Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: 300 (euro) used
Submitted 02/28/2005
at 10:05am
by David
Email: fightforbedroom<at>gmail dot com
Features
:6
I dont know the exact year in which this guitar was made. I bought it used in italy in 1998 so i think it's probably an early nineties guitar. Korean made, this instrument is a cherry sunburnst flametop les paul model, really beautiful look and i like it more than the equivalent gibson models i've seen.
It came with stock pickups and u all know that 10 years ago epiphone made really bad pickups. I never had problems with tuners (the glow in the dark ones), this guitar is always in tune.
It came with a original epiphone hard case. I give a 6 cause of the crappy pickups.
Sound
:8
When i bought this guitar i didn't know anything about guitar sound and i liked. When i started to use distorsion and more powerful amps i discovered that the pickups were like shit cause i always had a microphonic larsen. Due to this i replaced the pickups with seymour duncan 59's. I play very heavy alt rock and this guitar suits my style very much now. It sounds almost like a gibson. with this new features i give to the sound a 8
Action, Fit, & Finish
:7
The pickup selector is not noisy but once, due to my stupidity, the guitar fell down and it was cutted away. I tryed to replace it with a gibson one but it didn't fit and i couldnt find any original replacement. Anyway i can still change pickup position without problems.
The main fret broke down (october 2005) so i replaced it but this is not a problem.
Reliability/Durability
:8
I played live 6 years with this guitar without any remarkable problem. Now i use it as backup instrument but this guitar is strong and solid.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never had to deal with them.
Overall Rating
:8
Now i play with a les paul studio and i am considering to buy a telecaster. I love the color and the wood of this guitar which is one of the best flametops i ever seen around, moreover i love the sound (with sh1 pickups)which is almost like a gibson les paul sound even if it will never reach it. The frets are starting to consume a little, but what do u expect from a 300 euro guitar?
If u want a good sounding gibson-like guitar u can buy an epiphone and replace the electronics, the pickups and the tuners (if you have problems with them) and u will have it.
Sorry for my bad, contorted english syntax, i hope this review will be useful.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: US $300
Submitted 11/25/2004
at 04:29pm
by b-rad
Features
:8
2 volume 2 tone controls. looks just like the Gibson les paul strd--only diff. is it has a pickguard and a diff. headstock shape. i took off the the pickguard so you can see more of the top. the humbuckers are horrible. the tuners are horrible. luckily i have a friend that worx at the store it bought it from so i got a $200 discount! WHAT NOW!!?!?
Sound
:4
the sound is wayyyyy too muddy and not "hot" at all in the bridge. i changed the p/u's to a Gibson Dirty Fingers in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck. now the tone is 100%. this rating is for the the stock p/u's otherwise it'd be a 10.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
well i have to say i was very impressed w/ the flamed top, neck and paint job. the action was great too. mine is Heritage Cherry Sunburst flamed and it looks awsom!! the neck is sturdy and i heard there were 14 coats of laquer on this thing! one complaint: the bridge p/u was angled and was falling into the cavity but only on the left side. i had to put toothpicks to keep it strait. also i put a push/pull tone control coil tap so i can get those twangy Strat-like tones. I put Grover tuners on it too.
Reliability/Durability
:9
ive had it for a yr and its held up great. i changed the strap buttons to Schaller Security Locks and its great only the screws that com w/ the locks are too short so u need tooth picks to fill in the holes. what wound i do w/o toothpicks?!?!?!?
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N/A
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
i love this guitar. i wouldnt trade it for anything except a Gibson LP Standard in the EXACT COLOR--heritage cherry sunburst. it is pretty light and w/ the right mods its a great gtr. but stock its not all that good. if u dont have the dough for the upper-class Gibsons (like me) this is a good gtr. GET IT W/ NEW P/U'S AND NEW TUNERS!!!!!
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: US $529
Submitted 03/12/2004
at 11:16am
by Anonymous
Features
:7
honeyburst,silver hardware,bought at guitar center 2002.
Sound
:No Opinion
i spent about 4 hours comparing these to gibsons.the one i picked really stood apart from the rest,soundwise, even with cheapo epi
p-up's. i put a sd-59 in front and a sd custom in back, then wired up
the jimmy page switching system-coil splits,phase,series-parralell.
the number of sounds i can get out of this thing impresses everyone who plays it,the single coil neck sound even does a very reasonable
wind cries mary / trower type of sound. this guitar now works great
for jazz blues country rock and metal. i dont know if it has all the
tone of a vintage paul, but it does great in every situation it's been in. played thru a jcm800,silverface bassman moded to '59 schematic,ab763 deluxe w/ cathode bias mod,boogie nomad, torres 5e3 deluxe kit amp,and a dual recto. always found sounds from sweet to brutal.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:No Opinion
took to billy at mee (phoenix), he used to be michael schenker's
guitar tech, he thought the guitar was in great shape,impressed with the maple and the mahogany. the tuners need to be upgraded, though
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
cable jack needed locktite,everything else is still alive and well
Customer Support
:No Opinion
n/a
Overall Rating
:No Opinion
playing 27years
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: 280 (Euro)
Submitted 03/02/2004
at 03:04pm
by Anonymous
Features
:8
Flame top red Les Paul std. No idea when made, although Korean. 2 volume and 2 tone knobs, 3-way switch. The usual stuff on a les paul.
Pickups stock H/H (passive) chrome covers no idea of the model. Mahogany body, rosewood fretboard etc. Non-locking tuners made by epiphone, neck is round. Body style (which was asked in briefing) you will have to quess.
Got this ritter gig bag along when I bought this used. What can I say about features. Its nice to have own volume and tone for both pickups.
Maybe 8 would fit this category. 10 would reguire a solo boost switch and that kind of stuff.
Sound
:4
Would suit my style fine without those LOUSY FREAKING PICKUPS. There is no need to say they have to be replaced. Sounds muddy like hell. Output is not hot enough. Real shit here. Sustain is good enough for me. But it comes from the construction (les paul bridge, set-neck).
I play this through Mesa Mark III simul-class head and a shitty marshall 4x12 cab which will soon be replaced, as will the pickups.
After pickup change (to Gibson, DiMarzio, Duncan) this could get a 9 from the sound.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:7
Action is fine, its nice and easy to play. Sweet sustain. The neck adjustment (I mean the rod inside the neck) lacks, but it could be caused by the heavier strings I`ve attached. Dont like to say anything about pickup adjustment cause they cant be adjusted.
Bridge is fine (but gotoh would be better and can be easy replaced). The tuners then. Horrible. Along when they keep the tune pretty nicely they keep this buzzing sound which makes me crazy when I play unplugged in bedroom. They sound like they are full off small screws not attached to anything. They also need to be changed. Saddle aint too good. It has cracked, but holds the lower E-string in its place. Finishing: the surface is fine, flames look awesome, but there is small flaws in the bindings (16 fret above neck) but they dont affect on playing. Pickup selector aint noisy and the pots (500K as humbucker equipped guitar usually has) do their job.
Reliability/Durability
:8
I think it will manage in live situation and I would depend on it after few moddings (strapbuttons to locking ones, pickups, bridge). Hardware will last (although I`m not sure about those tuners) just fine. They have lasted in my earlier Epi LP. I think I can depend on this.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
No idea.
Overall Rating
:8
I`ve been playing for 3 years. I own Ibanez RG, Boss DS-1, Dunlop Crybaby, Mesa Boogie Mark III simul-class head, Marshall 1982A 4x12 cabinet. I love the sustain of this thing, and hate the pickups nad tuners. If it was stolen after I have done my moddings I really would be pissed off and get a new one if I couldn`t affor a Gibson then. This is fine and cheap choice for expensive guitar like Gibson which propably would be better, but like I said, too expensive atleast for me. I didn`t compare this to anything because it was a bargain when I got this. After those moddings this can be brought atleast halfway to Gibson I think.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: US $600
Submitted 02/03/2004
at 03:07am
by Brandon
Features
:7
It's a 2003, Korean built, set-up in the states bla bla bla, it's a Les Paul, not much more to say about it, same set up they have had since the 50's, except this one has the 60's slim taper neck that I really love.
Sound
:9
This guitar is great, after you add a few things. Like almost any guitar strait out of the box, they sound kind of fake and not so great. The stock pickups actually surprized me quite a bit and I ended up using them until I my lazy a** put in the Seymour Duncans. This guitar has a great full sound, perfect for my groups mixture of hard rock melodic metal. After I put in the Seymour Duncan it really screamed! I put in a Seymour Duncan Distortion at the bridge and a Ibanez Powersound at the neck, yep thats right a stock Ibanez pick-up in the neck, I have yet to find a neck pick-up that gives me what I want asides from this one, so I'm sticking with it. I took the stock Epi pick-up and threw them in my Ibanez, now that blew me away, that guitar sounds better then it ever did, better then having the Seymour Duncan in it! I give it a 9, but thats after giving it some new pick-ups.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
Right from the store, the action sucked. So I sat in a hotel room setting it up after a show, it gave me somthing to do. After I got it set up it was great, never had a guitar play as well as this one does. It has no flaws or such the action was just set way to high fr my liking and the intonation was way off.I give it a 5 for the action but I'm giving it a 9 for it's finish, beautiful finish on this guitar! So all together I give it a 8.
Reliability/Durability
:10
Yea it's reliable, yea it's durable. I bought this guitar about 8 months ago and it has already endured the road. I bought this guitar while on the road and had it on the stage the second day and it has been my main guitar since. I'm not really abusive to my guitars on stage or anything, I sweat, I jump, my hand swing fast at it with a sharp plastic object, it does what it is supposed to. But best of all it stays in tune while on the road, I hardly have to tune the thing before a show,so needless to say I have no problems with it going out of tune on stage. I acctually give it a 10, I have had no problems and it has made my life easier!
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Never dealt with them!
Overall Rating
:10
I have been playing for 11 years now I beleave, I own tons of gear, and for all you that care to know, here ya go...
Ibanez RG Series
Fender Standard Strat
Randall RH200 Head
Randall 100EG Head
(2) Madison 4x12 Cabs
Dunlop WAH
Boss Falnger
Boss Delay
BBE Sonic Maximizer
Rocktron Gainiac Pre-Amp(Not used on stage)
Samson Wireless
a few other things, but all of that is my live and studio set up for the most part.
I love this guitar almost as much as I love my wife, and my wife hates my guitar cause I spend more time with it then her, it's a great guitar and I don't regret getting it one bit. I give it a 10 cause for the price it is an awsome guitar, it would be an awsome guitar for $1000. but now I only have to worry about damaging a $600 guitar on stage rather then a $1000 one.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: 600.00 (canadian)
Submitted 09/16/2003
at 07:17am
by LoKi
Email: LoKi_6922 at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:8
2003 korean heritage cherry sunburst epiphone les paul standard.
its got a beautiful matchbook flame top. standard lp features.
i've got a set of emgZW's on the way. they'll be here in 2 days and installed the minute i get them.
it came with grover tuners, very high quality. i was impressed. it was actually the number one selling feature of the guitar for me, aside from the top. its just beautiful man..
i got a hardshell case for it (i bought the guitar new, right out of the box) that has a body pillow in there that keeps all the weight off the neck. so features rating? the top gives it a bump.. and the grovers.. but otherwise.. its a les paul. what features? 8.
Sound
:5
it sounds ok.
thats it. only ok. the 'gibson designed' humbuckers are meh. but they are leaving. soon.
i play a JCM800 2203 canadian with vertical inputs, drake, etc.. and i use an sd-1 for gloss on solos, and my dunlop original cry baby. i recently bought a freeway wireless (AT) that is great. not too noisy.. and the freedom of movement is worth a bit of noise anyway. adjustable squelch keeps the interference to a miminum keeping the 'tone' of the guitar true, which is important with a transparent amp like the 800. if you don't have tone before it gets to your amp, you'll sound like a fool playing through one.
all in all, the guitar is a little thin for a les paul. sorta reminds me an old les paul SG (before the removed the les paul thing).
can be plenty thick when you need it to. but not quite what i need.
with the stock pickups? the thing gets a 5. i know what emg's sound like, so it WILL get an 8 soon.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:3
the factory setup was terrible. so the guy at the shop did a 'professional setup' for me. it was worse. buzzed on the 7th fret on all strings. i took it home and redid it myself. now its pretty damn good. i threw a set of boomer 9's on there. feels ok.
the pickups were adjusted improperly, and i still haven't changed it. the bridge pickup is very high, and it makes it too bright in my opinion where as the neck pickup is too low, and not getting enough vibration to be as thick as i'd like. doesn't matter though. they wont be there long.
the top is fantastic. i've seen gibsons and prs's that cost THOUSANDS more than this with lesser tops.
a couple small flaws. the binding above the second fret on the top of the neck has a small chip, which i think happened while the guy was 'setting it up' otherwise i would have asked for another one. there is a bit of a mess on the binding on the lower side at about the 10th fret. nothing too serious. but i did notice it right away. its on all the 2003's that i've seen in about the same area. it looks like they tried to dye the rosewood fingerboard and had overspray on the binding or something.. i dunno.
out of the box.. this guitar gets a 3.
Reliability/Durability
:7
its pretty damn solid. a little top (neck) heavy.. which is mildly annoying. not like my american gibby's that are all bottom heavy.. *shrugs*. all in all. its decent. i'll get used to it. besides.. i only payed 600 bucks canadian for a brand new guitar. whatever.
finish is great. and it will last. i care for my instruments. it will get road dings. and they will be worn with pride. but it'll always look good.
strap buttons suck. the same as a gibson. damnit gibby. get with the program.. sell your axes with straplocks preinstalled. or at least a bigger button.... (grrrr).
i can depend on it. i'd never gig without a backup. what are you nuts? what if you break a string? "hang on audience. i have to stop this set to change my strings and retune." while ducking bottles being thrown at your head. sounds like entertainment.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
dunno. warranty? i had no idea it had warranty. its a guitar though. whatever goes wrong can be fixed by the owner.
Overall Rating
:7
i've been playing for 18 years. this is my first epiphone ever. i have a couple gibson u.s.a's.. an old sonex 180 deluxe, another standard, a jimi strat, peavey wolfgang, jcm 800, 1982b, peavey stage 150, peavey transfex 212 pro, takamine acoustics (x2), a couple pedals, wireless, etc..
if it were stolen or lost, i'd be pissed.. but i'd move on to something else. its a nice guitar. but its not exactly great. i'd probably buy a gibson studio. well. maybe. if it had grover tuners.
i love the top. the action is good (now) and the playability is decent. i love the price. can't beat it. i HATE the neck heavy-ness. and i hate the strap buttons.
i played 10 epiphone standards and 2 customs (epiphone) before i settled on this one. it was the second best epiphone that i played. the best being the heritage cherry sunburst custom. but it was at a different shop, and they wouldn't move on the price (too high for an ep). all in all, i'm happy. not in pure bliss or nirvana or anything. but i'm happy.
its good for hard rock and metal. and i can bang it around and not feel remorse. i'll give it a 7 cuz i'm a nice guy, and there is no such thing as a 10. people who give 10's must work for the company or something.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: US $450
Submitted 07/05/2003
at 03:14am
by Koffee-iv
Features
:5
My 2000 Korean Epi LP has the same stuff that everybody elses' Epi Les Paul standard has... marginal tuners, inferior electronics, "punched out of cambels soup can" tune-o-matic bridge(the saddles are the worst), the two humbuckers must be a special design... wire wrapped mud, especially the neck bucker. Medium frets, medium neck(I have short fingers and the neck is good)Thin necks wear your hand and fingers out anyway.
If I sound negative I will get positive!
Sound
:5
My rating is for stock sound and tone. The sound of the guitar with the stock pickups is the musical equivalent of having your hand over the guitars mouth. It would be good in it's stock condition for death metal, that crap don't have tone anyway.
On the other hand, this is a wonderful beginners guitar. It's a great platform to start with. This guitar can grow with you as you progress. As a beginner, you don't sound that great so you wont notice for some time that your Epi axe don't sound any better than you do. It's kinda like wine... the first time you drink wine, Don Perinone doesn't taste any better than Mad Dog 20/20. It all tastes like rotgut! The more wine you drink, after a time, you realize, " some of this garbage actually tastes worse than the others." Thus a wine connosewer is born!
When you start to become a tone connoisseur, that is when you will want to make some mods so you will own an awesome, toneful guitar.
1. On my guitar the first mod NEEDED was to replace the saddles on the bridge. The stock saddles had sharp edges because of being punched out. Because of playing 1-3 hours every day I should have bought stock in a string manufacturer. (this probably varies between guitars) You can fork out $60 for a REAL Gibson bridge or do like I did, put teflon saddles in. (Since I'm not endorsed, my equipment and mods are all on a budget superintended by my wife).
2.The only reason I mentioned the saddles before the pickups is you can save allot on your budget in string costs and actually be able to afford other great junk like pickups. A guitar tech would discourage you on my choice of neck and bridge pickups. Something about power differentials blah blah, blah blah or something like that. I don't have a signature sound because I'm much more multi faceted than that, so there! I play blues, 50's rock, surf, 60's rock, 70's rock (oh yeah) and early 80's hair rock. Pickups are Dimarzio:(http://www.dimarzio.com cool samples for pickups)
Bridge DP-100 otherwise known as the "Super Distortion" Hot, Fat/Thick, Tight. Should be called IMOP "Super Overdrive" I use this for 50's, surf, 60's, 70's crunch, 80's Hard rock rhythm. Lighten up on the pick-attack and she's clean, dig in and your in my zone!
Neck DP-156 Called "the Humbucker from hell" They say if you put it in the bridge you'll know why it's called that. In the neck position it brightens, defines, and makes the most out of the neck of a mahogany Les Paul. You have to give it some string clearance or it gets uncontrollable, unless you play death metal then who cares what it sounds like, right? I use it for clean playing, easy to get a jazz vibe, and its got an incredible fat tone on 80's high gain leads.
These two pickups give me a wide tone palette and the Epi is a great canvas all you have to do is paint them pictures with your playing.
3. Volume and tone pots. If you like to turn them up and down you better replace them. when you twist the tone pot its like shutting the blinds, it don't let any sun in. The volume pots break off too sharply. I'm still researching a good replacement. By the way, does anybody know the difference between a $5 pot and a $30 PRS pot?
4. Tuners. The Kluson lookalikes are ok, but while traveling I busted off one of the "glow in the dark" green plastic grips. I modded on the spot with some inexpensive martin tuners, I love the difference. The ratio is slower, more precise, and they look cooler, which is most important.
The only mod I have left to make now is a bigsby trem. In my current setup I love my Epi. If I were to rate it now it would be an 8. only taking a point off because it dont sustain as well as I would wish and theres no such thing as a 10. I also have a Fender American Deluxe Strat That has an incredible clean tone and covers the old music like a glove but my Epi is still my #1 axe eventhough it cost a third as much as the strat. The Epi in its current configurati
Action, Fit, & Finish
:6
A little sloppiness in the finish. You have to be a foot away to see it. If you play it for 1-3 hours a day for two years like I have it's gonna look like a relic anyway. Ever notice how a guitar starts looking like it's owner, Neil Young is a case in point. I don't Play death metal so I haven't had occasion to throw it through the drum set yet, but it has picked up its share of dings. Action is great Had to have my frets dressed after a year. If I ever re-fret I'll go to Jumbo's. The top on my guitar is better than some PRS' I've seen.
Reliability/Durability
:7
The template question here at Harmony C. is, "Will this guitar withstand live playing"? Gee, I hope that everytime I play I don't sound like they need to pat dirt over my face and Put R.I.P. over me! I already mentioned I'm not endorsed and my wife controls the music budget SO I'M NOT GOING TO THROW MY GUITAR THROUGH THE DRUM SET... Besides I don't play death metal. Let me point something out for you. The highest quality guitar is going to sustain more damage and be more costly to fix if you throw it through the drum set than your Samick unless you are endorsed!
I fixed the strap screws by gluing them in the wood. It's cut down on the aging of my guitar considerably.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:7
I've been playing 3 years but started initially 15 years ago. In my living room I have a 1400 watt PA. The guitars run into via two zoom 9150's, The bass runs in via a compressor and an Ibanez overdrive, The drum set is a Premier Artist Birch with lots of hundred dollar bills hanging in the air in the form of Zildjin cymbals. That set cost more than the rest of the instruments put together. Now you know why I'm not going to throw my guitar into the drum set. My living room can get louder than an early Stone's concert. Fortunately we live in the country. Besides, the neighbors a quarter a mile away say they like our music.
If the house caught fire, rescue the wife and kids, then run back into the flames and spend two seconds trying to decide between the family album and my Epi... grab the Epi and sprint back through the flames to safety. At least then I could sit by a fire truck and play the blues.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: US $500 or something
Submitted 06/02/2003
at 05:03pm
by Robert Easter
Features
:8
2002 model. Made in Korea. Everyone knows the setup, two humbuckers. Tune-oMatic ridge. Standard tuners, they're pretty dang good, tune it wo or three times a week. The plastic parts are not that great, but approprieate for the cheap price. Anvil mother of pearl inlays.A B-E-A-UTIFUL finish, looks the same as some of the Gibsons I've seen. I named her Roxanne. My brother bought it for me, he's "pretty fly for an old guy".
Sound
:8
This guitar can play any style of music, mostly blues and Rock and Roll. I use a Fender Deluxe 90, and it sounds just like the Les Pauls that I loved playing in the rockin days of the 60's and 70's in my rock bands. The neck position sounds fatter than Rosie O'Donnel, but a little muddy. The bridge pickup wales big time, it is way veristile, it can sound like a Les Paul, Strat, es-335, and much more I'm sure. The selector switch gets loose sometimes and buzzes, but you just tighten it up and everything is groovey again.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:9
When I got it, it was perfect, and still is pretty much, and it has taken mucho grade abuse. Like I said, that finish, dang foo, it elegant yet rockin lookin. The parts were made great, no complaints, great beginning guitar, a great intermidiate guitar and a great advanced guitar.I can honestly say that the only thing is that sometimes the selector switch buzzes, but I have had for over a year now and things like that happen. It can be fixed by either tighteeing some stuff or just get some new parts if needed.
Reliability/Durability
:9
I've done a little live playing, and it was great. The hardware proably won't last more than a couple years of wear and tear. The finish seems like it will withstand some years, it better. It is a rock solid sexy, rockin guitar that is versitile. I can depend on her all the time.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Overall Rating
:9
I think all guitars are different so try not to order one of the internet, because you might get a junky Les Paul (if there is such a thing). Check everything out first. It is so awesome for the price, all it is a cheaper version of a Gibson, so go for it, the rockin sound, beautiful looks, without the dang 4-digit price.
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: 325 (pounds)
Submitted 05/20/2003
at 05:00am
by Anonymous
Features
:9
I think this is a 2001 model, I traded my Epiphone Sheraton for it as I wanted to move up to Seymour Duncan PU's. It was cheaper to buy this second hand than do it myself. good old Ebay!
Cherry burst, 22 fret, standart stuff, original tuners looked like glow in the dark plastic, replaced with gotoh's.
There has been a number of comments here about replacing parts on these epiphones and the relative merits of it. I pondered this for a couple of years before going for it, heres my thoughts:
The old tuners were OK, nomajor problems, the gotoh's atr better, less tuning, it goes days and stays in tune, no more tuning between songs, they look sublty different, but less cheap. Pick ups, I went for the change because our sound man was having trouble getting a sound that would cut through the mix in an 8 piece band, the strat was fine, the Epi was muddy. SD's make a huge difference, they give a clear, well articulated tone, even with a lot of distortion every note rings rather thay the 'mush' I had before. If you are thinking about switching, do it, you won't regret it! I even use the tone controls now......
Sound
:10
I play blues, rock and some quieter stuff, amp is a Line 6 Flextone 2 thing with XLR into a PA. The guitar really suits the marshal sounds, clear but with loads of rip. The pickups are really tight and allow precise playing and rythms. Up the neck you get that classic les paul scream, classic stuff! There is very little noise even when you stand on the amp, tone pots give plenty of variety. Still use the strat for 'twangy' sounds but this is the business for rocky stuff.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:8
I got this after a pro set up, action was fine, but I dropped it a little with no real buzzing. Finish is super, real high quality, I can't se how it could be improved, parts are less well finished, the plastic bits vary but can be replaced easily. No problems with the wiring yet. Wood on the top is not matched but still looks good, overall only 8 'cos of the original machines!
Reliability/Durability
:No Opinion
OK so far, looks raelly well made and finished, had to superglue in a strap button, had to do this on a few guitars before.
Customer Support
:No Opinion
N?A
Overall Rating
:9
It's not a 59 les Paul bit it's the best I can afford, it sounds good enough, looks really pretty, just need that Gibson logo........
No one would tell the difference!
Product: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Flame Top Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 04/23/2003
at 09:10am
by Anonymous
Features
:7
Guitar is a 2002 model, heritage cherry sunburst. Laminated maple veneer top, mahogany body. Standard Les Paul setup...
Sound
:7
Sound is subjective, but here's what I think. This guitar has the newer "Gibson Designed" buckers in it, but they still suck. I'm planning on replacing them with Duncan Seth Lovers.
The big thing is the remaining electronics. The pots and switch have to go! Who ever heard of CONNECTORS in a guitar? Give me a break... I'm gonna switch the pots with CTS 500K Audio Tapers, the switch with a Switchcraft model, the caps with Orange Drops, and the wiring with shielded, braided cable....
In stock config, it really needs a treble-bleed cap on the rhythm pup, cos it's just too muddy when you turn down...
This is either a good beginner's guitar, or a good basis for creating an excellent custom guitar
Action, Fit, & Finish
:5
Finish on the guitar is okay, although there are some small runs along the top edge of the neck binding. Nothing major, it'll wear off eventually, anyway. Doesn't interfere with playing.
Fit (construction) on the guitar could have been a bit better. The neck-set angle on my guitar is a bit steeper than it should be, which necessitates having to raise the bridge fairly high. Action is fine, with no buzzing, but a shallower neck angle would have allowed the bridge to be lowered, as well as the stop bar....
I've already addressed the controls; they're trash and should be thrown away soon after purchase...
Reliability/Durability
:6
Y'know, everyone fusses about the tuners, but they're really not that bad -- they're vintage-style; they're all like that. You just have to know how to wrap the string properly to lock it in, and don't use too many wraps. Probably wouldn't hurt to have the nut cut properly. Mine doesn't go out of tune, cos I know how to do it. For that matter, my 54 RI strat doesn't go out of tune, either, and I use the bar...
OK, off the soapbox... How reliable will this guitar be? Probably very after I replace everything with better parts! LOL... Seriously, you have to be careful with Les Paul-type guitars, as the headstocks are prone to snapping off. They're not as "tank-like" as Fenders.... Not a penalty for Les Pauls, though, that's just how they are...
Customer Support
:No Opinion
Haven't had to deal with Gibson/Epiphone. Probably won't. If something breaks, I'll fix it myself...
Overall Rating
:6
I've been playing for 20+ years. I currently own 12 guitars, but the number fluctuates almost daily. I have a couple of strats, a couple of teles, a couple of "super strats" (80's models Kramer and Ibanez), an ESP Flying V, a Martin D-28, an Ovation 12-string, and an old Jazz Bass. Couple of amps (Peavey C-30 & Fender DR), miscellaneous electronic gear....
Basically I bought this to fill the Les Paul void at my house.... Probably should have held off and gotten an Elite series LP, but I got this for a deal I couldn't pass up