While you have to careful about picking up your music history from “Guitar Hero,” even playing the super-popular video game for five minutes will teach anyone that the Gibson Les Paul is an inescapable part of rock and roll history. Since its introduction, the characteristic design and sound have been part of the landscape of popular music, especially rock and blues. Although the shape and primary sound have remained the same, Gibson has made slight modifications to the details, from neck thickness to pickup selection.
The last major round of alterations made to the Les Paul Standard occurred in 2008. Some of the modifications have received positive critiques while others have not. We’ll take a look at the particulars and let you decide for yourself.
Here’s a summation on the changes Gibson implemented. 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 instantly observe the lighter weight, because of the chambered body.
We didn’t discover any lack in tone due to the chambered body, and played acoustically, the Les Paul Standard had a well-balanced, deep tone. If you’ve ever gigged with a Les Paul for any huge period of time, you’ll treasure the lighter weight.
We were delighted to see some of the hardware upgrades, especially the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Similarly, the Plek’d setup resulted in a real playable and fantastic sounding instrument literally out of the box.
We did have to make a minor truss rod adjustment, but for an instrument that was sent halfway across the country, that’s standard procedure. For the record, though, this instrument was ready to take to a show straight out of the box. Not bad.
The finish was really gorgeous. Having opted for the flamed top in Heritage Cherry Sunburst, we tried to find some issues with the finish, but none could be found. We were also glad that they didn’t obscure this lovely top with the pickguard, but it’s included if you want it installed.
For the revised 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.
Think of it as the best of a 50’s and 60’s profile in one neck design. The fretwork and factory setup were the best we’d ever seen from an out-of-the-box Gibson.
Since the Gibson/Marshall combo is so time-honored, I decided to test the new Gibson Les Paul Standard with a JCM 800 half-stack. While it’s decidedly hip, the chambered body does add something of a 335-type sound to the mix. It may or may not be your cup o’ tea.
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.
We have to say, though, that there were a couple of things we just didn’t care for. Gibson chose to include Neutrik locking input jacks, for example. Some people love them, but we’re not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are high quality, so we appreciate that at least.
Even less pleasant are the volume and tone control pots, which are PCB mounted. It seems convenient at first, since the jack, selector switch, pots, and pickups are all connected to the main PCB board. But it could actually slow down the painless act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.
Despite these niggles, we found the new Les Paul Standard to be worthy of the name. If the changes seem a bit too much for you, then Gibson has released a model called the “Les Paul Traditional” which is simply 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.
If you are searching for the absolute lowest price on a new or used Gibson Les Paul Standard, then you must visit Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all used and new guitars. It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for a Fender Telecaster, an Epiphone Casino, or a PRS Custom 22, Ray’s Guitar Shop has what you’re searching for!