Gibson Les Paul Studio Premium Plus

2008 USA
22 frets, clear flamed maple top,
Pickups: The 490R is used at the neck and the 498T at the bridge
Body: 2 piece mohogany,1 piece mohogany neck, rosewood fingerboard.
Finish: gloss nitro.
Body style: are you kidding? There is only 1 Les Paul body style.
SG doesn't count!
Tune-O-Matic & stop tailpiece.
Tuners: standard Gibson Green Key tuners.
Neck: thin profile 50's style. Not fat or flat. C shaped.

Suits rock, classic, hard- whatever kind. I play whatever I feel like.
I use it through a POD Xt with upgraded amp packs and a DigiTech
GNX4 - to a Beringer 90W Keyboard amp for practice & a Roland KC-350
for gigs or a Bose headset.
Little noise being humbuckers.,
The sound on any setting is full and balanced. You have to back off on the volume for a clean sound, the pups being so hot.
The tone pots actually make a difference.

What's not to like? It will never sound like a Strat.. I use a Variax for that. ;)

It needed the neck to be adjusted when I got it and again a month later. No big deal.
The Pups needed to be raised. NBD. I like them about 1/4" from strings.
No Finish probs.

Not sure I will gig with it, but may if the gig is right, ie. safe!

I've been playing since '67, seriously since '82. In various contemporary church bands (Hillsong music, 3rd Day) or solo leader since '83.
I own too much gear if you ask a woman and never enough if you ask a guitar dude! The best: 1 Martin, 2 Godins, a Breedlove,a Tacoma, a Variax through a Pod XT.

It was a discontinued clearance item discounted from $1700 to $1000.
I hope they have more of those in the future!

Really beautiful AAA flame maple top. Mine was the better of two at the store where I bought it. Gold hardware. There's a cream colored truss rod cover that I don't care for with gold lettering, and I'm not sure I like the cream colored pot and switch covers on the back either. I take away points for that as I'll have to replace those to make it look it's best, a shame with such a beautiful guitar. 490R and 498T pickups, other standard Gibson stuff like the bridge and Kluson tuners. Weight relieved body is still heavier than most guitars, '59 rounded neck. Mine's a 2008 Nashville, but the Gibson site says it's discontinued. That's a pity. The other studios don't come close to this maple top.

I play forty five years worth of chops. I don't like jazz. I like country guitar, not much else about that kind of music. I've done rock and roll since 1964, the whole spectrum. I currently use a Fender Super Champ. I use the amp clean. It's plenty and has a line out for live. I don't like added overdrive, no matter what is used to add it that I've heard. It's common as dirt, hides bad playing and lack of music theory, and most of it adds a transistor buzz to tone. I use mostly the volume knobs to vary the tone, play the tubes in the amp. These pickups and this guitar is that sensitive. It'll chime like a Ric, chunk like a Strat, and still have enough left to be really heavy and full, harmonics on the clean channel if I want them. I wasn't expecting the variety of tone this guitar has in it. It's fuller and brighter than '57s.

I like the '59 rounded neck. I hesitated to buy a Les Paul until and unless I had a slim tapered neck as the only other Les Paul I'd played and liked had one. I hadn't played many other Les Pauls, and I didn't like the others except that one slim taper. However, I go from my American Strat to this Les Paul, and the Les Paul is faster to me. I can really tell the difference between a long and short scale now, and my Strat has ceased to be my go to guitar due to the feel. The top is perfectly bookmatched. The best I've seen on any Gibson. I can't say it holds it's tune as well as any other, but I can say that I know how to tune a guitar and it's not bothersome to me.

Haven't had it long enough to form an opinion, really. I don't think it's as strong as a Strat, but it just might outlast one as it's more of a piece of luthier's art than any Strat is.

I've had other Gibsons. Never had a problem I or some local guy couldn't take care of.

I've played since 1964. I have a Gibson J-200, a Fender American Stratocaster, and a Gretsh 5120. I currently play through a Fender Super Champ, mostly. I use Vox amps as well now and then, but they've been collecting dust lately. I was looking for a LP Studio for the money factor and saw two of these on sale, I think a clearance, for one weekend, half price. I got this one, someone got the other the next day. I wish for curiosity that I had known it's discontinued. If it were stolen, another with no hesitation. I hate the cream colored truss rod cover and switch/pot covers. Hate 'em. The neck action is to my taste. The neck angle does enough good to overlook any minor tuning issues to me. The wood is beautiful. The pickups, knobs, switchgear and resulting tone live up to the hype. This is a Gibson Les Paul, one of the best of those. I like my Gretsch for Gretsch things, my Strat for Strat things, but this Les Paul is simply a better guitar and more versitile than the others.

What year was it made? Where was is made? (Japan, Mexico, USA, etc...) Made in 2007 in the good ol'USA Gibson Plant!!! :~)

How many frets? 22

Solid-Top? Laminated top?

It has the most stunning AAAAA Flame Maple Top I have EVER Owned!! You can see it on my My Space page in the pics section at www.myspace.com/4dougbryan GO LOOK!!!!

Which controls are given (volume, tone, 5-way selector, 3-way, tap, etc...)?

2 Master Volume/ 2 Master Tone / 3 Way Pickup Selector Switch!! You know the deal!!

Pickup configuration? (S/S/H, H/H, S/H, Piezo, etc...)
Make and model of pickups?

Dual humbucker! There's a 498T in the bridge and a 490 in the neck.
(NOTE: I am considering changing to an EMG 81 in the Bridge and 85 in the neck as I have done with my ESP Eclipse Standard) Only time will tell!!

Active or Passive electronics?

Passive (For Now At Least)

Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)

Body is 1 Piece Mahogany with the arch flame maple top, the neck is mahogany, fretboard rosewood but you knew that alrerady didn't you?? ;~)


Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...)

I wish and hope it's lacquer but I THINK they finish all the LP's in nitro Cellulose now?? Correct me if I am wrong!!

Body style (strat, tele, dreadnought, cutaway, thinline, etc...)

Singlecut

Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Wilkinson, Tele-style, String-thru body, stop tailpiece, etc...)

It comes stock with a tune o matic HOWEVER, I upgraded to the second gen Tone Pros Locking Tune O Matic and Locking Stop Tail.

Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...)

It had the standard Gibson Kluson Plastic Tulip Tuners which in my opinion are garbage. I again upgraded to the Gold Grover Kidney Bean Tuners found on the Customs and the Zakk Wylde Model.
Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...)
Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...)

Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...)

It has the 50's neck profile, medium jumbo nickel frets, the rosewood board has the most gnarly skunk-like stripe in it.

Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...)

Yeah it came with that real nice locking case, the truss rod wrench and all the papers etc....

Not a perfect "10" here since I had to customize it to my specs!!

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?

I've been around the block and used everything and anything. After 30 years playing (about 20 professionally) I use one guitar now and one guitar only and that is a Les Paul. To me there's everything else and then there's the Les Paul and you're never gonna find an equal in my honest opinion.

What amps and effects are you using it with?

Ampwise I use a Marshall JVM410H head into a Genz Benz G Flex 212 loaded with Electro Voice EVM12L Black Label Speakers, all Monster Cable Studio Pro 1000 Cable and my pedalboard goes right into the front of the amp and is a Peterson Strobostomp 2 Tuner, Dunlop Wylde Wah, Dunlop Rotovibe, MXR EVH Phase 90, MXR Wylde Overdrive, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, Maxon Vintage Series AD999 Analog Delay, Dunlop DC Brick.

In a small rack case sits my power center which is a Monster Power Pro 2500, an ISP Technologies Decimator Pro G (2 Channel), and although I mainly gig now with a cable, if the stage is big enough I have my Sennheiser G2 Evolution Wireless rack mounted in there as well as an option should I need it.

Is it noisy? On what settings?

Before the addition of the Decimator Pro G the whole rig reeked of noise but now she's as quiet as a church mouse.

Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?

What can I say but Les Paul/Marshall.....NUFF SAID!!

What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?

It can do anything I want. My rig is now like the swiss army knife of rigs!!



Likes and dislikes?

Hmmmmm, lets see....it looked great. Came out of the factory setup like I wanted to return it. It just didn't feel right. The nut was not cut wide nor deep enough so the action was weird and the sustain suffered. For such a nice top it had in my opinion way less than stellar appointments which I went ahead and changed on my own. Cosmetically I loved the Transparent Black Flame top, the piano black back and neck and the gold hardware, but then I had to scratch my head and wonder to myself "WTF" when I saw it had creme pickup rings, a creme pickup selector washer and the bronze Vintage Tophat tone and volume knobs. Those appointment looked like crap so I went ahead and changed everything to black and it all flows real nice now.

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)

I gave it to my personal tech once I made all the changes and he knows how I like my setup!!

How well were the pickups adjusted?

The neck was too low but was corrected!!

Properly bookmatched top? Yes and one of the hottest I have ever seen!! Properly routed bridge? Yeppers! But I upgraded to the Tone Pros System Anyway!!

Did the guitar contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire, finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs, poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...)

Suprisingly NO!!

Will this guitar withstand live playing?

Now that's a dumb question! C'mon now are you serious????

Does the hardware seem like it will last?

Now that I upgraded yeah no doubt!!

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?

It seems roadworthy!! Only time will tell right???

Are the strap buttons solid?

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! And that's why I upgraded to and only use Dunlop Strap Locks!!!


Can you depend on it?

Sure can!!


Would you use it on a gig without a backup?

Nope and I have plenty of backups for this one!!

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?

Haven't yet and to be honest I never have!!!

Ever try and get it repaired? Was it under warranty??

I've had her since last Friday. Too early for that!!

How long is the warranty?

Lifetime provided you use Gibson parts or Gibson Authorized parts!!

How long have you been playing?

30 Years. 20 Professionally!!

What other gear do you own?

Well, you heard about the amp/fx rig. I also have an ESP Eclipse II Standard Lawsuit Model, an '01 Standard and a '92 Standard. I just sold my US Peavey Wolfgang and my Music Man Axis.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?

Nahhhhh! I knew exactly what I was buying!!


If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?

In a heartbeat!!


What do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?

God I love everything about it!!

Did you compare it to other guitars? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?

No but I chose it because of the high figure flame on the top!!

Anything you wish it had?

Yeah, everything I upgraded on it and a set of EMG Zakk Wylde Pickups!! But I'm happy!!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Overall for $1,600 bucks you can't go wrong. I mean lets face it, it's a Les Paul no matterhow you slice and dice it. I invested $225 bucks in upgrades which brought me to $1,825.00 and after I eventually add the EMG Zakk Wylde Pickup Set I be into just over $2,000.00 but hey, it looks fantastic, sounds incredible and plays like butter. Plus I got to make it look all my own!! For the money, in the end I think I came out a huge winner and I am really happy with this guitar!!

2006 Les Paul Studio Premium Plus

*AAA flamed maple carved top
*Mahogany back
*Set mahogany neck
*chambered body
*Rosewood fretboard
*Gold hardware
*'59 Les Paul rounded neck shape
*Pearloid trapezoid inlays
*24-3/4" scale
*1-11/16" nut width

The original pickups were the Gibson 490R and 498T. They were not matched properly, so I've replaced both pickups with Bare Knuckle 'Black Dogs' (without covers). It's awesome now.

I've played about 10 Gibsons (including LP BFG, LP Classic, LP Standard) before purchasing this one. When I played this guitar, I was immediatly hooked by the unplugged sound; open, resonant and loud. Plugged in it sounded good, but the pickups were not matched properly. The Bare Knuckle 'Black Dogs' solved this problem. Clean it's warm, smooth, thick and very well balanced.
It's set-up with Ernie Ball 0.010's, beautiful sustain.
This is my favorite Les Paul, it's better than my 2 Gibson Les Paul Standards from the 80's!

The guitar was set-up quite good from the factory with low action, but the intonation wasn't how it should be and some strings were set-up too high above the fretboard. The frets were excellent. I brought the guitar to a luthier and let it set-up for 0.010 strings with better intonation and playability.
Now the guitar plays and sounds like a dream.
The only 'negative' thing is that this guitar didn't have a binding around the body and neck, but that's with all the Les Paul Studio's. Anyway, the AAA top looks great with the open zebra pickups and the sound is the only thing that really matters, period.

I've played this guitar once live and didn't have any problems with it. I'm always careful with Les Pauls, especially with this one because it has a chambered body and doesn't have that super heavy, thick 70's/80's/90's Les Paul-body.
Everything seems to be solid, no problems so far.

I definately would use it on a gig without a backup.

I've never dealt with the company.

I'm playing for almost 10 years now and I also own a Gibson Les Paul Standard Silverburst from 88' and a Gibson Les Paul Standard Honeyburst from 86'. They all are great, but the LP Studio Premium Plus is definately my number 1. I'm playing through an ENGL Screamer 50 combo with a Boss DD-6/MT-2/FV-50H and reverb from the amp itself.
If this guitar was stolen or lost, I would definately buy it again, but no guitar actually sounds the same so I would be pissed off really.

For all the particulars see Gibson's website. Here's the rundown. Basically a Les Paul Standard without binding on the top or neck. Has a GORGEOUS AAA flamed maple cap! Really nice wood, not a 10 top, but nicer than on most original 'Bursts. Has natural/unstained edge on top instead of the binding, ala PRS. I actually like the unbound neck better than how Gibson is binding any non-custom shop guitar these days. The neck is a nice full, but not overly large profile. Very comfortable for my wide hand with shorter fingers. My only negative on the neck is that the finish on the fret ends is not consistent. On the thumb side above the body joint they are not rounded as well as on the rest of the neck. Laziness on the part of a worker or cost cutting I guess. Gibson quality is NOT what it used to be! But overall the fret ends are OK, I will have a tech finish them up perfectly sometime soon. Has 490R neck and 498T bridge humbuckers which sound pretty good. I especially like the 498T bridge which is an AlnicoV humbucker. Loud and punchy with good bark and clarity. The 490R is more mellow and sounds a little muddy when pushing an amp into overdrive. The combination is good though as you have a lot of different tones on tap. Two things that bugged me were the plastic parts and the color of the mahogany neck and back. The plastic parts were a cream color but are not a consistent color. The pickup rings and control cover plates were a true cream color but the toggle switch ring and pickguard have a pink hue to them that does not match the other parts. Whats up with that! And why cream color for the truss rod cover and control cover plates? They should be black like on a Standard (so I ordered the parts in black for $27). The mahogany is an unstained natural finish. It's not bad but with the amber top I got just a slight bit of red-brown and it would have looked killer. It is the same color as on the natural top model which does look good with the natural mahogany. Again, a cost cutting move.

I play classic rock, blues, and Southern rock. Sounds very good for these styles. It sounds great through my modified 5E3 Deluxe, when cranked up. The humbuckers really push the amp into creamy overdrive. The guitar is very quiet and really brings out the best in my amp for that Rock `n Roll sound. The bridge 498T pickup is so powerful that it really doesn't clean-up real well when you turn the volume control on the guitar down.

The factory setup was good. The truss rod needed just a little tweak to add more neck relief and I lowered the bridge height just a hair to get it just were I wanted it. No buzzes and the intonation was good with the factory strings. Bridge pickup was a little high on the bass side, lowered it and the pickup sounded more even across the strings.
Again, the fret ends could have been more evenly finished and better rounded overall, but not bad.
There was some bleeding of the amber stain onto the natural edge of the top where the edge was masked. Just sloppy workmanship. No structural flaws, neck joint and alignment was good. Nut was well finished and grooves well centered and sized.
The body on these guitars are "weight relieved" and there are bits of stuff trapped inside that you can hear shaking around. It doesn't affect the sound but it is wierd to feel stuff inside. Again, Gibson quality is not what it used to be!!!

What can I say, it's a Les Paul. It seems as well made as any new Gibson. I would put strap locks on it for live gigs. Finish seems thick and durable enough.

I have no comment as I have not had to deal with Gibson for any problems with the guitar.

I have been playing 35 years. I jam with family and friends, and do some home recording. My other guitars are a Fender Custom Shop `60 Closet Classic Strat, a Carvin DC200, a Martin 000-28EC, and a Baby Taylor. I build all my own amps from Fender Tweed Twin, 5E3 Deluxe, Champ, P1 Extreme, and Marshall 18 Watt. This guitar sounds great through all of them especially the Deluxe and 18watt. If the LP studio were lost or stolen I would replace it with the same model because I love the Les Paul but I don't think a stock Standard is worth the money and I can't afford a Custom Shop `59 Reissue. The Studio Premium Plus fits a nice price point but would be so nice if Gibson would just be a little better with the quality. Maybe I would shop around and look at a lot more of them to pick a really choice one.