seed · 2025-01-01
Consensus: unmatched sustain and thick humbucker tone; criticized weight (~9+ lbs) and neck-heal access.
electric · single-cut solidbody
Les Paul Standard
| Maker | Gibson |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Type | electric · single-cut solidbody |
| Introduced | 1952 |
| Price | USD 2599 (2026-09) |
| Maker founded | 1894 |
| Status | current |
Gibson's single-cutaway electric with a mahogany body, carved maple top and two humbuckers, offered with a rounded '50s neck or a slimmer '60s profile.
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Why it matters
The Les Paul Standard is the reference point against which most other single-cut designs are measured, and original late-1950s examples remain the most valuable production electric guitars on the market. Prices have climbed steadily, which has moved the Standard into serious-purchase territory rather than a first-guitar choice. Buyers now weigh the '50s and '60s neck profiles against plain-top and figured-top versions at different prices.
Note
Mahogany body, carved maple top, two humbuckers (since 1957), set neck. THE rock guitar; "burst" 1958–60 Standards are the most valuable guitars in the world.
Specifications
- Scale length: 628.65 mm (24.75 in)
- Neck shape: 50s Vintage ('50s) / SlimTaper ('60s)
Before you buy
- choose the neck profile first — the '50s carve is noticeably rounder than the SlimTaper '60s
- the guitar is heavy, so try one standing up before committing
- individual examples differ in weight and finish feel, so play the actual instrument where possible
Collected notes
Other opinions
One video is one opinion. These are the other videos for this entry, most-viewed first. The order is the view count, not a ranking of ours.
Andertons Music Co · 2019-05 · 743,923 views
“Head over to the Andertons website to find the products in the video!”
Andertons runs through the Standard '50s and '60s models side by side.
Guitar Center · 2024-06 · 141,034 views
“It was British guitar legends such as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton who proved America’s “Standard” was—and is—an absolute megastar of tone.”
Guitar Center demos a '60s Standard with an AAA flame top.