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Products Electric Guitars Les Paul Gibson USA Les Paul Studio Faded

Gibson USA Les Paul Studio Faded

Some guitar players like the look and feel of a shiny, brand new guitar. Others, however, prefer the look and feel of a timeworn instrument – a guitar, without the sheen, that looks a little used, and has a smooth, worn look to it. For these players, there is the Les Paul Studio Faded from Gibson USA, which lets you see and feel the wood grain’s natural beauty. And just like its brother, the Les Paul Studio, the Les Paul Studio Faded offers up breathtaking Les Paul performance in a modern, no-frills package that’s sure to please even the most discriminating players. When the first Les Paul Studio hit the streets in 1983, it instantly became a favorite among scores of prominent studio musicians. Why? Because it consisted of a basic Les Paul chassis with all the essential elements needed to rock, including a solid mahogany body and a pair of genuine Gibson humbucker pickups. It’s still that way today, but only better. The Les Paul Studio Faded remains one of the most desired – and popular – guitars in the Gibson line, and what it lacks in extras it makes up for in performance. If you don’t believe us, ask any one of the thousands of musicians who play it today. The Les Paul Studio becomes your favorite guitar right out of the case. Play it and it becomes your best friend. Make the connection you need today.

Available Finishes

Take your pick between two celebrated Gibson finishes — Worn Cherry and Worn Brown. Each one lets you feel the smooth beauty of the natural wood grain, even through its faded, thin lacquer coat that protects it from the elements. As with all Gibson finishes, the finishes on the Les Paul Studio Faded are applied by hand in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike a lot of our competitors, who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for the nitrocellulose lacquer finish because it encourages 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 breathe and age beautifully, like it’s supposed to.

  • Worn Cherry

    Worn Cherry

  • Worn Brown

    Worn Brown

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Fast & Comfortable Rounded Neck Profile

Gibson’s traditional rounded neck profile, which graces the neck of each Les Paul Studio Faded, is a thicker, rounder profile, emulating the neck shapes of the iconic Les Paul Standards of the late 1950s. Each neck is machined in Gibson’s rough mill using wood shapers to make the initial cuts. But once the fingerboard gets glued on, the rest — including the final sanding — is done by hand. That means each neck ends up with ever-so-subtle differences that make each one as exceptional – and unique – as the next.

Gibson's Burstbucker Pro Pickups

Gibson’s drive to recapture the magic of the original “Patent Applied For” humbucker pickups of the 1950s culminated with the introduction of the Burstbucker line in the early 1990s. Those Burstbuckers—Types 1, 2, and 3—successfully captured the subtle variations of true, classic humbucker tone with historically “unmatched” bobbin windings and Alnico II magnets. In 2002, Gibson followed up this innovative accomplishment with yet another breakthrough in pickup design—the Burstbucker Pro, designed specifically for the new Les Paul Standards. The Burstbucker Pro features an Alnico V magnet (instead of the Alnico II), which offers slightly higher output and allows preamps to be driven a little harder to achieve a more natural break-up. Like all Burstbuckers, the Burstbucker Pro has asymmetrical coils—true to the original PAFs—which supply a more open sound. The Burstbucker Pro Neck is wound slightly less than the original PAFs, while the Burstbucker Pro Bridge is slightly overwound for increased output. The Burstbucker Pro pickups are also wax potted to allow loud volume pressures with minimal feedback. As with all Gibson pickups, every part is precisely manufactured at Gibson USA in Nashville, Tennessee, insuring tight, seamless fittings, and superior workmanship.

Smooth rosewood fingerboard with classic Les Paul trapezoid inlays

Rosewood fingerboards and trapezoid inlays have been a mainstay feature on Les Pauls ever since the model’s introduction in the 1950s, and the fingerboards on Gibson’s Les Paul Studio Faded are no different. They are constructed from the highest grade rosewood on the planet. Each piece of wood is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts before it enter the factories to be fitted onto the necks. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes these fingerboards extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. Additionally, the 12-inch radius of the fingerboard provides smooth note bending capabilities and eliminates “dead” or “choked out” notes. The traditional trapezoid inlays are made of figured acrylic, and offer a classic “pearl” look. They are inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn’t require the use of fillers.
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