I've never really understood the Les Paul hype – until this ’60s-inspired Gibson Les Paul Standard totally changed my mind

I've never been a massive Les Paul fan, as the SG's look, tone, and feel are more up my street. However, after recently spending some time with a friend's Les Paul and experimenting with it to understand what makes it tick, I can honestly say I finally understand the hype.

It's up there on the Mount Rushmore of guitars, after all – with its quintessential fat, snarling tone that somehow manages to be instantly recognizable yet ever so versatile.

But let's be honest here – buying your first Les Paul can be intimidating. There are so many options to choose from, with most of them commanding a hefty price tag, so it's easy to get lost in the mix. Fortunately, this massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal from Sweetwater has just sweetened (pun intended) the deal on this incredibly attractive Gibson Les Paul Standard ’60s Plain Top.

At just $1,999 – down from $2,599 – this guitar's a total steal. But dollars-and-cents analysis aside, it also boasts some serious specs.

Save $600

Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s Plain Top: was $2,599 now $1,999 at Sweetwater Sound

Get classic ’60s Les Paul feel with this Gibson Les Paul Standard. Maple-over-mahogany body, Burstbucker pickups, a SlimTaper mahogany neck, and a Plek’d rosewood fingerboard deliver the quintessential LP tone coupled with enhanced playability – all for under $2K.

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It's the classic design that kept this model at the top of the guitar hierarchy, but with added modern-meets-vintage appointments. You get the tried-and-true maple-over-mahogany construction and the ’60s Burstbucker pickups that deliver the oh-so-sweet snarl we all know and love, coupled with a SlimTaper neck profile and a Plek'd 12-inch-radius Indian rosewood fingerboard that are very much the definition of comfort and playability.

For an added ’60s flair, Gibson gave this Les Paul a nitrocellulose lacquer finish – standard back in the day – and which, aesthetics aside, also enhances the guitar's tonal quality. Graph Tech nut, ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge, aluminum stopbar tailpiece, and Grover Rotomatic tuners with kidney buttons round up its hardware.

As fellow Les Paul convert Jimmy Page once said, “I played the Les Paul on Whole Lotta Love and What Is and What Should Never Be and that decided it for me: it was definitely going to be the Les Paul from then on.

“I always wanted to make a change for each album sonically, and that was my first decision for Led Zeppelin II. Like I had built Led Zeppelin around the Fender Telecaster, I built the second album around the sonic texture of the Les Paul Standard.”

Well, time to take a page from Mr. Page's book!

Still on the hunt for more gear bargains? Stay tuned to Guitar World for more of the best Cyber Monday and Black Friday guitar deals that are still live – including more Gibson bargains.