Gibson Les Paul Studio

This is just a quick update to my previous review (Ram on 3-18-08)

First, I made several mods to the guitar to get it just like I wanted it. First was replacing the pickups with the EMG Zakk Wylde set (81+85). This may not be for everyone because active pickups color the tone a bit, and may seem brittle. I adjust EQ to temper this, so I can enjoy the power these pickups afford.

Second, I replaced the existing Kluson-style tuners with Sperzel locking - BIG improvement. However the most important mod was...

Third, I replaced the stock plastic nut with a slotted Gibson USA brass nut. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. The plastic nut is just garage compared to the brass nut. The guitar rings like a bell and sustains for twice as long now. Honestly, in my 30+ years of playing, I've never seen a more marked difference in tone and sustain than putting in a high quality brass nut.

DO IT!

You know the features by now. 2008 lp studio, ebony finish, 50's rounded neck profile. No binding (hence the 9 for this category) however I knew that when I bought it.

Ok, first of all, I own a les paul standard (60's neck), and in the past have owned a squire strat, american deluxe strat, japanese made strat (the best out of all the fenders i have owned by far), jackson randy rhoads (not sure which one exactly, but it was cheap with a gloss black finish), Jackson soloist (the worst guitar i have ever played. I'm sure it was a good guitar, it's just that it WOULD NOT stay in tune, i even had the guitar tech at sound control set it up 2 weeks after i bought it, and they gave me a full refund after because it still wouldn't stay in tune. Must've been damaged between the factory and store), Gretsch Malcom Young, epiphone sg, gibson sg 61 reissure, 1982 gibson explorer.

All of those guitars have been sold on/traded apart from my les paul standard.

The lp studio has a 50's neck, therefore it sustains longer than my lp standard (with the 60's neck). It really does go on for days. play one and you'll see what i mean. I always loved the sustain on my standard, but this sustains for days.

Not sure exactly what kind of pickups are in this studio, my standard has burstbuckers which give me a nice low output blues rock sound, but is capable of hard rock (and even grunge when I was in my last band). The bridge pickup is far too bassy for my liking (even with 10 guage strings), my amp is (and always will be) setup for my lp standard (it is after all, my pride and joy), and i like to have it setup for a nice thin lizzy type of sound and crank up the gain a bit for a gary moore rock sound. When i plug this lp studio in to my amp, I get an instant gary moore sound (think murders in the sky). When I switch to the neck pickup, I just instantly get a foxy lady type tone.

Great sounding guitar, but I think I will switch the pickups to burstbuckers, so i get a more comparable sound to my standard (without having to change amp settings).

this guitar was set up perfectly in store (merchant city music, glasgow). I can't stress that enough. I think I'll get all my setups done there in future. Low action, no fret buzz... Perfect.

The only problem I'm having is with the neck. I don't have any problems playing rhythm on it, but when it comes to lead, I'm having a few problems. I'm just used to playing a 60's neck, and I can't mark this guitar down for that, it's just personal preference.

The finish is ok, there are no problems, it's just that it looks like gloss black all over, it's an ugly guitar compared to my lp standard.

I think I'll change the pickup rings and pickguard around for white ones (like in the lp standard, and change the control knobs. Again this is just personal preference, this is not a bad guitar and is great considering it cost half as much as my lp standard.

No binding though. This guitar just looks so plain.

I've not gigged this guitar yet as i'm currently between bands, but i can't imagine any problems.

I wouldn't gig without my lp standard though.

Strap buttons are ridiculous. Gonna change them for dunlop straplok buttons.

As long as i don't break the neck, this guitar will last forever.

never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 5 years, i wouldn't replace this if it was stolen, i'd probably just get another lp standard.

All in all though, this is a great guitar.

Maple Top, Ugly Paint job,

Good sound not the best les Paul I have ever heard but still its a good tone.

This guitar is terrible where the finish is concerned for the same price you could pick up and american deluxe strat or if you need the hard rock style and Ibanez or even a washburn. But as for the actual guitar frets suck, neck is sticky and everything else made me put the guitar back on the shelf within 30 seconds. I have played multiple Les Paul Studios (four) and all of them are terrible in this regard. I was actually more impressed with a 100 used Memphis Les Paul Copy and that is saying something

The way they glue the body together (the drying process) gives many inherent weaknesses this guitar should be kept in 70 degree and 50% humidity just to keep the body together. If you can meat those demands its going to last forever but most people are morons and wont

Made on the 33rd day of 07. Alpine white LPS with ebony fretboard and gold hardware (Gibson Deluxe tuners). Purchased from Musician's Friend in March of 08 - has the following:
Carved maple top and mahogany back
Mahogany neck, '59 Rounded Les Paul
Ebony fingerboard
Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar
Gold hardware
490R and 498T alnico magnet humbucker pickups
2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3-way switch

Don't quite know what to rate "features" being that, if you buy a guitar that doesn't feature what you want, you would have to be special ed...

Awesome classic LP sustain and low end. It just thumps like a hammer, and growls and squeals. The thick mahogany neck and body really do something magical. There is no substitute. The weak link (in my mind only, perhaps) is the pickups. Once you get used to EMGs, everything else seems kind of flat. I promised myself I would leave this one stock, but alas, I have purchased the ZW EMG set and plan to install.

Warning! Once you own a guitar with EMGs it will ruin you for anything else. They're like crack!

I rate the sound a 9, just for the lack of active pickups. I know, that's kind of being a tool.

Setup was dead on out of the box, which was a very pleasant surprise. I was dreading doing the setup for yet another guitar, so big points for that. However...

The Paint. Hmm, where to begin. First, this is the Alpine White LPS, so the tiniest imperfection would of course show through. However let me say, the paint job is very good. Yet on the back of the body and headstock the paint is, ugh, ruffled(?) to the point where it looks like they skipped a buffing step. It's not bad enough to send it back, just bad enough for me to notice that it wasn't exactly smooth as glass. If the guitar didn't play and sound as good as it does, I might be bothered by this. But the thing plays so perfectly, and sounds so good, that complaining about the paint is like being bothered by your prom date's dress being ruffled... while in the back seat of your car...

It gets a 9, because 10 would be paint like glass - perfection. I built a guitar in 1987, and did the paint job myself. It was pretty close to this paint job, which makes me think that Gibson must use lacquer rather than nitrocellulose.

This is my fifth Les Paul.

No. 1 was a copy I had as a kid, circa 1979

No. 2 was another LP Studio purchased in 1999

No. 3 was an Epiphone LP Custom purchased in 2004 (really great guitar, BTW)

No. 4 was a Gibson Les Paul Standard that I bought in '06, but sold, because it really didn't do much for me. I think it was the color (cherry burst) that I never really cared for.

None of the above mentioned guitars ever had any problems, but a guitar is a musical instrument. If you drop it, you just might break the headstock off (like the car-wreck-Einstein who posted on this board, and then proceeding to bash the guitar).

It gets a 10 for this.

Never dealt with them, which warrants a 10 for the product.

It's a Gibson Les Paul, so if you complain that it doesn't have a whammy bar, is too heavy, or doesn't have enough "features", you are a complete idiot. The guitar was around long before you were born - it didn't just appear on the scene last year.

That being said, it is perfect for me. I play my best when playing an LP. For some reason, I don't feel a need for the binding, so I prefer the Studio model. However the sustain, bass response and overall tone are just perfect.

Wine red 2003 Studio, gold plated hardware, trapezoid fret markers, rosewood fingerboard, no binding, chunky (fat?) neck, speed knobs, etc. Everything you need except for a whammy bar and VariTone switch.

My style is blues, classic rock, lots of ungodly racket through a Marshall 100W tube half stack and/or a tiny Crate transistor practice amp.
The sound from this particular guitar is stupendous - a rich/full sound (to coin a phrase) which can just plain scream as well. Surprisingly loud pick ups compared to other Gibsons yet they have a great tone; my Flying V has really loud pick ups, the tone is not so hot. The sound is similar to a Gibson Lucille but has a bit more edge to it.
Les Pauls' are often accused of having a muddy sound but all you have to do is turn the volume knobs down a little bit on this one for a really clean tone.

This guitar was purchased used with really low action and 8s on it which is what I like.
The pick ups were adjusted properly, the neck is dead straight, no fret buzz, sharp fret ends or noisy controls, everything works perfectly.
The clearcoat on the finish was a bit beat up by the previous owner not being as careful as he or she should have been.

This guitar could be used to club an adult grizzly bear to death; it will survive live playing.
For once, really substantial strap buttons on a Gibson! These may not be original, though, I keep forgetting to check when I see other Studio models.
Gold plating will wear off no matter what you do, I'm afraid. I give it a 9 due to the fragile plating.

The people at Gibson always respond promptly and are very nice although I've never had to deal with them for a new instrument issue.

I've been playing on and off for 30 years and currently own a few Gibsons other than this Studio: Firebird VII, ES-335 Satin, Lucille, Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway and a Flying V.
Back in the 70s and 80s I owned an SG Standard, a few ES-335s, a Lucille DeLuxe, 25th Anniversary Les Paul, Les Paul Jr., and a Les Paul TV Special Reissue.
Those guitars were all sold off while I concentrated on other things.
When the guitar bug bit again last year, I took a ride to my semi-local Guitar Center to look at a used ES-335 Satin (which I bought) and while I was there I started fooling around with the Les Pauls.
They had a three or four Studio models there and I tried them all and they were okay but nothing really stood out except for this one, the cheap used one.
That one was magic and I bought it on the spot.
The neck on it is just perfect for me, the action is as low as you could possibly ask for and the sound through a Marshall will blow brick walls apart. Well, maybe not but it's pretty good.
Supposedly, the fretboard is rosewood and while it sure looks like rosewood, it feels like ebony to me. Very fast and smooth with a slippery feel to the back of the neck. Perhaps the previous owner did some work to it, I don't know.
Like most Les Pauls with a carved top, it weighs a ton. It also makes me look fat.
The Vintage Craze for 60s, 70s and 80s Gibsons seems kind of bizarre as I was buying them new and used back then and they were fine guitars (some were built to a cost, some weren't) BUT they weren't any better than this particular Studio is.
The quality of the workmanship is the same, the playability certainly hasn't changed but I'll bet the electronics have improved quite a bit.
To sum this up, this particular one really is a dream guitar. It's like a cross between my old beloved 70s SG Standard and the 25th Anniversary Les Paul. It's not the fanciest and I'm sure that it's not the most wonderful instrument but it's the best solid body guitar I've played. I think that I just really lucked out!

This is a Gibson Les Paul, anyone who ever spent a moment in time thinking of even playing an electric Guitar knows what a Gibson Les Paul is, and this is a Les Paul. That being said, I have a few things to point out.

I just bought this Studio from Guitar Center Brand-new in the box, manufactured in the United States, 2007. GC threw in 2 boxes of Gibson .10 strings (my request) and gave me a 70% discount on a suede Dunlop strap. Obviously, deals will vary from store to store, but I am very happy with what I got. Out of the box, the guitar was already in tune, checked with a digital tuner

The hardbody case is beautiful and doesn't let the guitar move around inside at all. It came with a very basic and generic Gibson LP owner's manual that really needs some attention. The manual covered EVERY Les Paul and even Flying V's, including their new auto-tuning 'Robot' Guitar. I wasn't very happy about this, since there were only about 2 pages of useful information about my actual Guitar. Gibson, if you are listening, FIX THIS PROBLEM! I want an owner's manual that covers MY guitar, and every tiny detail about it. Hire a college grad for 35k a year and revamp these crappy manuals!

One more complaint is the "omni-tool" that came with the Guitar. It really isn't very omni... it has a hex socket head on one end and a Phillips screwdriver head on the other. This would be great if it weren't for the fact the Guitar has all Flat-tip adjustment screws and no hex nuts at all. I'm honestly quite baffled as to what it's for. (There are phillips screws on the pickups, but I would use a real screwdriver for that kind of work).


Price Paid (minus tax): $1,200 (Guitar only)

So the features are lacking. Sounds pretty bad from what I wrote so far, huh? Well, this baby SCREAMS! I play Rock/Metal/Alternative and even a little Country. This thing does it all with brilliance that makes my 62' reissue Fender Stratocaster sound, to the best of my descriptive abilities: "un-full". This Guitar fills in the gaps that every Strat owner complains about, and it does it extremely well.

This baby screams through solos and lead anything, pop lead, and twang country with ease. I'm using a Crate FW120H Head with a Marshall 180 watt tri-speaker cabinet, and the sound is just fantastic. I'm not a fan of the 498-T pickup, and swapped it out for an EMG-89. The EMG gave this Guitar a sound that's truly awesome, shredding through metal and rock with enough sustain to hold a note until my first child is born to pass it on to.

Bottom line: Rock n'Roll aint never gonna die as long as Gibson keeps making Studios and Standards

The action out of the box was fantastic, except for notable buzzing on the G and D strings. A few small adjustments to the bridge, along with dropping in a new set of strings, and this problem was gone. As for out-of-the box, the guitar was in near-perfect tune, but who really cares about that? I dropped in my own strings about 3 hours after I bought it.

The first 3 hours were spent staring at the finish. I believe I was hypnotized, and do not recall what happened during this time, so I cannot comment on it. Mine is the Ebony with Black pickguard (removed), solid body, chrome hardware. I've heard complaints about the "fancy" finishes on some Sudios, but those aren't my style and the absolutely flawless black finish with just enough gloss to set the chrome on fire, but not too much that you're blinded by ambient light reflections while looking at it. This was the overall thing I noticed, the finish was more Satin than Gloss, but it is Gloss. It's just not a mirror, and that's exactly what I wanted.

The finish was flawless, with no blemishes of any kind. The only fingerprints on it are mine. The hardware was gleaming with a polished look that required no wipe-down. The look and feel of this Guitar is a lot like a black 1960 GTO with chrome fenders and a 455 Hemi sitting in your driveway with the door open and the keys in the ignition. If that analogy doesn't make any sense to you, then this Guitar is not be for you.

This guitar is not lacking in any of the quality of the Gibson LP Standard in terms of durability and quality. It's solid body/solid neck so that means no roughhousing with it. This guitar was meant to play, not to be swung around stage in a mock-guitar smash act or spun around to impress fans.

If you need to resort to this type of act on stage, your music might need some fine-tuning. Don't throw paint-thinner at the Mona-Lisa because you can't do as good.

On the other hand, the only Gibson's I've ever seen broken were because of A) Horrific Accidents involving dropping B) (Ex)-Friends Doing A or C) Stupidity.

I imagine Gibson customer support is one of the loneliest jobs on the planet. Call them for what(?); To tell them their guitars are awesome, or to complain about tiny problems that anyone who has any business with a Les Paul can't fix in 2 seconds?

Yes, this is a fantastic value. You get everything a Les Paul Standard has for a very fair price. You can't go wrong. This is a Les Paul to the core, not some kind of Epiphone crossover, so don't get confused on that part. You can get them used for cheaper, but my experience with my brand-new one has completely turned me off to buying used Guitars ever again.

Buy your Gibson brand-new, and you're guaranteed a Gibson. Save your money by buying used Amps and Heads rather than inheriting someone else's abused guitar with hidden problems. That's my opinion, I could be wrong. This time, however, I wasn't, and I couldn't be happier!

This is a Faded Maple Cherry Burst. Mail ordered from GC. I think the idea was to make it look kind of vintage, it didn't work. This thing looks more like a High school woodshop finish gone bad. I would call it un-finished and is more satin than anything else. I don't think they bother polishing these at all. The neck was okay but the fretts needed some dressing.

Another thing, this guitar is light which is nice seems like they must have chambered it (sombody is burning the excess wood made into a presto log). Final note: Do more to the finished product, Okay!

Here's where it shines. Sounded like a Les Paul, however the bridge pup is way hotter than most older LP's I've played, it metered on my VOM at 12.5K great for cutting metal or blowing away the drummer. The neck was about 7.6K and sounded great for Jazz. I used it through my '75 twin and a Reverend Hellhound. I think I like the 490R better than the 498T.

Had to set up the action it was never set up and came with a broken high "e" string, had to lower the neck pickup it was hitting the strings even after raising the bridge. Once I set it up it played great! Gibson what's with that, don't you pay someone to set these things up, if so fire the bastard!

Should last a life time. yes I could gig with it, good quality hardware.

?????

Well I sent it back to GC mostly because I didn't like the finish. Then I discovered I could get a Studio with a better finish and Gold Hardware for about the same price with a 20% discount, deal! After the guitar gets here I'll post that review.

2007 model; blem from MF. Two humbuckers, two volume, two tone.

Faded maple top in honeyburst. No poly finish, just a thin, matte finish. Mahoghany back (two piece) and neck, rosewood fretboard and a gorgeous plain maple top. No binding.

Fairly light; certainly chambered, but NOT neck heavy. Gets an "8" for being what it is; not top of the line, but certainly cool for a Studio.

Standard Les Paul sound; perhaps a little brighter. I also have an LP Standard Doublecut, and they are similar to one another.

Set up well, 'though I always lower the action and restring with 9-46s. I also removed the pickguard and replaced the black speed knobs with black Tele-style dome knobs, which I have on all guitars (including my Tele!).

Finish looks great, even though this was listed as a blem. I can't really find anything; maybe a "scratch" on the maple that was stained a litte darker? I don't really know why it was a blem ...

It's a Les Paul; pretty durable.

Never use them; hope never to

Fabulous guitar for $650-ish. I had been looking for an LP for awhile; I have the LP DC Standard, but wanted the traditional shape.

They have (had?) a used Studio at the local GC for $650 that they eventually dropped to $550; kinda trashed, and the ebony board had been reglued. This is certainly a much better value.

I play in an eight-piece funk-cover band, and a punk band, and also own a standard Tele, standard Strat, and two Fender Cyclones, and have been playing off-and-on since I was 6 (I'm 47).

This makes a great addtion to my "arsenal".

You have read them all by now. No frill model...

Sound, great tone, great sustain. good for all styles of music. I own 9 guitars (Fender,Epi,Hagstrom,Martin) and this guitar is my top guitar, then the fender strat..

Action was fair coming out of factorybut needed pro set up. Once setup action is good. Pickups are much hotter than I expected them to be. Finish is rich & deep color. Mine in wine Red.

So far great, no problems.

did not have to use yet...

I have been playing over 30 years, I own a recording studio(www.genesisrecording.com). I have played many different guitars over the years, thisone stands out as one of the best. Sound / tone are excellent, action VG, priced fair.
Gibson makes a very good quaility guitar...

Non-figured maple top over mahogany body, mahogany neck, gold hardware, 490/498 humbuckers, 24 3/4" scale, no binding, nitro-cellulose sprayed, Fat!! 50's neck, 3 way toggle switch. Included Canadian made hardshell case. 2 vol/2 tone knobs, made in 1997. (1st & 6th numbers)finish starting to "check" but that's normal.
But you know all this is standard and academic.

Sometimes unless my hand is touching metal on the guitar will buzz a little. Could be several outside reasons but I think it's the guitar itself. Very rich/full sound!! Single notes don't get lost! Beefy!
Sonically powerful. Very versatile tones; soft warm, blend what you want with both pus, middy bark with bridge pu will cut through any ego freaks noise. Harmonic pinches easier than my Schecter with active EMGs!! Totally satisfied with the guitars voicings.

The truss rod had no tension on it! A 1/2 turn pulled everything right into place. I like low action and it is not my lowest action guitar of my 12 by no means; but at the same time I can do anything on this guitar. It feels awkward and the neck is not straight with the body , the neck feels like a baseball bat, BUT yet it totally works for me. I can thrash full speed, rhythm all night or whatever.
The knobs are not in way, Somehow this awkward slightly heavy thing was made for me. It works!! end of story.

I baby this Gibson LP Studio because the set mahogany neck shouldn't be dropped or else. Hardware seems solid to me. I have used it out many times without any backup. A little TLC and this will last a lifetime or two. I have locking strap pins on it, and changed the single ply pickguard for a 3 ply. It makes a noticable difference.
I added gold trussrod cover and back plates for the heck of it. I'm totally satisfied with the pickups.

I've played 40 years, own 3 tube amps 3 SS amps, 12 guitars, truckload of effects. The LP Studio is my #1. Many reviewers state the studio is close to Standards, even Customs, basically. I would replace it if lost or stolen. This LP has convinced me I'm a LP man.
I'd like to try the Burstbucker Pick-ups.