Gibson Les Paul Standard

Mine is a 1997 Les Paul Standard that I've had for about a year now. It was of course made in the USA at the Gibson (NOT SAMICK) factory. Includes my fav- 22 frets, non-jumbo. Maple top, Mohogany back, neck sides, rosewood fretboard. I got the black finish. One cutaway. Bridge is a stopbar, which helps the guitar stay in tune and sustain. Also adds part of the classic "les paul" sound. Pretty fat neck. I like the separate tone and volume controls for both pickups. My only complaint about the features is the pickups and tuning machines they put on. The tuners suck and slip, (but look good), and the pickups are muddy-sounding, dry, and insensitive (what do you expect out of stock pickups, though!) Try doing what I did, and replace them with Dimarzio Air Classic in both the bridge and neck.

This is the area in which the Les Paul Standard shines. No other guitar can come close to how it sounds. (nice try, PRS!) The mohogany in the guitar resonates very well, and adds a lot of midrange guttiness. Maple on top seems "reflective" and brightens the sound. The combo of these woods with the warmth of the rosewood neck really makes the guitar sound unique. The glue-on neck and stop-bar tailpiece, along with the thick, solid body, add sustain like no other. The neck pickup, along with a very distorted Marshall, (which is what I use), is very fat and "sustainy." The bridge pickup is equally smooth and fat, but has a different but equally as good sound. The guitar sounds great for many styles and works equally well clean as it does distorted. Can sound from mellow and jazz-like to bright and crunchy. The sound of this guitar is my favorite I've ever heard, and I think it's just about as close to perfect as it gets.

If we are talking about how the guitar feels now, I give it a 10. If we're talking about how it came from the factory, I give it a 5. From the factory, the guitar was not strobed correctly, the action was miles too high, and the pickup hight was all outta wack. I had to spend 100 dollars to get fretwork (Crown/dress) done on the guitar straight from the factory. Gibson is not the only company guilty of putting out guitars that need a Crown/dress, though. Fender and others do it, too. Once I adjusted everything and got the fretwork done, the guitar plays like a million bucks. I like the fat neck, the action is unbelievable, and everything is very smooth. Although I like this part about it, some people might find that the guitar is too heavy and bulky. I love that, though. The more the guitar gets broken in, the better it plays.

I don't think this guitar will ever have serious problems. It is quality from top to bottom. Comes with a lifetime warranty. The only thing I recommend is getting straplocks and new tuning machines. Once you do this, nothing can stop the Les Paul.

I've never had to deal with Gibson, and the guitar has a lifetime warranty.

I've been playing all my life, and own several other types of guitars that are all good quality. My G&L Legacy comes close to how much I like this guitar, but I don't think I'll ever find a better guitar that this. Honestly. It's just about perfect.

1998 Lefty Les Paul Standard. It has gold hardware on a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish. WOW! You guys know the electronics and construction, so I'm not going to waste time. I put Schaller strap-locks on, 'cause I'm not risking a dive-bomb to the concrete. I simply love the case. I really wish it had some more switching combinations, like a push-pull coil tap for the treble PU, and phase-invert for the rhythm PU. Get some of that Page thing goin' on! I'm thinking about lowering the stop-bar all the way down to increase sustain.

So far it sounds great. I have only had for about 6hours, but I've played it almost non-stop. It has a much fuller, more dominate tone than my strat w/ lace sensors. On the clean channel of my amps, it really sings, no matter what your playing. Switch over to the overdrive, and buckle-up! It almost doubled the distortion on my practice amp. The neck PU really gets the reverb coil jumping if you tap it with a pick.

Heavy little bastard! The factory set up everything perfectly, but I did have to lower the bridge PU about 1/8" for my taste. The finish is great, and the gold really adds class. (I got it at no up-charge, because of the limited stock at the factory) I realy like the action, but I'll play almost anything.

This is built like a BOSS pedal. I saw an LP that had been dropped out of a 3-story building, and it was still playable!! I would definatly play without a back-up, as long as I had all the nesecarry tools and an extra set of strings.

I haven't had to deal with cuustomer support, but I've heard they're fabulous.

Very nice guitar. Blows my '95 Squire Strat out of the water any day. It really sounds good through my Marshall JCM-600 Combo. If I had the option, I probably would hve gotten a PRS, but this is the best lefty electric made to date. (Spare the Customs)

1996 Wine Red. I use 10-46 strings. Price included Gibson hard case. I won't bore you with all the details you already know!

Perfect for the styles of music I play; mostly overdriven rock/alternative stuff. Hard not to get great distorted sounds. Using with Park practise amp and Danelectro Daddy-O pedals with various Boss pedals also. Saving for a more powerful amp. Possibly a Fender Hot Rod Deville or a Marshall tube amp. Love the rhythm pickup tone, but bridge pickup is superb for distorted solos and lead work in particular. Some might find this too bright, but I think it really cuts through. It doesn't have bad sustain either!

Set up was OK. Slight intonation problem on one string. Easy enough to rectify yourself though. Bridge pickup needed lowering for better volume balance with neck, but once again easy enough to do. No other problems really. Action as set was slightly high but I do tend to like a very low action. The finish itself was superb.

This is a very solid guitar! Hardware and finish are superb. Will probably change the strap buttons though as the standard fit ones are small. I have already had one case of a strap falling off whilst playing. Fortunately no damage was done. As I said these guitars are tough! I would definitely use this on a gig without backup, especially as I do not tend to break strings very often.

Never dealt with the importers; haven't had any problems as yet. As I live in the UK the guitar was an official import through Rosetti UK, who I believe provide a lifetime warranty.

I have been playing for three years. Before the Les Paul I played an Encore Les Paul copy, which I still own and use as a backup. The Les Paul standard has a superb sound for the music I play. I also love the feel of the thick neck. The only real problem with this guitar as far as I am concerned is the poor high-fret access, and I am considering buying one of the new Les Paul DC Standards for those occasions when I need to play high up the neck. I don't think that I will ever sell my Standard though. It is my most prized possession, and if it was ever stolen I would definitely replace it in an instant!

Made in USA (circa 1982). Typical mahogany/maple construction. Tobacco sunburst. Stock pickups have been changed twice. First to 57 classic, then to Seymour Duncan Custom Custom (Bridge) and Pearly Gates (neck).

Sound is quintissential LP in spite of electronics changes. play with Line6 amp using on board effects. Have used with Alesis nanoverb, Tubescreamer and Boss flanger. In my opinion, sound is best in neck position with thick warm tone. Mid and treble a bit thin for my liking. Will probably discard Custom Custom in favor of a fatter sounding PU.

Bought guitar used and so have no feel for factory setup. I have adjusted action/bridge and am quite pleased with playability. However, the instrument was without any overt flaw and is a beautiful instrument.

Have owned this instrument for 15 years and have played it for hundreds/thousands of hours. Its a workhorse. Aside from PU wiring (which I did) I would trust it totally.

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Playing 30yrs. Own several other electric and acoustic instruments. I would replace this guitar without question. Although I frequently will go for weeks using other instruments, the LP standard is like an old friend each time I play it.

Mine is a 1996 Les Paul Standard LEFTY! Of course, it was made in the USA. It's a LP Standard; I won't bore you with the stats you already know... I just wish it had come with a few more switching options. I'm not a fan of the neck/bridge pickup combination, so I would like to have gotten it with a series/parallel switch or something. Even without that, this guitar is excellent!

I've been playing mostly SGs and strats. This is my first Les Paul, and I love it! The first thing that came to my mind when I picked it up was "Where the heck did all this sustain come from?" I know Pauls are known for this, but it's unreal. Notes seem to hang on forever, even unplugged. I haven't put it down for more than 2 hours in the past week. The pickups are the stock humbuckers, and with a large amount of gain, it can get a little noisy, but I mostly just let the amp distort a bit and leave the pedals at home. It's great for blues/classic rock. This guitar made those tones orginally, so it has no trouble recreating them now. It can't do the 'woman tone' like an SG, but it still comes close. It's not as dark as my SG, but it's not as bright as my strats. It's safe to say there is a tone for every style in this guitar. (Except maybe twangy country...)

I'd heard a lot about bad Gibson finishes and inlays. This guitar has the most beautiful finish I've ever seen. The inlays are excellent, too. The action's a little lower than I'm used to, but that's ok. Mine is wine red without a pickguard, so you can't see the top very well. You can see it though. It's not as flamed as I like, but it's good enough for wine red. I wouldn't buy the ebony though; Gibson would be crazy to put a nice piece of wood under an ebony finish. I give it a 9, because I would like more flame.

This is one heavy SOB. Everything is really solid. I'm not known for jumping around while I play, and I don't plan on beating it up, so it should last me a long time. I would use it without a backup if I didn't have to worry about breaking strings.

I haven't had any experience with customer support yet. I haven't had any problems with my other Gibsons, and I don't expect any with this one.

This guitar can definitely hold it's own among my strats and SG. I would buy another immediately if they were so darn expensive. I paid $1200, because it is a lefty. This has put a big dip in my wallet, and it will probably put a big dent in my shoulder. It'll be a while before I buy another guitar. I just wish this one could be lighter without losing that awesome sustain!

Place of manufacture: USA Year of manufacture: 1995
Solid body, mahogany back, carved maple top. 22-fret mahogany neck, rounded profile, rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays. 24 3/4" scale, 11/16" nut width. Single-ply top and fingerboard binding. Tune-o-matic bridge with stop bar. Chrome hardware. Pickups: 490R/498T Alnico magnet humbuckers (Gibson). Controls: two volume, two tone, three-way pickup selector switch. The one I tried was the Honey Burst finish. Gibson Deluxe tuners. Includes case.

Perfect for blues/rock with a little bit of dirt. Played through Marshall JTM622 2x12" combo with a bit of reverb. When using the treble (bridge) pickup usually have to back off the tone a little or it sounds a bit harsh. The rhythm (neck) pickup is the winner. Sounds best with a small amount of overdrive. OK clean... but Les Paul+Marshall? Got to play it loud!

Action was perfect. Bridge pickup was too high, so the lower wound strings often scraped across chrome cover. Easily fixed this problem with my trusted screwdriver. Intonation was good, but I fiddled with it to see how easy adjustment is---pretty straightforward. Have you ever tried setting up the intonation on a guitar with Floyd Rose-style locking trem---nightmare! Only one flaw was a tiny patch of unlacquered fingerboard (I mean hardly noticeable) behind 5th fret.

Good for live, hardware will last, finish pretty good, dependable. Front strap button was a tad loose (I always get this problem... is it just me?). I would use it at a gig without a backup. The fixed bridge means that fitting new strings in case of breakages is pretty straightforward as is retuning.

I'm based in the UK, so I doubt that Gibson would frankly be bothered what my opinion is. There have been no problems that have necessitated dealing with the company. I bought the guitar from a dealer, and was not supplied with a registration card. So I don't know how Gibson deal with overseas customers who haven't been able to register. I think Gibson (and other US manufacturers) should take a look at their policies regarding overseas warranties. I believe that US manufacturers are particularly guilty of ignoring foreigners since they probably think the non-US/Canada market is irrelevant. This is not a very helpful attitude to take.

I've been playing seven years. I own Washburn, Fender and Gibson electrics, an Applause (Ovation) electric-acoustic, a smashed-up old classical guitar and an Aria Pro-II bass. I also have a couple of Marshall amplifiers and some Zoom and Morley effects boxes.
I wished I'd sorted out the details of registering the instrument with Gibson (see previous question), but apart from that I have no complaints and would replace the guitar with another similar Les Paul if it was stolen. It is insured for the full repurchase price. I'm going to try not to 'lose' it, since it's my most valuable possession! I love the sound and the look but I hate the loose front strap button and the fact that the guitar can't easily be played sitting down since it slowly slides off one's knee. Favourite features: I like the pickups and the tune-o-matic bridge---they're pretty cool. I've played just about every kind of solid-body electric there is and this is one of the best. I do like my Fender Stratocaster too. They do different thinks better. The Strat has the best clean sound in my opinion (neck+middle pickup, tone backed off slightly) but the Les Paul rocks the best.
Good guitar.
Has anyone heard of Gordon-Smith? They're a great British guitar manufacturer and make some wonderful instruments, the GS-1.5, for example, is a superb Les Paul-style guitar. I'm saving up for one of these. I think someone should review one of these.

USA made, 1984. 22 frets, 3-way toggle switch. Stock Gibson pickups (490R and 498T) each with volume and tone control. Stock tailpiece and a tune-o-matic bridge, stock tuners.
Body consists of a maple top with mahogany back, mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard. The neck is not the "slim-taper fast neck", but neither is it the '59 baseball bat. It's comfortable but I do like th neck on the Classic a little better. It has a vintage-y honeyburst top. A couple of small scratched and cigar burns, but that gives it character.
This one is basically the way you get it off the shelf, minus the setup. I did get the brown plush case with fuzzy purple interior...great case.
This guitar isn't made to fit the 'feature' niche...

Aerosmith, Zeppelin, etc. A Les Paul is rock and roll. Playing through a Marshall Silver Jubilee, I get a sound much like Guns N' Roses and Lenny Kravitz. I can come close to copping a Zeppelin and Aerosmith sound. Think classic rock. The Paul gives me gobs of fatness and creaminess. It IS NOT CAPABLE of bright, jangly, single coil sounds without mods. The bridge pickup gives you some brightness, sweet highs, and warm mids. The neck pickup can be as creamy as a gallon of cool whip but can get muddy as well. You will need to adjust the bass on your amp or use your volume control to adjust. The volume tapers are OK...they clean up a little bit when rolled off.

When I got the guitar, I had to lower the action just a bit to suit my personal preference. By doing this, I also lowered the pickups as well to balance the output levels of the pickups. Otherwise, everything was set up well...not great. I can fix most of the basic setup problems and nothing was beyond my scope of repair. In general, for a guitar in this price range, I would expect it to be in excellent overall condition.

Well, it seems like it's gonna last a long time, as long as I take reasonable care of it. It has performed beautifully through numerous practices, several studio trips, several gigs. The finish just seems to get prettier every day, although i bet my sweat will eventually cause some fading. I usually don't gig without a backup but I never see this baby failing me.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND some sort or Sraplock system...the stock strap buttons are not big enough to prevent slippage. I have a broken headstock scar to show for that. Any guitar is too expensive not to spring for an extra $15-$20 for that straplock security.

never dealt with Gibson in any form.

OK...the fun part. I've been playing off and on for about 15 years. My guitar chronology is Aria Pro II -> Sears Silvertone -> Les Paul -> Kramer -> Les Paul -> Jackson -> Gibson -> Peavey -> Les Paul -> PRS -> Les Paul. I was always in search of something better than the Paul, something that gave that fat sound but didn't weigh quite so much. I finally realized that there IS nothing else out there FOR ME! The Paul is IT. It gives me the sound, the LOOK, the FEEL, the VIBE, the intangibles. I took a $400 loss on a PRS just to get a Les Paul. If it were stolen I'd get a Les Paul Classic ( i like the smaller neck).
Having a favorite guitar is almost spiritual...you might not know why you play it, but you do. I couldn't see myself picking up any other type of guitar for any length of time. It doesn't have a lot of features, or a lot of different sounds, but my Paul does say "hey, pick me up and play me. I AM rock and roll."