Hitting New Highs: the Gibson 2017 Les Paul Standard
If there’s one Gibson electric that’s considered the benchmark, the flag-bearer, the numero uno... it is, of course, the Les Paul Standard. Original 1958-1960 Les Paul Standards – the first ‘bursts that are now synonymous with Gibson – are considered their most covetable guitars in history, though much of that is down to sheer rarity and antiquity. In terms of specification, build, options and playability, the 2017 Les Paul Standards of now are improvements in every conceivable way.
We previously looked at how 2017’s Les Paul Studios and Les Paul Standards compared in general terms, so let’s go look a little deeper at the 2017 Standard itself, in its T (Traditional) and HP (High Performance) guises.
This 2017 Standard is no retro-feast: it’s Gibson’s fresh vision for a Les Paul Standard that takes the best of tradition and enhances the design with the best tech you can get.
Les Paul Standard T and Les Paul Standard HP – the Similarities
The differences between the Standard T and Standard HP are sometimes subtle, but they’re key. But what do they have in common? The key features that make a Gibson Les Paul Standard a trail-blazing guitar...
- Figured maple tops, saluting the inimitable style of classic ‘Bursts. There are four Smooth/ Hi Gloss 90 Sheen Lacquer finishes in colors of: Bourbon Burst, Honey Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst and Blueberry Burst.
- Mahogany bodies with Ultra-Modern weight relief, making these the most comfortable Standards ever.
- One-piece mahogany necks with the finest compound radius rosewood fingerboards and MOP trapezoid inlays.
- Burstbucker Pro humbuckers, Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar, body and neck binding, and the highest quality hardware.
Les Paul Standard T and Les Paul Standard HP – the Differences
But here’s the thing. The differences between the T and HP spec is key, and will say much about what you love about the Les Paul Standard. There’s no right or wrong choice, of course (!), but to help you out, here’s an easy-check table of the differences when it comes to choosing a Standard in T or HP spec...
Soloist neck with improved edge-room, and
Fast-access heel
To learn more about some these features on the Standards, make sure you look at these articles:
Ultra-Modern Weight Relief: Optimum Tone with Maximum Comfort
Dip, Split and Tap? Gibson Les Paul Pickups Explained
What Buyers are Saying!
Whichever you choose, you’re guaranteed the finest Les Paul Standards Gibson has ever made. And plenty of comments on this website seem to agree. On the product pages you’ll read...
Of their T models, Paul Bposted: “My 2017 Standard T arrived today, and I am blown away. Hands down, the best guitar I've owned. Fit and finish is great, tone is plentiful, options are plenty.” Wolfboy1 posted: “This is the third Les Paul I've owned in 37 years and I have found MY guitar. I just got a Blueberry burst model and I am floored.”
On their HP models, Jwashuwrote: “...I had a 1991 I had to part with about 10 years ago there is no comparison... I've owned a lot of different guitars over the past 30 years and in all honesty, nothing feels like this.” Thomas Judge posted: “I love the HP appointments. I have a 2014 LP Classic which I really like, but I was looking to add a Standard to my collection and I decided to go with the HP so it'd be significantly different than my Classic. My assessment: absolutely love the neck profile and modified heel, the sustain is way better with the titanium zero-fret, the control options are great, tone and playability are everything I expected and more.”
There you go. Four different players across both T and HP Standard spec. To find out even more, go the individual product pages to explore everything about the guitars with these links:
