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Les Paul Standard versus Les Paul Custom


PelhamBlueFire

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What are the differences between these guitars? Are the Custom Shop products significantly better made? Is there a difference in sound? I kind of want to know why a Standard (2014) cost me 2400 euros, whilst I see a Les Paul Custom Shop Silverburst at a local store hanging there for 3600 euros. That's quite a difference. So, what are the differences?

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mostly the difference comes from wood selection...

 

You want a nice light piece of wood with nice grain and as far as I know that's hand selected with the Custom Shop models.. Where as from what I have seen in the US line its just pot luck what sort of wood you get (which is why its worth hunting for one you really like as they are all unique)...

 

Apart from that you may find some classic hardware on the customs and specially made pickups (depending on which model you go for). And maybe some of the luthiers at the Custom Shop have more experience?

 

Apart from that yes they are made pretty much the same...

 

Is a custom better than a standard.... Hmm, well as with all guitars theres good and bad in every line which again is why you have to hunt for the exact one you want... Its all down to personal taste really..

 

Then you have the Classics and Traditionals which ARE made in exactly the same way and in the same place as the Standards but are cheaper?

 

If you haven't seen it this is a great watch

 

and just out of interest heres a Gibson Memphis vid

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There are Gibson USA Les Paul Standards and Gibson Custom Les Paul Standards, and Gibson Les Paul Custom models which are made by the Custom Shop since many years.

 

In any case I think it's best to compare the specs of the particular guitars first. Here are just some of the most typical.

 

Most Les Paul guitars including Gibson USA and Gibson Custom Les Paul Standards come with mahogany body, maple top, rosewood fretboard, trapeze inlays starting at 3rd fret, and cream-coloured plastics.

 

Les Paul Custom models are set apart in some respects. The earliest models included mahogany body AND top, but most Les Paul Custom guitars come with a maple cap since decades. Most obvious differences are headstock inlay, truss rod cover, large rectangular fretboard inlays including 1st fret, black plastics, and in most but not all cases gold-plated hardware although some come with chrome parts.

 

For decades Les Paul Custom guitars came with ebony fretboards, but at the moment they use the phenolic resin-cellulose compound Richlite an most models. Only some limited Les Paul Custom guitars are featuring ebony today.

 

Through the eras they used mahogany or maple for the neck, most come with mahogany today, some with maple.

 

Just some points, there are lots of other things like pickups, circuits, jacks, jack plates etc.

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Also out of interest heres a vid from Andertons... Lee is the shop owner and if you haven't seen them before they have done like 1000 videos..

 

Les has just bought a Custom and is VERY excited about it.. Here he tells you why and some of that stuff about wood selection.

 

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Also out of interest heres a vid from Andertons... Lee is the shop owner and if you haven't seen them before they have done like 1000 videos..

 

Les has just bought a Custom and is VERY excited about it.. Here he tells you why and some of that stuff about wood selection.

 

 

I love their blindfold tests. The Les paul test was great because they both got it on the nose testing an Epi Les Paul and a Gibson LP Studio, Standard and 59 Reissue.

 

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i would never pay that kinda of money for a "regular" Les Paul Custom. For one thing, no ebony no deal.

 

Instead, buy a used 1957 Black Beauty Reissue (B7) if you can find one. The B7 is all hog and will have an ebony board as well. The B7 will also be solid and not have the swiss cheese weight relief that the regular ones have.

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3a99fab136268bb463f3841bbd2541c3_zpsac0163ce.jpg

I have a LP Custom Ebony 2011 (ebony fretboard) and a 2014 Signature. The latter one is not a Standard but it has the same 50's neck as the LPC.

I must say that my LPC has a clearly higher build quality in every detail. It has slightly lower frets which is great for my style of playing. I am not an expert in electronics but the volume and tone controls appear to be linear on the LPC, the Sig has non-linear.

For the last month, I have spent some time trying to set the Sig up to match the feeling from the LPC. After adjusting the truss rod, saddle and pickup heights and making some nut work, I have come very close. But still, the LPC is one step more comfortable and precise.

//Robert

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Thanks for the videos, guys. I watch the videos of Chappers and the Captain a lot. If I'm ever in England, I will visit Andertons. As for the Custom versus Standard, I will take this comparison even further.

 

Someone mentioned the robot tuning system here. I currently own a Les Paul Standard (2014) that has Min-Etune on it. Not per se my kind of thing, but I wanted a Standard because of the plethora of sounds you can get from such a guitar. You have coil-splitting, Bypass switch and a Phase switch...all of which I used a lot. The tuning system is a nice bonus for when I want to go to an alternative tuning quickly, but that's about it. I might change the tuners with a set of Grovers. The quality of my guitar was the best of 5 LP Standards they had at my local store. Great Heritage Cherry finish, wasn't played to bits already by hundreds of potential buyers, and it sounded very powerful. All around a great buy at 2200 euros.

 

What struck me, however, was how there was a quality difference - clearly - between the individual Les Paul Standards (all 2014). The Honeyburst Standard just didn't look great, as did the Rootbeer one. Granted, they had a great Tobacco Standard...which looked awesome. Still, I made the right choice with my Heritage Cherry Standard. The flame was just the best of all of them, and I just like that particular color. Therefore, I lucked out big time.

 

From what I have seen from the regular Les Paul Custom (http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/Les-Paul-Custom.aspx), the quality from guitar-to-guitar is far more consistent. You do have less options, from what I heard, because there are no Bypass or Phase switches, and you can't coil-split. But again, better woods are used and there's a lot more quality control going on here. That's very important to me. The price difference is still quite a lot, though. Something like 1200-1400 euros isn't nothing.

 

I'm likely going to buy a Custom Shop Les Paul (probably Silverburst) next year. So, I kind of want to know what I'm getting. Why isn't Ebony used anymore, by the way? What is Richlite, really? Is it because Ebony is getting too expensive for Gibson? How are the pick-ups in the LP Custom? And do you notice a difference compared to the '57s that are found in the Standard (2014)?

 

Thanks for jumping in to discuss this with me, guys. I appreciate it!

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The 2014 was great and you could remove the robo tuner and put on regular tuners if you liked, i did. The 2015 is a NO GO in my book. The 490 498t is a Great pickup combo and the only thing that makes it better is a set of 500k gibson pots in the volumes as they used 300k and a set of orange drop caps. the 498t is like a JB Seymour Duncan.

In my opinion, everything is wrong about the 2015 Les Pauls. Gibson needs to take some notes here, because lots of people that always loved Les Paul just for how they are, now start to get a little irritated. Count me in, as well. It's why I hunted down a 2014 Les Paul, before the 2015 versions came out. The writing on the headstock, the shitty hologram, and the wider fretboard are all poor changes. On the 2014, it's just a matter of getting used to the tuning system, or you can take it off. If you elect to take the Min-Etuners off, you will just have a normal looking Les Paul. You can't do that with a 2015 LP.

 

But now that we're talking about Standards versus Custom Shop, I have to bring up my biggest gripe with the 2015 line-up. And that's the huge price increase. I learned recently that a 2015 Les Paul sells for about 3100 euros here. Really, Gibson? That's getting into the Custom Shop territory. We're seeing the price increase with 700-900 euros on Les Pauls Standards from one year to the other. That's insane, and you can't defend that. Next year, I'm buying a Custom Shop Les Paul. The prices aren't a factor anymore, since there's really not that big of a difference between a Standard and a Custom anymore. If anything, I think it's better to buy a Custom, because they are usually flawless and very well inspected.

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.

 

I'm likely going to buy a Custom Shop Les Paul (probably Silverburst) next year. So, I kind of want to know what I'm getting. Why isn't Ebony used anymore, by the way? What is Richlite, really? Is it because Ebony is getting too expensive for Gibson? How are the pick-ups in the LP Custom? And do you notice a difference compared to the '57s that are found in the Standard (2014)?

 

Thanks for jumping in to discuss this with me, guys. I appreciate it!

About the ebony, I believe that the Taylor company now owns the last ebony forest as it is close to going extinct. They are hoping to manage it so that it stays around. There is a video on this. The locals used to cut down up to ten trees to find one good black one. So, good pure black ebony is getting rare and expensive. Maybe Gibson is not wanting to pay the price or deal with Taylor.

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About the ebony, I believe that the Taylor company now owns the last ebony forest as it is close to going extinct. They are hoping to manage it so that it stays around. There is a video on this. The locals used to cut down up to ten trees to find one good black one. So, good pure black ebony is getting rare and expensive. Maybe Gibson is not wanting to pay the price or deal with Taylor.

How is Richlite as a fretboard, though? I have played guitars that had Ebony or Rosewood fretboards, but never played one with Richlite. Ebony was great, but it's always about money. Still, given what Gibson dares to charge for those high-end guitars, it's kind of insulting to see them use a regular Rosewood fretboard. Oh well, I don't want all the Ebony in the world to vanish, either. I guess this is why Gibson never uses Korina (for guitar bodies) anymore, as well. There aren't many guitar companies that use Ebony or Korina anymore, are there?

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Okay, thanks for elaborating on that. As long as it plays and sounds great, I'm okay with it. Those Les Paul Customs look great, so I'm starting to save up for one next year.

Did you see this video??

 

Its from Andertons at NAMM 2015... and they talk to the guy behind the 2015 changes.. yes, that's the man [cursing]

 

Anyway.. at about 10:10 Lee basically asks that question.. Are the changes and price hike indented to push traditional Gibson players to the Custom Shop and his answer straight away is "yes that's exactly the intention" .. So you are one of those people they have pushed to the custom shop.. I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.

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Today I found a very interesting statement in this extensive article from 2007:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/05/14/struts-and-frets

 

"The fact is most players don’t need something special. They need something proven." - Ken Parker

 

Perhaps Jim DeCola should have taken this to heart before beginning to spread arguable innovations all over the product line.

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Today I found a very interesting statement in this extensive article from 2007:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/05/14/struts-and-frets

 

"The fact is most players don’t need something special. They need something proven." - Ken Parker

 

Perhaps Jim DeCola should have taken this to heart before beginning to spread arguable innovations all over the product line.

Lol.. so does that mean that, you know how we call Gibson from the 70s the Norlin era.. is this now forever the De Cola era? [crying]

 

( I wonder if his middle name is Pepsi or Coca ;))

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Lol.. so does that mean that, you know how we call Gibson from the 70s the Norlin era.. is this now forever the De Cola era? [crying]

 

( I wonder if his middle name is Pepsi or Coca ;))

I guess that regardless of the middle name no one else will want to take the blame. [unsure]

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Did you see this video??

 

Its from Andertons at NAMM 2015... and they talk to the guy behind the 2015 changes.. yes, that's the man [cursing]

 

Anyway.. at about 10:10 Lee basically asks that question.. Are the changes and price hike indented to push traditional Gibson players to the Custom Shop and his answer straight away is "yes that's exactly the intention" .. So you are one of those people they have pushed to the custom shop.. I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.

Have not seen that video, actually. But I will watch it ASAP...as in, after I finished typing this message to you. What I hate about these supposed innovations, is the lack of choice. Customers should always have a choice. Yes, they have pushed me towards a previous line (2014) and to the Custom Shop for next year. So, I guess "Mission Succesful" for good ol' Jim deCola. I do feel Gibson is going to make some big losses. They are overpriced across the board, especially the Gibson USA line. The Collector Edition guitars are, too, but they are mainly for - as it says - collectors, not your average guitar player. At least, there's a whole lot of work that goes into the high-end guitars. The Gibson USA guitars are made in bigger quantities, and therefore: less QC. Therefore, it's laughable that the prices are starting to get into the Custom Shop price range. Traditional players are a huge part of Gibson's profit, so this tactic might backfire on them.

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So, Jim Decola is the guy to blame for the 2015 peculiarities? (Sorry, I was away for a couple of days).

 

Who's the one responsible for the Tributes, the Classic Custom, and Classic Plus? Deserves a medal of honour.

 

Cheers... Bence

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... What I hate about these supposed innovations, is the lack of choice. Customers should always have a choice...

 

Agreed.

 

However, there is still choice for us, stubborn people with anachronistic taste. The Custom Shop. That's what Gibson is trying to tell us...

 

Cheers... Bence

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I have a LP Custom with richlite and two with ebony, you cannot tell the difference.

 

Yes you can. One is a wonderful wood which tracks beautifully with midi guitar and the other is a worthless plastic.

 

Gibson can keep their "richlite". I would never, ever buy a guitar with that junk for a fretboard.

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A Les Paul Standard should only be no more than twice the price of an American standard Stratocaster. Right now I can fit 3 Strats into the price. I wouldn't give 3 of my strats for a les paul though. The Les Paul Classic should have classic specs not modern and a classic price. Until it does, no sale here.

Agreed. Nor should the Standard ever get close to its Custom Shop variant. Gibsons are getting out of reach for a lot of people. The prices for the USA line are getting too steep. 2014 was perfectly priced, and the Standard already had a hardcase and a AAA maple top, so nothing new there. The zero fret nut isn't all that great from what I have read, the wider fretboard is awful, and the hologram is ugly as hell. So, I hope Gibson takes notes and at least give their customers a choice.

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Yes you can. One is a wonderful wood which tracks beautifully with midi guitar and the other is a worthless plastic.

 

Gibson can keep their "richlite". I would never, ever buy a guitar with that junk for a fretboard.

Fretbord makes zero difference with midi.

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