Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s Electric Guitar - Gold Top Reviews

Well made guitar! Plays very well.
Glad I got it!

I have been wanting a Gibson Les Paul since I was 11, I finally got the fund to purchase this one. It is a dream come true. I can't wait everyday to go home and play this Guitar. If you're on the edge of getting one, do it.

This is a dream guitar! I've always wanted a straight up, no frills Les Paul Standard Goldtop. I've waited through the quality issues, robot tuners, and well being able to afford one! This one is beautiful! It plays so well! The fatter neck on the 50's is not much of an issue with how low you can set the action with no fret buzz. It stays in tune so well and has that great Les Paul tone. Thanks to my sales engineer Pat Walsh for working with me on selecting the right one for me. I like a dark fretboard and we both pick the same one lol. I love Sweetwater, the customer service is above and beyond! I recently watched Lee from Anderton's Music visit the Gibson factory and seeing what all goes into making a Les Paul makes me appreciate it that much more.

I polish all my guitars now. I stop and stare at my Gold Top when I walk by it. The weight I selected is just right, the top is historic. It sounds beautiful at all settings. I have played Strats for years, the Gibson scale is relaxing. I also have a Studio, it is chambered and about the same weight. Gibson is back, I think the new Tribute might be on my list soon. Sweetwater lets you select weight. 8 pounds, 13 ounces is my magic number.

Great guitar very easy to play, sounds great. Shout to Spencer at sweetwater for the help!!
great purchase.

So far I am taking it slow and I am in awe of the company I am keeping with this magnificent device. The plek treatment is comfortable and fabulous. This is the most beautiful guitar I own.

This is an absolute firecracker of a guitar. The neck is incredible! Perfect weight 8lb 10oz. I guess I got lucky on that. The pickups are great, vintage sounding. The binding is flawless, and the pictures do not justify the gold color on this guitar. I had a smooth purchase experience with Sweetwater sales engineer Josh.

I've wanted a les Paul for quite some time and was waiting until I could afford a vintage but when Gibson came with this new 50's and 60's line I had to get one and believe me it has been completely opposite of a let down… this guitar is amazing, looks great, plays great, feels great, sounds great.

The best les paul I've ever played,and I've had around 10 in the last 25 years.great customer service.will be a loyal customer.

I don't know why i waited so long wanted a gold too since I was 18. I'm now 48. The frets are perfect the tone and quality are first class. If I didn't have to work the next day I would not have put it down
I love it.

Thank kevin Samuel for all your help through the years. You and everyone at sweetwater are first class

I recently got in, my new Gibson Les Paul Standard '50S Electric Guitar -Gold Top. It's great! These guitars, are incredible, when you get to have one in your hands. I like the, "old school", guitars. Hey, friends, just some advice here. The case, with these Les Paul guitars, has 5 latches. So, one would want to make sure that you have All 5 latches open, before you try to open the case lid. That 5th latch, is in the back where you may not notice it. Sales Engineer, Nich Magnani, is great to work with. He has worked with me on other guitars and gear. So, Sweetwater offers a very good experience. Have a great day!

I've been playing for about 25+ years and never really played a Les Paul and gave it a chance. Well I recently got the Gibson SG Special w/ two P90's and it was the first Gibson I really bonded with. So I said hey just try the daddy mac of all guitars, a 50s Standard Gibson Les Paul Goldtop... so I did. It's the best guitar I've ever played in my life, and I own other proper guitars from all the best American brands. This thing is incredible. It changed my entire guitar mindframe and brought some classic rock style out of me Of course there were some "Gibson guaranteed blemishes" but tnankfully they were all minor. Just a few very small, easy to fix tooling marks in places on the neck binding, but I got rid of them. I really am at a loss for words. What an amazing guitar. If you're on the fence about it, pull the trigger. You can always return it if it doesn't suit you. It did more than that to me amd it was completely unexpected. Shout out to my sales engineer, Cameron. He's always willing to go above and beyond. This time he's responsible for getting everything from a return sorted and getting this beast in my hand in just a few days.

Others have said it...but... Gibson IS definitely back! Great tone, great feel, build quality spot on....it stays in tune, it chimes! So happy with this guitar! Ive owned Les Pauls from the 60's, 90's and 2000's and this is one of the finest Ive had the pleasure of owning! Of course my rep Jacob Terhune was an absolute pro and the setup from the Sweetwater shop was excellent. Will be coming back for another one soon!

I've had my Goldtop for a little over a week now and I'm still amazed that it is sitting in my living room. The finish on this guitar is nearly perfect. The action is spot-on up and down the neck. The sound is full Les Paul. Sweet, subtle and brutish all in the same package. Full of girth and sparkle with the squeal of touch sensitivity unmatched by other guitars. The '50s Goldtop is in a class all it's own. Mine has the weight of a black beauty custom at 10 lbs 12 ounces. And all the warmth that comes with it. A shout out to Kent Salaz for calling and making sure my purchase was perfect.

I have purchased 5 guitars from Sweetwater and they have delivered and exceeded expectations on each purchase.

My sales Rep. is Mathew Langston I highly recommend him for any of your purchases. I will continue using him on all my future purchases.

Thank you all at Sweetwater very much appreciated!!!

Roger

I'm actually a keyboard player, but I started dabbling in guitar when I was in college 30 years ago. I played a little for fun but never got real serious about it until COVID. I figured I'd use the time to "level up". I always wanted a Les Paul but couldn't justify the cost at my skill level. That changed rather quickly and at 50 years old I just said you only live once. It was near perfect right out of the box. It just needed a little adjusting, but not much. I could tell right away the difference between single coil and humbuckers - such a smooth tone. I added some pedals to my existing pedalboard, but truth be told, I LOVE just playing straight with a little reverb. Impeccable tone! I'm in awe every time I sit down to play. Big thanks to my sales guy Ian.

I've had my les Paul gold top for a little over a year… Always wanted a Les Paul but never had the nerve to part with that cash… Well I finally did and I don't regret it al all…I love the chunky neck of the 50's model…I regret that I have already marred the finish, using bug repellent at an outdoor gig…don't do that!!! No other issues no I dig the playability and tone…haven't changed a thing other than strings…Get one you'll like it and Sweetwater is of course fabulous!!!Cheers

I have wanted this guitar since I was a kid! It's everything I imagined. The tone is unreal!! The fat neck on it is so nice. There's some real meat to it and once you add pedals to the picture it can do anything you want it to! Thanks so much Jason and all the kind folks at Sweetwater for making my dream come true!

In early September I decided to "preorder" a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s Gold Top with Nate Burkhardt (my sales engineer at Sweetwater) and secure a place in line, glad I did. I wanted to recapture the feel and sound of my Gibson Les Paul 59 reissue, custom built in the early 70s, only in a Standard 50s Gold Top. I knew this would take a "vintage" neck, Alnico PAF pickups and a heavyweight one piece Mahogany body, preferably over 10 lbs in weight (it is about 10 lbs 10 oz). I had read enough reviews and watched plenty of YouTube videos to know that Gibson quality control was back. He told me he would see that it was perfect and that I would see photos before he shipped.

At this point it appears to be a "flawless" build ready to play out of the box with intonation spot on and only minor tuning necessary before playing for the first time. It stays in tune, even the G string. Playing it through any of my amps, Fender or Marshall, sounds glorious with infinite sustain. It can growl when needed.

Thanks to Nate Burkhardt for his help. If you are on the fence about purchasing a Standard 50s Gold Top for yourself rest assured that you will not be disappointed.

This a real classic in a brand new package! I'm really pleased and exited about how great this guitar is after a few month break in period. It's everything I hoped for and more. Fit and finish is top notch. Fretwork, Nut and bridge were near perfect out of the box. The intonation and neck are as close to perfect as you could ask for. Of course everyone likes a different setup but this was 95% perfect on arrival. It's one of those guitars I feel like I got lucky with because I can't really find any flaws in this department. Gibson seems to really be on point with QC on these models from other similar reviews.

Now about the sound. I'm really glad I went with the 50s. Listening to demos I kind of like the 60s sound better. It seemed more clear and defined. Cut through a little better in recording.After playing this I realize that I would have missed out on the beautiful raw low end and unrefined thing I'm getting with the 50s. Playing with the vol and tone between 7-10 for different settings just creates such beautiful vintage tone. I feel like I'm back where it all started with tones that were never even captured in real fidelity during the 50s. I think there's a slightly more traditional organic thing than what you hear from LPs of the 60s and 70s. This is a reissue but it certainly doesn't feel like one. I'm totally content with keeping this as my only LP for many years or maybe a lifetime. Thanks Sweetwater and Gibson. I'm a very happy customer

this guitar is excellent right out of the box....I have to admit my sales agent James Masterson is who I have to thank immensely!!!,,,he's been there every step of the way and never too busyto answer questions or get things right...Sweetwater takes a lot of care in their guitars....now the guitar
It is the Gibson it should be...great sound ….that old familiar paf sound and neck feel was spot on..i love the one piece mahogany back ...dik if they all come like that but this one just shines excellence!!!
no weight relief here but well balanced...I believe mine is 9 lbs 6 oz..there were no dead spots and volume and tones were smooth...case was cool (new brown) I have no complaints..well worth the money

I've always favored a "Super-Strat" for playability but this Gibson Les Paul '50s Gold Top is awesome. The "fit and finish" is what you'd expect from Gibson and the tone is classic! Highly recommend!

As a longtime Fender guy, and always will be, I knew I would always own a Les Paul. That desire grew to an unbearable urge but as Gibson had some quality issues in the mid-teens, I wanted to make sure they turned that around which it seems the new CEO has done. My goldtop came Friday and I played it till my fingers hurt. The sustain is crazy...needless to say, I love it. So different than a Fender, not better, not worse, just different and awesome. Get one and stop listening to the crybabies whine about the weight, I don't even think about it.

Have had mine for a few months now and it is spot on the best guitar I have ever owned period. Got mine as a blemishes model from Sweetwater they said it was a discoloration on the back of the body and I could kinda see something from the online picture but for the price I payed i said sure let's take a chance on this one. Boy am I glad I did let me tell ya brotherman well worth it all it is, is how the wood took the stain from the factory and it's at best 1 to 1 half inch long by maybe 1 1 16th wide and on the bottom edge. You wouldn't even notice it unless someone pointed it out that knew about it lol. Great deal, great service as always from Sweetwater and my guy Paul Eckert. Oh btw Gibson quality is spot on:)

First off, let me say, the pictures online don't do this thing justice. The first time you open the case, you will be blown away. This is a beautiful guitar. Always wanted a goldtop. I've had this one for about 6 months now. Until Gibson came out with the 50's Standard with the options they have, the choice to purchase was always put on the back burner when I had funds to purchase another piece of gear. It was always a new pedal, amp or sound system choice. From the first time I strapped this guitar on, I just don't fully understand why I haven't made this purchase sooner. I love this guitar. Finish is great. Setup is great. Neck is great. Pickups are great. Sound is fantastic. Only problem was when I played the P-90 version of this thing a friend purchased a month later. Let me just say that was it for me. I had my guitar tech swap out the humbuckers in mine for some Fralin P90s. Can't put this guitar down now. I suggest you play both of them before you pull the trigger. you need to buy one though.

I have up until IUp until l

Home run,and built the way it's suppose too be built. Great guitar I must say

Sound, feel,weight,look,.........Incredible............

I'll get my minor gripes out first. The nut isn't quite cut perfectly, but is by no means unusable--nothing that either time or a quick filing/lubrication can cure. And the tone pots sort of just operate between 3-10 (the volume pots work from 0-10 though!) I prefer the look of the pickguard off and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have the screw touching underneath to the body, there was a nice little felt pad attached. But it did leave a little circle in the finish that you can see if you look for it. Again, nothing here is a showstopper.

Now on to things that really matter:

This is not the build-quality nightmare that I've seen from previous years--mine is built very well. I still think Gibson has a ways to go to reach PRS-levels of consistent/cooki-cutter quality, but my guitar doesn't suffer in any way regarding to what counts the most: tone. And I'm pleased by the versatility of this guitar: it covers jazz, blues, rock and old metal tones very well. I measured the pots and discovered the volumes are ~350K and the tones are ~485K. Despite the 350K volumes my guitar is pleasantly present, but still manages to have a nice bass tone. I may swap these all out for 500K volumes and DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAFs just to see where this goes, but it does sound great nonetheless. But take that lightly; I'm just chasing the last 1% of tonal perfection. The PLEK'd fretboard is superb--not a dead note to be found.

The most outstanding virtue of this guitar, other than its tone and beautiful looks, is the sustain. I feel the whole guitar vibrate quite nicely and I think the thicker 50s neck may have something to do with this. And acoustically it is pretty audible without plugging into my amp. I had a USA PRS (which I just parted with since this Les Paul came to me) that I thought had great sustain, particularly on specific neck locations and notes. But my Les Paul has sustain all up and down the neck, even on a mild overdrive. It changes the way I play for the better--it just has some juice and character I can't get elsewhere.

So there you have it--I sold my PRS and my other guitars have been collecting dust as of late. This is a fun guitar to play and I see myself holding on to it for my family. It is that good.

First off I will say that when the LP arrived and I opened the case I was stunned with how beautiful it is! The pictures look great but it looks so much better that I had expected. The gold finish soooo nice as well as the mahogany. So I had to just look at it for while before I played it just to admire the workmanship. It really is a piece of art. The case is very nice, plush and holds the guitar very securely in my opinion.


Well I can only compare the LP to the only ofter guitar I own which is a Jeff Beck Strat that I also bought from Sweetwater recently....but what can I say it sounds incredible. Very resonant, thick rich tones. Playing with the tuning and volume knobs really helps you produce a lot of different tones. As I mentioned I cannot compare this to other LP guitars ...because this is my first one...but I will tell you that it is absolutely the tone I was hoping for!

The only modification I have done is changing the tuners to Grover RotoGrip locking tuners that Sweetwater took of, and Schaller strap locks to make sure this beauty never hits the floor.

Can't stop playing it since I got it yesterday and feels like my fingers are gonna fall off...but who cares...I am gonna just keep playing her!

Thanks to Ryan Murphy at Sweetwater for excellence in advice and service!

I've wanted a REAL Les Paul Gold Top Standard since I was a teenager. But sadly, there were many years they didn't even exist without paying a fortune for vintage. Thankfully, Gibson wasted zero time after the appointment of their new CEO at the end of 2018. The ENTIRE 2019 Gibson lineup is what customers have been asking for for decades...and even a few nice surprises!

The minute this Gold Top was available, I ordered one. I was even lucky enough to get one just a little over 8 pounds!!! It is completely stunning in every aspect from the lower bout strap button to the tip of the headstock. It's hard to put into words what it's like to play a brand new, legitimate Les Paul Standard until you own one. This guitar has breathed an enormous amount of inspiration back into my playing all over again. It was every bit worth the wait.

I just received my LP 3 days ago and she blowed me away, she has the sustain that I expected from a LP, the neck is thick but is not a baseball bat (keep that in mind)

The finish is fantastic however she came with some signs of hand polishes on the frets, maybe were made SW tech in order to eliminate buzz or something, anyways in not a big deal for me.

The pups sounds exactly how I like, they are not hot output but have enough meat to make your amp into a dragon flame breather.

Thanks Gibson to return to basics.

First I,d like to send out some love to Chuck whose online business model is absolute genius. The 55 point check alone should alleviate all concerns about ordering expensive equipment online... but everything else including warranty service is superb as well. Next some love for my personal sales/sound engineer Alan Finkbeiner who bade me to hold fire for this very guitar. The SE" are valuable resources that Sweetwater provides free...be sure to take advantage of that.

Alan and I often talked about the real les Paul of old. No dip switches, no titanium adjustable nuts, no weight relieved body, no push pull pots and no custom shop trying to make you believe that somehow their mahogany, maple, rosewood and humbuckers were worth thousands and thousands more. Fortunately, Gibson was listening. They did it. They produced just the plain old sweet les Paul Goldtop goodness of my youth and it plays and sounds great! You can"t really say that a $... guitar is cheap or even inexpensive, but I would stack this guitar up against any custom shop product.

Thanks Alan. You can"t imagine how close I was to spending money that I didn"t have to for the equipment I want and need. Had you not been on top of new and upcoming Gibson product I"d be eating beans a lot more often

Ive played for over 40 years actively and have played a bunch of different guitars over the years, Gibson, ESP, Charvel with ESP's being my main instruments for live situations.
I've always loved Gibson's but chose other guitars because I needed a Floyd Rose and a little better tuning stability on guitars that didn't have them i.e. factory installed locking tuners.
I have heard of and seen Gibson's QA issues over the years and was happy to hear about the new CEO working to address those issues.
After having this guitar for a week or so now I can say that his efforts have definitely made a visible difference, I'm actually surprised how well it stays in tune and it feels like a "finished" product is about the best way I can describe it.
I own a Custom Shop Les Paul Axess and a Custom Shop Flying V Goldtop Benchmark and the fit and feel is on par with those without the price tag.
It sounds great, the pickups have that mid-range bite to them but sound good for everything from Blues to Thrash and Hair, surprisingly the quality went up and the price came down a bit.
The neck is fat 50's style, same as the Flying V I have but very comfortable and easy to play.
I'm thrilled that Gibson is working to address the issues that people have been concerned about.
All in all a great guitar and Nick at Sweetwater as always is an awesome rep to work with.
If you're considering the Les Paul Standard buy it you won't be disappointed.

I received my instrument and was floored that it was 100% perfect out of the case. Gibson is hitting a home run with these. Perfect finish, level frets that have no sharp ends, all electronics work perfectly, great feeling neck, smooth tuners, stays in tune perfectly, no Les Paul g string issues at all. The pickups sound great. The case that was included was a good quality TKL and the multi-tool that Gibson includes with the guitar is a nice addition.

Well done Gibson!

I own this fabulous guitar. While there has been much hoopla regarding "the return of Gibson" (especially with this Original Series) - there are the share of debbie downers out there who still nitpick - we'll say, minor irregularities of the guitar, thus somewhat attempting to diminish the "comeback". This is my first Gibson Les Paul in about 38 years. What I LOVE about this guitar, and what a few seem to not *get* is the fact they ARE each imperfect in their own way, cuz they are NOT cookie-cutter. On my particular unit, I see the creme binding on the body thin out a bit towards the neck base, where it leaves a bit of a ridge. I see traces of finish roughness at the edges of the neck pockets. Nevertheless - I love it for its imperfection. And despite it - it's still a fantastic playing & sounding instrument. I'm not disappointed in the least. A friendly word of caution, though - the pictures provided give the goldtop that bright, shimmery gold like the Epiphone Metallic Gold - in person it is nothing like that in the least. It is a significantly richer, more vintage-in-tone (almost caramel-y) with the unmistakable aroma of the sweet lacquer (mine smells like a vanilla candle - nice!). Also there has been much debate about the neck. It is a nice, healthy "C", but not quite "baseball bat" - it is just plain SWEET.

Don't like modern frets being used and don't like rolled frets-creates slippage on E strings for those who bend, vibrato and pull-offs. Back is a bit darker than I like. Fret board is not so smooth-quite dry. Strings came with wound G and E-6 buzzes badly. I haven't plugged in until I can feel comfortable-headed to my luthier Monday! Gold Tone is nice and I like chunky necks. Weight is heavy-to be expected-fine. Oh, after inspecting Sweetwater's multi-point checklist and plastic parts checked, I have no PU selector switch to be found. I keep these at home as I don't like the artificial tar staining. I put new creme one on. I guess the plastic was "checked" only. I had higher hopes for this after my 335 was so good.