The Best Electric Guitars of the GIBSON brand

Let’s go with a selection of the most valued Electric guitars for this brand. This is a selection based on different parameters such as quality, sales leader and positive reviews.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s BB

This guitar usually has a price around 1890.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany
  • Cream-coloured body binding
  • Top: AA flamed maple
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Neck profile: Slim Taper
  • Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
  • Trapezoidal fretboard inlays
  • Cream fretboard binding
  • Graphtech nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 22 Cryogenically treated medium frets
  • Pickups: Burstbucker 61T (bridge) and Burstbucker 61R (neck) humbucker
  • 2 x Volume and 2 x tone controls
  • Handwired with Orange Drops capacitors
  • Aluminium Tuneomatic bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • Colour: Bourbon burst
  • Includes case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-standard-60s-bb

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s BB watch this related video to learn more.

Should You Play Authentic?? || Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s Demo/Review

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

My LP was delivered in impeccable condition, I carefully checked every parts of the guitar’s body, assembly, finishing etc… No issues to report. The box is sealed out of Gibson’s factory.
In my opinion, the guitar was setup optimally out of the factory.

Somehow the Bourbon Burst’s colour tones appear lighter in the flesh than in pictures. It is closer to Ice Tea than it is to Tobacco burst, so not straight in the middle of these tones as I expected it to be. But it’s not an issue, and depends on the amount and type of light projecting on the guitar.

I took a bit of a gamble ordering the guitar through UPS during this covid-19 situation. Thomann was extremely fast in handling the shipment, UPS was a little slower than usual out of Germany probably due to custom.
Therefore I will say that it is safe to order during this pandemic lock-down, provided that you consult UPS’ website pages describing the shipping situation in your country.

I’m not going to comment on the reasons to buy a Gibson LP and a particular model over an another, at this price range you should know what you are doing in your choice of guitar.

Comment:

The colour of this Les Paul is lovely, great finish.
Not keen on the fret board colour.
Sound is great, like my 1976 custom, not too overdriven,
The neck is nice though a bit too wide. I am sure I will get used to it, feels much better than the 50s model.

Only problem is I needed to take it to a guitar luthier to make some fine adjustments to the nut and a some frets, and set up.

Will add more when I get it back later next week.

I wish the guitar was a but heavier tbh, though its not light by any means, but not as heavier as my 1976 custom.

* OK, back from the pro luthier, needed to file some of the nut, and some of the frets too, adjust the intonation etc
Its like a different guitar, totally wonderful! class stuff.

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s BB.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s BB.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Custom EB GH

This guitar usually has a price around 3690.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
  • Arched top: Maple
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Ebony (Diospyros classiforia)
  • Neck profile: Custom ‘C’
  • Long neck tenon
  • Inlays: Mother-of-pearl block
  • 22 Frets
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 5-Ply binding
  • Headstock inlay: Spit diamond
  • Pickups: Gibson 490R (neck) and 498T (bridge) humbuckers
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop tail
  • Hardware; Gold-plated
  • Colour: Black
  • Includes a case
  • Made in the USA

review gibson-les-paul-custom-eb-gh

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Custom EB GH watch this related video to learn more.

Gibson Les Paul Custom EB GH | Just Playing | Gibson London HQ

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

I bought this guitar mainly for recording purposes and for using it in music videos. First of all it’s a beautiful instrument but you don’t pay almost 4 grand for a piece of furniture. It excels in the sounds you get out of this masterpiece!

I know that many are sceptic about the richlite fretboards and people argue that this is not acceptable on Gibsons when you get ebony fretboards on Epiphone guitars for roughly 900¤.

At first I was also sceptic about richlite and thought it sounded a bit more harsh than the ebony fretboard but now after 3 months of playing it has begun to soften up a bit and get a more "ebony-esque" character. Compared to a 57 Black Beauty this Les Paul Custom has a more sharper sound thanks to the maple cap but in other aspects it’s quite similar to the 57.

The only things I were not too happy with was some small scratches on the top of the guitar and a small ding in the binding on the headstock. But I am more concerned with the sound than the esthetics so I chose to keep the guitar because it delivers very clear chords and nice tight low end. The pickups are a bit "microphonic" as old Gibson pickups were back in the days and they are a bit too hot for high-gain sounds where they sometimes tend to pick up unwanted sounds. Having that said they work perfectly for rock, blues and jazz. If you plan on playing metal with this one I’d recommend changing the pickups.

This is an instrument meant for professional use and it’s a guitar you buy once in your lifetime. If you are looking for a superior Les Paul this is it. I own one Gibson Les Paul Traditional from 2009 and it is also a great instrument but there are remarkable differencies in how much more precise a Les Paul Custom is compared to standard USA Les Pauls. If a normal Les Paul is a knife then the Custom is a scalpel.

It is worth the extra cash you put on from a normal Les Paul model in how it plays and how it sounds but the price is a bit steep for a hobby musician.

Comment:

The finishing job on this guitar is far from satisfactory. There are issues with it all over the place. Just to name a few: on the neck binding, all around where neck meets body, and black is missing altogether where the neck pickup and fretboard meet (which up close is quite ugly). At this price level, I would expect much better from Gibson. I used to own a 2001 Les Paul Studio which had no such issues at all, so for a Custom to have them caught me completely by surprise.

Having said all that, I simply couldn’t bring myself to return it. The setup was damn perfect straight out of the case, and the guitar feels silky smooth and gorgeous to play. And the more I play it, the more the sound and sustain on this thing just blow my mind. In short, too good to return, and I didn’t care to risk sacrificing the amazing sound and playability for a nicer finish. After all, you’re supposed to play the thing, not look at it.

As always, customer support at Thomann was excellent, as was the pricing in comparison to other stores.

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Custom EB GH.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Custom EB GH.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s UB

This guitar usually has a price around 1980.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
  • Cream-coloured body binding
  • Top: AA flamed maple
  • Neck: Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
  • Neck profile: Slim Taper
  • Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
  • Trapezoidal fretboard inlays
  • Cream fretboard binding
  • Graphtech nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 22 Cryogenically treated medium frets
  • Pickups: Burstbucker 61T (bridge) and Burstbucker 61R (neck) humbucker
  • 2 x Volume and 2 x tone controls
  • Handwired with Orange Drops capacitors
  • Aluminium Tuneomatic bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • Colour: Unburst
  • Includes case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-standard-60s-ub

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s UB watch this related video to learn more.

Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s - In-Depth Demo!

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

There are not enough words to say how great this guitar looks and sounds like. The "unburst" definitely looks amazing, but the finish is slightly darker than it is shown in the pictures. The hardcase is also awesome. However, I have to say a few other things, not so great things:
– Even though the quality control of the Gibson’s has improved, there still are quality control problems. Mine’s had a red stain (from the guitar neck finish) on the nut. The stain on the side of the nut is not big, but it can be seen quite clearly. This was a bit disappointing.
– Fretwork also is not a masterpiece. The heights of some frets are uneven. But nothing very bad. More or less, height it was okay.
– The nut was extremely high. I had to take the guitar to the luthier to take care of the nut height.
– The set-up was quite bad also. String action was very high and the 6th and the 5th strings were buzzing on the 3-5th frets. Proper set-up solved these problems.

In general, all of the problems were quite minor and were solved by doing proper set-up (except for the stain on the nut and frets).

Comment:

If you are reading this, that means you are dying to get a real Gibson Les Paul. And yes, it is an amazing Gibson Les Paul Standard! What else do you want to know!? Just grab it. Treat yourself, we have only one life to live!

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s UB.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s UB.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Classic HCS

This guitar usually has a price around 1590.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany
  • Top: Maple
  • “9-hole Weight Relief” – weight-reduced body
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Fretboard: Rosewood
  • Neck profile: Slim Taper
  • Acrylic trapezoid fretboard inlays
  • Graphtech nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale 628 mm
  • 22 Frets
  • Pickups: Burstbucker 61R (neck) and Burstbucker 61T (bridge) humbucker
  • 2 Volume controllers (push/pull for coil tap)
  • 2 Tone controls (push/pull for bypass/phase)
  • ABR-1 bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • Machine heads: Grover Kidney Buttons
  • Colour: Heritage Cherry Burst
  • Includes case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-classic-hcs

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Classic HCS watch this related video to learn more.

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Classic HCS.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Classic HCS.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Tribute SHB

This guitar usually has a price around 922.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany
  • “Ultra Modern Weight Relief” – weight-reduced body
  • Top: Maple
  • Neck: Maple
  • Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
  • Neck profile: Rounded
  • Tektoid nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 22 Cryogenically treated medium frets
  • Pickups: 490 R and 490 T humbuckers
  • Aluminium Tuneomatic bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • 2 x Volume and 2 x tone controls
  • Colour: Satin Honey Burst
  • Includes soft shell case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-tribute-shb

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Tribute SHB watch this related video to learn more.

Gibson Les Paul Tribute

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

Once had a GLP Standard. Back then, I had to try at least 10 guitars until I found one with looks, tone and neck comfort. So buying online was like gamble. Add to that the risk of damage during a 15 day shipment from abroad… But the price was really good compared with Turkey so I gave it a shot.

The guitar looks fantastic. No bindings but the maple reveal on the body contour and the maple neck do the trick. Satin is what I always needed because that glossy finish on my Standard made it look vulnerable and made me hesitate from taking it out of the house. This one, I can finally take out to play.

Pros:
Tuning Stability: Great
Setup: Great right out of the box
Gig-bag: Great quality, much usable than the hard case (I owned it)

Relative to player/style:
Bridge PU: Not very hot and loud, but OK for Classic or Hard Rock
Neck PU: Kinda muddy.
Neck: It’s personal. Pretty comfy for me

Cons:
Acoustic Sustain: OK but not as good as LP Standard
Frets: I’d rather have Jumbos
No Coil-Split

Gibson did a great job overall. It’s not a collector’s item, it’s here for you to play. Good quality without useless show-off. You won’t have to change anything, except for the pickups maybe, depending on your personal taste. I’ll keep them for the while, maybe I’ll get to like them better IDK.

Comment:

This was my first Les Paul, and quality has just blown me away. It arrived in perfect condition, and was well packaged (I might add the soft shell case is far more protective than I thought it would be). After letting it adjust to the change in temperature, the guitar is incredible. It came set up with good action, and the finish is gorgeous.

The playability of this guitar is excellent – the neck doesn’t feel uncomfortable whatsoever, and the guitar is heavy enough to get that classic Les Paul sound, but light enough so that you don’t break your back whilst playing it. The pickups are great, and sound awesome through my Marshall Stack.

Honestly, as a first Les Paul, I don’t think I could have wished for a better guitar!

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Tribute SHB.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Tribute SHB.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s HCS

This guitar usually has a price around 1890.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany
  • Cream-colored body binding
  • Top: Maple
  • Neck: Mahogany
  • Vintage ’50s neck profile
  • Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
  • Trapezoidal fretboard inlays
  • Cream fretboard binding
  • Graphtech nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 22 Cryogenically treated medium frets
  • Pickups: Burstbucker # 2 (bridge) and Burstbucker # 1 (neck) Humbucker
  • 2 x Volume and 2 x tone controls
  • Handwired with Orange Drops capacitors
  • Aluminium Tuneomatic bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • Colour: Heritage Cherry Sunburst
  • Includes case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-standard-50s-hcs

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s HCS watch this related video to learn more.

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

I got this 2021 Les Paul Standard in heritage cherry burst today, after waiting a fair month. Even though I researched extensively and knew what to expect this guitar still blows my mind. Right out of the box the setup is optimal, the nut cut properly, that the guitar stays in tune and allowed the factory setup to be low with proper intonation. The pickups are amazing giving the instrument a beautiful warm but clear voice. For the first time I have a use for a tone control knob on a Gibson which functions like a presence control on an amp. The tuners are firm and precise. The volume controls are linear and feel great just like the toggle switch. My guitar has a perfect cherry burst color with a small deep circle of red and a gradient towards yellow. The flame top is just beautiful with the flame stripes being visible accents on the whole body, but unobtrusive nevertheless. The neck profile is solid, but not chunky, just right for a real guitar. Gibson strap and case are beautiful as well. I am in love with this guitar, tonally and in terms of quality. Thanks Gibson USA & Thomann!

Comment:

Great piece of a legendary Les Paul guitar from Gibson. It has to be said that from 2018 the Gibson guitars returned to their standarts – no weight relief, great materials. It looks that they are really trying to turn their fortunes for better after years of struggling with these new model lines. Top notch sound, great built. The finishing is absolutely astonishing. If you are looking for a great sounding Gibson Les Paul guitar, this is the one to choose.

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s HCS.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s HCS.

Guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s IT

This guitar usually has a price around 1850.00 €

  • Body: Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
  • Cream-coloured body binding
  • Top: AA flamed maple
  • Neck: Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
  • Neck profile: Slim Taper
  • Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
  • Trapezoidal fretboard inlays
  • Cream-coloured fretboard binding
  • Graphtech nut
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • Scale: 628 mm
  • 22 Cryogenically treated medium frets
  • Pickups: Burstbucker 61T (bridge) and Burstbucker 61R (neck) humbucker
  • 2 x Volume and 2 x tone controls
  • Handwired with Orange Drops capacitors
  • Aluminium Tuneomatic bridge
  • Aluminium stop bar
  • Colour: Iced Tea
  • Includes case
  • Made in USA

review gibson-les-paul-standard-60s-it

Now that we have seen the features of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s IT watch this related video to learn more.

The NEW Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s - Is It Worth Buying? | 2019 In-Depth Review + Demo

Some comments from people who come to the forum about this model:

Comment:

As some would put it:
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.

There is little to say about this guitar, it just sounds frigging uber!

If you want a daily ‘come to jesus’ moment with your guitar, buy one of these and plug into a valve-amp. You will never go back.

For those looking at this guitar as a ‘financial challenge’, don’t turn away. There is a reason you started looking at this guitar. The word ‘pedigree’ doesn’t even start to cover it….

After buying a genuine LP, you’ll realise the tonal quality, playing comfort, and amazing versatility is what makes this guitar a legendary instrument.

This thicker 60s neck is super comfortable, good for bigger-handed-folks who sometimes struggle with thin necks. Build quality is top-spec, and the included tools and documentation are bob-on.

Looking forward to getting it down the guitar-shop for a full setup, but out-of-the-box, it sounds great and is 99% there in terms of readiness and tonal accuracy up the neck.

Get it!

Comment:

I bought another Gibson guitar which was produced just prior to the management changes in 2019 and if I’m honest the quality of set up was awful, high action tuning issues, sharp frets etc, I was tempted to return it!
No such problems with this purchase, the quality of fit and finish is fantastic and the guitar just looks, plays & sounds first rate! The colour and flame top is stunning! The 60’s neck is slim taper but it’s still pretty substantial, more so that other 60 spec Gibsons I have but that said it feels great. There is a feeling of quality about the controls and they work as they should and are smooth & well calibrated.

Pros
How it looks, plays & sounds
Build Quality
Premium feel
The set up out of the box
Even the case is an upgrade
Price, this guitar isn’t cheap but looks and feels much more expensive, great value!
Cons
None really, but the fretboard needed some oil immediately (2 minute job)
It’s pretty heavy ( this may be a problem for some!)

And you have the following options to buy the guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s IT.

And if you want to know more about this model you can find here the review of this guitar Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s IT.

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Jaime Echagüe

Hi! I'm Jaime Echagüe, a musician and an authentic fan of musical instruments. With this blog I want to give general information about musical instruments in an easy, direct and honest way. I hope you enjoy my website and that you find it very useful.

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