Beyond The ’Burst

Not all single-cuts follow the Les Paul blueprint. Here are six examples with a difference…

GRETSCH G5435T ELECTROMATIC PRO JET £529

This Les Paul ‘clone’ that was never a solidbody kicks off the current Jet line and uses a chambered basswood back with arched laminate maple top, ‘Black Top’ Filter’Tron pickups and a Bigsby B50. Colour options are Black or Silver Sparkle, while a hardtail version (£445) and Professional Collection Duo Jets (from £2,359) are also available. www.gretschguitars.com

SUPRO DUAL TONE £799

Part of the new Supro Americana series that hails from China, the Dual Tone emulates the original 60s model but with a moulded plastic ‘AcoustiGlass’ top and chambered mahogany back. The Vista-Tone pickups look like humbuckers, but are single coils that closely emulate the originals. There’s plenty more in this range and also the solidbody Island series, which starts at £899. http://suprousa.com

GORDON SMITH GS-1 ‘60’ £895

The UK’s longest-running production electric guitar company is now in the hands of Auden – and going through quite a renaissance. We took a look at this in issue 419 and while the base model starts at £600, you can add options such as locking Gotoh tuners, all-mahogany construction, a deeper 44mm-thick body, a proprietary P-90-style soapbar single coil, and a gloss-topped solid-colour finish. www.gordonsmithguitars.com

PRS S2 SINGLECUT STANDARD SATIN £999

USA-made S2s are becoming the go-to guitars for those of us who can’t stretch to the full-blown Corelevel PRSes. There are four single-cuts to choose from and this start-up all-mahogany solidbody now has an upgraded adjustable wrapover bridge, #7 covered humbuckers, four-control layout, and is one of the few PRSes that comes with dot inlays. www.prsguitars.com

GUILD NEWARK ST M-75 ARISTOCRAT £980

Introduced in 1954, this oh-so-Les Paul was in fact a hollowbody, a down-sized jazzbox. The current version is still unique, but with Franz-style soapbar single coils, it’s superb for old-school jazz and blues. Plus the light single-cut weight won’t give you round shoulders. Equally valid is the Duncan ’bucker-equipped semi-solid single-cut Bluesbird. http://guildguitars.com

GIBSON MEMPHIS ES-LES PAUL FROM £2,499

It took Gibson a while to cotton on that numerous makers had crossed its ES-335 with its Les Paul, but the company finally released the ES-Les Paul in 2014, starting with the Studio (£2,499). The pictured Alex Lifeson (£3,299) is one of many limited models offered by Gibson Memphis: lightweight and surprisingly hollowbody-sounding. www.gibson.com