Gibson Les Paul Studio

This guitar has been owned by me since shortly after the initial release of the maple USA Gibson Les Paul Studio Raw Power guitars in April of 2009. When I saw it was an all-maple guitar I just had to own one. The tone is spectacular; just as hefty as a Standard but slightly brighter. It's also a little lighter. If a strat player got converted to Gibson power this would definitely be the guitar to get. The problem is I almost never play anymore--when I do it's acoustic--and am having to face letting the guitar just sit there, unused. I'm not rich enough to let that happen. The Guitar has been played less than 10 times, and is in new condition. I'm extremely careful with my gear, so we're talking fingerprints away from right out of the box.What you get will be identical to the pictures.

This model is unique for its maple (not mahogany) body, figured maple top (not flat like the entry-level Gibson Les Pauls), natural-finish maple neck and maple fingerboard. Also, it is no longer made. That makes the total production run for this, the only maple Les Paul ever created, about one year. I've always started my auctions at $.01 and let the market decide what the item is worth. I'm not doing that this time because it's an almost totally unknown guitar and if that means no one is willing to pay a good price, I will just keep it and watch it appreciate in value. Plus it's nice to own an unusual and rare Les Paul, even if I don't use it. None are available on eBay or anywhere else I could find online as of the start of this auction as part of determining the value of this guitar.

They retailed for $1,800 and change.

I accept only Paypal and ship only to the lower 48 states. I will ship the guitar and the gig bag that it came with in a box similar or identical to the one it came in. Shipping is $15 via UPS. Good luck on your bidding and thanks for looking.

Info from Gibson:

Les Paul Studio Raw Power

Gibson USA’s Les Paul Studio
Raw Power is a total natural — the Les Paul in its most basic form, yet
built like none other before it. While the original Les Paul Standard’s
maple top has always set it apart from more common all-mahogany
electrics, the Les Paul Studio Raw Power goes all out for maple’s tonal
splendors: an all-maple body matches the traditional maple top, for a
brighter, more articulate tone, and a maple neck and fingerboard give
each note a tight, snappy response. A pair of Gibson’s renowned ’57
Classic pickups, as featured on several high-end Custom Shop models,
provides all the clear punch and muscle of those legendary “PAFs.”
There’s also a new palette of satin finish colors to choose from: Gold,
Yellow, White, Blue/Platinum, Trans Ebony, Olive Green, Natural,
Aquamarine and Platinum. All the rest of the basics follow the classic
specs you have come to expect from a Les Paul: 22-frets, a volume and
control knob for each pickup, one three-way toggle switch, Grover
Kluson-style green key tuners, and Gibson’s pioneering Tune-o-matic
bridge and stopbar tailpiece. The Les Paul Studio Raw Power from Gibson
USA is solid. It’s dependable. And most of all, it’s affordable —
without any compromises.

Body

Species
Each Les Paul Studio Raw Power is crafted from a carved
maple top attached with ultra-strong Franklin Titebond 50 glue to a
chambered maple body. This echoes the classic maple top of the original
and legendary Les Paul Standard, while adding further clarity and
cutting power from a maple body.

 
Design
The no-nonsense style of the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is
emphasized by the thin satin finish of the top of the guitar, which is
visible through the lacquer of the translucent finish options, and by
the lack of binding around the top. The chambered back serves to
minimize weight, while also adding tonal nuances to the guitar’s overall
sound.

 
Average Weight
The average weight of a Les Paul Studio Raw Power body is 5.37 lbs, which is about normal for a Gibson guitar.

 
Tonal Characteristics
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power presents excellent clarity,
definition and treble bite from the all-maple body, while retaining much
of the thickness, punch, and delicious warmth of an original Les Paul
Standard. The chambering adds a further dimension, increasing the
complexity of this guitar’s tone, while also increasing its acoustic
volume and sustain. The Les Paul Studio Raw Power’s nitrocellulose
finish has also been kept ultra-thin to avoid choking the guitar’s
natural resonance, resulting in a lively, ringing electric tone

 
Surface Texture
A thin satin finish with 30-sheen lacquer gives the Les Paul
Studio Raw Power a look that is clean and professional, but less glossy
and polished than many traditional guitars, with a slightly raw,
“pre-aged” appearance, and a smooth matt-finish feel.

 
Process
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power is hand-finished in
nitrocellulose in a process that is carefully monitored to ensure
minimum build-up, in an effort to produce a final finish that breathes
with the guitar and enhances natural resonance. Unlike many other
manufacturers, 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 age
beautifully and naturally.

Neck and Headstock

Species
The neck of the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is constructed
from three solid pieces of maple, and glued to the body at a 5-degree
angle (pitch). In addition to being a strong, reliable wood species for
neck construction — and a traditional favorite among many guitar makers —
maple’s tight, even grain and low porosity means it can be finished
with minimum coats of nitro, for a comfortable, “played-in” feel that is
fast and smooth. Maple’s outstanding strength also allows a neck to be
carved thinner than some other woods will tolerate.

Truss Rod
Gibson’s traditional truss rod, found in most all of our
guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you’ll want
to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.

Profile
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power is fitted with Gibson’s more
traditional ’50s neck profile, which is a round, meaty profile that
emulates the neck shapes of the iconic 1958 and 1959 Les Paul Standards.

 
Joint Angle
5.0° (+/- 15 seconds)

Headstock Angle
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power’s headstock is carefully
angled at a tried-and-true 17 degrees, which increases pressure on the
strings and helps them stay in the nut slots. An increase in string
pressure also means there is no loss of string vibration between the nut
and the tuners, which equals better sustain.

Logo
The Gibson logo — one of the most globally recognized logos
of all time — is silkscreened in gold on the headstock face of the Les
Paul Studio Raw Power (or in silver on guitars with Platinum or Blue
Platinum finishes).

 
Tonal Characteristics
The angled, classical-style peg head and maple neck work
together to provide exceptional tonal depth and resonance from the neck,
with a snappy attack and outstanding articulation from the maple.

 
Average Weight
The average weight of the neck is 1.24 lbs.

Neck Fit

Joint
Gibson uses what is known as the Mortise & Tenon joint
to bind neck to body so that the two pieces form one solid unit. This
time-tested joint style has been used in all the great woodworking arts —
from shipbuilding to cabinetry — and has been proven to yield a
stronger neck and body than if the instrument was made from a single
piece of wood.

 
Adhesive
The adhesive used to join neck and body is Franklin Titebond 50, one of the strongest glues on the market today.

 
Tolerance
When fitting the neck and body together, we take advantage
of our precise measuring equipment so that all angles, pitches and
alignments maintain a tolerance within .005 of an inch. Not only does
this help to keep your guitar in tune but it also maintains proper
string alignment relative to the fingerboard.

 
Joint Angle Tolerance
0.0° (+/- 15 seconds)

Fingerboard

Species
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power is equipped with a Grade A
maple fingerboard, which further enhances note attack and articulation,
as well as continuing the look of this unique guitar line.

 
Radius
The 12-inch radius of the Les Paul Studio Raw Power
fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates
“dead” or “choked out” notes, common occurrences on fingerboards with
lesser radiuses.

Frets
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power sports 22 jumbo frets, all immaculately dressed and polished.

Inlays
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power’s fingerboard carries acrylic
dot inlays, with an acrylic trapezoid inlay at the 12th fret as a
reminder of its heritage.

 
Average Weight
The average weight of a maple fingerboard is approximately .23 lbs.

 
Tonal Characteristics
Maple fingerboards are renowned for their strong, clear tone and outstanding note articulation.

Nut

Material
The nut on the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is made from
Corian, which is mainly composed of acrylic polymer. It’s a very durable
material, delivers enhanced sustain, and holds the tolerances of the
precision cuts made in the slotting process. It is installed into the
top surface of the neck, butting up to the end of the fingerboard to
ensure proper tone and sustain transfer.

 
Width
The width of the nut on the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is approximately 1.695”.

Pickups

Model
A pair of Gibson’s popular 57 Classic pickups grace the Les
Paul Studio Raw Power, providing all the depth, richness, and
versatility of a humbucking pickup styled after Gibson’s original and
now-legendary “PAF” humbucker.

 
Magnet Material & Construction
Gibson’s 57 Classic pickups feature Alnico II magnets. They
are made with vintage enamel coated wire, nickel-plated pole pieces,
nickel slugs, maple spacers and vintage-style, two-conductor, braided
wiring, all in the image of original PAF pickups. In a variation from
the majority of original PAFs, however, the 57 Classics’ coils are wax
potted to combat microphony and feedback squeal at high volumes so,
while vintage voiced, they are suited to high-gain playing, too.

 
Tonal Characteristics
Like vintage PAF humbucking pickups, the 57 Classics in the
Les Paul Studio Raw Power provide an outstanding blend of depth and
clarity. In the neck (rhythm) position a 57 Classic offers a rich, warm,
vocal tone, while in the bridge (lead) position this pickup runs from
bright and cutting to muscular and punchy. Also noteworthy is the fact
that the number of windings in the two coils of each 57 Classic is
equally matched, an enhancement that provides a creamy, balanced
performance in any position.

Electronics

Volume Controls
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power features two black speed-knob
volume controls, one for each pickup, with high-quality 300k linear
potentiometers for a smooth, natural roll off.

Tone Controls
Each pickup on the Les Paul Studio Raw Power features its
own black speed-knob tone controls with a 500k ohm non-linear
potentiometer, which allows a smooth transition from bright to warm.
Each tone control carries a .0223uF tone capacitor.

Toggle Switch
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power features one three-way toggle
switch made of stainless steel with white plastic tip, which acts as the
instrument’s pickup selector. In the down position, only the bridge
pickup is active. In the middle position, both pickups are active. In
the up position, only the neck pickup is active.

Output Jack
The guitar features a 1?4” output jack made by Switchcraft.
Its super heavy duty construction holds your guitar cable securely in
place.

Hardware

Tuning Keys
The headstock of the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is equipped
with either Gold-plated or Chrome-plated Grover Kluson-style
green-button tuners with a 14:1 gear ration. These tuners replicate the
look of those used by the original Les Paul Standard, while providing
enhanced performance and upgraded tuning efficiency.

Bridge
In 1954, Gibson rocked the world when it debuted the
tune-o-matic bridge, setting a standard for simplicity and functionality
that has never been bettered. Included on the Les Paul Studio Raw
Power, the tune-o-matic provides a firm seating for the strings,
allowing the player to adjust and fine-tune the intonation and string
height in a matter of minutes. It also yields excellent coupling between
strings and body, maximizing resonance, tone, and sustain. The Les Paul
Studio Raw Power’s bridge is made from Zamak then plated with Gold or
Chrome, and each one weighs approximately .118 lbs.

Tailpiece
Every Tune-o-matic bridge is combined with a separate
“stopbar” tailpiece, which is essentially a modified version of the
earlier wraparound bridge that’s designed to further enhance the
connection between the strings and the body. The Les Paul Studio Raw
Power’s stopbar tailpiece is made from Zamak, and each one weighs
approximately .168 lbs. Comes in Gold plated or Chrome plated.

Strap Buttons
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power’s aluminum strap buttons are
the same style and design that Gibson has used since the early 1950s.

Plastics

Truss Rod Cover
As with most Gibson guitars, the truss rod cover on the Les
Paul Studio Raw Power is made from vinyl plastic, and is shaped like an
antique bell. It carries a “Studio” imprint to denote this model.

Pickguard
The Les Paul Studio Raw Power carries a black plastic Les Paul Studio pickguard.

Control Knobs
The control knobs on the Les Paul Studio Raw Power are
Gibson’s black speed knobs, found on many vintage and modern Gibson
guitars.

 
Pickup Trim Rings
The pickup trim rings on the Les Paul Studio Raw Power are made of black ABS plastic.