Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus

Gibson 490 and 498's sound great in this guitar. I can get heavy or bluesy tones out of all 3 toggle positions. The Maple on mahogany sounds and looks great. Love the AA maple top. Desert Burst is the way to go. It could use binding on the neck other than that, i don't feel it is missing anything.

This guitar gets a great all around tone. It can do rock jazz and blues no problem. The Bridge pickup practically breathes fire. The neck pickup sounds full fat and glassy. This sounds guitar sounds great for rhythm or lead playing. The Bottom end this thing has is almost too much. This thing has balls.

This guitar wasn't really set up that well when i got it. I had to drop the lead pickup, bridge, and tailpiece to get the action as low as i like. But an hours work took care of that. It Looks outstanding. The AA maple top is pretty. I think they should have bound the neck. I haven't bothered putting the pickguard on.

I will surely use this guitar and any gig i play. I have as much faith in this guitar as i do my sg standard. I've only had it a few days so i can't say for sure, but i doubt this guitar will shat out on my anytime soon. Gibson has a reputation for durability.

The first one i owned was nicked up a bit from the showroom, but the guitar center dood let me hold on to this one until they got an identical one shipped to them directly from the factory. I'd say that's pretty good.

The bottom line is that this is a great sounding, great playing, great looking, rock solid guitar. I compare it to my sg standard and i can't say which one is more valueable to me. well this one cost a bit more... and no neck binding.... But the tone of this thing is like a sledgehammer to the face. The sg sounds like something that will rip your face off. This one will just smash it.

The guitar was made in 2005 in USA. Solid Top. 2 Humb. ...
This guitar has the features that almost any guitar have, nothing more, nothing less. I simply don't understand wath the price means. Is the a Luxury guitar? I think she isn't !

I Play music not styles. I use an Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue for clean sounds and a ENGL Screamer 50 for distortion.
The sound is the only thing that make me write this review. Yes, she sounds very good for my ears. I think there are many guitars on the market that they sound almost the same but this one has a kind of special toutch.
But, once again, I still don't understand the price !

Action ? What action ? The guitar (alias almost Gibson guitars) simply don't have any action. They don't came from Gibson regulated because they (in general) have no possible regulation. Will see:
The nut is so strange that the strings don't fit in it.
The neck it's so large and round that most of people have a great dificulty in touch the upper strings, mainly from the middle of the nack to the bottom. He had no any point of elegance, alias, it seems more like a piece of a tree tranlated directly to a guitar body.
The brigde doesn't give you the chance of regulate each string by himself.
The sadles in the bridge are made of a so soft material that 4 or 5 intonations of the guitar makes them to be cutted in the string zone. Alias I've seen various Gibsons in the stores which has already that kind of cut.
The nitrolacquer isn't definetively the better material to finish a guitar, principaly on the nack. You will find a kind of dusty roll under your left hand when you play above 10 minutes even not too hard. Alias because of the nitro.... you can not put your guitar on a normal guitar stand, you must put a cotton tissue between the guitar and the rubber of the support, otherwise they apear marks and the nitro... began to disapear.
The golden finish starts to desapear about 3, 4 months.
The Frets are poorly polishe and seems not regulated. Conclusion, there are many frets that will present an horrible string vibration due to the different highs.

But, ... but, ... if you are thinking this all above are exclusive flaws of the studio plus models i will reconfortate you. It isn't. You may found them on almost Gibson models.

To confirmate this, read some of the reviews in this forum.

Again. I simply don't understand the price of this poor product !

Reliability. What Reliability. Read the previous category.

No, the strap buttons are not solid. In fact is better be prepared to buy some strap locks, otherwise you may find your guitar on the floor and don't understand why.
What the price of this guitar is paying for ?? I really don't understand.

Good, very good.
They exist and the even talk to you.
They don't see any problem on their guitars, but you finnaly don't have alternative and have to send the guitar to them.
Tham, they don't see the problems, they say you are inventing or some thing like that, but in the final, they replace or correct all of the items that you've mentioned and they send back the guitar to you, apparently better.
Tree ou four weeks after you will discover that the problems, all of them are there. They reissue. Simply because of structural problems of conception and poor material applied. So the problems have no solutions. They come to be worst ever and ever for all time.

At the end you have three solutions:

You keep the guitar because you like the sound very much or any thinh like that or, you sell the guitar and try to minimize the finantial damages or, if you are a lucky guy you will goona do like me, return the guitar to the store, changing by other products and pray that the guitar shop still return some cash to you, because you have paid so much money for the guitar that you possible don't need to bring the all store at home.
Once again, i dont' believe that anyone pay all that money for such a kinf of guitar and be happy.

I play over 30 years. I've many guitars. I ownn a private music studio, I can assure you. THIS GUITAR DON'T JUSTIFY THE PRICE SHE COST. There are towsends of better alternatives on the market, that they have the price in accordance to the materials and the quality. Gibson don't have. There are some things in their guitars that i can not find a razonable explanation, given that their are guitar manufacturers by years and years and years. Everybody learn's. Gibson seems not.

Why 1700 euros ( +/- 1950 USD$) for this guitars ????????? Why ????

This 22 fret monster is awesome. It has a carved figured AA maple top. It has a mahogany neck and body with a rosewood fingerboard. Typical 2 volume and 2 tone controls. The pickups are 490R(neck) and 498T(bridge). It has a Tune-O-Matic bridge and the green button tuners. The neck is the 59' Rounded Les Paul which is pretty thick. It came with the hardshell case. But I would reccomend changing the pickups and tuners as soon as possible. This is because the tuners don't stay in tune that well and the pickups aren't hot enough for my playing style.

I play metal and gypsy jazz. This guitar works great for both. I run the guitar through a Marshall AVT head and matching cabinet. I use a Line 6 space chorus and reverb on the amp. I equipped my Les Paul with a Duncan Distorion(bridge) and Duncan Alnico II(neck). The Alnico is great for clean and solos. The Duncan Distortion is great for solos and rythm work. The guitar is great unplugged and plugged in. The guitar has great sustain with the set neck. I also put Grover tuners on it and they stay in tune very well.

When I first picked up the guitar the action was perfect. I didn't need to make any changes. The neck pickup was good but the bridge pickup was too close to the strings. The nut wasn't wide enough even for the 9's that were on it. I had the nut widen a bit so the strings would fit better.

This guitar is 100% reliable if you keep it in good condition. The bridge coloring started to fade after about one year of abuse. The finish is very thick and it will take a lot to get to the wood. You should definitely get locking strap buttons. I haven't needed a backup yet and probably never will, but a good musician is always prepared for the worst so I always bring 2 guitars.

Never had to deal with Customer Support.

I have been playing for 9 years. I also own a Ibanez Iceman and Tradition SG. I have a Line 6 Spider combo. If this was stolen I would get a better Les Paul like a Standard or Supreme. I loved the finish on it, especially because it's a Studio. I dislike the tuners, pickups, and bridge. I compared this to a Flying V and enjoyed this much more. I wish it came with Grover tuners.

2002, USA, 22 jumbo frets, a stunning unbound AA flame maple top in Desert Burst, two tone controls, two volume controls, H/H 490R and 498T Passive, Mahogany body & neck, unbound ebony fingerboard with pearl trapezoid inlays, gold Tune-O-Matic bridge & hardware, Gibson Deluxe Kluson style tuners, medium C neck (not as fat as a boatneck), SKB case

After screwing around with the tone & volume controls I can get decent tone out of this, but my initial impression with the 498T is that it's a bit too hot. I first ran this through a Mini Z, which is designed for maximum tube saturation (sounds awesome with a Strat or a Tele), and I had the 498T set to about 2 on volume to get anything close to decent sound. The distortion above that setting was way too intense for my taste using the Mini Z. Then I ran it through a Blackface Vibro Champ and it cleaned up fairly well. Finally, I ran it through a Blackface Super Reverb. That did the trick. Everything dimed and in the center position on the three-way it sounds like a great rhythm guitar. Then I ran it dimed on treble through a Narrow Panel Tweed Champ. Wow! That's Rock 'n' Roll! Cinnamon Girl and It's Only Rock 'n' Roll never sounded so good.

I bought this used and the guy who had it before me said it was well intonated. Unfortunately, this doesn't check out on a Peterson Strobe tuner. Open strings can be easily tuned but at the 12th fret this thing is way out of whack, which is the case for every Gibson 24 3/4" scale guitar I've owned. To the former owner's credits, chords played near the nut sound OK but the last Gibson I owned needed an Earvana nut to get the intonation right. The tonal difference is night and day. The Earvana nut fixes a multitude of sins on a 24 3/4" scale guitar. I suspect that this guitar will need that fix, too. Some say that going to a 12 gauge E string set fixes this, too. I'll give that a try but I don't have high hopes.

Built like a tank. There is already some gold finish on the pickups and the bridge that is peeling. Non-straplock buttons. They need to be converted. I'd never gig without a backup. There are some slight finish checks near the three-way. That being said, this is one of the best finishes I've seen on a late model Gibson.

I've had several opportunities to ask favors of Gibson in the past. They are the best guys to deal with out there. Fender lives under the radar and Rickenbacker flat out sucks.

I've been playing for over 30 years. I own a dozen vintage amps and currently own about a dozen guitars including Strats, Teles, PRS, MusicMan Silhouette, Taylor and Gibson acoustics and a Rickenbacker 370/12. This guitar is as pretty as my PRS Limited Edition for less than a fifth of the price.

I think an upgrade to Lindy Fralin humbuckers could put this guitar firmly into the I'd hunt down the SOB that stole it and torture him for the rest of his short life camp. However, after the experience with the Narrow Panel Tweed Champ, I'm not so sure I want to give the 498T up, either.

But this is the cool part about owning a lot of guitars. You can have special guitars for special situations. The construction guys must have twenty types of specialized hammers! It seems reasonable to me that we need different guitars for different sounds. This guitar is definately different than a Tele, a Strat or a PRS. Many say a PRS is a compromise guitar or say its the best Strat they've ever played. I bought this Les Paul to see what a "no compromise" guitar would be like. So far, I like it and I hope it inspires me to become a better guitar player.

2005 made in Nashville TN
paid 1700 usd new in Canada. i live in russia and i had my friend get this guitar for me in canada.

mahogany body,
maple top with translucent black finish - beauty.
actually it doesn't look black - is more brown with wood texture showing. matched perfectly by gold hardware.

it doesn't have the binding which together with dark finish makes it very modest, reserved looking guitar with refined style. keep in mind that without the binding the guitar's shape is likely to be lost in the dark of stage. if you want to stand out like a bright spot on stage get a LP standard sunburst (gaudy).

came with a great warm case.

I love the guitar for it's looks and sound.
having said that i always played Ibanez Blazer guitar, which is like a Statocaster but with a humbucker in the bridge. though i hated the the ibanez (primarily for the looks of it) it's still quite an adjustment to me to switch to LP.
i am missing couple things in this gibson:
- the placement of volume knobs isn't as comfortable as on a strat-like ibanez i have. I can't play volume swells with knobs any more.
-the knobs are polished smooth and my fingures slide on them which makes it still harder to do the volume swell.
-also the tuners ratio is high - it's too sensitive... i can get used to this but knobs are off and i can't do much about it. id have to get a volume pedal or smth.

it's sounds amazing! love it clean, slightly driven and pushed to the max. i play blues, jazz, rock'n'roll and some heavier stuff just from nostalgia.

i play it through Peavey Transtube Bandit 112.

Clean is rich and rounded, very balanced, full bodied very much like an accoustic guitar. THIS SOUND LIVES! does "nothing else matters" right on. if i make the setting on the amp for this LP to sound right and then plug my stratish ibanez instead it would sound awfully trebly. the difference is miles and miles. the ibanez has some tin can flavor to the sound which LP doesn't. lp has this big company trade mark character to it which sounds like big bucks :)

Driven. listen to rock and you'll get it. i'm not gona talk about it much coz overdriven sound depends way to much on the amp. it sounds great with my amp.
the pickups output is not too high. not enough to go real dirty like nirvana or something like death metal. good for Metallica in terms of gain. the brige PU is less powerfull then the humbucker on my ibanez but it's a more balanced and clean sounding. it can also have a bell-like ring to it which is very musical. even my mom now likes distorded guitar sound. has a lot of musical harmonics but not harsh at all.

it's noiseless as far as i'm concerned - it's humbuckers!

it's the best sounding guitar i ever tried so to me it's a 10!

action is a bit too high but i like it this way - less string buzz.

the intonation (string lengh) was completely off. it says in the QA check list that it was right but it was not. the saddles formed two step stairways in their positions. i corrected the intonation using digital tuner and the saddles came much closer together and farther back overall. now it's near perfect

the neck pickup volume knob has a manufacturing flaw. it gets stuck. it's harder to turn it then other knobs. i am yet to decide what to do with it. it makes the volume swell problem worse.

finish was all right.

though all of this can be fixed i give it a 6 coz i think it's a shame such an expensive guitar has such flaws.

it looks very solid. it got some scratches on the back real soon but that must be from the belt buckle or smth...

the placement of the front strap button makes me worry the guitar would fall off. makes me want to get strap locks.

time will tell

help your self - it's Russia

i've been playing for over 10 years. besides the mentioned ibanez i hate and the Peavey amp i love i have dunlope cry-baby wah. i think i'm fully set. love my sound. i might be getting a chorus and a tube preamp.. we'll see.

this guitar excedes all of my expectations. i was worried i won't like the clean of the humbuckers coz i used to be a single coil guy. no worries now! it's cool! i love the sound.
just as you would expect from a good looking guitar this girl makes me want to hold her. i look at her and my hands reach out to fondle her :)

as i said i don't like the volume knobs design though i admit the placement enhances the looks. i wouldn't want it look any different coz it's beautiful classic design. i will have to cope without the volume swells.
i wish it had strap locks.

i bitched a lot in this review but i forgive it all for the Sound!
thus a 9.

just like every snowboarder must own a burton snowboard sometime in his life every guitar player must own a LP.
studio plus is an option you can't go wrong with.

Made 2001 - In a stunning "arterial blood" translucent red maple flame - This a USA LP Studio PLUS!! NOT the LP Studio. Why? The pickups are the LP Custom versions - 498R&490T. The hardware is all gold plated, the maple top is flamed (advertised at AA, Id say mine is easily AAA), and the mahogony is "selected". The fretboard is hand rolled, the neck is 50's vintage, the nut is bone. The body is slightly slimmer than a LP standard, and the neck heel has a shallower contour. Pearloid inlays and a gold stencilled "Gibson" logo. Its slightly lighter than the LP Std, but still heavy (compared to a Tele or a Strat). If you gig, you'll see why the (modern) "speed controls" give you a lot more "control" than the common (vintage) controls. This is no "hand-me-down" brother of the LP standard - its the prodigal son of Les Paul's b@#$%. If you have a real need for pearl and white ivory binding - go check out your granny's closet. Its a Les Paul - it does what it says on the tin. 9 for features - if it had a wammy bar and a synth pickup and was made from composite carbon fibre and kevlar - a) it wouldnt be a Les Paul and b) it would sound like shite

This is where it really counts... the versatility of this guitar is astonishing. As you would expect with a Les Paul and a decent valve amp (forget effects for now) - you can go through warm jazz, thick clean rhythm, creamy overdrive and balls to the wall rock - with harmonic clarity and sustain that is unsurpassed. But, there is a tonal ball park where the Tele and Strat are the daddy. Higher mids and trebles and single coils, musically, not where you'd expect a Les Paul to wander. Maybe its the slimmer body or the Alnico pickups or some Gibson voodoo - I don't know - but anywhere from clean to cranked - the Studio Plus gives Fender a good run for its money - just try rolling off a little volume, in any pickup position, and you get the picture - by comparison the Les Paul Std, just doesn't cut it here, a wolf too fat to fit into the sheeps clothing. Close your eyes and listen - the Studio IS a Les Paul Standard. Keep them closed - "hey did he just change that for a Tele?"

Straight out of the case, this guitar played immaculately. The shop offered to do a set-up for no extra charge, I declined, I was happy. If anything, the action was too low for me, and still without any noticeable buzzing, choking, dead spots, or phantom notes - I checked the lot. The frets were level, the pitch and truss rod spot on. The nut was cut perfectly - I had to pinch myself - I had never bought a guitar so perfectly set up. When I got it home, I did two things, I turned the saddle round on the low E, and adjusted the intonation to compensate for my playing, and raised the action by half a mill - thats it. Never needed to do anything to it since, its stayed stable all this time.
Tuners/tuning, frets, electrics, Nitro finish smooth as a baby's arse, AA maple top, hard case... whatever

Solid as a Rock - it has a few dings now but that's my fault, the gold plate does eventually start to wear off on the bridge and pick up corners, but who cares.

Don't know, never needed to call them - I think warranty is 12 months repair or replace, followed by support for as long as you own it.
I can't really say on this - I will give benefit of doubt and go for a 9 - in an ideal world we'd never need customer support - and I never needed it so far.

I will keep this guitar. If it was stolen, I don't know if I could replace it because I have never seen another like it in the UK. Maybe I was just lucky and picked up a good guitar, or maybe they are all built this well - I hope I will never be forced to find out. You have to think of things in terms of value for money - as far as I am concerned - the Les Paul Studio Plus is exceptional - its got all you expected, and more, for not much more than half the price of a Les Paul Standard. I hope the Gibson Marketing peeps don't see this.

American made 2003 model, 22 frets, with cherry flamed maple top, Alnico magnet pick ups.
I give it a 9 because its a Studio. I think 10 is for the Customs.

This guitar is for Rock sound. It also has a nice warm full clean sound. I'm surprised about the sound I got when I finger pick it/plucking. It was nice warm jazzy sound. I play my guitar through a Marshall DSL401.

I'll give it an 8 because the finish on the head stock is not very well done.

I'll give it a 6 because it gets out of tune and doesn't stay in tune.
I already changed the tuners to a Sperzel. This is a design flaw on the guitar. Notice how the strings are in an angle from the nut to the tuners? I guess when you bend your string, it can not go back to its original position because of the angled design. I hope you guys are picking up what I am trying to say.

never dealt with customer support.

been playing since I was 8.
this is the most expensive guitar I bought so far.
Just disappointed it doesn't stay in tune.
I'll give it a 6.

It's a les Paul minus the binding (which i don't like anyway). Alnico humbuckers, gold hardware. Mine was made in about 92.
not '10 ; tons of features', but 9 for all you really need. Nothing could be added that would improve it

It does what a Les Paul does. You look at a history of guitarists and these have done rock, blues, ska, reggae, punk, metal and just about every other style. The sound is lovely, and I have played more expensive guitars, but none better. It even beat (easily) a Gibson Custom shop LP a friend had that cost 4 times as much (he wasn't pleased, but agreed it was a better sound). Thick, warm, fluid but defined.

perfect. Gibsons are variable, no argument (I have played some dogs), but this one is spot on everywhere.

After the holocaust, Les Pauls will still be in tune. Fenders will be charred lumps, Jacksons will be vaporised (BC Rich will probably have caused it). No worries.

were very nice and friendly ; I bought a black one (direct, as a friends wife did their brochure) then saw the translucent red and they happily changed it without a problem. It's nice to see the woodgrain ; when it's painted you're never sure they didn't use a load of glued up off cuts !

This is a keeper. To me, it's the essence of a classic les Paul stripped down to the bits you need with the poncy stuff that costs more and adds nothing. It looks great, sounds great, plays great. If it was stolen I would hunt down another. I'd also like a Gem (P90's) and a Smartwood to go with it. This is the guitar I choose when I want to really feel like a guitarist, as it just makes playing easy and enjoyable. Realise that you deserve one, stop struggling on some far eastern plank and buy a proper guitar. you won't regret it.

My new guitar (got it yesterday) is a 2004 Les Paul Studio Plus, made in Nashville. The guitar has an translucent amber top (gorgeous), grover tuners, 490, 490 Humbuckers. The guitar came with a Gibson case that has a slight gap above the locking mechanism. I am going to try to have the case exchanged. I purchased this guitar from Center City Music in San Diego. They appear to be the quintessential Gibson dealer.

I play everything from electric folk, to soul, to rock (Pink Floyd, Stones, fifties rock), to blues, to space style music. Up there in space, anything goes and my Gibson is ideal for that and all of the above. I was blown away by the quality of sound, the silent pickups, the versatility of sound. I cannot express how mesmerized I have become at what this guitar can do. I play through a Roland VGA 5 (modeling) COSM amp. It is a nice amp but I may get a tube amp soon. I am flying with this LP. I hold on tight when I am playing loudly.

As close to fine as you would imagine. NO flaws that I noticed, and I am really picky and unforgiving.

This guitar appears to be a guitar built true to the Gibson legacy of fine designs, and excellent execution.

While I have not had repair issues, Gibson CS was really kind and helpful in providing information about the LP line. I feel confident they will be there should any warranty issues develop.

I have been "actively" playing for a short time. It took me forty years to understand the personal joy that can be realized playing guitar. And, now with the LP Studio Plus I feel much hope in my becoming a better player. A fine guitar does that. I only wanted a LP. I have a Fender 96 Annivary Strat in baby blue, I love it but I may sell it for the money. By the way, as impressive as the strat is, it did not blow me away like the LP. I also have a Guild D40, gorgeous sounding and well built, finished beautifully, and easy (ish) to play. Another true love is my Almansa Flamenco Negra that I love dearly. I have a rather crappy 12 string Carlo Robelli that I bought brand new from some high school kid (for $50) who got it free with a purchase at Sam Ash. It is somewhat difficult to play and the sound is a bit primitive. Getting back to the LP, I love it and would have to replace it. The reason I am not playing it now is because I am at work and the guitar is home. I actually should be working!

Here are the specs: Made in 2003, USA of course. Very cool Desert Burst finish, with a beautiful flamed maple top (in my opinion, this desert burst finish looks better thasn the one on the LP Standard). 22 jumbo frets (Gibson Jumbo, which means, REAL Jumbo frets). Pearloid trapezoid inlays, Mahogany body, with a set neck - '59 Rounded Les Paul (the baseball bat). Rosewood fingerboard. Gold hardware, with Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece. Black Speed knobs (which will soon be changed to vintage amber, to give the guitar an even more awesome look). Gibson deluxe tuners (green keys)

Neck Pickup: 490R Alnico magnet humbucker
Bridge Pickup: 498T Alnico magnet humbucker
Controls: Two volume, two tone, three-way switch

Comes with a nice Gibson USA hardcase (with grey interior).

And it's a heavy guitar - heavier than the basic studios (probably because of the AA maple top), and heavier than the Les Paul Standards with the slim-taper necks. The slimmer necks are lighter (less wood), and though I haven't compared, I'm thinking it makes a difference in sound. The main reason why Les Pauls sound the way they do is because they are not only made from quality mahogany, but because they just have a lot of wood!

I give it a 9 rating, cause it's a Studio, and doesn't have the binding that the Standards have

I play mostly hard-rock, 80's style, or just plain rock. My favorite band is Def Leppard, and I also like Bryan Adams, Rush, Zeppelin, Queen, some Metallica (Black album), and anything good really, other than rap, techno, and most grunge.

The Les Paul definitely suits my style. But I think it would suit almost any style - and the style it wouldn't suit wouldn't interest me in playing anyways. I don't care what anybody says, the Les Paul is the ultimate guitar. Sure, a strat is easier to play, so are the cheezy Jackson's, but I haven't heard any guitar that has this sound. You can literally play any sound, provided you have a good amp and effects pedal. It has a warm sound on any of the pickup settings, and you can get sounds ranging from bluesy type, to classic rock, to 80's rock, to heavy metal - anything. People say a strat is more versatile, and that may very well be - but a strat won't give you the warm crunchy, ballsy sound that a Paul will give you - and that's the truth. Then again, anybody who knows anything about guitars knows that you don't buy a Les Paul expecting it to sound like a Strat. You buy it to sound like a Les Paul! And the sustain on it is just awesome. You can tell that you're playing an instrument made with quality wood. Also, I think the AA maple top makes a difference in sound, because the basic Les Paul Studio's they had in the store did not sound as good as the Studio Plus.

I play it through a Peavy Bandit 112, 80 watt amp, with no effects pedal or anything like that.

Oh, and by the way, for all those people who say an Epiphone Paul sounds just as good as a Les Paul - you're blowing it out of your rear-end. People say that because they don't actually own a Gibson. I just recently played the Epiphone Joe Perry signature LP, and though it sounded really good, it did not sound like my Les Paul. So if you're not willing to pay the extra money for a Gibson, then you're ok with an Epiphone - but DO NOT think it will sound EXACTLY like a Gibson, because I'm here to tell you that it won't.

Now, another comment about the Alnico magnet humbuckers - they are awesome. I cannot understand why anybody would change them and put EMG's or whatever instead (like I've read some people have done). If you want the souless sounds of those kind of pickups, why get an LP to begin with? Get an ESP or a BC rich or Jackson or whatever. In my opinion, you get a Les Paul because of the way it sounds, because nothing sounds like it. I don't get that.

Anyhow, I give it a 9 rating for sound, because I've played a custom shop LP, which sounds even better, so I can't give it a 10.

I had the factory set-up changed, simply because I use heavier gauge strings, with a wound G - so you need to have it set-up for intonation and everything. Some people don't care, but I'm one of those people who pay attention to that kind of detail, so I had it set-up by the technician at the store to accomodate the heavier gauge strings I like. The action is great - no buzzing, though if it did, you wouldn't hear it through the amp anyways.

By the way, this is my opinion, but try playing an LP with heavier gauge strings (wond G) - you'll notice the difference in sound immediately - much fuller, warmer, and more sustain.

After the set-up, no buzzing, and intonation is virtually perfect. The guitar doesn't go out of tune - except when there are changes in humidity level and temperature, which is normal and unavoidable.

The only complaint I have for the factory set up is that the nut wasn't filed enough for the low E-string. It may be because I use heavier gauge than factory Gibson strings (which are pretty crappy to tell you the truth), but still, it should have been better set-up than that.

The AA Flame Maple top is great, and compared to other flame tops I've seen, it is quite intense. You can be looking at the guitar froma certain angle, and it'll look like one side is flamed, and the other is not - it's all part of the illusion, since they will re-appear when looking at it from another angle. But I would have prefered if it was more consistant that that - if the flame would appear and disappear equally on both sides, but that's just my preference.

Of course, since it's a studio, without the binding, I'd have to give it an 8.

And in hindsight, I would have paid the extra $1000 and got the standard, but bear in mind that you'd be paying all that for no difference in sound - just the bells and whistles. Plus, the Studio Plus comes in Gold hardware - the standards do not. I'm a fan of gold hardware.

I've only had it for a little over 2 months, so I can't make too many comments on durability. But it looks like it will last forever.

However, that being said, the strap buttons should be bigger, for an instrument of such quality and weight! It doesn't make much of a difference for me, because I don't to live gigs, but still - my ESP M-50 has better strap buttons!

So I'll give it a 9.

Haven't used it.

I've been playing for 1year and-a-half. I also own an ESP M-50 electric, and a Norman B-20 acoustic. The ESP is a great value-for-money guitar, but there is no comparison between the sound of the ESP and the Paul. The favorite feature of the guitar is definitely the sound (tone and sustain). Incomparable.

If it was stolen, I'd use the insurance money and buy another LP, but this time, I'd get a Standard instead of a Studio, just because if the look (binding), and the fact that the LP Standard is the yardstick by which other guitars are measured - no question. Also, The 'Gibson' on the headstock on Studio's is a decal instead of an inlay you'd see on the Standards. I prefer the inlay-style you see on LP Standards, but hey, I paid $1000 less for the Studio, so can't bitch too much about it.

Yes, Gibsons are overpriced, but you do get a quality instrument. You can pay less and get an Epiphone, but you will get an instrument of lesser quality and sound - don't kid yourself. Does a Gibson sound 4 times better than an Epiphone - no. But it's better, trust me.

anyhow, I hope my review has been helpful to anybody reading it who is interested in purchasing a Les Paul.

As the late, legendary Steve Clark once put it: "Gibson Guitars Only!"

2004 Model. Made in the US. All specs have been covered in other reviews. Trans Red color with gold hardware, 490R & 498T Alnico Humbuckers. Mahogany body. The neck is typical Les Paul, baseball bat. Came with Black Gibson USA HSC and adjustment tool.

Love the sound of it. I've owned several Les Pauls over the years and this one is no different in sound. Nice full sound with the neck pup and good grind with the bridge pup. The sound is versatile enough for any style IMO. Nothing to dislike.

The quality is excellent. The finish if perfect, no flaws, no misfits, everything tight and quiet. I changed the strings to 9's from the factory 10's and lowered the bridge a bit to suit my taste. Intonation was perfect and was very easy to adjust string height to my taste.

Older Les Pauls I've owned have had problems with the finish peeling. This happened on two previous guitars. This new one looks like the finish is there to stay. In all fairness my earlier Les Pauls were used with a lot of mileage on them when I bought them. This is my first new one and I am extremely impressed. The only concern I've had with any Gibson has been the headstock. I would take a backup guitar but it's because I also own a Strat and a Tele so I like the combination of the Strat and the Les Paul on a gig.

Never dealt with them. I know the local dealer has good support for in warranty guitars so that is not a concern.

Recommended for any player who can't afford a Les Paul Standard or Custom or just likes the lighter weight. I chose the guitar because of the price and lighter weight. There wasn't much to ask having owned Les Pauls before. The only comparison I made was with a Gibson SG Standard. It has everything it needs and is a beautiful, well built axe. If it were lost, destroyed or stolen I would replace it with another one in a heart beat.

2001 Les Paul Studio plus. Made in the USA, 22 frets. THree-way pickup selecter switch, two Gibson Alcino humbuckers, two volume knobs and two tone knobs. Mahogany body, maple top (classic Les Paul blend), rosewood fretboard. Desert burst finish over flame maple. Grover tuners, classic (traditionally ugly) brown case with stop-your-heart pink lining.

It's a Les Paul. "Industry Standard."

I prefer rock music...it's a broad genre, but a blend of U2 and Rush would get you into my ballpark. It is a very versitile guitar, but I bought it because it comes down on the creamy/rich/chunky side, as opposed to almost anything else--including a PRS. I play through a Boss Gt-6 into a Mesa Boogie combo amp, absolutly love the tone and sustain. I was worried about the richness at first, because this guitar is quite a bit lighter than my friend's LP Standard, but I can't tell the two apart by ear.

Action was nice, No complaints on the pickups or anthing like that. But, after about three months I started popping strings every third time I played. No, really! I had it checked out by a Gibson AAA rated service man. He loved the guitar, but said that my problem was common in Les Pauls, due to the style of bridge. At his reccomendation, I replaced the steel saddle with graphite. Now it stays in tune better and I haven't broken a string since--despite some real abuse.

I don't care for Gold hardware, but I knew that going into it, and decided I could live with it. The flame top isn't dramatic...the flame is quite subtle, which I like better than a very busy grain.

The guitar has survived a lot of playing. When dinged with a metal stand (almost cried) the wood dented, but the finish did not break or chip! The hardware is rock-solid, but the gold finish is already wearing through. I kind of like the aging look, but you might not. I replaced the strap buttons with strap locks immediately. No way I would trust the original buttons.

I hate to gig without a backup, but I have had to a bunch of times, and she's never let me down.

Im not quite sure on the year, but it looks like a 2000 or 2001. It's the wine red model with all gold hardware. 490R and 498T Alnico magnet humbucker pickups. A 3-way pickup selector, two tone and two volume knobs. Solid mohogany neck and body with a 22-jumbo fret rosewood fingerboard and trapezoid inlays. Mine came with a hard tan case with hot pink lining (bleah!).

Basically, I want to be a "shred-master" a-la Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Angelo Batio, Steve Morse ect. Needless to say I am nowhere NEAR my goal, but this guitar will be with me the entire journey. I love this guitar. The tone is unreal though exceptionally dark, yet warm, which is a nice change from my unbelievably bright and tinny Mexican Strat.

The action was to my specifications the moment I picked it up. The pickups were perfect. There was a small ding on the edge of the front of the body but it is barely noticeable. also I read that the gold bleaches out on the pickups. You are not alone. Mine were bleached out a week after I brought it home.

I would use this in a live setting with out a backup, but I never play with out a backup.

I've never dealt with them.

I have been playing in and out of bands for 4 years. If it were stolen, I would hunt down and destroy the fiend! I love the high gain low noise humbuckers and the sustain for days. I hate the pickup selector switch placement on all Les Pauls. I wish it had something of a tremlo bar but it's not that important.

Made 2003
USA
SOlid Top - AA maple top - WIne red finish ..very pretty ...dark with grain
Pickup very nice and rich - kind of dark
- 490R and 498T Alnicos. Some day may exchange for burstbuckers
Body and neck verfy nice finish and feel.
Case is very nice wityh purple interior. Very solid.
Lock with combination included - nice touch.
its a studio so not alot of ginger bread except for finish. I did opt for the gold plated hardware.

SOund - great - Lespaul warmth and thickness.
WOnt bite thru like a strat...but also achieves a fullness and musciallity that I cant get with my strat. Great combination - strat for the sparkly/bite and volume work (swells) and the lespaul for the buttery crunch and smoothness and fullness well rounded sound.

Setup - one major goof. The electronics were installed upside down
Pickup selector worked backwards and volume/tone controls flip flopped as a result. This was my second try from Musician's friend. The first one ...the bridge pickup didn't work....I decided to keep this and simply turn around the pickup selector. I kind of see the volume controls being an advantage in that I use the bridge and am closer to the volume (the one on top) for the bridge pickup.
Action is excellent - slight buzz on first string at about the 5th fret..one turn of the nut on the bridge (raised the 1st string side) got rid of the buzz.
Sustain is great.

Had since June 2003. So far so good.

N/A

Overall - it is exactly what I was looking for. I'm a blessed man to have an instrument like this.....

1998 Les Paul Studio Plus, Desert Burst. The usual LP stuph...Mahogany body & Neck, Maple cap (Flame on the Plus model), rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlays, two humbuckers etc.

Desert Burst is one of my favorite finishes on LPs. There are variations, however. This one has a fairly nice flamed top, but the color is slightly darker than many I've seen. The maple top is very attractive, but it's not in a league with some of the fancier PRS guitars.

Gold hardware and pickup covers.

Classic LP sound, no doubt. This is the second LP I've owned and while the sounds are not identical, they both could be easily identified as LPs - especially when using both pups together.

Very full sound compared to the strat, can get muddy depending on amp settings, but it can also sound glouriously rich and deep. I like this guitar for fingerstyle playing as well as straigh ahead rock. It can get a pretty convincing jazz tone.

Everything seems to be very solid and well put together. There are two things I would change, however. The inlays are a mother-of-toilet seat material which is a little cheesey looking I think. MOP would be worth the few extra $$ I think. The other thing is the bridge/tailpiece arrangement. On mine the tailpiece has to be fairly high up for the whole thing to setup and work right. I've had a good tech check it out and he says that's pretty typical, but it's quite a bit higher than my older LP. Doesn't seem to effect sustain or sound, but I thought it looked a little odd when I first saw it.

This is a solid guitar and I'd have no problems bringing it on the job without a backup...except that strings can break and shit happens and, well, always bring a backup guitar if you can.

I've read these newer LPs are not as well made a the older ones and that may be true, but it seems very solid. Every bit as solid as my older one ('71 or '72, I forget which year), but only time will tell.

Never tried to call them. I somehow wouldn't expect Gibson to give me the time of day.

I've been playing 20+ years and play this guy through a Mesa Blue Angle and/or a 1968 Bassman. I also play a couple of Strats and a Carvin. If it were stolen I'd probably pick up another one.

If you've never played one, a decent LP feels like rock n' roll when you play it. It's got the vibe, the feel, the sound. Many complain about the weight, but that's part of the deal. I don't mind it at all. These guys can absolutely make an amp scream like no stock single coil strat can. That's what they're great at.

This guitar was manufactured on June 29, 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Like most Les Pauls, this guitar has twenty-two frets; a solid maple top; and a mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fretboard. It offers a three way selector switch for a dual, passive humbucker (490R and 498T Alnicos) pickup configuration. The finish is Transparent Red. The hardware, including the Tune-o-Matic bridge, is gold. The tuners are Gibson?s classic Green Keys and are marked, ?Gibson Deluxe?.

The 2001 Les Paul Studio Plus came with the fat 50?s neck. The neck is 24?? scale.
It is worth noting that this guitar has a notable larger peghead than the 2003 Les Paul Standard and, what?s more, the Gibson name is a decal on this model, not an inlay.

This guitar came with a Gibson hardshell case with a Black Reptile pattern, a dark grey plush interior with a black shroud, laying gently on the guitar. The case is branded with the Gibson name but is actually made by TKL in Canada. The guitar came with no tools and doesn?t seem to need any.

The guitar doesn?t necessarily suit my musical style but it definitely commands a not so subtle commitment to bluesy darkness. I find that it truly doesn?t bite like a lighter guitar.

I?m using it with a Line 6 GuitarPort right now and have recently put my amp (TubeWorks RT-2100) in storage because it is unnecessary. The computer is hooked up to a into a 550 watt speaker system from Cambridge SoundWorks that does a damned good and convincing job for my money. As a result of using the GuitarPort, I have hundreds of tones to play with. I think the guitar sounds particularly great without much distortion.

The guitar is quiet and has deep sound. The variety, as I see it, stems from the huge difference in the pickup voicing. All three settings on the pickup selector yield massively different sounds. If I could change anything, I think it would be the weight. Then again, without the weight it wouldn?t have the immortal sustain. In balance, I wouldn?t change a thing.

The guitar was setup fairly well. I had significant buzz on the G until I changed the strings. The pickups are flawlessly adjusted. The top is perfectly bookmatched (like my Jackson KV4 (Natural)) but it is tasteful and elegant. This guitar is prettier than my 2003 Les Paul Standard in Ebony.

As I understand it, all playing is live. I?m not a performer, so if the question is regarding performance playing, that?s a non-issue for me. The hardware seems like it will last. The strap buttons are small and the guitar is heavy. This means I have to be careful. I haven?t had a close call but I can see how I might. I will investigate strap locks but will not modify the guitar in any way.

I have never dealt with Gibson. This guitar came with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I've been playing for about six or seven years now. I own a number of other items:

2003 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Ebony)
1999 Jackson KV3 (Black)
2001 Jackson KV4 (Natural)
2001 Jackson DK2 EDS (Eerie Dess Swirl)
1996 Ovation CC01
Rocktron Chameleon
TubeWorks RT-2100 Real Tube Overdrive Combo Amp
Line 6 GuitarPort
Behringer FCB1010 Midi Foot Controller

This guitar is insured, as is all of my equipment. If it were lost or stolen, it would be replaced. That's the beauty of insurance.

I love the tone but fight the weight. There is no comparing this guitar to other guitars. I chose this one because I knew Les Pauls had a tremendous reputation. There?s a reason for that reputation. This guitar is an extraordinarily high quality piece of equipment.

2002 Les Paul Studio Plus 22 frets, Carved Maple top, Desert Burst. Standard LP controls and tuners, but with gold hardware. I changed the black speed knobs to gold tophats. The speed knobs made it look a little bit too ibanezish. The gold bleaches out rather quick-like. While most people would freak out I kind of like it it. It gives a well-aged and well-played appearance.

I mainly play classic rock but mostly Zeppelin and Stones. I think next to maybe a 59' or Custom this guitar is the best for playing Zeppelin. I play through a line 6 Spider 212, which is very basic but provides a good range of tones for the price. I mainly use 4 tone settings which vary from clean to stadium-busting distortion. On the cleaner tones it plays early Stones works. I can almost perfectly mimic the 69' tour sound. Works great for Rockabilly and Chuck Berry. However the heavy stadium sound takes the cake. If you heard my amp you would swear it was Jimmy Page playing Dazed and Confused in TSRTS.

It was a little bit buzzy on the upper frets when I first got it, but when I was changing strings I accidentally knocked off my bridge but put it back on and adjusted it and voila no more buzzing! The finish is simply beautiful, In my opinion 30 yrs from now Desert Burst will probbaly be as classic as the original sunburst or Honeyburst. The neck is beautiful rosewood with pearloid trapezoid inlays. The pick-ups are great the bridge is great for leads while the middle is good for the "make sweet love to me" mellow riffs. However the neck is a bit to muddy for my taste but is well suited for strumming.

Be assured, Les Pauls are tanks they will stand up against almost anything. The strap buttons are a little loose and sometimes will let go when I get a bit into my solos and riffs. It can be fixed with strap locks. Always have my Telecaster as a back-up.

Haven't had to call them. I bought it from a local dealer who fixes me up with all I need.

Played for about 5 years. Also own a Mexi Telecaster and Seagull 20th Anniversary Acoustic.. My LP is the baby of the collection. If it were stolen I would track the thief down and vicisously murder him. But if recovery never happend I would most likely try to get a Custom or Classic. Come on, wouldn't we all? This guitar is great. The first time I played it I knew I had to have it.

go check it out on the site

I love the sound, I've been playing for four years. I use this guitar for allman brothers stuff, (slide, when im not feeling too lazy to change the action), blues, jazz, rock. ( by the way, i noticed alot of people on this site paid more than i did. If you want the price i paid and where i got it, please Email me at l_bad_example_l@yahoo.com

The action is just right, no buzzing, perfect. The finish is beautiful, i bought it in trans red.

I've gigged with this guitar 5 times, no probs yet, i used to use a gibson sg faded. This guitar feels as solid as a rock ( its heavy, like most les pauls).

Fourtunately, I've never had to call Gibsons customer support with either the gibson sg faded or the les paul studio plus

I am 14 years old and ive been playing for 5 years. I love this guitar for the kind of music i play- (allman brothers, blues, jazz,rock). the favorite feature on this guitar is the low cost. i only paid 999$ for this sweet axe and paid 29$ a month. i also love the flamed red maple top.

Les Paul, 2002 USA. 22 frets, AA-grade maple top. 2 volume 2 tone 3 way select switch, basic les paul fetures. 490R/498T Gibson pickups.
Maple top, mahogany back and neck.

I play alternative rock, like Creed, 12 Stones ect. It's very well suited for rock. I use a Marshall JCM2000 TSL122 combo. The guitar isnt noisy at all, it holds up to any setting. Neck pickup has a very nice bass response, maybe too good to some extent. With both pickups, you can get a whole array of clean sounds. If you want a good crunch sound...the 498T is an awsome pickup.
Love the Desert burst finish, and the play of the neck. The gold hardware seems to deteriorate if you don't wipe down the hardware after every play.

I'm pretty sure the guitar had some minor things wrong with it from the factory...I wasnt smart enough to see them at the time. The action was decent enough. I can honestly say that this guitar doesnt have many flaws at all...but, because Gibson mass produces so many of the same guitar, you better make sure that your getting a good one.

I've yet to use this guitar for any live events, but I have no dought that It could do live events. I think the hardware will last...if you keep tight control on wiping it down all the time.
Finish will definetly stand the test of time. I can depend on it.
I wouldnt use it on a gig without a backup though.

Customer support is very helpful. I email them all the time with questions about my guitar. Gibson rocks when it comes to customer support!!

I've been playing now for 2 years, i use a Gibson J-185EC which by the way is one of the best acoustics you could by, if you get one with no factory defects, and also an asortment of amps and effects.
I dont think I would buy the same guitar if it was lost or stolen.
I love how versatile the guitar is. It may have had some minor defects, but once I got them all straightened out I was good to go.
Gibson's are really good...but thats only if you find a really good
one with no defects.

2002 Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus. Take your typical Les Paul Studio, add a nice top, better inlays, and a transparent finish, and you have a Studio Plus. I think it may have a thicker maple cap too, but not certain. One piece Mohogany body, and a one piece mohogany neck. Rosewood fretboard, and a AA flame maple top. I got mine in Desert Burst, which it's also available in Transparent Red. Came with a case. I give it an 8 becuase I found some flaws, and the hell I went through to get this guitar.

I like to play speed/black metal, but I also play mellow stuff too. This guitar covers a lot of ground. I play though my Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100, into a Marshall 1960A, and I can cover just about any rock tone out there with a tweak of a knob or two. Nothing sounds like a Les Paul. My hot-rodded Epiphone comes close, but the Gibson just kicks ass.

I bought this from Guitar Center, it was still in the factory box. The guy took it out in front of me, and I inspected the finish. n the store, I noted no flaws, but later when I got it home, I did find some. Granted, no one knows they are there unless I point them out, and even then they are pretty hard to find. The finish, where the body meets the neck/fretboard, the finish was rough, and there was a small spot on the back radius near the end pin. Given the picture of the guitar on Gibson's website, the top on mine is pretty plain. Also the color is a bit different, I kept thinking it was a cherry burst - since it is more red than brown.

It's built solid, but no one is stupid enough to gig without a backup. "Gibson Break" is all I have to say on that (meaning headstock will break off if it gets bumped right)
Plays good, sounds great. The nitro finish is quite different than guitars with a poly finish, the spot where my arm rests again the body will be one of the first spots to wear off the finish, since when i playt for a while, it does get sticky in that spot. On the neck, it can get a bit tacky, but nothing too major. Just put some polish on a cloth, and wipe it down afterwards.

Gibson has generally answered my questions within 48 hours, except when I was hammering them about why I had recieved two bad ones along with two more that I would have bought that had flaws, from musicains friend. I had made arrangements to buy a Les Paul Custom from MF as long as they would inspect the instrument before shipping - and they checked two of them, and they said that both of them had finish flaws. I explained to Gibson that they are slacking off in the QA department, since MF says they don;t open the boxes becuase they don;t want to be liable if something is damaged. I told the rep, that this makes them look bad, and they should take steps to prevent this kind of issue. I doubt they give a rats ass about it, they are so money oriented now, they could care less about why someone would have gotten 4 bad guitars, and had to send them back.
Gibson isn't half the company they were 10 years ago.
I do have to say that MF went out of thier way to make me happy on each occasion. I can say that it isn't entirely their fault that I have had this experieince.

This is the third Gibson to enter my home/apartment. I had placed 3 orders with Musician's Friend - the first time, the guitar arrived in the factory box. Pulled it out, and it had 5-7 gouges in the cutaway. Sent it back as defective. as soon as the money was credited back, I placed another order, and the SAME GUITAR SHOWS UP. Same serial number, same damage to the case, everything. I was tipped off since it arrived in a Musician's Friend box... I called in for exchange, and a third one arrived - it had a burn mark in the finish where someone marred it with the buffer, and it had some black stuff on the inlays that came off (black powder, dye?)
I about gave up on Gibson - since Musician's Friend says they don't open the boxes. I couldn't get anything out of Gibson or Musician's Friend on this (finger pointing). Finally, out of the blue, I decided to call the Oklahoma City Guitar Center, and ask if they had this guitar in stock. They told me that they had sold the floor model, and still have this one, in the box, in thier warehouse. I went out, check it out, played it, and bought it. I took this one to a couple of trusted techs, and they both said everything on this guitar is fine (neck isn't torqued)
This is good news for me, I finally got a good one.
I seriously think that other vendors get to pick what they want, or the vendors get crap, and send it back, only for Gibson to rebox, and sell it under cost to Musician's Friend, who in turn sells it at a "discount price". Something stinks of bad business, and I can't dig anything up.
-----
Now, if it was lost or stolen, I would be very, very, very pissed. It seems to me that finding a good Gibson is hard to do, at least when buying from Musician's Friend.
I have been playing for about 5 years on Guitar, before that, I played drums for 9 years. I like the weight (call me weird), and the neck - it just feels "right" - tonally, it sounds great as is. Some people like the 498T/490R combo, some don't - I do.
I give this a 7 becuase of all the BS I had to go through to finally get a "Good" one. All things considered, if this was the first guitar I recieved - then it would have gotten a 9 or 10.

Les Paul Studio Plus, made 2002/USA, desert flame top(maple), mahoghany body & neck(rosewood), trapezoid inlays, Gibson tuners, gold hardware, tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, 498R & 498T alnico pickups,
w/case

That traditional Gibson humbucking sound; a little brighter than a PRS McCarty; am playing through a Fender Blues, Jr. amp, mostly rock & blues; I really like the sound it gives. I am more of an acoustic player, so there is some new exploring for me to do. Sustains really nice.

Action was buzzing before I bought it, so Guitar Center took it next door to their luthier and he fixed it just right. Action is low but comfortable. Desert flame top is beautiful; but this was the fourth
one I saw, and of the bunch this one was bookmatched the best. Some aren't---they vary quite a bit and you just have to evaluate for yourself how important this is to you.
I figured, hey, I'm spending over $1300.00, I might as well be a little picky.
The neck is very comfortable in playing; the thickness and width are just right. This is a fun guitar to play and learn on.
I know Gibson's are a bit pricey, but the flame finish made it worth the investment as opposed to a straight color.
About the tone pots---my only criticism is that they do not gradually turn up the volume--it is at max at about the #4 setting. Any comments from others about this? It doesn't really bother me, but why have the dial scale go to '10' when the volume is up at '4'?
The pickups seem fine; I am no expert on this and leave them where they are.....

It feels like it is built like a brick house(the Les Pauls are a bit heavy), but I am sure it can withstand whatever comes along. With the gold hardware, though, who knows since it is probably a microscopic thin coating....

They seem to be responsive unless you ask them some question that they might perceive as giving away a trade secret(like if their acoustics have forward X-bracing); then they don't respond!
I consider them to be accessible and customer friendly, though.

Been playing acoustics for over 20 years; electric for about 2. If it were stolen, I would look for another, but it would take awhile as the flame maple finishes vary quite a bit(the way Gibson changes it's models, they will probably quit making this one!--would be a big mistake. My only beef is with the non-gradual ascent of the sound from the volume pots(I can easily live with that). A great, comfortable player, though.

Made in USA 1991 There's something to be said about an American tradition. Especially if it's Rock and Roll, Jazz or Blues. The Guitar was well kept. I just bought it used. I Traded in my Ibanez AR200. Red wine color, raised pick guard, Gold is rubbed off the pick-ups, but it adds to the character.

Sound is excellent, Sustain is remarkable. I set the action a little higher than normal and it's still a dream to play. I'm taking Blues and Jazz lessons and it is an inspiration

I set the Action and tone. I set the pick-up sensor. Minor clean-up needed.

It's a very heavy (weight) guitar. I think it will withstand just about anything you do to it. Live, at home, on the road, anywhere.

I got it from my local dealer. What ever needed or needs to be done, He'll do it.

I got my Gibson Dove Custom (71) and Epi, Triumph (46) from him. Reliable dealers are the key to a good used Classic guitar.

Been playing folk for years. Just got into electric. Jazz and Blues.
I'd look for another one if this was lost or stolen.
I hate that I can't play it all day. I gotta eat and I'd starve if I had to play for my supper. The guitar inspires me to practice, practice, practice.
I comapred it to my Ibanez AR200 which is very similar. (Big Difference in the play).

Go the extra mile...
Get the Gibson case for it. When I put it in the case and lay that velvety blanket over it, "That's Love"

Bought in 2002 new. S/no is 00641590 which might tell you the year(?). You can get the spec from Gibson!

It has the "Desert Burst" finish which I think is fantastic. I drool every time I open the case. Talking of which, at this price you should get a choice of colours - the tan outer is bearable (black would be nicer), the "Gibson USA" logo is brash and says "I am worth stealing" - it's the complete opposite of "understated", but then, I am English ha ha!, and as for the colour of the lining (purply pink) yukk!!! Having slagged the case off, it is sturdy and protects the guitar. Just wish I could have had a plain black case of the same build quality.

Another minor whine - some kind of owner's manual would be nice. Or do they assume we all know it all? There is also the perhaps superficial point that when you buy a famous name product it is nice to see evisence of quality, tradition etc. There I go, being English again!

I play at home for fun. I tend to play blues and rock. Since my heroes are Page and Green. a Les Paul of some kind was sort of obligatory! I have a Crate 80 amp but usually record direct to PC via a POD. The POD can make all of my electrics sound good but I know this one doesnt need it. Loads of range from this guitar. Some sounds need single coils of course, but this can do most things I want it to.

I would not consider myself an expert (about 40 years playing but only for fun). IMHO this guitar is wonderful!

I hope so! (Owned since May 2002).

Not had to deal with them. I get the impression that the shop I bought from (Peach Ideas, Essex, UK) are good guys and gals though.

I've been "playing" since 1964ish. Still know sh*t about the whole thing, but enjoy it :-)

I have a Squier P-Bass, A Hondo 12-string, a Kimbara steel acoustic (lovely!), a Squier (why do people insist on calling them "Squire"??????????) ProTone SSH strat (lust at first sight, don't knock them cos of the brand!!! though I think the frets need sorting) and a Takamine EG522SC nylon electro/acoustic as well as the LP. If the LP were lost or stolen I would definately rebuy via my (new for old) insurance. If I were not insured I would sell my wife into slavery to raise the cash.

I love it cos I have wanted a Les Paul ever since I heard Peter Green (didn't know what the guitar was!) and then saw Jimmy Page (knew by then!). What I love about it is that it's a Gibson LP and I've always wanted one. I hate nothing about it, although I admit Gibson prices are a rip-off. OK I also hate that (in the UK at least) if you want to buy one, it's "POA" in all the adverts.

Only gave it 9 rather than 10 because 10 is rated "fantastic value" and Gibson are obviously overpriced. Mind you, some people seem to think it's worth spending over the odds to have a prancing horse on your car....

2001 desert burst

I own 3 strats and a gibson ES175 and I wanted a beefier sound. I was extremely peased with the tone and higher output from the ceramic humbuckers. I have custom shop texas specials and Fat 50 p/u's in the strats and the les paul is half again as loud as any of the strats. Complete headturning rock and distortion sounds. However for clean and bright sounds I'll stick to a strat.

Action and fit I love, however the finish on the neck seems sticky after I play it for a while. I can't explain it but when my hand starts to sweat the wax or varnish on the neck feels sticky. I had a similar problem on my ES-175 and finally took it in to be wet sanded and refinished. (for$50)

I think the finish on this guitar makes it more attractive to the PRS / custom type guitar crowd. I do plan on gigging out with it and I have already been putting it through the ringer at 6 hour practices once a week. It seems to be holding up nicely

Haven't had to call yet

Been Playing 20+ years I own a 2000 Taylor 614CE acoustic, a 68 Gibson ES-175D blonde, a 73 Fender Strat, a 74 Fender strat and a 2000 Jimmy Vaughn Strat and now a 2001 Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus. I am satisfied with my purchase however, I will be purchasing a Gibson lespaul goldtop within the next year. The only thing that really bugs me about this guitar is the lack of binding! I didn't notice it when I picked it up but now at home it's driving me nuts.

Year 2000....normal controls.....with a larger neck and body than the previous 2 years' models.Georgeous flame maple top in Desert burst.
The first year flame tops have come on Studios

Amazingly, this guitar, flame top and all, has one of the Darkest tones of all my guitars. Great clean tones, warm and Jazzy or bright and ready for some Country-fried picking. Distortion tones...how many do you want? If you have a brain, and know how to use your volumes and pickup switch, there is NO limit to what you can do.Metal?no problem.Anything else? again ,no problem.

The only " iffy " was my gold hardware bleached on the TOB after only 3 weeks. Points off for this one. I readjusted the pickup height myself, but I always do this anyway. All in all no problems except the hardware bleaching out.

This beast has lived throughout MANY shows in a cover band and an original band.No problems,misgivings, or unhappiness of any kind.
As for the " without a backup..." NEVER play without a backup..shit happens...and it always happens when there is no backup/

Bad News here......Gibson wanted nothing to do with the untimely bleaching out of the hardware. I was told that they do not make the hardware, so they would not touch this. EAT ME..If you pay what you pay for a Gibson,EVERYDAMNTHING should be under warranty. The only consolation I got here was the store I bought it at, aplusguitars.com
agreed that Gibson was in the wrong and took care of me and my problem.Great store and website, no bullshit.

Overall, probably the nicest guitar I have. Great tone, great finish,all but the hardware, made like a tank<duh LP's are tanks>.
Stolen?Death to the offender.I would replace< if I had the money again>in a heartbeat.If you want a Really nice LP but don't have the green for a Standard Plus or any of the Other plus models, this is your man.

This Model of Les Paul is new model in 2000's
and have standard volume and tone knob just like other les paul
I love this AA grade Maple Top..I bought Desert Burst colour
it looks like very vintage.

I'm a metalhead recently, my other one guitar is BC Rich Warlock
I usually play doom metal stuff, I'm using Marhsall JCM900 head,ADA MP-2 preamp,Boss GT-3 effector and Marshall 1960A 4*12 cabinet..

this guitar can turns from bright to rich sound..what can I ask for more?and unique gibson's les paul mellow sound really make me fall.
And have nice sustain just like screaming...COOL!

ha..many people dislike Gisbon's guitar action set up too high and rounded neck but I think it's quite comfortable..

I think this model's shortcoming is no any neck binding..haha..I'm quite into this..haha..anyway it doesn't matter

just new bought today..so.....

just new bought today...so.....

if u like Gibson's Les Paul figure and don't want pay too much money..
this is the best choice

year: 2001
the body is mahogony with an awesome "AA" flamed maple top (it has a holographic effect), color is amber, gold hardware. same features as a standard les paul studio except for the above mentioned.

sounds like your average les paul

there was a slight buzzing when i bought the guitar. I made a couple slight adjustments ad it dissapeared. this wasn't a big deal for me (I work at a authorized Gibson repair shop). Other than that the fit and finish of the guitar was good.

i just bought the guitar so i can't comment on this.

like i mentioned before, i work a gibson repair shop and they're a great company to deal with.