Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Review
Gibson USA Vintage Mahogany Les PaulOne of the guitars on my “to get” list is the Gibson USA Vintage Mahogany Les Paul (faded cherry). I've played several examples a great number of times over the past year or so… and although I could not purchase this one for myself (budget, budget, budget), I felt the need to express my view on this instrument. This instrument is a fundamental instrument that incorporates critical elements of a fabulous-sounding instrument. In its basic-ness, this particular Les Paul is all about sound delivery in a price-friendly Gibson package.
Tone folks will find the Les Paul Vintage Mahogany to be a monster… Folks whose budgets cannot achieve the heights of the Les Paul Standard, or even the Classic or Studio, will find this instrument to be a real bargain. Perhaps enough of a bargain to truly bring great Gibson-ness to many musicians’ sound libraries.
This is a fabulous instrument – stay tuned and I'll attempt to explain why it strikes me so well.
Quick Opinion: Grab one right now before they’re gone. Period. If I had the means, I would.
The wonderful Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany is no longer in production :-(. But you can see more about the new Gibson LP Studios here at Guitarcenter.com Check out the new Raw Power LP and SG!
Playability: The Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany is all Les Paul. It has the chunky 50's-style neck one expects from many Les Paul models. The neck is tapered in a subtle way, and the radius is extremely comfortable.
Another interesting aspect of the neck's playability is its consistency. It is even, smooth (if a little woody – like lots of natural-finish acoustic guitars, but not as wide), and very comfortable. As a person who truly likes the 60's neck profiles (and the slimmer Epiphone neck profiles), the Les Paul Vintage Mahogany was different at first. However, after playing several examples over several months at my local, favorite Guitar Center, I adjusted to it. I am now more comfortable going between my Epi Les Paul and the Gibson.
The body’s weight seems to be really well-balanced. It doesn't feel as weighty on the shoulder as a traditional Les Paul – but it still retains that singing, miles-of-sustain feel that makes Les Pauls so breathtakingly essential to many kinds of music. It plays like an old friend. It feels like an old friend, and is one of the most comfortable Gibson Les Pauls I’ve had the pleasure of playing.
Features: The features of the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany are varied and interesting. This particular Les Paul is a marriage of basic simplicity and killer electronics. The fretboard is very nice, the tuners are the (to me, essential) traditional green-tulip tuners. The body has no binding, and the top wood has the same feel and color of the back and neck.
This particular Les Paul may be a lower-priced Gibson, but it comes with a real, deluxe Gibson hardshell case. This is unusual, considering the fact that some of the other "worn-finished", less-expensive models only come with a gig bag (such as the Vee and the SG).
By far, one of the greatest values in the Vintage Les Paul Mahogany is its pickups. It comes with Burstbucker Pro humbucking pickups. I don't know how different the wiring is (as opposed to the Standard, Classic, or Studio), but the sound is absolutely awesome. The Burstbucker Pros, combined with the case, make this guitar feature rich – even though it isn’t a fancy Les Paul.
Sound: Sound, sound, sound, sound, and sound. WOW. Pick up an old or vintage Les Paul, close your eyes – pop it through some Marshalls or even a deluxe Twin Reverb, dial up the amp, and let loose. Now do the same with one of the Vintage Mahogany Les Pauls. Listen... No matter if you can scream like Vai, cry and wail like Lang, or rip the souls of the audience into happy little pieces like Gilmour, or just play like a regular Jane or Joe, this instrument does not dissapoint. It takes that vintage-ness of the old PAFs, adds more output, and makes the dynamic range of the sound more (a good thing) complex and rich.
I’ve played several of these through a very wide variety of amplifiers, including nice Class-A Mesas, wide-rich VOXs, chunky Marshall stacks, cheap starter combos, Fenders, and some Kranks and Line 6s… this horse can not only trot, canter, or gallop – it is a true thoroughbred: it brings crunchy, singing, sustaining sound to any style, amp, pedal, or volume.
Sound, sound, sound, sound.
Value: Based on its sound, its case, its Burstbucker Pros, and its made-in-USA pedigree, this is absolutely worth much more than its street price. I’d put it at around $1k any day. The fact that you can buy it for much less makes it a 12-out-of-10 value any day of the week. If you've been thinking of going Gibson, or if you’re looking for that sweet, in-your-face rock. This guitar is a "jump on it now" opportunity. If you like warm, jazzy, neck-pickup sound that reminds you a little of B.B. King's ES-combined with some of that Jimmy Page roots-blues-rock, this is the one for you. You won’t be sorry for getting one of these. Go to your favorite get-in-trouble guitar store and play an example or two. If you don't have a git-box store nearby, check out your favorite online haunt and pick one up NOW.
Wishes: An optional 60's neck would be fabulous (well, for me, anyway - sorry 50's fans).
Labels: electric guitar, gibson, gibson les paul, les paul, mahogany, usa, vintage
posted by Jim Pearson @ 11/26/2006 12:08:00 AM
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5 Comments:
I just bought one...what a guitar! The tone knobs weren't on straight and wobbled, but who fricken cares! This Gibson ROCKS! The Burst Buckers are the best around! Thanks Gibson for a fine musical instrument that sounds much better than your higher priced line of guitars! Doc
just got my via ebay. paid $700. easily worth double that. seriously, before the good folks at Gibson come to there senses, pick one up while you can.
i also have an epiphone `56 goldtop reissue, and this guitar blows it away...
This review is right on the money.... and I saved some as well! I personally prefer the brown model. It looks better and the joints are much less visible. I believe the pickups are a great match with the chambered, all mahogany body. I play the blues and rock mostly, and this guitar shines for my needs. The neck profile takes a bit of playing to get accustomed to, but in no means is it overly thick, just different for me. The taper on the pots is a bit loose for my liking, but overall this guitar really sings (unplugged as well). It is a true value for players looking for great tone and something that is visually pleasing as well (if you dig retro). The lack of binding on this model looks, appropriate compared to the Standard Studio models. If you are into the aged, or classic look of guitars and are on a budget, but don't care to compromise on tone, tuning stability, and sustain, you should really take a look at this guitar and give it a try...
I traded some other gear I was having a hard time selling for this guitar. My intention was to then SELL this one as I figured its pretty easy to unload a Gibson. Well...I gotta tell you...after messing around with it for a couple of weeks I decided I liked it WAY too much to get rid of it. I play mostly clean jazzy type stuff...(think low volume neck pickup tones) and I gotta tell you this thing is a tone monster. And it looks understated and classy. Apart from enhancing the tone the chambered body makes it nice and light as well. No complaints!!!!
Make the choice in confidence. After playing every guitar I could get my hands on, including Les Paul Standards, and reading all the reviews, I settled on this Gibson Vintage Mahogany LP. Great neck response and feedback, especially playing loud thru my old tube Super Champ! Tunes perfectly, great action, has kick ass humbuckers, and in some ways I actually like it better than the Les Paul Standard: The neck is thick like a 50's neck, but slightly narrower. The frets are thin/medium and round, not fat and ground down flat-- sterilizes the sound a little. Like the other reviews however I absolutely recommend you replace the strap buttons with normal size or locking, as this its only flaw--you'll hate yourself after reading this and then have the guitar go crashing to the floor.
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