Gibson Les Paul Studio Fireburst Gold Vs Faded Maple Top

By Pedro Rocha

Gibson Les Paul Studio Fireburst Gold Review

Many times in the past I was convinced the reason I owned one of these guitars was because of my inability to afford a Standard model. But after many years playing them I've learned to appreciate them in their own right.

The specs of the Studio are very close to the Les Paul Standard guitar, except for the binding on the neck and the body. But this feature alone has never been proven to affect the sound or the quality of your playing.

One important feature I would recommend to focus on when trying this instrument is the dimensions of the neck as many players find Gibson 50's neck a little too thick for their taste.

The pickups are the same that used to come in the older Standard, the 490R and 498T. These have a more pronounced upper mid range than vintage voiced pickups for a more modern sound.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Maple Top Review

A while ago Gibson introduced a stripped down version of this guitar with no finish. Not having this feature brought the price substantially down, the problem is you had to sacrifice something many consider to be a key ingredient to the sound of this guitar, the maple top.

Enter the Faded Maple Top, the specs are almost identical to the regular Studio, sans the lacquer. The choice of color is limited to Cherry Sunburst. The raw finish brings the price down and makes the guitar feel more organic.

The pickups are different as well, this guitar features the Burstbucker Pro pickups that come in the $2,500+ Gibson Les Paul Standard.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded Review

Even though I've owned a couple of the regular ones in the past, when I played the Studio Faded I was converted in an instant. I've always preferred a slightly more opaque tonality in my guitar sound than what regular Les Paul guitars come with.

For many years now most versions of the Studio come with the Gibson 490R and 498T pickups, but pairing the Faded model with the Burstbucker Pro was a gift for me. I was also lucky to get this guitar when it was called the Vintage Mahogany, back then it came with a hard shell case. Now as the Faded it comes in a gig bag.

For more reviews of Les Paul guitars please visit mi Squidoo page --> Gibson Studio Review

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Gibson Les Paul Standard - Ebony

By Pedro Rocha

Ebony is one of the most popular finishes for the Gibson Les Paul Standard electric guitar. It normally costs much less than fancier sunburst finishes featured in the Plus models while offering the same quality.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro Review

The new breed of these electric guitars has something that many players consider to detract from the full sound associated with Les Paul guitars, a chambered mahogany body.

What many players like about Les Paul guitars is the full and thick sound you get from them. The Traditional Pro has a full mahogany body below a solid maple top.

The pickups are the Gibson 57' Classic and Burstbucker 3'. I found the Burstbucker 3' to be very pleasing with an added edge in the high mids compared to the regular Burstbucker Pro. The 57' Classic in the neck is very good as well, not as bass heavy as past neck models.

The Plek'd set up has put the consistency of these necks in a different league. My job requires me to visit several music stores weekly and you go from one end of town to the other, grab a Les Paul and the neck feels almost identically good.

Particular to the Traditional Pro is the 60's profile neck which is thinner than the 50's, also the ability to split the coils for single coil sounds and the locking Grover tuners.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Review

This one is almost identical to the Pro, the pickups are both 57' Classic both closer to the original P.A.F. sound. if you try them I think you'll agree that they are not as vintage as they make them out to be.

The neck is the thicker 50s shape and the tuners are vintage Kluson style. An almost insignificant difference is the nut being 0.005 mm wider but you won't even notice that.

Other than that it is exactly the same guitar, so I really don't understand why this Gibson Les Paul Standard is more expensive than the Traditional Pro.

Gibson Les Paul Standard Review

This guitar has always been an incredibly popular instrument. But it has suffered from a specific complaint all along, its weight. This new version has a chambered body for weight relief.

I know it might seem counter active to get less wood and pay more, but it's a lot more work to dig those little chambers in the body. A very nice feature of this guitar is the asymmetrical shape of the neck. It's more comfortable than the 50s design without being as thin as the 60's.

Another feature of this guitar is the Burstbucker Pro pickups. This set of pickups in my opinion sound very good, I've owned them for close to 6 years and I'm still very much into their sound.

The bridge is the popular locking Tonepros, I've had to get used to always leave the first and last when changing strings to my Les Paul guitar, that way the bridge doesn't fall and the intonation is not messed up. With this bridge I wouldn't have to do that.

For more reviews about Les Paul electric guitars please visit my Squidoo page --> Gibson LP Reviews

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All About the Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar

By Timmy Klein

The Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of the most iconic instruments in popular music. A number of variations of the base model have been introduced over the years, including the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar. This is one of the pricier and highest quality guitars that Gibson makes. The LesPaul was designed by guitarist LesPaul in collaboration with Gibson in 1952.

The base LesPaul guitar was a response to the Fender Telecaster, which had pioneered the single body electric guitar design that was sweeping the rock, country and blues music scenes. The LesPaul had some differences, such as the strings being attached differently than other guitars. The Les Paul also differentiated itself by coming in many boldly colored designs.

The Les Paul Custom guitar was designed from the start to be a more high quality and stately guitar. It was nicknamed the Black Beauty for its slick black design. LesPaul stated that the design was meant to be reminiscent of a tux. The guitar's surface was made from solid mahogany, instead of maple like the standard model. Starting in 1957, the Custom was outfitted with the humbucker style pickup, giving it its defining bulky and warm sound.

The Custom of today has a sharper tone due to its ebony fretboard. The frets are also somewhat lower than those on your standard guitar, which has led to some calling the Custom the fretless wonder.

Many notable popular musicians have used the Gibson Les Paul custom guitar as their instrument of choice at one point or another. Artists from Carlos Santana to Peter Frampton to Eric Clapton have used Customs.

A brand new Custom today is worth several thousand dollars. They are no longer limited to just being Black Beauties; Customs have since produced with different finished including Antique White and Silverburst.

Did you know the Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar is one of many variations of the standard LesPaul? Timmy Klein takes on the ultimate Gibson journey now on http://www.gibsonlespaulcustom.net.

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Playing Blues Guitar on an Epiphone Les Paul

By Mike OHara
If you are a blues electric guitarist, or even if you are just learning to play the blues on an electric guitar, you will want to make sure that you have a guitar that suits the style.

Step forward, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard. This guitar is a blues guitarist's dream.

OK, so it's not a $2,500 Gibson, but it's not far off. And at only a fraction of the price it offers great playability, superb tone, and it looks just fantastic!

One of the things that you always want to make sure of when playing electric blues guitar is that you can produce a good amount of sustain. Typically, guitars at the cheaper end of the scale do not sustain anywhere near as well as their more expensive counterparts. But hit a note on this baby, add a bit of string vibrato and it will go on and on and on, making you feel like Carlos Santana!

This is down in large part to the solid mahogany body, the maple top and the quality of the pickups, which are nearly as good as those on the Gibson equivalent.

Make no mistake, the Epiphone Les Paul is a quality guitar, well built and made to last.

It is interesting that some well-known and respected guitarists play and endorse Epiphones, even though they could have their pick of other makes (guitarists like Noel Gallagher, Ace Frehley and Nancy Wilson to name just a few).

When I get rich, I'll buy a Gibson. In the meantime, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard will do just fine, thank you!

Mike OHara is a guitarist and guitar teacher who plays a variety of styles on a variety of guitars. He is a particular fan of the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, a guitar he often uses when giving a Blues Guitar Lesson.

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