Gibson Les Paul: Standard vs Traditional

Gibson Les Paul comparison: Standard vs Traditional
#1 Standard
0:06 - CLEAN
0:22 - DISTORTED
#2 Traditional
0:48 - CLEAN
1:04 - DISTORTED
#3 Guitars ONLY
1:30 - Standard CLEAN
1:39 - Traditional CLEAN
1:46 - Standard DISTORTED
1:54 - Traditional DISTORTED
Bridge pickup is used for distorted parts and middle position for cleans.
Brand new strings were used on both guitars.
Gear used:
Gibson Les Paul Standard 2008 (Honey Burst)
Gibson Les Paul Traditional 2013 (Caramel Burst)
Ernie Ball Power Slinky Nickel Wound (11-48) strings
Mesa Boogie Mini Rectifier head
Mesa Boogie 2x12 Rectifier cab
Shure SM57 mic(angled to cap edge)

[@BadMotivator66]

to me the trad sounds a bit thicker and warmer

[@Harmonicosscillation]

interesting to see so much love for the standard. i thought the traditional sounded hella warmer and more vintage...what i like to hear in a LP ;)

[@stevehammer781]

Excellent demonstration!!! Thank you! The Traditional is essentially an earlier Les Paul Standard with a 1950's neck profile and '57 Classic (neck)/'57 Classic Plus (bridge) pickups. Big, fat, warm, & punchy. The Standard was updated in 2008 with an assymetric profile neck with Burstbucker Pros which are brighter but still have that big, fat sound. I think the Traditional's '57 pickups make a Les Paul sound like a Les Paul, which is why I own one. If I wanted something brighter, I'd grab my Gibson SG or Gibson Explorer.

[@gsyvr]

This has to be the best demo I've seen on KZbin. Direct and to the point. Many thanks.

[@laser74hobby]

The TRADITIONAL WINS!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ReinOwader]

Clean sounded better on Standard. On Traditional it sounded like there are old strings on guitar. Distorted guitars sounded identical for me.

[@dannyrivers3922]

On the traditional he biffed the high notes on the clean

[@aregentini]

this song will be amazing......cant wait to hear the finished version

[@serbiarock1]

I can hear minimal difference only on clean. Both sound great!:)

[@peterr.7181]

Standard wins. It has more bass and the tone is richer than the Traditional model.

[@MrJamster77]

The standard sounded like it had a bit more balls to it

[@1993wethebest]

The traditional sounds snappier and fatter and I prefer that - why I have one ....but both sound amazing huge les paul fan here ;)

[@alphasxsignal]

I think the Traditional is heavier of the two isn't. More wood in the body?

[@johnwangdang6154]

Well I own two LP Standard ( 1993 and 2008) and just got the LP Traditional . The traditional clearly has the cleanest, clear tone- . I love it and will play the next couple of gigs with it(but man, it is heavy) . The only ( semi ) issue : The neck is fat, and I mean fat. My two standards have 50ties necks but not even close to the Traditional. Well, I replaced the trussrod cover with a neutral one(Ebay - €5), and took the pick guard off - now it is a ......Standard!

[@krzysztofluma8787]

Standard has better attack, great tone! Cool riff at all :)

[@pornos1985]

At last proper rock demo of a les paul. No blues playing on a low gain channel. Nice one man!!!

[@christiansguitar97]

I’m confused whether to buy Traditional or Standard. I tried both of them today. Both of them are great guitars. Both have great sustains. Old Standard should be Traditional. Modern Standard has single coil pickups too which I don’t need them because I have a Fender Stratocaster which is way better on single coils. My purpose of buying Les Paul is that I will use it to play Classic Rock Songs like Gary Moore or Slash. Plus I like the tuners in the Traditional, it’s more artistic and vintage to me than the plain chrome tuners. I’m gonna buy the Traditional next month. I need to research more and try more on both of them before finally buying it.

[@hackerwacker4]

i like the standard a touch more, also maybe in future videos you can play the clean vs clean back to back and same with distortion. so we can hear the difference better and not go from a clean, distortion vs clean, distortion clean vs clean, distortion vs distortion

[@damo690]

Here's one for you to check out. The first traditional models in 2008 did not have coil taps or any fancy switching. They were just a good les paul. But the later ones did have coil taps and things added. My proposal is that you compare a 2008 lp traditional to one of the latest models before discontinuing it. This is to see if the extra wiring and switches took away from the sound any.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

The Traditional represents more of what the true old-school Les Paul should be IMO

[@trevorhoughton491]

One of my favorite comparison vids ever, riff and way you did perfect

[@wingempe289]

I don't care much about the sound. Which one is more confortable? That's all i want to know

[@dragui9932]

Thank you for the demo. Sound pretty similar, with standard > trad for clean

[@hi13ts]

Excellent playing and comparison. Trad sounds a little more low-end mid bump with less sparkly highs, but also less airy. Both very similar though.

[@freddooo152]

Hardly any sound difference. Traditional has 60's style neck and standard has asymmetrical. Boils down to which neck you're more comfortable with. For me the standard.

[@coldacre]

no the Trad has a 50's neck. it's huge

[@police0204]

no its a big difference with distorted when using headphone(ATH), you can try it

[@simonmoody4355]

Can certainly hear the effect the weight relief chambering has on the standard, which I have to say I do prefer. It's a shame that you can't get the look of the traditional (pick guard, tuners etc) with the chambered tone of the standard.

[@peezzi]

Or maybe its was the difference between the pickups, burstbuckers vs. classic 57s....

[@OTATIWAVE]

you could get a pick guard installed on the standard i know i will

[@deepdoodoo3252]

The Traditional Pro is weight chambered. I ordered the Trad Pro V and it rocks, it screams , screals , twangs and cry the blues like no other.

[@youngsukko5437]

The person who can distinguish is a dolphin

[@musicspeaks1074]

Youngsuk Ko lol

[@julianobacker]

I know that the Traditional is supose to sound more like a classic late 50's early 60's and that is what most of the classic player go after. But I personally like the Standard model a bit more... I would not mind geting one of each, though

[@huskvarsm]

i dont know if it helps you guys but the traditional is a 2008 model i also own the same axe exept mine is a desert burst so the back and sides are black but man it has a stunning top anyhow if you cats are thinking about getting one do it if you dig classic rock of any type get one it literally is an exact copy of a 58/59 les paul the pups are nicely matched a piece of magic happened when i bought that guitar i had to go to a recording studio where the guy worked who was selling it which was fukkin miles away from where i live anyway i got there about 1.30pm went in asked for the guy and was told to sit so there i am pocket full of cash £1300 to be exact now i heard a nice car pull up outside "a bmw M3 " and a guy came in i never looked up i just sat anyway the guy who will stay anon said come through mate the guitar is over there with the case its hooked up to an amp "jcm 800 combo" give it a go and see what ya think so i sat down as i looked up ten feet away stood gary moore.

[@brianis1000]

I would,nt say that the traditionals are the same as the 58,s or 59,s .... there,s few diffrences between them. mainly the weight relief. wiring and caps and neck profiles....I think they have a two piece body as well... nice story though ..... He is one of my main influences

[@floriancasciano3761]

Very nice video and playing ! It really shows that they are both great guitars no matter if it's chambered or not. I'm not saying that the wood has no influence on the tone of an electric guitar but for a Les Paul, the chambered body only affects the feel of the instrument. The Burstbucker Pro pickups are kind of mid-scooped pickups and that's why some people say that the Traditional sounds beefier. Put some Classic 57 pickups on a Les Paul Standard and you'll see ;)

[@KyleCarrington]

exactly. many people say the burstbuckers sound more defined for metal level gains, and the 57's are better at doing classic rock, and i share that opinion.

[@arisl2370]

I have put classic 57's in my standard...my traditional still sounds thicker , warmer and more resonant

[@andersvesterholt2170]

Very cool riffs! And awesome recording quality. I think the treble gets more through in the Traditional. I may actually prefer the Standard because of this, but it's a close all.

[@mayuquitomayu4743]

Great video. Thank you for posting. The traditional sound is more what I like. Both sound phenomenal. It looks like both are setup low and have those elastic strings for a brash sound. I like this setup a lot. Great comparisons.

[@Deatmony]

I think i will buy me a Gibson Traditional Satin Ebony i sound awesome it also has a wightrellife body. I would put seymour anlco pro 2 in there i think they sound better than the 57 classic. The guitar has a 60's neck so i love the guitar.

[@yohaishelef3247]

Great comparison! Very hot sound and playing! Cheers.

[@gilesmason12]

have you got a tab for this. its so cool :)

[@treishtrei]

good comparison. the STD sounds brighter and airy vs the Trad sounding fuller and thicker.

[@bobnazaro3444]

I am loving that song. What is the name is it, and tabs available anywhere. ??

[@agusg.t.8950]

I have a traditional and I love it

[@davidmuls2743]

Congrats on this video. In a short amount of time it illustrates well the different tone of both instruments, without all the useless commentary that often accompanies these demonstrations. Like the rythm and chords too.

[@bluesmau69]

both marvellous

[@frantisca]

The Trad had a much thicker neck, which is why I suppose that the player seems more at ease with the Standard for barred chords. The sound of both is quite close to each other, with a slightly higher output for the Std to my ear. Also, Trads weigh an average > to 10 lbs, which one should consider for long gigs... \m/

[@josephfalcone1078]

Clean sound of the Traditional sounds like a single coil. Standard is more balanced: clean & distorted.

[@evanlegee]

Your playing is awesome! You have earned yourself a subscriber.

[@1993wethebest]

Yes it is heavier just like the originals it is not chambered - the weight varies on the particular piece of mahogany the nicer mahogany is usually lighter mine is 9 lbs 10 oz that's pretty light considering I've seen and played some weighing 11 lbs - really if you think about it the traditional is more of a standard then the actual standard with is variations from the root

[@MrKempy20]

I have a gold top traditional I put some bare knuckle P90 s in it and it rocked it rolled and shimmered when in clean mode.

[@bobnazaro3444]

Great comparison. The Clean tone on the standard sounded crisper to me than the traditional. The traditional reminded me of the sound when i know it's time to change my strings. I thought the dirty sounded great in both. Very close in sound, tonal quality, so for dirty i would say they are about the same. Both f=great guitars, I own a Traditional and love it.

[@joshdeal575]

Standard sounds more "chimey" and "airy". Traditional sounds thicker. I play a Tele, so I like the cleans of the Standard and the Traditional with distortion. This might make some people squeamish, but I'd honestly just take the one that felt better in my hands. I can always dial in EQ, but the better it feels, the better I'll play, and then the better I'll sound.

[@huskvarsm]

on seeing gary i froze i will never forget he said "dont let me being here worry you" so anyway i played a blues shuffle and it sounded wicked then gary moore said its a nice resonant guitar to which i said will you just hit some note and give me your opinion as its a big money commitment to which he said sure pass it over then he played a bit of walking by myself and i think im falling in love with you he handed it back and said "BUY IT MATE" shook my hand was handed a big envelope and he left so not only is it a great guitar but it had the gary moore seal of approval that guitar ill never sell.......one thing though look for gaps where the binding meets the fret ends its a rare occurrence but buyer beware.

[@huskvarsm]

+Brandom Roberts thanks man so many people give me the ",gary moore yeah pull the other one pinnochio" but he was there and he did play it "well strummed noodled" on it which is something ill never forget right place right time RIP gary im glad someone enjoyed it perhaps nobody on here apart from us knows who gary moore is anyhow cheer mate.

[@Rick-Jangle]

huskvarsm I know who he is and that’s an amazing memory you have. You done well to keep playing in front of him. I would have completely frozen up.

[@paulbateman]

You made both sound great :) I like the sound of the Trad but the look of the Standard. Wish Gibson would take the scratch plate off the Trad

[@DayTripperLennon]

It wouldn't be "traditional" if it were off.

[@coldacre]

why wouldn't you just take the scratch plate off yourself? 20 seconds with a screw driver

[@paulbateman]

And a hole in the guitar

[@JakobSlash]

Put the screw back in

[@coldacre]

Standard is chambered, Traditional solid body. Traditional for me

[@brianis1000]

sorry to say fella... but the Traditional is actually weight relieved..... not solid bodied....

[@danteprimm]

This is true the Traditional has vintage relief (9 hole Swiss chese) the standard is a modern relief.

[@matthewprather189]

brianis1000 No it's not

[@CockySoupNazi]

I thought the traditional plain top were not chambered, but, the flame top traditional was. I have a 2016 lemon burst plain top that's solid. I love it

[@cjenson72]

Both of my Traditionals weigh in at just under 10lbs. Nice n heavy!!

[@moimeme7839]

I preferd the standard but I can’t really tell a big sound difference, maybe a slight more depht in the standard due to chambered body, or the pickups are not exactly the same setup. Or it’s just because it’s hard to play exactly the same with two different neck patterns. Nice riffs, good demo👍😀 I prefer the standard look too

[@diegovasta8755]

you cant really tell the difference by just watching the video , you really have to have the guitar in your hands to tell the difference

[@AlejandroFloresmotorsport]

+Diego Vasta the sound you can hear, but you can only know how it's feel if you feel in real

[@diegovasta8755]

muy cierto lo que decis

[@albertpsaros4988]

traditional kicks butt...wow love it!

[@simjanoskibojan]

standard sounds better clean traditional sounds better dirty to me.

[@likearolingBayanist]

+Bojan Simjanoski | Any guitar will sound good across Mesa Boogie Rectifier!

[@simjanoskibojan]

agreed :)

[@TheMichono]

Taka e brat :D

[@simjanoskibojan]

Moe mislenje e tea :) btw odlichni ti se videana na kanalon kaj tebe da si prodolzish :)

[@moimeme7839]

Bojan Simjanoski that’s because of the reverb kind resonnance the chambering creates. The amp has to be setted differently for both

[@marcospintor1333]

they kinda sound the same to me

[@marcospintor1333]

+Joshua Voss Yeah I did, don't sound that different tbh. and it won't matter because anyone you play in front of won't even know the difference or care at all.

[@marcospintor1333]

+Joshua Voss Lol in a mix, it won't even be noticeable dude.

[@9unslin9er]

Burstbucker Pros are tighter. 57 Classics have more midrange. Depends on your amp and preference in music.

[@fatherera]

apparently when you distort and add some effects to the sound it makes tons of difference, since this is raw sound coming from amp and nothing more if you are not a sound freak it's pretty unusual to spot the difference. but with some rig it's gonna make huge impact to one-another's sound

[@danteprimm]

For me the chunky 50's profile neck on the Traditional sold me over the Standard I do not like the slim taper profile.

[@E4tXia0Pr0ducti0ns]

sick riff

[@jorgesantiago9990]

Standard the best by far.....

[@MegaArmyRangers]

badass riff. i prefer the standard les paul. and tab that riff plz :D

[@ciri151]

your riffs are way better! stick with your own stuff:)

[@rugbyjc240]

TAB: HALF A STEP DOWN WITH A DROP D E|--------------------------------------------------8----7-7---------------------------------- B|--3-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 G|--4-------------------------9/11---9--9---------------------------------------------------4 D|--1-------12--11--11-------------7--7-------7----7-7-------5p4p0--0--h2p0------1 A|--1-------9---9---9-------7/9-----------------7----7-7----------------------------------1 E|--1-------9---9---9-------0-------0--0-------7----7-7----------------------------------1 SORRY ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT. JUST JOIN WITH NOTES WHICH ARE CLOSEST VERTICALLY

[@MegaArmyRangers]

Joe Cierpik Wow! Thanks a ton!

[@Alxndry2309]

the standard has more treble i think.

[@topografer]

I think the traditional sounds a bit woodier (more mids i dont know) because of the less hot pickups other than that pretty similar sounds. Standard is a bit hotter and lighter with a different kind of neck. Traditional is what it says it is, traditional. I am planning of buying an LP in the next year, it'll probably be a traditional just because I think it is.. well more traditional and I want that in my future les paul.

[@bryongardner1874]

Tough to pick, and I don't believe these are 2014 models, since the 12th fret has the 120th tramp stamp on it.

[@audioware1]

If both have the same pickups, the traditional is a bit darker. Otherwise cannot compare oranges to apples...

[@franciscoa.benetti7035]

The 2014 Traditional is the best Gibson's vintage tone. If you like vintage tone and don't have money to get a '59, check the 2014 Trad.

[@m3tafunj]

OMG you put time stamps in your demo. you're my hero lol.

[@einsteincreative]

Its really difficult to tell when your comparing over the internet and not live but I have a traditional 2015 (despite the headstock 100) it rocks as heavy as my custom and the clean you have to dial it in. Both amazing guitars and its preference. I think the cleans on the trad are warmer than my standard but the guitar is so heavy lol I spent 150 on a padded strap and that made all the difference..I like the solid wood non chambered sound. What I want to know is I purchased a traditional over a trad pro 2 from guitar center. They were actually the same price because the traditional was returned (although totally new condition mint) and maybe only played for a month (guy probably couldn't afford it so he took it back) so when I played them, I actually liked the traditional better than the traditional pro 2. I didn't spend hours before walking out though. Did I make a mistake? I like the sound and the feel and the thicker neck and the body top and overall sound initially but I didn't dial stuff in or push the buttons in or out on the trad pro 2.

[@koellnet4855]

Is it possible to get the riff in tabs format? its stunning! Cheers

[@koellnet4855]

still waiting for an answer mates!

[@Lysdexia]

Thanks! They both look and sound great - I'd be very happy indeed with either one of them. Top video.

[@Adrian_WP_erez]

LP Standard: pickups Burtbucker pro LP Traditional: pickups classic 57'

[@Doug5524]

2013 was a great year for gibson IMHO

[@PLCingolani]

traditional sounded more "lively"

[@RickP2012]

Standard's best!

[@kenfernsler6507]

I prefer the traditionals but in this test for this kind of music the standard cut better. Better high end.

[@searaydrivingguy]

better tuners on the standard bit warmer tone but bang for buck the traditional wins i have a 2010 traditional desert burst plays awesome only paid $1600 canadian perfect shape keeping it forever i own a 1983 black gibson sg plays like a monster i am original owner another lifer

[@BCTGuitarPlayer]

That’s the difference between Burstbucker 1 & 2s on the Traditional and Burstbucker Pros on the Standard. The Traditional wins because Burstbucker 1 & 2s are made closest to the original Gibson PAF pickups.

[@ordinarypablo]

Damn man that playing was so cool

[@697said]

the standard sound better But, when distorted you can hear more tone and in this case you need to can play it. the traditional is more muddy and you can't hear the tone so it play apparently better than the standard

[@lunastrat]

I have a Bonamassa Goldtop, an early 71 Goldtop, and a Traditional. When I turn down the volume on the traditional, it cleans up better then the other two. It also gets that Fender Tele on steroids sound that people talk about. Yes the neck is fat, but after playing it for a bit, you get used to it.

[@lunastrat]

Dan Luna Ditto. I have a Bonamassa Goldtop, a 70's goldtop and a Traditional. Same thing...when I turn down the traditional, it just gets sweeter and more articulate. As for the fat neck, I have big hands, so I don't mind at all, and yes, you get used to it pretty fast.

[@freeman436]

can't decide. I'll take one of each, please and thank you mam.

[@Popcorn-ue9qp]

I have to admit the traditional sounds thicker and warmer: features that one demands from a les paul.

[@dre1kke]

Thanks for a great comparison, mate! Can you tell the years of the guitars? Personally I liked the Standard, but we all know that's the matter of taste!

[@MirkoFioresi]

Amazing playing and amazing song!! You don't have completed this song?

[@andrewwhitaker2238]

Should reshoot this with no external processing

[@gunsercraft]

clean sound win std, dirty sound win tradicional

[@slaf509]

Traditional is the best. Closer violin's sound. In my opinion of course.

[@benni6901]

Are there tabs for this riff or is it a song please help

[@lc11s]

YT of a band of guy from the video, hope that helps ;) kzbin.info/door/Wm-HaVKaMAfIOEPHsKZIrgvideos

[@PeteV80]

I have a 2016 standard...I'm on the edge of returning it for a traditional...argh

[@vailypyshkin5120]

Traditional>Standard!

[@fusionmusiconline]

Vaily Pyshkin oo

[@andyreasoner5289]

No difference for me. IMO for easier differentiation the clean sound sould be played on both guitars one after another, the same about overdrives sounds

[@ze-ce.cra_]

I prefer Custom especially black beauty with 3 pickup.. And F-holes ;-) 🌝

[@rolandlemus203]

The traditional sounded less than in ALL aspects, that thick neck on the traditional really was so uncomfortable to play by the guitar review player, he was totally bummed he had to put down the Standard for that comparison. If you want ANY song to sound worth it's salt, use the STANDARD, it will do a body good:) Just saying.......

[@YUMIKING0203]

Thank you for the good videos.

[@TheGamerJakas]

Nuostabus riffas, o taip pat ir gitaros skamba puikiai - malonu klausyti :)

[@quickfixian]

The Traditional sounds more vintagey on the clean channel and a bit muddier

[@siricortana9550]

Riff sounds amazing! I LOVE it! Is it your own or could you tell me the original?

[@2009ald]

Great video, I hear a slight difference clean and not much with the overdrive. Great riff also, what tuning is that in?

[@rugbyjc240]

Half a step down with a drop D

[@takamushinagamoto5086]

Waow ! The Tradi litteraly " nukes off" the Standard !!!...

[@chartpat4631]

love that fuck**n riff

[@Stratokikay]

nice. i like the way you play!

[@SHEMAMAN]

Splitting hairs. The feel and cash spent are all that's really important.

[@maurodefalco2346]

the standard is better in clean (much more bass), but traditional is better in distorsion

[@THEJOEDAVISBAND]

uh...Every guitar is different due to the difference in wood. pointless to compare. both are great.

[@RickDanner]

excellent sound !