Les Paul Studio vs Standard

[zslane]

Congrats Dave! She's a real beauty!

 

[Doomhawk]

i am also a super huge fan of the 70's les paul special. amazing guitar. never played a studio and walked away loving it. never liked the fretboard feel i guess. i have a 70's LPC and a 70's LPS, they really are on a different level, tone and playability wise, than newer choices i have picked up. that being said, i did spend alot of time searching and playing different pauls before i bought them, and not everyone was as awesome as the next but.... man, mine rip.

 

[truckdub]

Congratulations Dave on your find. You'll love it. I would put the tone and playability of my ebony studio up there with any guitar out there. Of course it comes down to personal preferance. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[tonefreak]

I think the studios' are kinda of a preference thing, because I've heard some people say they are crap, and others say there amazing.

a friend of mine knows someone with a Gibson studio, and she said it didn't even compare to her Epi LP standard (which has burst-bucker pros)... which is really something, because her Epi Lp standard can't hold a candle to my Epi LP Custom with stock P/U's.

but then another guy I know has owned several of them, and said they are awesome. so it must be just a matter of getting them set up right. like any guitar.

 

[javier pintos]

All i have to say is i like my LP studio fire burst very much and in fact what i like the best of it is that it does not have binding, wanna change the tone, change the PUP which are good enough sounding to me.

they are shit???, well i don´t give a shit about what they say i know i like mine

 

[Xx DBENC xX]

In the pic of Viking arm wrestling the DR he looks just like DimeBag Darrell! Just needs a pink beard!

 

[BluesRocker]

I love my studio. She is a 94 ebony. And she sure has her marks on her too. The finish is starting to wear on the top edge, but i dont care. the thing is a work horse. I bought her back in 04 for 400 bucks with hard shell case. And it had seperzal locking tuners on it too which i thought was a plus. My standard LP is awesome too. They both have their own distinct sounds and characteristics to them, grant it my studio is modified quite a bit but she is still my first and favorite les paul.

 

[Riffraff]

I love my '00 Standard but I wouldn't hesitate to get a Studio if I were looking for a new LP. Here's my Standard. I pulled the covers off the Burstbuckers and replaced the controls with a RS Guitar Works kit. It's otherwise stock.

 

[BluesDisciple]

American Viking said........... They should save this chambered body nonsense for the Geriatric series because I don't need a wheelchair yet so Gibson can shove that weight relieved bullshit right up their ass..............You will get here someday..........Sooner than you think

+1

 

[Project Hayes]

The Faded Studio's dont have a Maple cap...Thats why they are $799

 

[TwinACStacks]

Jeez...How wrong are you kids anyways? One: I'm an old Man (57), Two: I can still rep 275 on bench, Three: What separates you young bucks from us old stags is experience and a CCW. Four: have any of you ever picked up and held a real Vintage late 50's or early 60's LP? They are LIGHT. The reason LP"s got heavy was do to inferior sources of mahogany and construction/drying/mass production techniques.

The chambering actually adds resonance (there are Lab tests to bear this out). I have a Vintage Mahogany Studio, simply one of the best playing and sounding LPs I have ever held or heard.

Thank God it's light, I'm old. I have to go take a Nap now....

TWIN (Chairman of the Clapton Pipe and slippers Club)

 

[slacker]

aarrghh, okay. i'm 43, i agree with twinstacks completely,the NEW chambering adds resonance, the random drilling of the '01- 06ish is hit or miss. i've owned about 17 different les pauls over the last 20 years, these include; '55 special, 55 standard, 59 standard, 74 deluxe, 74 standard, 76 deluxe, 77 deluxe, 79 professional, 82 standard, 88 standard, 96 standard, 98 standard, 06 standard, 08 worn brown studio. and a bunch of assorted studios that i didn't keep long enough to remember. most 50's les pauls are very light, '76-85 they get heavy and crappy (IMO). the heavy pancake bodies and three piece maple necks of the late 70's are just too biting for me. in addition, make sure you sight down the neck and look for twisting on any 70's maple neck les paul. like the maple board ones from '78. my opinion? just about any les paul made from '89 till '95 is going to be superior in craftsmanship to any other period post 1963. my personal favorite? the '55 special had the most sustain, and the '55 wraparound had the best overall tone. my '08 worn brown is definately the best 'bang for the buck' in my opinion.

 

[slacker]

Back to prices...

A buddy of mine that used to work at Guitar Center told me the actual cost of Les Pauls from a Custom down to a Studio... It was enough to make you sick, and I'm not talking versus the retail/sticker price which no one ever pays, I'm talking cost versus the "hookup" price. .

yeah, but GC cost is usually dealer -30% because they buy so much, they almost set the price because of their volume, and their decision whether or not to stock your product can break most companies, since Guitar Center is also Musician's Friend. look at this way,GC also almost takes on the role of financier in the past. let's say GC decides to buy 500 LP standards, WHAT if this means that GC pays gibson 50% of that price before delivery, then gibson makes the guitars by a certain date, if they miss that deadline they don't get paid. Gibson uses that money to buy a pile of wood and make them, , then it's all good. without that up front money, or loans against that eventual check, could gibson tool up for the run? see how GC gets such a good deal? what if the feds seize the wood needed for the run?
GC also goes to manufacturers and tells them to build the guitars at a certain price point. i.e. the $99 strat the 199usd epiphone, and the manufacturer has to adjust specs to hit that point. so you'll see specs change to match the price that GC is offering.
things get messy in business i guess.
GC ex emp 0408xx

 

[TwinACStacks]

I hope you youngsters did't take that rant too seriously. Much.

What bothers me personally about Gibsons, is that no matter what price point, you have to play a dozen or so to find one that speaks to you. That is ridiculous. With CNC and modern assembly techniques, (aside from minor deviations in the wood), every one should be virtually identical.

I should NOT have to play 6-7 +3K guitars to find a single GOOD one. I played 6 VM Studios to find the one I have now!!!

Gibsons are not the only ones subject to QC issues, but they are the SPENDIEST, and Fender has cleaned up their act considerably....

TWIN

 

[zslane]

What bothers me personally about Gibsons, is that no matter what price point, you have to play a dozen or so to find one that speaks to you. That is ridiculous. With CNC and modern assembly techniques, (aside from minor deviations in the wood), every one should be virtually identical.

You are seeing the effect of the "human touch" that remains in guitar assembly. No two people put the parts together exactly the same way or with the same attention to detail. Even the same person will produce varying output based on mood, health, working conditions, etc. If you want people building these things, rather than machines, you have to accept all the implications of that: inconsistency/variability/unpredictability.

 

[kebek]

got a studio and it sound great... ebony fingerboard

 

[TwinACStacks]

You are seeing the effect of the "human touch" that remains in guitar assembly. No two people put the parts together exactly the same way or with the same attention to detail. Even the same person will produce varying output based on mood, health, working conditions, etc. If you want people building these things, rather than machines, you have to accept all the implications of that: inconsistency/variability/unpredictability.

Good Point zslane and I accept that as a truth. My point is the QC. Why send out 5 mediocre and 1 GREAT Guitar out? Shouldn't QC have stepped in and sent the 5 back through the assembly procedure or at least called them "B" or even "C" Stock? And as such retailed them at a much lower price point.

You don't see Rolls Royces or Bentleys leaving the manufactures with sub par workmanship, there are no "B" stock Bentleys. Since Gibson is pretty much the Rolls of Guitardom you'd think Henry would take a little more pride in the product he's turning out.

Anybody ever looked at the Japanese Gibsons like Orville or Burny? Basically Flawless. If they can do it why can't the American MOTHER company?

"Wouldn't You rather have a Gibson?" could easily turn into "Would You rather have a Gibson?" if things keep progressing as they are being allowed to.

JMHO

TWIN

 

[slacker]

You are seeing the effect of the "human touch" that remains in guitar assembly. No two people put the parts together exactly the same way or with the same attention to detail. Even the same person will produce varying output based on mood, health, working conditions, etc. If you want people building these things, rather than machines, you have to accept all the implications of that: inconsistency/variability/unpredictability.

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

 

[nofearfactor]

I have an 07' Standard and a 74' Standard but prefer playing my ESP and ESP-LTD LP copies only because I use EMG active pickups in all of my gigging guitars and I dont want to mod the Gibsons,even though I'm thinking of modding the 07'- but never the 74'. The 74' was my first electric at 16 in 86' after 7 years of classical lessons. I saved all school year to buy it from a local pawn shop in San Diego. I like my guitars heavy too,I dont care much for light guitars.

 

[Adrian R]

I don't own a Studio, but the few I have tried were decent, although they just didn't feel as good as my 95' LP Standard.

Its weird and hard to point out..but the Studio just didn't play as well..and was way lighter.

But I do love that Alpine white color!