Gibson Les Paul Standard 2001 Reviews 5

I purchased this Les Paul from Perfect Pitch, an authorized Gibson dealer in the Philippines, for about 2000 USD. They have been selling Pauls for an average of 3000 USD, so when they had a promo, i grabbed at the chance to get my hands on it. The good thing was they had a free Pandora PX3 to go along with it, so it was undoubtedly a great deal.

I researched a lot about Pauls before i actually bought one, and i must say that all of the good things written about this guitar are wonderfully true- sweet, solid tone, abundant sustain, sparkling clarity. The neck is a joy to hold, and if properly set up, would make for hours of effortless playing.

Les Pauls are annoyingly heavy, and would leave one with aching shoulders after a long set, but that's the price one pays for the sustain that maple-capped solid mahogany gives. Also, the nitrocellulose finish tends to get sticky after some playing, and one has to wipe the neck periodically to keep it smooth. Plus one has to keep the guitar away from rubber and vinyl, since these two react with the finish, and may leave unsightly, permanent marks.

While one may find a bit of imperfection here, maybe a little nick there, overall, the construction and the materials are undoubtedly of premium quality. these things are built to last, and if taken care of properly, would last a lifetime.

It is important to note that while Les Pauls are highly versatile guitars, there will always be instances where they would seem inappropriate and inadequate, as it goes for every other guitar a player could lay his hands on. With that said, i must say that the Les Paul is a must have for any guitarist looking for soulful tone, sustain, playability and value.

The Abyss rated this unit 5 on 2002-12-08.

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