WhiteShadow
Active member
Been looking at this one, and I want one. For no other reason than its just beautiful and I've never owned a Les Paul, and feel like its a guitar I NEED to own. How do you think Epi Paul's stack up?
rsm
Well-known member
always liked the alpine white and gold. if you can't try it in person, get one from a dealer with a good return policy.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Texsunburst59
Well-known member
I don’t know about that particular that guitar, but I own an ‘03 MIJ Epiphone Elite LP Custom that’s amazing.
I’ve owned it for several years now and have sold off quite a few good USA guitars, and this one is still in the collection.
I’ve owned it for several years now and have sold off quite a few good USA guitars, and this one is still in the collection.
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angelspade
Well-known member
The two that I owned in my teens and early 20's (before I got my hands on a Gibson LPC)...I hate to say, played and sounded like absolute junk. The company has changed ownership a few times since. And I may have just picked a couple of duds, but that was my experience. In my opinion. One would be far better served in picking up an ESP/LTD 500 - 1000 series EC. Great instruments in a similar price range.
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Apex1Rg7X
Well-known member
I had a the newer black LP Custom for a bit. It was actually a great guitar and couldn't find much to complain about other than the fact that I hate LP's, haha. I try like once a year but always sell them. Just not my jam I guess.
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chrisgr
Active member
I would look for a Edwards, FGN, Tokai, etc. Epiphones qc is all over the place. I would definitely take this over an epiphone,
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/I...lassic-LP-White-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/I...lassic-LP-White-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc
fek
Well-known member
I gigged an Epi LP for years when I was in my 20's. Swapped out the bridge pickup and it was good to go! Back then the stock bridge pickup was not very good but the rest of the guitar was solid as a rock.
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mixn4him
Active member
I have a JC Wino and its a great guitar, out of the box the only real issue was the cheap ABR1 style bridge. The retaining spring would not hold the saddles in place. Changed it out for a Tone Pros, it sounds better and the intonation does not shift. I also changed out the pickups which were not bad just not my flavor...
DanTravis62
Well-known member
Except for the Japanese ones, the old ones are pretty awful - especially the electronics
The new ones, are much MUCH better in every way as far as I can tell. The last few years Epiphones QC and quality of components has increased big-time
That being said, for the same money? I would grab an alpine white tokai or Edwards over a new Epiphone, but it's a close call. Thw new Epiphones have improved enough to where they are a solid choice, I think.
The new ones, are much MUCH better in every way as far as I can tell. The last few years Epiphones QC and quality of components has increased big-time
That being said, for the same money? I would grab an alpine white tokai or Edwards over a new Epiphone, but it's a close call. Thw new Epiphones have improved enough to where they are a solid choice, I think.
RaceU4her
Well-known member
i dont know how much faith you put into these kind of videos but the results are interesting
JohnnyGtar
Well-known member
I have the Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro IV which is a GC exclusive. It's Pacific Blue. Gorgeous instrument. Quality is amazing. It has a SOLID MAPLE CAP, not a veneer. It's not as thick as a Gibson maple cap, but for $399 on sale I won't complain. (They're $549 now.) Anything that's creme colored plastic is exactly the same shade of creme. Nice touch. The Alnico 5 pickups with coil splits are exceptionally good for a guitar in this price range. I'll try swapping them out someday but for now they're fine.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone/Les-Paul-Traditional-Pro-IV-Limited-Edition-Electric-Guitar.gc
The only beef I have is that the instrument came with a HORRIBLE setup. It's NOT playable in this condition. The quality control person really dropped the ball setting up this guitar. Problems: Very high action, nut slots cut too high and fret sprout all up and down the neck, plus it won't stay in tune. I was National Sales Manager for a guitar company you've heard of. We sold mostly Chinese made product and there is NO WAY IN HELL that we would have let this guitar out the door with such a crappy setup. And yes, I know that many guitars need a setup to get their guitar to the player's liking, but this is ridiculous. It's sitting in my closet until I can afford a setup, nut work, fret ends filed and locking Grover tuners.
GREAT guitar but awful so-called setup.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone/Les-Paul-Traditional-Pro-IV-Limited-Edition-Electric-Guitar.gc
The only beef I have is that the instrument came with a HORRIBLE setup. It's NOT playable in this condition. The quality control person really dropped the ball setting up this guitar. Problems: Very high action, nut slots cut too high and fret sprout all up and down the neck, plus it won't stay in tune. I was National Sales Manager for a guitar company you've heard of. We sold mostly Chinese made product and there is NO WAY IN HELL that we would have let this guitar out the door with such a crappy setup. And yes, I know that many guitars need a setup to get their guitar to the player's liking, but this is ridiculous. It's sitting in my closet until I can afford a setup, nut work, fret ends filed and locking Grover tuners.
GREAT guitar but awful so-called setup.
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Rex Rocker
Well-known member
Last year, I bought two of the newer Epi LP's with the new headstock.
They were both finished well, they looked very pretty, and the tone was pretty solid.
However, the fretwork on both was ATTROCIOUS. Unplayable out of the box. High fret galore.
I took them in for a fret leveling and recrown, and that helped a lot.
However, one of the ones I had (a Custom) didn't have the frets properly seated at places, so they were slightly lifting off the edge of the fretboard. So I got rid of it.
Other than that, I recommend you try before you buy and examine it to see it has no unfixable flaws. They're good shells for modding, but the fretwork from the factory is attrocious on all of them.
The stock bridges they use are garbage as well, son consider getting a cheapie Gotoh or some sort of upgrade.
I kept a 1959 Standard. The Custom sounded slightly better, but the 1959 didn't have issues that would be a bit spendy to fix.
They were both finished well, they looked very pretty, and the tone was pretty solid.
However, the fretwork on both was ATTROCIOUS. Unplayable out of the box. High fret galore.
I took them in for a fret leveling and recrown, and that helped a lot.
However, one of the ones I had (a Custom) didn't have the frets properly seated at places, so they were slightly lifting off the edge of the fretboard. So I got rid of it.
Other than that, I recommend you try before you buy and examine it to see it has no unfixable flaws. They're good shells for modding, but the fretwork from the factory is attrocious on all of them.
The stock bridges they use are garbage as well, son consider getting a cheapie Gotoh or some sort of upgrade.
I kept a 1959 Standard. The Custom sounded slightly better, but the 1959 didn't have issues that would be a bit spendy to fix.
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Rex Rocker
Well-known member
Honeslty, if you're looking for a budget Les Paul, I think LTD or Schecters are MUCH better guitars for the money.
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
Also, keep in mind, they're kinda expensive because they're like the "officially licensed" copies. But if you look at them in person, they really look nothing like Gibsons.
I'm not trying to trash on them. You occasionally find a "magic" one. I like my 1959 Standard. But I've had much better LTD's. You could argue an Epi is more true to the Les Paul design... but it really isn't.
I'm not trying to trash on them. You occasionally find a "magic" one. I like my 1959 Standard. But I've had much better LTD's. You could argue an Epi is more true to the Les Paul design... but it really isn't.
JackBootedThug
MURDERATOR
If you don’t want to spend the money on a Gibson, go Japanese. My Greco might not be as nice as my old r7….but for the price it kills. The secret is out on the Japanese ones and the prices are showing it. I personally don’t like the bolt on ones myself. Not from experience, just personal preference. Lots of options out there. Yamaha studio lords, ibby’s, burny, Greco, older edwards and tokai….bacchus….fgn…etc…actually fuck Gibson…
romanianreaper
Well-known member
It sounded lame but if the headstock were identical to a Gibson or close, I probably would have owned some. Every one I've played sounded and felt like garbage compared to other companies. I don't know why that is. Other the years I'd pick up Squiers, Ltd, etc and would sound way better.
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
https://www.espguitars.com/products/27422-ec-1000t-ctm
Better build quality than an Epi. Much better pickups (that still sound traditional-ish Les Paul), better bridge and tailpiece setup.
Better build quality than an Epi. Much better pickups (that still sound traditional-ish Les Paul), better bridge and tailpiece setup.
Rex Rocker
Well-known member
It's like 30% the species (and probably quality) of mahogany they use, but 70% is that POS bridge that they come with.
I replaced it with a Graphtech Resomax on the old 2022 Custom I ended up returning, and it was night and day improvement. That guitar actually sounded pretty good, but the issue with the unseated frets and feeling slight gaps between them and the binding was a bad turnoff for me, so back it went.
That is as far as sound. Other than that, their neck profiles are not dead-on Gibson either. They're very slightly D-shaped compared to the rounder Gibsons. Not bad, but not traditional Gibson either.