Gibson Les Paul Studio Swirl

Continuing on with Gibsons wacky 2011 model line up. This is the Les Paul Studio Swirl. This silly paintjob essentially doubles the price of the guitar since the normal Les Paul Studio is only about 800 dollars new and this is 1600 dollars. I guess dipping a guitar in a bucket of swirl paint is 800 dollars worth of labor. To continue with the 2011 wackyness this guitar according to Gibson has a "Black Obeche" fretboard. Another side effect of Gibsons recent trouble over fretboard woods. The puzzling thing is Obeche is white, so I guess being "Black" Obeche means they dyed the wood. If they were going to dye the wood they could have just used any wood. I guess finding some obscure wood and painting it and making it sound exotic is better business sense than saying dyed maple or something. I wish they would stop this mystery wood nonsense and just use some sort of composite or something if they want a dark fretboard. The rest of the guitar is regular Gibson Les Paul Studio. You get a mahogany body with a maple top. The set neck is maple as well with the mystery wood fretboard. The fretboard has 22 frets and the trapezoid inlays. Up top on the plain headstock you get 6 non locking tuners and a non locking bridge. The pickups are generic Gibson 490 and 498 in the neck and bridge. The controls are typical Les Paul with a volume and tone for each pickup and a 3 way toggle on the upper bout.

UTILIZATION

Gibson says this guitar has a vintage inspired neck profile which is a nice way of saying the neck is fat. It has the 50s feel to it like most every Les Paul Studio. This might be uncomfortable for some people. Because there is no binding the guitar will be more likely to have sharp fret edges when you first get it. The fretwork on these lower end Gibsons can be a bit iffy even though they are USA made. This is still a lower end Gibson even if it is priced like a mid level one.

SOUNDS

All the 2011 Gibson wackyness put aside none of that stuff really effects the base tone of the guitar. A silly paintjob does not do anything and a mystery wood fretboard has very little effect on the amplified tone of the guitar. This guitar sounds like a modern low to mid level Gibson. These pickups are decent all around pickups. They are not specialized for any specific type of tone so they are jack of all traits master of none. This is what some people want in a guitar. The bridge is nice and crunchy with a classic rock voicing to it. The neck pickup has the smooth neck pickup tone that can get a bit muddy. It isnt super sharp but for leads you can get a very pleasing tone.

OVERALL OPINION

This guitar shouldnt cost this much. This model is getting up there with the Classic plus's which are way better guitars overall. This is still a Les Paul Studio. This guitar should be 800 dollars at the most and the standard Studio should be like 650. Gibson is pretty much taking advantage of people who dont know any better. The special bits on this guitar are not enough to double the price. Throw a little flash on the guitar and double the price. That is not a good way to treat the customer. Other companies have proven how good a guitar you can make for less than 1000 dollars. You are just paying for the name on the headstock at this point.

Made in USA
Rounded handle Type 50, but it is much closer to a rounded 59 as a 50 for me.
22 frets
490R and 498T Micro handle easel.
2 volume, 2 tone, 3-position selector.

After color level is particular, it is blue in shade and it becomes quite silvery light .... Personally I prefer when it is in the shade.
No body and neck binding ... good ... it's a studio.
As against it is as thick as standard, and the table is also curved.

Finish level ... The weak point ... as always with Gibson ... This is frankly not possible! Will really have to they wake up American luthiers ...
This is my 5th Gibson, and it is still and always the same, that problems of finishes. There's a poc binding on the body neck junction is not nickel chrome, a poc below the micro BTE, glitter varnish on certain frets and part of the key, paint and varnish not uniform across handle ... brief ... it sucks ... This is GIBSON ...
If only there would be no such défaults home ... It would be really the best guitars in the world ...
But now you get used to dream ... We buy a Gibson for its sound quality, and quality materials, not its finishes!
She does not deserve more than 5sur10, and again this is just for the quality of the materials.

UTILIZATION

The handle 50 rounded style is very nice, quite round, but it is much less fat than a les paul studio vintage 90s. It is closer to 59 than the original model 50.
The weight is quite pleasant, much lighter than my standard paul faded because this model is chambered.
Good access to acute is obtained, but a more difficult hair with this handle because it is bigger than the famous slim tapper handle 60. (A must for me, a true highway that handle).
I put him 9 because 10/10 is not possible ....

SOUNDS

This guitar is perfect for today ...

It is chambered, but apparently this model there has been a huge work done on acoustic cavities, which increase the level of output and sustain.
Personally, sustain level, it does not change, but against output level ... It's amazing it sounds!
When empty, it sounds already. The guitar vibrates everywhere.
Good point already.
While plugged in, the sound is killer!
Very high output, modern sound with a lot of grain, but not mushy, very accurate.
In clean, the neck pickup is perfect for jazz and blues arpeggios, the intermediate position is nickel for arpeggios and rhythmic, and the bridge pickup is perfect for large saturations and solos.
You can almost do anything with this guitar, it really is much more versatile than my standard paul faded beacoup which has a more vintage sound, fat and mushy ... This is perfect for the old rock and all, but not to of metal or arpeggios. The good vintage les paul what!
It is quite another ... very modern, more versatile, more comfortable sound level in the clean and smoothie, more accurate ... But it is not well runny grain and fat from the standard paul ....
I played on a Marshall JCM900, and I must say that the sound is great with this guitar.

I personally love ... The sound is very modern and it changes me ...
This is very similar to the sound of the les paul custom! SI SI! It's really something else, but then I know that the good old fat sound burstuckers my standard ... it gives me chills on a large distortion!


OVERALL OPINION

I've had only 2 weeks, but I must say it won me over!
Yes I have a gibson sg standard, a standard paul faded and faded flying v electric guitar. Each has its own characteristics and its ...
What I like most is the very modern paul side, with its carved in the air today, the fewer finishes, and color can be daunting for a it is certain!
For the price, this is a great guitar ... REALLY!
I tried a studio currently more than 10 years ago, and it was my first try on a GIBSON! I was very happy!
And when the grip ... OLALA ...
I really did not like at all at all!! Killed in the bone as it were the other! That's a Gibson?? It sounds not! And it's true that it does not sound at all this les paul! And handle a true buche! Huge!
No no no ... I was bummed because we had always told me that it was THE GIBSON GUITAR, but the studio was horrible at all levels (must be said that maybe I was wrong can be dropped too, there is that does not sound ) ...

It is completely better! It sounds, nice handle, and that you ask for ...

This is a very good guitar, I recommend to all, studio model, it is superb!
GIBSON FOREVER