ReviewGitar Gibson Les Paul Faded T Trusted Review #13_____Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Faded TRecording: Mic Shure SM57Amplifier: Fender Bassbreaker 007P TheLes Paul Special is a classic model. Stripped down and simplistic, it evokes the Gibson of the late fifties and early sixties. I will not play bullshit bingo by using either "iconic" or "authentic" in my article, I will leave that shovelling to the Gibson talking head(s), but the idea is a simple guitar like in the olden days. Theyenable the guitar to fit any kind of blues style, which means you can easily transition from smooth and clean, almost jazzy sound, to thunderous high-gain screaming with a ton of sustain, as you would expect from a Les Paul. Sure, the Gibson Les Paul is a better instrument, but the Epiphone version isn't too far off. Fast Money. MusicRadar Verdict A heavyweight LP with a raft of usable tones. Pros +Good build with unshowy plain maple top.+Pickups have a little more kick, plus we get expanded sounds.+Good price. Cons -Over-heavy weight despite the weight relief.-Not everyone likes PCBs and push-fit connectors. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test. While Fender splits its guitars into series and periodically updates or refreshes them, Gibson’s main USA production division prefers the annual makeover approach. This year’s line-up was seen by many dealers as a return to form “A new chapter in Gibson’s illustrious history, with their focus firmly back on crafting only the world’s finest guitars!” said one. As ever, the Les Paul sits central, with eight models if we count The Paul 40th Anniversary bookended by the start-up double-cut Les Paul Junior Tribute and topped off with the Les Paul High Performance. Add to the list the Les Paul Studio and Studio Tribute, and that leaves us with the three most classic Les Pauls, the Standard, Traditional and Classic. Today we’re looking at the Classic is a catch-all name and for 2019 swaps its 2018-spec dual P-90s for ’61 Zebras and adds the circuit board previously used on the Standard, along with Traditional aka nine-hole weight relief. At £900 cheaper than the Standard, the 2019 Classic is essentially a stripped-down Les Paul before you drop to the Studios and is offered in Honeyburst as here or Gold Top - it was originally also offered in Ebony and Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Outwardly, all three of the 2019 models share the same construction one-piece neck, headstock widening wings and two-piece centre-joined backs. The Classic features a A-less plain top’ and ’61 Zebra open coil Classic name has been applied to various-spec LPs since it appeared back in 1990, then in a highly vintage spec. Today’s more cost-effective dress, with its plain maple top, evokes a more 70s Deluxe style, enhanced by the metal-topped knobs. Unfortunately, that perception is reinforced by its weight, which makes it the porker here despite its Traditional Weight Relief at a whooping Grover Rotomatics reference one of the most common LP mods and we get a no-wire ABR-1 tune-o-matic. Likewise, the ’board appears very dry and with such low-profile frets you do really feel the ’board’s surface more than you would with a higher wire. String height is identical to the others and neck relief sits between the two. SoundsThe Classic has an initial response that all points to a strong plugged-in performance. The Classic’s neck feels very similar to the recently-reviewed Standard, despite the differences, but the weight has a big impact, particularly on the hugely unbalanced feel played seated. Of course, if that doesn’t bother you, you might be on to a winner here as it’s a great player as supplied. Like any classic design, what you hear coming out of your amp might not be your idea of a great Les Paul tone, yet playing these three we’re hearing wonderful and subtly different flavours. It might well be that the Classic has the bite and power you like with more lower-end grunt than the others. There’s a little more nasally P-90 flavour, a slightly cocked-wah voice that provides a grainy texture, especially with some crunch and Marshall-y gain. Running the Classic with both pickups in tap mode is quite something; experiment with the phase switch with both pickups on to hear it. If only the damn thing wasn’t so heavy... The rather dowdy-looking Classic’s fundamental flaw is its colossal weight in a different colour and with a lighter weight it might be game on, but that’s not what’s here. Plugged in, is where the Classic drops in heft and grunt aplenty but with enough clarity to access older snappier and soulful voices. It will no doubt be a while until new Gibson’ settles in and has a noticeable effect on the instruments we can buy. These interim models, however, are three strong dishes that employ existing features we’ve seen before, albeit not in quite the same the horrors of robotic’ tuners, over-wide necks and zero frets now pretty much consigned to the past, these three zone in on the Les Paul in classic style Traditional, sonically expanded Standard and affordable Classic shades. They need a little TLC, which we’d hope would be undertaken before they’re sold, but they’re tidy, not over-priced and have the right name on the headstock. They might well be quite historic models, too the end of an era. Just as we conclude our test at the start of 2019, the new Gibson management announced there will apparently be a completely new 2019 range of Classics’.“Designs like the Les Paul and the SG once again embrace the features and construction details that made them legends in the first place a Les Paul Standard ’50s spec and a Les Paul Standard ’60s spec as well as one with P-90 pickups,” says Cesar Gueikian, Gibson’s chief merchant officer. “The Contemporary line also introduces a new concept with the Les Paul and SG Modern.” These new ranges “will be available for purchase later this year”. What that means for these original and clearly short-lived 2019 models that are in-store is anyone’s guess, but we suspect as the year progresses there will be deals aplenty to be had 2018 models are already discounted in many stores. Whatever happens while the dust settles, it looks like 2019 is going to be quite a year for Gibson lovers. Watch this space! Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad. Most Popular Epiphone has a long-established brand in their own right, but are best known as the affordable, Eastern-made offshoot of the mighty Gibson, with a substantial quantity of their models directly taken from their parent company’s range. A popular guitar amongst players making the transition from a beginner instrument, well-known Epi Les Paul players include Noel Gallagher in early Oasis, and Frank Iero from My Chemical RomanceNo more than Gibson, Epiphone has a large – probably larger than necessary – range of variants of the Les Paul. Here, in the interest of simplicity, we’ll take a look at the Standard model, to provide you with a baseline for the range. Core Features and Specs of the Epiphone Les PaulThe most core of core features of any Epiphone Les Paul, is the combination of a solid mahogany body with a maple top, and a couple of humbuckers. That is the heart and soul of its parts and the expense of explaining a little bit of semantics, pricier guitars with the mahogany body/maple top combination will have a carved maple top, maybe around an inch thick. On lower-priced instruments -such as this – the “maple top” is more likely to be closer to a fretboardFrets22PickupsAlnico Classic humbuckersSo far, so Les Paul!Image from FlickrThis will work well for… If you’re looking at this guitar, you’re looking pretty much at rock, particularly blues-derived rock. Just think of the list of players associated with Les Paul! Clapton to Slash; Gorham and Robertson to Moore… I could use up the entire word count reeling off Les Paul players!So yes, if that’s the ballpark you’re looking to be in, you’ve got it. Coupled with the right amp, with the right setting dialled in, you’ll get your crunchy rock and blues riffs, with enough room to widdle out licks and it do what it should?Let’s be realistic at this price, Gibson aren’t going to be letting Epiphone have the best quality, highest density mahogany. Still, the Epi weighs in at a tidy Not too shabby – you won’t forget it’s there or of the box, everything smells and shines like it should. On this Standard, everything is.. well… pretty much standard!It’s got its humbuckers and three-way pickup selection, controlled with a volume knob and a tone knob for each of said humbuckers. The machineheads come courtesy of Grover – a well-respected name for the job.. Apart from that, the rest of the hardware is thing that pushes the price of this Les Paul compared to other guitars aimed at intermediate players, is the use of parallelograms for the fingerboard inlays, rather than plain old dots. This is something that requires a little extra craftsmanship, and, to be fair, they look the see how it all comes very rarely that an Epiphone is criticized for the quality of its heel of the neck sits flush and clean with body. It’s pretty much are no blemishes or dings in the finish, or along the binding, anywhere in the review model. The frets are even and perfectly embedded in the rosewood fingerboard, as are the parallelogram inlays. The fingerboard doesn’t seem “as finished” as higher end models, if that makes sense?The hardware and electronics all seem very solidly attached – all sitting flush with the body, and some firm poking doesn’t make anything move that shouldn’t. The Grover machineheads are sitting even and sturdy, looking confidently ready to do their model features tune o matic bridge, which Epiphone proudly declare allows adjustment without the need for tools, but honestly, I don’t know many guitarists who spend much time tinkering with such the price of this electric guitar, there’s actually very little to fault. Sure, the parts used won’t be of the same quality as more expensive models, but, if they were, well, it would be a more expensive model!Les Paul Sound and TonesThe price tag of this instrument is a bit more than a beginners’ guitar, so it’s aimed at buyers who are prepared to go a little more for an amp to do it justice. In that respect, it’s likely that they’d also go a few dollars more for something a little better than a solid state amp, although probably not enough to go for a full valve the likely player of this guitar in mind, the Standard was tested through a 50 watt, hybrid, 2×12 combo before plugging into the amp, a few test strums gave an indication of the thick tones that might be coming – if you don’t believe that you can hear guitars’ varying tones without plugging in, I absolutely invite you to give it a this review, the bass was set to four, with the middle and treble each set to the Standard through a clean channel, that bridge humbucker gives a nice bright, but not piercing tone. If you nudge the pickup selector to the middle or neck position, and crank out a few blues licks, you’ll find yourself in a very comfortable on your amp, if you want to push it a little bit, cranking the volume on the amp, until it breaks just slightly, you should start to hear the beginnings of a nice, Clapton-esque blues crunch. Sweet. You might need to roll the volume off your guitar to balance it on that theme, moving over to the overdrive channel, with a gain of about four dialed in, and getting the volume of the guitar back up, you won’t be quite out of blues territory, but some good rock tones will definitely be in the that gain up to six, and your squarely in classic, blues-based rock, and this is where the functionality of the Les Paul peaks. As a general guide neck pickup for ballsy riffs, both pickups for a steady middle ground rhythm, and down to the bridge pickup should a solo be from FlickrPlayabilityThe aesthetics and construction of this guitar are enough to inspire any beginner to start looking at fingerboard is comfortable, the tones are a perfect introduction to humbuckers, and you’ll look as cool as Slash. Any compromise on the quality of parts, hasn’t compromised the construction, and in turn the players can be picky about parts, and how it’s just not a good old American-made Gibson, but honestly, if you want to look and feel like a rock star, Epiphone’s Les Paul Standard will do the such sturdy construction, an intermediate player won’t be afraid to get stuck in, and play this guitar to within an inch of its life. It’s ideal for providing a basis in understanding guitars equipped with humbuckers, and getting a feel for Great overall instrument for the price● High-quality parts● Nothing to fault on construction● Ideal first guitar for those inspired to play by blues-based rock guitarists● There are cheaper alternatives that may do the job just as wellAlternativesThe Les Paul shape is probably one of the most inspirational read copied guitar body shapes in history, so alternatives are not difficult to round NAMM 2017, Epiphone’s parent company, Gibson, unveiled its S Series, intended to give musicians an affordable route to the revered Gibson family of guitars. It’s something they do every now and Paul Custom Special Studio 2017 Gibson S Series Les Paul M2 Bright Cherry Electric Reverb This was designed around Gibson's standards of quality and innovation for Gibson USA's new S Series. The Gibson S Series is a whole new range of guitars all made in the US, but at a considerably lower price point than ever before. Check price We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review. We only recommend products that we believe in and the S Series, comes the Les Paul Custom Special Studio, with the same MSRP as the Epiphone Les Paul Standard. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you want a cheap Gibson, or an expensive Epiphone. In terms of build quality, they really are neck and neck, if you’ll pardon the is a no-frills affair, with the embellishment really just the range and brightness of the finishes. It’s very much the quintessential “slab of mahogany with a couple of humbuckers wedged in.” Check out our full custom vs standard Les Paul SE 245 You can’t really write about alternatives to Les Paul models without including a singlecut PRS model, because of that time Gibson sued them over the similarities. The SE range is their affordable option, and the 245 borrows the Epiphone’s slab of mahogany with a maple veneer, albeit with a gorgeous 245 also comes with PRS’s inimitable birds inlays. The lower horn includes some contouring to allow for more comfortable access to the higher frets. Apart from the stylistic differences mentioned, the electronics has an identical approach to the Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul LTD EC-401 ESP LTD EC-401 Electric Guitar Guitar Center Look no further with this as it features versatile, powerful tones, reliable hardware, and tidy, attractive looks. Plus consistent high rating from the people who've purchased this. Check price Buy at We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review. We only recommend products that we believe in and something a little different, but in the same vein – perhaps leaning a bit more towards metal – the longstanding and very respectable ESP have the EC-401 Eclipse model from their LTD one is probably closer to the Gibson, in that the body is a slab of mahogany. What might lean it towards metal brothers and sisters are the inclusion of EMG active pickups. It has binding around the body and mahogany neck, its hardware is black, and the inlays on the fingerboard are reminiscent of a waving Final NoteThe Epiphone Les Paul Standard is such a go-to guitar for those looking to make the transition from “learner” to “player,” at least just to look at and a guitarist is experienced enough to be considering it, they’ll be experienced enough to that you get what you pay for. No, this won’t have the finery of a Gibson Les Paul but that’s not why these guitars are made. Question Is the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro different than the Gibson Les Paul?Answer Yes, of course. The Epiphone is owned by Gibson, so the guitars are virtually the same same mahogany body, solid maple top, mahogany neck, and rosewood frets, however, they are manufactured in a different place. The Epiphone is manufactured mostly in China and Indonesia, whereas the Gibson is manufactured in Korea and the Does the Epiphone Les Paul come with a professional setup?Answer This depends on the place of purchase. Some stores including online ratailers sell already setup guitars, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will get one ready to Does the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro come with any additional details?Answer No. If you buy it from a music store you might be able to make a deal with the seller to get an extra accessory for the guitar, otherwise, it does not come with a case or picks. Epiphone Top Picks Epiphone 1960 Tribute Black Cherry Reverb You'll never regret buying this used Epiphone 1960 Tribute Plus in its original cherry sunburst finish, in excellent condition from Reverb. An owner of this guitar rated this as "the best sounding and playing guitar Epiphone has made." Check price We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review. We only recommend products that we believe in and test. Epiphone G-310 SG Ebony Reverb The Epiphone G-310 solid-body electric guitar gives you all the style and sound of the venerable SG at a down-to-earth tip If an item is currently not available on Reverb, you can select 'Follow this product' to be notified of any new listings. Check price Buy at We may receive compensation from the companies whose products we review. We only recommend products that we believe in and ReadsEpiphone LP Special II Review You’ll LoveEpiphone Les Paul Electric vs Squier Stratocaster Comp [2022]The Full, Epic Epiphone Les Paul Standard ReviewHumbucker Pickups vs Single Coil Which is Best for You?How to find the Best Electric GuitarAboutLatest Posts The Guitar Space team is a crew of dedicated players. Led by Ed Lozano, working musician, teacher, and author for over four decades. Ed is joined by other bonafide classic players, bringing real-life guitar-playing testers, buyers, and writers to the crew. We'll tell you what you really need, what we'd buy & give you real-deal advice from decades of playing. A proper Gibson Les Paul will set you back THOUSANDS of dollars. They’re great guitars sure, some of the best on the market. But is a Gibson Les Paul worth all that money? Let’s find out… Everybody knows the Gibson Les Paul. Whether a Custom, Junior, or a Standard, Gibson’s Les Paul has been a constant presence in music since the 1950s. Jimmy Page used one. Slash uses them. Buzz Osbourne and Adam Jones use them. Basically, in ALL eras of music, the Les Paul has been front and center. And not just in rock music either. Made in the USA, Gibson guitars – like Fender – are the most iconic, the most well-known and instantly recognized guitars on the planet. Fender has its Strat, and Gibson has its Les Paul. Both are excellent. But they’re also completely different with respect to tone and how they look and play. The Les Paul sounds darker and has more bass, for instance, whereas a traditional Strat sounds lighter and twangier. I could do an entire article on the differences between a Strat and a Les Paul. But for the sake of brevity, in this post, we’re just going to be looking at Gibson’s Les Paul. We’re going to explore why it is so loved, why they are so expensive, and, finally, discuss whether buying one is worth it or not spoiler they are, but it depends entirely on context/money/ability/commitment. 6 Reasons Why Are Gibson Les Paul Guitars So Expensive? Gibson Guitars Are Made In The USA The main reason why Gibson guitars – like the Les Paul – are so expensive is that they’re made in the USA. Gibson has three factories located in the USA and it pays its workers good wages. This, in turn, has to be factored into the cost of the guitar. Overseas labor – in places like China – is a lot cheaper, so the cost of guitars made there is lower. The Brand Name Factor Beyond this, you have higher levels of quality control on Gibson guitars. They’re made to exacting standards by craftsmen that live and breathe guitar. You’re also paying for the Gibson brand name as well. It has a legacy all of its own, born from the fact that ALL the greats, from the 1950s to today, tend to use Gibson guitars or Fender. This includes Jimmy Page, Adam Jones, Matt Pike, Peter Frampton, and Tony Iommi. The Types of Wood & Overall Finish One of the main costs in making a guitar, save for the labor, is the type of wood used to construct it. Gibson uses high-quality, rare woods like mahogany, rosewood, ebony, and maple. These types of wood are protected by strict legislation in the USA and because Gibson is located in the USA, it has to adhere to these laws and regulations. Guitar companies based outside the USA, or that have their manufacturing located outside the USA, are not limited by these laws and regulations, so they can acquire the woods required to build guitars for less money. Or, they just use completely different types of wood – something Gibson would never do. Scarcity is one of the biggest economic factors that denotes “value” – if something is rare, it is valuable. This is why gold and diamonds are worth something and your college degree are not. This is why vintage Gibson guitars can go for prices exceeding $20,000; they’re rare, highly sought after, and they sound different better than a $200 copy. And then we have the way Gibson finishes its guitars. It uses something called nitrocellulose and regulation in the USA dictates that you can only just a set amount of this type of lacquer over a period of 12 months. Again, this dictates how many guitars Gibson can make. Fewer guitars mean scarcity and, as we learned above, scarcity equates to higher value perception. This is why other brands now use alternatives like urethane or polyurethane to finish their guitars. Advanced Quality Control Costs Money If you spend $2000+ on a guitar, like the Gibson Les Paul Standard or the Gibson SG, you’ll want to be confident that it holds its tune, plays wonderfully, and doesn’t have any issues. In order to make sure ALL of its guitars work perfectly, Gibson invests millions in its quality control process. It even has a special machine called the Plek machine. Plek machines cost an ungodly amount of money. But they serve an integral part of Gibson’s quality control process. When a guitar is complete, it is put in the Plek machine and tested. The Plek machine scans the guitar, checks the fretboard for irregularities, ensures the frets are leveled properly, and that the guitar – when under tension – works perfectly. And it can spot issues with an accuracy of one-thousandth of a millimeter. The Plek machine, once it has completed its tests, will then proceed to create a bespoke nut that is custom to each guitar it tests. The nut design and implementation are based on the unique readings it gathered from scanning the neck of the guitar and how it operates under tension. Obviously, these Plek machines are VERY expensive and sophisticated, so the cost of using and maintaining them has to be added to the RRP of the guitar. The upshot of this is that when you use a Gibson guitar, you can rest assured that there will be zero issues with how it plays and sounds. Gibson’s QC is next-level. This is why its guitars are used to record and play live by professionals. They’re just more reliable than other, cheaper brands like Epiphone, Harley Benton, and Tokai. And they’re more reliable because Gibson invests millions in its quality control process every year. Many Parts Are Hand-Made And Hand-Finished Because players expect a certain sound from Gibson guitars, a sound that has evolved since the 1950s, Gibson is tied to certain production protocols. It cannot change anything too much because this would impact the sound and tone of its guitars. And people spend more on Gibson guitars because they have a certain tone. For instance, Gibson does screw its necks to the body of the guitar. Instead, the neck is glued in place. This is obviously A LOT trickier to do than simply screwing a neck in place. It requires a specialized technician to do it and it takes longer than using screws. The reason Gibson does this, though, is that it creates better sustain. And players like sustain. In addition to this, Gibson ensures all of its necks are hand-sanded and finished by a human being. This ensures each neck is unique. It also ensures that each neck is done to an established, high standard. Other brands use machines to do this. Gibson does it the old way. And it shows when you play one, although it does take A LOT longer. And then there’s the finish. We’ve already established that Gibson uses a very expensive lacquer to finish its guitars nitrocellulose. This type of lacquer is very tricky to work with, so a specialized craftsman is required to implement it. Gibson could switch to a cheaper method. But the use of nitrocellulose is what gives Gibson guitars that immaculate finish. This particular lacquer also ages really well, evolving the appearance of the guitar as the years pass. Without this, it just wouldn’t be a Gibson. Electronics, Pickups & Overall Tone Gibson has a legacy to think about, so it cannot just follow trends and change things on its guitars willy-nilly. You can get Gibson guitars with different pickup configurations, for instance, but even then, they’re all installed and hand-wound in the Gibson factory. This is done to ensure that nothing messes with the overall sound and tone of its guitars. Where things start to get expensive, however, is that everything on a Gibson is hand-wired. From the pickups to the switches, potentiometers, and capacitors, everything is done by hand by an expert craftsman. On a cheaper guitar, made in China, cheap, unskilled labor is used. This is fine of the chief differences between, say, and Epiphone and a Gibson. And it is also one of the biggest costs of Gibson’s business. Gibson also uses the most expensive materials and electronics it can get its hands on. All of the electronics and components that go into a Gibson guitar are also extensively tested by engineers – another large cost. Cheaper guitars are seldom tested. They’re mass-produced and pumped out of factories in China. This is why they cost so much less than a Gibson. Different Types of Gibson Les Paul – Hyper Expensive To Affordable OK, we’ve covered pretty much all the main reasons why Gibson’s guitars are so expensive. It all comes down to labor costs, build materials, quality control, and production methods. But when it comes to buying a Gibson guitar, what’re your options? Are they all super-expensive? The bad news is that ALL of Gibson’s production guitars are expensive compared to other brands like Epiphone. The cheapest Gibson you can buy is a Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute – it retails for $999. Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s The Gibson Les Paul Standard is, well, the “standard” for doom metal. It is as iconic as can be and has been used and abused by all the greats – Adam Jones, Buzz Osbourne, Sunno, BORIS, Matt Pike. It has its own sound, Gibson’s best pickups, and it is perfect for down-tuning. And because it’s a Gibson, it’ll also hold its value. So while it is expensive, it is also an investment. The most expensive one you can buy? It varies anywhere from $1119 for a Gibson Les Paul Studio to $2669 for a Gibson Les Paul Standard. If you go with a Custom model, you’re looking at anywhere from $4999 to $8699. Vintage model Gibson guitars can fetch anywhere from $20000 to over $100,000. Basically, if you want a “cheap” Gibson, your best bet is to go with either a Gibson Les Paul Studio and/or Special or an SG Studio or Special. You can pick these up for less than $1000 – though not by much. You’re looking at $ for one of these guitars. Even used Gibson guitars are expensive, almost the same as new models. And the reason for this is that Gibson guitars hold their value. Are Gibson Les Paul Guitars A Good Investment? Did you know that the US dollar has lost 95% of its value since 1945? That’s pretty crazy, right? The money in your bank account, which isn’t backed by anything physical like gold or silver, is worth less today than it was when Jimmy Hendrix played Woodstock. A lot less. If you’ve got savings – or you have a lot of money – buying a Gibson guitar is a very good investment, especially if you can pick up a vintage model at a good price. The guitar will hold its value and, if you get your hands on a sought-after model, you could make yourself a lot of money. But in order to accrue value, you’ll need to first find and then acquire a Les Paul from Gibson’s golden era – between 1958 and 1960. If you can find one of these Les Paul guitars knocking around, and you can buy one for less than $10,000, you’ll have yourself a solid investment that will increase in value the longer you hold on to it. For instance, a well-preserved ’59 Les Paul with a coveted flame maple top could easily command $500,000 or more. The tricky thing is actually finding one. But from an investment perspective, buying classic and/or iconic guitars does work. It is no different from buying expensive watches, holding on to them for a decade or so, and then selling them on to another collector for a higher price. Of course, to be successful with this kind of thing you must first have the available funds, understand how the guitar market works, know how to spot a good, classic model, and then actually acquire it – either at auction or via sites like Reverb. It ain’t easy. And it ain’t cheap. But it is an investment because it will generate money in the future. Do new Gibson guitars hold their value? In a word, yes. If you bought a new Gibson Les Paul Standard today, played it for several years, and then decided to sell it, the guitar would retain – on average – 85% of its original value. This is outstanding whichever way you slice it; no other guitar brand – save for Fender – has this kind of value retention. Should You Buy A Gibson Les Paul? The whole point of this post is to explain WHY Gibson guitars are so expensive. We’re now 2000+ words deep, so I think we’ve covered off all the basics about why a Gibson Les Paul costs a lot more than an Epiphone Les Paul. The next obvious question, however, is should you go out and buy a Gibson guitar? This will depend, largely speaking, on your level of skill, your bank balance, and whether or not you’re a professional musician. If you’re just a hobbyist player and you’re relatively young and don’t have much cash, buying a $3000 Gibson guitar doesn’t make much sense. You’d be far better off with a $499 Epiphone SG Standard. If you’re a professional musician or you have aspirations about becoming one, then, yes, it does make sense to INVEST in a Gibson Les Paul or a proper SG. If you want to sound professional or record music, you need a good quality guitar. Cheaper models are OK for a bit, but they don’t cut it in professional circles. This is why most professionals use Gibson, not Epiphone. Is a Gibson essential? Hell no! You will get the same level of quality from a PRS guitar. Or a Fender. But if you’re into metal or heavier music, there is a reason why the Gibson SG and Gibson Les Paul are so popular. They just sound darker and heavier, thanks to their construction and the type of wood used. Les Paul guitars especially. Nothing sounds quite like a Gibson Les Paul Standard or Custom. They have this depth to them, a low-end rumble that you simply cannot get with a Fender Strat or a Tele. This is why everybody from Jimmy Page to BORIS use Les Paul guitars. They use them to unleash that earth-shattering low-end, to create huge sounds. To sound HEAVY. Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s The Gibson Les Paul Standard is, well, the “standard” for doom metal. It is as iconic as can be and has been used and abused by all the greats – Adam Jones, Buzz Osbourne, Sunno, BORIS, Matt Pike. It has its own sound, Gibson’s best pickups, and it is perfect for down-tuning. And because it’s a Gibson, it’ll also hold its value. So while it is expensive, it is also an investment. Decent Alternatives For WAY Less Money What if you’re not a professional player, or you cannot afford a Gibson Les Paul or SG, what’re your options? For me, it has to be Epiphone. Epiphone makes amazing Les Paul and SG models. They retail for less than $600 in most cases and they look and play amazingly well. I love the Epiphone SG Standard. For $499, I honestly don’t think you can get a better guitar for less money. The Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy is another amazing option. It retails for $899 and it runs Fishman Fluence pickups. If you want to play modern metal, the Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy is a near-perfect option for aspiring guitarists that are pursuing a career in music. Epiphone SG Standard For the money, you’re getting some of the best tone and specs on the market in a guitar that looks and feels like a $3000 Gibson. Ideal for beginners and advanced players alike, the Epiphone SG is one of our favorite models right now. The Best Gibson Les Paul Alternative Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy With its Fishman Fluence humbuckers, iconic design, and amazing specs and components, the Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy is easily the best Gibson Les Paul on the market right now. In fact, I think I’d still take one of these over a proper Gibson Les Paul. It is that good… Buy Now Or, if you want something a little different, go with the PRS SE Standard 24 – it is a beautiful guitar that plays like a dream. It costs just over $500 and is perhaps one of the best guitars on the market at this price point. And it’s a PRS guitar too, so it is built to excruciatingly exact standards by PRS’ craftsman. I own one of these and it is one of my most-played guitars. Richard Richard has been playing guitar for over a decade and is a huge fan of metal, doom, sludge, and rock music in general – though mostly metal. Having played in bands and worked in studios since the early 2000s, Richard is a massive music production geek, a fan of minimalist recording techniques, and he really likes old-school guitars. Keep Reading

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