Gibson Les Paul DC Studio

I believe mine is a 1999 model. This is the year they were discontinued but I was able to pick one up a few months ago from Samash.com. There are quite a few differences from a traditional Les Paul. The most obvious diffence is the body style which has double cutaways instead of one. The body also has some hollowed-out "tone chambers" which give it a nice light weight. It has the normal two Gibson humbuckers (490R in the neck and 498T in the bridge), however there are only two knobs, one for tone and one for volume, and the pickup selector switch is down next to the knobs instead of up next to the rhythm pickup. I prefer this setup since I like to keep all my knobs maxed-out and I find the pickup selector to be in a much better position for me. For me the features are perfect, but for some people they might be lacking. It's all subjective.

I play mostly modern rock/alternative and the guitar is perfect for this. I run this guitar through a Tech 21 Trademark 10 combo. I've only used effects with this guitar on a very limited basis, so I'll just comment on the sound running straight into the amp. The sound is not noisy at all. I can get that great Les Paul crunchy rhythm tone without the weight. The weight doesn't seem to detract from the thickness of the tone. Very full sound. The guitar works very well with clean and distorted sounds, for both lead and rhythm. However, there is not a wide variety of tones you can get from this guitar. Don't expect anything close to the sparkle of a Strat. This thing can only make that classic Les Paul sounds, but it does it so well I have to give it a 10.

Straight from Sam Ash, the action felt a bit high and the guitar was somewhat difficult to play compared to my Strat with 10's. This was quite suprising to me because the Les Paul was supposedly strung with 9's from the factory and in addition to the fact that it has a shorter 24.75" scale compared to the 25.5" scale of a Strat. I replaced the strings with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10's, however, and the guitar feels great now. This is really odd and I can't really explain the difference in feel between the two brands of strings, but I can't complain since a simple change of strings was all it took to make the guitar feel perfect for me. The pickups were adjusted perfectly and the finish (translucent emerald green) looks beautiful and the wood has a nice pleasing grain. The frets were set perfectly with no sharp edges. The nut was cut well and the electronics feel and work perfectly. My only (small) complaint is that there are some thin, circular cuts through the finish into the wood under the bridge screws. This isn't really a big deal though and is unnoticeable unless you really look closely under the bridge. Other than that, I have nothing but good comments about the build quality of this guitar. Some people seem to think Gibson's quality isn't as great as it used to be, but this guitar was built fantastically.

This guitar will definitely hold it's own against any other Les Paul and is built quite solidly. As with all Les Pauls though, just make sure not to drop it on the angled headstock. It seems like most people have gotten by for years without dropping their Les Paul, so hopefully I don't drop mine either. The strap buttons seems solid, so I doubt I'll have a problem. The finish seems quite durable and, even though I can't say for sure, I'm going to bet it will last quite a while. The hardware is top-notch too. I would definitely gig without a backup.

I haven't dealt with Gibson's customer service (which I guess is a good thing).

This is a fantastic guitar and fits my needs perfectly. It doesn't have tons of fancy cosmetic extras, but it's very elegant and nice on the eyes and does what it does well. A lot of people seem to think this is one of the best values you can get from Gibson today. It's very affordable compared to other Gibsons but it doesn't seem like they've cut corners (a lot of cheaper Gibsons have very thin bodies, but not this one). If it were stolen, I would definitely buy another one. I've been playing for about 6 years, and my only other electric is an American Standard Strat, and I feel like the two give me a complete range of tones. I didn't really consider any other guitars before buying this one because there weren't really any others that appealed to me. I've had my eye on the DC Studio for a few years now, and just recently had enough money to buy one, so I figured I'd grab one new while I could.

gibson tuners, wraparound bridge, lame gibson pickups. Nothing special. Not bad, just nothing special. You can't really do anything with this except play guitar.

This guitar sounds great and plays great. It's a Gibson for christssake!! A les paul sound, without all that weight! I popped a duncan JB in the bridge and this is officially my favorite guitar.

The action and setup right from the factory was just fine. I do have issues with the finish though. It seems as if you just look at the thing funny it will get a ding! I have to be very careful not to scratch it or breath on it or whatever, the finish could have been a little more durable. I guess this guitar being a "studio" model wasn't meant for anything but playing it in a studio enviroment, where it doesn't matter in the least what your guitar looks like.

Like I said, it's a les paul dc "studio", so I guess it ain't as tough as it's more expensive sisters.

overall, it plays and sounds great. It stays in tune well and in the end that's what really matters, right?

What we have here is a 1999 model Gibson Les Paul Studio DC. This is a very lightweight (for a les paul) guitar. It has two humbuckers, one volume and one tone and a 3 way toggle. It has 24 frets. It was made in the USA. It has a semi-hollow chambered body. It has a LP junior style wrap-around bridge. It really doesn't have too much in the way of features. It does however have a really easy to use layout without the clutter that a 4 knob les paul has.

I am very happy with the way it sounds. It is not overly "Les Pauly" though it is a les paul and does sort of sound like it. It is chambered and has a little bit of hollow jangle, but not too much. While it does not sound like a Fender, if you like the Fender sound you will like this too. If you want a les paul, to play G&R or Aerosmith or some such this is not your guitar. It will not do Korn or limp Bizkit or anything like that. It it a good guitar that is hard to put in a niche.

Ok, after having worked at PRS the finish does not impress me, but then again I dont care about that. I mean if I am going to play a guitar on stage it will eventually get nicked up, so why pay 3 times as much to get a mirror perfect finish??? About Gibson necks, I know why Gibson moved from Kalamazoo to Nashville. It was so they could be closer to the Loiusville Slugger baseball bat Co. since they supply the necks. I was playing my bandmate's les paul standard a few days ago, and I thought I was in purgatory. Not only did it weigh a ton and have a big round neck that was impossible to play it also sounded bad. Anyway, this guitar plays good--not as good as my Mustang, but good. It is a very skinny, easy to play neck for a Gibson, the action can be set very low and fast. The bridge I do kind of wonder about though. It is a LP junior wrap around type bridge, that has no built in compensation. It is just a regular stop tailpeice with the strings wrapped around it. However I am using 10's and the intonation is dead on so go figure. Still I may replace it later with a PRS style adjustable bridge out of Stew Mac.

As for all of that, this is a professional guitar and I don't see any problems on the horizon.

About me, since who I am and what I play tells you what to think of my review. I have been playing guitar for about 12 years and before that I played bass (both upright and electric), violin, trumpet.... etc. In the time that I have played guitar I have had Martin, Alverez-Yari, and handmade (Everett) acoustic guitars. For electrics I have had a 1964 Fender Mustang, a Carvin, a Gibson ES135, a USA Telecaster, a Charvell, a USA made Hamer Special, and a Gibson Marauder. For amps I have had a silverface Fender Vibrolux, an old Hiwatt 100 watt head and 4/12 cabinet, several Carvin amps, a silverface Fender Bassman head and cabinet, a Blues DeVille, a Mesa triaxis, a Sovtek mig 50 head and cabinet, and a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. I worked at PRS in the finish shop for 11 months. I play original music that is somewhere between U2, Smashing Pumpkins, and James Taylor. While I have had two other Gibson guitars in the past I hated them both. I am a fender man at heart and generaly hate the Gibson sound, but I bought this guitar off Ebay on a whim.
If it were stolen or lost, though, I might replace it, or I might get a USA Strat. For the going rate used, you really can't go wrong...they are the best deal out there for what they are.

1997, bought used. From the other reviews, you know all the details. I really love the wraparound tailpiece, I'm getting really used to how my hand feels resting on that. Dig it! I think it has a slim taper neck, I love how it feels. I'm not going to rate this category, because I don't guitars for active electronics, whammy bars, notes that play by themselves etc; to me it's a stupid category.

Awesome. It's funny to me, all the flack Gibson has taken over the years for shabby quality. I guess I always just find the good ones! Nearly every Gibson I've ever played, sounded and played awesome. This one is no exception--I absolutely love the AlNiCo pickups that come stock on this guitar (490r and 498t I think); very fat, very smooth, very crunchy. I wouldn't change 'em for nothin'!

No issues at all. Again, surprising: aren't Gibsons supposed to be crappy guitars? Neck feels really great, tone and volume controls respond really well. Stays in tunes and intonates spot on. Not very heavy.

I think it'll hold up fine, but only time will tell. Will probably throw strap-locks on it if I keep it (I buy/sell/trade constantly).

Never dealt with.

Just an awesome value. This is a great rock 'n roll guitar. The translucent wine red finish looks great over the maple cap. Beautiful axe.

This is a 1999 Les paul dc studio made in Nashville TN. Black-Ebony finish. Contoured body, 1 volume, 1 tone, 3 ways switch and wrap around stop tail piece.
2 gibson humbuckers 490 & 498T.
24 frets mahogany neck with dot inlays.
It has gibson deluxe tuners. It comes along with the brown Gibson HSC which is awesome!
A sober looking guitar, but nicely finished.

It is LOUD ! and highly playable: the double cutaway plus the 24 frets make it a dream to play and its weight finally brings the Les paul sound on stage without the 2 tons guitar and the post-gig destroyed shoulder :)
I played it through a fender blues junior and a couple of marshall valvestate (vs100R stack and 8230 combo) and it sounds definitely good through all of them. I have a little preference fo the fender with a boss ds1 distortion.
No big complaint except the weird position of the switch.. i guess it is because i was used to a classic lp switch...

No ding, nothing ! perfect finish... Gibson !

I only got it for 4 month now but i guess it will last

I really think that this guitar is a great deal: you've got a real Gibson w/ a real Gibson sound at an affordable price and it has not the inconvenients of a classic les paul. You also have less setting on it but who cares? when i play i'm already busy enough with the strings and the pick to play with the buttons... ;)

This is probably one of the last of this model that was available new. It was discontinued in 1999 and I just bought it in July of 2000. Gibson didn't do much advertising for this model, and I don't understand why. Their guitars are usually obscenely overpriced, but this is a great instrument at a good price. Simple controls, just a volume and tone knob with a 3 position toggle switch. Carved maple top on a mahogany body. Ebony fretboard with 24 frets. Unusual wraparound bridge. Nice translucent red finsh. Chrome covered 490R and 498T humbucking pickups. Kluson tuners. Lightweight, for an LP.

My musical style is mostly classic rock and blues based rock, ala ZZ Top, Stones, Led Zep, Chuck Berry, Humble Pie, Clapton, and Johnny Winter. I play this through an Ampeg Reverborocket and Fender Blues Deville. This gives that nice thick LP tone that works so well for things like 'La Grange' and 'Good Morning Little School Girl'. The last thing that a LP is, is versatile. But it sounds so good it's indispensable for that overdriven humbucker tone.

I've heard and read lots of negatives about Gibson quality in recent years. But this is a well built guitar with no flaws. It looks and plays great. I made some adjustments to the pickup height, mostly just for experimentation.

It's a quality, professional level instrument that's made with the performing musician in mind. I put Dunlop strap locks on it, so dropping isn't a concern. I'm sure this will last a lifetime with normal use and reasonable care. The only thing that worries me a little (and it's a concern with ALL Gibsons) is the angled headstock, which has a history of breaking off if it makes hard contact with a wall or floor.

N/A

The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because it's limited in versatility. I also play a Strat and a Tele Thinline, which are much more versatile. But they can't sound like the LP, and the LP sounds like nothing else, except maybe an SG. And to be honest, I prefer the Fenders for most of my playing. But this is an excellent guitar which provides that trademark tone and Gibson cachet at a good price. Gibson, if you're reading this (and I seriously doubt that you ever will) bring back the DC Studio. It was your best idea in the past decade.

usa made, 2 gibson stock humbuckers, stop bar, wrap around bridge, emrald green top, rich mahogany fret board, vintage kluson tuners, nice fat neck, 3 way selector

i mostly play christian rock/punk/pop. i play out of a marshall valvestate head with a 1960 4x10 cab. i normally play on the bridge pickup alone as i feel the other settings are a bit muddy. this things tone is THICK. its got a hollow tone pot making it a bit more middy and trebbly than a regular gibson. this also takes away some of that infamous gibson weight. i wouldnt recomend this guitar for blues, country, or softer styles. shes definatly a rocker (like any solidbody gibson). its great for what i do and i currently use it as my number one.

guitar came set up so-so, i replaced the 9s with 10s, left the pickups as is. the only problem i had with it was the input jack was comming loose. a quick tighten of the screwdriver fixed that. beautiful emrald green finish, wonderful wood grain, AWESOME neck. its as fat as a regular les paul but it has a super slick finish on the back of it making playablilty soooo nice. i cant wait to use this thing another 4 or so years and break that neck in realllllly good. its gonna feel nice.

i play this guitar at EVERY show. i switch out between this and a modded stratocaster....(i call it my gib-o-strat). although the strat is lighter, and hotter, it just doesnt have the balls of my lespaul. the hardware is holding up perfectly. a wipe of the rag and it looks brand new. the finsih is starting to wear off where i hold my strumming hand. this isnt very surprising simply becuase i am quite aggressive with this guitar. the strap buttons are NOT comming out anytime soon, this thing is super dependable and i would and have used this guitar without a backup. my only quam would be the tuners. though they are gibson tuners, they dont hold tune near as well as my sperzels. it may be somthing to look into at a later date

never used em.......pshhh, its a gibson

ive been playing since early 95. i own a gibson les paul dc studio, a 93 fender ams strat, a 98 mij fender jaguar, a danelectro hodad, a 1961 gibson sg jr, as well as my marshall stack, a 1965 fender delux reverb amp, a fender rock pro head, and a danelectro honeytone(practice)

i love this guitar simply becuase it is what im use to playing. its a great instrument and suits all my playing needs. if i had to compare it to anything...id have to say this was gibsons answer to the boom of prs buyers on the market. sadly enough the line was discontinued a while ago. if nothing else at least ill have a collectors item some day. for the price i paid, i couldnt think of a better guitar i could have gotten new.

Bought new June 1998, factory QC card dated November '97. Heritage cherry sunburst. One piece mahagony body and neck, two piece birds-eye maple cap. Stock pickups and electronics. Came with Gibson brown/pink 50's style hardshell case. Stock bridge replaced with a Leo Quann Badass bridge. Kluson style tuning machines with plastic "keystone" knobs.

I play classic rock / blues and this guitar is a good match, especially for blues. Using though a Mesa Rocket 44 for gigs and a Crate GX15 & ProCo Rat distortion for practice. Neck pickup is full sounding with good midrange. Less bass than a standard Paul which is fine for me. Lead pickup has a little more output and bite. Able to get a reasonable B.B.King tone with both pickups, similar to an ES-335 but without the "boing". I would characterize the overall sound as well defined, not overtly aggressive and sensitive to picking dynamics.

Way too much neck relief as-bought. I must have put 1 1/2 turns on the adjusting nut to get it in the ballpark. Accordingly, the action was excessively high. After the neck was set, was able to get reasonably low action. There remains a slight rise in the fretboard were it meets the body, which is something I didn't expect from Gibson. It hasn't affected playability so far. Pickups were adjusted fine. Very lightly figured birds-eye maple top is nice (not bookmatched). Finish was good overall with a slight dimpling on the side of the headstock. Inside the control cavity things are neat and clean. Cavity is not shielded (part of a larger tone chamber) but wiring is well shielded. No noise problems. Fretwork is average, really should be better at this price point.

Overall it appears well built. Should withstand more live playing as long as the headstock doesn't hit something. Replaced bridge to correct the inability to adjust intonation. Finish is lacquer so I would protect this guitar from knocks and temperature changes as I would an acoustic guitar. Tuning machines are questionable although they have worked reasonble well for 2 years now.

Never dealt with them so I haven't a clue.

I'v been playing on and off for about 20 years. I own a homebuilt Warmoth LPS "Plankenstein" and an Ibanez GAX70(backup axe). If I had paid $700 for this guitar (current street price) I would be very happy. For $1040, I think the setup and fretwork could have been better and it should have come with an adjustable bridge (tradition be damned). It is extremely comfortable due to the light weight. If this guitar were stolen I would probably replace it with a Les Paul Standard Lite (basically same guitar with tune-o-matic bridge and hotter pickups) even if the LP DC Studio was still available.

This is a translucent ruby finished 1999 model. The rosewood fingerboard has 24 frets and the neck has a substantial feel. There are sparse controls: a volume, a tone, and a 3 way switch. The neck pickup is a chrome covered 490R humbucker and there's a 498T hummer in the bridge position. The body is mahogany with a carved maple cap. No neck or body binding like the LP Standards. Double cutaway - looks vaguely like a PRS. Unusual wraparound bridge. The tuners have cool looking (but durable?) "vintage" green tinted knobs. Set neck construction. Includes a very nice hardshell case with plush lining.

Well, it sounds like a Les Paul, of course. The neck pickup sounds thick and dark with powerful output. The bridge pickup has a little more spank. I've never really considered the LPs to have much variety in their sound, but if you want that certain tone, it seems like nothing else will get you there. It sounds great for some applications, but it won't "sing" like a Strat will. I play blues and blues/rock and it does just what I want for certain things - ZZ Top, Led Zep, Humble Pie. I play this through a Peavey Classic 30 and a Fender Concert. It sounds great through both amps.

Righ out of the box I found very few things that needed any attention. The setup was very good. One tiny flaw in the finish and the tone pot has a slight snag. Otherwise, it's very well crafted.

I've only had this axe for a few months, so this isn't an opinion based on long-term ownership. Overall, the impression is that this is a solid, sturdy instrument that'll last for a lifetime with normal use and care. Gibsons are quality guitars. I'm more of a Fender/single coil type of player, but I needed this to get the sound I want for some things. There are only two things that cause me any concern: the funky wraparound bridge and the plastic tuner knobs.

I've been playing for a number of years and I've owned mostly Strats, a few Teles, and a couple of LP copies over the years. This is the first Gibson that I've owned, although I've borrowed and played LPs numerous times in the past. Two things kept me from buying a Gibby long ago: the weight (ugh!) and the price (double ugh!). This model gives me the Gibson quality and sound at a reasonble price and a comfortable weight. If you don't need or want all the extras like binding and dual controls that a standard model will have, this will do nicely. I'm pleased with this purchase - it's a keeper.

Made in 1999 I think, but bought in 2000, brand new. Great deal since it's discontinued (LP DC Standard is the more expensive replacement). Made in USA. 24 frets. Solid maple top, tone and volume, double factory humbuckers, mahogany throughout, semi-transparent emerald green finish (beautiful -- a head turner, definitely!), stop tailpiece, "classic" tooth-style tuner bottons, regular size dark rosewood neck, tan leather/pink plush Gibson locking case included.

I've only been playing for two years, and I lean on the blues/rock side, but this baby cruises better than some Ibanez 7-strings as far as shred/punk goes. Practically any style is possible. I just bought this Studio three weeks ago, and, as I'm in NYC for an internship, I haven't even brought it home to try with my roommate's Fender and Marshall amps, so my little Ibanez starter/practice amp is all I have to judge the sound by. Of course, it kicked some ass at Sam Ash, where I bought it, so I judged the sound by the quality of their much bigger, better amps. The humbuckers serve their purpose and offer bright/edgy combo tones, depending on where you play. The sound is full and menacing, even with .09s (I plan to change to .10s soon). Variety is a little thin with only three-way selector and 1 tone/1 volume, but I'm not huge into effects, so it gets the job done and then some.

I also own a custom Tele, and learned the basics on a starter Ibanez, so I was really looking for a faster, more articulate neck and a lighter ax than that heavy Tele, so after tooling around with some SGs and some single cut LP Studios, this sucker caught me offguard -- in a good way. The only things I don't like are the finish near the horns, where nicks sink in more than they should, and the factory strings, but those are minor problems. The sweet, B.B King-esque clean tone and Strat-like distortion tone -- all on a great neck -- more than make up for these minor flaws. It's light too, so it handles better than a Tele, and in fact better than its more expensive Gibson LP cousins.

Can't say much here, since it's new, but with light signs of wear already popping up on the cutaway portions, you might want to think about getting something else as a serious, gig-friendly showstopper. This model seems more suited to studio work (hence the title...) and light, non-threatening gigs. Hardware and finish, for the most part, look like they'll last a lifetime. Strap buttons, which have been cited as problematic for other reviewers, work just fine for me. Very dependable -- defintely get a case when you buy this, not a gig bag with the set neck and rather flimsy plastic tuners. Use with a backup at a gig; this thing is solid, but not as much a tank as a Tele or Strat.

Lifetime warranty which has not been used yet. Had other questions for Gibson staff about their Web site, and received email reply the next day. Efficient, friendly service.

If this were stolen or lost, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. The thing I love most is the versatility, blues/rock ease of use, and B.B. King-esque tone. Wish the tuning pegs and finish were more solid, but like its light weight. As mentioned, I also own a Tele, and this is a great go-between for tone and ease on the neck. It's a great buy if you don't mind no pearl/trapazoid inlays and the DC design. Still has the excellent Gibson tone and neck action.