Gibson Les Paul Standard Review

The Gibson Les Paul electric guitar is offered in many options, but the specs that make it such a historic instrument are better represented in the Standard model. The combination of a thick mahogany body, glued in mahogany neck, humbucking pickups and a binded maple top give this guitar its characteristic sound.

It is said that Mr. Les Paul, being a guitarist, mainly followed the look of acoustic guitars. Then he had the insight to fill this shape with wood to avoid the feedback problems that were plaguing the newer electric/acoustic guitars.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro

This version features locking Grover tuners, a slimmer 60's style neck, really cool zebra finished humbuckers and it's the only one to come with push/pull knobs. This allows you to split the pickups and get single coil sounds. Of course these will never resemble the sound of a Stratocaster. The pickups are the 57' Classic and Burstbucker 3' which have a vintage/modern split personality.


For more detailed info about the Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro please visit my Squidoo page -->Gibson Les Paul Reviews

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional

This option has the regular 50's neck which is among the thickest made among all guitars. Its tuners are the vintage looking cream Kluson style and the pickups are both 57' classic.

These are designed to imitate the sound of the famous Patent Applied For vintage pickups. The same guitar is made in very impressive flamed sunburst finishes as the Traditional Plus.


 Gibson Les Paul Standard

This is the most expensive of the group, this is mainly due to its body being chambered. A set of little acoustic spaces creates weight relief. The weight of this guitar has been one of the most constant complaints in its history. Some players believe though that this feature detracts from the thick sound associated with this guitar.

Apart from the chambered body the Standard has many other nice features that make it stand out, accessories like: locking tuners, a locking input jack, an asymmetrical neck and a really cool transparent control cover. Like the traditional this model is offered in flamed sunburst finishes as a Standard Plus.

For more detailed info about the Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro please visit my Squidoo page -->Gibson Les Paul Reviews


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Epiphone Les Paul Mods

Here's a quick list of some of my favorite Epiphone Les Paul modifications:

Pickups 

In my experience this set is one of the most popular replacement pickups for this guitar:

-->Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded Humbucker Set


For a more vintage sound these sound very sweet:

-->Seymour Duncan Vintage Blues '59 Humbucker Set


To make this instrument more suited to modern hard rock and heavy metal this is a sure fire way to go about it.
-->EMG EMG-ZW Zakk Wylde 81/85 Humbucker Set


To make an Epiphone Les Paul even closer to the Gibson these are 2 of the most popular.
-->Gibson '57 Classic Humbucker



Electronics

One popular modification for Epiphone Les Paul guitars is to change the volume and tone potentiometers with a push/pull version. With proper wiring these can split a humbucker into 2 single coils or reverse their phase.

-->DiMarzio 500K Push/Pull Pot



The Jimmy Page Modification

I found this schematic on the net, even though is not the original it gets all the sounds, works on Epiphone guitars and is relatively simple. If you don't understand it a guitar tech should.

-->Jimmy Page Mod Schematic
property of www.deaf-eddie.net

Nut

This inexpensive product can solve some of the problems of plastic nuts.

-->Big Bends Nut Sauce Tuning Lubricant


Locking Tuners

While locking tuners can give this guitar sort of a modern vibe, Kluson vintage style tuners are also very popular. Now they make them in both styles together.

-->Kluson KB3L Keystone Locking Guitar Tuning Machines



Locking Strap Buttons

Protect your investment.

-->Schaller Guitar Strap Locks and Buttons



For a complete article about the items featured on this page please visit my Squidoo page -->Epipnone Les Paul Mods







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Gibson Les Paul Studio Review

Ever since this electric guitar came out more than 25 years ago, it has made it possible for many players like myself to have a guitar like this. The legendary Standard model can be quite out of the range of many players. These days the Gibson Les Paul Studio electric guitars are made in a few different models, some of them costing a lot less than what they normally have been known to go for.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Review

Sound: 4.5/5
Playability: 4.5/5
Construction Quality: 4.5/5
Finish: 4.5/5
Overall Value: 5/5

Even though the latest American Les Paul Standard guitars feature a higher level of craftsmanship than before, the assumption that the main difference between the Studio and the Standard is the neck/body binding is mostly true.

Now that Gibson installs new pickups on the Standard guitars, the Studio kind of has a place of its own. It features the humbuckers that used to come in the Standard for many years, the 490R and 498T. These pickups have a pronounced upper midrange that makes them sound very modern.

The dimensions of the neck follow the thick Gibson 50's profile, even though this is one of the thickest necks available a lot of players have associated it with this guitar. While some of the newer and cheaper Gibson Les Paul Studio guitars come with a gig bag this one is still shipping with a hard shell case.

For more info about this guitar please --->Click Here

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Maple Top Review

Sound: 4.5/5
Playability: 4.5/5
Construction Quality: 4.5/5
Finish: 4.5/5
Overall Value: 5/5

The first thin satin-finished Gibson LP Studio guitar I saw was about 6 years ago, what was called the Vintage Mahogany, now called the Faded. A lot of players understood the incredible deal this guitar is, but found it a little boring due to the lack of a maple top and color.

Now there's the Faded Maple Top. The specs of this guitar are almost the same as the regular Studio. The pickups are the Burstbucker Pro, the same ones that come in the much more expensive Standard. These put out a great tone, they offer less upper midrange than the 498T/490R pickups for a more vintage sound that still sounds great for hard rock.

The thick nitrocellulose lacquer finish has been substituted for a very thin satin finish. I'm not alone in believing that guitars feel much more organic with this type of finish.

For more detailed info about this guitar please --->Click Here

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Review

Sound: 4.5/5
Playability: 4.5/5
Construction Quality: 4.5/5
Finish: 4/5
Overall Value: 5/5

It's documented that Mr. Les Paul often preferred an all mahogany guitar. Gibson Les Paul Custom guitars with this formula are still available, but their price can be quite high. Luckily the Studio Faded is very close to that guitar for way less money.

The pickups are the same as the Faded Maple Top, the Burstbucker Pro. The more intimate sound of this guitar is perfect for a wide variety of music styles, a very good jazz sound from the neck pickup and an even better 70's style hard rock from the bridge.

For more detailed info about this guitar please --->Click Here




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Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro Review

With the popularity of this guitar being so high it's only natural that many versions are offered. This can further complicate making what already can be a difficult decision. Here I'm going to review the 3 main Gibson Les Paul Standard electric guitars currently available. I'll explain what makes each one unique and which one I think represents the best value.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro Review

Sound: 5/5
Playability: 5/5
Construction Quality: 5/5
Finish: 5/5
Overall Value: 5/5

The body and neck of this electric guitar are made of solid mahogany. The top of the body is capped by a piece of maple and features a cream binding that runs all the way through the neck. All Gibson Les Paul Standard guitars follow these specs with slight variations between different versions.

The pickups Gibson has chosen for this guitar are the 57' Classic and the Burstbucker 3'. This set models the legendary sound of P.A.F. vintage pickups with the Burstbucker 3' providing added edge in the high mids for a more modern sound.

Both humbuckers can be independently split for single coil sounds. This is very cool, some guitars force you to split both via a single switch, not letting you combine a humbucker and a single coil. Another unique feature is the pickups having the popular zebra finish.

The neck's profile is the thinner 60's slim tapered. All Gibson Les Paul Standard necks now feature a highly advanced set up procedure called Plek'd which achieves a very high level of consistency. Something very nice is the Grover locking tuners which are not featured on the regular Traditional.

For more info about this guitar please visit my Squidoo page
-->Gibson Les Paul Reviews


Gibson Les Paul Traditional Review

Sound: 5/5
Playability: 5/5
Construction Quality: 5/5
Finish: 5/5
Overall Value: 4.5/5

The Traditional differs from the Traditional Pro by not much. The tuners are the famous Kluson style, which have more of a vintage vibe but are more susceptible to going out of tune. The neck follows the thick 50's design and both pickups are 57' Classic making this guitar a little more vintage sounding. One insignificant detail is the nut being 0.005 wider.


Gibson Les Paul Standard Review

Sound: 5/5
Playability: 5/5
Construction Quality: 5/5
Finish: 5/5
Overall Value: 4/5

Gibson has always fought hard to keep the Les Paul Standard relevant. In this particular version they've been able to address a complaint that has plagued this guitar for ages, its weight. The body features acoustic chambers for weight relief. Many players believe a feature like this could detract from the full sound we associate with a Les Paul. But tastes differ, that might not be your case.

The pickups are the Gibson Burstbucker Pro which have gained immense popularity since they were first featured on the Gibson Les Paul Studio Vintage Mahogany. The bridge, strap buttons, input jack and tuners can all be locked making this guitar incredible secure for professional work. And the neck features an asymmetrical design that makes it very comfortable to play when standing up.

For more info about this guitar please visit my Squidoo page
-->Gibson Les Paul Reviews







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Epiphone Les Paul Standard Review: Plus Top vs Plain Top

What's Difference Between the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top and the Plain Top?

The Plus Top, the Plain Top and the Ultra are all Epiphone Les Paul guitars that offer close to the same instrument. They all have mahogany bodies, mahogany necks, real maple tops  and Gibson designed humbuckers. Even though they have been available for some years now many players still get confused about some of their features.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Review

Sound: 4/5
Playability: 4/5
Construction Quality: 4/5
Finish: 5/5
Overall Value: 5/5

The most important feature of the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top is the 'Flamed Sunburst Finish'. The finish of the Gibson Les Paul is a major part of its price, thanks to modern techniques Epiphone is able to offer this very impressive finish at this range.

This guitar follows the classic formula of mahogany body, set mahogany neck, maple top and humbucking pickups. It's important to note that since 2003 Epiphone privately manufactures their Les Paul guitars at their own factory in China.

For more detailed info about this guitar --->Click Here

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain Top Review

Sound: 4/5
Playability: 4/5
Construction Quality: 4/5
Finish: 4.5/5
Overall Value: 5/5

The main difference between the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain Top and the Standard Plus is the flamed maple top. This is mainly a cosmetic difference and has no effect in the sound or performance of the guitar whatsoever. The Plain Top finish is preferred by many players, for those on a budget this is a great option. A very good pair of pickups could be purchased with the difference in price between the Plus.

For more detailed info about this guitar --->Click Here


Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Review

Sound: 4/5
Playability: 4/5
Construction Quality: 4/5
Finish: 4.5/5
Overall Value: 4.5/5

The Epiphone Les Paul Ultra has a very interesting set of features rarely seen in this iconic guitar. Its all mahogany body has acoustic chambers that make the guitar weight 5.5 lbs and the sound gets a semi acoustic tone to it because of them.

The finish is quilted and the hardware is gold plated. The satin finished neck is probably the slimmest in any Les Paul authorized guitar. This guitar offers great playing comfort, impressive looks and very good sound. The Ultra II is exactly the same but features an acoustic pickup.

For more detailed info about this guitar --->Click Here





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