DoctorPaul's Guitar Emporium

2008 Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard

"Gaffer"

#CS 85930

 

Gibson Les Paul, made in the Gibson Custom Shop, USA.  However, this is really a lot different to a typical Custom Shop Les Paul. The most obvious difference is the Floyd Rose tremolo, which is recessed into the maple cap, and the locking nut that goes with it.

 

I Like Les Pauls. I like Floyds. So I love this.

 

Next up is the ridiculously comfortable "easy access" neck joint, which lets you noodle up at the dusty end of the neck without the usual huge heel getting in the way. It feels nice. Unusual, but very nice. This also has a "belly scarf" on the rear (handy when you have a bit of a belly), which adds to the overall comfy feel of this guitar.

 

The maple top is moderately flamed ... not too much ... I don't like uber-flamey stuff. The body is mahogany (what else?!) and is "weight relieved" according to Gibson. Send them enough emails and call them enough times though, and they'll finally admit that it is actually chambered, not just weight relieved. That's not a bad thing in the slightest. The combination of the chambering, the fact that the body is quite a lot thinner than a standard Les Paul, the wood shaved off the neck heel and the belly scarf, AND the huge spring cavity for the Floyd means that, really, there isn't THAT much wood left behind. Whatever. It sounds fantastic and plays fantastically.

 

The original 'Burstbucker' pickups are still installed (BB1 and BB2), with a single coil-split switch for both pickups (newer models have 498T and 496R pickups, with individual coil-splits). Which means that, if you really WANT it to, it'll sound a bit like a strat. Why you would WANT it to is an argument for another day.

 

Disappointingly, despite the King's ransom that Gibson charged for these, they 'cheaped out' on the Floyd Rose, and shipped them with far-eastern versions, as opposed to the lovely, hard-as-nails German versions that we know and love.  Seriously Gibson ... that is NOT cool.  In an act of mechanical sympathy, and in order to restore balance to the Floyd Force, I tore out the far-eastern one, and replaced it with a lovely, shiny German one (harvested from my Wayne Rock Legend).  Does it sound beter now?  Meh ... I'm not sure.  Does it feel better?  Certainly.  Do I feel better, knowing that it is a German Floyd?  Yes.  Yes I do.  Interestingly, as I had to disassemble each of the Floyds entirely (to swap the sustain blocks over), side-by-side comparisons showed just how many corners were (are) cut on the far-eastern version ... really quite nasty by comparison.  Who knew.

 

This one is called "Gaffer" because ... well ... it’s the Gaffer. The Boss. The man in charge. This is an outstanding guitar as far as I'm concerned. I've had several offers on this one. Please stop offering. It will be sold when I die, not beforehand. Unless I'm allowed to be buried with it. In which case its coming with me.  Sorry.