GuitarTalk
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- Jul 3, 2017
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So a couple weeks back I picked up a new 2017 Gibson Standard T in Bourbon Burst. Yesterday, I exchanged the guitar for a brand new Traditional T 2017 Honeyburst model instead. Here is why (for anyone who is on the fence between the two models):
Standard Features:
- Push Pull coil-taps + bypass/phase (difference can mostly only be heard on clean channels), no pointers
- AAA maple top (mine was cool, but after doing some research it was NOT a AAA, only about 60/70% of the top was figured, severely mismatched, and the flames were meh)
- Locking Tuners (chrome kidneys)
- Chrome hardware (not necessarily a pro, but this material tends to stay "new" looking for much longer than nickel; however, to some, it may look cheaper
- 60's slimmer D-neck profile
- Ultra-Modern Weight Relief (guitar weight: 7.5+ lb) Gibson claimed that this didn't negatively affect tone, this is NOT true. I, as well as the 20+ people I asked to compare the tone of a solid body Traditional vs the ultra modern weight relief Standard, all noticed that the Standard sounded extremely thin compared to the Traditional. The sustain on the standard was okay despite being supposedly more resonant due the to the weight relief chambers; I think this is due to the fatter neck profile of the Traditional in addition to its solid body.
-No poker chip under the Treble/Rythm pickup switch
-Burstbucker Pro pickups in the neck and bridge: this are very bright pickups; counterintuitively, these have a much pess powerfull output than the Burstbucker 1 & 2 combo in the traditional
- 009 gibson strings as default
- TekToid nut
- Aluminum tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece
-$3,099 CAD new
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rolled binding
Traditional Features:
-Solid Body, no weight relief (guitar weight: 9.5 lb): I've tried many les pauls (ranging from 2014 R9/R8's to Custom Shop Alpine White, to dozens of Epiphones, I've owned the 2017 Classic Goldtop and the 2016 LPJ), I can tell you surely that to my ears, this guitar sounds the best (if best means a deep tone, full of over-tones, and OOMPF that you expect in a 9.5lb les paul)
-Rounded neck, something between a baseball bat and the Standard D profile (similar in feel to the Fender modern C neck profile)
-No locking tuners (traditional greenish keystones): I do not know if I am just lucky, but I instantly swapped the 09 defauly strings for 10's, and without doing any work on the nut, this thing does not lose tune at all
-Nylon historic nut
-Nickel hardware
-Burstbucker 1 in neck and 2 in bridge (significantly higher output that the Pro's, seem to be slightly brighter as well)
-No push/pull coil-taps, historic knob pointers are included though
-Wired ABR bridge and Aluminum stopbar
-AA flame maple top (I specifically requested the best looking top from the distributor after the dissappointment with the Standard "AAA", and I was pleasantly surprised. It almost seems like the person who selected the two maple top halves was like me. His/her OCD kicked in and what I now have is the most perfectly matched halves ever with nice consistent flames)
-No poker chip
-Hand wired Orange Drop capacitors (maybe also contributing to the guitars warmer tone)
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rolled binding
- $2,599 CAD
Verdict, I now know that I am 100% a Traditional guy. I still have my Zebra Seymour Duncan APH1 pickups on order, this will be a cherry on top once I install these. I might pickup the pokerchip too for that extra mojo haha
To anyone choosing between these two, I hope this comparison helps.
Cheers and checkout the photos!View media item 100880
View media item 100879
View media item 100878
View media item 100878
View media item 100877
Standard Features:
- Push Pull coil-taps + bypass/phase (difference can mostly only be heard on clean channels), no pointers
- AAA maple top (mine was cool, but after doing some research it was NOT a AAA, only about 60/70% of the top was figured, severely mismatched, and the flames were meh)
- Locking Tuners (chrome kidneys)
- Chrome hardware (not necessarily a pro, but this material tends to stay "new" looking for much longer than nickel; however, to some, it may look cheaper
- 60's slimmer D-neck profile
- Ultra-Modern Weight Relief (guitar weight: 7.5+ lb) Gibson claimed that this didn't negatively affect tone, this is NOT true. I, as well as the 20+ people I asked to compare the tone of a solid body Traditional vs the ultra modern weight relief Standard, all noticed that the Standard sounded extremely thin compared to the Traditional. The sustain on the standard was okay despite being supposedly more resonant due the to the weight relief chambers; I think this is due to the fatter neck profile of the Traditional in addition to its solid body.
-No poker chip under the Treble/Rythm pickup switch
-Burstbucker Pro pickups in the neck and bridge: this are very bright pickups; counterintuitively, these have a much pess powerfull output than the Burstbucker 1 & 2 combo in the traditional
- 009 gibson strings as default
- TekToid nut
- Aluminum tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece
-$3,099 CAD new
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rolled binding
Traditional Features:
-Solid Body, no weight relief (guitar weight: 9.5 lb): I've tried many les pauls (ranging from 2014 R9/R8's to Custom Shop Alpine White, to dozens of Epiphones, I've owned the 2017 Classic Goldtop and the 2016 LPJ), I can tell you surely that to my ears, this guitar sounds the best (if best means a deep tone, full of over-tones, and OOMPF that you expect in a 9.5lb les paul)
-Rounded neck, something between a baseball bat and the Standard D profile (similar in feel to the Fender modern C neck profile)
-No locking tuners (traditional greenish keystones): I do not know if I am just lucky, but I instantly swapped the 09 defauly strings for 10's, and without doing any work on the nut, this thing does not lose tune at all
-Nylon historic nut
-Nickel hardware
-Burstbucker 1 in neck and 2 in bridge (significantly higher output that the Pro's, seem to be slightly brighter as well)
-No push/pull coil-taps, historic knob pointers are included though
-Wired ABR bridge and Aluminum stopbar
-AA flame maple top (I specifically requested the best looking top from the distributor after the dissappointment with the Standard "AAA", and I was pleasantly surprised. It almost seems like the person who selected the two maple top halves was like me. His/her OCD kicked in and what I now have is the most perfectly matched halves ever with nice consistent flames)
-No poker chip
-Hand wired Orange Drop capacitors (maybe also contributing to the guitars warmer tone)
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Rolled binding
- $2,599 CAD
Verdict, I now know that I am 100% a Traditional guy. I still have my Zebra Seymour Duncan APH1 pickups on order, this will be a cherry on top once I install these. I might pickup the pokerchip too for that extra mojo haha
To anyone choosing between these two, I hope this comparison helps.
Cheers and checkout the photos!View media item 100880
View media item 100879
View media item 100878
View media item 100878
View media item 100877
Last edited:
Makes playing/feeling each guitar different and enjoyable for different reasons. 
