Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany

These burstbucker pro pickups sound like the tone in my head.

Play through an epiphone valve junior head with a 2x12 laney cab. I don't even plug in my tube screamer or any effects. I don't need them, because nothing sounds better than the guitar's unadorned sound.

I bought it used on craigslist. It was good to go.

A friend broke the neck, but that happens a lot with les pauls. I've broken the headstock on my epiphone les paul twice. It's the price you pay for the tone and sustain.

After friend broke the headstock, I called Gibson (awesome 24-hour customer service stocked with knowledagle caring personel) and they recommended Broken Neck Guitars in Boston. Broken Neck's Peter fixed my guitar up good as new, set it up with new strings and now it sings so sweet.

My best musical purchase. Coupled with Epiphone's Valve Junior Head, a decent cab, My rig rivals my real estate for best purchase of life. I love this guitar. If I had the loot, I'd buy 10 of these and 10 Epi valve jr. heads and sit on them for an investment.

Pretty basic, mahogany body (laminate), mahogany top, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, mother of toilet seat block inlays, 50's profile (rounded) neck, Kluson banjo tuners, Stop tailpiece and bridge, very thin nitro finish, chambered body, two burstbucker pro pickups, lots of grain to be felt on the neck and body. Two volume and two tone controls, 3 way pickup selector switch. USA made, very simple guitar but then that's the way I like them.

I play rock and rock oriented blues music, nothing heavy, I use this guitar with a few different 1x12 combo amps depending on the gig I'm playing, ranging in wattage from 15 to 50 watts (tube). The guitar has a typical les paul sound with some extra shimmer or acoustic vibe due to the chambered body. It's clean tones are good, neck pickup is full and beefy, bridge pickup is fine - I don't use it for clean tones and haven't on any other les paul I've played. Middle switch selection is very nice sounding as well. For crunch and lead tones the bridge pickup is very nice sounding, will do the typical Les Paul crunch ala Gary Moore, Slash, Page, Warren Haynes very well, sounds like a damn les paul. In higher gain amp settings the pickups do feedback some, not unusual as the burstbuckers are higher output pickups than standard PAF style pups, but then I knew that when I tried out the guitar. Overall, this guitar sounds just like a les paul, sounds very similar to my R7, perhaps not as complex and has some "dead spots" on the neck where notes don't sustain long but then all guitars have these issues, that's why you've got to hunt to find the good ones.

The sound of this guitar at the price I paid is what sold me, it's a fine guitar for the money and sounded better than any of the imports I tried, and I tried them all. There were a few guitars I tried that sounded better at twice the price, but they didn't sound that much better.

Let me premise this by saying I only paid $650 for this guitar -

now for my observations:

Intonation - I dont' think Gibson did anything other than slap the tailpiece, bridge and strings on this guitar, stuck in the box and shipped it. I bought the guitar for GC so you know it received no special treatment once they received it, so if you don't know how to check and intonate a guitar you'll most likely need to have tech set it up (or tell the store to do it before you pay for the guitar) once you buy it to get the most out of the guitar.

Frets - I tried about a dozen of these out before I bought one and I picked the one with the best balance of all factors, the frets on mine are quite nice and the action is perfect, on others I tried the frets were rough on the edges and the action buzzed at standard string height.

Pickup Height - totally off on each guitar I tried out, the pups were way too close to the strings. Easily remedied with my pen knife while trying out each guitar - I should have charged GC for my services...

Finish Flaws: none on the one I bought, others I tried had issues, sloppy joint fit, lots of glue filler in the block inlays, nuts not finished off properly, bent tuners, dents and dings, again you need to try them out before you buy, mail ordering would be a tough way to go with this guitar, so many I tried out had issues. Perhaps much of this had to do with buying from GC - guitars on disply do tend to get abused, the one I bought was new and still in the box but I tried several other new guitars that had similar issues with the finish. I can't give this guitar a high mark for fit and finish due to set up issues I found with every guitar I tried out. I think Gibson should pay extra attention to the guitars with a lower price point as many novice players will buy them not knowing the set up problems are robbing them of a good action and overall tone.

The big selling factors for me on this guitar were it's playability and weight. Once set up this guitar is an excellent player, and it's very light, lighter than my EJ strat, easy to play for hours without shoulder or neck fatigue - not like my R7, it's a log and if it wasn't so damn beautiful I would get rid of it and just play this guitar!!! So, I'm giving this guitar a rating based on all the others I had to try out to get a really good one.

The guitar seems structurally sound, the finish is fine for what the guitar is and I personally like a plainer finished guitar. It does ding a little easier due to the thin nitro finish but then it's going to age nicer/quicker than a poly coated guitar. I hope it wears off in a year! I've been playing guitar in bands for 25+ years and only want to take one guitar - never had a problem, don't think I will with this guitar. I have others but I don't like carrying the damn things around.

who knows, I do my own repairs anyhow.

Great guitar for the money, if you buy one take it tech and spend a little extra to have it set up properly if it needs it, have the store check the intonation for you if you don't know how to do it and make them set it before you write the check! I've been playing for many years and for the most part a guitar is a guitar - I'm going to sound like me no matter what I play, but this guitar does have the les paul vibe at a significanlty reduced price from a standard, it's light and plays very well. For the money it's a great deal. If it were stolen I would definitely hunt down another one. I did compare this guitar to the PRS SE, Micheal Kelley, G&L tributes, Parker PM20 and a host of other imports and FOR ME this guitar sounded and played the best. With some tweaking to get it set up right it sounded fantastic and played even better.

We'll for an inexpensive Gibson USA Les Paul Studio about the only feature missing (I feel) is the rich beautiful finish. So for me this was only a finish decision as build quality, playability and tone where my first considerations. It is a Studio model with the 59 rounded neck, 22 fret, twin Gibson Burstbucker Pro's/Alnico 5 magnet, faded finish (mine is faded cherry), mahogany body and top/cap (most Gibson Les Pauls have a maple top/cap, mahogany all the way around except for the fretboard which is ebony or rosewood, with Gibson vintage style tuners non-locking (green), studio style (clear on black)control knobs 2 volume and 2 tone controls, tune o matic bridge, rounded/carved top, standard Les Paul switch, treble, middle and rythm position, came with a Gibson USA hardshell case made in Canada. I have played a few other Gibson's including a 60's model sg, couple of studio model's and one or two standards. Comparing across this time span along with current production I think this is a great Gibson guitar with plenty of muscle and usable features for the money and it is made in the USA which is important to me. My American dollar helping other Americans to make a living. I rate this guitar an 8 which I think is very high. The reason is compared to the majority of guitars on the market today it has what it takes. It's a guitar that works and works well. Proven design but not flawless.

Personally I have always been a fan of the Les Paul sound. I like the strat, tele sound too and have played & owned the Fender and G&L Strats both, sound great but if you want a LP sound I would buy a LP. Fender is really being competitive with the HSS Stat models with the humbucker in the bridge position and I have played these but to me it does'nt quite reach the LP sound. Though it definitely is very versatile and reaches into the LP arena and maybe there pocketbook too. For me the Gibson Les Paul definitely has its place in tone, sound and music styles. I like to play the LP mostly for rock although I play country music too. I like southern rock, classic rock and grunge/punk rock like Lynrd Skynrd, CCR, Green Day, Bush, BTO, the Steve Miller band, etc. I think it can fit many other music styles also its just mostly known for its rock and roll fame (The LP has been played in many music genres). I am currently using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12 tube amp for playing. On the clean channel this guitar can produce several useful tones. It can go from a very clean sound to a heavy overdriven sound with no effects. I think this is partly due to the Burstbucker pups. On the overdrive/distortion channel it does not sound as good to me but on the clean channel with or without effects it can have a very powerful LP tone sound. I do not find any more noise through this guitar than the amp already produces on its own which is not to bad on the clean channel. As with most tube amps this guitar sounds best when the amp is cranked up and the tubes are working full throttle. I am going to try a Ibanez TS808 and TS9 with this rig and see what I get. I think it will be good. My guitar can go from a twangy sound on the treble side to a powerful rich full warm chunky sound on the mid and rythm switch settings. It can sound very powerful on the treble side too just depends on your settings and equipment. For me the sustain is awesome. Probably due to the all mahogany body and top with no heavy finish to keep the wood from breathing and vibrating. On most settings that I have used, this guitar sings out and you can hear the notes and harmonics ringing out. It can also be set to a very heavy bass rythmic sound but note and chord clarity is not present. I think for a LP this is a very versatile guitar, personally I think this model would hold its own with any Gibson Les Paul made, maybe not the best but for the money very good. Overall my LP sounds great to me and definitely was what I was looking for in LP tones. I am very please with the sound qualityand tone of my guitar. This guitar does have a slight tendency to feedback with my amp and is the same no matter where the volume or mids is cranked but I kinda of like that. Everyone is different. Best thing to do if you can is to play many models and brands to see what kinda of dynamite you like. No two guitars are the same although they may be very close. Remember most guitars are made of wood and no two pieces of wood are identical even if there from the same tree. If you are serious about playing and tone then buy the best guitar you can afford which may not be the most expensive one.

The setup is ok from the factory. I like the factory action but did notice that the nut needs some filing to get the strings to seat better. The frets are well done but are slightly high and sharp which does not bother me alot, I also play acoustic so when you switch over to the LP it feels great. No fret buzzing with the factory setup. My guitar with a good setup job would probably be excellent. The pickup adjustment is ok for me but then that is kinda a personal thing. I will probably adjust mine sooner or later just to see what it does for sound. I would'nt say this guitar is bookmatched but the matching and wood grain are very nice and not noticable from 2 feet away. Fret fitting is nice. Pup fitting is nice. Neck fit is nice. Tuners work well and stay in tune most of the time. An upgrade in tuners might be in order. Switch and knobs work good. A little noise on the pickup switch when operated. Might need to check electical connections. Output jack solid and tight no noise. Two of my knobs are slightly out of level when you turn them there is a slight wobble although I cannot feel it when I adjust them. The knob action is smooth tight and progressive. The wood is very nice though it is a little rough but then mahogany does not have the smoothest grain. The finish is great exactly what I expected from vintage mahogany. The case is great good fit and functions properly. This guitar is light to me, fits my playing style well, and is comfortable. With time and polishing it will look great. If you want a work of art then this is not your guitar

Yes this guitar will stand up to performing live and it is very well built and durable. For live performing would probably be a good idea to make some upgrades like strap locks, tuners and have it totally checked out electrically and set up but out of the box it would do but if my livelyhood depended on it I would test everything first and I would do that with any brand of guitar, holy grail or not. Good hardware, durable. Strap buttons are solid. The finish is thin and that goes a long way in making this guitar affordable and I am sure that with long playing times the finish will wear. Then it will truly be "vintage". I would think most serious performing musicians would always have a backup no matter how bulletproof there #1 guitar is, you never know what will happen.

I bought this one new and sent the warranty card in so it has the standard Gibson warranty for life. Have not sent it in so I do not know about that. I did call Gibson before I bought this guitar just to get a feel for the company and they were very helpful and answered all my questions. They said if there were any problems (stated in warranty) they would take care of it. This Gibson model was made for a specific retailer and that kind of put me off but when I got the guitar that was laid to rest. I like it and would replace it if necessary.

I have played about 10 years and do not own any other gear at this time. I sold off all my stuff over the years and bought new stuff. Sold a great G&L Strat (stupid). For me this guitar was a great buy. Awesome sound, quality build, playability is very good for me. For an inexpensive version of the Gibson Les Paul I think its a great deal. This is just my review. Lots of guitar players out there and lots of different opinions of gear, sound, tone, and playing styles etc. This guitar hits hits the sweet spot for me.

I don't need to give you the specs because a lot of other people already have. Also if you want the exact specs go to musicians friend or guitar center online.

It has the features of a gibson so it isn't realy high tech or anything but that's what i like about it. I'm gonna give it a 9 because i don't like all of the digital crap anyway. Even though it comes with a (beautiful) hard case i wish it came with a cable, strap, cleaning kit and picks like most fenders do.

Now this guitar is one of the best ever in this field. the nitrocellulose laquer finish really lets the wood reverberate. the mahogany isn't as dark or muddy as you'd expect - it's very nice. The burstbucker pros are wonderful and can get anything from a bluesy deep smooth dark tone to an obliterating distortion to a telecaster- like jangle to a screaming lead. The humbuckers are surprisingly wonderful clean which surprised me as humbucker are known to struggle in that field.

I'd also like to say that the body is weight relieved so it is lighter than a solid chunk of wood. It also gives it a surprsingly loud acoustic sound. I find myself playing it acoustically often! My guitar is about 8 pounds on my bathroom scale.

No problems here. It was all great.

I would almost gig without a backup it is so good but i'd bring a spare if i could in case a string broke (which isn't the guitars fault). The finish will break in real nice on the neck soon too because of the nitro so i'm happy. The only thing is i wish it didn't dent as easy. Mine hasn't yet but i'm kinda afraid it will a little.

Haven't had to deal with them. Don't think i'll need to but gibson is a great company from all of my experience

I play hard rock, some blues, rock, some non-distorted rock, classic rock and a little acoustic and funk and this guitar will handle it all. I know i'm NEVER selling it. I don't regret getting it at all.

Pretty standard classic electric guitar features. Pick-up switch, volume and tone knobs all in good working order and of good quality - I have read some complains about the pick-up switch but mine works fine. The input jack also seems to be good quality - no wiggling around and no noise.

The neck is a little rough but is the perfect thickness. The tuners are okay but not great. The serial number indicates that mine was built in January of 2007.

It sounds great. The pick ups seem pretty hot and are little prone to feedback. When playing with a lot of distortion it sounds really big which based on the price suprised me - I was a little worried when I got it that it would sound like a supporting player but it has a voice like it's much more expensive counterparts - I big growling Les Paul voice. The clean sound is very bight. The guitar does lean a little to the treble side but has decent bottom and does muting really well.

I play blues, metal, punk and like that I can get many different sounds out of this guitar. My main amp is a Peavey Classic 30 (that screams) and I also have a 5150 when I am in a really heavy mood.

I bought mine used. If the way it was set up was from the factory it was pretty bad but I suspect the 15 year old I bought it from messed around with the bridge and tailpiece. I spent about 15 minutes eyeballing it and got the action nice and low with no buzz - so as far as action goes it's very adjustable.

The finish is pretty rough but it is still a very nice looking guitar. Mine is worn brown - i would have preferred the faded cherry but I got a very good deal so I took what I could get. If you want a gorgeous LP you are going to have to shell out the bucks. It would be nice if the back of the neck was a little smoother but that is totally fixable. Also, as documented by many - some of the fret ends are pretty sharp - once again very fixable by the end user.

As I have said - I have not had mine very long but I know a good guitar when I feel it. This is a very good guitar. The neck feels like it is set in stone and the hardware is chrome which I for one think looks far cooler than cheeseball gold and looks good a hell of a lot longer. It is a solid guitar.

Have not needed support.

Okay - the bottom line. This is a Les Paul for the masses and it is still not cheap. It does require a little refinement before it's really "yours" but those are pretty easy refinements. If you are wondering whether you should buy this thing, which granted is not the prettyest guitar in the world or buy and epi Les Paul I offer this opinion: Are you nuts? This guitar blows the Epi away. Be the guy on stage with a great sound rather than the guy backstage trying to screw back in his input jack. This guitar sounds great, feels great (with minimal work), was made in the USA and will last for years. Everytime I look at that headstock and see that honest to God Gibson logo I get a huge smile!

You know by now. Most all the standard Les Paul features with the exception of a few. No nitro laquer, no binding and a slightly thinner overall thickness. The top is a 2 piece Mahogany in lieu of the usual 2 (or more) piece Maple cap. The tops on all these (and the regular Studio models) are slightly thinner, that's where the overall thinner thing comes from! I have heard some people have actually gotten 1 piece backs on these, but mine is a 3 piece back. really could give half rats @ss less how many pieces it has beacuse the sound is there.

Sounds better to my ears than my beloved '94 Standard. A fuller, darker, smoother sound. I like the frets on the VMs' better than the fat & flat style used on the '90s Standards. I also believe the BB pros are a much more PAF-ish type of sound as opposed to the 490R & 498T used on my Standard (they also use the same setup on the regular Studio models). I've heard many people say the BB pros are shrill or tinny, but I just don't find that to be true. It could been shielded a bit better, but it's no super noisy. If you play super high-gain stuff it may get buzzy, but not for blues, rock & jazz which is what I play. Overall a dark but not murky Les Paul, and it does have good clarity as well (very balanced).

Bought mine used from the original owner, whom I don't believe ever took it in for an adjustment. And seeing as he's mostly an acoustic player, doubt he did much in regards to setting it up. Everything plays just fine. The frets are well seated (and level) but as with most VMs', the fret ends could use a light filing but they aren't ragged.

Take care of it and it will last. Don't drop it, kick it around or dump crap on top of it and you should be fine. The finish is soft due to no laquer, so it will ding without too much effort. Solid harware, good electronics, all's fine.

Been playing for just short of 20 years. Have owned many Les Pauls over the years. Standards'/Deluxes'/Customs'/Juniors'/Specials'/Studios' and a 40th Anniversary. I've had 'em all, not bragging I've just blown alot of money over the years and wasn't smart enough to hold onto any of them. This is as good as some and not as good as others. But given the price point, and that it's considered to be a the bottom of the LP food chain, I think this thing is remarkable. Oddly enough, this is the first stock LP I've owned that I haven't felt the need to swap out the pickups. There really is nothing that I don't like about this guitar, and I have been looking to find fault. The only thing that I would have liked to see on these would be a very thin layer of Nitro. I can't see that it would have raised the price on these all that much. All in all a great "Bang for the Buck" guitar (especially if you find a good used one).

Mahogany body and neck, carved mahogany top, Satin Cherry Finish (not faded, as some would have you believe), two Burstbuckers, "aged" trapezoid inlays on rosewood fretboard, 2 volume, 2 tone knobs, TOM/stop tailpiece, Gibson Deluxe tuners (which I replaced with Grovers), 22 frets

Doesn't sound too much different from LP Standards, I assume because of the Burstbuckers. Sounds a tad darker, due to the mahogany top instead of maple. Burstbuckers are slightly tinny in my opinion, but not so much that I want to change 'em out. I thought briefly about swapping 'em with alnico 2 humbuckers, but I was hesitant because I thought I may lose some top end. Other than that, they have a complex, slightly dark, but harmonicly rich sound. Classic Les Paul sound when overdriven. Decent cleans on the bridge pup, bell like tones on the in between setting and neck setting. I can even get the classic "woman tone" with the neck pup and some overdrive. I read an article in which the author wrote that if Gibson had continued to develop the sound of the humbucker after 1960, the Burtsbucker Pro would have been the result. Being a fan of Joe Perry for the past 21 years, this was a major selling point of this guitar for me, because these come stock in Joe's signature Gibson model. I play basic hard rock (Kiss, Aerosmith, some Guns n Roses, Led Zep), and this guitar is made for that stuff. It's a slightly heavy guitar (after all, it's mahogany), but that's part of the allure of a Les Paul for me. I've also noticed that this guitar has a lot more bass response than the Chinese and Korean made Epiphones. The only thing I don't like (and it's a cheap and easy fix)...the rhythm/treble switch. I took it to a tech because there was a loss of sound when I switched from treble to rhythm, and he told me that mine was the second Gibson he'd seen that week which had a cheap imported switch installed in it. He told me that Gibson usually uses Switchcraft switches, but for some reason they were now using these generic models from other countries. But he fixed the problem (a little dirt) and it works fine now. Keep in mind I've had it for nearly two years, so a little accumulation of dirt is to be expected. But I take care of my stuff.

It was two years ago when I bought it, so my memory is a little foggy about the details, but I remember being pretty satisfied with it right out of the case. I've had it set up a few times since then, and I set the action pretty low. It's easier for me that way. I changed the strings right away when I bought it. Fret edges are a tad (just a tad) rough, but I've gotten used to that and it's not much of a problem now. One change I'm planning on making is putting Grover Rotomatic tuners on it. I mentioned that I replaced the Gibson tunres with Grovers, but the ones I used were the "Keystone" tuners, with the ugly snot green color. They're pretty much replicas of the Gibson tuners that came stock. So I plan on putting rotomatics on there, they seem to be more stable, and better looking.

I don't play out, but I think this thing would get pretty dinged up on the road. Keep in mind, there's no nitrocellulose finish, or whatever Gibson uses on the LP Standards. Mine has a few dings, one from a set of keys being thrown at me while I was playing (I'll let you people use your imaginations on that one). The hardware seems pretty solid, but I'm eventually planning on installing a Tonepros bridge. Strap buttons are solid, if you don't keep unscrewing them and screwing them back into place, like I did. I stripped the wood in the slot in the front. Had to have it repaired. Like most players, I'd never use any guitar without a backup.

I've had it set up/repaired a number of times, and changed the tuners, so I assume I voided the warranty. I've dealt with Gibson before, and they were pretty cool.

I've been playing for over fourteen years and probably owned about ten guitars in that time. Right now this is my only guitar. I do plan on getting another, probably an Elitist LP Standard Plus or Elitist '57 Goldtop. I play it through a Marshall AVT20, A VOX AD15VT, and a Marshall MG15 Zakk Wylde micro stack, my favorite amp at the moment. I don't use any effects whatsoever, except a little reverb every now and then. If it were stolen or lost, I'd probably buy another depending on my financial situation. The only thing I really hate about it is the fact that it goes out of tune pretty easily when I bend strings. But then again, buy better tuners and it's less of a problem. I love the sound, the feel, the sustain, and even the weight of this guitar. Even the fretboard inlays look awesome. they have this cool "aged" look, like on a les paul classic. It adds a bit of charm. I kinda wish it had binding on the neck, and maybe even the headstock, but that's an afterthought. Like I said, I'm a fan of Joe perry, and other players from the same era, like Ace Frehley, Jimmy Page, Paul Kossof, and younger guys like Slash and Zakk Wylde. When I finally had the money to own a real Les Paul (with Burstbuckers no less) I had to get this one. It just made sense.

Instead of writing here about the ???features??? of this guitar, I???m going to focus on what the guitar lacks. Hopefully, this will help somebody decide whether this is the guitar they want.

This guitar is a good guitar, but more importantly, it is the beginning of a great guitar! What I mean by that is that all essential parts of a Les Paul are here, but in unfinished form. If you???re willing to pay good guitar tech a few dollars to fix a couple of problems, you???ll have a guitar that will make your jaw drop (assuming you want that thick-assed Les Paul sound). I believe it???s a super deal -- even after you factor in the extra expense and hassle.

First, electrostatic shielding on the guitar is practically nonexistent. This is not important if you don???t use higher-gain distortion. If you like your distortion, however, you are not going to be happy with the BUZZ. The fix is simple: shield the control cavity and the switch cavity (or hire a tech to do it). Well worth the effort. You can test yours by plugging into a distortion pedal (like a Boss DS-1 or MT2) and cranking up the gain. Completely remove you hands from the guitar and listen to the buzz. Then lick your finger and touch the bridge. Nearly all the buzz that disappeared when you touched the bridge will be gone forever with proper shielding. You could even remove the string ground after shielding if you care to.

Second, the frets are not very well finished and I could not get the action as low as I like it without a lot of buzz.. That???s not to say that the stock action was horrible. It was passable, and for folks who don???t mind having it a tad on the high side, or who don???t mind a bit of fret buzz here and there, it isn???t a problem. For me to be happy, I had the frets leveled (it didn???t take much) and recrowned. Also, the sharp fret ends protruded slightly beyond the edge of the fretboard on mine, so I filed the edges to a slightly rounded profile, like on my American Standard Strat. Nice!

There is more you can do to improve/personalize the guitar, but if you fix these two problems you have a really nice axe.

The Burstbuckers that came on mine are slightly microphonic, which is a great sound to me! It???s the way pickups were in the old days. Another cool thing about microphonic pickups is that you can yell into the pickups and get some really cool sounds out of your amp (leave the distortion on)! These are very nice for certain sounds (like some early Led Zep when plugged into a Marshall). I tried several pickups in the bridge position and settled on the Gibson 498t. I don???t need to get every sound in the world out of this guitar-I just want a couple of excellent sounds. That pickup in this guitar through a Muff through a good clean amp (not the Marshall) through a couple of Governor speakers in a closed back cab and, well, all I can tell you is that I just melt when I hear that sound. But that???s me.

The tuning machines? They???re vintage, right? Am I the only one who likes more control over the tuning? These are fast and they hold your tune, but getting that last little cent or two of in-tune-ness is kinda touchy. I???ll probably replace them at some point.

One more personal touch on mine is that I didn???t like the feel of the back of the neck. It wasn???t smooth. I rubbed it out with wet 600 grit sandpaper until it was nice and smooth. Not it feels very natural and very fast (of course, you have to like the slightly girthy neck, which I do).

Mean, thick, Les Paul drive.

This rating is for the stock guitar.

I think it will last, but who knows?

Called Gibson yesterday with questions about the pickups. The guy who helped me was very good. Did a search through the database and answered all my questions in detail!

This rating reflects that I believe this to be a fairly well made, decently priced American guitar.

Standard Les Paul Features

This is a follow up to a review I did a year ago. Still have the guitar and still love it. This and an EJ strat are my main guitars. I've owned several LP Standards over the last 40 years and this is the only LP I've ever loved. The pups are amazing. The neck is perfect. Sustain to the max. Tone out the ying yang. Oh yeah, this guitar and a good tube amp (tubes are the only way to go in my old old old book)just nails vintage Neil Young. I still prefer a strat for the clean tones, but for down an dirty, garage band rock n roll, this is the axe I've always wanted. All mahogany, all vintage LP tone. For under a grand. I can't see why anyone would spend thousands more for just a pretty finish. Unless your making videos for a label and care about image, and lets face it..none of us are, this is the LP that'll make people say "wow! that guitar sounds great!"

Basically crap finish work and thats what I expected. Spend a few bucks and get it finished/setup. You're still way ahead of the in the value market.

Very reliable, "it's a tank". Lack of finish is a plus in my book, the guitar just resonates wonderfully. Strap buttons suck. Replace them. I gig this without fear of dings, dings are just vibe on this guitar. Oh yeah, I wouldn't go on any gigs without a backup guitar. Even the best guitar can be dropped, spilled on, etc...
I usually bring at least 3 guitars to a gig, this, my EJ strat and an Epi 335 for backup.

Never tried to get it repaired thru Gibson. I've dealt with Gibson many times and while sometimes you get lucky and find someone who cares, most of the time they don't. They get $3000 a guitar while offering lousy service, they have no incentive to improve as long as we keep buying their stuff anyway.

In my 38th year of guitar playing. Besides the LP and EJ strat I've got an Epi 335, '65 Guild CE 100D (ES 175 style), '73 Guild F40 acoustic, Guild JF 65 12 string, Taylor 655 12 string, a beat up mexi-frankenstrat(for those parties that might get out of control!), a Jazz Bass for home recording and some old no name 6 string for camping and such. I play thru either a Cyber Twin SE, Peavey Classic 30 or my little Peavey Classic 20 (best lil 15W tube amp I've ever played thru). The only pedals I use are chorus and od. I really just prefer natural tube od and a good guitar.

This guitar is Frick'n Awesome. Sure it aint all pretty like a standard Les Paul, but it sounds just as good. I really like the satin worn cherry finish. It dosen't really protect the guitar though. But I like the worn look. There aren't alot of features, but what do you expect from an $800 American made Gibson. The fact it is American made is worth the price tag in its self.

This guitar fits me great. I love the Burst Bucker Pros it has. Pinch harmonics just ride right off her. I play all sorts of music, and this guitar suits them all. I run her thru an American made Peavey TransTube Supreme 100 watt head, that is plugged into a Peavey cab. It just sounds so good. I own 12 guitars, 1 of them is a Gibson SG Standard. I like the Gibson far better than any other maker.

Well. Like I said earlier. I love the worn cherry finish. My only beef with this guitar is that it kinda smells like cat pee. I don't know why. I don't even have a cat. It was pretty well set up. It plays pretty smoothly. The controls are a bit stiff, but they will loosen up with time.

This guitar will be a great live guitar. But only if you don't care if it gets banged up, because it gets dents really easily. I like that about the guitar. I like the worn really used look. The finish won't last too long. This is a guitar that you can depend on. The strap buttons were not real secure, so I switched them out for some strap locks. Like I said before, I own 12 guitars, so I would always have a back up. You never know what could happen.

I have never delt with Gibson Customer Support.

I have been playing for 7 years now. I am also a Luthier, I build stringed instuments. So I think I know a good guitar when I see one. Like I said earlier, I own 12 guitars, 2 Gibsons-1 Les Paul, and 1 SG Standard. I also have several substandard guitars. B.C. Rich Warlock. I have several guitars that I have built myself. If my Les Paul were lost or stolen, I would buy it again. I love everything about this guitar except the cat pee smell. I really wish it would have come with binding, but like I said before, what can you expect from an $800 USA made guitar? The fact it is USA made is worth the price tag. This is one of those guitars you will rather love, or hate.