A Guitar Center exclusive, the Gibson Les Paul Studio Figured Electric Guitar comfortably straddles the midline price point while still being a fully professional instrument. Aimed at the working musician who wants a great Gibson electric guitar without breaking the bank, the LP Studio Figured blends the practicality of a Les Paul with great tone, playability, and versatile features that will excel in both live and studio settings.
If you are a Gibson Les Paul fan, you are aware of the Studio Series. First introduced in 1983, it was designed as a more affordable alternative to the Les Paul Standard, offering a stripped-down version with fewer cosmetic features while maintaining the core Les Paul sound and styling. This GC exclusive is designed to be the highest appointed model of the Studio Series, boasting a gorgeous bookmatched tiger stripe maple flametop reminiscent of the classic late '50s Les Pauls that Jimmy Page and others made famous.
The LP Studio Figured that Music Connection received played immaculately right out of the case. The SlimTaper neck is what many players would describe as a '60s style without the '50s style baseball bat chunkiness. The neck is smooth and fast and will suit players who prefer that profile. Aside from the obvious styling simplicity, one of the features that makes this guitar so great is the push-pull volume potentiometers that enable both Burstbucker Pro pickups to be either humbucker or single coil. While it doesn’t sound like a Strat or P-90 Les Paul in single coil mode, the sound is sweet, funky, and has a lot of character. The full humbucking mode offers the classic Les Paul sound. This is a feature that is not common on Les Paul Standards, and it is a very attractive and usable feature. In hands-on use, the bandwidth of this instrument layered perfectly within a band, carrying its own weight well with a distinctive and powerful presence.
The Les Paul Studio appointments are all there—Indian Rosewood fretboard, a one-piece mahogany body and neck. And at 8.2 lbs, this sample guitar showed off its weight-relieved body. The real leather Gibson gig bag is among the nicest that Music Connection has ever seen. While not an entry-level guitar in terms of its price point, the LP Studio Figured is a truly excellent professional guitar that does not sacrifice quality, tone, playability, and value on any level. Available only at Guitar Center and highly recommended. $1,799
