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Back to Basics Look and a Great Value

What can we write about the Gibson Les Paul that hasn't already been written? It all comes down to this: Ever since its introduction in 1952, the Les Paul has had an impact on both guitar players and on music itself. What started out as Gibson's answer to the introduction of solidbody guitars in 1950, turned out to be perhaps the most influential of them all. What started out as a simple gold-top guitar has turned into a veritable rainbow of colors, in configurations to meet everyone's needs, wants and yes, even budget. It's a rock and roll icon. Think '60s Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Mike Bloomfield all the way up to Slash with Guns N Roses or Velvet Revolver. Yeah, it's really that cool.

Gibson Les Paul Studio at a Glance:

• Carved maple top over a mahogany body
  
• 1959 rounded mahogany neck with granadillo fingerboard
  
• Two hot pickups

Carved maple top and mahogany body
In 1958, the Les Paul went from a simple gold-finished, painted top to a cherry sunburst finish over a carved maple two-piece top. The majority of the tops were actually pretty plain, while others - the ones collectors now pay astronomically high prices for - could be found with beautifully figured, two-piece flamed maple tops. Actually, it was the carved top that set the Les Paul apart from the "competition." That continued through the instrument's long and storied history. The Les Paul Studio is equally at home in the studio as well as up on stage. Unless you just can't possibly live without the flamed maple top and single-ply cream body binding, you just might want to give the Les Paul Studio a serious look.

The Chunky '59 Profile Neck
The first Les Pauls had chunky necks, which were perfect for some players. By 1960 the neck underwent several modifications until it became what's known as the slim-taper design, which also had a legion of devotees.The '59 neck profile is a nice compromise between the two. It's solid mahogany with a granadillo fingerboard and those classy pearloid trapezoid markers, so it has that warm, classic Les Paul feel while still allowing easy access to the upper frets so you can really dig into your solos!

Two Hot Pickups
Look, when you're talking about a Les Paul, you're talking about that big, fat, smoky humbucker sound. You've got that nice chunky neck in your left hand and you're grabbing big fat power chords and soloing all up and down the fingerboard. You want that Les Paul sound, so Gibson put huge-sounding 490R and 498T pickups on this baby.

Les Paul Studio Features:

• Color: Wine Red
  
• Top: Carved maple
  
• Back: Mahogany
  
• Neck: Mahogany with 1959 rounded profile
  
• Fingerboard: Granadillo with pearloid trapezoid inlays
  
• Number of frets: 22
  
• Pickups: 490R (neck); 498T (bridge)
  
• Controls: Two each tone and volume with three-way pickup selector switch
  
• Machine heads: Green Keys
  
• Hardware: Chrome plated
  
• Case: Black reptile pattern hardshell

The Gibson Les Paul Studio is equally at home on the stage as well as the studio - and makes for an incredible value!Gibson: Don't Mess with a Good Thing
Gibson guitars have been around for well over a century. When guitarists are looking for an outstanding combination of superb tone and playability along with great looks and gorgeous finishes, the choice for most of those 100 plus years has been Gibson. From their amazing collection of fine acoustics to the electric guitars that literally rewrote music history, Gibson guitars have been on almost every chart-topping album from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin. These "first call" instruments also cross an enormous array of diverse styles, from folk and country to blues and hard rock. With that resume, it's not surprising that so many of Gibson's best-selling instruments have changed little over the decades. Because there's just no sense in messing with a good thing!

Specification Detail Manufacturer Part Number LPSTWRCH1