Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty

This guitar was made in Korea and was put together in 1999. I bought it stock in good condition.

The sound of the stock pickups was adequate, but I use 5E3 amplifiers in stereo and I needed a clean sound that I could run up to distortion without it sounding muddy. I opted for Burstbuckers. I also had my tech install a push-pull switch to allow for a variety of pickup configurations, including "all 3 at once". Since doing that, the guitar is the best sound I have ever heard. I play blues and country and everyone that hears it is breath-taken by the sound.

After a complete setup, I had to learn to play it. It frets easily and I was trying too hard. The action, when set appropriately, will give a buzzless sound that is clean and easy.

This is my last guitar. I am so sold on this setup, with the mods, that nothing can replace it. No reason to spend 5K on a guitar when you can spend $500 for a used one and make it sound like a million!

It has nice gold hardware, although it does wear over time, but I think that just makes it look "lived in". Has three pickups rather than two and it's a neck thru rather than a bolt on - overall the features are pretty standard.

I play anything from Def Leppard through AC/DC, Motorhead, Metallica, Slayer etc. This thing manages any of that stuff no problem. It has a very dirty distorted sound - think Slash - which I absoloutely love. The pickups are pretty high output and I actually much prefer them to the DiMarzio FRED and PAF Joe's I had put in my RR3.
This thing is just so much FUN to play loud!
That said, clean is pretty good too thanks mainly to the middle pup. Neck pup is just a bit too muddy for playing rythms either clean or distorted but it's great for leads.

Don't recall how the thing was setup as I had it done professionally once I got it. Now it's just a joy - the action is SOOO low, the frets are low and this is easy to play fast on. Again, this is much more fun to play than my RR3.
Only thing that's not great - and EPiphones seem to suffer from this - is the electrics. The volume and tone controls are either ON or OFF, you don't get much in between. Not much use, but then for rock and metal you're not really too bothered with this. Still, I did expect more, the Jackson does beat the Epi in that respect. Not only that, but the actual volume and tone pots feel spongy and not very secure. They've lasted me for years without falling off, but I hate touching them just in case.

I've had this for over five years and never had any real problems with it. It's a bit worn as I use it quite a lot, but like I say, it's "lived in" and adds to its character.
Stays in tune all the time, no problems there.

Never had any issues with the guitar.

I have owned a few cheapo guitars, and got this as my first really nice guitar. I've since bought an Epiphone SG, a Jackson RR3 and am waiting delivery of a Jackson SL3.
I will sell the Epi SG and RR3 but I'll keep this no matter what. It's simply a fun guitar to play thanks to the low action and filthy bridge pickup. And if you've seen a photo of a Black Beauty when it's clean you'll know how beautiful these guitars look.
Heavy, sturdy, total rock machine.

Great features, excellent guitar. Didn't love the P/ups so I changed to gold GFS Dream 90's for the mid and neck,, and a gold GFS Hot Liverpool overwound Retrotron Humbucker on the bridge. The neck 90 is reverse wound, so it is like a Humbucker when the mid and neck are both energized. I coil tapped the Retrotron, and installed a toggle to fire it up in any pickup selector position.

I count 8 different sounds now with the coil tap, switch, and pups I installed,,, and all of them are fantastic. The new pickups are very high quality, and the sustain of this guitar is incredible. A perfect match.

I got this guitar from a seller who sold it new, but damaged (frieght). Two cracks on the back of it,, but everything else was great. The finish on this is amazingly thick annd durable looking. I did all my own setup, but it was very easy, and set up perfectly the first time, in a few minutes.

This guitar is like a rock. Heavy, tough and built to last.

Never needed it.

I've been playing and setting up my own guitars for 35 years. I would absolutely replace this if lost or stolen. The guitar will play any style I have tried. It will sing sweetly, or rip your eardrums apart, or anything in between. Whatever you like.
I guess the only guitar that I have had that played and sounded like this was an old 3 pup Airline I had 20 years ago.

This is a Made in Japan Epiphone LP Black Beauty. The features are that of a Gibson LP Black Beauty, Ebony fretboard, MOP inlays on the headstock, solid maple top ect... The othere cool thing about these Epi Japan models are the shape of the headstock, they are the Gibson shape. It seems the difference comes with the electronics of the guitar. Japanese pick ups and cheap pots and switches ect...

The sound of this guitar when I first received it was just OK but then I switched the pups for Gibson 57 classics and changed the pots to CTS 500K pots and now she screams. I A/B'd it with an actual 70's Gibson LP BB and she is dead on. The score for this section is after the MOD. Before I would rank it at a 6

Everything is great! Feels just like a Gibson LP BB. The Epiphone LPs that you can buy here in the states I believe are made in Korea and let me just say that those compared to the Gibson counter part really do not come close. However if you can get one of these MIJ Epis, do it they feel just like Gibsons.

Built like a tank.

Have not needed to use.

For a fraction of the price, and I mean fraction, these MIJ Epi LP are the next best thing to having a Gibson. All one has to do is replace the pups with Gibson ones and replace the pots with CTS. Thanks God for ebay or I would have never been able to puchase one of these. If this were to be lost or stolen I would replace immediately.

This is a very well made guitar from Epiphone. It has all the standard Les Paul features. The extra feature which I like the most is the Middle pickup. The body wood is probably a Mahogany and fret board is made of Rosewood. It has a H/H/H pickups configuration, very cool indeed. It has Grover machine heads and all the hardware is Gold plated. I wish it would have coil tap switches for splitting the humbuckers to get single coil tones.

This guitar has really impressed me due to its remarkable sound quality. I found its sound so warm, full, rich and it really growls wonderfully. It completely fulfills all my music styles requirements. I use Fender FM212R, Yamaha G50 112 III and Yamaha JX50 guitar combo amps. The middle pickups sounds so sweet especially in Clean sound setting and if you add a chorus then it will blow your mind instantly. It is not noisey atall and if you add a overdirve with it while using the bridge pickup then it really comes to its own and you will hear it screaming, crying and singing wonderfully. However I found its bridge pickup not that bright though it has a good midrange but I rather wish it would have a more bite and brightness. Nevertheless, I must say that it is still an amazing guitar as far as sound qualtiy is concerned. I like its heavy weight construction which gives it a more powerful/warm/rich sound and sustain. I like its beautifull carved top for extremely comfortable playing. I somewhat dislike its fat, thick neck, I wish it would have a Fast Low-profile neck. I totally dislike its high sharped edged bridge saddles which tends to hurt your palm during strings muting technique.

I found the guitar set-up at the factory very satisfactory. However I found the action a little higher for my personal taste so I got it adjusted according to my need. The overall action is fast and very comfortable. The pickups adjustment is again very well set at the factory. I have noticed a few flaws in this guitar when I checked it thoroughly after openning its box, 1) Observed a slight pin-point paint chipping off near the neck-body joint area. 2) Observed a fading of Gold plating from tail-piece after few months of use and some stains were also appeared on it as well as on the machine heads which seem permanent. 3)The fret board rosewood is not A-class wood, I observed wide grains on wood surface. 4) There is a small pin-point dent on the body of guitar near toggle switch. 5) Observed insulation melting for one of the wires inside the pots cavity. In the end I must say that the overall finish is great and these flaws have no effect on its superb sound qaulity.

This is a very solid guitar and I have a full faith that this will withstand the live sitautions very well. The hardware is impressive but I am not saitisfied with the durablility of Gold-plating as mine one has developed fading and stains after only a few months of use. I am quite satisfied with the body paint or coating and I found it tough and durable. Yes strap buttons are very solid. I used it in live show without a backup.

I live in Pakistan. Once I contacted Epiphone customers relation department in US on email for seeking help but they never replied to my queries while on the other hand I contacted their China customers relation department from Pakistan and they guided me but not offered any help directly.

I live in Pakistan and playing guitar for the last 27 years. I have lot of gears including Yamaha AES620, Yamaha Pacifica 412V, Yamaha Studio Lord SL400S copy of Les Paul 1980 electric guitars, Ovation CS257 electric acoustic guitar, Fender D6 12-string guitar, Yamaha FG470S. Fender FM212R, Yamaha G50 112 III, Yamaha JX50, Behringer ultra acoustic ACX900 all are guitar combo amps. Got lot of Boss effect pedals and few from Ibanez, MXR, Danelectro and Zoom. One Seymour Duncan Woody pickup.

I replaced the stock pickups with 3 duncan performer pickups. Scorching, blistering solos, and rich clean sounds.

Great action. Of course, had to set it up, because it wasnt 'road-ready'.
Finish is glossy, and shiney. Can stay that way if cleaned properly and often.

I believe this guitar (with some component upgrades...ie..pickups, hardware, maybe electronics... will be very reliable. I use it now as my main guitar. I had previously owned a Gibson BlackBeauty that had been stolen. Strap buttons seem reliable enough.

I am currently seeking information on putting the black chrome hardware on it. Black Beauty Gothic?... hmmm... replace the gold tuners and bridge and tailpiece with gothic black chrome. Cant seem to find info.

Been playing for 35 years. I also own a strat. I really like the tone of the BlackBeauty in the middle pickup position. Very mellow, but has a rough edge if applied harshly.

right, this sexy getar has 3 alnico pickups, one of the main features on this guitar, nice glossy black finish with aged binding.it has some nice grover tuners and a tune o matic bridge, all in sexy gold harware, its the standard les paul shape,
Guitar number:U05013126
There are two seperate tine controls and two volume controls the volume controll for the rythem pickum controlling the middle pickup also.it has a nice fat neck,
a nice standard guitar...i love it!

this guitar has a nice rich warm sound when running on sclean and ont he rythem pickups.the sound is still fat on lead aswell, the middle pickum makes little difference, wich is a dissapointment,
i play lots of metallica(badly) espetialy the clean sonfs like nothing else matters, and the unforgiven. im running through a vantage 15 watt amp and zoom g2 pedal, sometimes the guv'nor 2 marshal overdrive pedal also. at the momoent im finging it hard to get a nice metallica sound using these but its not the guitars fault. its my amaturness'. i love the sound although with my set up it can be very frustrating.

i was annoyed with the pickups being lose on transport but everything else was cool, flawless finish

hardware has nearly gone, i have had it since xmas 05 last december,i fitted schaller straplocks to it and they both worked loose so i dowelled up them and then they were fine, i will gig with it when people start to take my music seriously:(, wouldnt need backup with this beast

no comment but a 10 cus the guitars good

been playing for almost a year, i wouldnt buy it again cus i wouldnt be able to afford it again but if i could i would,
i hate my set up i need a good amp with a nice tone, i got it 100# cheaper than at my local music shop tho.
If u have any information about getting a nice metal distiortion contact my email

2005 model. Read other reviews for info.

I play Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers and it suits all of these styles. I play with a marshall MG100DFX and it sounds great. This guitar has a huge variety of sounds from soft and melodic to a loud and sharp sound. Effects also sound great. I love a chorus/delay rythym solo. I ussually keep all the knobs fully up too get a loud rich tone and sound.

The only fault when I got the guitar were some unequal frets but that only took a day at the shop to fix. Everything else ws fine from the start.

One flaw was the strap buttons, while I was playing the strap fell off one of the buttons and the cord wedged into the plastic jack. I gave it back to the shop and I got the jack in replaced by a gold metal piece. After that I bought a pair of safety strap buttons so the strap can't fall off.

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This guitar is fuckin' awsome and the sound is amazing throuh my amp. I play in a band and it doesn't screw up at a high volume and it looks like a great piece of art. I'm very happy with my purchase!

97 Black Beauty, 3 pickups 22 frets, gold hardware, grover tuners, mahogany body, top and neck, black laminated finnish and lp style obviously.

my style is only hard rock classic rock and blues and this guitar is excellent for thrashing out sum of those riffs. it can be used for blues perfectly 2. im using an Alesis WildFire 15 amplifier it's small (considering im new having played 4 only a year an a half) but it has 70 effects built in. this guitar sounds awesome on the amp especially with a CryBaby pedal. the stock pup's r wat u would expect but they still pack a punch. the middle pup only slightly changes the sound but still makes difference i supose.

the action was excellent. it was set up very gd by my korean pals :p. i put the middle pup down slightly cos it got in the way now and again. i heard that the gold hardware starts 2 fade after a while but i dun care. i also heard that the input jack goes loose, but thats wer a tighten up comes in ;). but the black finnish relly encoureges u cos it lookes so LUSH!!!!

i would definetly play this live, it owuld stand out on stage 2. the hardware should last me through the years.the finnish is thick as shit so it'll take a battering for this 2 get mearly touched. the strap butons seem ok but in a few days i'll end up geting strap locks cos my other guitars come out of the strap and hit me in the head wen held vertical like slash ;p thats why i can never trust em. u can relly rely on this guitar the strings havent snapped yet neither ;). i will never gig without a backup, u never know wat could hapen ;p

it's under a lifetime warrenty (excellent) as long as i dun change anything.

iv'e only been playing for 1 and a half years and im not even scratching the surface of being good. i own an american strat, 52 tele and this of course and it is the best of the 3. if it wer stolen i would personally beat the person who stole it, i would by it again but i would look for 1 wih a bigsby on it. i love the fact that it has come right out of the gibson factory, wen u think about it coming out of the worlds greatest guitar factory it gives u a warm, glowing, warming glow inside. (haha off the simpsons ... mmmmmmm gisbson) ;p. i compared this 2 my strat and tele and this 1 came out on top. is only it had jimmy pages signature.

97 Black Beauty, 3 pickups with Bigsby. Either Gotoh or Grover tuners, gold hardware

The bridge pickup is kind of weak, and the middle pickup doesn't change the sound much as-is, but I'm planning on getting it rewired with a push-pull pot for more sounds.

The neck pickup sounds great though!

I got it used and it buzzes on the bottom two strings from the 1st to the 2nd fret. There's some fret wear visible, so maybe that's why.

The action is nice and low - maybe too low?

weighs a ton, appears solidly built. I got a hard case with it and take good care of it, so it should be fine.

the gold plating on the pickups has started to wear off, but that's to be expected with any BB that's actually been played.

never dealt with the company, but the people on the epiphone forum are friendly and helpful

this is my main guitar - i got it because Jimmy Page did all his session work with an original Gibson BB, and he knows more than I do.

I'm planning on replacing the pickups and doing the wiring mod from above but other than that there's not much I'd change on it.

well,what can i say about this instrument. there is such little this guitar cant do, apart from be light its unreal. iam so pleased i bought this guitar, a true rhythmist weapon of choice, astounding. sound, sight, strength, its perfection for the always welcome epiphone lower-than-just-a-little-weaker-than-gibson price bracket.

standard 22fret board/mahogany-ebony block inlays
full-on gold/black/cream body finish, the pic on the site makes it look nasty.
pick-ups are some what of a let down without good old fashioned valve amps that rele take this beaut hurtling back to 1963, this sounds fairly tactless and plain. to remedy this, try the following layout i have (trial and error irritatingly)

N - Seymour n d P90(any will do)or same manufacturer - pearly gates
M - either S n D invader for nu metal/punk(euch) OR bill lawrence L490 (mail order) but the middlebucker is actually madeby gibson anyway( even if it is still in korea) and may not need replacing
B - you will wanna change this btw if you want stage presence over lead if its metal or more. S n D - JB SH4, or a dime bucker

the over-all cost is alot if you dont know what youre doing, ebaying second hand pups is a good idea only if you know what youre doing. i will of spent close to ?470 on pups, not including me selling them off again mind, imake a small return. but i now have a guitar that can play every style,and make every other instrument around look feeble to the ends of the earth.

however, i have had this guitar for just under 3 years and i doubt i will ever let it go. for a starter, you wnt want to ever change anything less thebridge for a more metal sound asit is a rock instrument

as before

this is a rock guitar

just because hetfield has the 2 pup version, and plenny of other actually heavy metal bands feature this guitar as rhythm,chimaira , BLS and speed horn to name a few, doesnt mean its meant fr it. they have hadloads ofmods done to them, the alcino (if correct) pups are rarely that good and burstbuckers are often used.

for a fresh-off-a-squire player, bored as i was of the light, fradgile, puny and emotional wreck guitars like cheap-ass strats (you really have to pay too much for a quality one) a heavy duty and down and dirty LP is what you need,if not,maybe a tele.

if you are lucky enough to get the gibson brightwire strings as i was, this guitar will immediatly jump out of its shell, it took a full year of playing every day god knows how long to break the E alone!

after 2 years a new pup

or dipped in that crazy pup wax decently dodgy guitar shops have

new pups will be needed, see the crazy set up

this is a tank

solid to the bone nothing is weak on it, excelent.
the pups are alright, i stress it all over when they just loose the feel of the instrument
everythingsin orgerand the finish is imaculate, absolute gorge and no other word
the pup selector starts to get a lot of crackling between changes if changing amps quickly,most likeyl due to impedance changing. this is sometimes a drag and no one likes a deafening crackle froma pup change during song, however i do slam the toggle likecrazy, so im prolly to blame

invincible

never needed it

doubt i ever will, im more useful around it than a phone call anyway

if some devil possesed gypsy from the wrong side of town stole this baby, i would pull out the third student loan to buy and upgrade the whole thing again, this is one guitar i couldnot live without, infact, thing in my life, its just been such a great enhancer and driver of skill, it cant be riveled for how much ive came along. its a great confidence booster and brings a certain element of prowesse that very very few others can safely off without being overpriced. be weary of actual guitar shops,some can sell this for nearly ?6-700 nearly a$1000 which for an epi is abit pricey. but even if you had a LP for a starter (never met a guy who did and stook with them, they went back to bumming their light "responcive" - what ever that dictates strat that cost ?1099)you should be saving up for this guitar and buy online to save time and money, the dealer that supplied me is still up now i checked and has a website www.aireguitars.co.uk, they better pay me for this lol. ive played 19 gigs with this guitar alone, not including the epi archtop es-295 or tanglewoods, i think thers about 27 all in all. the inclusion of new pups however is amust for a definate pro however, dontforget, this is a gibson wired model!

i hope this has propted you to get the best thing since sliced bread, you wont be too disapoiinted, time sows the virtues of this beast like nothing else though, so dont be hasty and say its too difficult, its worth amount of playing to love it

A 2005 Model, absolutely gorgeous. I got it at Guitar Center in Atlanta. I had run into some inheritance money from a recent death. $13,000 dollars. So, I did what any 14 year old guitarist would do, I spent it all. I got four guitars, an Epi Black Beauty, an Epi LP Custom, a Gibson LP Standard, and a Gibson SG with maestro. This is the best of all of them. Sure, the Gibson has the flashy headstock, but this guitar sounds just as good for a third of the price. H/H/H, god, what could be more perfect. I have only been playing for a year, but I am damn good. Normal LP Settings. All Maple. The finish is amazing. It looks like you could try to scrape it off, and it wouldn't work. Heavy as hell, but that comes with the sustain, so it's allright.

I was born in the wrong decade. I can't stand that the world is being taken over by a whole bunch of whining emo bands. I miss the days of AC/DC, Aerosmith, The Ramones, Rolling Stones, and my favorite, Guns N' Roses. This guitar was made for that music. Sure, the neck is a little fat, but if you are good, it shouldn't matter. It sounds so round and rich, it is astounding.

Well, at Guitar Center, I had all of them professionally set up, so they are b-e-a-utiful. So, I give this a ten!!!

I have dropped this guitar 4 times, and it sounds fine, nuff said.

Don't know yet, but for all intensive purposes, 10.

I own the four other guitars I've mentioned, plus a shitty Yamaha. Read my review in the Yamaha Section on this site. I am in guitar heaven. If it were stolen, I'd kill myself. My favorite feature is the genuine Les Paul sound. I don't know what to say. Get a Gibson if you want Amazing Looks and Amazing Sound. Get Epiphone if you want Great Looks and F***ing Amazing Sound.

Enough frets
Laminated
Enough Controls
Humbuckers
Ebony finish
Les Paul style

I play from heavy metal to classic rock to death metal to southern rock to blues guitar
Most of the time the guitar does its job
May take a little screwing to get the perfect sound
Enough sound variety
Better pickups maybe

One word...gorgeous

yes yes yes yes

Very helpful

I love this guitar

2004
Made in Korea,Standard LesPaul features...tune-o-matic,stopbar tailpiece,2 vol. 2 tone,mahogany body,alder top,gold plated hardware,3 humbuckers,grover tuners,full binding,rosewood fretboard,22 med/jumbo frets,3 way pickup selector in the usual place.If you wanted a Les Paul then you got what you payed for.

This is one the more versitile units you're gonna find in this price range.It has a terrific range of sound possibilities from the 3 pickups.If you're looking for a strat sound from this thing...forget it.Don't get me wrong,it can do clean and jazzy with the best of 'em but there's a thick quality to it.Dirty it up and you got hard rockin' heaven.Don't expect much from a little practice amp though...you don't experience the full potential of this thing unless you go through tubes and a decent cabinet.I have a Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 through a Peavey 4/12 and it just rocks!I also have a small Marshall G30RCD and although it still sounds good,it's nothing compared to the "monster".You can get everything from Slash to Still of the Night/Whitesnake stuff and beyond.If you think your sound is too muddy,roll the damn gain off a little...too much distortion on this can be mistaken for mud but you have to EQ it right too.I own another Epi Les Paul Standard Plus and this one has a much thicker sound...just like it's supposed to.Stock pickups are good from Epi these days.Thick but clear if you have a decent sound setup.

I expect the gold hardware will fade as other players have stated but no biggie.I like to have a nice low action and the factory setup was good except the intonation needed some work.Piece of cake with the tune-o-matic.It plays sweet.Like to hit the Zakk pinch harmonics and this thing helps me pull those off.I'm self taught so I'm not the best at soloing but what I can do is effortless with this setup.Action set to borderline fret buzz.Examine yours before you buy by looking down the neck from the body near your face to make sure the neck is straight and you can set these up to play smooth and fast.I've had it only a week and have not found any defects or have any issues with switches,control pots,tuning,or anything.With anything you buy it's possible to get a lemon so check it out first.Had to lower the middle pickup though only because it gets in the way of picking sometimes.Just a preference.The finish is beautiful and the inlays done well.I know they're not real mother o'pearl but they look good.I agree with some of the other reviewers on the headstock...there seems to be an extra thick layer of clearcoat or something but you don't really notice if you aren't looking for it.

Never really cared for Epi's cheaper bridge piece but I think it will last.Some are real string eaters but my Standard Plus has not had that problem and so far this one hasn't either.I've played the crap out of it this past week with the original strings and haven't lost one yet.Strap buttons on all Les Pauls should be changed to straplocks unless you want to see if hitting the floor with it will hurt it.I think it would be gig worthy although a backup is kinda risky not to have.If the finish wears off then it's a player...if you want to keep a collector piece then shell out the 3 grand for a Gibson and put it in a case forever.Even the high dollar guitars will wear over time.I do expect to have to replace vol. or tone pots someday but this is one of the reasons it's a $700 guitar instead of $3000.

No experience trying to contact Epiphone.
Warranty is a "limited lifetime" warranty which means if you break it,then you fix it usually.This is usually only good for factory defects right out of the box,but in that case you go through the place of purchase anyway.

Been playing 22 years and I've owned my share of guitars.My first guitar was a dept.store Les Paul copy which I still own(it's junk).Most of the rest of the guitars I've owned I've sold....Japanese Jackson Dinky EX,2 Jackson Performers,a Jackson SL4 neck through,2 Gibson Les Paul Studios(which aren't any better than a nice Epi),an Epi Les Paul Classic Quilt,Epi LP Standard Plus(B stock made in China!!!with a Dimarzio Tone Zone in the Bridge,a BC Rich Warlock NJ Quilt.Sound wise there was an old Kustom Challenger amp,a Crate GXT-212(NOW THERE'S A COMPANY WITH SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WARRANTY ISSUES)and the 2 Marshalls mentioned earlier in this review.I've done away with the stomp boxes for now and run through a Digitech RP300 for that beyond Marshall sound and acoustic sounds.For all you winers who think the p-up switch is in a bad spot and the damn thing is too heavy...buy something else.If you know you're after a real Les Paul sound,then this tank is for you.Part of the reason they sound that way is because of the density of mahogany-Heavy.If money was no object then of course I would buy Gibson stuff but since I don't have between 2-4 grand burning a hole in my pocket,Epiphone's Les Paul Black Beauty is the next best thing.I can't say it's as good as Gibson but I've had virtually identical Gibsons behave differently.One had issues and one did not.A higher price tag isn't a guarantee of higher quality.Check them personally...where you can play 'em b4 you buy 'em.Get yourself a good one and you won't be disappointed.If you steal mine,I'll come getcha.

What year was it made? Where was is made? (Japan, Mexico, USA, etc...)
How many frets?
Solid-Top? Laminated top?
Which controls are given (volume, tone, 5-way selector, 3-way, tap, etc...)?
Pickup configuration? (S/S/H, H/H, S/H, Piezo, etc...)
Make and model of pickups?
Active or Passive electronics?
Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)
Finish (Satin, transparent, quilted top, flamed top, etc...)
Body style (strat, tele, dreadnought, cutaway, thinline, etc...)
Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Wilkinson, Tele-style, String-thru body,
stop tailpiece, etc...)
Tuners (Locking? Non-locking? brand of tuners - Sperzel, Gotoh, Grover, Schaller, etc...)
Neck/Scale (Fat, Thin, Jumbo Frets, Rosewood, Maple, etc...)
Any included accessories? (Case, gig bag, strap, cable, tools, humidifier, etc...)

How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?
What amps and effects are you using it with?
Is it noisy? On what settings?
Rich/Full sound? Bright sound?
What kind of sounds can the guitar make? How much variety?
Likes and dislikes?

How well was the guitar set-up at the factory? (How was the action?)
How well were the pickups adjusted?
Properly bookmatched top? Properly routed bridge?
Did the guitar contain any flaws? (misaligned bracing, poorly filed fretwire,
finish flaws, poor quality wood, rusted or oxidized hardware, loose tuning pegs,
poorly cut nut, poorly fit saddle, noisy pickup selector, loose controls, etc...)

Will this guitar withstand live playing?
Does the hardware seem like it will last?
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off
with lots of playing?
Are the strap buttons solid?
Can you depend on it?Would you use it on a gig without a backup?

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?Ever try and get it repaired? Was it under warrantyHow long is the warranty

I'd like to share, that why dont you go make a review and not make me do a review

I think this is a 2003 model but not sure, it has 3 humbuckers and tune-o-matic with a stoptail. I came with Grovers, which is nice. Not sure of the wood on these Epi's but the board is identical to the ones on my Epi SG Custom and Epi Fbird7. The neck is fatter like my brother's 56 goldtop Epi as opposed to the faster profiles on my axes. It came in an SKB case, but I payed 25 extra for it so as not to have to build a case for it. On my SG and Fbird I changed the wiring to be like a LP Std, cutting out the middle p/up-but I left this one stock, switching-wise.

This guitar suits what I do in the band well-gives me a powerful lead tone and a nice Clapton "woman" tone on the rhythm p/up with the tone turned almost off. I use this thru a Laney ProTube 50 watt head into and old Ampeg 412 with Eminence speakers. I use a small stone ,TS-9, and analog delay.It was noisy but I removed the p/up covers and potted them in wax and changed out the cheap selector. This axe is great for ballsy rhythm, but the lead sound was shrill until I potted the p/ups and removed the covers. The guitar also benefitted from a bone nut(I replaced the crap plastic nut on all 3 of my Epi's.) This guitar gets a very gutsy detailed and rich tone in all positions and at all settings. I especially like the middle selection as the guitar gets a Strat-like sound but with enough heft to still have some punch when riffing. I gotta say-I like it and it fits in well with not only my brother's p-90 fueled sound, but also compliments the tones of my Firebird and SG. I am giving it a tad lower score because of the switch's poor quality and the need for working on the pickups to get them gig-worthy

It came set up with .009's that I swapped for 11-52 guage. the action needed jacked up and I adjusted the rod for a bit more relief. My other Epi's had sort of rough fret ends but this one was fine as-is. The guitar has some discolered binding from the factory so it was a second. The grover tuners were nice but had to be adjusted a little tighter to hold in tune with the heavier strings. As mentioned above the selector and nut were changed, and the pickup covers removed and pickups wax potted as they sqealed. Keep in mind they were fine at normal levels, but onstage at very high volume they sqealed like a stuck pig...this is probably only a concern to those who plan on using this axe for high-powered hard rock at ferocious volume! Like me!

My Epi Firebird and SG Custom are ruad dawgs from hell and this LP is built even stouter! The gold hardware is wearing like mad as I sweat a lot, but that is the norm. The finish is thick and durable. I screw the strap directly to all my guitars. This sucker can take a beating, but I never would play a paying gig without a backup, as too much can and will go wrong. But, I think outside of a busted string this one is tuff enuff to handle anything I can dish out!

Used axes...never dealt with Epi/Gibson

I've been playing 10 yaers, taght by my brother Cyrus. Our band 3rd Strike plays a mix of original hard punk/rok and covers. I got this axe because we play high energy for 2-21/2 hours without a stop and 3 guitars makes it easier on our tech guy. If it were stolen, I'd get another as I like it. It looks better w/out the p/up covers in my opinion, and looks kick-ass sitting between my white Firebird and white SG. I cannot think of anything I hate about it. These Epi's need a few minor things to be working-musician-gig-ready, but they are cheap so upgrades aren't that painful! I recently bought a Les Paul Special with Humbuckers for 400 bucks and it was a sorry cheap piece of garbage-I was shocked!!. I'll stick with my hotrod EPIPHONES!!!

You've read them before surely! But grover tuners are good, tho not as pretty as the klusons i geuss.. 3 humbuckers and 3 way selector switch each distinctive with the mid setting mixing the bridge and mid PU but slightly outphased like the Gibson original,but different...more funky! Just solid!!

I play a lot of varied music from country to metal, mostly i play Sabbath style stuff tho. This guitar really suits those old school meaty riffs and because its such a fat fucking guitar it has tons of sustain...ooohhh yeah!! you'll want to play anything with vibrato with this, sounds just like Tony Iommi with the right gear! But honestly this guitar has great harmonics, sustain and that proper gutsy warm Les Pau tone you'd expect from such a lovely guitar! Versatile as a motherfucker!

This is my only problem... ok the thing is tho i bought this off the tinternet in my homeland of england for the awesome price of #350, i thought id have to pay #600!! so when it came i was still upset (pissed off) that all was not perfect. You see, these are mass produced, in Korea nonetheless, sooo the set is quite crap unless your lucky. At the moment it sounds great, it really does, but because of bad set up there was sum nasty buzzing etc. a bit of fiddlin solved that but im gonna have to get it professionally set up and id advise anyone buyin this guitar to do the same. You see my mate did and it brings the best out of a fantastic guitar. Also neck was filthy and near the edges look dodily done, but still it feels great. adn some minor flaws with the finnish (but hardly noticeable, still looks like summut u wanna shag). Still like i sed i cant really blame epiphone tho (lazy fuckers go eat shit and make sumfin with quality)

Gold hardware looks like its gonna come off pretty quick, so im being careful and im hopin i can make it last by doin nothing but lightly rubbing it from time to time to keep it buffed. I jump around a lot with it (even tho it is heavy, so get your weights out and do sum push ups while your waitin to get one!! I think its about 8lbs by the way) and its not broke,strap butons worked fine. black guitrs are a pain in the arse to keep clean and there are a few light scratches but has not chipped and i dont think it will, the finnish is quite thick. It is rock solid and to be honest i cant wait till the gold wears off and sum more scrtches pop on, because at the moment its a pretty beast

Haven't ad to. But i bet they're shit and i have to go to korea and get a translator to get any answers

Iv been playing for about four years but i strive to learn as much i can about the guitar and musical world, so i know the sounds of a quality guitar and this is one. this is my first decent guitar if you get me but it plays (if set up properly)just as nice as a gibson Les Paul, i don't see this as a budget gibson, just one for people with more brains than money. The amount of tone you get per buck with this guitar is awesome! Its Gibson thru and thru just cheaper. I also want a Gibson SG Voodoo next coz i love that guitar and its meaty riffage potential! but for the money you get great versatility, tone, sustain and blah , blah , blah!!! What you readin this for you dumb Bastard??!! Just go buy it!!!!!!

I have a recent model of the black beauty with grover tuners, 3 pickups, gold harware and all the other stuff.

I play mostly indie and punk stuff like fugazi and minor threat and it is perfect for it. I use various marshall combos and heads and it sounds so sweet clean and distorted with a nice bright sound. It has a good variety of sounds from soft melodies to screaming gain.

This guitar's action is beautiful. The finish is beautiful and everything plays extrememly well.

This guitar will definetly withstand the road but of course i wouldnt use it without a backup on the issue of string breakage. I know its heavy but all les pauls are, and you get used to the weight really easy and im tired of people complaining about it.

limited lifetime warranty never dealt with the company.

ive been playing for about four years and im 14. Ive played a lot of gibson and epiphone les pauls and i love them all and fortunately, since i dont have a lot of money, i can get an epiphone les paul that feels almost exactly like the gibsons for thousands less. If it were stolen and i couldnt find who stole it, id get my dad to get me a new one.

damn there are 50 other reviews with this same exact information look at them.

ok here we go... the whole thing sounded bassy, even with smaller strings on them, theeen i went to play with my band. the th9ing wudnt stop squeeling. anything above like music store amp loudness makes it squeeel. it sounded fine in teh store, but not with teh volume above 2.

everything was perfect, except i had to lower the middle pickup becasue my pick wouold hit it when i was playing.

if the sound didnt suck shit, i wud use it without backup, its very reliable, and everything is solid. it did chip right on the heal tho but just a little one and i covered it up wil a black sharpie :-)

i bought this from zzounds. when i called them abouit my feedback problem they answered instantly, and gave some advice that moght help, and then when that didnt work, i called back, they answered emediatly and refered me to a gibson liscensed workshop right near my house. when he couldnt fix it either, they gave my a 100% refund.

giving that i had to send it back becasue it sounded bad im gonna give it a six. if it didnt squeel this baby wudda had a ten

it's a remake of the gibson '56 LP.22 frets. arched top mahogany of course. 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way switching.
rythm-neck, middle- middle, treble- bridge.
alnico magnet humbuckers.
i dont know- haha.
mahogany neck, mahogany body, mahogany top.
black satin-like finish.
LP body style...oohh yes. i love that so much.
stop-bar tailpiece.
grover tuners.
mahogany neck, i dunno what kind of frets.
hardshell case and a gibson lightning strap got bought along with the bad boy.

it suits my style completely. i can have 3 different volume levels with the 3-way/ pickup arrangement. i play christian rock/ praise and im so stinkin proud of it. Jesus rocks.

i mic a little 30w rogue cg-30r amp at my youth group and play through some behringer v-amp2(effects tweaked exactly to my tastes.)

it's passive on middle and very strong on the rythm.

very deep gutsy rythm sound. yet i can still get great lead tones when i want to.

tons of variety. heck i have 3 humbuckers!

love the gold hardware. i've heard that it fades, but hey everything in life does except for Jesus.

i took it to my guitar lesson after i got it and my teacher didnt have to make any neck/ action/ intonation adjustments. GREAT JOB EPI!!

the pickups didnt need adjustment. another great job by epi.

very proper;y bookmatched top. properly routed bridge.

no flaws whatsoever.

its passed the live play test wonderfully.

the hardware is solid as a rock as far as i'm concerned.

the finish will last for a long time. it's put on pretty thick.

the strap buttons gold finish is starting to wear. but i don't care.

i depend on it more than my jackson dx-10d reverse.

i would use it gigging with no backup without a doubt.

never dealt with em but they sure do know how to make guitars!!

haven't had to repair anything yet. i still have the warranty and it's lifetime.

i've been playing close to 3 yrs. and i own an old sigma acoustic, a jackson dx-10d reverse, a peace 5-piece zion series drumset, a zildjian 4 piece ZBT+ rock pack, a pearl sensitone custom classic(discont.), and a zxt splash.

i wouldve asked the retailer why in the heck don't you charge more for this??!?!

i would definitely buy another if it was stolen/ broke/ lost.

i love the gold hardware, classic gibby sound, and the weight.

i compared it to the gibson LP faded special and the BB had way more features and quality.

i wish it had a blender and pizza oven built-in to it. but, yeah you can't be that happy.

i'd like to thank gibson for making this guitar and for it's features and Jesus Christ for giving me my musical ability to play this guitar for his name and glory! JESUS ROCKS HARDER THAN ANY BAND OR INDIVIDUAL EVER COULD!!

22 frets
3 humbuckers
weight: 50kg

The golden humbuckers turned black after a couple of years. I polished them with some tooth-paste and now they are silver-coloured. Don't touch them and they'll stay golden I suppose.

Play this guitar an hour a day and you won't have to go to the gym anymore. It's a quite heavy guitar but if you aren't midget-sized you'll probably manage.

The Marshall AS80R (acoustic amp without distortion)I'm using at the time isn't very suitable for electric guitar and especially not for this guitar. The amp sounded great with a Matti Nevalainen vintage strat with three single coils though...
I've played the epi through a marshall vs100 and that was much better.
I also use an Ibanez tube-screamer and a Boss limiter/sutainer.

At first I played the guitar with thick strings. The clean sound of
the basestrings was terrible. Now I play with thinner strings which is better.

Don't buy this guitar if your looking for a good clean sound.
If you're looking for rich distortion sound it's a quite good choice.

The strings were too close to the fretboard which resulted in that the low e-string couldn't vibrate freely when playing hard. It was quite easily adjusted.

The switch is unreliable. You have to switch it back and forth to get any sound out of the guitar.
The plug got loose almost right a way.
It fell over once and the tone-knob broke.

I would gig without a backup since I don't own one.

The guitar stays in tune quite well though.

I've been playing for about 5 years.
I also own an electro-acoustic aria. Therefore I own the AS80R.

If it was stolen I would get a jackson.

I wish it would have a single-coil in the middle instead of the crappy humbucker. The other humbuckers seem better. I don't know why maybe it has to do with the positioning.

Korea, Three pickups, decent quality tuners, mahogany body, it's basically a copy of a Gibson Les Paul 'Black Beauty,' but with a different shape headstock. The neck is a tad on the chunky side, but not uncomfortably so. Plays smooth. Stays in tune. The Middle pickup is wired so that when switched to middle position, you get the bridge and middle pickups "out of phase," with sort of a srat-like 'quack,' but of course much thicker and darker. The pickups are stock. If i didn't like the way the guitar sounded, I wouldn't have bought it.

I play rock, blues, R'n'B, soul, country, power pop, metal, stoner rock, yadda, yadda, yadda, deconstructivist gregorian square dance reels, etc.

But what I have to say about the sound is this: tonight, I was rehearsing with my band, playing the Epi Black Beauty through my Balls M18 2X12 combo. I broke a string, and asked my friend if I could play his wine-colored Gibson Les Paul Custom. I said out loud "well now we'll hear a real Les Paul, eh?" And I plugged in, and I'll be damned if it didn't sound pretty much the same. The main differentce in tone I noticed was that the real LP was a little thinner and brighter sounding. Playability-wise, the real LP's neck was a little slimmer, which I like. But MAN!! When you consider the ASTRONOMICAL difference in price - $700 vs. $3,000! The Epi is a terrific guitar!

Brand new, the action was too low, to such a degree that the high E string was fretting-out in spots. I had my luthier friend set the intonation, and recently I raised the bridge height myself to accommodate slide playing, which this guitar is well suited for.

I've been gigging with this guitar quite a bit lately. It stays in tune, and I use light strings (.009 to .042). The finish is really nice, I've had lots of compliments on the look of this guitar. Had it since last summer, have not spotted anything amiss with the gold hardware, etc. I wouldn't use any guitar on a paying gig without a backup.

No dealings with Epiphone as of yet.

Started playing at 12, now 37. I have a few other amps and guitars & stuff. If it were lost or stolen, I'd be quite annoyed and probably curse out loud. I might replace it, or I might get a Gibson faded SG with crescent moon inlays. I go through guitars like socks....

Overall I'd give this guitar a solid 8. It has certainly been worth every penny I payed for it. People who think that Asians make bad gear are dumb and possibly racist.

the les paul black beauty 3
korean, 2002-2003.
22fret laminated top.
2 volume, 2 tone and a 3 way selecter switch.
3 humbuckers
body is maple, rosewood fretboard.
The finsih is an ebony finish.
Lovely grover tuners
included lead which failed in the next week or so.

This guitar really does kick ass for its price tag, it suits me and my bands style down to the ground, amazing "power" feel. bags of tone and options. i use a marshall valvestate2000 avt150 and it really goes well together. no noise or feedback. loads of variety, no bad points about the sound.

this guitar is set up amazingly, just what a beginner needs, pick-ups are well set up together to give loads of variety. there was one poor finish which i found but is hardly visable and thats the white stripe going around the edge of the guitar, where the 2 ends of the stripe is joined, there is a small mis-placement.
Amazing build quality!!!

this guitar is a perfect live guitar as the poly finish will withstand many knocks whithout any chipping. i dont think anything will go wrong with this guitar, everything is put together so well!!
the paint, tuning pegs and neck will definatly last a few years with no signs of wear. strap buttons are very solid and i will always use my epiphone black beauty for live gigs.

i have been playing a year and a half now and after learning on a squire strat for a year, with my epiphone i have already played three gigs, and one was backing up aeroplane blonde. if my black beauty was lost or stolen i would probably put up with my squire strat for a while until i can afford a gibson les paul.
Compared to the squire strat, this guitar is nothing short of amazing. i just wish it had the quality, sound of a gibson.

I have a 1999 model black beauty. All mahogany with i think a maple top. Three epi pickups, rosewood fretboard and epi tuners.

My styles are all over the place. Classical stuff to Slayer. I dont know why people hate epi pickups so much. They arent great but they do their job well. So far the only sound I can't get out of this guitar is a Texas Blues type sound which I wasnt expecting. Everything else is done very nicely. Most versatile guitar I"ve ever played.

Well the action on mine isn't set low so I can get string resistance but also a few bad frets keep me from going low but that is due to excessive playing. To me the action is heaven, fits my hand perfectly. The neck is slightly thinner than the gibson model but its better that way. The finish is beautiful but cant take scratches and dings to well.

I dont have a backup and will never need one with this guitar. Sturdy as a rock and you can tell by its massive weight, but hey like zack wylde says about LP weight "grow some hair on your balls wimp!"

Havent dealt with em.

Great guitar, highly recommended for a low budget guy and rich guys alike.

This is a great guitar for its price. The Black Beauty has three humbuckers (anyone who loves versatility will love this guitar; I know some guitarists aren't very versatile, though), all passive. The body is made of mahogany, as is the neck, with a carved alder top for just a bit of a brighter tone, and the fretboard is rosewood. Nice classy pearloid inlays. The neck is very fast playing, and probably the only drawback is that it's very difficult to reach the 22nd fret (21st fret is fine), but that's not a huge issue unless you're just weird like I am. And well, the easy solution would be tapping the 22nd instead, which is done a lot. It's just a very solid guitar with massive sustain (set neck with a HEAVY body). Oh, yeah, the body is pretty heavy compared to other guitars, but you get used to it. It's not an issue. And it's more comfortable for me, now.

I play pretty much everything from soft rock, blues, jazz, alt rock, hard rock, metal... But mostly, I play prog rock. This guitar meets every one of those requirements quite well. The only drawback is that it is only mediocre for metal. But this is really where the guitar shines. It will handle almost everything you throw at it. The bridge is great, turning the tone knob up for a great, bright, distorted lead tone for all the harder rock songs you're bound to play. Then, turn the tone knob down for a muddy, messy, grunge sound.

Flip to the mid. This is an interesting pick-up because it has the bassiness and warmth of the neck pick-up, and the brighter, dirtier sound of the bridge. Well, it's not bright enough and too bassy for lead... But the neck is TOO bassy and TOO warm for metal or hard rock rhythm... So I use the mid for my heavy rhythm playing. It's perfect. It handles distortion very well, but has that rhythm tone to it. Literally, I can get the perfect rhythm sound out of this for metal (that it is so bassy, yet bridge-like at the same time make it great distorted for metal; my issue with metal palying on this guitar comes from the bridge and lead).

Flip the switch up again, and you've got the neck. LIterally, this is the best pick-up. Make just a little brighter with the tone knob, and you've got a warm, creamy jazz tone. A great blues down. Turn the tone knob down, and you've got a bassy almost acoustic-like rhythm for softer sounds. Turn it up again, and strum some open chords, and every note rings clearly, warmly, smoothly. The epitome of "clean electric guitar." Leave the tone closer to five, and play some alt rock licks.

Literally, this guitar is probably the most versatile I have ever witnessed [i]with the stock pick-ups in[/i]. And maybe you're not looking for ultimate versatility in a guitar, but imagine if you're a metal guitarist, and want to be able to play chunky rhythms, insane shred solos, and everything in between. Well, switch the pick-ups out to better suit your tastes, and you have the ultimate metal guitar. If you're all jazz, blues, and softer things, then switch them out, and you've got every sound you could ever want, with gorgeous clarity. But the best part about this guitar is the potential to play everything. Switch the bridge out to something that is very heavy, very hot, and just scorching with distortion... Perfect metal/rock lead guitar. Switch the mid out to something a little more versatile and all-around rock-like, and you can get most tones inbetween, whether you want heavy rhythm playing, or just plain alt rock sounds. And then the neck... Do something gorgeous with this. Put a jazz pick-up in. Put a pick-up in known for gorgeous clean tone... And you now have EVERY sound you could ever want. In one guitar.

I ordered from Musician's Friend, and it came pretty much set-up. The action was too low for my tastes (perfect for a lot of people I know; I just play with higher action), so I raised it. The only issue I had was with my strap peg, because it came out, and the wood was almost smooth inside the hole. So I did the toothpick method, and it doesn't budge, now. The gold hardware on the guitar fades a little, but I've done a good job of wiping the guitar down after every session, so it's good and shiny. I won't mind when it fades, either, because it's starting to get a really good, aged look.

I have had this guitar for two years. Other than the strap peg, nothing has gone wrong. When I get some more money, I will turn it into the most versatile guitar ever. But the pick-ups that come stock are great, too. I have gigged with this guitar without a back-up, and it has never failed on me (unless I broke a string, but who can help that? That's not the guitar's fault). The finish is thick, and so far, has not scratched at all. I keep in the hardshell case I have, so maybe that's why it isn't scratched. I love this guitar to pieces, and it has not yet failed me.

Can't say.

I have been playing for three years, which is not that long, though, I suppose, but I'm better than anyone else I know save two guys who're just godly (one of which is in my band, so I'm good). Of every guitar I have played, this is the most versatile. There are sounds from this you cannot get with any other guitar. And any other guitar won't be able to match every sound the Black Beauty can pummel forth. You cannot, however, make this guitar sound like a Strat (thank god; least in my case), because no matter how bright it gets, it is still meaty. There is still a very full tone to it. It can get very bright, though.

There is nothing, really, I can say about this guitar that I really dislike. I don't hate anything, even if I don't get a great lead metal tone out of it. I mean, it's extremely versatile. It matches so many sounds, and furthermore, the POTENTIAL it has for reaching other sound is great once you ocnsider all the pick-up combitinations and such you can do to it. I don't think I'd even bother getting the Gibson, because I probably would've been not as happy. I mean, '57 Classics are great, but I would want to switch the pick-ups out. I would want each pick-up to be different, and while it is put together better, it seems to me that the Gibson is mostly for the pick-ups, which.. if I kept them in, it would never be as versatile as it could be.

If this guitar were lost or stolen... I would cry. I would cry, and stab the thief. I'd stab him repeatedly. And then castrate him. Yes, I would buy it again.