Not unlike the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul has become a guitar symbol, preferred by guitarists in such different styles as rock, metal, blues, jazz, and country. From Ace Frehley to Zakk Wylde, the fans of the Les Paul are all over the globe. For us ordinary humans, there's usually one serious downside to purchasing a Gibson Les Paul. They don't come cheap! The average typical price of a new model is well over $2,000, which is hardly small change. What's a Les Paul lover to do?
Enter the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus!
Aside from its signature Epiphone headstock, an Epiphone Les Paul is a Korean-made guitar that plays, feels, and looks like a "real" Gibson LP without the prohibitive price tag. It even bears the signature of the late, great Les Paul on the headstock. So how does it stack up?
We reviewed a transparent Blue Les Paul Standard Plus Top, and I have to note that the instrument has one of the most gorgeous tops I've played in this price range. The figuring is absolutely beautiful, and is gloriously complimented by its creme-colored binding and chrome hardware. Appearance-wise, the Epiphone LP Standard Plus Top is simply a beautiful guitar.
Having used a Gibson LP Standard for some time, I was interested to take note of how the Epiphone LP would stack up, and I have to say that I was tremendously impressed. The slim-tapered neck reminds me of the 1960 Gibson LP Standard neck and in many respects was much faster than my Gibson LP Standard with a 50's style neck. The rosewood fretboard felt great and the frets were smooth and nicely polished all in all, but not quite as pristine as my Gibson LP. Be that as it may, the fretwork is still very good, especially given the instrument's low price.
The alnico classic pickups convey the classic LP bite out of the bridge pickup and a smooth and round tone from the neck pickup. I almost always swap pickups out of my stock guitars and would likely do the same here. I think a Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz would sound perfect in this electric guitar, but the replacement would be more of a preference than a necessity. These pickups sound solid and might just be what you're looking for without the need for new pickups. They did tend to squeal a bit at high volumes, but not annoyingly so.
The give and take in a model such as this guitar aren't easily apparent. Epiphone saves some costs by having a veneer flame top glued to non-flamed maple. Likewise, where Gibson LP Standard bodies are made from a single mahogany slab, the Epiphone mahogany body is laminated, just like the neck. Nevertheless, these cost-cutting decisions allow the guitar to weigh even less than their Gibson siblings. For the cost you pay, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top is a beautiful sounding and nicely playable LP for a small fraction of the price of the Gibson model.
Visit Ray's Guitar Shop where you can read more reviews and purchase your own Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus at the best possible price! if you're searching for cheap electric guitars, then look no further than Ray's Guitar Shop!
