Gibson Les Pauls

I’ve been playing a Gibson LP studio for the last 15 years. This, in and of itself, should say something about the quality of the instrument. When you buy a Gibson, for better or for worse, part of what you’re paying for is the name. There are (arguably) guitars out there that sound/play as good as the original for a lot less money, but unlike most of the LP clones, the genuine Gibson article retains its value well and is something of an “established commodity” – you know what you’re getting.

My guitar has always sounded and played well, although (like any guitar) you may have to adjust the setup to get it the way you like it. (Evaluating guitars on the basis of how well they’re setup from the factory is, in my opinion, a bit of a waste of time. If you’re too lazy to adjust your instrument, or to have a tech adjust it for you, you should probably stick with “guitar hero”.) On the critical side, the fret ends on mine weren’t dressed as nicely as I’d like from the factory, and the fretboard finish was a little rougher than I’d have expected, both of which were easily rectified by a little TLC.

Bottom line: there is, in the end, no substitute for the genuine article. Buy it, have your tech set it up the way you like it, and you should be happy.

The Studio is a great guitar for anyone looking for an ‘affordable’ gibson. The sound is absolutely great and it plays like a dream. Naturally you’ll want to test it out before buying it, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.