Gibson Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio Guitar Review.

The Gibson Les Paul has, over the years, become one of the most recognizable and popular guitars ever made. It was one of the original electric guitars decades ago, and remains a heavy influence in the music world today. One of the reasons it has stayed so popular is that Gibson isn't afraid to tweak its design and come up with innovative variations on the original. One of the new variations is the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio guitar. Let's take a closer look at it to see if this version is a keeper.

Features: The body of the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio, as one could probably guess pretty easily, is made of swamp ash wood. This is a big step outside of Gibson's comfort zone, as nearly all of their guitars are made of mahogany. The finish on the Swamp Ash Studio is a very attractive natural satin. You can see the wood grains and marks, and it is still protected and smoothed by a lacquer outer layer. The neck is set into the body, and is made of traditional mahogany wood. It has a rosewood fretboard with twenty two regular sized frets. Oddly, it doesn't have any inlays or position markers. All of the hardware, including the Tune-O-Matic bridge, pickup covers, and tuners, is chrome. Electronically, the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio has two Alnico humbucker pickups, two volume and two tone control knobs, and a three way selector switch.

Playability: The Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio has some surprisingly nice playability features. The ash build, similar to that of a Fender, is a little lighter and sleeker than the normal mahogany. This makes for comfortable stand up playing. Also, the set neck and cutaway is great for fret access. The only real issue, though it's minor, is that there are no inlays. It would be very easy for any guitarist to lose their frame of reference without inlays.

Sound: The Alnico humbuckers and ash body of the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio combine for a very sweet tone. It is very versatile, able to delve into nearly any genre. It isn't quite as thick as the tone on Les Pauls with a mahogany body, but is just as sweet and a little "punchier".

Overall: If you're looking for a unique guitar, while being able to stick with a trusted high quality brand, the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio is a very attractive option. It is in a high price range, but for the experienced and / or serious musician, it is well worth it. You can find the Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio in music stores for about $1,379.