Gibson 2013 N-225 Electric Guitar Ebony Pinstripe For Sale (2023 Update)

Picked up a 2019, same exact model about a month ago. Quality and build is superb, the carved top has even more flame than I expected. I wanted an "understated" look, and it's perfect. Flame changes with light. The nitro finish is buffed like new, unlike the VOS models, and the natural dye on the back and neck is rich and deep. Instrument is plek'd, action and intonation are flawless. The CustomBucker pickups are all the rage, you can only get them on a new instrument, and are supposed to be the best PAF repro so far. I'm still trying to decide if I like them, my ears say that the 60s have more natural midrange than 59s, but I can eq it out on my amps. They also seem to be unpotted. I'm really inspired by the sound and feel of the '60 LP, the looks and quality are just icing.Ron

Bought this to complete my Skynyrd sound and it screams. Finish is great I run this through a late 80's Peavey Triumph and a Marshall JCM800 no extra effects. This guitar is awesome! My current favorite Guitar! Still need to Strat or Tele for the King or Gains Sound but man this thing is versatile! Set up was ready to go right out of the box! I have humidity issues so I have had to adjust the neck but that is pretty common for my area and the mahogany necks!Stanley

Just got my Lzzy in this past week and it plays as good as it looks. Slim profile neck is fantastic for lead work and the pickups sound ballsy and are more than well-suited for hard rock and metal. The guitar is a bit heavier than other Explorers I own but the sound produced is well worth it. I highly recommend this and give it a 5 stars for not only its looks but everything else about it!RT

I'm not a rich guy but I don't want garbage guitar's. This review is more about American Musical supply than this single guitar. In the past 5 year's I have purchased 15 guitar's from American and every one of them have been really great guitar's. I could never afford to buy these guitar's outright being a disabled Veteran I don't make enough money, so American is for ME a life saver. I no longer think about how bad my life is when I pick up one of these beautiful guitar's and play my worries away.Randy

I have played guitar and bass for 20 years, and I have always had average guitars. I just received this Les Paul in wine red. This is my first high end instrument, and it is flawless. The fretwork, finish, and intonation are immaculate. The gold hardware adds luxury to an already classy instrument. I make it a point to play every guitar I own unplugged to hear it's inherit acoustic properties. The tone is rich and snappy. Plugged into my Blackstar HT 60 2×12, this LP gives me epic tone and sustain. I feel the need to learn every riff off of Elegant Gypsy by Al Di Meola to so this guitar justice. I now know why he, and so many of the greats used Les Paul's. Thanks AMS for helping me afford such a beautiful sounding work of art.El Doctor Boca-Dientes

Love the gold hardware on black. Looks sharp.This guitar is very versatile. Lots of sustain and resonance. The pickups have a very clear and transparent tone. Playability is excellent. Had to adjust the action and truss rod. I also dressed the fretboard to make it darker. To me the darker rosewood fretboard looks more attractive. My only complaint is a little bit of dark paint overspray on the fretboard. Hence I darkened the fretboard. Quality is not as good as my American made PRS but the Gibsons have more vibe and mojo to me.A.Santos

I've been playing guitar for over 15 years. I got an 05' Gibson SG Standard for my 13th birthday. Over the years of influence in your ear about other guitars, you decide to dabble with different sounds and set ups. After playing a few strats, a ES-339, and a LP Standard over the years, I've always found myself to be happy at home with my SG. The 490R and 498T pickups are the best pickups Gibson made in my opinion. The versatility is astounding, ranging from jazz-fusion types like Larry Carlton, to the crunch of post hardcore, while pitching perfectly on iconic 70s solos and leads. Wether you're new to the Gibson family, or looking to add to your Arsenal, the SG Standard will forever please, and forever fit into any track.Jack

Absolutely love this guitar. It has taken the spot of my main Gibson for playing out. I alternate between this and my Dark Night American Pro II Stratocaster. The color schemes go well together and match my band's logo color scheme and branding so that's kind of a cool plus. I love the neck profile, the U shape is chunkier than a 60's Les Paul but is very comfortable in my hand and really reduces fatigue when I'm playing chords. I am still able to shred away with ease during solo time. I'm a huge fan of the nitro cellulous finish. I really like how the mahogany body resonates…I think it improves the tone. The QC, fit and finish on this guitar seems flawless to me. Gibson has really stepped up. Lastly, I want to comment on the soft case. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I was very surprised at how much padding there is and how plush it is on the inside. It is much more portable than a hard shell and honestly, with the shoulder strap….I may prefer it over the hard shell. It's easier to take to practice or a gig and the pocket has enough room for my wireless buds, iPod and foot controller (for iPod). I'm really stoked with my new SG, and I'd love to get one in white with gold hardware if AMS will ever offer it;-).Jon

Overall: This guitar showed up in need of a complete setup. Nothing was properly adjusted and setup, and I’m still not sure about the neck truss rod. Fortunately for me I know how to setup a guitar, however everything was out. When I set up a neck I usually adjust for .009” relief. I am unable get that with this neck probably because the truss rod was installed wrong at the factory. I might send this one back for that reason because if I ever go to a light gauge string I’d have to raise the action at the bridge so high it would be unplayable. As far as the CTS pots, they’re a very cheap version and they’re not very good. I replaced all of them with Bournes 500k pots and installed a Switchcraft jack. It definitely makes a big difference. Now that it’s been setup and fixed, except for the neck truss rod, it’s a great guitar. The Epiphone pickups sound great and the tuners are nice too. The finish is perfect and the stock hardware seems good. I certainly can recommend this guitar, but I feel zZounds should at least try and send these out in better condition. A setup like what I did would cost about $150. The last guitar I bought from zZounds was perfect, they let me down this time.Scott

Overall: I live in a large city and it is still impossible to find a Gibson 335 that plays and sounds great, has no issues or questionable history and comes with a price tag lower than a new one to justify the gamble. As a result, I decided to pull the trigger on a new one and went for the figured, not so much for the flame but for the lower weight and select wood, knowing both my back would thank me and that the guitar would probably be a bit more open and resonant. Block inlays are certainly nice and that may have helped sway my decision too. The 335 arrived with an impeccable setup, right out of the box from the factory. In my 35 years of playing, I’ve never had this happen. I’ve heard of it happening but never to me. I always have to tweak the truss rod to straighten the neck a bit, adjust the bridge action, widen the nut slots and intimate the guitar. Every time. The only adjustment I’ve had to make is lower the pickups a bit for balance, that’s it! Plays like an absolute dream. Here is why you want this guitar rather than a used one—. the neck. None of that weird pencil thin 335 necks from the past or those horrible and slow baseball bat necks… this is perfect. I don’t know what Gibson is doing in Nashville now, but they are making these guitars better than they ever have. Having always been a fan of Classic ‘57 pickups, I read about these T Type pickups being bright. It is true that they are bright, however it works so well in this guitar. Roll back the tone knobs for the mellower and darker sounds, especially when in the neck position for a classic straight-ahead jazz sound, or rolled back in the bridge to fatten up rhythms…but the thing is, roll the tone up for that beautiful bite and thunk in single line solos. I have had bright guitars in the past and there is nothing you can do for them. No matter the pickups or amp, it remains bright and pingy. This is not a bright guitar and has such a beautifully balanced and mellow acoustic voice, the pickups suit it well and I will not replace them. Is it an insane amount of money? Yes. It is. In 10 years when I have blown through $4K many times over and have nothing to show for it, will I still have this 335? Yes. I will. It’s an investment and zZounds makes it possible for someone like me to have something nice. This is an absolutely breathtaking guitar. In playability, sound, and appearance—Gibson is on top of their game these days and I think the future will look back at this era as their new golden age.Michael

Upon opening the case, the case was hard to open, like it didn't fit top cover to bottom cover. The guitar smells of cheap carnauba wax (if you wax your own car you know there are great waxes that smell good) this is not the great smell of the past Gibson guitars I have purchased in the past. There was a light haze to the guitar like the wax was dried but not wiped off completely. The was not common of years pasts Gibson's. Its a very light weight guitar. Nice to hold and even sitting with it to play does not dig into the underarm like a thick acoustic does over time. The ice tea version does look great front to back. I can't tell if it's AAA but its very nice. The head stock look s like it wasn't cut symmetrically compared to the other side or sanded to much. The neck is nice and thick and wider top to bottom which I like for fitting all my fingers on the 1-5 frets for chords. Their is a lot of fret buzz on the G string throughout the range of the neck, It looks like the G string is higher than all the other strings in an attempt to reduce the buzz. I thought these were machine prepped ?? I can most likely (hopefully)make some adjustments for this. The frets feel thinner than my Les Paul's. Not sure if I like this but I can get used to it. The sound on a clean channel is great. I really like the sound. The volume knobs have no volume from 0 – almost 2, they don't change the volume a lot from 3-7, from 8-10 is almost all the volume change. I have never had this experience before. The tone knobs actually lowers the volume from 1-3 which I thought is also strange. I have no experience with a ES model so maybe this is normal. If it is, then I am not sure I would have purchased. I don't regret the purchase but I was expecting perfection for this price.Just Me

I love 335 but played several that I found meh. Preferred the Heritage H-535 I bought to most Gibbies I tried. Until I played that one at my local GC store. Was immediately captivated with the tone. Went back several times, and took the plunge despite the sticker shock. At home, in my amp it sounded even better than in the shop. Absolutely wonderful guitar, that feels and sounds as good and sometimes even better than vintage 60s 335 I tried or owned. I am in love! But what a price tag…Gibson CS is becoming unattainable fast.Stéphane

I use it just for my own enjoyment and growth as a guitarist and musician. I've wanted a top-flight guitar for awhile now. The neck is easily playable, even for a guy like me with relatively small hands. It played well for me right out of the box. It is pricy, but then, you get what you pay for. I would highly recommend.Tony in Vegas

Guitar shipped UPS. Unboxed it that same day. Was in perfect condition. Gibson hardcase with red velvet interior box candy included a cheap strap, a universal truss rod adjustment tool, literature and a picture of the guitar at the factory. I plugged it in and after a few amp adjustments on the low gain clean side with reverb and delay began to play. The strings are new 10s, it came tuned down for shipping, I tuned it up and played a few licks. The action is low and does not buzz, truss rod is perfect, annotation perfect, finish perfect. The sound is incredibly clear jangly and tasty unlike any of my other guitars. The T type pickups are unbelievably good. I haven't really tried putting heavy gain on it but I did notice the more gain the more effective the tone knobs become. But even clean the tone and volume adjustments are noticeable more than most guitars. Overall I am very happy with the purchase, I believe I will choose this guitar over every other guitar in my collection. I have played every guitar I can get my hands on and the ES 335 with the T type pickups blows every other guitar away. There is no better guitar on the market. Thank you Gibson for this instrument and thank you Guitar Center for your wonderful customer service.Steve

When I first opened the box what I saw was a work of art, I only hoped it was as great as it looked. I pushed the power button on the G-Foece Tuners and the G string light up red, I picked the G and all ways in tune. I checked it with my Petersen Strobe Tuner, and yes it was spot on. I plugged into a Vox AC30 HW, the notes that came out of the speakers seem to bloom with harmonics I've never heard before. The fit and finish looked like someone went through the Les Paul with a fine tooth comb, I figured the Les Paul being a 2016 would need a set of fresh strings. The instruction for the G-Force Tuners states to do one string at a time, so the G-Force would not need to be recalibrate. So I set up the windup wind down menu on the G-Force unwound the low E. The rewind confused me a bit, usually i cut the string about 1 1/2 past the next tuner, not so with the G-Force only cut the string to the next tuner inline, too much string will cause the G-Force to lock up due to too many winds on the post. When you get to the G-B-E Strings 1 1/2 will work better so the Strings don't slip on the post and cause tuning issues. The 490R & 498T pickups really surprised me. The 490R is very articulate not muddy in any way, if fact I use it more that I've ever used a neck pickup…the middle position is great for Lead or Rhythm, I've heard Jimmy Page uses this position a lot now I understand why. The 498T is very hot 13.7 ohms as opposed to the 7.6 ohms neck. Even though the ohms are far apart they work well together. I set my Neck volume about 6 for a nice clean rhythm sound and the bridge I set at 8-9 so when I want that little more bark it's there. So to sum it all up this Les Paul is all I need to get the tones I need. This is my Desert island Guitar.Huncy Sound Studio

I just bought a nice Candy Apple Deluxe Fender Strat a while back to upgrade to a REAL guitar, so a Les Paul was next on my list of guitars to get…someday down the road. Went to GC and traded in my bass to upgrade to a new one. On the wall I saw this deep cobalt blue Les Paul for under 2K. After 2 weeks I could not resist, said YOLO and ordered it online for store pickup. A wonderful instrument and offers a much different sound in contrast with the Strat, no regrets. I often just stare at it because it is a work of art, looks so nice next to my new strat and bass 🙂Anthony

While I still feel that the lower-end Epiphone Les Paul's (I had a Special II as my first electric) are great for the money, I decided to move up to my first actual Gibson Les Paul. The weight relief is what immediately caught my attention and I find this guitar a lot more comfortable to play. I'm also blown away by how much sustain it has over my previous Epiphone not to mention the overall finish and the ability to split the humbuckers. I went for the Cherry Burst but it wasn't easy to choose as the Midnight in Manhattan (blue) looked just as beautiful.Lloyd

I'm a collector and player of the unique and unusual of the big brand and some off brand stuff. Never been a huge Gibby fan, even though in a classic rock guy. The flying v crescent moon is wonderful though, and has a vibe and feel all its own. When you think that legends from Hendrix to king played them, and had a style all they're own, the V just has its own place in the guitar world. I swapped the hot ceramic Gibby pups for some Seymour Duncan's with chrome covers, as I wanted a more dressed look and blues warmth from this lightweight but oh so solid beast. I did the graphitec saddles as well, again for a warm vibe. The result is amazing, period. I'll put her against anything from anybody in tone, weight, style, playability and feel. Even before the mods, still best of the best. All welds perfect, fret work perfect, finish accomplished the look of a vintage road warrior. Nickle hardware, true Ebony fretboard, feels like one gorgeous piece of mahogany in your arms as the neck and body are so perfectly set together.golfn64

This guitar sounds so good, it's hard to say if it's the wood or pickups. Who cares? It sounds good. Good tone and sustain. I look forward to playing it. Tuning is easy, playing it is comfortable. It has the original good looks that the Flying V was made with. I have heard people with Gibsons say that they with the knobs were like on my V. They also liked the placement of the jack. Which, I want to say, are 2 solid reasons I wanted this guitar. The Through-the=body stop and the jack at the end of the wing tip. Very nice.David

Gibson Flying V. Antique natural. Low action and great playability from factory. Awesome fretboard even though multiple tool marks around fret ends. Good access. Pickups sound good clean and can get hot enough for metal with a boost. Nice grain in wood. Couple small sand marks under nitro. Neck feels great. Giving it 4 stars for cosmetic issues but played so well did not send it back or even pursue price reduction. Case is very nice. AMS great as always. Killer payment plans and fast shipping.Todd

I have always wanted a 335, but did not like the larger size. I saw this 339 and stepped up and bought it home. Had to wait 6 weeks, but was it ever worth it. This is the best guitar I have ever played or been around. Cannot make my mind up if it plays better than it looks, or if it looks better then it sounds. It came set up really well, intonation and all. All I had to do was tune it and go. Cannot find one flaw in the paint, assembly or anything wrong at all. It rings so true, holds a note and there is a major difference when selecting either pickup or both, and the tone and volume controls lets you have an infinite setting control on tone and volume. Set the bridge to really ring out and the neck one a little muddy and together it is killer, but can flip the switch and brighten a solo up good. An absolute joy to play. Just strike your favorite chord and let it ring…beautiful fun. I was worried about the neck thickness, but it is a non issue. Easy to chord, simple to fret in any way you please. I cannot express just how happy I am with this guitar. Michael at musicians friend was a great help in every way getting it here.Keith

Very comfortable to hold and play, with a slightly chunky neck which is my preference. Combines the best aspects of 335s and Les Pauls. It's also heavier than I thought it would be (again for me a good thing, I don't like feather-light guitars) I was expecting SG weights and annoying neck dive. As suggested already it seems to sound somewhere between a full-sized 335 type and a solid body, which again isn't much of a surprise. Seems to have more twang than my LP which is good for my taste, which is more soul and funk. The finish is also perfect, though slightly different to the one advertised at the time of purchase. The neck fades into a natural varnish rather than the all-black paint. Also the sides are solid natural varnish rather than the fading between black and natural effect.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Looks great, sounds great, plays great. One of the nicest gig bags I've ever seen. Came out of the box at the store set up and tuned! Fit and finish were perfect and the wine red just pops under stage lighting…unlike the one that was on display…and this is why I don't buy guitars online! Got it home, changed the strings to the gauge I prefer, lowered the string height a smidge, and checked the intonation which was spot on. Took it to a pro jam out in the valley where it got lots of compliments from the other players for it's sound and looks…it's as nice a Les Paul as I've ever played. If you get one like mine you won't regret it! But go to the GC and pick yours out and save yourself some possible grief. You won't regret that either!Stephen

First of all, why I waited so long to add a Les Paul to the collection is beyond me. This thing is so comfortable to play, between the weight balance and the neck feel. I mostly play slim taper as I've smaller hands, but theres just something about this 50s neck. The feel is something I'd describe as substantial, like you're not just playing something that's super light and borderline weightless, but instead an extension of yourself. The range on the P90s is absolutely bonkers. The lows actually give you some great clarity, while the higher you go, the more it pushes and begins to punch. The neck pickup (and middle position as well) sound wonderfully warm and comfortable, especially through my Orange TH30. I do not understand why I waited so long to get my first Les Paul, and I can safely say this guitar will not leave my side for a long long time. Bonus points for how quick this shipped…ordered on a Friday, delivered on a Saturday! Freaking fast, and faster than I anticipated, but not complaining at all. Thank you so much AMS for helping me be the rock star I know I am!Matt

So I have several guitars and have come to enjoy the sound of p 90 pickups. Wow. This thing does not disappoint. The quality of build is outstanding. The Tv yellow is beautiful. Being mostly a Fender player, I was very unsure of the neck size. Wow, I actually love it. Being a bit older, this guitar neck is actually a little easier for me to dig into. The frets are amazing. I can do thinks on this neck that I can no longer do on my thinner necked guitars. It's an awesome guitar. I never owned a Gibson but wow.. the Case itself is worth the purchase. Holy moly every guitar should automatically come with a case like this. Awesome purchase.Dorje Champa

This guitar has an amazing vibe to it. The P90s are awesome. They have that midrange snarl that we all know and love. The 50s neck is very chunky, but in a good way. The feel of this guitar literally throws be back in time to the 50s. Combine that with the retro look and the classic TV yellow finish, it just makes me want to jam to some good old school rock and roll. Being a couple pounds lighter than my Standard, I can play this one all night without any shoulder issues. There is so much to love about the look and feel, but let's not overlook that fact that this is a tone monster! I will definitely be using it in some upcoming recordings. That being said, there are some not so awesome issues that need to be mentioned. A very minor issue is the intonation. All the strings were slightly sharp at the 12th fret. This was even across all the strings, so it has nothing to do with the wrap around bridge. This could have been set properly before leaving the factory with a small turn of the set screws in the bridge. No biggie though. A couple minutes with a screwdriver and a tuner and I have that issue fixed. The bigger issue is the condition of the binding and the fretboard. It looks to me like they were both damaged by the Plek machine during the factory setup. There are compression dings in both, the binding and fretboard. There is also a section that looks like a file carved into the fretboard. There is a similar compression ding in the binding right behind the nut. If that wasn't enough, the binding on the low E side is uneven and looks like a groove is carved into it lengthwise. You can see these in the attached photos. I don't know how these defects made it past quality control. If I was doing the final setup at the factory I would have flagged this one as a factory second. I guess the rumors about the improved quality at Gibson is a matter of the luck of the draw, because the fit and finish in the areas I mentioned are quite poor on mine. Yes, these flaws are cosmetic and won't affect the playability in any way, but I still expect better from Gibson. I guess some things will never change over there and this is what we have to expect if we want their name on the headstock. I give this guitar an A+ for tone and feel, a D for quality control and defects. All things considered it gets an overall C+. At the end of the day it is still a keeper because I love playing it, defects and all.Mike

This is my first Gibson guitar purchase. I waited over 5 months for this guitar to arrive. I've had it for a few days now and I'm trying to process how this guitar passed Gibson Quality Assurance. The guitar for the most part sounds amazing, plays pretty good, despite action being higher than I expected. However, the reason for the low rating is craftsmanship is poor, the finish on the back of the guitar is different than what's advertised, and I didn't get the case it was supposed to come with. The fretboard has glue stains all over it, which I know is something that can be cleaned up. But what's most disturbing are the dents on the fretboard and these two hole punches on the 11th fret. I don't even think Epiphones are this bad. The top looks amazing otherwise and the guitar sounds great. I've made inquiries to Musicians Friend, twice. I was promised to receive a call from someone in the Private Reserve department or a supervisor. No one has called back. So I took matters into my own hands and called Gibson. They told me to email photos and they would make an exception to cover shipping costs back to them(thank you, Gibson!). However after I emailed Gibson, I never heard anything back and I'm not sure how they're going to fix the holes on the fretboard. This doesn't seem like something that's fixable. For spending this kind of money, I expected so much better from both parties. If I wanted a used Gibson with a mismatched case, I would've bought one for much less. It's very disturbing nobody from Musicians Friend is taking this matter seriously given the amount of money I've spent on this guitar. Anyone considering purchasing any instrument from Musicians Friend, especially one that is high end, I strongly suggest shopping elsewhere. They don't stand by the products they sell. I'm still holding out hope Gibson is gonna take care of this issue and make this right. Thank you, Musicians Friend for being my "friend" and advocating for me. (sarcasm)gofarkid

Overall: In a word: ******* amazing. No matter the price, you would think a guitar sitting in a warehouse for any length of time would need a setup. Not with this Wine Red Les Paul Custom! The only caveat is it was completely out of tune (to be expected); a little "nut sauce" and it was good as gold. And that lacquer smell still haunts my house! Well worth it…Mere words are not enough to describe the sound and the power with this guitar. It blows away my 2014 Traditional (a nice guitar in its own right); it is not even a comparison. The neck is so much easier to play. Fit and finish are flawless. In closing: save your money, eat Ramen noodles for a year if you must, wear your hole-in-the-crotch jeans for as long as necessary and BUY THIS GUITAR!Jeff

I have 7 guitars, a 1977 D35 Martin, a new Telecaster, a Gretsch G5621T, an Ovation Legend 2048, and a couple of others, this is the best of the bunch, just purchased a black beauty and the 68 reissue, in my opinion is as good and better then any other reissue or Custom.Athal

I gig over 100 times a year. I play Les Paul's. My current number one has burstbucker pro pickups. This modern has them as well with the asymmetrical neck. it sounds and plays amazing, and will likely replace my standard has my number one. I checked it out for quality issues. This is a very well-made guitar. Only one small thing it arrived with a broken tone knob cap. I called Gibson and I got one in the mail two days later very quick.Bill

I've been a long time Gibson fan and have owned several over the years. I've held on to the good ones and have gotten rid of the rest. Gibson has been known to have their quality control issues for quite a while now and being that I'm an online buyer I was reluctant to pull the trigger on this one. But…I heard that Gibson was under new management and I'm also a sucker for an ebony fretboard, MOP inlays and locking tuners…so I pulled the trigger! Let me say that this one is an absolute keeper! The fit and finish is perfect except for a dull spot on the finish under the pickguard nut/pad (this is from putting the guard on when the finish hasn't cured all the way), the binding is flush with the side of the of the body around the entire guitar (a common problem from routing the binding channel too deep), and the frets edges are finished smooth even in the higher register. I love everything about this guitar, the sparkle finish of the Graphite color top (it's shows but is not over done), the pickups sound great and have the switching capabilities for any style of music, the bypass switch is super cool as it takes you from whatever pickup/coil tap combination you're in at the time right back to a straight bridge pickup, and the neck feels good and natural at any place along the fretboard. If I had to say something negative about the guitar, I would say that they didn't do a great job on their intention of the "new modern contoured heel" because it still has a blocky corner at the neck joint, but as a Gibson owner I am accustomed to blocky heels so I really doesn't bother me. First time buying a guitar from Sam Ash and it was set up perfectly and was immediately playable. The tech that set this up knew what he was doing! You have a repeat customer here!!Dave C.

The action and finish were flawless out of the box. The compound radius neck was very comfortable for single note playing. Unfortunately, the guitar body did not resonate well when playing chords. It might have been a one-off fluke. Although the LP was very playable, I preferred the width and scale of an Ibanez RG550 neck.Anonymous

I have owned at least a dozen Gibsons over the years and this is by far the best quality build of any I have ever had. The pickups on this guitar are the best of any guitar I ever owned. This guitar is a masterpiece.al2758

I got tired of gigging my 200 Gibson ES 335 so bought this as a gig guitar. I like it so much I play it more than any of my guitars. At about 1/3 of the cost of my 335 I get result that are at least as good, A little crispier. My new favoriteChicago Craig

Only $300 difference from standard and $500 from modern LP… tough choice. I like flame tops for sure but bored of tobacco burst, honey burst, cherry burst and other plain traditional bursts… so leaned towards something more classic modern and bold… so went with translucent cherry. And my back isn't great so wanted something lighter. The coil tapping is nice to have but isn't great… especially compared to my PRS guitars. I'm not sure why Gibson can't figure this out. Again nice to have but wish Gibson could do a better job with this. Coil tapping quality was the same on my studio. I absolutely love the pickups on this guitar… probably some of best humbuckers ever made because of the extra brightness and clarity. I've sold so many of my guitars with humbuckers and gravitated towards single coil guitars because humbuckers are typically muddy in comparison. These 61's are a game changer for me and got me interested in Gibson LPs again. I love the colors of the LP modern too… but not sure what you're are getting extra for the added $500 other than a carved heal joint which I'll never use… and ultra weight relief… which is good if you have a bad back. But I think the electronics are the same with slightly hotter pickups. I guess boils down to which pickups you prefer and color. I love the classic and modern LP colors… again tough choices…but classic is perfect for me… I really love them all for different reasons though.Thad

What we have here is a great American made Gibson Les Paul for a good price. I bought one a year ago and bought a second as a backup/different tuning for stage use. Not that the guitar requires a backup, but strings break and things happen. The 490 pickups are great all around work horses. While I'd recommend different pickups on a per person/per style situation, these are right in my ball park and do what I want them to (goosed with an OD or boost at times). All of the electronics and hardware are fine. Same with fit/finish and the gig bag (which is also very nice). As I said, I have two of these now. The first is a year old and has been through once a week rehearsals and twice a week gigs. The satin finish on the neck settles in nicely with a bit of playing and sweat. It gets slicker over time, shows age, and feels great. Same with the body as well. As with all satin finished guitars, it wont stay that way. Playability on both were perfect out of the bag. No sharp frets and setup/intonation were just to my liking. Now let's compare these Tributes to a Standard. I won't discuss the chambered body versus non nor the maple versus mahogany necks. You really won't notice the difference other than the weight. More weight does not always equal better tone. Here's the thing, I don't notice a difference in tone between the Tribute and Standard….well, not enough to justify the cost difference. I had my doubts when I ordered my first one that it could stand up to my Standard. But I dug it off the bat. To quell my doubts, I had the other guitarist in my band run it through its paces so that I could stand back and hear. That was the Les Paul tone….I was happy. As such, I ordered a second as they were in my stable to stay. Solid guitars with great tone that I will not cry about when they get dinged or messed with at a gig. Now, the Tributes are thinner than the Standards. And of course no bling such as binding or headstock inlays. Switch washer comes in the bag should you choose to install it. But the tone and playability is what you expect from a Les Paul. I would, and have, recommended these to my friends. Great instrument at a great price. BTW, the included case. This was an incredible surprise as I didn't know what to expect. It's a lether "type" exterior, great padding, pink fuzzy interior, LARGE front pocket, and double backpack straps. It's a VERY nice bag! Accessory kit gets you a picture of your guitar being setup, documents that you will probably not read, a few tools, and as of this posting, a nylon guitar strap. While lower in scale compared to the Standard (what with it's hard case, multi tool, and leather strap), it's still rather cool. All in all, these are my go to guitars for stage and studio right now. I have more expensive guitars, but cost doesn't equal tone or feel.Brandon

I'd been in the market for a new acoustic for a while but never really knew which one to go for. Luckily, PMT in Birmingham has a fantastic range of acoustics and their super helpful staff were extremely patient with me as I tried about a dozen different models, including various Taylors and Martins. For some reason, I had always thought that Taylor and Martin guitars would be the cream of the crop when it came to acoustics and, as such, had never considered Gibsons even though I own several Gibson electrics. However, the second I started playing the Gibson SJ200, it was obvious that this was the one. A really comfortable neck, a gloriously balanced sound that you can 'feel' wash through you when you play, great responsiveness to the attack of your pick… I could go on. Whilst it might be a strange thing to say, whilst it does have a great pickup in it, it feels more like a traditional acoustic guitar than any of the others that I played. Whatever your style – fingerpicking through to power chord rock – this one does it all. Granted, it ain't cheap. However, if you're only ever going to buy one acoustic to keep forever, I would heartily recommend trying a Gibson Montana SJ200. If it's good enough for the likes of Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Pete Townsend, then it's good enough for me!David C.

I use this guitar in regular performances in my group, the Ramblin' Rangers. It complements the rest of my Gibson guitars with its full sound and ease of playing.Ranger Brad