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Gibson Les Paul Studio Session review – is this upgraded Studio worth the price tag?
With upgraded hardware and aesthetics, could this new stepping stone between a Studio and a Standard give you all the modern Les Paul you could want?
Gibson Les Paul Studio Session in Cobalt Burst. Image: Press
Review Overview
Our rating
9
Our verdict
⊕ Upgraded looks
⊕ Premium hardware
⊖ Lack of binding will put off some
⊖ No hard case feels a bit mean
With build, sounds and playability that cover an impressive number of bases, this is a true do-it-all Les Paul that justifies its increased price tag.
$1,999/£1,999, gibson.com
The Gibson Les Paul Studio has always been, effectively, the working man’s Les Paul. With its stripped-down aesthetics and ‘less fancy’ approach to the classic Les Paul recipe finding particular favour in the 2000s punk and emo scene – AFI’s Jade Puget, My Chem’s Frank Iero and Yellowcard’s Ryan Key have all used them to great effect.
The price of an original Studio was also a huge selling point – at under a grand in many cases, the Studio ended up being many players’ first rung on the Gibson ladder, or a high-quality touring guitar that you didn’t have to be too precious about.
It was no surprise then, that back in January of 2024 Gibson brought the Les Paul Studio back into the line-up in upgraded and evolved form – keeping the unbound body, the plain maple cap, and the utilitarian choice of finishes that the Studio was known for and adding a few modern conveniences like a weight-relieved body, bound fretboard and Burstbucker pickups.
Of course, as tends to be the way with Gibson (and most other brands) these days, the overhauled studio also came with an overhauled price tag. While it still represents the first rung on the Gibson ladder for many (technically the Modern Lite is now the cheapest Gibson Les Paul) that first step is now a doozy.
This brings me to the latest guitar to bear the Les Paul Studio name – with an addendum. The Les Paul Studio Session is effectively a reflection of the popularity of the Studio as a no-frills professional guitar with the above artists and scores of others – offering a host of features and upgrades that were previously only available on Gibson’s more aspirational Standard models. The catch is that there’s also a sizeable jump in price too – effectively another third on top of a vanilla Studio. So what gives?
Les Paul Studio Session – what is it?
The Studio Session is the result of feedback Gibson received from fans of the Studio who believed it could be improved, and these upgrades are far from insignificant. First – and probably the most noticeable – is the addition of an “AA” figured maple top instead of the plain top found on a regular model. This top is available in four finishes: Translucent Ebony Burst, Honey Burst, Bourbon Burst, and Cobalt Burst. It looks more like a ‘real’ Les Paul than a regular Studio, which will appeal to fans of Gibson’s iconic look.
It is still a stripped-down guitar, but like the Studio, the Session forgoes body binding, which certainly gives the guitar a more streamlined look. Like its little brother, it does still have a bound fretboard – which is ebony here instead of the standard rosewood. Speaking of the neck, the SlimTaper profile – one of my favourite Gibson neck profiles – remains unchanged from the Studio, providing the same comfortable feel.
More noticeable hardware upgrades include the addition of Grover Rotomatic tuners with Keystone buttons, the 57 Classic/57 Classic+ pickup combination, and expanded tonal options with two push/pull volume (Coil Tap) and two push/pull tone (Phase and Pure Bypass) controls. Overall, these thoughtful design choices allow the Studio Session to stay within a certain price range (i.e. less than a Les Paul Standard 50s) while maintaining some of the visual characteristics that make a Studio a Studio.
Les Paul Studio Session – build and sounds
We’re probably at a point now where Gibson’s reputation for dubious QC needs to be consigned to the history books. We all know that they had issues in the last decade or so but the guitars I’ve come across in recent years have been finished to a high standard – and this is no different. Everything feels solid and well put together, while the finish is well applied and consistent throughout – it’s every bit the premium instrument its pricetag implies it should be.
Plugging into a small valve amp and a bunch of pedals, I was hugely impressed by the sound on the neck pickup. The upgraded 57 Classic humbucker left me dumbfounded by how sonically rich it sounds. With a bit of reverb, it’s beefy but never dull or muddy. Surprisingly, it’s uncharacteristically bright for a humbucker, but coming from the world of Jazzmasters, I found this to be rather welcome. If you’re looking for something thick yet bright, perfect for channeling the delicate jangle, this might become your favorite position. People don’t talk about the middle position on Les Pauls enough, and man the in-between sounds here are an absolute job – I found myself appreciating the true balance of highs and lows in this setting for some time. And when you add to that the ability to put the pickups out of phase at a switch, it opens up a fun new world that can take you from Peter Green to 70s funk.
But the bridge humbucker is where the money’s made on any single-cut guitar, and the 57 Classic+ truly shines when given enough dirt to do what it was born to do, it really shines – riffs, leads, rhythm… it’s everything you want and more.
Speaking of dirt, like any good Les Paul, when you add a bit of distortion to proceedings, the Studio Session will really bare its teeth. Using the Pure Bypass option (bypassing the volume and tone circuits) took this guitar to an entirely different level – I found myself achieving everything from the massive wall of sound reminiscent of Russian Circles to the more sultry licks of Joe Bonamassa. Considering the range that description covers, it’s truly quite the achievement.
Les Paul Studio Session – should I buy one?
If you’ve read any of my reviews or watched my videos, you’ll know that I am a die-hard Jazzmaster guy, and that doesn’t always play nice with twin-humbucker guitars in the Gibson family. However, I was surprised by how much fun I had with the Studio Session, and its impressive palette of classic sounds.
Yes it’s nearly two grand for a Les Paul Studio – some will understandably scoff that it lacks body binding and a hard case – but look at what you’re actually getting for that money. If you can live with the slight visual compromise (and some may prefer this look), you can really see, feel and most importantly hear where every penny of that extra 400 bucks has gone.
If you’re after a Les Paul that can do everything, and truly lives up to the marketing monicker of ‘the one’, this might be the most appealing Les Paul in the Gibson line-up.
Les Paul Studio Session – alternatives
There is no shortage of quality single-cuts in the sub-$2000 price point. On the Gibson side you could do a lot worse than checking out Epiphone’s “Greeny” 1959 Les Paul ($/£1,499) – it even has the right headstock! If you want US build at a similar price point, you could do a lot worse than check out the PRS S2 McCarty 594 ($2,149/£1,799), or for something a little lighter inside, the Harmony Standard Jupiter Thinline ($/£1,699) is a very cool guitar.