neilmacmusic Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi ** FIRST POST!** Can anyone please give me any other information on my guitar? I believe it to be a Les Paul Studio in the rare SL (UV - cured Poly) finish I believe the colour is Ruby (RX) From my fact-finding so far I have gleaned from Gibson that the SL finish was a UV - cured Polyester finish which Gibson used on their guitars and basses from about 1995 to '98 The finish is extremely glossy and transparent and very durable - the guitar only has a few minor finish issues even though it is now 13 yrs old I am curious as to how rare this Studio is as in the last 5 years of searching I have only come across LP Specials and LP 'The Paul's' in this SL finish I bought it off ebaY about 4 years ago - stock gold hardware, (Nashville bridge & tailpiece, Grover Tuners, Gibson gold 490R / 498T pickups, Gibson Electronics black plastics on back and 'Studio' truss rod cover I updated the pickup surrounds and toggle switch to Genuine Gibson cream and fitted gold gen. Gibson Speed Knobs I will post some more pix soon as i figure out how to do so! Thanks in anticipation! Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi and welcome. Follow this link to post #13 where straybeat has posted some useful info. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/73734-year-and-model/ P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmacmusic Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Hi and welcome. Follow this link to post #13 where straybeat has posted some useful info. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/73734-year-and-model/ P. Thanks Pippy! Yes the info there is primarily helping someone identify they have an LP Special SL My guitar is an LP Studio with the SL finish It is as heavy as an old Standard and has a carved maple cap and 3-piece mahogany back. I did own an LP Special SL before this Studio SL - just my luck! BTW The UV cured SL finish is definitely polyester resin not polyurethane - i have a 2007 factsheet from Gibson explaining the tedious 15 step process Thanks again for your input - i think i have a rare and beautiful axe - I have only seen one other Studio SL which is currently on Youtube (Gregsguitars) and appears to be a trans emerald green color cheers Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 . 3 Studio Lite on fleaBay - all have trapazoid markers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afireinside Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Im sure I saw one today at Motor City Guitar in Waterford MI It weighed about 30lbs I dident want to even pick it up it was a boat anchor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmacmusic Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Im sure I saw one today at Motor City Guitar in Waterford MI It weighed about 30lbs I dident want to even pick it up it was a boat anchor. Mine's about 9 lbs and its for sale!! including the original Gibson black plastic & the Gibson cream plastics i added AND the original Gib black speed knobs Cheers Neil and thanks all for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilmacmusic Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 Hi and welcome. Follow this link to post #13 where straybeat has posted some useful info. http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/73734-year-and-model/ P. Hi Pippy Here is some info on the SL polyester finish from Gibson that i found back in 2007 - of course it was a cheaper option so Gibson had to try it! Details of the SL finish From Gibson: http://www.gibson.com/whatsnew/pressrelease/1998/Sep10a.html Les Paul Special SL, The Paul SL: New traditions born for a new millennium The velvet, luxurious lacquer finish of Les Paul guitars has been a tradition since the original goldtop in 1952. Now for something different--the new The Paul SL and Les Paul Special SL featuring a millennium-ready "UV-cured" finish. To come straight to the point, the "UV-cured" finish is a soft polyester finish, traditionally considered a no-no for Gibson (though quite common throughout the guitar industry). In reality, Gibson has used poly finishes from time to time. Some of the custom finishes on Firebirds from the '60s were poly, and Gibson Les Paul basses have had poly finishes for the past few years. So the "new" finish is nothing new. The "SL" finish enables Gibson to make the two new Les Paul models more accessible--that is, less expensive. SL means "sans lacquer" (without lacquer). "The UV-cured poly finishes are essentially a base coat and clear coat. They are much like automotive finishes designed for wood," project engineer Kevin Brown says "We experimented for months with the mix of solvents to find the finish with the softest, most natural feel, the lowest environmental emissions and best look." The SL finish also reduces the finishing process from six to eleven days for lacquer down to five hours from white wood to a final dry finish. This significant time savings allows Gibson to price the two models under $1,000. "There are no lacquer guitars produced anywhere in that price range," Brown says. The UV-cured, soft poly finishes also require little or no buffing. UV means "ultraviolet" light. After the guitars are sprayed with coats of sealer, they are dried and cured in the ultra violet light room. "The UV lights start a chemical reaction in the sealer that quickly dries the instrument without streaking or imperfections," Brown continues. The fifteen step finishing process includes: 1. Prep white wood guitars removing excess filler and cleaning side dot and nut. 2. Spray vinyl size on guitar and paint peg head face black. 3. Apply "Gibson" and "Les Paul" product decals. 4. Spray UV sealer coat and flash in light booth for 10 minutes. 5. Spray second sealer coat. 6. Cure with UV light. 7. Sand so no grain lines or pits show. 8. Spray color and flash for minimum of 15 minutes 9. Spray sealer coat and flash for 20 minutes 10. Cure with UV light. 11. Scuff sand entire guitar lightly with the grain. 12. Spray top coat and flash. 13. Repeat top coat and flash two times. 14. Cure with UV light. 15. Send for final scuff sanding. For the player, the poly finish is more durable and requires less care. "Lacquer finishes are pourous," Brown explains. "The poly is virtually impervious. There's no cracking or discoloration over time. Minor repairs are easy." And the sound? Brown smiles and says, "It's a Les Paul." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciscostella Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 This is my Gibson The Paul SL of 1998 red with open 490 - 498 pickups factory, a great and confortable guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAC Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 The one in my avatar is my 1998 cinnamon LP SL with 490/498 pups. Excellent electric with a very fine tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Can anyone please give me any other information on my guitar? I believe it to be a Les Paul Studio in the rare SL (UV - cured Poly) finish I believe the colour is Ruby (RX)... It looks like a Studio Gem. Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst. Some with P-90s and blocks on the board, some with humbuckers and dots. I remember the humbuckers and dots at Sam Ash, may have been for them. I don't know what the excitement is about the paint. It's a Les Paul and it should sound decent no matter what kind of paint is on it. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american cheez Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 red guitars ALWAYS play and sound the best, it's scientific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glp2012 Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 I see "rare" guitars listed frequently on Craigslist and eBay. I think it just means that the person posting has not seen another one like it - or, like the original poster said, he had only seen one other like it. It seems like people are implying that because a guitar is "rare," that it holds some additional value. Some "rare" guitars do hold additional value, but many do not. Rare does not mean valuable and valuable does not mean rare. Really, the second hand market will tell you the rarity or value of your guitar. What really counts is if it is rare and valuable to you. I consider all my guitars rare and valuable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 so whats the difference with the two products? polyester vrs polyurethane? Polyurethane takes longer to dry.. between coats.. where you can appy more build with polyester UV and light it.. in less time.. production.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 red guitars ALWAYS play and sound the best, it's scientific. If red guitars always play and sound the best, are they like red cars being the fastest? Does that mean a person would play faster on a red guitar? I KNEW I needed a red one! It's definitely a beautiful guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megafrog Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Have you reached out to Gibson CS to inquire? They can probably tell you by the serial number. GLP is spot on, rare does not mean valuable and vice versa. I have some limited run guitars that may be "rare" but are worth considerably less than I paid for them and keep depreciating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 It looks like a Studio Gem. Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst. Some with P-90s and blocks on the board, some with humbuckers and dots. I remember the humbuckers and dots at Sam Ash, may have been for them. I don't know what the excitement is about the paint. It's a Les Paul and it should sound decent no matter what kind of paint is on it. rct I believe RCT is correct here. There was a run of humbucker studios done with the "Gem Series" finish. They were not labels as "gems" because of the humbuckers instead of the P90 found on the gems. "Gem Series[edit] 1996 Gibson Les Paul Studio Limited Edition Gem Series Topaz The Gem Series (1996-1998) had P-90 pickups and special finishes in "gemstone" colors: Amethyst, Sapphire, Topaz, Emerald, and Ruby. Gibson produced a small number of Les Paul Studio guitars using the leftover paint from the Gem Series. These are rare and highly sought after. However, these are not to be considered original Gems, as they did not include the special P-90 pickups." NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.