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tjon901 « What an affordable LPC? »
Published on 01/18/12 at 06:15Gibson is not really known for their reasonably priced guitars. In fact its quite the opposite. With 2011 a lot of strange things went on at Gibson. They were forced to change some of their construction methods and materials. As a result some guitars came out with features that should have been above their price range. This is one of those guitars. This is the Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom. The big change on this guitar is the Baked Maple fretboard. This is what they are using now instead of rosewood. The color varies widely with this wood from very pale like maple to dark like rosewood. If you put some lemon oil on it the fretboard will darken up and give you a better look. The guitar has a mahogany body with a maple top. The finish on this model is black so it looks like all the classic black beauty Les Paul Customs. The neck is mahogany with the aformentioned baked maple fretboard. The fretboard has block inlays like a Custom should. It has the big custom headstock with the split diamond inlay. Everything is bound and the body is double bound.
UTILIZATION
Gibson playability is Gibson playability at this point. There are only a few guitars were it is any different like on the Axess models. This model has your standard Gibson fare. This model comes with the 60s neck so it is a bit thinner and faster. The baked maple fretboard is smooth and gives you a feel similar to ebony. The upper fret access isnt great but thats part of the Les Paul playability.
SOUNDS
People who say the fretboard change is going to ruin the Les Paul sound are all wrong. The fretboard has very little impact on the sound of an amplified guitar. The pickups and bodywood are what are important when it comes to an electric guitar amplified. Real Gibson Les Paul Customs come with Burstbuckers but I prefer the 57 Classics that come in this guitar and other cheaper guitars. They are both good PAF copies but I think the 57 Classic is the better of the two in my opinion. They have the vowel quality and good sag. If you are looking for vintage Les Paul tone these pickups are going in the right direction. The classic tones pour out of the guitar and once you are playing you wont remember that this isnt a 4000 dollar Les Paul Custom.
OVERALL OPINION
This is probably one of the best alternatives to a Les Paul Custom you can get. It is a real Gibson with all the right features. The only difference is the fretboard. Once setup they will both play great. If you think having any ebony fretboard is worth paying 2200 dollars more by all means pay full price, but the baked maple fretboard doesnt feel much different and with some lemon oil or something you can darken it right up so hardly anyone will notice your guitar is different. If you are looking to buy a new Les Paul Custom you should check out the Classic Custom first to see if you can save yourself a bunch of money.
UTILIZATION
Gibson playability is Gibson playability at this point. There are only a few guitars were it is any different like on the Axess models. This model has your standard Gibson fare. This model comes with the 60s neck so it is a bit thinner and faster. The baked maple fretboard is smooth and gives you a feel similar to ebony. The upper fret access isnt great but thats part of the Les Paul playability.
SOUNDS
People who say the fretboard change is going to ruin the Les Paul sound are all wrong. The fretboard has very little impact on the sound of an amplified guitar. The pickups and bodywood are what are important when it comes to an electric guitar amplified. Real Gibson Les Paul Customs come with Burstbuckers but I prefer the 57 Classics that come in this guitar and other cheaper guitars. They are both good PAF copies but I think the 57 Classic is the better of the two in my opinion. They have the vowel quality and good sag. If you are looking for vintage Les Paul tone these pickups are going in the right direction. The classic tones pour out of the guitar and once you are playing you wont remember that this isnt a 4000 dollar Les Paul Custom.
OVERALL OPINION
This is probably one of the best alternatives to a Les Paul Custom you can get. It is a real Gibson with all the right features. The only difference is the fretboard. Once setup they will both play great. If you think having any ebony fretboard is worth paying 2200 dollars more by all means pay full price, but the baked maple fretboard doesnt feel much different and with some lemon oil or something you can darken it right up so hardly anyone will notice your guitar is different. If you are looking to buy a new Les Paul Custom you should check out the Classic Custom first to see if you can save yourself a bunch of money.