I have been wanting a Floyd Rose loaded Les Paul for quite some time now. However, the Neal Schon or the Axcess were either out of my price range or impossible to find. Then this dark beauty comes along. Thanks to Gibson and Zzounds my dreams of combining genuine Les Paul tone and feel with subtle to outrageous whammy bar antics are a reality! The tone and playability with this Studio is on par with my Standard. The floating trem is as solid and level as any I've played before. The dive bombs and pull ups are fluid and smooth and she returns to pitch perfectly. Yes, a Les Paul that actually stays in tune after bends and dives!The richlite fingerboard is essentially perfect. I had my reservations, but it's smooth and hard as ebony and the trapezoid inlays top it off nicely. The build quality I gave a 4/5 because there are a couple minor spots where the width of the neck isn't flush with the fretboard at the side dots and one of the trem's back cover plate screws missed the wood entirely. But honestly, these are very minor things that don't affect playability and don't bother me at all. The Grover tuners are a nice touch and the all black hardware on a black satin body is perfect. This guitar would easily fit well in a metal band or a blues gig and everything in between. The pickups are hot in the bridge and warm in the neck. Overall I give this guitar 5/5 stars. If it was a 10 point scale I'd give it a 9.5. Haven't needed to use manufacturer support.In a nutshell, it's a genuine… read more Gibson Les Paul with a Floyd Rose double locking tremol and I love it! What more could you ask for?

Musical Background:
Guitarist for 20+ years

Musical Style:
If it has a guitar in it, I play it. read less