Gibson Les Paul Standard Premium Plus (Desert Burst) Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Andrew Clapp
from Auburn, WA
November 8, 2012Music Background:
20 year hobbyist, local band.

A dream come true

After 20 years of wishing, I finally ordered my first Gibson. I had always been a fan of the flamed maple tops, and when I saw the new 2012 Standards, I knew I had to have one. No other company posts high res photos of the guitars so you can carefully look them over. I really like how Sweetwater takes the time to do this. My sales associate Geoff Allen was very professional and efficient. I knew these guitars sold quick, and Mr. Allen really made an effort to make sure I was completely satisfied with my guitar. He even called me after to ensure everything was perfect with the guitar.
The Standard is perfect. The flamed maple top is stunning. It truly is a piece of art in itself. When I'm not playing the comfortable speedy neck or messing around with all the push/pull pots I just stare at it. Heck, it even smells good, like warm marshmallows.
The tone out of the Standard is amazing. World class product. I am very proud to own my 2012 Gibson Les Paul Standard and equally impressed with the level of service I received at Sweetwater.

Joseph V. Nauyalis
from Illinois
September 19, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist / Semi-Pro Musican

Excellent Made Gibson

First off, I want to thank Mr. Paul Bates for all his help in purchasing my new Gibson Les Paul Standard Premium Plus. Mr. Bates went beyond in helping make a smooth transaction for the purchase. Okay, my first Les Paul was bought 40 years ago. So I can compare them. I am very happy with the action , fit and finish on the new Gibson. The weight relief that was done is fantastic. It seems like it is about 1/2 the weight. So with various injuries it is a welcome addition. The pickups,and tone controls (plus splitter/phaser) are very responsive , Overall Gibson has made a hit with this Les Paul model. I have 47 years of playing guitar with many years playing with models that include Gibson, Gretch, Epiphone Elitist, Fender, G & L, Carvin, Martin, Yari, and Ovation,

David Greenfield
from Atlanta, GA
June 7, 2012Music Background:
30+ years of playing -- currently playing in two local bands ranging from straightforward blues/rock to a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

2012 Les Paul Standard

Having been a Fender player for most of my 30+ years of playing, I had always loved the sound of a Les Paul, but my playing favorite was a Strat. However, during a recent trip to Memphis I visited the Gibson factory and had a chance to play one of the new 2012 LP Standards. Let's just say I was floored. The guitar practically plays itself. Playability simply does not get any better than this.

Plus, the guitar just sings -- even unplugged. Simply amazing tonal qualities. Then you add in the coil tapping capabilities on both pickups and the plethora of tones available is almost overwhelming.

I've owned several guitars over the years, and this is simply the finest. I've even had guitarists in the audience at recent gigs I've played come over just to ooh and aahh over the finish on this guitar -- as good as it looks in the pictures, it looks even better in real life!

Though I will never abandon my beloved Strats, they're going to be a little lonelier going forward.

One the service side at Sweetwater -- it has been top notch all the way. Kudos to Ryan Holquist for being able to answer my questions prior to purchase about the LP's Plek setup and for helping to handle an issue with one of the Grover tuners that I encountered within the first couple of weeks of getting the guitar. The locking tuner on the 6th string would not tighten when I restrung the guitar. After reporting it to Ryan, I had a replacement direct from Gibson with just a few days.

Bottom line: I am more than impressed with the new guitar and with Sweetwater!

Scott Nelson
from Seattle, WA
October 10, 2012Music Background:
Working musician

The new 2012 is the best Les Paul yet!

I just bought my 2012 Les Paul Standard - this is a fantastic guitar and I have plenty of experience with high quality guitars. In my collection I have 3 PRS's, Tele, Strat, Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer, Gibson Flying V Traditional Pro and this new Les Paul. I had a 2000 Les Paul Standard in Heritage Cherry that was a very good guitar, but not ideal. It played great but a bit heavy and the pickups were so hot that I'd have to turn down to 2 just to clean it up a bit (thru Mesa Dual Rectifier). I sold the Cherry Les Paul to help finance this new one and I don't regret it for a minute. I'm a regular gigging musician, with stage and studio experience so I'm no novice.

I took in my old LP to the store to compare the two side by side. The 2012 pickups are much better than the 498T/490R combo. They are fuller, cut through better, cleaner string articulation yet still super ballsy. The coil tapping and phase switch are excellent additions to the tonal palate. The full bypass is ok, not amazing but still good to have. The asymetrical neck is expertly crafted and plays like butter after I adjusted it to my comfort level, which is pretty low with zero fret buzzing. Weight on mine is very light for a LP, 8lbs 3oz. Cosmetically, it's a stunner. I have the desert burst and the flame on mine is great. There are a few very minor imperfections, which I can live with, which is why I gave the 4.5 rating. All 3 of my PRS guitars are flawless (the absolute best quality control in the industry), but this Gibson is close. I'm really happy with this guitar and the people at Sweetwater are fantastic to work with.

Rick
from Los Angeles, CA
July 24, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Great Guitar!

Love this guitar!

HOW IT PLAYS: Neck feels great. On the thinner side, but not too skinny. Slightly asymmetrical, but really comfortable. Fretwork is excellent. The guitar also balances well in your lap. Other LPs have always tended to lean back heavily for me, which I found annoying. But not this model. It's also chambered, so not too heavy.

HOW IT SOUNDS: Great HB tone from the bridge pickup and good tone from the neck. The neck pickup is a bit muddy to my ear, which is why I'm giving this 4.5 stars instead of 5.0. The coil taps are OK, but if I want a single coil sound I'm still going to grab my Tele or Strat. What I really like, however, is the out of phase settings. This produces very interesting and usable tones I don't get from my single coil guitars (ala Jimmy Page / Zeppelin).

HOW IT LOOKS: The finish is unbelievable on this guitar! I got the desert burst (premium plus) and it has an almost 3D effect to the flame that is really gorgeous. All the binding is clean and well done. It's a beautiful instrument.

VALUE: Not a cheap guitar, but definitely worth the price to me.

I can highly recommend this guitar!