Remember These?

[OldStrummer]

Following my divorce a number of years ago, my interest in guitar playing was re-ignited and I felt it might be time to get deeper into electric guitar. I thought to myself, "What's more iconic than a Gibson Les Paul?" (other than Strats and Teles, of course). Not sure of what I was getting myself into, and knowing even less about guitars than I do today, I felt like "bling" wasn't going to add to my playing skill, so I decided on a "working man's guitar."

I found and bought from the owner, this 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special SL. It had been his gigging guitar, but he was moving the opposite direction (toward Fender) and had decided to sell it.

The LP Special SL is the low man on the Gibson LP totem pole. It's fancy-free: no bindings, whammy, fancy tuners, etc. It's American made (Nashville Plant, TN, USA on March 26th, 1998 Production Number: 141), has P-100 pickups (490/498, I think), and weighs a ton.

I found it didn't really fit me well, and so I put it in its case where it has sat for several years. I'm currently going through my collection and tagging my guitars, and while doing so I'm cleaning them up and checking them out. Time hasn't done a number on it, and cleaned up it still looks pretty good. For a "working man's guitar."

[phantomman]

Not P100 pickups. That model looks like a single-coil P90 but is actually a humbucker with the coils vertically-stacked. The pickup cover resembles that of a P90 and does not require mounting rings.

[gibsonjunkie]

This has similar roots. Got this one used and had to fix it up a bit, but it's a great guitar (and light!). I think it's a 2003 model.

[Don]

has P-100 pickups (490/498, I think)

I remember those well. I like stripped down, flattop Les Pauls.

I just received a '95 Les Paul Studio in trade. It has 490/498 pickups. That bridge pickup will make a Princeton Reverb growl! I think I like it. I'll compare it to my guitars with lower output humbuckers tomorrow.

[Offshore Angler]

F
The LP Special SL is the low man on the Gibson LP totem pole.

As for Jr's and SL's they are functionally interchangeable with a Telecaster for rock or blues and I'd take one over a Tribute any day.