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Kramer Pacer
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
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Playability
70
Sound
80
Build
60
Value
75
Score
70
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
68
Value
61
Score
71
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Kramer Pacer vs Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

Reasons to Get
Kramer Pacer over Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

Release Year
2022 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Slim vs Vintage 50s
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Parallel Split vs None
Connects pickups in parallel to brighten tone
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Pickups
HH vs P90P90
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
14'' (355.6mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
75 vs 61
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 over Kramer Pacer

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Decorative Top
Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Profile
Vintage 50s vs Slim
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
P90P90 vs HH
Vintage tone with decent versatility
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 14'' (355.6mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Kramer Pacer vs Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 vs Gibson P-90
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2 vs Gibson P-90
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple vs Mahogany
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Locking vs Ivory Tusq
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Kramer Pacer vs Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Weight Relief
  • 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

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Kramer Pacer's 70 score, although not by a lot.

The Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 wins when it comes to playability, build quality. On the other hand, the Kramer Pacer has the upper hand when it comes to sound, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the Kramer Pacer is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Kramer Pacer is the better choice.

The Kramer Pacer meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 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

Kramer Pacer
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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.

Kramer Pacer Overview

  • From Kramer's 2022 Original series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 14" Fretboard Radius
  • Maple body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose 1000 Series Tremolo bridge
  • Slim Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Kramer 14:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 Overview

  • From Gibson's 2019 Original Collection series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Gibson P-90 (P90/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • Vintage 50s Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone 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 the Kramer Pacer

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.

Woods Used in the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

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.

Winner: Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90.

Pickup Configuration

The Kramer Pacer has an HH configuration while the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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 Standard 50s P-90 has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Kramer Pacer's and use them on any guitar:

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 Standard 50s 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 Kramer Pacer comes with some kind of pickup modification: Parallel Split.

The Parallel Split feature allows it to split and connect some of the pickups in parallel. When wired in parallel, the result is a very bright tone. This is the wire technique used in most Stratocaster guitars, and it's what gives them their signature transparent and clear sound. This is because the pickups' inputs and outputs are wired together, which reduces the signal's travel distance to the output jack.

Kramer Pacer pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Kramer Pacer's switch options
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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: Kramer Pacer.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Kramer Pacer
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 76
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 80
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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 Kramer Pacer compares to the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Kramer Pacer is built in Indonesia while the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 is made in United States.

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.

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: Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90

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 Kramer Pacer 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 Standard 50s 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 Kramer Pacer'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 Standard 50s 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: Kramer Pacer.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Kramer Pacer's are Kramer 14:1 while the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90's are Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone 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.

The Kramer Pacer has a 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.

On the other hand, the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 comes with 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: Kramer Pacer.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Kramer Pacer
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Parallel Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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

Kramer Pacer
Quality of materials 41
Features 70
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
Quality of materials 60
Features 50
Quality Control 95
Build Quality 68

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

Kramer Pacer Nut Width
Kramer Pacer Nut Width
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 Nut Width
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.7mm (0.068'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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

Kramer Pacer's Scale Length
Kramer Pacer's Scale Length
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90's Scale Length
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90'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 Kramer Pacer has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 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

Kramer Pacer Neck Profile
Kramer Pacer's neck profile
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 Neck Profile
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Kramer Pacer 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 Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90, on the other hand, has a V neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

Fretboard Radius

Kramer Pacer Fingerboard Radius
Kramer Pacer's Fingerboard radius
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90'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 Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Kramer Pacer'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 Kramer Pacer.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

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 Les Paul Standard 50s P-90 favors large hands more than the Kramer Pacer.

Kramer Pacer:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Kramer Pacer and Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s 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

Kramer Pacer
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 70
Playability 70
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Kramer Pacer vs Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
General Kramer Pacer Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P-90
Brand: Kramer Gibson
Year: 2022 2019
Configuration: HH P90P90
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: Original Original Collection
Colors: White, Orange Gold
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Maple Mahogany
Bridge: Floyd Rose 1000 Series Tremolo ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Set
Tuners: Kramer 14:1 Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone Buttons
Fretboard: Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Mahogany
Decoration: Black Dots Acrylic Trapezoids
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Slim Vintage 50s
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 14" 12"
Nut: Locking Ivory Tusq
Nut Width: 41.3mm (1.625'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson P-90 (P90 / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2 (Humbucker / Passive) Gibson P-90 (P90 / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: Parallel Split None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 1 2