Epiphone Releases the Les Paul Ultra III

The Ultra-III is a real Les Paul electric guitar that also has the ability to sound acoustic, and is described as the only electric guitar with Shadow’s built-in tuner, NanoMag  and A/B switch.

Built into the bridge pickup mounting ring is a chromatic tuner, which mutes the sound or activates the  tuner by pushing the ON/OFF button. Eleven color-coded LEDs identify the note as well as whether it’s sharp, flat or in-tune. Also, to allow changes between each pickup system, the Ultra-III’s NanoMag Volume knob now doubles as an A/B switch. Two additional LEDs on the pickup mounting ring provide a visual indicator of which pickup system is active.

The  Ultra-III features three different outputs. By using the standard ¼”  MONO output, both the Humbuckers and NanoMag are mixed into one signal, so when you plug another ¼” cable into its STEREO output, the humbuckers  are routed through one cable and the NanoMag the other. In this way, you can send the humbuckers to your favorite guitar amp and the NanoMag  to the PA or an acoustic guitar amp. Using the A/B switch, you can now  change between the two outputs. Using the third output, which is a USB cable (included), you can plug directly into your computer and use guitar applications such as Native Instruments GuitarRig 4LE (software included) to play your guitar through a variety of simulated amplifiers and effects and listen through your computer speakers or headphones.

At the heart of the new Ultra-III are two pickup systems. Powering the first are Epiphone’s new ProBucker humbucking pickups, and with  18% nickel silver base and cover, Elektrisola wire, bobbin, slugs and screws and sand-casted Alnico-II magnets, they are designed to replicate the “Patent Applied For” airy tone that defined rock  and roll, according to Epiphone. The second system features Shadow Germany’s NanoMag pickup embedded at the end of the fingerboard. The pickup features three samarium cobalt magnets, an air coil and active electronics.

The Ultra-III includes a solid Mahogany body with glued-in  Mahogany neck and SlimTaper neck profile, a flame Maple veneer top and Rosewood fingerboard. The result is said to have a guitar with that  classic Les Paul tone and sustain. It is also equipped with Epiphone’s LockTone locking tune-o-matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece designed for increased sustain and string changing ease, as well as Grover 16:1 machine heads.

Pricing & Availability:

Offered in four colors, Faded  Cherryburst, Midnight Ebony, Vintage Sunburst and Midnight Sapphire, the  new Les Paul Ultra-III is available beginning in September 2011 at authorized Epiphone retailers worldwide for the U.S. MSRP of $1,332.

For more details and a video demonstration, visit www.epiphone.com/U3.