Gibson Les Paul Standard

I've been playing a Gibson Les Paul Standard as my main guitar for about 6 years now. For years before that, I'd always leant towards stratocaster-type guitars (in fact, my guitar was an Eggle LA Pro rather than a Fender). I found myself getting into playing heavier music and having to play through overdrive and hi-gain sounds on a more frequent basis. A strat of any type wasn't going to fit the bill, so I went looking for an additional guitar.

After trying any and every electric guitar I could find, I finally settled on a Les Paul Standard Desert Burst; the first model shown below.

Rock

The guitar is incredible for rock. Just so easy to pick up, play and find rock nirvana. With all knobs turned up full, the bridge pickup is raucous, setting most amps into a great rough and ready overdriven sound. The neck pickup brings a warm, smooth vocal quality, especially when the strings are picked nearer the neck.

I think most guitarists just get into the habit of only changing sound with the pickup selector between front and bridge only, but the range in tone that you can achieve from the stock pickups is actually quite amazing. Remember that there are 4 knobs and a 3-way pickup selector switch on the basic Standard model. The middle selector position is the weakest of the three but really good for getting the cleanest, thinnest and least-overdriven tone. Then bring in the volume controls, roll-off the bridge volume reduces the harshness leading to a ringing quality. Switch back to neck pickup, but roll-off the neck tone to 7 and there's an awesome full warm tone that will stand up against the great jazz guitar tones. Need to go back to full-on rock by switching to the bridge pickup with bridge volume and tone full on at 10.

I watched Peter Green (yes, that Peter Green) play a few years ago and I couldn't believe how much attention he paid to the setting of the knobs. He probably spent too much time on the knobs and not enough on playing, but when he did play, the tone was perfect. That attention to detail is missed by most guitarists who just play the guitar with all knobs dialled in to the max.

Audition the guitar using the amp you're going to use

A common complaint with Les Paul models is that PAF/Burstbucker pickups sound like the guitar's being played through mud, especially when using the neck pickup. I can see where that complaint comes from but I don't believe it applies to all players or all Les Pauls and amplifier combinations . A lot will depend on the tone you're aiming for and the effects, amp and speaker combination you're using. For me, I found the pickups were great for classic and newer rock without being muddy. For instance, I used often added a slight chorus just to bring a little chime to the clean tone, but also to provide a great thick tone when using hi-gain channels. This provided an awesome tone for lead guitar, try the A on the 3rd string, 14th fret and you'll understand.

At the other end of the tone range, I found that plugging the Les Paul into an otherwise great solid-state amplifier just sounded horrible. The output from the guitar saturated the input stage of the amp resulting in a nasty clipped tone. It wasn't like this with all amps, even the solid-state ones, just that one amplifier.

Which Les Paul should you choose?

Nobody can answer that question for you except you. The most anyone can do is guide you. My thoughts are that the first Les Paul in the range worth looking at is the Les Paul Standard. My choice is the Desert Burst as it stands out as different compared to the usual Amber Burst or Cherry Burst. The Ebony and Light Burst also make for good-looking guitars.

There are cheaper options, such as the Les Paul Studio. However, it may be that you'd do better with one of the better Epiphone models instead. It all depends what you want the guitar for and how much money you want to save. Yes, I know the Studio is meant to be better than the Epiphones, but is it worth the difference? If you're stuck in this range, then have a look at some of the Gibson Les Paul alternatives.

Looking for something more special than a Standard? Then further up the range there's the Black Beauty-based Les Paul Custom with 3 pickups and a mahogany top instead of the usual maple top. Alternatively, there are numerous Gold Top variants, many based on models from the 50s and 60s. In an odd twist, there's now the Standard Traditional Plus model making for yet another option in the line-up.

Some selections

1. Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar Desert BurstCrank up a 2008 Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar and experience the power and performance that more than 40 years of craftsmanship and innovation can produce.Pioneered and developed with the assistance of legendary jazz-pop guitarist Les Paul—one of the world's greatest musical and technological pioneers—the Gibson Les Paul has become the standard by which all electric guitars are judged. With fat, rich tone and incredible sustain, the Les Paul lends itself to every style and generation of music. From the sweetest jazz to the heaviest rock and metal, the Les Paul can do it all—it is one of the most powerful and versatile instruments of all time.The 2008 Les Paul Standard Plus continues to alter—and inspire—the sounds of today's ever-changing musical landscapes. It features a hand-carved figured maple top with matched chambered mahogany back outlined with single-ply binding. The neck is crafted from a single piece of mahogany. Carefully glued into the neck cavity of the body, the neck functions as a single unit with the body. Its asymmetrical shape is the most comfortable neck offered on a Les Paul Standard.The BurstBucker Pro humbuckers have Alnico V magnets with slightly mismatched windings to deliver an enhanced "Patent Applied For" tone with more bite and brilliance. All Les Paul Standard necks receive precision fret dressing and setup with the Plek system. As the guitar lies in a cradle, a computer-controlled robot arm moves along the neck measuring each fret's height, the fingerboard radius, even the bow in the neck. Using that data, the Plek machine adjusts the truss rod, cuts the nut slots for optimal spacing and height for each string, files each fret to a hundredth of a millimeter accuracy, and then polishes the frets. In a fraction of the time it takes a skilled technician, the Plek machine eliminates buzzing strings and dead spots, producing a neck with flawless intonation and superb action.NOTE: To give you a choice of how your Les Standard should look, the pickguard is not attached but included in the case. To install the pickguard, holes will need to be drilled into the body.
2. Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Plus Electric Guitar Desert BurstThe Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Plus electric guitar has all the traditional features you expect from a Les Paul: mahogany body and set neck, figured maple top and a pair of Gibson's awesome '57 Classic humbucker pickups. The Plus on this guitar is the gorgeous, figured maple top—just the right touch on this iconic rock machine. One not-so-traditional improvement—the neck has been dressed by Gibson's Plek machine, a computer-controlled robot that analyzes the neck, files the frets, and cuts the slots on the nut to a hundredth of a millimeter accuracy for optimal action and intonation without string buzzing.
3. Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar EbonyThe Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar is a special limited-run model from the Gibson Custom Shop. With many of the Classic Black Beauty guitar appointments, such as the glossy black finish, gold hardware, multi-ply binding, and block pearl fingerboard inlays on an ebony fretboard, it has the visual appeal that has attracted guitarists for decades. The Gibson Les Paul Custom also features updated electronics, sporting 3 BurstBucker pickups for an amazing array of tonal possibilities. In the neck position is a medium output Burstbucker 1 for a sweet vintage sound. In the middle and bridge positions are BurstBucker 2 pickups, which have a slightly hotter output for that extra bite you need to really cut through the mix. The Gibson LP Custom Guitar has all the meticulous handwork you re used to from the Gibson Custom Shop.
4. Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop VOS Electric Guitar Antique GoldThe BurstBucker pickups on this Gibson 1957 Les Paul Goldtop VOS (Vintage Original Spec) are precise copies of the original "Patent Applied For" versions that were the first dual-coil humbucking pickups ever produced in quantity. Their full, round, and versatile sound is as unique now as it was then. Classic carved maple top, solid (non-weight relieved) mahogany back, and one-piece mahogany neck generate the singing resonance that made the original one of the world's most sought-after guitars. Finish and hardware are gently aged to make it look exactly like the real McCoy. Early '50s rounded neck profile gives you something serious to hang onto.
5. Gibson Custom 1968 Les Paul Custom 5A Quilt Top Electric Guitar TriburstWith its distinctive style and long list of appointments, the 1968 Les Paul Custom has long been a favorite of players and collectors. Featuring the trademark split diamond headstock inlay and lavishly bound body, this Custom Collection version adds a carved, 5A quilted maple top. Each piece of figured maple used for the tops on these guitars was hand picked by our guitar buyer in the Gibson Custom Shop. Each piece features has a unique and especially vibrant character that really makes each of these guitars pop. These very special tops are showcased by gorgeous transparent finishes, including Firemist, which is available only through us. The '57 Classic humbuckers provide the smoothest, richest tone of any of the Gibson pickups while gold hardware adds a sumptuous glow under the stage lights.Gibson's Custom Shop produces some of the finest electric guitars on earth. Using the best materials money can buy, a staff of skilled luthiers reproduce some of the greatest Gibsons of the past and create stunning new instruments for players and collectors who demand the best.