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Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
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Playability
72
Sound
80
Build
75
Value
61
Score
76
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
64
Value
70
Score
70
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss vs Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss over Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90

Weight Relief
Yes vs None
Lighter Body
Decorative Top
2-Piece Figured Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2022 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs

Reasons to Get
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 over Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss

Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Value Score
70 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss vs Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90

Bridge Pickup
498T Humbucker vs Gibson P-90
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
490R Humbucker vs Gibson P-90
Different Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Nut Material
Locking vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss vs Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Prices

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Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss is probably the better product overall with its final score of 76 compared to the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's 70 score, although not by a lot.

The Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 is the better choice.

The Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss 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.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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.

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Overview

  • From Gibson Custom's 2022 Modern Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • 2-Piece Figured Maple top
  • 1-Piece Solid Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: 498T Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: 490R Humbucker (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose bridge
  • SlimTaper C Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Grover Kidney tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Overview

  • From Gibson's 2019 Modern Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Gibson P-90 (P90/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Compensated Wraparound bridge
  • Rounded Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Deluxe w/ White Buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

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

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

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.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Woods Used in the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss has an HH configuration while the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 has P90P90 pickups.

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.

On the other hand, P90P90 gives you two P90s for a crunchy vintage tone. The tone sits somewhere in the middle between typical single-coils and humbuckers. They also produce less hum than single-coils, but they don't cancel it completely like humbuckers.

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 Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 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 Les Paul Special Tribute P-90.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Only the Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss's switch options
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's switch options

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

Winner: Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 73
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 80
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 72

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 Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss compares to the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

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.

Winner: Tie

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 Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss has 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.

On the other hand, the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 comes with a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

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.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

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 Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

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: Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss's are Grover Kidney while the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's are Vintage Deluxe w/ White Buttons

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.

Both have 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.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Weight Relief
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
Quality of materials 55
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 75
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
Quality of materials 56
Features 50
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 64

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

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Nut Width
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Nut Width
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Nut Width
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss and Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

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

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Neck Profile
Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss's neck profile
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Neck Profile
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90's 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 Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss and the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 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

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same 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.

Both the Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss and the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

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.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss and Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90 Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 72
Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss vs Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
General Gibson Custom Les Paul Axcess Standard Figured Floyd Rose Gloss Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute P-90
Brand: Gibson Custom Gibson
Year: 2022 2019
Configuration: HH P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Modern Collection Modern Collection
Colors: Brown White, Black, Red, Natural
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: 1-Piece Solid Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Floyd Rose Compensated Wraparound
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover Kidney Vintage Deluxe w/ White Buttons
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Maple
Decoration: Celluloid Trapezoid Acrylic Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: SlimTaper C Rounded
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Locking Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: 498T Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson P-90 (P90 / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: 490R Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson P-90 (P90 / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Split None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2