The Gibson Les Paul is celebrated for many reasons, including its rich singing sustain. This quality is the result of many factors, including the density of its maple-capped mahogany body as well as its arched top, angled headstock and set neck.
But after 64 years and countless new guitar models, does the Gibson Les Paul still deserve its reputation as one of the best sustaining guitars ever made?
Darrell Braun investigates the subject in his video “Guitar Sustain Test: Les Paul vs all Challengers!” Darrell pits a Gibson Les Paul Traditional against an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, the Sterling by Music Man John Petrucci Signature, an Ibanez Premium and a PRS SE Custom 24.
Darrell puts the guitars through a number of tests while recording the results on his DAW so we can see the waveforms and determine which models sustain the longest.
Take a look and see if you’re surprised by the results.
You can view more of Darrell’s videos on his YouTube channel.
![Lerxst Grace [left] and Godin 5th Avenue TL Gold Foil: Grace is a red HSS S-style with a mirror pickguard and a Vega tremolo system. The 5th Avenue model to its right sits beside a houseplant and is an arch-topped hollowbody with f-holes and gold-foil pickups.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6w2NUh4RxvR5ajrc52sFCB-840-80.jpg.webp)
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