Gibson Les Paul Premium Plus Review

Recently I purchased my first real electric guitar--a Gibson Les Paul Premium Plus.

Like many other people, I have always considered the Les Paul the holy grail of guitars. Big sustain, growling humbuckers, and that classic style. For the longest time, however, I had talked myself out of the Les Paul. They are expensive and heavy. When the time came that I could start shopping, I started looking at SGs since they have similar pickups but are a bit cheaper.

First, I need to say that I would not own an Epiphone version of the Les Paul or SG. I played a couple of them years ago and was shocked by the poor quality. Since I am an acousitc player first, I tend to press hard on the neck. I was actually bending the necks of the Epiphones enough to change the pitch. No thanks. It's Gibson or nothing (I'll talk about the difference between Gibsons and Fenders another day).

Another part of owning a guitar like this is the way it looks (you look good, you play good). So I eliminated the models without block inlays (most SG Standards, Les Paul Jrs, and Les Paul Studios).

At a Guitar Center, I played a couple of SGs and then saw my guitar--a used Les Paul Studio Premium Plus. As expected, it has the great Les Paul tone. But what sold it for me was the look and the price.

The Premium Plus (which is not made any more) is an upgraded Studio in that it has block inlays, gold hardware, and a flamed-maple top (mine is natural finish--you can also find them stained different colors). What the guitar lacks when compared to a standard Les Paul is binding around the body and fretboard (neither of which are important to me) and no pickguard (more on that later).

Being a newer model, it features a chambered (partly hollowed out) body. This reduces the weight significantly (from 10 down to 7 pounds according to some) that makes it much more comfortable to play. I have read purists that hate the chambering, but I find it has all the sustain I can ever use. How long do you want to hold one note anyway?

What really makes this guitar stand out is the flamed maple top. As you can see in the picture, it is gorgeous. So much so that Gibson did not include a pickguard so as to not cover it up. Therefore, this might not be a good option if you really beat up your guitars when you play.

The final selling point for me was the price. The new SGs that I was looking at cost $1500, but I got this beauty for $1100. A Les Paul rather thanb an SG with an upgraded top and for less money!!! I couldn't buy it fast enough.

Since Gibson does not make this model anymore, you would need to look around for a used one (I've seen a few on e-bay). Obviously there are issues with used guitars. The back of mine had buckle scratches and the gold hardware is already fading a bit. Of course, the factory warranty is no longer in effect. But if you can evaluate guitars and do not mind a used instrument, I have been seeing these in the $1100 to $1500 range.

To sum up, this is a great guitar that will be my sole electric for the rest of my life. If you can find one, check it out.