Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II

great features, 22 frets, alnico classic pickups and the nanomag.
the nanomag is a acoustic simulator and it sounds unbelieveable.
you can even combine the nanomag with the humbuckers to get a almost Fender Strat like tone.

Sounds like a classic gibson les paul in an epiphone body
great traditional crunch sounds and amazing acoustic sound through the nanomag. worth well over the ??549 i paid for ir

Beautiful finish, ive got a midnight ebony one and it looks amazing! best looking guitar i think ive ever seen. the pickups were set out perfecty and so was the whole guitar!

ive been playing this guitar for 3 years everyday and it is still just like new! i could easily gig with this,
world famous bands go on tour with less than one of these!

ive never needed it and i dont think i will

simply unbelievable, a gibson soul in an epiphone body, sounds like a gibson, looks like a gibson(looks better than a gibson) AND HAS A NANOMAG!!!!

Bought mine this month (beginning of June 2009), its been with me for two weeks. In overall scheme of things this is a very good guitar. This "Ultra II" model is Korean made, unlike "Standard" model which is made in china. Seems detail-wise "Ultra II" is just higher class than "Standard" model.

Nice mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard. Back of the neck has satin finish, which is a big plus grip wise. Decent Grover tuners. Alnico Classic Humbuckers + NanoMag, which really gives good tone versatility, you can get almost Fender-like single-coil tones out of this one when humbuckers are used in combination with the NanoMag. NanoMag has extra control knobs on the back panel for treble, bass, and gain. Chambered body makes this guitar much lighter than your average Les Paul. There are two 1/4" outputs, one for all pickups and one for NanoMag separately.

One problem, to switch between NanoMag and Humbuckers you need to work the volume knobs. They should have included a one-button switch. Since they have separate output for NanoMag, they should've made the main one for Humbuckers only. That way A/B switch pedal could've been used for quick switch between the NanoMag and Humbuckers. Thats why -1.

Sound of this guitar is excellent. Like i mentioned in previous section, you can combine NanoMag and Humbuckers for almost Fender-like tones. NanoMag by itself sounds very sharp, some adjustment on EQ is needed to get a perfect NanoMag sound on stand-alone.

For perfect setup two separate amps would be best, since this guitar has two outputs this should not be a problem if you own two amps.
I got it to sound pretty decent on Peavey Vypyr 15 with NanoMag stand-alone as pickup.

Alnico Classic humbuckers are pretty standard. I will upgrade them once i have a chance and i believe then this guitar will achieve even better sound. But don't get me wrong its not bad now, authentic crunchy Les Paul:ish tone with distortion, and clean tone when combined with NanoMag is much better than let's say Epiphone Les Paul "Standard", to which i make most of my comparisons since i traded my "Standard" LP for this "Ultra II".

Little bit more noise than i would like on distortion, but this i guess can be fixed with Noise Gate pedal which i don't currently own. This guitar's sound/tone is very good, but its not perfect. So -1.

When i got it from Epiphone, action was just perfect, just the way i like it. Not too low, not too high.

Pickups were set in a pretty standard way, but i like bridge pickup little lower than Epiphone factory standard.

I had a blast when i started playing it, since satin finish on the neck really gives a good grip feel. And maybe it seems to me, but i felt that neck it little bit thinner than in "Standard" model, since i had easier time fretting 6th and 5th string with my thumb.

Played for a day or two, but then i realized that i didn't do the most important thing - inspecting guitar closely.

When i opened a back panel i noticed there two pieces of wood just ratting around in the back compartment. I didn't see that there was a piece missing somewhere, so i removed those to small pieces of wood. But that kinda worried me naturally. So -1

One of the wires connected to Tone Knob was loose, there was no solder on it, so it was not connected anywhere when it left the factory. Since Tone control worked perfectly, i didn't want to make a big deal out of it, i just put some tape on the end of the wire to make sure it doesn't touch anything. That also worried me, but i decided to let it be. I will show it to a guitar tech when i have time, and i mean REAL Guitar Tech, not Guitar Center. I wish i knew more about Electronics of the guitar. Cause of this wire -1.

Here we close the back panel. Read next section.

I kept inspecting the guitar, and found big flaw. And now let me address the biggest problem that i think this guitar has as far a durability.

Plastic piece that holds two 1/4" is bigger than on regular guitars, since its holds two output and not one. This piece is made out of plastic that is not thick enough to effectively hold those output jacks.

When i got my eyes closer to this little plastic piece, i noticed that it had a small crack next to one of the jacks... I was furious, this guitar is very good, i would've hated it to return it, but i don't want cracks in anything when i paid for a new guitar.

I called Guitar Center and asked them to contact Epiphone and get this part mailed to me, they did and Epiphone did. I haven't got it yet, but it's on the way.

Epiphone/Gibson Support said that this part that will come for replacement, will have to be installed by Gibson Certified tech. So that means i will have to give this guitar into a hands of Guitar Center tech. This job is simple, 5 minutes really.... But knowing GC they will probably take their sweet time doing it. So i will be without my new favorite guitar for 3-4 days.

I am thinking that i will have to find a metal worker and make this same piece out of metal and replace the plastic one. This would fix this flaw and i would be quite happy with this guitar.

This plastic piece is obvious flaw, and a serious one at that. Since you cant really reinstall a certified part of this guitar without breaking warranty, the replacement of this part to home made metal one will void warranty for sure. Not that Epiphone limited warranty worth a crap anyway. But big time minus so i'll take -4 just for that.

Rest of the guitar seems pretty durable, but i guess years of playing and abusing will tell me more truth about it. But for now i cannot add anything else.

Well like previous part shows i ran into a problem immediately which required Support. They agreed to send the part immediately as Guitar Center got in touch with them.

I cant really rate customer support, since it wasn't I who dealt with them.

But i don't consider their action as anything special, since i think they did what any company should - if its broken replace the part or a whole thing, since they don't sell used guitars or anything.

I would definitely buy this guitar again if i wanted to buy a Les Paul. Even with this dual-jack holder problem. It's a very versatile guitar, has a good sound for rock, blues and metal, that i play. Its light weight, so it's nice to play during gigs when you are playing with this guitar hanging on your shoulders, wont break your hip or anything. NanoMag is good addition, satin finish on a neck is great idea that works.

I would add a button for switching quickly between NanoMag and Humbuckers, and i would have that plastic plate that's holding two 1/4" outputs made out of thick metal.

So lets say 9 out of 10, since flaws are manageable and rest of this guitar clearly makes it worth it.

The guitar have it all. The finish is great, he weight is unbelivable, you will no let this guitar from your hands

Combine Nano and PickUps and you will not believe the Result

This an Gibson soul in an Epiphone Body
I got the Midnight Ebony, this Guitar goes beyond the 600 Euro I payed

I play wih it 4 hours a day fro over a year, i is like new in every sense

Always the BEST

If stolen I would certainly buy a new one.

This Guitar rocks, Any kind of player pu hands on it wanted/or buyed one.

JazzCaster: Reviews like this are a joke, this person has no idea of music and can not be over 18 y.o.

Aida boy, clean some shoes and get an axe, will ya?

nanomag, alnico clasic humbukrs , gold hardware, grover die cast, satin nek finish, dual outputs, camberd mahogany body, quilted maple top , rosewood fretbourd, 22 frets.
every thing on this guitar is amazing. 10/10

sounds like a gibson, nanomag is perfect and u can blend the nanomag with the humbukers

cherry or black. good action

perfect

never needed it

the best guitar ever! buy it

epiphone les paul ultra 2
22 frets
mahogany body,mahogany nech, rosewood fretboard, quilted maple top.
nanomag
tunomatic bridge,
2 alnico classic humbukers
chambered body
2 outputs,
grover tuners, gold hardware,
super lightweight,
you can blend acoustic sounds with electric.


nano mag is sick. the stock pickup on the neck is amazing the bridge is a little bit too high and screamy. mahogany body, neck, roosewood fretboard, quilted maple top loctone bridge and stopbar. chambered body

it sounds unbelievable. i wasnt sure anbout it at first coz i thought it wouldnt sound as fat coz its chambered but i was wrong. it soulnd just like a les paul the pups are great but i changed my brisge pup for a seymour duncan sh6 coz i thought it was too high and screamy. the sh6 is perfect though. u can combine sounds from the humbuckers with the nanomag wich is a tiny acoustic pup hidden in the fret board. there is treble bass and gain controls for it on the back of thre guitar. i am usin it with a line6 spider 3 75. if u buy this guitar and u like heavy rock/metal irecomend getting a seymour duncan sh6 in the brisge.

the action is good. doesnt buzz. looks great in any finish(midnight ebony or faded cherry burst) everything is fine

very reliable. but the string that come with it break easily. solid strap buttons. gold durable hardware. graet

never needed it

i would definatle buy another one if it got stolen. the best feature for me is the lightwieghtedness and nanomag. best with a seymour duncan sh-6 in the bridge. it great!!

2008 Korea the rest has been said, and my previous writing somehow got erased. Lighter weight, belly cut, three great pickup Les Paul 3V 1T oh, the beauty of the quilt! Top of the line.

Great sounds

Perfect. Tuned up and it was great--intoned and action right on. no flaws

Rock solid

N/A

too many guitars and amps, but I lusted after this beauty. No more lead weight of a LP, plus three great pickups. Track down and butcher any thief. Buy another from the same guy.

Korean-made 2008 Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II. Now 54 or so years earlier, Gibson's Ted McCarty came up with the then revolutionary design of a solid-body guitar featuring a single-cutaway mahogony body topped by a carved maple top. Originally only available with a gold metal-flake finish, per the request of the origional endorsement artist, Les Paul. The Les Paul model also sported single-coil pickups called P-90s and a trapeeze tailpeice, similar to the style used by hollow-bodies archtops both accoustic and electric. A vol/tol array for each of two pickups and a selector switch to enable neck, bridge or both. This model was apparently only stable for a year or two. By 1959 The trapeeze had been replaced by the stud-mounted direct to the body Tune-a-matic bridge and string anchor. P-90's had been replaced with new "Patent Applied For" pickups that had no model numbers and only bore stickers labeled "PAF." It was still available with a goldtop or a black top with 3 pickups but the "Standard" featured a translucent sunburst which revealed some of the character and pattern of the maple cap. In the next 50 years gibson and literally hundreds of other luthiers and guitar manufacturers tinkered with this design while prices for the origional period peices soared to astronomical heights. The Les Paul Ultra II is essentially a modern replica aimed at emulating an unobtainable vintage piece priced so even a hobbyist can afford it. That's nice enough and for less money you can go with an Epiphone Standard or you can cough up another few hundred for a modern, American-made version. I was never particularly interested in doing either. And then Epiphone upped the Ante significantly: the Ultra II departs from classic recipe by virtue of weight-relieving and (some would say) tone-enhancing hollow chambers and, more significantly to me, an accoustic-sounding little pickup at the end of the fretboard. So you get a Les Paul with accoustic qualities. If you have particular pickup choices you probably want to upgrade anyway. Changing pickups is a bit unusual and you can't swap out the pots-the controls are mounted to a small circuitboard and direct the outputs of the controls to the preamp housed in the enlarged backplate. The neck humbucker measured 8.7KOhms I do not have a way to test output voltage so I can't report on that but going by dc resistance this would mean a low, somewhat trebly output but still about double that of a single-coil. The 2-conducter coax was wired to a 2-pin plastic connecter similar to that of many plug in battery packs. The Bridge measured a surprising 14.22 KOhms which would typically correspond to rather high output but it didn't seem to push the amp hard. I did opt to swap them out for DiMArzio 36 anniversary PAFs(get F-space for Bridge)and simply clipped the wires with a healthy inch or so and soldered the new pickup outputs with a heat-shrink wrap. You will not be able to perform a number of classic LP wiring modifications and you would need to drill to add miniswitches if you want coil-tapping or phase switching. I like upgrading caps but that doesn't apply here either. If you can't live without a whammy there are retrofit whammys that can give you back your wiggle-stick. I don't really see myself going there, though. anyway The LPU2 (pronounced "lue-pue-tue")was exactly as billed-a clean, Korean-manufactured (some are Chinese-mine says Korea)homage to vintage 'Pauls with a serviceable accoustic sound. It is not a high-output shredder but with gain tweeks and distortion pedals the stock instrument can cover any electric styles that don't involve whammy-bar antics.

I first played it at a music store I carry a Vox DA-5 amplifier and a Steinberger Sprit GT-PRO with me in the car. I brought in my DA-5 and tried a few settings and found that it wanted a little more gain to sound like it "should." This didn't surprise me as The Spirit is loaded with an Air Norton Neck, A Pro-Track middle and a Tone Zone bridge pickup. All are DiMarzio pickups and supposed to be boosted and refined updates of Gibson's PAF design-except the Pro-track. The Pro-track tries to be more authentically PAF than the others and has less output. With my ProTrack as a reference I had to admit these "Classic" gold-plated Humbuckers were not bad at all. With the gain upped a bit to compensate for the lower-output my familiar tones sounded all right, ringy clean and pleasently buzzy as the gain went up. I had set the volumes at nill prior to plugging in. I left the nanomag volume at minimum and worked first the bridge through a variety of volume and tone setting tweeks. The knobs rolled free and absolutely hum/glitch/snap/crackle free. There seemed to be a spike in volume in the last bit before max. The same was true with the neck. Then I started combos of both and found that this jump also seemed to act as an emphasis in the blend of the two pickups. Whichever pickup were set to full dominated the sound- a "neck-y" bridge or a "Bridge-y" neck could be changed quickly in character by slight tweeks to certain sweet spots...this was producing a grin as I have always had single-volume single tone control arrays. I always felt that you tweeked your pickups untill they worked well together. I had thought about adding independent volume controls but it never seemed worth the effort. Umm maybe I was mistaken about that-independent volume controls offer ranges of tonal variety and this character boost at the top end of each was different but appealing. I had read that LPs don't do the toggle switch cut-off thing well and was surprised to find that this guitar does allow you to turn the neck all the way down and crank the bridge and flip from middle to neck setting to off-on the output. I dialed down the electric pickups and turned up the nanomag. I play an eccentric percussive fingerstlye with a lot of slapping and plucking thumb movements that do not work well with piezo-style pickups. I usually compensate by playing away from the bridge and trying to be as light as possible. But the nanomag didn't suffer from that. I started running through the DA-5s clean and dirty models. The nanomag retained a surprising degree of "fauxcousticness" even on the highest distortion models but I soon went to the clean model to run through the controls. Same pop in volume/presence in the max setting. Hmmmmm...the implications had me switching to the british classic, setting a fat gain, maxing the bridge and rolling off the nanomag...played a couple of nice fat Angus chords and then rolled up the Nanomag volume...sure enough the distorted sound had a clear, articulate fauxcoustic shadow...oh I get it the shadow nanomag...nice... Drop the bridge and dime the nano-now it sounded like an accoustic with a bit of gristle. At home with the electric output to Digitech 350 and Nanaomag straight into the board I had no problems with using the direct signal from the nanomag. No phase issues, no need for a DI box just a straight cable and for recording it proves to be a versatile accoustic-changing the bass gain on the rear control array can vary the sound from a concert to a jumbo...and for most instances it can pass. I prefer the fauxcoustic of the nanomag to the fauxcoustic of any piezo I have played-neither is perfect but the nanomag sounds good and is much more forgiving of over-enthusiastic thumping. All of the controls are quiet and responsive-no buzzing or intermitant signal changes or drops. The range of sounds is astounding-especially if you run to seperate amps/channels

I was more attracted to the black (The Ultra is currently available with a translucent black and a rather garish "cherry" (RED-shaded toward magenta)but I met a 'burst at a "fatherly" NH music store and I gave it a go unplugged and I was pleased and seduced all 'round...it really played well and I finally understood the carved-top thing. I'd always played flat faced guitars-I'd considered the arch an anachronism from hollow-body arch tops but, for the first time, now saw an undeniable ergonomic advantage-especially for incorporating palm-muting whether flat-picking or fingerpicking. I didn't really like the pickup selector on the upper bout near the neck pocket. I have always preferred and played guitars with controls near the volume, below the strings but it didn't seem as awkward as I'd always imagined it would be. The bound neck was implemented well and the fret ends were comfortably profiled and absolutely no prickly ends. The neck and body do seem a bit out of synch but maybe the satin is part of why it is so comfortable to play. The neck profile is rather different from my other instuments and it turns out to by quite comfortable for me but if you like wide flat boards and skinny necks it could be an issue for you. The action was set conservatively but not uncomfortably high...action is a compromise as well as a personal preference and there's a range where just a little lower starts to produce buzziness and this was a bit above that-but it wasn't uncomfortable and chords rang out with crisp authority. There were no flaws, unpainted spots or wrongly-painted spots. The flame figure veneer is detailed and reasonably bookmatched. The gold hardware is smooth and well-attached. The tuners are very nice. I applied powdered graphite to the nut string slots-something I always do with plastic nuts-and found the tuning to remain solid and consistent. I want to give this a 10 but the output jacks are just too tight. In switching from nanomag jack to the the both jack to do some comparisons I actually pulled the center pin right out of a cable-now I go slow and give a little wiggle and it hasn't repeated but it is still a very forceful lock in when you plug in-and due to the preamp being on whenever the guitar is plugged in you can't just leave it plugged in-unless you like changing batteries.

This guitar was designed for the stage and studio. Songs that used to require switching to an accoustic now just need some volume knob tweeks. The hollow chambers and body-back sculpting are much more comfortable for long gigs or for sitting hours at the bandstand or in front of the mixing board...I would guess that impacts with large blunt objects would be harder on a hollow guitar than a solid one but there is nothing shoddy or scary about it's construction. The strap buttons are nice-a little wider and a little rounder-tapered than most and they accomodate a strap wel-not straining too much as it goes on. But I don't use standard straps. There is plenty of wood in the body to accomodate the longer screws of locking systems and I have installed a DiMarzio Cliplock strap. If you jump or dance around while playing you really should use some sort of lock system-any strap can fail at the button with just a slight twist...I think you could gig with just this guitar on almost any gig due to it's versatility but I don't believe you should-an informal gig is different but if you're being paid to put on a show you really need to have something else to grab in case things go kerflooey. 2 LPU2s would see you through most gigs.

Epiphone extends a lifetime warranty. The design is time-tested and the execution seems fine. This guitar should be playable for decades to come. I have no rating for the customer support peice and don't anticipate any dealings with them--if it suddenly goes south I will post an update. Bottom line this is a solid and well built guitar-treat it well and it will treat you well too.

The Nanomag alone is almost worth the price of admission. If I could integrate the nanomag into any guitar for $200 I might not have tried the LPU2 because I probably would have gone that route. I have a new appreciation for the Les Paul design. There is a reason so many guitars are so similar. The shaping and carving really do make it more comfortable to play. It is gig-worthy and ready to play-the controls make sense and it does just what it is advertised to do. I find more to love everytime I play it. It sounds great, plays well and opens up entirely new realms of sound and tone-now I can play distorted tones and clean delayed tones at the same time. Layered accoustic and electric sounds can be pulled off live and a mushy fuzzy heavy line can be given some definition by bringing up the nanomag. Most other methods for this are piezo-bridges added to your electric. They suffer from piezo quack and don't work well with my percussive attack-but if you have a beloved guitar that you want to add accoustic qualities to you could look at these options but to get a sweet Les Paul and a nice electric accoustic for well under a grand, well it's just a nice time to be alive and playing..If lost or stolen I would replace it-but probably with the black one...I did decide to add DiMArzio 36 Anniversary PAF neck and Anniversary PAF bridge pickups and am glad I did-the DiMArzios have more bite, chime and harmonics and just sit better in my ear but that's just my taste even bone stock this is a fantastic player's guitar. Well-done Epiphone!

Great features, nano mag is superb!

Got platinum award from Guitar World and rightly so it sounds excellent. All the usual les paul sound with the added bonus of the nano mag leaving endless options for creating the perfect sound.

No complaints, few little adjusts but every has their own personal preferences.

Feels solid and built to last.

For this price, i dont think it can be beaten!

Body: Mahogany, Strategically Chambered
Top: Quilted Maple
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: SlimTaper, Satin Finish
Neck Joint: Glued-In
Truss Rod: Double-Action, 2-way
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 12
Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
Scale Length: 24-3/4
Nut Width: 1.65
Neck Pickup: Alnico Classic
NanoMag Low-Impedance
Bridge Pickup: Alnico Classic Plus
Bridge: LockTone Tune-o-matic
Tailpiece: LockTone Stopbar
Front Controls: Neck Humbucker Master Volume
Bridge Humbucker Master Volume
Master Tone
NanoMAG Master Volume
3-way Toggle (Humbuckers)

Rear Controls:
NanoMAG Treble
NanoMAG Bass
NanoMAG Gain
Tuners: Grover, diecast
Outputs: 1/4 Mono, 1/4 Stereo
Power: 9V battery
Hardware: Gold
Binding: Body, Neck
Warranty: Limited Lifetime

Would have given a 10 if there was a mini-switch to go from nanomag to magnetics.

This is where my review will differ from many of the others. I'll start with the magnetic pickups, they sound like an Epihpone Les Paul, if thats not the sound you looking for don't buy this guitar or change the pickups. I have three other Epiphone Les Pauls all modified a little differently. I have Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with Seymour Duncans (Jazz, JB, and Classic 59), a Les Paul Classic with S-D Phat Cats in it, a Les Paul Classic 12 string, and now the Ultra-II. If you can not get great sounds out of this guitar you are not trying. It has been a long quest for me to find an electric guitar with near acoustic capabilities.

My quest started with a Peavey EXP with a Fishman - moved on. Then I tried a Schecter C-1 E/A, close, but not there yet. Then I installed a ghost on a Dillion DRS500, closer, but not there. Then I bought an Epiphone Chet Atkins (changed out tone capacitors - usable, then the Ultra-II and I am there!! I play through a Marshall Combo (AVT-250) and can make this guitar sound just like a plugged in acoustic/electric hollow-body. Then with the roll of some knobs - the classic Les Paul sound, or blend to your taste for other great tones.

Ordered mine from Musician's Friend and it plays and looked great right out of the box. I have not touched a thing. I have given it a very close inspection and find no finish flaws or workmanship issues. I got the midnight black quilt - it is beautiful.

So of the reviews state this guitar is made in China. Mine was not it was made in the Unsung Plant in Korea.

I see no reason that this guitar will not be as tough as all my other Epiphones.

Been playing for over 35+ years, doing my current style of music (Classic Rock and occassionally some Country), with the same band for 14 years....gig after gig they hold up. Never needed Customer Support.

This is a great guitar. It sounds good, lighter than a standard LP, unlimited sounds, and very aatractive.

Made in China in 2008. Fake foto-flame top is actually a thin piece of cardboard, not real wood. The rest is plywood, except for the neck which is 3 piece breakable mahogany. The nano mag is built into the neck.

Magnetic pups sound very weak and muddy when distorted, harsh when cranked. The nano-mag sounds exactly like a piezo to me. Even with the bass and treble controls, I could not get a good sound out of it. The nano-mag controls are hard to use, you have to flip the guitar over every time you make an adjustment, which is a major pain in the ars. There should be a toggle switch like the Fishman Powerchip uses. It sounds like crap using an acoustic amp without some additional EQ, like 7 bands, to tame the harshness.

Action on mine was high, I don't really care about the rest if it doesn't sound good. Fake flame top is going to bring the resale value way down for sure. Epiphone pups are about as low quality as they come.

The gold hardware on mine was already starting to get tarnished. Be aware of this if you keep your guitars a long time. Epiphone switches, pickups, jacks, and controls would all be replaced if I had kept it.

Gibson is a good company to deal with in my experience.

I have been playing 40 years and hate this guitar. I traded it in (+ about $100 cash) for a Gibson Les Paul Vintage Worn and couldn't be happier. Better pups, hardware, electronics, finish, case, and overall quality. The biggest differnce being the overall tone. I will stick a Fishman on my LP soon and have the best of both worlds.