Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014 and Its Many Improvements Introduced

The Gibson Les Paul Standard has undergone numerous upgrades over the years, but the 2014 model introduced in the same year as Gibson’s 120^th anniversary brought about the most significant changes to date. According to Music Radar, “For its latest Standard, Gibson felt the time was right to bring both boutique elements and technological advances into play, dragging the instrument bang into the 21st century.” It brings the usual presence of a Standard, but with a little more kick to it.

Build-wise, the body still says Les Paul. The mahogany neck and rosewood is still there, but the neck profile is now asymmetrical and the fret goes over the binding. Timber-wise, it still sticks to tradition; it’s just that there is now a maple cap over the mahogany body. The fingerboard has cream colored binding as well as the top of the body, which is a signature of a Les Paul Standard. The model is lighter and more comfortable, which means it is perfect for long nights of music.

When it comes to sound, the 2014 Standard is equipped with a pair of Burstbucker Pro humbucking pickups which make use of AINiCo V magnets to give it an extra edge and brightness in tone. It is similar in power to an R9, but with a little sharper tone. The guitar still has the three-way pickup selector switch and four knobs—one volume and one tone knob for each of the pickups. New to this Standard is the fact that the volume knobs and its respective humbucker can be pulled for a more single-coil tone. In addition, it boasts the Min-ETune robotic tuners, which allows for flexibility in tunings and can store 18 different tunings, 6 of which can be user-defined.

Overall, the 2014 Gibson Les Paul Standard is a wonderful guitar. It manages to be both modern and vintage, with vintage looks and a modern functionality. The playability is great, with responsiveness that will make anyone want to just pick it up and play. It is an excellent representation of 120 years of Gibson guitars. Budding musicians looking for a new guitar should definitely consider this 2014 Standard. As your Northern oasis of Gibson quality, Rainbow Music have a range of 2014 Standards in stock as well as other variations of the Les Paul theme.

(Source: Gibson Les Paul Standard 2014, Music Radar, April 1, 2014)