Gibson Les Paul Custom review

  • £2500
  • $5504
A stone cold Black Beauty!

MusicRadar Verdict

As long as it's in tune, it's impossible to sound bad on this guitar. Worth every penny.

Pros

  • +

    Unbeatable kudos. Monster tone.

Cons

  • -

    Heavy. Not as fast as some.

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To change the format of the Les Paul would be as sacrilegious as cutting Slash's hair. Gibson hasn't. Now, as in the '50s, you'll find yourself sweating beneath a monster mahogany body, squeezing out riffs on a set mahogany neck.

Gibson does stress this LP Custom doesn't have the historical appointments of the '50s original, but unless you're one of those weirdos who can date a guitar by looking at it, you'll neither notice nor care.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Les Paul is not a perfect design. Pick this baby up and you'll notice it's vertebrae-bendingly heavy, less accommodating than modern shred axes and pretty expensive.

If you're not a penny-pinching, pigeon-chested metaller though, this guitar is a slice of heaven. Strap up and you'll feel like Jimmy Page.

Fret a note clean and it rings out like a buttery bell. Crank the overdrive and you'll bring in a fat swagger that sustains for decades. Pull out those bending blues licks and the audience will eat out of your hand.

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