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Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged

Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba

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Playability

72

Sound

72

Build

74

Value

58

Score

73

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Playability

77

Sound

81

Build

77

Value

78

Score

78

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Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged vs Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged Prices

• New from $8,699 >>
• New from $8,699 >>

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Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba Prices

• New from $1,124 >>
• New from $1,149 >>
• New from $1,249 >>
• Used from $999.20 >>
• Used from $1,124.09 >>

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged in every aspect.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba is the better choice.

The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Woods Used in the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba

Wenge is a stiff wood that comes with straight and tight grains. Its color is dark brown and the tonality emphasizes the low and mid-ends (warm) frequencies, similar to Rosewood.

Limba is a relatively rare wood that shows exotic tight dark grain stripes. It comes in white or black. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with richer mids. Find out more about Limba.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged has an HHH configuration while the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba has HH pickups.

A triple Humbucker (HHH) can be intimidating at first, but it's one of the combinations that offer the most tone versatility. You'll be able to have from a lot of output for Hard Rock genres, to warm and clean sounds that are more common in Jazz.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba gives you 5 switch options while the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged gives you 3. This means that the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged compares to the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged is built in United States while the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba is made in South Korea.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

Winner: Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged has a Nylon nut. It used to be one of the highest quality materials for nuts (and still is), but it's rare to find nowadays because it's hard to work with. It's a very resistant material with very low friction, so it will keep the guitar in tune and will last for a long time

On the other hand, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

In this comparison, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.

Winner: Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged's brige is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.

On the other hand, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged's are Kluson Waffleback w/ Pearloid Tips while the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba's are Grover Rotomatic 18:1

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged has a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

On the other hand, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Final Build Quality Scores

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.6mm (0.063'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged and the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged favors large hands more than the Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged:

Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba:

Fret Size

The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder Exotic Black Limba has XL Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Custom 3-Pickup With Bigsby Vibrato Light Aged's Medium Jumbo frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores