❌SOLD❌ Gibson Les Paul Studio Wine Red, 1996

Here’s a Gibson Les Paul Studio with Gold plated hardware, in a gloss Wine Red finish from 1996. It’s been used as intended and is in nice playing condition. Built with a carved Maple cap on a non-weight relieved Mahogany back, this model has a Mahogany neck with an unbound Indian Rosewood fingerboard. Tuners are gold plated and relatively lightweight Gibson Deluxe models with plastic Keystone buttons while the bridge and stop tailpiece are the same as other higher priced Les Pauls. The pickups are 490R and 490T models under Gold covers, with standard Gibson wiring. This guitar has been played so there is some scuffing and minor dents to the finish, but fret wear is light and it plays quite well.

Sold with a TKL Gig Bag.

The main visual difference between the Gibson Les Paul Studio and Standard, or Classic models is top and fingerboard binding. The Studio’s lack of fingerboard binding has a useful side effect that flows from Gibson’s production practice of fretting the fingerboard, then binding it (if bound) before gluing it to the neck. If there’s binding, the fret bead stops at the binding. If there isn’t, the fret bead extends all the way to the edge, giving a bit more playing surface. For a Standard or Classic, getting that extra space requires a re-fret.

First appearing in 1983, the Gibson Les Paul Studio has been built in a range of variations though all aim to deliver a real Les Paul experience but at a lower price point. The price savings mostly come from two labour intensive areas. First, most Studios have thinner finishes and not all are gloss. This reduces the time spent in the finish room which can take weeks for a full gloss. As well, there is no binding applied to the body or neck. The next factor in cost savings is the visual grade of the woods. It’s been Gibson’s practice for many decades to use lower visual grade woods when the instrument gets a solid colour finish. These lower visual grades are sonically the same as any other ‘higher’ grade.