The Gibson Les Paul Standard
There is a new Gibson Les Paul Standard and it's terrific in a lot of different ways. You really can sense the Classic Les Paul spirit with this guitar.
The Gibson Les Paul guitar is one that's synonymous with rock and roll, along with its counterpart, the Fender Stratocaster. They have kept the thick stocky sound along with the shape as constants over all these years. But they have made some innovative changes in regards to the pickups and neck design. These were modified and now truly reflect the Gibson passion for innovation.
Gibson came out in 2008 with the introduction of its Les Paul Standard. This guitar had undergone a fair share of new alterations. Some of these were welcomed with open arms, while some were not received so readily. So lets delve into the construction of this guitar a bit more closely.
It now features quite a few new tweaks that give it a much more modern feel than it has had as one of the most well-known legendary electric guitars. The asymmetrical neck design is not one that conforms to the necks of the guitars from the 50s or the 60s. But for me, it is a great combination of both worlds, and is a delight to play.
There are a lot of guitar players who believe this Gibson Les Paul Standard is a little heavy. But there are just as many who think the weight is what gives it the quality of sound it has.
Les Paul guitars have always enjoyed incredible popularity. But the weight has long been one source of complaint. This newer version sports a chambered body that gives it some weight relief. And that asymmertrical neck shape is a very cool feature indeed. It has more comfort than those of the 50s, and is not as thin as those from the 60s.
Burstbucker Pro Pickups are another feature that sets it apart. They sound very good in my opinion. I've had them for around six years now and am really into the sound of them. And the bridge is the ever popular locking Tonepros.
The chambered body didn't take anything away from the tone as far as I can tell, and when you play it acoustically, it keeps a well balanced and deep tone. And if you have ever rocked out with a Les Paul for any length of time, you'll appreciate the lighter weight.
You'll find that the finish is really every bit a excellent as it's ever been. We critiqued one of the Heritage Cherry Sunburst finishes with a beautiful flame. We couldn't find one defect anywhere, and the setup along with the fret dressing was superb as well. Gibson made the choice of excluding the pickguard on this model, but if you like them you can always add one yourself. It does come included with the guitar.
Overall I have to say the this new Gibson Les Paul Standard is quite a guitar an a lot of ways. Again, you can get a feel for the Gibson spirit with this guitar. It is classic Les Paul. They now make a Les Paul 'Traditional' model that I'm sure many people are going to love. It's a bit more on the conservative side. So you can see why Gibson appeals to so many people, they have a superior product, and something for everybody in the Les Paul series.