Gibson Slash Vermillion Les Paul review

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Gibson Slash Vermillion Les Paul

Pickups

It's refreshing to see new Slash models that aren't clad in the classic light Honeyburst, and the man himself has certainly been favouring this Vermillion version of late.

Colour can be subjective, but we'd describe the hue of our example's hand-sprayed finish as erring towards orange. However, the translucence of the flamed maple below renders any finish fisticuffs redundant: it's stunning.

As you'd expect for a guitar with a £2,000+ price tag, this is the dictionary definition of a Les Paul, and includes weight relief, a quarter-sawn mahogany neck and 'orange drop' tone capacitors - you can feel the history emanating from it.

The neck follows Gibson's wide-and-thin 60s SlimTaper profile, and it plays very well indeed. Two Duncan Slash Signature Alnico II humbuckers provide the fuel, and tones are vibrant, balanced and inspiring.

Slash's main rock tone is full of warm overdrive and the Vermillion LP completes classic-rock styles nicely. The neck pickup is elegantly restrained and ticks both Kossoff and Moore boxes at a stroke.

The price may cause a few raised eyebrows, but for what you get we can't complain. There are deals to be had, too, and this is a great Les Paul that looks incredible.