Gibson Les Paul Classic 2019
with Dave Burrluck
All the spec-checking, auditioning and at-home or even rehearsal room playtime can only prepare you so much for a new instrument’s first performance. And that’s where we’d left the first instalment of this Longtermers test. I’d certainly chosen a difficult gig to put the new Les Paul Classic through its paces. Outside summer gigs always throw a few curveballs. A hastily assembled ‘stage’ in a park with a gazebo to shelter us partially from the sun – though not the wind/potential rain – is one thing, but it’s the sound that’s so different from our more usual pub or small club environments. Everything seems very separated, dry, and it’s not the best environment to be playing an unfamiliar guitar. Especially not a guitar you’ll have to give back – in pristine condition.
If I’m honest, I’m a bit hesitant. Tuning can be a nightmare – your pedalboard tuner disappears as soon as the sun comes out – but the Classic’s tuning is pretty stable despite the (stretched) new strings. But then there’s the feel to adjust to and, as importantly, the sounds you need. If you use your volume and tones constantly then it always takes a little while to get used to the different control tapers – to get a little grit when needed or pulled back for a cleaner, perhaps slightly rounder voice.
Even with a guitar type you know so well, all those subtle differences in feel seem amplified. On the day, the fingerboard radius feels flatter than it did. How can that be? And as the temperature rises and things get a bit sweatier, I’m going for a big high-fret bend and I slip right over the string voicing a loud and embarrassingly dead ‘thwack’. Is that the fret height or just sweat, unfamiliarity and sloppy technique?
Our band leader is now calling random songs and I’m constantly swapping between my slide guitar and my Bigsby-equipped Guild Starfire. Even with another guitar strapped on I’m still thinking about the Classic: is it stable on its stand? Especially when some energetic foot-stomping from our singer makes the ‘stage’ bounce rather alarmingly. Back on the Classic and we’re heading for the, ahem, finale (aka the fast songs) and adrenaline takes over from any concerns I have about accidentally tipping into the cymbals or worse. I realise as we towel off and say thanks to the promoter that I didn’t touch any of the tricky sounds.“That Gibson sounded great,” offers our drummer who doesn’t mince his words.
Back home, I sheepishly check the Classic for marks or dings. I then notice the lack of truss rod cover. I’d taken it off to very slightly tweak the truss rod and clearly hadn’t put it back. Sometime later, I’ve searched high and low to no avail. I’d tidied up all my maintenance kit, but there is simply no sign of said cover. Gawd. Barring that, though, all is good. I give the Classic a quick rub, particularly the neck, and put it to bed.
A couple of days later I’m back on the day job and the Classic is already providing valuable service as a reference. The thing is, although it’s part of Gibson’s Modern collection for this year – and it features new-fangled pull-switches and PCB Quick Connect hook-up – the more I play it and compare it with other single-cuts, the more vintage-y this instrument feels, despite its model name. Yes, of course it’s all shiny and brand-new, but from the specific intoxicating smell, which I never quite know is the nitro finish or not, it really doesn’t feel like a modern guitar. The relatively small fret gauge certainly enhances that feel: something you’d expect on a vintage reissue perhaps, less so on a modern Les Paul.
And it’s no power Les Paul, sitting, again, on the more vintage-y side in that regard. The bridge is a little thin and bright contrasted by the bigger neck, and adjusting pickup heights will only take you so far. But it’s worth spending a little time here because that balance really maximises the twin-pickup mix, which gets pretty interesting with one or both of the ‘taps’ engaged. There’s very little volume drop between the two modes, and it’s almost a character shift, especially with one in tap mode the other in humbucker. In either mode, with both volumes up, the phase switch really thins out of the sound, but pull back one volume and most of the fullness returns with a hint of out-of-phase-ness.
It takes me back to the switch-laden guitars of the pioneering 70s and those gnarly slightly phasey sounds you’d hear everywhere not least on Black And Blue and Some Girls-era Stones. Modern? Hmm… Reviewed 448 Price £1,649 (inc hard case) On Test Since May 2019 Studio Sessions Yes Gigged Yes Mods No, just a lil’ TLC www.gibson.com
“The more I play the Classic and compare it with other single-cuts, the more ‘vintage-y’ it feels – despite its model name”