Les Paul Tribute vs Les Paul Standard...Which Gibson Should You Buy??
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Today I take the most affordable Les Paul TRIBUTE and pit it against the mighty STANDARD!
If you enjoyed this video, be sure to like and subscribe :)
GEAR IN VIDEO:
Gibson Tribute - imp.i114863.ne...
Gibson Standard - imp.i114863.ne...
DARRELL'S GUITARS & GEAR LIST!
imp.i114863.ne...
DARRELL'S RECORDING SETUP:
Studio Monitors - imp.i114863.ne...
Audio Interface - imp.i114863.ne...
Torpedo Captor X - imp.i114863.ne...
Condenser Mics - imp.i114863.ne...
DARRELL'S AMPLIFIERS:
Marshall - imp.i114863.ne...
Mesa Boogie - imp.i114863.ne...
Orange - imp.i114863.ne...
Hughes & Kettner - imp.i114863.ne...
Mezzabarba Trinity - www.overdrived...
*Links to gear in the video description may contain affiliate links
T-SHIRT STORE:
teespring.com/...
TAB STORE:
Songs, Lesson Worksheets, and Guitar Techniques!
www.etsy.com/c...
PATREON:
Become a Patron!
/ darrellbraunguitar
ALBUM:
iTunes:
itunes.apple.c...
OTHER FAVOURITE GEAR:
*Obsidian Wire Solderless Kits - obsidianwire.com?aff=5
*Guitar Build Kits - www.solomusicg...?ref=1931
*Favourite Fret File - www.solomusicg...
SOLI DEO GLORIA!
Which guitar did you guys think sounded the best, Tribute or Standard?
Enjoy!
Guitar Links:
Gibson Tribute - imp.i114863.net/Ke2mgy
Gibson Standard - imp.i114863.net/15k7J6
I'd say the standard.
Standard. Clearer, especially on higher notes, and on single notes to 2-3 string chords. Less noticeable on full 6 string chords, and with high distortion. Pickups on the Tribute are a bit warmer, almost a bit muddy by comparison at times. But they probably compare well to the pickups on most Epiphone Les Pauls. It's a good guitar. And certainly way cheaper. I also like the fact that most of them on the Sweetwater site when you got it came in at 8.5 pounds or less. The biggest drawback to the LP design, IMO, is the neck and shoulder straining weight. Makes them a bad option to play standing up. This one, at a little over 8 lbs if I recall correctly, is probably usable standing up.
Tribute.
The standard definitely has more bite and an overall balanced tone.
The price difference is actually around $200-$300. Why do I say that?
Buy both guitars, play them, then sell them 10 years later. You will be able to sell the Standard for $2000 or so. About a $700 drop from the original purchase price. You will be able to sell the Tribute for about $800-$900. About a $400-$500 drop from the original purchase price.
In the end, the difference will be about $200-$300. So is owning a Standard and playing it for 10 years worth $200-$300 more than owning and playing a Tribute for 10 years?
Put the standard pickups on the tribute and I'm pretty sure the tribute will sound like the standard.
Great vid!
A $1400 guitar referred to as "cheap". Welcome to the world of Gibson.
My Schecter Apocalypse was less and would beat a Gibson any day
Hence the quotations.
@@connerwright94: "beat" in what way?
the tribute series used to be $899 in 2016 now they are almost double
@@tysonhatch lol, I love those comments. But usually it's about someone's partscaster.
The Tribute has 490R and T pickups which are more of your classic "warm" Gibson tone while the burstbuckers on the standard are a lot different. Swap the pickups between guitars and the tone would travel with them. That's all we're hearing here. The Tribute is 95% of the guitar at less than half the price. It's an incredible deal.
Yeah it doesn't make a lot of sense to me why to buy a new Standard... if you are into it for the playability, performance or studio recording you are likely going to customize it fairly heavily so may as well start with the more affordable bones and add on from there (unless you are rich and have money to burn). And if you are into collectability it's probably more your thing to find a much older one in decent shape and perhaps even some history.
@Lon the new standards are epic.
thank you,.. i was thinking the same....how would you compare a tribute to a studio ??
When you've ever built a guitar, you'll know that the cosmetics like nice bindings and such cost a LOT of time => money. Technically they're not all that different. There could be differences in amounts of time spent on dressing the frets and setting up the guitar perhaps as well.
There's air in the tone with an Ultra Modern body. There's a big aesthetic difference in tone as you're playing even unplugged which is nothing to dismiss as far as ownership goes. The final amplified product is pretty close and pickups are the majority of the inherent tone as you say but there's a full hog sound with Gibsons and Epiphones that don't have all that weight relief.
I do prefer the tone of solid Les Pauls but lightness and clean satin finishes are way way more important to me. The Tribute of the past few years are an outstanding and practical product. Naturally they're ceasing production of this line. They make money in student tier and big money stuff. There's little money in these middle class guitars that us guitar nerd hobbyists love. I think the Tribute brings some new fans over to the brand and they may buy pricier ones as a result. In a perfect world they'd have this Tribute line in killer colors and also a Modern Tribute line with steel frets and maybe a heel carve. But according to their CEO these 1000 dollar range guitars are the lowest margin guitars in the industry so it's hard to produce lots of really awesome ones.
Both sound great but the Tribute is the type of guitar that i'd plan on playing for a few years than trading it out for something else. The Standard would be an heirloom.
Hit the nail on the head with that one. I had a tribute, swapped the pickups and yada yada yada, ended up selling it then bought a new Standard. Haven’t touched it, sounds and plays fantastic right out of the case. Also looks like a million bucks. Nothing against the tributes they are good guitars, but buy one and you’re fooling yourself if you think they will ever be a standard and you’ll still want the standard. Buy once cry once. Save your cash to buy what you really want, ends up being cheaper in the long run.
Me, personally, my only gripe with the Tribute is the modern weight relief chambering. I love the lack of binding, maple neck, plain maple top, and that it’s a teardrop burst at that price. I would get the iced tea finish. For me, it’s almost the perfect Les Paul but I’m not knocking the standards, they’re amazing instruments as well. Granted, I can’t afford either of them and have only played a Gibson standard once but I was blown away by it. On paper, almost exactly what I want, I’d pick the tribute, again, only gripe being the chambering.
Totally.
To boot, is a Les Paul with a maple neck..really a Les Paul? That said, I’ve only ever played two LP’s that I really liked the feel of and I don’t own one, so I’m not one to talk.
@@johnmaynes7142 I agree totally about the "weight relief" because it affects (ok a little) the sustain unless you play at a high level.
G string sounded a little out of tune on both. 😆
I feel like the standard has a lot of flare that is just there to make it look pretty. I love the stripped down look of the tribute.
Same I'm getting it to save a buck.
Exactly. Binding and gloss finish cost a lot.
I’ve owned Tribute and Classic, played Tribute, Classic, Studio, Custom and Standard 50’s and 60’s. Standards are the best for they price. Really. I’ve saved a lot of money when I’ve bought a Tribute, but I didn’t get what I wanted, what the most important for me.
I just bought the honey burst version like yours. For all the money you save over a standard It would be very easy to upgrade pickups, electronics and tuners and still come out way ahead. All the rest on the more expensive Les Paul's is just eye candy. Thanks 😊 Darrell
Exactly....
Eye candy...BINGO!!!
Upgrade to what? The pickups, pots, and tuners are all top of the line. Maybe a sideways move, wouldn’t call it an upgrade.
@@firemarshal2629 locking tuners, hand wired pots with better caps for instance. Better pickups can certainly be had but maybe the most subjective of the lot. I am also considering some coil tapping pots. I'm not saying anything on the Tribute is low quality but there is plenty of room for upgrades.
Its a great deal. You have an LP standard, minus binding and gloss, for half the price. Is gloss and binding worth a grand? Hell no.
I actually like the warmer tones of the Tribute. It has that really good older warmth sound to it.
I get that. No argument here...
Agreed!
The warmer tones make it sound more ...seasoned...
@@joshuafreedman7703 agreed. It makes it sound more accurate
cmon. you're just saying that as you can't afford a standard obviously pal
I guess affordable is relative. I liked sounds of the Tribute.
I think your comparison was spot on. Significant tone tone differences can be made by raising or lowing the pickups, and raising the pole piece heights will add more treble and clarity. It would be and interesting and instructive video to see if you can get the tone closer by adjusting the pickups as mentioned.
I would like to hear them with the same picks ups that would be fair!
Yes. Having both with pickup covers on or off. And ajusting the pickup height and pole pieces. I think it will make the tribute sound closer to the standard and maybe even avoid the need for a pickup change.
By adjusting the pole pieces and pickup height, my Tribute sounded better than my Standard (to me), and I sold the Standard. All the presence and sizzle was right there waiting to be tweaked out of it. I didn't need to pull the covers off, but that would add more top end if needed.
Tone differences have a lot to do with volume.set the tone volume on the tribute a bit different you got the same sound or just get better pickups if you cant do that.
I've got a Gibson Les Paul Traditional 2011. I'd be more than happy getting an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson from now on.
Standard sounded better, but I like the satin finish on the tribute better. Just feels the best in my hands.
I bought the Tribute a few months back when one of the online stores had a discount for members putting them around $980. I like the look of both the Tribute and Standard, but at what the Standard costs, It would likely be treated like an heirloom with me being afraid to play it. If money were no object I would have picked the Standard. As for the sound I might lean slightly towards the Standard, but still very happy with the Tribute.
I’m still kicking myself for not buying a used 2021 Tribute for $830 at a GC near me a few months ago
When I was shopping for a Les Paul back in 2013 I tried 8 of them in a store, a few Standards, a Traditional and a couple of Tributes. I went home with a 70's Tribute because it sounded and played the best of the bunch. I still want to get a Standard some day, just because of the iconic looks, but I would have to stumble upon one that sounds at least as good or better than my Tribute, which is still with me after almost 9 years.
I love the stripped back looks of the tribute. In its own way I think it's just as appealing as the standard.
The tribute is a great guitar, they are very resonant and they feel and play like a million bucks....
Good comparison Darrell.
I own a 1992 Les Paul Studio (Wine Red, Ebony Fingerboard, Gold hardware) that is among the best Les Paul I have ever played. Most who play it agree something special about it.
Curious if Gibson has found similar magic in the Tribute model. I may seek one out for comparison.
The pickups in the Tribute were close but less articulate. But the feel? Nope. I had a tribute and it didn’t scratch that itch. The frets feel very different.
Nice comparison, Darrell. I personally could not tell much difference in the tone, certainly not triple the price! One thing that you did not mention, though, was re-sale. A Standard or Custom will be worth much more and might even be collectable in the future. The Tribute, or Studio, probably not so much. IMO.
Not really sure about that. Bought my 50ies Tribute in 2016 for 789 € in Germany (less than 840 $ / today's exchange rate). Haven't seen a used one for that price yet. Not that I'm ever gonna sell her, though ;-)
They're just not worth the money anymore, there's amazing instruments for way less money.
I was surprised you said there was a noticeable tone difference.
I could hear a difference on cleans - the Standard had more indefinable air and sparkle. Though your Standard is also non-standard - the covered pickups on standard Standards might well knock off that extra sparkle.
On the other tone tests they were close enough I wouldn't reliably favour one or the other. The Tribute didn't seem noticeably sub-Standard to my ear.
So for me it's down to mostly cosmetics, and thats a very personal thing. As much as I try to like plastic binding because I'm told it's a labour intensive premium feature that I *should* aspire to, I fail. My eyes prefer wood instead of plastic. The Tribute pleases my eyes more, my ears dont mind either, and my wallet would favour the Tribute but still ponder if either are demonstrably better to play than a Sire L7, or an Epiclone, or ... or ...
I feel the same way about my studio, the stripped back look isn’t for everyone but it looks much better to me (and my wallet)
Try the Gretsch GS 2215 P90 if you are wallet conscious... No regrets here...
The pickups on the two guitars are very different. I say 75% of the differences are due to that...
Probably more like 95%
I purchased a tribute and returned it once I received it. Fret sprout was horrible and i mean horrible , non- playable, the pickup rings were warped. Shame on me for buying it online.
I kinda like the warmer tone of the Tribute, and I love the stripped down look.
I was surprised by how well that Tribute actually sounded. I've been playing 30 plus years and have turned into a collector. I have 8 Les Paul's including a 2019 Standard 60's unburst, and i do own a 2011 Tribute...but it has p-90's in it. Mine plays extremely smooth after a pro setup and bone nut put in. I paid something like $899 for it new and i love it! I have 2 custom shop lp's as well and they sound incredible...but not over 6k better! Keep up the great work DBG....it is appreciated 👅😁👍
The tribute has a maple neck I personally think this is the main point. Almost never worried about the trust rode adjustment so it makes the tribute an ultimate practice LP.
Nice review. I always loved the simple look of the Honey tribute but have never owned one. I've owned three studios and I currently have a Gibson Les Paul classic... which I love. I think they're are subtle tone differences but but enough to justify the cost unless you have money to burn. I bought my classic for only $180 more than my studio so I think it was worth the difference just for the hard case... but it doesn't sound better or has better construction construction than my studios... all were great... except for my first studio which was terrible.
those tributes look really good. I think the guitar companies have maxed out the "price no object guitar buyer" and decided to offer nice stuff in a more affordable package. Nice offerings under Fender, Squier, Gibson, Epiphone in the lower pricepoints :O
"Less Paul" vs "More Paul"
Dat Standard ain't so..."standard."
The standard had a better crunch but the tribute beats it in the clean neck and bridge distortion test afterwards IMHO - the cleans are not as sharp sounding and a thicker distortion 👍 sick for rhythmic playing
Not a fair tone comparison, since they both have very different pickup sets. I would guess the Tribute would sound identical to your Standard if you put the same pickups in it. I actually prefer the slightly more mellow vintage sound of the 490's in the Tribute.
That defeats the purpose. The entire point was to compare two guitars stock to see the difference the premium gives.
@@zoeherriot but that defeats the purpose of the comparison. You’re comparing a Lamborghini to a Civic. Both are cars, both get from point A to point B but there is no comparison to be made. Put the same pickups in the guitars and I guarantee whatever sound differences would be more mental than physical
@@firemarshal2629 are you kidding? The point here was - person looking to buy the entry level Gibson, how close does it get to the expensive Gibson. THAT WAS THE TEST.
The second you start having to buy new pickups and installing them you are no longer emulating an experience the average guitar buyer will ever do. And you are no longer performing the test he set out to do.
As per your analogy, it would be like starting a review by saying "We are going to compare a Honda Civic with a Lexus" and then have you come in and complain - "But you didn't upgrade the engine in the Honda".
gibsons will get even more unaffordable, just an online picture show now for most musicians sadly :(
Just picked up the tribute LP today. I love the satin finish made in USA not so candy looking like the other Paul’s on the rack. Mainly like because its a classic vintage version which makes all the sense of having a warmer tone
Great comparison video! Thank you
The standards are beautiful, the tribute is more my kinda guitar. I personally like plain tops, I like the warmer tones from the tribute as well & yeah I wouldn't feel like ide have too baby it.
I bought my bucket list Gibson Les Paul Standard this year and all good except the nut slots had hardly been cut at all compared to what they should have been. Had to do serious work on them to get them right and that Graph Tech stuff takes some filing. Probably should have sent it back but a lot of hassle mail order. Worst nut cut out of the box that I have ever seen and that includes all my many guitars cheap, expensive and all points in between including Harley Bentons which have all been fine or close to. BTW, a month earlier I had bought another from my bucket list, a new Yamaha SG to which the Gibson Les Paul does not compare well to at all.
I enjoyed the Standard far above the Tribute! It sounds so much more punchier!!
Would still like to see you review the Cort CR series, like the CR300 and CR200/250.
One doesn’t experience self transcendence, the illusion of self only dissipates-🎈
I'd take the Yamaha Revstar over the Gibson Les Paul Tribute and save even more money and get a better sounding guitar in my opinion.
I like the Gibsons but this is exactly how I feel too
Amen!!
Especially a way more comfortable, lighter and versatile guitar. Speaking frome experience, i have one
The Tribute has more of a darker tone... less bite to it. I'd say it's NOT worth the $1200 asking price in my opinion.
Yeah it's sad Gibson isn't even trying to compete with other companies. Used to be they were recently priced but still a big buy. Even the Juniors which were meant for beginners/kids are $1000 now. No parent is going to do that when you can get an off brand which is a solid guitar for a fraction of price, hell even an Epiphone is extremely cheap. The most expensive Epiphone is $800 unless you buy the Casino USA. Even their midrange Les Pauls are $400ish.
Tribute les Paul is worth $699 at best . Nothing about those guitars are worth more . The standard should be the one that’s $1200. And the tribute $699 .
My Jackson Rhoads JS-32L has $1000 worth of mods in it and sounds better than BOTH of those Gibsons. Way overpriced for the Gibson name
@@justanish6966 Lol. You just said you out a grand worth of mods into your Rhoads and it sounds better. Well your Rhoads is now more expensive then the cheapest LP. Lol.
@@imarkvideo true... but it's a "Rhoads" tho too 🤘🤘
I really like the plain carved maple top on the Tribute.
The natural wood grain is not flashy/gaudy, and original "Bursts" had just that.
Not a huge fan of the binding either, so for me it would be the Tribute all day long.
Pups and electronics can be easily changed, and that always seems to be an issue with some players regardless of the guitar.
Both guitars sound great. As most Gibson guitar pick ups do, in whichever one you own. I don’t know why, but Gibson have nailed their humbucker and p90’s from day dot. There is obviously some bad ones out there, as there will always be. Generally, for me, both guitars nailed the classic tone of us older people that grew up with (60’s, 70’s and 80’s). But the comparison is slightly flawed. You are comparing a very old Les Paul Standard to a newer tribute. A new standard is no where near what you are comparing the tribute to. The standard is now stock standard. No split, locking tuners or fancy electronics. Just stock standard Gibson guitar. You might want to tell your subscribers that before you compare a new guitar (tribute) to a 3 to 5 year old Les Paul Standard. The new ones are brilliant. They have also stepped up their qc and have gone back to basics. I own 14 guitars and only 2 are Gibson’s. So not a fan boy. I have a 60’s version of the new standard and cannot fault it. Also have an SG Standard which is faultless. Anyway, what I am getting at is, wrong comparison. Old Standard, against a new tribute.
Sorry for the late reply Darrell. Unfortunately I don’t use any social media platforms to PM you. Facebook account got hacked a couple of years ago and have never fixed and have never got into telegram, twitter etc. I am willing to have chat but just don’t know how. Well without us giving away email addresses over RUclips. I will say that I did love the video, that standard you have is great. Beautiful top and sounds brilliant.
@@geoffdillon6013 , its a scam Geoff. Seen it in multiple places all over RUclips. You answer, and they pretend to be Darrel, but can't answer any simple questions about Darrell's gear or what city he lives in, or country. Then they say you've won a prize, and ask for "you" to pay the shipping by credit card. Its been taking over the RUclips comment sections everywhere. Beware dude!!!
@@shovington67 Thanks mate.
If you're looking for that classic Les Paul tone without breaking the bank and you don't care about binding, high gloss nitro, etc., the Tribute is one heck of a bargain. Nice comparison Darrell. That Standard is a beauty!
I have that exact tribute and i love it
I’d rather have a good Epiphone over the Tribute. I’d rather have a MIJ Epiphone over the Gibson Standard. And I’d rather have a Heritage Custom Core over a Gibson Custom Shop.
"This isn't the greatest song in the world. This is just a tribute!!!"
I remember when Gibson was awsum.. it was the guitar to have. Because it was built for a guitar player. A serious guitar player. Today i hate saying this, it is not the same guitar, but is a trophy. Its is sad. To pay $5000.00 for a average guitar, just to have Gibson on the head stock, is not worth it. Unless you are a person, who just buys and sell guitars for a profit. Buy low, sell high. And i understand that. Money is important. We need it to eat. But back in the day, man, Gibson, was so bad ass, so perfect, it was awsum. Just not les Pauls, but there other models were killer. Back in the day, if you payed over a little $$1000 bucks, you would get the best les paul made, and in the 80s, it was norm. I understand inflation. But today you take a gamble on paying 5 grand or more, and the Guitar is either almost perfect or not. But you have the Gibson logo.
Back in the day, i had a 1969 Gibson ES 330, hollow body, i paid $200, bucks for it off my uncle back in 1979. That guitar was so perfect. The action was so close. The neck so thin. So solid. I mean, every fret was hand crafted. The the strings, were basically, almost touching the frets, with absolutely no fret buzz. Each fret was rolled. That was the norm. There was never no fret pinch or grab, back in the day, that is how guitars were made. You did not have to take sand paper, to smooth the fret ends. In 1987, i bought a Gibson SG. Brand new, came with a hard cover case. I paid $500 bucks. The Guitar was perfect. The action outstanding. The only reason i bought the SG, was i could not afford the Les Paul, i was saving. Because les paul where around a thousand and a little more, i mean a real Les Paul. But SG, was the entry level. Meaning, people who could not afford the Les Paul, would get an SG. It was a less expensive Gibson. Not to many people back then wanted an SG. No one like them. You could feel the difference. It was like a piece of wood cut out, and some pick ups where thrown in. If you had an SG, in the late 70s or in the 80s, people were like, you do not have a Gibson. The only one, who really played an SG, was Angus Young. Angus, said he chose that guitar, because it was so light, his fingers were so small, and it was basically the only guitar, he could handle. Which is really a nice guitar. I like them. But for $2000 to $5000 thousand. I do not like them that much. But for $500, with a hard cover case. Back in the day. Yes, great purchase. My point is. Do your homework first, if you are an experienced guitar player. Try to find a company, that still makes guitars in the United States. No matter what name it is. And i will bet, you will get a nice hand crafted guitar, that went through quality control, for a great price.
I wonder how Tribute would sound with Standard pickups. It would be very interesting.
You know what Darrell, I miss the intro with you throwing the guitar to the roof. Other than that awesome review as always 🤟
Yeeeeeeesssszzzz! I loved that one too!
I wonder if it's because it's not winter any more, but Spring. I enjoyed that intro as well. Perhaps during the summer the intro should include throwing a guitar into a big swimming pool-- even one of those guitar shaped pools! Via video photoshop-ing?
Serious question,
Aren't you people in the US get paid at least around $2500 per month?
How is gibson guitars expensive for you guys?
Even for a custom shop les paul, all you have to do is save up for a few months, while i will have to sell a kidney.
I'm asking this because i'm not american nor i live in US.
The standard seems to sound a little better and be a little better quality overall. But definitely not worth 3x the price lol. I'd go for the tribute because it still looks good for the price. Then again I wouldn't actually go for a Gibson at all because I prefer that my guitars actually stay in tune. Doh! Got eem'!
Compared to the humbucker Yamaha Revstar Standard, w/c I own both, you get better bang for ypur buck on the YAMAHA imo, plus it's several hundred dollars cheaper too.
When considering price, that Plek job is $299 from Sweetwater. That puts the guitar in competition with the $1000 guitars. I think its very competitive. Both of those are really nice guitars. I have a Standard and a Special with P90s. They are my 2 favorite guitars.
I've put a limit of $850 on any guitar I buy. I'm sure there are some gems out there north of 1000 that are amazing. But the guitars available today in the 250-850 dollar range are so much better than they used to be that the difference is so tiny. Save your money people. Squier, Epiphone, Firefly, Xaviere. etc etc.. To me that's where the best value is. Sure it's nice to have Gibson or Fender on your headstock, but let's be honest.. you mostly just want that name on your headstock because they are the big name brands. Not because they are better.
I have a LP standard and an Epiphone LP. I put Gibson 57 classic and 57 classic + pickups in the Epiphone and bought a hard case for it. Plus the Epiphone was a Sweetwater demo in perfect shape. So I have about 900 bucks in it total. I play it more than I do the Gibson.
Granted that after playing rock for 50 plus year my hearing may have been compromised but I heard zero difference. I have two LPs... one a custom but like you said your paying for bragging rights.
Bought a Gibson Les Paul Custom, Black, back in 1981 for $550, don't remember what year it was made, wish I had held on to that one.
They should make more Les Paul's with a Maple fretboards! 🎸👍
have a tribute p90 goldtop chambered with a roasted maple fretboard. weighs like a strat and is really resonant. Stock pickups were so-so, added kent armstrongs -nice. Stock 3way switch was bad, replaced. Upgraded tuners. Plays great, sounds great. Worth considering.
Kent's pickup's are really special more people should know about them
The lack of pickup covers on the Standard would give it a bit more high end or sizzle. The Tribute sounds fine to me.
I highly recommend finding a Gibson Les Paul Traditional on the used market from the years 2013-2015…they were spec’d how the 50s standards are now (non weight relieved body, hand soldered pots, nitro finish, binding, upgraded pickups, chunky neck). I got a 2014 model in mint condition for $1500
You know the deal man! Bought my old Tribute 60s in 2013 and more than happy with the satin slim taper neck , Swisscheese weight relief body and burstbucker PUs (no bindings tho)
Great comparison. I picked up a Tribute as my first Les Paul. Love it. Other than cosmetics, there's not a lot of compromise. The satin finish is amazing on the neck. I do agree that the pickups lack a bit of high-end. Typically that's only a problem when I'm playing through the Spark practice amp which has a lot of bass to it already. Bit of EQ evens things out nicely. Overall a really fun guitar to play.
Thanks a lot for making videos like this which helps us as a musician a lot, big love form Taiwan!
I like the Tribute, but that's because my guitar is cheaper to, love the videos and your the man who got me into guitar. Keep up the work.
I appreciate the inclusion of finger style in this comparison.
The tribute sounds great and looks cooler to me, but I like cheap guitars
If you are choosing, between Les Paul Standard,and Les Paul Tribute...buy Les Paul Studio. This guitar looks better then Tribute,and a lot cheaper then Standard. But... sounds like Standard.
Yup! Well, at least that's what I did!
Good video! Next step: same comparisons with swapped pickups
as far as i can see, most of the money goes to that glassy look and binding. sounds are almost the same and i dont think standard is better then tribute, just different. i would like to keep my money and go for a tribute
If you make the Les Paul Standard the "standard" for sound comparison, then it is literally impossible for any guitar to be as good. A Les Paul isn't better or worse than any other style of guitar, just different. Unless you have an objective measurement, these comparisons are truly useless. Buy and play what you like. Different isn't worse (except for fit and finish). Both guitars sound great, but neither sounds "better." With Gibson aficionados, it seems to be much more about snobbery. As Darrell pointed out, you can EQ to tweak a sound you enjoy. You can also do that on great guitars that are even less expensive than the Tribute.
Through your amps or mine or anybody's amp they will sound so different all ways test with your own equipment best tip when buying
Closed my eyes and listened. I couldn’t tell ya any difference. 🤷🏼♂️
You can stop the "YES" intro, which is getting very very old and irritating.
Right out the gate the Tribute hanged with the Standard. Very good Demo. Thanks.
I've had 2 of both, and the standard is definitely made to a higher standard(and I don't just mean added features and binding etc). The Tribute Is a bit rougher and muddy sounding, but still very good.
I found the tribute to feel more like another brands attempt at a les paul style guitar rather than an actual les paul.
@@tog2842 yeah it's definitely a less polished guitar. Fit and finish isn't as good for sure. I think that's true until you get up to a studio, which is where you notice s difference.
All applicable to pickups and pickup height. The difference between a Studio and Standard is BINDING. There so many different models of the same guitar and differences are negligible. Outside pickups and aesthetic appointments they’re all the same guitar!
Aside from esthetics and a little difference in tone, IMO the pick ups make that difference I would easily buy the Tribute over the Standard. You can always either remove the metal pick up covers or swap out the pick ups to make the tone closer to the Standard. I have always liked the tone of the 490 r & t pick ups, I have them in my Gibson Explorer and love the tone. The Tribute comes with a gig bag and the Standard with a HSC $200.00 alone. I am very familiar with the Burstbucker 61 R&T on the standard not my fav of the Gibson pick ups. If your not into the looks of your guitar the Tribute IMO is more bang for the buck.
Reported another scammer to RUclips!
I like the warmer tone of the tribute.
bought the Tribute T back in 2017 for $999 that I love and still have but it's not the same as my standard I just bought in oxblood, worlds apart in sound and feel. just like I thought my squier was just as good as a fender usa until I bought my ultra Strat lol. playing through a dsl40cr gonna invest in something a little nicer soon.
For me the most important is how it feels. I tried an epiphone and a classic gibson recently and was blown away by the difference in feel. The sound was obviously different, but the gibson was certainly way more pleasant to play:
Hey Darrell, I saw a video that you changed the pickups of the standard one. In this comparison, did you put the originals back?
Great video. I had the Tribute for a year+. Sold it and bought a Epi-Slash--don't miss the Tribute at all. Thanks for the comparison.
Thats interesting....
The funnest thing about a lot of people talk sht about Gibson but reality whenever you’re decide to sell your Gibson you’ll never disappointed resale values is way better than other brand
Great vid, thank you!👍🙂🎸
I must be getting old: I couldn't hear any difference. Tbh, I was half-awake and listening on my smartphone. Eyes closed.
So, in a mix, live or studio, I would guess the audio difference would be nonexistent.
Playability, feel, all the rest - worth 200% price increase? Not to me. But I'm not looking to buy a Gibson in any case, so I'm probably not taking it seriously enough.
🙂
Nice comparison but I disagree on the reason for the base price somewhat. The reality is it simply costs a lot more to build a guitar in North America. Like the Tribute by the way for what you get, I have the double cut junior tribute.
The pricing on those is insane where you are compared to the UK. Over here Tributes are generally around £1000 - £1150 and standards are generally £2200 - £2400. Nowhere near 3 times the price.
I new at all this, but I really think if an inexpensive Les Paul copy was replaced with all the hardware and electronics, you would have a hard time be able to tell the difference in a blind test.
I have the same 2014 Les Paul Standard in Ocean Burst (or whatever that colour is called) with a premium quilted top. Gorgeous looking but the factory installed BB pro pick ups are horrendous. The neck pu is too muddy while the bridge pu is too pokey. So with an after market pu swap it’s an unfair comparison between the two. I’m sure the Tribute would sound better played against the standards BB pros (which imo should never be installed in a $3k+ guitar or any guitar for that matter).
I honestly couldn’t tell the difference. I’ll listen again
Well to put things in perspective I have a Schecter Hellraiser C-1FR-S with a 1000 series Floyd Rose, EMG 81 and a Sustainiac. It's 1089.00 at Sweetwater right now. In terms of what kind of sounds I can get out of it, it's endless.
What I really want to see..
Keep the recording of the Standard - but see if you can match the sound on the tribute using amplifier settings.
My opinion, brightness was the biggest difference.
I liked the warmer fullness of the Tribute's sound better.
Standards are a standard for a reason, as you stated but I did find it a bit to shrill but that could be the amp too. The warmth of the Tribute called to me more. Full disclosure, I have the Tribute. LOL I like it better than my past Standards. Has a vibe, feel and sound I like better. I am not a binding and flame top kind of guy anyway. I like the warmth to the look of my Tribute and feel it brings something unique out of my playing.
50's LP Standards still rule though. LOL Hope the Tribute series comes out with a P90 Goldtop someday.
There’s one serious difference to me. The tribute has an amazing satin finish neck. Most standards have a gloss neck. I’m really starting to hate that as a player.
Tributes have connectors and PCBs while Standards are vintage wiring. Doesn't bother me but bothers some folks.
Pickup covers is the reason for the warmth from the tribute....bottom line
Agree - I have seen enough demos of the same exact pickups with covers on and off; and there is a noticeable difference between them, with the covers cutting out some brightness.
While agreeing with everything you said, I don't think it was a $3000 difference. Besides, the ONLY Gibson I want is an Explorer.
and, yes it's Hetfield's fault...
I prefer the Alnico 2 Magnets in the Tribute vs the "Ice Pick in the ear" of the Alnico 5 on the Standard...
So much is in the pickups .. My Pagebuckers I designed on my channel turns a $500 Guitar into a very similar sounding guitar to Jimmy Pages #1 LP in Zeppelin...An unmodified Gibson LP on the hand , doesn't sound remotely close..