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Every new 2008 Les Paul Standard will benefit
from Gibson’s proven chambering technique, which leaves each guitar with
perfect tone, balance, and weight. Prior to gluing the maple cap on top
of the mahogany body, the expert craftsmen at Gibson USA carve out carefully
mapped-out chambers in the body using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC)
router. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination
of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this
process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have
repercussions on the instrument’s sound. So, in addition to relieving the
stress on a player’s back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also
enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The
results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder,
with increased sustain and resonance.
The 2008 Les Paul Standard features TonePros locking
Nashville Tune-o-matic in a chrome finish, which has saddle adjustment
screws on the pickup side, and pre-notched saddles for quick installation.
The chrome locking stopbar tailpiece is also from TonePros. These parts
come with locking studs designed to secure both components firmly to the
body so that there is no lean, yielding a great union between the strings
and body which results in excellent tone and sustain
The 2008 Les Paul Standard features all newly
designed controls, including custom-made, gold-plated potentiometers manufactured
by Bourns, one of the industry’s leading makers of guitar electronics.
These new potentiometers deliver accuracy and high reliability, while giving
the Standard ’08 a new level of sonic clarity and intensity never before
seen in a Les Paul.
Gibson’s drive to recapture the magic of the original
“Patent Applied For” humbucker pickups of the 1950s culminated with the
introduction of the Burstbucker line in the early 1990s. In 2002, Gibson
followed up this innovative accomplishment with yet another breakthrough
in pickup design—the Burstbucker Pro, designed specifically for the new
Les Paul Standards. The Burstbucker Pro features an Alnico V magnet (instead
of the Alnico II), which offers slightly higher output and allows preamps
to be driven a little harder to achieve a more natural break-up. Like all
Burstbuckers, the Burstbucker Pro has asymmetrical coils—true to the original
PAFs—which supply a more open sound. The Burstbucker Pro Neck is wound
slightly less than the original PAFs, while the Burstbucker Pro Bridge
is slightly overwound for increased output. The Burstbucker Pro pickups
are also wax potted to allow loud volume pressures with minimal feedback.
The 2008 Les Paul Standard is one of the first
models from Gibson USA to utilize the revolutionary Plek machine in setting
up the guitar. The Plek is a German-made, computer controlled machine that
carefully measures each fret, along with the fingerboard height under each
string, and then automatically dresses each fret, virtually eliminating
string buzz and greatly improving the overall playability of the guitar.
Neutrik has been making superior electronic interconnection
products since 1975, making them the logical choice to supply the performance
safeguarding jack in Gibson’s 2008 Les Paul Standard. Like many Neutrik
products, the jack in the 2008 Les Paul Standard is manufactured from strong,
high-grade thermoplastics and housed in a rugged diecast nickel shell.
A retention spring inside the jack ensures optimum grip on any guitar cable,
thus avoiding the chance of lost connection.
The 2008 Les Paul Standard is outfitted with locking
tuners from Grover, which deliver ease of use through a standard tuner
and positive locking mechanism that securely locks each string in place.
Simply insert each string through the string hole, turn the dial on the
bottom of the tuner to lock the string, and begin tuning. Each string can
be tuned to pitch in less than one complete revolution of the post. These
Grover machine heads feature completely sealed components with an improved
18:1 tuning ratio.
The 2008 Les Paul Standard sports a revolutionary
enlarged neck tenon designed by Gibson’s team of pioneering engineers.
The expanded neck tenon features an innovative interlocking joint that
allows the neck to be dropped into the body from the guitar’s top side,
as opposed to sliding the neck in from the rim. When the glue is added,
a solid unyielding bond is created that maximizes the wood to wood contact
between the neck and the body, offering increased stability and superb
transfer of vibration for enhanced tone, improved sustain, and superior
resonance. It is also the largest neck tenon in the history of the Les
Paul. |
