All user reviews for the Epiphone Les Paul Custom (1989-2012)

The Epiphone Les Paul custom is the budget version of the Gibson Les Paul custom. It pretty much has all the same features as a real Les Paul Custom apart from the ebony fretboard. The Custom is bascially a dressed up Les Paul standard. It has more binding on the body neck and headstock and has larger block inlays. I think the large block inlays give the guitar a classy look. The guitar has s 22 fret rosewood fretboard with the large block inlays. The headstock is fully bound. The body is solid mahogany. Customs do not have the maple top on the body. The color is solid black with gold hardware to give it class. It has dual humbucking Epiphone pickups in the standard Les Paul configuration. There is a volume knob and tone knob for each pickup and a 3 way switch to switch among them. The bridge is your standard tune o matic and stop tail like you would find on most every Les Paul.

UTILIZATION

This guitar plays like most every other Les Paul. The neck is a bit bigger than on most modern guitars but it is not super big. In the 50s the necks on Gibson guitars were huge. They were commonly referred to as baseball bat necks. In the 60s Gibson switched to a slimmer profile. This slimmer 60s profile is the most popular neck profile on Gibsons and it is found on most Gibsons and Epiphones today. The upper fret access on this guitar is typical for every Les Paul. Since the body joins the neck at the 17th fret you will have to reach around the body of the guitar to get to frets higher than this. This strong joint helps with tone and sustain but limits upper fret playability greatly. The neck binding on this guitar and generally helps to limit the amount of sharp fret ends you feel when playing.

SOUNDS

This is what a Les Paul should sound like. The base tone of the guitar is great the the pickups let it down. The pickups could be better. They are pretty muddy and dead. You do not get much attack with these pickups. Since these pickups do not have much definition the neck position can get really muddy. With a high gain amp the sound might get muddy due to the lack of definition. With some types of music these pickups are great. If you want a bluesy sound these pickups will do really good and you will be able to get a smooth tone out of them. With a pickup swap this guitar can sound great so I would recommend to anyone who has one of these Epiphones to try it out with some after market pickups. A set of Seymour Duncans would liven this guitar up greatly.

OVERALL OPINION

The quality on this guitar is pretty good and it is an official copy. I find the quality on high end Epiphones to be better than the quality on some lower end Gibsons. But be aware of the other Les Paul copies out there. There are a few smaller companies making much better quality guitars for the price of these Epiphones. A company like Agile will give you an ebony fretboard and Seymour Duncan pickups for the price of this Epiphone. If you are looking for an official copy that is of decent quality check out Epiphone.

The features of this guitar are just like every other LP out there: 22 frets, dual tone and volume controls

Add Grover tuners and matching gold hardware and this is a genuine black beauty. The fit and finish of the guitar is incredible, flawless to say the least. I currently own a Gibson Les Paul Custom. For the price Epiphone cannot be beat. The neck is smooth and easy to play on. The electronics and pickups are of good quality (Although I always replace them with Bare Knuckle pickups)

The only thing different is the weight, it is a little bit lighter than a genuine Gibson, it does not have the Gibson headstock and does not retain its value as much.

UTILIZATION

Very comfortable and great looking guitar. The neck is thinner than a Gibson Les Paul, the pickups are not as good. The design is just like a regular LP, you either like it or you don't. I love the humbucking tone of a Les Paul, for rock and hard rock music there is nothing out there that rivals it.

The neck is not as fast as a superstrat type guitar, the access to the upper frets is somewhat limited. It is not a shredders guitar. Its a rock machine!

I can't comment on the setup from factory since I took it straight away to a luthier to have the pickups changed

SOUNDS

I use it with a wide variety of tube amps, the sounds are incredible. If I were to replace the electronics and pickups and blind test it against my Gibson Les Paul Custom I could not tell the difference (In fact this is exactly what I did)

Epiphone pickups are of good quality but they are not high end, neither are Gibson pickups for that matter. I recommend: Suhr, WCR or Bareknuckles as my favorites among the so called boutique replacements



OVERALL OPINION

Pros: Amazing looks, superb build quality and attention to detail, excellent sounds

Cons: Honestly I haven't found one thing that I dislike with maybe the exception of the pickups, but I am too spoiled in that matter.

Best LP type guitar in the sub 1K price range without a doubt, and easily beats guitars worth twice as much. I Have not tried Edwards or Tokai, as I hear that they make excellent Les Paul copies as well. You can't go wrong with Epiphone. It's not a Gibson, but it sure is good enough!

I has a `MODEL manufacturing Coren, seems he is a better bill that Chinese models. For the description, I always think adj t said so I do not m'atterde.
I put only 9 as footnote because I think the acastillage aging badly.

UTILIZATION

The handle is pleasant, even if it is a strat months easy when you have not used, but with the exprience found its brands, personally j love it.
Only the weight of the guitar is a bit lv sometimes when playing standing. But the wood is used cel (mahogany) and the thickness of the body, but instead sustain is increased, which is a good point.
CASC for the treble, I personally have no problem individuals.
To better see the result of the notice.

SOUNDS

I mainly play blues and I must say it suits the style parflaitement. Clean sound I prefer the neck pickup, I find the bridge pickup a bit garish. However the bridge position should be very good with distortion though lacking a little DEFINITIONS.
I only play with amps Fender Champion 600, and the new Mustang, which I find much better than the Marshalls for this type of microphones.
Personally I do not justify the idea too rpandue who wants to be mritent pickups changed, I also availing oneself of a Gibson, and share a little lack of d finish, this is not the day and night, far l.
Finally a vintage sound I think that's very good.

OVERALL OPINION

I use this guitar for 15 years and I do not regret my purchase, I also availing oneself of a Gibson Flying Start and a standard, and I play much on all my guitars.
Which I think may be his main default, the knobs are almost useless in tone. The electronic deserves to be amliore (capacitors) rather than micro, I think.
I find rapprt qualitprix done everything intressant, mfois Gibson still does not justify such a price cards.
I would do it without hesitating same choice today.

But you guessed, I love this guitar. About my first electric guitar

This is just a great guitar, and compared to the price tag of its Gibson cousin you really can't beat the price.
This has got two great sounding, super warm alcino pick-ups, all mahogany body and neck, a rosewood fretboard, 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, gold hardware, and a 3 way pick-up selector switch.
The neck in my opinion on the LP Custom feels a bit more sturdy and thick compared to the other LP models. I'm a big fan of that feeling.

UTILIZATION

This guitar feels and plays like butter, it is really smooth and sturdy. When you are playing this guitar you definitely know that you've got a guitar strapped to you that commands your respect.
Everyone knows about how easy a LP is to play, it's just the way they are designed, so enough said about that, although you may not know about the weight. A LP, espically the custom is a heavy guitar, it's not like playing a strat...at the end of a3-4 hour show your shoulder isn't going to be too happy with you.
As for how this guitar sounds, its really fantastic, even compared to its Gibson counterpart. I've played the both side by side and to be honest there is a very minimal difference in the guitars. The alcino humbuckers really sound great...very warm. It's pretty easy get a great sound out of the guitar, just two volume and 2 tone knobs, pick which pick up combo you want to use and you are on your way.

SOUNDS

This is a great rock, blues, jazz, or country guitar. In fact I think I've seen someone playing a Les Paul Custom at almost any show I've gone to or played at, including myself. I run mine through an apmeg 4x12 halfstack (tubes not solid state) and the sound will blow you away, in my opinion if you play a Les Paul through anything but a tube amp you won't get the sounds this guitar was meant to produce.
I don't use effects, or distortion, you really can't beat the sound of a LP custom...why mess with it.

OVERALL OPINION

I've owned this guitar for around 6 or 7 years now and I'm still just as happy with it as the day I bought it. I really like the LP custom over other brands for the sound the produce and the feel of them when you are playing. I love feeling that sturdyness...like I said it's nothing like playing a strat. When I bought the LP Custom I was definitley shopping around a bit, only other LP models though. I decided on the Custom for the feel of the neck, I like the block inlays better than the trapazoidal inlays also.
You know for the sound that you get from this guitar compared to the Gibson version or other guitars you can't beat this price.
If I were to do it all over again I'd definitley make the same choice...
Definitely buy this guitar!!