Les Paul Studio vs Standard

[zslane]

so what are they using the PLEK deck for? a paperweight?

Are the VM Studios PLEK'ed?

 

[TwinACStacks]

Are the VM Studios PLEK'ed?

No zslane, AFAIK they are not Pleked. Interestingly enough though, the necks are hand sanded and finished so that no two are exactly the same. I absolutely love mine. It is a Tad Darker being all mahogany but the Burstbucker Pros make up for it. If You dial them in they are a great pickup, but you just can't set everything on "10" and expect them to sound good. They require finesse and you REALLY need to use your guitar controls to get the best out of them. I suspect that is why there are so many mixed reviews about them.

TWIN

 

[Lobstah75]

The Standard is certainly a great guitar! However, is it really worth the extra $ versus going with the Studio is what you need to ask yourself. Is it worth spending that $ on more guitar versus adding to or improving your overall rig. If you have deep pockets..Hell, get a Custom! I just bought a new ebony Studio w/ rosewood fretboard for $1200 at a small mom & pop (one of the last few mom & pops still able to do business w/ Gibson, who as most of you know have made it pretty clear that they are content with just having Guitar Center & Musicians Friend as dealers). Anyway, I took the money I saved and bought a new Class 5 and still had money left over from the difference in cost! Look, both guitars are USA built and are overall completely great quality. Guitars have become so expensive that a Studio now cost what a Standard used to! A lot of guys are happily using Studios as their work horse. In the end, the Standard will be worth more $ and probably hold it's value better, but I don't honestly think you will feel like you short changed yourself if you go with a Studio.

 

[zslane]

No zslane, AFAIK they are not Pleked. Interestingly enough though, the necks are hand sanded and finished so that no two are exactly the same.

If so, then I stand by my observation that with human involvement in assembly comes variability, particularly with the VM Studio, a model that you had to try many of in order to find a suitable one (the one that "spoke" to you).

But I have to wonder. Had twenty people tried the same selection of VM Studios, would they all have chosen the same one? If not, then it seems to me that variability is a desireable trait in the marketplace, and isn't something to be stamped out and eliminated from the manufacturing process.

And I'm not talking about obvious production flaws, such as poorly crowned frets, improperly slotted nuts, severe finish flaws, mis-wired electronics, etc. I'm talking about the more subtle elements of variability that make one guitar in particular "speak" to someone. QC should catch the former, but I'm not sure the latter even needs a remedy.

 

[slacker]

i wish they'd start to catch all the ones that don't play in tune, imagine the look on customers faces when we explain that their custom shop reissue has improper bridge placement and needs warranty RA to have the bridge moved an 1/8th inch. for what they charge? i think improper intonation is the number one thing that people here when they percieve one to sound better than the other, either through shit setup, which dealers should be doing, or intonation problems due to nut slots/heighth or bridge adjustment.

 

[zslane]

i think improper intonation is the number one thing that people here when they percieve one to sound better than the other, either through shit setup, which dealers should be doing, or intonation problems due to nut slots/heighth or bridge adjustment.

I don't have any numbers at my disposal, but isn't it likely that poor setups account for the vast majority of these cases, rather than manufacturing flaws that slipped past QC?

I know some dealers who take pride in keeping their Les Pauls in tip top playing shape (e.g., Centre City Music), but places like GC are infamous for doing as little as they can get away with, and so finding a decent guitar there is like winning the lottery: you have to find that one lucky axe that just happens to be in good playing condition.

 

[lil_vamp]

the studio has the same pickups as the custom

 

[lil_vamp]

I build my own guitars if i want to try other pickups i dont have to take apart a 2500 -4000 dollar guitar to do it. I have some real nice les pauls but i gig out with my homemade ones

 

[iiimk]

I have a mid 90s Studio with the ebony fret board and love it.

same here in no way is it inferior to a standard playability or sound wise.
YMMV

 

[dmnall]

I love my Studio it sounds great, plays great and really is an over all great guitar. I have play a few 90s studios and standards. I hate to say it the 90s guitars are great but the output of the pickups in my 06 Studio are better sounding for metal.. My personal preference I love the studios not because of their lower cost but a lot of them play great and sound it as well.

Cheers,