Gibson Les Paul Standard Review – Should You Buy It?

Along with the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is synonymous with rock & roll and blues guitar. Although the shape and thick, chunky sound have remained constant through the years, the details, from pickup selection to neck design, have changed to reflect Gibson’s continued desire to innovate.

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

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 notice the lighter weight, because of the chambered body.

We didn’t notice any deficiency 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 prize the lighter weight.

Since I normally replace tune-o-matic style bridges with TonePros, the upgraded bridge and tailpiece are a welcome addition, as is the Plek setup, which resulted in a solid playing and sounding guitar right out of the box.

As you might expect, we did have to set the truss rod, but that’s standard fare for an instrument delivered by UPS (or any carrier for that matter). Even without the truss rod tweak, we could’ve easily taken this guitar to a gig and played with nary a problem.

The finish on the new Standard is as outstanding as ever. We reviewed a Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish that had just a stunning flame. We found no defects 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 exclude 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 found that Gibson built this series using an asymmetrical neck profile; however, we have to say that we’re glad they did. The profile features a thicker bass side and a thinner treble side.

It’s sort of a cross between a 50′s profile and a 60′s profile, but in one instrument. We don’t know if we should thank Gibson or Plex, but the fretwork was the finest we’ve seen from a stock Gibson, as was the setup.

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

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 admirably. They definitely 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 individuals love them, but we’re not fans. Still, the Neutrik jacks are superior quality, so we appreciate that at least.

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 really slow down the simple act of changing a pot or pickup. No thanks.

Still, these concerns are minor. Overall, the new Gibson Les Paul Standard is a great guitar in many ways, and we sense the spirit of classic Les Pauls here. Gibson also now makes a “Les Paul Traditional” that might appeal to folks who want a more traditional Les Paul. Obviously, Gibson has something for everyone in their Les Paul series.

If you are shopping 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 shopping for a Fender Telecaster, an Epiphone G-400, or a PRS McCarty, Ray’s Guitar Shop has what you’re looking for!

categories: guitars,electric guitars,musical instruments,music