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Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
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Playability
73
Sound
71
Build
70
Value
56
Score
71
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Playability
70
Sound
73
Build
61
Value
68
Score
68
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged vs PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Specs Comparison
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
General
Brand: Gibson Custom PRS
Year: 2024 2020
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States Indonesia
Series: Murphy Lab SE
Colors: Natural Blue
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Hollowbody
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Stop Bar PRS Adjustable Piezo Stoptail
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover with Kidney Button PRS Designed Tuners
Fretboard: Dark Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Mother of Pearl Block Birds
Scale Size: 24.75" 25"
Shape: 50s Rounded Medium C Wide Fat
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10"
Nut: Corian PRS Propietary
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: 498T Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 58/15 S (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: 490R Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 58/15 S (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Bell Speed
Pickup Mods: None Multi-Voicing
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 1
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Nickel
Show Diagrams Comparison
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's switch options
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo pickups switch and push knobs diagram
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's switch options

Reasons to Get
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged over PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2024 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
50s Rounded Medium C vs Wide Fat
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Body Type
Solid Body vs Hollowbody
Feedback free
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Paint Finish
Nitro vs Poly
Thin finish that creates aging marks faster
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo over Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged

Neck Profile
Wide Fat vs 50s Rounded Medium C
Thick neck that gives you a better grip
Nut Material
PRS Propietary vs Corian
Good tuning stability
Pickup Mods
Multi-Voicing vs None
Changes the voice (tones or gain) of the pickups
Body Type
Hollowbody vs Solid Body
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Paint Finish
Poly vs Nitro
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
68 vs 56
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged vs PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo

Bridge Pickup
498T Humbucker vs PRS 58/15 S
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
490R Humbucker vs PRS 58/15 S
Different Neck Pickup
Nut Material
Corian vs PRS Propietary
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged vs PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Quilt Sapele vs Beveled Maple Top with Flame Maple Veneer
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
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

  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

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

Price History Comparison

Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT
    SET PRICE ALERT

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    Hand Size Comfortability

    And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo favors large hands more than the Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged.

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Beginner Friendliness

    The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo 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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale
    • Locking tuners

    New Player Friendliness

    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale
    • Comfortable neck
    • Locking tuners

    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
    Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
    Ebony

    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.

    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.

    Winner: Tie.

    Pickup Configuration

    Both pickup configurations are HH. 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.

    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: Tie.

    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 PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo comes with some kind of pickup modification: Multi-Voicing.

    Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

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

    Winner: PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 70
    Versatility 53
    Tuning Stability 70
    Sound 71
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
    Pickups 90
    Sustain 70
    Versatility 61
    Tuning Stability 70
    Sound 73

    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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged compares to the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged is built in United States while the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo is made in Indonesia.

    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.

    Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

    Winner: Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra 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 Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged has a Corian nut. It used to be the go-to nut for Gibson, but it's slowly being replaced by Graph Tech (Tusq). It's a synthetic material made to be similar to Bone, but it doesn't have the same self-lubricating properties, and it's less resistant.

    On the other hand, the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

    Winner: PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo.

    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.

    Both come with a similar bridge: 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: Tie.

    Tuners

    Both come with regular tuners. The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's are Grover with Kidney Button while the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's are PRS Designed Tuners

    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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
    • Made in United States
    • Expensive Wood
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • No High-Quality Nut
    • 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
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
    • Expensive Wood
    • PRS Propietary Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Multi-Voicing Pickups
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • Made in Indonesia
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • 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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
    Quality of materials 60
    Features 50
    Quality Control 100
    Build Quality 70
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
    Quality of materials 48
    Features 60
    Quality Control 75
    Build Quality 61

    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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged Nut Width
    Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').

    This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

    Scale Length

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's Scale Length
    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's Scale Length
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's Scale Length
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's 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 PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo has the longest scale: 25". The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.25'' (6.4mm) 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

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged Neck Profile
    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's neck profile
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Neck Profile
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo'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.

    In this case, both have different neck shapes:

    The Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged has a C type of 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.

    The PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo, on the other hand, has a Vintage neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.

    Fretboard Radius

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged Fingerboard Radius
    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's Fingerboard radius
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo Fingerboard Radius
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's Fingerboard 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 PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged.

    Fret Size

    Gibson Custom Les Paul Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged and PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo 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 Custom Quilt Sapele Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
    Chord Playability 65
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 73
    PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
    Chord Playability 80
    Solo Playability 55
    Playability 70