At first glance you might think that the guitars we have here are just another Gibson Les Paul and ES-335, but that's really not the case.
Imagine the Les Paul Classic Custom as a grown-up Les Paulwith a few nifty tweaks to make it look flashier than a Standard yet actually more affordable, and things start to look rather interesting. Gibson states that 'grade A' woods are used throughout, with the traditional carved maple cap on a 'weight relieved' mahogany body and a glued-in mahogany neck.
Where things differ from the norm is in the use of a fingerboard of baked maple, which Gibson states is "a heat-treated hardwood that offers a clear tone and extreme durability", and which lends an unusual new look to the guitar.
Meanwhile, the thought of a Gibson semi with no arched top at first seemed rather at odds with the ES range's heritage. Yet the new-model Midtown Custom's smaller body size renders this irrelevant. Our ebony version looks great too - very stark with only the chrome hardware and white/black binding as contrast.
Check out both guitars in our video in which Mick Taylor puts the instruments through their paces.
Read the Gibson Les Paul Classic Custom review.Read the Gibson Midtown Custom review.
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