1986 Gibson Studio no binding, Ebony board, original chainsaw case, in decent condition, no real issues. Looking at a trade being the whore that I am. I have had a Studio Standard and Studio Custom, but never a regular Studio. I know in 1985 the studio was Mahogany back, neck, Maple top. 1983-84 were Alder. 99% sure has Tim Shaws from pictures. Hard to find info on them, even from Gibson. No matter what it is a great deal, just heard some guys heap praises on them, but internet lore is just that. Anybody have one, or own one? Wondering if they are truly better than the new ones.
1986 Les Paul Studio, Better Than the New Ones?
- Thread starter Hardvalve
- Start date
reverymike
Active member
I believe they are indeed better. In '86, there really were only 3 models of Les Pauls. . .Studio, Standard, and Custom. Quality in general was WAY better back then too. Today, there are so many different models that they seemed to have kinda let the Studio model go.
The Studios from '86-'96 are hands down better than any studio coming out of the factory today. The necks feel great and the pickups are incredible. They actually took time to make sure that you didn't get sharp fretboard edges. I have a Studio from the late '80's that has survived a bunch of gear purges. It's here to stay.
Yeah, the earlier studios were in a different league altogether compared to the most recent stuff. There was an ex-Gibson employee on another site that said that the Studios made from '92-'95 were the best years for studios. After first-hand experience, I'll add that the Studios from '92-'95 were great, as were the studios from around '02-'05.
I don't remember all the specifics, but you may want to check out the build specs for the studios made from '85-'91. It seems like there were sown really nice, resonant studios made during this time, but construction varied between multi-piece backs (mahogany) and 2-3 piece backs. In my experience, the multi-piece backs are typically a little brighter.
I don't remember all the specifics, but you may want to check out the build specs for the studios made from '85-'91. It seems like there were sown really nice, resonant studios made during this time, but construction varied between multi-piece backs (mahogany) and 2-3 piece backs. In my experience, the multi-piece backs are typically a little brighter.