Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s

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AUGUST 2019 GUITARIST
reviewGIBSON 2019 LES PAUL STANDARD ’50S & ’60S, CLASSIC & TRIBUTE
HEAVY LOAD Does a good LP have to be weighty? Not so, says our Tribute
One of the many myths that surround the
Les Paul is that somehow its classic sound
is directly affected by its weight. Some
believe heavier is better, that it’s crucial to
the design’s notoriously thick sound and
legendary sustain. But weight alone doesn’t
paint the whole picture.
Of the 28 original ’Bursts weighed in
Beauty Of The ’Burst (by Yasuhiko Iwanade,
1999), the weight range is between 3.7kg and
4.3kg (8.14lb and 9.46lb). These, of course,
are all non-weight-relieved. By the late 50s,
Gibson had considerable experience of guitar
making on a large scale, and most makers
and repairers who’ve studied a few or many
of these instruments will agree on the quality
of the mahogany used. That ‘pattern grade’
mahogany contributes to the mythical status
of the Les Paul, but its scarcity has forced up
prices as demand has increased. Alternatives
to this prized south American mahogany
come from all over the world and it’s not all
equal, not least in weight. For any production
manufacturer, keeping weight within certain
limits is far from easy.
Earlier this year, the non-weight-relieved
Traditional sat comfortably within that range
at 3.87kg (8.52lb). Our phase II 2019 Standard
’50s and ’60s Standards, also without weight
relief, come in at 4.02kg (8.84lb) and 4.37kg
(9.61lb) respectively, the latter only slightly
out of that classic weight range.
Yet sometimes things can get a bit
excessive. The earlier Classic model we
looked at in issue 443 (despite its nine-hole
weight relief) topped the scales at a very
tubby 4.72kg (10.39lb); our second Classic
sample here, with the same weight relief,
is a different proposition at 4.1kg (9.02lb).
It’s little surprise that the most chambered
Ultra-Modern weight relief used on the earlier
Standard and this second-wave Tribute
results in the lightest weight: 3.8kg (8.36lb)
and 3.27kg (7.19lb) respectively.
Is weight important? Yes, if you prefer a
lighter guitar or possibly have a medical
condition that makes a weighty solidbody
a no-go. With a good strap, it makes less
difference than you might think, but played
seated, even a relatively light Les Paul has a
habit of body-diving off your leg.
But what about sound? That’s a longer
piece of string. The weight alone of an
instrument is no indication of sound, simply
because of differing wood species, their
densities and condition. There’s also the
relationship between the body and the neck,
’board and often over-looked maple top…
Many people will voice an opinion about
weight relief, too. If we took three Les Pauls all
made from very similar condition woods, you
might expect to hear a little more resonance,
‘lightness’ from the Ultra weight relief, while
the solid version has a little more solidity and
heft to that midrange area. And the original-
style nine-hole weight relief? In our imagined
context, well, good luck with hearing that.
Differing wood
species, their densities
and condition play
a part in the sound
The Tribute’s tune-o-matic is the
slightly wider Nashville style,
which gives more intonation
adjustment range for each saddle
GIT448.rev_gibson.indd 87 6/13/19 3:05 PM