Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is synonymous with rock & roll and blues guitar. Although the shape and thick, chunky sound have remained steadfast through the years, the particulars, from pickup selection to neck design, have been modified to reflect Gibson's long-term desire to innovate.
Only a couple of years ago, Gibson presented a number of modifications in the popular Les Paul Standard series. Some of these revisions have been well-received, others not so much. So, what has changed, exactly?
Here's a summation on the changes Gibson carried out. The new Les Paul Standard now includes Strap Locks (Dunlop), chambered body, Grover Locking Tuners, TonePros bridge/tailpiece, Neutrick output jack, and a setup via Plek. If you're familiar with Les Pauls, you'll immediately observe the lighter weight, due to the chambered body.
We were moderately afraid that the chambered body would have a damaging effect on the tone, but, fortunately, it didn't happen. The trademark Les Paul sustain was here in all its glory, as was the typical thick, meaty tone. We were glad, though, that the instrument was a bit lighter. If you've played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.
We were encouraged to see some of the hardware upgrades, particularly the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek'd setup resulted in a very playable and fantastic sounding guitar literally out of the box.
Granted, a minor truss rod adjustment was necessary, but that's usually the case when you get a guitar via UPS. Out of the box, the instrument was pretty much gig-ready, a testimonial to both the Plek'd setup as well as the TonePros hardware.
The finish on the revised Standard is as terrific as ever. We reviewed a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish that had just a stunning flame. We found no defects in either finish or fit, and the fret dressing and setup was as good as we've ever seen from a production instrument. Gibson also chose to omit the pickguard from this model, though you could easily install one if you miss it. The pickguard is included, however.
For the retooled Standard, Gibson chose to incorporate an asymmetrical neck profile, and I applaud their choice. The whole point is to have a thicker bass side with a slightly thinner treble side, and the playability is greatly improved with this profile design.
It's sort of a cross between a 50's profile and a 60's profile, but in one instrument. We don't know if we should thank Gibson or Plex, but the fretwork was the finest we've seen from a stock Gibson, as was the setup.
It's hard for us not to think of a Les Paul without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we found, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.
We were also surprised by the pickups, since we're used to installing aftermarket pickups (e.g. Seymour Duncan), but the Burstbuckers did the job laudably. They emphatically let you know that you're playing a Les Paul, since all the heavy sounds are here.
For all the things we liked, there were still various changes that we wish hadn't been enacted by Gibson. That includes the locking Neutrik jack. Though Neutrik jacks are very high quality, we just didn't like not being able to pull the cord out straightaway.
Even less pleasant are the volume and tone control pots, which are PCB mounted. It seems handy at first, since the jack, selector switch, pots, and pickups are all connected to the main PCB board. But it could really slow down the simple act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.
Despite these complaints, we found the new Les Paul Standard to be worthy of the name. If the modifications seem a bit too much for you, then Gibson has released a model called the "Les Paul Traditional" which is just a Les Paul Standard without the new changes. If you're more of a traditionalist, then the Les Paul Traditional might be more your speed. Regardless of your preference, there's a Les Paul for everyone in Gibson's guitar lineup.
Only a couple of years ago, Gibson presented a number of modifications in the popular Les Paul Standard series. Some of these revisions have been well-received, others not so much. So, what has changed, exactly?
Here's a summation on the changes Gibson carried out. The new Les Paul Standard now includes Strap Locks (Dunlop), chambered body, Grover Locking Tuners, TonePros bridge/tailpiece, Neutrick output jack, and a setup via Plek. If you're familiar with Les Pauls, you'll immediately observe the lighter weight, due to the chambered body.
We were moderately afraid that the chambered body would have a damaging effect on the tone, but, fortunately, it didn't happen. The trademark Les Paul sustain was here in all its glory, as was the typical thick, meaty tone. We were glad, though, that the instrument was a bit lighter. If you've played with a Les Paul strung over your shoulder, you know what we mean.
We were encouraged to see some of the hardware upgrades, particularly the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek'd setup resulted in a very playable and fantastic sounding guitar literally out of the box.
Granted, a minor truss rod adjustment was necessary, but that's usually the case when you get a guitar via UPS. Out of the box, the instrument was pretty much gig-ready, a testimonial to both the Plek'd setup as well as the TonePros hardware.
The finish on the revised Standard is as terrific as ever. We reviewed a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish that had just a stunning flame. We found no defects in either finish or fit, and the fret dressing and setup was as good as we've ever seen from a production instrument. Gibson also chose to omit the pickguard from this model, though you could easily install one if you miss it. The pickguard is included, however.
For the retooled Standard, Gibson chose to incorporate an asymmetrical neck profile, and I applaud their choice. The whole point is to have a thicker bass side with a slightly thinner treble side, and the playability is greatly improved with this profile design.
It's sort of a cross between a 50's profile and a 60's profile, but in one instrument. We don't know if we should thank Gibson or Plex, but the fretwork was the finest we've seen from a stock Gibson, as was the setup.
It's hard for us not to think of a Les Paul without thinking of the sound of a Les Paul cranked through a Marshall, so we ran the Gibson through a reissue Marshall JCM800 half-stack. We liked what we found, though you do need to know that the chambered body gives the guitar something of a ES-335 sound when cranked. Think old Clapton.
We were also surprised by the pickups, since we're used to installing aftermarket pickups (e.g. Seymour Duncan), but the Burstbuckers did the job laudably. They emphatically let you know that you're playing a Les Paul, since all the heavy sounds are here.
For all the things we liked, there were still various changes that we wish hadn't been enacted by Gibson. That includes the locking Neutrik jack. Though Neutrik jacks are very high quality, we just didn't like not being able to pull the cord out straightaway.
Even less pleasant are the volume and tone control pots, which are PCB mounted. It seems handy at first, since the jack, selector switch, pots, and pickups are all connected to the main PCB board. But it could really slow down the simple act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.
Despite these complaints, we found the new Les Paul Standard to be worthy of the name. If the modifications seem a bit too much for you, then Gibson has released a model called the "Les Paul Traditional" which is just a Les Paul Standard without the new changes. If you're more of a traditionalist, then the Les Paul Traditional might be more your speed. Regardless of your preference, there's a Les Paul for everyone in Gibson's guitar lineup.
About the Author:
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