Gibson Les Paul '50s Tribute

[John A.]

I've been kind of hunting for a LP with P90s off and on for a while, especially a goldtop (that Julian Lage Emily video definitely put a bee in my bonnet). A standard or a reissue is way out of my price league (especially for something that is much more a "nice to have" than a need), but these Studio/Tribute variants are pretty reasonable. This one had been lingering on the Guitar Center site for a month-ish at an already pretty decent price compared to what I was seeing on Reverb, then they dropped the price by $100 for a Memorial Day sale, so I jumped.

The details:
- 2013 Les Paul '50s Tribute (they have different exact names and spec details from year to year, roughly 2010-17)
- Mahogany body and neck, maple cap. The body and neck are stained dark brown. From what I've gleaned online, 2013's have "swiss cheese" weight relief (as opposed to chambered and "modern weight relief"). Looks like a 1-piece body to me (can't find a seam). It weighs 9 lbs on the nose on my bathroom scale, so not too bad for a LP, and manageable for me.
- The neck is quite chunky, but easy to get around on.
- Gold top, no binding. The finish is called "vintage gloss" nitro. While not a true deep gloss, it's appreciably shinier than a satin finish (which some years of these have), and it does actually have kind of the look and feel of an old worn finish. It has some dings and bald spots (I assume acquired, non-factory relic)
- After a set-up, it plays quite nicely (bending is super easy), and sounds great. Frets are OK (no divots or high spots), but might be due for a level/crown soon-ish.
- Two P90s with black covers and the usual 2V2T set-up. I took a peek under the back cover, and it has a circuit board with connectors rather than loose wiring (yeah, just like they did it in the '50s ...). It seems very well shielded (quieter than my strat or the P90 Godin I used to have)
- Grover tuners.

It's quite obviously not an authentic replica of a 50's LP, but it does have a vintage feel and sound to it. Should be a fun addition to the stable. Pics below:

[Stringswinger]

Congrats. May she inspire your playing for many years to come.

I have a 2017 Studio. These lower level Lesters are fine guitars.

[John A.]

Congrats. May she inspire your playing for many years to come.

I have a 2017 Studio. These lower level Lesters are fine guitars.

Thanks. And yes, the lower end ones can be great. It's amazing how much extra you pay for binding and a nicer looking piece of wood and/or shinier finish.

[Stringswinger]

Thanks. And yes, the lower end ones can be great. It's amazing how much extra you pay for binding and a nicer looking piece of wood and/or shinier finish.

I have a Studio, a Standard and a Custom. The body thickness is slightly different on all three. As the Studio has less wood (The Custom has the most), the question is this: Is it less maple or less Mahogany? As my Studio is the darkest of the three (which makes it great for jazz IMO), my guess is that it has a thinner maple cap.

[John A.]

I have a Studio, a Standard and a Custom. The body thickness is slightly different on all three. As the Studio has less wood (The Custom has the most), the question is this: Is it less maple or less Mahogany? As my Studio is the darkest of the three (which makes it great for jazz IMO), my guess is that it has a thinner maple cap.

You're probably right about that. I haven't looked at this one side by side with a Standard or Custom yet, so I don't know how it stacks up. Because of the P90s, tone would probably not help in terms of figuring that aspect out.

[John A.]

In case anyone is curious about how this sounds ...

Recording is direct using an S-Gear model of a tweed Fender amp. A little reverb and delay, no EQ or compression, tone rolled down a little on the guitar. So, can you get a jazz tone out of a Les Paul with P90s? I'd say yes.

[Woody Sound]

Did it not come with a pg?

[John A.]

Did it not come with a pg?

It did not come with a pickguard. The black pickup covers and lack of pickguard are unique to this specific year (2013) and version of this series ('50s Tribute, as opposed to '60s or '70s Tribute). I don't miss it, and I think I actually prefer it without in terms of playability, but it does look a little naked.