Gibson Les Paul Studio Left-Handed (Wine Red)

Les Paul performance with a modern, no-frills attitude. Chrome Hardware. Left-Handed model.

Sometimes less is better. In the case of the Les Paul Studio from Gibson USA, however, a little less is breathtaking! Ever since hitting the streets in 1983, Gibson’s Les Paul Studio has been the ultimate offering of traditional Les Paul performance with a modern, no-frills attitude. Introduced as a guitar mainly for studio musicians, the Les Paul Studio has become one of the most desired – and popular – Les Pauls for its tremendous harmonic and sonic qualities. All of the essential elements of a Les Paul Standard are there, including a carved maple top, solid mahogany back and genuine Gibson humbucker pickups. What the Les Paul Studio lacks in extras, it makes up for in performance. If you don’t believe us, ask any one of the thousands of musicians who call it their No. 1 axe. The Les Paul Studio is one of Gibson USA’s best-selling instruments. Don’t you want to find out why?

Available Finishes

Take your pick between four gorgeous finishes — Ebony, Wine Red, Classic White and Fireburst — all of which are applied by hand in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike a lot of our competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time. That way your guitar’s wood can breathe and age beautifully, like it’s supposed to.

Fast & Comfortable Rounded Neck Profile

Gibson’s traditional rounded neck profile, which graces the neck of each Les Paul Studio, is a thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s. Each neck is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest — including the final sanding — is done by hand. That means each neck ends up with ever-so-subtle differences that make each one as exceptional – and unique – as the next.

Crank out modern tone with a vintage edge

Gibson’s 490T and 490R pickups (“T” for treble, and “R” for rhythm) have the traditional characteristics of the original “Patent Applied For” pickups of the late 1950s, but with two key modifications. First, a four-conductor wiring scheme allows the 490s to be connected to any push/pull knob, which lets players split the coils and increase versatility. These pickups also take advantage of wax potting, which does away with any air space inside the pickup, therefore lessening the chances of microphonic feedback. The result is a humbucker with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490’s ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

Ebony or rosewood fingerboard: get the best of both worlds

The fingerboards on Gibson’s Les Paul Studios are constructed from the highest grade rosewood and ebony on the planet. Both are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before they enter the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Les Paul Studio. The resilience of these dense and durable woods makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes. The ebony fingerboard is only available on the Classic White Les Paul Studio, and the rosewood fingerboard is available on the Ebony, Wine Red, and Fireburst models.

Enjoy enhanced tone with Gibson’s lightweight, chambered body

The expert craftsmen at Gibson USA carve carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul Studio’s solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument’s sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player’s back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.

’50s Rounded Neck Profile

No guitar neck profiles are more distinguishable than the neck profiles employed on the Gibson models of today. The more traditional ’50s neck profile—found on the Les Paul Studio—is the thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standards. The neck is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest—including the final sanding—is done by hand. That means there are no two necks with the exact same dimensions. So while it still has the basic characteristics of its respective profile, each neck will be slightly different, with a distinct but traditional feel.

Gibson’s 490R and 498T Pickups

The mid to late 1960s saw the emergence of a very different type of music coming from the clubs of England. This new genre’s players were demanding more powerful amplifiers with increased volume outputs to satisfy their sonic explorations. This led to a call for a more versatile pickup, and Gibson answered the call with the 490T and 490R pickups (“T” for treble, and “R” for rhythm), humbuckers with the tonal characteristics of an original PAF, but with a slight increase in upper mid-range response. The Gibson 498T bridge pickup is the 490’s ideal complement. Taking the 490 one step further, the 498 swaps the Alnico II magnet to an Alnico V, thus making it slightly hotter with emphasis on mid-ranges and highs. The pole pieces on the 498T are also aligned a little further apart to accommodate the spacing of the strings at the bridge, which is different than the spacing of the strings at the neck.

22-Fret Rosewood Fingerboard

Both rosewood and ebony have always graced the fingerboards of the world’s finest stringed instruments, including many of today’s Gibsons. The fingerboards on Gibson’s Les Paul Studios are constructed from the highest grade rosewood and ebony on the planet. Both are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before they enter the factories to be fitted onto the neck of the Les Paul Studio. The resilience of these dense and durable woods makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with lesser radiuses. The ebony fingerboard is only available on the Les Paul Studios in Classic White or Alpine White. The Rosewood fingerboard is only available on the Studios in Ebony, Wine Red, and Fireburst.

Mahogany Back and Maple Top

There isn’t anything more critical than the marriage of the Les Paul’s mahogany back with a maple cap, as well as the regimen involved in selecting the right wood and the formula to dry it out. First, the wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enters the Gibson factories. These onsite inspectors also ensure that the plain maple comes from corporations adhering to the forest-saving standards of the Rainforest Alliance, of which Gibson is a proud member and sponsor. Inside the Gibson factories, humidity is maintained at 45 percent, and the temperature at 70 degrees. This ensures all woods are dried to a level of “equilibrium,” where the moisture content does not change during the manufacturing process. This guarantees tight-fitting joints and no expansion, and controls the shrinkage and warping of the woods, in addition to reducing the weight. It also improves the woods’ machinability and finishing properties, and adherence to glue. Consistent moisture content means that a Gibson guitar will respond evenly to temperature and humidity changes long after it leaves the factory.

Chambered Body

There’s something about playing a guitar with perfect tone, balance, and weight. One of the ways the expert craftsmen at Gibson USA achieve this equilibrium is by carving carefully mapped-out chambers in the Les Paul’s solid mahogany back using a Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router before the maple top is glued on. The positioning of the routes was established after careful examination of the resonant characteristics of the Les Paul. Gibson approached this process with the awareness that every change to the formula would have repercussions on the instrument’s sound. So, in addition to relieving the stress on a player’s back and shoulder, these lighter Gibson guitars also enhance the tone palette in a manner unique only to these guitars. The results are comfortable, lightweight guitars that are acoustically louder, with increased sustain and resonance.

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson guitar—including the Les Paul Studio—is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. A properly applied nitro finish requires extensive man hours, several evenly applied coats, and an exorbitant amount of drying time. But this fact has never swayed Gibson into changing this time-tested method, employed ever since the first guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish dries to a much thinner coat than a polyurethane finish, which means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. A nitro finish is also a softer finish, which makes it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can’t do the same on a poly finish. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous in nature, and actually gets thinner over time. It does not “seal” wood in an airtight shell—as a poly finish does—and allows the wood to breathe and age properly.

From Studio Artist to Straight-on Rocker, This Les Paul’s a Winner

Since 1983, Gibson USA has been proving not only that less is sometimes more, but also that less can sometimes knock your socks off – when it comes in the form of the popular no-nonsense Les Paul Studio model, at least. Originally designed as a model for studio artists but adopted wholeheartedly by countless players of all stripes, the Les Paul Studio combines stripped-down appointments with the full tonal splendor and unrivaled playability of a Les Paul Standard at a significant financial savings.

All the elements of the legendary Les Paul Standard are still there, including that fat and sweet maple-and-mahogany tone through two genuine Gibson humbucking pickups. By eliminating a little of the window dressing – namely, building the guitar without binding around the body top or fingerboard, and applying an elegant gold silkscreened logo in place of an inlay – the Les Paul Studio weighs in at a price that players have found irresistible for three decades. And it all looks great, naturally, in your choice of four hand-sprayed nitrocellulose finishes: Wine Red, Ebony Black, Alpine White or Fire Burst (Ebony and Wine Red also available left-handed).

Crucial elements of the Les Paul Studio’s design include the carved maple top and mahogany body, glued-in mahogany neck with back-angled headstock, rosewood fingerboard (ebony fingerboard with the Alpine White finish), Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece – all design points that have been making Les Pauls the most desirable tone monsters available since the late 1950s. For electronics, a set of Gibson’s 498T and 490R Alnico humbucking pickups squeeze every drop of tone from the instrument.

With these classic ingredients, the Les Paul Studio gives you all the sonic versatility you could ask for, from sultry, warm bluesy tones to powerful crunch to sizzling lead tones. Finally, the Les Paul Studio is supremely playable too, thanks to its rounded ’50s neck profile and a chambered mahogany body that reduces the weight while enhancing resonance, making it outstandingly comfortable strapped on or seated. All this, and your Les Paul Studio comes protected in a formfitting Gibson hardshell case, and covered by Gibson’s famous Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service. It could just be the bargain of the decade… or the past three. Check one out now at your authorized Gibson dealer.

Body and Finish

A solid, carved maple top and chambered mahogany body give the Les Paul Studio the same tonewood combination that has been helping Les Paul Standards rock for nearly 60 years. And each of its four available nitrocellulose finishes makes for a stunning looking guitar, even while its no-frills approach eliminates body binding and pickguard.

Neck, Headstock and Fingerboard

The Les Paul Studio is crafted in classic Gibson style with a glued-in neck made from solid quarter-sawn mahogany and topped with an unbound rosewood fingerboard (an ebony fingerboard with the Alpine White finish). It has an angled headstock for superior resonance, and its rounded ’50s profile and 1-11/16” wide Corian nut help to make is supremely playable.

Pickups and Electronics

The Les Paul Studio carries two of Gibson’s most popular humbucking pickups, a 498T in the bridge position and a 490R in the neck. Both are designed as updated renditions of Gibson’s famous PAF humbucker of the late ’50s and early ’60s, modified for improved versatility, and routed through the classic Gibson four-knob and three-way switch control section.

Hardware

The hardware set on the Les Paul Studio echoes that worn by Les Paul Standards since 1956, and includes Gibson’s hallowed Tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and vintage-style tuners. A classic of 20th century guitar design, the Tune-o-matic provides excellent resonant coupling, while offering efficient independent adjustment of each saddle for precise intonation.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Left-Handed (Wine Red) @ Electro Music.
Price: £1199.00.

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