opinion
customer support is awesone, i called once and they rock they are nice and helpful and take there time with you.

Overall Rating : 10
Well, this is by far the best guitar i have ever owned, i have been playing for 5 years and i love the guitar, umm i am very much into blues rock, I play out of a fender deville 212 and its a great combo. The tone is awesome especially coupled with a tube amp, i would defineately recommend this guitar ro anhyone planning on getting a guitar


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1460.00
Submitted 07/25/2002 at 08:55pm by Ken Canterbury
Email: fatherkenneth<at>ameritech dot net

Features : 10
2001 Gibson Les Paul Std Plus
AA Solid Maple Flame Top in Light Burst
TuneOMatic
Medium-Jumbo frets
Grover tuners
50's style Fat neck, rosewood fretboard (light color...looks closer to the Pao Ferro on my SRV strat in color)
Gibson Hard shell case

Sound : 9
Hey IT'S A LES PAUL!!... THE GUITAR BY WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE JUDGED!!!The factory pick-ups are better than I thought. Most of the reviews for the 490/498T are bad, but with my current set up ( Les paul into a TS-9, into a Vox wah, into a Peavey Classic 50 212, with a Alesis Midiverb IV used in the effects loop for Reverbs and a slight delay) This guitar soulds great. I probably will replace the pick ups with Lindy Fralin PAFS to give this Paul a more "vintage tone". This guitar from the factory sounds great playing everything from early Zepplin to Creed. Only reason I'm giving it a 9 instead of the Ten is because I know I will change the Pick ups.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
The set up was great! perfect intonation across the neck, low action. Mine is set up with factory strings ( 009-046 ) plays smooth as silk. Finish is Amazing....you would swear it was a custom shop Les Paul.

Reliability/Durability : 10
I have been playing Les Pauls since my first purchase in 1978. The hardware seems solid, has a metal jack plate,nashville style bridge/stop tail piece. This guitar is a keeper! the finish is flawless, and everything is about as perfect as Ive ever seen on a non custom shop model.

Customer Support : 10
Never had to deal with Gibson in over 20 years of owning Gibson Guitars. Like all Les Pauls, this has a Lifetime Warranty. I must plug the guys at A plus Guitars. All are very helpful. Ken. Mark George...you guys are the best! Giving this rating to A-plus guitars!!

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing for over 25 years now, and this is the best Les Paul I've ever played or owned, period! The top is amazing, it is suppose to be a AA flame, but it is closer to a AAA top, and looks better than the tops on the '58 reissues, and better than most of the '59 reissues I've seen. I would HIGHLY recoomend the color that I purchased, Light burst. It truly looks like a "aged" 59 pauls top. The pictures on the web do not due the top justice. The guys at Aplus Guitars have a great web site that shows all the Les Pauls they have in stock, and it was easy for me to find my perfect top. I wanted a guitar that looked as close to Jimmy Page's as possible, and you would swear that this was Pages "Number #1" !


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1100.00 used
Submitted 06/07/2002 at 11:24pm by TC

Features : 9
2001 Les Paul Standard Plus,Made in the great USA!,Im sure you know all the features of this fine guitar so i wont elaborate.

Sound : 9
At first,i didnt care for the pickups,which is a 490 front and 498 in back, but a little dialing in of the amp and guitars volume and tone controls im beginning to like the sound very much! So far, I have found that if you go thru a distortion pedal, as i do, I needed to back off the distortion a bit, at first i cut to much and the treble seemed weak and thin, then i added a little more until finally achieved what i like. I like to control my amps volume thru the guitar because i find i need to run the amp up a bit to get it "workin", i now find that i get a great rock crunch from my guitars volume from 3 on up to 7ish so this is great leaving ample headroom for leads! The treble pot on the lead pickup is rather kurt,being that it drops of suddenly in treble below 8, which is right about where i keep it-you can do nice wah effects with it. I dont use any pedals other than my dist. pedals which i need because i set everything else up to be clean. The front pickup is very smooth and the loudness seems to be well balanced between the two pickups,not much drop off switching between the two but there is some, it also has great tone response to the vol. and tone pots.Great front pickup.There are some great sounds in there you just have to bring em out.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
This is the best guitar i've bought in awhile that im pleased to say has a fantastic finish!, The clear is a fine thin coat though not so thin as the historics,much better than my '76 reissue explorer i have, you can see the grain wiggling thru a bit if you look at it in a sharp angle with good light. Very nice lightburst and not overly yellow which is hard to find,they seem to be yellow crazy at the factory! My favorite finishes from gibson are This one i have ,lightburst,the washed cherry which is on the historics and the faded cherrys and browns like they have on the sg series now, also on the double cut specials and jrs. I dont see any flaws that are worthy of mention, the only thing i can complain about is the neck tapers rather quickly from the 1st. fret to about the 4th. fret where it seems to be fairly the same from there on up.

Reliability/Durability : 10
I have played Les Pauls since '70, when i got a brand new custom and they fallen and did not break any where! rugged guitars!!~ The hardwareon this is solid, has a metal jack plate,nashville style bridge/stop tail piece. lasts a long time.

Customer Support : 10
Great,they answer emails though it may take a few days as im sure they get hundreds if not thousands a day.

Overall Rating : 10
This MAY be come a collectible guitar, in 100 years or so as they are making a ton of em-but in my opinion,the flame top on mine is amazing! It has all the up grades that were commonly done to real 58's 59's 60's such as metal jack plate, grover tuners,nashville bridge etc by players back then only manufactured with modern methods to reduce manufacturing costs. This may be the last year you see wide binding in the cutaway as they are now doing the narrow "historic style" binding on the 02's. SO should i have waited an gotten a '02? Hell no, i had a historic 59 and the top and color of this Plus blows it away!! I see the suggested retail has also come down $300.00 on the 02's but your gonna pay more for an 02 anyway! So really the only thing i can do is play the daylights out of this one an not worry as the cost was low by todays standards anyways. Though it would have been nice to have the thin binding but then i'd have to go get a set of tuners anyways.But,the top and color is amazing!! doubt ill find a better one in a hundred years! I have been playing Les pauls for 35+ years,too late to stop now!!


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US
Submitted 04/26/2002 at 03:39pm by Anonymous

Features : 8
The model I bought is a Light Burst finish, made in '01. Impressive (massive) one-piece mahogany body. All the standard LP features dating back to '55. Rosewood fingerboard. Thin and high frets, but plays very fast and the intonation is excellent. Notes ring out like you'd expect with out buzzes, etc. The 50's style neck is substantial but not as beefy as I expected. Came with a pickguard, but no mounting screws. I installed mine because I don't want to scratch up the exceptional finish. Keep in mind that the tops on these guitars are AA grade. Within the "A" system there are also grades, so there is a lot of variation from top to top. A-Plus guitars shows 2 photos of each one in their inventory. If you have a color printer, download the images of the guitars you are interested in and compare them side by side, narrowing down your choices as you go. Also keep in mind that your #1 choice may have already been sold.

Sound : 9
The sound is perfect. It's a Les Paul. The pickups are well matched for a versatile overall sound. Beautiful and bluesy and great overdriven.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
Action fit and finish were very good on the model I purchased. No flaws in the finish at all. Good attention to detail.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Built incredibly well.

Customer Support : No Opinion
N/A

Overall Rating : 9
Feature vs. price: It's hard to beat. I've been playing since 1977. My first "real" guitar was a Les Paul copy. There's no comparison to the "real" thing! Call A-plus and buy with confidence. They get 4 stars for service.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1460
Submitted 04/25/2002 at 08:03pm by solsurfr

Features : 10
2001 Gibson Les Paul Std Plus
AA Solid Maple Flame Top in Desert Burst
TuneOMatic
Grover tuners
Fat neck, rosewood --unbelievably playable and comfortable.
Les Paul Case
Have a looksee -->http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze28t4m/glps.htm

Sound : 10
I'm playing modern rock, classic rock, and blues. I wanted something to compliment my Fender Strat and I found it. I use a Line6 Flextone II Plus. Humbuckers mean no hum and it's true, believe it. The sound is classic Les Paul, full, chesty tone which means rock n roll. It's heavy, but not uncomfortable.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Don't know about the factory setup cuz it was setup before it got to me. The action was low, the intonation great. No flaws.

Reliability/Durability : 10
Live playing --no doubt.
Hardware, it better. But it seems to be durable.
Finish is amazing.
Strap buttons are small. Install straplocks, it's a no brainer.
Dependability - 10!
Gig without a backup? Of course, but I would bring my strat for other types of songs anyway.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Never dealt with the company, don't know.

Overall Rating : 10
I've played on and off for about 5 years and have played seriously these past two. I'm in a band now and loving it. I sold a classical, an acoustic, and a squire strat to get this beauty which didn't make much of dent in price, but it was worth it. I would absolutely buy it again if it were stolen. I love the finish, the tone, the overall look --classic LP. Nothing I hate about it. My strat is more versatile, but doesn't have EVERYTHING. What is missing is what the Les Paul fills in. This guitar is a keeper. I wouldn't pay the retail price of $3500 for it, but $1460 is more realistic and is comparable to high-end guitars like a stratocaster. If you can afford it, by all means get one. You will not be disappointed. It's really not a hard decision.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US Really low (call a plus guitars or e-mail them and find out, you wont believe it)
Submitted 04/08/2002 at 06:24pm by Brett

Features : 10
I just received my new Les Paul Standard Plus which happens to be made in '02. Just like everyone else has said what makes this a Plus model is the AA flamed maple top which is really stunning. Mine is in desert burst which really looks beautiful. Like all Les Paul Standards the setup is two humbuckers (490R and a 498T), 3-way toggle switch, two volume & two tone controls. The tuners (non-locking) are not the plastic headed ones like on the base model standards but are all metal. Again it has a tune-o-matic bridge and a stopbar tailpiece. The main body of the guitar is mahogany with a gorgeous flamed maple top. The neck is mahogany with a really nice binding that just really looks great on this guitar. The neck is also really straight, medium thickness (alot like my Fender Deluxe Plus) with a nice rosewood. A case was included that included the pick guard (which will not be installed because I don't want to cover up the beautiful top), truss rod wrench, and a silk cover (which protects the finish of the guitar while in the case) and an integrated lock.

Sound : 10
This guitar has a stunning sound. I run it through my Traynor YCV80 and it sounds intense. I play old rock, some blues, and some of the newer rock. The neck pickup is fantastic clean. The bridge, when overdiven, is amazing. Now I read alot of ratings on the Les Pauls on harmony central (not so much the Plus model) and alot of people are saying it doesn't sound like a Strat, there is probably a reason for this. This is not a Strat, I own an american fender deluxe plus strat which sounds incredible for lead work and SRV/blues stuff but it just doesn't cut the mustard for good rhythm work or the really deep Black Sabbath sound or the Creed sound. That is the reason I bought the Les Paul Plus to get that sound. Both of these guitars are great for what they do. If they both sounded identical what would be the driving factor for people to buy one over the other except looks? I will say that this guitar really amazed me when it came to the sound because it was far more versatile than what I expected.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
The guys at A Plus Guitars set this guitar up perfectly. I wanted .10-.46 put on (because I really don't like playing .09's) and this is how it came to me. The action was great (a hell of a lot lower then my Strat). The guitar played so easy I couldn't put it down all weekend long (the wife kind of got upset with me, oh well she'll get over it). The neck is really fast. The flamed top was perfectly matched. The binding was incredible (a light tan color which goes great with desert burst). I only found two minor (and I mean minor) flaws. First is a small file mark on the back of the neck which can only be seen in direct light. The next flaw was the t marker at the ninth fret had a small glue hole (that really is the only way to describe it) next to the marker and the surrounding rosewood. These were only found after really looking over the guitar for hours. Other than these two flaws everything else was perfect.

Reliability/Durability : 10
The Les Paul Standard has been used for years and years by many artists. I have never heard of a major failure with one (but I am certain somebody has). I'm sure mine will last for many years to come (since I baby my guitars). I think this will be a family heirloom once I'm done with this (once I'm dead). The finish will need to be babied, but like stated before I take extreme care of all my guitars. The strap button are solid but I will probably change these to a locking type. I am sure I can depend on this guitar for many years to come.

Customer Support : 10
I sent Gibson an e-mail and they got back to me within about 4 hours. I think this is really good customer support. With a life time warranty I don't think I'll have a problem. I have to admit Gibson responded faster than any other guitar company that I've e-mailed.

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing for only about three years. As stated above I own a American Fender Deluxe Plus, and a Traynor YCV80 amp. When I called A Plus Guitars all my questions were answered fully. I talked with Mark and he pulled the guitar I asked about, he was my eyes and ears and did not let me down. He really picked out a great guitar for me. I have always been very leery of buying items form the internet after a very bad experience about a year ago (it did not deal with a musical item). But I read so many great reviews from other Harmony Central readers I gave A Plus Guitars a shot and I'll buy all my future equipment from these guys. If anyone who reads this is considering buying a new guitar really check out these guys web site www.aplusguitars.com you will not be let down.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1460 (plus $20 shipping)
Submitted 04/04/2002 at 04:12pm by Mike
Email: none

Features : 10
This is a '01 Standard Plus, made in the good ol' USA. I just got it yesterday, and have already put it through its paces with my amp. You know the drill-- it's the Standard with a figured maple top. This one is the "light burst" finish. Two humbuckers (490R in the neck, 498T at the bridge), 3-way toggle, two volume and two tone controls, silver tuners, tunomatic bridge and a stopbar tailpiece round out the basic hardware-- nothing flashy, but just solid and functional. The top of the guitar is carved flamed maple over a mahogany body. Neck is mahogany as well. The figure on the top is AA grade, and is SWEET. Binding on the neck and top complement what are absolutely stunning looks. The Gibson hardshell case is solid and a handy truss rod wrench was included in the case. Final verdict: I have zero complaints here. This is a well executed Les Paul, with striking looks and no flaws to speak of.

Sound : 9
This guitar sounds fantastic through my Fender Twin (1995). I'm inclined to play groovy rock/blues, with the occasional flirtation with jazz. The neck pickup is great clean, and plenty warm and substantial when overdriven with my Tube Screamer. The bridge screams when overdriven or distorted-- I was surprised by how good this sounded. Also, this thing sustains really, really well. The guitar I'm comparing this to in my mind is my Gibson 335, a totally different animal. The Paul sounds better distorted, in my opinion.
I also think that the Standard Plus offers more sound variety than it is commonly given credit for. It doensn't have Fender Stratocaster variety, but it has everything I need!

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
This guitar came to me set up quite well. The action is just a tiny bit too low for my liking, but the next is perfectly set up and all I'm going to do is raise the bridge up a hair. This thing plays fast and sweet. The pickups were well adjusted, though I might raise up the neck p'up just a wee bit as well. The flamed top is bookmatched and matched very well. I looked all over this axe for finish flaws, and truly expected to find some, but did not. I'm honestly going to say that this thing is better finished than I expected. The controls work just like they're supposed to, everything is shiny and new, and again, I find no problems here at all.

Reliability/Durability : 10
The Standard is a substantial, well-crafted guitar that promised to stand up to the test of time. I'm currently gigging a couple times a month and have no fears whatsoever that this thing will carry me all the way. Everything on this guitar says to me that it's built to last-- my 15-year-old 335 already attests to the durability of Gibson instruments. Dependable and tough, though I'm going to baby this guitar-- it simply looks too incredible to treat it any other way! When I gig with this thing I will not bring my 335-- no need.

Customer Support : 10
Haven't dealt directly with Gibson, but haven't heard anything negative about their customer support. I fully expect that they will stand behind their products with great support and their great warranty (lifetime against defects/workmanship).

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing guitar for about 10 years. As I indicated above, this guitar is my second electric, the other being a Gibson 335 (which I love). If this thing was stolen, I'd probably throw myself off a bridge, then call aplusguitars.com to get another. Aplus sells their Standards for less than anyone else I've ever seen. These guys were a treat to buy from. I bought this guitar because I've wanted a solid body electric for years, and Gibson is blowing out this model because apparently they're not making it this year (hence the lower price). I considered an American Strat, but next to the Paul Standard, the strat seems anemic to me. Strat has nice sounds, but I'll never get one. The Standard Plus has everything I'll ever need, and, once again, it has the most stunning figured top and georgeous finish. Internet pics don't do it justice! I absolutely love this guitar and have NO regrets about buying it. In reviewing it I have tried to be critical and honestly can't offer much in the way of criticism-- this guitar is everything I expected, definitely worth the clams I paid for it, and it's going to be my main gig guitar from now on. See for yourself amigos!


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US $1,599.00
Submitted 03/21/2002 at 07:30am by Scott
Email: sknudson at charter<dot>net

Features : No Opinion
As with all guitars of the species, two volume & two tone control knobs, AA bookmatched figured (flame) maple top, dual humbuckers, neck and body binding, Grover machine heads, included but not installed pickguard (thank god) Mahogany body and set neck, Gibson hardshell case. What everyone expects.

Sound : 10
Les Paul into a Zoom GFX-8 into a Marshall MG80RCD. The sound is wide, and bright I expect no less from gibson. It sounds wonderful. I have played a wide variety of music with it thus far and it performs admirably.

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
Factory set up was perfect (for me). The cosmetics and mechanicals on this guitar are flawless. The finish is perfect. The top is very well defined and visually stunning.

Reliability/Durability : 10
The combo lock on the case is crap, aside from this the entire package is wonderful.

Customer Support : No Opinion
Don't know yet, need a new lock though. I'll let you know.

Overall Rating : 10
At this price, I couldn't resist. I'll never regret it either. What a beautiful instrument! It is a pleasure to play but I prefer to just stare at it. The Honeyburst finish is incredible. I can't beleive I was finally able to afford one after 25 years of playing. I'd never even touched one until recently. I will never part with it (I hope) and consider it an heirloom. You'd better grab one now while they are at this price. I'd buy two if I could! in a word "unbeleivable!"


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: lots (unhappy wife currency) used
Submitted 03/16/2002 at 08:28pm by Hugey

Features : 7
1997 heritage cherry 22 frets made in usa bookmatched AA flame top NICE( do you realy need to know the obvious?)I have been hankering after gibson les paul since 1974 but i had to make do with a jap copy in them days, well as for the features of the les paul you have to be fair here and say it dosent compare well with a Strat - no trem only two pickups not tapped so only three pickup configs .fat neck big frets you can not give this guitar a ten for the reasons given but ( i personly think if it had single coils and a trem it wouldnt sell because it would look ugly and a lot of people buy on looks...Sad but true but it could have come with coil taps and phase switches etc then a ten would be deserved so i ll give it 7

Sound : 10
well if you didnt like the sound you wouldnt buy it.. would you?
its a full sound the neck position can be jazzy , the bridge can be sharp and nasty and any thing in between can be fiddled with tone pots but what this thing beats the pants off my 74 strat is sustain
dont get me wrong I love both these guitars but im figuring on strat players reading this ( im one my self ) if you want to get a strat sound out of this you havent got a chance but you can get some realy nice Gary Moore tones, reggae, funk ,slow blues (heres what I dont use it for fast blues aka SRV it just cant deliver the ring ( for me anyway)its great for punk h/metal but there again anything will do for that with 24 od peadls i guess.
great sound at what it is nice tone but it isnt a guitar i can pick out with my eyes shut not like a tele or strat or even a 335( with the exception of Gary Moore )i dont know anyone with a distinctive tone to a les paul( my opinion and ear again you decide )I LL GIVE IT A TEN ANYWAY .

Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
bought used but in realy good shape i wasnt looking especialy for this one ( a gold top deluxe was my first choice but this came up and i grabed it)the action was quite high i lowered it no problem there
the frets are quite high and not radiused enough for my liking and I dont know if they were dressed by Gibson but they were not done very well I wont hold that against them as i had it used ,the pickups were to close to the strings before i lowerd the action easily sorted to get the tone i was after ( well you wouldnt sing with a microphone stuffed down you throat would you it sounds crap!)anyway it took some getting used to I wont lie after playing strats only for the last three years the neck is total shock to the fingers and thumb after an hour you should be sorted and transfer back and forth Gibson/Fender no problem
the finish looks shit hot but the laquer is a bit rough.
Overall finish I like very much not that i give a monkeys about looks the sound is everything ,if it looked like a bag of shit and sounded like angels singing i would buy it.Ill give it a 9 but i wouldnt care one way or the other

Reliability/Durability : 10
come on how long have they been building these of course it wil last IF- you dont drop it on its neck and snap it.
I will have to get strap locks as the buttons dont seem to get on with my straps they seem to small and much of a rounded radius to hold
depend on it oh yes
no i wouldnt gig any guitar with out a back up if you have two use them .10 this time 1950's till now and still going

Customer Support : No Opinion
no idea?

Overall Rating : 9
been playing nearly thirty years collection of good and bad gear growing still
I would buy another but i would like to try out the deluxe first to see if i would prefer the sound I love the sustain and clarity of tone the full sound is nice though not realy unique .If i HAD to choose which guitar to use between the les paul and a stratocaster
I would grab the fender every time , les paul great guitar but sorry it isnt the best its a very good second to a stratocaster . I have to give it 9 it is a realy good guitar it just cant do every thing.


Product: Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Price Paid: US
Submitted 12/26/2001 at 07:51am by hottub
Email: hottub at speakeasy<dot>org

Features : 10
2001 Les Paul Standard Plus. 22 Frets, Mahogany body with flamed AA Maple top, which is simply beautiful by the way, especially when you consider the price that I paid for this guitar. Two humbuckers, 490 in the neck and a 498 in the bridge, both alnico's. Mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, trapezoid inlays and Grover tuners. It came shipped with a beautiful tan Gibson leather case.

Sound : 10
The sound is incredible! I had been searching for a nice, natural fat tone and this guitar delivers the goods!! There is so much versatility to this guitar. You can dial in anything from Jazz to Rock and everything in between. I'm currently using this guitar with a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp and it is a great combination, IMO. There is nothing I dislike about the variety of sounds I can achieve with this instrument!

Action, Fit, & Finish : 10
The guitar came shipped to my door and was setup perfectly! I unpacked the box and immediately began playing. There was no need to amke any adjustments, whatsoever. The gentlemen at APlus Guitars did a superb job!! Two thumbs up! No flaws at all!

Reliability/Durability : 10
IMO, this guitar will last me a very long time. This one is definitely a keeper! Someone should shoot me if I ever get the lame idea to get rid of it!! All hardware on the guitar is rock solid and top quality.

Customer Support : 10
Havent needed Gibson support yet, however, the folks at APlus Guitars deserve some major kudos!! Thanks again guys!

Overall Rating : 10
I've been playing guitar for a while and have played many different types. This is my first Gibson and I am very happy with it! I highly recommend this model to anyone interested in a high quality, versatile guitar that has all the tones necessary for Jazz, Blues, Rock, whatever. I chose this guitar because I wanted something to compliment my Telecaster. I wanted something that could deliver fat blues and rock tones. I also wanted a guitar that was very different from my Tele and this is the one! Find a nice Standard Plus and you will not be let down.

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