Gibson Les Paul Standard

2008 gibson les paul standard/heritage cherry sunburst finish/ burst bucker pro pick ups/weight relived body/aaa flame maple top/ tone pros bridge and tail piece/locking grover tunners/24 3/4 scale /hardshell case and pick gaurd/manu.for guitar has 4 vol/tone pots and 3 way switch.

i play mostly 50's - 2009 rock /country/pop/hard rock/ a bit o everything/ the amp i use is a peavy 212 renowed amp with 450 watts/ no noise at all from the pickups just smoth tone and sound.the sound is bright but warm sounds just like a paf pickup but a bit hotter really full tone well rounded.i can get any tone out of this guitar with no prob at all she can be quite and she can get a bad a@@ growl to her.if you cant get this guitar to get your tone than maybe it is your fault.this guitar is built to to it all.

this guitar is the best i have ever seen /played/owned the fit and finish are amazing . the top has so much flame and it is so wow. the set up was amazing although not to my style but verey well setup no fret buzz no tinks on the frets.just an amazing fit and finish no probs at all.not a one at all just the best and most clean guitar iv had the joy of seeing.the gibson factory was just amazing with this guitar it was perfect.

i have not had it long but it feels like with a lil tlc it will last forever. it feels so soild and well built i must say i feel if you take proper care it will out last you.( dont be a moron and treat your guitar like a one night stand a lil tlc goes a long way)

i have talked with gibson guitars at 1800-444-2766 about my guitar and they are great to deal with it takes no time to get the info you want and need. they are verey smart and a joy to talk to i love it.

overall this guitar kills any epi/prs/fender it gets way more tone and looks so much better. this guitar is so amazing and a joy to own and play it is the BEST guitar i have ever played hands down and iv played all the above guitars and this one kills them all. this guitar after a good setup plays like a champ.and if it was stolen id hurt someone this guitar is the best i have ever played.and yes if i could afford it i would have not a second thought of getting another one.

Some of the reviewers were talking about the "acoustic sound" of the new, chambered Standard. But, it can come only from a guitar has a hole on its body (Hollow body, Semi-Hollow body, Acoustic guitars, etc ...) Acoustic sound cannot come from this guitar since it has not the hole (F-hole S-hole , or any hole) on it.
Well, although the sound - comes from this guitar - is different from the old Standards' sound for sure. Who likes what? that is very individual and one would say it is a great guitar, meanwhile the other one would say it is a crap.
What is for sure - it should not be called solid body guitar, since some kilos of wood was carved and chambered out of it. It is empty inside. So, it has a different sound, a different body and only its shape and the hardware what shows Les Paul feature by definition.
All the adds about this guitar starts with the sentence that it is not easy to develop a legend but we could do it ... and so on.
But there is no development on this guitar. Putting a strap lock on it is not for sure. Pek-ing the neck ... well, today I have tried two Plak-ed necked Standards at the local music store - both with that high action that playing a chord was a serious effort so, I would not consider it neither as an improvement. Chambered body? They did it, because many people were complaining about the weight of the Les Paul. But it is not improvement - it is only a solved complain by changing something. Were the typical Les Paul issues treated? No. You can still struggle with the tuning, still cannot reach the upper region of the frets, because of the old cutaway shape. Most likely, the the headstock can break off the neck as easey as it did before ... The last time there was improvement put in place on the Les Paul guitars happened mostly in the 50's and 60's. The Burstbuckers are from that time, the knobs and toggle switch also, the hardware (tailpeace, bridge, machine heads) also from that time and even the main colors are coming from that period (HCS, GT, EB, so on ...)
Let's put it on this way ... this guitar resembles the original Les Paul Standard guitars in its shape and color. It was upgraded with strap lock, Plek-ed neck, and a lock for the Jack plug. It has not solid body anymore, but chambered and has different tonal features and sound.
BTW, I cannot really follow the Gibson company. They say about the Traditional model that "you asked for it, so you got it ..." I think, nobody asked for this model! And then they call people who think the Les Paul is a solid body guitar "purists".I wonder, how they called Les Paul when he refused to put his name on the SG at the beginning of the 60's. (Actually, that is why it is called SG and not LP.)
I think, Gibson got this gift - got the Les Paul guitar and Les Paul himself and just could not deal with this. This was too much for this company. And now when the Master is not there anymore, they think, they can do anything under the Les Paul name.
So the advertisement of the new Standard should sound like this: It is never easy to change a legend, but we could do it ...

I am a Les Paul Guitar fan. I just admire these instruments. And I really hope they will survive this "improvement"!

this is a 2007 Gibson les paul standard in honey burst finish. It has a flame maple top, chrome hardware, tune-o-matic bridge and gibson burstbucker pro pickups.
it has a slim tapered 60's style neck which i prefer over the 50's as i find it a bit too chunky.
probly the thing that separates this standard from previous models gibson has produced is its chambered body which some people dont like. i personally think its a great feature as you get everything you'd expect and want out of a les paul without the back pain at the end of a gig.

the sound of this guitar is nothing short of perfect. theres nothing i would change about it at all. i use a mesa boogie solo head and the combination of the les paul and the mesa is insane!
i use mostly the bridge pickup as i play alot of rhythm hard rock music and the tone is tight and crunchy just as i like it.

bottom line les pauls are the best rock guitars.

when i got the guitar the set up was great. fairly low action but i like that. all the harmonics etc were all fine and from memory i giged with it the very day i got it!
the finish is beautiful! great colour which will only get better with age. the only slight down side for me personally is the flame top, not that i dislike it but i just think it would have looked a bit better without it so the finish looks more natural.

I gig on average around 3-4 times a month and my guitars all cop a thrashing. i previously owned a gretsch malcolm young firebird and after about 4 months or giging the pickups and bridge looked like they had been rusting for 20 years! i also had problem with tuning with my gretsch. with the les paul iv been gigint with it for the past year or so since i bought it and it still looks like its just come off the show room floor. Absolutely no rust or hardware decay at all.
The only issue i hav had with it since i bought it is having burs on the bridge causing me to break strings. but i just took it to the shop where i bought it and they'v fixed it free of chrage.
im sure this guitar will last me forever.

Never dealt with the company so i cant say.

I couldnt recommend this guitar any higher! i was lucky to get a standard in 2007 before the new '08 models were introduced as i really hate the 2008 models.
I would deffinately buy another gibson without question.

A 2008 les paul standard in a very nice 'root beer' finish, which does a bit look like your granny's sideboard, but its a wonderful colour nonetheless.

Burstbuckre pick ups, 60s style neck, 4 rotary knobs and a toggle - what more do you need?

It sounds as it should sound - like a AA maple top les paul - played through a Fender blues deluxe amp. A great variety of tones can be produced without too much effort. Wonderful warm blues tone and nice fulsome jazz tones and sustain that seems to last for weeks.

Always a bit of a lottery on whether or not the thing has been finished off by the local infant school or by crafts people. I have two other gibsons and they must have slipped out the factory whilst the quality control person was on a teabreak, but they sound & play perfectly despite this.

Anyway, this was very well finished, but a bit heavy with the lacquer in a couple of places but you really have to look very hard to find them. As ever guitars usually need setting up when you get them - part of the fun of making them your own. But more generally, there is nothing major or minor wrong with it that a few minutes wouldn't sort out.

Should last for ever - well almost.

Its very good. A tremendous lump of wood and well worth the expenditure even though they're not cheap.

My Gibson Les Paul Standard Goldtop was made in May 2007 in the US. It has a nice maple top and looks very beautiful. It has the Burstbucker Pros which give it great tone. The treble is a little bright but perfect for me. You can get so many tones from the 3 way toggle switch and 2 tone, 2 volume knobs. The body and neck are both made of solid mahogany. It has a rosewood fretboard. The guitar isn't all that heavy at all. It has to be like 6 pounds or so. It has the Nashville Bridge and and stock tailpiece. The neck isn't all that big. It is definately a super nice guitar.

This guitar is flawless for what I play, which would be U2. I can get all of Edge's sounds from this. I'm just using a Fender G-DEC with it which the only thing that changes the tone is the 3 way switch and knobs. It is only noisy with really high gain and I'm talkin' REALLY HIGH GAIN!!! In the neck position things are subtle and smooth and sweet. She is soft and mellow there. In the bridge she is just a little bright (depends on the settings). I play mostly on the treble selection. In the middle is where I get a lot of variety of sound combining the bridge and neck. I love to roll a little off the tone (about 5) and a little off the bridge volume (about 6). Things seem to go places with that setting. There is sooooo much variety of sound this guitar can make. Absoloutely magnificent.

The action was perfect when I got it (I got it pre owned). It had a new set of strings and the action was a little low, which is how I like it. I didn't do much adjusting as for they sounded nice when I first played it. Evverything was properly set up and was in no need of fixing anything. There were no flaws that I could see except for a very faint scratch in the back but other than that terrific!

I wouldn't hesitate to take this thing out live. In fact it'd be the first thing I'd grab! It definitely will last me several years, actually even more than that! The finish is right where it needs to be. It looks like it would age properly over time as I play it more and more. The strap buttons are a bit short. My strap keeps slipping from the button. But other than the button problem I can certainly depend on this guitar. I've already done some recording with this guitar. It is great.

Never had to deal with Gibson and hopefully never will.

I've been playing for three years and this guitar is the best I have out of three others (Dean ZX, Squier Affinity Series Strat, and a Squier Affiniy Telecaster). Personally if it were stolen I'd brake down and cry and then buy another. Great job Gibson! They really know how to make a great guitar! I love the easily playable 60's neck and can't get over how easy it is to bend the strings and move from fret to fret. I don't wish it had another thing. It is perfect the way it is! I love my sweet baby!

2005 Les Paul

The guitar sounds good but does not stay in tune.

New the guitar had the strings very high and it felt like a bur on one of the frets. When I got home I noticed the finish has a couple of air bubbles that looked back. Below average workmanship.

I would not use this guitar live or depend on it. I also have an ESP Truckster and that guitar is SUPER. The Gibson is just very poorly made. I have a $100 Fender I bought for my daughter that plays way better then this Les Paul!

I purchased a brand new Les Paul and found the paint had bubbles and the guitar was very poorly made. I contacted Gibson because they advertise a lifetime warranty. NO RESPONSE! I sent registered letters to the President and CEO of Gibson. NO RESPONSE! They are crooks selling junk. Be smart. Buy another brand.

I have been playing for about 40 years. I don't use the Gibson because I don't consider it fit to play. Instead I use my Truckster ESP and a Marshall Vintage Modern Combo which is a SUPER Amp.

les paul standard 1990 way before all the chambering and all that plek stuff but the features are great cherry sunburst, mahogany body neck and rosewood fretboard 22 frets chrome hardware cream binding it looks sweet!

well it sounds awesome but when i got it i got it used and she had a like a 50's reissue in the bridge which wasnt enough output for me and it sound a bit twangy so i changed it for a pearly gaters by seymour which now the bridge sounds awesome

the neck came with this seymour duncan bridge pickup in it and it sounds great i got curious to which pickup it was so i took it out and read dcl on the back still doesnt narrow it down for me but it just sounds EPIC

i play all styles of music and its rich sound is perfect for me toally well balanced its awesome

i hated the set up but it wasnt from the factory but i dont believe the factory could do a whole lot better but its the factory

the finish is great it still looks great after 18 years FANTASTIC!!!

it is a ten for everthing but the action set up but bad factory set up is always terrible

its 18 years old and is in fantastic condition still the finish is a bit faded but that can be expected

never needed them

absolutely PERFECT 100% absolutely perfect!

2008 Sunburst Les Paul Standard, chambered mahogany body with maple top, Burstbucker humbucking pickups, Grover locking tuners, special pots, old-style finish, Tone-Pros locking bridge and tailpiece, strap locks and case.

Sounds are really good, but the neck pickup is a little bassy compared to the bridge, it could be a tad brighter. Other than that, this guitar sounds really great. I play blues/blues-rock, classic and it works perfect for that. Running a Goodsell Super 17 through an Avatar 2x12 cabinet with Celestion G12H-30's with Keeley Comp, Keeley Blues Driver, TS-9 (Analogman), ZenDrive, T-Rex Mudhoney, CMATMODS Brownie, Line 6 Reverb, Boss CE-2 Chorus, Boss DD-3 delay.

The action was a bit high from the factory and I didn't like the strings they use so I had it set up by my favorite luthier with D'Addario .010's. The neck feels like a broken in Les Paul and the action is great. For a chambered body it's still a little heavy at 9.4 lbs. The locking tuners are not that great and have been replaced by regular Grover Rotomatics. The set screws on the bridge weren't tightened properly and I lost one after a day. The guitar won't stay in tune due to the nut material and the way it's cut. That also will be replaced with a standard bone nut.

Seems like it's made really well and with the extended neck tenon should be more durable than Les Pauls of the past. The pots are sealed and mounted to a circuit board, so if they ever go bad it will be difficult to clean and/or replace. We'll have to wait and see since I've only had the guitar a couple of months. I couldn't use this guitar without a backup because it doesn't stay in tune that well. It's better with the new tuners and set up, but the nut still must be replaced. Once that's done I'm sure it will be just fine. I use multiple guitars for different tones.

I wrote to customer service about all the problems and they said, "Sorry to hear", take it to an authorized repair center. I guess that's all they could say, but I really don't want the same nut material put on because it's too soft and won't last long and the grooves aren't properly cut.

Overall I think that since it has the new tuners and once the nut is replaced it will be a great guitar. It's a shame that for $2300 you still have to deal with these types of issues.

2008 Les Paul standard in Honey Burst with the 60's neck. AA maple.

Well, after 20+ years of playing it's my first foray into Humbuckers. The burstbuckers sound very rich, and I'm discovering a whole new bunch of sounds (I've been playing a Mexican Fender Tele till recently).

Through my Laney combo it just sounds fantastic. It certainly requires more fiddling to get cleaner sounds on the rhythm pickup as it can tend to get quite "muddy". I've found myself having to do a bit more work with the amp to get the sounds I want.

I love the two volume and two tone switches. As a lead guitarist I've just found it has solved a whole plethora of problems with regards to being heard over the rest of the band.

The chambering doesn't really seem to have made much of a diference to the sound, so I wouldn't let that put you off (let the price do that).

I really have to agree with a lot of other people on here and say that the finish was not what you'd expect from a guitar costing a grand a half.

File marks on the fretboard, and a shoddy bit of wood staining are evident.

The action though was very good, although the bottom E did need a bit of therapy to stop some buzz.

Dont get me wrong, the guitar looks bleedin' bootiful, it just has a few inconsistencies with the finish.

I have never enjoyed playing a guitar as much as I enjoy playing this one, flaws aside.

It plays great, and sounds awesome so that's all that matters.

Durability and reliabity wise is impossible to answer. It's still too early to tell.

By the looks of it the finish wont last long before becoming quite pitted, and I have already worn a belt mark into the rear.

Nice weight to it though, and surprisingly it is a similar weight to my fender.

Never used em.

I've waited 20 years to be able to afford this bad boy, and I'm very pleased I now own one. I bought this guitar for a very distinct reason, rather than on a whim.

The main reason was that with having two telecasters in the band, it was hard to differentiate the two guitars from each other. The Gibson and Fenders work very nicely together and our music has now taken on a very nice, rich sound.

I really need to stress how important it is to try a LOT of les paul's before you find one. I've played a load of LP's recently, and the diference between them is very noticeable. There are some real turkey's out there... actually, 70% are turkey's, so whatever you do DO NOT BUY ONE BEFORE PLAYING IT.

I found the custom far too heavy (although very nicely built), and I just couldn't warrant the extra 500 wing wangs it would have cost. The studio felt cheap, and sounded cheap, but cost 700 quid so I just couldnt understand why anyone would buy one.

When I picked up this one, I knew it was the one. It just felt right, and sounded fantastic. Sure, it has it's niggles with the build quality, but nothing is perfect. This was about the fifth or sixth les paul I had tried that day.

Cost wise.... it is overpriced for what it is, but then I knew that when I bought it. People forget that it isn't just about value, it's about buying the guitar that makes you feel invincible on stage, and the les paul does that for me. The fact it sounds gorgeous is also a plus.

If it was stolen I would probably cry as it took so long to find the right one. But I'd go through the whole nightmare again to find another one.

This guitar has made me the performer I've always wanted to be. Some people love strats, others the SG, but for me it's a Les Paul all the way.

Wonderful (if flawed) guitar.

I'm giving it an average score overall as it is quite a niche instrument. I'm sure that other people could find far more suitable guitars at a better price, and probably better built.

Mine is a 2005 model Les Paul (before all that chambering tomfoolery began) in heritage cherry sunburst. Everybody knows the spec,k if you dont you shouldnt be here jeje. Came with a set of Zakk Wylde strings on which were almost as shoddy as Wylde's technique and music.

The best feature of this guitar by a long way is the sound. Very rich and thick with sustain that will outlast religion. The clean tone is warm and vibrant, and the distorted tone is just....well its just swell. You can go from the crunch of the bridge pickup to the warm flutey slash tones of the neck.

The action was fine on reciving the guitar. cosmetically, though bought new it was not without flaw. A few specs of lacquer by some frets, a tiny bit of crappy binding here and there. Either way, this is not a bother as it is a guitar to play, not to take out for the evening in a ball gown...and maybe more ;p

Duno lol, only had it for 24 hours Lal.

guess thats something you should talk to Watchdog abiwt.

been playing 8 years, until now have only really nailed by usa strat. This guitar is so excellent, its great to play and sounds very very good. Some people weep about it being heavy, if anything that attracts me more (the same cant be said for women ahahahahaha). either way, to wrap up, fantastic guitar, fully recommend it to anybody. It will not disappoint, thats for true.

2007 Les paul Standard in Lightburst, Burstbucker Pro Pickups, 50's Neck, you know the rest, Everything I need in a guitar

This guitar Sounds fantastic, My second les paul with burstbucker pro pickups, the perfect sound to my ears (thought about 57 classics but I love the BB pro's so much) The chambering doesnt bother me at all, my other paul was a very heavy 89 standard in heritage cherry, this guitar sounds 20 times better than that one (same pickups too) and it's a hell of a lot lighter. I use This guitar with a Marshall JCM 800 head and cab, Peavey Valve king 50, and Marshall Vintage Modern 2266 combo. Im floored with how good my rig sounds!

Perfect from the factory, everything is top notch quality.

Will outlast me im sure

Ive delt with gibson on several occations, Never had a problem, always took care of me 100 Percent.

Been playing for 14 years, Ive owned many gibson and currently own many guitars in general, strats tele's Sg's, and i couldnt be more satisfied with life at the moment!

2007 Gibson Les Paul Standard - Honey burst finish with dark brown back and sides ??? stunning look. Burstbucker pickups, 50's profile neck. The rest is regular Les Paul stuff, nothing fancy.

Well, I have to disagree with some of the comments I have read here regarding the ???chambering???. This guitar has the chambers and I love its sound. Obviously, this is a pretty subjective comment, but I compared the sound with that of the Les Paul Deluxe I bought back in 1974 (real solid body, no chamber). Sure the pickups were different... but the body did not resonate as much on the older model; in fact the ???acoustic sound??? on the Deluxe was very thin compared to this Standard. I sincerely believe that the chambers do help in that regard. Now, a ???better acoustic sound??? does not simply mean that the guitar sounds better when unplugged??? More resonance means that the body contributes in keeping the strings vibrating which means more sustain. So it does have an impact on the sound of the guitar once it is plugged in. I am always a bit suspicious when I hear people say that things should be done a certain way because it was always done this way. Resistance to change is a common thing, but I sincerely believe that, in this case, change was good. Maybe the original reason for doing it (saving weight) was a bad one, but I hear Gibson is now more intelligent about achieving ???proper??? chambering that benefit the tone.
Once the guitar is plugged in my Peavey Classic 50 or via my Tonebone trimode for distortion, it sings. I also own a Godin LGXT with Seymour Duncan pickups. The Les Paul Standard???s sound is superior to that of the Godin and the Deluxe. Regarding the comparison with the Deluxe, I would say that I find the sound of this Standard to be more ???open???, especially on the neck pickup. I rarely used that pickup on the Deluxe because I was finding it too dark, but on this guitar, it sounds great and gives me so many more tonal options.

Excellent fit and finish as expected on an instrument in that price range. Action is low. I find this guitar to be really easy to play. The 50???s neck seems to do the job for me. Maybe it is the fact that my first good guitar was a Les Paul when I was 16 and I find myself at home on it. I can???t say???

I can???t say yet because this purchase is too recent, but I do not expect any issue. From what I recall, my Deluxe was very solid except for one thing that did break. It was the little square plastic plate holding the jack. I was always careful with that guitar but I guess once, while I was sitting to play, I put a bit too much pressure on the jack and the plate broke. No other problem.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for over 35 years. Early influences included Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, then in my 20???s, I discovered Allan Holdsworth and found out that a guitar can sound totally different from what I had heard thus far. This Les Paul can accommodate all kinds of styles from blues and traditional rock to progressive rock and jazz. The sound is full and powerful with plenty of sustain which allows playing legato without ???losing gas???. As mentioned before, my other guitars include a Godin LGXT. I love the Godin for different applications; it is my instrument of choice when I need a more ???acoustic sound??? provided by the piezo pickups or when I want to control a midi instrument or to enter data in the computer, but the Les Paul will become my main axe for everything else.

A left handed Gibson Les Paul Standard 2005. Heritage Cherry Sunburst and Flame Maple Top. Mahogany neck and body. Burstbucker Pickups. Standard features. No rating for this category. It is what it is. Nothing more and nothing less.

The guitar sounds very good. It excels at rock and blues tones and also functions as a suitable jazz instrument. Clean sounds are a bit on the dark side (meaning different, if one is more familiar with the sound of single coils)but still very clear and articulate. The sustain is also top notch. The p/ups are very punchy and powerful. The tone knobs provide a nice range of high and low frequencies for both the bridge and neck pickups. Both pickups are balanced nicely for output.

The guitar fails miserably in this category. The factory setup was poor and the action way too high.

There were many flaws with respect to build quality. The fetboard was extremely dry and light in colour. There were also deep file marks in many places along the fretboard and binding. There was a gap between the inlay and the fretboard - meaning the hole drilled for the inlay was too large. The frets were not polished, appearing rusty and coarse.

The Kluson tuning machines are horrible and less durable than the Grovers they have used in the past. Though they may look period correct, keeping your instrument in tune with Klusons will be a problem. Grovers were standard in the 90s but not anymore. Another cost cutting measure I'm sure.

The guitar is finished in nitro. However, there are certain caveats with respect to durability. It is a soft finish and if one is prone to sweating while playing, the finish will wear quickly. Body heat and sweat will cause the finish to turn a white opaque colour. This is indicative of nitro finishes. Over time the finish will begin to check. On the upside nitro finishes are easier to repair than poly finishes but are not as durable.

Quality control at the Gibson factory is severely lacking. Do not believe the hype and mystique surrounding Gibson guitars. Their instruments are overpriced and the fact that it is made in the USA means absolutely nothing. Do not let that be your blind assumption for quality.

This disregard for quality control can also be found in other Gibson guitars. Walk into a music store and check the quality for yourself. I have seen poor binding on a 58 reissue Les Paul ($5400)coming from their custom shop, along with the aforementioned problems. There is absolutely nothing custom about the custom shop. From what I understand it is now defunct and is only a custom shop in name (as told to me in an email from a Gibson representative). Instead, it is used to help fulfill orders for normal production runs. Almost every electric I have looked at suffered from horrible fretboards, poorly cut nuts and file marks on the binding and fretboards. These common defects are all too common and do not warrant or justify Gibson prices.

STAY AWAY FROM GIBSON GUITARS!

Yes, this guitar will withstand live playing. Hardware will not last and the finish is thin as I have mentioned earlier. Strap buttons are too small. Always gig with a backup.

Gibson support is horrible. Takes a very long time to answer email and they never answer the questions asked. Responses are as brief as possible. The warranty sucks for Canadian consumers. One year warranty versus a lifetime warranty in the States. Maybe the crappy guitars only come to Canada or get shipped overseas, hence the one year warranty.

I have been playing over twenty years. I did not buy this guitar. I might be inclined to buy one used, but off the rack it is just too expensive and suffers from too many defects.

However, the guitar sounds nice and gives us what we expect in the tonal department. If only the build quality matched the tone.

Gibson also charges more for left handed instruments. What a rip off. Some companies will not gouge left handed players. Gadow Guitars come to mind.

2008 Gibson USA Les Paul Standard. Gold top finish with natural back and sides. Burtbucker pickups, standard stuff - 22 frets, Tune-o-matic bridge, stop bar, crappy Gibson "deluxe" "green key" Kluson style tuners. This one has a 60's profile neck.

Ok for a semi-hollow body guitar, I guess -although I've never been that much into semi-hollow body guitars. If I wanted one, I'd probably buy a Heritage 535.

Everything about the fit and finish was good. My beef with Gibson is that they changed the Les Paul Standard from a solid body guitar to a semi-hollow body guitar by "chambering" the lower quality mahogany currently being used, so it's no longer a solid body guitar. Everybody who's played guitar for any amount of time expects a Les Paul to be a solid body guitar. If Gibson wants to do this they need to remove the "Les Paul" name from the guitar and call it something else. Les Paul himself would make Gibson take his name off it just like he did the SG when they tried to call that guitar a Les Paul in '61. This guitar weighs about 5 or 6 pounds - easily less than a Stratocaster.

They try to emphasize the "positives" about "chambering", like "better acoustic sound". Like I was getting ready to play Bob Dylan songs at coffee houses using my Les Paul with no amp...please.

When I first received the guitar I was furious. Then I started to wonder if maybe the ultra light semi-hollow body could somehow be turned into a good thing. I just kept going back to the fact that I bought it because I like a 9 or 9.5 pound Les Paul - that's why I bought it - I like the way a heavy solid body guitar sounds, feels, and plays. It doesn't sound "bad", it would just sound much better if it was a "real" Les Paul.

I've never had a problem with Gibson support - they're good folks.

I've been playing for a million years and have owned many Les Pauls. I'm very disappointed that you can't even buy a brand new Gibson USA Les Paul Standard, and get a Les Paul Standard anymore unless you are willing to pay the twice the price for a custom shop model. I always hated when Gibson starting doing the "Les Paul Faded", Les Paul "Antique" this, "Classic" that. I wish they would have just left the Les Paul Standard alone. If they can't get the right wood, then don't make them until they can. My main "Les Paul" is now an Edwards, which is an exact Les Paul copy made by ESP in Japan, not for export. It has genuine Seymour Duncan pickups, Japanese quality - it can't be beat and it only costs about one third the price of a USA Gibson Les Paul.

2004 Les Paul Standard. 24 3/4 scale mahogany set neck, mahogany body,
maple top. Kluson style tuners, Nashville bridge, EMG Zach Wylde P/U
set. Originally it came with Burstbucker Pro P/U's, and they along
with the out dated tuners and pot metal bridge hurt this rating.
The quality of the wood is a big hit and carries the guitar though
this category.

The wood and craftsmanship make this guitar. The nut and saddles
needed some help but it has great tone and clarity. It sounds good
unplugged and has a nice acoustic quality. The Burstbuckers never passed muster and were replaced. I know they're generally approved but to me they were stagnant and clouded up an otherwise great sounding guitar. I took a load of crap from the Gibson fanatics when I installed a Zack Wylde P/U set but the diffence was like day and night. Unbelievable. I love hard rock. I'm liking anything from Gov't
Mule to COC these days. I play through an Egnater TOL 100 head and a
Bogner Ubercab and enjoy some jawdropping tones from this guitar.

The action was a miss on this guitar. The nut was too high and the
high E was muted because the slot was too deep. The saddles had to
be radiused and properly slotted as well. I don't care for the
way they route the neck binding over the frets either. I know that's how the vintage guitars were made but by todays standards it's a cheap
way of doing things and a short cut. It also leaves chatter and marks in the fingerboard. God help you if you want it re-fretted in the same manner. Gibson charges a premium price for what was proclaimed to
be a premium guitar so they need to deliver a premium product. The woodwork and finish were great on the otherhand.

Sure it's reliable. Durable I don't know about. Drums are the only
things I know of that take a beating so I can't rate it there.
The finish is nitrocellulose so I polish and maintain it because
it's thin and delicate as it should be (never wax). The bridge
I'm not sure about and might eventually be replaced but it still
gets high marks because it hasn't failed yet.

Never needed.

If lost or stolen, I would have to have another. It's a sound and
experience you can't have unless you own one. I wouldn't buy new
again though because the value is not there and they're making chambered bodies again. I paid $1800 for a $1200 guitar. Instead
I would try to find a used solid body that someone did not like.
People sometimes cull what's percieved as a bad Les and actually
it just has a bad setup because they're a production guitar. The
quality of the wood and tone is still there. On sound alone it's
a 10 in my book.

August '07 USA made Les Paul Standard Honeyburst AA flame maple top. Mahogany body and neck. Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tail piece. Two burstbucker pickups. Luxury hard case w/- pick guard supplied ready to be fitted if wanted. All the standard features expected.

I love this sound. I play blues and this can go from rich round woman tone on the neck pick up to a juicy snarl on the bridge pickup. Straight into my Peavey Classic 30 on full this sounds glorious. Back off the volume for a cleaner sound or full tilt for tone heaven with a breakup in the sound that just sings.

Finish is beautiful...the Honeyburst has a real vintage vibe about it. A slight file mark on the fretboard at the 1st fret treble side is a minor worry for a guitar of this reputation and price. the lacquer has also gone into the screw post of the stop tail piece but won't affect performance. I just love the iconic look of the guitar and that headstock in my rack is great....waited 26 years to get one. The mahogany is unusual to me as the lacquer on this one is clear and most I have seen have a reddish look to me. I don't know if mine is less common but all the other Les Pauls I looked at were honeyburst or light burst etc seemed to have the more cherry looking back. I love this clear with the honey maple top. The finish and build apart from the 2 minor details is great. Action was very good, loved the feel straight out of the box....no change necessary.

This guitar is a lifetime thing and will be gigged extensively. No concerns at all. Always have a backup no matter what I am using but only because a string may break...totally confident in this guitar.

Have not needed it.

Been playing for 30 years mostly blues, country, gospel and rock. This is my 8th guitar. Have a resonator, danelectro, silvertone[1954], Epiphone acoustic, U.S.A. Fender Tele, U.S.A. Fender Strat Plus w/- Texas Specials p/u and a Epiphone '56 Goldtop w/- P-90's.
If stolen would definitely buy another. Love the tone..it is to die for. The look is classic....I tried PRS aswell and they were great too but a Les Paul has the x factor and personality if you get the right one. I played many and they vary. Be patient and get the right one for you. Even in this price range they vary in feel and sound and suitability to you.

I FINALLY GOT MY GIBSON LES PAUL, ITS A GIBSON LES PAUL SILVERBURST BUT I HAVE HEARD ITS THE SAME AS A STANDARD EXCEPT THE FINISH, I USED TO PLAY A EPIPHONE LES PAUL 100 AND THOUGHT EPIPHONE DID A VERY GOD JOB OF GETTING THE SOUND OF GIBSON. I STILL LIKE MY GIBSON BETTER THOUGH, ITS SOUND IS PERFECT, I PLAY IT OFF OF A PEAVEY CHORUS 200 WATT AMP, SOON HOPING TO GET THE DREAMED F MARSHALL HALF STACK, IM STARTING MY VERY OWN BAND SOON, AND RECOMMEND THE GIBSON LES PAUL BEFORE ANY OTHER GUITAR, IT FEALS PERFECT. IT WEIGHS A LITTLE MUCH, BUT THE 1 I BOUGHT IS A SEMI HALLOWED BODY, SO ITS CHAMBERED TO MAKE IT WEIGH LESS BUT STILL HAS A FULL CREAMY SOUND, I BOUGHT IT FOR ABOUT 2300 OR 2400 WHICH IS A LITTLE MUCH, BUT ILL HAVE IT FOR THE RESTG OF MY LIFE

PERFECT

VERY GOOD

LOVE IT

OH SO HELPFUL

LOVE IT MORE THEN ANY GUITAR

My Les Paul is an 80's model, classic mahogany w/maple top, with the prerequisite knocks and hits that a model of this age would have. Other than that, the finish is nice for the age. Top is quilted maple, regular green tuners, 50's style thick neck, which is fine for me.

Big, fat, meaty sound, quite a contrast from my other axes (Mexican Tele, Stratocaster). Drives my junk Crate amp a lot harder than the Fenders, sounds great, has nice character. No noise thru pups whatsoever, no hum. No noise when switching pups, neck pup is mellow, good for singing leads, bridge pup will crank hard when played. Has good tonal variety when adjusting vol and tone. In short, hot p-ups, upgrades dont make sense to me.

Need to get it set up, prev. owner did not do. Pups are adjusted ok. Finish is GREAT for the age. Stays in tune rather well, action is ok, but could be lower, IMHO.

This baby was a working guitar, not to be put up in a rack. It got a bit of playing time, but is in very good shape. Finish is nice, hardware is hardly damaged at all due to it being nickel, will last another 20 some years or more! This thing is a GIBSON, and will be reliable. Would be reliable without backup, but would bring my Tele so I could have a wider variety of tones and sound available.

Went to website for support, seems well laid out, had to get a part for the guitar recently, had no problem obtaining.

I like the overall sound, is fat and full. Have a Crate 30 watt amp, looking to upgrade that real soon, and a Line 6 pocket pod for practice. The weight of this thing is HEAVY. A shade over 9 pounds so be prepared if you want to do multiple set with this thing. Better get on a weight training program before gigging with this. Is solidly built, has classic rock guitar sound, but versatile for just about any popular music.

2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard - Desertburst.

Your standard LP features. Burstbucker Pro PUPs.

Love it. I give all my Gibson's a 10 in the sound department.

Finish was flawless. It's a nice heavy piece of wood. Great action for a factory setting, but I lowered the action.

BTW, Harmony should have another rating category for LPs...weight. I love a nice heavy LP.

Had it for six months, zero problems.

I've read numerous reviews on how Gibson's CS is crummy. Personally, I've emailed them many times and they've always gotten back to me...even for really stupid things. For this reason, I give Gibson a 10.

If you can justify spending $2,500 on a guitar, then buy one. You won't regret it.

I have a LP Custom (silverburst...oh, so sweet!!), LP BFG, SG Standard, SG w/EMG (Week 32), and an ES-335 Block Inlay. Playability, it's a toss up between the LP Standard and the Custom.

I love the feel of my LP Standard.

The usual Les Paul Standard features. Quick to find and simple to use. This is a U.S.A from the early 90's. Has the huge 50's neck that although daunting at first, after a while of playing I have found it really comfortable. I seem to be able to get a higher degree of acuracy on the fret board than i have with Fender necks.

The sound is exactly what a Les Paul should sound like. I am influenced by bands like Guns n Roses/Led Zep/AC-DC/Van Halen/The Who/Stones/. The sound is less versatile than other makes of guitar but play with the pick up selector and the tone controls and there are some beautiful tones to play with. I play through a Marshall ( no suprises there ) AVT 275. Some may see this as a sin but i can't afford JCM's and suchlike. The combination give the oppertunity to get close to Cream sounds as well as Slash tones. The clean sound bites hard but wind off some volume on the guitar and it's glorious.

I will struggle with this section as the guitar was VERY used when i bought it. What i can say is that this guitar has had a hard life and still looks and sounds great. The only minor problem has occured on the G and B strings. They were sticking in the nut, so falling out of tune very quickly. A small amount of pencil graphite in the grooves has stopped this, a great 5 minute fix.

Like I have said before, this guitar has been gigged regularly by the previous owner. He had not problems the harware is still good, obviously there are stap locks fitted, but she has been battered and continues to go on. The finish is great, there are knocks a plenty but none have actually removed the finish all you get is some cracking in the binding which put with the knocks makes for a really cool aged / worn look.

I have been playing for about 3 years, I also own a 52 Re-issue Telecaster which is lovely but limited in terms of heavier rock sounds. Why I love the Gibson is that I payed ??650 from ebay on the guitar and ??200 from a mate for the AVT amp. ??850 in total and the sound and tones that I want are there in bucket loads. I like a sense of soul in guitars and to have landed this one beat up and beautiful for a good price is great. I have a Les Paul that I'm not afraid to take out and gig !

Usual Les Paul features. Mine is Cherry red with a 60's neck. Does exactly what you expect a Les Paul to do!

This guitar makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck every time I plug it in! It has been my dream to own a Gibson Les Paul and play it through a Marshall Valve amp. It's taken me until i'm nearly 40 but my God it was worth the wait. I play through a JCM 900 on the clean channel with gain on about 8 and it is the absolute dogs.
I play in a rock covers band and we play everything from Thin Lizzy and the Offspring to The Police and Snow Patrol. For the quieter moments roll off the volume on the guitar and the sound cleans up beautifully.
It's everything I ever dreamed it would be.

Not good considering the price you pay for one of these. Frets needed a good polish, the coverplates on the back don't fit particularly well, the pick up surounds are a different colour to the other cream plastic of the pickguard and binding. The Pickguard didn't fit properly and neither did the toggle switch tip which eventually flew off never to be recovered at an outdoor gig in Bath a few weeks ago.

Bought it from Sound Control in Bristol (UK) and it came with a free set up. The tech did a good job and it plays like a dream. I use 12 guage strings and the neck has stayed solid as a rock and it just never goes out of tune.

I'll admit I was blinded by the Gibson logo and, having played dozens to get the one that sounded just right, I would have bought it regardless of the finish. BUT be aware that the quality is not as good as it should be for the money.

I gig every other week and this guitar is well up to the job, then again as a pro level instrument it should be. I took a conscious decicsion that this guitar was going to be played and wouldn't be kept in cotton wool. Don't get me wrong I treat it with great care, but with the thin finish these guitars will mark. Not withstanding that, thousands play these guitars week in week out and they just never let you down (as long as you intstall some strap locks) I always have a back up in case I break a string mid song.

Never dealt with Gibson

Been playing for over 25 years, and own two American Fender Telecasters one 10 years old and one 4 and a late 80's Japanese Fender Strat which I've owned from new. I play through a Marshall JCM 900 4102 combo and a 1922 cab with an MG100 head as a back up (yes I have blown my amp up mid gig!) I use some effects, usually just a Boss Compressor and an original Marshall Guv'nor pedal. Other effect are a Boss equalizer, Boss flanger, Cry Baby Wah wah, and digitech pds1002 delay.

I love my telecasters, but the Gibson is my dream. They all sound different so make sure you try lots before you part with your cash. The best advice I was given was forget about the colour, try every one in the shop/town/city THROUGH YOUR OWN AMP for 20 seconds at a time; put back the the ones you don't like (there will be some!) take a break, then go back through the remaining ones the same way until you find the one for you. You may not be successful first time round (some people take months), but persevere you will know when you've found "the one". Personal score would be 10 out of ten, but objectively with the issues with finish and the huge price tag i give this an 8.

Finish : Mild 'orange-red' sunburst 'tiger-stripe' maple. Body : single-cutaway, mahogany. Bridge : Gibson Tune-O-Matic. Tuners : Grover. Neck : Mahogany, Rosewood fingerboard, white plastic neck binding, block inlays, 23 3/4 inches scale. Accessories : Hard case, truss rod wrench. Year of Manufacture : 1996, USA. Frets : 22. Top : Laminated maple. Controls : 2 volumes, 2 tones, 3-way selector. Pickups : 2 chrome humbucking, Gibson. Passive electronics.

Great thick sound for clean or distorted single-line solos or power chords. Useable sounds for strumming; but never as clear as a Strat. Not as good for clean funk or comping. Have used it through a Mesa-Boogie Studio Caliber and Roland JC120 Jazz Chorus; plus a Boss ME30 multiple effects unit. Quieter and better than an American Standard Strat for thick solos and power chords, but not as clear (no ringing, bell-like tones); probably due to the humbuckers.

Factory setup was middle-of-the-road; came with .009 strings. Played much better after adjustment to my personal tastes (higher action, tighter truss rod/straighter neck). Sounded even better after a change to Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (.011 - .049). Finish and workmanship good, a little bit of varnish overspray on the neck binding; but nothing I can't live with.

String bending much easier than on a Strat because of the shorter scale. Works fine either on live gigs or recordings. Dependable and solid, though it needs more careful handling than a Strat due to its glued-in neck and tilt-back headstock.

Have great support from the local dealer who sold me this guitar, Melody Music. Never dealt with Gibson directly.

Been playing guitar since 1972, and bass since 1981. Have owned Fender Squires, US Standard and Japanese Strats, Ibanez Strat clones, Epiphone Les Pauls; this is a great guitar; but not as versatile as a Strat. Great for chunky lead work and power chords; though.

Les Paul Standard. Two Volume Two tone controls. This,in my view gives many tonal options along with the pickup selector.This model has the desert burst finish.The guitar is absolutley georgeos.

My music styles are rock(who,zep,rush,allmans etc...)blues.Fusion(al dimeola,jeff beck,santana,dream theater,zappa,etc..).My amp Marshall JCM 900.The tone of this beauty is unbelievable.I played over 100 guitars over the course of my search for a new guitar.I have a 40th anniversary strat that I love,but wanted a bigger fuller sound to go with.My search was initialy for a PRS (I did not want to give up my Whammy bar.)After playing the many guitars over a year long(no impulse buying,looking for total quality and tone.)I selected this guitar. It had a riher fuller tone that did not compromise any brightness or string to string clarity on the clean or overdrive on my amp.As I stated my search started for PRS,tis Les Paul had more charachter. It had more bite when needed,more response to my fingers on the fretboard for tonal variance.

I give this one a 10.I cannot say that about all of them.Like I said I played over 100.No two are alike.Some were not good at all some were ok. This one was THE ONE.This one has perfect action.Iwas expecting to take it to get it set up after playing it for awhile(after the new wore off),but it did not need it.I have played it for 9 months now without a hitch.Only addition sraplocks.

I hate to keep giving 10s but I DO NOT BABY it. I play for hours at a time.Now I don't throw it around or drop it(It's not a strat you can break it).

I give an 8 here because I don't think these or PRS should be this pricey. Having said that I LOVE THIS GUITAR!!!!!!.Ihave been playing for 30 years.My other guitars are a yamaha 300 owned since1975,guild dv52 1996,fender 40th strat.marshalljcm900.Hope it is not stolen I don't want the search to start over.I chose this over prs it had more persnality,not as sterile sounding(not bashing prs as I was looking for one).

Nice finish on the recent ones - they certainly look good. Bridge style is tune-o-matic. The tuners are OK, but don't do the job too well (more below). This one was a post 2002 model with bursbuckers. Having two volume knobs - one for each pickup is an advantage, as you can switch between a quiet rhythm line and a loud lead one from the pickup selector.

If you want to sound like Eric Clapton on Bluesbreakers (Beano album), or Cream, then this is your sound. I personally find it very muddy. Good for lead lines and with sustain, but very difficult to get definition on chords. They are a bit like the sonic equivalent of wading through mud. That would suit some, but I found it limiting and not very satisfying. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the sound which was too dark, dull and thumpy on the bass notes. Perhaps this is what LPs are meant to sound like, but it is not a very versatile sound. Pickups are OK, but to be honest, I had been playing an old HSS squier fender made in Jap for 20 years, and I thought that sounded better.

The set up on this guitar was awful - fret buzz on most strings. Even though I sent it back to be re done (perhaps the guitar shop where I bought it didn't know what they were doing?), it still slipped back into rattling and buzzing. Playing it, it didn't seem like a well made guitar, or something anywhere near the money I paid. More seriously, it drifted out of tune, particularly on G and the other middle strings. This happened both after bending, but sometimes without that. Extremely disappointing

A very durable instrument in many respects - heavy and solid. However, not reliable for me, in the sense that it could never stay in tune, and it was difficult to get a range of satisfying sounds out of it.

I didn't approach Gibson, but perhaps I should have done.

I have played for 20 years in various different bands, and had always dreamed of owning one of these guitars. I was sorely disappointed. I would advise others to not just go for the brand name, but to try out as many instruments as possible without buying, without prejudice or worrying about what others will think about the name on the headstock. Since I spent so much money on this guitar, I have to give it a very low overall rating - I would have been better off sticking to my old and cheaper instrument (worth 10% of this LP)

I think the standards should be broken out by year and model... as
far as standard plus, classic, premium plus... some of new 2007 models
are different and called Gibson before I bought one. Some are the regular solid body and others are a combination of weight relieved and
chambered and I've been told unofficially that you can get one so that it's one step away from a cloud 9, so that is what I looked for and got.
I honestly wasn't expecting much from this guitar before I plugged it
in. I plugged it in side by side to my vintage goldtop and was shocked.
My goldtop is 9.25 lbs which sounds amazing but after an hour or so puts a dent in my shoulder, this new standard is 7.5 lbs and really surprized me.
Unlike the other lightweight 2007 models that have had wood chips or
other things rattling around in the chambers this is solid workmanship
and I guess Gibson after some complaints got their act together. Its
every bit as resonant as my solid 9.25 lbs goldtop and now I am thinking of sell it... of course I will keep the Tim shaw pickups
and maybe the knobs too.

I hate to say it but this but the ceramic pickups especially the
treble one are great... I plugged it into the Marshall and wow... and
because its lightweight I can play better, not so anchored feeling.
I am almost afraid to put better pickups in it in case it doesn't sound
as good. The neck pickup is a little muddy but a sprague bumblebee
or vitamin Q will take care of that. Its sustains and has great
resonance just like my solid goldtop and does not feedback like a
es 335 at high gain... I play my amps with every knob on ten except for the tone. I have a Marshall 1917 20 watt with mercury magnetics power transformer and a Wizard output transformer and Wizard worked on the amp so its the best amp I've ever played and is ultra low noise so
I crank everything. This guitar really shines through this amp, you
got to try one, I guess a later model since the lightweights are new
for 2007. I suspect that the amount of complaints from the initial
run might give this Gibson cause to drop the chambered version possibly making this a potentially rare guitar.

This finish fit and workmanship is every bit as good as my early
80's goldtop... I guess I was lucky and got a good one or Gibson has
worked out the kinks with the lightweight models. The new knobs suck.

Seems reliable no problems so far, this is my backup the goldtop is
my baby but am thinking about selling it for the 2007, I think one
has to go.

Very good, answered the phone, I think one guy might do all the USA
support because I called before on something different a few years
ago and the same voice answered. Very responsive good support and I
should know because I started my Software career in support.

Playing on an off for 30 years... see above for comparisons.