Can the Les Paul Studio deliver real Gibson tones at a discount?
The question that comes up with every aspiring Les Paul owner goes something like this: “If I don’t have enough jack for a Les Paul, should I save up, or just buy an Epiphone Les Paul?” There is however, a third option: The Les Paul Studio. In this article, we will explore the reasons why we think a Gibson Les Paul Studio is an exceptional value for Gibson enthusiasts seeking Les Paul tones without breaking the bank.
The Les Paul Studio Defined
The Gibson “Studio” Les Paul debuted in 1983. The idea was to create the essence of a Les Paul, but with a simplified appearance. By omitting cosmetic details such figured maple top, body binding, Gibson could deliver the iconic tone and feel of a Les Paul to a greater number of players. The decision to omit certain labor intensive features—body and neck binding, in particular—is what makes the Studio possible at its price point.
Les Paul Studio vs. Les Paul Standard
By far the biggest comparison that guitarists make is the Les Pauls Studio vs Standard. Both guitars feature a mahogany body with a maple top, which contributes to their signature tone and sustain. However, the Les Paul Studio’s body is slightly thinner—about ¼ inch. Also, the Studio’s body incorporates Ultra Modern weight relief (though non-traditional, we think this is actually a great feature, since one of the chief complaints about Les Pauls is the weight).
The Standard incorporates a more highly figured maple top, vs. the Studio’s plain maple. There is no tonal difference between a flamed top and a regular grained maple top! That said, every piece of wood is unique, and we’ve seen some Studios with decently figured tops that rival the looks of Standard tops.
Additionally, the Les Paul Standard typically features more intricate cosmetic details such as binding on the body and neck, as well as headstock inlay.
The important thing however, is that in the specs that really matter, the Studio is every bit a Les Paul. Let’s take a look at the key specs that are the same between the two models:
| Specification | Gibson Les Paul Studio |
| Body Wood | Mahogany |
| Neck Wood | Mahogany |
| Neck Shape | Slim Taper |
| Fingerboard Wood | Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Radius | 12″ |
| Scale Length | 24.75″ |
| Frets | Medium Jumbo |
| Inlay | Acrylic Trapezoids |
| Bridge | Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar |
| Nut Material | Graph Tech |
| Tuners | Grover Rotomatics |
| Finish Type | Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer |
Key Differences from Les Paul Standard
While the Studio is clearly a Les Paul, there are some key differences that you should be aware of:
1. Pickups
The Les Paul Studio has a 490R Humbucker in the neck position, and a 498T in the bridge. The Les Paul Standard is outfitted with Gibson 60s Burstbucker Humbuckers. There are a lot of opinions out there with respect to these pickups, and one isn’t necessarily better than the other. The 490R/498T are higher output pickups, and will produce a tone associated with hotter pickups.
2. Coil Tap
The Studio offers a Push/pull Coil-tap, which enables you to achieve single-coil sounds. This feature makes sense in a guitar named the Studio! Like weight relief, this is not a vintage feature but we feel that the extra versatility that tapped humbuckers offer is welcome.
3. Bridge
The Studio comes with a Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar bridge, while the Standard gets the vintage-correct ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Stopbar Tailpiece. While the “Nashville” style bridge isn’t vintage correct, both are very good bridges. Some feel that the ABR-1 has better sustain due to the fact that the bridge posts are screwed directly into the top of the guitar, without the use of a bushing. However, the performance of the Nashville Tune-O-Matic is excellent, and we don’t consider it a deciding factor.
Different Is Good
Instead of focusing on what the Studio doesn’t have in comparison to the Standard, we like to think of the Studio as a differently spec’d Gibson USA Les Paul, with features that some players may actually prefer. Features like Ultra Modern Weight Relief and the Push/Pull Coil Tap are premium features that you may in fact find that you prefer in comparison to a Les Paul Standard.
Les Paul Studio Tones
As you might have guessed, the Les Paul Studio’s tones are very similar to a Les Paul Standard. An important thing to note is that the Studio’s Ultra Modern weight relief doesn’t affect the tone in the same way that traditional chambering would. So while the lower weight is welcome, it won’t make the Studio sound like a Gibson Memphis ES-Les Paul!
Darrell Braun Guitar has a great no talking, tone demo of the Studio:
As you can hear from the demo, the Studio captures the famous thick midrange of the Les Paul model. The neck pickup can achieve the emotive sweetness of the neck humbucker with the tone rolled back. Some feel that the 490r/498 pickups impart a more modern tone in comparison with the Burstbuckers found on the Standard, but don’t forget that the Studio has a Coil Tap for extended versatility. And of course, nothing would stop you from slapping a pair of Burstbuckers or Gibson 57 Classics into your Studio.
Studio Colors
The Studio comes in some classy colors, too.
- Bourbon Burst
- Ebony
- Heritiage Cherry Burst
- Wine Red
There is also a Sweetwater Exclusive Smokehouse Burst that is particularly cool.
If you absolutely must have binding and figured wood, Gibson makes many upmarket Les Paul models with breathtaking figured maple tops. But if instead you want to shortcut the line and start busting out American-made Les Paul tones, the Studio is a smart option. You get the same carved maple cap, high quality humbucking pickups, and Slim Taper neck. It’s a straightforward design that tilts towards modern tones, without compromising on performance.
The Epiphone Alternative
If you’re not quite ready to throw down for Gibson’s model, Epiphone offers very competitive Les Paul options you should be aware of. For more info, see our model guide to Epiphone Les Pauls. And, since Epiphone is owned by Gibson, you’ll be getting the real deal here too.
Conclusion
Put simply, the Les Paul Studio delivers what it set out to do: Classic Les Paul design and sound, but at a more affordable price. Sure, you give up some niceties like body and neck binding, but what you give up is entirely cosmetic. And with its Slim Taper neck and Nitro finish, it feels very much like a Les Paul Standard. And if Epiphone is more your jam, check today’s prices on Epiphone Les Pauls.