Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s

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AUGUST 2019 GUITARIST
reviewGIBSON 2019 LES PAUL STANDARD ’50S & ’60S, CLASSIC & TRIBUTE
3. Each of the Classic’s
four controls has an
additional function via
high-quality CTS pull-
push switched pots
4. Like the Standard ’60s,
the Les Paul Classic uses
Grover Rotomatic tuners;
it also features the same
Slim Taper neck profi le
FIT FOR PURPOSE Should box-fresh instruments be perfect? Let’s discuss…
In our earlier report of Gibson’s then-2019
Les Pauls in issue 443, a reader complained
that we had treated our ’Pauls to a quick bit of
TLC. He expected the guitars to be perfect out
of the case, especially for price. Our writer,
Dave Burrluck, goes commando…
“It’s pretty alien to me to take out a
brand-new never-been-played guitar without
making sure it’s as I want it. New strings, a
little fingerboard and fret buff, then a tweak
of the action and pickup heights – these
are all things that ‘soften’ and personalise a
box-fresh instrument. But this time around,
with that reader’s letter in mind, I took out
the Les Paul Classic untouched: all I’d done
were the weights and measures for our spec
lists and dimensions panels for this review.
I knew it was the lightest ‘proper’ LP on test,
but that was all.
“As I was driving to what was to be a day-
long rehearsal, it suddenly occurred to me
I hadn’t even plugged the Classic in… or
brought a strap. Oops. No worries, though;
there’s a strap included as part of the case
candy, as well as a rather handy multi-tool.
“Now, I’m a plain-top Cherry Sunburst kinda
guy and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of opening a
case and seeing one. Opening up the Classic’s
case after the load-in, I couldn’t help but
smile. As the rest of the musicians were
setting up, I had a quick chance to give the
Classic a once-over. I hope I’m not upsetting
any more readers, but new strings need
stretching before you can evaluate tuning
stability, and a couple of minutes spent doing
that and it’s clear this Classic had been set up
prior to us receiving these models for review.
There’s clearly some lube in the well-cut nut
slots and, once stretched, the strings were
coming back in tune with the exception of
the D string, which was slightly binding in the
groove. Adding a little pencil lead – the only
lubricant I had – and some more stretching
and behind-the-nut bends just about cured it.
Which was pretty timely, because the rest of
the guys were waiting for me.
“In those first few minutes as you get used
to the volume levels, your sound, the room
sound – oh, and the actual song you’ve never
played before – the last thing you need is an
unfamiliar guitar. I kept it simple, just slightly
rolled back the volumes and carried on.
“The feel, not least of the relatively low
frets on that dry-looking ’board, reminds you
that this is a new guitar and the relatively flat-
backed slim D-ish feeling neck shape feels
a little alien compared with the deeper and
rounder profiles of most of my own gigging
guitars. But the sounds I’m hearing are all
right in the ballpark. Yes, I’d taken a backup,
but I didn’t use it. I felt completely at home.
And listening back to the live recordings of
the day’s work – parts aside – I was really
happy with the sounds. If the mark of a good
guitar is that it makes you think, ‘I might buy
this…’ even though you really don’t need it,
then this Classic is a good guitar.”
“Some adjustments
can help ‘soften’
and personalise a
box-fresh instrument”
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GIT448.rev_gibson.indd 85 6/13/19 3:05 PM