I own a 2000/2001 model.
Think of the Classic as being a Standard with a plain maple top (not flamed and book-matched), '60s profile slimmer neck, hot uncovered ceramic pickups - a 496R in the neck and 500T in the bridge, and celluloid inlays that can vary from what's called snot yellow to snot green. Some people have fixed this by leaving the guitar in the sun for a few hours (covered up but the neck exposed) and found that the UV washes out the worst of the colour. Hmm. They are weight-relieved guitars. There was an earlier Classic in the early '90s which IIRC was more like the '58 and '59 reissues, or the Traditionals. There's also a Classic Custom which only had a 2 or 3 year production run. Black like the Custom, aged bindings, gold hardware, and an uncovered '57 Classic/'57 Classic Plus pickup set. Nice guitar with Custom mojo for a lot less money if you can find one.
Some of the earlier cherrybursts were known as clown bursts thanks to a heavy-handed and often irregular finish application, making the colours distinct rather than merging into each other.
Some are very plain topped (like a '60s Les Paul) while others have varying degrees of flame in them like mine does. Some people don't like the pickups much at all, but I can't say I've hated mine. The neck gave out and was replaced with a zebra Seymour Duncan '59 by Grant Fouche, and I must say it does sound warmer / nicer to my ears. I've still got the 500T in the bridge for now which can be a little trebly, but it still does the job although I'm seriously considering replacing it with a JB or Pearly Gates at some point.
Frankly I think it's an underrated Les Paul. Cosmetics and pickups aside, you're getting what is for all intents and purposes a '60s neck Standard but for less money. If the $$ are in your favour, a good set-up and a pickup swap make sense.
Think of the Classic as being a Standard with a plain maple top (not flamed and book-matched), '60s profile slimmer neck, hot uncovered ceramic pickups - a 496R in the neck and 500T in the bridge, and celluloid inlays that can vary from what's called snot yellow to snot green. Some people have fixed this by leaving the guitar in the sun for a few hours (covered up but the neck exposed) and found that the UV washes out the worst of the colour. Hmm. They are weight-relieved guitars. There was an earlier Classic in the early '90s which IIRC was more like the '58 and '59 reissues, or the Traditionals. There's also a Classic Custom which only had a 2 or 3 year production run. Black like the Custom, aged bindings, gold hardware, and an uncovered '57 Classic/'57 Classic Plus pickup set. Nice guitar with Custom mojo for a lot less money if you can find one.
Some of the earlier cherrybursts were known as clown bursts thanks to a heavy-handed and often irregular finish application, making the colours distinct rather than merging into each other.
Some are very plain topped (like a '60s Les Paul) while others have varying degrees of flame in them like mine does. Some people don't like the pickups much at all, but I can't say I've hated mine. The neck gave out and was replaced with a zebra Seymour Duncan '59 by Grant Fouche, and I must say it does sound warmer / nicer to my ears. I've still got the 500T in the bridge for now which can be a little trebly, but it still does the job although I'm seriously considering replacing it with a JB or Pearly Gates at some point.
Frankly I think it's an underrated Les Paul. Cosmetics and pickups aside, you're getting what is for all intents and purposes a '60s neck Standard but for less money. If the $$ are in your favour, a good set-up and a pickup swap make sense.
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