Excellent Condition 2016 Gibson 50's Tribute Les Paul - Honey Burst
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2016 Gibson Les Paul 50s Tribute – Honey Burst
No frills, no flash—just pure, unfiltered tone. This 2016 Gibson Les Paul 50s Tribute in Honey Burst isn’t here to sit in a glass case. It’s built to be played, and played hard. With its worn satin finish and stripped-back vintage vibe, it looks like it’s seen a few pubs, maybe a few fights, and definitely a few sold-out sets.
Underneath, it’s all classic Les Paul: a mahogany body with a carved maple top for that tried-and-true tonewood combo—rich mids, tight lows, and just enough top-end bite to cut through the mix. The mahogany neck features the rounded 50s profile—meaty, solid, and unapologetically old-school. It fills the hand without feeling like a baseball bat, and it’s made for players who actually play.
Loaded with 490R and 490T Alnico II humbuckers, it growls when you dig in but cleans up beautifully when you roll the volume back. Think warm, punchy rhythm tones and searing, articulate leads. It’s got the snarl of a vintage PAF with a bit more midrange presence—perfect for classic rock, blues, and beyond.
You also get a rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, a Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece for rock-solid tuning stability, and vintage-style tuners to top it off. No binding, no gloss, no nonsense—just raw tone and attitude.
If you’re after a proper workhorse Les Paul with vintage roots and a bit of edge, this Honey Burst 50s Tribute is ready to earn its scars.
Condition
We recently had another 2016 Les Paul 50s Tribute in the same Honey Burst finish pass through our hands, and while that one was in great shape, this example is in even better condition—easily between excellent and mint. It shows barely a hint of playwear and has clearly been well looked after.
Included is the original case candy: the Gibson warranty card, owner’s manual, and the factory photo of the guitar during its final setup. It also comes with an upgraded aftermarket hard case, which a previous owner has embellished with a high quality Gibson logo for that extra touch.
Setup
As with all our pre-owned instruments, this Les Paul has been through the Village Music Guitar Workshop for a full check-over and professional setup. It’s now strung with a fresh set of Elixir 10–46s and dialled in for effortless playability—low, comfortable action, smooth, polished frets, correct intonation, and crystal-clear electrics. No scratchy pots or dodgy jacks here—just plug in and go.
More about the Gibson 50's Tribute Les Paul
The 2016 Gibson Les Paul 50s Tribute was part of Gibson’s effort to offer more affordable U.S.-made guitars that still captured the essence of classic Les Pauls. The 50s Tribute was specifically designed to reflect the feel and tone of early Les Pauls from the 1950s while keeping costs accessible.
Specifications and Materials (2016 Les Paul 50s Tribute)
Body & Neck
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Body: Solid mahogany with a maple top.
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Neck: Mahogany with a thicker, rounded 50s-style neck profile, offering a more substantial feel compared to slim 60s necks.
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Neck Joint: Set neck construction.
Fingerboard
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Material: Rosewood
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Radius: 12”
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Frets: 22 medium jumbo
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Inlays: Trapezoid
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Nut Width: 1.695"
Finish
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Type: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer – thinner and less glossy than the high-gloss nitro used on Standard models.
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Effect: Contributes to a more “broken-in” feel and faster playability but can wear more quickly and show marks easily.
Pickups
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Model: Gibson 490R (neck) and 498T (bridge) humbuckers
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Tone Profile:
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490R: Warm, vintage-style tone.
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498T: Hotter, more aggressive output with emphasis on mids and treble.
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Electronics
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Wiring: PCB-mounted electronics (not hand-wired), which simplifies factory production.
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Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way selector switch.
Hardware
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Bridge: Nashville-style Tune-o-Matic
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Tailpiece: Stopbar
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Tuners: Vintage-style Keystone tuners
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Pickguard: Cream single-ply
Build Quality and Features
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Pros:
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Solid feel: Despite the lighter weight from relief, these guitars felt substantial.
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Playability: The satin neck finish was widely praised for comfort and speed.
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Classic tone: The 490R/498T combo delivered warm cleans and biting leads, good for blues, rock, and hard rock.
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Good fretwork (in most units) and solid intonation out of the box.
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Cons:
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Finish durability: The satin nitro was prone to showing wear quickly, especially on neck and arm contact areas.
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Electronics: Some players disliked the PCB electronics for being less “traditional”.
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Reception at Release (2016)
Player Reviews
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Generally positive:
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“A real Gibson for under £1500” was a huge draw.
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Praised for great tone, comfortable neck, and gig-ready reliability.
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Common praise:
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Tone quality exceeded expectations for the price.
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Good sustain and resonance, especially with PAF-style settings.
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Criticism:
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Some felt it lacked the “premium” feel of Standards due to the satin finish.
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Pickup output wasn’t for everyone—some swapped them for lower-output PAF clones.
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Reviewers (media)
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Publications and YouTube reviewers echoed the player sentiment:
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Guitarist Magazine and Premier Guitar noted the excellent value.
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Reviewers emphasized that the tone and playability rivalled more expensive models.
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Build quality was praised, with the caveat that finish and hardware were more “utilitarian” than “luxurious.”
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Summary
The 2016 Gibson Les Paul 50s Tribute stood out as one of the best bang-for-the-buck American-made guitars of its time. While it trimmed down on visual appointments (no binding, satin finish, PCB wiring), it delivered authentic Les Paul tone and feel where it mattered—wood, pickups, and neck profile.
Ideal for:
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Players wanting a workhorse Les Paul without the bling
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Fans of chunky 50s necks and vintage-inspired tone
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Budget-conscious players who still want Gibson USA quality
