I own 3 other Les Pauls, including a VOS R8 and this Mahogany Top is my new favorite! It plays and sounds better than even my R8, which formerly was my very favorite instrument. The 59 Tribute pickups sound really nice and the instrument just sings, rings and sounds phenomenal!I really like the R8-style XL profile, and love the wider fretboard as I often bent off the fretboard, even on my R8. A lot of people criticize the new for 2015 features on various website: All I can say is to go play the new lineup for yourself and ignore the hype and drivel on the forums, etcetera.Aesthetically, this is equally beautiful as many bursts in it's own understated way. While I'm not crazy about the Les Paul 100 silkscreen nor the waving Les hologram, I play the guitars, not marvel at them in the case or on a rack.The G-Force tuner works fantastically well and the vintage-style Klusen type keys blend right in on the instrument. I was skeptical at first because I read so many negative comments before trying one out, but I have to say again that they performed flawlessly, are idiot-proof to use, and open a whole world of tuning possibilities, all with a few button presses. For those concerned about appearance over function, the unit is very small and light weight and it certainly does not detract from the instrument's elegant and iconic appearance. When i'm playing, I'm certainly not thinking about the back of the headstock as I suspect most players don't.If you play guitar, like Les Pauls, then… read more you'll like this guitar very much if you give it a play! Like my R8, no weight relief so it sustains for days. Unlike Les Paul Customs, which can sometimes be dark-sounding, this is a very sonically balanced guitar. The "Natural Beauty" finish appears a warm, almost dark Gretsch-style orange as from the late 50s, or a slightly darker "Marc Bolin Chablis" as on his Custom Shop Les Paul. I love all of my guitars and my Les Pauls for sure, but if I had to get rid of all but one, this is the one I'd keep without question!! I also have a 2012 Standard Premium Quilt which has the Jimmy Page switching, a 2001 Classic and my beloved R8 so that tells you the esteem in which I hold this guitar.It's also dropped in price from when I bought mine a few months ago and I thought I read that it's a limited run of 400 but I'm not certain about that. Finally, the case is awesome! Smaller and more compact than a Lifton, it's lightweight yet sturdy and it's a sexy gold color w/ a blue-grey interior. The final set-up inspector or builder even took a photo of it and included it with the guitar which is kind of cool! It kind of reminded me of the tags that PRS Guitars put in to show the finish date and the builder's name.I'd like to buy the talented person who built mine a cold beer-it's truly the heat!

Musical Background:
Playing on and off for over 40 years

Musical Style:
Rock read less