'98 Les Paul DC Standard

1998 was the first year of issue for the DC (Double Cutaway) LP Standard and, as with many first years, the flamed maple tops on these are some of the best. It's hard to capture the flame on both the bass and treble side at the same time in a photo, and this shot emphasizes only the treble side. However, you can see that the carved, bookmatched top of this example has very tight flame as well as a discernible grain pattern perpendicular to the flame. The double cutaway, simple controls, switch position, and lack of binding make this model very similar to a popular Paul Reed Smith model, which some believe it was designed to compete with. True or not, this reintroduced design (see the '59 model post to see the first use of this shape) is a LP Standard in all respects.