Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

2017 or 2018 les paul tribute?


FemmeParallell

Recommended Posts

Hey hey hey!

so i would like to get advise from someone who has played both, im reading the specs and i see that the 2017 has weight relief and the 2018 doesn't, other than that they seem very much similar

i dont have a way of playing them prior to getting one, just thought that maybe someone has tried them and can give me a little input

Although i would prefer a lighter LP for a change hehe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey hey hey!

so i would like to get advise from someone who has played both, im reading the specs and i see that the 2017 has weight relief and the 2018 doesn't, other than that they seem very much similar

i dont have a way of playing them prior to getting one, just thought that maybe someone has tried them and can give me a little input

Although i would prefer a lighter LP for a change hehe

 

I can't speak for the 2018 Tribute but my 2017 Tribute Goldtop (with P90's) is one of my favorite guitars. It has the 9 hole weight relief but still weighs in at around 9 pounds. It sounds great unplugged and plugged in and was a fantastic buy. It's the one that sits next to my couch to be played any time and tends to be brought to band practice and gigs more than the others. I've heard great things about the 2018 line as well but I haven't played one myself. Buy it if you get a good price on it.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d go with the 2017 because of the 9 hole weight relief. The 2018 can be overbearingly heavy. Considerably more that the RI ones where the mahogany of the body is hand picked to keep the weight down. The advantage the 2018 has is the arguably nicer 498T bridge pickup, which in the 2017 model was a one tier above feature on the Studio, the cryogenically treated frets, and I believe they started plek-ing the frets (or maybe was the 2019 when they started). I don’t know if the cryogenic treatment is a gimmick or if the actually adds to the life of the fret. They are very similar guitars, but I’d probably choose the 2017.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't speak for the 2018 Tribute but my 2017 Tribute Goldtop (with P90's) is one of my favorite guitars. It has the 9 hole weight relief but still weighs in at around 9 pounds. It sounds great unplugged and plugged in and was a fantastic buy. It's the one that sits next to my couch to be played any time and tends to be brought to band practice and gigs more than the others. I've heard great things about the 2018 line as well but I haven't played one myself. Buy it if you get a good price on it.

 

 

 

i thought it be lighter with the weight relief, wonder how much a 2018 weights! sounds like a good resonant guitar n_n yes im also looking for an LP i can lead on the a stand next to the couch to play more often

thanks for your comments :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the 2018 Satin gold top with 490R/498T pickups. It's a brick, but man does it play nice and sustains forever! Comes with one of the new soft cases.

 

Good luck with whatever choose :)

 

want a gold top too, Im torn between dont want it to be a brick and wanting sustain forever hahah the new soft cases are NICE

 

 

I'd go with the 2017 because of the 9 hole weight relief. The 2018 can be overbearingly heavy. Considerably more that the RI ones where the mahogany of the body is hand picked to keep the weight down. The advantage the 2018 has is the arguably nicer 498T bridge pickup, which in the 2017 model was a one tier above feature on the Studio, the cryogenically treated frets, and I believe they started plek-ing the frets (or maybe was the 2019 when they started). I don't know if the cryogenic treatment is a gimmick or if the actually adds to the life of the fret. They are very similar guitars, but I'd probably choose the 2017.

 

 

 

Most probably i will go with the 2017 one because of the weight thing, i really want a lighter one, my other LPs are really heavy (but i love them) but there are some days im just too tired but want to play and would like something light but still rockin'

 

 

 

thank you all for your comments, i will post pics WHEN i get it :D

Edited by FemmeParallell
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1552678346[/url]' post='1982567']

I'd go with the 2017 because of the 9 hole weight relief. The 2018 can be overbearingly heavy. Considerably more that the RI ones where the mahogany of the body is hand picked to keep the weight down. The advantage the 2018 has is the arguably nicer 498T bridge pickup, which in the 2017 model was a one tier above feature on the Studio, the cryogenically treated frets, and I believe they started plek-ing the frets (or maybe was the 2019 when they started). I don't know if the cryogenic treatment is a gimmick or if the actually adds to the life of the fret. They are very similar guitars, but I'd probably choose the 2017.

 

Yeah, the 2018 LP Tributes were Plek'd. The fret ends are also nicely done.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, the 2018 LP Tributes were Plek'd. The fret ends are also nicely done.

 

Thanks for the clarification. There’re a few things that happened in 2018 that didn’t get that much attention. One of them was the guitars being Plek’d. Both my 2018 models came with amazing fretwork, though my 2017 guitars also had spectacular fretwork as well.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1552692893[/url]' post='1982603']

Thanks for the clarification. There're a few things that happened in 2018 that didn't get that much attention. One of them was the guitars being Plek'd. Both my 2018 models came with amazing fretwork, though my 2017 guitars also had spectacular fretwork as well.

 

Agreed! Both my SG Standards, a 2017 and 2018, are amazing as well.

 

Now if only the 2018's fretboard was a little darker...... lol j/k :D

 

red18-17.jpg

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed! Both my SG Standards, a 2017 and 2018, are amazing as well.

 

Now if only the 2018's fretboard was a little darker...... lol j/k :D

 

red18-17.jpg

 

Have you tried treating it with Dr Duck’s Ax Wax? I got the recommendation from one of the Martin guys. It’s safe on nitro so you don’t have to worry about spilling it. One of my 2018’s had a really dry fretboard, which made it look much lighter. GC even had it listed as Granadillo instead of Rosewood, which I’m sure it’s an error. One application and the fretboard just came to life. Way better than lemon oil imo.

Edited by pauloqs
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1552703638[/url]' post='1982618']

Have you tried treating it with Dr Duck's Ax Wax? I got the recommendation from one of the Martin guys. It's safe on nitro so you don't have to worry about spilling it. One of my 2018's had a really dry fretboard, which made it look much lighter. GC even had it listed as Granadillo instead of Rosewood, which I'm sure it's an error. One application and the fretboard just came to life. Way better than lemon oil imo.

 

Interesting. I may look into that. Thanks! :)

 

I don't use lemon oil. I use mostly bore oil or F-Oil. ;)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i thought it be lighter with the weight relief, wonder how much a 2018 weights! sounds like a good resonant guitar n_n yes im also looking for an LP i can lead on the a stand next to the couch to play more often

thanks for your comments :D

 

Yeah, it's supposed to have 9 hole weight relief. It was an American Musical special run Goldtop with P90's Tribute. Locking tuners, slim taper neck, PCB instead of hand wired, came in gig back. But, the guitar itself is so resonant, great sustain and a real pleasure to play. That one and my 2018 Traditional are my "go to" live guitars. They weigh about the same and the Traditional doesn't have weight relief.

 

I think they put real gold in that Goldtop. [biggrin]

 

Tribute is on the left. The 2018 Classic on the right is even heavier at 11 pounds.

 

43162570_1830279187079190_7580939236778442752_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=4aaa6e43e23b0d927ce676cb041406e0&oe=5D05C478

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just picked up a NOS 2018 Gold Top Tribute. It weighs exactly 9# even though it’s not weigh relieved. The stock strings had to come off. Without any modifications it’s quite resonate. The fretwork is ok - they’re all level, but the fret ends are not great. They’re a little rough on the ends. I had this same issue with a 2019 LP Tribute and a 2019 SG Tribute. I had the fret ends dressed during setup and the SG played like a dream. When I get this ‘18 Tribute setup I’ll have the fret ends dressed as well.

My 2017 SG Standard (with binding) has perfect frets and fret ends.

Edited by Derald
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW I had a 2019 Tribute Les Paul that weighed exactly 7# 9oz. Super light weight. I didn’t like it. I want my Les Paul to have more weight. But if you’re concerned about weight then the Tribute and Studio are the way to go.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, it's supposed to have 9 hole weight relief. It was an American Musical special run Goldtop with P90's Tribute. Locking tuners, slim taper neck, PCB instead of hand wired, came in gig back. But, the guitar itself is so resonant, great sustain and a real pleasure to play. That one and my 2018 Traditional are my "go to" live guitars. They weigh about the same and the Traditional doesn't have weight relief.

 

I think they put real gold in that Goldtop. [biggrin]

 

Tribute is on the left. The 2018 Classic on the right is even heavier at 11 pounds.

 

43162570_1830279187079190_7580939236778442752_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=4aaa6e43e23b0d927ce676cb041406e0&oe=5D05C478

 

 

11 pounds, its insane!! but its super sexy ehhe

 

 

I just picked up a NOS 2018 Gold Top Tribute. It weighs exactly 9# even though it's not weigh relieved. The stock strings had to come off. Without any modifications it's quite resonate. The fretwork is ok - they're all level, but the fret ends are not great. They're a little rough on the ends. I had this same issue with a 2019 LP Tribute and a 2019 SG Tribute. I had the fret ends dressed during setup and the SG played like a dream. When I get this '18 Tribute setup I'll have the fret ends dressed as well.

My 2017 SG Standard (with binding) has perfect frets and fret ends.

 

Thats weird that they are coming out with the fret ends rough

 

BTW I had a 2019 Tribute Les Paul that weighed exactly 7# 9oz. Super light weight. I didn't like it. I want my Les Paul to have more weight. But if you're concerned about weight then the Tribute and Studio are the way to go.

 

what didnt you like about the 2019 tribute? only it the weight thing?

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ‘19 Tribute (and earlier Trbutes, maybe Studios as well) are about 1/8” thinner than the Standard/Classic/Traditional. That is part of why they weigh less.

Two things I didn’t like about the ‘19 Tribute was the light weight and the fret ends. I wanted a heavier guitar because to me it feels better. That’s just my personal opinion. The fret ends bothered me until I got my guitar to the tech shop and had them dressed.

My first Gibson was a ‘17 SG Standard which was perfect. I guess I expected the tributes to be similar regarding the fret finishing.

The ‘19 Tribute was in Iced Tea and honestly it just didn’t look as nice in real life as it did on Sweetwaters website. I sent it back and got a ‘18 Tribute instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ‘19 Tribute (and earlier Trbutes, maybe Studios as well) are about 1/8” thinner than the Standard/Classic/Traditional. That is part of why they weigh less.

Two things I didn’t like about the ‘19 Tribute was the light weight and the fret ends. I wanted a heavier guitar because to me it feels better. That’s just my personal opinion. The fret ends bothered me until I got my guitar to the tech shop and had them dressed.

My first Gibson was a ‘17 SG Standard which was perfect. I guess I expected the tributes to be similar regarding the fret finishing.

The ‘19 Tribute was in Iced Tea and honestly it just didn’t look as nice in real life as it did on Sweetwaters website. I sent it back and got a ‘18 Tribute instead.

 

I’m guessing you’re referring to the ‘19 Studio Tribute? In my opinion the Studio Tribute is the replacement of the Faded. The maple neck, the ultra modern weight relief and the dot inlays are part of the Faded and Studio Tribute specs. Tribute from previous years had trapezoid inlays, mahogany necks and 9-hole to no weight relief depending on the year. The Studio Tribute did get finishes that are more akin to prior tributes, the exact ones plus some additional ones in that same vein. I conjecture the reason they didn’t stick with the Faded or Studio Faded nomenclature is entirely based on the finish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just picked up a NOS 2018 Gold Top Tribute. It weighs exactly 9# even though it’s not weigh relieved. The stock strings had to come off. Without any modifications it’s quite resonate. The fretwork is ok - they’re all level, but the fret ends are not great. They’re a little rough on the ends. I had this same issue with a 2019 LP Tribute and a 2019 SG Tribute. I had the fret ends dressed during setup and the SG played like a dream. When I get this ‘18 Tribute setup I’ll have the fret ends dressed as well.

My 2017 SG Standard (with binding) has perfect frets and fret ends.

 

I noticed that on my Tribute as well but it's nothing to be concerned about. A little fret dressing and it's all good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turns out my ‘18 Tribute has a bad pot. The seller didn’t want to discount it so I sent it back rather than pull the whole PCB out and hand wire all new pots.

I got a ‘19 Studio instead. More money better guitar in my opinion. It’s lighter which I would rather it not be. I just don’t want to spend $2500 on a Traditional so I’m keeping the Studio.

The 498/490 combo works well with my setup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turns out my '18 Tribute has a bad pot. The seller didn't want to discount it so I sent it back rather than pull the whole PCB out and hand wire all new pots.

I got a '19 Studio instead. More money better guitar in my opinion. It's lighter which I would rather it not be. I just don't want to spend $2500 on a Traditional so I'm keeping the Studio.

The 498/490 combo works well with my setup.

 

 

 

that sucks about the tribute, but im glad you were able to get a studio and are ok with it !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turns out my ‘18 Tribute has a bad pot. The seller didn’t want to discount it so I sent it back rather than pull the whole PCB out and hand wire all new pots.

I got a ‘19 Studio instead. More money better guitar in my opinion. It’s lighter which I would rather it not be. I just don’t want to spend $2500 on a Traditional so I’m keeping the Studio.

The 498/490 combo works well with my setup.

 

The Studio is a fine guitar. The singer in my band has one and it looks nice, plays nice and it's a quality instrument. My 2018 Traditional is probably my favorite live guitar though. I like the Burstbucker 1 and 2 combination in it. I hope you enjoy the new guitar but we still need pictures!

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a '17 Traditional but I sold it because, well, I bought it on credit and I didn't want that much debt on my credit card. I am keeping the '19 Studio, I played it for a few hours last night, right out of the box, with a minor adjustment in setup. Really nice guitar. Clearly better than the Tribute I had in terms of finish and fret ends ('19 Studios had bound necks). Pickups are nice, a little different than my typical low output PAF styles (498 bridge).

Works really nicely with my amp setup. I'll post pictures tomorrow when I'm home.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[ img ] - put web address of image(s) here - [ / img ]

REMEMBER!!! Take out ALL spaces to properly share a photo using this method. Also, when you reply to a message, there's small icon-button that has a balloon pop-up when you hover over it with your mouse that says "Insert image" you could use to assist in this task. If you click this button, a field comes up that you simply copy the web address of the image into and the tags are applied to the copied text. I host my stuff on imgur - simple and free.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hey guys! i want to thank everyone who helped me with information, i finally got the tribute! i went for the 2017 gold top, just got it last night, test it very quick (to check everything works fine), set up its almost good, just need to work on the 3rd so it doesnt go outta tune but nothing that cannot be solved

 

here is the guitar:

 

https://imgur.com/a/aBG74Px

 

sorry, but this thing never lets me insert images

Edited by FemmeParallell
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...