Gibson 1957 Les Paul Flametop

The 1957 Historic Flame top model is pretty much like all of the rest of the historic models out there. This one has a flame top as opposed to the normal Goldtop that you see. The guitar features a mahogany body with a maple top, mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, trapezoid inlays, pickguard, binding, hard tail bridge, two humbuckers, two volumes, two tones and a three way switch.

UTILIZATION

The flame on this model was nicely done, but some people dislike it and call it the "bbq grill" flame. Not sure why... These models are put together very well. The first thing you notice is that the finish itself was pretty much flawless. I couldn't find any drips or any issues where the binding meets the paint. The nut itself was cut perfectly, so there were no tuning problems to worry about. The frets on this were nicely leveled, and I was able to get some nice action going. The ends were also not sharp, so it didn't hurt your hand every time you went up and down the neck.

SOUNDS

I wasn't a huge fan of the stock pickups in this thing. Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Gibson pickups to begin with. The bridge was powerful, but it lacked what I usually look for in a bridge pickup. I like the pickup to be clear and tight, but it seemed to be voiced more towards the vintage side of things. The neck sounded decent, but I'd like it to be more powerful and smoother sounding. I'm a sucker for those ultra smooth guitar tones for leads, but that's probably because I use them as a bit of a crutch for lead playing.

OVERALL OPINION

The guitar really did have tone for days, despite me not being a huge fan of the stock pickups in this thing. You could tell by now nicely it resonated, and you can generally find these at a decent price on the internet. I find that these typically are put together a bit better and are more consistent than the Traditional, but I still find the Traditionals to be a better buy, price wise.