Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

2006 Les Paul Sudio Bookmatched Top


mac75

Recommended Posts

Just picked up this 2006 Studio. It has the faded brown finish and has an unusual bookmatched mahogany top. At least I think it's unusual, as I've never seen one. This one came with the hardshell case. I heard the new models only come with a gigbag now. What's up with that?IMG_2459.jpgIMG_2458.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.

Beautiful color.

 

Nice looking Studio.

 

Not really a bookmatch - two different pieces joined for a cool looking graining chevron.

 

Congrats. B)

 

 

Yes, now that I think of it, bookmatched would be the same on both sides I guess, but it's kind of cool to see someone got creative at the factory! This guitar plays and feels really nice.

I would guess it is bookmatched. Even if the 2 slabs are not exactly cut to have the precise seam, the 2 slabs look like opposites of the same slab.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the UK. As my 'new' guitar is 18 years old. I want an old case.

Thanks though.

 

Surprised to hear LP Studios came out with as gig bag back then.

Mine is only a coupe of years older and came with the hard case and blanket you see in my avatar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would guess it is bookmatched. Even if the 2 slabs are not exactly cut to have the precise seam, the 2 slabs look like opposites of the same slab.

 

"Look like" is the key word. They may be from the same slab and aligned in a bookmatch fashion, but a proper bookmatch is a piece of wood sawed in half on a band-saw through it's depth dimension and opened like a book, making a perfect graning match. Here's cool illustration - a half of a log with a bookmatch cut laid open like a book so you can see the graining match (probably for a table top).

 

Bookmatching.jpg

 

IMG_1209.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Look like" is the key word. They may be from the same slab and aligned in a bookmatch fashion, but a proper bookmatch is a piece of wood sawed in half on a band-saw through it's depth dimension and opened like a book, making a perfect graning match. Here's cool illustration - a half of a log with a bookmatch cut laid open like a book so you can see the graining match (probably for a table top).

 

Bookmatching.jpg

 

IMG_1209.jpg

Absolutely correct there. The term "bookmatched" is not just an appearance thing, it implies that the two opposite pieces are from the same slab, same cut.

 

I think for the most part, besides appearance, one of the beliefs of some is that there is a magic and symmetry that affects the sound. To some, it may matter, and some of it may be myth.

 

I might suspect, that in some cases, where you have a situation where you have a knot in the center, it may be cut out leaving it less than a "true" bookmatch. And, in a lot of cases the stock of wood may be cut from the same tree and you can have two pieces that you can flip and get close to the same thing, but not a true bookmatch.

 

It is worth noting that even in a true bookmatch, on a carved top like an LP the more wood is removed from the outsides, the further away the grain match gets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.... It is worth noting that even in a true bookmatch, on a carved top like an LP the more wood is removed from the outsides, the further away the grain match gets.

 

Good point.

 

You don't often see perfect bookmatching on a LP. I don't know if that's due to large thickness required for a bookmatch blank or not. Seems there's more of the "aligning cuts from from the same slab" as there's a lot of variability in how close the matches are. An interesting topic. Anyway I like the OP's Studio with a reasonable alignment and the somewhat more angled chevron shape than you normally see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...