Gibson Les Paul Tribute VS Studio (comparison)
Our pick: The Gibson Les Paul Studio
Despite recommending the Les Paul Tribute in the past, we've bumped the Les Paul Studio into the winner's circle here, primarily because the Tribute is no longer in production and has to be sought out on the used market. That said, both of these Gibson's are a fantastic value and worth consideration.
Are there any significant differences between the Gibson Les Paul Tribute and the Les Paul Studio? On paper they're extremely similar which makes them hard to compare. If you're stuck between the two of them, we can tell you up front that it's a bit of a coin toss with only minor feature differences separating the two electric guitars. In this comparison, we'll identify those differences and help you decide which one is right for you in your particular situation.
Gibson Les Paul Tribute VS Studio (comparison tool)
GUITAR | Audio | Rated | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Gibson Les Paul Tribute | 92.2 | |
 | Gibson Les Paul Studio | 96.5 |
Guitar Specs Tables Side-by-Side
In a basic specs sheet, there's almost no different between these two guitars. We'll get into some more subtle differences via the details sections below.
Header | Tribute  | Studio  |
|---|---|---|
Body Type | Solidbody | Solidbody |
Body Material | Mahogany | Mahogany |
Top Material | Maple | AA Maple |
Bridge/Tailpiece | Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar | Nashville Tune-O-Matic with Stopbar |
Neck Pickup | 490R Humbucker | 490R Humbucker |
Bridge Pickup | 490T Humbucker | 490R Humbucker |
Controls | 2 x volume, 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switch | 2 x volume (push/pull coil-tap), 2 x tone, 3-way toggle pickup switch |
Nut Width | 1.695" | 1.695" |
Scale Length | 24.75" | 24.75" |
Frets | 22 | 22 |
Gibson Les Paul Tribute Details
The Tribute is a mahogany body with a maple top, identical to the Les Paul Studio. In the Studio Plus you get nicer AA maple for that top piece, but as far as we can tell the Tribute and Studio (the non-plus version) use the exact same body.
Gibson uses maple for the neck of the Tribute while the Studio goes back to mahogany, which is one of the few differences we can identify. You also get the Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge along with the 490R and 490T humbuckers, all of which are also in the Studio.
Gibson Les Paul Studio Details
There are three features we notice in the Les Paul Studio that are missing from the Les Paul Tribute.
- Gloss finish
- Push/pull coil-tap in the volume knob
- Mahogany neck
The Tribute has a Satin finish, which - in our opinion - doesn't look quite as nice as the gloss finish. Predictably, you get more of a shine and a more pristine look with the gloss nitrocellulose lacquer used on the Studio. Combined, these seem to be the primary ways that Gibson cuts $300 off the price of the Tribute.
Summary and Conclusion: Which one?
Unless you care a lot about the gloss finish or the coil-tapping, we'd recommend going with the Les Paul Tribute and saving the money. The mahogany neck doesn't matter much to us.
Yes, the gloss finish looks nicer, but both guitars play and sound extremely similar.
If the feel and tone is the same either way, that doesn't leave you with much reason to spend extra money for what we'd categorize as "bells and whistles." At the same time, it's important to point out that getting a Gibson Les Paul for $1200 or $1500 is an awesome deal.
At the end of the day, we don't mind either of these guitars as they're two of the highest-value options in the Gibson Les Paul lineup.
Questions and Comments
Do you have questions about the Gibson Les Paul Studio or the Les Paul Tribute? If so, drop them in the comments section below and we'll take a look.
More Gibson Les Paul Comparisons
Written by Guitar Chalk on Electrics & Comparisons
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Comparisons
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Our disclosure↬
Love these guitars. Great value if you ask me. They sound and play great..
The 2016 Tribute models have a mahogany neck. I was lucky enough to snag one when they were going for $899.
Interesting. I wonder why they changed?
I have both. In 2019 they went to male neck on the tribute. The neck does NOT take the gibson finish well. The tribute usually has a sub pair finish.
I just ordered a Tribute because I found one that weighs 7.2lbs!!!
Two biggest questions for me are, what is the difference between the necks, which is the thinnest? And what do they weigh?
Nut width for both is 1.695″. Weight isn’t listed on Gibson’s website but both should weigh about the same (modern weight relief).
Thank you Bobby but its the neck profiles I’m interested in as I’m pretty sure they are different.
So are you looking for a measurement like the neck radius?
Thank you for getting back to me Bobby. I’ve now bought a Les paul modern so don’t need the info now. Cheers!
Good to hear, Clive. Enjoy it.
damn… you paid over twice as much as the tribute and almost twice as much as a studio. I hope you like it.
Hey Bobby,
Jumping in here. I am interested in the difference between the radii of both necks. How much of a difference is the rounded C and the slim taper C? Thanks in advance.
Hey Randall – my understanding is that there’s a pretty significant difference in “feel”, the Slim Taper being the smaller of the two. This thread explains it pretty well. https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/gibsons-rounded-c-vs-60s-slim-taper-neck-profile.1949406/
Thanks my friend.
🤘🏻
No question, bad ads guitar…yes, Tribute honey burst all the way! Cheerz to GLPT
Absolutely. Thanks Andy.