Gibson Les Paul Standard Review

“The deep humbucker setting on this played through an...”

Written on: 18/02/2009

Good Points
Well 'it's a Gibson Les Paul, and nothing else sounds like it. The creamy sustain and bell-like tone are undeniable. Fastest neck and smoothest action of any guitar in my stable. Beautifully made and finished.

Bad Points
For playing lead and getting that sound, it's unstoppable, but for many other purposes -- rhythm, arpeggio, clean, fingerpicking -- it's not very good. Doesn't tune up particularly well, and as many have noted, it's physically heavy. As others have said, I believe the quality in LPs can be highly variable. I spend an afternoon playing LPs at Manny's in NYC where I bought this guitar 'of course I feel that this one is the best, but in any event, some of the others were close, but some others again were not close, either in sound or playablility. Try a bunch before you settle.

General Comments
The deep humbucker setting on this played through an overdriven tube amp is one of the most famous and immediately recognizable sounds in the history of rock'n'roll. If you want that exact sound, then this is the guitar you need. I will own this for the rest of my life.