Ebony

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar

The classic "tuxedo" look and world famous features that have made the Les Paul Custom a hit since 1954 are now available in a great price range with the Epiphone Les Paul Custom. Learn More...

    • New from $649.00
  • Installment Plan:4 payments of $162.25
    • free ground shipping
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Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10

Feature:
Very good stock pickups, probably not going to change them, tuners and tone lock bridge are amazing, hardly ever goes out of tune, can drop tune on the fly. What else? Body is gorgeous, white creme binding, i have the wine red, not sure if it's still available but I've played the white as well, gorgeous too!!! if your used to a tele/strat this will be a good bit heavier on your shoulder but no worries it's worth it

Quality:
Finish great, no filler to be seen, very sturdy, beautiful wood grain finish, very impressed by the craftmanship, frets were clean and cut PERFECTLY, smooth as silk

Value:
Expensive for an epiphone you think? I mean it is a copy right? Guys i would easily spend an extra 200 on what i got, highly impressed. There is a huge difference between 200-300$ epi's and this and the standard plus top, get one now

Desirability:
Only ballers play Les Pauls! I got a strat too but a pauls a paul. When someones on stage and playing a paul the attention is always there. It commands attention.

Sound:
Thick, warm, sweet tone that sustains for days. If your looking for that "les paul" sound don't be scared by the epi name. Neck pickup is my fav, gives thick and nice warm blues sound. Add some overdrive to the bridge pup and let some led out. Obviously being a LP it is naturally bottom heavy tonally, but this is awesome when downtuned

Ease of Use:
plug and play, all the tone you want is there, plays like butter

Support:
have not needed it, thought i had a pickup going out but it ended up being a crappy cheap cable i got probably pretty shady of me but they get an 8 on support for the benefit of the doubt

Overall:
Would I own only a Les Paul, no. Could I go without this in my collection, no way. This is the go to guy. If your thinking of buying this but are hesitant, this is a no brain winner, you can't go wrong.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Mine didn't come with any features, but I bought a bunch of stuff afterwards that just made it so much easier to use. I suggest a tuner, even though this guitar has rarely gone out of tune.

Quality:
My guitar is made perfectly I would say. There were a few scratches on the pick guard, but they are barely noticable. It feels strong and secure and I'm sure it could and would widthstand a drop or two.

Value:
This guitar was the best value I have ever gotten. It sounds like a Gibson, but on the headstock it just says Epiphone. If you want a guitar that stacks up to Gibson's original LPs, this is the one.

Desirability:
This guitar is a sexy beast. Ebony is sweet and it's super glossy. The gold hardware makes it look different from the Standards and it brings that extra "wow". I wanted mine in white, but now that I have the ebony, I'll have to think twice about that.

Sound:
The sound of this guitar is freaking amazing. It has a rich tone and is suited for just about every style of music you could possibly think of. I feed mine through a 15W Spider Line 6, and it just sounds great. I would change the strings if you want an even better sound though, otherwise, the ones it comes with should be fine.

Ease of Use:
After you tune it properly and if you have a decent amp, the sound quality is awesome. The playabiliy is so far flawless and it's perfect for any skill level.

Support:
I didn't need any support yet.

Overall:
I'm hoping this guitar will last for a good, long time. I'll probably buy another Les Paul Custom in the future to add to my collection, and probably just to make my friends jealous. This is by far, the best Epiphone I've ever played and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
no accessories with mine,but the independent volume and tone allows for a lot of versatility,just an amazing machine.

Quality:
i just love this guitar,the quality seems great,not one problem.

Value:
i would have paid more for a guitar that sounds this good, as a matter of fact i have

Desirability:
just looking at this guitar makes you want one

Sound:
ive owned gibson lp's and the sustain and tone on this guitar is as good or better than a couple that i've had.

Ease of Use:
with a little adjusting and tweeking,you'll get the sound you want.

Support:
no need for support so far,so i'll give them the the 10 under assumption that their support is as good as their product.

Overall:
this one will stay with me for life,if something happened to it i would get another one right away.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Typical LP layout,Quality is right-on,Looks amazing in and out of the lights...As most, better strings are a must(will talk about this a little later)ALL the features you expect in a LP....with high quality workmanship...wherever it was made...side by side to an original LP its so close, you have to read the name to know the difference...

Quality:
THE FINISH IS BEAUTIFUL...VERY HIGH-QUALITY AND VERY WELL MADE INSTRUMENT...Quality Control, AT THE COMPANY ...be it GIBSON, OR EPI sucks(will explain later)....should do well in a good case on the road...has stayed in tune really well so far...

Value:
OUTSTANDING...ENOUGH SAID BOUT THAT

Desirability:
ITS SEXY....BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL....GOLD IS ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL....JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE WAY SHE LOOKS....

Sound:
I can only express what I know about the EPI LP CUSTOM that I purchased. This is an amazing high quality,LP at an affordable price. I play it through a 150w amp and it is pure,solid sound in all three settings..I have rocked it,blues it,jazzed it and classicalized it...the sound is amazing and WILL hold its own against any other guitar on the market in its price range, and against higher end models...I know this because between myself, and others involved we have a total of 32 guitars of all styles,and prices....I am going to purchase 1 and probably 2 more of these instruments.......THE sound is better than outstanding......

Ease of Use:
Set it the way you like it to be.....no problems

Support:
IF THEY HAD A 15..I WOULD GIVE EM A 20....DID YOU CATCH THAT????? I HAVE DEALT WITH ALOT OF COMPANYS OVER THE YEARS..AND HAVE DEALT WITH THE OTHER INTERNET ONES AS WELL...WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC***ZZOUNDS*** TAKES HOME THE PRIZE OF ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE...PERIOD, BAR NONE...AND NO I DO NOT WORK FOR THEM...I WILL DO MUCH MORE BUSINESS WITH THEM "SOLELY" BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR PURCHASE....AND THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AS TO THE WAY THEY HANDLED A SMALL PROBLEM, THAT DEALT WITH THE INSTRUMENT...I AM NOT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS, SO AS NOT TO DISTRACT FROM YOUR PURCHASING THE PRODUCT.. THEY STOOD BEHIND THE PRODUCT WHEN THE COMPANY, "GIBSON" ,DID NOT SEEM TO WANT TO BE BOTHERED..ENOUGH SAID...I COMMEND "ZZOUNDS" FOR A JOB WELL DONE...

Overall:
I AM SURE THE PRODUCT WILL SURVIVE ME...BEEN DOIN' THIS, AND PLAYIN' THIS GAME FOR 40 YEARS........

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
All components are great, no flaws. I have used it thoroughly for 5 months now before reviewing, and no complaints. No accessories really, but I don't care. I got a great deal from Zounds, and it was in my hands about 14 hours after I ordered it.

Quality:
Very good craftsmanship. The finish is the sweet and sexy ebony and it's holding up very well.

Value:
For the money, it's a great deal. The guy who totally slammed on this did not buy this guitar. If there's a plate with "Gibson" on the back, it's not a set neck. It's probably the Gibson/Baldwin Target guitar, which I gave my niece.

Desirability:
Yeah, from all the inlays to the paint and gold hardware, this is BEAUTIFUL!

Sound:
It sounds sweet! I hear people slam on the pickups, but jeez, they sound great for me! Don't think I'll replace them. Very versatile sound overall. I use this for the metal stuff instead of my Fender strats.

Ease of Use:
Very fast and playable neck, not as heavy as the Gibsons.

Support:
Haven't had a need to deal.

Overall:
I'm pretty sure I'll have it for the rest of my life. There isn't anything I don't like about it.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
Mine stays in tune. The pots are nice. Can't understand the poor reviews that some people have concerning the pots. They are very smoothe and tight.

Quality:
Cheers! Great job in craftsmanship.

Value:
I gave it a 10.

Desirability:
A Gibson Les Paul is tops I guess,--This one is just a Korean work of art. They can make this stuff as good as we can! And at a lower price.

Sound:
I bought this guitar and was very surprised at the tonal quality. I don't need any aftermarket pickups,--the stock ones sound fine to me.

Ease of Use:
I have five other guitars. This one is my nicest. Was I just lucky?

Support:
I gave them a 9! I am speculating.

Overall:
I have high hopes for this guitar!

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
It came with a small-ish cord and an alan wrench.

Quality:
I got mine "blemished" in alpine white, didn't have a scratch on it. The finish is so sexy, nothing has chiped or scratched. The three-way switch seems a bit loose, but nothing to worry about in my opinion.

Value:
I'm not an expert but I think this guitar could easily sell for closer to 1000$ than the 600$ zzounds wants. Great value for the great guitar. Plus my guitar-expert friend said the guitar has most of the quality of his Gibson Les Pauls, and upgrading the pick-ups would make them equal.

Desirability:
Oh my gosh, the alpine white is so amazing. I pulled it out of the case at my youth group when I got it - instantly had a crowd of people foaming at the mouth. Great chick magnet ;P

Sound:
For me as a hobby, the guitar sounds great. I'm sure you could upgrade the pickups to make it a 10, but honestly I haven't had much problems other than a little buzzing every once in awhile. The three-way switch gives it very nice sounds, and I especially like the treble setting. I run it through a Behringer VAMP Pro, sounds amazing through a power-amp. Great pinch harmonics.

Ease of Use:
Although the guitar is noticably heavier than my beginner guitar, it's bearable. Great sustain from this puppy though. The fret-board is quite smooth, very easy to whip out solos with.

Support:
E-mailed Zzounds about the guitar before buying the blemished guitar, promptly got an answer.

Overall:
Definitely buy this guitar if you want a quality product without busting the bank. I'm 16 with a decent job so it was nice to be able to get a great sounding guitar for this price. If given the chance, buy the blemished version of the guitar. You can always send it back if the flaw is too much, but mine came without any scratches and I saved 200$ :P

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Overall:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Value:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
I Want It:
* . . . . . . . . . 1 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * . . . . . . 4 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * . . . . . . . 3 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * . . . . . 5 out of 10

Feature:
Even though I absolutely LOATHE this guitar, the features were bearable. The tone and volume controls had a measurable effect on the sound of the guitar, despite the lousy quality of same. The pickup selector switch... it's kind of hard to mess that one up. It worked just fine. The tuners, however, were a mess. Five minutes after I tuned it, it fell back out of tune, and I wondered why I even bothered with this guitar.

Quality:
It may carry the Gibson name on the little neck plate, but that such a good guitar can go so horribly amiss under an endorsed knockoff company is astounding.

Value:
If you want a Les Paul... buy a Les Paul. Don't sucker yourself into buying a lousy knockoff. Unless of course you want to spend $60 or more apiece on new pickups, and at least $50 on a decent set of tuners. Nevermind the setup cost. $800+ dollars? You can buy yourself a beautiful Schechter Hellraiser with EMG 81/85 pickups... for THAT VERY PRICE.

Desirability:
Even though this is indeed a BEAUTIFUL guitar... absolutely stunning in terms of styling.... this is a piece of junk. Unless you already switched out the lousy pickups and fixed the tuners.... you could not PAY me to pick up this guitar, and play it in any context, serious or even just for fun.

Sound:
Alright, talking just BASE FACTORY SPECS, the pickups on this guitar are absolutely terrible. I tried neck and bridge pickups, and... humbuckers my foot. They sounded muddier than the exceedingly lame Squier Strat, even through a 30 Watt Marshall Amp.

Ease of Use:
Goes out of tune faster than you can play your favorite song.... so no matter how amazing the controls, you'll hate your life if you expect to get anywhere with this guitar.

Support:
I haven't had to deal with them... so I arbitrarily assigned this rating a five to indicate INDIFFERENCE, rather than bad quality. I hope for your sake that it is amazing. This guitar is a mess.

Overall:
The guitar is beautiful, the base factory equipment is lousy. I have said this numerously, and it cannot be stressed enough. It is not worth wasting your time and money trying to fix a knockoff. A Les Paul Studio costs $1200 off this site. If you are a serious guitarrist... save your $600, and put it towards the Les Paul Studio.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
The only bad features we're the pickups and it always comes loose where u plug in the cord but thats ok I'll tighten it down everytime

Quality:
I think I got mine back in 2002 and it still plays great and has nothin worng with it except my drunken dings and scratches

Value:
Got mine for 500 bucks around christmas time when a local guitar shop was closin down which is 100 bucks less then what it sells for

Desirability:
Well I wont lie. I'm pretty ugly. if it were my appearence rating it would be a 2. so then you strap on of these on and it moves you up to right around an 8 and 1/2 maybe even a 9. Now thats sexy!!!!!!!

Sound:
The sound was I'd say right around a 2. Then I threw a SD pearly gates in the bridge and a burstbucker 2 in the neck. Everytime I get a new guitar I always end up goin back to my EPI LP.

Ease of Use:
plays better then any guitar out there. Give one a try

Support:
never had any problems but it still deserves a 10

Overall:
Well I've had it for 5 years now. It wasn't my first guitar but It was my first nice guitar. I have a 1300 dollar carvin that doesn't compare. A kirk hammit esp that I never play anymore. and a few others and I always start playin somethin on one of em and end up puttin it down to go pick up the EPI cause it's the greatest guitar I've ever played. Now all I need is a fender telecaster which is next on the list. Hopefully its better then my LP but I really don't cound on it. I just like single coils better for blues

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
No accessories, except allen wrench and cord. I really like the way we can dial in the tones for each pickup.

Quality:
The headstock does have a bit of a blemish on an edge, where the banding looks scuffed and the paint is not straight, but that's VERY minor and almost not worth mentioning. The finish and everything else is immaculate. This is ebony with gold hardware, very classy. I have the standard model as well, and it didn't take a fall very well. It cost almost $200 to fix a crack. I'll baby THIS one much more. The axe will need a professional setup, bit overall, the build is very solid. I am impressed.

Value:
I'd say for the price, it's definitely worth every penny. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Desirability:
It's a very beautiful axe, and like others have said, "it makes one stare."

Sound:
Standard humbucker sound, which I like quite a bit. I'm probably going to switch the pups out for Duncans though, which will probably be a big leap in the sound.

Ease of Use:
The neck is just as fast as my strats and the big frets make it very playable. I doesn't mold to my body as well as my strats, but this guitar is actually just as light.

Support:
I can only comment on Zzounds; the distributor. They ROCK!

Overall:
I may very well play this for the rest of my life.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
standard with vol and tone knob for each pup!!!

Quality:
extremely well made. i dont own it, just used, so i dont know about road worthy...

Value:
THIS IS EASILY WORTH $3000!!!

Desirability:
its the best looking guitar ive ever seen and it sounds/play great.

Sound:
put in gibson, or duncans, or emgs. once thats done it sounds BETTER than gibson. (the rating would also chang to a 11)

Ease of Use:
great action, feel, finish. extremely comforatable.

Overall:
this, the ltd ex-351d, and the epi g-400 custom limited edition sg are the best buys out there!!!

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * *