Gibson Les Paul Studio

This is a 1993 Les Paul Studio. It was made in the good old US. Typical LP electronics: bridge/neck pickup with 3-way selector and tone/volume knobs for each p.u. There is a 498T Humbucker in the bridge and a 490R Humbucker in the neck, both of which are passive. It has a mahogany body with about a quarter inch maple top (thinner than the Standard). Mine was finished in a deep wine red stain. It has a mahogany set neck with an ebony fretboard and trapezoid inlays. It has the classic Tune-O-Matic bridge/stop tailpiece along with plastic off-white chess piece tuners. This does an incredible job of keeping the guitar in tune. There is no binding or anything else fancy about this guitar, which doesn't make sense why they would put gold hardware on it...oh well. A 10 because it has a great fretboard, nice gold hardware and everything you would want on a Les Paul.

I have been playing for 4 years now, and enjoy listening to and playing punk, emo-rock, alternative, some blues, grunge and metal. This guitar coupled with my Marshall Valvestate (hybrid) 100W stack will nail any of the aforementioned genres (the blues will equal blues-rock i.e. Zeppelin, Cream, etc.). I run it through a Boss GE7 Equalizer, a Boss Metal Zone, a Boss Super Chorus and then into the Marshall. To test the guitar I also used a Fender '62 Bassman (all-tube) and a Peavey Special 150 (solid state). This guitar is very quiet with most of my effects, with the usual amount of buzz when using high-gain distortion (there is noise even when unplugged). I usually use the guitar's bridge pickup (498T), and rarely activate the neck (490R) which are the same pickups that are on the Standard and the Custom. The sound with the bridge p.u. is high-midddy, somewhat trebly and somewhat bassy. It lacks a brightness and crispness on the extreme-high end and a little punch and clarity on the low end. This is because the guitar is thinner than the Standard/Customs. It is also somewhat quiet. I will probably either replace it with a 500T (as used in Classics) to give it more of those classic Gibson tones or try the Tony Iommi pickup (has anyone played it in a Studio?) to get clearer and better rock sounds.. The neck pickup is great. It almost sounds like a strat in the 2 or 4 position. It works very well with effects like the Super Chorus. Overall, the guitar does a good job with clean tones (I like mine the slightest bit crunchy - bass down a bit and treble up a bit) and distortion (I use it mostly with all tones and gain on halfway). If you set the amp to have higher treble and slightly increased mids and roll off the tone to about 8 on the bridge, you have a blues/rock sound that could probably beat a Standard. If you crank the volume and tone to 10 on the bridge, you get rock, metal or punk according to your amp. Because I am not thrilled with the bridge pickup, I give it an 8.

This is the shining point of the guitar. Whatever it lacks in sound it makes up for in playability. I raised the action up from where it used to be and set it up for 10s (from 09s). I raised the bridge pickup a little to compensate for weak sound and lowered the neck a lot to balance the pickups (I don't know if there's something wrong but the neck p.u. is about level with the pickup ring and the bridge about 1/4" up). That doesn't bother me much since I have never played a LP that was set up to my liking. The finish looks decent, a bit too dark because the only time it really looks transparent red is out in direct sun. But it's a Studio model and wasn't made for looks. I also removed the pickguard (which was black) to give it a different look. The edges of the inlays look messed up, but that's only when there right up by your face. The mother of pearly on them is nice and swirly when a lot of color and reflection (compared to my previous Epiphone's boring plastic) and contrasts nicely with the ebony fretboard. The guitar is incredibly easy to play with my adjustments. The guitar gets a 9 because the good looks and excellent playability even out the oxiding gold hardware (which is like complaining about a dirty Mercedes Benz) and all my adjustments.

This guitar had the absolute worst strap buttons I have ever seen. I didn't even put this guitar in the same room as a strap until I bought Schaller straplocks (shiny gold). I bought them instead of dunlop's because of the store owner's recommendation, but later found that I could get them for half as much (I payed $35 US) at a different store, and the mechanism has failed to hold my guitar due to the metal chipping (which REALLY PISSED ME OFF - dented up my guitar to hell). I am looking into either purchasing dunlop straplocks or seeing if chrome buttons would work better. The finish is as durable as transparent stain is on wood. I am somewhat unsure about taking this out to gig without a backup (it hasn't failed me yet) but the few times it has dropped makes me cautious. It is still my main guitar, though, and I can't gig without it.

I have talked to Gibson asking questions about their guitars, and though they e-mailed me back quickly, they don't have the slightest clue what their talking about. Now when I sent my Epiphone in because of a broken tuning peg, it took me about SIX WEEKS to get it back---because of a TUNING PEG. But that was under warranty and I doubt this guitar is. So I don't think too highly of the company. "1" because they can't answer simple questions and it takes them too long to do simple things.

I have been playing for over 4 years and own this guitar along with a Fender Strat, a Musicman-ripoff bass and my main instrument is the drums. I wish I could have gotten a better straplock system for this guitar and checked out different pickups for the bridge. If it were stolen, I would shop I would look for the ebony finish of this guitar, and not in gold hardware (I know, not as nice a finish). My dream guitar would be a Les Paul Custom (which this guitar essentially is besides the slightly thinner body and no binding), but those cost at least twice as much used, and I haven't played one which has been set up that great. The Les Paul Standards are nice too, but the playability on those are terrible. I would probably just end up with the same guitar which is fine by me.

1992 Les Paul Studio, 22 frets made in the USA. Heaviest guitar that I've ever played and one of the best sounding. Solid HEAVY-ass mahogany. Typical Gibson setup with four knobs; two controlling volume; two controlling tone. Three way pickup selector: rhythm, lead and both. Alnico Humbuckers. Gold Hardware with Trapezoid inlays....... this is one of the nicer Studios. Typical pearl style tuners. I bought this guitar used and it was in excellent condition overall.

I play mostly hard rock and metal and this guitar delivers. I use it for Drop D tuning and open tunings for slide playing. My other guitar has a double locking tremolo which is a pain-in-the-ass to get into other tunings. I play the Studio through a Carvin 212 Bel Air 50 watt combo and I use a Boss MT-2 metal zone distortion pedal for the "scooped" metal sound. I love the sound of this Les Paul.......thick, fat, warm and full. This thing sounds just as good as a Standard, but not as good as a Classic..... I love metal and the 500T and the 490R pickups that come stock with the Classic are the ultimate pickups for thrashing.....but the Studios stock pickups do well and I will be satisfied for years to come. For the money, the Studio is definitely worth it......... especially at used prices. I'll admit, I was skeptical at first, because I've played the Studio Lites in the past and those things blow dog nuts. The Studio is a true Les Paul through and through.

The action is great and easy to set up. The previous owner played with a higher action than I am accustomed to. It was easy to lower the bridge and adjust the intonation. I also had to install .10's instead of .09's. The frets are worn out pretty badly in spots, but the guitar still plays well.

This guitar was put through hell before I got it. Not through physical abuse....... the previous owner played the shit out of this thing. The finish is in good shape and there are just a few scratches on the back and sides. It doesn't look new, but it looks good. This guitar is a dependable guitar. I would definitely gig with it.

Never dealt with Gibson.

I have been playing guitar for over 10 years now. I love this Les Paul. I also have an Ibanez UV777BK Universe 7-string which is my flagship guitar. If I lost the Studio guitar, I would probably upgrade to a used Les Paul Classic, if I could find one for a good price and in good condition. If not, I would settle for a used Standard or even another used studio. I would probably never buy a Les Paul new. These things are awesome but way over priced. The tone is probably the best feature of the Studio.

I think it was made in '92 from the engraving at the back of the head stock. Made in USA. Gold hardware, ebony fret board, everything else is pretty much stock.

I play mostly hard rock, but the guitar has enough crunch for heavier music also. My amp is a Marshall JTM60 with three 10inch cones, and for effects I use mostly Zoom 4040 or my boss pedals(If I'm feeling picky). I go for Gary Moore, Santana like tones and this guitar let's me get that rich creamy sound. By the way I use 011 strings, and the higher gauge really make a big difference in tone. (Bigger, fatter, more definition)

I bought it used so I can't say. But when I got it, it was in excellent condition. All I did was change the strings to 011s, tweak the bridge and off I went. The neck is really comfortable to play and the ebony fretboard is so smooth and silky it makes playing a real treat.

The pickup selector switch came loose, and the gold hardware ain't gold no more but it hasn't let me down yet.

Never dealt with them

I've been playing this guitar almost exclusively for 4 years. Recently I acquired a Patrick Eggle Berlin and I divide my playing between the two. I love the tone, the sustain, the playability, smooth ebony fretboard but it's a bit heavy(I ain't exactly big) and sometimes I miss the old whammy bar. If it were stolen I'd buy it again. If there was choice of bridge(Tune O matic, Floyd Rose etc.) it'd make it a bit more interesting.

This is a 98 LP Studio which means dot inlay on the fret board. 490r PU in the neck position and a 496t in the bridge. 2 tone and 2 volume controls, 3-way switch. Chrome hardware, basically a standard without the binding and trap inlay. Oh and it's thinner than the standard. Mine is a very beautifull Ruby finish. Mahogany body and neck, Maple top and a rosewood fret board. Got this one Gibson USA form fitting case included. Made in the USA.

This guitar is definitely a utility guitar it's got the Gibson Sustain and a good solid sound. I did a review earlier of a LP Classic that I purchased after this one which to me shows this to be a good solid guitar but definitly not Gibson's best. The PU's are very straight forward you can get some nice sounds from both, for me the 496t is a little underpowered especially after hearing the 500t in the classic. A replacement 500t is already on order. The 490r has a good deep mellow sound and I think I will keep it for awhile. I think with the addition of the 500t (which is a OD screamer :)) This will make a great backup to the classic. I play this through both a Marshall 6100LM/1960A Cabinet and at home a VS230R. Can't beat the sound of a LEs Pal through a Marshall IMHO.

The action needed to be lowered a bit and pickups adjusted accordingly but no biggy. I replaced the plastic PU rings, truss rod cover, knobs, pick guard and switch ring with chrome equivilants. The damn thing is stunning. BTW try to find a chrome switch ring these days I was lucky to have snagged one some 14-15 years ago.

It's a Les Paul, it's built to withstand nuclear war or an angry girlfriend which ever comes first. The strap buttons suck (no big mystery there). This is a backup so question answered, but it is damn reliable.

Never called them, but did get a nice letter thanking me for buying/registering it.

I have been playing for about 15 years and own a LP Classic and a jackson PS6t(t for toy) and this thing is great. This is a great way to get a Les Paul for a fairly reasonable price. I play everything but country (no offense to anyone)and it suits my needs perfectly. If it were stolen Hell would hath no fury as this guitar player robbed. :)

Stock...good features...ok pickups, nice control over them with two volumes and tone controls, 3 way switch, gold...the tuners suck though. With my addition of matching seymour duncan invaders in both positions, and new tuners...the best guitar ever.

The stock pickups are very good, but with the duncan this is the only guitar i ever want to play. the sound is so tight and amazing...i play mostly ska-punk, and the cleans this thing can produce is some of the best clean tones i've ever heard. and there is a lot of variety in tones that can be achieved. the only thing i disliked is that the stock bridge sounded very weak and thin on clean.

i got the guitar used, so i don't know about factory set stuff...but as far as errors...do u REALLY care if the inlays aren't perfect? they're not even touched when u play and the incredibley slight differences have no bearing on sound at all. other than maybe some "bad" inlays...perfect when i got it

i beat the hell outta mine and it works just peachy

i dunno

THE beset guitat i've ever played. the only other guitars i want are some sort of 7 string, and an epi night-hawk as a back up to this one for gigs.

This is an update to a previously posted review so I won't bore you with rehashing the specs.

In my original review I said I was going to replace the pickups with 57 classics. Well I put a 57 classic plus in the bridge position and this guitar came to life! This pick up has better balance, definition, and tone than the original stock unit could ever have! Not really good for death metal but those guys really don't care too much about tone anyway but I have to say it is the best sounding guitar I have ever played except for my PRS McCarty! Stay tuned I'm replacing the bridge pickup soon!

1998 Les Paul Studio, cherry sunburst, maple top, mahogany body, all gold hardware (stop tail, tuners, etc), 2 vol, 2 tone, 3 way standard.
Nice fat neck, a lot fatter than a strats. Neck is finished, so not as smooth as a high end strat, but still really fast. Neck fretwork is excellent, and the rosewood board is very nice, although some people swear by the ebony boards of the higher end gibby's.
The body is not solid like a standard's, and this has it's plusses and minuses. On the positive: It's lighter, it sounds a little between a standard and a 335. Negative: not quite the Les Paul chunk.
hard shell case included. Pretty standard setup = 5

I never thought I'd say this: I love Les Pauls. When I began to get into the guitar, a thick neck wasn't for me. But, out of the blue, I tried a nice Les Paul Classic the other day and fell in love with the rihness and sustain and I loved the action. I guess my playing has changed.
I traded my Lone Star Strat for the Studio. I couldn't afford a "real" Paul, so I tried the studio. I must admit I was biased against it from the start because it is the "studio" model. Only the best for me, right (ha, ha)? Plugged it in, and boom! I loved it! I know people are always saying that Les Pauls are the great "overdrive" guitars, but I found that besides outstanding OD and distortion, I got tremendous clean sounds. Being a strat and G&L guy, I know good clean when I hear it. I think the sound chambers of the studio give it a little 335 flavor. As a HUGE BB fan, this was right on for me. Now I can do my heavy stuff and switch right over to a warm, clean bluesy tune. Sustain FOR DAYS! Amazing. I'll say it again: Amazing. This little Gibson has a tremendous variablilty in sound, from clean jazz to crunchy distorted metal. Fast neck practically begging for HUGE bends. Haven't been able to put it down since I got it.

I've heard and read a lot about Gibson quality and that it has been suffering in recent times. So, I was hesitant to purchase one via the classifieds. I tried several new ones, and the feel did vary, but all were pretty good units. I likes this one because of the gold and the nice neck and body. Not nearly as fancy as a higher end gibby, but really nice in it's own right. No flaws that I can find, and I've tried to find em.

It seems like a real workhorse of a guitar. But I can't rate it.

N/A

Having now owned a Les Paul Studio, a G&L ASAT Classic (which I love as well), a Fender Lone Star, a Fender Deluxe Powerhouse Strat, and A Washburn HB 35, I have to objectively say this is the very best guitar I have owned. All pickups are useful and the sound variability is tremendous. The excellent cleans, while much different than my spanky ASAT Classic, are a warm, bluesy dream. The Classic has more of that Texas Blues sound to is, which, as a big SRV fan, I really appreciate. But I've got to play my Chicago blues and this is a great guitar for it. I know people say Gibson is overpriced, and I think they are right. But, in a sense, you get what you pay for, and I have never had the same "experience" playing with any other instrument. I've never sounded this good, my wife even likes my playng andcan tell which songs I'm doing without hints, and it is as light and fun to jam with as my ASAT Classic (Highly recommend G&L for the quality/cost ratio).
On a sad note, I can honestly say I will NEVER buy another Fender guitar. They just can't compare with G&L for the quality and even when they try to sound humbuckery, as with my Lone Star, they fall FAR short of the richness and warmth of a Gibby. Of all my purchases, this was themost expensive, and I usually have GAS guilt that is directly proportional to the price of the GAS. However, this time I have none, because of the amazing sounds I can make with this wonderful instrument. I know I have to buy more, someday. Fantastic guitar.

made in 97, purchased in late98. 22 frets, trapezoid pearl inlays (the new models have dot inlays. 490r and 498t humbuckrers which I think sound great through my marshall tube amp.mahogoney back+ neck, maple top. 2vols., 2tones. Nice fat neck which might not be for some people. Came with a gig bag, for$825 it deserves a hardshell

I play rock and blues and this thing sounds great. Virtually noisless. sustains forever.My only dislike was the plastic schaller tuners which i replaced with chrome grovers purely for the aesthetic value

action, fit were great, as was the finish, which was not the case with most i played .ALL of them i played at g. center had lousy finishes with dot inlays for $75 more

built like a brick, Strap buttons are way to small. I feel as though i can fully depend on this studio

warranty for a year, have'nt dealt with'em

great overall, but be careful, guitar center had alot of dogs, finish and otherwise for more money. i suggest trying a small local store

This dated baby was made sometime in the 80's, I never bothered to ask the original owner the specifics. It's a 22 fretter, with two volume and two tone controls, a three way switch (for the rhythm pickup, the treble pickup, and the combination). You can read the other reviews if you want to know what's inside this baby.

This beaty has the sweetest sound anyone could ever hope to get. It's not mint condition, but it's still sounding great. It's perfect for the great music of the seventies (mainly Lynyrd Skynyrd). I've got a simple Fender Princeton 112 Plus to accompany it, and there's no humming or any other damn noise. The rhythm setting gives me a really sweet, rich sound, while the treble produces a very bright, sharp sound. They compliment each other very well. There's no real "best part" of the sounds on this gal, just a nice, easy to understand, beatiful sounding Les Paul guitar.

This gal's seen a lot of action before she met me, so I can't really comment on how she was the first time someone played her. However, I can say that - aside from a slight bend in the neck that needs some adjusting - she's fit as a fiddle. No, wait, make that she's fit as a Les Paul.

If you want to know how well this gal's stood up, you're gonna have to play her. She could be as old as ten years (maybe even more), but she sounds just as good as the '98 Studio. I can depend on her more than anything or anybody.

Like I said, I didn't get her first-hand, so I haven't had the chance or need to deal with Gibson, so I'm gonna have to give you a little N/A in this one.

I haven't been playing very long, but I figure it'll be a while before I need to go out and get another guitar. If somebody stole this guitar, I would hunt them down, and whoop their ass until they wish their damn parents hadn't screwed around.

It's really a Les Paul Standard, 22 frets without the binding and nice top. This one I bought new in 97' it has the trapezoidal inlays, wine red transparent finish, and chrome hardware. Came with a gig bag but for the money it should have came with a hard case. I'm not sure of the wood on the fretboard I think it's rosewood.

Pretty typical Les Paul fare, a nice big "In your face sound". The stock pickups sound pretty good but leave something to be desired. I am replacing them with a Classic 57 in the neck position and a 57 plus in the bridge slot. I play mostly rock and pop through a Peavy 5150 head and cabinet using a Digitech RP-12 effects processor, the guitar is dead quiet at the highest gain settings. Clean sounds are muddy but tweaking the amp remedies this.

Finish was flawless and the action was a little high but intonation and pickup height were fine. The only problem was a nut slot that needed to be cut a little deeper at the G string (open chords were out of tune). Whatever finish Gibson uses, it really reacts with fingerprints and is a real pain to keep clean.

Havent used it live,..yet but I have played it at many jam sessions and the guitar is solid. Again the finish is realy reactive with skin oils and it really gets grimy! Gibson should really put larger strap buttons on this piece. I havent had a problem yet but like I said I havent used it at any gigs.

After I sent in the warranty card I was sent a nice letter congragulating me on the purchase, other than that I couldnt say.

I've been Playing for 18 years I have always wanted a Les Paul. I have compared it to many others and I am completly satisfied with this guitar although I wish I didn't have to buy a hard case seperatly! If it were lost or stolen I would definitly replace it. I would like to see the colors it is offered in expanded from black, white, and red. I wanted a blue Les Paul but I am not a fan of bound necks and bodies so I compromised with this model and color but it has grown on me significantly. Gibson should offer as an option a nice flamed top on these with a natural finish edge a la' PRS!