Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar

Feature:
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....

Quality:
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!

Value:
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!

Desirability:
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!

Sound:
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!

Ease of Use:
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.....

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

Overall:
I figure this will last around 5-7 years with normal wear. I'll probably by then have, at least, a used Gibson LP. So as long as it looks good, sounds good, and stays in tune, I'm happy.

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

Quality:
This thing is a solid piece of equipment.

Value:
This guitar is worth every penny you spend for it.

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

Sound:
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.

Ease of Use:
I plugged it in, and everything was great, no problems.

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

Overall:
This guitar is a great guitar!! It is a little pricy, but it is still rated a "10" for value because it is worth every dollar. I bought this about 3 months ago at a music shop, plugged it into a Marshall amp and it sounded great!! Now I took it home, plugged it into my Washburn amp and it still sounded great! Must say it, along with most other Guitars sound better through Marshall amps.