I’ve always wanted to get my hands on this beautifully unique guitar, with a rare Floyd Rose Tremolo unit that is not normally fitted on a Gibson Les Paul Standard. When it finally landed in our store it dragged my mind straight back to the early 90’s – watching Skid Row live and noticing Dave ‘the snake’ had a Les Paul with a Floyd Rose.
The first thing you see when you open the box is a gorgeous plush custom shop black case. The smell of a boutique guitar straight out of its case still puts a smile on my face after over a decade of pulling them out. I’m sure anyone who has been through this experience of unpacking a new bespoke guitar will know the smell and feeling I am talking about.
One of the 1st things to stand out about the Access is its simple yet gorgeous top, which appears to be almost woven. Its long classic lines aren’t interrupted by the highly polished chrome Floyd Rose tremolo and locking nuts that adorns its’ body, combining to make an overall gorgeous looking axe.
The Access is as light as a feather. Its cleverly chambered body and tremolo routing allows the air pockets to help it float.
The guitar is built to be played forever without experiencing any discomfort. The cut-away body easily slots round your ribs or knees depending on how you like to hold the beast. It is much lighter than a Les Paul Custom and we feel that it can be played comfortably for longer periods of time.
As you’d expect the Access was perfectly tuned and set up straight from the case. The buzz free low action that was intonated perfectly was another nice surprise.
We’ve always loved the Gibson slim taper neck from the sixties, which has been offered on selected models. But this has to be one of the nicest we’ve come across.
The well contoured neck heel has made it easier than ever to hit those high bends – this explains the well-deserved name of “The Access” which suits it so well.
Misaligned binding and uneven fretting is a terrible thing to see on a new guitar. I’m pleased to tell you that this isn’t the case with the Access; in fact it is neat & immaculate.
The pickups are 496R & 490T, as many Gibson heads will already know these are super versatile and cut through anything they need to in live situations. Both are coil tapped on the tone controls, giving access to 3 coil options too. These pickups often feature on Gibson’s from the cheaper SG Special through to the more costly Custom Shop offerings. I adored having the bridge pick up set as a humbucker and the neck pick up tapped. This gave me the option to switch between slicing lead tones and smooth clean tones with one switch.
The tuning is supported by R4 locks on the Floyd Rose tremolo, making them ultra-secure. The fine tuners are smooth and accurate; we haven’t really had to rely on their responsiveness yet, as the tuning is so solid in the first place.
Verdict: Overall we feel the Access Standard is a fantastic welcome addition to the Les Paul Custom Shop Range. It would perfectly suit a player that loves the Les Paul vibe but needs more versatility from their guitar. A wide range of amazing tones with pickups that can handle huge amounts of gain without getting dirty or losing definition. They clean up a treat as well.
As always the finish on a custom shop model is flawless, the case candy is most welcome along with the certificate of authenticity. Buy one today, you won’t regret it.
Want to find out more about the Gibson Les Paul Access Standard Then come and visit the best Guitar Shop in Nottingham to see what else we have on offer.