Customer Reviews

Gibson Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar, Worn Brown Satin

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently picked up a Faded/Worn Brown Les Paul. I was tempted to gran an Epiphone LP Custom, as they are initially great values for the features and price, but I wanted to support an American manufacturer directly. If I ever was forced to sell this LP, it would actually retain value instead of dropping in price like a 1976 Gremlin.

It was in like new condition, just like when it rolled off of the factory floor on September 29, 2010, just 3 weeks ago. Someone must have bought it, and went back the next day for the LP Custom for 2K more. That was the saleman's story, and I believe it. Their loss, my gain. I'm not complaining. I feel kind of like I stole it, but my credit card statement says I did indeed pay.

The cons:

It's not flashy to look at, it doesn't have a wonderful finish, just plain old dull brown. That's one of the few shortcomings I can think of, and that can be addressed with lacquer later if I so choose.

One other thing I have to nitpick about is the factory choice of setting it up with a horrendous set of .10-.46 strings. Awful. I know that's a personal preference, but thought I'd throw it out there. There was no "punch" in them at all. I just knew there was magic waiting to come out of this guitar though, so I restrung it with a new set of Elixir .009's, re-set the intonation, and was off lost in riff land for a few hours the first night I had it.

The soft gig bag it came with is a right POS, and I wouldn't keep my 1983 Hondo in it, much less this beauty. Near non existent padding, and it feels and looks horrendously cheap. This piece of Gibson treasure is immediately going in a spare hard shell case I have leftover from another long sold guitar.

The Pros:

The fit and finish of every single seam, joint, screw, and inlay, is FLAWLESS.

The body is chambered, which reduces the weight significantly, and if you've ever stood for a few hours with an LP hanging off of your shoulder, you'll appreciate that immediately. I can remember many afternoons and nights patently miserable after a few hours of having nearly 9 lbs. strung across my shoulders. Problem solved.

The satin finish on the neck does lend a wonderful slickness to the back side of it. Again, with some of my other guitars, they get sticky after a few hours of playing. Not this one. It feels smooth as silk after even hours of play.

The tone that pours out of the 490R and 498T Alnico II humbuckers is pure aural gold. It reminded me immediately of my 1976 Gibson Explorer that I {sorrowfully} sold when I had my first son in 1992. It is rich, cutting, and lends itself to almost any style that I play, from blues standards, to 70's classics, to 80's hair metal, and to today's alternative music. It handles it all with absolute aplomb.

I don't see this new love affair ending anytime soon, as it is inspiring me to tackle musical projects with renewed determination again, even after almost 30 years.

Well done, Gibson, well done.

Let me first say I have played for many years, with a band that mostly records, but plays out a handful of times per year. My main gear is a marshall tube combo, some boutique pedals and an early 80's american tele.

I was intrigued by the gibson les paul sound so after along search I bought a used 01 pewter studio. I was drawn to its heft and playability. Something was not right, after months of playing it I realized the pickups were hotter than I wanted. Before I bought this pewter studio, I had tried out a lot of guitars, and played a few worn mahogany les pauls, but I was always repelled by the lack of finish, the frets were rough, the neck was sticky, it was generally not-player friendly like the nicer rare studio was...

but I happened to be in guitar center trading in an amp i din't want when I played a used vintage worn brown les paul and fell in love; the pickups are warm as hell, the neck was shiny and smooth, the frets were perfect; I realized all it needed before was breaking in! I love the guitar, especially the neck pick up, which can be very bassy if you are not careful, but has a sweet singing tone for solos- and is worth the price.

If you want a nice les paul, and you don't want to fork over 2k plus for a standard or goldtop with p90s, skip the studio and go for one of these worn models- they use essentially the same materials, and all the savings come from wood choices associated with cosmetics and extensive finishing.

I am very pleased with Gibson's effort to produce more affordable guitars in recent years. I have owned a Gibson Les Paul Special Faded for about five years, and it has been a very tough and decent guitar. However, without the carved top, it lacked some of the authentic Les Paul sound. I pored through tons of videos and reviews prior to buying this Studio model; making sure that I wasn't essentially buying a fancier version of the guitar I already have. For about the same price as I paid for the Special Faded, the Studio Faded went beyond my expectations. The chambered body gives the Studio Faded wonderful sustain and resonance, as well as making it a fairly light Les Paul (which are not famous for being lightweight). The Burstbucker Pro pickups are a little less hot than the 490R and 498T that come in the nonfaded Studios; giving a more vintage sound. If you are one of those who is chasing that '59 Les Paul sound on a budget, this axe is your best bet. While it may not sound identical to your favorite Jimmy Page riff or Joe Perry Solo, the tone of this guitar will easily improve your attempts. The satin faded nitro cellulose finish is really nice with the added benefits of making it both cheaper and less of a headache to keep clean. No unbecoming smudge marks will be seen, and if it is anything like my Special Faded, the guitar will relic naturally over time where you make the most contact with it; rubbing down the stain and revealing the wood. So, in essence, there is a possibility that if you play this axe hard for a few years, it will look truly vintage if your into that look. This guitar is practically a steal at $800. I've owned a handful of Fender Strats, Epiphone Les Pauls & Sgs, and no matter how cheap (or free) I have gotten a guitar for, this is by far the best value in my opinion. Give it go!

I bought this guitar for its versatility and completeness. When it arrived I immediately ripped open the box and plugged into my Marshall JCM 2000 dsl and 1960a cab. I was blown away how it sounded right out of the box. Needless to say it does need set up by a professional but I was still impressed 100% with this product!!! AWESOME!!!

Aside from the guitar being a work of art, it plays and sounds great and has great action! It has great sustain and was perfectly set up right out of the box. And, it's a Gibson, made in the USA! Can't say enough about it! A worthy purchase for those wanting a real Les Paul on a budget!

Got it, have played it for an hour each night. Marvelous! Sonic perfection. I looked at a lot of $500 used guitars and wasn't happy. I figured it out and pulled the trigger.
Such a great guitar for a nice price. Free shipping. I would do it all again in a minute.
The line 6 amp I also ordered has pushed the fun way up. What a great tool.
I did a lot of research and wanted quality over finish aesthetics.This was the solution. The simple brown looks perfect and masculine.
A guitar for the rest of my life. I ordered the hard case too. Very nice.
This is the most beautiful thing I own. The sound literally makes me smile.

When you open the box, you will want to pinch yourself to make sure this is real and not a dream.

The guitar and amp showed up the same day, the cord to connect them showed up the next. That was a very hard night.
Get some strap locks.

Wow is all I can say. I am just a sometimes player and pick up my acoustic every once in a while. I was looking at getting an Epiphone LP on one of the lightning deals and this one came up. Didn't really want to spend this much for a guitar but I have wanted a Gibson LP for 35 years. This arrived yesterday and again wow. The guitar is beautiful. Finish is great and the guitar is really comfortable. Ones I have played before were on the heavy side. I have always played acoustic because I never liked the action on the electrics because my fat fingers always got in the way. I have to say this is probably the easy playing guitar I've ever put in my hands. I purchased a Fender Frontman 212 DSP on craigslist and I kind of got lost in another world when I pluged this in yesterday. Thought I was the second coming of Peter Frampton (for those youngsters who don't know who he is look it up online). Well that was the vision I was having for about 30 seconds. Sounded outstanding.

Anyway, the only thing that comes in the box is the guitar with strings and a gig bag. Nothing else. All the reviews I read before purchasing outside of the ones on Amazon gave this guitar stellar reviews. I have to agree with them all. If you are looking to purchase a nice Gibson Les Paul that is made here in the USA at a good price then the LP Studio may be a bargain for you. This will be passed down to one of my grandkids if I can ever get them interested in playing.

It sounds amazing.
That's the first and most important detail.

It also looks absolutely beautiful.
Some reviewers apparently don't agree, but to me the beauty of the natural look of wood can't be beat by any sprayed on paint or shiny laquer. I've always felt those finishes looks really gaudy.

I explained to my wife that this guitar was meant to sound incredibly good while trading "looks" in exchange for some cost savings. When we opened the package she thought I had changed my mind, because this one looked so good.

I couldn't be happier.
This guitar calls out to be played.

Now when I'm at work and no one's home instead of worrying that burglars might break in and steal our computers or our camera now I worry that they will break in and steal my GLP!

This awesome instrument was a gift to my little brother.I don't know enough to write about it but my brother thinks that it is a really good piece of work and the 100 times "thank you, thank you, thank you," were enough for me.
A friend told me once "This is not just a guitar this is a Gibson USA"

This is my first electric guitar and I think it's fantastic. I switched from an acoustic because the high action made it too hard for me to play, but I'm already playing my favorite songs on this guitar. It also looks great and will for many years to come.