Gibson Les Paul Studio

2004 Made in USA; Nashville, TN. 22 frets, mahoghany back and neck, carved maple top, red wine stain with semi flamed wood showing through(Very nice!), gold hardware with Grover kidney shaped tuners, two tone and volume controls with black top hats, H/H 490R/498T passive humbuckers. The body is supposed to be "slightly thinner" than the conventional Studio but if it is thinner not by much. The fretboard is rosewood with 3/4 sized trapeziod inlays. The 3/4 trapeziods and the Grovers(Thank you!) are the only differences I can see that are different from other Studio models. It does have a cheap pickguard that I plan on changing for a 3-ply. It was supposed to come with a gig bag but came with a TKL hardshell Gibson case instead, much to my delight. Also included a multiwrench and paperwork consistant with a new Studio. I am surprised at how nice this guitar was for the money($750). I don't know if it was an overstock or second or what but I've gone over this thing with a magnifying glass and can't see any defects. I expected a cheap version but was surprised by the looks which are actually better than the conventional Studios I looked at.

I play metal, rock, jazz, country, and fingerpick. This guitar does it all. I use a Laney Pro Tube 50 through a Marshall 1960A 4X12 cab when I need distortion and this guitar sounds awesome. I also have a Peavey Special 130 that I use for clean sounds. This guitar goes from metal/shred to mellow jazz and country without a hitch. I love it. It does not have the Fender twang for that I use a Warmoth strat with Fender Lace.

The action wasn't bad but needed lowered and the intonation was off. Pro set up fixed all that. I strongly recommend a pro set up on any new guitar. Everything else was top rate. I went over this instrument looking for flaws and found none. The craftsmanship is excellent. I've heard Gibson get a bad rap on other reviews but this isn't one of them. Everything was tight and solid. I cant' believe the top is flamed!

This guitar will definitely stand up at a live gig. I'm pleased with the fact it came with Grovers as opposed to green key Klusons which in my opinion are junk. The only things I'm changing on this guitar are the nut(I'm chaning to graphite), the strap buttons(Strap locks) and the pichguard. I recommend putting strap locks all guitars. I wouldn't use any guitar on a gig without backup.

I e-mailed Gibson for info. on this unheard of guitar and...no help there. They did get back to me but said the specs were the same on all Gibson Studio Les Pauls and that this one was "slightly thinner" than others. I measured and it isn't. It's the same. I don't know if this guitar was NOS or what but you won't find any info. on it anywhere.
I got it from Musician's Friend and thought I was buying a cheap($749) guitar and was delighted to find it was better than standard. Got a hardshell logo case and Grovers so I'm happy. I'm giving customer support a 9 since they did get back to me in 24 hrs.

I've been playing for 39 years and own a bunch of guitars including a Gibson ES-135 from the 50's. I've owned and played every guitar you could possibly think of and this is the best value for the money I've ever seen from Gibson and from Musician's Friend. I really lucked out this time, this one time. Usually you get what you pay for with the exception of the old USA Peaveys which in my opinion are the best guitar values out there.....ROCK ON~PONO!

Mine was made in 2004 in USA, 22 frets, nitrocellulose finish, tone and volume for each pickup,2 humbuckers,mahogany body with a maple top, ebony fretboard, gibson deluxe tuners, gibson usa hardcase came with it. only an 8 because it doesn't have a coil tapper and there's no binding on the body.

This guitar suits all of my styles, and i play everything! blues, metal, punk, rock, pop. but what it really excells in is classic rock like led zep, ac-dc and stuff. I play through a marshall solid state mg, sometimes a digitech rp 200 aswell and it's brilliant! the bridge pickup is perfect for those 10 minute solos and the neck pickup has got a really creamy tone that's great for bluesy stuff.

The guitar was set up fine. everything was perfect although i did have to lower the action slightly.

This guitar was built like a tank! i've only had it 3 weeks so it hasn't had a lot of time to break but the guys at gibson know how to build a guitar. the only problm is the nitro finish. it cracks from any severe temperature change, it gets rubbed off by leather and synthetic leather, and you can't put it on a normal stand because the rubber stuff destroys the finish.

I've been playing 4 years and if this were stolen, i would rip the guys guts out and feed them to him! then i'd buy a les paul standard. it's the best all round guitar you can buy for the money, i compared it with the tokai love rock, and epi les paul custom. It blew them out of the water! If you're thinking of buying one then go for it. you'll never look back.
if you have any questions please email me.

I have a beautiful ebony 1993 studio with full size mother of pearl trapezoid inlays.It has a seymore duncan humbucker in the bridge position and a gibson humbucker in the neck position.The tuners are schallers that stay in the best tune no matter how hard you play I love those tuners.The neck is a fifties style round back that just fits in your hand perfectly and lends itself out for perfect playing. I got this guitar from Carl Sandoval who made Randy Rhoads polka dot flying-v. I go to him for adjustments on my other guitars and he had this one lying around and he sold it to me me for a lousy 250.oo dollars can you believe that.

This guitar gives out a great full sound which makes playing rock music a dream. I play it through a Marshall jcm800 amp and must I say that it is unstoppable.

The guitar has perfect action of course I had Mr. Sandoval give me that adjustment right before I purchased it from him and I havent had to adjust it since.

This guitar is made like a tank. I have a Gibson Explorer I use as a back up guitar but I usually dont have to resort to using it unless a string breaks while I am playing.Th finish is getting a little dull but I know that it has plenty of life in it still.

I've been playing for about 15 years and I've been in plenty of bands mainly playing rock music and I usually have had Jackson guitars and Charvel strats but ever since I started playing Gibsin Guitars there is no looking back.Since I got my studio guitar it has given me a greater respect for the Les Paul and I cant wait to get more of them.

This is my first LP after playing a strat for 15 yrs. and WOW! no comparison there! I was originally looking for a standard when the nice guy at guitar center asked me if I had thought about a studio and actually I had not but when I played one they felt and sounded the same.The studio just doesn't have all the fancy binding around the body and it even has the same tuners as the standard which shocked the hell out of me!!I ended up buying mine from ebay and it is a 2001 wine red w/chrome hardware.Absolutely beautiful.This guitar is built and then some.It is heavy and it feels like heaven to the fingers.Anyway,if you're thinking about buying one it truly is money very well spent.Oh yeah,if you're confused about gibson or epiphone- gibson only usa made top notch woods and build,lasts forever.epiphone made in china,indonesia,japan and other places.Pick em up side by side in the store gibson is way heavier than epiphone due to quality woods. The les paul studio is a guitar that will forever keep you happy!!

Like heaven! Growls nicely with bridge pickup but also has very warm jazzy neck pickup.Middle pickup sounds as good as the other two!If you like to do alot of pinches you will now love to do them!Overall,les paul studio has very versatile sound from chunky and hot to warm and fuzzy.I run mine through a 5150 head to ampeg 412 cab. Can get a very nasty metal sound or southern rock or whatever sound.The guitar kicks serious butt!!!I think this guitar would sound good out of a tiny gorilla practice amp!!

No complaints here either.Beauty,beauty,and more beauty!! Everyone has setup preferences that are best suited to their playing style.The action is fine for me because I'm not a shredder,but if that's you then you might want to have a shop lower the action for you.The bridge is adjustable but you can only go so low before you get fret buzz.Strings bend really easy.Whole step bends-not a problem!Some guitars you end up hitting the other string due to the fact that bending them takes more effort.Not the les paul!!

I would use it on stage without a backup only if I had straplocks because the stock ones are tiny for such a heavy guitar.God forbid you should drop it.Could you imagine how awful you would feel! If your a stage or standup player GET STRAPLOCKS!! Other than that the finish lasts as long as you let it(take care of it and it will take care of you)gold hardware does wear off.Mine is chrome but it is personal preference.The chrome will rust if you let it go so either of them looks sweet.Speed nobs are cool and pickup switch will last.

have not dealt with and probably will never deal with

I love everything about this guitar.It is in my opinion THE ONLY guitar there is.Again,not to offend lovers of other guitars but it truly is a remarkable piece of work that will bring you,your kids,your grandchildren,your great granchildren etc.. hundreds or possibly thousands of years of enjoyment!!J U S T G O B U Y O N E ! ! ! !

My guitar was made in the U.S.A. in 2001 (September 11th after checking with the serial number). Has standard Les Paul 22 jumbo frets and controls. Mahogany body and neck with maple top and finished in beautiful pewter. It came with a Gibson gig bag (top quality) and accessories pack.

I play mainly rock (classic and heavy) with a bit of contemporary music and metal. I play it through a Marshall MG15CD and a Boss ME-50 Multi-effects unit. The gibson humbuckers are an absolute joy and deliver awesome rock sounds in all three settings, although the neck pickup can sometimes be a bit woolly on the lower frets. If it's rock you play then this is the guitar for you, if you want funk or pop by a strat (but don't as I hate them). For the money I doubt that you could buy a better sounding quality rock guitar.

The standard factory setup was ok but I have actually raised the action to eliminate fret buzz. It's a problem on Les Pauls as the frets are so large. It is perfect now and doesn't slow down my playing at all. The body and pickups are perfect.

This guitar is built to last. Everything about it is quality and over-engineered. Buy bigger strap buttons though as they are quite small. Even with a gibson at this money you get a nitro-cellulose finish that will improve with age and will not look cheap like other makes.

Never had to.

Don't hesitate if you are thinking of buying a Gibson Les Paul Studio. They are fantastic guitars that give you the true Les Paul experience at half the cost of a Standard. I would not consider parting with this guitar with anything other than a Gibson, and even then it would have to be very, very special.

gibson les paul studio, 3 way switch 2 volume, 2 tone ect.........
the only features i would like to see are locking tuners, maybe coil taps, and strap locks stock. I am completley satisifed with what it has though so its like what a reviewer said below an 8 out of 8

i play rock, jazz, and blues and this thing kicks ass for rock. tons of chunk, great mids, great highs, this is the ultimate rock guitar!

cant comment on factory set up because i got it used, after set up by store owner though plays BEAUTIFULLY, wow what a difference!

les pauls last forever, but i havent had this one too long so i wont comment here.

havent dealt with gibson and hope i never have to

i love this guitar, exellent value used. everybit as good as a standard for 1/2 the price, cant be beat just play as many as you can to find the best one!

Everyone knows the features on a Les paul. So I'm not going there.

It's a Les Paul, what would you expect from the insturment that defined popular music. This specific one was just bought but is a 1990 model. I just sold a 2004 model to get this one, reason... the newer models chamber the bodys, taking away from the fullness of the guitar, not much, but enough that I could notice. The downsie, my 2004 only weighed 5lbs or so, this one weighs in around 9-10lbs. It's worth it though, sounds great.

Ok, this guitar is almost 15 years old, it looks unbeleavable. The finish never faded after al these years of play. The gold hardware(which on my 2004 faded after a week)dosn't look like it's been touched. They must of done something diffrent back then cause it dosn't seem to fade like they do now.

These guitars are some of the most reliable out there, the electronics are top of the line, great stuff, well made. I never go without a back up, but I would never worry about this guitar stoping on me. The tunners suck though, change them right away and it's all good!

Gibson is great, they will always help you out.

Nothing I would want to change about these guitars. I have loved them for years and will continue loving and buying them till I can't play anymore. Then I will just hang them so I can admire there beauty.

Gibson Les Paul Studio, bought December 2004. This guitar has stock specifications -- check Gibson web site for details. Wine red with chrome hardware.

Giving it an 8 only because I know that other features theoretically exist that this guitar does not have, but there are none that I am missing! So I guess you could say 8 out of 8.

Very rich, full sound. 'Treble' pickup has nice cut and even a little twang. 'Rhythm' pickup is perhaps a tad too 'thick' and resonant making it a little less clean on clean - if that makes any sense, but I'm just being picky. In the middle position you get a wonderfully rich and full-bodied sound, but with some cut.

I compared it very carefully side by side in the shop with an LP Standard, playing extensively both clean and distorted. Both sounded excellent in their own right, but I neither was 'better'. The Studio was 'growlier' and the Standard was a bit 'smoother' or 'bluesier'. So it's down to preference. Difference was extremely subtle anyway, and wouldn't be noticeable unless you played them side by side in a quiet room with no other instruments!

Off the rack, the action and neck relief were already perfect. No fret buzz at all. Intonation is just slightly out, but the shop will do me a free setup as part of the sale.

Fit and finish are totally immaculate, other than what seem to be some naturally-occuring nicks in the edge of the rosewood fretboard. If I'm really picky I'll point out that one of the electronics access plates on the back isn't aligned 100% correctly with the cavity in the body that they've carved out for it.

Seems very solid and tight, but only time will tell!

n/a

I had been shopping for an LP Standard. But when I compared the two side by side, I could not tell any quality differences whatsoever, either with the sound or the build. The sound was practically identical, and personally I thought the Studio was a nicer, cleaner looking guitar.

So, even though I had the budget and willingness to buy a Standard, I saw nothing in that guitar that justified it. I asked myself, "name one thing about the Standard that you like better." I couldn't do it, so out the door I went with the Studio, at half the price!

I bought this used about 9 years ago--it's a 1991 Black Les Paul Studio (made in the USA) with an ebony fretboard and trapezoid ivory inlays. The guy who owned it before me replaced the Gibson tuners with black Grovers. He gave me the originals but I've left the Grovers on. Not sure what other features I'd want in a guitar, except maybe the ability to split the humbuckers and use them as single coils every now and then.

It's solid Mahogany and weighs a ton. A couple years ago my left shoulder was bigger than my right because of gigging/having it strapped on for 5+ hours a week. The Gibson molded case it came with has seen better days. It's done an admirable job protecting this guitar all over the country but I've had to add angle braces to keep it from splitting open, I've replaced the hinges, and the handle and one of the latches are pretty much broken. But the pink fuzzy inside and satin cover sheet look great and command respect.

The sound is fantastic. My preference is blues lead but this guitar is pretty versatile. Not the same clean tone as a nice Fender but as soon as you add just a touch of distortion this thing really sings. My first amp was a Peavey Special 130 and it even sounded good through that but I've been using a Marshall half stack for the past 8 years and love it. I used to have a mid 70's Fender Twin Reverb but this guitar just sounds much better through a Marshall.

I can take this guitar and my Boss Blues Driver pedal and plug it into any amp and the tone is great. Great for thick rhythm sounds using the neck pickup and sharp solos with the bridge pickup. Using a wah-wah pedal mostly depressed also sharpens the tone nicely.

The action on this thing is amazing. As good or better than any Les Paul Standard I've played. On the rare occasions I let someone else play her they are very impressed. I can do things soloing on this guitar that are just flat out not physically possible on other electrics. Regular polishing has kept the black finish nice and shiny.

I gigged/practiced/recorded/travelled with this guitar 3+ times a week regularly for 6 years and it held up awesome. The thing is a tank. The only reason I brought a backup to gigs was in case I broke a string. The guitar came with strap locks and I recommend them. I did have to replace the pickup selector switch once and re-soder a couple of those connections but I chalk that up to normal wear and tear.

I've been playing 11+ years, this was my third guitar but I consider her my first wife. I used to own a beautiful USA Tele and it didn't hold a candle to my Gibson. I also have a Gibson Blue Ridge acoustic, an Epiphione 12-string and a Seagull. If it was stolen I'd launch a nationwide manhunt. (I've memorized the serial number and use it as my lottery numbers.) Seriously though if it was stolen after I stopped crying I would probably spring for a Les Paul Standard--another Studio just wouldn't be the same. If the house were on fire this is first thing I'd rescue.

By far the best money I've ever spent. My sentimental attachment to this particular guitar notwithstanding, I can't imagine a better electric than the Les Paul.

to the best of my knowledge I bought a 1992 Les Pual studio wine red finish with gold hard ware. The reason I purchased this guitar was I needed the classic les pual feel and humbucking sound. The guitar came with Seymour Duncan JB and pearly gates pickups; I went back to restoring this guitar with new gibson gold finish 490R & 490T pickups. Sounds great and true to gibson. I don't know if the 92 model had these pickups or not ; but I noticed that the pickups aren't the same number , so I don't know if they are balanced per se. I know that SG's had 490's pickups in both neck and bridge position and they sounded great. I really think balanced pickups are the best tone. I really dig the Gibson ebony fretboard , I saw a new LP supreme with ebony fretboard with blonde streaks! I guess this model was made before the mass marketing and lessed quality that gibson now exhibits; a real shame becuase overall it's a great company with great designs. I've got the original gibson case by TKL, the lock doesn't work , but they case is still good. I wish I didn't have a case that said the brand name on it beucase of un wanted attention on gigs. A great guitar with the classic sound and feel from LP's

After I put the gibson pickups, they sound really came through nice a warm and clean. All the subtle overtones and sustain the guitar produces with the mahagonay woods really shines clear. The feel is nice and easy, you can play really relaxed with a nice big tone. I really think gibson makes a good pickup and many folks underestimate their sound quality.

Action is great, really easy to play. It does balance well on the shoulder but like most LP's, not the carved chamber ones; they're heavy. They do strian you when you play in sitting postition on your knee, so get a strap and balance the weight on your shoulder for compensating your hip and back.

Over time , the gold finish hardware has faded, except for the kluson tuners for some reason. Even my new gold pickups have diminished to to light hand contact. the red wine wood finish is classic and really red , not brownish like other tints.

I don't know how the factory set up was since I purchased this one used. It was set up really nice from the seller/tech, played like a dream.

Very stable, does well in lots of climates. stays in tune, neck set is stable, electronics are good , not noisy. My strap buttons were replaced so I don't know about the originals. I'm wearing out the finish from my arm sweat , kinda of turning it milky/greyish tarnish color.

Overall, very well made, made in the USA still!

I've called Gibson for other matters, great customer service , very professional.

I'm a professional guitarist in the AFM (11-637) I've used this guitar in all types of gigs, great guitar for any style of play. I would have a hard time replacing this guitar, since I like the pickups so much compared to the new LP studios! Very classic guitar, every rock player should own one!