Gibson Guitar Reviews

Holy crap, has Gibson gone crazy?  It seems like one of the most popular guitars these days is the Gibson Les Paul BFG.  This guitar is one of the most unique offering from Gibson in perhaps the company’s entire history. 

This guitar features: un-sanded top, no binding, no pickup rings, no truss rod cover, no toggle switch rings, no fretboard position indicators (dots on the side only), with wooden knobs that have no numbers.  Essentially this guitar is a full blown quality Les Paul that has none of the expensive frills that typically drive up the cost of the guitar. 

I played the BFG for the first time a few weeks ago and was incredibly impressed.  Aside from looks, there is no difference in sound and playability between this guitar and a high end Les Paul.  I think this rough look, while not my style, will appeal to a certain group of individuals for it’s unique and unpolished looked specifically.

Bottom line- this is a carved maple-top Les Paul with the traditional mahogany back for under a grand.  Pretty cool.  Keep in mind that you could definitely add all the the frills and custom pieces to this raw instruments after-market and truly create something distinctive.  Basically, Gibson has gone the right way with this product and given players an almost blank canvas with which to create! 

Gibson USA American Mint Les Paul BFG w hard case NR! US $630.00 (15 Bids) Auction Ends: Thursday Aug-21-2008 19:31:46 PDT Bid on this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG UNIQUE ! studio standard custom US $1,195.00 Auction Ends: Thursday Aug-21-2008 20:56:00 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

2007 Gibson BFG trans black US $670.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-24-2008 8:40:00 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Bullion Burst 2008 MINT w/ case US $949.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-24-2008 15:14:14 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG, Trans. Black US $649.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-24-2008 15:32:03 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Unique Piece or art US $2,950.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Monday Aug-25-2008 7:59:40 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

GIBSON BFG LES PAUL TRANS GOLD ELECTRIC GUITAR NEW US $949.00 Auction Ends: Monday Aug-25-2008 16:30:13 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Silverburst Limited US $850.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-27-2008 19:27:35 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Electric Guitar Blue INK NEW 2008 US $1,099.00 Auction Ends: Friday Aug-29-2008 9:09:05 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Electric Guitar CHERRY NEW 07 $949 US $949.00 Auction Ends: Saturday Aug-30-2008 14:35:24 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul BFG Electric Guitar Features:
Unsanded carved maple top
Mahogany back
1950s rounded mahogany neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Scale length: 24-3/4″
Number of frets: 22
Nut width: 1.695″
Inlays: white side dots only
Hardware: gun metal (trans cherry finish) or distressed black chrome (trans black and trans gold finish)
Tailpiece: stopbar (distressed)
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: two wooden volumes, one wooden tone
Tuners: Grover (distressed)
Neck pickup: P-90
Bridge pickup: Zebra BurstBucker 3
Controls: 2 volume, 1 tone, 3-way switch
Kill switch toggle
See-through wiring covers in back
Strings: Brite Wires .010-.046
Case: shopworn Les Paul

I’ve owned this guitar for a little over a year and here is what I’ve found: It’s a reliable instrument that stays in tune extremely well.

Although the frets aren’t as silky smooth on the Menace as I would have liked, it’s still easy to play and the action is responsive and very similar to any Les Paul I have played.  Yes, it does feel like a distinctive Gibson.  After replacing both pickups with EMG’s, and the bridge/saddle with quality ones it sounds very good.

In my opinion, the sustain isn’t nearly as good as an LP studio since the wood is constructed of a lighter material. All in all, the Gibson Les Paul Menace isn’t the GREATEST LP I’ve ever played but after replacing the pickups it becomes a very viable solution.

The factory pickups couldn’t handle much gain without feedback, but that’s typical of all Gibsons that I have played, no matter what the price. That is one reason Gibson pickups are routinely considered hot.  The only inlay on the fretboard on this guitar is very unique, a first! 

GIBSON SG MENACE US $849.00 Auction Ends: Thursday Aug-28-2008 16:15:54 PDT Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson USA SG Menace Electric Guitar NEW w/ Hard Case US $849.00 Auction Ends: Friday Aug-29-2008 9:09:24 PDT Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Features:
Mahogany body
Maple top
Mahogany neck
1960 slim taper profile
Ebony fingerboard
Fist inlay
Flat black hardware
Tune-O-Matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece
Black speed knobs
Black Grover tuners
490R Smoky Coils neck pickup
498T Smoky Coils bridge pickup
Two volume and two tone controls, 3-way switch
Peghead Pitch: 17°
Thickness at 1st Fret: 0.800″
Thickness at 12th Fret: 0.870″
Heel Length: 0.625″
Neck Joint Location: 16th fret
Scale: 24-3/4″
Total Length: 18.157″
Number of Frets: 22
Nut Width: 1.695″
Width at 12th Fret: 2.260″

So your interested in buying a Gibson electric guitar? Congrats, I consider a Gibson to be one of the highest quality instruments on the planet.

The craftsmanship, sound quality, and overall construction is nothing short of amazing. The problem most consumers have however is simply finding out which guitar us right for them.

One of the problems with the Les Paul line is that there are simply a ton of models out there which offer both subtle and/or drastic variations. Truly, there is a Les Paul out there fit for everyone. . The first step to buying a Les Paul is figuring out what you value in a guitar.

Binding:

Most people don’t realize this but I would say only about half of the current Les Paul lineup has binding. What is binding? Binding is custom white and black plastics which are hand molded and shaped around the edges of the body and headstock of the Gibson. Basically, it gives the guitar an amazingly detailed look which is not easily replicated by other guitar makers. Binding is expensive and will drive up the overall cost of your instrument quite a bit. Take a look at Les Paul’s Black Beauty model for a clear example of binding. If this is something you can live without (it adds nothing to the instrument’s sound) than you can score yourself a less expensive Les Paul. Check out a Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany for an example of a non- binded Les Paul.

Neck Size:

Another commonly overlooked element of a Les Paul is the size of the neck. Luckily for us, they only come in two flavors: 1950s and slim 1960s style. What is the difference? Having played extensively with both, I will say that in my opinion a slim 1960s neck gives you a Les Paul which feels much more contemporary and allows for faster soloing as well as easily fingering high beyond the 12th fret. On the other hand, the 50s neck feels more robust and vintage. Try each out at a store and then decide for yourself. The wider neck is better suited for jazz and blues playing than the thinner neck, which I do prefer for rock music.

Finish:

Gibson offers almost an endless array of colors and finishes on their guitars. These can be rich and thick finishes and also thin, non existent ones where vintage wood is the focus. Again, since this is aesthetic only it us largely a matter of taste. All finishes will stand the test of time.

Pickups;

Gibson is smart to offer a ton of different pickups on their Les Pauls in order to appeal to a large market. Most Les Paul pickups are based upon the Humbucker design which offers amazingly deep lows and incredibly fast output. Some pickups sound hotter than others and thus it us important you try as many pickups as possible. Another pickup design that is popular is often found on the Vintage reissue Standard Les Pauls. The PAC pickup offers a fresher sound and is one of the newest pickup designs by Gibson to hit the market.

Tuners:

Until very recently I would not have included this as a consideration since Gibson did not offer anything but classic Grover Locking Tuners on all Les Paulsacross the board. However, with the advent of Gibson Robot Tuners ( I am not kidding) Gibson has delivered cutting edge technology to the market. Basically, the robot tuners automatically tune to whatever you want by automatically adjusting the tuners on the fly. Yes, this technology will drive up the cost of the guitar up dramatically but it is a good thing to consider. Gibson knows that most guitarists are lazy and this technology should appeal to everyone!

Final Words:

These few considerations should arm you with some basic info when you hit the music stores and actually start looking at these instruments. Don’t be afraid to let your ears make the decisions either. If you like what you hear and the guitar is feeling right, you may have a winner. Buying a guitar is a lot like buying shoes, they just have to feel right. Good luck and remember that with a Gibson you can’t really make a bad choice.

2008 Gibson Les Paul Custom Authentic VOS UNPLAYED RARE US $3,199.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 16:52:26 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

GIBSON CUSTOM HISTORIC 1956 REISSUE LES PAUL GOLDTOP US $2,499.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:00:00 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson/Epiphone Les Paul humbucker Pickup Buckethead US $15.26 (3 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:06:59 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul Standard Limited edtion Pacific reef US $1,750.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:10:01 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

1956 REISSUE GIBSON GOLDTOP GUITAR SIGNED BY LES PAUL US $4,999.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:11:46 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

1964 GIBSON SG Jr. VINTAGE JAKE E. LEE OZZY Les Paul US $2,200.00 (31 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:12:43 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

1989 Orville by Gibson Japan Les Paul Custom White RARE US $661.00 (20 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:15:00 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

GIBSON 1982 3 P-90 LES PAUL US $1,575.00 (13 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:15:08 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

2007 GIBSON LES PAUL STUDIO PREMIUM PLUS AAA FLAME MINT US $1,455.00 Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:20:06 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Vintage 1958 Gibson Les Paul Junior Jr SingleCut Guitar US $8,490.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:21:32 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Complete Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway Guitar Set-up US $1,000.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:41:30 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

4,Long Shaft A 500K Potentiometer for Gibson Les Paul US $11.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:43:43 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

PKG4,Long Shaft A 500K Pot Taper for Gibson Les Paul SG US $11.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:47:30 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

GIBSON LES PAUL-STANDARD--NO RESERVE! US $1,326.00 (52 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:52:11 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item

Gibson Les Paul Original Kluson Tuners 1956 1957 1958 US $399.00 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-20-2008 17:59:50 PDT Bid on this Item   | Buy this Item   | Watch this Item