Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany

2006 LP vintage Mahogony with brown nitrocellous finish. Carved top, burstbucker PRO pickups, Klungson type tuners, includes hard case

This guitar with the Burstbucker pickup sounds really nice, makes the guitar. Almost any type of music can be had, can overdrive an amp quite easily and still sound clear for a hummy, though clean, not quite as clear as a good single coil, like a good vintage Strat or Tele PU. Blues, jazz no probs,, metal too,, country maybe. With the mahogony body and thin laquer finish, the body resonates well unplugged and contributes to its wonderful sound plugged in. Strumming a low G power chord with some tube OD sounds like a wah pedal is being used to give added resonance. It just sings, a vocal type sound like in a classical instrument. you have to hear it yourself, but be forwarned, you will buy this guitar once hearing it though the finish may detract you.

QC on this thing is terrible, I mean there are 2 dings on the neck near the joint like someone didn't give a tinkers damn about it. This seems to be a common problem. I wonder if the same idiot handles the guitar after a certain stage in manufacture that causes this. I went back to GC to look, found some guitars having this issue and some do not. Mine was the 826th made that day according to the serial number stamp There is also a ding near the edge on the big curve on top where one rests the guitar on the chest while playing sitting down. At first I did not think this a big deal as I inspected the guitar out of the box at my local GC, it looked like a dark brown spot like a knot or dark spot in the wood, but closer inspection when I got it home reveals someone jabbed, what looks to be, a tool into the wood. You can see the nick with a sliver of bare wood if holding the guitar at a certain angle and light. Damn!! I was and still am trying to decide whether to take this thing back or not! The thing is, as part of my inspection , it played REALLY well and was in tune out of the case!,,, Was well setup and had well dressed frets. Reason why I ignored the dark-brown spot in the store, the neck felt WAY better than the ones on the rack, nice and smooth, like my Strat and Tele.
10 for the fret dressing and action, My overall is based on the dings

Don't know, like anything else, have to treat it right. IMHO the most robust guitar is a Tele and Strat. I wanted to make one of my Strats "Road Worthy" and not have to worry about putting dings and the like on it. So I decided, to help me get over it, by putting dings on the guitar my self by using a hammer and rapping the guitar. You have to rap quite hard to put a ding onto a Strat or Tele for that matter! The LP does not seem to be as sturdy to me.

no idea

Been playing for 6+ years, have WAY too many guitars though I'm paring down my collection. $799.00 is a lot for a guitar , but to be fair, a case is included, so, a Gibson LP case on the GC WEB site is $160.00, the guitar, assuming my mathe is correct, costs $640.00. Ofcourse one cannot purchase this guitar new without the case but I want to make some obervations. An EPI LP with P90's cost $600.00. This is a finished LP with a carved maple or alder green top and Epis VERY fine P90 PUs. When I got this guitar it had no flaws, infact , it was perfect! Finish, setup, Fret dressing and all, perfect. My PRS with Red mahogony Soapbar II which was $500.00 though not a carved body was also perfect. All my Strats and Teles that came from Fender, came with a Perfect finish and fret dressing (setup is another thing with Fender along with standard PUs). This Mahogony LP should be an easy guitar for Gibson to get right, no fancy top or finish. We are only talking about some carefull manufacturing processes here. This guitar can be built well, the nicks, dings and setup probs are inexcusible. If this guitar did not play and sound the way it does, and since its a Gibson (fancy name) I would consider getting my money back, getting something else. I like the elemental finish also, don't need anything fancy. I imagine Gibson knows this, it may be these guitars do not pass the muster, not to get completely finished , so on goes the brown stain, who knows? I'm still giving this guitar a 10 overall. Why? It plays and sounds like a gem. So, I got some brown rosewood stain and filled in the nick, can't really tell, its roadworthy now!

2006 Mahogony vintage Les Paul Studio. nitrocellous Satin Finish showing the woods grain , Green knobed type tuners, 2 tone and Volume controls. Its a Les Paul that did not go thru finishing school though it has a carved top. Burstbucker PRO neck and bridge PU

Trying the thing in my freindly neighborhood GC,, it sounded like any other Hummy type guitar in terms of loudness and such. For some reason I don't relax enough to evaluate a guitar enough to get an opinion - sound wise. I think that is the reason why I have way to many guitars ,, just to pick one up and try at home in a relaxed setting, to really try it out.

At home, I have some decent guitars to compare this to... First thing I noticed was how resonate the body was, very loud unplugged for a Solid body Electric, in the territory of a hollowbody with maybe a bit more volume. Second was how articulate and HOT the PU's are. Way more hot than the SD PAFs in my Epi LP, my hottest Guitar, until now. Being hot is really not a tonal quality IMHO. Clean, Both PU's have a warmth that I have heard in PAF's and a woody character that is appealing. Tonal qualities, which are many , fill the room by just strumming. Using distortion reveals that these things kick ass, lots of harmonics, grit, bite, crunch, . String ringing is a snap. This compares to my Goldtop with P90's, but more so. This guitar is defenitly NOT a one or two trick pony, like a guitar used for certain type of styles, This thing is good for ALL styles except maybe for old time Country tunes. Did I say it has tone?

This thing is beautiful, not finished in terms of flamed, quilted, AAA matched top with color choices, just wood grain mahogony. Actually, the wood looks like the type my WWII era 303 British Enfield rifle stock has.. It can't shoot anymore and is just a wall decoration now but looks nice in an elemental sort of way, battle marks and all. One would not be afraid of putting a ding on this guitar , if anything than to give it character. If one wants to be picky, there is some glue drips at the neck joint, VERY slight. Good action,,No fret buzz anywhere, frets dressed like a custom shop, only other guitar in my corral like this is my PRS P-90. Typical LP hardware with the green tuners which BTW stays in tune, even from the factory this thing was in tune. It is rather light for an LP but it sustains forever.

Seems durably enough though judging on how the guitar feels, the finish will wear rather quickly. One can feel the wood on this guitar. Maybe some MIN WAX is needed to protect the finish

Have not dealt with Gibson

I play Blues, Jazz, rock, metal, luv to play, no professional though. Gibson, thank you for making this guitar, building great gear for under one grand, for the rest of us. Actually, me thinks this model went down another $100 from last year. I saw one for 899.00 DEC 2005, mine was 799.00 this year (2006), though the body seems a bit thinner and not as heavy. There were some more tastey picks at GC, double cutaway LP with dual P90s @ around $600.00, LP Melody with 1 P90 - 550, SG mahogony with 490T PU's, there may have been one or two more models but these caught my eye. Even Epi LPs pricing have gone down considerably. While this thing won't be on a wall like a showcar trailer queen, I'm sure it will be played often and not staying home, with me worrying about messing up the finish.

All mahogany body, carved top, rosewood fretboard. Faded, no-gloss finish with open-grain wood - it's supposed to be red or cherry, but it looks brown to me. No binding. Two Burstbucker Pro pickups... otherwise your average Les Paul Studio. Mine is upgraded with Grover tuners (the vintage-style tuners would not stay in tune at all). This one earns an 8 for the pickups.

Clear, punchy, articulate, and not too dirty. I only use tube amps, and this thing won't overdrive the amp unless you want it to. Very responsive to your touch. The pickups are really great. Good resonation through the body.

I got this guitar used, so I can't speak for the factory. Mine has a low, comfortable action. I adjusted the intonation myself. The finish is no-frills, but I like it that way. No flaws as far as I can tell...

The guitar is as heavy-duty as a Les Paul can be. Without the fancy finish, you won't worry as much about scratching it, either. Totally dependable, though you should always have a backup guitar (you never know when a string will break).

No experience with them.

I got this guitar pretty cheap, I think, so it's definitely a fantastic value to me. This has become my main guitar - great sound, and the neck just feels right. I've been playing alternative, prog, and classic rock for about 11 years, and this is probably my favorite of my 7 very nice guitars (two Strats, a Hamer Duotone, an Epiphone Dot, a very nice Epiphone Les Paul, and a Larivee acoustic). If I lost this, I would try to find this guitar again - for sure.

Another reviewer nailed the desription when he said it???s ???an LP studio model with upgraded pickups and downgraded finish???. Available only through Musician???s Friend. Red, carved mahogany top and mahogany back, '59 rounded Les Paul mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar chrome hardware Alnico 5 BurstBucker Pro pickups, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3-way switch

I???m always a little skeptical when other reviewers gush about the sound of their new guitars. The more exclamation points and capital letters I see in a review, the more skeptical I become. But, even with trying to be hard nosed about this review, I have to say that all the raves about these pick ups are justified. The Burstbucker Pro pick ups are really remarkable. They put out super deep, meaty, thick tone that does not quit. The sound is clear (no mud), nicely balanced and articulate. Incredible versatility. The owner of the local music store who did the post purchase set up for me said: ???These pick ups are huge???. They really are. You can effortlessly go from crunch to jazz. As bad as the set up was out of the box (see below), with that kind of sound, I couldn???t stop playing the thing.

The Vintage Mahogany Les Paul has this presence and extra depth to the sound that is unmistakably Gibson. It???s easy to see why the Les Paul is an icon. As Strats and Teles are to single pole pick ups, the Les Paul is to humbuckers. I was a long time Les Paul hold out. I was never, ever burning to own one. But this is easily one of the best sounding guitars I've heard. I have to think it???s the combination of the Burstbuckers and the thick, carved mahogany body (it???s a heavy guitar) and set mahogany neck. I totally agree with another reviewer who said that it has a tonal variety unlike any other guitar I've played or owned. As noted by another reviewer, I don???t know about the idea of the thinner finish allowing for more tone, but the tone is definitely there.

The Burstbuckers are typically found on the much, much higher end Gibsons. From a manufacturing point of view, the configuration of this guitar is a stroke of genius. Add high end pick ups (a readily available stock part) to a guitar with a minimal finish (far fewer labor hours and, compared to the multiple layers of finish on other guitars, far fewer things to go wrong at each step) and there you have it. You can knock them out all day long at reduced cost and increased profit. It???s a no frills tone machine. Although the new $1000 (formerly $900) selling price is not cheap, in contrast to what other Les Paul versions are going for, this one is a comparative bargain. The deal that I lucked into made it way too good to pass up (see below).

Structurally, this guitar is as solid as a tank. Ditto for the electronics. It also has a really nice hard shell case. The only uncertain part of this is the finish and how it will hold up over time. But, we all knew about that going in.

The up side is that this is a great sounding guitar. The down side is that it requires a thorough set up to be playable. And, there's the minimal finish thing (not an issue for me). As stated by another reviewer: ???Find a good Gibson dealer or custom shop that you believe in and let them do their magic???. If I paid the new $1,000 sale price (formerly $900), I would not have been so happy about the need for a post purchase set up. But, for $688.50, I have no complaints whatsoever. As I noted above, the set up problems seem to be the rule rather than the exception so this cannot be explained as some occasional fluke. I think Gibson (and Musician???s Friend) should take note. Why not have a $1,000 Les Paul that is set up well out of the box? But, in my case, now that the set up is done, it???s a nice playing, terrific sounding guitar that I???m very happy with.

I???ve got three other electrics and the Les Paul VM is the best sounding. However, the other three are easier playing guitars. I???ve got a USA standard Strat which has not required any post purchase work at all and plays super easy. For sound and playability, the Strat is a true benchmark guitar. I???ve also got a PRS SE that played beautifully out of the box that I have had zero problems with and I upgraded with a DiMarzio Air Norton and Air Zone and a coil tap. That guitar screams and plays like a dream. I also have an Epiphone Sheraton that was already phenomenally set up when I bought it (super low action) that I added a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom and Jazz to. So, with the exception of the Strat, I???m used to tweaking guitars, primarily to get richer sound out of them. With the Vintage Mahogany Les Paul, the sound was outstanding but I had to tweak it to get the playability where it should be. But, doing a set up is a lot cheaper than having to add new pick ups.

The guitar???s a keeper. If lost or stolen, I???d probably get another one. The $688.50 price tag (plus a set up) made it possible to add a Les Paul to my collection at a great price with great pick ups. From a player and collector point of view, having a Strat and a Les Paul covers two rock and blues icons. Two unique, historic guitars.

I covered my dislike for the finish. The body is mahogony with a mohogany top. The hardware has a durable finish (tougher than the gold plating on my Custom). Some don't like the tuners, but I do. They have a gear ratio that allows little movement to get quick tuning (not like tuners you have to turn a lot to tune a little). The neck is close to late 50's Les Paul's, not as thin as the SG necks. It came with a sturdy hard case (better crafted than some of the Gibson cases made in Canada). 22 frets. Now this is where I give this instrument a real pat on the back. The pickups are great! They give me all the sounds I expect from a Les PAUL. They sound a lot better than the 490 and 498 that are in my Custom.

The sound of this instrument is excellent. I use it through a Marshall DSL 50w half-stack. It has great tone, sustain and playability. I can get most of the sounds I want from crystal clear to blues to all-out heavy metal (with a little help from my BK Tube Driver).

The setup from the factory was the usual generic settings. I adjusted the neck, string/pickup height and intonation and this thing sings! Now this is where I was seriously dissappointed with guitar. The finish is TERRIBLE(The open grain and poor matching of woods). So, I stripped the strings, pick guard, bridge and tailpiece off and gave it a lemon oil and 4"O" steel wool rub-down. It helped to smooth out the rough grain and gave it a real nice worn-in look. After the lemon oil was throughly rubbed out, I put it back together and performed the previously mentioned setup adjustments. After a couple of weeks I took some factory Gibson polish and gave it another good rub-down. Looks great!!

This is the guitar of a lifetime.

I have delt with Gibson of Nashville directly and their customer support is excellent. The problem is, the quality control at the plant stinks.

I've been playing since the mid 70's and play anything from classical to heavy metal. This guitar covers it all!
If you don't care about a guitar's finish and don't mind adding a little elbow grease, than this is a great Les Paul for the money.

This is the GC version in the dark brown finish with chrome and black hardware. Burstbucker Pros, all mahogany, rosewood fretboard. It's got all the features I need.

This thing rocks. My first Les Paul and now it's about my favorite playing guitar in my arsenal. Running straight through a Peavey Ultra 60. So what can I say? A Les Paul straight through an all-tube head.... awesome. It gives me the heaviness I need and can get somewhat bright. I'm using Ernie Ball Slinky Top Heavy Bottom strings and it's about at the limit without altering the nut. I think it's the all mahogany construction with very little clear coat that gives it it's richness.

Bought mine used and wasn't set up too bad. Action was a little high for my liking but easily adjusted. This is the dark brown finish and I gotta say, I love the look of it. But then again, I'm not into flash and glitz, I like the toned down, natural rawness of materials. And I'm not fond of the painted neck on the other Les Pauls. So this isn't for everyone but suits me perfect. I tried one of these at GC and I gotta say that one was a little rough in the finishing. I took a chance with this on ebay (got a great price) and lucked out. It's very smooth and nicely matched and finished. Much better than the one I tried.

It's a Les Paul, it'll last pretty much anything. Mine came with strap locks and I've been reading that this needs them, so I would definitely do it. I don't know what the stock ones are like, and I'm not going to. Without the multiple layers of clear, the wood is softer and tends to ding easier, but with the natural finish, it's less noticable. I don't think I would gig without a backup no matter what guitar it is. But if I had to, I'd have confidence in this one. And of course, the plasic tuners are getting switched out.

Never used them

Been playing over 25 yearrs. Got a Charvel, ESP, Ibanez, and an underrated Peavey Generations EXP Custom. If this was stolen, won't get lost, I'd kill! But I would definitely get another one. In fact, with it I may get another one.

Basic Les Paul design. Does what it needs to do. The all mahogany body allows for a much deeper tone, and the burstbucker pickups sound so nice. Very mellow when played clean, and they growl when you need them to

One of the best sounding guitars I've heard in a lond time. This thing provides booming lows when needed, and nice crisp highs. These Burstbucker pickups just sound fantastic.

This is a huge problem in my eyes. Over the course of the past weekend, I played 10 of these guitars at various Guitar Centers. Though the action and intonation seemed spot on on most, the frets were aweful. It was if Gibson payed no attention to them what so ever. 10 of the same guitar all with extremely sharp fret ends. It was so uncomfortable. There was on possible diamond in the rough though that wasn't half as bad as the other 9. I asked the sales man if this was common with these worn finish guitars. His response, "What do you expect for $900". I was apauled by that response. For $900 I excpect alot more than this guitar had to offer.

Seemed strong as a tank. It should withstand the riggors of live playing. Strap locks are needed as Gibson strap pins always seem small, and this thing is on the heavy side.

N/A

Been playing off and on for 20 years now. Own a American Series Tele, 50's classic Strat, Gibson L6-S, Gibson Les Paul Special, 70's Lawsuit Les Paul Custom. For the money this thing costs I would have expected much better attentino to detail. 10 out of 10 Guitars with very sharp fretboards tells me Gibson's just rushing these out the door on the assumption that the GIBSON name alone will make people look the other way, and apparntly it's working. Not to mention in the last 12-18 months these have risen in price by $200. Gibson's gotten greedy.

USA made!!! Got this beauty when it very first came out. I have the Cherry finish, and it came with a beautiful Gibson USA hardshell case. 22 frets, and Burstbucker pickups, (WOW, these pickups ROCK!!!) I put Schaller locks on, so it doesn't fall, Everything on this guitar is perfect!

I play Classic rock and for this type of music, this is THEE GUITAR! this guitar just rock and roars! I play thru a Marshall Split 50, and this sounds so good that I can't believe it!

Everything was perfect when it arrived

This guitar is better than more expensive LP's, and you have to play it to see!. This will be your number 1 guitar and it is a very solid guitar that will withstand the "rigors of the road" Very dependable axe, and could use this without a spare!

Ive had no need for any service, mine is perfect!!

been playing 25 years and if this was lost or stolen, i would buy another one the next day, and thats how much I like this guitar! I've played more expensive Gibson's and this one just seems to blow them out of the water! It must be the Burstbucker pickups and the Mahogany combination. I could not ask for a nicer, more rocking guitar. This is totally GIBSON LES PAUL, USA. For the asking price, you cannot beat this guitar. Better buy one before they stop making this, or they up the price!!! Thaks Gibson for a GREAT GUITAR!!!

Manufactured by Gibson USA Serial #004661344 so lets see the 9 didgit serial through me for a while I found out from cust support 1st #0 and 5th #6 make it 2006 model 3rd 4th & 5th = 046 that is 46th day of the year so that makes it Feb 15th 6th number 1 means it was built in the morning (2 would be afternoon.) didgits 78&9 makes it the 344th stamping of the day. 22 fret solid mahogany top. I really dont believe there is a "finish" on this guitar if there is it not much of one. Worn Brown is the color code. controls are as usual 2 vol, 2 tone, 3way switch' pups are alnico 5 burstbucker pros. passive electronics. All mahogany body carved top. solid body two piece carved top. one piece mahogony neck. each outer side of the head stock is added for width I supose. Tune-o-matic bridge. Gibson "Deluxe" tuners (more on this later) '59 neck profile. rose wood fingerboard w/ mother of pearl trapazoid inlays. (except for headstock of course.) standard hard case. (Canadian)

Suits me fine I'm an avid hobbiest. Blues, southern rock, classic rock. amps 1965 Fender Champ (Running through Hughs and Ketner w/12" Celestion greenback) , Fender bronco, I really like it through a VOX Pathfinder15,for the reverb and trem controles. But hate too admit most of the time Im using my microcube so I can run a cd player through to play along with and with a wife 2 teenagers and a dog the headphone jack is about the only chance I've got. I've had none of the gronding issues I noticed mentioned here. SOUND IS INCREDABLE no matter what it's running through. tonal variety is unlike any other guitar I've played or owned.

This is really where You understand the price. Factory "setup"? Is that meant as a joke? Action, way to high. ( I mean it) Bridge and stop tail way out of line. Intonation sucked. first week drove me nuts. Bought it new at the Dallas 06 show apr 21st from guitar centers booth. took it in the following sat.(1st day off) String slipage was the verdict. They also realighned the bridge and stop tail, however two weeks later, tuning is still an issue.(though much much better) I guess I'm going to have too consider new tuners... Not real happy about that. Fret wires are okay at best they will be polished and rounded a bit, during set up in the next couple of weeks. The nut is another area of consern, I think the strings may be binding in their nut slots and could be contributing to my tuning issues.

Of course it will withstand live playing once I get it to my tech.
Hardware is top notch (with the exception of the tuners and I may have that wrong I'll repost after it's profesionally setup)the finish is so natural it can only improve. I rub it down with a very light lemon oil once or twice a week.It is beautiful. Stap buttons SUCK! I wouldnt even take a chance with them I did try them almost droped my Guitar! If youre going to stand get locks right away. I dont gig. Im not including the tuning issue in grading this portion of the review. get strap locks

Gibson service dept is amazing. This is my first Gibson. Ive owned american fenders (and still do) customer service alone will make me consider Gibson first from here out. I have always felt that a real Les Paul was beyond my reach. (agian with the wife two teenagers and a dog. and all that goes with that.) But oh well........... no more starbucks for about 8 months.

I've been playing 2 years.
2000 american fender stratocaster, amazing guitar. beautiful curling and flame in the maple neck I've never seen another like it. 2003 Telecaster custom another very nice guitar setup like a paul but cant hold a candle to this Gibson. (I thought I could live with it for the savings. I think my daughter's going to take it over I'm done with it.) Get this, how many of you have seen a Pignose Strat? I bought one at a pawn shop for like $100. Its the only cheap guitar Ive kept. It plays great and I dont mind loaning it out to the kids in the neighborhood. My only accoustic is a 80s era Yamaha 400 my kid brother gave me. What a great guitar. plays and sounds like a dream. My next aquisition after my experiance with Gibson will be a Gibson accoustic. let the search begin, I guess I wont see the inside of a starbucks for the next couple of years. If My LP were LoST? never gonna happen. Stolen? I would track down the thief and make them play a first act pos for the rest of thier life...but really I'd buy another. Don't let my frustration with the tuning issues keep you from owning this guitar
it is an incredable value. You just need to be prepared to have a good tech give it a real setup. find a good gibson dealer or custom shop that you believe in and let them do their magic. If your in the Dallas area talk to Brian at Charleys guitar shop on Royal (I think it's Royal near hwy 35e) he's the best I've ever met.

Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany Electric Guitar Features:

Carved mahogany top and mahogany back
'59 rounded Les Paul mahogany neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar
Chrome hardware
Alnico 5 BurstBucker Pro pickups
2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3-way switch

Love the sound. Very warm and gritty. Fairly High Output.

This is why I bought the guitar. It felt so good in my hands. I love the mahogany finish. Feels so solid in your lap. Mine is a very dark brown. Guitar Center Version.

http://www.6webs.com/music/gear.html

I can see this easily lasting my lifetime.

I've been playing for 11 years. I own a DRRI, 91 Strat Plus, some other stuff and this beauty. I played some other les paul standards and came out with this one. I'm very happy with my purchase.

2005 Made in USA, 22 Frets, Solid Body - Mahogany Top and Back, 2 volume, 2 tone, 3 way switch, 2 Burstbucker hums, Finish is kind of a wine red satin type color. Gibson tuners kluson style. 59' V neck profile. Includes a Hard Shell.

Suits pretty much any music style, although I mainly use it for only rock rhythm. Great for any type of rock played through my Peavey Valveking or my GNX4. The sound is very deep. Unfortunately, like mentioned previously the guitar has a hum sound to it whenever you take your fingers off any metal parts. Also, tube amps tend to give me a little bit of a shock.

I do love the sound however and the $10 to get the grounding fixed should make it great.

Well, I got this from Musician's Friend after playing one in a Guitar Center. The guitar was set up pretty nicely although the D string's intonation was pretty off, although all the others were near perfect. Haven't had a chance to get it to a professional yet.

I love the finish on this guitar, but that's mainly cause I don't like the extreme flashiness of Les Paul's and the guitar gets polished as you play it, it's pretty darn cool. Almost no hardware flaws

This guitar friggin rocks in the durability department. I am stationed in Iraq at the moment and it's made it with me to the US and back here. I've had a window fall in on it after a mortar attack and the pickup mounts were scratched and a small ding was put into the wood, but the guitar is really solid. In fact, I call it My "$900 slab of wood".

The finish won't last for a long time, but that's the basically the point, they knock almost $1000 off the price by using this cheap finish. Just keep it in a hardcase.

The strap buttons suck. Two days after I got this guitar it fell off the strap buttons and the cable pushed the jackplate straight into the guitar's body. Soon after I ordered some Dunlop Straploks and haven't had this problem again. In fact, I would swing it around my head and not worry now.

Yes I can depend on it. They oughta certify this guitar military grade now.

I have used this at gigs without a back up but you should always have one anyways.

N/A, never dealt with gibson

I've been playing for 5 years, I own 2 other electric guitars, which are a homebuilt stratocaster built from parts from all major parts dealers, an Oscar Schmidt by Washburn strat HSS. I own 3 acoustics, Ibanez AEF18ENT and 2 cheap ones. I have a Peavey Rage III practice amp and a Peavey ValveKing 112. A Digitech GNX4 and multiple effects.

If this were stolen I'd organize a military mission to neutralize the thieves with extreme prejudice. Definately I'd buy another one.

I love it's deep sound, especially on the middle position and neck, I hate the hum I get because of the improper grounding. My favorite feature would be the 2 volumes and 2 tones.

I compared it to a Fender American Strat HH and an Epiphone Les Paul. This one just had that sound.

I wish it had binding. Lacquer sucks but I wish it had binding.

Make sure you get straploks, they are like $15 and they will protect you from making the same mistake I did. It's definately worth the money.

American made, 2005, Gibson Les Paul Studio Edition. Full 3-piece mahogany body, '59 profile "V" neck, 22-frets, trapezoid abalone inlay, 2 Alnico 5 Burstbucker Pros, 3-way, 2 tone, 2 volume, chrome hardware. Finish is very light, brown stain. I actually really like the way this guitar is finished, though it won't be for everyone. If you wanted quilted maple or tobacco burst, this isn't for you. I like that there isn't a thick lacquer on it, though. Makes me feel more connected to the instrument. Oh yeah, the strap buttons are small, so I would recommend lockers, just in case

Sound is fantastic. The electronic on this guitar are the same as the new Standards and Classics, so you are getting a great sounding guitar for a fraction of the price of those other LPs. Sure, no fancy finish, but this just feels classic, and anyway, it's the sound that is important and this has it in spades. One thing, though. The setup from the factory was subpar. A little high, but the intonation was off. After getting it professionally reset, I have to say that this guitar sings. Harmonics are nice, great clean sound (a little bright sometimes, but then tone knobs, huh?), growling under distortion. I play through a Fender Princeton Chorus and a Vox Valvtronix 15 watt hybrid combo amp. Have also played one through a Blues Deluxe RI, Bassman RI, and Twin Reverb. All sound great (would probably go with the Bassman, but who wouldn't?). All in all, a fantastic sound.

Ok, here is where the problems with the guitar come out. At the Guitar Center near my house, they had about 5 of these guys. I played all of them, and they were varied in quality. Some of them had bad sanding under the cut, others were not set up very well. I chose the "best" of them, even finish, decent setup, no apparent flaws. However, when I took it to get professionally setup, the guy told me that it has a twisted neck. Fortunately, this doesn't affect playability, and it didn't affect getting an awesome setup on it, but it could have, so watch out for this. Hence, the "5".

This thing is like a tank, really. Heavy enough, too. I have had it since September, no issues. The only thing I can think of is that the finish is so light that the wood may dent easily. I would definitely recommend a belt-wear patch, unless you like the character it gives the guitar. But it can stand up to a lot, for sure.

Haven't had to contact them.

I have been playing for about 4 years and this is my first electric. I also own a Martin 000-CXE (love it), and a 1980 Yamaha Classical (great guitar). Since I have had this guitar since September 2005, I thought it was about time to write this review. After the reset, I took her home and probably didn't put her down for around 3 hours. Fantastic sounds, great responsiveness. I love this guitar and would never think of selling it (not that I would sell any of my guitars). Great guitar, highly recommended

Made in the USA, 2005. 22 Frets. Carved mahogany top and mahogany back. Dull satin\matt-like, unpolished finish... Almost like a plain brown stain... 1959 rounded Les Paul mahogany neck with trapezoid inlays. Rosewood fingerboard. Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar. Chrome hardware. Alnico 5 BurstBucker Pro pickups. 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3-way pick up switch. I give features an (8) because nothing is a 10, and 9 is still to high... The tuners are questionable. I prefer sealed tuners, whether they are Gibson or Grover doesn?t matter. I believe the guitar would stay in tune much better...

I have been playing guitar 7 years. I play Christian rock. Some clean sound for a worship setting... I sometimes jam out to a bluesy-rock, and sometimes a country sound, and can do rhythm or lead... This guitar's sound can easily fit in to any setting. I'm not sure whether it can do a metal or death metal sound. Never tried?

If you take your hands off the guitar when plugged in, you can hear an annoying ground hum. I don?t know if all of these guitars are this way, but mine is. I?ve tested the hum on 2 different amps, 3 different locations, and with several different cables. It?s still there. Its not a problem to me because my hands are always touching something on the guitar. (Strings, Bridge) It does not hum then.

95% of the time I play though a Crate GT1200H/G412SL Half Stack. This is a very nice sounding amp, considering it was only 500 bucks and sounds great with this guitar.

They guy a few below wasn?t exactly correct about how the guitar couldn?t do pinch harmonics. It can. They sound fine? But for some reason, it is a little bit difficult to get them to come out on this thing? The stock strings that it came with are junk. They sound bad and don?t stay in tune. Take them off first thing. I use SIT 10?s.

I give sound a 9. Again, nothing is a 10. And this thing really does sound great!

Ouch, this guitar's factory setup was horrible. The intonation was extremely off. It took me about a half an hour to get it almost perfect. The low E and A strings had some fret buzz. That was because the action was too low on that side. It took about 10 minutes to adjust the action and get the buzz out. The action did come a bit low, and again that?s why it was buzzing.

The adjustable poles on the pickups which control how much volume each string has was set up perfectly to my ears.

All the hardware was installed very well. They nut looks good. The inlays look 100 times better up close when compared to an epiphone guitar. (Epiphone?s are great guitars too). The frets and fret-board are well made together. No noise in the pickup selector or knobs.

I thought the brownish color of the finish was ugly the first time I saw this thing, but it has grown on me tremendously. Also, where your forearm rubs, the color is fading, and the finish is being polished over time. I like they way it looks, it adds a worn look to it... It?s a companionship then, knowing your own arm has discolored and polished the guitar. LOL.

So I give the factory setup and finish a 6 on my guitar. After spending a few minutes adjusting, I give it an 8, I can?t make it a 10. But it?s perfect to me?

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Yes, it?s a strong road worthy guitar.

The Hardware does last.

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? The finish is good, but like I said above, it will discolor and polish where your arm rubs. It?s a good thing though, you don?t have to constantly polish your guitar from sweat and finger prints.

Strap buttons are solid, but look smaller than normal.

I can depend on this guitar. But everyone needs a backup no matter how expensive your guitar is...

No problems yet, and dont forsee any...

I have been playing guitar 7 years. I also play a Martin DC16GTE, Mandolin, and blues style Harmonica. Most likely I would replace this guitar with the exact same one if lost or stolen. It depends on what kind of money I have on hand... or upgrade into the 1,200 dollar range. They?re nice, but it?s not necessary for anyone to buy a 3,000 dollar guitar. If you can afford it like pocket change then more power to you. I think sound and quality stops at 1,800 bucks... But that?s my opinion...

One last thing! This guitar comes with an extremely nice Gibson case. It was made in Canada. It has a combination lock on it, and a blanket to cover your guitar when the case it closed. This keeps fuzz from getting in your strings?

Overall I would say 8 personally, but it really is a fantastic value for 900 bucks! So I give it a 10.

The usual line up of Les Paul features. This particular model uses the Gibson Deluxe (Kluson style) tuners, a mahogany top, Burstbucker Pro pickups, a '59 neck profile, speed knobs, and has no binding and a satin finish. Like all studio models there are no inlays in the headstock. The finish is surprisingly attractive and no online pictures I've found can quite do it justice. It included an average quality hardshell case.

I'm running this thing through a Vox AD120VT and it's absolutely stunning. There aren't words that can describe exactly how good these pickups are. I play a lot of hard rock, blues, and clean fingerpicking and there are no disappointments.

As far as I'm concerned the factory set up was perfect: action a little on the high side, neck pickup a little low, intonation perfect. I do plan on switching to lighter strings and resetting the intonation but the action and pickups will not be messed with. The overall build quality is higher than expected. The only thing I found was a slight ding on the back of the neck, but it's nothing even remotely serious and is hardly even noticable.

The first Gibson I owned was made in 1963 and was still fantastic when I got rid of it a couple of years ago. I forsee no problems in the future.

I've owned Gibson's for 5 years now and haven't had a reason to call them up yet.

I've been playing for about 6 years now and go through equipment more than I care to admit. After finally picking up an acoustic last year that I'm perfectly satisfied with I do believe I've found the same thing in an electric with this one. I would not hesitate to buy another one and will not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I knew I wanted an LP when I started researching this model and finally settled on this one in particular after some lengthy comparisons with the Epiphone Elitist models. The only thing I distinctly didn't like about this model was truss rod cover engraved with the word "Studio" that completely didn't match the raw feeling of the rest of the instrument. I very highly recommend replacing the truss rod cover with a blank one.

2005 Gibson Vintage Mahogany Les Paul Studio. All the same features as the standards and studios without the fancy finish and bindings. Mahogany top instead of maple. Burstbucker pickups.

I play mostly punk and skater thrash/metal-anything from Green Day to Suicidal Tendencies, and sometimes some classic metal or rock like Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin. I play through a Peavey 5150 2X12 combo usually with no effects but sometimes with delay/flanger/phaser. The burstbucker pickups are great. They have a very clear midrange and awesome crunch. I used to own a 1981 Les Paul standard and wasn't sure how the burstbuckers would compare but they are easily as good or better depending on your style of music. They get a better distorted rock tone that the 490/498 pickups IMO. This thing gets great harmonics and is very easy to play. The neck has a nice thick profile but not too thick, it's just right for my tastes but might not be sleek or thin enough for some people. I haven't found anything I dislike about this guitar yet-I can't put it down!

I bought mine used so I can't really comment on the factory setup. I did play one of these briefly at guitar center before I bought mine and the action was low, no buzzing, and the intonation was spot on. The finish on mine has no flaws and is absolutely beautiful if you like the satin/ stain/no gloss look. The lack of a gloss finish on the back of the neck is incredibly comfortable and easy to play. The one I played at guitar center, though, had some rough spots especially on the curve between the neck and the lower horn. It was very rough in a few spots like the saw marks were not sanded out. For this reason, I'd be hesitant to buy one from Musician's Friend just because you can't see what the finish is like before you buy it. If your buying it from ebay or somewhere similar, make sure you get alot of high res pictures. Mine had alot of close-up high res pics on the auction listing but I was still a little worried. I got lucky though because mine's perfect. If I was rating the finish on mine I would give it a 10, but since the one at guitar center had a bad finish I have to rate them lower overall.

This guitar has all the quality components of a Les Paul standard so it will hold up to just about anything. The finish will show some wear over time, especially where your arm rests on the body and on the back of the neck but this adds to it's character IMO and well worth the $1000 you'll save over a glossy finished standard. The strap buttons tend to be too small and make your strap slip off. I replaced mine with dunlop strap locks. This guitar is as dependable as any guitar you could buy but I would never gig without a backup.

I've never had to use Giibson customer support-with this guitar or my 1981 Les Paul standard so I think that speaks volumes about the quality of Gibson guitars.

I have been playing on and off for about 20 years. My other guitars are both 80's Kramers-one with a Floyd and one without. I love this guitar, the pickups and the finish are great for my tastes. I compared this guitar to the Les Paul studios and the Les Paul Special SL humbucker. I chose this one for the Burstbucker pickups and the carved top which the special does not have. The regular studios are like $1200 so this guitar is a bargain! If someone stole this guitar I'd buy another one as soon as I possibly could-but I'd make sure the finish was good.

2004, the first and fifth digit will give you the year
same features as any les paul

incredible!
treble pup cuts like a knife
rhythm pup very warm and dark
using a dsl 50 watt and a 410 fender
both sound great

a few minor adjustments - now perfect

come on - it's a gibson

the best

les paul's rock! nothing better

Typical Les-Paul Studio minus the finish. The Finish and Guitar are part of their Faded series. The finish is a light coat of Brown Stain with a Laquer sealer, Thats It! Some may not like it, I love it since it helps the Tone come through. I have ENOUGH guitars with 14 coats of Clear on them. 59 profile neck, BB-Pro Alnico-5 pups. The rest is your typical Les-Paul. One thing that Should be noted. Th back of the guitar is 3-piece and the top is 2. All of them from what I have seen are the same. Not a bad or good thing. Just the way it is. The neck IS 59, I have seen alot of comments stating it was felt the neck is somewhere between a 60 and 59. Its a 59! Guitar is all Mahogany which also be noted. Instead of a carved Maple cap the Vintage Mahogany has a Mah. cap!

Incredable, I own 3 Pauls a few Hamers and various other Gibson Semi-Hollows and P-90 equipped guitars. This is one of the best sounding guitars I have heard to date. The BB-Pro's are without a doubt the best sounding pick-ups Gibson has made to date. No muddyness, clear, balenced and articulate. Hands down the best neck pup I've heard. And the bridge isn't to bad either! Thw Combo of these pups, the all Mahogany build, 59 neck, and the lack of finish, produce one of the BEST sounding Les-Pauls I have heard in a long time. I said I have two other LPs which both are higher end LPs. They both sat in the case. The Hamers and Gibson 335 and 135 were getting all the play. Its a different story now with this guitar! I've been reaching for this LP all the time.

I bought mine at GC. I have heard the stories about the QC from Gibson? Maybe ordering one sight unseen from MF isn;t the BEST idea. But I picked this up of the shelve at GC and there is absolutly NOTHING wrong with the guitar. Frets are WELL done, I polished them and cleaned the fretboard. I also added a bone nut and changed the strings and re-ser the action. The guitar is spot on. But it was straight from the factory. Just that the frets were dirty and the guitar need to be cleaned. Beside I always add the bone nuts.

Gibson is on the money. E-Mail them and they will get right back to you. Ask them some BULL....and ya you might not hear back from them. The guitar is WELL built and will last a lifetime if taken care of properly.

Excellent

I've been playing since the 60's. I own a impressive collection of guitars and amps. What I don't own I probly have in the past. There's not much out there I haven't tried. I have been at this a long time. I am VERY impressed with this guitar and the new LP-Standard Faded with the 50's neck! These two guitars remind me VERY MUCH of the Gibson's of yesteryear, 50's to be exact! I am thinking about buying another. Thats how much I like this one. I also think for someone to give this guitar a overall rating of 1 is a shame. You will be hard pressed to find a better playing/sounding Les-Paul. If you buy a guitar sight unseen. And you wind up upset due to QC issues, whos at fault? Blame yourself for not getting out there and doing the leg work. When I bought this guitar, I played EVERY single High-End Les-Paul at Guitar Center that day. The 58, 59, and 57RIs and the Standards and Classics. I already own a Standard and Classic. I am very tempted to sell my two and to purchase a Standard Faded with a 50's neck. My Vintage Mahogany and the Faded Standard I played at GC that day were the TWO BEST Les-Pauls in that store. Yes they sounded better than the RIs. Maybe not ALL of them, but the ones in the store that day! This guitar is a outstanding value that probly won't be around for long. The sound of this guitar is second to NONE!

2005 Made in the USA and solid as a rock !
(I know the sales man and he hooked me up nice for a new LP!)
Mahogony on mahogony a beautiful red stained Les Paul.
Burstbucker pickups sound awesome!
Les Paul Studio model with a nice hardshell case *included*

This guitar looks crappy in the Pictures.. you have to see it in person to see this beauty!

My music style from blues to all forms of rock is a perfect match for this LP.
I have a Fender Blues Jr. Tube Amp. I play at home and at gigs, once the tubes warm up man this guitar sounds really nice!
When I was buying this guitar I had a choice from a Regular LP Studio, and a Fender American Strat,i tried all 3 (including this one) this LP blew all those away! The sound was nice and rich and when you set it to treble its very bright and smooth at the same time. Those BurstBucker Pro pickups sound amazing (they also come on LP Standards!) Even the regular LP Studio doesnt have these bad boys!
The ONLY dislike i would say is the guitar tends to untune a bit only the D and B strings for me.. ive heard this on other reviews too.
The more i play it, however the less this problem happends so i guess thats good!

Everthing on this guitar is perfect.. I mean you have to realize why its so marked down in price.. No paint and no maple.. This brings down the price drasticly.. giving us this guitar!
This Guitar Resembles the "59 Black Beauty" Same as this guitar the Black Beauty was ALL mahogony.
One thing i love about this guitar is the Neck. ITs a 59 sytle neck WOW it feels so great! Most of all its SOO smooth you can move fast with comfort.
This guitar is for sure the best bang for your buck once you play and hear it you will be sold!

I personlly love a heavy Les Paul. It feels very durable and the hardware (BurstBucker Pro pickups.. THAT COME ON A STANDARD) cant go wrong with that!

The only thing i would say is the finish.. its thin so that means its going to wear alot faster.. (which means it will get that vintage look..lol)
Im thinking of having it sent to gibson to get the face painted custom painted.. but thats in the near future!

I emailed Support to find out exactly when it was made and also to get all the specs of my guitar.. (this guitar was made in 2004 and 2005 so far) Got my reply within 24 hrs.. support seams to be perfect to me!

Ive been playing for 10 years now..
If it were lost or stolen id end up in jail.. ill leave it at that =P
I love the fact that i FINALLY own a Gibson Les Paul!! It's not just some cheap stuff put together.. its actually got a REALLY good sound and feel to it.
My favorite feature i would say is the 59 Neck. its just SOOO smooth and fast! Think about it.. most LP's have the neck painted with a clear finish.. its not as fast and if your palms are swety it will stick..(Amazingly..this LP stands above them all!!)
Let me put it this way.. i had $1500 dollars..I was looking for a LP Studio (i didnt know they had this model out).. so
I played a Regular LP Studio at $1300 (just doesnt feel and sound the same.. the Regular LP Studio did not sound as rich as this LP)
And also compared it to a Fender Amercian Standard Strat at $1250 ( great feel but the sound was o..k.. which didnt appeal to me)
This is when i saw my guitar.. i picked that bad boy up and like i said the FEEL and SOUND is unbeatable.. this guitar sounds like a $2000 LP.. When the sales man told me the price almost screamed.. if your in the market for a quality guitar this is the one!!

As far as features it's very simple, but what this guitar does have it's got in spades. Burstbucker pro p/u's, 22 frets, mahogany body, mahogany top, '59 rounded mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard.

I play MAINLY your rock family of music (everything from classic rock to black metal), but I play at least a little of everything (gotta have my vintage blues). I play this through a Fender Princeton Chorus (original model) and I can get some of the weirdest sounds for that amp. With a little tweaking, I've got something d*mn close to Dickey Betts's sound, and I can also get pretty close to Zeppelin-esque overdrive. The high gain sounds are good, nothing spectacular, but it's most likely due to my amp (should be getting a Marshall TSL100 at some point). I can tell this thing can definitely do high-gain stuff, because my WASHBURN DIME gets less drive out of that amp. Has a very warm, full sound, but then again, what Gibson LP doesn't? Didn't expect it from a Les Paul, but I turned down the tone knobs to about 5, switched to mid p/u pos., turned up my mids and took out some treble, clean channel, and I had a jazz tone I think gives a vintage ES-335 a run for its money!

Straight out of the box this thing had super-low action with no buzz whatsoever-just the way I like it! Didn't seem to have any problems. Oh, GOD and the neck feels so NATURAL in my hands. It's like my left hand and that neck were a match made in Heaven. Very well-balanced too. Only complaint is the tuners aren't what I wish they were. No problem though-I'm gonna outfit mine with Gotoh Kluson locking tuners.

I don't gig, so keep that in mind as you read this section of the review. Hardware seems like it will last, hasn't started to rust on me yet (had it since August). Finish seems rock solid, and it's not a bad finish, looks beautiful. Just wish it came in cherry sunburst. If I gigged yet, I wouldn't even bother with a backup, I've had NO trouble with this guitar.

Never had to use it.

I've played about 2 years and this is probably the best guitar I'll ever own-and I like it that way. If this thing were stolen, let me put it this way-a certain thief would wind up dead in a nearby creek. I f****ing LOVE THIS NECK! God, I never thought I'd be able to shred, but it's like the neck keeps my entire wrist eased but also supported, and I can just fly across the neck (sloppy as I may play). Just wish it had a whammy on it...what? Probably gonna put a Stetsbar on it (you think I'd cut into my baby to put a Floyd on it???? YOU'RE CRAZY!!!)

This has all been covered in the previous reviews.

I love this guitar, and it will probably get the most playing time of my small collection. I have a 81 Les Paul Custom that I have been refurbishing (repairing some finish cracks, replacing POTS, new bridge) that will now take even longer to finish because my motivation is gone.

The Burstbucker Pro pickups are excellent for my taste. Much quieter and responsive that the Duncans in my Schecter, the PRS designed in my Santana SE, or any of my other guitars. I could not be happier with the tones from this guitar. Slab-o-Mahogany with great pickups and a great neck.

After hearing a lot of complaints of the quality of Gibson USA products here and on other forums, I was sceptical. I was not dissapointed with the fit or finish in any was. Factory setup will need some minor tweaks to suit my tastes, but other than that (which is NORMAL) it's flawless.

Time will tell, but given the straight-forward, no frills nature of this guitar I don't expect any issues.

Have not had to deal with them yet.

No frills rock and roll machine. Exactly what I was looking for in this purchase.

Typical Gibson features. It has the new Burstbucker 5 pups, and a nice faded finish, though not ugly like some Gibson fadeds. Fairly thick 59 neck, which was one of the selling points for me. Made just for Musicians Fiend. 2005 model

I must admit I have always felt that the 490/498 pups were Gibsons best sounding, but I wanted to hear the burstbuckers. I find them too dark and muted, mediocre dynamics, but as in all pups, this is very subjective. they are ok, but not my fave. Use it with a Mesa 4x10 Maverick

Well, Gibson strikes out again. The worst playing pig I have ever owned, Razor sharp and burred frets, and the fretboard edges are very sharp. Extremely cheap peghead finish and decal, 5 dollar set of tuners, high nut, etc. Very poor sanding on the edges of the body, very lumpy . This guitar should NEVER have left the factory. Very uncomfortable to play. Gibson is putting out the worst set-up and finished guitars of any manufacturer I know. Quality control is non-existent. Fender squiers for $200 are much better. I believe Gibson has quit trying

It might be reliable, but I will never know. Its going back tomorrow.

It doesnt matter, because no matter how helpful the office excuse-makers might be, the word isnt getting out to the morons on the shop floor. Do better work.

Been at it awhile, 30 plus years. Wanted to see what almost $850 buys from Gibson, and it isnt much. Could have bought a new Tele for another $50, with quality Gibson can only dream of. Shouldnt have to drop two K to get a decent product. I do believe a construction morker built this pig on his day off. This guitar is shameful.

I was the first person to post a review of this axe, and this is an amendment/add on to that post. I listed all the features, etc.

Like I said, it's got a nice sound.

see my previous post.

See my Previous post.

Gibson and Epiphone customer service is a class act.

After some thought, I've decided that I didn't really give this guitar a chance. So I'm going to buy another. I loved the sturdiness of this thing. It really was built like a tank. I'm about to drain my savings account in order to get one, but I'll replace the money with my next income tax return. If I have any problems I have a few places I can take it to fix 'em. I have an Elitist Les Paul Standard, and this will be a great addition. Then I'll have two great guitars. And I think I'll name this one, too.

2005 Made in the USA and solid as a rock !
Mahogony on mahogony a beautiful red stained piece of art.
My drummer was in awe !!
Burstbucker pickups. one word !!
Les Paul Studio model with a nice hardshell case

Style is what a Les Paul is about. Classic smooth clean to growling rock and roll. I love the sound of this guitar. Read rrosso's review 'cause it is verbatim what this guitar is.

Everything was spot on...as they say.
Mahogony on mahogony a beautiful red stained piece of art
No flaws. I couldn't have asked for better and I am PICKY !!

Gibson...need I say more ?
okay I will
Solid
Dependable
Rock of Gibralter
I do gig without backup

don't know and probably never will have to judging by the way this baby is built

I have been playing for 30+ years. I love this guitar and everything about it. my other guitars are....um...uh..trying to remember cuz this B has taken the limelight !! seriously I currently own these
Jackson with JB Duncan p/up
Taylor 614CE maple AE
Taylor Koa ( ALL ) K20CE dread
Gibson Epi classical
I play the LP thru a Mesa 50/50 w/4x12 cab Rocktron Chameleon preamp processor
NO ONE better not be touching my Gibson !! lost ? I don't think so I won't let her outa my sight.....
BTW I named her "ROXY" ( my wife's nickname ) cuz I really dig playing her allllll de time

2004 gibson les paul vintage mahogany - made exclusively for guitar center and musicians friend. 22 frets, solid top, 2 vol., 2 tone, 3 way selector, h/h, burstbucker pros, mahogany body, worn cherry finish, came with good gibson case and trussrod tool.

this axe suits my musical style perfect. i like gritty, raw biting tone. i play it primarily on a marshall. it is only noisy with the gain all the way up. has a wide range of tones. heavy metal tones to warm jazzy tones to country twang. i got this guitar after getting rid of my american tele. the tele is a great guitar but to responsive and one dimensional as far as tone goes. the les paul can get me twang if i want it but also acdc tones, neil young tones, ramones tones, jazzy tones, etc...

the guitar was perfectly set up minus being a little out of tune understandably. intonation was perfect. action is right where i like it. i havent found any flaws at all.

this guitar is tanklike. heavy and hard. built to last as best i can tell. so was the tele.

n/a
one year warranty

i have been playing for about 3 years. i own a marshall amp, a danelectro honeytone, an alvarez acoustic and a vintage sears hummingbird acoustic. i love the range of sounds and tones and also the playability. it is also very forgiving. much more forgiving than the tele. it makes me want to play it where as the tele discouraged me from playing. my favorite feature are the burstbucker pickups. i compared this axe with sg's, duo jets, teles, etc...i chose this one for the features, the affordability, and the look.

Mahogany
Burstbucker Pros
Very thin finish, you can really see/feel the wood. I actually love the finish. I prefer it. The finish is very similar to the finish on a '55 Les Paul Special I used to have way back when.
I've been mostly playing strats for a while so the scale is different and very comfortable.
I've heard things about the tuners being sub-par but the thing is like a rock. I've had it for almost three months and I hardly know what the tuners are like I use them so little. Last night I took it out of the case, plugged it in, looked at the tuner and it was perfectly in tune. I'm not kidding. Almost every time I pick it up the thing is completely in tune.
The case is excellent too, by the way.
No whammy bar... oh well. (I love whammy bars)

I was GASing for an LP for a while and playing every one I could get my hands on. This is way out ahead the best I've played for years. This thing smokes.
First practice in the band it was like "Use that guitar". Comments all night long from band members. I haven't used any other guitar in the band since.

Played in public a number of times. Sounded great, no problem.
Sustain is basically til you're sick of it. It just rings.
Sounds great unplugged walking around the house.

I love the pickups. This thing just cuts thru.

Good for a wide variety of styles. I have heard that the mahogany cap would make it darker but I have no trouble getting it bright enough.

There is nothing I don't like about the sound of this guitar. Every time I pick it up and hit a note I still go "wow".

I can't believe I got such a great sounding/ playing Les Paul for that much money.

If you are looking for a Les Paul and don't want to spend a ton here is a guitar you can buy that the ONLY compromise is cosmetic. I can find absolutely no compromise in sound.

This thing ROCKS.

I had pretty bad buzzing due to string hieght right out of the box. Fixed in a couple of minutes. Barely a memory now.
The strings had a really bad case of "new" and needed serious stretching. I think some people complaining about tuning problems may be naive.
Intonation is good. Watching the tuner while playing there's a lot of green.
Pickups seem set up fine.
Wood is nice looking. Three piece back. Matched so well you really have to look hard in a good light up close to see the seams. I must of lucked out on the cap because the grain pattern is particularly nice.
I love the neck shape and the scale. Plays very fast.
One small ding on the neck, 1/4" X 1/16", on the back of the neck where the headstock joins. Can't really see it well. You can feel it. It's like someone put it on a rack too hard or something. I have been so happy with everything else this wasn't big enough a deal to worry about.
I'm rounding it up to 10. Really my perception is like 9.8 because of the ding.

Guitar has withstood live playing. Kicked butt.
It seems like it will last longer than me.
Finish is thin but nice
Thing looks solid.
I bring a backup all the time unless it's a benefit. If it's a benefit they can wait while I change the string.

My durability - playing 35 years, many genres. You can trust my opinion. This is a GREAT guitar. Like the guy said below, if you don't want to by a new guitar, don't pick this up. Seriously, I LOVE this thing.

LP Vintage Mahogany>MXR Dynacomp>Rotovibe>Crybaby>modded Tubescreamer>modded Boss DS-1 (Which I HATE unmodded. Now has better germanium diodes, better caps)>Boss CE-5>'65 Twin Reverb Reissue

I have something like 11 guitars, a bass, drum set, two mandolins, three violins, a saz, 6 synthesizers, baby grand, upright piano, lap steel, banjo, Crate amp, peavey bass amp, gotta be some other stuff around here I'm sure.

This is my favorite guitar.
If you're thinking about it do it.

but because of no whammy bar I give it a 9.997 :^)

As previous reviews stated...standard Les Paul Set Up

Bought new Aug 2005

Wow!! This is a rock n roller. I play it through an all tube Carvin MTS3200 half stack and this thing sustains indefinitely....unbelieable tone and sound...true power. I can't say enough about this guitar's sound.

I also have a Gibson les Paul Standard DC.....also a great guitar. The new Vintage Mahagony with those burstbucker pickups sounds better. I also have 2 fender strats....no comparison - they really can't touch the Les Paul.

No complaints...set up right and sounded great out of the box. Not a great looking guitar but the fit and finish is very good.

I bought this cause I wanted the sound of a Les Paul standard without paying 2 grand. This thing delivers. Is it better than a Les Paul Standard...no....is it prettier...no....does it sound as good and play as good...YES! Its that simple....a great sounding and playing guitar.

Don't believe any comparison between this guitar and an Epiphone. The Epi is a pretty guitar that sounds like crap. I had one. Anyone who compares this to an epi has no idea what a real Les Paul sounds like, how it feels and how it plays.

I've been playing 8 years and I play hard rock to metal. My arsenal of gear includes this Gibson, a Gibson Les Paul Standard DC, Peavey Wolfgang, Custom made Carvin DC 127, Ritchie Blackmore Fender Strat, and a standard fender strat. Amps include an all tube Carvin MTS3200 halfstack, a Line 6 AX2 and a Fender amp.

2005 Made of Course, in the Good ole USA . No description needed,its a Les Paul.

I'm just gonna sume this up by saying........Holy Crap, my new Les Paul sounds awsome, clear as a bell, with a nice smooth growl to die for........ahhhhhhh My first cord on this guitar, a D major, rang like nobodies business......lol And I hadn't even plugged in yet. I was tuning, and waiting a short few minutes for the tubes to nicely warm up in my Univalve, then with a flip of the standby switch, everything came together........nice, nice, nice, thank you Gibson for a really nice guitar.

My guitar came set up very nicely, perfect, maybe not, I believe there is a few tweaks here and there, and when I add my graphtech saddles, and aluminum bridge, i'll do a bit of fine tuning. But really people, she was ready for a set almost right out of the box. Just a bit of strobostomp action, and she was ready to go. I'f I wasn't a gadget fine tune freik, like the song says,"I wouldn't Change a Thing". Pickups were adjusted perfectly, The body and cap mahogany is matched wonderfully. And I gotta tell you, don't touch this guitar if you don't want to own one, I have never connected so well with the feel of wood until my hands wrapped around this body and neck.....its unreal.

I can't say how this guitar will hold up live, but really, its a Les Paul and should be treated like one, with the proper care, even playing out, this guitar should last and last. I have no doubt you could leave the house without a backup playing this mohogany wonder.

Never needed Gibson's help, must speak for itself.

I've been playing for several years, and own three Studio's, this Mohogany being the third, and I believe might move into the position number one really soon. I love the wood feel and finish, the black accents really go well with the deep brown Mohogany finsh. So far, I really cant say I dislike anything. Although I will add that I change all my Guitars over to Grover tuners, the Gibsons look nice, but for some reason they just don't add to the tuning strength of the guitar. I'm not in a rush though on this Mohogany, the stock tners are a bit tighter than usual, but after a few string changes, I'm sure I'll be adding the grovers......come on Gibson, we are buying the product, and paying the big money, why are you skimping on the tuners.......

Features have already been covered pretty well here. Carved mohogany top on mahogany body, two wax-potted burstbucker PU's like in the new Standards, deluxe tuners, two volume, two tone, one three way switch. According to Gibson this is the first time they've done mahogany on mahogany since the "Black Beauty".

I play mostly classic rock and blues. This thing covers it extremely well. If you haven't tried the Burstbuckers, do yourself a favor and give 'em a run. You'll love 'em. I run two basic setups, a modded Fender Bassman 100 head into two Avatar 2 x 12 cabs with Celestion Vintage 30's in each. Guitar, Bad Monkey, Marshall Guv'nor, Digitech reverb. The Bassman has no effects, so everything is pedal driven. I also use a Marshall AVT 50 head as well. This thing can be as thick and sweet as warm honey or snap your head off. Great range. No bullshit, no gimmicks, just straight LP sound. I was using a Firebrand Les Paul and this thing stomps it. Much more versatile.

Came set up pretty well. Had to adjust the neck slightly. Nut was cut well. Finish is as basic as you can get, which I love because in order to get this sound in another Gibson you'd have to drop $2000, and then who wants to take one of those "lustreboxes" out of your house? I'd be scared to death. I was a little skeptical about the '59 style neck, thought it would be too fat but this thing is quick. It's beefy, but sits well in your hand. So to speak.

Unlike Sammy Sosa's bat, this thing is all wood. Straight forward design. Don't see any problems here.

Haven't had to contact them, so no opinion.

Works for me. Straight, basic, great sound, great price. True value

2004 USA made, burst bucker pickups, mahagony top on mahagony body, cherry red, hard case Gibson Usa black, 22 frets I believe - did not count, 2 tone 2 volume, 3 way switch, les paul guitar, tune o matic bridge, gibson deluxe tuners

I play rock, blues, jazz, rockabilly with a Fender Hot rod Deluxe and a wah pedal. This is a great vintage sounding guitar with lots of sustain. Very heavy as vell withc is god to me. The neck enables me to play things I some how was able to play on this one and not so pervfect on the other (strat). Makes the Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zep, etc Les paul music just come right out by itself. I would not believe it if I havent tried it myself. Is my first Gibson Les paul and will surely not be the last. And the price - it is a bargain - a must have. Looks much cooler then the other studios. The finish means nothing to me as I have it to play not to pose with it. If you go for looks do not take this one - go for a much expensier models. If you are out to play them than this is it. You won't miss a thing. First I thought there was a mistake on the price tag - but it was correct - my gain.

mine was set up as I like it. No troubles there. The finish is just as you need it and no more. I don't go for looks - the sound is my main thing I wany. This finish is not bad but maybe it might fade with time - who cares as long as the sound stays. As for the action - you can allways arrange that. Mine was cool.

I have a SG and a strat and this one takes me places I haven't been before. I believe it will take the SG from my stage gear and be my main guitar in no time. Stays in tune, looks cool, makes you do some rock star poses I didn't try before. Funny - even if very heavy you just want to lift it up and do a solo. Replaced the strap buttons with the straplocks - and using a good leather strap. I think this one will stay with me for a long time. But I will see how time treats her. I know I will treat her good.

never had issues with this so I have nothing to say here.

I am playing for over 10 years now and for a long time have been a fender player. Then I started with getting a SG and this one. The sound is just what I want from a guitar and the price is ammaizing. Would get more of this if I lost this one or something like that. Its a Les paul Gibson with no high price. Who cares about the finish. Think this one is also good - just I think it will take some time for players to get used to it. I do get some owners of standard models saying how good theirs is compared to mine. No differences in sound from mine to the 2000USD Les Pauls. All are great I believe - it is just what you can afford and feel comfortable with. This one makes me feel like a better player and am very happy to get it. Don't hesitate - get it while still available. This will be a legend one day that there was a les paul at this price and so good....

2004. Basic 22 fret Les Paul Studio single cutaway configuration except with Burstbucker Pro pickups. Mahogany top and everything else, toggle switch 4 controls, black speed knobs, aged worn brown, rounded neck profile, decent frets on a rosewood board with trapezoid inlays, Gibson Deluxe tuners, Nashville tune-O-matic, chrome hardware, black plastic pickguard. This came with a gigbag.

Super Fantastic!!! I?ve used the original factory strings and Dean Markley LTHBs on the restring. Sounded great with each of them. These Burstbucker pickups are the stuff, and why I bought the guitar. They really match well with a tube amp. An excellent blues tone was achievable through all my amps. I liked it best through my old HiWatt DR50. They also sounded great through my solid state and hybrid amps. The pups have a chicken scratching snap to them if you know what I mean. When I tuned to D or G and played with a glass slide I got a real compressed almost Duane Allmanish sound. The pups seem to like working with the amp?s volume all the way up then controlling it from the guitar. These are the closest passive pickups I?ve found to sounding like actives. They really growl with a good sustain. A substantial improvement over the stock pups at least from a blues / rock perspective. The 490 / 498s pups are almost too creamy, great for jazz though. I dressed and polished the frets and replaced the chrome bridge with a nickel unit that had TUSQ saddles. I aslso replaced the stopbar with the lighter aluminum remake. That seemed to help improve sustain, as well as the richness of the tone. It also helped me to squeeze an excellent jazz sound out of my AVT50H retrospectively. I'm not sure if this was due to the stopbar, or the bridge. I also replaced the tuners with Rotomatics. This added to the comfort of tuning, enabling me to set the intonation. The sound quality is off the scale but I?ll give it a 9 because of the initial tuning issues which I'll discuss.

Fits me well, I prefer the chunky neck. Not as fat as the 50s profile, just right. I only had to dress and polish the frets minimally. The back of the neck could have used some more sanding before finishing. I may have to strip the neck eventually. I would rather avoid this. I?ll have to see how it breaks in. An ebony fretboard would be preferred. However, I got really lucky here. This board is really dark and tightly grained. The best example of a rosewood fretboard I?ve ever seen. It plays like ebony, nice and fast. I was able to set the action lower than I will ever need to without buzzing, and without a neck adjustment. I had all kinds of tuner problems. I really struggled with getting this to hold tune initially. I couldn't set the intonation due to this. They were also mounted crooked. A child could have done better. I intended to replace the tuners with Grover 18-1 Sta-Tites, I have a set. These are the redesigned old fashion exposed gear tuners (like Waverly?s) that retro fit the original deluxe keys with no drilling or holes to fill. They also have the added feature of bushings that fit into the peg head holes like the Imperials and the Waverly?s. I believe this relieves stress on the head and contributes to tuning precision. These should be really precise tuners and more sensitive than the 16-1 Rotomatic style. However, since the initial tuners were so crooked, I would have had to drill extra holes for each of the mounting screws anyway. So I installed a set of Rotomatics. Not much to say about the finish. Looks like a Danish walnut stain with some sort of nitrocellulose satin coat, maybe tung oil. It does cover evenly, not unattractive. It suits me. I don?t look like I have a $3000 guitar and need $3000 worth of lessons, (only $3000 worth of lessons) :-). The keys had to go. I have an SKB molded hard shell case. I don?t do gig bags.

Well, they are all rather delicate. But, you know the deal. These Studios are about the most rugged and reliable on the market. It is heavy enough. I intend to replace the strap locks with the Schaller system for drop insurance. I'll feel better when I get a strap lock system.

Even though it is new, it is not under warranty. This distributor is not authorized Gibson dealer. Or so I am told. And believe me, I asked before I ordered.

50 years, or so I'm told. I used to pick up my mothers tenor guitar when I was a toddler. Serious playing about 40 years. Initially the guitar had a fantastic sound and a great potential. I knew what I was getting into when I got it. I played one at the Guitar center and also a friend?s faded cherry model. Now that the setup is pimped out this guitar is a definite keeper. It honestly plays and sounds close to an expensive custom and is light years beyond any other Studio I?ve ever played. I can?t put this down and would definitely get another. I like it, it looks vintage, it plays vintage, sounds vintage. I?m not a big vintage freak, but imo Gibson achieved that here. Good job Nashville. I strongly recommend this guitar for anyone who knows a little something about setting up Gibson type guitars. A tremendous value. I would add the following features an ebony fretboard, better tuners, a quality case, jumbo nickel frets.

Mine is the faded cherry with Alnico 5 BurstBucker Pro pickups. Nothing fancy except the trapazoid fret markers. It's really just a LP studio model with upgraded pickups and downgraded finish. It came with a hardshell case.

I never really try to duplicate an exact sound so these pickups are fine for me. I play it through a Fender Blues Junior. Nothing like a humbucker and a tube amp.

This is my third Gibson electric and every one was set up pretty much the same which is fine for me. The finish is red stain in a matte finish. The wood grain shows through. It's not uniform across the front thus the faded name. It actually looks lighter where a guitar would wear naturally. This finish must save quite a bit of labor time explaining the great price.

I've never had a problem with any of my Gibsons.

I've emailed Gibson twice in the past and they replied in reasonable time with helpful answers.

Whoever came up with the idea of a cost saving less labor intense finish is a genius. For the same price I could have gotten a much more ornate foreign made guitar than this one. I paid $800 for an American made Gibson guitar. I priced the components for and American made, unfinished mahogany carved top,trapazoid inlays,Alnico 5 BurstBucker Pro pickups,and hardshell case and it cost more than this guitar. And Gibson built this one. If you want a fancy guitar this is not for you.This is a bare bones American made Gibson Les Paul.

Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahagony guitar in walnut color (limited run only through Guitar Center in this color-not faded cherry). I bought one and was totally dissappointed with the finish. It had a burned mark at the based of the body and around the head stock. Very sloppy glue work. I returned it to another store and found one in perfect shape. Much better. I have heard that Gibson does not have the best reputation for putting out quality guitars with high consistancy. My new one is perfect though. Low action (had a pro set-up) with rounded neck. Very easy to play. The back of the neck has a mat finish which is actually faster than the high gloss necks that wear out anyways over time found on standards and customs.

The sound is good. I play jazz, reggae, blues and funk. I like the bursbucker pick-ups. They sound deep and full yet bright enough to get a variety of sounds. Burst-buckers are the standard now for Lp standards. Very nice pick-up.

The first one I bought would fail this catagory miserably. Terrible finish and construction. The one I traded it in for (identical model) was in perfect shape. It needed to be set up like most gibsons do, to my liking. I find it easy to play and pretty good quality. Not as good as a more expensive standard or custom, but very nice none-the-less. Mahagony top gives a very rich deep tone that I prefer over twangy strats and tele's. For the money, you can't beat this les-paul.

Les Pauls are built like tanks. They last through the battles. I am always leary about the headstocks breaking off, but I have never had problems with any Les Pauls in the past. This guitar is pretty heavy and solid. I changed the strap buttons to Schaller locking buttons and upgraded the tuners to Grovers. I do this with all my instruments. No knock on Gibson, but the upgrades are a huge improvement over the factory parts. I have much more expensive guitars that I have done this to. An insurance policy for staying more in tune, and not having the guitar come crashing to the stage in the middle of a song.

Every time that I have called gibson, they have been very nice and supportive. Guitar center gladly took my Les Paul back and replaced it with one with a better finish and build quality.

I have been playing for about 15 years. I play everything from Jazz, to funk to reggea and blues. This guitar easily fits the bill, and what I like most about it is the vintage looking walnut finish. I have an old es-335 in this color and love it. Very conservative and cool. I can't stand that Icky cherry sunbust colors. Too flashy and cheeseball. All too common colors are boring and don't set the instrument apart. I don't know why gibson does not make Les Pauls with this color standard. The quality is gibson. It plays as nice as more expensive standards, but does not look as cheap as some of the other studios. This guitar is worth the money, but I would make sure that you see the one you are buying because of my experience with Gibson's inconsitant quality control. Some are bad, others are perfect.

USA made Gibson Les Paul. 22 frets, carved top mahogany finish, 2 burstbucker pro pickups, rosewood fretboard, tune o matic bridge, stock Gibson tuners, came with an awesome Gibson USA hardshell case. I fell in love with this beast at first sight.

I play rock, blues, whatever. Both pickups sound thick and juicy. Neck pickup is a low fuzzy growler and bridge pickup sounds clean and thick. BurstBucker pickups are usually found on $2000 LP standards. Not as twangy as my strat but thats not what you get a les paul for. Pure rock n roll. Think Kiss.

Set up was spot on from the factory. Nice low action with no buzz. I thought the guitar played better than the $1700 LP Classic. Much better. The big '59 style neck just fit my hand like a glove. The finish is a faded looking cherry - mahogany look. Cool. I think this guitar will age really nicely. If you want the sunburst and the binding go ahead and pay the extra grand.

Everything on this bad boy screams dependable. This is a solid workingman's guitar. I play just for fun and with friends so I am not a pro. But if I was a pro I would use this with full confidence.

Never dealt with Gibson, but they do have a really cool website.

I have a Fender Strat (Sqiuer) and sold my Godin SD to buy this giutar. I shopped and reasearched quite a bit before buying this unit. Looked at lots of Les Pauls on Ebay and at stores. Always wanted a real USA LP. Boy am I happy I got this one. The Godin was a good guitar but comparing it to the Les Paul is like comparing Filet mignon to cube steak. If stolen I would kill someone then go buy another. I play the guitar thru a Line 6 Spider II and can get any sound but country twang out of it. Thats what the Strat is for anyway. I strongly recommend this guitar for anyone who wants a REAL LES PAUL for under $1000. Couldnt be happier.

Basic Les Paul setup. 2 Burstbucker pro humbuckers, 2 vol., 2 tone controls. Absent is the quilt maple top, which is replaced by a slab of mahogany. Carved top. No binding either. Came with hardshell case.

I play bluesy hard rock and metal. Influences include Joe Perry, Ace Frehley, Dave Mustaine, Jimmy Page, Brad Whitford, and Jeff Young( former Megadeth guitarist). I used it with a Marshall AVT20 amp, which I love. Rich full sound on the vintage side. Not much variety but then again, it's a Les Paul. What I disliked was when I turned up the volume and gain on my Marshall (with the distortion circuit OFF) I couldn't get the darn thing to crunch up, not even a little. It fought to the death to stay clean. Not so with my JB equipped Epiphone Les Paul. Had to click on the gain circuit and keep it low to be able to play the early Kiss stuff off the first album.

It came equipped with very low quality strings, which I had to replace. Action was ok. Frets seemed a little sharp on the sides, especially between the 12th and 22nd frets. Tuning pegs were average, stock gibson. The neck tone control would not turn all the way down for some reason. Some thing was blocking it. I didn't mess with it. I never use the tone controls anyway. pICKUP selector was top notch.

Les Pauls are built like tanks. They survive. This one was heavy as all hell, which made it uncomfortable to play at times. The neck was very clubby feeling. I could not imagine shredding on this neck. I have small hands for a guy so this was a real problem for me. I had to struggle to play it. Not a good sign. You could depend on this definitely. But don't play a gig without a back up. However, I don't need to worry about this guitar not withstanding a live gig, since I ended up returning it. I had to think to myself, "Will this guitar help me to learn how to play better?" No. I could only imagine it holding me back. The damn thing was just too heavy, clunky and uncomfortable.

I have been playing for eleven years. My other gear is an Epiphone Les Paul Standard with flame top and Duncan humbuckers( JB and '59 ). I knicknamed it MONICA, after the angel on "Touched By An Angel." I am not a religious person at all, I just think Monica was very hot for an angel. Yeah, I know I'm strange-let's move on. My amp is a Marshall avt20-I love this amp. I also own a line six pod 2.0 which I hardly ever use. I wish I had the chance to try this guitar before I bought it. If it were stolen or lost I would get something else, something with a fast, slippery neck that's better suited to play fast, technical metal. I love Page and Frehley to itty bitty pieces, but I can't play the same guitar they use because it doesn't accomodate the way I play. God Bless them, the can play Les Pauls with ease. For the record, the epi is a lot easier to play. I returned it and am seriously considering getting a Peavey Quilt Top EVH Wolfgang special. But I will try it out first. All in all, if you pay 1000 dollars you expect a bit more than you get here. It did have great sound, though.