Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Ebony - Gold Hardware

by Gibson USA

Product Features

• Classic, no-nonsense 6-string electric guitar with stripped-down appointments with the full tonal splendor
• Solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body for excellent resonance and superior sustain
• Two of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups, a 498T in the bridge position and a 490R in the neck
• Includes Gibson's hallowed Tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and vintage-style tuners
• Ebony finish with gold hardware; comes with Gibson hardcase

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 27.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002CZUW4
• Item model number: Les Paul Studio
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,116 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Originally designed as a model for studio artists but adopted by countless players of all stripes, the no-nonsense Les Paul Studio electric guitar combines stripped-down appointments with the full tonal splendor and unrivaled playability of a Les Paul Standard--and at a more affordable price. It features a fat and sweet maple-and-mahogany tone from its two genuine Gibson humbucking pickups and it looks great in an ebony finish with gold hardware.

Angled headstock.

 

498T and 490R humbucking pickups.

 

Tune-o-matic bridge.

 

Included Gibson hard case. Click here for a larger image.

Key Features

Body and Finish

A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Paul Standards rock for nearly 60 years. The Les Paul Studio follows the classic lines of the Les Paul Standard, with a gently arched top and a single cutaway on the treble side of the neck/body joint for improved upper-fret access. The body's back is chambered to both reduce overall weight and enhance the guitar's resonance.

Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good mid-range presence. Add a solid maple top, and the guitar's tone is enhanced with added clarity, sustain and definition. The body's chambering also enhances its mellow acoustic resonance, and adds further air to the midrange content.

The Les Paul Studio is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a process that is carefully monitored to ensure minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. The final coat is hand-buffed to a high-sheen gloss. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time.

Pickups and Electronics

The Les Paul Studio carries two of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups, a 498T in the bridge position and a 490R in the neck. Both are designed as updated renditions of Gibson's famous PAF humbucker of the late '50s and early '60s, modified for improved versatility, and routed through the classic Gibson four-knob and three-way switch control section.

Used together, the 490R and 498T are one of the most versatile humbucking pickup sets available. In the neck position, the former yields juicy, warm vocal tones with outstanding clarity, while the latter in the bridge position excels at everything from bright jangle through a clean amp to wailing overdrive with near-infinite sustain through a high-gain amp. Selected together, the pair gives you everything from funky to greasy, depending upon amp and effects settings.

Neck, Headstock and Fingerboard

The Les Paul Studio is crafted in classic Gibson style with a glued-in neck made from solid quarter-sawn mahogany and topped with an unbound rosewood fingerboard (an ebony fingerboard with the Alpine White finish). The neck on the Les Paul Studio is carved to Gibson's comfortable, rounded '50s profile, which offers a smooth playing feel in the hand. This neck shape has been a favorite with many players since its arrival on the Les Paul Standards of the '50s.

The Les Paul Studio headstock is carefully angled at Gibson's traditional 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Gibson uses what is known as the Mortis & Tenon joint to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This time-tested technique has been used for millennia in all the great woodworking arts--from shipbuilding to cabinetry--to create one solid wood unit from two separate sections, and has been proven to yield a stronger neck and body than if the instrument was made from a single piece of wood.

Hardware

The hardware set on the Les Paul Studio echoes that worn by Les Paul Standards since 1956, and includes Gibson's hallowed Tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and vintage-style tuners. A classic of 20th century guitar design, the Tune-o-matic provides excellent resonant coupling, while offering efficient independent adjustment of each saddle for precise intonation. It also yields excellent coupling between strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone, and sustain. This bridge is made from Zamak then plated in chrome, and each one weighs approximately .118 lbs.

What's in the Box

Gibson Les Paul Studio electric guitar, black Gibson hardshell case, and owner's manual. It's covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.

Product Description

Ever since hitting the streets in 1983, Gibson’s Les Paul Studio has been the ultimate offering of traditional Les Paul performance with a modern, no-frills attitude. Introduced as a guitar mainly for studio musicians, the Les Paul Studio has become one of the most desired – and popular – Les Pauls for its tremendous harmonic and sonic qualities. All of the essential elements of a Les Paul Standard are there, including a carved maple top, solid mahogany back and genuine Gibson humbucker pickups. What the Les Paul Studio lacks in extras, it makes up for in performance.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guitar Heaven, May 14, 2006

By 

P. Amado Montoya "Les Paul believer" (Colombia, South America) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Ebony - Gold Hardware (Electronics)

I just aquired a 1997 les paul studio, not on this site but still i wanted to share my experience with potential buyers, i have had a strat since 1998 and thought it was a good guitar, but after 5 minutes on my les paul, there are no words that can describe the feeling....the feel, the sound..., if you cant afford a more expensive les paul, this one will give you the sounds without breaking your wallet, i know i am selling my strat now...there will be no going back for me....you can be sure you are getting the real thing, only without the frills...

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Les Paul for a fraction of the cost, May 2, 2005

By 

Norman (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Ebony - Gold Hardware (Electronics)

This studio model has the look and the sound of the standard but doesn't break the bank. Well worth looking into.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who needs Floyd, when I got The PAUL....a must have!!!, September 16, 2005

By 

80sGuy (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Ebony - Gold Hardware (Electronics)

The mother of all, the holy grail...the Les Paul Studio. A must have and not to be pass if you play guitar! Start out with whatever, but when you're ready and willing, make sure you are shredding this one when the day comes because there is no guitar out there that can give you the MASSIVE sound whether you pick the Blues, grind Metal or Shred into oblivion. At this price, especially with specs like a glued-on neck (think of it like a neck-through design if you will), powerful alnico humbuckers from HELL (or HEAVEN, whichever you prefer) carved maple and mahogany, the angled headstock-to-stopbar design (no need for those double locking Floyd Rose trems) will shear them sustained notes till your ears bleed! Trust me, I own an Ebony w/ Ebony fretboard and Gold Hardware and I pound the sweet $h!t out of it!
If it had bindings, it would've gotten 5 stars...