Epiphone Les Paul Ultra PRO Electric Guitar
Featuring dual ProBucker pickups and coil-tapping capabilities, Les Paul Ultra PRO is a new take on a classic.
Overall User Ratings (based on 2 ratings)
Submitted May 4, 2012 by Patrick B in minneapolis, MN
"Nice Job Epiphone!"
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This is my second Epiphone Les Paul--my other one is a Baritone--and this one is really very nice. I played it for a day without touching the setup and I was very impressed. Now I have just finished a setup and I can't find a single serious thing to whine about. I guess I have to throw the "for the money" disclaimer in but I really think is a great guitar. I have 8 other electrics and this is in the top two or three.
Sound
I was a little concerned after reading a professional review. They felt that the chambered body (this isn't just swiss-cheesed they really hollowed this thing out) left the sound a little muddy. I have an Ibanez Artist with EMG's to compare it to and, while it doesn't have the EMG crisp sound, I don't see how you could call it "muddy" at all. I play direct through Logic with POD Farm so I ran it through a bunch of amp models and all I really had to do was crank up the Mids to really bring out a nice character with plenty of bite and definition (oh, I also adjusted the pickup height which helped a lot.) The stock pickups are good enough to keep (and i have replaced pickups on almost all of my guitars) I would have to get to know the instrument a lot better before deciding to change them. This has Les Paul-like sustain so no worries there.
Features
There are so many Les Paul variants out there so I really did my homework in finding the one that had what I wanted. My first criteria was the slim 60's neck which this one has. It came with a narrower nut (1mm narrower than standard) which concerned me but it feels great. Then I wanted weight relief--I have owned heavy guitars and, imho, it just isn't worth the pain for what you might gain in tone or sustain--I am not hearing the compromise in this instrument. The "satin" neck to me is more of a "flat" finish but it like the way it feels and plays. The coil taps are interesting too and they seem to be useable tone-wise so that is a nice plus. I don't know if this counts as a "feature" but the nut is tapered down from low E to high E and mine was at about perfect height for each string. I bought the vintage burst mainly because it doesn't have gold hardware.
Ease of Use
It played good out of the box and, after a good setup, it plays fantastic. The first setup was easy because the relief on the neck was perfect. I polished the frets because they felt gritty to me compared to my other guitars--although the ends and everything seem properly finished with no sharp edges that I have noticed. I lowered the action by about 1/2 of what it was with no additional string buzz. I polished and oiled everything with my Dunlop cleaning kit, put on new strings, adjusted the intonation for the new lower action and string gauge (again, intonation was good out of the box) and it was ready--really ready!
Quality
Overall really really nice job on this one. I am not a fan of Grover tuners and these didn't change my mind--they work but they aren't great. No flaws on the finish and the maple veneer looks really nice. The neck is flawless at the joint and the line that divides flat from gloss paint is handled well. A few minor things: my neck pickup cover has a couple of little dents in it and the knobs aren't aligned with the shaft so they sort of wobble as you turn them (they aren't loose just not quite molded right) and the pickup rings don't match the body perfectly in some areas but that is really getting picky!! The review that I read mentioned a warped pick guard--mine is perfect and I have to say that I love how thick and solid feeling it is. I am most impressed with the quality of the fret work (except the finish as noted) and the precision of the trapezoid inlays--it's just more than I expected. The binding around the body and neck is precise as well. Oh, the electronic components (pots, switch, jack) don't seem to be anything to worry about.
Value
I think this is a very impressive value. This is approximately the price range of all of my guitars (new or used) and, again, I am really impressed.
The Wow Factor
This is a very nice looking guitar--I am no fan of pretty guitars but this thing is nice looking and it's a pleasure to play or just stare at. The top on mine appears more figured than the picture, the vintage burst has more red than the pictures--I actually thought it was a two-tone but it is actually more of a 3-tone burst--and the black border is narrower just a really nice looking guitar. It screams PLAY ME and I really think you should!!
Musical Background:
Casual player for 20+ years. Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards.
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal, Alternative.
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Submitted April 25, 2012 by Bruce C in Richmond, VA
"LOVE this guitar!"
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zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
When I first read the specs on this guitar, I thought it might be the guitar I'd been looking for, and I was right! I was attracted by several aspects of the guitar. First, it's lighter than a traditional Les Paul. I didn't want to stand around for very long holding a Les Paul, and the fact that the Ultra Pro is a couple of pounds lighter is great!Second, I wanted a cleaner sound than the traditional Gibson pickups, and I thought the Probuckers might work out. Again, right! The sound has plenty of crunch, but there's an openness to the high end that I haven't heard too often.Third, I liked the coil-splitting capabilities. You can get the beefy humbucker sound if that's what you need, but you can also get a cleaner single-coil sound, if you need that. Easy controls to use and lots of tonal possibilities.Finally, I just liked the way it looks. I got the faded cherry sunburst and it's gorgeous!When the guitar arrived a couple of weeks ago, I loved it from the first note. Exactly what I wanted! I DID take it to my local guitar pro and have him set it up. He improved the action by working on the nut, and flipped the bridge saddles to help the intonation. And he cleaned the fretboard, which was filthy from the factory burnishing the frets. All well worth it.Now, this guitar is incredible! I will definitely keep this one forever!!!
Musical Background:
I've played guitar on and off for thirty years or so, and I've been playing a lot for the last year. Strictly play at home.
Musical Style:
I love classic rock and blues when I play electric. I'm more country and alt-country on acoustic.
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