All user reviews for the Epiphone Les Paul Standard (1989-2013)

I bought this guitar second hand from a friend who has gone over to the dark side (hard house and trance!). I paid £230 with a 30W Marshall but the guitar was as new, hardly touched.




The sound of this guitar is really meaty. My brother owns a Mexican Tele and the sound difference is really big. It's great for playing along to Heartbreaker by Led Zep.

I tend to use Ernie Ball Hybrid slinky strings which are good for riffing and soloing, just turn everything up to 10 and plug away. A fairly wide range of tone can be extracted thanks to the three way pick up selector. Plonk it in the middle and start playing with the tone controls for neck and bridge pickups. you can fade each in or out, dampen the bridge to give a warm bluesy feel. The strokes managed to get a keyboard synth sound by rolling back the tone and upping the distortion... lovely.


My only grievence about the Epiphone model is the pick-up switch. it crackles when switching mid song making you sound like a fool when trying to do the morse code bits in the outro!!

The colour, as it should be with LPs is a cherry burst, excellent finish with no blemishes at all. the sound of this guitar is really meaty. My brother owns a Mexican Tele and the sound difference is really big. It's great for playing along to Heartbreaker by Led Zep.


Excellent guitar. Buy one, with a skinny strap and bang out some zepellin!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I decided to get a Gibson Les Paul Standard because I had an Epiphone version that I liked a lot. I bought the Gibson at a local music store for $1999.



There is a lot to like about this guitar.

1. Looks. The "desertburst" finish looks great, and was very well done with no imperfections.

2. Tone. This is the main thing, the sound of the guitar. I've played it through both solid state and tube amps and it sounds great either way. Chords are rich sounding, but defined. Single notes are lovely with lots of sustain. To me, the humbuckers really shine with some good tube distortion, like el34s. The tone of this guitar is excellent. The sound of classic rock!

3. Playability. Very good marks here too. The action is incredible on this thing. No fret buzzing either. I got the 50s style neck and love the feel of it. I have fairly large hands anyway. Just a luxurious guitar to play. Like driving a Lexus.



I'm having problems thinking of anything that I don't like about this guitar. I hated to pay 2 grand for a guitar, but I'm not sorry I did.

No problems here. Inlays were well done, finish was glassy and smooth. The hardware is nickel plated. (at least on the 2003 model) I like the nickel plating much better than chrome myself. The selector switch is nice and solid feeling. A very well constructed guitar.

This was the most satisfying purchase of a guitar I have ever made. I simply love the Les Paul design, playability, and tone. I've owned this guitar for almost a year, and play it for hours a day. It just seems to get better and better.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this guitar for about $400 and something at guitar center.
I bought it mainly because of the les paul reputation and legacy. When i plugged it in a 100 watt Marshall and took it for a test ride i was blown away

The main thing i love about this guitar is the body. It is heavy, and beautifully sculpted. The curves on the body adapt perfectly to mine's and make it confortable and solid to rock out with. The tones are wonderfull. The clean is warm and full, distorted trough a Marshall, you can get some really heavy thunder.

The stock tuners on the guitar are terrible and do no justice to this beauty. I changed mine's for grovers, but these were a bit too fat for the tuner holes so i had to make the holes a bit wider. I don't like strap locks, so i had a friend of mine's drill a new strap pin hole in the back of the guitar. The strap pins are in a weird place where it makes your strap slip easily. The paint job is delicate and you must definately consider getting a case. My LP fell of it's stand one day and chipped/ bruised realy bad. Also, i play downtuned and do a lot of mute picking, which causes the bridge to lower and get my guitar out of tune, i have to periodically readjust the bridge which is a reall pain in the ***!

THe quality is excellent. This guitar is really worth every dollar and more! It is not as good as the gibson for the tuners, pickups, and wood are of inferior quiality, BUT! it is a wonderfull guitar for a reasonable price. The adjustments and troubles i got trough with the bridge are definately worth it.

The Epiphone LP is great. Cosmetically it is jaw droppingly beautifull. Value wise it is definately a valuable investment in the never ending search for perfect tone.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I found this guitar at the String Shoppe in Columbus, Ohio. It was in the used guitar section, and I paid $320 and got a used Epiphone hardshell case with it.

The Transparent Blue finish is incredable. The sound quality is excellent, as well as the gloss finish. The green plastic Kluson tuners seem to work very well. This guitar came equipted with an Ephiphone Bixby type of set up already installed.

I have no dislikes or complaints, except that the top side of the back and the lower half of the back are different. One is heavy wood grain, and the other half is tight. (it doesnt match). On my other Ephiphone Les Paul Standard the whole backside is the same.

Other than what I stated above, everything else seems excellent. Perfectly intonated.

You cant go wrong for the money on these guitars. I own five Epiphones, ( a 2001 reissue '58 Korina Explorer, a '92 SG-400, A 2003 Les Paul {Transparent Amber} and a '99 Viola Bass. All are great guitars, and good enough to play anywhere in my opinion.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased this guitar because everyone i know that plays says this is the ultimate guitar to have. I got it from a shop in manchester (england) for about $1995.00 it was in good condition.

The tone on the les paul standard is to die for it has that ultimate rock vibe but handles all music with ease. I have many guitars including other Gibsons and a Strat, this is my favorite guitar i think because the best guitars inspire you to play better and this guitar is the best for doing that.

As most people have found out playing les paul they have a weight problem, but i have found if you try different straps then you can make it more comfy, get a chunky strap.

Amazing, the ultimate guitar to have, the pickups do there job perfect. All the equipment on the guitar is well made and this guitar is worth the money but i would advise you to buy one second hand just check its in condition.

This guitar is a need, i have tried many guitars and the tone on this guitar beats them all. The guitar is too heavy but you can make it comfy. This Les Paul has the ultimate rock vibe, tone and the best guitars inspire you to play better this guitar is the best!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this 2 years ago at Guitar Center in Spokane Washington for $499.

Well i am in a 3 piece band that plays a wide range of rock so the tone i need is a very full one,and with this guitar i got it. It has a very nice heavy tone and when you palm mute with it,it gets lower than a lot of basses. With a clean tone it gets a nice sparkly almost acoustic tone. Action was not set too low(which i like)but was very very light. Lead tones are great and i am able to get the right amount of feedback thru my Crate GX212.

One of the tuners buzzes slightly every once and awhile,you dont hear it when plugged in though. I have slammed the selecter switch real hard and had it go out on the rhythm side. I kinda wish it didnt weigh 14 or 15 pounds.

Fit and finish is very good,nothing at all bad in my opinion. Ive got an Ebony model so its not a real hard finish to get right. Except for the buzzing tuner and switch everything is great.

I am very glad i got this guitar. It has the fat full tone that i absolutly need in a 3 piece band. I recommend it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar at a Guitar Center because my other guitar was falling apart and I needed a decent guitar for under $700 fast. I paid $550, because I got a more expensive finish: Heritage Cherry Sunburst. If you buy the Ebony finish, its $500.

I'm very rough on my guitars. I was pleased to see that it still works after two years. The sound was generally rich, with a ton of sustain. It had a very fat, humbucker sound, characteristic of the Gibsons. I liked the easy access to the electronics, also.

I did not like that pieces tended to fall off without much abuse. The pickup switcher knob fell off after the first week or so. The tuners generally stay in place, but are easily bent out of shape. Other than that, the guitar was pretty solid.

The electronics were generally neatly wired, but there was some sawdust lurking inside, which made it difficult to probe around. For the most part, the neck was fast and slim, a light "C" shape. There were no buzzes until after I'd bashed it around some. There were also no finish flaws.

This guitar was pretty good for its price. It would be a solid intermediate guitar. If you want true Gibson Les Paul quality, though, save up for the Gibson. The construction on the Epiphone was decent, though not as thorough as the Gibson. But if you're on a budget, or if you need a second guitar, this is a good bet.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I tried it and decided against buying it. I got a better guitar than this or the Gibson model for less money.

They've opened up and added some pretty good finishes, but that's about it.

Weight, stock intonation, woods, pickups.

It was okay. There wasn't any spilled finish. It was all hardwood, but was not the highest quality hardwood. I won't mention brand here, but you can get a "cheaper" brand guitar with a bookmatched flamed maple top, birdseye maple neck, and maple back that doesn't weigh as much, doesn't cost half as much, sounds better, and comes with killer transparent finishes, a pro setup, and a better designed cutaway that allows better access to the upper frets.

This and Gibson are a blatant waste of money unless you get a really good custom shop Gibby. If you just have to have a name brand guitar, go with what most of the pros go with... a fender strat. It's more versatile, cheaper, and better made. Also, if you've already bought one of these, don't try to set it up by just adjusting the thumb wheels under the bridge. You can kill your break angle, cause fret buzz, and mess up your intonation.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i got this sweet axe from a friend 3rd hand for £120

i love the warm and thick les paul sound, this guitar sounds great distorted, really fat thanx to the 2 humbuckers. its great for playin all kinds of shit, i play mostly thrash metal and rock and the pickups really cut through. on clean, the neck 'bucker can sound too muddy if the tone isnt cranked and the finish is gorgeous, no mistakes or blotches anywhere

the tuning pegs are a bit dodgy, they rattle when i play and are a bit sloppy, but ill tighten em when i can be arsed, shud do the trick

its a bolt on neck which i thought was strange for a les paul, i think it might be glued as well tho, solid as a rock! as i said, the finish is immaculate. frets are nice n chunky, and the necks nice and fast as its the epiphone version

this is the 1 of the best guitars i own, ive got a vintage vj6 (cough) ESP ltd kh202 and a jackson ke3 kelly and it'll wipe the floor with all of these (cept the KH!) if you want all round versatility - i love it!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was looking for a Les Paul model to replace my worn out Peavy Raptor about 3 years ago. I looked at a brand called Tradition but heard they had gone down on quality. I went to Reno's music and saw this awesome Epiphone. The guy said he would give it to me for $440 whith the hard case included(These guitars usualy sell for around $500). I played it and it felt great! It had awesome tone and great looks with its sunbust finish. I couldn't belive my luck and purchased it.

I like everything about this guitar! The tune-o-matic bridge is one of my favorite features. You can adjust your action without tools by loosening the strings and turning two pieces of chrome hardware unlike the strat models made by Fender where you have to buy a separate tool and adjust each string individually.

There is nothing I don't like about this Guitar. Everyone should have one.

The quality and construction are great I have not had any problems or had to replace anything but strings.

Epiphone is every bit as good as a Gibson. The guy at the store said the only differences between the Epiphone and the gibson is the pickups,the inlays in the fret board(Gibson uses mother of pearl)and the parts for Epiphone are manufactured in Korea but set up in the US. The pickups give great sound and you can't tell the difference on the inlays. That combined with great craftsmanship and I have to ask Why spend over $1,000 for a Gibson when you can have a guitar thats just as good for less than half the price?

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I aquired this guitar from Mars Music when they were open still here in california. I bought it because i couldn't afford a gibson les paul of course. Being that Mars closed up shop i figure its okay to tell you i got this guitar for $200.00 "manager special" retails normally well over $500.

For one the price for sound. I have had the opportunity to play gibsons since. And honestly there is very little difference other then price! (And no this doesnt go for the cheaper epiphones for $200 with bolt on neck and cheasy electronics and faulty switches.) this is a bad ass guitar. alnico pickups gibson quality switches stays in tune great! Set neck through body. full body binding and neck binding in cream.

honestly the only thing i dont like is the fact that i could only get black at the time. haha i wish they had a sunburst color.

epiphone les paul mahogany body/neck set body thru neck. no bolt on. mohogany fret board i would guess that im unsure of. dual humbuckers hi end alnico pickups. ebony with creme bingings.

This guitar saved me lots of money rocks jsut as good as hte best gibson...well okay maybe not hte best gibson but you get hte idea!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Christmas Present. Bought at Steves Music in Ottawa, Canada. 514.99 plus tax and case came to about 675. Decided on Epiphone cuz gibsons are very expensive, and im only 16.

I Love my les paul. Even though the head is slightly different shaped, and it doesnt say gibson, you can hardly tell the differnce in sound. I had heard many a gibson les paul, and this one is quite up to par. Epiphone sure makes a great les paul. Pick ups scream when you wanna solo, and growl when your playing the blues. I play mainliy blues and blues rock. Stuff like Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix. I can get tons of sounds out of it, its perfect!

Slight buzzing on in the saddles of high e and G string, im sure this could be fixed, as i have never had it set up. Other then that i have nothing but love for it.

Extremely solid. Weighs a ton, so you know its good wood. Pick Ups sound jsut like a gibson PAF. frets are low and fast. Neck is amazingly smooth, never played anything liek it.

If you are in love wiht the les paul model, but dont have 2-3 grand to spend, then getting an epiphone will suit you just fine. Very well made, very beautiful guitar. I have a honeburst finish and the flames are huge. Overall an excellent buy.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this suberb guitar from a music close to me, i paid £350 for a Heratage Sunburst finish. I got this guitar because you only live once, you may aswell, thats what I thought. And to because I have always like this guitar.

I like this guitar, the sound quality is superb. If you play this though an amp 10 Watt - 20 Watt, then you will get a suberb sound quality.

There is nothing I don't like about this guitar it is just brillian, there is no point in getting a real Gibson Les Paul for over £1000. These are just as good.

The headstock is very nicely shaped, nice machine heads, a lot easier when u break a string, to put another one on, unlike Strats.
The neck is smooth, the fret board is suberb quality. The body is the best bit, with a cool 3 - Way pick-up selector switch on the top of the guitar, its a lot easier to swith to another pick-up, when in a hurry.
The humbucker pick-ups are very good quality, nice sounding, not as good as a real Les Paul, but close enough.

If anyone wants a new guitar get this, there superb, there also good guitars for either rock or blues, mostly a blues guitar.



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

guitar center: 1250.00 this is a great looking guitar but it falls way short of my prs ce 22 in playability. compaired yo the prs it like playing a washboard.


it looks good and its a les paul so the kids will be impressed.
















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flat gibson fretboard tree trunk neck like a beautiful woman what you see is not always what you really want.

now, if your a gibson les paul fan this d/c is cool as your going to get,very well made it is pretty no doubt wanna buy it?


its probably personal taste, gibson fans would love it. in honesty prs has won me over. paul reed smith is #1

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com