Gibson Faded Les Paul Standards 50s & 60s refreshed

50s and 60s

There are two distinct versions, the 50s and 60s, with the significant differences being the neck profile and the pickups. The 50s have a Vintage neck profile with  BurstBucker 1 and 2 pickups, and the 60s have a SlimTaper neck profile with Burstbucker pickups. All the guitars in this line come with hand-wired controls and Orange Drop capacitors.

The tuners for the 50s models are Kluson-style Vintage Deluxe with Keystone Buttons; instead, they have Grover Rotomatics on the 60s version.

Apart from those significant differences, there are also differences visually with the control knobs, as the 50s has regular Gold Top Hat style controls. In contrast, the 60s comes with the Gold Top Hat with Silver Reflectors instead.

AA Maple

All the faded models have an AA maple cap, a mahogany body, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fretboard. The fretboards are all fitted with 22 medium jumbo frets and acrylic trapezoid inlays. They also have a satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, which is quite thinly applied and gives the series its Faded name.

The 50s model is now available in Vintage Tobacco Burst and Vintage Honeyburst, while the 60s model is available in Vintage Bourbon Burst or Vintage Cherry. This year, they have also added covers to the humbuckers, which is a minor update many players will appreciate.

Verdict

Having owned one of the original 50s Faded models from the early 2000s, I can say that they were great guitars and had a lot going for them. This line offers some good value for money, and if you like a more worn-in feel, you will appreciate the satin nitrocellulose that makes these guitars look far less glossy.

The official price has dropped by around $200/€200 since 2022, which is always welcome. An excellent US-made Les Paul Standard with a hard case and some lovely finish options are always going to be popular.