Gibson Les Paul Slash Standard

reviewGIBSON SLASH LES PAUL STANDARD
97
APRIL 2020 GUITARIST
There will be no big surprises when it
comes to the models’ construction: solid
mahogany back and neck, maple cap
(AAA grade) and very dark rosewood
fingerboard. There’s no weight relief to
the bodies, so these are hefty beasts; our
November Burst review model pushing
4.3kg. Now, that might sound like a scary
lump to haul around one’s neck, but it’s
only in recent years that this obsession
with weight has really taken hold. Play any
Les Paul from the 70s or 80s and it could
be anywhere from eight to 10 pounds. In
fact, back then a weighty Les Paul was
more or less a rite of passage. It’s clearly not
something that bothers Slash or he would
surely have stipulated weight relief as part
of the package.
Early G N’R Les Pauls (actually replicas
built by Kris Derrig and Max Baranet)
featured open-top humbucking pickups.
The reissues carry a pair of similarly
naked Custom Burstbucker Alnico IIs:
the Limited Editions sporting double-black
with matching surrounds, while Appetite
Burst has zebra coils with cream rings,
and our November Burst double-black
with cream. Other touches include classic
‘keystone’ pegs on Gibson/Schaller tuners,
Slash’s ‘Scully’ cartoon on the rear of the
headstock, and a truss-rod cover with the
guitarist’s signature (there’s a plain one
in the case, along with the appropriate
colour pickguard, should you prefer a
more regular look).
At this point it’s probably worth
mentioning a noticeable step up for
Gibson. For years we’ve pointed out
inconsistencies in quality control, and
that seems to be something the new team
is determined to put behind it. Hence
the finishing here is superb: it’s flat and
beautifully buffed, with no sinkage or
orange peel; binding scraping is flawless
We couldn’t fault the fi nish
or playability on the new
Slash signature models
THE RIVALS
Gibson’s own Les Paul Standard ’50s
(£1,999) is the blueprint for this model and
is quite a bit cheaper. The maple top might
be a more standard grade, but you could fit
a set of Slash-style ’buckers to replace the
more vintage-style Burstbuckers 1 and 2 and
still be a few quid in pocket.
PRS’s new S2 Singlecut McCarty 594
(£1,849) might have a contoured maple top
but offers its detailed USA build at a very
aggressive price point, not least compared
with the Core-level Singlecut 594 (£3,699).
You’ll have noticed Eastman’s vintage-y
take on the Les Paul in the form of the
SB59/V that, in the antique varnish finishes
and Seymour Duncan Antiquities, costs
£1,999. In gloss nitro with Duncan ’59s it’s
£1,599 from main dealers.
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GIT457.rev_slash.indd 97 20/02/2020 13:47