Gibson Les Paul Studio - thoughts please

ICBM

I have too, and I have many friends who have - including one who has been in and out of psychiatric care for most of her adult life.

Don't worry about the guitar being an Epiphone - if an Epiphone Les Paul was good enough for Noel Gallagher to record the first Oasis album with, then it's fine. (I'm not a fan, but that's not relevant.) With upgraded pickups and wiring they can sound at least as good as a stock Gibson. They also have a noticeably lower tendency for the headstock to part company with the guitar...

That said a Les Paul Studio - especially the 90s ones with ebony fingerboards - is very much a 'proper' Gibson and if you want one and you can afford it, it's probably a slight upgrade. Make sure you play the actual one before buying though, the neck profiles and weight vary widely, as does the neck angle (this makes a surprising difference) - if it doesn't feel right to you when you're playing it, it never will - unlike pickups, you can't change any of that. And get a hard case, due to the headstock issue - Gibson supplied them with a particularly useless gig bag, from a neck protection point of view.

But don't base your decision on what morons think, do it for yourself whichever it is.

Blackjack

Crumbs!!! Guys! Thank you so so much for all your amazing support, kind words and great information! I am really rather overwhelmed by so much response and help you are all offering me! I love my Epi Custom, I bought it for all the wrong reasons when I was just starting out and knew nothing.  I still know very little but quite a lot more than I did back then.  I walked into GAK in Brighton one Saturday afternoon, just to ‘look’, walked round the corner and it was hanging in front of me.  At that moment in time, a 16 year old lad seeing his first naked woman could not have felt more lust than I did! I HAD to have it! I didn’t play it in the shop because I couldnt play enough to do so. The guy in the shop that I asked to play it for me was a total arse and didn’t want to know but I brought it home. 

However, the reasons I have kept it is based on its sound, it’s versatility, it’s playability and, yes, still it’s looks.  You guys are right, why should I let a bunch of twats dictate to me.  If I bought a Gibson Standard there would be those that would comment because it wasn’t a Custom Shop.  I have got to worry less about pleasing others and focus on pleasing me! You guys have made me see that thank you!

I have also got a Squier CV Custom Tele which I also love and strangely enough that only ever attracts good comments.  Oh well, different strokes for different folks! 

I will I’ll be replying to some of you in person too but wanted to post my thanks to you all. 

Its strange how so many guitarists seem to suffer from depression and/or anxiety.  I have a couple of friends who are not on here that suffer too. It’s a crippling thing it really is and to any of you who are sufferers, my inbox is always open to you if you need a friend, an ear or whatever.  Don’t ever suffer alone please. X 

Adey

Yeah!

Jack White is a crap guitarist because he used a rubbish Silvertone !

Oh no. Hang on. That's wrong. Completely.

Re the depression / mental illness problems, I think most people suffer to some extent. Those who are more artistically gifted maybe are better able to recognise it. Those who are of a more "basic" disposition probably  suffer too, but express the problem by being arses. Which probably means that actually other people are suffering because of their difficulties.