Gibson Les Paul 20 Year Comparison | 2001 vs. 2021 Les Paul Standard

Today we've got another pick straight from Guitarlington, a 2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus with an incredible AAA Grade top. We thought it would be fun to compare this 20 year old guitar to a brand new Les Paul from 2021 and take a look and a listen to all the differences. Let us know which one you prefer!

0:00 Intro/ Specs
9:17 Clean Demo (2001)
11:04 Clean Demo (2021)
12:52 Overdrive Demo (2001)
14:27 Overdrive Demo (2021)
16:10 Final Thoughts

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[Chammoose]

Someone who’s never played guitar probably watches this and thinks, “Wow this makes me want to play guitar.” And then others who do play (like me) watch this and think, “Wow this makes me want to quit playing guitar.” Awesome playing!

[fathomxstudios]

I have 2001 cherry bust standard plus. Bought it new and guarded it with my life for 22 years. It still plays like butter and sounds like a rock god.

[SilverTurtleZ]

I think this really is a case of different pickups making the difference. That and the fact that the 2001 is seemingly a ringer of a guitar combines to make it the clear favorite. I would be interested to see what the difference would be with the 490/498 pickups in the 2021 model.

[mattchurchill]

Love early 2000s LPs, some real gems amongst em.

[bobkrause]

Great job Chris and Cooper. The 2001 LP by far was best

[natedanaste]

I have a 1990 standard that is amazing! I just ordered a 2001 classic today off of reverb, I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

[texhaines]

There is a difference in voice. I like the sound of the older one. Thanks Chris and Cooper. Hope to see more of what was found at Guitarlington. Acoustically speaking.

[mountainpeakcloud]

I have a 2001 Les Paul Plus I bought in 2002 brand new, and it's my best sounding guitar. I had a limited budget I could spend on a guitar as it was a birthday present from my mom, so I just literally picked the cheapest one in the store, which happened to be a wine red 2001 LP Standard, and it was the cheapest because it had some dings on it and some minor imperfections with the glue around the logo, so it was heavily discounted. I didn't care that it had some small dings and imperfections, because I had been playing guitar for about 11 years by that point, and I had always dreamed of owning a LP, so I was over the moon when I finally got one. I still own it to this day, and it is by far the best sounding guitar I've ever played. It's heavy as the earths core, as it the tone when you drop D and plug it into a high gain marshall style amp, it has a fat baseball bat neck, and when you play a chord it resonates and sustains so much, it literally becomes a meditative experience.

Interesting that these guitars are starting to become considered "vintage"... I still think of mine are being pretty "modern" since I got it brand new, kept it in great condition and 2001 doesn't seem that long ago, though I guess it is. To be honest, I didn't really think of these 2001 LPs as special (even though I thought mine sounded great), because I just didn't really play a lot of LPs in later years, but I started to realize that they are pretty special guitars. Perhaps there's something to the whole wood breathing thing, I don't know. It's extra special for me because it was a present from my mom, so I'll always be slightly bias, but I can objectively say that from a sound and feel perspective, it's a pretty special guitar, and it someone wants my LP, they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands, cause I'm never selling my baby.

[festushaggen]

The 01' has that classic dirty sound and edge that I like in an Lp. That's how it should sound. Great find.👍🏻

[TommySG]

This video is such a perfect time on my end, I just purchased a 60’s Standard this past week so I’m real interested in what you guys have to say! Thanks and listening to Cooper play always reminds me to go back and practice a hell of a lot more haha!

[cvfunnsixspeed]

I have 2 LP’s. One is a 05 Studio I bought new. It had the 490/498’s like this 01. I changed them out for the Seymour Duncan’s Hot Rods. The 490/498’s are hotter pickups for sure. That’s not what a lot of players want in a LP. They are certainly not the most expensive pickups in Gibson’s lineup. I also have the 21 LP Standard in an unburst finish which I believe is as close to a AAA as it can be; it’s labeled as a AA top. I prefer the burst buckers 61 in that guitar but that’s me. Both of these instruments are awesome at the end of the day, and preference will be in the ear of the listener! 👍. Great video comparison!

[JP-jysk]

Great video. I liked the tone of both, but the 2001 certainly has more output and hits the amp a bit harder.

[Robert-ugrv]

I just bought a used 2001 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Not the plus top. This guitar sounds truly amazing. I have a 2015 Les Paul studio with the same pickups my standard has and they sound completely different. I also own a American made PRS and several Fender Stratocasters. The 2001 Les Paul Standard by far is the best sounding guitar I own. I dearly love this guitar.

[charlesbranch]

Wow! I paused at 20:34 to leave a comment and am just grinning at the expression of the "older voice" (Chris). My voice is older than Chris' but I still sing every Sunday during rehearsal and the service. I think it helps sequence the lyric (libretto?) slides on screens and livestream. I prefer the 2001 Les Paul's sound and you could mark the knobs from 1 to 11, as Harry Shearer explained in Spinal Tap. I really like the Clint Black Signature 914, until I found a comparably priced PS14 with AA Koa that has an incredibly figured back. Wow, so many guitars, so little time!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! (Thanks for a great start to this day!)

[ferox]

I've got a 2001 in Vintageburst. Was owned by the awesome Victor Griffin. Got it about 14 years ago. My fave guitar. It roars.

[ApeLikeCreature]

Fantastic comparison and really beautiful playing. You allowed those Les Paul tones to shine clearly and simply. I recently purchased a 2004 Ebony Standard at a guitar show in the fall of 21’ and boy does it sound and play like a dream. And the price was very reasonable considering how much the prices have shot up in 2022.

[frankfurter]

Owned many Les Pauls since 1980 currently my favorite is a custom shop 57 black beauty. Plays and sounds great out of the box. One that got away was a 2002 standard plus, very light and resonant and had great intonation. Sold it and regret it now.

[christopherguzzi]

Both sounded great to me. The 2021 sounded brighter to my ears, the 2001 warmer. I liked them each for different reasons.

[timnewman]

In 1993 I scraped together my last pennies and bought a black 1978 Standard. It was everything a late 70's Paul was, especially heavy!
I played the hell out of it, even wearing the finish off a spot on the back of the neck...
Then a few years ago I got my first Tele and came to the realization that I could get most everything I wanted out of it, so right before Covid hit I traded it for a new 0-18 Martin!
As much as I loved it, I do not regret parting with it...

[sixbladeknife]

I have a 2002 Standard with BB Pros and an amazing top, just a shade under 9 pounds…an outstanding instrument, it does double duty for me along with a 2018 R8. The Standards of today are much different guitars and not quite as special as the early 2000’s Les Pauls. The 2001 Les Paul sounds substantially better to me than the newer one here…not dissing the new one, but it is what it is.