Epiphone Elite Les Paul Custom

I won't get to crazy with the details, as you can find these anywhere. Typical Les Paul setup. However, the long neck tenon and bone nut are a nice addition. The hardware (as with any stock Gibson/Epiphone) isn't top of the line, but that can be upgraded easily enough. Mahogany back. Maple top. Solid as a rock. Mine is extraordinarily heavy, even for an LP. It weighs in at around 12 lbs. Beefy.

I am not a guy who has owned a plethora of top of the line instruments, so it's easy for me to say this is the best sounding guitar I've owned. Sounds bright and clear on the clean channel (B-52 AT 100). I've been able to get any sound I wanted out of it from Allman Brothers to Foo Fighters. Very good sustain, but not the best I've heard. probably a few hardware or electronic tweaks would have it singing all day. Again, as with pretty much any stock guitar, the tonal range on the stock electronics isn't quite as varied as it should be, but that's just par for the course.

I got it used, so I can't speak to the factory setup. But, it still plays like new. No issues with the neck or intonation. Very nice natural woodgrain behind the Wine Red finish. Good frets. The saddle is filed too deep, but that's not uncommon either, and it hasn't been a major problem. When I snuck a peek inside it looks like the groover for the neck tenon may not be cut quite as snug is would be ideal. All in all though, well built. No major issues.

Got it used. Looks and plays like brand new. I bought it online, so I hadn't actually seen it in person, and the guitar was in much better shape than I expected. It really is built like a tank. As with all Les Pauls, the headstock is probably the only part vulnerable to major damage. This also came with larger strap buttons, which is handy. The electronics will probably get replaced before long. I know Epi's don't have the greates reputation for electronics burning out, but mine are still doing fine. (I'm not 100% sure if this uses the same electronics as the standard Epi though).

Not applicable.

I've been playing ten years, and this is a really great guitar for those of us who can't afford the real deal Gibson Les Paul. They are built very well and sound fantastic. It's really been a dream come true for me to finally get some very good sustain and tone to work with. It's heavy, but I always play standing up, even practicing, so I got used to it quickly. Besides, it's a Les Paul- I wasn't expecting it to weigh like 7 pounds. The bulkiness comes with the territory. My 'complaints' for this are no different than they would be for any guitar- stock components aren't the best they can be, and could use upgrading. That's not a flaw of this guitar per se, it's a flaw of all guitar manufacturers. Get one of these on a decent tube amp, and you won't miss that "G" word that isn't on the headstock.

Two (2) 2003 Epiphone "Elite", not the current "Elitist" name, Les Paul Custom in traditional Black w/white/aged binding and Wine Red with a more white colored binding, 24K gold hardware, "real" pearl and abalone inlays, bone nut, grover " kidney bean" tuners, one 50T and 60R Gibson made passive humbuckers w/24 K gold covers, black speed knob and manufactured at the Fuji-gen plant in Japan where all, now "Elitist", are made. My black model weighs 10.0 lbs.and the Wine Red 8.7 lbs.

I play mine through a Traynor all tube 30 watt amp and a Boss ME 50 multiple effects processor. Both have sweet Les Paul bite, full rythym sound from the bridge pickup and sustain that will let you run downstairs, grap a cold one and return to more sustain. I owned a 1980 Gibson Black Beauty and sold it in 1995, for, get this, the going price of $650.00 used. I have regretted it ever since and have longed to replace that sound, that b@!!$ to the wall "rock" sound that only a LP can give me.

This is where the paradox comes in. You would expect a $1000.00 guitar to have some issues, especially two models that are four (4) years old. Absoutely not true. I can not find any flaws except some scratchiness in the selector switch, easily fixed with a little spray can. The binding, joints, "real pearl" inlays and hardware are perfect on both. Did I say the hardware is 24K gold. Now, back to the paradox. I took the black model and pulled about five-six "Gibsons" off the wall at the Guitar Center for comparison. Each Gibson had some obvious flaw on it, paint run into the binding, "bubbling" paint around the neck joint/body, file marks on the fret edges, and all for $2-3000.00. I can afford the "Gibson" name. But why? The best kept secret in a $1000.00 guitar. ELITIST!! The Jazz and Blues guitars are a little more pricy, but not in the Gibson price points. I have only $1500.00 in both and still have 1849.00 left. The current Gibson Black Beauty, not the three (3) pickup model, cost $3349.00. It ain't worth it!!!!

Thsi guitar will withstand live playing, being dropped, which I am sad to say I did this Saturday night. Hardware is top notch, paint is consistant and thick, strap buttons solid for me, I do not gig anymore, never had any reason not to depend on a Gibson, but I wil only buy Epiphone "Elite/Elitist" from now on. I do not understand why everyone always says, "if it were stolen", do you people not keep up with your things. The only way my guitars would get stolen if someone were to break through my elaborate security system, and then the hidden photography equiptment failed. It has a seven day power backup. Let them try, I have a nice "persuader" waiting for them!!!

I called Epiphone a month ago to ask about the serial number dating and was received in a very professional manner. The only time I have called this manufacturer. If you are persistant or possibly claim you are a "lawyer", not that I would misrepresent myself to any company, then you should not hve any problems with customer service.

I have been playing since that first and only guitar lesson I took at Lees-McRae College with my Montoya Classical with a neck the size of a Sequoia, 30 years. I always research anything I buy.
I do not understand why everyone always says, "if it were stolen", do you people not keep up with your things. The only way my guitars would get stolen if someone were to break through my elaborate security system, and then the hidden photography equiptment failed, It has a seven day power backup. Let them try, I have a nice "persuader" waiting for them!!!

I love having a quality product that someone took pride in making and I am able to produce music with it. As I said, I have two of these and plan, if the money keeps coming in, to buy a Standard and an SC. I also own a 60th anniversay American Strat H/S/S and an Alvarez Yairi DY 84. I chose the black one to replenish the one I sold in 1995. The Wine Red model popped up on eBay a few weeks ago and I had to have it! I am looking at a black SG as of this narrative.

Bought used at a guitar shop for about $450 with upgraded EMG pickups in the bridge and neck. Honestly its the best $450 I have ever spent. I've owned Strat's, Tele's, Ibanez's, Kramers and I can honestly say this guitar is the best of all of them. Granted different musical styles warrant different guitars but this seems to fit all styles of music very well whether its clean, blues, overdriven or screaming metal. I usually run this on a cheap fender frontman when just messing around in my room with a Digitech Metal Master distortion pedal and a Crybaby wah. On even the worst amp such as my frontman, the thing wails. Even with the stock distortion in the amp, this guitar picksup the highs, lows, and mids. As for the sound, its definately beefier than a strat and soloing is a little more inhibited as you do not have as great access to the upper frets, however a little adjustment in your hand position and you are all set. As I said, its definately more of rich full sound better suited for heavy rock however I believe you can get this guitar to do whatever you want it to. Its that good. For likes, pretty much everything is way more than the price tag will tell you. Dislikes: Havent gigged with it but I can imagine a couple hours on stage with this guitar is a bit tough on your back as it is heavy.

Bought it used so im not sure how it was set up at the factory. As soon as I got it, I lowered the action a little bit to make it more comfortable and fast. The pickups are HOT but again they are not factory so its tough to comment on those. The guitar was pretty much flawless though and after a few minor adjustments it was ready to rock.

I have dropped this guitar on more than one occasion and a beating never seems to affect anything. The hardware is great, though minor wearing on the finish, but I think that shows character so Im fine with that. The Grover tuners are a great touch and really stay in tune. I havent seen many guitars in this price range offering stock Grovers so way to go Epiphone! The finish is beautiful. I have the ivory finish and while im not a fan of white guitars, I found it to be the quality of guitars 3-4 times its cost. The guitar is so dependable and always performs higher than I can ask for any guitar in this price range.

Never had to deal with customer support as this guitar has given me no problems.

I've been playing for 14 years and have owned over 20 guitars of all types and this is my favorite. I can guarantee that if you do your research and spend a $1000 or under on this, you will be blown away. I would also recommend this over the Gibson LP standards etc. Only conceding for the Gibson LP Custom. But why spend the money unless you are extensively touring or a professional musician? I have compared this with many other guitars and its so versataile and well made. So if you are sold on LP and want a beefier guitar that will stand the test of time, I would definately recommend.

Made in Japan, where many great guitars come from. Way better than the korean made les paul. This one is much heavier, much meatier. Solid maple top. 2 humbuckers, theyre great, but if you looking for a certain sound they could be replaced. Tune-o-matic bridge. Grover Tuners that stay in tune beautifully. Kinda fat neck but i love the feel compared to my pencil thin strat. Purchased with case. Has all the features a Les Paul needs. Nice gold hardware. I got it in white(no fingerprints).

My style is mainly highly overdriven rock mainly hardcore But i do like my sound well defined and with screaching highs. I am using a fender prosonic(best clean sound ever with a in-your-face chunky distortion, best buy ever) Not noisy compared to single coils. I like my tone maybe 8 or 9 and volume at 9 or 10. for clean i like the neck and about 6 volume. This guitar with the amp i have can make any sound i want. Very nice metal sounding at bridge with max oveerdrive. Beautiful woman tone on clean channel. I love everything about this even more than a real gibson because of the price. No one can tell if they saw it. The only thing you dont get with this guitar is having the satisfation of having the name gibson on your headstock and a lacquer finish.

great action. Bone nut. i can still see my face in the finish and its been a while since i got it. no nothing. getting some SLIGHT! wear on hardware but it makes the guitar look like a REAL players guitar.

i think this will last forever unless it ever gets completely smashed by a tank or something. The solid and very heavy body seems like it will stand a nuclear war.

havent tried anything so wouldnt know. im pretty sure they would help out if i had a problem. Many friends of mine say they are great people to work with.

Ive been playing for only 4 years but ive learned lots. this guitar is totally worth it. why pay 2000+ for a gibson when you can get an epi thats exactly the same except the logo and lacquer. no big tonal difference unless your very anal about it. Tone usuallly comes from great playing anyway. I might change pickups for others one day, not yet though, the sound coming out of this is still blowing my mind. If you see one, buy it. very worth it. Buy used and you can save even more.

Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Custom

I play the weekends 60's 70's and very little country music. I play thru a solid state PV with all Boss pedals. I've had 3 Gibson customs b4 and I tried very hard to find something to degrade this one and I just can't. It's a typical Les Paul sound!

This one is Wine Red with gold hardware. Action is just fine where it is. Some very slight noise at first switching to the bridge pickup. That was fixed with a shot of tuner cleaner.

A solid mahogany guitar maybe not top of the line Gibson finish but so far no complaints. All gold hardware will show some fading over time...No need for a backup anytime. Who wants to carry more equipment?

Haven't dealt with Epiphone....lifetime warranty....what does that really mean anyway?

I have been playing semi pro for 35 years and have had over 50 guitars. I currently have an American Deluxe Strat HSS and an older Tele deluxe as well as a Samick Royale which is why I am not afraid of imports. There's no reason not to have a Les Paul around at this price. If I needed a Les Paul sound and this was stolen, I would definitely buy another Elitist.

The custom wound gibson pickups on this guitar are absolutely amazing. all of the electronics seem to work perfectly and function well. the only problem that i had is that that the tuning machines do not work very well for me. i think that this is a problem that never occurs and i just got unlucky . i mean they are grovers.

My rig goes like this: epiphone elitist les paul custom-fender hot rod deluxe-vox wah-mxr distortion plus. I mainly play blues and rock. this guitar is AWESOME for both and is great for metal and clean stuff. it is not noisy at all. this guitar has such an awesome sound . it is rich, full, and round on every setting. there really isnt anything i dont like sound wise. i have owned many gibson les pauls and this epiphone rivals or beats all of them. it is so good.

the guitar was perfectly playable right out of the box. i have had it for a year and havent needed a set up yet. The wood and finish amazes me. perfectly bookmatched african mahogany with a premium maple top. the finish is greatand everything functions as it should.

This guitar is definiely built rock solid. i have dropped it, ran it into things, and have nothing to show for it. the hardware is 24 karat gold plated and will never fade. the finish is great and will age nicely.i dont know anything about the strap buttons because i put on straplocks(must). I can depend on thi guitar completely. i would definitely gig w/o o backup. it is built so solid.

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I have had this guitar for about a year now and it is really great. i own many guitars and this is one of my favorites. if it was stolen i would definitely buy another (after i find out who stole it and give him the most savage beating of his life). I honestly love every aspect of this guitar except the tuning machines. i have compared this guitar to the gibson les paul custom and this is a much better buy. the gibson one costs 3000 bucks and this aost a little more than a third of that. and the sound is almost identical. i cannot stress enough how great this guitar is it is an amazing guitar at a great price. BUY IT NOW

Features as stated below. Also has great binding, pearl inlay, superb finish. Everything a LP Custom should have.

Tuners: Grover
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Neck: 1-pc Mahogany, 22 fret
Neck Joint: Set, 16th fret
Nut: 1-11/16", Bone
Scale: 24-3/4"
Top: Book-Matched Maple
Back: Book-Matched African Mahogany
Sides: n/a
Rhythm PU: 50SR (USA Humbucker)
Treble PU: 60ST (USA Humbucker)
Controls: 2-V, 2-T; 3-Way Pickup Selector
Hardware: 24k Gold

Fantastic sustain. The pickups sound like the 490/498 combo used in a Gibson LP Custom. I wouldn't be surprised if they are, as I seriously doubt that Gibson winds custom pickups for the cheaper Elitist line. They are hotter than '57s. I play mostly through a Peavey Classic 30 and it sounds great clean or dirty. You could play just about anything on this guitar.

The set-up on this guitar was absolutely perfect. Low action, no buzzes, frets are perfect. I haven't had to adjust anything to make it play better. It is one of the best playing guitars that I've ever held.

The fit and finish on this thing is perfect too. I can't find a flaw on it anywhere. Binding, inlay, everything is perfect. It's almost unbelievable. FujiGen really turns out great guitars, and this one is right at the top.

It seems to be very solidly built. It's very heavy, that's for sure. Should last forever with reasonable care and with the usual cautions about gold hardware. The strap buttons are tiny, and you may want to remedy that issue. I'm sure that it's very dependable, but you should always have a backup when gigging. Murphy's Law is inescapable.

Customer support is more a function of the dealer for most people. If the dealer doesn't care is that the factory's fault? A good dealer will push the factory to provide proper support for a customer with an issue. I've read enough times about lousy dealer support that turns into "Gibson doesn't support its' products". Uncaring or incompetent dealers are deadly.

My rating is based on my experience with the dealer and my limited contacts with Gibson customer service. My dealer, Angelo Gallo Guitars, is the best around. He doesn't sell junk, he supports his products, and takes care of his customers, often at no charge for small issues. In 37 years I have contacted Gibson customer service twice. Both times my concerns were addressed promptly.

This guitar is as good as any Gibson LP Custom for about 1/3 the price. Great sound, playability, hardware, and finish for a bargain price. I have several Custom Shop LPs and this is as well built as any of them. I don't think that there is a better guitar for the money. I would definitely buy another if necessary.

Late 2003-Early 2004 model. Made in Japan (I assume all elitists are). Bookmatched African mahogany body. Carved maple top. Rosewood fingerboard. Gibson designed pickups. Flatter fingerboard radius than a Gibson LP Custom, small frets. Check website for exact specs.

I'm into all kinds of rock, blues, metal and ballads. This is a really heavy sounding guitar. Loads of bottom end and clear singing highs. Incredible sustain. I'm using a marshall VS265 with no effect pedals-I can't say enough about how this guitar matches up to the marshall. It sounds heavy as hell when it's distorted, great for metal or hard rock. With less distortion, this guitar sings. With the neck pickup selected on a clean channel, you can hear the real quality of this guitar and how well the components are matched together-its a superbly balanced sound that makes you wish you could stop time altogether. The bridge pickup is set up real hot-it'll cut through anything your drummer, bassist or rhythm guitarist can dish out.

You can tell a good guitar by how it sounds clean and this guitar is the best sounding on a clean channel that I've heard so far. If you need more sustain put just a little overdrive and the notes will soar.

Action was set up a bit too low (easily fixed-nothing to cry about). Although I did buy this from ebay so who knows who did what to it.

Finish was excellent. When I opened the case, all I wanted to do was look at it (mine's black with gold hardware). Real classy looking guitar. Only problem is prints stick out like crazy on a black finish.

I'm not a live player-I like recording more but this guitar seems to be solid enough.

I'm not the type to complain. If anything happens, I'd rather fix it myself. Only had this guitar for less than a year so we'll see...

Been playing on and off for 11 years (been playing and recording a lot the past 2 years). I have a 95 Gibson SG Special, A 95 American Standard Strat and an Ibanez SA 160. If my Epi was stolen, I'd probably check out a Dean hardtail before I'd buy an Elitist LP Custom-only because it's rated really well here.

What I love about this guitar is its value-I think gibson headquarters priced it this way to give the impression that its a lower value than their own or maybe because they truly believe that Epiphone is a lower level brand than theirs although it seems to me that they couldn't be more wrong. In the past quality may have been an issue, but the quality of this instrument is way better than even my friend's originals (Standard, Custom etc...). I got it cheaper than my SG Special (I've got a 200 dollar Ibanez with better fit and finish). I'd pay what Gibson asked if their product matched their price but that simply isn't the case.

If the brand is worth paying another 1,000+ dollars, then you should buy Gibson and get yourself a great paying job cause this won't be the first time you're going to waste money on a poorly valued product just so other people will think you're cool.

My Epiphone Custom Elite has the serial number F200056, meaning it was made in Japan at the FUJIGEN Custom Shop. Everything on this guitar is absolutely emaculate, and the comparison to an actual Gibson Les Paul is uncanny. From the true Mother of Pearl inlays, to the gold plated hardware, to the weight and quality of tone is everything you would expect of a higher end les paul. I've heard that the elite series guitars that were produced elsewhere (i assume if your serial number has a T in it rather than an F) are lower grade, try to avoid these. you will thank yourself later. Also, the binding on mine is 4 layers, on the back its 3, top and bottom binding, as well as neck and headstock binding.

I wont bother listing all the specs, if your looking at this page you probably already know what real les pauls are made of, expect nothing different from this guitar other than the pickups. No complaints from me on that end either, they sound like somthing that came from the 80-90's, by Gibson. However, if you need further information on this guitars specs, go here ---> http://www.epiphone.com/elitist/custom.htm

I'm a hugh Smashing Pumpkins fan, I also listen to Stone Temple Pilots, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and other bands similar to these. This guitar can emulate the les paul tones from these bands except the beatles, i dont think they used les pauls?

my setup consists of a Fender 65'Twin-Reverb, deluxe memory man, marshall JH-1, Ibanez TS-9, Hush "the pedal", black Sovtek Big-Muff Pi, EHX-1969 vintage small stone phaser. i have many other pedals, but these are my most widely used. I'm yet to play this guitar off of another amp, but through this Twin i can pretty much get ANY sound i need as far as humbuckers are concerned. if your a metal head, it works, if you want blues, it works. the bright knob on the amp works mirricals if you need bright tones. I usually play with the bright switch down and this creates a truely growling tone through my JH-1. I would describe this guitar as one of the most versitile guitars ive ever played. its bright, full, rich, and everything between. switch the pickups, play with the knobs, and this thing will either crank out some serious creamy tones, or the biteing snarl you would expect from an 80's-90's les paul. the only complaint i have about this guitar is... well wait, im lieing, i have no complaints about the sound on this end. ;)

Straight out of the box this thing was setup perfectly. I was hopeing it would be alright so i could wing it a while without setting the action and truss rod, but that was totally not necessary. Another plus is that the intonations were absolutely perfect out of the box, i went to intonate it and was amazed. I cant find a single flaw in this thing, trust me, i looked hard. pickups came setup out of the box very nice, but i always have to customize everything to perfection, so i modified their heigh slightly.

Immagine a block of solid mahogany, thats about the truth of this. This guitar weighed in at 26.6 lbs with the hardshell case when i had it shipped to me. I would most definately gig without a backup, everything is 100% solid. I seriously couldnt believe it, ive played real les pauls that arent this good. this thing will probably last for generations to come if its put in the right hands. obviously there are some people who have no lack of respect for their art, or the tools of their trade, dont expect any guitar (be it steel) to last. but if your a hard player even, and have a love for your instrument, this thing will last you until the end of your days.

I've never had to deal with epiphone personally, thank the powers that be!! I did however take the time to go through their forum before i posted on here as to give you an accurate review. It looks like every question asked was answered, and it looks like this company is fair with its customers. Ill give it an 7, there are a few things that i saw on the site that really pissed me off. one was a standard epiphone with a composite wood top, this made me loose a lot of respect for the Korean factory it was made in. Like i said, get the japanese model if you can manage it.

I've been playing for roughly 10-11 years, and own a lot of guitars. I also have a deep seated respect for art, and i have a knack for seeing small details others may not being as i used to paint cars with my father. I wish i knew more about the Japanese vs. Korean models before i bought this, im lucky enough to have gotten a good deal though. If it were ever stolen, and i dont know how since im always playing on it, i would have to buy another japanese model. If i couldnt find another, i would have to go buy a real custom. I do wish this guitar had split coil push pull knobs, almost entirely to see what it would sound like, though i'll never modify mine. i think i can settle for a strat/tele when it comes to the single coil tone, but it would still be interesting :) Truth be told, This guitar is a lot nicer than the epiphone site makes them out to be. the reason for this is pretty obvious, if they sold all elites, Gibson might actually loose sales. this guitar is that good, buy one and be content with your new humbucking guitar.

This guitar was made in 2003. The model I bought is black with gold hardware; Grover tuners; USA Gibson Humbuckings (60ST and 50SR); all Gibson hardware; Rosewood fingerboard; and real pearl and abalone inlays; 3-way switch; and dual volume and tone controls. If it truly has a bookmatched maple top, I couldn't tell you for sure. I can see no grain through the black finish. Wish I could.

To me, this is a situational guitar. I play it when I want to sound dark, brudish, or nasty. The rest of the time I use my American Standard Strat (which I truly love). That being said, I got this guitar about two months ago and ever sense it appears I want to be dark, brudish, and nasty. The sound is almost unreal. The sustain is unending and the harmonics you can get out of this thing are unbelieveable. Before I bought this guitar I spent several months looking at, and playing, Gibsons. I have to say, I did not find a single Gibson that really came close to the sound that comes from this Epiphone (except one 1975 Les Paul Deluxe with Mini-Humbuckers). The pickups are a little too hot for my taste (may have something to do with the GHS Nickle wrapped steel Boomers I put on), but I just roll off the bridge tone pot a bit and it sounds a whole hell of a lot like a '57 Classic. When I play this guitar with headphones on I can feel it right through the neck. God, what resonance! All I can say is "It's the sound, man, its the sound!!"

Mine was absolutely beautiful when it came. The fit and finish were perfect. Not a mark of any kind on it. The binding was perfect and the inlays were flawless. The setup was a little too low for my taste, but nothing buzzed or rattled. The bridge pickup was set perfectly, but the neck pickup appears to be too low; however, the balance is good so I have left it the way it came. I took it to my local guitar tech, who it trust implicitly, and asked him what he thought of the fret work, and he asked "Who did it." When I told him it came from the factory that way he just shook his head and said, "I wish Gibsons would come like that." I do have a problem keeping the action where I want it. I have a tendency to be a little hard on guitars when I play and the bridge keeps coming down a little bit on me, which is annoying. It's my understanding that is the nature of the beast with the type of bridges Gibson uses, so I just re-adjust it every now and then. One thing I must say is if you buy one of these guitars, do yourself a favor and buy a new set of your favorite strings (I would suggest at least 0.010-0.046). The strings that came with mine sucked and did a terrible injustice to this guitar.

This thing appears to be built to last. All Gibson hardware and Grover tuners. I wouldn't hesitate to gig with this machine without a backup. There is nothing fragile about this guitar. Might be a little hard on the shoulder playing it all night simply because it is so heavy, but that's about it.

Limited Lifetime Warrenty if not modified in any way. Their website is absolutely useless. No specs, nothin. Just an add. At least Fender's is helpful.

This thing has to get a 10. It is the finest guitar of it's type I have ever played. The sound is nothing short of amazing, the neck is nice for a Gibson/Epiphone (I perfer my strat). It's build well with top quality components and the look and fit are stunning. The only thing I would do different is get it in either white or Wine. While the black is absolutely beautiful, it shows up every smudge, scratch, or spec of dust. Like black cars, these things are high maintenasnce. I find I spend far too much time polishing it when I could be playing it. When I bought this guitar I really wanted a Gibson. I make good money so I can afford to buy what I want. It turned out that what I wanted was an Epiphone Elitist. I had planned to buy a Gibson '61 reissue SG so I can have my Gibson, but after owning this guitar for the past two months, I am now the high bidder on an Epiphone Elitist '61 SG Standard. Oh well, if I get it I will let you know what I think of it after I play it a couple of months. One thing I do know is I no longer have mixed feelings about buying an Epiphone.

This guitar features book matched maple top, book matched african mahogany body, 1 piece mahogany neck, bone nut, true mother of pearl inlays, abalone headstock design, gibson style headstock font for "Epiphone", all gold hardware, Grover tuners, USA double wax dipped pickups (magnetized at Gibson U.S.A.), all american hardware, rosewood fretboard, set neck at 16th frett.

The tone on this guitar is truely sweet. I play off of a Fender 65' Twin Reverb-Amp and you couldnt ask for a sweater tone. All the highs, mids, and lows of a real Gibson les paul, as well as the famous growl. The pickups are hot, but warm at the same time. The breakup in natural distortion from the pickups is thick and creamy. Not at thick as a black beauty, but definately worthy of a mid-high end 59' replica(not the historic re-issue).

I bought this guitar used and the action had already been set to perfect. I never get any buzz, the action is damn low, and the string tension is light enough to bend anywhere on the frettboard, starting at frett 1. the finish on this guitar is fantastic, you can tell that a lot of time and care went into the makeing of it. I dont see any over-glueing, the bindings are perfect, the guitar stays in tune even if you bend the hell out of the strings, intonations are perfect, fretts are very well placed and leveled. This guitar is custom shop perfect, easily on par with a "Gibson" brand custom. I compared this to my friends Epiphone Les Paul Deluxe: Limited Edition guitar and its just a joke looking at his guitar and then mine. PERFECT.

the first thing you'll notice when you pick this guitar up is the weight, mine weighs 26.10 lbs with the case. the case isnt that heavy, so do the math. This guitar isnt a cheap epiphone money maker, it IS a les paul. it will last longer than you will, guerenteed. no fuzz in the knobs, switches all work well.

never had to contact them, hope i never do.

I've been playing for roughly 10-11 years (with breaks now and then). I own a Fender 65' Twin Reverb, too many pedals to list but i got all the classics and then some, a fender strat with 3 gold lace sensors, an ibanez talman tc420 (the grunge guitar from the late mid-late nineties, the les paul. I play just about everything from Jeff Buckley, STP, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, and onto infinity. This guitar can take you where you need to be, whatever the style you play. I put it on par with a true les paul custom. epiphones elitist line is probably the best deal in the entire industry, get it while you can. i really cant think of anything more that you could want out of a guitar, its that nice. if it were stolen i would cry, and then i would buy another and miss my ebony goddess of a guitar forever. you'll grow attached to this guitar if you buy it, its a really powerful feeling instrument, you dont want to let it go. it practicaly plays itself.

This is an '03 model, which had to be ordered by Guitar Center, and nobody seems to be stocking these, which I don't understand. Mine is a black Custom with gold hardware. Hardware is just as you'd expect from Gibson. Yes, the hardware is all from Gibson USA! Good stuff.

Absolutely gorgeous! Out-sustains my Gibson Les Paul Standard, and exactly the same tone as the original p'ups in the Gibson. It is 100% Les Paul!

Now, I'm no expert, which is why I defer to one. My guitar tech, who has the distinction of having built many guitars from scratch for a world-famous band (I'm not saying which), has told me that this guitar, out of the box, is as good as anything Gibson is putting out right now, in both build and finish, as well as playability! The frets did need a little dressing, but other than that - perfect.

I would expect this guitar to last every bit as long as my original Gibby.

I have no idea.

An unbelievable guitar at an even more unbelievable price! I couldn't be any happier with this guitar. I wanted a LP Custom, but never could've been able to swing the $2900 for that. So instead, I saved $2000 and got one that's just as beautiful, is built as well and sounds the same! Bravo Epiphone!!!

You all know the features - standard LP stuff. Comes with Gibson pickups - a bonus, and the tuners are Grover, which are much better than the ones on the normal Epi LP custom.

I play through a Line 6 Spider 2, and this sucker gets a hell of a sound. Ok, so the strings that come on it are a bit light, but put something a little more solid on there and the upper register really sings.

This thing is totally beautiful. Good lord. It's the hottest thing I own. I got the Antique White one, and it takes my breath away. Gasp

Built like a tank. Get strapslocks, natch, but seems like a dependable axe.

Customer support people by nature suck, and Epi's website isn't the greatest thing I've ever seen, but I haven't used them, so...

The value alone on this makes it worth the purchase. It sounds as good as all the gibsons I've played, and costs like a quarter as much. Use the extra money on a great amp, some effects pedals, and a clean pair of shorts for when you crank this dude up for the first time. You won't regret it.

This Guitar was made in 2003, I believe in Japan.24K gold-plated hardware, large block neck inlays, and headstock inlay. Features: Bookmatched maple top Bookmatched mahogany back One-piece mahogany neck set at the 16th fret 24-3/4" scale Rosewood fretboard 22 frets 24K GOLD PLATED HARDWARE,ONE PIECE NECK,ALL INLAYS ARE REAL ABALONE AND PEARL,HAND RUBBED HIGH GLOSS FINISH ANTIQUE WHITE,BONE NUT,GROVER TUNERS,GIBSON USA PICKUPS,ALL AMERICAN PICKUPS AND CIRCUITRY,EVEN THE TOGGLE SWITCH. Deluxe Hard Case Black Snake type looking material looks just like the new Gibson Cases. with Purple interior, Also comes with Keys to lock it.

The Pickups are prettty good. For scorching heavy metal or Shred I would put EMG or a Gibson Tony Iommi in it.

This Guitar arrived to me nicer than my new Gibson Les Paul Classic, Better than my old Gothic, 80's Studio. I dont get where some people dont think they compare it's usually the Die hards who just cannot live without the Gibson name. I love Gibson also but the truth be told this Guitar is a Gibson. I dont care what it says on the Headstock,as long as it is a quality guitar I have been playing for 18 to 19 years I am 31. I have had so many Guitars this one really sticks out for Quality all around. I also have 2 USA Jackson SL1 Solist Guitar's. This Guitar is right there in build and quality

No problem this Guitar is built like a Tank!

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Elite 2003 model made in Japan. Black with gold hardware, 22 frets, rosewood fingerboard, real mother of pearl inlay, bone nut, 2 Gibson made Humbucking pickups, grover tuners, mahogany body and neck with a maple top. Comes with hardshell Epiphone Elite case. The neck is kind of like a 59 rounded neck, very nice feel.

This guitar has a good sound for any type music. I use a Crate GFX65T amp. It is noisy even at low distortion volumes. The sound is rich and full, leads are bright sounding but they do pierce and are clear. Nice sustain. Pickups in my opinion are really good.

Now the bad news...for the price they sell these guitars for, how hard could it be to turn out a guitar with properly leveled frets with no buzz or drag. Mine buzzes and drags playing leads, the pickups were adjusted terribly and the guitar jack was very loose. It could have been a really nice playing guitar but the terrible fretwork is discouraging to say the least. Also, the grover tuners will not keep the guitar in tune.

The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Elite would be a great guitar with proper fretwork. The hardware is good overall except for the Grover tuners. The finish is very nice and I would say it would be extremely durable. The strap buttons also are solid, no problems here. Overall it would be very dependable with some work, but why buy a $1000.00 guitar that needs work?

Never had any dealing with them, don`t have any plans to.

I have been playing 35 years and have had numerous guitars. I like the 59 style rounded neck on this guitar. I absolutely hate the poor fretwork and non-ability to keep it in tune. I bought it because I had read a lot of customer reviews on it. Almost all of them gave it high marks. I honestly would not buy another one at all and wouldn`t recommend it to anyone. I can`t sell it fast enough.

Ebony finish Epi Les Paul Custom Elite. Not quite as classy as the real thing, but from a few feet away you'll never know.

Ok sounding, but a little bright. Pickups sound ok but kinda bland w/no real personality.

Here is where I have to pick some nits. These have been hyped to be same quality as a USA Gibson for not quite as much money. This particular guitar (described by the dealer as one of the best Elite's they've had) is nowhere near the quality of a USA Gibson guitar (or old USA Epiphone made by Gibson). The frets and playability of these are not on par with even the cheaper Gibsons. Frets are not properly rendered - they're pretty low to begin with and once you do the 1st fret dress they will be definitely cause problems with string bending (unless you like the "fretless wonder" feel). The bridge and hardware (except for the nice Grover tuners) are not in line with what you'd expect for the $. I have a real LP Standard and I can attest that the Epi is not even close to the fit, finish, and playability of a Gibson - do not believe the hype. I've been playing over 30 years and owned many a Gibson and OLD Epiphones.

Hardware is higher quality than a regular Korean Epiphone (don't gig with one of those without a backup!)

Should hold up for regular playing.

Don't know

A bit better than your standard Epiphone but if you're going to pay the price for one of these go ahead and upgrade to a USA Gibson, you'll be money ahead when your resell and you'll have a much better quality guitar. Or buy a used LP cheaper that what you'll pay for a new one of these. Unfortunately, I bought this sight unseen at an ebay auction (with recommendation that these are on par with the USA guitars). I should've tried one one in person before going on evilbay - my bad! Dealer will not exchange or let me upgrade to a higher quality guitar (I was willing to spend more money at his shop but no go) buyer beware. Probably end up selling on evilBay. But I may try a re-fret and upgrade to Gibson hardware and see if it can be salvaged. Email me if you've got questions and I'll try to respond in a timely manner. Thanks

2003 Japanese model; wine red polymer finish with gold hardware; bookmatched African mahogany back, bookmatched solid maple top, 22-fret set mahogany neck with 1-11/16 bone nut and bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlay, 24-3/4 inch scale; Gibson USA humbucking pickups (50SR neck, 60ST bridge), 3-position PU switch, tone & volume pots for each PU; Grover rotomatic tuners, Gibson tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece; Epiphone Elite plush lined hardshell case included.

Has the legendary LP sustain in large supply; the solid maple top, rather than the less dense alder used on the Korean models, improves the tone immensely. The USA humbuckers used on the Elite model LP's are noticably hotter than on the standard Korean-made Epi LP's. I prefer the USA pickups especially for rock and blues-rock playing, which is my major interest - it's easy to make this guitar scream with a little distortion dialed in. The bridge pickup on the Elite seems a bit bright compared to the classic '57 LP sound, approaching a Strat but dirtier - great for lead playing. Using the neck PU with the highs backed off, you can easily get a darker, mellower tone for some cool jazz playing - but not as woody as a semihollow or hollowbody. Played clean through a Fender tube amp (twin reverb) the sound and tonal range are excellent; growls nicely through my little Champion DSP-30 practice amp, too.

This category falls down mainly on the basis of the factory set-up, which in my case was abysmal. The guitar ships with LP "custom light" strings, .009-.046; I found the trebles too thin and buzzy and I immediately replaced with Elixir 10-gauge. The action was set impossibly low, and the pickup distance was poorly set (neck PU too far, bridge PU too close to the strings). None of the problems were serious, and after about an hour of tweaking the setup (I like the action a hair lower than factory), it plays superbly with no intonation problems whatsoever. The bookmatched maple top is gorgeous, with the grain showing faintly through the deep, glass-smooth wine-red finish. Only a flamed maple top would be an improvement in the looks department! The fingerboard is smooth and flawless and the fretwork absolutely first rate. Bindings on the headstock, neck and body are flawless. The gold plating on the hardware looks higher grade than the Korean models, and the controls and electronics are solid.

Like all LP's, this is a heavy, solid instrument. The hardware is all top-grade, switch and pots seem to be the same as Gibson USA in durability. The finish seems durable but not overly thick (as with the Korean LP's). I wouldn't hesitate to gig with this rig night after night - it's already one of my favorites.

Haven't dealt with Epiphone customer support as of yet.

I've played acoustics (Gibsons, Guilds and Taylors) for over 30 years, and am just getting back into electric guitar after a long hiatus (played a cherry red Vox Super Lynx Deluxe hollowbody through a 1968 blackface Fender Vibrolux Reverb in my youth; I'd kill to have them back!). I haven't played too many other LP's (Gibson LP studio and '57 goldtop reissue that friends own) but the Epi Elite stacks up just fine and, at the price, seems to be an outright steal. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again, despite the set-up time (which no sales tax and free shipping from Musician's Friend more than compensated for in dollar value)! It's like Lexus versus Mercedes-Benz; some people just have to have the tri-star ornament on their hood. This baby has the look, sound, feel and quality I'd expect in a modern Gibson-branded LP model; if you can live without knowing the finish is nitrocellulose and without the legendary name in pearloid on the headstock, this is a fine instrument that I highly recommend.

Epiphone Elite Les Paul Custom - made in Japan 2003. Standard Les Paul hardware layout. One piece mahogany (African) body, one piece mahogany fixed neck, two piece bookmatched maple top (correct depth maple cap, not a veneer as used on cheaper Korean made Epiphones) - timber quality is excellent with good grain and medium density. The guitar is slightly heavier than the 1957 Goldtop Standard I once owned which used the superb quality Honduras mahogany available at that time, but much lighter than an early 1980s Nashville manufactured Les Paul Custom I had a few years back. Wine red finish wih gold plated hardware. Pickups are USA manufactured for the Elite range(the literature does not state whether this is by Gibson or another manufacturer) and use alnico magnets (seemingly alnico V). Selector switch and pots appear to be of Japanese manufacture, but of high quality. Bridge and tailpiece are GE101G ABR1 replacement and GE101ZG tailpiece from the excellent quality machined Gotoh range and are of far better quality than than the original type ABR1 and the very shoddy cast tailpiece as originally fitted on my Gibson USA SG Standard. Tuners are Grover Rotomatic and appear to be their top of the range models with 18:1 gear ratio. The neck profile is quite chunky for a current model guitar and is very similar to the '59 neck profile currently offered on some Gibson USA models (although that itself is nowhere near as thick as the real tree trunk my old genuine '57 had). Necks are of course a matter of personal taste, but I find the Elite's very comfortable and fast, aided by the superb rosewood (not ebony as on the USA Les Paul custom spec)fingerboard - not at all over dry as you so often find with new guitars these days. A high quality hard shell case is included with all Elite series models.

Typical Les Paul sound. Thick and raunchy with superb sustain. The pickups are maybe slightly too bright and modern sounding for me so I will probably rebuild them with alnico II magnets and maybe a rewind. Their character strikes me as similar to the Gibson 498T and 490R which were originally fitted on my SG Standard and would be well suited to a contemporary rock sound and most other syles. I want something just a softer and more woody in my tone, but I find I have to modify all my guitars that way so it's probably just my personal taste and I'm probably being over picky. I can't fault them on quality though and there is no comparison between these and the poor quality pickups used on the cheap Korean Epiphone Les Pauls. They seem thouroughly wax potted with no evidence of micophonics even when I checked this factor with extreme gain levels dialed in on the amp. Tone and volume controls work well with good graduated response.

The guitar was well set up with a medium action and playable right out of the box. Some players might want a lower action but that should be no problem with a few minor adjustments. As supplied it was just fine for me. Fret were well finished and polished with no evidence of fret buzz. The bone nut was well cut with no creaks when tuning or excessive friction points. The guitars construction and beautiful wine red lacquer finish is flawless. The lacquer is probably polyester based rather than the nitro-cellulose used by Gibson USA but is applied very thinly and does not have the thick plastic appearance that is common to the finish on so many lower end guitars including Epiphone's Korean made models. Standards of construction and finish are superior to just about any post Kalamazoo factory USA made Gibson I have seen. Timber and hardware quality is at least as good or in many cases superior. My most recently made Gibson, an SG Standard required a lot of work to get it up to standard. The bone look, but actually moulded plastic, nut was poorly cut, creaked and stuck when tuning and needed replacing with a hand cut bone one, the 'Gibson Deluxe' badged tuning pegs were of dreadful quality and had to be replaced, fret finishing was poor and required a full fret dress. Nothing of this sort is necessary with this Epiphone. While you might want to make some minor adjustments to suit your own playing style or preference you could take the Epi straight out of the box and into a gig.

With this standard of contruction and hardware I see no reason this guitar shouldn't stand up to years of use as a regular working instrument provided you carry out the usual common sense maintenace that you should with any instrument.

Hard to say. The reputation in the business of Gibson/Epiphone's UK distributor is less than glowing. I have heard many tales of it taking months to get hold of some replacement parts. However, I hope to be pleasantly surprised if the need should ever arise.

I got this guitar at #200 off the shop's usual price because it had a small dink in the body finish from some rough handling. That's about 40% of the usual discounted shop price for a new Gibson USA Les Paul standard or custom. Even at the normal price this guitar would have been a absolute steal, let alone the price I actually paid. If I wanted to make a Les Paul replica from scratch timber and hardware of the quality used here would have cost me almost the price paid for this Epiphone, let alone the time and labour involved. I have been playing for some 35 years now in a range of pro, semi-pro, and just-for-fun capacities. I've worked as a guitar repairer/restorer, built custom guitars, and have spent the last few years with a guitar supplies company. In all these capacities I have owned, worked on and handled hundreds of guitars in my time, from cheap beginners' instruments to fabulously expensive custom shop types and vintage originals. So I hope I have some idea what I'm talking about by now. In this time I have owned a number of USA made Gibson Les Pauls, a late 1960s Custom, an early 1980s Custom and a 1957 Goldtop. I also once had one of the fabled early 80s Tokai 'Loverock' replicas and spent a few weeks using one of the Korean made Epiphone Les Paul replicas I had taken in a px deal before selling it on. So how does this Epiphone Elite compare? I have no hesitation in saying it is superior in every way to the late 60s and early 80s Les Pauls. The '57 had a vintage vibe that just can't be replicated and not even the Gibson custom shop can come up with timber that compares with the fabulous low density honduras mahogany used at that time but even that was not without its faults and quirks. The Tokai was an excellent guitar which I would rate higher than either than either the 60's or 80s Gibson's, however, although the Tokai's pickups were perhaps a little sweeter sounding, the Epiphone Elite beats it on quality of construction and finishing. The Korean Epiphone just wasn't in the same universe - good value for money and it looked a Les Paul but just didn't sound or play like the real thing. Make no mistake, the Epiphone is the real thing in sound, feel and playability. If it bothers you that it doesn't say Gibson on the headstock you probably spend far too much time worrying about designer labels. What do you want a guitar for - a tool to help you express your music or to hang on the wall and admire?

The Epiphone Elites are superb guitars and at the discounted prices they are currently available for in the shops they are an absolute steal which make the price difference between these and their Gibson USA equivalents unjustifiable. I'm going to buy another one before Gibson get wise and withdraw them when they realise they've shot themselves in the foot by releasing this bargain price series.