Gibson Les Paul Special vs Tribute vs Special Tribute

The Gibson Les Paul Special, Tribute and Special Tribute models all offer a more affordable option for players looking to get an American-made Gibson. However, they all have different features and cost different amounts.

In this article, I’ll compare the Les Paul Special, Tribute and Special Tribute electric guitar models so you can see which option is the best for you.

The Quick Answer

Let’s quickly summarise the differences between the three Les Paul models.

Les Paul Special vs Tribute

The Gibson Les Paul Special has two P90 pickups, a wrap-around bridge and thicker neck compared to the Les Paul Tribute which has two humbucker pickups and a tone-o-matic bridge. There are also cosmetic differences such as the pickguard design, inlays, finish and color options.

Les Paul Tribute vs Special Tribute

The Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute comes with either P90 or humbucker pickups, whereas the Les Paul Tribute only comes with a humbucker pickup option. The main differences are cosmetic, with the guitars having a different pickguard, inlays and color options. They have the same neck profile.

Les Paul Special vs Special Tribute

The Gibson Les Paul Special has P90 pickups, whilst the Les Paul Special Tribute has the choice of P90 or humbucker pickups. The Special model has a thicker neck and gloss finish, whereas the Special Tribute has a satin finish. The Special is $700 more expensive on average than the Special Tribute.

Here is a table showing the differences between these three electric guitar models. Note: Turn the device horizontally or scroll sideways to see the full table if you are viewing on a smaller-screen.

Feature	Les Paul Special	Les Paul Tribute	Les Paul Special Tribute
Neck Wood	Mahogany	Mahogany	Maple
Pickups	P90s	Humbuckers	Humbucker or P90
Finish	Gloss	Satin	Satin
Neck Profile	Vintage ‘50s	Rounded	Rounded
Inlays	Acrylic Dots	Acrylic Trapezoid	Acyrlic Dots
Neck Binding	Yes	No	No
Hardware	Nickel	Nickel	Chrome
Bridge	Wrap-Around	Tune-O-Matic	Wrap-Around
Tuning Machines	Vintage Deluxe (White Button)	Vintage Deluxe (Keystone Button)	Vintage Deluxe (White Button)
Pickguard	Black Flat Design	White Angled Design	Black Flat Design
Pickup Switch	Mounted	Un-Mounted	Un-Mounted
Controls	Black Top Hats	Gold/ Amber Top Hats	Black Top Hats
Left-Hand Available	Yes	Yes	No
Colors	TV Yellow Vintage Cherry	Iced Tea Honeyburst Tobacco Burst Cherry Sunburst	Worn White Vintage Cherry Natural Walnut Ebony
Case Included	Hard-Shell	Soft-Shell	Gig-Bag
Average Price (USA)	$1700	$1300	$1000
Average Price (UK)	£1500	£1000	£800

Similarities between the Gibson Les Paul Special, Tribute and Special Tribute Models

Pickups

The Gibson Les Paul Tribute has two humbucker pickups and the Les Paul Special has two P90 pickups, whilst the Special Tribute model comes with the choice of either pickup configuration.

The humbucker versions have a fuller and warmer tone with more bass and mid-range frequency emphasis compared to the P90 versions which have a brighter tone with more emphasis on the treble frequencies.

The P90 versions are more susceptible to humming and feedback than the humbucker versions, hence the P90s are often used for more overdriven tones seen in blues and rock ‘n roll, compared to the humbuckers which are great for higher gain and heavy rock tones.

The pickups used in humbucker version of the Special Tribute and Tribute models are both the same. You’ll find a 490R in the neck position and a 490T in the bridge position.

Check out this video comparing the different pickups on YouTube.

Neck

The Gibson Les Paul Tribute and Special Tribute both have the same neck shape (rounded) and satin, however, the neck is made from maple on the Special Tribute and mahogany on the Tribute. The Les Paul Special has a Vintage ’50s neck profile which feels a bit thicker than the neck on the Tribute/ Special Tribute.

Bridge

The Les Paul Special and Special Tribute models have a wrap-around bridge, whereas the Tribute model features a more traditional tune-o-matic bridge. The wrap-around bridge improves sustain, however the tune-o-matic bridge makes it easier to get the correct intonation on the guitar.

Styling Differences

The Gibson Les Paul Special and Special Tribute models are the most similar looking and share cosmetic features such as the flat black pickguard, acrylic dot inlays and black top hat controls. The main difference between the two is that the Special Tribute has a satin finish whilst the Special has a gloss finish.

The Les Paul Tribute looks the most different out of the three guitars and more closely resembles the Classic, Studio and Standard versions in the Les Paul range. This is due to it’s pickguard design, color options, acrylic trapezoid inlays, gold/ amber top hat controls and vintage deluxe keystone tuners. However, the Tribute does also have a satin finish, similarly to the Special tribute model.

The guitars also come in different color options:

Special: TV Yellow and Vintage Cherry (all gloss)
Tribute: Iced Tea, Honeyburst, Tobacco Burst and Cherry Sunburst (all satin)
Special Tribute: Worn White, Vintage Cherry, Natural Walnut and Ebony (all satin)

Here are some images (all link to Amazon) to show the design differences.

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute

Gibson Les Paul Special

Gibson Les Paul Tribute

Considering other LP models? Check out my complete guide to the Les Paul guitar range to learn more.

The Similarities

Despite their being many differences between the Tribute, Special and Special Tribute models, there are a number of similarities including the body wood, fretboard wood, scale length, fret number and controls. Here is a table highlighting the features that stay consistent on all three Les Paul models.

Feature	Specification
Body Wood	Mahogany
Fretboard Wood	Rosewood
Construction	Set-Neck
Scale Length	24.75”
Fretboard Radius	12”
Nut Width	1.695”
Fret Number	22
Fret Size	Medium Jumbo
Controls	2 x Vol, 2 x Tone
Pickup Selector	3-Way
Coil Tap	No
Manufacturer In	USA