Les Paul Standard vs Les Paul Studio: what's the difference between these celebrated Gibson singlecuts

Gibson Les Paul Standard and Les Paul Studio in front of a wall of Marshall amps
(Image credit: Gibson, Marshall, Pexels)

No guitar quite embodies the devil-may-care attitude of rock n roll quite like the Gibson Les Paul. In the right hands, the Les Paul is a formidable weapon against dull, lifeless music, with just one strike of a distorted A chord enough to make other genres cower in fear. With that in mind, it's not hard to see why numerous players aspire to one day own their very own LP, with this legendary guitar becoming somewhat of a dream axe for many. 

While back in the day, buying a Gibson was relatively straightforward – assuming you had the cash – with only a hand full of variations available. Today, on the other hand, there appears to be a Les Paul to suit everyone's taste and playing style, with ultra-modern variants and vintage reissues among the slew of singlecuts available. So, with many guitars sharing so many traits, it can get a little confusing to know which is the right six-string for you – but don't worry, we're here to help unravel the mystery of the Les Paul Standard and the Les Paul Studio. 

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