this axe sounds so sweet, it has that 'les paul sound'. Fat lows but the highs are slightly brighter than a gibson. I would suggest putting seymour duncans in it as i am going to do in order to get rid of the feedback and unwanted noise that you get at high gain. Works wel through my marshall amp. I play mostly classic rock and some punk as well. I find it plays The Darkness exceptionally well, and of course led zeppelin. But I also experimented with some heavy metal and boy does she deliver!! Again the only problem was the feedback but it really isn't all that bad, you only REALLY notice it at High gain, otherwise its not a big problem. If I want to play 'I believe in a thing called love' by The Darkness and I do the massive string bend on fret 22, it sounds a bit weak. But then again it's not a gibson and the price states that well. verall its a mega superdooper cool sounding guitar.

kinda hard to rate. 2 tone & 2 volume knobs, Mine came with chrome grover tuners allready on it. The bridge volume knob makes a crackling sound through the amp when i turn it past 1-2, but I don't care coz I never use it anyway. I'm not sure what wood its made of but I think its mahogany with flamed maple top and rosewood fingerboard. Front strap button has a tendency to work itself loose but its easy to tighten. I heard that the toggle switch craps out on a lot of these guitars but I don't know what's going on there, mine is still working perfectly after months of use. Maybe epiphone have got their act together and improved their guitars or something? and the finish is impeccable, the best i've seen. (Cherry Sunburst,the best!)

Soloing is surprisingly easy on this axe but when I first got it I fond it difficult playing the high fret coz I was used to double cutaways ie Ibanez. Other than that its a breeze to play almost anything (except Joe Satriani or Steve Vai because it doesn't have a tremolo bar) Its solid and heavy, but not so heavy that it's hard to play, just that if you play for ages you start getting a bit of a sore shoulder after a while, but that solidity adds to the sustain.

This axe will stay for many years to come if you take care of it (GET A HARDSHELL CASE). Finish is superb, It still brings tears to my eyes. It is reliable and hasnt ever let me down.

Hell yeah! I's way better to get this and change the pickups than buy a gibson for a ridiculously high price. And even with stock pickups wich are good, it's worth every penny.

will never need to.

I got this axe because I'm a Classic rocker at heart and there was a gaping hole in my soul that told me I had to get this at any price. Plus I like the look and sound. This is the hottest ting i have ever seen. Period.

Hobbyist

Rock, Classic rock, a bit of punk, anything that doesn't suck

To start with, EVERYTHING has to be PERFECT to get a 10 out of me so I'm not being hard, just very picky! Let's begin....I own a Gibson SG and it sounds a lot like that. Definately a harder rock sound & let me tell you....for the money- not bad! I've read where everyone jumps on the pickup replacement bandwagon & that's fine. That's what I plan on doing myself but with all the different effects out there, it is not neccessary. It's got great sustain but being really overdriven does get mushy. If you start doing the beginning lick of Sweet Child O Mine, most people watching won't even be comparing the exact nuances of sound anyways. So overall, I'd say change the strings, tighten the screws and call it good for now!

My purchase was a "refurb" model. I got the Cherry sunburst so it did not come with any case(which I did not want anyways-explain later). Came with manual, allen wrench, warranty card and misc. stuff. Pretty exact match to a Les Paul as to features. Pretty much standard....

This is my first LP. I bought this primarily to get use to it so later on after I save(& save & save & save & save), I get the real thing. I wanted something to practice with which was as close to the real thing as possible. Besides, If I ever needed a backup or just a "thrasher axe", this would fill in nicely. I also never played anything with a narrow neck so this is a good practice one too. Barre chords are easy but not really made for a beginner since the strings are close together and there would be a lot of doubling when trying to play. Volume and tone are as basic as you get.....

Being a "refurb", I expected issues. I was not disappointed-there was some. First impression, the thing is beautiful-great colors and looks like it cost a whole lot more. Seeing Les Paul on the headstock, makes you believe you have the real thing(and hopefully others will feel that way too!) As mentioned earlier, it sounds great & especially for spending only 3 bills on it, I can't complain(too much). My biggest concern is the buzz when I strum the low E hard. The action is quite low so that might have something to do with it. There were a couple of the plastic pieces that were loose so those needed to be tighten up. I had the chance to compare it to the real thing and notice the same "buzz" in the high dollar one. Overall, especially for what I was expecting, it gets a 9- it this was a new one, it probably be a 7. Once again, quite pleased!

My only 10 rating.....why? I compared this to a $3200 Les Paul side by side. I did notice some differences and sure the different woods, being built in America, better hardware make up a lot of this. But $2500 worth is a hard pill to swallow. I could buy 3 of these, replace the pickups with humbucker pros, have it gone thru by an expert ans still save money. So if your on a budget, no better bargain out there!

Don't know but for what I've seen and heard- great!

Almost a 10 but this axe is not for everyone. I also like playing Beach Boys and surfer type music so I stay with my Strat for that. Country music may stray away occasionally from this also. So, if Metal is your method- GO FOR IT!

Hobbyist

Rock

It sounds pretty good right out of the box, but I would strongly recommend replacing the strings and taking it for a professional setup, it makes a big difference. The wood is great, and I can get good tone from it. It's not a 10 obviously, there are better Les Pauls, with better wood and pickups for more money, but this should satisfy all players who don't have extra money to throw around. My guitar teacher is very impressed with this guitar.

Everything you would expect from a Les Paul.

Again, it's a Les Paul, how hard can it be.

Good quality, no problems so far, I've had the guitar for 6 months. The switch feels a bit flimsy, but works well. The dials feel very solid, no problems so far. The guitar stays in tune just as well a Gibson, so I don't think the tuners need to be replaced, unless you're really picky about that. Had to tighten the nut for the input jack, but that's not unexpected. Definitely needs professional setup (around $150), including fretwork, so it's not in top condition right out of the box, but that's true for a Gibson too (even though it would be better).

One of the best values ever. I just got the standard finish, didn't feel like spending another $100 or $200, since it looked good as it is.

Didn't need any support yet.

Once again, it's a Les Paul, you gotta have it. Period.

Hobbyist

Blues, Rock, Jazz

The sound is amazing, but I'm not a guitar guy. I'm just learning, and I've only played on a Jackson Dinky. Coming from that Jackson, I've gotta say - this Epiphone is *amazing*.. Full of depth and character.

It's a guitar. It has strings and pickups. It has individual controls for each pickup, which is very nice.

Plug it in, and strum.

If heft is any signal of quality, this sucker is full of it. It's very heavy compared to my Jackson dinky. Again - I'm not a guitar guy, but this thing is sturdy as stone.

I've seen the pricetags for other Les Pauls. This is a steal. It sounds amazing.

no idea.

It is so gorgeous, if it were possible, I'd have babies with this guitar. Truly a work of art.

Recording Engineer and Active Musician.

I love good music of all genres.

I've been playing guitars since I was 5.My Dad is a guitarist and has been playing for over 35 years so I have played almost every type of guitar.This blue Epiphone Les Paul can compete with any guitar I've ever played incuding my dads gibson les paul.Plugged in a roland jazz chorus amp da sound is amazing.I love this guitar and can't put in down.I play gospel mainly and with my lil ibanez 65watt amp I play at small church gigand ppl are amazed with the sound.this past Sunday a guy dat plays a american strat says he wants 1 after playing mine. I loce this guitar

The volume tones on both pickups are amazing and da rythmn/treble switch gives u plenty of variety

Very smooth and easy

Paint finish is pretty as a candy paint job lol buttons and knobs are perfect

Zz sounds not only matched the price but BEAT IT by 10 percent .best value for any musical equipment I've ever bought!

Everything is on point

active musician

gospel/neo soul / rand b

I now own 2 epi LP Std. plus tops. Having owned 2 Gibson Les paul Deluxes in the 70s, I can truly say these guitars are quite awesome,not only in presentation, but in quality,and diversity of sound and they actually has a sweet bluesy quality of their own w/o amps that the Gibsons did not have. Once the set up was corrected on both, I can honestly say these guitars played better than the Gibsons.Yes, corners had to be cut to get that good price,but the guitars are beautiful and sound great,and I will be an Epi man from now on.Enormous prices are strictly egotistical in my opinion and I have been playing for 40 yrs.I love the sound and feel of my two flame top EPIs. Joe "T." New Orleans Blues Artist.

Very appealing good stage presence.Finishes are top notch.

Active

Blues Rock

the pickups are hot, sound is awesome from lows to highs. setup was spot on, no fret buzz.

materials all seem to be good, stays in tune

you can make it sound any way you want

FLAWLESS

GREAT DEAL

have not needed to contact

it looks SWEEEEET!!! LIKE A PIECE OF ARTWORK

beginner, hobbyist

all types of music

I play a large variety of different stlyes, from metal to blues, and this guitar is very versatile. It has a wonderful clean tone, and can produce some great blues sounds with the neck pick-up. Using the bridge pickup, it can give a huge and full metal sound, with a huge low-end. It's great for either sharp, piercing leads, or rich, full rhythms.

22 frets, Humbucker pickups, mahogany/alder body, flamed maple top, heritage cherry sunburst finish, Tune-o-matic bridge, grover tuners, cream pickguard.

very nice finish

worth every cent!

havent needed to use it and hope i wont

active musician

blues rock/ metal / classic rock

The sounds in incredible. if your looking for the gibson les paul sound this guitar has it.

it has all you want in features the same as a gibson.

its an easy to use guitar.

its the best i mean come on its made by epiphone (gibson usa)

its worth the price trust me you be satisfied with it and never want to put in down. you'll want to take this thing to gigs, friends,and just everywhere

never had to use it

its sexy it may not look as good on this site but when you get it you'll see the finish on it and be blown away.

3 years, active musician

Metal, blues, rock

The sound on this guitar is GREAT!!!! I play mainly rock music and this Les Paul matches exactly what I want.

Th accesories the guitar came with was just a cable. Probably the most useful feature is the pickguard because the body is beautiful and believe me, you would not want to scratch it.

This guitar is very playable it has a great action on it and the neck is perfect. It's easy to get great sounds but for me I turn all the knobs up and it doesn't really matter to me. :)

The guitar i made very well. It has an AA flame maple finish on it and is beautiful . There were really no loose parts or blemishes. I think the product is quite reliable. I would use the guitar on the road if i knew nothing was going to happen to it. It's not a real heavy guitar but It's a little on the small side.

This guitar is definitely worth the price

I can't really say how Epiphone/Gibson is when trying to reach or talk to them becausec I haven't had any problems yet.

Like I said the guitar is beautiful and it plays really well. So I'd rate it a 10.

Active Non-Musician

Rock and Blues

Incredible sound, I would have payed more for a guitar with this sound.

What features do you need? It has everything you need.

Very very very well made. I absolutely love the solid feel of this guitar and the look of it.

Wow. Thats it. I will continue to play this guitar for the next 5 years.

I have not had a reason to get support.

For me, the look of the guitar in person is some what differnet online than in the stores. In the stores it looks 10 times better.

Active Musician

Rock, 80's Rock, Punk, Alternative,

This is my second guitar and Im very happy with it, it sounds clear and sparkly with the bridge pick up on clean and warm and smooth with the neck pick up on clean and on overdrive the bridge pick up sounds great for anything from classic rock to Heavy metal depending on your amp settings and how much gain you use, and the neck pick up is great for blues. Overall a good warm clear tone

Two humbuckers with tone and volume controlls for each, all you really need.

The action is prefect for me it came set up just right all though i might set it a little bit lower and the neck plays smooth and fast and upper fret accsess takes a little getting used to but over all it plays great.

This guitar is very well made I sure it will last me very a long time.

The value is the best part of this guitar it feels like its worth at least $200 more.

Never needed It

Very good looking i got the Cherry sun burst wich makes this guitar look very sexy.

1 and a half years

Heavy And Thrash Metal, Rock, Hard Rock, Blues and Shred

Very nice Les paul tone. A bit deeper than my 76 Deluxe. Probably the full size Humbuckers are the reason.

A Cherry Sunburst Les Paul is the best looking guitar made. It is breaking in very nicely. Very fast neck. Exactly like a Gibson Les Paul from an action standpoint.

Very playable.

For $500 you can't get a better guitar.

If you don't have the money for a Gibson but want a Les Paul, get this. Don't buy any other brand Les Paul copy.

I ordered it on St patrick's Day and got it a week later. The inspection sticker was dated 1 week before so it was fresh off the line from the factory.

Nothing looks and sounds like a Les Paul.

Active Musician

Original Rock

This is my first electric guitar, but I have been playing acoustic for quite a while. The sound of this guitar is great! Even when not plugged in it gives a full warm sound. I only have a little mg15dfx amp, and haven't been able to plug it to a nice amp, but it still sounds very nice on the clean channel. There was a lot of fret buzz when I got it, but with a bigger string gauge, bridge, and truss adjustments I got almost all of the fret buzz out of there. As others have mentioned the stock pickups aren't great, but they are ok, and I planned to upgrade all along anyway.

The feautres are excatly what you would expect from a les paul, ie pickup switch, tone and volume control, etc. It has very nice grover tuners which work very well, and nice chrome plated pick up covers. The stock strings were pretty bad, but oh well those get replaced anyway.

I gave this a 7 because it took a little work to get the guitar set up to play nice right out of the box.

First off, the guitar is beautiful. I got the red wine finish and love it. I did notice a (very) few cosmetic defects. The plastic peice around the pickup was lightly scuffed, the are two places in the molding where it doesn't quite line up. But other than that it is perfect. It looks greats, sounds greats, and plays great.

You can't get closer to a Gibson w/o shelling out mad $$$>

I don't know never needed any.

This guitar is very appealing, everyone who sees it wants to pick it up and play it.

Hobbyist

Rock

Playing guitar for 3 years, jam at home and was a drummer before that.

Rock, alternative, blues

Great tone for the price. It's ofcourse not as good as the Gibson equivalent but still very good. I will probably replace the pickups with Seymour Duncan JB's somewhere down the line but for now the stock pickups are pretty good. This suits my stlye very well as most of the stuff I play is classic rock or 80's hair metal. It works great for Zeppelin, Sabbath, Who, Van Halen and Guns N Roses tunes. It can get some great artificial and natural harmonics and is great for two handed tapping too. I'm using this with this setup: Boss TU-2 (Tuner Pedal) >> Boss DS-1 (Distortion) >> Vox Wah >> Line 6 Spider II 112 (75W Amp). I use D'addario 10-46 Strings and Various Dunlop Picks.

No accessories were included but I don't need any anyway. Not much in the way of features. Just the two Gibson Designed humbucking pickups which sound great by the way.

This axe came ready to play out of the box, no setup was needed. As far as I can see the finish is perfect. I can see it lasting another 10 years at least before having to replace the hardwear from constant use. When gigging I would definetly take another guitar with me, For songs with alternate tunings and as a backup if I broke a string or if this one conked out on me for some reason. (which has never happened)

I feel that this axe was definetly a good purchase, it's feel was so much better compared to other guitars in the same price range.

Have'nt had to deal with them yet, however I hear only good things.

You can't beat the Les Paul style and I love my Vintage Sunburst finish, it's what puts them so far ahead of some of those ugly BC Rich and other metal guitars.

Hobbyist

Classic rock and 80's metal

Played many years. For self enjoyment

Blues, Rock

Man, this thing, despite the name, has the classic vintage gibson sound. Fat, warm tone. Im playing it through a Line6, it sounds amazing. Great for classic rock and blues.

The only thing i miss is the whammy from my old strat. Other than that, this things got all you need. I got mine a year ago, and it has the die cast tuners, not those cheap plastic things that come on em now...

It is made flawlessly. I haven't found a single thing wrong with this guitar yet. Even the finish on this is extremely smooth, and obviously very well applied.

This is, no doubt, the best guitar i've come across in the 500-600 dollar range. This guitar is amazing, everything that i was looking for in a new guitar.

Haven't had to use it...im thinking of putting some 57 gibson pickups in there though, just to increase the vintage sound.

Not only does the "heritage cherry sunburst" on my guitar make me melt, but the classic single cutaway gives it a great look...definately a sexy guitar to add to amazing sound.

Active Musician

Classic Rock, blues, punk, jazz, rock n roll

great sound out of this guitar just the way it is set up.

plays very well i like the round neck on it not the skinny necks that come on ibanez and jacksons

plug and play

i revamped mine i put locking tuners on it and changed out humbuckers and changed out all the hardware for gold, my problem with it was i play heavy handed so the original tuners didn't work well for me the other thing is the head stock is very weak i just snapped mine off owned it for 4 yrs. and practiced 4 hrs. a day twice a week plus gigs and personal use. be careful don't hit the head stock. after i changed out the parts this was by far the best guitar i had ever owned. i don't want to spend 2200 bucks on a guitar to go to bars with. input jack is a pile broke with in months of me owning it.

for the money you can't beat it, i highly recommend you change to locking tuners and change out humbuckers, after that you won't be able to tell the difference

never needed it if you take care of it, it should last years

it's a les paul if you buy a gibson you are paying for the name there are custom guitar shops that would eat gibson alive

active musician

rock, classic rock, blues

rather thin 1st string sound, hard to balance with lush-sounding lower strings... the tone sustains forever, which is beautiful, but it is a rather muddy sound since the sounds overlap each other ...but could be a benefit. This is with a Marshall MG30 DFX. Might be better with different amps, but I heard that Les pauls and Marshalls are a perfect match. Very loud even without amplification...most guitars are hardly audible without the amp on.

tuners so-so but mine keep in tune just fine so far. Styling is very cool except for headstock, which of course is the classic shape but very boring. Epi case mine came in is a good one for the money, but spring for the better Gibson if possible. plush in the Epi is sorta trashy and is a dull gray color. Strap is trash - get matching Gibson or other of your choice to set off the guitar.

really beautiful finish and color (honey burst), and my maple has to be the prettiest they ever put on a standard...maybe it was a mistake? I've rarely seen an equal to it in the most expensive Gibson models. But...neck is too fat and glossy finish is not as 'fast' as a satin or semi-matte finish on the neck would have been.

good price, but maybe consider getting one slightly used like I did for a much better price...2nd guitar: would consider a vintage Tele or Mustang or Jaguar due to easier playability but hard to match that classic Les Paul sound.

never dealt with Epi or Gibson

it is a very classy and beautiful instrument that draws attention and admiration even from non-musicians.

Blues-Rock to Metal

This is my favorite axe, bar none. I played it for about six months before upgrading it, and it has a good sound, but the stock pickups aren't the greatest. It also didn't hold tune as long as my strats. So I dropped in two Gibson '57 Classic Plus Humbuckers, replaced the tuners with Grover's, and this guitar is now perfect. Oh, and I replaced the pickup switch... I never had a problem with mine, but I heard that the switches go out in the Epi's fairly often, so I replaced it.

The workmanship on the finish, the neck and the overall construction of the guitar is excellent. I'd give it a ten if it came with better pickups and tuners.

So I spent $500 on the guitar, and $300 on the better pickups, tuners and pickup switch, and this guitar is EVERY BIT as good as the Gibson Les Paul.

I have the transparent blue and it's beautiful.

Blues/Rock

Sustain can't be beat. Could use better pickups, but stock do nicely. Sounds great even w/o amp!

Better pickups, knobs and switch, but really no complaints. Beautiful finish, for the price it can't be beat.

Beautiful guitar, for the price it is hard if not impossible to beat, you will have to spend over 1k just to match it. "all purpose" guitar great rythm as well as lead, sweet action produces screaming solo's.

You are NOT going to get a better BRAND NEW guitar for the price.....ESPECIALLY A LP!!

Never needed service, but reps are very customer friendly.

I will never buy anything but an Epi or $$ willing a Gibson ever again.

Classic rock

I usually use Gibson 57 Classic pups. And the pups that came with this guitar are pretty bad. No question they have to be replaced. They're not smooth and warm.

The one thing that bothers me is the stop tailpiece. It's too high. When you play, it sticks up to where it's uncomfortable and hits your wrist. I'll try to change that. Oh yeah, the picture Zzounds has of this guitar shows the old keystone type tuners. I called Epiphone, and they said this guitar only comes with metal Grovers now. So that was a disappointment for me.

Like I said, this guitar is really good. But they could have done it a little better in a couple of areas - pups, tailpiece. I would have liked it without the pickguard.

The finish is really nice. Not great. I really like the neck. It's slimmer than I expected. That's what I like best about this guitar. After new tuners, tailpiece and pups, this guitar is a keeper.

I have another LP copy, and I like that one better, except for the neck. It has a good neck, but not quite as good as this one. But my other LP has a much better finish and seems to be built better. I bought it new for $300.

I've only talked to them once, and the guy was really helpful and nice.

It's a good guitar. But if you search hard enough you would probably find one a little cheaper that's better.

Been playing for many, many years

blues, jazz

Sounds good for an EPI but a upgrade in pups will be welcome.

Has everything a les paul needs. The trans blue if beautiful.

Plays good the frets could use a bit more dressing but for now it is fine.

Gave a 6 because of the Gator case that came with it. The case has like 1 inch of play on both sides. A very poor fit. I would not recommend this Gator case.

Never had to use it

Active Musician

Blues, Country, Classic Rock

It sounded great on my VOX 50 but I'm changing the bridge pickup to a Dimarzio Evolution I should get it back Monday for what I saved on price I can afford some extras here and there

It came with some plastic tuning keys a weird see through green color but it stays in tune anyway My input jack got loose and made a lot of noise getting a new one put in so I threw in a pickup also

Its a great drop D and C axe

Feels like a Paul except the head stock don't look like a Paul at all

Bought it from a friend in mint cond, came with a el cheapo amp decent stand and 20 ' whirlwind cord 300 dollars I like it gave the amp to another friend It was crap

No

I'm fixing to paint it maybe change the neck to look like the Paul

Active Musician

Rock, "Alternative", "Country

The sound is wonderful, through a good amp perhaps better than a Gibson LP Studio. Mine came with Gibson PUs, which might help, but the sustain's amazing, which doesn't depend from the pick ups.

The Grover tuners are wonderful, you tune the guitar and it stays tuned for a week!!!

It's so good I wouldn't reccomend it to beginners, because once you've tried this you can't adapt to crappy guitars.

Wouldn't it be for Epiphone written on the headstock, I couldn't tell the difference with my Gibson LP Custom shop (except for the wood type). The only problems were given to me by the plastic components, which I had to replace after a few years.

If you have some luck and it's come out well, your Epi will be as good as a Gibson for a quarter of the price.

I never needed it, so I never tried it...

One of the two greatest designs in guitar history...

Active musician

Alternative

This guitar is awesome! The tone is amazing and is so much better than the standard. I have played many gibsons and this is eaqually as good.

this guitar doesnt come with any accessories. It has four control knobs and has a pickup selector. The finish is amazing and really catches the eye.

I had a Squier Strat before this and this is my first good guitar. That doesnt mean im a newbie i have been playing for 2 years. Anyways this guitar is so much easier to use than my strat.

This guitar is very very durable. All of the knobs are securely on and the toggle is also secure.

I would say this is one of the best guitars for the money

I havent had to use the support so i would have to say a 10.

yes i think this is one sexy ass guitar

Hobbist, Active Musician

Rock, Alt, classical rock, classical, basically everything

sounds like a les paul ,more or less , but the pickups are the weak link, badly screened and noisy when you up the gain. Any aftermarket PAF will be an improvement when you have the time and the money: good wood though.

This guitar is built down to a price and it's in the " bits" that this shows most clearly, the bridge really needs to be better and the control knobs are cheap, horrid and mounted askew - much prefer hatbox controls anyway. Tuners, on the other hand, are more than good enough for most people: if you change them you may not notice much benefit.

It's a les paul, even if a copy, and they are never hard to play when well set up.

This guitar may not have the quality of tone woods that gibson would use but it is very nicely made from the woodwork side of things but it's let down by the poor originel set up - mine needs some serious fret dressing to sort out an irritating buzz ( A string 3rd fret only )and I while I don't expect mother of pearl for the insets at this price they are a bit ... matt - feel ok though.

at list price no but at typical discount retail it's a steal, would not touch the bolt neck LP's with a barge pole though, they are dire.

have no idea: have not contacted them yet.

a nice cheap copy of a classic that's perfect for anybody that doesn't want to splash out the dosh on the real thing but remember you will need to change the bridge and pickups eventually.

hobbyist / semipro reborn after a decade in hibernation

rock / blues

The gibson pick ups sound great and it has heavy body so you can get alot of sustain this guitar sounds great paired with a marshall mgx 250 especially for classic rock.

the features are that of a regular gibson les paul just a bit lighter and a different head stock

igot myine from a music store new but it had scrathes and nicks so theyjust orderd me a new one.

its worth two times the list to me any way

didnt use yet

gr8 lookin suggest vintage burst

intermede player

rock

Quite hot p/ups, overdrive tubes quite nicely, and they seem well balanced. The neck has some lovely mid-low tones when driven. Bridge is crisp and crunchy.

Neck is excellent; very nice piece of rosewood. Some concern regarding the pots, they feel terribly flimsy. The machine heads say Grover but they feel inferior. The bridge and stopbar are solid, but the saddles are wobbly. Doesn't prevent the guitar from sustaining well, but it was a bit trickier than usual to set the intonation.

Easy. It has a good, full LP humbuckery sound.

Some parts are well made, other parts are not. Quality control seems uneven. The pots especially are questionable, maybe the jack socket too. They will need to be beefed up very soon, I imagine.

Yes, but I had to put in a fair bit of work myself to make it really shine. It's good value, but if the fit & finish had been up to par it would have been outstanding value.

Not had to deal with them yet.

I'd rate it highly, but advise looking at as many guitars as possible as I think there will be a great variation in quality from one to the next.

Played for 25+ years semi-professionaly and at home.

Blues, country rock, alternative

It will sound as good as the amp that you have it plugged into.

a beautifull guitar, translucent amber

I wanted it, I bought it and I dont regret it

hobbyist and pro wannabe

rock, country, some alternative

This guitar makes me sound good, which is saying alot! Great sustain, great feel, nice action..

Nice fit and finish, great looking guitar!

Great fit and finish, a beautiful guitar, classic

I got a great deal

No problems to speak of

The classic looks and feel of this guitar makes it very appealing

Hobbyist

Rock/Punk

this guitar rocks

so many sounds

easy to learn on

feels great and plays great

great price for this guitar

no i havent delt with them b/c it has had no problems

it is great

active musican

punk

best guitar ever has such a nice sound. plays like a gibson

wonderfull tone. cool look.would be good if it had a wammy but it is still a sick guitar.

good for anyone beginners or pros

great quaility i love this guitar

its worth the price total

idk never needed to thats how good it is

very nice guitar i got a blue one it brings the ladies your way cause u can sounds good and look good

hobbyist

rock

This guitar is the best guitar in its price range. Bought it while saving up foir a gibson, but im now an avid epi fan. this guitar is every bit as good as a gibson. The pickups are suprisingly good. stays in tune great.

awesome pickups, perfect weight, looks beautiful, great tuning stability, perfect neck, set neck rocks...

gibson quality, epi tradition...

awesoem price

Never talked to em, but i have never needed to, this guitar is awesome.

I saw the beautiful blue top, and i wanted it. i love les pauls, the shape is perfect

Indie/ emo rock

Has a great sound,especially for Rock and Blues music.Also has great sustain and power.

This also gets a 10 because it has all great features that Les Pauls have. I like all the features. Mine is heritage cherry sunburst and it is very beautiful.

The easiest guitar to play that I ever picked up. Once I start playing it I don't want to put it down.

The quality is great except the bridge/tailpiece should be upgraded to a Tone Pros, because it is hard to tune sometimes with original hardware.

Well worth the price compared to Gibson Les Pauls

This gets a 10 because I haven't even needed support.

The most beautiful guitar I have ever got my hands on. The most comfortable guitar to play, I love the action and the feel of the neck.

Guitar Student

Blues,Rock,and some Country

I play rock/alternative and have 9 other guitars, 2 of which are Epi Les Paul Customs and the tone of this guitar is awesome. I write most of my music and change guitars for different sounds. I get a deep growling sound in the rhythm selection and a rich, bright tone in treble from my BLUE Les Paul standard plus top. The humbuckers and the maple top sound great going through solid state or tube amps with high gain or crystal clear cleans.

The electronics sound as good as any guitar I have in my collection. From Strats to Les Pauls to Dots to Schecters with active/active EMGs. I will be changing the volume/tone knobs to a chrome knob to match the guitar better. I don't like the copper colored knobs.

I had to perfom a setup to getthe action to my preference but the intonation was set very well. It is easy to lower or raise the tone pro bridge to get the desired results.

TO be made overseas it is very well made. The feel is great and the finish is impeceable.

My guitar was worth the price.

I have not had any experience with Epiphone support on any of my Epis. The products are solid

The flamed maple top is gorgeous. I love the translucent blue and it is very sexy in white light and under stage lighting

Working Musician

Alternative

im not sure about the companies support because i do not own this guitar

this guitar is a very good guitar.....but for a little bit more money...i would definately look into a prs tremonti se.....the one i ended up with.......

anything but rap

Hey I'm not about to drop a couple of thousand for the wood, and there is a big difference. I will take the Epi my fingers and my mesa boogie, it gets me close enough. I swapped the stock pups for Burstbuckers, hello tone daddy.

Wish it had the nickle tuners, but Grovers aint bad.

Great feelin neck.

Stock an 8, a bit of hot rodding and it kicks a$$!!

90% Gibson for under a thousand with the upgrades. Great Value!

I never used em and it was made in '04.

I got it!

Playin

Blues/Southern Rock

Playing 30 years. Have Fender collection, building Gibson now.

Rock

I bought this guitar because I just couldnt shell out 3500. bucks. Best deal Ive ever made, Ive been playing guitar for yrs. an this is just the bomb! I have a 1968 Gibson SG I love to death but I have to say I prefer to play this guitar more. I compared them the other day an the les paul just has a little wider neck for more clairity on the notes you play. Im so glade I got this this guitar,Ive played it every day since it arrived. Still love my SG but shes been neglectid since this one came along! try it youll like it! Blaznbill!

Thumbs up for Epiphone with their Les Paul Standard Plus top.Thanks for not forgetting about the guys who made this business work in the first place. Working class musicians with dreams.I can remember when Gibson Les Pauls were accessible to guys like us,who did the sweating and the heartbreaks that made Les Pauls famous in the 1st place. But you got greedy Gibson! Let's break it down. You say superior woods.There is nothing wrong with the wood Epi uses,and once you saturate any wood with a plastic shell the resonation is going to change anyway.Its mostly a matter of fate as to how the guitar is going to sound.That is why no 2 LPS HAVE AN IDENTICLE VOICE. EPI finishes are professional and have a certain luster I don't see in Les Pauls from Gibson.Probably polyuretane versus nitro-cellulose.(The latter not neccessarily the better of materials).Epis are no longer the 2nd rate imitation from the past but are produced in a singular facility in China dedicated to EPI production ONLY.It IS a Gibson-Epi factory with good quality control and AMERICAN management. I had 2 Gibson LPs in the 7os and put Grovers on them immediatley.EPIs come w/ Grovers,a major plus if your a serious old school picker. Pickups are fine.NOTHING wrong w/ them.There are 3 factors that affect good tone.Wood,meat,(fingers),and metal(frets).Learn to develope these and you will develope into a serious picker that does not have to depend on the latest gadget to sound good,or the newest pickup available.,especially if you are using a MARSHALL AMP as your weapon of choice. Remember this,it wasn't Pearly Gates that made Billy Gibbons,but Billy Gibbons that made Pearly Gates. Thanks to Epiphone for allowing good tools for bluecollar pickers still holding on to the dream.

God's gift to the working class musician!

All finishes are very sexy,and I hope to collect them all.Great luster to them.I own 2.

Active 40 yrs.

all types

I was looking to purchase a guitar in the $1000 - $1300 range. I had been trying various guitars for a few months and was settling down between the Gibson Studio model or a PRS SE. I stumbled across the Epiphone Les Paul. The Salesperson cabled me up to one and I was very surprised. The Epiphone totally blew the Les Paul studio and the PRS away in tone, quality, and overall play. The pickups are pretty damn decent, maybe not as hot as the burstbuckers but from clean to hard rock or heavy metal, I can get good tonality and range.

For the money I can't complain ... The feel of the neck is a little different than the Gibson Les Paul but they come pretty darn close. The mahagony neck and rosewood fretboard make it very easy to play. Down the road I might switch the pickups out but for now I am very satisfied with them.

I can get a good range of tone out of this instrument. With the amps and pedals I use (Spider II and Mesa boogie/digitech+dunlop wah, or just plain using the Behringer Vamp2 to name a few) I can get anything from a warm hot tone with good sustain aka Santana, or a clean tough tex-mex sound aka ZZTop, and tone to mid on the neck pickups even heavy metal aka Black Sabbath or Metallica.

Quality wise, this guitar really is worth the price - in fact it could easily sell for more. The headstock says the guitar was made in China, well, you could have easily fooled me ... You can feel the quality in your hands. This guitar really is an excellent buy. I can't say I am big time on the road like some of these other guys profess, but I gig here and there with my band and have been playing steady on a part time basis for the last twenty years so I know a decent guitar when I see it. For the money, you can't go wrong.

This guitar is definetly worth the price. Seriously worth every penny!

The guys at the music store I bought it from are pretty cool. I've had the guitar a few months but it hasn't had any problems that I've come across.

I'm a sucker for the burst models - I got a sunburst. It is beautiful and so far the finish holds up well under sweat and grime.

Active Musician

Rock, Blues, Alternative

I LOVE IT. it can make many sounds!!!

2 volume and 2 tone knobs!!

play many things, slides well pickups are good not the greatest for tapping but i don't think im doing it right. bends great

YEAH!!!

GREAT!! better than alot of my friends guitars!1

i orderd the wrong amp at first so i called and had them switched.

i got the blue. it looks better than the pic!! get it.

Active musician

all

I gig with this. I'm sure somebody reading this thinks i'm retarded, but i own a '62 Gibson Les Paul Junior and my Epi has just as much sustain, if not more, than a vintage LP. On the clean channel, you can really get a feel for blues tones and it sings wonderfully. When it's dirty, it's a GREAT sound. Might change out the humbuckers later on though.

The look and feel of a real LP. What more can you ask for? I could get different wood for $$$$ or get an Epi for $$$.

Great range of sound, tone. Excellent playability.

No flaws, no scuffs. Beautiful guitar. As close to a Gibson as you can get. Period.

Best guitar on the market for the money. No joke.

Never needed it.

Everyone who sees this baby wants to play it. Beautiful color (Wine Red), excellent finish.

Active Musician

Rock, Blues, Jam

Good meaty sound for rock alittle muddy on clean but not real bad.If you are in a band giging bars,clubs Gibson is the way not the Epip but jamming at home or having fun the Epip is great!pretty close to the real thing.

Real Gibson Pick-ups would make it better.

I have two Epips had to play with the set-up on them to make it on up and down the neck.If you play guitar alot you done it before a good player should know how to set the intonaton.

Good they are better then th Mex Strats in the same price range i have played alot different ones Epip is quite good for under $1000

Yes like i said might have to play with the set-up.

Never had too

If you are into Rock this is it!that good humbucking sound no way with Fender!

hobbyist

Rock

Anyone who insults Gibson U.S.A. by calling an Epiphone a Gibson must be smoking crack. No, they aren't bad guitars for the money, but count on sinking some cash into one if you think you're going to get real Gibson quality. The factory pickups squeal like pigs and are highly microphonic. I'll address it's other flaws below.

OK, yes, it is configured like a Gibson Les Paul from a basic standpoint. It has two humbuckers, two volume and two tone controls, as well as a three-position pickup switch, HOWEVER: -I'm pretty sure the inlays are coffee can lid. No pearl appearance at all. -The woods, especially used on these Epi necks, are inferior. -The pots are JUNK dime sized pieces of garbage -The switches are usually equally as junky -The finish work is nothing like the original -For being "Gibson" owned, they have hideous looking headstocks. -The tuners are garbage. -Count on the input jack falling apart in no time at all.

How hard can it be to use?

Once again: -I'm pretty sure the inlays are coffee can lid. No pearl appearance at all. -The woods, especially used on these Epi necks, are inferior. -The pots are JUNK dime sized pieces of garbage -The switches are usually equally as junky -The finish work is nothing like the original -For being "Gibson" owned, they have hideous looking headstocks. -The tuners are garbage. -Count on the input jack falling apart in no time at all.

You get what you pay for. Don't expect Gibson quality at the price you're paying for it.

LOL - no thanks!

Active musician

Rock and blues

This thing sounds great. I have an Epiphone SG (G-400) and this thing sounds better. I also have a friend who has a Gibson SG Standard, and he loves playing this thing as much as his SG.

This wood is a beauty, and is still quite strong.

I plugged it in, and everything was great, no problems.

This thing is a solid piece of equipment.

This guitar is worth every penny you spend for it.

Well, I've never had any problems, but the store I bought it from is an official Epiphone Dealer.

As soon as I saw one (cherry sunburst) I had to have it. So i plugged it in, loved the sound, and bought it.

Hobbyist/small Gig's

Classic to hard rock. Some Metal.

The sound is ok i wouldnt say the best. the pickups could of been better. I sold them and got seymour duncan alnico II pro humbuckers and now its sounds really good. there the same pickups slash uses. thats the sound i realy wanted

everything you could need

the quality is just as good as a gibson. best part about it

about right

never delt with them

active musician

rock classic rock led zep and gnr

Ohhhh my word.......it sounds as good as most gibsons i have ever played

not a problem...unbelievable..............finish perfect

a gibson, at quarter price...unbelievable

never will need to

the ebony finish is as hot as my girl (and she is a model)

Musician

Christian Rock

The sounds is great for a mid-priced guitar. Especially the brigde humbucker is great.

What more can you possible need: a great axe, 4 controls (2 vol and 2 tone) a simple toggle switch to change between pick-ups. Just great rock and roll!

no problems reported at all, no fretwear after 5 years of intense playing, no problems with tuners, ...

This guitar is the real thing for a fraction of the price of a Gibson Les Paul. What more can you ask for?

never dealt with them anyway, why would I need to?

Mine is a beautiful tranparant blue with flamed maple top!

Singer and guitarist

Grunge, Rock, Stoner

Band member

METAL,, and ROCK N' ROLL

I played this and the Gibson Les Paul custom and couldn't tell the difference.

It has everything I need.

The finish is perfect

In my opinion this guitar is the same as the Gibson brand name for $1300 less.

n/a

I own one

It has a great gibson les paul sound

The hum buckers were good for out of the box

An epuiphone is like a gibson the only differance is u pay an extra 1000 to say gibson on the headstock

Payed 480 great value

dont need any

do i really need 2 type it

musician

bad a$$ rock and headbanging metal!!!!!

wowee

i get any tone i want. Bright or warm.

beautiful. might i recommend the trans blue.

grade A man

not used. heard good things.

i do need this your right. i'm off to obtain the beauty that is the epiphone les paul standard.

god of thunder

and the list goes on.

Anything