Epiphone Elite Les Paul Standard Plus

Made in Japan, 2003. It's got a solid flame maple cap on a mahogany body with a set mahogany neck. It has a 22 fret neck with a rosewood fretboard. The hardware us the basic Gibson Les Paul set (2 volumes, 2 tones, TOM bridge and stop tailpiece) and it has dual "Made in the USA by Gibson for Epiphone" pickups. It also features real Grover tuners. Mine is a vintage sunburst finish. They come with a hardshell case.

I love the tone out of this guitar. It is almost identical to the higher end Gibsons, but at a lot lower price. I'm using it with a POD 2 and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The only effect I use is a Morley Pro Series Wah. It's dead quiet and is very reminiscent of classic rock ala Jimmy Page.

I've owned and tried quite a few guitars over the years, but I've always wanted a Les Paul. Unfortunately, I could never afford much more than a Studio. The Studios I played while trying guitars were pretty hit and miss as far as quality and tone were concerned, so I didn't really want one of those. I took a chance on this one by ordering it over the internet, but am amazed at the quality of it. It was set up really well at the factory, the finish is friggin' sweet, and I can't find a flaw anywhere on it.

I haven't gigged with it yet, but it will probably be fine for that. The hardware is top quality, especially the Grover tuners (I hate those booger tuners Gibson uses). The major difference between this guitar and a Gibson is the Polyurethane finish instead of a Nitrocellulose. The Poly finish should last longer and be more durable, so I don't really mind that. I've already replaced the strap buttons with Schaller locking ones, so I can't really comment on their quality. The only thing that I don't like about the guitar is the cheap case that came with it. It's rather flimsy and doesn't close properly. I'll probably upgrade to one of those Grundorf ATA cases ($200 from American Musical) within the next couple of months.

It's under their limited lifetime warranty, but I hope I'll never have to use it. The warranty states that any alterations or modifications to the guitar void the warranty. I e-mailed them about a pickup change and they claim that it won't void the warranty, but you can't be sure.

I love this guitar and plan on using it for a very long time. I've been playing for over 10 years now and regularly gig in a local rock band. I've also got a Fender Strat loaded with EMGs, an ESP LTD VB-300 baritone, a Schecter 7 string and a couple of acoustics. If this one were lost/stolen I'd buy another one without even thinking about it. It is way better than any Gibson that costs less than $2000.

New. Japan made. Mine is like the last person. -faded cherry. The top is flame, only about an 8 grade but has lots of character. It has the standard LP features but a cheaper tuna-matic not the "Nashville type with the bushing set in the body. I don't think thats an issue cause I'd rather have fewer interfaces when it comes to vibration transmission. It could be easliy upgrades since the string spacing is the same. You can get the Nashville bridge from Stew-Mac.
I'm told this finish is a urethane base not nitro-cellulose. Considering how badly Gibson LP's are finished I'll compromise. No orange-peel, no files marks on this baby.

I A/B'd this with a Gibson LP at the store -no difference perhaps a little better than the Gibson. I'll probably hot -rod this thing but then again I might not. That's how good it sounds. I play thru a Fender blackface Pro-Reverb.

This is where this guitar caught my eye. It's flawless. The wood looks selected., the neck is sttraight, the action and feel are perfect, weight too. It's not light.
The best thing about it is the way the frets are blended intp the neck binding. The way LP's used to be finished but now only on the custon shop stuff. Gibson share cuts the end of the fret then used the plastic neck binding to mate up. It results in that annoying plastic nub at the ends of each fret and it looks like a cheap shortcut -not worhty of American craftmanship or the Gibson pricetag.

I intend to play the hellout of this guitar and it will certainly be on stage with my G&L and my DIY Warmoth.

Can't say

This is where I begin my tirade on American junk. I've been playing 40 years. Have owned all the old stuff, blah, blah, blah. I play pedal steel guitar, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. People say I'm good but in my mind I'm never good enough. It really doesn't matter what "brand" of guitar I get up on stage with, that's not what music is about and I'm probably not going to have Gibson give me a gaggle of LPs to tour with (they have a n\very agressive promotion policy) Anyway, I traded a USA Hamer for this guitar. When I saw the "Made in Japan" tag I didn't hesitate. Everyone wants the Japanese Fenders, Ibanez (Satriani, Benson) or the old Tokai LPs. Gibson sued Tokai because the Japanese LPs were better than the original USA. Gibson sells on the old nostalgia trip same as Harley Davidson. American business success does not necessarily equate to the customer getting the best product. I think Japan is and always have committed to quailty. Look at Honda cars and mototcycles, Yamaha (pianos), etc.
I'll never buy a Chevy or any other USA made car again and it looks like guitars are headed in the same direction although PRS seems to be doing a fine job on production guitars.
Of course this does not include the old American stuff if you're lucky enough to have one.

2 words:
Les Paul

Mine is a faded cherry burst on a flame top. Looks absolutley RAVISHING. I personally really like the tuners on this thing...the metal looks ten times better than the booger knobs that are on the gibsons, grovers too.

The flames on this standard plus isn't very noticable (like the newer gibsons) but when you do see the flames, you just can't hold back the smile.

the interior of the case is purple and the exterior is black. Though the outside doesn't have the vintage feel to it like the brown gibson cases, the purple is definately a whole lot better than the wierd pink they have in the gibsons.

quality Japanese stuff, no flaws cept the epoxy next to the pearl inlays...mmmm...pearl

Wow, this guitar sounds AMAZING. So sweet and smooth w/ the neck pickup with a very warm feel to it. I loved using it for warm, feel-good tones. and the bridge pickup SCCCCCRRREAMS!!!!

I always have the tone knobs maxed out at 10 for the treble responce, and this baby is loud, but you can always adjust it to your liking.

i have this friend of mine that owns a GIBSON les paul standard plus, much more flamy and in a desert burst. I actually got a chance to play w/ it (when he wasn't there) and i could hear absolutley no difference. The sounds from both were clear and beautiful. When i did mess around w/ his gibson though, it did sound really "polite" which is cool and everything, but i like the loud stuff ;-)

as far as the sound...i just loved it...so flexable and beautiful. The really high notes that i sometimes play may sound really weak and puny when playing clean, but w/ some distortion, this guitar was amazing.

Nice look and finish. Very solid, very beautiful. Only problem is the epoxy that annoys me at times around the inlays.

Action was perfect and the feel of the neck was great. Very fast. I have a Seagull acoustic with an excellet neck (my favorite) and i was afraid that this neck would be horrible (like some disgusting fender necks i've felt) but it's SOLID and doesn't feel like it would break or curve in (again, like some fender necks).

here's where the problem is. I had to put my guitar in it's hardshell case for a 50 min drive w/ some bumpy unpaved roads in texas. And after taking the guitar back out, one of the pickup screws came loose. But these roads weren't THAT bad, so i didn't understand how this screw could come loose. And this screw is the one that holds the pickup in place (w/ the spring that holds the tension and everything) on my favorite pickup, the bridge pickup. So that was a pretty big letdown cuz we couldn't fix it w/out taking apart the guitar. I'm gonna send this over to GC for them to fix up later. One of the strap buttons also came loose, but it wasn't some glued junk, it was a screwed in strap button, so screwing it back in was a breeze.

Besides that, everything else is great. I have a cheap 100$ les paul rip that had horrible parts that broke easily, especially the pickup selector (it's a "quilt" top, as in, looks like a quilt top, but is really just a bunch of lines in a quilttop like manner) . So i am very thankful for the higher quality stuff in this Epi. But still, why did all the screws come loose?

Sure, it's dependable, but the loose screws let me down a whole lot...which reminds me of the new Switchfoot CD, "the beautiful letdown" ANYWAYS........nothing's perfect

i got this off ebay, and the first owner already sent in the warranty card for himself. I've never dealt w/ these people

I am very lucky and blessed to find this guitar for this price. Barley used. I have been regularly checking up on how the epi elites are selling off ebay, and so far, i've gotten the best deal. So i am thankfull. (the shipping was 50$ though...FIFTY BUCKS!!!)

i haven't been playing very long, a measly 1 year, but i've done enough reaserch to know what i want and how to get it. If this were lost, i would buy another guitar, just out of curiosity, but don't get me wrong, this is a VERY GOOD GUITAR. High quality, great feel, beautiful sound, and hey, it's a les paul.

What is a bummer though is the loose screws, it was just annoying, but nothing serious.

I have yet to see these epi elites on the racks of my local GC...but for sure, these guitars are excelent and worth even the $1049 you might spend on them.

(I am a rocker that enjoys stuff from Jennifer Knapp to Lifehouse to Creed to POD and i play worship for my church)

All the standard LEs PAul features but something has to made clear. The Elite Les Paul Standard and the Standard Plus have the "rounded, fat neck". I see some people are writing reviews for these guitars and are saying they have the slim neck. That's not true. It's the good old 59 rounded neck profile. If you like the Les features this is a 10. I'll give it a 9 because they don't have a Bigsby option.

Very nice. These are USA made pick ups but not the 490R and 498T alot of Gibson Pauls have. At first I thought the neck pick up was too bright, but roll back the tone knob a tab and it's very creamy and smooth. For all you Strat guys, using the tone on this guitar actually makes a large, subtle difference from 1-10 on the knob. Bridge can scream but doesn't produce harmonics as easily as a Seymoure JB. The more I play with the pick ups ai really like them. Guitar sustains as any Paul would

Here we go. This is what blew me away. Last year I went to buy a Gibson Paul. I was going to get a standard, the there were gaps between the fretboard and the binding. So I went back and buy another standard. There were actually file burns in the rosewood between the 15 and 17th frets! So I bought a studio plus in desert burst. I brought it home to clean in, and found the finish was chipping off the underside of the fretboard edge! There's no binding and there is a clear finish that was chipping on a brand new guitar! This Epi ELite Paul is PERFECT. No gaps in the neck pocket. Binding is perfect. Sorry to say it, but I think the Japanese make better guitars than the USA unless you are willing to spend over $2500 for a custom shop. Japanese Strats for the 80's are becoming very collectable due the craftsmanship. These guitars are insane due to the craftsmanship and the fact the the parts are top quality

Haven't gigged, but tgis guitar will do the job. Grover tuners, not the snot green Gibson tuners. And if you have not played a Les Paul, this guitar is like a piece of furniture. The mahogany neck, mahogany back, maple top, it's a solid tank

Unfortunatley there is not alot of literature on the site with specs. I called Epiphone/Gibson to find out the neck profile before I bought it (rounded NOT slim). Very nice on the phone. I then e-mailed them to see what guage strings the guitar was set up with (10-46). They wrote back very quickly.

Been playing 5 years and I must say I have had alot of guitars in search for THE guitar (Wolfgang, Ernie Ball Axis, Ernie Ball Silhouette, PRS CE, PRS Swamp Ash) I still have a Fender Strat Plus (no longer made), and the Epi Elite Les Plus. Stolen or damaged, I'de buy it again in a heartbeat.

2002 Elite, 22 frets solid top. The basic les paul setup. you guys know. But man. the wood. the top. ooh man.. Incredible 3 dimensional flame. honeyburst is the finish..and this thing looks incredible...exactly like a 58 reissue. if u dont believe me. email me and ill send u a picture of it.. outtatheblue1@aol.com the neck plays fast..thin tho. some of u who prefer the baseball bat neck are out of luck here..

ive been playing for a bout 9 years. and this is perfect for the rock and roll i play. marshall avt150 roars with this epi. it actually cuts above me Gibson les paul on sound. it pierces more...its got to be the alnico pickups..my gibson has ceramic pickups.. it smokes

it was set up to play.. like they say. but i like my action a lil lower then most. so a lil adjusting was needed. no biggie tho. pickup pole pieces were perfect and so was the top.. great job on the matching.. nut was maybe a lil shallow so i fixed that also. but not a problem at all. it was just my piece of mind.

This is a live guitar no doubt.. great cut...great aestethic quality... ull love it. id always have to have a backup tho.. always

limited warranty... oh well

pick one up now... !

This is from the new Elite line from Epiphone, made in Japan from Gibson USA parts. The Epiphone Elite LP Standard Plus features a bookmatched flame maple top with a mahogany back/neck. Normal LP setup, 22 frets. Pearl inlays, real bone nut, rosewood fretboard, Gibson pickups/hardware, and Grover tuners. This guitar has a very attractive faded cherryburst finish and closely matches the appearance/quality of Gibson's that cost 2-3 times as much. Included deluxe case.

I'm just starting out but I play Zeppelin, Creed, Pearl Jam, etc. Have it plugged in a Marshall 15w amp so I'm not annoying the wife/neighbors *yet*. The sound is vintage Gibson LP fat. The Gibson humbuckers are quiet otherwise. I have no complaints thus far but I'm just a beginner.

Epiphone advertises these Elites are set-up and shipped to play. I have to agree. The action may be a little high for some but for me it's fine. The bookmatched flame maple top is beautifully done. Hardware and fit/finish are Lexus standards. I looked this guitar over closely and only found one very minor flaw in the fretboard binding near the neck pickup but nothing is perfect. For this kind of money, I am pleased.

I'd think that most guitarists would be proud to show off this axe onstage. As the materials are Gibson USA, this guitar should endure. The finish appears durable as well. I'm a long ways from gigging but I think this guitar would be as reliable as any Gibson LP.

No warranty issues yet. Comes with limited lifetime warranty.

I'm a beginner so I've playing less than a year. I researched this guitar before I purchased and believe I made the right choice. If it was stolen, I would buy another until I can afford a Gibson USA or PRS Singlecut. I love the look and sound of this Japanese version of the Gibson LP. I wish Epiphone would offer this guitar with more finish choices but am sure they will over time. I did consider the Elite LP Custom but didn't care for those finishes. If you have around $1k to spend this is a great choice