What's the Deal with "Staple Pickups" ? | 1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom Reissue Tone Comparison

[@samright4661]

That Custom sounds freaking Awesome!! I like the staple pup

[@hkguitar1984]

Ben, Congrats Man. My favorite Les Paul of all time, the '54 Black Beauty. Thanks for going the New Guitar Day route so we could all share in the excitement. Love the longer headstock and vintage correct small tuner peg bushings, and the set of Kluson Waffle back are icing on the cake. Again, Congrats and Happy Playing Sir.

[@johnmckenna4256]

I'll tell you what, I've been watching you for years and you are becoming a pretty good guitar player, never seen you finger pick before...nice work

[@hkguitar1984]

The beauty of the Staple pickup, you can raise the coil bobbin with the magnet pole piece flush for a very full tone. Or, you can lower the coil bobbin and raise the pole pieces up towards the strings, this will provide a very articulate acoustic sound profile. Such a fantastic pickup, the aftermarket staple pickups without the adjustable pole pieces are a great compromise as you can get a Stratocaster type tone in a Les Paul.

[@brianb280]

Now that is the best sounding LP I have heard you play in 5 years !!! Bravo !!!now I will get another Gibson 😊

[@martinhiggs7027]

I own a 100% stock "54" ! I re-fretted her 3 years ago and found small "banjo" fret wire from Sweetwater ! I top decked the frets down about 1/3 original size , it took a tremendous amount of work to get it right but she's still a FRETLESS WONDER !

[@archstanton3763]

My favourite Les Paul, looks beautiful and they sound incredible.

[@usagi2988]

I... LOVE... staple pickups. I have a 339 with P90s and had a staple installed in the neck position. Lots of glassy articulation (backed by the fullness & power of a P90 pickup design).

[@Steven-re3tx]

THANKYOUBEN.

[@joermnyc]

That finish issue on the headstock... how did they let this leave the factory like that?

[@brianb280]

Gibson all about the $$$ 😂

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Maybe they thought "we've spent time scratching up the body at extra cost, why will he mind about a pinhead hole on the side of the headstock, it's not meant to look brand new"

[@tonyhills2112]

I guess with VOS all of the finish QC goes out the window.

[@mneugent7658]

@@brianb280 Sure but that was such an obvious flaw and they're now on the hook to pay for roundtrip shipping, another guitar (already paid for of course) AND still have to fix that one. That's a big waste of $$$.

[@mjeh1]

Looks great, sounds great. Complete win all the way around.

[@thesnapperkeeper]

I’ve always wanted a 54 Custom ever since I saw Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders with them in the NY Dolls

[@sneezer]

17:02 Appreciate the Home Improvement riff

[@RolandSpecialSauce]

I was looking for this comment lol

[@supersonicT]

If there ever will be an Epi version of this, I'll buy it in a heartbeat! In January of this year, I admired Keith Richards' '54 LP Custom with staple pickup at a Rolling Stones exhibit :)

[@Kazwell111]

Man your guitar chops are getting really good, especially with distortion but the cleaner stuff works well too. The fact you put out these videos almost everyday (while running a business), you qualify as one of the hardest working KZbinrs out there. Granted your videos are a big part of your business, you have to be putting in some long hours. Hopefully with the help of AI, you may start getting a break with some of the editing and still photo insert chores. People don't realize the work that goes into producing a video and AI technology is at least making things a little easier.

[@punkavatarworld2]

I would go for the 54 for sure. The staple pickup rocks.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Jim Hall used a staple pickup LP Custom on his early recordings, with the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Superb, superb tone. For heavier tones, check out Jan Akkerman’s work with Focus and Gary Boyle’s with Isotope.

[@christmasmusicukulele8318]

Jan Akkerman got 10 new ones for his75th birthday...

[@aprilkurtz1589]

P-90's are great. I liked the one with singel P-90 in the neck. Great vid, Austin!

[@alexandermclaughlin3978]

I had the immense pleasure of playing an original 55 Custom, of course with the Staple. Stupidly wonderful guitar, and GREAT sounding pickups. It had a fret job luckily, and wow... just wow. Funny thing is that the guys '61 Epi Sorrento (with NY singlecoils) was equally amazing 😮 Both through his '62 Vibrolux Reverb 🤯

[@mboyer68]

Let me first say that I love Gibson guitars, and trogly, I'm definitely not trolling or anything. I'm an engineer and have been working in industrial manufacturing since 1994. Making the same product year after year is somewhat unusual and very beneficial. Products typically change, cars for example change every three or four years, not just the exterior looks but fuel systems, accessories, basically everything. For Gibson did not have completely nailed down their manufacturing process so that defects are extremely rare is a thousand percent ridiculous. The difficulty level of any step in their process is nothing compared to thousands of products out there. When you combine Gibson's inability to improve their process enough so that defects are rare with their ridiculous pricing, it points to one thing, horrible management. I guarantee there are dozens if not more of dedicated employees who are frustrated beyond belief that they're forced to past defective guitars to the next manufacturing step. I'm sure there are frustrating employees who have the answers to all of the problems we see on guitars but nobody listens to them. Gibson doesn't care, very obviously doesn't care about the people who love and purchase their guitars. Every time I see the president of Gibson in a video, I cringe. I can imagine that man walking through the factory and employees running for cover because they don't want to talk to him. Just because I picture it doesn't mean it's true, but, he's in charge and so he is ultimately responsible for every defect that comes out of that factory. There's so much love for their instruments, but that love is not reflected back from Gibson management. It's a one-way street with Gibson and that's very unfortunate. These issues WILL catch up to Gibson at some point and people will revolt.

[@sentforth5]

'Fancy plastic' hahaha to an old guy that just makes us chuckle lol

[@homersreluctantodyssey2508]

i like the sound of all three pickup settings on that '54ri. nice guitar, hope ben gets his new one soon

[@hkguitar1984]

When Ben's replacement guitar arrives try lowering the Staple pickup and raising up the pole pieces, see how much of a difference that makes to the tone/character of its output. The Staple really comes into its own when the pickup's bobbin/body is lowered and the pole pieces are raised up to the strings. Also, When Seth Lover designed the Humbucker PAF, his direction from Gibson Marketing was to make the PAF sound as close to a P90 as possible.

[@georgeprice4212]

First time I ever saw a “Staple Pickup” was in a documentary about The Hollies…the recording sessions for “On A Carousel”, actually.

[@papablue3015]

I just got an epiphone les paul custom p90s! Nice! Thanks 🤘

[@fletcherhyslop]

nice i have an epiphone 56 pro in blue and they sound fire

[@joermnyc]

I have their SG Classic, those P90s are great!

[@professor_corrin9350]

"they take the tailpieces way too far; they're almost chrome" The tailpiece on my early 70s black beauty looks exactly like that. Worn down to chrome in the center with the gold left on the ends. They nailed the look.

[@paulsadoff3661]

I had an original one 30 years ago, I got rid of it because the Alnico pickup was really muddy-I guess the trick is to lower it a bit-wish I had known that before I sold it. It was the lightest Les Paul I had ever played.

[@Exercise-01]

I'm not a huge gibson fan but that black custom with the staple pickup is the Queen. I probably would put an humbucker in the bridge for the crunchy and get all the ethereal reverb/delay riffs on that staple.

[@DocBree13]

Holy moly - that sounds phenomenal! What a work of art, too!

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

I must add that as a player with a pronounced jazz accent, this guitar, in its original Fretless Wonder form with the staple neck pickup, is the ultimate. In fact, if I could afford it, I’d get a Made To Measure version from the Gibson Custom Shop with JUST the Alnico neck pickup.

[@sunwentai1]

Thank you for comparing the Staple pickup with the P90. I found the Staple to be much clearer, while the P90 sounds a bit...muddier? It's funnier trying to find terms to describe pickup sounds.

[@benlogan430]

I would not send a guitar back with that blemish.

[@lucwilson1]

Problem is the finish is broken and lifted (bubble) so might flake in the long term.

[@shook9042]

I wouldn't send it back either. It's just character to me.

[@user-pl7lr5dn8q]

its not character if someone purposely did that

[@johnm3946]

I'd afraid that the new one wouldn't play as good.

[@emdeel5709]

I’m suprised a lot of the places would take the guitar back after it’s been stripped down etc, I know it’s only a few screws etc but makes it hard to argue that it wasn’t caused after receipt of the instrument. I think if he was going to return it he should’ve without making a video and waited for the replacement. What’s the rush 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@Kahuna54]

Not a fan of VOS treatment. I do love both the Black and White LPs!

[@hippiebiker3399]

Love how articulate those Staple pickups are. Plus really like the thick slab of mahogany. Makes for a much warmer tone with that particular pickup. Now I’m gonna have to find something like that to go with my other gigging guitars. Sounds to awesome to regulate it to just a wall hanger play at home guitar. Very cool!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Love the clean Staple Neck P/up. Like the bridge soapbar, too … like the whole thing, except the tuners.

[@hifibrony]

That staple pickup is really articulate and juicy sounding. Middle position is nice and chimey.

[@workaccount2415]

Crazy expensive but that's the dream guitar for me right there. In general early-year LesPauls (goldtops) are wonderfully expressive on neck in a clean amp (what they were designed to do) but the Custom with a staple pickup is that much more special.

[@jimmyjames2022]

Wow, Ben, nice NGD Black Beauty 54 Custom staple! Too bad needs a return. Great to see the back of the staples with the ground wires etc. I like the neck staple clean better than P90 and either for light distortion. That rout is crazy deep, for existing mods I'd go with the Lollar version, not so deep, sounds great.

[@steveparish9210]

Maybe Gibson would give him a grand off for the blemish? Les was right the cleaner and clearer the better 😊

[@Captain_Yata]

Also, that Standard you used for comparison is GORGEOUS! I don't usually like standards but that is perfect

[@Trog]

The 80s prehistorics are pretty nice!

[@AlexRGuitar]

That thing sounds insane!!

[@jeffbarnard9246]

Hey Trogly nice guitar I can say I don't own one. I would like one for my collection, Some day right? Nice content tonight bud. Wow they are deep aren't they. Thanx for the Info on that particular pickup style. Take care.

[@jfiery]

Those frets look identical to my 60s Standard. I noticed the frets were different than any other LPs Id seen and thanks to Trogly I finally see that there are others like it.

[@MikeE-]

I really enjoyed playing out of the neck/staple pickup when I had that guitar. Thanks for the video, I think I actually commented a while back asking if you could review this reissue

[@jonathanhudak2059]

I think the staple pickup is a true a sleeper pickup, it sounded really good IMHO and that's a very cool and unique guitar!

[@druwk]

Beautiful guitar! Cherry version looks DOPE! One of my favorite, FAVORITE Les Pauls. Sounds amazing…perfect?

[@ethanhitchcock5431]

Very cool , very cool , very-very-very-COOL , damn that's cool , those Les Paul's are definitely one of the most desirable ( cool ) guitars in my superior opinion , the one in ' John Shank's ' collection is incredible (cool ) , I did'nt know there were white staple pickups , neato ! I'd love to see an ES-335 dressed up like that style LP or an Ebony ES-355 with the same pickups ...Oh dangit that sounds great , they all sound great ! Thank You Trogly !

[@davidmarks5400]

I remember seeing an original 54 with a Gibson amp in near mint condition at Guitar Center in the early 2000's for 13k. I thought the staple pickup looked cool. I wonder what that combo would sell for today? I'm sure whoever bought it ain't letting it go-I wouldn't.

[@mneugent7658]

Now on that one I can really hear the difference and it sounds amazing.

[@markmiller5117]

Bravo! In depth pickup info Bro!

[@sergejkrynycky728]

What an absolute beauty of a LP.

[@jasonistheworst]

Thanks Trog, I’ve been gassing for one of these for weeks now but couldn’t find the right review that explained the differences between the staple and regular p90, and the neck feel. Im going to pass on this and right now I can’t really find a black Gibson LPC with P90s, and picked up the black Epiphone LPC from Guitar Center this morning to upgrade until I find the Gibson version (if it exists?) do you know of a model I should be looking for that looks like this but doesn’t have the staple or 50’s neck? I get major hand cramping from my original series LPJr and LPSpecials :-/

[@clarkbabin9799]

Thank you been for sharing Ben. That guitar sounds like it would be great for some bluesy southern rock .

[@scarcam]

Glad you cleared that one up about being a single piece of mahogany, I assumed it was a separate mahogany top 👍

[@ericbgordon1575]

Visually, these staple pickups bring to mind the Duncan soapbar P90s in my current Telecaster, a 2012 Modern Player Thinline Deluxe. They probably are a different species, but I both see and hear similarities.

[@renegade44040]

Thanks Ben! Wow that's a really good combination of pickups.

[@nycLPplayer]

FYI the 70s reissues sound very different the modern ones / Seymour Ducans repros

[@Jeff-li5ri]

Sounded great in the middle position!

[@hikupmusicofficial]

yes thank you ben

[@jesselawson224]

Definitely one of my dream guitars!

[@oceantree5000]

Staple excitement notwithstanding… that bridge P90 sounds phenomenal! Dream axe right here.

[@RyanCohen-y5x]

Firstly. The guitar looks terrific. Absolutely fantastic. The VOS finish makes any Gibson custom 1000xs better Good show trogly as USUAL Being that the guitar has a VOS finish and is supposed to look aged... I wouldn't bother sending it back for a different unit if that one played really well. I guess Gibson will put it in the mod shop

[@riheg]

Christmas came early, the video I’ve been hoping for for a while

[@buddylobos5277]

'54 Wins !! Hands down!! Thanks Trog. A great one!!

[@jimilee459]

Like the staple pickup. Which I do I prefer? Depends on the application, they’re all fantastic. I think the staple was a little more bassy sounding. It’s like the low end the p90 was missing.

[@Alexlevi91]

Epic work Trog! How many custom colours have Gibson produce for this model? I’ve seen a blonde/natural version but that cherry example looked rad.

[@atltom331]

I've got one currently sitting in its case. Gonna have to break it out!

[@Steve.Cutler]

Was that a little of the king of the hill theme?😂

[@tei1337]

At least a little top gear theme (Allman brothers - Jessica) at about 16:00

[@GuitarGearGyan]

The staple pickup sounded very juicy. Gotta get me one.

[@UphillGardener-ly5sh]

Relicing is a finish option, if you don't like it buy a shiny one, but don't prattle on about "stolen valour" (like guitars have valour) any original 50s/60s guitar you buy has scratches and dents that you never made. The bottom like is, new guitars are nice, but they're not "cool" they're not "rock'n'roll" if you own a $10k... $20k.... $50k Gibson aged guitar, the chances are you have some shiny ones too, just like someone with a $100k rat rod will have a Mercedes in the garage. Gibson knows the market the Charlie Starr (aged walnut) completely sold out within days of release, and the used ones are selling for more than the original new price, even Trogly has one for sale at $850 above retail ... I guess used aged guitars must mess with the relic haters heads, working out which scratches are legitimate 😁

[@GreggRoberts]

My 56 has that pickup but the screws between the staples are smaller. The problem with mine is that the covers are funky warped. It's like the pickup has a twist. Plus I'm missing the neck binding just above it. Plus the pickup buzzzzzzz...

[@blacklion401]

I dig it. Congrats on the new guitar.

[@robertstan2349]

neck pup-wise, i prefer the tone you're getting with the jr.

[@silvernuggets1285]

B-e-a-utiful I have never noticed the small bridge cavity.

[@deanrichards2584]

Thanks for sharing Ben!

[@trevorclarey3336]

I like the staple pickups , sound good look good .

[@mikesweeney1435]

Man... I've been GASing for one of these so bad. Congrats Ben!

[@flawlessice]

My fave LP of all time. Appreciate the effort you put into comparing the staple with P90 and HB. Shame it had to go back because of a blemish. Gibson QC is still very poor (regardless of what they tell us!). But maybe they felt that flaw fell within the bounds of 'VOS'?

[@thetoneknob4493]

IVE BEN DREAMING OF OWNING ONE OF THESE FOR DECADES! ITS MY NUMBER 1 DREAM GUITAR!

[@Doty6String]

That neck pickup sounds excellent.

[@taz4965]

I didn’t have a favourite out of them. I could tell the difference between the P90 and the humbucker but the staple and P90 not so much. I really do like the retro look of the ‘54 but I’d ever pay that much for a guitar cos I’d be too scared to play it in case I devalued it somehow!😂

[@TOOLFortySixand2]

Interesting idea , if the magnet poll pieces are long enough to stick out like that, would it be possible if Gibson could make a STACKED staple pickup, put another P90 coil underneath? Idk I think it would be cool.

[@joermnyc]

Look up Kinman 580 pickups, they don't have the adjustable magnets, but it's the same idea with AlNiCo slug magnets in a noiseless p90 look.They say it sounds like the Staple pickup, just zero-hum.

[@TOOLFortySixand2]

@joermnyc oh cool 😊 I'll go check that out .

[@TheColton0117]

The staple is definitely cleaner and cleans up the p90 in the middle position considerably

[@deplinenoise]

If you like the sound but want a shorter height I can recommend the Lollar staple pickup. They’re a little shorter.

[@Nobody-on6gt]

Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful guitar!

[@gdavew63]

That Alinco pickup has a crack in the plastic cover…

[@badtonestudio]

Cool guitar, thanks Ben! Thanks for the history lesson Trogly

[@brittenmusic6923]

One pickup to rule them all.

[@PNWJEEPER01]

Shouldn't a proper '54 reissue be a wrap tail? When I ordered my 2022 r6, the defining structural differences between r6 and r4 were tune-o-matic with 2 soap bars on the r6 vs. wrap tail and the staple p/u in the neck position on the r4. I went with the r6 because I have more confidence in my intimation with the tune-o-matic since I travel a lot and gig both in and outdoors. I do wish I had the staple, but that option (if they even agreed to do it on an r6) would have kicked my order over into an M2M, lengthened the wait time and increased the cost more than I felt the difference in tone would compensate for.

[@alexandermclaughlin3978]

Nope, the custom had the T.O.M from the beginning, and the Goldtop adopted it in 55 (AFAIK). So yeah, an R4 GT would be wraparound and R4 Custom would be T.O.M 😊

[@hkguitar1984]

3:32 Can't mount it in an SG Neck Position, the extra wood is required near the neck tenon to maintain support. With an SG, the neck joint is already problematic and sometimes prone to separation, an extra deep neck pickup route is not advisable.

[@amslu]

2015 Gibson Specials also had alnico pole pieces p90 pickups, albeit not staple shaped..

[@peterpellerin1374]

Thanks Ben.

[@Captain_Yata]

Ooh, I'm loving the staple, it's just a P90 but nicer :)

[@Kahuna54]

All in all the Alnico 5 sounds better in every style to me.

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Somebody just watched the kirk hammet gibson episode huh ? Lol 😊😊😊😊 love these guitars..

[@BarryGoins]

My favorite les Paul

[@sonijam]

Wow! Love this guitar!

[@strat0871]

Staples looks and sound nice, but that deep clearance needed...

[@DDE_ADDICT]

It sounds thicker and more thoroughly good choice to do the test.

[@jenningsjennings2051]

I cant argue that is a really cool guitar, BUT Gibson just makes not a lick of sense the order codes and guitars that are $7K-$10K then you get a guitar with finish issues, a cheap case, and a guitar that will never be able to stand up to the abuse a tele or strat will handle? My ex wife ran over my Tele 3 times with her car and when I got it out of the case it was still in tune! A Gibson would have 100% broke at the headstock. Fender is the answer

[@RRW276]

That VOS finish looks pretty rough and unconvincing in my eyes. Especially given the swirls from the buffing pad to dull back that finish (for a hefty surcharge).