Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Review – Better than a Gibson Les Paul?
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Like the Fender Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul has become a guitar icon, cherished by players in such contrasting styles as rock, metal, blues, jazz, and country. From Slash to Jimmy Page, the fans of the Les Paul are common.
The trouble for many of us, though, is that Gibson Les Pauls are a bit on the high-priced side.
A new Les Paul Standard will cost over $2,000, an expensive musical investment to be sure. So what can we do?
How about the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus?
Don’t let the “Made in Korea” sticker fool you. This Epiphone-branded Les Paul Standard Plus sounds, plays, and looks like its American-made brethren. But how does it compare in every detail?
The guitar we surveyed had an absolutely lovely Transparent Blue top, which is laminate but nevertheless quite exquisite. The top was complimented by captivating creme-colored binding and snazzy chrome hardware.
In the looks department, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top is one very exquisite instrument.
When I first tried out the Epiphone, I couldn’t help but equate it to my own Gibson Les Paul Standard. I have to say that I was very impressed with the Epiphone. The neck was fast easy to play, reminding me somewhat of a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard. It was speedier in many ways than my own Les Paul, which was a pleasant surprise.
The fretwork overall is extremely well done, though maybe not as good as my Gibson. The rosewood fretboard had a really nice feel to it, and the frets were smooth and well-polished overall.
When I get a new instrument, I ordinarily swap out the stock pickups for custom Dimarzio or Seymour Duncans, just so I can get the exact tone I want. Honestly, I’d probably do the same with this Epiphone; nevertheless, that does not mean that these pickups are not “keepers.” The Epiphone includes alnico classic pickups that certainly project a classic Les Paul sound. The bridge pickup has just the right amount of “bite” and the neck pickup is smooth, perfect for lead or rhythm sounds.
I think a Duncan JB and Jazz would sound great in this guitar, but the replacements would be more of a taste than a necessity.
The stock Epiphone pickups sound very good as they are, and they just might suit your needs as is. I did discover some “squealing” at high volumes, but it wasn’t that much of an annoyance.
The compromises in a model such as this guitar aren’t readily manifest. Epiphone saves cash by having a veneer flame top glued to non-flamed maple. Likewise, where Gibson Les Paul Standard bodies are made from a single mahogany slab, the Epiphone mahogany body is laminated, as is the neck.
Astonishingly, these cost-cutting measures allow the guitar to weigh even less than its Gibson counterparts. For the price, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus is a superb sounding and easily playable Les Paul for a small fraction of the cost of the Gibson equivalent.
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