#1
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Best value · Mahogany body · Burstbucker pickups · weight relief$700–$950 usedBest for: Intermediate players, studio and stage use, best value
The Studio is Gibson's answer to "what if we removed the maple top and weight?" A solid mahogany body (no weight-reducing chambering) without the premium figured maple top keeps costs down while maintaining 90% of the Les Paul tone. Burstbucker pickups deliver classic humbucker crunch and sustain. The Studio is the modern workhorse Les Paul — lightweight enough for gigging, affordable enough to buy without hesitation, and tonal enough that it doesn't feel like a compromise.
#2
Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s
Best modern standard · Mahogany body · slim taper neck · Burstbucker Pro$900–$1200 usedBest for: Career players, gig-ready excellence
The Standard 60s is Gibson's current modern standard-issue Les Paul. Modern neck (slim taper, thinner than vintage specs), weight-relief chambering (lighter than Studio despite the maple top), and Burstbucker Pro pickups (higher output than Studio). The "60s" refers to neck profile, not vintage specs. This is what you see on major stages — it's the Les Paul standard for professionals.
#3
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s
Best vintage neck · Mahogany body · rounded neck · PAF-voiced pickups$900–$1200 usedBest for: Players preferring vintage neck profile, tone purists
The Standard 50s has a "1950s" rounded-profile neck (thicker and rounder than 60s), and PAF-voiced pickups that emulate the original 1957 Gibson PAF humbucker. Both neck and pickup choices appeal to vintage players. Chambered body keeps weight manageable. Same price as 60s but with a different character — this is about personal feel preference.
#4
Gibson Les Paul Classic
Best tone value · Mahogany body · thin control cover · 57 Classic pickups$900–$1200 usedBest for: Players seeking vintage pickup character at modern specs
The Classic bridges vintage and modern: it has a thin metal control cover (like 1960s Gibsons, reducing routing and preserving wood), paired with Burstbucker 57 Classic pickups (vintage-voiced in a modern housing). Chambered body, modern neck, and authentic vintage aesthetics. This attracts players who want "60s character" in a modern-friendly package.
#5
Gibson Les Paul Traditional
Best non-chambered · Solid mahogany · no weight relief · historic specs$900–$1200 usedBest for: Tone purists rejecting weight-relief engineering
The Traditional has no weight relief (fully solid wood), no chambering, and is the heaviest modern Les Paul. For players who believe solid wood = maximum resonance, this is the pick. The extra weight (8–9 lbs) provides more sustain and tone complexity than chambered models. Drawback: it's genuinely heavy — expect shoulder strap fatigue on 3+ hour gigs.
#6
Gibson Les Paul Junior
Best single-coil Tele-style · Mahogany body · P-90 pickup · single-cut design$700–$950 usedBest for: Blues players, punk and indie aesthetics, unique tone
The Junior uses a single P-90 pickup (larger, dirtier, more mid-focused than humbuckers) and was the original 1953 design. Modern Juniors are stripped-down single-cut Les Pauls that deliver a unique character: not quite humbucker crunch, not quite Strat sparkle, but something distinctly punchy and aggressive. Lighter than Standard or Classic due to mahogany-only body.
#7
Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s
Best budget gateway · Mahogany body · affordably priced · solid pickups$300–$420 usedBest for: Budget explorers, beginners wanting to try Les Paul
Epiphone (Gibson subsidiary) Les Paul Standard 60s is the entry point to Les Paul tone without the $900+ price. Made overseas with solid mahogany body and Alnico pickups. Not the hand-crafted quality of a Gibson Standard, but legitimately playable and tonal. Thousands of rock musicians started on Epiphone Les Pauls.
