Re: Gibson Les Paul Studios!
Currently, '59n/PATB-3*, new electronics, plus cosmetic upgrades
Was at one time...
Mine is a '99 Studio in Emerald. No idea if it's chambered, but it's got some decent weight to it. Tone is dark, the darkest guitar I own, and the lower mids have very good growl to them. The current pickups are a 59n and a PATB-3 wind on regular trembucker bobbins.
The '59 is pretty typical of a 59 in a LP... very warm with a lot of low end, but in this guitar it's not too boomy. The top end is smoother than I expected the A5 magnet to be, but not as buttery as the AP2H. I've also tried the Jazz in the neck and found it to be a bit brighter than I wanted in the neck slot. The '59n in this guitar has a big open sound that I just love.
The PATB-3 is a great match for the 59, and provides a similar but hotter tone. It has a little more bite on the top end and good girth down low. In this guitar it's a very open bridge sound with great complexity in the upper mids. I've tried the CC, SD (pictured above) and Custom in the bridge of this guitar, and the only one that might be a better match than the PATB-3 is the Custom. My mood usually dictates which I would prefer. The Custom was a little more hi-fi, but had a lot more bite across the whole spectrum and made for a better match for my most heavy moods.
I have played Les Pauls that had better acoustic tone than my Studio. That's the way it is... my studio is really good but not perfect. Plugged in I think it sounds fantastic, and regardless of whether or not I find one that sounds better (which I'm sure I could) this one just feels like home.
