Gibson Les Paul Traditional Plus

I had been considering getting a second electric guitar for a couple months.
Although I never intend to part with my telecaster I, like many before me,
had been seduced by the mystique of the Gibson Les Paul. All my
guitar heroes like Jimmy Page, Marc Bolan, Mick Taylor, etc. had become
synonymous for preferring the Les Paul.
I went to a music store where I played one but it was horribly out of tune
and connected to a dirty amp so I couldn't get a feel for the sound.
I was strongly considering two other Gibsons, both hollowbodies,
and ES 335, and a Herb Ellis tribute.
Speaking with a salesman I learned that the Gibson factory had recently
been raided for illegally importing Brazilian rosewood, which they use for the
fretboard so with it looking like they would substitute an inferior wood I
took a gamble and ordered a Les Paul in honeyburst finish. With few exceptions
I dislike painted guitars. I believe that any instrument made of wood should
have a natural finish that shows off the wood's natural beauty. I also prefer the more time consuming and labor intensive lacquer finishes to polyurethane.
Bonding with a musical instrument is a mysterious thing. It's unpredictable but happens almost instantaneously the moment you strum a few chords.
When the Les Paul arrived I opened the case fully expecting I would probably be returning it for some cosmetic flaw of other issue given all I had read regarding Gibson's questionable quality control of late.
My fears immediately vanished when I inspected every inch of the flawless body and neck.
It was the most beautiful finish I had ever seen on an electric guitar. Once I plugged it in
I understood why this model has deserves its incredible reputation. I seemed to play
more effortlessly and then there was the sound, the tone of those dual humbucker pickups
resonating in that solid mahogany body. It made me swoon and feel like Peter Green!
There are few things manufactured in America anymore, and manufactured well, but thankfully
Gibson hasn't lost its commitment to craftsmanship.