Gibson Les Paul Guitars: Why They Simply Rock!
By Max on Feb 5, 2008 in Guitars
The Gibson Les Paul is a guitar with a legendary reputation and a dramatic rock and roll background as well. They have been around for more than 50 years and big name artists like Paul McCartney, Gary Moore, Slash and Zakk Wylde use them. Many continue to use them today, on and off stage.
That being said, there is no question about how dependable, amazing and well made these guitars are, besides gorgeous. But what is it, exactly, that makes a Gibson Les Paul such an excellent choice in quality and why do they cost so much? We thought it was a question worth answering and came up with some very good reasons.
First of all, ground zero for the Les Paul Guitar is Gibson. Gibson has been making guitars for over a hundred years and with that time, like any other success, quality, craftsmanship and reputation have grown and improved in Gibson products.
Gibson also works very hard to release to the public what they want by providing outstanding customer service, decent warranties and better models, even for a stretched budget. But all that aside, Gibson puts beauty into each piece, making every guitar it releases look like a guitar that belongs to a legend. This also lends to the rock and roll history that comes with your Gibson guitar. You’ll know what I mean if you go to your nearest guitar retailer and hold one.
Physically, on the other hand, you will find that the Gibson, specifically the Les Paul, has a solid body type as opposed to its predecessor which literally meant the guitar was pieced together. Some argue as to whether or not this has any impact at all on sound, but I can definitely say that the Les Paul is more sturdy than other decent models I’ve used. In fact, beaten up, scratched and well loved, I believe my guitar’s sound has improved with time and use.
Another excellent quality the Les Paul, or any Gibson for that matter, has is quality wood. While many companies make decent guitars out of Maple and Spruce, Gibson makes most of its models from Mahogany, which is a higher quality wood or better. This is one of the reasons a Gibson Les Paul is so pricey but also the reason they have a reputation for dependability.
Pickups are another reason Gibson and the Les Paul totally rock and cost so much. Being as all Gibson guitars have at least one Hummbucking Pickup, they give a more meaty and full sound to the guitar. Most models come with two pickups and the higher end ones come with three. At the base of the guitar are the controls for selecting which, or both, pickups are used and the amount of gain and volume they will have. This is where the majority of your tone will come from.
Granted, it is generally looked as to be a sin to change the pickups in a Gibson, you can always pick up some different pickups from companies like EMG to customize your favorite feeling guitar to the sound you want. This is also a way to buy an inexpensive guitar and make it sound like a thousand dollar guitar.
All in all, if you can hold out and get a Les Paul or any Gibson guitar over the decent guitar with a cheaper price tag, I would suggest it. Being in love with your guitar, I found, greatly improves your desire to play.
