Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany

The Les Paul Studio's features are just great...that of a les Paul.

This Studio has some of the best tone I've heard come from a Gibson...no Kiddin!

Just fine...exactly what the guitar promised!

Built like a Tank!

Gibson is fantastic. I had some normal issues with the guitar and they paid the shipping "Both Ways" and gave me a New Guitar in it's place. Thanks Gibson. Another thing...their open 24/24 7 days a week to help you with anything you'll need for your Gibson Guitar...

Best buy I ever made...really! Thanks Gibson! John B. Denton
"Son of the Republic of Texas"

The Burstbucker pickups and the mahogany body are all you need to know about this guitar. Those two qualities are what defines this guitar. Some people complained about the wood grain look, but I fell in love with it. Showing the natural wood grains just seems to do it for me. The color is great, I got the Faded Cherry, but the Worn Brown looks good also. It's not a flashy guitar, and that's what I like.

The only thing I was disappointed with were the clear plastic volume and tone control knobs, I would much rather have preferred the types on the Standard.

One other thing I want to say about this guitar is the weight. I read some reviews on this site about someone complaining that this guitar was too heavy and clunky. This claim is utterly untrue. I am a small person, with a small build, and this guitar was LIGHTER than most others, and was lighter than my previous guitar, an Epiphone Special II. That said, I love the weight on this thing, it feels very natural against my body. It's not clunky at all, and is quite compact.

This is why I got the guitar after reading all the reviews, and I have to say that the sound is PERFECT. Clean, it has a very rich, full sound that resonates well with the mahogany body. Distorted is very full and throaty. Unplugged, the guitar sounds sweet and loud. I play classic rock, and put through a tube amp, produces those great vintage sounds.

If there is only one reason to get this guitar, it's for the sound. Also, the sustain is great, it just feels good to strum those full, long notes.

Here is where most people slam this guitar in review, however I FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT IN THIS CATEGORY.

I ordered mine from Musician's Friend, and straight out of the box, the guitar was set up perfectly. Super-low action with no buzzing, no scratches or marks of any kind, no glue marks near the neck joint, it was immaculate straight from the get-go. Can't complain about the stock strings that came with them, they and the tuners seem to keep everything in tune.

Some people complained that the fret ends were sharp, but I just have to ask, just how sensitive are your hands? They are not as sharp as some of you claim they are, and they are definitely not going to cut you. In fact, I found them very comfortable. The people advocating a full fret job after buying this guitar are ridiculous. I'm betting that their standards are way too high.

Some also complained about the 50's style neck, and how it was too fat or clunky. Now, before I bought this guitar and read about this, I was reluctant to buy this guitar as I have small hands, but I decided to get it anyway. All I have to say is that the neck feels great, and is not that much bigger than most modern necks. In fact, I really can't tell any difference in size. I can play as fast and as well on this neck than on any other. Don't let neck shape deter you.

The only flaw I found was that there was some rattling inside the body, perhaps some wood chips got stuck inside. Reading the other reviews, this seems to be common for this guitar, and I was not surprised. I personally don't mind, as the rattling sound is quiet, and not often.

Hardware is solid, strap buttons are kind of weak, but this guitar will definitely last you a long time.

The only complaint I have with this guitar is that the finish is so thin that it is very easy to ding/scratch this guitar. I dinged this guitar the day I got it, as I accidentally bumped it against a table, leaving a small indentation on the edge. But depending on your philosophy with dings, it may or may not be a good thing.

Never had to deal with Gibson customer support.

This is my second guitar, the first being a starter Epiphone Special II, and I have to say that this guitar is HEAVEN. It looks great, sounds wonderful, and it everything I wanted in a second, better guitar. It's a genuine Gibson Les Paul at a killer price, with the same humbuckers as a normal Studio. You cannot beat this value anywhere else.

I bought this guitar June 15th. Beautiful looks!!! Immediatley changed out the REALLY small strap buttons for locking buttons. June 16th headed to band practice. EVERYONE commented on how beautiful this guitar looks. Minimalistic. Just mahogany wood. Faded cherry. Pretty. Features are minimum. This guitar sells itself. Trust me. I rate it a 9 not becuase of its features BUT because it has what it takes to make a great sound.

Folks....many others have mentioned this.....IT'S all about the tone. This guitar has SO MUCH 'character'. TONE is what you get. Warm, sexy. Nice. Did I mention beautiful? Play live into a Crate acoustic modeling amp. The tone...you just feel like you at home. Comfy. Christian praise & worship, jazz and blues....they all get attention from this guitar. (If this guitar were a female, I would ask her to marry me.....NOT because of her body but because of who she is! How smart she is...how she makes me feel and how she responds to my needs. Get where I am going with this?

Action, fit & finish was great out of the box. Inotation was on. No complaints. Did I mention pretty? She will age with you well.

I play live. Strap buttons...see above. Otherwise solid and will age and build character along with your playing. Seems solid.

No experience yet.

I play 'live' weekly and require high standards and equipment that can take to performing. I also play a Les Paul Custom, Epiphone John Lennon Casino and Alvarez acoustic-electric. Check a few of these vintage mahogany. Find one and buy this guitar. REALLY. But buy it. If you find a good one, you will know it. BUY IT! Be a player and enjoy life! This sound can carry you.

Natural Cherry Mahogany, light "nitro" finish Les Paul Studio. "Vintage"-style Kluson tuners. The "60's" (slimmer than 50's) neck seems a tiny bit thinner than the other 60's necks I have tried, but is quite substantial. Nice hardshell case and truss tool included. Made in USA in '06 or '07. Two "Burstbucker Pro" humbucking pickups. I am pretty sure the whole guitar is made from mahogany. There appears to be a thick chunky mahogany top on a mahogany body with a nice mahogany neck.

This is what it is all about. When trying out a new guitar, I play acoustically to see if it has a "thing". This one is like an acoustic, only louder. It resonates against itself beautifully. Sounds good throughout the neck. Chords played on the upper neck have a very sweet sound, which I find rare. Pickups are balanced and rich whether clean or distorted. This is not a spanky guitar, it has a dark-ish tonality. That said, it represents enough of the spectrum that EQ-ing would probably yield the general tone you are looking for. The pickups have a nice hot output with no noise to speak of.
My favorite part of this Les Paul is that no matter where I play, single notes or chording, it sounds very good indeed.

The setup from the factory was custom made for me. I played a ton of Les Paul guitars at several stores. I played very expensive Gibsons and very cheap Epiphones. I had the cash ready to fork over for a nice Gibson Les Paul Standard, but none that I played were worth the asking price. They all had issues with setup or cosmetics. The best Les Paul I had ever played was actually a cheaper Epiphone at Guitar Center, no buzzing, fat tone, snappy responsive action. I must say I was very frustrated that I couldn't find a Les Paul that blew me away, even when I was playing the higher-end specimens. Then I got my hands on this relatively inexpensive Gibson Vintage Mahogany LP. I could tell right away it was "The One."
The guy at the store told me before I left that the intonation was probably a little out of whack because Gibson's QC is hit-or-miss, and indeed when I scoped it at home the 'high-E' and 'D' strings were just a hair sharp at the 12th fret. Other than that, the factory setup just rocked my world. Play any note, there is no buzz, just big tone. Soft touch or abusive thrash, the guitar will put out what I put in.

The natural mahogany finish looks horrible to me when I see it in catalog pictures, but when it is sitting next to me in the studio it is absolutely gorgeous. In my hands the finish feels smooth and robust. I love that it doesn't show smudges. Though it doesn't have a dazzling maple flame top, this mahogany LP is an outstanding specimen to behold.



Hardware Issues:
1. The pickguard is slightly raised from the body near the bridge pickup, so when it is touched it clicks against the body.
2. Two of the Kluson tuner knobs have a slight ridge on the side which appears to be from a molding process.

I am quite a tough customer, and close inspection of the hardware reveals no other flaws, cosmetic, mechanical or otherwise. Knobs and switch feel very solid. Clearly Gibson has access to top-notch electronic parts stock.

If it weren't for the tiny issues with the tuners and the pickguard, I would give it a 10 here.

Well, as this is just a massive chunk of mahogany, I would say it will withstand abuse as well as a coffee table.

The finish is a light nitrocellulose, which basically looks like no special finish at all. It is a satin-feeling coat on a well-sanded wood surface. This is all fine, it looks great as I mentioned, except that I imagine a few drops or impacts with sharp edges, such as a stage doorway, could cause denting in the wood that a thicker coating might absorb. No worries for me as I never play live, I am exclusively a recording musician.

The strap buttons are a little small, so much that I won't trust them to play it standing up until I get bigger ones, or strap locks installed.

Other than the light finish and the small strap buttons, this thing is built to last through rock and roll abuse. Clearly a very dependable instrument.

I have spoken with Gibson support on the phone regarding some replacement parts for my ES-335. They were quite patient and friendly though not extremely helpful, as I am the second owner of the 335 and not covered under warranty. However, in researching this purchase I did speak to them again and they took plenty of time to explain all the differences between the Epiphones and Gibsons, the various models, the pickups, and indeed the complaints about Gibson's Quality Control. I have also emailed them twice over the past few months and I never did receive a reply. If you need Gibson Support, call them.

I have been playing for 25 years. I own a personal recording studio with gear representing all the usual suspects, Fender and Gibson guitars and basses, modern and vintage synthesizers, recording-quality drum kit, boutique mic preamps, high-end compressors, etc. I make music for television for a living and rely on my equipment and software almost every single day of my life.

The only thing I wish I knew before I bought this guitar is if there is any special care it needs due to the light finish. Will it warp, saturate, or dry out due to climate changes?

If it were stolen or lost I would again set about playing a zillion Les Pauls until I found "The One" again, and I would buy that one, regardless of price. If you are picky, you have probably played several Les Pauls and not been impressed. Trust me, when you find a good one, you will know it right away. Don't let that one get away.

Having played so many Les Pauls, I am lucky that "The One" I have found is going for way less than it is worth. I doubt this will remain the case for very long. Someone is going to pull the plug on this insane value. If you play a bunch of these Vintage Mahogany LPs, you might also get lucky.

I have only written one other review at HC over the years, largely because I am usually too busy to mess with it. However, once I discovered this guitar I felt compelled to help someone else out there who is on the fence about buying one of these. These guitars might be inexpensive right now, but it is not because they are anything less than any other Gibson. Mine is just terrific. If you found a good one, buy it before someone else does, or before they stop selling them so cheaply.

This is a standard featured Les Paul Studio 3-way & 2-Vol. 2-Tone Gibson Electronics & Alnico V BurstBucker Pro Pup's
Vintage Tuners...What More Do you need! Nice Nut and Fret work! This guitar came boxed TIGHTLY SEALED from Nashville to Kansas to my Home and was not opened between Nashville and my Residence. That's a real PLUS! The Guitar's Case is built in Canada and is the Best Quality Case I've ever seen! Thanks Gibson for the Exceptional Quality!!!
THANKS FOR WELL, EVERYTHING!!!

This is where the guitar really shines! The Alnico V Burst Bucker Pro Pup's are some of the best I've ever heard and the sustain is excellent!
The Bridge Position is my Favorite...all positions are exceptional!
By the Way...Don't insult this guitar by the use of effects...Just use a good tube amp with a little tube reverb and your there!
BOY HOWDY ARE YOU THERE!!!

The Faded Finish on this guitar is very nice to the eye and to the touch! Smart idea to use just a thin Nitro coat and let her go...The guitar's tone is heavenly and the sustain, well, TRY ONE OUT AND SEE for yourself...Good Going Gibson!!!

This Gibson guitar is built well, it's a Les Paul. It's quite capable of withstanding the road or anything else you put it through...Built like a tank...Yes Sir!

Gibson has by far met and exceeded every expectation of mine concerning their guitars and I would rate them as friendly and very out going. I had a couple of items (Volume Knobs & Bridge section) I needed to replace on this guitar and I recieved them ASAP via Federal Express. There was ofcourse no-charge to me the owner. Gibsons Guitars' carry a limited lifetime warranty against workmanship and materials and Gibson delivers with their promise, YES SIR!!!

This is a beautiful Instrument and I love it. Something I haven't mentioned in the prior writing is the fact that this Gibson Les Paul Studio has one of the most comfortable '59 RoundBack Necks I've ever played on...It's just like stroking a nice ________ Well, you figure it out! If this guitar were lost or stolen I WOULD CRY!!! Then I would buy another one to replace it...HANDS DOWN!!! This is by far the best value in a guitar I have ever owned.
Thank You Gibson, Doc "The Bluesman"
Sincerely, John B. Denton
Denton, Texas
"Son of the Republic of Texas"

Made in USA Gibson Les Paul. All mahogany with Burstbuckers. Brown. Simple looking but extremely brutal.

I played 2 at Sunset GC, 1 in Pasadena, 2 in Covina, and 1 in Vegas and no similar model compare to the one I found. Compared it to maple tops and the one I found beats the ones costing 3 times more in tonality.

I've tried many Les Pauls before this and the tones did not justify their prices. Speaking of tone, this plain looking Les Paul with the Burstbuckers can go from satin-smooth clean to brutally distorted in 1 second. The Burstbuckers give you that buttery growl and if you are close enough to the amp the sound fills up every cell of your being. It can sound like unleashing 500 Panther tanks on full attack no-mercy mode. Keep it clean and you have the Penthouse centerfold with you by the fireplace. I have not changed the strings and it plays great and it stays in tune. For some mystical reason there is a special connection between me and this particular one I found. I am running it through a Tech 21 GT2 for distortion ( Classic/Calif-mode) with Mogami gold cables in between to a Class-A Crate V32 Palomino (another great stuff). The distortion of the V32 is good but can sound a little raspy. The GT2 acts like an equalizer to even up and bundles up the sound. With the V32 you get a full thick sound.The clean sound of the Burstbuckers can be so alluring and a flick of a switch you enter the ditortion mode of a buttery wallop of every chord or note you play.Unbelievable.

The action, weight, and feel are superb. For $800, I can ignore tiny flaws if any. It is about the TONE,man.

The strap buttons sucked. I replaced them with straplocks for ultimate security. This guitar can withsand live playing for sure.

Guitar Center sales people are extremely nice and helpful.I am sure it goes the same with Gibson.

I also have a American Deluxe Strat Lone Star and retired Mexican Strat with SD SH6 humbys, Taynor CV-80, and a 60-watter Mesa Boogie combo and I am sure this Les Paul will fit in just fine. I thought the Strat could serve as a one trick pony but boy am I wrong. This Les Paul should be licensed when played - it can be brutal.

great standard Les Paul Features...Burst Bucker Pro Alnico V Pup's too! Can't beat it!

This guitar sounds like heaven! The best I've heard in a Humbucker guitar! Fantastic Pup's!

I like the Finish and wood grain feel...down to earth, it's a Nitro Finish too!

SOLID and USEABLE anywhere!

Vincent is the best...excellent customer support!

I'd buy another one!or 2 Ha! The guitar case is fantastic! Great Guitar!

Beautiful guitar, mahogany, carved top, burstbucker pro pups, this thing doesn't have anything extra, pure LP.

Tone monster! I'm a total tone freak, and this has the best tone I've heard. Played it side by side with both an Eric Johnson strat and a 3300 dollar LP custom, and this puppy owns both of their souls. No noise whatsoever, and it sustains for days. I hit the metal muff, palm muted an open power chord and sat it down, went to the bathroom, came back, and it was still going. Clean it actually responds to attack, pick it light and it's super clean, dig in and it responds by driving the tubes (: I'm playing it through an Epi Valve Junior head (amazing by the way), with a "custom" 1x12 cab.

I got lucky here, frets are amazing, pups are great, body is flawless, the nut is perfectly done (better than my explorer by lightyears), action is a little high for my taste, but I like a super low action.

Tank. Only word to describe it. I'm giving it a 9 b/c the strap buttons are a joke. I'll be gigging with this baby all summer, no backup. Amazing.

Haven't had to deal with them. Don't think I will either.

I've been playing seriously now for about 5-6 months. I tend to play blues, almost exclusively. Lot's of improv and soloing (playing by myself :). If this guitar was stolen I'd buy another in a heartbeat, though I definitely can't afford it. I have a Breedlove AC250/CR acoustic (sounds better than any other guitar that wasn't a Breedlove that I've played), an Epi Explorer (selling if you want it), and an Ibanez hollowbody set up for open tunings and slide.

Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany made in the USA in 2006.
Has Worn Brown finish w/ Mahogany body and cap.
Alcino 5 BurstBucker Pro Pickups, the awesome '59 style neck, Tune-O-Matic Bridge, two volume knobs, 2 treble cut knobs, three-way pickup selector switch, truss rod tool, 22-frets, Rosewood fingerboard and a Gibson USA hard-shell case made in Canada.

It is a bare bones LP... no finish, no gloss, no binding, no frills.

This is why you bought the guitar. Not a polite sounding instrument, the Burtbucker Pros and Mahogany body make this a tone monster. Insane sustain. Deep chocolaty sounds. Excels at classic rock and blues, but is still very versatile none the less. Great LP sound.

This is were the VM takes a hit. Gibson is obviously just pounding out these guitars as fast as possible. Its took me a good while to find one that didn't suffer from one or more of the following flaws:
Sharp, poorly filed frets, wood chips rattling around in the chambers, beyond poor set-up (horrible action and intonation). I did manage to find one that was in excellent shape. I recommend you try a whole wack of them before you buy... or you may find yourself sending afew back.

This thing is built like a dump truck.
Solid and reliable. I gig with my VM and trust it, however bringing a back up just in case is always he smart idea...better safe than sorry.

The thin Nitro finish wears very fast. It first becomes very glossy then starts to cut through and wear the wood. This will be either good or bad in people's eyes. If you want a guitar thats going to look mint for a life time... this isnt it.... if you really get off on that used vintage look, you're in for a sweet surpirse. The Vintage Mahogany wears beautifully. I really love the feel of the neck once the nitro is smoothed and begins to wear... it almost feels slick, very cool.

The Strap buttons are insanly small, dare I say; useless. Install strap locks asap or your brand new VM is taking a header off the stage.

I've never had to deal with Gibson directly.

I have been playing off and on for 11 years. I've always wanted a Gibson LP, but like other starving students/artists could never muster the 3 grand needed to purchase a standard. This guitar was a heaven-sent. All the sound and playability of a Standard.... with no flash. Its all go and no show.

The pure sound of this guitar is what Gibson is selling. Worth every penny.

You know the drill on this guitar, all mahogany body, 50's neck, burtbucker pros, nothing drastically fancy but it does the job, theres weight to it none of the ones i tried were much heiver than a Strat.

Wonderful balanced gibsony sound, same pickups as the Les Paul Standard, goes from clean to crunchy with no effects, straight into the amp, sounds much better thru a tube amp but what doesn't. All around great sound fitting for rock, classic rock, alt rock, ugh... even country

This is where things get kinda sad, outa the box everything seemed good and tight, finish was there, its a nice satin finish that you will love if you like the "woody" look, action was good, low with no dead spots, frets were passible, not perfect but passible by all means, mine were nicely filled, BUT, and here comes the but, It is a weight relieved body, meaning there is a hollow spot in the upper body, and if anything ever gets stuck in there, say some wood chips that some gibson builder didn't blow out before glueing the top to the back then you have a gibson marraka/guitar, back to GC this one went for exchange, this kinda thing shouldn't happen, but it did, so be warry if you are buying, you may want to shake yours arounda bit before buying. if it weren't for this grevious ooops id give this a 9

Its a gibson, built to last, would never gig without a backup tho, sorry string breaks do happen. Hardware is the gibson standard chrome seems like it'll last an eternity. Finish is thin and will eventually wear out probly sooner than later, but thats part of the gibson vintage charm i guess, the strap buttons are super small thou, so if you don't want your gibson on the stage floor invest in some strap locks and you'll worry alot less.

Gibson is super good in this category, just make sure your warranty gets in within 15 days of purchase!

Shazam, been playing 8 years and have owned more than my share of stuff, fenders, ibanez's, washburns, schecters, both high and low end stuff, and none of it holds a candle to what this thing can do, the shorter scale, is nice and comfortable to play, this sings and sustains wonderfully, and the pickups can definetly hold thier own against any heavy handed drummer. good deal, not a great one, but a good one for sure.