Pricing and availability

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Average Price: $2,300

High-end/Boutique

$400

$1001+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

Unleash your musical prowess with the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul, a timeless classic reimagined for the modern guitarist. This limited edition masterpiece combines the legendary Les Paul design with a dazzling sparkle finish, ensuring your performance stands out both sonically and visually. Crafted from premium mahogany, the body offers exceptional resonance and sustain, while the Alnico Classic humbucker pickups provide a rich, warm tone that captures the essence of rock history.

The set mahogany neck, with its SlimTaper profile, ensures a smooth and comfortable playing experience, perfect for those fast riffs and intricate solos. Paired with a rosewood fretboard, this guitar offers an exquisite feel under your fingers. The iconic trapezoid inlays and cream neck and body binding add a touch of elegance, paying homage to the classic aesthetics that have graced stages worldwide.

For added convenience, the LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece not only enhance sustain but also simplify string changes, making this guitar a reliable choice for both studio sessions and live performances. Whether you're a seasoned professional or an aspiring musician, the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul is more than just a guitar—it's a statement.

Key Features:

  • Mahogany body for enhanced resonance
  • Alnico Classic humbucker pickups for warm, rich tones
  • Set mahogany neck with SlimTaper profile for comfortable playability
  • Rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays
  • LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece for improved sustain and easy string changes

Product specs

Brand Gibson
Model Les Paul Standard Sparkle Top
Finish Blue Sparkle, Diamond Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Green Sparkle, Red Sparkle
Year 2000
Made In United States
Categories Solid Body Electric Guitars
Body Material Mahogany
Body Shape Single Cutaway
Body Type Solid Body
Bridge/Tailpiece Type Stop-Bar
Color Family Blue, Gold, Green, Red, White
Fretboard Material Rosewood
Model Family Gibson Les Paul
Model Sub-Family Gibson Les Paul Standard
Neck Construction Set-Neck
Neck Material Mahogany
Number of Frets 22
Number of Strings 6-String
Pickup Configuration HH
Right / Left Handed Right Handed
Scale Length 24.75"
Top Material Maple
Wood Top Style Plain

FAQs

What are the tonal characteristics of the Gibson Les Paul Standard Sparkle Top?

The Gibson Les Paul Standard Sparkle Top is known for its rich, warm tones with strong sustain, thanks to its mahogany body and Alnico Classic Plus humbucker pickups. It delivers a powerful sound suitable for rock, blues, and jazz genres.

Is the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul suitable for beginners?

While the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul offers professional-quality features, its playability and iconic design make it suitable for both beginners and experienced players. However, beginners should consider its weight and size before purchasing.

How does the SlimTaper neck profile affect playability?

The SlimTaper neck profile of the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul provides a comfortable and fast playing experience, making it ideal for players who prefer a slimmer neck for easier fret access and faster playing.

What is the difference between the various sparkle finishes available?

The Sparkle-Finish Les Paul is available in Blue Sparkle, Diamond Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Green Sparkle, and Red Sparkle, each offering a unique visual appeal. The finish choice is purely aesthetic and does not impact the guitar's sound or playability.

Does the Sparkle-Finish Les Paul come with a case?

Typically, the Gibson Les Paul Standard Sparkle Top comes with a hard-shell case to protect the instrument during transport and storage, but it's always best to confirm with the retailer or seller at the time of purchase.

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Sparkle-Finish Les Paul.

Build quality

  • The original tuners and pots were intact, but the guitar lacked original knobs and pickups, affecting its historical integrity.

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  • The guitar is fully painted in sparkle, including the back, suggesting a non-standard production model and enhancing its rarity.

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Mods and upgrades

  • Plastic furniture caps aged to match existing plastics effectively cover drilled holes for coil split switches, avoiding mismatched sparkle finish attempts.

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  • Owners have swapped in Gibson 490 pickups, significantly enhancing the guitar's sound quality.

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  • EMG pickups were a popular choice for tonal modification in the late '90s models.

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Comparisons

  • Mini humbuckers offer a tone halfway between a standard Les Paul and a Telecaster, providing a unique sound profile.

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  • The guitar's rarity and color are occasionally compared to other unique deluxe models seen on niche resale platforms like Carters, suggesting limited availability.

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  • The Unsung Korean models are praised for their build quality, especially as production shifts more to China.

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Features and functionality

  • The guitar's tonal character is brighter with less output than PAF pickups due to the mini humbuckers, suiting styles requiring clarity and definition.

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  • Sparkle finish in red is notably uncommon, with fewer models seen compared to blue sparkle finishes, indicating a higher rarity and potential collector interest.

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Value and pricing

  • Only 124 Rocket Red Sparkle Deluxe Les Pauls were made, making them highly collectible and influencing their market value significantly.

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Use cases and applications

  • Originally modded with coil split switches and full-sized humbucker pickups, the guitar was restored for better historical accuracy, enhancing its appeal for collectors.

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User experience

  • One owner highlights that their 70s deluxe sparkle model required no repairs, emphasizing durability over decades.

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  • The guitar's weight is notably heavy, likened humorously to "a house."

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  • A 1996 Purple/Pink model has been a main guitar for a decade, indicating long-term reliability.

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Setup and maintenance

  • Checking under the switch cover for dates is a suggested method for verifying production details.

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Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings

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Artist usage

Add artist
See how John Reis uses Sparkle-Finish Les Paul

John Reis

Singer, Guitarist

Drive Like Jehu

...
Verified via reverb.com

"I purchased it in '92. I got it right before going on tour and toured a lot with it and played it in both Rocket and Drive Like Jehu. From when I purchased that guitar, it was pretty much the main guitar I played," Reis says of this late-'70s Les Paul Custom. "I went to Japan with it, and Ono [Ching]—the singer and guitar player for this band called the Jet Boys—did cartoons and drew all over it, did all this really cool artwork all over it."

The lost, then recovered sparkle finish Les Paul Custom. (Photo from Reis' Instagram) Some of this work, though faded from years of touring and sweat, is visible still on the back of the guitar. The front is a different story: "When I got home I decided, 'I've kinda always wanted a sparkle guitar,' so I took it to this guy in town who gave me a quote to refinish the guitar, and I couldn't afford it—I could only afford to do the front of it, hence why it's only [finished] on the front."

At some point the guitar was modified with an EMG pickup in the bridge position. As mentioned above, this was a modification Reis did to many of his '90s Les Pauls, and the reasons were twofold. Firstly, the range of aftermarket and boutique replacement pickups in the '90s was somewhat more limited than we enjoy today. And secondly, the way the magnetic field of this particular pickup interacts with the magnetic field of Speedo's JCM800's transformers produces a bizarre kind of chirping feedback, like the tweeting of cartoon birds.

Album Usage

The Sparkle-Finish Les Paul has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Sparkle-Finish Les Paul, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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