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WOW! pretty much sums it up, zZounds is great! I think they must have broken some speed laws to get my new Ultra III to me, super fast shipping! Then on top of the fast shipping I get to pay for my new guitar over time, I appreciate that and my wife LOVES it! The guitar itself, well what else can I say that the brand name doesn't, dude it's an Epiphone!! Plus this guitar is so versatile, I am really like the capability to plug into my computer via USB (on the guitar) so I may play through Guitar Rig 5 and Amplitube software. I love the many different tone you can achieve out of this guitar and the built in tuner is a nice touch that compliments the guitar. Although I haven't had to use the tuner that much since checking the tuning when I unboxed the guitar when I received it, so far the guitar hasn't gone out of tune since then...AWESOME!! Look'n for a guitar? Do your self a favor grab yourself an Ultra III by Epiphone, you will love it!

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Really nice guitar. I've owned probably half a dozen Gibson Les Pauls, and this is comparable to the finest. The action, unlike some reviews I've read is great. No fret buzz...unpacked it, tuned it up and it plays great. Had it about 3 weeks, yet to lose tune, despite much excessive string bending. The pickups are exactly what I wanted, and although it took some getting used to the nano mag adds a new dimension to my electric playing. Some reviews slam it because it doesn't sound exactly like an acoustic. Well duhh! It's a Les Paul electric. It's perfect for my use. The neck is straight and I love the finish on the back of the neck. My hand glides over it making those funky chord changes effortless. The cosmetics were perfect. I love the finish, and like most anal retentive guitarists, I looked it over with a fine tooth comb. No flaws. I absolutely love this guitar and would be extremely upset if something happened to it. The only thing I'm slightly bothered by is the master tone pot is a little tight to turn. However, after playing a couple of hours, I got used to it and it's no problem. Overall, it's a great guitar...glad I bought it!

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I bought this on a whim. I wanted it because of the pallet of sound options it offered. I also bought it because I saw it on sale and ZZOUNDS beat the price which was already a really good deal. I got the midnight sapphire. This guitar is amazing in every way. It feels good in your hands and has good weight balance. I little lighter than your typical LP but not to the point that you lose sustain and other tonal qualities that come with a fat block of mahogany. Magnificently beautiful to look at and a pure joy to play. OK, a little bad stuff. The neck buzzes, you guys know this already. I had a guy set it up and he tried and tried but the only way to eliminate the buzz was to raise the action to slightly above normal. One more thing, the fret markers on the side of the neck are ever so slightly misaligned. this ought not be on a 749.00 guitar. That's it, If it got stolen, I would buy another one.

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I spent 2 days in another store trying out all the Les Paul's from Epiphone and Gibson. This one felt as good as the $2600 Gibson with the great feeling neck binding and 60's neck profile and has the beautiful sounding Shadow Nanomag (tm). It did have just a touch of fret buzz (work around by picking CLOSE to the bridge or low on the neck) which reviews all over the web mention. My second and 3rd choices were Gibson LP Studio Faded and the Epi Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro. Yeah...kind of a wide price range, but all under $1000. Long story short... I chose the Blemished Ultra 3 in Vintage Sunburst from zZounds. Although I didn't get the payment plan, it was a huge savings! When it came in I looked all over for the blemishes. After nearly an hour of looking WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, I found a tiny nick in the paint on the rear near the neck. I could barely even feel it with my fingers! So then I tried it out. A tiny bit out of tune... no surprise. Good intonation. A tiny bit of fret buzz. All electrics worked as specified. Then WOW....This thing has some great sustain in all the pickup positions. I compared it to my Gibson SG. Eleven seconds longer sustain on the D string 9th fret... ELEVEN SECONDS! So I played for an hour or so then took it to my local shop to be set up. Half and hour later, no more fret buzz, great action, and a true pleasure to play...and only 50 bucks. I am now REALLY loving this guitar. I find time whenever I can to play/practice on it. I would recommend both this guitar and zZounds.

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I'll keep this to the point. Its spectacular! I took it to the local shop for a change of strings and a first play set up and it absolutely phenomenal! ProBuckers crunch heavy, the acoustic bridge sounded phenomenal (at first it was a little off until I realized all the knobs were turned up in the back). I took it to Guitar Center to test it out on an Orange Cab and when I switched it to dual HB/Acoustic setting, it drew a small crowd. People thought it was the amp!! One thing that scared me-when you engage the auto tuner, it cuts off the sound. Took me a minute to realize, but fear alleviated once I did. It's not as heavy as a standard Les Paul, which is REALLY nice-bye bye neck ache after playing 3 hours! Slim lined neck with Satin finish absolutely rocks. No more sticky, sweat high gloss neck issues!! Lastly-ZZOUNDS absolutely rocked. Opted for the play and play thing-wasn't sure I'd qualify, but they got me sorted out and it arrived the next day.....Unbelievable! So---This is truly a great guitar with so much option that you can't go wrong! 700$ is worth it for this guitar and I suspect you will make it your all rounder!!

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I was hesitant to buy a guitar manufactured in China, I currently own about 40 other guitars including Gibson Les Pauls, Yamaha, Washburn, Hamer and several custom built guitars, and have been playing for over 30 years. To my surprise I was pleasantly pleased when this guitar arrived and I had a chance to give it a thorough going over. I had researched this guitar heavily before deciding to buy it, and despite it's lackluster review on Harmony Central I was PLEASED! The Ultra III not only looked beautiful it felt better in my hands than my favorite Gibson L.P. The finish was flawless, and the set up was very near perfect. (I am a Luthier also). After a few minor adjustments it was ready to play. The sound was very nice. For what I play (mainly Progressive Jazz) I found that blending the Nano Mag PU and the Humbuckers worked the best. I love the neck on this thing, perfectly comfortable! It is a well thought out, thoughtfully engineered, and masterfully crafted in China instrument well worth it's weight in compliments! It has taken the place of my favorite Gibson, something I thought I would never say. Our USA team should be incorporating this technology into the American Les Pauls. Epiphone, you really have done yourselves proud with this instrument! I can with 100% honesty say I am completely proud to own the new Ultra III! Thank you also to zZounds for making it easy to own one of these beautiful guitars!!!!

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I have 7 guitars and out the 7 this is my 2nd favorite one ( the Taylor Acoustic being number 1 ). I was originally going to buy me a Gibson Les Paul but then stumbled across this and instantly fell in love with it. Watch both tutorial videos they have on here on the guitar. The addition of the 3rd pickup, The Nanomag, is pretty stinking sweet along with USB compatibility. I have never seen a guitar that can do what this one does, and I've been to tons of guitars stores both in person and online stores. Of course like most all Les Pauls this has great tone and the neck feels great. The Midnight Ebony finish looks great, I usually go for the sunburst look on a les paul but this finish was worth getting. This is my 3rd time buying from zZounds.com and it has been great each time. I highly recommend this site. So far I bought my Marshall Tube Amp head, Fender Srat and now the Les Paul. The payment plans they have works great. I really like that they added an 8 payments plan cause now I'm able to own this Les Paul.

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the ultra 3 is a great sounding instrument. I was skeptical about the sound being the "Les Paul" sound with a weight reduced body. it has not been compromised at all. of course we paid a couple hundred extra bucks for the extras so I guess that's what the review should be about. I have seen the reviews about the fret buzz and I can say that my ultra 3 doesn't have that problem so I can't help with that complaint. the acoustic pickup sounds good on its on. although I prefer to use it combined with the regular pickups for clarity in an overdriven signal. it's a nice setup all the way around for me. I'm a satisfied customer. btw, zzounds is the place the buy gear. and there's a guitar center in my town. they dont have the payment plan sooooo they don't get the business.

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First of all, I hesitated over this particular color, as it seemed a little bright to me to be called "black cherry." But something about the way the guitars are photographed/presented here make them seem lighter in color than they really are- I had the same experience with a PRS SE Custom 22 SHB I bought here; the "trampas green" was much darker-toned IRL than as pictured. So...just IMO, but the extra $100 for the blue color, which I almost opted for, would have been money overspent. Overall, this is a really great guitar for the money, all the features give it a value well beyond any guitar comparably-priced. I especially was attracted by the idea of being able to at least approach an acoustic sound with it- and, with a little tweaking, it does that sound pretty decently, I think. Then the versatility in being able to mix the acoustic sound in with the magnetic p/u's is another bonus. There's just all kind of tonal possibilities here; I wouldn't hesitate to compare it favorably in this regard with my PRS mentioned above, The only thing missing in the Epi that the PRS has is coil-tapping capability, which is, IMO, overrated anyway; even with coil-tap, no Les Paul or PRS is going to sing like a Strat, only a Strat is going to do that (I also own a Strat, which I've had for around 35 years) And the same favorable comparison holds for playability, which, TBH, is my first concern with any guitar- I can usually tweak enough to get any guitar to sound decent, but a guitar that plays like crap isn't always fixable. The neck feels great. I had to lower the action some to get it where I was comfortable with it, but haven't had any of the string buzz issues I see mentioned in other reviews. Again, compares very favorably with the PRS. The only issue that kept this review from being across-the-board five-stars is the thing about the "included" Guitar Rig software. According to the literature I got. there's supposed to be a disc for that; that seems a little old-school to me (who uses discs for that sort of thing anymore? isn't it usually all just downloads nowadays?); there was no disc, but it may be just my misunderstanding anyway. I'm planning on calling zZounds this coming week to ask about this, but, TBH, it's not a big deal to me, I can live without that software. Manufacturer support is n/a- haven't needed any. zZounds is top-of-the-line, though- these guys are the go-to guys for me.

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I ordered and received my Ultra III in the case I ordered, the only thing missing was the 10 ft economy cable. I called Zzounds and told them the cable was missing from the order they said I could send the whole order back and they would resend order with cable. I said no way this guitar is awesome, there is no way I'm sending it back, credit me for the cable and they did. This is the second guitar I've ordered from Zzounds and I'm happy as I can be with both. As far as ratings I have not had to use manufacturer support and don't think Ill ever have to. Thanks zZounds

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i love this guitar and i love you guys for making it affordable for me. zZounds is the greatest site for musical equipment. im planning on ordering a new amp and im gonna order from you guys!!! thanks so much!

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Great guitar for the money. Looks great and sounds great. Love the built-in tuner and nanomag pickup feature.

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This guitar is better than the Gibson LP Standard I had for years. I've been playing this since January and the dual ouput jacks plus the bridge pick up gives so many tonal variation s. Really pretty looks. I have not tried the software yet. I think this should come with at least a gig bag. It doesn't. Glad i bought it.

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Great guitar. Haven't used it much yet but will take it into next practice to see how the humbuckers sound. If they sound good, I won't switch them out, but if they sound okay, I'll switch them out for 490/498 set or something else. As far as the Nanomag sounds, it's okay through an amp and a little better through a board, but I haven't tried it with an acoustic amp yet. I'd bet it would sound good. I'll have to save up and get an acoustic amp later. Haven't tried it with an acoustic simulator pedal either. Might sound good. As far as the USB; I LOVE IT! Very cool feature. Takes a few minutes to set up on the computer though, but not tough. I used to have the Ultra II, which I sold once I saw that Ultra III was coming out. I love the push pot to switch between Nano, humbucker and both. Hated how you had to turn the knob on the Ultra II. I also love the tuner function. They really thought this through on this one. Build-wise, I like it a lot as well. I think Epiphone makes a good product. I have an Epi Les Paul custom that I love and has held up for years and sounds great! Course, I switched the stock p/u. This is a versatile guitar and I'll be getting an A/B/Y switch soon as well as an acoustic pedal

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Arrived well boxed and in the case I ordered with it. Thanks Zzounds! The guitar is flawless in craftsmanship and finish. Intonation was spot on straight out of the box which is a first for me. The tones you can get from the pups are amazing. Mixing in that nonmag signal to the probucker sound really gives the guitar a whole new dimension. The probuckers on this chambered body have a different quality than the same pups on a solid body. It sounds great, just different. Maybe more full bodied with chimey bell like quality. The D slim taper neck is different than the 60s taper on my 60 Tribute Plus. It is definitely thinner with a much flatter backside. I have stubby fingers and its the first guitar neck that feels like it fits my hand like a glove. The belly scarf is great for playing seated. Lightweight too. Mine came in at 7 pounds 1 ounce. I didn't think I was going to like the tuner when I ordered it but it is really a great feature. The whole display is a bit bright for my liking, so I'm going to have to find a way to tame the LEDs down. This was an outstanding addition to my guitar collection. Buy one. You will not regret it.

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I have a cherry sunburst Epiphone Les Paul. I bought it on zZounds 1.5 years ago. Really love it. Don't love the tuning pegs to change strings though. You have to turn them a million times to wind the string on. I really don't see or feel a lot of difference over the Gibson I had for many years. I really like the onboard tuner and the extra pickup and stereo 1/4 outputs. Have never tried the software though.

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Bought this guitar a few months ago... it is perfect, was set up perfectly and I love the variety of sound from it.;.. One of my favorites of the dozen I have bought from ZZ.. get one, play and be happy campers :-)

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Awesome service turn around and help in buying my Les Paul

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Had the guitar about 3 weeks now and love it!

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The obvious top feature is the NanoMag, which is absolutely fantastic. The sounds range from a bright, glistening tone to a warm, mellow tone when being used alone. The Probuckers sound great and really give you a feel for that Gibson Burstbucker sound. When plugged in clean, this guitar gives off a very smooth sound and I've used it many times over an actual acoustic. The tuner is a very nice touch and I found it surprisingly accurate; I was skeptical about it before purchasing because of some negative reviews that I found to be untrue for myself. In addition to the sound and features on the guitar, the finish itself was absolutely beautiful. I love that the sunburst extends all the way to the fretboard instead of fading to black like many vintage sunburst finishes. The only issues I had were that Guitar Rig had problems installing onto my computer, and the NanaMag switch wasn't working. But, I bought the guitar for the guitar, not for Guitar Rig, so it wasn't a big deal, and the defect issue was resolved VERY quickly. I called zZounds about my issue with the NanoMag and they told me it was a manufacturer defect and offered to replace it. They said they would contact me the next business day with the return label and would ship it as soon as the tracking information was entered. I went through the return process with no more than a reasonable wait for my new guitar (shipping delay because of bad weather). Everything I've done on zZounds has gone silky smooth. They are very helpful, understanding, and don't try to talk you out of a return! It amazes me that this entire package of musical potential is being sold for $750, I would have easily bought this for $900, and all off my bandmates and fellow musicians love to admire my Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III. I would DEFINITELY recommend this product AND zZounds to anyone who needed great equipment for outstanding financial programs.

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this guitar when I first saw it what attracted me the most was how versatile it can be. The option to be able to switch from Clean to treble and a mixture of both is insane, I would recommend two amps for this guitar though as if you wanna use the multi-function button on it, it gives it a cleaner tone. All in all very satisfied in fact just ordered another guitar from this site! ROCK ON!!!

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I'm a major Epi LP fan and own a Standard, a Plus Top Pro, a Jr and now a Tribute Plus. Wish I could say I was a fan of the Ultra III but I just can't. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend without playing it first and that's the last time I ever make that mistake. Don't get me wrong, this a quality instrument and was superbly manufactured. The fit, finish and set-up were excellent. The problem for me was that it just doesn't feel or play like an LP should. I like the non-weight relief of my other LP's, this guitar just felt to light, like it was hollow (which it is in places). Did not care for the sound of the acoustic pick-ups (way to much treble, no low end at all). If you want an acoustic sound , then get an acoustic. I know many people love this guitar and it probably is great for them, but I'm more of a traditionalist and I really don't need a guitar I can plug into my Laptop. Returned it and got a Tribute Plus with the Gibson 57' Classic PuPs and I am so glad I did. The Tribute is a "beauty and a beast" and if you want a guitar with the true LP sound then I would suggest trying one out, you will be sold. (Gave the manufacturer's support a 3 because I didn't have any interaction with Epiphone about this guitar but I had to pick a number (need to fix that folks).

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The guitar is more than I expected, the service was amazing. I received both guitar and amp two days after ordering. I can't say enough about the guitar, a pleasure to play, great action.

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This is a very well made, beautiful guitar with two innovative twists, one of which works somewhat, the other one failing to deliver at the same quality level as the guitar overall (4 1/2 stars). This is an electric-acoustic guitar which allows one to overlay and adjust the volumes of the standard, electric humbucking sound that copies a Gibson Les Paul quite faithfully. The acoustic- simulating sound doesn't sound at all convincing. With time, I might have found a use for this sound (and its dedicated second output, for the "stereo" output, which is actually dual mono, one channel-center panned- for the electric, and one for the "acoustic" sound. Stereo does not exist for either sound,t aken individually or together. I would rate the "acoustic" sound at one star quality at most, while the electric sound is at least 4 1/2 stars, possibly into 5-star territory! It's almost as good overall as a Gibson Les Paul in a comparable price range (under $1k). For my own enjoyment, I'd either go with an ep8iphone from the LP100 lineup (I happily owned one) to a $500 model that plays and sounds fine. I'd consider buying a Gibson, not for superior quality or sound, but for resale value, as Gibsons retain much more resale value compared to Epiphones. The best thing about this guitar is its playability, as the neck was SWEET< an ease to play. The sound in electric mode didn't disappoint at all, which is more than I can say for many a Gibson Les Paul. My least favorite thing about this model and particular guitar was the "acoustic" sound. It valiantly bombed.

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Okay, I'm going to be as fare as I can on this guitar, first of all I have been a fender strat lover and I will always be. I got my Epi about the 3 days ago and it came package good by way of FedEx. When I opened it up and got her out she was a beautiful guitar, I got the vintage burst which to me is the best looking one. As I looked it over I first found two pits on the front of it right between the controls of the volume and tone. On the back of her there was two more pits were the nick meets the body, and down the middle you can see lines that looks like were the body was put together. Now I got this guitar to play so I can live with this, but I had bad fret buss, so I have been working on setting her up to stop the buss. It's A lot better than it was but I had to raise the strings to get it out, and I also backed off on the truss rod to get just a little bit of a contour in the nick. It's not always good to have the neck as straight as an arrow, sometimes you want a very small amount of downward contour. know for the guitar it self I love it, I have never had a LP before like I said I have always played fenders but I do love this LP she's all together different guitar. And by the way I'm comparing this to a MIM fender black top, I just wish quality control would have done a better job on the Epi before it was package and shipped. The neck of this LP takes some getting used to but it dose feel good very good when you get the feel of it. Then there is the sound, it is incredible very strong and very sweet when needed to be. Love the coil tapping it's great and seem to come natural to me considering I've never used 1 before. All the good about this guitar outweighs all of the flaws on the finish of the guitar I received, and working on the setup has took care of the bussing for the most part. It's A lot of guitar for the money you pay and I do love this LP, she is a great instrument with a lot of endless ability.

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I originally purchased another guitar that had a quality problem. zZounds immediately issued a RA# and cost-free shipping label immediately without argument. They shipped the replacement as soon as the shipper logged the shipment. I "chicken-out" when the replacement arrived (probably was an OK instrument) and zZounds again issued another RA# and cost-free shipper without argument- exceptional service! I then upgraded to a Gibson Les Paul Custom Classic Limited Edition Electric Guitar with Case, a beautiful and excellent instrument. I love it. Cannot recommend zZounds enough.

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With all the performance of a Gibson Les Paul without the price. I love the extra acoustic pickup with the combination of the built in Tuner. My guitar had a perfect finish which really looks good. It was already perfectly setup. With the additional electronics it has a range over a standard Les Paul. The ability to split the acoustic pickup output to a second amp is a real plus for me. I would highly recommend this guitar. I also like but from Zzounds. They are great people to work with.

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I recently bought this guitar because I was Interested in the acoustic sound. After playing it for the last two weeks I can say that it is one of my best. The combination of the pro-buckers with the nano-mag, make for some real nice sounds. I have used it almost all the time at my gigs and everyone ask me what I did do to get that sound. Being an electrical engineer I get accused of developing some new kind of pedal sound. I just say I wish it was me, but it just the stock Ultra III. Best guitar I ever bought for the money. I own more expensive ones, but this on is the best value.

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OK.....this is a follow up review to my first, which was glowing. After receiving my first one and getting it set up at G.C., I was beyond thrilled. So many sounds and options. But slowly after a solid day of playing, fret buzz started. Took it back and it was determined tongue hump. Returned to the great folks at zZounds and waited 3 weeks for replacement. Straight out of the box, fret buzz-BAD!!!! I took again to Guitar Center to see if warranty wok would fix as I was going on 2 months without having really played this guitar. A week later, G.C. Called and said that the shadow mag was preventing proper truss correction and it couldn't be adjusted and to come and pick it up. I'm very disappointed. His guitar was an exciting prospect, but the design seems to hinder it. I would caution purchasing this.

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