Epiphone Les Paul

Epiphone Les Paul
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Manufacturer	Epiphone, Gibson
Period	1988—present
Construction
Body type	Solid
Neck joint	Set
Scale	24.75"
Woods
Body	Mahogany, Maple, Alder, Basswood
Neck	Mahogany
Fretboard	Maple, Ebony, Rosewood
Hardware
Bridge	Tune-o-Matic or Bigsby
Pickup(s)	2 or 3 Alnico Classic Humbuckers
Colors available
Ebony, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Honeyburst, Vintage Sunburst, Transparent Amber, Transparent Blue, Worn Brown (Ltd. Ed.), Worn Cherry (Ltd. Ed.)

The Epiphone Les Paul is a line of solid body electric guitars produced by Epiphone as a more modestly priced version of the famous Gibson Les Paul. Epiphone is a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Corporation and manufactures the Les Paul and other budget models at a lower cost in Asia. Visually and ergonomically, it is almost identical to a Gibson Les Paul. Because of the low price, similar looks, and the close relationship with Gibson, many guitarists buy an Epiphone as one of their first guitars.

Les Paul Standard

Very similar to a Gibson Les Paul Standard, it has a solid mahogany or alder body, Set-neck mahogany neck (most models) with a rosewood fretboard, Alnico Classic Humbuckers, Grover Machine Heads and a Tune-o-matic bridge. Is considered by some to be the flagship Les Paul model made by Epiphone. There is also "Plain-Top" model that features a plain maple top and a "Plus-Top" model that features a flame maple top.

Les Paul Custom

The Les Paul Custom features multiple bindings around the back and top of the body and has a bound headstock with a split-diamond inlay. Unlike the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, the Custom model features a mahogany back and mahogany top. The split-diamond inlay on the headstock and the block inlays on the fretboard are slightly smaller than on the comparable Gibson model.

Epiphone discontinued the Les Paul Custom Plus line, which was a normal Les Paul Custom but with a flame maple top and either a Cherryburst finish or a Vintage Sunburst.

Les Paul Black Beauty 3

The Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty 3 is a copy of the Gibson Les Paul Custom with 3 humbucker pickups, in black finish with gold hardware. It is sometimes known as "the tuxedo guitar", as it is "dressed to kill". Epiphone manufactures 2 variations, one with a traditional Tune-o-matic bridge and one with a Bigsby B6 vibrato unit.

Les Paul ES

1996 Epiphone Les Paul ES Custom

The Les Paul ES is very similar to a normal Les Paul Standard, although it has F-holes in the top. This means it is a semi-hollow bodied guitar, combining the small body and 'crunch' of a Les Paul, with the warmth of a hollow bodied guitar. The term 'ES' is used by Gibson to signify a hollow (or semi hollow) bodied guitar, so the term was given to this guitar with the same purpose.

Also comes as a Les Paul ES Custom.

These guitars are quite rare, with only 102 currently known to exist.

Ace Frehley Signature Les Paul

Signature model made of guitarist Ace Frehley (ex KISS) made by Epiphone; Based on a custom LP, this guitar comes with a 3 Dimarzio superdistortion (DP100), lighting bolts fingerboard inlays, and the Ace face and signature on the headstock. Add a multi-bound premium flamed maple top, mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard, and quality chrome-plated hardware, comes in 3 colors: cherry sunburst, translucent black and blue-silver burst.

Zakk Wylde Bullseye Signature Les Paul

Is a signature model made of guitarist Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society) made by Epiphone. It comes with the signature "Bullseye" finish, an unfinished maple set neck with a rosewood fretboard, 2 EMG, Inc. passive pickups and gold hardware. There are "Camo" and "Buzzsaw" signature models too, but these have been discontinued. In 2011 the Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom 'Plus' was introduced which included EMG 81 and 85 active pickups and ebony fretboard.

Slash Signature Les Paul

Signature models of guitarist Slash (ex Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver) made by Epiphone. There is a "Slash Les Paul Goldtop" that comes with 2 Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II pickups, a mahogany set-neck with a rosewood fretboard,a Tune-o-matic bridge, a maple top, nickel hardware and a metallic gold finish. There is a "Slash Les Paul Standard Plus-Top" model that is very similar to his signature gold top model but this comes with a flame maple top and a tobacco sunburst finish.

Goth Les Paul Studio

This model is part of the Epiphone Goth series, which are a run of guitars unique to Epiphone. This guitar comes in a satin black finish, and is a mid-range model because of its included pick guard and set-in neck. Its neck is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard consisting of 22 frets and a "XII" inlay at the 12th fret. The body is also mahogany with 2 Alnico classic humbuckers, a tune-o-matic bridge, and black chrome hardware.

Les Paul Studio

Same as the Epiphone LP Standard, but with open 498 alnico pickups, instead of covered, and the body is not bound. This model is the same as the "Goth", but there is no XII fret marker, and is available in various colors rather than the Goth's all-black look. This guitar retails around 549.99 US Dollars.

Les Paul-100

The Les Paul 100 is a Les Paul model. The biggest difference is that it has a bolt-on neck rather than the typical Les Paul set-neck. It comes with 2 open-coil humbucker pickups (700T/650R), mahogany body (slimmer than most Les Paul bodies), mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard (with dot inlays) and a tune-o-matic bridge. It also lacks the Grover Machine Heads in recent production.

Les Paul Special II

The Les Paul Special II is manufactured by Epiphone with a retail price starting at under $300 USD. It has two Alnico classic humbucking pickups, one master volume knob, one tone knob, a three-way pickup selector switch and a rosewood fretboard (with plastic dot inlays). A Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece come standard. It is usually constructed of a basswood body and a bolt-on mahogany neck and comes in black, white, red, cherry sunburst and vintage sunburst. Company marketing literature occasionally refers to this model as Epiphone's most popular Les Paul model, in part because of both their classic design, as well as their over all simplicity. Although the design has gone largely unchanged over the years, Special IIs have been manufactured in different locations, including China most recently. Unlike some older models, current Special IIs (which are priced slightly cheaper than in years past), do not bear a "Gibson" labeled truss cover, nor does name appear anywhere on the headstock. Instead the truss cover reads "Special II" in bright lettering. On the used market, some players seek out older models due to this difference. Special IIs comes standard with either nickel plated Chrome or Black hardware.

Les Paul Ultra series

The Les Paul Ultra has a mahogany body, and rosewood fretboard with large mother-of-pearl inlays, the Ultra's body has been hollowed out to create resonation chambers, producing a deep and rich sound, and also reducing the weight of the often heavy Les Paul body. This model has also an ergonomic notch like a Stratocaster to feel comfortable against the player's body. Finish choice is limited to faded Cherry Burst with a quilted maple top. Alnico Classic Humbuckers, Grover Machine Heads and a Tune-o-matic bridge are standard features. Based on the Ultra, the Les Paul Ultra II has several unique features, including a Chambered Mahogany body, a NanoMag low impedance pickup, and other electronic changes to produce a unique sound. Available finishes for the Ultra II are traditional Faded Cherry Burst, or Midnight Ebony.

1960/2010 Les Paul Tribute

To celebrate the life of the late Les Paul, Epiphone released a series of premium Les Paul guitars. Available in two faded colours, translucent black and heritage cherry sunburst, these are essentially Epiphone Les Paul Standard guitars with notable upgrades. These upgrades - which include Grover Locking Tuners, Mallory 150 Electronics, Gibson Classic '57 and Classic '57 Plus Pickups - bring this Epiphone Guitar into a class of its own, which is just about as close as being a genuine Gibson as you will get for so much less than its Gibson counterpart. The Les Paul Tribute guitars come in two different "versions": 1960 and 2010. The 1960 version has a 1960s style slim taper neck, whereas the more modern 2010 version has an asymmetrical neck. The bass side of the neck on this guitar is thicker than the treble side, providing a more comfortable feel that fits the shape of the hand more accurately.

1959 Les Paul Standard (Limited Edition)

Only 1959 of these guitars have been created. Again, a Les Paul that comes very close to Gibson territory with specs that are very similar to that of the 1960/2010 tribute guitar, with the exception of the following differences:

- BurstBucker and Burstbucker Pro Pickups

- No coil tapping, and therefore tophat dials for volume and tone

- Comes in two colours, iced tea burst and heritage cherry sunburst

The 1959 Les Paul Standard also comes with a certificate of authenticity.

1957 Les Paul Goldtop (Limited Edition)

Epiphone's limited edition recreation of the 1957 Les Paul Goldtop features similar specifications to its Gibson counterpart. The main difference between the current models is that Gibson's Custom '57 Goldtop features two Burstbucker pickups, while Epiphone's version has a Gibson '57 Classic in the Neck position and a Gibson '57 Classic Plus in the Bridge position. It also sports Push/Pull Tone Pots that have the pickups wired in Series/Parallel and Mallory 150 Capacitors. That model was released in 2010. The current '57 Goldtop's being sold are basically Les Paul Standard with a Goldtop finish. The same stock Standard electronics are installed, instead of the Gibson pickups and upgraded wiring.

External links

• Epiphone