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Les Paul Studio quality compared to other LP's


ics1974

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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.....

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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.

Picture041.jpg

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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.

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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.

 

studio1.jpg

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