Originally designed as a model for studio artists but adopted by countless players of all stripes, the no-nonsense Les Paul Studio electric guitar combines stripped-down appointments with the full tonal splendor and unrivaled playability of a Les Paul Standard--and at a more affordable price. It features a fat and sweet maple-and-mahogany tone from its two genuine Gibson humbucking pickups and it looks great in a Fireburst finish with gold hardware.

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Angled headstock.

498T and 490R humbucking pickups.

Tune-o-matic bridge.

Included Gibson hard case. Click here for a larger image.

Key Features

Body and Finish

A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Paul Standards rock for nearly 60 years. The Les Paul Studio follows the classic lines of the Les Paul Standard, with a gently arched top and a single cutaway on the treble side of the neck/body joint for improved upper-fret access. The body's back is chambered to both reduce overall weight and enhance the guitar's resonance.

Mahogany is a medium-dense wood with excellent resonance and superior sustain, and it offers a rich, round, warm tone, but with plenty of high-end sheen and good mid-range presence. Add a solid maple top, and the guitar's tone is enhanced with added clarity, sustain and definition. The body's chambering also enhances its mellow acoustic resonance, and adds further air to the midrange content.

The Les Paul Studio is hand-finished in nitrocellulose in a process that is carefully monitored to ensure minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a finish that breathes with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. The final coat is hand-buffed to a high-sheen gloss. Unlike many other manufacturers, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time.

Pickups and Electronics

The Les Paul Studio carries two of Gibson's most popular humbucking pickups, a 498T in the bridge position and a 490R in the neck. Both are designed as updated renditions of Gibson's famous PAF humbucker of the late '50s and early '60s, modified for improved versatility, and routed through the classic Gibson four-knob and three-way switch control section.

Used together, the 490R and 498T are one of the most versatile humbucking pickup sets available. In the neck position, the former yields juicy, warm vocal tones with outstanding clarity, while the latter in the bridge position excels at everything from bright jangle through a clean amp to wailing overdrive with near-infinite sustain through a high-gain amp. Selected together, the pair gives you everything from funky to greasy, depending upon amp and effects settings.

Neck, Headstock and Fingerboard

The Les Paul Studio is crafted in classic Gibson style with a glued-in neck made from solid quarter-sawn mahogany and topped with an unbound rosewood fingerboard (an ebony fingerboard with the Alpine White finish). The neck on the Les Paul Studio is carved to Gibson's comfortable, rounded '50s profile, which offers a smooth playing feel in the hand. This neck shape has been a favorite with many players since its arrival on the Les Paul Standards of the '50s.

The Les Paul Studio headstock is carefully angled at Gibson's traditional 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Gibson uses what is known as the Mortis & Tenon joint to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This time-tested technique has been used for millennia in all the great woodworking arts--from shipbuilding to cabinetry--to create one solid wood unit from two separate sections, and has been proven to yield a stronger neck and body than if the instrument was made from a single piece of wood.

Hardware

The hardware set on the Les Paul Studio echoes that worn by Les Paul Standards since 1956, and includes Gibson's hallowed Tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and vintage-style tuners. A classic of 20th century guitar design, the Tune-o-matic provides excellent resonant coupling, while offering efficient independent adjustment of each saddle for precise intonation. It also yields excellent coupling between strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone, and sustain. This bridge is made from Zamak then plated in chrome, and each one weighs approximately .118 lbs.

What's in the Box

Gibson Les Paul Studio electric guitar, black Gibson hardshell case, and owner's manual. It's covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.