Gibson Review: Les Paul Classic

History:

Purchase: I purchased my Les Paul Classic Goldtop from an individual on Ebay. I payed $1,600.00. New the Goldtop has a $600.00 add-on charge. Although now you can't get a new Classic with a Goldtop. I've always wanted a Goldtop. I've had lots of Les Pauls but have always felt the Goldtop was THE best looking finish. Another reason I specifically bought this model is that it has the Slim Taper neck. I have small hands and the Slim Taper neck is just much more comfortable for me to play. I have less problems with hand cramps and fatigue.

What I Like About This Gibson Les Paul Classic: I love the finish. Gold really is the "Classic" Les Paul finish. Say what you want about "bursts". Gimme a Goldtop everytime. I can't wait to see how it ages. The 496R and 500T pickups were a pleasant surprise. I was prepared to replace these before I even listened to them. However, after playing them through several amps I found them to be great sounding and quite versatile. They're clear and have plenty of high end. I hate most of the stock Gibson PU's. They tend to be a little muddy. These are great PU's. I'm keeping 'em. As expected the neck is comfortable. I just don't understand the appeal of the '59 baseball bat profile. The Slim Taper has it going on. It's very manageable and fast. I like the vintage style slim headstock. It definitely looks better than the oversized newer headstock.

What I Do NOT Like About The Gibson Les Paul Classic: The "1960" embossed pickguard is cheesy. It had to go...sorry. Personally I think Les Pauls look better without a pickguard anyway. The binding in the cutaway is the new style where it gets wider instead of staying a uniform width. Wish they'd used vintage style binding here. The pickups should have covers. I don't like the exposed coil look. Luckily you can order covers for about 10 to 12 dollars each. Strap buttons on Gibson guitars are a joke. As a general rule I ALWAYS replace these first thing with Dunlop Straploks. The standard Gibson button WILL NOT hold. Don't take the chance. The bridge is a vintage style small posts bridge. After a while I've noticed it seems unstable. I've done a couple of things to try yo improve stability. However, ultimately I believe I'll end up replacing it with the more stable Nasville setup.

Gibson Les Paul Classic Quality Rating: Construction is what I've come to expect form Gibson. No major problems. Only minor gripes I've mentioned above. Paint job looks great.

Review Summary: Overall I love the guitar. The pickups were definitely a nice surprise. I'm used to changing things on a guitar to get it how I want it. I'm not a collector. I play my guitars. I have no qualms about changing the bridge. Some people may. For me it's not that big of a deal.

Rating of this Gibson product: 4

This Gibson Les Paul Classic Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: J. Heffner

Review Date: 2002-07-10