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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

Anyone who doesn't think Epiphone Les Pauls can compete with the cheaper Gibson models suffers from 'Epiphobia'. There is finally a cure for that, and this guitar is it. I've had this baby for about six weeks now and I'm totally blown away by it. The ebony topped neck is a bit fatter than the ubiquitous 'rounded 50's profile' but plays really well, even in my smallish hands. The frets are smooth and very well dressed. The finish is an aged looking matte black that is thankfully unlike the glossy photoshopped image in the ad. The Gibson P-90's are versatile and respond nicely to variations in my pick attack. This last element is crucial because the stock pots don't really do much at all. There is almost zero taper in the volume as you roll the knob from 1 to 10. The sound gets fuller as opposed to louder. The sustain is phenomenal and the tone ranges from bright and sparkling to dark and moody. I'm not sure if it has a maple cap, some sites lists it as has having one, but if it's an authentic recreation of a 55, then the body is all mahogany. (3 e-mails to Epiphone on this subject have gone unanswered.) Regardless, the tonal range is great. This black beauty of a guitar is IMHO Epiphone's finest offering yet. It's got some weight to it but doesn't quite reach 'anvil' status. Being a limited edition, I would recommend buying one today, right now, as in IMMEDIATELY, as in sell the car if you have to. If you're married, tell your wife afterwards - it's easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission. I have four Epiphone Les Paul models, including a Tribute Plus, and this is easily the VERY BEST. Oh, and 'out of the box' the set-up was great. The string height was in the acceptable range and the intonation was perfect, absolutely perfect. I docked the guitar one half of a star in the 'overall' category for the unimpressive pots. Manufacturer Support gets one star for not responding to my queries about the presence of a maple top. I've always wanted a pre-humbucking era Custom so THANK YOU, EPIPHONE for building one that I could afford.

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I came across this guitar while trying to replace my 1997 Les Paul Standard. I sold it years ago as I started to stray towards being a full time bassist. Now I am back at full time guitar and I needed a Les Paul because I already had two Strats. I did not want to spend more than $1,000 on a guitar because I could not justify the cost of anything else in the Gibson line. After playing Les Paul Studio Fadeds, Tributes, and used Studio Deluxe I was disappointed in how if I liked the pickups then the neck was too thin, if I liked the finish the pickups were muddy, if the neck was great then it had a finish I did not care for. Too many options made it very hard to decide on which guitar was going to do it for me. Finally, I found one of these guitars and everything clicked. The neck is robust but not so much that I didn't feel at home. The pickups are crisp, articulate, and even for being single coils sound remarkably thick like what I would expect from humbuckers. The finish is satin all over and reminds me of nitro though I do not believe it is and the whole setup is classy. Ebony fingerboard, multi-ply binding, fantastic inlays, USA pickups, brown hardshell case with the pink lining make this the best value for your money spent.

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I just got this a week ago and cant put it down and she is a heavy girl. Not a fan of gold hardware but with the satin black it looks nice, and vintage. I like the higher end epips also have the 1960 tribute. The one I got was close to perfect. Set up just fine for me but a few fret ends where a bit rough. Ebony finger board had some streaks of brown. Other than that very nice for the money, and the case is kool with the pink inside.

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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

This guitar is Well worth the money, However; this will make the first Sloppy Epiphone I have received from zZounds. Just pretty, yet ugly in its own way, it arrived with a broken toggle switch and a rats-nest of a control cavity wiring job. The Gibson P-90's with the Gold screws are stellar. This and the case make this guitar the value it aims to be. It took no time to change a switch and get some better controls in there, I just had hoped the QC at Epiphone was Done with Past Mistakes.

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I said, yeah right. Picked up one, played it and was amazed. Real p90 with EBONY board. I am a serious guitar snob and got my butt handed to me on this one. The price is ridiculous and it looks great. I now own the guitar and it sits among the rest of my 2 and 3 thousand dollar guitars proudly.

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Shipping was fast, guitar showed up in perfect condition. I know this is a crap shoot, but this one was perfect right out of the box!!! Tuned it up, plugged it in, and she's been rockin' ever since! Great customer service as always, and I can't see any reason to shop anywhere else. Thank You zZounds, another fine purchase!!

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