Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain Top

Made in December 2006 at the China Gibson plant
22 frets
Solid maple top
Standard Les Paul config
Epiphone USA designed pickups
All Mahogany body,rosewood fretboard, maple cap
Honey burst
Standard bridge, Grover tuners

Since I have bought this guitar, I have played progressive death metal almost exclusively, think Opeth, along with my Traynor YCV80 2x12. The guitar has always been a bit noisy, but nothing too bad, regular hum with a tube amp.

The tone is what separates it from the rest of the group. It's clean tone is very dark, but you can get a decent thinner, or strat like sound if you mess with the eq. I have also used delay and compression pedals to add to the effect of the clean. The distortion this puts out has always been enough for the music I play. I have it dropped into C# right now and playing Behemoth, BTBAM, etc. It doesn't let up to speed and harmonics at all.

The only major problem I have had is the reach on it. I love the idea of a 'full bodied' guitar, but when some of the solos inquire me to use the 17th fret on the A string, it gets difficult. The neck pickup will get muddy while soloing on it as well, but never too bad.

I bought it from my local shop, but had them reset it up with 12's right away. So, I have never had a problem with the action or setup. The top is perfect, not a single flaw or problem with the maple on top or mahogany on the back. The only problem I had with the frets was a buzzing/dead 12th. I asked my local tech and he said 90 percent of set in necks have that problem, its just where it happens.

Everything on this guitar is as solid as a rock. Except, when I dropped it, twice. The first time, the neck cracked down the side and behind the nut. I repaired it right away, and played fine for almost a year. Then, the strap came off the strap button while I was playing once, and it cracked right below the scarf joint. I never actually fixed it yet, because it hasn't been a problem. But, I will be sanding down the neck and fixing it within a few weeks.

Never dealt with it.

I've owned Jacksons, Ibanezs, Washburns, LTDs, and Parkers. Right now I own this guitar and a Parker Nitefly, they are a great combo for dark vs. light. I might rebuy this guitar if it got stolen, but there are so many new guitars coming out, I don't know if I would.

Chinese Les Paul, comes in a cardboard box with functional trus rod wrench and useless guitar cord.

The sound is classic Les Paul. There is no compromise in buying this inexpensive alternative to the USA made LP.

Where is counts, on the fingerboard, this guitar is equal to the USA made product. The pickguard looks cheesy, and the MOP inlays are fake, but it feels and plays great, so who cares?

The last time I looked at at an Epi LP, ten years ago, it was a toy, with pathetic tuners and weak pickups. That was then, this is now: Grover tuners, powerful and tonefull pickups, and a good looking finish. Why pay three times more?

NA

Well, the first one I received from American Musical had a separated neck binding, so I sent it back. The replacement is near perfect, and sounds great: silent pots and PU switch, perfect frets and good quality hardware. The neck responded to truss rod adjustment, so I was able to achieve an excellent setup. This guitar now plays and sounds like the real shit, for a mere $449!!!!

Just a regular Epi standard plain top. Nothing special at all.

On a real tube amp like a peavey classic 30 the muddy pickups really show their low worth. Also, the frets on mine were complete garbage and had major scraps like it was 30 years old but was only a month old. It also buzzed like a bee hive unless you set it up ugly far. I guess I just picked a junk one but I took a bath when I resold it. I paid $400 plus $100 for a real gibson locking case. I sold it for $300 and was glad to be rid of it. When I was looking at the cost of new pickups and a re-fret it just wasn't worth it (though the finish looked awesome). I then looked at a crazy cheap Fender Squire Bullet. Now I "thought" I didn't like strats but that bullet is the deal of the universe. Even if you don't think you like them you owe it to yourselve to check them out. Mine was set up a little high but they are easy to adjust. And the sound was really very good. Now this is a $99 guitar which played far better and was more versital than the epi at 4x the cost. Like I said, just try one and you'll realize the $400 epi is a toy and the $99 fender squire bullet is much more serious and worthy guitar. And for cry out loud, $99 is probably cheaper than a pedal that immitates a single coil strat!

The frets must be made out of coat hanger wire or something becuase the strings were wearing right through them since day one. The pickups had the classic tone but sounded like crap through a real tube amp. The grover tuners were awesome. They held tune for days once the strings were broken in.

Unfortunetly I was new and didn't know but the frets were crap right from the start.

Hard to rate epi lp standard plain top good so I won't. I thought epi/gibson was golden but the piece of junk I had really opened my eyes. After trying a china made fender squire bullet that was only $99 I'll never pay gibson's price again. I try to avoid things made in china but couldn't afford paying the american fender price especially after losing so much on the epi. If I am suddenly rolling in money I might try a real gibson, but for a first guitar considering the huge price jump over the fender the epi is just not worth it (if you actually try the bullet you'll believe me).

I like the dual tone and volume controls. This layout really lets you tune it better than the single volume and tone controls. I don't understand why people buy single tone/volume setups on dual (and sometimes triple) pickup layouts. Much better to be able to set the neck for highs and bridge for rythme then blend them together by lowering the volume on one.

Mine is a bit muddy but certainly has a great tone. I tried an Epi SG 400 with the same pickups but no matter that one was way too harsh sounding. One thing that was weird about the SG was it had a full pick guard that went under the strings which probably what was causes it to be too harsh. That SG would be great for someone who is tone deaf because it has excellent action. But, this standard has a great tone and easily makes the amp distort with a good tone. I'm going to drop it down a few because I wish it sounded a little less muddy.

Got a lot to say here. First, I just have a real hard time getting a smooth slide when needed. I've even tried baby powder which helps for a few minutes but then dissappears. The action is just a little too sticky sometimes and causes me to either stop short or over shoot. The SG I mentioned had perfect action. I just don't understand what the difference is. The other thing I found wrong with the standard are the frets. I swear, the frets are wearing everytime I play it. The strings can easily make scraps on the frets. They must have gotten some bad metal or something because they are pretty chewed up in only a month. I certainly wish I had not bought from GuitarShowcase in San Jose because they have the worst return in the world (3 day money back, 10 day exchange). Now I'm afraid I'm stuck with a defective guitar. Otherwise the intinuation (sp?) was off and required adjustment but it does seem to hold its tune very well.

Durability of the frets is very poor on this one. Must be defective. I'll probably get stuck with the repair bill.

Don't know yet.

While I am a beginner I was hoping to love this instrument but I ran into far more problems than I ever expected. It seems I picked the best looking one and fell victim to it probably having the most problems. I'll probably have to pick through Guitar Centers racks for a decent one and sell this one off to the highest bidder.

Mine is a heritage cherry plain top Epiphone Les Paul. Made at the factory in China in December, 2006, according to the serial number. Looks fine. Feels like a Les Paul. Mahogany of some sort, maple of some sort. Gold top hat knobs, chrome pickups, cream colored trim. I don't know how to describe a Les Paul, Gibson or Epiphone, other than this one looks like a Les Paul.

I use a Vox AVT 50 for practice and a Marshall Valvestate for everything else. This guitar doesn't sound as good as I wanted it to through the Marshall, a touch brittle and muddy at the breakup point, but through the Vox, it consistently sounds as good as any stock Les Paul I've ever played sounds, Gibson or Epiphone. It's rich and full beyond what you paid, and it's as satisfying as 3/4ths of the Gibson Les Pauls you will play if you're honest with your ears. I've played many of both, and I have one standard Gibson Les Paul I use as a benchmark. This Epiphone Les Paul sounds good. I don't think that anyone would be under equipped with this Epiphone Les Paul. If a $2,000 Gibson Les Paul sounded like this, I wouldn't complain.

I tweak on guitars. I won't praise or complain about how I received it. I bought it a a local music store I've dealt with for many years, and setup and condition on delivery is something that's up to the buyer to get right. Get it mail order or local, you're still going to have to mess with it. That being said, the finish is perfect for something not pretending to be Custom Shop. The manufacturing workmanship is more than reasonably decent. I think that a new factory with modern assembly line equipment and manufacturing techniques does a fine job, and the older assembly line has to take notice to keep up. This is not a shoddy guitar. I've had a few Gibsons and Fenders that were, I assure you. I'm still messing with settings, but I am on my other guitars too.

I play with some sort of backup. I've never had a guitar break, but I have had strings break, and I hate to change strings in front of an audience.

I've never had a problem with any company who makes guitars or amps. Sorry, but I haven't and have nothing to say here.

I've played since 1964. I own a Telecaster too, with Texas Special pickups, and a J-200 Gibson for acoustic stuff, a couple of Vox and Marshall amps because I like them, a small number of stomp boxes. I figure that this info is for someone looking for purchase information now, and what I did years ago isn't really relevent as it isn't about me. This is an excellent Les Paul. It's not a copy of a Les Paul, it's one of the flavors of Les Pauls that you can choose from. You can choose this Epiphone Les Paul because you can't afford a Gibson, if that makes you feel good, or you can knock it for the same reason. But if you buy this, you will have a Les Paul, maybe just an average Les Paul, maybe more--you're the one whose going to play it and tweak it, but Joe Blows' custom F-16 bullshit with Seymour DiMarzio specials isn't a Les Paul, and propeller-heads who claim tone-freakage should just stay in their mom's basement and quit making such comparisons. This is one of the few models, the only non-Gibson, that Les Paul the guitarist endorsed (Didn't know he played guitar or invented multi track recording?--you ought to listen to some genuine Les Paul recordings--you know, the Les Paul Trio, Les Paul and Mary Ford "How High the Moon"--makes the Les Paul guitar make a lot more sense as more than just a rock phenomenon, which it is--he is a phenominal jazz figure in the Django Rheinhardt vein, and you can hear the Les Paul guitar being developed in his recordings--open your ears and mind a bit) and gets a token endorsement fee for. It is close enough to a generic Les Paul to reach anybody's favorite Les Paul god's tone. This guitar gets you under the Les Paul tent. We are fortunate at this point that such a good guitar is so affordable. Hey, I lived through the sixties and seventies when CBS Fenders and Norlin Gibsons defined shoddy gear. This is an excellent guitar that's much better than those were.

New 2007 model, made in China. Not too many guitar players out there don't know the features of a Paul.

This is a good one. Do not order one of these over the mail -- quality control is very inconsistent. I played all of these that they had at Guitar Center and this one was noticeably better than any of the others. The sustain makes me think of that bit in Spinal Tap... It really does seem like you can hold a note forever. I used to have a Gibson USA "The Paul", which was a thinner, non-maple top version of a LP Studio, and the Epi blows it away hands down. A nice, thick distortion -- meaty but not muddy, and a full, warm clean tone. Not much high-end punch on the clean side, but that was never a Gibson strength.

Lousy set-up, but it's a cheap guitar and I did buy it at Guitar Center -- the staff at our local store are pretty useless in general. If you're halfway competent with tools, you can fix it easily enough, though. A little higher action and I set the intonation, and it was good. It was missing a couple of screws and a knob was cracked, but I used that to get them down on price.

Good for what it is. I think it's tempting fate when you gig without backups -- I always have at least one extra in case I break a string. I just bought it, so it's only seen one show, but it did great.

n/a

I would definitely get another if it was stolen. These can be a great value if you shop carefully. I bought this because I missed my USA Gibson, and ended up with something even better! I also have a G&L ASAT (Tele) and a Fender Prodigy (Strat), but they don't have the great rock tone that you can only get in a Gibson.

Typical LP features; 2 volume, 2 tone controls. Three way p/u selector, 2 Humbuckers, set neck, Grover tuners. Thick clear gloss finish. Mine is Honeyburst. Purchased Fall '06 @ Sweetwater.
I wish it was true that these are really maple and mahogany, but after corresponding with Gibson/Epiphone Customer Service I've learned otherwise. It took several emails and I had to ask VERY SPECIFIC questions but they finally admitted that these are made with whatever wood is available at the time of production. It could be an alder, mahogany or maple cap with a thin veneer over it. Same is true of the back. I was told by them(Gib/Epi C.S.), the only way to tell for certain what was used is to cut it open or buy an Elitist or Gibson. I opened mine up and scraped some of the black shielding paint away. The back on mine is mahogany with a veneer over it. The cap appears to be alder and it definitly has a veneer on it. NOT what I would consider "the real deal"(as advertised).

It sounds OK. It has good crunch and decent sustain. Clean tone is average.
I play thru a variety of small tube amps (B Jr w/greenback, V16, V Jr head & cab, Champ 600. All have been retubed w/ JJs or GTs.
This is my second Plain Top, the first one had a very noisy p/u selector and was returned the next day. This one is much quieter. Still, it's nothing to write home about.

I bought my first one through GC. Set up was not very good, selector switch was very noisey. It went back the next day.
The one I have now was purchased at Sweetwater. The set up on it was very good right out of the box. It has a couple of blemishes in the clearcoat but they are out of the way and unnoticeable. The p/u selector tip was pushed down on the shaft in shipping and needed replacing. Fret work is decent. Action is fairly fast and low. Seems about average for the price range.

I think this guitar would hold up well for live work. I would rather beat up this thing than a $2400 Gibson LP. I usually take a couple guitars whenever I play out. More for different sounds than reliability issues, though.

Haven't needed warranty work. Scraping the shielding away to reveal the wood species probably voided the warranty anyway.
I don't hold Gibson/Epiphone Customer Service in very high regard. When questioned about the materials used in construction they gave misleading answers to make me believe they were the same as a Gibson. I consider that to be lying, plain and simple. The retailers are even worse.

Been playing on and off for 40 years. I have a bunch of other gear. Most of it is lower end stuff but decent serviceable gear. MIM Strat, MIM Tele, MIK Tele Custom FMT, Ibanez Artcore AWD82 TBL, Oscar Schmidt Delta King, Squier Strat. Blues Jr, Palamino V16, Epiphone Valve Jr Head and ext cab, Micro Cube, misc ext cabs.
If stolen I would track down the SOB and put a .380 slug thru both of his hands and wrists. If lost I would probably look at other LP copies. Agile has some nice offerings.
I love the look. Looks just like a REAL LP. I hate that Gibson/Epiphone and their retailers deceive people by misrepresenting what it really is...an average LP copy.

Same as mentioned already

Excellent!

Here's what Les Paul said in an interview:

BG: Do you still go back to do quality control with Gibson?
LP: I guess about a year ago they sent me a guitar to evaluate and put my comments down to call them and discuss it - Why they did this, why they did that, this is real good, how they accomplished this, and what their problems are. A lot of times they'll say the reason for this is there, this is why the problem exists because of . . . . And in most cases, like the Epiphones that came in, I had to call them and tell them that it was very encouraging and they were doing an excellent job.

BG: So you like your new Epiphones?
LP: Oh yeah, they play equally as well and sound equally as well as the Gibson. If anything, they would say could you make it sound not quite as good? (Laughs)

BG: There is quite a difference between the price of an Epiphone and a Gibson.
LP: Well it took a long time to convince Gibson to do that and I was probably the one to give them the worst time. For many years, the Gibson belief was not to put their name on anything cheap and of course if we come out with this Epiphone line that's related to the Gibson and it's more than half as expensive, this would be looked at as cheap.

BG: They're not cheap now.
LP: No, no, they are making a very fine instrument at a more reasonable price or a lesser price than the very good stuff and it's just great. Makes me happier than hell because young guys starting out can have a very fine neck on a guitar and he can learn on much better conditions than I did when I was a kid sending out to Sears and Roebuck and come back with a bow and arrow and had to play this thing through a terrible amplifier. No, things are a lot better now.

BG: Talk about a great ad for Epiphone.
LP: (Laughs)

http://musicianshotline.com/archive/interviews/lespaul1.htm

Excellent!

Excellent

35 years in the biz. had lots of guitars and this one is by far the best one for the money that i have ever played or owned.

Everyone knows about the features on these. Mine is the Heritage Cherry burst. ONE PIECE maple top. Not sure of the weight, but it has to be over 9 pounds.
Alnico magnet humbuckers.
Made in 2006

I love the sound of a Les Paul. That is why I bought it as beginner/hobbyist. Running it through a Line 6 Spider 3 and it sounds very good.
Plenty of sustain. Clean or distorted, I love the tone. Now I just need to get a real tube amp and I will be all set..

From the factory box, everything was perfect in the fit and the finish but for one LITTLE spot in the clear coat and the input was a little loose.
I had it set up in a local shop with new strings, etc.. and it plays like a dream. My guitar teacher was shocked at how well it plays and the quality of this instrument, particularly given the price.
Apparently, Gibson built a factory in China from the ground up that is dedicated to making Epiphones. And from the reviews that I keep reading and my own experience (although limited), they are doing a bang up job of making quality guitars.

About like a Mac truck, and just about that weight.
If I could gig (not good enough now) I would.

Never had to deal with them.

Relative beginner. And as such, I am very happy with this product and would buy another one.
The first electric guitar that the sales person thought I should try was a Schecter Omen or something. Even as a beginner, I did not like it and took it back to try other things. They had me try this and I liked it the best.

This is a 2006 model Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plain Top in Honeyburst finish. Made in China. Standard Les Paul features as listed before. Grover tuners. Suppose to be Mahogany Body with Plain Maple Top.

I play in a 3 piece band that plays Classic Rock, Oldies and Country. I use a Line 6 PODXT Live thru a Peavey Bandit 112 combo w/add'l. 1x12 cab. This guitar SOUNDS like a Les Paul should. The pick-ups have a nice warm, vintage kind of tone. Very nice clean tones and crunch tones. Not "Hot" pick-ups, but nice "vintage" type pick-ups. With the Line 6 PODXT Live, it sounds just like whatever you want it to!

I can't say enough about how this guitar plays. I changed the strings to my preference, adjusted the bridge height just a touch and set the intonation. This guitar plays beautifully! The fretwork/finish is just great; very smooth with no sharp ends. Some of the best fretwork I've seen in a while, on ANY guitar lately. Pick-ups adjusted fine, no change here. This guitar weighs in at 9.5 lbs.; very solid feeling. Only flaw was some "rippling" in the finish, on the back of the guitar next to the control cavity cover. Should not have passed Q.C., but not so bad I would pass this guitar up as good as it plays and sounds!

I bought this guitar to PLAY! This guitar plays & sounds excellent out live! Everything looks/feels top notch. Plays just like the last Gibson LP Standard that I owned. Gig without a back-up? You bet!

Comes with the Limited Lifetime Warranty, but unless something MAJOR comes up, I don't expect to have to use it. Never had to deal with the company. I expect this guitar to last as long, or longer, than I will!

I've been a gigging musician for 35+ years and still going strong. I own, or have owned just about every major brand of guitar available. I own too much gear of all sorts/types to list here. This Epiphone feels as good as any Gibson I've tried lately. I'm not saying it's a better guitar, or even as good as a USA Gibson, but for my money, I'm completely satisfied with this guitar. I did A/B this guitar to a Gibson LP Standard that a friend owns, and at least to his LP, there was no difference in sound or playability. Mine looked just as good, also. For the working guitarist, the Epi's are the best bang for the buck in a Gibson style guitar.