Few things in the average electric guitarist’s
life thrill quite like the sight of
a goldtop—Gibson or otherwise. Classy,
sophisticated, and given to aging gracefully,
most goldtops tend to exude the same sense
of refinement and elegance that Gibson’s first
goldtop Les Paul did when it was introduced
in 1952. It’s a look that has stood the test
of time and that continues to inspire players
and luthiers alike.
Having worked for Gibson and at the
legendary Gruhn Guitars in Nashville,
Thomas Stadler is one guitar builder who
has seen his share of exquisite, exemplary,
and important goldtop specimens. And his
new Goldtop model is an homage to the
original Gibson model (and at least one
other very iconic electric), with a few modern
design appointments.
Gold Rush
Stadler’s gold-finished doublecut is striking
for more than just its finish. The butternut
body bears the unmistakable rounded profile
of a Les Paul—at least from the endpin to
the waist. But from the waist onward, the
guitar’s design is distinctly informed by Doug
Irwin’s legendary Tiger—Jerry Garcia’s go-to
axe from 1979 to 1990.
Unlike just about any goldtop Les Paul
you’re likely to see, the 24 3/4"-scale Stadler
has a two-piece maple neck, which Stadler
selected for the sonic clarity it lends a pair of
P-90s. Stadler also used small, vintage-style
fretwire and Kluson-style tuners. Other visible
design enhancements for optimizing tone
include the wraparound bridge—a patented
Stadler design that’s essentially a Gibson-style
wraparound with a bone saddle.
The combination of the butternut
body with the maple neck is certainly
unusual. Butternut is commonly used
by wood sculptors and model enthusiasts,
and is very similar to walnut in many
regards—including grain and response
to bending and sanding. Tonally, it’s known to
have deep overtones reminiscent of mahogany,
but with an airy, open treble response similar
to basswood. It’s good to see a luthier exploring
unconventional material options rather
than sticking to the tried-and-true woods that
have become so common in the guitar-making
universe—especially on a guitar inspired by
such archetypical instruments.
Worth Its Weight in Tone
The first thing most players will probably
notice when they pick up a Stadler Goldtop is
the size of the neck profile. I was taken aback
by its massive, baseball bat-like quality, which
evoked the feel of a 1958 Gibson Les Paul
Standard reissue or even a Fender Jeff Beck
Signature Strat.
The beefy neck helps make the
Goldtop a riffing machine. It’s certainly
not a lightning-quick neck, and the
smaller fretwire doesn’t make things feel any
faster—even though the fretboard is fairly flat.
But the combination of the neck, pickups, and
body construction compelled me to search for
riff after corpulent riff to hang on to and hold.
And plugging the guitar into a 1981 50-watt
Marshall JCM800 half-stack turned out to be
a perfect match for the Stadler. Every note was
defined, huge, and
mean, although big, open
chords still sounded detailed and absolutely
dripped with harmonics.
The pickups in our test Goldtop were
stock Gibsons (though, for an additional
$100, Stadler will wind custom pickups with
Forbon bobbins and alnico pole pieces).
The neck pickup in particular offered a
shining example of great P-90 sound, inspiring
ill-fated attempts to cop classic Leslie
West riffs. Rolling back the guitar’s tone
knob shaved off the highs, but also seemed
to make the midrange hairier and slightly
meaner. The in-between position on the
pickup selector put a heaping selection of
tones at my fingertips, too. Although it’s
not a pickup configuration I use often, the
middle position turned out to be the position
I used most, thanks to its excellent outof-
phase tones and biting rhythm sounds.
However, whether I used the pickups in tandem
or on their own, they always provided
an extraordinary playing experience.
One thing that was especially great about
playing the Goldtop was how well I could feel
the body and neck resonate. The fact that I
was hanging onto each note longer than I normally
would—the neck has a way of making
you want to linger more than shred—made
that resonance more noticeable, and that says
something about how a guitar’s design can
shape the way you play. The Goldtop’s design
and tonal qualities brought me to the realm
of honest, grooving rock, and kept me happy
kicking out riffs in the vein of Tim Sult, Leslie
West, and Malcolm Young for hours on end.
The Verdict
The Stadler Goldtop was a blast to play. It’s
not the most versatile guitar around, though I
sense it wasn’t meant to be. The combination
of old-school design with carefully thought-out
alterations—such as using butternut wood
for the body—make it stand out from a lot
of guitars going for a similar vibe. And it’s a
unique and super-classy-looking beauty that
successfully fuses two of the most striking
electric solidbodies ever built.
Watch the video review:
Buy if...
you like a substantial neck and you’re
after great resonance and expressive
P-90 tones with a vintage feel.
Skip if...
you prefer a moderately sized
neck and/or a wide variety of
pickup-switching options.
Rating...
