2014 Les Paul Studio Pro vs. Studio

So I'm researching guitars and looing for a replacement for my faded LP Studio. Basically I want something with humbuckers with an LP sound. I checked out a lot of videos demoing PRS and I just didn't like the sound...it was like it tried to sound like an LP or sound like a strat (with coil taps engaged), but didnt' quite do either. I think a better approach would be for it to just sound like itself.

So it got me thinking if I want LP sound, just get an LP. Standards are just too expensive and Traditionals are too heavy. So I came back to the studios. For 2014, they have the studio and studio pro. The differences I see are a maple neck vs. mahagony neck. Grover tuners vs. klusen. Burstbucker Pro vs. standard 490T/R pickups. Gigbag vs. hard case.

These differences seem relatively minor, but there is about a $500 difference in price. The finishes seem the same and the selection of colors are very similar - including some 'bursts (tobaccoburst, sunburst, desertburst, etc.).

Does anybody have any experience between these 2 guitars? Eventually I'll get to a store where I can try these out, but I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on if the additional money for the Studio Pro was worth it.

The Pro has a mahagony neck, the other is maple. Which is better? I would have thought maple. I love the maple neck on my strat. Maybe it's a matter of how it is finished.

I so agree with you on the PRS guitars.

I tried a bunch of newer Gibsons recently.
Les Pauls and SGs.

I can tell you I liked the 57 classic and Burstbucker pickups much more then the 490's (although they are all pretty good for classic rock and clean tones)

The LP that I spent the most time with was a "Signature T". Out of production now, but some used mint ones are out there.
This one is weight relieved (but still heavy to me) and had a nice slim taper neck and the classic 57's.
I purchased this one, but sold it off after a few months because I am really an SG guy, so I ended up with yet another SG.

In my opinion a hard case, vintage color and the burstbuckers would sway my opinion greatly towards that model.

Hope I helped a little

Thanks, that does help me a bit. It's interesting that you noticed a difference with the pickups.

My justification for this new purchase is if this "music school band" I'm currently in continues on in some fashion as a regular gig. Hopefully that pans out. If so, I'll be making a trip to the music store.

The specs on these 2014 studios seem to be better than previous years. I like the 60's neck and the covered pickups.

Link to Hagstrom Swede.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUJC0POyQ_k

I bought my first in 76 it was made in 73, still own it, wore it out, but can't part with it. I don't like the color of the one in the link, mines cherry red, with the wood grain shining through. Over the years a number of people have bought new guitars, we would switch and they liked mine better. You can get one new for a little under $700.00. The body and neck are mahogany, back in 60-70's when they first came out, their slogan was:

The fastest neck in the world.

I bought another swede about 2 years ago, it has a clear coat so it's a deep red. It's CNC made in China, but it plays just like the first one and the finish is flawless.

Found a better link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEWhX0R78s

maggior & markm092 - Can you guys expand on the your comments about PRS guitars; "...tried to sound like an LP or sound like a strat (with coil taps engaged), but didn't quite do either. I think a better approach would be for it to just sound like itself." And, "I so agree with you..."

If a PRS neither sounds like an LP nor a strat, it sounds like itself (a PRS)...or not? But more importantly, what is it about the sound you're not so hot on? One particular model or all of 'em? Could hearing PRS's live vs. video make a substantial difference?

What I meant was that the tones achieved by the guitar approached tones of a strat or a les paul, but didn't quite get there. Because the tones "approached" those two, it struck me that it wasn't trying to be itself. If you know what I mean.

I've never held much stock in hearing a guitar's tone through a video, but I watched at least 3 and got the same impression each time. 3 different players and amp setups too.

I haven't ruled them out yet because I would like to hold on in my hands an play it and see what I think. I may think quite differently then.

I watched videos for the S2 custom 24 and the S2 Mira.

Mulling all of this over, I just came to the conclusion that if it is LP tone I'm after, then I need to buy an LP. That's assuming I can find a model that feels good in my hands and won't land me in divorce court :-).

I've owned a few PRS guitars and they are well made guitars. But to my ears they just don't get to the tones of a Gibson or a Strat, but as maggior said they seem to be trying for that tone.

Great guitars though, not trying it put them down in any way. They are just not for me.

Thanks, guys...I appreciate your fast response.

I'm trying to keep my newly contracted GAS in check by putting together a wide range of sounds or, put another way, not ending up with guitars that sound similar to each other. Your follow-on comments give me something to chew on...PRS has been in the running for my next purchase down the road...a long way down the road. ;)

I understand trying to keep GAS in check :-). I'm trying to limit the number of guitars I have.

Another consideration for me is I really don't like tremelo systems on a guitar. The one on my strat was nothing but a pain and I never use it. I have it tightened against the guitar body now. My reason for looking at the Mira was it is a hardtail fixed bridge.

If the day ever comes that I get into shredding and require a trem, I'd look into something like an Ibanez or ESP LTD.

I love my strat for it's versatile signature sound. It can twang and it can also be mellow and smooth. The LP sound isn't quite as versitile. However, when I hold an LP in my hands, the scale length feels much more comfortable and natural. On an LP, I can bend more easily and I don't feel like I have to wrestle with the guitar.

A jaguar is on my list of guitars to try. It's a shorter scale fender with humbuckers. Their quirky appearance appeals to me in some strange way too.

@haghj500 - thanks for the suggestion of Hagstrom. I see they carry them at Guitar Center. The specs look good and they look really nice. The don't carry them in the GC stores around me. I'll have to look around to see if I can find a store that has them so I can get my hands on one.

One of the review comments was that it is "dark sounding". Is this your experience? What sort of music is this guitar best suited for?

Thanks,

Hey maggior,what kind of sound/tone are you after.iam not trying to convince you on buying a PRS GUITAR,but i can tell ya that they have tons of different pickups ,for just about any sound ur looking for.exp,if ur looking to play metal and want that metal tone,you would want the dragons 1 or 2 pickups there great for metal.if ur looking for a more bluesy sound,the 59/09 work well.ect.u can get all that info @ Sweetwater.the HFS PUPS ARE GREAT TOO,HOT ,FAT SOUND.THE HFS ARE VERY VERSATILE PICKUPS.BUT UR EARS KNOW BETTER THEN MINE.AND THE SAD THING IS,YOU CAN'T GO INTO UR LOCAL GC AND TRY OUT ALL THESE PRS GUITARS,CAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE BUT A FEW TO CHOOSE FROM.I WOULD GOOGLE PRS PICKUPS,AND SEE WHAT IF U CAN FIND WHAT YA LOOKING FOR.THE 408´s u may like.what about IBENEZ GUITARS HAVE YOU TRIED ANY OF THEM OUT.GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND.AS YOU KNOW IAM STILL IN THE SAME BOAT AS YOUR SELF.ONE DAY I WANT FENDER,THEN GIBSON THEN IBENEZ ,I THINK U GET THE IDEA.ITS NOT EASY BUYING A NEW AXE,U WANT IT TO BE PERFECT IN EVERYWAY.SO THATS WHY I TAKE MY TIME,AS YOU ARE.YEAH THENS THERE'S THE OTHER OPTION,BUY AND SEND BACK ,AND THAT CAN GO ON FOR EVER.PLUS ITS COSTLY,CAUSE U HAVE TO PAY FOR THE SHIPPING .I THINK IAM GONNA END UP WITH A LP,AND U WILL END UP WITH PRS LOL.

Maggior,

As you can see it looks like a LP, pretty much made of the same woods. But it has a extra filter switch in front of the pick guard. You flip it up it filters out some higher tones, giving it a deeper sound. Middle is no effect, flip it down and it filters out lower tones giving it a more bright or trebly sound. The top switch works like a Paul, and the bottom switch will change the sound in all 3 positions the top switch can be in.

So on your Paul, top switch up you get a deeper sound, if you then flip the bottom switch up also. You get Deep Dark Bluesy tones. Put them both down you can get some pretty bright tones. Top switch up, bottom switch down a middle sound. I've never had anyone tell me they didn't like it.

There's a video on youtube of Joe Walsh playing one live
Rocky Mountain Way.

The Hagstrom family use to make Accordions then when they started making guitars.

Funny you should ask this today, I just got an email from a person on this site today. I pasted it below.

"Hey, saw your post about the Hagstrom....bought a super swede about 2 weeks ago.....loving it, awesome guitar for the price. I wanted that les paul type sound without the high price....and got it!!! "

Sender of above email, if you see this, thank you, I'm glad your enjoying it.

Maggior,
I hope you get a chance to try one, but be warned, don't leave home without the money to buy it, you will not be going home alone. The Viking guitars are also very nice. The swede was built to take on Pauls in the market and Vikings were built to take on Gibson 335's. The HJ500 is a thick hollow body with a jazzy zone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kxvaxIamguU&list=UU_qOotPwdhn-jU9EeeOxWSA
THIS IS A NICE PRS,NO TREM ON IT...SE MODEL

So today I went into a local guitar center that had both the PRS S2 Mira and Les Paul Studio Pro in stock. After 1.5 hours, I couldn't decide which one I liked better. My wife and kids were growing understandably impatient, so I told the sales guy I had to sleep on it. We talked about other PRS models and the Custom 24 caught my eye. Even though it had a trem, I figured I'd give it a shot.

This guitar spoke to me - immediately I though "wow, this is nice". The scale length, the double cutaway, it all just felt nice in my hands. It's clean tone was pretty good, but boy did it sound nice with some gain on the amp! The trem on this is so much better than on my strat. If I bend a note and play a non bent note at the same time, the non bent note doesn't change pitch. It basically plays like a fixed bridge even though it has a trem. Nice!!!

The black cherry finish was *gorgeous* with a very nicely figured top. The only problem was it was quite "shelf worn". Totally covered in fingerprints, out of tune off the wall, knob missing off the pickup switch. As a matter of a fact, every PRS was in the same condition. On one, the switch had play in it! So much for having them in the "platinum room" to keep them nice.

I was not going to spend $1400 on a new guitar that for all intents and purposes was used! I was going to see if I could score a deal due to the condition of the guitar (basically blemished at this point IMO), but there was a line of people with equipment to trade in and no sale person available. So, out the door I went! Ugh!

I'm going to sleep on it, but most likely I'll be placing an order with Sweetwater tomorrow. I like how you get to see the actual guitar you are ordering. I was able to choose between 2 of them with very different figure patterns.

I hate that I "showroomed" at GC, but I had every intention of buying. But very few stores carry PRS and I'm not driving all over creation hoping to find one that hasn't been played 500 times and missing pieces. I've bought 3 other guitars at this store...I don't know what's happened. Very disappointing.

The Les Paul was nice...a gorgeous looking guitar, but didn't wow me as I played it. I wanted it to...

Store issues aside - PRS impressed me. Gorgeous looking and very playable instruments!

I'm glad they introduced the S2 line. There was a HUGE gap before between the American made and Korean made instruments. The S2 sits nicely in the middle.

Originally Posted by: maggior
The Les Paul was nice...a gorgeous looking guitar, but didn't wow me as I played it.

Its tough comparing PRSs with Les Pauls, as there are so many different models of each. I really think with Gibson, the build quality steps up at a certain price point. I went through the same process you are going through now. I tried the Les Paul Standard, but didn't like the feel of the guitar, and was really put off by all the "push-pull" tone and volume knobs... this pushed me in the direction of the Les Paul Traditional, and even then, I tried a few before settling on the one I bought, which you've heard on the solo I posted. It was exactly what I was looking for and plays like a dream.

Interestingly enough, I had a similar experience with the PRS guitars I tried at Guitar Center... I didn't find one "clean" sample that I would have considered buying... they all had significant chips or other markings. The PRS guitars I tried to me felt a little junky... I can't put my finger on it, just everything felt kind of cheezy compared to the Les Paul Traditional... but I think I only tried one PRS that was in the LP Traditional price bracket, so it wasn't nearly a fair comparison. The sound difference was quite noticeable for me too though... the PRSs seemed to sound a little darker, a bit muddy on the bridge pickup... just not a sound I was after. But again, to be fair to the PRS fans (Axe! :) ) I don't think the PRSs I tried were good examples. There was just something about them that pushed me towards the Gibson. BUT... Gibson had its lemons too... a standard and a "Traditional Pro" I tried felt junky too... I noticed with both guitars that knobs were not mounted properly... pointed out to the sales guy that if he expected me to fork out $2000 for a guitar, they were going to have to do better than that. He didn't care at all.

I was recording these guitars as I tried them in the store (huge advantage of having the BOSS JS10) and could listen back to each one. I will say that the guitar that I settled on really jumped out at me... it just oozed quality, and felt like a real, solid, professionally built instrument through and through.

I'd say take your time... don't be in any rush. Never feel pressured by the sales staff or the environment. Going with Sweetwater is not a bad idea... its how I bought my first LP Traditional that turned out to have a bum note on it. Even though the guitar looked and played great otherwise, I refused to settle for anything less that flawless at that price. So I sent it back, and was not charged anything at all. Sweetwater was very helpful. I dealt with AJ Becerra ("Be-sarah").. he was great, feel free to ask for him.

Good luck and hopefully the new guitar does the job and then some. PRS makes good guitars for sure... tons of great players swear by them, so I think you'll be happy (for me, I have to confess that while sounding great was my top priority, I've always wanted to own a true Les Paul, so definitely some strong bias in my choice).

Yes, is some respects the PRS guitars feel cheaper than the Les Pauls. I think it's a matter of weight. The PRS guitars are lighter and thinner. An SG is probably better compared to a PRS than a LP.

I'm intrigued by the locking tuners. Looks like it would make string changes an absolute breeze.

The tuners/knobs/switches on the Custom 24 felt solid and the neck was smooth. Not as smooth as my strat (it's like butter!), but I'm not going to find that anywhere else except maybe on another strat.

After doing some more reading and sleeping on it, I'm not so enthusiastic any more. This guitar has 2 extra frets, which changes the position of the neck pickup which impacts the sound. It is still the same scale length despite the extra frets.

I didn't have a problem playing it getting lost or anything - some people complain about that. Maybe I should just ignore that and just go with my impression holding it and playing it.

What I'd really like to do is play it again, but I'd have to find a place that has one that hasn't been played by every guitar player in a 100 mile radius :-). How does PRS plan on selling guitars if they make it so restrictive to have them in a store.

Ugh...the other issue when you move into the PRS realm are the number of frets on the guitar. Because of the position of the neck pickup in each configuration, the tone is different.

More research required.

I should LOVE guitar shopping...but I hate it :-).

Hey guys- good stuff here. I love guitar shopping. I can never resist going into a good looking store when I'm traveling/on vacation. I do guitar stores like women do shoe stores :) . This is a great way to put your hands on brands that you otherwise only see in magazines/reviews. There are a ton of independent stores that are MUCH more interesting than the GC's out there. (( I personally regard Sam Ash as a step above GC ))

Beat up guitars? Amen. Apathetic floor reps? Amen. I agree with Slip - if you're plunking down serious change you have a right to assert a lofty standard. I went shopping a bit ago with a Godin A6 Ultra on my radar ... after several stores I finally found one (chain store).... the strings had visible rust on them, the set-up was absolutely horrible and the dust/fingerprints were everywhere. The sales guy says "we can fix that ... we can fix that".. then why the hell didn't you "fix that" before a cash wielding customer came in to try it?! No sale..

I like what was said about all brands having clunkers and when it is "right" - you just know it. Very true. Also true if you're shopping with a predisposition to a certain "brand"- you're going to end up with that brand- nothing wrong with that. I owned a furniture company for 20 years ... the mattress dept contained the "Big S's" ... Sealy , Serta, etc. , but we also carried independent labels - made from the exact same materials and techniques. The private labels were a bit more profitable and almost always represented a better value to the consumer but people found comfort with a "name" they trusted (justified or not) ... so we cracked them open this way: Who do you suppose sells the MOST hamburgers in the world? (invariably the answer is McDonalds) Do you think McDonalds makes the BEST hamburger in the world? (of course not). Although it's a little cheeky it makes a point that can be applied across any product line- including guitars. All my buddies have Harleys - I ride a Yamaha ... they bust my balls but my Yamaha is more dependable, rides smoother, and doesn't vibrate my arms/ass to numbness- like their Harley's. I know what I like and that's what I got.

Never even thot about the pickup placement on a 24 fret. Seems to conflict "guitar science" but I have a custom 24 (SE series) and the neck tone is one of the best characteristics of it. Not sure what to make of that? Have fun with it Maggior - no rush. Don't be afraid to drive a couple of hours if that's what it takes to visit some different retailers- you might be surprised to find the guitar that feels like magic in your hands and speaks to you immediately is a brand/style that you weren't even considering (?) ((I already gave you my Godin sermon so I won't beat that horse again :)

Good Luck - Take Care;
Ken aka:long winded old fart

Well, after reading a pile of forum posts around the Internet, reading what was said here, and some introspection on my part, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Custom 24 S2 from sweetwater.

I generally shop brands/models. This time around though I wanted to keep a more open mind. Even though I didn't want a guitar with a trem, I picked up the Custom 24 and I had an immediate "ooh, that's nice" feeling. I like the free access to the upper register. The fingerboard felt nice...etc.

The tonal issue is that the bridge pickup isn't as warm as on a 22 fret guitar because of its placement along the length of the string. However, at least on my faded LP, I find the neck pickup to be too dark and muddy sounding. So this is an advantage.

It is supposed to arrive on Tuesday :-). I'll report back on how I like it playing it at home.

Axe - you are out there somewhere...this should make you happy :-).

Cheers!

Originally Posted by: fretsmith((I already gave you my Godin sermon so I won't beat that horse again :)

Good Luck - Take Care;
Ken aka:long winded old fart

Even though I pulled the trigger on the PRS, the Godin guitars are still on my radar. Hopefully I'll get to put my hands on one one day. They look really cool and Hanspeter, an instructor here, gets some awesome sounds from it!