Gibson Les Paul Standard Review - More of the Same?

Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is synonymous with rock & roll and blues guitar. Though the shape and thick, chunky sound have remained constant throughout the years, the particulars, from pickup selection to neck design, have changed to reflect Gibson's continuing desire to innovate.

In 2008, Gibson presented a Gibson Les Paul Standard that contained more than its modest share of alterations, some welcome and some not. Let's have a look at these revisions.

There are numerous revisions to mark, including a TonePros locking bridge and tailpiece, chambered body, Neutrik locking output jack, asymmetrical neck, Bourns pots, Grover Locking Tuners, Dunlop Strap Locks, and a Plek'd setup. Possibly the most transparent change, if you're even remotely familiar with Les Pauls, is that the new Standard is much lighter, plainly due to the chambered body.

We didn't detect any want in tone due to the chambered body, and played acoustically, the Les Paul Standard had a balanced, deep tone. If you've ever gigged with a Les Paul for any huge period of time, you'll appreciate the lighter weight.

We were delighted to see some of the hardware upgrades, especially the TonePros bridge and tailpiece. Likewise, the Plek'd setup resulted in a real playable and superb sounding guitar literally out of the box.

We did have to make a minor truss rod adjustment, but for a Les Paul that was shipped 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 on the revised Standard is as fantastic as ever. We reviewed a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish that had just a stunning flame. We found no flaws in either finish or fit, and the fret dressing and setup was as nice as we've ever seen from a production guitar. Gibson also opted to omit the pickguard from this model, though you could easily install one if you miss it. The pickguard is included, however.

We were fascinated when we discovered that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we're grateful they did. The profile sports a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.

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 nicest we'd ever seen from an out-of-the-box Gibson.

As we put the guitar through its paces, we decided to respect a classic matchup, so we played through a Marshall Reissue JCM800. It was definitely a marriage made in heaven! The chambered body added a little ES-335 flavor, but only in a good way.

The Burstbucker pickups seemed to be a pretty good fit, since they are aggressive and dark by nature. There are unquestionably some textbook Les Paul tones to be found here, though the chambered body/Burstbucker combination has its own unique flavor. To each his own. We liked them.

For all the beneficial changes in the new Les Paul Standards, there are a few alterations that we just didn't get. For starters, we've never been a fan of locking input jacks. Granted, Neutrik jacks are as high high-performance as you can get, but that's not the point. It's more of a nuisance than a help, and we wish they hadn't assumed all guitarists would want such a "convenience."

Even less enjoyable 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.

Aside from these modest concerns, we think the freshest embodiment of the Gibson Les Paul Standard has a lot to offer and that it unquestionably has the spirit of a classic Les Paul. If the revisions are not to your liking, Gibson now offers the "Les Paul Traditional" that is more, well, traditional. There's something for everyone in Gibson's Les Paul lineup.

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