One of our favourite Les Pauls just got more affordable as Gibson gives limited run Double Trouble the Studio treatment – but is it the more versatile guitar?

Gibson’s Les Paul Standard Double Trouble was a hit. The limited run take on Gibson’s most-famous electric guitar was big with players, and it was a favourite of MusicRadar’s, too. It looked cool. It played well. And it sounded good.

But has Gibson just improved upon the recipe with the launch of the Studio Double Trouble, a more stripped-down, more modern, more affordable version of the single-cut with “double-whites”? That’s the question. And there is a case to be made.

This Les Paul Studio Double Trouble loses the body binding of the Standard, and yes, that is to be missed. The AA figured maple top is now a plain maple cap. Well, we’re on the fence with that one – a plain top is pretty cool, and just consider the advantages that come with the Studio.

The Studio is a lighter guitar, with Gibson’s Ultra Modern weight relief tactically removing some of the mahogany chonk out of the body, making it easier on the lower back. It is super-approachable.

Gibson offered the Les Paul Standard Double Trouble with the choice of ‘50s or ‘60s variants, the former with a more rounded Vintage ‘50s neck profile, the latter with the speedy come-hithers of the SlimTaper. Here you just have the latter option, arguably a more mainstream proposition but your mileage may vary.

Gibson has also changed the pickups here. Whereas you had the Burstbucker 1 and 2 in the Standard, the Studio comes with the Burstbucker Pros that its siblings in the range carry.

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With their Alnico V design, the Pros have a bit more meat, are tighter, more modern sounding. And you’ve got push/pull functionality on the volume controls to give you some single-coil snap should you need it. As much as we loved the Double Trouble Standard, it did not offer that.

Elsewhere, Gibson hasn’t changed up the recipe that much. You’ve got two finish options to choose from, Dirty Lemon Burst or Cherry Sunburst, and hardware appointments are the same whichever one you choose, i.e. Gold Top Hat controls as standard, Vintage Deluxe tuners with Keystone buttons.

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There is the aluminium Nashville Tune-O-Matic bridge and the stop-bar tailpiece, and a whole laundry list of on-the-money Les Paul specs; the 12” radius rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets and acrylic trapezoid inlays to count ‘em out, the 24.75” scale, the glued-in neck.

The Les Paul Studio Double Trouble is priced £1,549/$1,599, which is not bad when you compare it to the $2,599 for a Gibson USA Les Paul Standard. Price includes a gig bag.

For more details, head over to Gibson.