ics1974 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I would love to own a LP but can't afford one. I could however possibly afford a LP Studio. My question is about the quality. Does it compare to a Les Paul Standard. I'm talking about the quality of wood, the neck and the electronics. Are they the same materials but lacking the bindings or do they use cheaper electronics, wood etc..? What about Tone, sustain, feel, playability ... is it equil to the Standard? If I was to change the pickups to be the same as another Les Paul Standard would it sound like a Standard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 The studio is bascially a stripped down standard - not made for the stage, no window dressing or frills: no binding (except for an occasional special), no figured maple (except for an occasional special), no ebony fretboard (except for an occasional special), sometimes dot markers, sometimes trapazoid markers. You might have to pick up a pup set to fit your taste if you don't like what comes with the purchase (I think the current Gibson production models have the 490s). Other than that, they play, sound and sustain pretty much like any other LP. Look around, the studios can sometimes be found relatively cheap - less than $1200 (US) new and cheaper used. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 The studio quality is on par with the rest of the Gibson lineup... Bogey ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 What BigKahune & AXE said... the only thing I think you are stuck with on the Studio is the neck profile. 50's thick. If you like that, great. Other LP's give you different neck profiles, depending on the model, of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynadude Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I am very pleased with mine, and I have owned many guitars to compare it to. The quality and value can't be beat for the price, especially if you buy a nice used piece. Don't get me wrong, I love all the fancy bindings, inlays, and exotic woods on the higher priced LPs as much as anyone, but a Studio will out play most any other guitar in the price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Studios are great guitars; I think they are the same quality of the other USA gibson guitars; they just lack some of the eye candy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossroadsnyc Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Studios are great guitars; I think they are the same quality of the other USA gibson guitars; they just lack some of the eye candy. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ics1974 Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Well that make me feal better about getting one. Just making sure because the price tag is allot cheaper and you get what you pay for. I can't beleive bindings increase the cost by almost half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 It's not just "bindings" by themselves... but labor, and other stuff. I guess it takes lots of time and effort to make a bound body and more to make a bound neck (specially because of the bound frets!), then there is the headstock decal... one thing is to paint it, which is easy, other thing is to have to actually install it in the wood. Also, if you take on account all the features in the "new standard", you get lots of extras: straplocks, pickups with quick connectors, asymetric neck, plekked neck (which by itself is an expensive process). And more stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uyasgali Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 The Les Paul Studio was the right choice for me. I didn't want to spend a lot of cash on jewelry, I wanted a guitar to play. I mentioned in another thread that I don't look at it much...it is either in it's case or in my hands. So go play some and see what you like or don't like about it. I like things plain and simple anyway so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I tell everybody it's like buying a new truck with AM radio, rubber floormats, crank-down windows and hubcaps. Still the same truck. Your guess was dead on. The Studio gives up NOTHING in build quality, electronics, wood choice, etc. Fine guitars, just not pretty. When I see one, I instantly think what a tight-*** the owner is. :-) Honestly, if you wanted save money THAT BAD you should have bought a Fender. Okay, I'm kidding!!!! It's mostly a price vs. cosmetics decision - purely subjective. I will say, however, I never met a Standard/Classic/Custom owner who wished they had bought a Studio instead..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pru56 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I have a 1982 Les Paul XRIII only thing diff from a standard is the Cosmetics. check them out. made in nashville, same wood, same pickup, uses the 490's same that is in the Customs and Standards. Thes are Alnico magnet HB not the ceramic magnet, that are in the Classic. The cometics is what cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crossroadsnyc Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I have a 1982 Les Paul XRIII only thing diff from a standard is the Cosmetics. check them out. made in nashville' date=' same wood, same pickup, uses the 490's same that is in the Customs and Standards. Thes are Alnico magnet HB not the ceramic magnet, that are in the Classic. The cometics is what cost. [img']http://i560.photobucket.com/albums/ss44/pru56/Picture041.jpg[/img] Beautiful. I really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dp71 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 The binding is very labourious! To get it to fit the edges of the frets on the neck, a person is sitting there and carving out the binding by hand to match that particular instrument, before attaching it. Then when they apply lacquer, it's painted on the binding too, only to be removed later by someone with a very sharp knife who scratches it off, or so I've heard. When I was recently going to buy a Les Paul, I tried at least 20-30 different ones, including studios, standards, fadeds, deluxes, various re-issues. The one that struck me as being 'superior' in the sense of being an almost 'perfect' instrument (i.e stunningly responsive, totally even, incredibly dynamic etc) was this one particular wine-red '02 studio. Which really means that pricetags aren't always proportional to quality. At least not when it concerns the level of craftsmanship that goes into any guitar that Gibson is going to put the 'Les Paul' label on. Also, hand-built means 'unique'. No two will be the same, so it's very good to go and find a particular one that might please you just a little bit more! Here's my studio, and it is ebony fretboard, which I think was typical for 1992. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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