Members kirs Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Been wanting a LP for a long time. I play a Epi '56 Goldtop RI but want a humbucker guitar too and if I do it again I don't want to go the Epi -> swap p'up route. Debating between the LP Studio vs the Traditional. The Traditional looks fantastic and if I buy it I would be set for life. I'd consider the Studio for the price but wondering if it's worth the $1000 more just to get a Traditional and not have to worry about upgrading again in a few years. Is the the Studio good or is the Traditional worth the price? I know a lot of people don't recommend buying new LPs but from what I read the worst is over for bad production, true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ESchmidt Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have a 1990 Studio and it is amazing! I love it. I havent played that Traditional yet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elazul Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I'd say go for a used, pre-2006 Standard. You should be able to pick one up for not much more than a new Studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members favata5 Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 If you got the cash,go for the traditional,its as close to a real vintage Lester as your gonna get! IMO if you want to play tons of distortion and never play much clean buy a studio version,they are great for making noise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StringKing7 Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I'd say go for a used, pre-2006 Standard. You should be able to pick one up for not much more than a new Studio. Why pre 2006? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elazul Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Why pre 2006? Because that's when they started chambering them. If he's looking at getting a Traditional, chances are he wants his Les Paul unchambered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StringKing7 Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Because that's when they started chambering them. If he's looking at getting a Traditional, chances are he wants his Les Paul unchambered. Oh, okay. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kirs Posted January 21, 2010 Author Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yeah not interested in heavy distortion so maybe the Studio is not a good option. Interested in a used Standard but afraid of getting scammed and the shops are marked up. Because that's when they started chambering them. If he's looking at getting a Traditional, chances are he wants his Les Paul unchambered. Definitely unchambered. I don't mind the weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members arclite Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Why pre 2006? 2002-2008 Standard's had some appointments that were more "vintage-like." Mid-'06 to '08 they went to chambering. This era is probably my favorite for modern day, non-custom shop Standard's. Best bang for the buck are the 2007-2008 chambered Les Paul Standard Faded's. The only non-personal opinion I can make on the Studio is that their resale isn't the best. Also, some lower-end Studio's appear to have more QC issues than other Gibson models. Traditionals are cool and stores seem more willing to deal. BUT, like most things Gibson, play before you pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members niceguy Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 LOLz, I doubt anyone could tell much difference in tone between a studio and a traditional, provided they have similar pickups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meowy Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 If you got the cash,go for the traditional,its as close to a real vintage Lester as your gonna get! IMO if you want to play tons of distortion and never play much clean buy a studio version,they are great for making noise! ?????????? Can you explain why a Studio lends itself to tons of distortion or can't play cleans? Mine does just fine. The main difference between a Studio and a Traditional lies in cosmetic appointments and binding. Granted neck binding can be seen as a cosmetic or playing asthetic, but 2 strips of plastic for $1000? That's up to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smorgdonkey Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Studios are great guitars. Mine will make noise if I want them to but I syeered them away from that. I don't have any chambered Les Pauls but chambering them does not make them better or worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BydoEmpire Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I love my Traditional. Plays great, looks amazing, sounds wonderful. I didn't play a whole lot of studios when I was shopping because I just don't like LPs without binding. I spent half a year saving money for my LP, and I wanted one I'd be happy with for a long time. Plus, the few Studios I did try just didn't feel right to me. Then again, I tried a couple of Standards and other Traditionals that didn't do it for me, either. The 57 Classics in the Traditional are great, too. Really depends what you want. The dozens of LPs I played when shopping varied a lot, even within the same model. Try a bunch and see what grabs you. Traditionals are Plek'd, too. Are studios? I'm not sure either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chadd Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I would take the traditional every time. I've been playing every one I can find, looking for the right one for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pvwolfgang5150 Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Either get a used Classic or a new Traditional or Traditional Pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Spike Li Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 The thing about Studios being bad for cleans is bull. The 498T is a great pup for cleans! Classics are bad for cleans because of the super hot ceramic pups. I own a studio (white with ebony board ) and think its great. Ive played a Traditional that I loved in a store, I do think it was better than my studio, but not twice as good (was twice the price). If money (and weight) is not a big issue, then I say go for the Traditional, but the Studio is still a great guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SirBoye Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I agree. Pre-2006 standard or go all out, custom. Buy used. There are some amazing pieces out there and if you find a decent deal, you always have to ability to sell back for the same, if not more than what you paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Meowy Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 The thing about Studios being bad for cleans is bull. The 498T is a great pup for cleans! Classics are bad for cleans because of the super hot ceramic pups. I own a studio (white with ebony board ) and think its great. Ive played a Traditional that I loved in a store, I do think it was better than my studio, but not twice as good (was twice the price). If money (and weight) is not a big issue, then I say go for the Traditional, but the Studio is still a great guitar. I have the same guitar ('06) and I love it - and it is NOT chambered. I have been on a tone quest with the pickups - nothing objectively "wrong" with the stock pups, just not my taste. Right now and for the foreseeable future I have a Pearly Gates set Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smorgdonkey Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Two Studios, 2006 with Fralin P92 and 2004 with Fralin zebra humbuckers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members emotart Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 I have a 2009 Traditional Pro and a 1997 Studio Gem. I think the Traditional Pro plays much better and looks much better, but the Studio is no joke either. Either way you go, you will be getting a very nice guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ubernerd Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Classics are bad for cleans because of the super hot ceramic pups. Gotta disagree. It all depends on how you dial your amp and how you use the guitar's volume knob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CompleteGuitard Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 can't go wrong with a les paul studio. Fantastic instrument Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members artiem Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 The Traditional definitely has a more refined look to it, but you have to decide whether that matters to you. The arguments over which is better for distortion are a little silly IYAM. $1000 is a big spread, so ask yourself what else you want? You could pick up a US-made Strat or Tele (or a Princeton Reverb or AC-30) with the difference in cost between these two. Don't tell yourself that this one guitar will satisfy your GAS for life, cuz it never works that way. It's like automobiles: once you've acclimated yourself to a certain level of quality, you just want more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members James Hetfield Acne Scars Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 This might be a dumbass question but what is a traditional? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members emotart Posted January 21, 2010 Members Share Posted January 21, 2010 Don't tell yourself that this one guitar will satisfy your GAS for life, cuz it never works that way. It's like automobiles: once you've acclimated yourself to a certain level of quality, you just want more. I could not agree with this anymore. I got my Traditional Pro and thought I wouldn't be getting a guitar for a loooooong while, but 3 weeks later I bought my Gibson Les Paul Gem. GAS will never go away... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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