should I buy a gibson les paul studio or a gibson les paul standard ?

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jonathanmitchel

jonathansblog.co.uk
its time to buy a new guitar =)
well, its time to start saving money to buy a new guitar with!
I really want a gibson les paul, but which to go for? studio or standard?
i know most people will say 'go and try them out and see which one you like best' which im going to do anyway, but what i really want to know is the differences - eg, is an old les paul studio going to be better than a new les paul standard, etc

cheers for any info you can give =)
 
im not so sure about ebay for a guitar - ive bought lots of gear form ebay, but never a guitar, and at that price i think id feel safer buying it from a shop! but at lest i can get an idea of the difference in price by looking on ebay!!!
 
Wait till Zaphod B comes along, he gave me some good advice when it came to buying my Les Paul. I went for the studio - I couldn't justify the price tag on the standard. Although I do miss cream binding!
 
ez_willis said:
no. don't buy a guitar you haven't played.

go play some guitars. buy the one that feels and sounds the best for what you'll be using it for. it doesn't matter if it's a studio or a standard.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
I have a studio. Mine is about 15 years old now. Supposedly mine weighs more than studios now but I haven't touched one from recent years so I don't know. I just know that while I am not 100% in love with 490R and 498T pickups, I found a new love for them after playing a recent LP with Burstbuckers costing twice what studios go for. I didn't like it.

I didn't see a $1000 difference in playability, but if money was nothing of concern I would have taken that LP and ripped out the Burstbuckers right there.
 
ez_willis said:
no. don't buy a guitar you haven't played.

go play some guitars. buy the one that feels and sounds the best for what you'll be using it for. it doesn't matter if it's a studio or a standard.
Click to expand...

this is true... but i always find in a store, they all feel and sound good.

i've never bought a guitar on ebay, but i have been happy with other things... also, i was just thinking price. gibson's are SO BLOODY EXPENSIVE in stores.

s
 
haymedic said:
i've never bought a guitar on ebay, but i have been happy with other things...
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right. a guitar isn't an "other thing". one guitar player may love one particular guitar while every other guy on the planet might hate it. that guitar is perfect for that guy, and the chances are pretty damn good that dude didn't buy it on ebay before he played it.

or pick one that looks pretty and dump your tax return into it. whatever. i really don't care. good luck.
 
I have a 90's studio that i liked until i put a classic '57 in the neck poistion, and now i love it.

Like everyone says, play a bunch and then decide, but craiglist for a studio in good shape will get you a great deal and if you buy used the value will hold. A standard in great shape will hold lots of value and always be sought after. Both can be great options.

Daav
 
TelePaul said:
Wait till Zaphod B comes along, he gave me some good advice when it came to buying my Les Paul. I went for the studio - I couldn't justify the price tag on the standard. Although I do miss cream binding!
Click to expand...

Wait - whaddid I do? :confused: :eek: :D

Anyhow.

I've never heard the comment that "an old LP Studio is better than a new LP Standard." I guess you just never hear of any particular Studio being, or getting particularly "special" with time. Not that that matters one whit.

Some of the Gibson gearheads are prone to say that the Studios get the least prime of the woods but I don't know if there's any truth to that or not. Maybe that's just their rationalization for paying way too much money for a piece of flame maple.

In the end it comes down to cosmetics and sound. The Studios have hotter pickups than the Standards, and the Standards are prettier if you like bound bodies. OTOH, there are some Studios that are very attractive even without the body binding.

So, yes, you're right - I, like everyone else on this thread, is gonna tell you to get yourself to a big-box music store and spend a couple of hours plugged in.
 
ez_willis said:
right. a guitar isn't an "other thing". one guitar player may love one particular guitar while every other guy on the planet might hate it. that guitar is perfect for that guy, and the chances are pretty damn good that dude didn't buy it on ebay before he played it.

or pick one that looks pretty and dump your tax return into it. whatever. i really don't care. good luck.
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your point has been driven home. i have lost this internet argument. i am so ashamed. i will try an 'other' forum.

s
 
haymedic said:
your point has been driven home. i have lost this internet argument. i am so ashamed. i will try an 'other' forum.

s
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lol. dude, i ain't trying to win anything, and if you find another forum that has members who tell you to buy a guitar before playing it you should just come back here and stay.
 
Last edited:
jonathanmitchel said:
its time to buy a new guitar =)
well, its time to start saving money to buy a new guitar with!
I really want a gibson les paul, but which to go for? studio or standard?
i know most people will say 'go and try them out and see which one you like best' which im going to do anyway, but what i really want to know is the differences - eg, is an old les paul studio going to be better than a new les paul standard, etc

cheers for any info you can give =)
Click to expand...

Buy the guitar that you want.
 
too many chinese knock offs about to part with any cash on cheap deals on ebay...seen a few crop up on C'list too....bastards
 
Do they really have "big box stores" in Ayr Scotland stocking hundreds of uber-kewl Les Pauls just like Banjo Mart does here???

Fo shizzle???

:laughings:
 
ez_willis said:
lol. dude, i ain't trying to win anything, and if you find another forum that has members who tell you to buy a guitar before playing it you should just come back here and stay.
Click to expand...

you're trying to win the 'battle of what this guy does with his money.' i know you are! just buy the one on ebay... maybe it's mexican! (does gibson have a manufacturer in mexico, or is that just Fender?) haha

s
 
The Standards come in more flavors than the Studios do. So if the Studio doesn't feel right to you, or if it doesn't sound right for your rig or your tastes, then start playing the various Standards.

With the Standards, you have a lot more finish options, and even a few options on the neck profile (I'll forever be a fan of the '60s slim-taper that started out on the Classics and are now available on Standards). Then there are Standard Plus models (can't remember what makes them distinct from regular Standards).

Actually, now that I look at MF.com, there are quite a few options on the Studio models. The Faded series have mahogany on mahogany, but with BurstBucker Pro pickups. I don't know the difference b/n the BB and BB Pro pickups, so that may be a good or a bad thing to have them.

It does all come down to personal preference though, and what grabs you when you actually play it. I know that when I went shopping for a LP, I knew that I was after a true LP Standard and that nothing else would do. Then I ended up buying a LP Classic instead. So you never know what you'll find, or how it'll strike you when you actually have it in hand.
 
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