What we have here is a great American made Gibson Les Paul for a good price. I bought one a year ago and bought a second as a backup/different tuning for stage use. Not that the guitar requires a backup, but strings break and things happen.The 490 pickups are great all around work horses. While I'd recommend different pickups on a per person/per style situation, these are right in my ball park and do what I want them to (goosed with an OD or boost at times). All of the electronics and hardware are fine. Same with fit/finish and the gig bag (which is also very nice).As I said, I have two of these now. The first is a year old and has been through once a week rehearsals and twice a week gigs. The satin finish on the neck settles in nicely with a bit of playing and ... MoreWhat we have here is a great American made Gibson Les Paul for a good price. I bought one a year ago and bought a second as a backup/different tuning for stage use. Not that the guitar requires a backup, but strings break and things happen.The 490 pickups are great all around work horses. While I'd recommend different pickups on a per person/per style situation, these are right in my ball park and do what I want them to (goosed with an OD or boost at times). All of the electronics and hardware are fine. Same with fit/finish and the gig bag (which is also very nice).As I said, I have two of these now. The first is a year old and has been through once a week rehearsals and twice a week gigs. The satin finish on the neck settles in nicely with a bit of playing and sweat. It gets slicker over time, shows age, and feels great. Same with the body as well. As with all satin finished guitars, it wont stay that way.Playability on both were perfect out of the bag. No sharp frets and setup/intonation were just to my liking.Now let's compare these Tributes to a Standard. I won't discuss the chambered body versus non nor the maple versus mahogany necks. You really won't notice the difference other than the weight. More weight does not always equal better tone. Here's the thing, I don't notice a difference in tone between the Tribute and Standard....well, not enough to justify the cost difference. I had my doubts when I ordered my first one that it could stand up to my Standard. But I dug it off the bat. To quell my doubts, I had the other guitarist in my band run it through its paces so that I could stand back and hear. That was the Les Paul tone....I was happy. As such, I ordered a second as they were in my stable to stay. Solid guitars with great tone that I will not cry about when they get dinged or messed with at a gig.Now, the Tributes are thinner than the Standards. And of course no bling such as binding or headstock inlays. Switch washer comes in the bag should you choose to install it. But the tone and playability is what you expect from a Les Paul. I would, and have, recommended these to my friends. Great instrument at a great price.BTW, the included case. This was an incredible surprise as I didn't know what to expect. It's a lether "type" exterior, great padding, pink fuzzy interior, LARGE front pocket, and double backpack straps. It's a VERY nice bag! Accessory kit gets you a picture of your guitar being setup, documents that you will probably not read, a few tools, and as of this posting, a nylon guitar strap. While lower in scale compared to the Standard (what with it's hard case, multi tool, and leather strap), it's still rather cool.All in all, these are my go to guitars for stage and studio right now. I have more expensive guitars, but cost doesn't equal tone or feel.

A fabulous guitar!

I used one of these exclusively in the 70's and 80's. Hands down, the best playing, best sounding guitar ever made. The mini humbuckers cut through the mix, and screamed with the most fabulous tone ever when plugged straight into my 120 watt Peavey Duce! I worked this guitar hard, and it always put a smile in my face, and I was constantly asked how I was getting that wonderful tone. Some of the best guitar players of the 70s and 80s used this guitar. A lot of iconic recordings were made using this guitar. Nothing Compares. I made enough money with this guitar to buy my first home and several new cars, and finance my first business. A trusted friend that I could always count on for every show I played. It was always constant and never let me down.If you can live ... MoreI used one of these exclusively in the 70's and 80's. Hands down, the best playing, best sounding guitar ever made. The mini humbuckers cut through the mix, and screamed with the most fabulous tone ever when plugged straight into my 120 watt Peavey Duce! I worked this guitar hard, and it always put a smile in my face, and I was constantly asked how I was getting that wonderful tone. Some of the best guitar players of the 70s and 80s used this guitar. A lot of iconic recordings were made using this guitar. Nothing Compares. I made enough money with this guitar to buy my first home and several new cars, and finance my first business. A trusted friend that I could always count on for every show I played. It was always constant and never let me down.If you can live with a club for a neck, buy this guitar. You won't be sorry!The original 70s Deluxe had a slim taper neck. A true delight to play for hours. Learning new songs and 4 hour gigs were a breeze. As you move up and down the neck on any guitar, your wrist changes position. A slim taper compensates for this change and makes the transition seamless and effortless. The big club neck guitars force you to compensate, causing fatigue and errors. I actually had one of these new Deluxe in my cart and was ready to happily pull the trigger, then I saw that for some reason, they changed the neck. I waited for days. I tried hard to justify the baseball bat neck, but after about a week, sadly I removed it from my cart. Hopefully next year they will make a real 70s Deluxe, and I will be first in line. I'd say a lot of players are waiting and hoping they will give us a slim taper neck on this fabulous guitar.If you are a fan of big Gibson necks, and want the best guitar you will ever love, buy this guitar. You will never be sorry.

Awesome Guitar

Only $300 difference from standard and $500 from modern LP... tough choice. I like flame tops for sure but bored of tobacco burst, honey burst, cherry burst and other plain traditional bursts... so leaned towards something more classic modern and bold... so went with translucent cherry. And my back isn't great so wanted something lighter. The coil tapping is nice to have but isn't great... especially compared to my PRS guitars. I'm not sure why Gibson can't figure this out. Again nice to have but wish Gibson could do a better job with this. Coil tapping quality was the same on my studio. I absolutely love the pickups on this guitar... probably some of best humbuckers ever made because of the extra brightness and clarity. I've sold so many of my guitars with ... MoreOnly $300 difference from standard and $500 from modern LP... tough choice. I like flame tops for sure but bored of tobacco burst, honey burst, cherry burst and other plain traditional bursts... so leaned towards something more classic modern and bold... so went with translucent cherry. And my back isn't great so wanted something lighter. The coil tapping is nice to have but isn't great... especially compared to my PRS guitars. I'm not sure why Gibson can't figure this out. Again nice to have but wish Gibson could do a better job with this. Coil tapping quality was the same on my studio. I absolutely love the pickups on this guitar... probably some of best humbuckers ever made because of the extra brightness and clarity. I've sold so many of my guitars with humbuckers and gravitated towards single coil guitars because humbuckers are typically muddy in comparison. These 61's are a game changer for me and got me interested in Gibson LPs again. I love the colors of the LP modern too... but not sure what you're are getting extra for the added $500 other than a carved heal joint which I'll never use... and ultra weight relief... which is good if you have a bad back. But I think the electronics are the same with slightly hotter pickups. I guess boils down to which pickups you prefer and color. I love the classic and modern LP colors... again tough choices...but classic is perfect for me... I really love them all for different reasons though.

Excellent Les Paul

Overall:First thing I have to say is when I opened it I went over it with a fine tooth comb because I've heard so many nightmare stories about Gibson quality control over the past decade. My guitar was impeccable. Not a single issue whatsoever, as it should be for what they cost now. This guitar comes with the 490r and 490t pickups. These are fine if you play blues, jazz, or classic rock. If you want to play hard rock or metal you may want to look into replacement pickups. The 490r is very warm and thick. It sounds great for clean arpeggios and overdriven soloing, but it can sound downright muddy playing chords with any overdrive on it. Even with the pickup heights adjusted it was a little louder than the 490t bridge pickup. Now the 490t doesn't sound too bad. It's ... MoreOverall:First thing I have to say is when I opened it I went over it with a fine tooth comb because I've heard so many nightmare stories about Gibson quality control over the past decade. My guitar was impeccable. Not a single issue whatsoever, as it should be for what they cost now. This guitar comes with the 490r and 490t pickups. These are fine if you play blues, jazz, or classic rock. If you want to play hard rock or metal you may want to look into replacement pickups. The 490r is very warm and thick. It sounds great for clean arpeggios and overdriven soloing, but it can sound downright muddy playing chords with any overdrive on it. Even with the pickup heights adjusted it was a little louder than the 490t bridge pickup. Now the 490t doesn't sound too bad. It's a pretty clear, but doesn't have a whole lot of output. Stick an overdrive in front of a dirty amp and it will sing, but it won't have the compressed singing quality on it's own. That can be good or bad depending on what you need. I played around with them for a couple weeks before deciding to replace them with Seymour Duncans (JB and Jazz). The Jazz has a lot more clarity in the neck than the 490r and it still has warmth to it. The JB just sings and still cleans up with the volume knob despite being high output. They're the go to aftermarket pickups as far as I'm concerned. If it had shipped with a 498t in the bridge I might not have been so quick to swap the pickups out. I love the fact that this has a maple neck. Maple is a lot sturdier than mahogany plus the Les Paul Customs in the 70s had maple necks. That's really the main reason I jumped for this rather than a Studio. No it doesn't have the binding like the Classic, Traditional, or Standard LPs, but I'm used to the no frills construction of my faded SG. It doesn't bother me. It has a simple beauty to it. My guitar is the tobacco burst and I really like how the neck, top, and back all have different colors. You get what you pay for, but it's not as good a value as it was a couple years ago. Replace the 490t with a 498t and drop the price (yeah right) back down a bit and I'd give it a 5/5. As it is it is a solid 4/5. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if you're in the market for a Les Paul.

Great guitar for the Les Paul afficinado

When you want a Les Paul you’ll want a real Les Paul so that’s a Gibson and not a single cut guitar by any onther manufacturer that has its looks changed because it may not look like a Gibson Les Paul. Furthermore: the Gibson Les Paul since its inception in the ‘50’s has always been and will be THE benchmark. Period. This Gibson Les Paul Classic is a gorgeous, great guitar and very competetively priced too. For your tone you really do not need an AAA flame top; many of the best sounding ‘vintage’ Les Pauls are plaintops. And when you do not want one of the ‘burst’ versions that just do not quite meet the looks of the old ones, this Translucent Red is the way to go.. you’ll be buying a guitar that reminisces of George Harrison’s ‘Lucy’ and Dicky Betts’s ‘Redtop’ ... MoreWhen you want a Les Paul you’ll want a real Les Paul so that’s a Gibson and not a single cut guitar by any onther manufacturer that has its looks changed because it may not look like a Gibson Les Paul. Furthermore: the Gibson Les Paul since its inception in the ‘50’s has always been and will be THE benchmark. Period. This Gibson Les Paul Classic is a gorgeous, great guitar and very competetively priced too. For your tone you really do not need an AAA flame top; many of the best sounding ‘vintage’ Les Pauls are plaintops. And when you do not want one of the ‘burst’ versions that just do not quite meet the looks of the old ones, this Translucent Red is the way to go.. you’ll be buying a guitar that reminisces of George Harrison’s ‘Lucy’ and Dicky Betts’s ‘Redtop’ without having to fork out Custom Shop money. You’ll also get 4 push-pull pots that effectively give you all the inspiring tonal options (including the ‘Peter Green’ out of phase tone) you’d find in a Custom Shop Jimmy Page # 2 (read the spec sheets) but again without having to pay the Custom Shop Price.Between 1990 and 2008 there was also a ‘Les Paul Classic’ too but the ‘Classic’ version on sale these days has little to do with that previous ‘Classic 1960’.The Burstbucker pick ups are supposed to adhere to the specifications Seth Lover intended and that Gibson was applying to the 1961 P.A.F. / Patent Number Pickups. And indeed the Burstbuckers are clear, brilliant, a bit ‘bright’ and not ‘woolly’ or ‘fatty’. More a bit like the P90 ‘without hum’ it was designed to be but then a little more powerful, without the screaming harshness of some ceramic pickups Gibson used in the past. The Grover tuners – although I prefer the looks of the Kluson keystones - are also ‘60’s-modifications’ and I must say they have a wonderfull ‘solid’ mechanically feeling action.The crown inlays in the fretboard are a perfect fit (unlike some others where gaps were obvioulsy filled up with glue or something) and the fret bindings have been finished properly (in the past I’ve seen that done less scrupulously..). The Classic also sports the ‘modern’ larger strap holders so it is not imperative to fit straplock systems right away... Any drawbacks? Some people might scare back at the weight: it comes in at 4.25 kilo’s and the Slim Taper neck profile (also a ‘60’s’ characteristic) has to be your thing. Minor detail: upon arrival the fretboard was very dry but all it needed was some luscious application of Axe Wax and now the fretboard has the same nice even chocolate brown hue as my Gibson 2019 Firebird.When you are on the search for ‘a’ Les Paul, at least try the Les Paul Classic as well.I have sold two M.I.J. Tokai LoveRocks (a 2002 and a 2003) to fund the purchase of the Gibson Les Paul Classic; that was a gamble but I was right in doing so; the Les Paul Classic really pleases me a lot more.And a note I must add: mine came perfectly set up by one of the guitar techs of Music Store; thank you! Even the intonation was spot on !

LP tone at a knockoff price!

In all honesty, I bought this guitar, because I wanted to have a nice, good-sounding, good quality, reasonably-priced guitar for gigs and jams, other than my more favored and valued pieces. I feel I've been able to check all those boxes with this LP.When buying a guitar with a budget in mind, I find it helps to have realistic expectations. I wasn't expecting a Custom Shop LP, at an entry level price. That's just not realistic - plain and simple.It's not a gem, but it is a really nice guitar. I didn't find any noticeable blemishes and I think I may have made out better than some, because the top on mine was matched very well! I was not expecting it to be as nice as it is.I'm one of those who actually really likes the satin finishes and not just because they tend ... MoreIn all honesty, I bought this guitar, because I wanted to have a nice, good-sounding, good quality, reasonably-priced guitar for gigs and jams, other than my more favored and valued pieces. I feel I've been able to check all those boxes with this LP.When buying a guitar with a budget in mind, I find it helps to have realistic expectations. I wasn't expecting a Custom Shop LP, at an entry level price. That's just not realistic - plain and simple.It's not a gem, but it is a really nice guitar. I didn't find any noticeable blemishes and I think I may have made out better than some, because the top on mine was matched very well! I was not expecting it to be as nice as it is.I'm one of those who actually really likes the satin finishes and not just because they tend to have more friendly price tags. I find them more resonant and more "acoustically present", so, to me, there's a contributing factor, which gives them a tone of their own. I first noticed this with one of my HWY 1 Strats, so it's not just a Gibson thing; I think the feel of them is great. Slightly sensing the wood grain more on the back of the neck and back of the body, is nice. For me, it just adds to the overall experience of playing the instrument.For you, you might just find they sound and feel cheap! Lol! All subjective, of course.As for the pickups, I have the SG Standard, which is loaded with the same 490s. I find Gibson's description to be fair: based off the PAF, hotter, more mids. So, maybe a touch more "snap", than you'd expect to hear???To my ears, this guitar sounds like a LP, but perhaps, just not an iconic example.For the money, a guitar that feels good, sounds good and plays well, also made in the USA, I think this one is a top choice!

Review of Gibson USA Les Paul Tribute in Satin Cherry Sunburst

A Gibson Les Paul needs mo introduction really. Plays nice, sounds great, holds a note beautifully and I really like the more modern light weight feel to the new LP guitars. Gibson hollow out parts of the body to save weight but I don’t feel it’s at the expense of great sounds and stability. I’ve played better les Pauls but they did also cost three times more so for the price I think it’s a great mid-range gig worthy guitar that will take a solid beating over the years to come. I think it’s one of the few guitars that looks better as it ages too. I do like the satin non-gloss finish on this model. I know it divides opinion but I’m actually a big fan, but only on this style of guitar weirdly. For example, I love the gloss on a PRS because it’s shows off the flames ... MoreA Gibson Les Paul needs mo introduction really. Plays nice, sounds great, holds a note beautifully and I really like the more modern light weight feel to the new LP guitars. Gibson hollow out parts of the body to save weight but I don’t feel it’s at the expense of great sounds and stability. I’ve played better les Pauls but they did also cost three times more so for the price I think it’s a great mid-range gig worthy guitar that will take a solid beating over the years to come. I think it’s one of the few guitars that looks better as it ages too. I do like the satin non-gloss finish on this model. I know it divides opinion but I’m actually a big fan, but only on this style of guitar weirdly. For example, I love the gloss on a PRS because it’s shows off the flames maple, but the Gibson LP in satin feels and looks great and you don’t loose the detail on stage because it doesn’t bounce all the stage lighting back in your face.

So nice

Overall:I played Gibsons for several years, and then I played other guitars - superstrats, mostly - to see if I could find a guitar that had a tremolo bar, and was maybe a little lighter. I never had any issues with Gibson tone.I played a bunch of great guitars that weren't Gibson, and a lot of them were lighter, and had tremolo bars, and sounded great. But none of them sounded THAT great. I had forgotten the tone I was looking for, and I was a little lost, and then I saw these Tributes and read some reviews, and I bought one.This guitar - the cheap one! - has reminded me of what I was looking for, before I got lost in non-tone-related specs: beautiful tone. The 490 in the neck is everything I've ever wanted from a clean pickup. It actually sounds sweeter than it ... MoreOverall:I played Gibsons for several years, and then I played other guitars - superstrats, mostly - to see if I could find a guitar that had a tremolo bar, and was maybe a little lighter. I never had any issues with Gibson tone.I played a bunch of great guitars that weren't Gibson, and a lot of them were lighter, and had tremolo bars, and sounded great. But none of them sounded THAT great. I had forgotten the tone I was looking for, and I was a little lost, and then I saw these Tributes and read some reviews, and I bought one.This guitar - the cheap one! - has reminded me of what I was looking for, before I got lost in non-tone-related specs: beautiful tone. The 490 in the neck is everything I've ever wanted from a clean pickup. It actually sounds sweeter than it did in the Studios I used to own. The 490 in the bridge doesn't get quite as heavy as the 498 in my Studios did, but it's not an issue. These pickups take gain brilliantly. After playing a whole lot of guitars, I no longer care very much about weight and such. As far as a tremolo bar goes, I'm probably gonna get a no-mod Les Paul tremolo system, like a Duesenberg, to take care of that...because this is the tone that I was looking for, and I don't think that guitars with holes in them can get that tone (and I played a lot of guitars to figure that out).I gave the guitar 4 1/2 stars for Features simply because this is not a feature-laden guitar. That's actually one of the reasons I bought it. The person who built it did not have too many things to do, and s/he did a brilliant job putting together a relatively simple electric guitar.I'm very glad I bought this guitar. It reminded me of what I was looking (or listening) for when I play - the tone, the feeling of the guitar as you play it. For the price, I think it's amazing. I'm gonna get another Studio, too. And maybe put a Duesenberg on that, too...

The most versatile Gibson Les Paul

Gibson has been reborn with 2019 and later series: good materials and great nice finish.Just a couple of cons:- Unfortunately it came with a knob with detached cap and the replaced piece is not exactly the same model.- The fretboard is a little bit dry from factory and need to be hydrated with, for example, lemon oil.- The neck need to be adjusted as strings buzz in some frets.As stated in the specs, the weight relief makes the guitar a little bit lighter but still heavier than a normal guitar, anyway this is not a problem at all, I can keep it during 2 hours perfectly.It comes with a black solid and strong case and a black leather strap. Both are good quality items.About the pots, they are push-pull allowing coil-split, to put out of phase both puckups ... MoreGibson has been reborn with 2019 and later series: good materials and great nice finish.Just a couple of cons:- Unfortunately it came with a knob with detached cap and the replaced piece is not exactly the same model.- The fretboard is a little bit dry from factory and need to be hydrated with, for example, lemon oil.- The neck need to be adjusted as strings buzz in some frets.As stated in the specs, the weight relief makes the guitar a little bit lighter but still heavier than a normal guitar, anyway this is not a problem at all, I can keep it during 2 hours perfectly.It comes with a black solid and strong case and a black leather strap. Both are good quality items.About the pots, they are push-pull allowing coil-split, to put out of phase both puckups and to by-pass tune and volume controls making a very versatile guitar but keeping the Gibson LP sound when you require it.- Coil-split: I'm not sure if it's a pure coil-split or paralell coils mode, anyway sounds more brilliant (not as much as a Strato single coils).- Out-of-phase: Selecting both pickups, this mode cancel some frequencies, giving a typical "quack" sound. I'm not really fan of this tone, but could be useful for specific styles.- Tone/volume bypass: it cancel all pots and select bridge pickup. Interesting if you want to quickly switch between your volume/tone config and direct output (like if all pots were at maximum level and bridge pickup selected). Later you can come back to your original tone/volume config pushing down this knob.In general I fully recomend this fantastic guitar, cheaper than LP Standard and better finished than LP Studio.

WOW

I recently purchased a Gibson Les Paul. I have never purchased a guitar from Sweetwater before, but have purchased other merchandise. I have friends that have given Sweetwater great reviews, but was always reluctant to pull the trigger on a guitar due to having to ship it back. I did a lot of research about how they go about preparing the instrument for the customer. They give the instrument a fifty-five point inspection, including cleaning and polishing and then give it a fantastic packing job. Well, I pulled the trigger on a Gibson Les Paul Tribute. My sales rep (Aaron Tremain) sent me pictures of the instrument (very nice) in an email and let me know my guitar was on it way. Sweetwater sent me a link to track my order, which was very accurate. I received the ... MoreI recently purchased a Gibson Les Paul. I have never purchased a guitar from Sweetwater before, but have purchased other merchandise. I have friends that have given Sweetwater great reviews, but was always reluctant to pull the trigger on a guitar due to having to ship it back. I did a lot of research about how they go about preparing the instrument for the customer. They give the instrument a fifty-five point inspection, including cleaning and polishing and then give it a fantastic packing job. Well, I pulled the trigger on a Gibson Les Paul Tribute. My sales rep (Aaron Tremain) sent me pictures of the instrument (very nice) in an email and let me know my guitar was on it way. Sweetwater sent me a link to track my order, which was very accurate. I received the instrument as promised and WOW was I impressed. The packing job was exactly has promised, double boxed and protected very well. I took the guitar out of both boxes and also found their complimentary bag of candy. The case was nice and clean. The guitar was immaculate. Not only did Sweetwater do a superb job of performing the fifty-five point inspection, packing and shipping they also did a great job picking the right courier. I also have to give Gibson five stars on the quality and workmanship of the Les Paul. I found no flaws, played beautifully and looked fantastic. I have bought many instruments from Guitar Center but they do not take the kind of care with their new or used merchandise in the same way as Sweetwater. Thank you Sweetwater for caring about the customer and understanding what's important.