It's a real Les Paul American, without decoration (although I've never been fanatic bindings of all kinds and I liked the decor simple: mine is black with gold hardware).
And it has everything a Les Paul!
- The same wood (mahogany body with maple table, mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard)
- The same pickups (a standard), two microphones, two tones, two volumes, a toggle switch
- The same hardware (tailpiece, bridge, mechanical ...)
- The same production (excluding bindings): set neck Gibson in tune (the one that fits in the hand), cellulose varnish, etc ...
- Case Gibson (yes, with the wig pink inside ...)

It seems that the only differences are:
- Less wood "chosen" aesthetic (mine is black so how do you know?)
- A body just a bit thinner (although it seems to me that when I compared mine to a standard at the time of purchase, it was really the same thickness, I'll have to check). Anyway, today they are a bit of a tad thinner.
- No binding on the body and the handle (decoration very expensive to carry out properly)

UTILIZATION

Scoop: This is a Les Paul!
It's heavy as a Les Paul and comfortable like a Les Paul (standing, is the strap that I destroyed the shoulder, sitting is the edge that I destroyed the ribs)
The neck is thick with the Les Paul
Routing microphones like Les Paul the whole family. Usage is simple: two microphones, each with its volume and tone. A toggle switch for routing.

The Les Paul is not the most ergonomic guitar (no weight and muzzle), so no note max.

SOUNDS

The sound is known: it is the sound LesPaul.
Sounds clear, smooth handle microphones, microphones croaking bridge (I have not found better as defined)
Distorted sounds: neck pickups with big sound, microphones rack teeth
Both pickups together = the mixture of everything. Pretty versatile but always in the register Gibson. It also buys for that.

A play full on amps not too dirty, to avoid drooling too (unless we look like this: I have already connected to the pedal drive Expandora of Bixonic and there it can be very zztop-discharge)

OVERALL OPINION

At the time, I bought it for the sound of a Les Paul at a lower cost. Contract filled!
In 1995, I bought it for 5700 USD NEW Pigalle. Yep, you read that right, happy time of the weak dollar and importers understanding.

With the price difference there was between a LP Studio and an LP Standard at the time, I do it again the same choice. Today, not sure the difference is as important (in any case, Gibson's overpriced), and the Standard is still the legend!