Les Paul 2015

    I have a very nice Les Paul Studio in white from around 2008 and it's a lovely guitar playability and tone-wise.
    The newer 2015 LP Studio's come with the self tuning system, which I would love.
    Being mainly a studio player I'm constantly having to tune between takes. (I xxxxing hate tuning)
    My question is, I know the 2015 LP's have been updated in various ways, are there aspects of my 2008 guitar that is better than the 2015 vintage?
    I suppose the tuning system cant be added on to a guitar can it?


    Thanks,
    Mike

    Thanks paults, I just looked at their installation video, even I could fit it.
    Looks like they are not in the UK and I would have to import from Germany though.
    Do you have any views on the 2015 LP compared to my 2008 one?
    Cheers,
    Mike

    I was actually wondering if the 2015 version would be worse not better as I heard Gibson are changing some of their woods (or the combinations of) on the cheaper Studio models.
    The new headstock logo looks a bit toy-like to me as well, just wondering if that's an indication.
    I'll have to do a bit more research and maybe try a couple out at my local shop.

    I have tried a 2015 model out in the store for about 30-40 minutes some time ago.


    I absolutely could NOT STAND the wide neck. AT ALL. My hand actually hurt a little bit afterwards. I'm sure many/most people could get used to it, but dang I didn't like it. Wasn't too impressed with the tuning robot either, to be honest (though it may come down to lack of familiarity).

    Well, you're the first person I've come across who wants to add the Min E-Tuners, everyone else has removed them.
    If you're a studio player the last thing you want is the E-Tuner system that "sometimes" works.


    The Min E-tuners cannot work unless the guitar has a brass nut, the brass nut cannot work unless the neck is made wider...thus the 2015 models have a wider neck to accommodate the brass nut needed for the E-Tuners.


    There are aspects of your Studio that are better than the 2015 models.
    The Studio hardware is nickel, the 2015 models are chrome...chrome is a downgrade.
    The 2015 Standard has a chambered body, your Studio is either weight relieved or chambered...so not much difference there, neither has a solid mahogany body.
    Both use the Nashville (Ping) bridge instead of an ABR-1 Vintage bridge...so no difference there.


    If your Studio is not staying in tune I suggest you have the nut checked, or replace the nut with a bone nut and have an expert guitar tech file/tweak the nut...the vast majority of the time it's the nut that causes a tuning problem, not the tuners.

    Hate to buck the trend but I have one (as well as a custom shop 58 reissue from 2014) On mine the tuning is flawless, quick and accurate. Most people who complain have probably tried it in a shop without having read the manual I suspect (or I just got lucky) I like the neck, but try it before you buy it is very different to standard Gibson necks (more PRS like) You get the brass nut Titanium saddles and an easier to adjust bridge if any of that means anything to you. Pickups are more modern sounding than my RI but on the standard at least you have more tonal options with push/pulls etc

    Hi. I purchased a new 2015 Gibson Les Paul Studio in Wine Red just over 2 weeks ago.
    I love it! Well, now I do. The G-Force tuning system isn't very good. Re-stringing is a pain in the harris and the brass nut seems to be made of chocolate.
    The wood and tone however, that's a whole different story. I owned a 2008 model Gibson Les Paul Studio and it played and sounded amazing. Probably the best guitar I have ever played. The 2015 Studio I now own (IMHO) sounds & plays better & I love the tone of my new Les Paul, the fatter neck is an issue but I have great sausage hands and it really suits me.
    Obviously, I replaced the G-Force tuning system with original Gibson vintage Kluson tuners and the AWFUL brass / chocolate nut has been replaced with a bone nut (Private luthier work, only £25).
    It both plays, feels & sounds AMAZING!


    I was full of so much hope that the G-Force tuning system was going to be amazing. Unfortunately, after a week I couldn't stand the poor, poor tuning stability anymore.
    However, the guitar is now killer and sounds god like through my Kemper. A great compliment.


    THINK CAREFULLY before you buy your new Gibson Les Paul Studio 2015. You will probably want to replace the tuners & the nut.


    Tuners : http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk…with_pearloid_buttons.asp
    Nut: http://www.karleckertguitars.co.uk/5.html (This is who I used, but I'm sure you'll find a luthier closer to you)


    Good luck and I hope you enjoy.
    :)

    Pro Tools 2019, Logic X, Cubasis pro 10.5, Kemper unpowered toaster, Champman ML2, USA/UK Custom Fender Strat. Livewire Studio. :thumbup:


    Check out : http://www.livewirestudio.co.uk

    Quote from Ryder35

    Hate to buck the trend but I have one (as well as a custom shop 58 reissue from 2014) On mine the tuning is flawless, quick and accurate. Most people who complain have probably tried it in a shop without having read the manual I suspect (or I just got lucky) I like the neck, but try it before you buy it is very different to standard Gibson necks (more PRS like) You get the brass nut Titanium saddles and an easier to adjust bridge if any of that means anything to you. Pickups are more modern sounding than my RI but on the standard at least you have more tonal options with push/pulls etc


    Owning a couple of PRS guitars, I take exception to this :D


    The width is nothing like a PRS, but the general shape/shoulders/roundness MAY be. I couldn't tell, I couldn't get past the width. but for some people, the width is obviously not a problem. Try before you buy!

    The best way is to buy the guitar which will stay in tune after few songs , actually after quite a few songs.


    That automatic tuner is probably the most stupid and worst invention of all times.


    The new Gibson management is doing very bad work , trying to increase profit by introducing very cheap materials , no quality control , huge tuning issues ,all in all completely sub-standard guitars .


    In the same time they are shamelessly expensive for given quality .


    Such a business strategy is killing Gibson/Les Paul brand name slowly but surely .


    Do not take me wrong , but no any well informed guitarist will spend such a money on such a bad quality guitar, since there are "million" of other brands ,cheaper but better.


    Just 2 kilometres from my house I have the biggest Gibson dealer shop in Africa , keeping 20-40 Gibson guitars at any moment .
    I tried them all ! Tried to tune them to set up them to took the best out of them-no luck , it is simply dead and wet piece of wood , not even close to be named as MUSICAL instrument.
    (those are mainly 2014 and 2015 guitars)


    Conclusion : the new Gibson CEO should be fired with immediately effect , in opposite , Gibson made in China will be much better solution in 2016 ,or the latest off in 2017 .



    The End.

    1988 Branko Radulovic Hand Made Strat in Macedonia (SFRJ)

    2006 Steve Vai vwh moded with SS frets and Sustainac 2006 (Japan)

    2008 Fender YJM , moded (USA)

    2010 Tom Andersons Drop Top 2010 (made in California)

    2017 Charvel GG sig Caramelised Ash (USA)

    2022 Gibson ES 335 2011 Custom Shop Cherry of course ( Memphis)

    Edited once, last by Rescator ().

    Quote

    The new Gibson management is doing very bad work , trying to increase profit by introducing very cheap materials , no quality control , huge tuning issues ,all in all completely sub-standard guitars . In the same time they are shamelessly expensive for given quality . Such a business strategy is killing Gibson/Les Paul brand name slowly but surely


    I have been hearing this over, and over, and over lately, in many different circles. Its one thing when you hear one person complaining about something, but quite another if you hear a consistent theme across different channels. If I was in the market I would be looking for an older, used model. I love my circa '71 so thats one era I would be looking.

    All very interesting chaps.


    When I bought my replacement LP in 2008 I sent 2 guitars back as I felt the nut wasn't right.
    I was then told to use a thicker string gauge...
    Trying not to sound like an arsehole I told them I had been playing guitars for x amount of years and had been on x amount of successful tracks,
    I didn't need them to tell me which strings to use and if they weren't going to sort out the nut I wanted a full refund, whereby they DID replace the nut and the tuning is much better.
    I had a beautiful LP Deluxe gold top years ago (70's build I think) that for some reason I sold. What was I thinking...


    Guess I wont get the Tuning System and stick to the old ways.
    PS. I don't think I've ever had a Gibson that stayed in tune for several songs:)
    Mike

    I use a Tronical system on one of my guitars because it's an amazing tool for alternate tunings. It really is! But for standard tuning it becomes a gadget because a good tuner, your ears and your fingers are sometimes faster.

    The usefulness of the robot tuners to me seems to be if you use alternate tunings. If it's just your guitar going out of tune then better to deal with that directly, I would suggest.


    Speaking as an owner of a 2008 LP Standard and as someone who tried out a TON of different Gibbos before settling on that one, I'd say Gibson make lovely guitars but can't cut a nut for toffee. I'd get a bone or tusq nut fitted and cut by a good luthier and you will be set.


    In the meantime, in case you don't know, usually the problem is the nut holding on to the slack in the string (especially the "D") - so when you bend a string and then release, the tension is held at the nut and the string is now flat as a result. If you press down on the string behind the nut (rather than retuning with the tuning machines) it will even out again - a bit ghetto but might help in the short term. I've done that move so often it's actually become part of my playing style - really must get around to getting the nut swapped in that guitar!

    jimification, I bend the string behind the nut pretty often to get it back in tune, usually the G is the culprit on mine.
    Like you, I really should get a better nut fitted, this would be my third.
    I do love the guitar itself though.
    Cheers,

    Quote from jimification

    The usefulness of the robot tuners to me seems to be if you use alternate tunings. If it's just your guitar going out of tune then better to deal with that directly, I would suggest.


    Are the robot tuners much heavier than regular ones, changing the weight balance of the guitar?
    I'm not a les paul player so I havent compared.

    I absolutely loved the neck on the 2015 trad. The tuners I could take or leave, but I still noticed it going out of tune frequently. The thing that killed me in the end was the maple top was not flush with the body. You could feel a ridge between the two. For $2800 list, I didn't think that was right.

    Quote from apr13st

    The thing that killed me in the end was the maple top was not flush with the body. You could feel a ridge between the two. For $2800 list, I didn't think that was right.


    It's not the maple top that's not flush with the body, it's the binding that hasn't been sand papered flush with the body..
    Every Gibson including Custom Shop models have a ridge between the body binding and body wood and neck binding and neck wood.