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Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
PRS Studio
VS
Playability
73
Sound
69
Build
64
Value
64
Score
69
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Playability
68
Sound
76
Build
73
Value
57
Score
72
FIND IT ON:
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Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior vs PRS Studio

Reasons to Get
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior over PRS Studio

Neck Profile
50s Vintage vs Pattern
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Pickups
P90 vs HSS
Vintage tone with good sustain
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.92'' (23.4mm) vs 0.88'' (22.4mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
1.02'' (25.9mm) vs 0.95'' (24.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Fixed vs Tremolo
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend
Value Score
64 vs 57
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
PRS Studio over Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior

Decorative Top
Carved Figured Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2020
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Pattern vs 50s Vintage
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Coil Split vs None
Splits humbuckers into single coil pickups
Switch Positions
5 vs 0
More tone options
Pickups
HSS vs P90
High output with beautiful cleans and tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.88'' (22.4mm) vs 0.92'' (23.4mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.95'' (24.1mm) vs 1.02'' (25.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Fixed
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings

Other Key Differences
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior vs PRS Studio

Bridge Pickup
Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear vs PRS 58/15 LT
Different Bridge Pickup
Nut Material
Ivory Tusq vs PRS Propietary
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior vs PRS Studio

Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the PRS Studio is probably the better product overall with its final score of 72 compared to the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The PRS Studio wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the PRS Studio.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the PRS Studio is the better choice.

The PRS Studio meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Comfortable neck
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

PRS Studio
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Overview

  • From Gibson's 2020 Artist Collection series
  • Lukas Nelson Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear (P90/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: (/)
  • Neck pickup: (/)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • Vintage Style Compensated Wraparound bridge
  • 50s Vintage Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Vintage Deluxe strip with white buttons tuners
  • Compare Specs >

PRS Studio Overview

  • From PRS's 2021 Core series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Carved Figured Maple top
  • Mahogany body
  • Mahogany neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III bridge
  • Pattern Set neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • PRS Phase III Locking tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has an P90 configuration while the PRS Studio has HSS pickups.

P90s are vintage pickups that are somewhere in the middle between a Humbucker and a single coil. They have decent output, and the tone is not too warm. It's a very particular type of sound that is used in many genres, but it was more popular decades ago.

Like any other single-pickup guitars, it should give you a bit more sustain since there will be less interference with the vibration of the strings. However, you're stuck to one single tone, unless you use effect pedals.

On the other hand, HSS provides a great balance if you like to play with a lot of distortion, but also love to use clean tones. You'll get a lot of output at the bridge position, but you'll be able to play bright clean tones at the other positions.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

However, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The PRS Studio gives you 5 switch options while the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior gives you 0. This means that the PRS Studio gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the PRS Studio comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior doesn't come with pickup switching options.

PRS Studio pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS Studio's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: PRS Studio.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Pickups 100
Sustain 65
Versatility 39
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 69
PRS Studio
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 75
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 76

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior compares to the PRS Studio.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has a Ivory Tusq nut. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.

On the other hand, the PRS Studio comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the PRS Studio's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

The PRS Studio has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Winner: PRS Studio.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Ivory Tusq Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
PRS Studio
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
Quality Control 90
Build Quality 64
PRS Studio
Quality of materials 50
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 73

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Nut Width
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Nut Width
PRS Studio Nut Width
PRS Studio Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's Scale Length
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's Scale Length
PRS Studio's Scale Length
PRS Studio's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The PRS Studio has the longest scale: 25". The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.25'' (6.4mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Neck Profile
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's neck profile
PRS Studio Neck Profile
PRS Studio's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior has a V type of neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

The PRS Studio, on the other hand, has a C neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior Fingerboard Radius
Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's Fingerboard radius
PRS Studio Fingerboard Radius
PRS Studio's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the PRS Studio's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior favors large hands more than the PRS Studio.

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior:
Big Hands
Small Hands
PRS Studio:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior and PRS Studio Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 75
Solo Playability 60
Playability 73
PRS Studio
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 65
Playability 68

Specs Side-by-Side

Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior vs PRS Studio
General Gibson Lukas Nelson 56 Les Paul Junior PRS Studio
Brand: Gibson PRS
Year: 2020 2021
Configuration: P90 HSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States United States
Series: Artist Collection Core
Colors: Sunburst Gold, White, Black, Blue, Green, Black Burst, Orange, Purple, Yellow, Red Burst, Gold Burst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, McCarty Sunburst, McCarty Tobacco Sunburst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Vintage Style Compensated Wraparound PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Vintage Deluxe strip with white buttons PRS Phase III Locking
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Decoration: Acrylic Dots Birds
Scale Size: 24.75" 25"
Shape: 50s Vintage Pattern
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.92'' (23.4mm) - 12th Fret: 1.02'' (25.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.88'' (22.4mm) - 12th Fret: 0.95'' (24.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 10"
Nut: Ivory Tusq PRS Propietary
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Gibson Alnico 3 P-90 Dogear (P90 / Passive) PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: PRS Narrowfield (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Speed
Pickup Mods: None Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1