A Review of Gibson Les Paul Guitars - Including the Gibson Les Paul Custom, Supreme, Standard, Classic and Studio

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Hello. My name is Catfish. Welcome to my page about Gibson Les Paul electric guitars. I have been playing Les Paul
guitars since 1992 when I bought my first Les Paul Studio. It was a wine red Les Paul with silver hardware, basically the same overall design as today's studio. But then in 1995, I was blessed to able to afford my current Gibson guitar, "The Shark", named after its penchant for eating strings. It's a Gibson 1978 Black Beauty Les Paul Custom with three humbuckers in gold hardware with a stop tail piece (no bigsby tremolo). Because most 1970s Les Pauls have really flat frets, I refretted it with 6100 Jumbo frets which made it play like a dream for me. Then, because the original pickups were mircophonic, I replaced all three pickups with Seymour Duncan humbuckers. I put a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck humbucker in the neck position, I put a Seymour Duncan Seymourizer in the middle position and then for a sick and twisted heavy lead sound, I put in the Seymour Duncan Full Shred pickup in the bridge which gives me my signature tone (obviously thats a combination of guitar, pickup and my Marshall JCM 800 4100 100 watt head).
I prefer the Gibson Les Paul Custom to the Les Paul Standard or even the higher output classic. I like weight and feel of the guitar. The double binding on the body which distinguishes a custom from other Les Paul electric guitars not only looks really cool but seems to add a little girth to the instrument which at least makes it feel more solid to me. And of coarse the ebony fretboard is my personal preference which is only found on the custom.

For the style of music that my band plays and that I prefer to perform, nothing that I ever played while working 7 years in guitar stores as well as a veteran of 6 NAMM shows, is better for me than my Les Paul Custom. The tone is full, thick and heavy with plenty of bass response. It allows for screaming leads with plenty of sustain and yet can turn around and deliver the chunckiest of rythem tones. Then you can roll off a little tone and some volume and get that classic Gibson Les Paul sound from Aerosmith to the Allman Brothers and back to Led Zepplin. And of coarse the asthetic of the instrument can't be beat. There simply is not a cooler guitar. It is both modern and classic with appeal to all generations.

Buying a Gibson Les Paul online is no longer as easy of a task as it once was. Gibson in the last couple years has limited the number of vendor which are allowed to sell guitars online. It's hard to find a picture of a new Les Paul except at Musiciansfriend.com and Music123.com. As I already mentioned on my Gibson page, these two stores are your safest bet for order Gibson Les Paul guitars because they offer a 45 day price guarantee and a 45 day satisfaction guarantee. What that means is if you see it advertised for less within 45 days, they refund you the difference. Also if you don't like it once you get it, you can exchange it or get a FULL refund minus shipping I think. But, that's WAY more protection than you get at most mom and pop guitar stores and the selection online is liable to be much better (unless of coarse your in San Diego and then Guitar Trader is a great place to shop and not just because I worked there..lol).

For those people who would like to buy a Gibson Les Paul guitar online at an internet guitar store but don't know the diffeneces between the various Les Paul models, I have tried to make an easy to understand summary below. The links to the instruments are advertiser links that we get paid commission on in the event you purchase one as a result of your visit to Musiciansfriend.com or Music123.com. We are using this money to make our new album "Pin Ups in Parachutes" and we appreciate your support.

Here are the specifications for the Gibson Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Classic, Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Studio, Les Paul Goth, and some other popular Gibson Les Paul guitars in order of general price range:

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitars:
- The Studio has a mahogany body like its older but no maple top and a bare bones approach. The studio has no binding and features the 490R Alnico magnet humbucker in the neck and the 498T Alnico magnet humbucker. Its a lighter than other Les Paul electric guitars generally speaking. You can get this guitar with an ebony fretboard if you get it in white or platinum otherwise its rosewood. The hardward color depends on the color of the guitar as it does on all models. Its either chrome or gold depending. And of coarse, like all REAL Gibsons, it is MADE IN THE USA.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus Electric Guitars:
- Like the Les Paul Studio except that it features a translucent maple top for a more traditional Les Paul sound as well as a very attractive look. Rosewood fretboard with '59 rounded neck profile like the studio which is a thicker, more traditional Les Paul feel. And of coarse the stop tail piece and tune-o-matic bridge make all Les Pauls great for bends and aggressive playing as they tend to stay in tune better than most guitars, especially with thick strings (i play 12s which work great).

Gibson Les Paul Standard Electric Guitars:
- Featuring Bustbucker Pro pickups with Alnico V magnets, the traditional mahogany body with single binding and maple top, rosewood fretboard, and the great all time sound of the Gibson Les Paul guitar. When in doubt, get a Les Paul Standard, you can't go wrong with this classic. It has a versatile well balanced attack with good bass response, plenty of sustain if you put some 10s or higher on it and a great all around tone. You will immediately sound like a better guitar player and you will immediately recognize the difference in tonal quality when you play this against most other guitars. These are available in the 50s or slim 60s neck profile so be sure to choose your preference.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Double Cutaway Guitars:
- Virtually the same as the Les Paul standard but with a double cutaway (you can immediately see the difference in shape) which can be a lighter more comfortable for some people but still have similar tonal characteristics to a single cutaway Les Paul. Featuring the very attractive carved figured AAA maple top, its almost like a cross between a Paul Reed Smith and a Les Paul Standard with the slim 60's neck.

Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitars:
- There are quite a few diffences between the Les Paul Classic and the Les Paul Standard even though they look very similar. The Classic features the 496R ceramic magnet humbucker and the 500T ceramic magnet humbucker high output electronic pickups which give it more volume and a litte bang than a traditional Les Paul. It also features a slimmer neck profile that is almost more Ibanez than Gibson and it also tends to be lighter than the Standard or in some cases the even the Studio. The single binding on body and neck as well as the yellowing trapazoid inlays give it that classic Les Paul look. Comes with a rosewood fretboard.

Gibson Les Paul Supreme Electric Guitars:
- The Supreme is the top of the line Gibson Les Paul guitar featuring the classic 490R Alnico magnet humbucker neck pickup and the 498T Alnico magnet humbucker (the same as the Standard). However the Supreme has an ebony fretboard with the very attractive special supreme fretboard inlays. A chambered mahogany body gives this guitar a little different sound but the carved AAAA maple is unsurpased in beauty and gives this guitar that all time Gibson tone. And less weight means its more comfortable. The double binding enhances the overall look and feel of the Supreme as well.

Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitars:
- SPECIAL NOTE*** Customs are now only available through the Gibson Custom Shop and are not part of the regular Gibson USA product line. The Gibson Les Paul Custom is my personal favorite. The ebony fretboard with the solid mahogany body and maple top, double binding, trapozoid inlays, and supurb good looks make this the ultimate Les Paul. Its got a full, deep rich tone that really stands out with sustain for days. Once you play this axe loud, you will never want to be without it. They are a little heavy, but well worth the sacrifice. If you can afford it, get one of these. My favorite is black. You can't go wrong with black.

I hope this page adds a little light to the differences between the current Gibson USA Les Paul electric guitar models. I have also included a list of specialty Les Paul guitars as well for easy reference. Thank you for reading this page and for supporting Dive Bomber. Good luck finding and buying your new Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.

Quick Links for Buying a Gibson Guitar Online:

Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitars For Sale

Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitars from Musiciansfriend.com

Limited Edition Gibson Guitar of the Week

Gibson Guitar of the Week from Musiciansfriend.com

This is me and my wife Tammy with Les Paul Custom player and heavy metal legend Zakk Wylde!

ZAKK WYLDE PLAYS GIBSON GUITARS!



Buy the Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom!

Gibson Custom Shop Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul Electric Guitar - Bull's Eye


Gibson Custom Shop Zakk Wylde Signature Les Paul - Camo/Bull s-Eye Electric Guitar Camo Bullseye

Gibson Custom Shop Limited Run Zakk Wylde Bullseye Aged Les Paul Electric Guitar

Gibson Custom Shop Limited Edition Zakk Wylde Flying V Custom Electric Guitar Bullseye

I hope this page helps you buy your next Gibson guitar worry free and at the best possible price.

Catfish

More Gibson Les Paul Reviews:

Gibson Les Paul Studio and Studio Plus Guitars
Gibson Les Paul Standard and Standard Premium Guitars
Gibson Les Paul Classic Guitars
Gibson Les Paul Supreme Guitars
Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Custom Guitars