Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany

Gibson Les Paul "Studio" model, Vintage Mahogany - year 2006? - USA
Cherry finish, Mahogany body
2 BurstBucker Pickups
'59 neck
22-frets w/ abalone trapezoid inlay, Rosewood fingerboard
Came w/ Gibson USA hard-shell case.

Musically, this Les Paul blends great with my playing whether it's rock, blues, jazz, country, etc. So it's pretty versatile.

The guitar sounds best when you plug it straight into an amp, cranked up a bit. Nice dynamics. I also use it with an overdrive/chorus/delay setup, which sounds cool.

The pickups have a lot of output, yet each note retains definition. Sounds rich and thick - like a Les Paul, of course - but with more overtones giving it a more chime-like quality. The neck pickup is fantastic - not muddy at all, like on some Les Pauls.

Factory set-up was adequate. The intonation was off, so I had to do some tweaking. But I had a problem with the intonation above the 12th fret, where the top notes sound sharp, especially noticeable when you play octaves. When I compensate for the pitch there by retuning, then the guitar is out of tune in the first position and lower down. I think it's a Gibson design flaw, since every other Les Paul I've owned had similar issues. I sort of ignore it and compensate with my hands when it sounds a little off-pitch.

If you like lightly finished "woody" guitars, then this one's your baby. Very natural looking, low gloss with a nice color (cherry looks great). There were some rough spots on the lower cutout on the body, like someone at the factory didn't buff it out enough.

It's reliable, relatively durable. The light finish seems like it would be more prone to getting dings and scratches, so if you're particularly precious about your guitar then you might like to baby this one on a gig.

Never had to deal with Gibson so...

The Les Paul is a classic design that just dictates what you have to do with the guitar. If you want that Les Paul sound, it's gotta be a Les Paul. When you pick one up and play it, you just know what it is...

The prices for a used Les Paul are in the stratosphere, and the other models currently offered are prohibitively expensive. This Vintage Mahogany Les Paul was relatively a steal.

Basically a Les Paul Studio '59 profile neck, Mahogany body AND cap with downgraded finish (Worn Cherry) and upgraded electronics (Bursbuster Pro pickups)as noted by other reviewers. The finish is stain plus 1-2 mil thick nitro-cellulose. Trapizoid fretboard inlays on a Rosewood fretboard. Chrome hardware and Klueson green tuners. Nice hardshell case included. I'm giving it a 10 because of the Burstbuster Pro pups on a studio model & Hardshell case for the low price (otherwise an 8).

Here is where this Gibson really shines through. This is my 3rd Gibson to own. I've had plenty of LP copies and replicas also. With the combination of Mahogany body, cap, Alnico 5 Burstbuster Pros and the paper-thin nitro-cellulouse laquer, this guitar is TONE HEAVEN. Serious, hardcore buttery tone. More than any guitar I've owned. It just doesn't stop no matter what amp I use. (Marshall Valvestate 4x12 & Line 6 2x12, several Marshall MDF's and Mesa's for reference.) It's right on par with other Les Pauls costing 2 thousand dollars more. It's very responsive and articulate and the whole body resonates when you play it. It's bright, full and throaty with plenty of bass response. Crank up the gain and the sustain just rolls on and on. Wow.

I purchased this Les Paul from GC. They had 3 left. The 2 worn brown ones looked totally abused. I could tell the nuts weren't cut properly and the intonation was off. I guess I got lucky with mine. no flaws at all. Frets were nice, finish was beautiful (really like the worn cherry, photos do NOT do it justice). The finish works well on the neck. Very fast and never gets sticky. Intonation was spot on. action was set at a mid level. Everything was lined up and played quite well. No buzzing, ratteling or noise. The pots roll off very evenly. Tuning pegs seem to be ok so far. Seems this one was properly inspected and set up. Just needed to personalize the action.

Tank. Gibson says if the finish gets shiny, use 0000 steel wool to buff it back to a satin.

Live playing? It's a Gibson, of course it will withstand live playing. Strap buttons are too small. Other than that, it's ready to rock.

Gibson has answered my emails within a day everytime I have a question. So far so good.

Again this particular model really shines. You get a uniquely finished, solid Mahogany, highly upgraded, USA made Gibson Les Paul Studio with a '59 neck profile for $799. This is an insane, insane, insane value. I believe it will only go up in price. It's really an excellent high-level guitar for good players. I did not compare this guitar to others when making a purchase. I was specifically looking for sound (for years). Happened to be this guitar.

I have been playing 31 years, both professionally and as a hobby. My guitars range from a 1951 Gibson ES 150 to a Peavy Wolfgang Standard Deluxe, with everything in between.

Although this is the most affordable carved-top guitar, it has many high-end features. It has Gibson deluxe tuners, which stay in tune very well. The main reason people talk about them detuning easily is that they don't allow the strings to stretch. Once the strings stretch these tuners are great. The neck is a '59 Les Paul neck, which is one of the most sought after necks. I love it. It came with a Gibson hardshell case. It has 22 frets. It has a solid mahogany top and back, as well as neck. The fretboard is rosewood. The rosewood on mine is very nice; it's ssimilar to ebony. It plays much nicer than my last guitar-an Epiphone Les Paul Special. There are 2 tone(treble cut), 2 volume, and a 3-way selector switch. There are 2 Gibson burstbucker pro humbucking pickups(passive), which are amazing-it's what they use on the Standards. The mahogany top is nice-it cuts down on the weight of the guitar(it's much easier to hold than a maple top Les Paul), as well as balancing the bright tone of the burstbucker pros. It has trapezoidal inlays and it comes with a pickguard.

The sound is great! I play a variety of things and it is very versatile.
I use it with a Fender Blues Junior. The neck pickup gets a warm, full, creamy sound and the bridge pickup gets an articulate sound-it sounds similar to Jimmy Page's bridge pickup. The neck pickup also gets a throaty sound when you play up high on the neck with overdrive. This guitar has a huge range of sounds it can make.

The set-up was great-the action was really low with no dead spots or fret buzz. The pickups were adjusted well. The rosewood fretboard is really playable and the frets are smooth. There were no flaws in the set-up.

This guitar seems like it is very tough. It doesn't have a shiny finish like many Les Pauls-it has the natural wood grain. The hardware seems durable. I think that it is definately dependable. However, the strap buttons are small. I will need to replace them. This is not as big a deal as it would be with a maple-top Les Paul because it is lighter but it is still a problem. I dropped it once already(the side of the rosewood fretboard chipped a little bit because it landed on a metal edge but it doesn't affect playability or anything other than the looks -and even then it's not very noticeable. No other damage was done).
I would gig with a backup just in case but I would not expect to have to use it.

I have not needed customer service but it has a lifetime warranty.

I have been taking guitar lessons for about 4 years and I'm lead guitarist in a band. I own an Epiphone Les Paul Special, a Fender Blues Junior amp, and a Fender Frontman 15W amp. My dad owns a Martin DC-15E and a Gibson Blueshawk, which I can play. If this was stolen or lost, I would get it again. The best thing about this guitar is the sound. It is far better than all Epiphones I've tried, the Blueshawk, and many other guitars I tried in stores. I wish that Gibson would put in better strap buttons on their guitars but that is a minor inconvenience. It is also an amazing value. I doubt it will stay this cheap for long.

After several months of playing this guitar, I am updating my earlier review. As stated by another reviewer, this is a Les Paul Studio model with upgraded pickups and downgraded finish. In my opinion, the most important features are the Burstbucker Pro pick ups and the mahogany carved body (3 piece main body, two piece veneer mahogany top).

As noted in all the other reviews, this is, without question, a great sounding guitar. When you crank it up and play, the tone immediately gets your attention. It is the unmistakable, classic Gibson Les Paul sound. Although I have played a lot of good sounding guitars, there are benchmark, classic guitar tones that stand alone and this is one of them. It is a signature sound. I totally agree with another reviewer who said that it has a tonal variety unlike any other guitar I have played or owned. The all mahogany body and Burstbucker Pro pick up formula works really well.

The guitar has tremendous sustain. The pick ups respond to picking dynamics and are clearer when you pick softly and break up nicely when you play hard. Outstanding blues and rock tones. It works for jazz too. With that kind of sound and range, when I first took it out of the box, as bad as the set up was, I could not stop playing the thing. I think the neck pick up is particularly good.

In the way of minor problems, at first, the guitar would not stay in tune. In response, I changed the strings and applied lube to the nut and bridge saddles. End of problem. After several months of regular playing, the guitar stays in tune even after aggressive bends and picking. Other reviewers talked about putting in new machine heads but I would suggest you try new strings and lube first. Another easy fix was the loose, upside down pick up selector switch.

In the way of bigger problems, similar to the experience of many of the other reviewers, the out of the box set up was bad. The action was very high and, in particular, the frets did not seem to have been given any finishing at all. So, you have to be prepared to do, or pay for, a thorough setup. In my case, the frets felt harsh and, in particular, the fret ends were very sharp. I opted to have a full fret job done and it made a huge difference. The overall feel of the neck and the playability improved dramatically.

My guitar was a scratch and dent purchase from a major on-line retailer. With the frets and set up the way they were, I could understand why it was a return. But, the scratch and dent price reduction coupled with an additional 10% off from another promotion resulted in a bottom line of $688.50. That price pretty much offsets most of my complaints.

The guitar has a nearly flat finish. I used super fine steel wool (0000 grade) soaked in gun stock wax (recommended by Ernie Ball for their unfinished guitar necks) to gently buff out the finish. The guitar now has a uniform, super smooth, soft shine. In my opinion, the soft sheen with the red body looks good. The lack of a high gloss finish on the neck is nice. It has a very smooth feel with zero drag on your hand

Structurally, this guitar is as solid as a tank. It also has a really nice hard shell case.

Outstanding. I sent two e-mails to Gibson customer service and in the first one, they replied overnight and in the second one, they replied within the hour. They seem to take service very seriously.

This is a diamond in the rough. Out of the box, the sound is right there but the playability is not. Based on my experience and that of other reviewers, this is a great sounding guitar that will very likely need a thorough set up to be really playable (in my case a complete fret job, refiling the nut, etc). As stated by another reviewer, find a good Gibson dealer or custom shop that you believe in and let them do their magic. Good advice. For me, the $688.50 purchase price made the extra cost of the fret job less of an issue. With the set up and fret job done, it is a nice playing, terrific sounding guitar that I am very happy with. The Burstbucker Pro pick ups are outstanding. Every time I pick this guitar up, it pours out that unmistakable Les Paul sound. I find myself mostly alternating between this guitar and two other classic, signature sound guitars. A USA Stratocaster Standard (an extremely versatile, terrific guitar) and a Fender Classic Player Series Baja Telecaster with a 4 position pick up switch, custom pick ups and the S 1 system (a phenomenal guitar). The Les Paul is right there with its own unique, trademark sound (and now, good playability).

Reading all the other reviews before I bought this guitar helped me a lot. Having all the information in advance led me to believe (correctly) that this was a great sounding guitar that would need some work. As a result, when this came up as a scratch and dent, I immediately jumped on it because I knew what to expect and that the reduced price would probably offset the cost of a professional set up (also correct).

You know the features. some complain that it hasnt got enough of them... this is silly. Its got 2 great humbuckers and 4 knobs... what more could you want? I actually prefer fewer features, since it indicates to me that your money went to high quality craftsmanship and woods and electronics, rather than a smorgesboard of cheaply done tricks to make you think its a better guitar.

Great for a warm, thick vintagey tone. Im coming off of playing a maple fretboard strat, so anything sounds thick compared to that. The tone really is nice though. The mahogany body and rosewood fb couple to give a really resonant warm sound. The control pots all function well: no noise and the guitar sounds good on settings other than with the tone control on ten, but i may later upgrade to sprauge tone caps. to me the "sound" category is why one buys a guitar in the first place, and this one just reeks of it. Good for blues, jazz, rock, country (ugh), or anything where you dont need crazy gain or saturation.

Cant comment on the factory setup since i got mine used. Frets are finished well, i was woried from the lack of binding, but there are no really jaggy fret ends, so its ok. Finish is great, becuae its "worn" you dont have to worry about every little nick the guitar gets, they dont stand out. The worn finish on the neck feels faster to me than the glossy finish on a 2000 dollar paul.

Seems solid as a rock, cant forsee any problems. Hardware is heavy, electronics are american, made from solid wood. Take care of her and she will definately last as long as you.

No warranty, since i got it used.

ive been playing for about 5 years. I play this guitar into a peavy classic 30, with a hemp speaker cone!. I dont know things just sound better through cannabis. I dont usually use effects, maybe an ocassional wah, or proco rat. The guitar sounds great, dollar for dollar probably one of the best guitars you can get. No need to waste money on some glossy finish and fancy binding or some silly tremolo... every aspect of this guitar is made to sound good, rather than looking fancy. If it were lost or stolen i wouldnt have enough money to buy another one, but i would anyway.

Standard Les Paul pickup setup and wiring. Does have the trapezoid fret markers which does make it look like a standard. No binding or
fancy finish, hence the lower cost. MIne is the faded cherry finish with a very nice Gibson USA case. Burstbucker pro pickups. See the gibson website for info on the different pickups. Mahogany back with a separate mahogany top, basically a remake of the 1954 Black Beauty without the paint and binding.

It sounds very good to me, I played a lot of Pauls and it actually sounds better than most of their models, regardless of price. It leans heavily toward vintage tones, so don't expect a metal experience. It is that old Gibson sound that is fat and bright at the same time. A little more snarl in the mids than the other Pauls with alnico 2 pickups, as the burstbucker pros are alnico 5, a major difference. Some might find it a little too honky, but it depends on your pedalboard/amp combination. My setup is as follows - Boss Tuner-Morley Wah-DunlopComp-Boss OD3-Blues Driver-Delay-Chorus-Reverb-Marshall JTM30 clean channel. This amp works for modern rock tones. I also play it straight into a Fender Pro Junior and it is vintage ZZTop "Waiting on The Bus" with this amp, a truly cool blues/rock sound experience. It is very quiet in all situations. I also use a Boss GT-8 for demo work and practice and it really sounds great into this.

I have had this ax for a year and mine was in good shape, I bought it new from Musicians friend. I had to file one fret at the 15th fret on one side. The strings it came with were junk, I put a set of Daddario 10's on it and it made a major improvement. It stays in tune good, but a Paul will never stay in tune like a strat, so don't expect it too; this is simple physics based on scale length. The guitar is pretty in it's own way, but it is not as pretty as the sunburst standards. Mine is light for a Paul at 8.5 pounds, it appears to be only one piece of wood on the back. The light nitro finish is good in that the guitar resonates, this is a major selling point. You would have to play it to understand what this does for a guitar

I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlops. As with all Gibsons don't leave it in a guitar stand or you may get it tipped over by a bar patron or a careless onlooker. The hardware is top notch Gibson parts and I would expect them to last forever. I have gigged with only this axe, but for a paying audience I would have this guitar and my strat and tele too. The finish will wear off sooner than average, but that is a plus to me. Pretty, shiny guitars with a pound of varnish are useless to me.

No experience with this.

I have been playing for 34 years. I own around 12 guitars, 3 fenders, an ibanez, a wolfgang, several acoustics, etc. I can't complain about the playability of this guitar, it is very solid and the tones are pure Gibson. I played a lot of Gibsons and many of them are just too heavy and dead sounding. This guitar sounds very alive and open. If you are in need of a Paul but are not happy with the standards or customs or other studio models, you should at least play one of these. It gives you vintage Paul tones for less money. If you can live with the faded cherry finish its a winner.
Last of all - there is a major difference between this guitar and the Epiphone Les Pauls that I have played. Basically there is no comparison in sound or playability. The Epis are pretty, but they will not sound exactly like a Gibson no matter what you do to them. It's the wood and the one piece neck for starters. That does not mean that all Gibsons are good guitars, some of the Epis do play as good as a lot of the Gibsons. I would recommend playing as many as you can before you buy, or go mail order if they have a return policy. I tried a 1986 Gibson Les Paul 2 weeks ago from a very reputable used dealer in Michigan and it was a beautiful guitar, but it sounded dead compared to the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany that I own. All in all this guitar is worth the price paid, and that is a great thing in today's world.

Happy Playing!

Standard Les Paul pickup setup and wiring. Does have the trapezoid fret markers which does make it look like a standard. No binding or
fancy finish, hence the lower cost. MIne is the faded cherry finish with a very nice Gibson USA case. Burstbucker pro pickups. See the gibson website for info on the different pickups. Mahogany back with a separate mahogany top, basically a remake of the 1954 Black Beauty without the paint and binding.

It sounds very good to me, I played a lot of Pauls and it actually sounds better than most of their models, regardless of price. It leans heavily toward vintage tones, so don't expect a metal experience. It is that old Gibson sound that is fat and bright at the same time. A little more snarl in the mids than the other Pauls with alnico 2 pickups, as the burstbucker pros are alnico 5, a major difference. Some might find it a little too honky, but it depends on your pedalboard/amp combination. My setup is as follows - Boss Tuner-Morley Wah-DunlopComp-Boss OD3-Blues Driver-Delay-Chorus-Reverb-Marshall JTM30 clean channel. This amp works for modern rock tones. I also play it straight into a Fender Pro Junior and it is vintage ZZTop "Waiting on The Bus" with this amp, a truly cool blues/rock sound experience. It is very quiet in all situations. I also use a Boss GT-8 for demo work and practice and it really sounds great into this.

I have had this ax for a year and mine was in good shape, I bought it new from Musicians friend. I had to file one fret at the 15th fret on one side. The strings it came with were junk, I put a set of Daddario 10's on it and it made a major improvement. It stays in tune good, but a Paul will never stay in tune like a strat, so don't expect it too; this is simple physics based on scale length. The guitar is pretty in it's own way, but it is not as pretty as the sunburst standards. Mine is light for a Paul at 8.5 pounds, it appears to be only one piece of wood on the back. The light nitro finish is good in that the guitar resonates, this is a major selling point. You would have to play it to understand what this does for a guitar

I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlops. As with all Gibsons don't leave it in a guitar stand or you may get it tipped over by a bar patron or a careless onlooker. The hardware is top notch Gibson parts and I would expect them to last forever. I have gigged with only this axe, but for a paying audience I would have this guitar and my strat and tele too. The finish will wear off sooner than average, but that is a plus to me. Pretty, shiny guitars with a pound of varnish are useless to me.

No experience with this.

I have been playing for 34 years. I own around 12 guitars, 3 fenders, an ibanez, a wolfgang, several acoustics, etc. I can't complain about the playability of this guitar, it is very solid and the tones are pure Gibson. I played a lot of Gibsons and many of them are just too heavy and dead sounding. This guitar sounds very alive and open. If you are in need of a Paul but are not happy with the standards or customs or other studio models, you should at least play one of these. It gives you vintage Paul tones for less money. If you can live with the faded cherry finish its a winner.
Last of all - there is a major difference between this guitar and the Epiphone Les Pauls that I have played. Basically there is no comparison in sound or playability. The Epis are pretty, but they will not sound exactly like a Gibson no matter what you do to them. It's the wood and the one piece neck for starters. That does not mean that all Gibsons are good guitars, some of the Epis do play as good as a lot of the Gibsons. I would recommend playing as many as you can before you buy, or go mail order if they have a return policy. I tried a 1986 Gibson Les Paul 2 weeks ago from a very reputable used dealer in Michigan and it was a beautiful guitar, but it sounded dead compared to the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany that I own. All in all this guitar is worth the price paid, and that is a great thing in today's world.

Happy Playing!

It's been covered ad nauseum by hundreds of reviews. I'll give it a 10 simply because it has all the features a Les Paul has ever had.

Maybe the most amazingly voiced Les Paul I've ever played. The mahogany body and Burstbucker pups create a sparkly clean or throaty roar. This guitar simply rocks. Definately the most versatile LP tonewise.

Well, they are just throwing these things out the door with little or no setup. I got mine from Sweetwater Music. They, unlike Musicians Friend, actually open the box and make sure the guitar is playable. Either way, the fretwork is rough, the pup height is ridiculous, visible glue at neck joints, intonation is off. What you get is a great sounding guitar that needs finished. I don't like that Gibson brazenly doesn't care because people are buying them anyway. Thats not good business in my mind. It still has the Gibson name on it and they should have pride in their flagship model no matter the price they are charging. But hey, it's a bargain basement price on a LP that only needs another $50 put into it for the setup.

A chuck o' mahogany and pickups. It's a tank. The perfect road axe.

I've been playing for almost 37 years now. Owned literally dozens of guitars over the years, currently have 8. I love this guitar. It's the most tonefull LP i've played. I don't even mind the non-existent finish. It just makes the guitar that much more resonant and your not afraid to take it out or get it dinged up. This is the best deal ever on a great sounding Les Paul. If lost or stolen I'd run right out and get another. I've even considered getting another at $799 before they go back up to $1000!

Satin finish, natural mahogany - like a piece of fine furniture. Bought in Nov. 2006. Musicians Friend.com has more info since it was meda for them by Gibson.

The sound of these Burstbucker pros are real nice and vintage-y sounding. Very clean and bright. Very versatile with the mahogany body - kind of like the 57 customs..body resonates well and the neck is beefy. Sound great with tubes or ss amps - have used both. Excellent vintage Les Paul sound.

Well, from the factory this guitar was not setup well. However, not a big deal. Most factory setups are a rush job. The pickup height, intonation, action were all off. Hey, ya gotta set them up the way YOU want anyway! The fret ends were a little sharp - had them sanded by a Gibson dealer(under warranty). Otherwise, finish is nice and all electronics and hardware are fine. Stays in tune fine.

Gibson quality is still decent. Thin nitro finish - comes with a hardcase.

Warranty support excellent.

Overall, I would say that this Les Paul is a great guitar for the price. I'd buy another if needed. I like the feel of the unfinished body and back of neck. Highly recommended.

2006 LP Mahogony with brown satin nitrocellous finish. Carved top, burstbucker PRO pickups, Klungson type tuners, includes hard case

This guitar with the Burstbucker pickup sounds really nice, makes the guitar. Almost any type of music can be had, can overdrive an amp quite easily and still sound clear, for a hummy, though clean, not quite as clear as a good single coil, like a good vintage Strat or Tele PU. Blues, jazz no probs,, metal too,, country maybe. With the mahogony body and thin laquer finish, the body resonates well unplugged and contributes to its wonderful sound plugged in. Strumming a low G power chord with some tube OD sounds like a wah pedal is being used to give added resonance. It just sings, a vocal type sound like in a classical instrument. you have to hear it yourself, but be forwarned, you will buy this guitar once hearing it though the finish may detract you.

QC on this thing is terrible, I mean there is 1 ding on the side of the fretboard and 2 dings on the neck near the joint like someone didn't give a tinkers damn about it. This seems to be a common problem. I wonder if the same idiot handles the guitar after a certain stage in manufacture that causes this. I went back to GC to look, found some guitars having this issue and some do not. Mine was the 826th made that day according to the serial number stamp There is also a ding near the edge on the big curve on top where one rests the guitar on the chest while playing sitting down. At first I did not think this a big deal as I inspected the guitar out of the box at my local GC, it looked like a dark brown spot like a knot or dark spot in the wood, but closer inspection when I got it home reveals someone jabbed, what looks to be, a tool into the wood. You can see the nick with a sliver of bare wood if holding the guitar at a certain angle and light. Damn!! I was and still am trying to decide whether to take this thing back or not! The thing is as part of my inspection , it played REALLY well and was in tune out of the case!,,, Was well setup (1.2mm - 1st string, 2mm - 6th string @17th fret) and had well dressed frets. Reason why I ignored the dark-brown spot in the store, the neck felt WAY better than the ones on the rack, nice and smooth, like my Strat and Tele.

Don't know, like anything else, have to treat it right. IMHO the most robust guitar is a Tele and Strat. I wanted to make one of my Strats "Road Worthy" and not have to worry about putting dings and the like on it. So I decided, to help me get over it, by putting dings on the guitar my self by using a hammer and rapping the guitar. You have to rap quite hard to put a ding onto a Strat or Tele for that matter! The LP does not seem to be as sturdy to me.

don't know but I had a repair on an Epi guitar done under warranty with no hassle

$799.00 is a lot for a guitar , but to be fair, a case is included, so, a Gibson LP case on the GC WEB site is $160.00, the guitar, assuming my mathe is correct, costs $640.00. Ofcourse one cannot purchase this guitar new without the case but I want to make some obervations. An EPI LP with P90's cost $600.00. This is a finished LP with a carved maple or alder greenish color top and Epis VERY fine P90 PUs. When I got this guitar it had no flaws, infact , it was perfect! Finish, setup, Fret dressing and all, perfect. My PRS with Red mahogony Soapbar II which was $500.00 though not a carved body was also perfect. All my Strats and Teles that came from Fender, came with a Perfect finish and fret dressing (setup is another thing with Fender along with standard PUs). This Mahogony LP should be an easy guitar for Gibson to get right, no fancy top or finish. We are only talking about some carefull manufacturing processes here. This model guitar can be built well, the stuff that most purchasers state is wrong IE: nicks, dings and setup probs are inexcusible. If this guitar did not play and sound the way it does, and since its a Gibson (fancy name), I would consider getting my money back, getting something else. I like the elemental finish, don't need anything fancy. I imagine Gibson knows this, it may be these guitars do not pass the muster to get completely finished so on goes the brown stain, who knows? I'm still giving this guitar a 10 overall. Why? It plays and sounds like a gem. So, I got some brown rosewood stain and filled in the nick, can't really tell, its roadworthy now!