I previously tried a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and was not impressed. I bought an Epiphone LP 60's but I felt this was not the real deal.
This Studio Session IS the real deal. It's gorgeous with its AA flamed maple top and ebony fingerboard, the 57 Classic pickups sound like the pure LP tone and it's a joy to play.
When I received it it was setup to perfection (I set up my own guitars and I set them up for friends, so I'm pretty picky). Neck dead straight, action super low, I'm very impressed with thefit and finish of this guitar.
And it has the distinctive vanilla smell of the nitro finish!
I highly recommend this model. It's basically as good as a standard, just without the binding around the body. And much more versatile with its 4 push-pull knobs.