Gibson The Paul II

In the late 70's, Gibson introduced a model called The Paul in what was known as the "Firebrand Series" of guitars. It sported a thinner, smaller Mahogany body than the typical Les Paul model, and even slightly smaller than the Les Paul Studio. The toggle switch was relocated near the control knobs, and the top edge of the body was beveled. The headstock bore a slightly sharper, more exaggerated profile.

Aside from that, it featured the standard Gibson profile neck with 22 frets and 24.75 scale length with a 9.5in radiused rosewood fingerboard. All for a price significantly under what a Les Paul Standard went for. It also sported the same 490R/498T humbucker configuration of the Standard, along with the familiar 2 Volume/2 Tone controls.

Gibson discontinued The Paul in the early 80's and it didn't reappear again until the late 90's when Gibson revamped The Paul by putting the toggle switch back in the familiar Les Paul location, and doing away with the radical body contour in favor of a more typical Les Paul-style carved top. The headstock was also returned to the more typical Gibson dimensions. This new model was dubbed The Paul II. Production was discontinued in 1999 and has not resumed since, making this model just as rare, if not moreso, than its early Firebrand incarnation.

UTILIZATION

The Paul II is very light compared to, well, most Gibson guitars. It makes a great Les Paul for those with a bad back, or those of the smaller and/or younger crowd. Nevertheless, the neck is full sized, full scale with decent access to the upper frets. The guitar itself is full and resonant even when unplugged, thanks to a solid mahogany body and set mahogany neck.

The Paul II features all the standard hardware present on the more expensive Les Paul Standard, even down to the Switchcraft output jack and Gibson pearloid keystone tuners. Gibson did not compromise on quality where they compromised on size.

SOUNDS

I've played The Paul through literally hundreds of amps and setups, and it's been a constant, familiar musical companion for more than 12 years. It immediately sounds like itself through any amplifier, and can and has easily pulled off everything from the cleanest, smoothest jazz to the most brutal metal allowed on a 6-string.

Even after having its headstock repaired when it snapped during a nasty fall, it sounds like it did the day I brought it home, and plays even better.

I've since replaced the neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan SH-2 after the Gibson 490R failed, and I've also replaced two of the pots and the tuning keys, it's still going strong, albeit incredibly beat up. I'm hard on my guitars!

OVERALL OPINION

Gibson, in my opinion, made a mistake when they discontinued The Paul II after only a couple of years' production. It was and is an incredible value that would be well received in today's economy. Perhaps I should write them a letter and see if I can inspire yet another run of this great guitar.

I bought this guitar off of a guy selling it in the classifieds. It came with a small practice amplifier for $500.00.

Everything about this guitar rocks! The neck has the fatter '59 profile, and it plays really fast. The pickups (490R and 498T) lay down fabulous tone no matter what effects you use them with. The mahoghany body gives a really warm feel to the sound with loads of sustain.

My only gripe about the guitar is that it doesn't have a maple top. This is not really a disadvantage except if you are very particular about your tone when dealing with higher notes. A maple top would bring out the solos more, but it is not missed.

Great guitar! Gibon stopped making them in 1998, but if you can find one, it'll be cheaper than a regular Les Paul and sound just a good!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Makes the United States in the late 1990's this guitar has all the BASIC SPECIFICATIONS a high-end Les Paul. A beautiful varnished mahogany body worthy of the finest, microphones dune Les Paul Custom, the button slecteur microphone, placed in the upper body and not the version as lconomie The Paul Previous prs o It is placed buttons SETTING THE volume. The handle is her dowry lgrement narrower frets and inlays that did the rounds against trapzodaux his ass. The head is about the same as that of high-end MODELS with superb mcaniques (mcaniques The most beautiful in the world, Daprai me) in tulip-shaped button .

UTILIZATION

A regular freight lgrement wider, I have a few minutes to adapt the frets a little thin, but once my hand accustomed to silent, jai proved the same ease of play as a MODEL upscale profile of the handle as the same. CCAA acute as it is facilitated by the large thickness less than a Les Paul Standard, without achieving a lon laisance that double notches on a guitar. But since I never play on the 24 th box (quil nya not), I stay up the 20 th for me CCAA acute is satisfactory. Lergonomie is superb, this skyscraper is played with ease both sitting and standing. Sitting on call round the curve of the lower body between her thighs and the handle is oriented linclinaison pushing with his forearm on the top curve. Standing, as it less than Paisse The models most coteux cest endless fun to play with such a scraper. For sound, it is impossible with closed eyes to make the difference between sound dlivr this 2 The Paul and Les Paul Custom, the same microphones, the restore lidentique m my sounds.

SOUNDS

The two that Paul should, thanks its exceptional microphones, all styles of music, it excels everywhere. In jazz it sound velvety hard rock it saturates itself in its clear she is hot, not aggressive while slamming trs well. I plugged into a Marshall JCM is the perfect couple, not a bad sound out.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought this instrument there is a ten year and since it is one of my guitars prfre, for all the reasons numres above.
Its maneuverability makes my guitar bedside ct the place of my bed I'm working on the songs in the evening or morning.
I find the quality price ratio so that jai poustouflant later bought two other models The Paul, which allows me davoir DIFFERENT tunings while having the same sound, the one is given in open tuning of r and lautre a semitone above the Tone for the disc on some tracks. For the price of a Les Paul Custom 3 The bag can be Paul. Cest guitar musician par excellence: not worth breaking the bank for the top of the sound, playability and more. Gibson does not manufacture more dailleurs this beautiful guitar, they realized that their high-end parasites that for tenders bodies as beautiful with high quality microphones. Their entry-level Les Paul is particulirement ugly today in 2006, I think of the MODEL VIXEN, or in the years to pass the Voodoo MODELS, all in black which allows use less beautiful wood quality. This instrument is the guitar that every guitar player base should have in its range, the sound GIBSON as needed regardless of the directory that plays lon

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here are the CHARACTERISTICS: https://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/AllAmerican/ThePaulII.html
in a résumé is lespaul "light". reported no table, no bindings, just the basics. it is an instrument well enough done and pretty.
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UTILIZATION

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the handle is no longer enjoyable. it becomes challenging when your same technical progress and plans that you are trying more and more sturdy. it's fun to see that actually a guitar to "study". APRS have a good job go lick any easier on a handle and presto! So I think a good run but not hardy and fast.
Access in acute is that of a Les Paul, this guitar prs that as we gain a finer little comfort.
body of a Les Paul is a Les Paul body, there's no photo. it's tiring to play sitting down, as it is for against a more lespaul lgre you can play standing for long without feeling tired
the sound is ... eh bah he is terrible, the sound. an instrument of this range is exactly that we are entitled to expect. you have the grain Gibson is sr. fucking a ring!
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SOUNDS

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it's a big blues guitar clearly directs that lctrique hard and heavy hard-rock show, but no more. she loves too big mtal kills. by night against o you me a bluesman, or when you feel like you make plans AC / DC, Thin Lizzy or Motrhead it is for the a! with good saturation derrire, another guitarist and a good friend rhythm section (well, a CD for playback is also) is left for the extension plans and good solo run of floss between very heavy guitar .
the pickups are the classic 490 / 498, so no comment, for you to see positions. I finally just pass over the bridge pickup now. Apart from the plans on the neck pickup sound is a very enjoyable warmth, faith
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OVERALL OPINION

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I bought it in 2002 to move from one studio piphone something a little more muscular I've played a lot when I had it empty, and now I limit exercises to be sr plans to go exploring on my second, and when I want to play blues stuff, as I said above
for me it buries all piphones I tried the era. it's a guitar that is sufficient itself, no need to change anything
I thought many times to sell it, for various reasons, but no, I can not, I still keep in prfre sleep in a corner. it is an instrument tying, which was worth every penny. if ever I get one day to another copy in good condition I say that I would take it, to have the story Reserved
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20070422: Well if, in fact, I'll sell it, I do carrment plays at all, I never left my exploring. So I will not post this ad. Any takers ...