Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s

review
GIBSON 2019 LES PAUL STANDARD ’50S & ’60S, CLASSIC & TRIBUTE
90
GUITARIST AUGUST 2019
9. The Standard ’50s tuners
ape a more vintage style,
but in terms of fi tting
are more modern with a
larger-diameter mounting
hole and a threaded bolt
on the headstock face
10. Gibson states that
the Burstbucker 1 in
the neck position on
the Standard ’50s
uses slightly offset coil
winds and an Alnico II
bar magnet
10
9
on p86). Both the ’60s and Classic have
flatter-backed, thinner-depth’d more D-like
shapes, the Classic slightly fuller front to
back. It’s quite a different feel to the ’50s.
The Tribute? It almost feels like a Fender,
slightly thinner in width in lower positions
but filling out in depth to almost a similar
girth by the 12th as the ’50s. It’s the only one
without binding, and though a far-from-
classic feel for an LP, its C shape and slightly
textured finish feel good in the hand.
Listening acoustically is quite revealing.
The ’50s has a vibrant if slightly brash
voice; the ’60s is a little softer in a good
way with subtly more depth of tone. The
Classic, too, sounds very similar to the ’60s
with marginally less zing if anything. The
Tribute continues to impress with a very
similar lively and brash response, like the
’50s but with less depth.
As we begin plugging in and swapping
between our foursome, the finer details get
a bit lost in a huge raft of sibling similarity.
There’s a lot of crossover to be found here,
and even the Tribute with its relatively
trim low-end makes up for it with a brash,
punky attitude that’d get you through any
Verdict
So, with two Collections that now make a
whole lot more sense and prices that are
notably trimmer than the earlier 2019 range,
it seems that Gibson is definitely heading in
the right direction, even at this early stage.
Things don’t change overnight and these
Les Pauls don’t feel or sound particularly
different to any samples we’ve played over
the past couple of years. All could do with
a little bit of love, as we’ve described, but
there’s certainly nothing major. If you’re
particular about weight, however, especially
if you’re buying online, make sure you ask.
As ever, nothing beats trying out a selection
in person, especially as in this quartet where,
even with subtly different specifications,
there’s quite a bit of crossover.
Which is ‘best’, then, is really a pretty
personal decision. Like the Traditional
before it, the Standard ’50s is the obvious
choice if you’re chasing a more vintage-y
specification. Neck shape alone, however,
might have you going for the ’60s Standard,
but the Classic is virtually identical, cheaper,
and has some useful additional sounds
should you need them. It’s a lot of guitar for
the money and, with the right name on the
headstock, this model makes quite a few
clones in a similar or higher price-point now
look a little irrelevant. Which leaves the
Tribute model as the grab ’n’ go jam session
’Paul, a perfect backup spare or a seriously
good slide guitar.
bump ’n’ grind shape-throwing rock set
from the last few decades.
There’s no doubt the ’50s is the statelier
choice, wrapped in a rich low-end and
slightly pulled back on the sizzle. The
’60s has a slight kick, and the Classic just
adds a little attack – they are perhaps the
closest-sounding pair. That subtle high-end
presence of the Classic is easily tamed by
the volume controls – it’s there if you want
it. And, of course, we have the expanded
sounds: the tuned taps, slightly hollowed
with a hint of cocked wah about them,
providing more of a textural difference
than, say, a more contrasting humbucker-
to-single-coil split. The out-of-phase
option with both pickups on – again, with
some dirt and crunch – is cleaner and
very textural. It gets you some way to that
bluesier Peter Green or even BB King-
esque voicing. The direct output option for
the bridge maximises the cut and should
slice through any mix. There’s little doubt
that if you need to create more sounds
and textures, the Classic does it extremely
well, which makes for a very tempting
proposition with its price and weight.
As we begin plugging in, the fi ner details get
a bit lost in a huge raft of sibling similarity.
There’s a lot of crossover to be found here
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT448.rev_gibson.indd 90 6/13/19 3:05 PM