Same pickups on LP Custom and LP Studio
- Thread starter ido1957
- Start date
For the most part yeah. I think the build quality and feel is typically much better with customs. Weight relieving is different. But you could probably find a gem or dud with either model.
A Custom Les Paul is in a league of its own, especially looking at the last 5 years of modern builds with Standards and Studio's.
Les Paul's used to be manufactured at a rate of 2-6,000 per annum. Now they get produced at 60,000 per annum, so you need to look carefully at what you are buying to get that tone and sound you are looking for.
The differences between a Standard and Studio used to be purely cosmetic.
The Les Paul Studio is a great product. You can even get the cracking Les Paul Junior model as well. Most people who own them swear by them.
The order in terms of cost is roughly
1. Les Paul Junior
2. Les Paul Studio
3. Les Paul Traditional
4. Les Paul Standard
5. Les Paul Elegant
6. Les Paul Deluxe
7. Les Paul Custom ('57 Black Beauty is one of the nicest guitars you can buy)
8. Les Paul Custom Shop Reissue
9. Les Paul Custom Shop Artist Series
For new Les Paul's, that chain starts at $5-800 and finishes around $25,000.
But the order in terms of nice tone is not always the same.
Technically, the Studio and the Standard have similar specs, but the Standard will have features such as binding, AA maple top, better inlays, and more nitrocellulose layers. The sound will not be too far different.
The Elegant was one of the first 'light' Les Pauls in terms of weight.
With the Custom, they are another level up again with an ebony fretboard, finer wood selection, mother of pearl inlays, more binding etc.
It's a heavier guitar due to being solid mahogany, and a very nice finished product.
The Les Paul Custom is simply a different beast, and in my experience, a nicer sounding instrument to the Studio, Standard and Traditional Les Paul's.
The Studio is much lighter (depending on year, and especially if its a new model chambered guitar), and will therefore produce a different tone.
So what is the difference? It's the nature of the wood (the body and neck) and most importantly, the craftsmanship during the build process that makes each guitar have a unique sound. A "Tom Murphy" aged Les Paul will set you back $10,000-$15,000 and will not disappoint in terms of tone.
The equivalent comparison on the other side of Gibson is the SG.
1. SG Special
2. SG Standard
3. SG Supreme
4. SG Deluxe
You can pickup an SG Special, and if it clicks, it will sound like magic. The Standard has a steeper neck join, more inlays, better finish (nitrocellulose layers), humbucker solid covers and neck binding not found on the Special.
Played some great Special's. And I am sure there are some poor sounding Standards out there, but have yet to find many.
Most important thing to do is to go and try them through an amplifier, and see what you like in terms of tone. Try all the pickup configurations, as the tone does change between the models.
The more times you play these guitar's the better your ear will become at picking the difference between them and making a better purchase.
Les Paul's used to be manufactured at a rate of 2-6,000 per annum. Now they get produced at 60,000 per annum, so you need to look carefully at what you are buying to get that tone and sound you are looking for.
The differences between a Standard and Studio used to be purely cosmetic.
The Les Paul Studio is a great product. You can even get the cracking Les Paul Junior model as well. Most people who own them swear by them.
The order in terms of cost is roughly
1. Les Paul Junior
2. Les Paul Studio
3. Les Paul Traditional
4. Les Paul Standard
5. Les Paul Elegant
6. Les Paul Deluxe
7. Les Paul Custom ('57 Black Beauty is one of the nicest guitars you can buy)
8. Les Paul Custom Shop Reissue
9. Les Paul Custom Shop Artist Series
For new Les Paul's, that chain starts at $5-800 and finishes around $25,000.
But the order in terms of nice tone is not always the same.
Technically, the Studio and the Standard have similar specs, but the Standard will have features such as binding, AA maple top, better inlays, and more nitrocellulose layers. The sound will not be too far different.
The Elegant was one of the first 'light' Les Pauls in terms of weight.
With the Custom, they are another level up again with an ebony fretboard, finer wood selection, mother of pearl inlays, more binding etc.
It's a heavier guitar due to being solid mahogany, and a very nice finished product.
The Les Paul Custom is simply a different beast, and in my experience, a nicer sounding instrument to the Studio, Standard and Traditional Les Paul's.
The Studio is much lighter (depending on year, and especially if its a new model chambered guitar), and will therefore produce a different tone.
So what is the difference? It's the nature of the wood (the body and neck) and most importantly, the craftsmanship during the build process that makes each guitar have a unique sound. A "Tom Murphy" aged Les Paul will set you back $10,000-$15,000 and will not disappoint in terms of tone.
The equivalent comparison on the other side of Gibson is the SG.
1. SG Special
2. SG Standard
3. SG Supreme
4. SG Deluxe
You can pickup an SG Special, and if it clicks, it will sound like magic. The Standard has a steeper neck join, more inlays, better finish (nitrocellulose layers), humbucker solid covers and neck binding not found on the Special.
Played some great Special's. And I am sure there are some poor sounding Standards out there, but have yet to find many.
Most important thing to do is to go and try them through an amplifier, and see what you like in terms of tone. Try all the pickup configurations, as the tone does change between the models.
The more times you play these guitar's the better your ear will become at picking the difference between them and making a better purchase.
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