Gibson Les Paul DC Studio

Made in 1999. I love the simplicity of 2 humbuckers (I believe a 490T and a 498T), 1 switch, 1 Volume, 1 Tone control. My guitar is finished in a gloss cherry sunburst with a mahogany neck, body and a carved maple top. The access to the higher frets (not that I'm up there that much)is excellent and the neck has a vintage Les Paul feel i.e. slightly chunky but very comfortable. I just bought the thing last week in virtually unplayed condition and I can't put it down.

The music styles that I've worked in for last for the last 40 years have included R&B, Blues, Funk and little Country. I finger pick, flat pick and occasionally attempt slide. This guitar suits all those styles very well. The pick ups sound great with a warm tone and a little bite that you expect from a Gibson humbucker. I've been playing the guitar through a 1965 Fender Tremolux, a reissue Vox AC15 and a 2004 Soldano, Astroverb 2X12 combo with no pedals or outboard effects and it sounds great through all.

The construction and finish is as you would expect from Gibson. No problems. At first I was a little concerned about proper intonation with the wrap around, stop bar bridge but with the action height and neck properly adjusted and a set of .010's, it plays in tune all the way up the neck. I didn't care for the look of the black pickup rings, switch tip and knobs with the cherry sunburst so I changed to cream rings, switch tip and gold knobs. Much prettier now.

I intend to use the guitar for live performances and feel that its up to it. As with any Gibson or Epiphone product I'll have to be careful in protecting the headstock. They break very easily if the guitar falls. The Gibson strap buttons should be changed immediately to a locking type. I've heard complaints about the tuners/machines but haven't had it long enough to note any issues. .

This is the 3rd Gibson guitar I've owned, but I've never owned a new one. The only dealings I've ever had with Gibson customer support was an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a replacement neck for an Epiphone Sheraton. They were pretty much dicks about the whole thing but I'm not going to trash this guitar rating because of them.

I've been playing for 48 years, professionally on and off (mostly on)for 40 years. My current amplifier line up is a 1965 Fender Tremolux, 2005 Vox AC15 reissue, 2004 Soldano Astroverb 212 combo and a 1962 Vox AC4. My other guitars are Fender 1996 Standard Stratocaster, Fender 1952 Reissue Telecaster, Epiphone 2002 Blond DOT with Bigsby, Yamaha 2008 CPX700, National Reissue Triolian, 1986 Alvarez Yairi and 2008 Fender Jazz Bass. Lot's of PA and recording gear. I bought this guitar because I was working on something were I needed a solid body, humbucker kind of tone and sustain. I was looking at LP Standards and Studios when I stumbled into the DC. I'm very glad that I did.I love the light weight,simplicity, sound and feel of the DC Studio. I've been pretty much a Fender guy for the last 23 years but if my Les Paul DC were lost or stolen I'd have to get another one

1998 Les Paul DC Studio in heritage sunburst. Details already covered by others. IMHO the features that set it apart from other guitars in this price range are the sweet 50's taper neck, the nice, solid, resonant body, and the 24 fret neck. Light, easy to play, with a rockin set of humbuckers. Lovely Gibson lacquer finish. Great stage guitar.

Sweet little guitar. I play it through a Mesa F-30 and occasionally a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. No noise. The tone control is actually useful on this guitar (unlike the tone controls on many Les Pauls which should be called "mud controls"). The bridge pickup on its own is a bit bright if you are sitting by yourself noodling around, but cuts through when the rest of the band is going at it. The middle position is classic humbucker growl, the neck position has a kind of woody sound, which is more appealing that it sounds on paper. These are rock guitars, probably not the best choice for, say big band standards or jazz?

Bought this used so unsure how it came from the factory. No flaws per se. The headstock paint could have been applied a little better I suppose. These were not the top of the Gibson line in the first place so let's be fair. Action and pickup height are adjustable, no problems there.

These bad boys were made for gigging. I don't bash guitars around, but I don't worry about this one (but who doesn't take a backup to a gig?). It's solid. The neck feels less vulnerable to the dreaded headstock crack than the typical Gibson, but I am convinced the dinky strap buttons are a scheme by Gibson to kill off old guitars so they can sell new ones. Get strap locks. The lacquer is still beautiful 10 years after leaving the factory.

N/A

I own several other much more expensive guitars, and this is the one I play most often. It's simple, no nonsense. What was Gibson thinking discontinuing this model? One of the best guitar purchases I've made.

This was made and sold only in '97, from what I have been told and have read online. As for the construction, it is a very simple, solid-bodied guitar, with a little weight to it. The fretboard has the usual Gibson jumbo frets. There are two Gibson, chrome humbuckers, with a tone control, volume, and three-way switch. In my 10 years playing it, I have only had to fix one loose wire. The stock tuners are the Gibson vintage boxs (bad idea). If you don't plan on collecting or selling it, and you just intend to play it a lot, like I do, switch the stock tuners with some Grover Rotomatics. I got the chrome ones, and they look good, work well, and are a whole lot more solid than the boxs that come with it. The original tuners have a tendency to pop open after some use. This is the only issue I have had with the guitar. The features are simple, but they meet all my needs. The bridge differs from the other Gibson DCs, as it is just a wrap around bar, with no tune-o-matic piece between it and the pickup. I like this whole lot more, considering, palm-muting is a large part of my solo playing, and it is much more comfortable to rest your hand on the smooth bar than on those sharp tune-o-matic pieces, not to mention how easy it makes it to achieve hard muting as well. It has 25 frets, and as usual with cutaways, the design makes it convenient to reach all the way up the neck. I have the wine red colored model, and it is my favorite looking guitar I have seen.

I have had this guitar for over ten years, and it has always sounded incredible. I have played many different styles on it, and it does its job wonderfully. Obviously, the amp has more to do with crafting your sound to a particular style, but this guitar puts out a great sound to work with. It is only noisy when your amp is not properly grounded (so it is not actually a noisy guitar). You can achieve many kinds of sounds by adjusting the switch and tone control. It always puts out a full, clear and warm sound. Different strings will produce different results with regards to thinning the sound out, but these pickups are warm, quality humbuckers, giving you a fat sound. Coincidently, I use heavier-gauged D'Addarios (my preference), and it is a perfect compliment to the guitar. Although, using heavy strings will definitely show the poor quality of the tuners. Even medium strings will pop the boxes open if you use a dropped-D tuning every now and then. Still, that is a feature issue, not sound quality.

I am not a pro luthier or anything, but it seems reliably built, considering I have had no issues with the construction of the body at all. Again, the tuners suck, but I explained it all in the last two categories. The action is fixed, and perfect for ease of use, with no buzzing or anything. The finish is a smooth gloss, and like I said before, with the wine red color, it is my favorite looking guitar I have ever seen. The wrap-around bar without the tune-o-matic piece makes palm-muting easy and comfortable. Other than the tuners, everything is reliably built.

I have played mine for over ten years, and it has been completely reliable. It is my main guitar for everything. I have an Epiphone Les Paul for alternate tunings live, but other than that, I have had absolutely no need for another guitar. I started playing it when I was 12, however. So, I carelessly played it while wearing an exposed belt buckle, which on any guitar will result in belt-rash on the back, if you keep it at your waist. The finish has lasted great through everything, and aside from the rash on the back and an accident I relive over and over in my nightmares, when a belt was dropped on one of the cutaways, there are no flaws in the finish.

If you do the usual maintenance on it, it will work perfectly for a long time.

I have no idea about any of the warranty business because it was a gift, and I have never had any reason to call customer support.

As I said, I have had it for over a decade, and it is without a doubt the perfect guitar for me. To play it as long and constant as I have, new tuners are a must, but a set of Grover Roto's later and I could not be happier with it. I live in fear that one day I will have to replace it because they are only available very rarely on eBay, and it has been a great guitar, on top of which, it now has a lot of sentimental value attached to it. I have played plenty of guitars, and this is the best one for everything I need. If I ever see this model and color again on eBay, if I have the money, I will buy another just to have a backup.

1998 finish is either nitrocellulose or very thin polyurethane, its a double cutaway semi-hollowbody guitar with a wraparound tailpiece, vintage style gibson deluxe tuners, 59 style thin taper neck (awesome) Made in the USA w/ 24 frets and a carved maple top. Master volume, Master tone, three-way pickup selector, 490r and 498t gibson alnico pickups with single conductor wiring. (sucks) Two Piece Mahogany back and one piece mahogany neck with the most awesome sounding indian rosewood ive ever heard.

stock it was OK, for the price sounded real good, but with a few simple modifications the thing sounds FAKING AWESOME!!!!

First, installed tone pros locking studs to increase sustain($30)
second, changed stock gibson 300k volume pot to 500K to add clarity
third, bypassed useless tone control.
fourth, removed cover from bridge pickup

was a 6, now its a 10, and it only cost me 40 bucks extra.

its got an airy kind of resonance, even when palm muting this thing has some crazy sustain. it sounds like a PRS CU24 with better pickups with the mods

bought it used, setup sucked from guitar center. top is unflamed maple, but it sounds good. the thing is used, and looks like it was played. its got a bunch of scrathes and belt rash, but the neck is straight, the frets are really nice, but the vintage tuners suck.

ehh it falls short here. the pickup rings are cheap and so are the tuners,(already broke one) the bridge is cheap, and the finish is thin. (but i see that as a good thing) OH and the strap buttons, CRAPPPY!! it was missing one when i got it so i replaced it at guitar center, but the one original is so cheap and badly designed that i cant beleve they would even put it on a Gibson, let alone any guitar! i would not gig with out a backup with this guitar.

used, never bought anything gibson before.

ive been playing 8 years, i also own a 94 prs ce24 and a takamine acoustic. if this guitar was lost or stolen, i probably wouldnt buy another. i bought it because i got a great deal on it and this guitar has some charater to its tone. i wish it had better tuners, and strap locks.

1995 Les Paul Studio,DC(Double Cutaway),made in the USA,22 frets, mohagany semi-solid body with hollow chambers,carved maple top like a Les Paul Standard.The body is contoured like a Strat, for playing comfort and has 2 490 Series Gibson Humbucking pickups, 1 volume and 1 tone control, wrap-around stop tailpiece which acts as bridge, 3 way pickup selector toggle switch.One piece mohagany neck with rosewood fingerboard, dot style fret markers, standard Gibson/Kluson stles greenish plastic tuners.

This guitar sounds phenominal...to my ears, a cross between an SG Standard, Les Paul Standard and ES 335, which fits my style of blues, jazz and southern blues/rock perfectly.
There is no question that the wrap around,primitve stop tail piece/bridge method on this guitar contributes to this guitar's excellent sustain and fat, creamy tone.
This guitar mates well to my Fender Deluxe Reverb,Marshall Bluesbreaker Reissue and Vox AC 15,but it just SINGS with my 62 Brown Priceton Amp.The only effects used are reverb and delays.The guitar has a fat,rich,creamy sound...a more rounded version of the SG, slightly softer than a Les Paul Standard and very similar,but different than my 335.
Given the straight forward pickups and controls you can get a very surprising amount of tone variation by experimenting with your amp volume, guitar's very responsive volume and tone control. you can easily achieve a Robben Ford, Dickey Betts fat/creamy sound or you can get a brighter counrty flavored telcaster or strat middle pickup sound.
I discovered this guitar by accident while auditioning Vox amps and fell in love with the sound and feel of this instrument.
I have the action set relatively high for both standard and open tunings for straight playing and slide, the contoured body is great when standing or sitting, and the weight is not overbearing which is sometimes the case with single cutaway Les Pauls.

The action was very high at first, which for my slide playing was perfect.However I love the sound and feel so much I had the action brought down slightly so I can also move to standard tuning and play in "normal" position.The pickups are adjusted PERFECTLY and sound very balanced.The fit and finish is perfect, as is the fretwork.
Only the gold Gibson logo on the headstock could have been a bit brighter,easier to read, but that is not a complaint!
The color is a transparent emerald green which is perfectly applied,nice maple grainn visible in the top,far from my favorite color,but when I tried this guitar I just fell in love with it's sound,so the color is meaningless to me,in this case.

This will be my playing out Gibson so I can keep my old guitars home.
This guitar is solid in everyway except the tuners,which look cool but are never great tuners on Gibsons... I've typically replaced them on my other Gibsons & Epiphones with Grover or Shaller, but have not done so,yet on this guitar.

Not applicable

I've been playing almost 40 years,own an arsenal of GIbson,Fender electrics, an assortment of Fender,Vox and Marshall smaller combo amps and Gibson,Martin,Guild, Dobro and Taylor Acoustics.
I'd be curious to play the other variations of this model with tune-amatic/adjustable bridge,stop tail piece and individual volume & tone controls for each pickup...just to hear the difference between this model and my other Gibsons.
I love the sound, weight and comfort of this guitar, it's sound is amazingly versatile, and for a US made guitar is an excellent value in todays' crazy, overpriced market

Made in USA. 1998. 24 frets. Mahogeny neck and back and maple top.
Slightly thinner than regular LP and chambered - much lighter but
without any audible loss in sustain. 2 knobs - volume and tone
and 3 way pickup selector. I like the simplicity - pickups are
well balanced so no need for individual controls. 490R/498T HBs.
Double cutaway - altho access to 20-24th frets is not easy if
your hands are not slim enough to fit in the cutaway.
Slim tapered'59 neck - one the friendliest I have seen on LPs.
Wraparound bridge. Very nice cherry sunburst finish - looks much
nicer than most photographs.

Here is Gibson page with specs:
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/lespaul/DoubleCutStudio.html

I traded SG '61 Reissue for this guitar (and Gibson Blueshawk).
LP DC Studio for me does all that SG would do and more. Granted -
I do not play Sabbath type of music but for classic rock or jazz
I like Studio better. Especially for clean tone and playing with
fingers. SG has Classic 57s on it and 490/498 to my ears sound
more interesting. Especially both pickups engaged. My main amp
is now in the shop so I only had a chance to check this guitar
in more jazzy setting - played thru Polytone. It does not sound
like 335 but it is definitely usable as jazz guitars. Chords sound
very nice - it resonates in very pleasant way. When this guitar
arrived it had some Gibson 10s strings on it. They did not sound
too good - dark und muddy lows and bright metallic and hollow
sounding trebles. I immediately put Pyramid strings on it - 10s -
and it made huge difference in sound. As for the wraparound bridge
- many people complain about intonation - personally I would not
trade THE SOUND of this bridge for better intonation. And as it is
the intonation is almost perfect.
There is not much variety in sound this guitar makes - all three
positions sound much closer than on many other guitars but the tone
is rich and usable as both clean and distorted (took this guitar
to friend who has Marshall and it can wail and growl like best of
them). Dislikes? Tuners are soso - could stay in tune better.

I bought this guitar used and it arrived with flawless setup.
I did not like Gibson strings it had on it so I replaced them
with Pyramids.
Finish is very pretty and neck does not get sticky like one on SG.
There are slight finish imperfections where neck joins the body -
visible only if you look at reflection of light.

I would take it o play live but general impression is that
it is less sturdy then SG or regular LP. Mosly b/c of slimmer neck.
Hardware looks durable. Finish - it is 1998 w/o one ding or scratch
so chances are it is better than it feels. Strap button are smallish
but work well with Dunlop's ERGO LOK strap locks.

Been playing 30yrs - 6yrs electric guitar. Other guitars I use
are: PRS Custom Soapbar, G&L ASAT Bluesboy and (soon) ES-335.
If it was stolen I would consider another LP Studio - looks like
it can work as a backup for 335 but with voice of it's own.
I like the way it resonates on chords. I do not "hate" anything
about it but I wish it could play slightly better on E,B strings
above 15th fret (like PRS). As far as comparing to other guitars
- the fretboard is not as perfect as PRS but neck is better. PRS
is better guitar for blues (P90s !) but LP sounds much better when
playing jazzy/fingerstyle stuff.

This Les Paul Studio is 22 frets, maple over mahogany, 490/498 pickups plenty hot enough for me, wine red, gold hardware, 24 3/4 scale. 3 way switch for versatile tones,

Sounds very rich, noisy when my hand is removed from any metal, it could be a cord etc; but I don't think so. Love the sound. Studio or not it is the real LP sound and vibe.

The action is not as low as I would like but I can't because of fret buzz. I adjusted the truss rod which didn't have any tension on it. 1/2 a turn and it pulled into place beautifully. The nitocellous (whatever) finish smudges easily, it is a soft laquer for sure. The back looking in a glare is sanded unevenly. The rest of the finish is fine. The position markers on the side of the neck are odd looking but ok. The gold sure does oxidize quickly, oh well

I haven't had the guitar that long but would trust it's reliability without a backup I would baby it because of the glued in neck.

Out of my 9 guitars; it's my #1. Not because of neck action but a strange thing; despite the slightly higher action this thing is made to play fast, to thrash without hinderance. The tone is great, the looks are to be proud of. I would replace it if lost/stolen/etc;
This has the fat '59 neck. Often have to use string ease because of the finished neck.

I have had this guitar for about a year now,and I must say one thing.The people who say that this guitar sounds like a solid body Les Paul must have be tone deaf from cranking their amps too much.The only similarity between the two ends at the head stock.Logic alone will tell you that the two guitars differing as much as these two in structure,weight,is going to sound different.

The sound? Very nice.well balanced,just very nice,crisp,slightly reminicent of the big brother ES 335.The tone is warm enough to play Jazzy side of things.You know why Paul Reed Smith guitar with similar construction is such a hit.You can really hear that woody,a tad nasally tone of Larry Carlton of the 80,s sound,when you overdrive tube amp.However,will not handle as well as a solid body Les Paul in the extream high gain stuff.

Here,the only thing that bothers me this the way the guitar balance when strapped.It tends to be a little neck heavy.So,some readjustment time is necessary when going to this ax from a heavy guitar.

Probably not as soild as an all solid body guitar,but should to fine.

I have owned three Les Pauls.I have been generally pleased with them.However I have always used them with some sort of overdrive/distortion,never really liking the clean sound that much.Well, this one has its own unique character that I think has more diverse musical application than the solid body counter-part.The clean sound of this guitar with a tad of compressor and reverb is absolutly beautiful and will never be duplicated with a brick heavy Les Paul.

This Les Paul appears to have been made in the last year and a half. It is the standard fair in flip flop teal. I'm thinking it's probably some sort of mahogany. It has either a roswood or mahogany fretboard. Non locking cheap looking tuners. I'll give it a 6 because it was just an average guitar.

I do not own this guitar, I tried it out at a local music store. It sounds o.k, nothing super special about it. The action was very high and it didn't intonate just right. It kind of had a dark sound thru the JCM800 at the music store. I didn't like the way it sounded through a fender solid state amp.

The action was horribly set up. The strings were very high off the fretboard and the intonation was off. The pickups were just installed into the guitar and didn't seem like they were high enough to get decent tones. Now Gibson this is where you need to start reading these reviews. The finish on this guitar was awfull. There were very visible sanding marks on it under the paint. This type of workmanship is indicative of rushed work and shoddy craftmanship. I've seen Japanese Jacksons with smoother finishes and better action for a third of the price. In all fairness, I have seen the reverse as well. If Gibson guitars are going to command such high prices, then the craftsmanship should be better. Does Gibson even have a quality control department anymore? If they do then they are fucking off too much and letting substandard workmanship leave their factories. This is why one day Gibson will be a bankrupt name of the past.

I couldn't tell you if the guitar could stand up live night after night. The setup was so poor, I don't think I could give it an accurate and honest test. In the past, I've had tunomatics break alot of strings and wouldn't gig without a backup anyways.

Never dealt with Gibson, and judging from this guitar's craftsmanship, I never will.

I have been playing since I was thirteen and am 37 now. I would not purchase this guitar. I've tried several high end Les Pauls models here lately, and I am not impressed with the overall workmanship. Gibson should be ashamed and never of had let this guitar leave their factory. Evidently they have some problems. That's why one day your Gibsons will have the name Yamaha, Sammick, Fender or Korg stamped on their headstock.

i'm guessing my model was made late 90's. it's quite light compared to othe gibsons and their clones due to the cavities inside. this is good so i will not get a sore back and shoulders after a show. the tuning machines stay in tune very well. whenever my band plays live i only have to tune up like once in between our whole set (mind you we play a loud, heavy, and thrashy type of music). the wraparound bridge is kind of annoying but if you get a good intonation job or do it properly yourlself it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. the neck is also insanely comfortable. i love the slim taper.

It fits alot of rock based styles. I play mostly emotional hardcore stuff (heavy (but not metal) riffs with jazz times and quiet spacey indie rock soft interludes) and this guitar works beautifully. it can get heavy, which is something i really need, and if you turn the tone knob down to about 5 or 6 and the pickup switch set to middle, you can get a really beautiful clean tone out of it. mostly a rhythm guitar but you can get some really great lead tones out of it.
i play it through a reverend 40/60 hellhound combo with a 12" reverend alltone speaker which is hooked up to a homemade 2x12 vertical cab also with reverend alltones. i use an ibanez tubescreamer for a bit more gain and a boss ce 2 chorus.

when i got the action from the person i bought it from it was REALLY LOW but that may have just been their personal preference. i now have it set it up at a reasonable height, not so high to where its stiff and not so low to where it'll buzz. there a few dings here and there but thats expected with used instruments and continual use of them. the black finish is really nice and classy on this instrument.

i've thrashed this thing across stage back and forth on stage. it can take a beating. it still stays in tune though! you do have to be a little more careful since its not as dense as a regular lp, but you'd be careful with a regular lp.... right? the paint is a little thin (since its a "studio" model after all) so it'll chip more.

never had to deal with them, but i've heard good things

i love this guitar. it is one of the smartest purchases i have made. its perfect for my playing style. its light enough for me to be comfortable (im a fairly thin guy, a regular lp would weigh me down after constant movement and play) with and the sound is both unique and pretty good at nearly emulating lp tones. its a real shame they put these guitars out of production. i got mine only a year after the line stopped, so they weren't really hard to find then. now it takes a bit more patience. i guess current owners are catching on how this is a great guitar. truly a steal.

Manufactured in Aug '98,wine red, I bought it new and it has been my primary axe since. I am giving this an 8 because of the POS wrap around bridge. I had a Leo Quan bridge put on it several years ago and it was well worth the 65 bucks... It has individual ajustable string saddles. I would recomend this to anyone who owns this guitar. The studs for the leo quan are the same specs as oem so you can put it back to original anytime. I have pics that I can email to you if you would like to see what it looks like installed.

I have been playing for 8 years, play a lot of different styles, and can use this one for almost anything. I wish it would have come with 4 conductor pickups so that I could put a coil tap in the bridge position to get a few more sounds out of it. I personally think this guitar has a sound all its own compared to other LP's.

After 4 years the finish has clouded up on the upper half of the guitar, this is probably more my fault for sweating to much and not cleaning it as often as I should... I can't really speak for the setup from gibson as I play 10's and always have to get the guitar setup for them as soon as I buy it.

Has never failed me once with heavey use, I always have more than one guitar though... it would be stupid not to.

Never had to deal with them.

Other than the bridge - which is easily fixed - This is a great guitar.

1998,USA made Gibson Les Paul DC Studio. Configuration is same as others, nothing extra. Emerald green finish. Lightweight. A very playable guitar. Have'nt had a problem with the plastic tuners other than they look a little cheezy. Love the double cut body.

This is one melodic sonofabitch. The resonance is incredibly rich. Shines on chord work. I prefer a solid body for lead. Played through a Marshall valvestate 2000 and Digitech Genesis 3 set to value 15 for fullness.

The neck had a little to much relief, quick turn of the nut, drop the bridge and done. Pretty good shape otherwise. Good balance.

Looks like it will stand the test of time, all instruments require a little care so don't drop it...

blagh, blagh, blagh "have you tried our website?"

Love it. Will buy another just to have. For me it does what I want as do my other guitars.

1998, made in USA, 24 frets, arched maple top, one volume, one tone, 3-way, 2 gibson Humbuckers, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fretboard, came with a wrap-around bridge (though I had a Bigsby installed), beautiful wine red finish

This has one of the best humbucker sounds i've ever played. It's not as chunky as normal LP's (which is a good thing), it has plenty of bottom end and the middle position is gorgeous and super responsive. Turn the tone down a little and it's close to an ES335 or the like, not as airy, but much more powerful. The lead pickup is not as sharp and piercing as other LP's ive played which is the only drawback in the sound. Great for clean, strummy sounds, great dirty and overdriven. I play jazz, fusion, rock and they all sound great though this guitar. I had a top mounted bigsby installed a little less than a year ago and it has only improved the happiness I experience I have playing this guitar. The action is lower, the tone is fuller, but still funky. Man, bigsbys and LP's are great together. I highly recommend it.

The action has always bugged me a little bit. it seemed like no matter what I did it was still too high. i've been told that living in Seattle, with the ever-changing weather from day to day, hour to hour really affects guitars negatively. The neck is well-finished, but a little sharp at the edges which makes scaling the neck quickly a problem. With the bigsby, though, the strings were moved farther back and the action has been lowered significantly. I like a really deep, bassy sound in the neck pickup, so i raised it a little and that made all the difference.

Despite some frequent string busting on nights of gigs a few monthes ago, it holds out well. I used to play 12's on this, then 11's, but I think that 10's satisfies both tone, intonation, longevity, and ease of palying for this guitar. I always use D'addarios. I always have a backup. I have a DeArmond S73 and a newly purchased Fender 69 Tele Thinline RI. Strap buttons are a little small, gibson straps fall right off them. I had to have the pickup selector fixed because there was some shorting out, but it turned out that just a couple screws were loose. no biggy.

I've dealt with private guitar techs and they've been the most help. I wouldn't recommend going straight thru with Gibson because most likely it will require a lot of shipping and time without you Gibby. My suggestion is to go to a Guitar center and ask for a name of a private guitar in the area. That's how i've found the two dudes who worked on my Gibson and I was more than satisfied with the results each time.

The sound of this guitar is truly the best part about it. It is a modest looking guitar, very pretty, but pretty plain. I wish it had a Gibson pickguard on it (the LP style, not the SG style). As far as humbucking sound goes, thsi one is terrific. The only other guitar i've played that has a good/better sounding humbucker is a PRS McCarty hollowbody, but it's like $2000 and in general, I think PRS guitars are not very attractive at all. Every guitar has the exact same body look and feel to it! No personality. The Gibson DC has a ton of personality and it gets a lot of attention wherever I go. Rare guitar, they don't make the studios anymore. I'm sure it will be a collectors item in like 2030.

1997 USA-made Gibson Les Paul DC Studio, basically similar to a Les Paul Studio with a few key differences. What makes this model stand out is the 24-fret neck, double cutaway, and tone chambers. The Studio model (discontinued in 1998) also has a wraparound tailpiece rather than the standard Gibson tune-o-matic deal. This model exists today as the Standard DC Plus, which is much more expensive but SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME (same pickups, body, wood, etc.) These guitars are hard to find nowadays (probably because no one wants to sell them). I was fortunate enough to find one of these in Gibson's classic Heritage Cherry Sunburst finish. So yummy. I give this guitar low marks for features because it has a simplified control layout (only one volume and one tone), plus just the typical Gibson three-way selector. But I should add that "more features" does not always equal "better guitar" (play a Parker Fly sometime and you'll see what I mean). In this case, simple is better.

For me, this is about as classic a sound as you could ask for. I am a sucker for Gibson's standard Les Paul pickups (490R, 498T), as for me they capture the best of the "Gibson sound." Others have said that the pickups are dark-sounding, and I would certainly agree with that. They aren't what you would call "chimey," though the mid position is just sweet sounding. But I already have a Strat, you know what I mean? If I want "bell-like" yada yada, I'll just reach for the backwards F. I use this guitar for jazzy or bluesy music, as well as old-school overdrive stuff (think old AC/DC. For that, it's perfect. I wouldn't use it for real heavy metal stuff or clean rhythm strumming (Byrds, Beatles, Petty, etc.) just 'cause there are other guitars out there that do a better job for that stuff. But if you want a straight-ahead, natural-sounding "medium" (not PAF, not hot ceramic) Gibson sound, this is a great choice. Again, if you can find one!

Well, I bought this guitar used, and I had a bit of a misadventure with a certain shipping company (hint: not UPS). Basically they dropped it on its head, and the guitar did what any decent Les Paul would do in that situation - the neck cracked. After a long and arduous period of general confusion and, honestly, incompetence, I was able to have the thing repaired by the store I bought it from and had it sent out again. I should be quick to point out that the store I bought it from (The Guitar Den in Florida) was absolutely excellent and went above and beyond the call of duty to get this guitar to me. I would highly recommend them to anyone in the market for a used guitar (www.guitarden.com). Anyway, it's not "as new" now, but it looks pretty darn good. The guitar was also very well set up (looow action!!) BTW. As for the guitar itself, it's typical Gibson quality - pretty good but nothing stunning.

I certainly hope this guitar will last! I don't plan on abusing it any more than it has been already, that's for sure. As far as reliability, it's about the same as any Gibson would be. So I'm not as cavalier about it as I would be with my Strat, but providing that I take care of it, it should be just fine.

N/A

I've been playing for ...oh, twelve years I think. I play professionally now and have done so for the past two years. I actually used to own one of these and foolishly sold it. Then again, I now have a much cooler-looking one (the first one was black). :-) For me, this is a better Les Paul than a Standard. It's lighter, more comfortable, and has almost the exact same sound. The only differences come from less body mass (though this is nicely offset by the tone chambers) and the fact that the pickups are slightly closer together. However, this second difference actually makes for a sweeter in-between sound, if you're into that sort of thing. I am. It's a sweet axe - it won't do it all, but if you're looking for that, go buy a PR$ or something. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a great utility axe that can handle classic Gibson tones (rock, blues and jazz), it's hard to find a better value for the money. (Shoot, why do you think Gibson discontinued this model and replaced it with one costing twice as much? It's not because the DC Studio wasn't selling.) I agree with Ed Roman on this one - the DC Les Paul is one of the best and most creative moves Gibson has made in a long time.

97' Transparent dark ruby red / Gibson's sweet sounding 490R & 498T humbuckers / one tone - one volume control / rosewood fret-board...etc.
Got it through a local ad, the guy that had it didn't care for Gibson's, it needed a good setup bad (I mean bad), I straighten the neck - set the intonation and the pickup height, then I had to compared it to my 82' Les Paul Std, I did it for two week's, then put the Std back in the case, and give the shoulder a rest. I love my Cherry Sunburst Les Paul Std, but it weight it's toll on me through the long set's, This is one of the best model's Gibson has made, sense the SG that didn't break your back after 4 Hr's of Play time...
I love the feel the sound the auction looks awesome Yes it's to bad they retired this baby but who knows that could change in a heart beat too.

Again it sounds Awesome and fits all styles of music, I play everything from Blues - Classic rock - Alternative - Metal.
It produces a niece clean overdrive that cut's right through, nice full reach tones and plays like butter.

The wraparound bridge was ok, and is ok, if your ok with the D-G-B string being a little off tune of each other, but I cured that with a adjustable bridge/tailpiece, I got from SMD, and it made a big deference, and a lot cheaper then a PRS wraparound bridge, after this fix I would have to give it a 10.
It now feels & sounds better then sex... well almost.

This is a well made gibson guitar, and the finish looks great. I use strap look button on all my guitars, I don't want to drop my baby. This is one of my favorites, and has taken the place of my 82' Std, I like my girls a little light these days.

never dealt with them.

I been playing for 26 years sence I was 13 that maks me 36 wow I FnOld. I say it again,it feel's it palys it sounds Awesome. Things I wish I had,one in every color it came in.

My first stray away from Fender in 15 or so years, a great re-introduction to the Gibson family...Though I believe that this model has been discontinued, what a shame.
A very cool variation on the Les Paul.
DC w/ a maple top
2 Humbuckers
Tone & Volume. Stripped down and ready to rock.

Sounds really cool, especially w/ the simple wrap-around bridge, which, by the way, intonates perfectly regardless of what those other whiners say about it.
Bet it would sound cooler w/ a couple of those Gibson p-94's

Plays great, the '59 slim-taper neck feels small for a Les Paul
Finish is average for a Gibson, not great, not bad...

I have used this guitar exclusively for 6 months now, feel so confident about it that I don't even bring a back-up.
The wrap-around bridge has no sharp edges to break strings on.
Though it isn't as ridgid as my Fenders I don't feel like it's too flimsy.

A bad som-bitch that I would miss dearly if something ever happened to it.
Cranked through a full stack of marshalls it's well, traditional.
I play loud fast punk rock & roll.
I recently met a guy who has only owned one guitar in 18 years, a black Les Paul Custom. I admired his dedication to his instrument and hope to have the same with this Gibson.

I got this one about 2 years ago.It has a transparent ruby red finish on a mahogany body with a carved maple top. Neck is mahogany
with a 24 fret fingerboard...which I think is great...not many gibsons offer that! It has one volume control one tone control and a 3 way toggle switch. The humbuckers are a 490R and a 498T. So far so good. What I don't like about it, is the intonation defection which comes from the IDIOTIC wrap-around bridge! I found this to be a big problem, cos when the guitar was tuned right, and I went up the neck..it sounded aweful, so I had to spend 1000NOK (about 110$) to replace it with a PRS bridge with intonation possibilities for each string. It has a hollowed out back, which makes it very light on your sholder compared to other les pauls. Which is good.

I play all kinds of music, from hard rock to country and blues. And I've found out that this guitar is very flexible. The sound I get when I play it through my POD is great! I can get very heavy tones from it, and a nice clean sound, especially when using the bridge pickup.
Whats not as good, is that I think its a little quiet compared to other les pauls I've tried. This can be because of the hollowed out back, but as long as I turn the volume up it's not really to complain about.

Everything is great...except for the wrap around bridge !

This guitar has a sligh problem staying in tune.

never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for about 8 years, and tried alot of guitars. For me this guitar was a bit hard to get used to, but not its the only guitar I use. It's not as comfortable as I wished it was, but with the sound i get from this baby, it's worth it.

Mine is a 98, emerald green finish. Mahoganey body, maple top. Mahoganey neck with 24 fret rosewood fretboard. Hollowed out sound chambers in the body so it is a little lighter. Double cuttaway body like the old specials. 2 humbuckers, 490 and 498. Alnicos. 2 knobs, 1 tone, 1 volume. Pickup selector in the same vicivity. Very simple and straight foward. I like that.

I mostly play rock, hard rock, and blues. Have 7 amps including a 66 Fender Bassman, Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100, Fender Tone Master, Yamaha T100 Soldano designed head, Mesa Heartbreaker, and VHT Pittbull. WOW!! This thing rocks!!! Very resonent neck and body. You can just feel it vibrate when you strum an chord Has that perfect Les Paul sound. Sounds very similar to my 80 Custom. Maybe a little brighter because of the chambers. Sounds great clean with the neck pickup. Bridge can get that great crunchy rock sound like a Les Paul is known for. You can go from a sweet warm clean to raunchy crunchy overdrive with the volume control. Not super versitile, but it's a Les Paul.

The emerald green is beautiful. Just as good as my PRS. Set up perfect from the factory. THis is my first guitar with a wraparound bridge. I really like it. Smooth action, fast neck. The neck is just the right thickness. Not too thin, not to fat. Not the flame top version like the standard but the maple top is very pretty with some figuring.

I would take this live in a heartbeat. Very well built guitar. The new Gibsons really are great. Some people knock them but I love the new stuff they are making. Everything is solid. Seems very dependable.

I've emailed Gibson probably 6 times with different questions and they always get back to me in a few days or so.

When the standards came out I always wanted one. I just love the DC look. I really love it. Sounds great, good weight, plays like a dream. I've been playing for 13 years and this is a great addition to my large collection of guitars. I would buy one again in a heart beat. I highly recommend these especially for the price you can get them used.

1999 dc in red...beautiful maple top with some grain, mahogany body with sound chambers, lightweight...24 frets..wraparound bridge, wish it had a tune-0-matic but for the price it stays in tune ok..put heavier gauge strings on and have it professionally dialed in...what do you want for around 600 bucks i guess. Nice rosewood fretboard, played nice right out of the box but I did have it set for .010's right away. A very basic guitar but all u need and looks good... pickups sound great.. 490r and 498t in bridge, i like gibson humbuckers, fat tone.

Use it with a jcm900 50w and 1960a cab...great together for that rock sound...really like the 498t pickup...too bad gibson doesnt make affordable guitars like this anymore...the 496r gives me a decent clean and blues rock sound....but use the 498 and volume control the most..i plug right in and only use my tube screamer and acoustic pedal with it...i also have a lp classic and lp standard and this is lighter and looks good and fun to play, so much so i drag it on stage once in awhile but this guitar i got for a practice workhorse and its done the job.

action was good out of the box but i had my tech set it up with .010's right away, action needed to be lowered and it was kinda a bitch to dial in with just that wraparound bridge but i am a simple guy and it seems fine to me...pickups were set up good and i love the neck..plays nice...real pretty guitar, mine is red and you can see the grain in the maple top...nice for a cheap guitar..overall came very clean and set up well.

had it a year...its a gibson...its well built...i take care of my stuff too...bass player bashed into it hard..only a small paint ding..
would gig it w/o backup...overall once again a decent guitar

came with warranty card...never sent it in...

been playing over 20 yrs...have a lp classic, charvel/jackson model 4, lp studio, gibson songbird deluxe, ibanez destroyer 2, ibanez acoustic and fender tele...for the price id buy one again..needs tune-0-matic bridge but overall great gibson for the price but they are gone...thought about selling it because i have so many guitars but i really do like it

It's a real shame that Gibson discontinued this model. I bought mine in 2000, and it was one of the last of the 1999 DC Studios made before production ceased. It has a transparent ruby red finish on a mahogany body with a carved maple top. The set neck is mahogany with a 24 fret rosewood fingerboard. It has minimal gingerbread, which is what I like - no binding, just a volume and tone control, and a 3 way toggle switch. The covered humbuckers are a 490R and a 498T. The tuners are vintage style Klusons. It has a simple wrap-around bridge. In other words, it has everything you need for great tone, but not costly extras which only add to the cosmetics. As for me, I like it simple.

The sound is the classic signature Les Paul tone. I play through a Mesa Boogie .50 Caliber and a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI. My other axe is a Fender American Std Strat. With this setup I can get any sound I need. The LP through the Mesa gives me that heavy overdrive for ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, and Cream tunes. It also does a fair approximation of Santana. The Strat plugged into the DRRI does what I need for blues.

I had to do very litle adjusting. Straight out of the box, she was ready to play. I only needed to lower the pickup height a little.

It has served me without a single problem for the past year. I can't ask for more.

N/A

For most of the past twenty years, I've been a Fender guy. But I've needed that LP tone from time to time and I could never get it from a Strat. This LP Studio is perfect for what I wanted. An affordable, good looking Les Paul with that unmistakable tone. I love it!

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.

1999 NOS Les Paul Studio Double Cutaway. 24 Frets. Chambered Mahogony body w/Maple top. 1-vol, 1-tone, 3-way selector. Standard LP dual-humbuckers (490R and 498T) with chrome nickel covers. Transparent Emerald Green nitro-cellulose laquer finish. Wrap around bridge/tailpiece. Vintage style Gibson tuners. Wide-medium-chunky solid Mahogony neck w/medium frets. Gibson brown leather hardshell case included.

I play original Christian rock and roll and classic rock / blues. This guitar is well suited. Fantastic LP meets Strat sounds. Neck position is very clear, warm, and nice. Neck is fat and agressive. Combination is very cool and has a little bit of a P90/P100 sound to it. Very quiet. Brighter than your regular LP due to chambers. Very sweet and versatile sounding. Think PRS. I think this could easily become my main guitar. Sounds great through my Line6 AX2.

Last 2 LP's I have brought were set up poorly and the factory seems to be letting them get out of the door with some imperfections that should not pass QC. In ant event, this one is no exception and on this particular guitar the nut was cut way too shallow so that there was too much clearance between the string and the first fret. A little help from our freindly neighborhood repair shop (http://www.steviebs.com/) fixed that. Changed the strings and tweaked the truss rod and bridge myself with some excellent results. Works great with 9's or 10's. 10's intonate a bit better. As with my last LP purchase, the fretwork could be alot better but it is adequate. My G&L and even the Dearmond that I just bought are much cleaner in that dept. The Dearmond is half of the price (Hope your listening Mr. Gibson)!! All else is what you would normally expect from a high quality instrument. Finish quality is excellent. Wood grain in the top, back and neck is very nice althought no flame top. I have seen some LPDC Studio's out there with birdseye's in the tops. This one just has a nice grain to it. Nice color - Emerald Green. Feels and sounds excellent (after tweaks). Very comfortable to play. Very light compared to normal LP's. Comes with the nice borwn leather "pigskin" hardshell case with the pink lining. I love these cases :-)

I have yet to use the guitar to play out but I have had it at rehearsal and it passed the "does the band like it" test (whew). I will be using it to gig with very shortly along with my tried and true '92 G&L Legacy and my new Dearmond Jet Star. Don't have any worries. I'm sure it will rock.

Gibson Gold Warranty. 3 Year in-store warranty (Sam Ash). 30 day satisfaction guarantee (Sam Ash).

Been playing 20+ years. Own lots of other gear. Very satisfied with purchase - a brand new LP Studio with case for $750 out the door - fantastic IMO. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it or upgrade to the DC Standard/Pro. This guitar should give PRS something to think about though Gibson has a little ways to go to match the quality of PRS in the final finish dept. For the money, I am satisfied. I love the sound and comfortablity. A pleasure to play. placement of 3-way selector takes a little getting used to. Overall, a really great LP for 1/2 to 2/3 of what you would pay for something equivelent.

Well, it is a pretty simple design, two humbuckers, a wraparound bridge, gibson tuners, 24 frets, a volume knob and a tone knob, and a three way switch. Put this over a mahogany neck and body with a maple top with sound chambers and you got yourself a simple, elegant guitar that you can get very nice sounds from, that is why i give it an 8...

I play fusion, jazz, rock, funk, and blues, and this guitar handles all of them very well. I was actually surprised it could handle funk well becuase it seems that the tone chambers give the les paul a brighter sound. And you usually don't use a les paul to play funk in the first place! The Neck pickup is wonderful, and sounds very jazz-esque (ala 335) and serves me wonderfully for playing jazz and softer stuff. It is also really nice for rythm parts in rock, and gets a nasty low end that kicks ass for the heavier stuff. The Bridge pickup is a great lead pickup, and is able to reproduce everything from santana and mclaughlin-esque tones to tom morello's tones... it very versatile. I might also add that the sustain is great, and it sounds beefy without the guitar being that heavy!

The action was great, and the pickups were adjusted well. No problems here.

Well it seems to be a sturdy, well built guitar -- i don't think i would have problems with this one at the gig. Then again the reliability is as good as its owner...

Never dealt with them.

Overall, this is a simple, but nice guitar. It is not going to turn heads like a PRS or a Fly Deluxe, but it is certainly a great sounding guitar for the money. It looks great (the maple top is very nice), sounds great, and the versatility makes it worth buying another one. It is too bad gibson discontinued this line, but if you find one used, get it! It is a helluva deal.

I think you know the features(1998 model, cherry sunburst(I think)....). I give it a nine beacause it doesn't have the maximum possible features.

I play heavy metal and rock. The sound that this "piece of wood"
creates (using it with a PEAVY Audition 110 (25W)) is amazing, great, fantastic........

The set up was fantastic and so I didn' t change anything

I think that guitar will last forever, but i wouldn' t risk it to use it on a gig without a backup.

I didn't have any problem till now.

If I had now the money I would by a second one for backup.

Made in 97 in USA, mahogany body and neck, ALMOST book-matched maple top, ruby stain with nitrocellulose lacquer, rosewood fretboard, 24 frets, Gibson 490R and 498T humbuckers, 3-way switch, wrap-around tailpiece, low-profile neck heel, Gibson "vintage" plastic tuners. Thinner and lighter than a LP Standard with a slight dished area in the back...Assets: comfortable body and neck shape, convenient master controls, high quality in a simple design...Liabilities: no tune-o-matic bridge, delicate finish, plastic tuners, goes out of tune quickly with note-bending.

Used with solid-state Crate amp. Plenty of harmonics and feedback with treble pickup (making it hard to control and useful for rock only), but versatile if neck only or both p/u's selected. I try to equalize the balance by increasing treble gain and decr. bass and mid (on the amp). The tone becomes sweeter as you move up the neck, especially if you add a fast chorus. Not quite articulate enough for jazz but has great sustain. I try to put an edge on the tone by using brightest-sounding strings I can find.

Since I bought the guitar used, I cannot say how well it was set-up at factory. All materials on guitar are good quality except for those goofy plastic tuners Gibson likes so well. The top was not perfectly book-matched.

This guitar is very well-built except for the tuners and the delicate nitrocellulose finish, which scratches and cracks way too easily. With its aggressive sound and high output but relatively light weight this is a great guitar for live playing. I do not hesitate to play it without a backup.

Have never dealt with the Gibson company.

Prior to this guitar I have owned a Japanese Strat and an Epiphone LP standard. This Gibson double cut has spoiled me...I never want to play a single-cut or tremolo style guitar again. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would definitely look for a replacement with the same features. Sometime I may see about putting in some Gibson or other high-output, hum-canceling single coil pickups...They would brighten up the tone and give it more of an edge. If you're not in love with fancy fingerboard inlays, white binding or flamed tops (they're really quite easy to live without), this is definitely the best value in a Les Paul.

This was made in 1996, 24 frets, and everything else is about identical to a les paul standard except that it has a mahogany top.

Depending on my mood, I'll play anything from Jazz and Blues, to Metal and Hardcore. This guitar is perfectly suited for any of those, especially the more rock side. I play with a JCM 900 and it sounds perfect

The action was a bit high from the guitar center, but i fixed that. Everything else seemed fine

The humbucker switch seems to have trouble from time to time. The strap buttons are a bit small, and the guitar seems to fall a bit. It will definetely last a while though

I haven't had to talk to them

This is a great guitar between beginning and advanced stages. I'm only 16, but I sound good to almost anybody. Eventually I'll probably get a Les Paul Standard/Custom or a PRS, but this should suit me for a while.

1997 modle, its gibson so its made in the U.S. its got 24 frets, 3 way selector, one volume and one tone. the pickups are awesome! one 190r and one 169t. they get a really fat sound. mine has a transparent forest green finish, very nice.

i play a type of music called "emo". if you have never heard of it its like alternative, "spacey" drone rock, hardcore, and soft mellow music all roled into one. this guitar suits me perfect. it can get clear crisp high sounds to really really fat deep sounds. i use an ibanez powerlead distortion, boss digital delay/reverb, crybaby wah wah, and a boss chorus. i run all that through a marshal JCM 900 head and an ampeg 4x12 cab. i also play in a alternative hardcore band and this guitar is great! when i got it everything was set up perfect, strings were not too low or too high. overall you can't go wrong with this sound.

everything was perfect from the factory. no complaints

the strap buttons basically sucked. so i ended up putting quarters on the strap buttons to keep it from falling off me. so far this thing has stayed in tune better than any other guitar i've ever owned. it has fallen off me a few times when i was jumping around and has hit the floor really hard but it has always stayed in tune. this is by far the best guitar i've ever played, in my opinion you would'nt need a back up but it never hurts to have one.

customer support is great. gibson is the best company to buy from. they won't quit bugging me about if i like the guitar or not. it came with a lifetime warranty so if it ever screws up they will be there for me.

i've been playing for 7 years and this is the guitar i've fallen in love with. i have played every style and this thing fits all of them. the only thing i would ever do is get another one or two. this is the best value for an awesome guitar.

Most people have probably already named the features , so I won't bore you . But I will say it's easy to use this guitar , and that's the way I like it . Not many James Bond do-dads here but isn't that good?

It sounds like a regular Les Paul , maybe a bit sharper , being that it's not as massive , it get's a Fender bite . But it's deffinitely a Les Paul . I play in an emo band and play some punk stuff , and the sound is great , it can get jazz if you want it , and blues are easy , but ofcourse , it can nail all forms of modern rock . Whether metal , punk , ska-core , emo , hardcore , it can get it , but I think rock sound really comes from the amp .

The intonation as far as I've gotten has been pretty good , a little bit of a problem on the high e , but most guitars have probs on high e . The pickups are cool , not noisy , but the neck could get warmer I think . The bridge sounds so insanely great though that it totally makes up for it . It fits well too , and I'm a small guy , I had an Lp standard , but it hurt my back , so I got this , and it's great , it feels like a lighter PRS.

It's a tank , but the angled headstock may cause probs if ur usin' a gig bag instead of a case.

Never dealt with 'em .

Overall I recomend this guitar to people with bad backs that want Les Paul sound . Plus it's a good price .

USA-made Gibson (don't know the year), 24-fret slim taper neck, mahogany body/maple top (chambered body), one volume-one tone, 3-way selector, dual humbuckers, black double cutaway, stop tailpiece only, vintage tuners, etc. etc. (Check out Gibson's web site if you want more specs.) Very basic, so not a lot in the features department, hence the low rating (although I like the guitar this way).

I play your typical rock/blues stuff. I don't play punk or metal (not since 1991 anyway). I have found this guitar to be a lot more versatile than I originally expected. I play through a Fender Blues Junior - basically a 15W tube combo. It sounds great overdriven as you may expect (suitable for any 60's & 70's rock), but it also has a very nice clean tone. Coming from a Fender background, I was a bit skeptical about this, but it has totally delivered. The pickups have the dynamic range I was hoping to find with a single-coil sound (even when played fingerstyle a la Mark Knopfler, which I do often), and they have a bit of a bright edge due to the chambered body (although it's still very much a standard Les Paul sound). It just sounds sweet. I'm leaning a bit towards jazz right now, and it also fits the bill very nicely for that. Of course, I imagine if you ran it through a Crate amp with a couple of DOD pedals, you could make it sound like crap. I must say it's still not as mind-blowing as a PRS, but for $699, it'll work.

Well, black paint can cover up a lot, and I did see a bit of funny-colored stuff on the nut as well as a slight chip on the headstock. Of course, that could have been just about anything, and it didn't make much difference to me. No intonation problems at all. I don't see what the problem is with that anyway - I've never seen an acoustic guitar with a tune-o-matic. Nice action without being obnoxiously low - very playable. Only beef is that the neck pickup buzzes (physically) when you hit the right notes. Not that it matters once you plug in, but it's just a bit annoying when you're dinking around without an amp.

I don't really want to have to put this guitar to the test (and hopefully I won't). Again, coming from a Fender background I'm used to guitars being something like Sherman tanks. You heft a Strat and you just know that it ain't gonna break. This thing, I'm not so sure. I'm paranoid about the angled headstock (especially because it came with a most unhelpful gig bag), and the set neck will take some getting used to. It definitely doesn't have the weight of a Standard, and I've got a feeling that this thing might splinter if it were subjected to some real abuse. Finish-wise I have no issues - actually, I wouldn't mind seeing what the wood looks like on this thing. I would never use any guitar without a backup, and this one isn't going to change my mind about that. But the whole problem with this category is that all different types of people will be reading this. So if you're into thrash or punk or whatever is cool these days, don't use this guitar. Something will happen to it. However, if you're not into whatever is cool these days, you'll be fine. (I'm not really an old fart - I'm only 26!!)

I e-mailed Gibson support about an article in the Amplifier featuring the DC Studio (worth reading, BTW) asking about a rather cryptic reference to a type of bridge Gibson was reissuing... anyway, somebody got back to me within 24 hours and was very helpful. Hopefully I won't need to contact them about anything more drastic.

I've been playing since I was 17, which is... nine years. Like I said above, I've got a Strat and a Tele, both of which sound undeniably flat in comparison. (I still love the Strat neck however.) If this guitar were stolen, I'd use that as my excuse to buy a PRS (and hock everything else I own to do it, I suppose). I love the sound of this guitar - after playing this, my Tele bores me and my Strat annoys me. The bridge sound is sharper than either Fender, the neck is plenty fat, and the in-between is so sweet - definitely my favorite clean setting. I bought this guitar b/c I wanted a Les Paul that didn't feel like a Les Paul (there's a bit of Strat in the design, right down to the belly cutout). I don't find the one vol - one tone to be a limiting factor; if you ain't got it in the fingers, you ain't gonna get it with knobs & pedals. (Listen to some old vinyl sometime and you'll know what I mean.) A great guitar and a nice PRS starter (I hope) :)

Most who have posted have already listed the features, so I will not do so again. I will say that this guitar does not have a plethora of fancy features, but that is what makes it so great. It sounds absolutely awesome, feels great, and gets the job done without a load of un-needed gadgets.

I am using this guitar with a Marshall JCM900 half stack with only one effect- Stereo Chorus. My band plays heavy rock/alternative, and this setup suits me deliciously. This guitar can get any sound I want. Clean with a taste of chorus, and it sings like a choir, and switch to the neck pickup and kick in the Marshall distortion and metallica never sounded better. It is easy to get good overdriven blues tones as well with the neck pickup, and the gain toned down a bit. This guitar can easily accomodate any sound you want, unless you want a really bitt strat sound, and lets face it you arent going to get it with a Les Paul of any calibur.

This is a beautiful guitar. Mine is translucent green, showing off the beautiful maple top. This is not a standard or custom, so it is not perfect, but for a guitar under a grand, one could not ask for anything mor as far as looks go. From the factory, the action was a bit high, but a little tweaking worked wonders. Also, any one thinking of buying one of these gems, invest in some 10 gauge strings, it will make this guitar sound better, and feel better. It probably would not be a bad idea to do it at the music store, and have their tech adjust the truss rod right then and there. They will be so thrilled with your business, they will do it for free. Free is good.

THis is a solid piece of gear. I use it as my sole guitar. I traded a strat and a fernandes for this thing, and am not worried about gigging with only one guitar in the least.

My only contact with gibson has been through their website. They have a forum section, and all of my questions have been answered promptly. I have only good things to say about Gibson so far.

Again I love this guitar. I have been playing for 18 years+ and have owned many a guitar over the years from Kramers to Fenders. This is by far the best guitar I have ever owned. If I had the $$ I would get another one, or maybe two.

this is a follow up post to my previous notes on this guitar last fall. Not that I am clairvoyant, but in my post I mentioned this guitar would either become more expensive or be discontinued. Well guess what? Both events have taken place. Gibson has discontinued the Studio version leaving only the "Standard" model (gold harware, flame top, high price). They are also coming out with a "Les Paul lite/Light?" not to be confused with previous "lite" version. The new one look, from the top to a LP Standard until you look at it sideways and see it is thinner waist offset and has the "tone chambered" innards , sort of like my Studio??eh? Marketing at its finest is at work. P.S., if you find a DC Studio and want outstanding LP tone and vibe for around $700 new , buy it. I have bought a second one as a spare. Aslo , don't take my word alone. Read the other posting on this guitar found here. this must be a trend not limited to Gibson alone. Fender has done this twice in two years with the Strat: big push with Jimmy Vaughn endorsing the Tex-Mex, then dropped, replaced with big push for the California Strat (verysimilar guitar but $300 more), then dropped after less than one year....whew......now we have the 50s and 60s strats from....Mexico....Jeez guys ..slow down by the by, the California was the best one for the money, of course its is gone too.

still sounds like one of the best Gibsons ever...

still fabulous

Since the last post, I have used this guitar almost exclusively and like a good Gibson, it is getting better as it breaks in.

Again, Still a 10: too bad its gone.

Made in 1997, bought in 1999.
Two passive humbucking pickups, 3-way switch, 1 volume and 1 tone control.
Wide, thin mahogany neck, at least compared to a Strat. Dot inlays, no binding. (The DC Standard has trapezoids and is bound.) The scale is 24.75", I believe - shorter than a Strat, anyway. The resulting lower string tension makes some things easier to do than on a Strat; bends are really easy.
Two cutaways allow excellent access to all 24 frets. The body is mahogany with a maple cap. The cap has a decent grain pattern, but is clearly not AAA grade. Tapping on the back suggests that tone chambers have been routed into the mahogany, although Gibson's web site doesn't mention this. Wraparound tailpiece (combination tailpiece and bridge, strings not individually adjustable). No pickguard.
Surprisingly light weight for a Les Paul; similar to a Gibson hollow-body.
The finish is sort of Unripemangoburst (officially Heritage Cherry Burst, I think). This model was made in 1997 and 98 and has recently (March 99) been discontinued, according to Gibson.
Not many features compared to some, so I gave it a 6. On the other hand, I don't find the features of this guitar inadequate, other than having some doubts about the tailpiece.

I play mainly blues and related styles.
Even through a small amp (Fender Blues Jr), this guitar approximates a pretty wide range of classic Gibson blues sounds. The bridge pickup can get tones similar to Clapton's on the first Bluesbreaker album. The neck pickup can get close to Otis Rush's 335. Overall, the sound is on the dark side, but the bridge pickup, with tone dialed to 10, gets bright enough for the things that I play.
Having only 1 volume and 1 tone control gives a bit less flexibility, but also makes life a little simpler than does fiddling with 4 dials.

Bought used from the Gibson on-line auction. The action is too low, and on the rubbery side, making it hard to play clean. Some setup work, and a switch from 0.009's to 0.010's, will doubtless help here.
The wraparound tailpiece makes it a bit hard to get intonation correct. (Although it holds tuning, once you get it right, better than I expected.) I will probably switch to a stop tailpiece plus tunomatic one of these days. However, the intonation problem is not bad enough to make this an immediate necessity.
The ends of the frets are pretty rough, and this will need some work.
The finish is fine if you like mangos.

This is a pretty solid guitar, and I expect it will hold up well to use. The plastic tuner buttons are a possible weak point.

I bought it used. However, Gibson's customer relations department answered some questions by e-mail.

I've been playing for 30 years, although I haven't tried out as many guitars as that would suggest.
Overall, I like the DC, and play it quite a bit. Compared to a Gibson ES-125, the DC has much better access to the upper frets and a much slimmer neck, but a similar feel in other ways. It's a bit hard to go back to the stiffer action of a Strat, but sometimes you want a Strat sound. The price of a used one is pretty reasonable, comparable to a used LP Studio. Overall, I think the DC is a keeper, based on its playability and range of usable blues tones.

I live in Yemen. Guitar is good look. Black with lines creemy coloured pick gaurder. Came with no case.

This has very good warm sounds. I have a 1970 Marshall ampliflier. No guitar sounds as better as this.

Many of times hav i had to adjust some tuners. Will no stay in good tune for much longer than a haff a song or to.

This of all guitar sound has good. Only porblem is i cant have it stay tuned. Nowheer to gig.

I bott this swingers new so dont respect to have had any problems.

This guitar player is good for blues. BBKING. Or for bigger like Jimi Hendrix when he playd on Purple. I'm sory to have to sell it to my friend, I am liking to buy a 60 s reissue Stratocaster. Fell bad? I do because allready it was gifted to me.

Mine is a 1997 model made in the USA. It's got a mahogany body (maple top)and neck with a rosewood fingerboard. It's got a pickup selector switch and a volume and tone knob. With only the two knob I find it's less clutered then a regular LP. Mine is jet black with chrome hardware. I've heard a lot of anger towards the wrap around bridge but I've got no complaints. The DC body I find is vey comfortable and light. For what I paid it's a dream come true.

It sounds fantastic, I found it to sound better then most $2000+ LP's. I play everything from SRV to Alice in Chains and it sounds like a million bucks, the humbuckers give the nicest thickest tones. I play through a Marshall valvstate 100 and a Zoom 505 pedal and this LP can mimic any A in C song or Hendrix with perfect accuracy.

When I bought it was in decent shape the action was high the intonation was off, but I fiddled with the bridge and got it exact. I've heard complaints about not being able to adjust the intonation but you can easily with an allen key). The pickups were positioned perfectly. I got the black because I heard bad stuff about the transparent finishes. Sofar it's been great.

I'm starting to play live at some blues jams and sofar it's great, I have no worries about anything screwing up so I would go without a backup.

I've been playing for about 5 years off and on, I own a custom strat that I found used. If it were lost or stolen I'd by another one asap. It's a great value for the money and I'm so glad I got it.

What do we have here? A set-neck real Gibson for about $700 retail. Or maybe a Reed Smith for 70% less, I don't know but can say this is one outstanding guitar (for any money). Previous submissions have described it and praised it except for one who didn't give it the time of day. This is , basically, a 1960 LP special upgraded: that is , it has a maple cap and humbuckers instead of P-90s. I have shown this guitar to younger players who say, "cool Reed Smith, dude". No , this body shape came out in the late 50s. To summarize, this is a Les Paul with a slightly thinner body, double cut, mahogany body, maple cap, set-neck, routed tone chambers so its kind of light for an LP, two humbuckers, volume and tone control, and yes the wraparound tailpiece. Yes you can palm mute with one of these and intonate the guitar properly with heavier guage strings.

Think Les Paul BUT with the ability to produce clear neck position tone (almost Fender-like). In this regard it does the Reed Smith thing very well without sacrificing a good lead tone as a Les Paul should. I use two amps: Reissue Vibrolux Reverb and JCM900 half stack with slant cab/greenback Celestions (Celestions also installed in the Fender). I have loaned this guitar out , let others use it overnight , etc., and no one wants to give it back.

A couple of issues here: from the factory, Gibson installs 9s on most all of their new product. I guess this is for newbies, wannabees or whatever to think the instrument is "easy to play". Bullshit. It robs tone, and in the case of this particular guitar with a wraparound non-adjustable tailpiece, makes it near impossible to intonate. Plus , it will go out of tune quickly. Therefore, replace strings with 10s or 11s, reset the trussrod which is usually not tight enough after being shipped, and guess what? Whole new guitar, not what you played in the store. This is basically a very well made guitar and needs only a little TLC to be truly great. My guitar is cherry sunburst so I replaced the pickup surrounds with cream units, also installed gold vintage knobs and switch tip. Small stuff but gives the instrument a whole new and cool look.

If it holds up as well as older Les Paul Specials or Juniors, I think I will have no real complaints. Beware, this is a set neck Gibson so don't drop it as the headstock will break immediately. These come with a gig bag. Buy a case.

Not needed at this time.

the price mentioned above was an introductory deal, I believe they cost a bit more now (Gibson raised prices regularly, unfortunately). Overall, this is a true 10 plus. Looks good, plays good, excellent neck profile for me, strong pickups, and TONS OF TONE for $700? Are you kidding? I predict this guitar will either be discontinued or become relatively expensive. The word is out and there are players using these. Please keep in mind if you go to you neighborhood shop and play one out of the box it may be set up fairly well but if you take the time to simply put heavier strings on it and tweak the neck you will be truly amazed at what comes out. This is a great guitar.

I bought this one for the features: Beautiful solid maple body, 24 frets, arched top, simple pick-up/tone controls, mahogony neck, beautiful though dark finish on the body. The finish work on the neck joint left a lot to be desired - paint imperfections, splotches. The biggest dissapointment with this insturment is the tail piece. This wrap around design gives the musician the ability to control intination only by moving the entire piece, thereby affecting the intination of each string simultaneously (as you may know the B string needs more string length to sound correctly everywhere along the fingerboard.) I could not - nor the shop I bought this instrument from, nor guitar friends - get the intination exact. A minor point - I think not.

With the inability to intinate the instrument, bar cords - as opposed to open cords - were not in tune. Who care about the amp if the instrument will not tune?

Deep, Dark burgundy red finish did not show much grain, which I think is done on purpose - consider the price point.

I didn't keep it long enough to show wear.

The dealer was very understanding of the concerns I had with this instrument. He allowed me to try different instruments before deciding on exchanging the LP DC Studio for a Martin D-28. WOW!!!

I've played on and off for years. I own a Martin D-28, a American standard Strat, a Guild dreadnaught, A baby Ovation and an Ibanez AE-18 double cut electric/acoustic. I still love the style of the LP DC's. But, in my opinion, save your money and get the LP DC Standard. The differences are astonishing: a correct bridge/tail piece, and beautiful wood that's not painted into obscurity. That instrument is definately in my future

the 24 frets is nice, and the standard les paul pickups are good, but i'm thinking of replacing them with Seymour Duncans. My is the ruby red - it looks sorta like a wine color inside, but in bright sun it starts reflecting light and it looks awesome! the bridge is a wrap-around, which could be better (the tune-o-matic on the standard), but everything else is really nice - the tuners haven't given me any problems, the double cutaway is ESSENTIAL now- if i ever bought another guitar it would only be a DC standard. the neck has a nice feel, and the wood gives a nice tone. I would like the standard les paul 2 volumes/2tones tho... it sorta limits live performance

I play anything from jazz to hardcore, and the dc studio is great. it's got awesome bass tone, good mid-range, and the treble is perfect. I use it with a Peavey transtube model (bandit 112s), and the sound is rich and full, but at the same time with the treble boosted it sounds more like a tele. the humbuckers cut down noise alot, and the pickup config gives you a good variety of sound, and you can get almost any sound out of it you want - from jangly 70's rock to Minor Threat.

The set up from the factory was ok. a really high action, which just makes me play better. the intonation is almost perfect, but still, the fixed bridge means it's hard to adjust. the finish is nice, but you need to give it a good polish every now and then - fingerprints stick, which isn't a big problem, but when you're playing outside in the sunshine, you want it as shiny as can be. the wood is a good quality, and even though it's not flamed, it has a fairly nice pattern.

great for live or rehearsing, AWESOME for recording. the finish is sturdy, and the hardware is gonna last and last and last. I wouldn't use ANY other guitar ('cept maybe the DC standard if i had the $$)... i wouldn't even consider a backup axe.

haven't dealt with them, but ppl say gison is friendly, and my warranty lasts for 3 years. what the heck, i'll give it a 10.

After having this axe for 6 months, i made a sacred pledge that i'd never part with it. that good enough? sure, a few things could be better, but really only the two knobs and the fixed bridge suck. and they're not really hassles, just lack of features that aren't essential.

My guitar was made, i don't know when, but in the U.S. of A. It's got 24 frets, Mahogony bottom and maple top, and mahogony neck with a rosewood fingerboard. Two gibson made 490R and 496T humbuckers with one volume and one tone control, and one three way toggle switch, pasive electronics, a 24 3/4 inch scale, a wraparound bridge and lots of other good stuff. Mine came with a sunburst. It didn't really come with much because i got it used. However, Victor's threw in a Gibson, Les Paul Hardshell case that smells funny and a sam ash gig bag for $10. Pretty good deal, eh? In other words, i got just what need and i think it's great.

hell, i play everything from blues to Metal. I use it with a fender princeton 122 plus and it is just awesome. I can acheive something that closely resembles the "brown" sound on my amp and many other tones that don't sound horrid and harsh. I can turn my amp up loud and not get a horrible peircing sound. Instead, i get a hella cool sound. Whether it's clean or distorted, i love the tones. There are so many tones for everything that i do. Everything about this guitar is just so great. I especially like the feel of the neck. i think it deserves nothing but praise.

It's great. I string it with 10's, which gives it a nice feel. The pickups are great, and everything about the guitar it great. It stays in tune, which is deserves some merit. However, when the strings get old, the high e string loses the intonation (and you cant change that on a wraparound bridge!) However, i like new strings more than the old strings and 10's last a lot longer than the standard 9's. I hate 9's.

Yes, this guitar withstands live playing. It's great live. I used it without a backup, pretty much because i don't have one. Since i got it used, it came with straplocks built in. The previous owner didn't put them on very tightly, but it holds on good and get's the job done. It's very dependable.

n/a

Great guitar. Great everything. It's just unbelievable. I probably wont need another guitar for a long time.

2 Humbuckers,1 tone, 1 volume, 3 way selecter. 2 tones 2 volumes would have been nice like on the original les paul's. Has a wrap around bridge which i actually really like, although the standard tune-o-matic would have been quite nice this bride i find has an aquired feel to it. the body is made out of mahogony (i cant spell so sorry) with a maple top. The neck is made of mahogony also. Very nice craftsmanship and finish. Beautiful heritage cherry sunburst colour. Body is basicly a les paul with an extra cut away. Have a feeling that the pickups are closer together though. Vey reliable tuners. Not a small neck but one i find really easy to play. It has 24 frets all about medium size. Very nice hard case included as well.

I play soft rock to metal (weid eh?) Most people would say this guitar is not suited to my style but thats not true. This is the most expressive and alive instruments i have ever played on. It has a very rich tone. Very very deep and not in the slightest bit harsh like cheaper guitars or strats. Not noisy at all perfect clean and esprcially distorted. I only really use distortion and wah as effects and they both soud so wonderful i cant contain my emotions when i hear them. The guitar is perfect for rock like the Pumpkins or soundgarden. It is also awesome to Metallica etc. Not the range i was expecting when i got it. I had a feeling it was more suited to jazz or blues but it can really sing to anything if played right. The pickup while not of very high output are so much more than my old Jackson PS-4 that i get so much more gain etc. its amazing to compare two guitars on both ends of the price range and hear the difference.

Action was a bit high for my tastes for a start so i got it lowered. This effected the tone alot for the wore because of the pickups being closer to the strings. After adjusting them to my taste the action and tone rule supreme in guitar land. definatly not suited to shredders and shit because its just not made for that (altough it can be made to sound like it!) Wrap around bridge is not really suitable for those palm muted riffs of metallica etc but again i suppose it is made for that stuff any way. I like it all the same, it really is easy to play. when i got the guitar i looked at the bridge and doubted its suitability to my playing style (picking really near bridge, palm muting etc) but after weighing it up i found it really very comfortable and easy. Very good finish although it had a few dings in it from freight i think. very good paint job. very good and reliable hardware and tuning pegs.

i estimate a very long life for this guitar as i take very good care of it. Wood i think is very prone to dings as it is quite soft i think. everything i think though is good enough to last the distance. i would definatly play at a gig with it without a backup.

love it. Best instument i have heard. I have tryed millions of guitars and this one just stands out. I love everything on this guitar with exception to maybe the bridge. But as i said before it has an aquired feel that just grows on me. Small price to pay. Compared to other les pauls, sg's , stats etc but none other comepare. playing is so much more pun now

Made in the USA by Gibson, with a two octave fretboard and easy access cutaways. It has a mahogany body with a maple top. It is basically a Les Paul with an extra cutaway where the selector switch would be. It looks real classy. There is a tummy cut and a partially hollowed interior which gives it a real mellow feel when played clean. The neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Simple controls- one volume and one tone. The standard passive Gibbie humbuckers have nickel covers. The 490r humbucker in the neck is nice and mellow and the 469t at the bridge position has a nice growl to it. The tuners are Gibsons with the green knobs.
Now here's my problem-the bridge. It is a stopbar tailpiece and that's it. This causes some weird buzzing sometimes. I am going to look into replacing it.

I play blues mostly and this guitar sings. It has a very full sound and is quiet. I play it through a Marshall Valvestate, which in my opinion has pretty flat clean channel. So I don't use it very often. When played through the dirty channel this guitar really gets to strut its stuff. You can even put it in the neck position with the treble rolled off and get a nice jazzy sound. I am getting a tube amp soon and can't wait to hear how this Les Paul sounds throught that.

The action is the best I've played with. I used to have an Epi Les Paul which I thought was nice. But this guitar has a much better feel. There are some minor cosmetic flaws, but its the least expensive real Les Paul you can get. The finish job where the side fret markers are could be better. Also the finish isn't perfect where the bridge routs are. But none of these take away from the sound. So when I have few grand I'll get the DC Pro. My guitar has the wine red finish which looks real nice with the rosewood fingerboard.

This guitar seems pretty dependable. The selector switch needed to be replaced, but that because I turned it around to make it more like a Strat. I have worn the finish down with some pick scratches. I would definitley play it live without a backup. The electronics are nice and simple so you don't need to worry about that.

It has a lifetime warranty. I haven't had to talk to Gibson. I brought it into Guitar center because of the selector switch. They ordered a new one and replaced it while I waited.

I have been playing for four years. I have a Strat and a Tele. I wanted a real Les Paul with humbuckers but I also liked the look of the double cut Hamers. Then this guitar came out. It has the best of both worlds. My one problem is the bridge. I kind of wish it had a tune-a-matic bridge.

24 Frets,wrap around bridge,hollow chambers,mohogany back and neck, mable top,chrome covered humbuckers,1 vol,1 tone,3 way toggle,pretty close to your average gibson solid body.

Good alternative to a PRS for alot less money, I was trying to get my hands on a used PRS,but could'nt even afford that.(House,kids,wife... you know the story). My buddy plays one in his band and I've used it. they are great,but the price,whoa!!! I've been playing a '76 Les Paul Standard for 3 years,strat player before that for 11 years. the Standard is f***ing heavy on your back,but has a great sound with distortion. The strat is much lighter and sounds great,but is thinner than old Les. Then comes the Gibson DC.Sounds like both Les Paul and Strat,but is lighter than any strat i've ever owned,i've owned 3 plus 2 telecasters as well.I can get more clarity in the neck pickup than i've gotten on any neck h.b. before. The bridge p.u. sounds great too,but i'm thinking about changing it for something with a little less gain,though it does clear up when rolling the vol. knob,so maybe not. Also I love the wrap around bridge, it's comfortable and simple,yet to my surprize, it keeps better intonation than the tune-o-matic on my '76 Paul.Yea, I like it.

I haven't played with the intonation,neck relief,string gauge or p.u. hieght since I bought it.That baffles me,because its usually the first thing I have to do when I get it home. No flaws on mine, I know the guy that runs the shop,he won't sell me crappy stuff.

Guitar seems as solid as any others I've used live,but the only parts I worry about are the plastic tuning pegs,why do they do that!!!! Nostalgia my ass.(did I spell that right?)Anyway I have some good sperzels on hand if they ever die.By the way, all factory strap buttons suck,ya know what I mean.Strap locks or Those wing shaped buttons from Stewart-McDonald are the way to go. Never use without backup because strings do break.

never did it,always used a local shop

Been playing since 1978,got some marshalls i'm getting rid of,playing those and a peavey classic 50 head through a straight marshall cab. Got a couple newer Les Pauls hanging around,and a tele or two.Lots of pedals.As for the guitar,I would buy it again,it's light,it sounds like my buddy's PRS enough that for the money I can't complain at all,plus I love the fact that it is still Gibson scale,unlike those shitty nighthawks. To anyone who has thought about one of these,I say definitely give them a try. I was not going to go to a gibson again,but I just casually picked this one off of the wall while waiting for a pack of strings and I left the shop with it.