the studio is all mahogany where as the regular LP has a maple top which does give a slight difference in tone...... the studio is a great guitar with great tone. the resale value is a big difference to consider.. a studio may go down in price.....a regular LP will retain it's value and even go up.(why I do not know) but if you you want the best bang for your buck and very good tone the studio does fine imo. I would say it is mostly a cosmetic/resale value difference.