Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar (with Case)

Custom Features, Now Standard
Standard Plus, huh? Sounds like an oxymoron, or some sort of fancy marketing speak. Allow us to dispel any thoughts to the contrary--this Les Paul is the real deal, a rainmaker befitting the Les Paul name proudly adorning its headstock. Like most great LP Standards that have come before it, the Les Paul Standard Plus features a duo of humbuckers in the neck and bridge positions, dual volume and tone controls with a 3-way selector switch, and Grover tuners. However, here is where the Standard Plus starts to earn the tag at the end of its name - those humbuckers are upgraded Burstbucker 1's and 2's which provide that legendary PAF magic, the volume and tone pots are actually custom gold Bourns potentiometers (makers of the finest in guitar electronics, adding an incredible amount of clarity and definition to your tone) topped with gold top hat knobs, and the Grovers are actually upgraded locking Rotomatics with the silky smooth stability offered only by precision tuners with a 18:1 gear ratio. Rounding out the Plus features are factory-installed Dunlop Straplocks, a Neutrik locking output jack for even more clarity and cable stability, and a USA Gibson Black Snakeskin hardshell case.

Sound Body, Sound Mind
Also like most Les Pauls, this Standard Plus features a Mahogany body capped with Maple. But, sticking with the Plus' theme of "more is more," the cap used on these guitars is actually a AA Grade Figured Maple, bound and carved to contour to your body and picking arm, gracefully highlighting the beautiful Iced Tea Burst, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Light Burst, Desert Burst, and Honey Burst finishes. Upon hearing about Maple's fancy new outfit, Mahogany was like, "Well, if Maple is going to get step up its game, I might as well join the party!" And join the party it did - in one of the first times ever on a Gibson Les Paul, the Mahogany body is actually chambered. And this wasn't just done willy nilly--the scientists and engineers at Gibson went through endless hours and iterations of chamber positions trying to nail the perfect combination of chambers, resonance, and sustain. Strum one chord on this premium axe and you'll instantly understand the benefits this chambered body offers--an earthy, airy, woody tone, not to mention a pound or so less stress on your back! You know a guitar is special when it sounds great even unplugged, and this LP delivers on that front in spades.

PLEK Your Neck!
A guitar is only as good as its neck. In another first, the Les Paul Standard Plus is one of the first Gibsons ever made that comes standard with a PLEK neck set up. What is this PLEK, you ask? Utilizing some German technology we won't pretend to fully understand, this computer-controlled neck adjustment painstakingly dresses each fret on your Rosewood fingerboard, precisely cuts your nut, and makes for one of the most playable, buzz free guitars you can ever imagine. The profile on this PLEK'd Mahogany neck is asymmetrical, designed to reduce playing fatigue while adding extra playability for speedy up the neck passage. Finally, the Gibson LP Standard Plus features en elongated and enlarged neck tenon. More wood to wood contact means more sustain, and who doesn't love that?

Starting at the neck, the Les Paul Standard now features an enlarged neck tenon for maximum wood contact, and a new asymmetrical neck profile that makes it one of the most comfortable and playable necks ever offered. Locking Grover Rotomatic tuners with an improved gear ratio of 18:1 are also a first for the Les Paul Standard. A new level of sonic clarity is achieved by new, custom-made, gold-plated potentiometers made by Bourns. The guitar boasts a great lineup of other features, including a carved AA figured maple bound top, Burstbucker Pro pickups and five great sunburst finishes.

If you can handle everything about the Gibson except the price, check this out. Engineers designed this modern classic with the arched top and fast neck of the best Les Pauls. It has an arched, figured curly Maple, carved top in faded sunburst finishes for that great LP look. And like all Les Pauls, features a solid glued neck joint for great sustain and stability. These guitars are built to 100% Gibson specifications.

It’s also one of the first Gibson USA models to utilize the revolutionary Plek system, a computer-controlled setup that carefully measures and dresses each fret, accurately measuring the height between the fingerboard and each string, virtually eliminating string buzz and providing unbeatable playability. A set of Gibson’s Burstbucker Pro humbuckers deliver the powerful punch expected from a Les Paul, faithfully capturing the magic of Gibson’s legendary PAF pickups of the 1950’s. A chambered mahogany body gives the 2008 Standard Plus enhanced resonance, and other new features include TonePros’ locking Nashville Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece, strap lock buttons, and each guitar comes with Gibson USA’s standard black snakeskin case.

Technical Info

* Body Species: Mahogany
* Top Species: AA Grade Figured Maple
* Fingerboard Species: Rosewood
* Scale Length: 24 3/4 Inch
* Number of Frets: 22
* Inlays: Trapezoid Pearloid
* Species: Mahogany
* Profile: Asymmetrical
* Peghead Pitch: 17°
* Nut: Molded
* Nut Width: 1.6875 Inches
* Truss Rod Cover: Standard
* Tailpiece: Locking Tone Pros Chrome
* Bridge: Locking Tone Pros Chrome Nashville
* Knobs: Gold Top Hat Knobs
* Tuners: Locking Grover
* Strap Buttons: Dunlop Straplocks
* Jack: Neutrik locking
* Neck Pickup: Burstbucker Pro 1
* Bridge Pickup: Burstbucker Pro 2
* Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, one three way selector switch
* Case Exterior: USA Black Snakeskin
* Plek setup

Audio Samples

Gorgeous curly-Maple top with sunburst finish; chrome hardware.