Epiphone Les Paul Standard Guitar Review
The Epiphone Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar was built to full Gibson specs. It was also authorized by Les Paul Himself! For those who recognize the iconic body shape and always wanted to own a Les Paul, look no further.
This is your opportunity to get into one with this underrated guitar! There are many versions that are available and plenty of colors to choose from. Not only do they play great, but they sound even better!
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Specifications
Let’s take a look at some of the key specs of the Epiphone Les Paul Standard guitar.
- Body is Mahogany
- Maple Veneer Top Material
- Mahogany Set Neck
- Pau Ferro Fingerboard
- Les Paul Body Shape
- 24.75 inch scale with 22 frets
- Alnico Classic Humbuckers
- Slim Taper D Neck Profile
Who is this Guitar For?
The Gibson Les Paul has a legacy throughout the last few decades that screams rock and roll. This version allows players to get themselves one at a very affordable price.
If you are a rock or blues player, this version of the Les Paul can get you into some great clean and crunch tones. Throw it in front of a high-gain amplifier, and you will have hard rock tones for days. There is a reason Slash plays a Les Paul!
PROS
- Materials and Design
- Warm Les Paul Sound
- Feels Great To Play
- Quality Pick-ups and Hardware
- Different Colors to Choose From
CONS
- A set-up may be required out of the box
- Some have reported minor quality issues
Body Design and Construction
The mahogany wood body on the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Guitar is an exact match to the iconic Gibson Les Paul. A few different colors are available to get players the color that works with their look and want. They are all equally beautiful and are modeled to look like the guitars made decades ago.
The body has a Venetian cutaway, allowing easy access to the upper frets of the neck. While the mahogany body provides some killer sustain when you need it! It’s got the same great body detailing and curvature, which makes it comfortable to hold.
The white binding gives the body a great look and definition. And this is found on all the different versions and finishes. They even got the weight of the guitar bang on to what a Gibson Les Paul feels like hanging from your shoulder!
Neck Features
The Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar neck is set in the body. This is also part of the reason sustain is so good on this guitar. It also feels very rigid and well-made as a result of using this design.
Because they used mahogany to make the neck, the resonance of this guitar is on another level. This really adds some crazy versatility to the guitar.
The fingerboard has a 24.75″ scale length, 22 Medium Jumbo frets, and is made from Pau Ferro. It’s a very comfortable slim C-neck profile with an easy-to-play width. Rhythm and lead work are very easy on a neck profile like this.
The Les Paul look is then completed with the Pearloid Trapezoid inlays up and down the neck. As well as the plastic truss rod cover and headstock.
Hardware
The Les Paul Standard comes with Alnico Classic humbuckers. They add to the incredible tone. Great-sounding pickups are part of the magic that is the LP Standard. They provide rich, warm tones and pristine highs as one would expect from a Les Paul.
The guitar has a standard Les Paul control scheme which includes 2 of each volume and tone knobs. Also, a pickup selector switch. This is great for setting each pickup the way you want, separate from the other. The range of sounds available from this guitar is incredibly versatile.
Grover tuners are standard on this guitar and feel pretty smooth. A non-rotating output jack prevents broken wires and is proprietary to Epiphone. The Tune-o-matic bridge and a stop bar complete the list of great hardware.
Sound Performance
Have ever played a Gibson USA-made Les Paul? You will recognize that this Epiphone version is pretty close. It’s a great-sounding guitar with plenty of tones, sustain, and versatility. We played the guitar through two different amps to really see where it shined.
First, we connected it to a Revv Generator MK3 high gain amp and cranked it up. The guitar sounded amazing through this amp with a decent amount of gain. Hard rock and metal tones were very easy and had a fat throaty tone that was very pleasing to the ear.
Next up was a Marshall JCM 800, set for a tight low end and a more classic tone. Again, I was very impressed with how this guitar responded. All the frequencies were present. It also provided some great classic rock tones by rolling down the volume control.
The dynamics of the body and the Alnico Classic pick-ups do give you that warm Les Paul sound.
Clean sounds were also very nice. The pickups are quite warm, so for pristine cleans you have to bump up the treble on the amp. But once there, it sounds great. The use of the neck pickup provides a very thick, fat tone, which was great for lead work. It did have a tone that was unique when compared to the bridge pickup.
Feel and Playability
The guitar has amazing sustain and resonates as you play. Especially with a high-gain amplifier, which is part of the magic behind this design. This is part of the reason this style of guitar is so popular.
It’s an amazing experience to play it. Being a set neck design, it’s very noticeable as the guitar is sturdy and has its own vibe.
The toggle switch and controls take some getting used to if you are new to Les Paul guitars. But the controls are not in the way and the guitar is a joy to play.
Is It Reliable?
Out of the box, this guitar looks great. But you might be curious about the durability. As a guitar player, I too look for signs of performance issues. Anything that might make a guitar fail during gigs. This is unacceptable and very frustrating.
But the Epiphone Les Paul is well-made and seems to be very durable. The neck-through design feels super rigid. The electronics function and appear to be well assembled. The parts are also of good quality.
The tuners are Grover brand and are smooth and sturdy. They held tune very well without compromise. The controls are stable and also function well. Anyone who owns an Epiphone Les Paul likes them. They don’t seem to complain much about reliability.
So I give the Epiphone Les Paul a thumbs up when it comes to reliability. Both from what I think about it. And what others have said about it, too.
- Build Quality: 4.5/5
- Tuning Stability: 4/5
- Electronics: 4/5
- Paint and Finish Durability: 4/5
Other Guitars To Consider
There are a few other guitars that are similar that you might enjoy if this one isn’t quite your vibe.
PRS SE 245
With nearly an identical body style, the PRS SE 245 is a great alternative to consider. It also comes with a mahogany body with a maple veneer. This finish is beautiful and is not surprising coming from PRS.
The guitar also has some great contouring on the lower horn. This adds additional access to the upper frets. On the neck, you will find the bird inlays that are known with PRS guitars. It’s a great neck to play and just like the Epiphone, you get the same electronics.
This guitar sounds great and is a great alternative if you like this look a bit more.
ESP LTD EC-256
This guitar is a little bit different in terms of the music style and look. The LTD EC-256 is a Les Paul body shape, but is more of a metal and rock machine. This is a very popular guitar that sounds good and is easy to play.
The neck is a bit thinner. But the body is made of mahogany to provide that thick tone you would expect from a guitar like this. The pickups and hardware are of good quality and the guitar is made well.
Anyone that owns an EC-256 swears by it for the great sound and performance it offers players of any caliber.
Conclusion And Final Thoughts
There are many different guitar brands that use this body style. It’s an iconic guitar style because of its sound, versatility, and feel. Players have loved it for many years! It’s nice to see another affordable version of a classic like this become available on the market.
For so little money, I was impressed with the level of quality this guitar offers all around. It sounds great and gets the job done in most genres and play styles.
No matter who you are and what level you are at, this guitar will basically do it all for you. Well worth the money and will hold its value for many years.
FAQs
Is the Epiphone Les Paul worth it?
Yes, I enjoyed playing the Epiphone version of the Les Paul and found it to be great value for money. The quality of the guitar was above average and the tones were very close to the real Gibson models. I would say that they are worth it for anyone who has ever wanted a Les Paul guitar.
Is the Les Paul good for beginners?
Without a doubt, the Les Paul guitar is good for beginners. Epiphone makes these guitars to allow beginners to get one at an affordable price. They are aimed at this market and are great guitars to learn on. Especially with the versatility, they offer.