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Gibson Les Paul 57 Reissue

Here's my baby, a 1997 Gibson '57 Reissue Les Paul Custom.  She's stock except that I replaced the nut with a Buzz Feiten system.  The Buzz Feiten tuning system is truly remarkable and makes the guitar chords ring true at all positions on the neck.  It's almost like playing the piano in that you can play all six strings when chording at any position and it sounds good.

This guitar is a real beast.  She weighs in at a staggering 10 lbs 12 oz and has a big ole 'tree trunk' of a neck.  I can definitely feel it in my back when I gig with her.  But with all that weight comes exceptional tone and sustain.  I string her with 11 gauge strings and tune a half step down.   I can really tell a difference when I switch guitars back to her during a gig.  The sound from this guitar cuts through the mix like a knife and really 'sings' during solos.  Hands down the best sounding guitar I have.

My only complaint is with the nitrocellulose finish.  Nitro finishes supposedly allow the guitar to resonant better.  The also age nicely over time.  This is probably not an issue with a black finish.  My beef is that the nitro finish is not very resistent to scratches and wear & tear.  After only a few years of regular use I have a hazy spot where my pick arm rests on the body and the back of the body just looks terrible even though I never wear a belt when I play to avoid buckle rash.  I gigged for many years with an Epiphone Heritage Cherryburst Les Paul and the finish still looks brand new.  Just a little disappointing for such a high end guitar.