Epiphone 12 String Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I play solo gigs three nights per week in the spring/summer/fall in a small Colorado mountain town. Guitar, harmonica, and vocals through two matching Fishman Loudbox Artist amps. I bought my first Epiphone EJ200 in ebony in 2014 thinking that in the event it didn't play well, it would look fantastic on the wall. I took it along with my Gibson Super Jumbo 200 to the next Friday's gig. I got halfway through with the Gibson, and decided to try the new ebony Epiphone EJ200. I was astounded. I have since used the ebony, "Black Dog" for 95% of my performances since. "Oh, I thought it was a Gibson. It's only an Epiphone."—"Right. The Gibson is in the gig bag. It's my backup." I have since purchased two more Epiphone EJ200s. I saw this 12 string offered last week asd a "limited edition" and ordered it immediately. I have owned an Ovation Custom Legend 12 string for over fifteen years, gorgeous and gig worthy, and well as a Rickenbacker 360 12 string for two decades which is also a dandy. I have had two 30 minute sessions both unplugged and plugged in with this new Epiphone EJ 200 12 string, and like the original ebony 6 string, "Black Dog", this new EJ200 12 is astounding. It is visibly gorgeous. Ir frets more easily and more naturally than some of my 6 string guitars. (I own 15—"tools" that pay for themselves) And the sound both unplugged and plugged in is angelic, or at least remarkable. I think I've found another "Oh, I thought it was a Gibson" incredible instrument by Epiphone. I've been performing gigs for about three decades now. It would have been nice to have owned this baby years ago. Thank you Epiphone, and thank you Guitar Center for getting this thing where it belongs, strapped around my neck and in my hands. Wonderful guitar!!!!Daniel B

Sound: The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-200 seems to compliment my voice the best out the ones I've mentioned. Don't get me wront this Gibson G-45 Studio is a very sweet sounding acoustic. I replaced the sonitone p/u with a Dimarzio[sic] Dark Angel and it seems to have warm up the sound, a bit more mellow. I really love the way the Sonitone sounds in the J-200 and will be keeping it like it is. I may make a big upgrade for a new chorus pedal though, I am sure I will. Features: The J-200 with Sonitone system is pretty easy to use. I have plenty of different pedals, a lot of different chorus pedals. Right now I think I will splurge with something a little more expensive. My most expensive chorus pedal right now is the Boss pedal and I have had quite a while. This J-200 sounds great with just a touch of reverb. I really like all of these Epi's. But the most recent one really has my undivided attention. Ease of Use: It is very playable. The set up could not be better. I'm sure I wil tinker with it some, by that I mean try a few different pedal etc. This J-200 does not need to be tinkered with too much. As a matter fact it a very solid axe. Quality: It will last a life time, but I still want the Vintage Sunburst versionas soon as it is available. Value: Most definetly and then some. Manufacturer Support: I have not had to reach them. The Wow Factor: I can make good music with out it, but I'd just a soon stick with this one. Thank you I love this guitar! I'm hooked. Overall: I own the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-200 in the Antique Natural and it is one of the finest guitars In my collection. Which includes 3 EJ-200 acoustic-electrics, 3 EJ-160E acoustic-electrics and a Gibson G-45 Studio. I would rate them all 5 stars. I own several other acoustic -electrics as well, but plan on sell ing them and going for Epiphone Inspired by Gibson all the way around. I'm hooked. These guitars are top notch. Hard to beat the price and quality craftmanship.Michael

Let me start by saying I really like this guitar! I have a lot of acoustics including Martin, Taylor and Gibsons. I wanted a J-200 copy after making a mistake and selling my EPI J-200 Elite many years ago. The Masterbilt J-200 is nowhere close to the Elite series sound or quality and it's not a Gibson. I received the Masterbilt J-200 this week and did a complete set up including reshaping and lowering the bone saddle and adjusting the bow out of the neck with the truss rod. (easy to do). I also treated the neck with a concoction of Guitar Honey and Minwax mahogany to seal and treat the neck. I took off the 12 – 53 strings (wimpy sounding) and put on 12.5 – 55 Martin SP strings which made a huge improvement in loudness and tone. The overall workmanship is good and minimum flaws noticed. Observations: Heavy guitar (just like my other Epi Masterbilts) They plane the wood down only so thin to add strength and rigidity but it does NOT vibrate like a quality guitar. The spruce top is just too darn thick. The top measures .160" thick. many of my guitars are .120" – .125" thick. The X bracing on this guitar is huge in comparison to other Jumbos I have and that adds a lot of weight to the guitar. This also keeps the top from vibrating effectively. The "Gloss" finish advertised is really more of a "satin" and not a nice high gloss. I have used paste wax and buffed the top twice to improve the gloss finish. I wish Epiphone would not use this satin finish. I am not a fan. The frets are nice and the guitar appears to have been Pleked! They are very consistent down the neck and allowing for a nice low action without fretting out. Electronics sound fine and do a nice job. Overall this is a nice guitar and a real step up from the EJ-200 laminated guitar. As a solid wood guitar in in this price range I would say it is a good buy. It is fun to play with nice tone and OK volume. If Epiphone would plane the top, sides and back wood a bit thinner it would improve,Monte

Great sounding and playing guitar, I replaced the synthetic saddle for bone, original was to tapered on the high E new saddle took care of that. Buy the epiphone or roadrunner jumbo case, nothing else fits, make sure if the guitar comes straight from the factory you use a humidifier in your case for at least 6 months. Especially in colorado. Then if you leave it out without a humidifier that you dont have forcrd Heat or air conditioning vents close to the guitar. This guitar has great projection.Kenny

After purchasing this guitar from American Musical Supply, I was really nervous awaiting its arrival because this was actually my first time purchasing an instrument online. I’m used to going inside music shops and trying out different gear and playing guitars before I buy them so I know that what I’m taking home with me already feels comfortable and right in my hands. This guitar in particular, however, is not a style that is normally kept stocked in the stores for customers to test drive before they purchase. Similar models are available in stores near me but I think anyone who has ever wanted this particular model from Epiphone knows that they have heard and felt the beautiful sound that projects from this big guitar and I am here to tell you that my “leap of faith” online purchase was nothing more than a huge win in my book! This guitar looks, sounds and plays just as I expected it would with much more to offer once it’s actually in your hands! I’m personally a country/blues guy so this guitar definitely fits right up that alley in my opinion. It feels so solid in your hands and the tone is just plain awesome! The Jumbo body allows the sounds inside the guitar to reverberate through your body as it’s pressed against you before making its way through the sound hole where it flourishes into that awesome deep, thick sound. From the factory the guitar is set up beautifully and very playable right out of the box. Quality parts, quality wood and quality electronics as expected from Epiphone and very well executed in this model. Definitely worth every penny for the undecided guitarist but hey, don’t take just my word for it! Pick up this awesome guitar from Epiphone through these good folks here at American Musical and set yourself up with one of their payment plans if that interests you! It’s an awesome way to be able to get the gear you need and the gear you’ve been wanting without breaking the bank right on the spot! Excellent Job by Epiphone once again and an excellent job by American Musical for supplying it at an awesome price and providing sweet payment options for your customers and future consumers!Billy

I once owned a Gibson J15, that I bought from Guitar Center, and I loved it, but I always wanted a J200, I just could never afford one. Well, I ended up having to sell my J15 to pay rent one month, and I ended up having some extra money from it, and thought why not give the Epi a try? It's closer to the Guitar I always wanted anyways. I was blown away. It has all the high end stylings of a Gibson J200, maybe even more if you consider the built in tuner and cutaway features for about 3000$ less. Well, unfortunately I only owned it for about a week before my car broke down and I had to return my Epi to pay for the repairs. I've regretted it ever since. I would have rather donated blood 50 times than have returned that guitar. (Fortunately I just got my tax return and repurchased it, and it seems like it sounds even better than before). As I was saying, it stacks up against s Gibson guitar nicely, the shadow preamp isn't as nice as any LR Baggs system but it will certainly give you lots of usable sounds. I think this is the best guitar in the 500$ price range and I'm disappointed in Guitar Center for not carrying it in store. I'm a firm believer in the fact that having a guitar you like, you like the looks of, you like the feel of, will make you a better guitarist, and that's what this beautiful, fat boy jumbo acoustic has done for me. I actually like mine so much I decided to put some money into it for upgrades, and I haven't been disappointed. I stuck some Grover Keystone tuners on it in gold of course ( had them on my Epi Les Paul before and thought would look cool so I just swapped them), some Martin ebony bridge pins, and some D'Addario EXPs and this thing sounds unreal now. So, if you're reading this because you're unsure as to whether you should buy this guitar or not, yes, you should absolutely buy this guitar and never look back.Anonymous

I've been looking for a particular sound from an acoustic to replace my Ibanez. I went into to the GC to get strings for my other axes and try out a white Tele they had. Tele wasn't quite what I was looking for so I went into the accoustic room and this just stood out and I had to tryit. I was sold after one strum of Dm-A-G. That was the sound I wanted. Mids somewhere between a J45 and a Taylor. Highs have just the right amount of brilliance without stealing the show. Exactly what I was looking for. It has a bone nut and saddle so this thing rings out so well. The only thing I can think of negative is the Epiphone Deluxe tuners feel cheap. I'm just going to order some Gibson Deluxe's, other than that this is a beaut!JR

This guitar is beautiful. I've played many guitars, but none are more pretty than this. I have the Cherry Burst, wow! The fretboard material is Laural Wood. It plays nicely with bended notes, nice and firm. This guitar has good "weight." It is one of the heavier acoustics I've played. I like that too, it feels like great quality. Mine is not made in China. It was manufactured in Indonesia. These Asian manufacturers are doing a great job and I like it that mine is from Indonesia, too. There is good balance in sound from string to string, too. It's nice that it came with a sound hole cover, but such a nice (and fairly pricey) guitar should come with a gig bag or case.Boomer

Overall: Ok let me first say that I have been playing guitar since 1964. I have so many guitars since then I can't even remember them.In my experience Epiphone guitars have always been a solid platform for someone who is first starting and novice and intermediate level players.After reading about these " Inspired By Gibson" series Masterbilt guitars I thought I'd give one a try to see how close to a real Hummingbird it is.It caught me off guard. The fit and finish is outstanding. The playability was absolutely perfect out of the box.The original 1960's Headstock makes it look really nice. Not that deeply scalloped extended swelled at the top one usually find on an Epiphone. Nice touch Epiphone !The tulip Keystone vintage tuners are excellent. Smooth and tight. Fret work was amazing for a guitar in this price point as well as getting a guitar with beautiful solid mahogany and Sitka spruce that is finished in an accurate vintage toner. The real Mother of Pearl inlays are a really nice touch.At this price point getting an instrument with a one piece mahogany neck with no seperate heel is almost unheard of. I am tempted to say this Epiphone is so close to the Gibson model it amazed me that Gibson would allow Epiphone to produce something this close to their high dollar Hummingbird.In conclusion…. BUY IT !! You will not be sorry. zZounds is the best out there for sales, service and amazing one day delivery.Ed

I play solo gigs three nights per week in the spring/summer/fall in a small Colorado mountain town. Guitar, harmonica, and vocals through two matching Fishman Loudbox Artist amps. I bought my first Epiphone EJ200 in ebony in 2014 thinking that in the event it didn't play well, it would look fantastic on the wall. I took it along with my Gibson Super Jumbo 200 to the next Friday's gig. I got halfway through with the Gibson, and decided to try the new ebony Epiphone EJ200. I was astounded. I have since used the ebony, "Black Dog" for 95% of my performances since. "Oh, I thought it was a Gibson. It's only an Epiphone."—"Right. The Gibson is in the gig bag. It's my backup." I have since purchased two more Epiphone EJ200s. I saw this 12 string offered last week asd a "limited edition" and ordered it immediately. I have owned an Ovation Custom Legend 12 string for over fifteen years, gorgeous and gig worthy, and well as a Rickenbacker 360 12 string for two decades which is also a dandy. I have had two 30 minute sessions both unplugged and plugged in with this new Epiphone EJ 200 12 string, and like the original ebony 6 string, "Black Dog", this new EJ200 12 is astounding. It is visibly gorgeous. Ir frets more easily and more naturally than some of my 6 string guitars. (I own 15—"tools" that pay for themselves) And the sound both unplugged and plugged in is angelic, or at least remarkable. I think I've found another "Oh, I thought it was a Gibson" incredible instrument by Epiphone. I've been performing gigs for about three decades now. It would have been nice to have owned this baby years ago. Thank you Epiphone, and thank you Guitar Center for getting this thing where it belongs, strapped around my neck and in my hands. Wonderful guitar!!!!Daniel B

Sound: The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-200 seems to compliment my voice the best out the ones I've mentioned. Don't get me wront this Gibson G-45 Studio is a very sweet sounding acoustic. I replaced the sonitone p/u with a Dimarzio[sic] Dark Angel and it seems to have warm up the sound, a bit more mellow. I really love the way the Sonitone sounds in the J-200 and will be keeping it like it is. I may make a big upgrade for a new chorus pedal though, I am sure I will. Features: The J-200 with Sonitone system is pretty easy to use. I have plenty of different pedals, a lot of different chorus pedals. Right now I think I will splurge with something a little more expensive. My most expensive chorus pedal right now is the Boss pedal and I have had quite a while. This J-200 sounds great with just a touch of reverb. I really like all of these Epi's. But the most recent one really has my undivided attention. Ease of Use: It is very playable. The set up could not be better. I'm sure I wil tinker with it some, by that I mean try a few different pedal etc. This J-200 does not need to be tinkered with too much. As a matter fact it a very solid axe. Quality: It will last a life time, but I still want the Vintage Sunburst versionas soon as it is available. Value: Most definetly and then some. Manufacturer Support: I have not had to reach them. The Wow Factor: I can make good music with out it, but I'd just a soon stick with this one. Thank you I love this guitar! I'm hooked. Overall: I own the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-200 in the Antique Natural and it is one of the finest guitars In my collection. Which includes 3 EJ-200 acoustic-electrics, 3 EJ-160E acoustic-electrics and a Gibson G-45 Studio. I would rate them all 5 stars. I own several other acoustic -electrics as well, but plan on sell ing them and going for Epiphone Inspired by Gibson all the way around. I'm hooked. These guitars are top notch. Hard to beat the price and quality craftmanship.Michael

Let me start by saying I really like this guitar! I have a lot of acoustics including Martin, Taylor and Gibsons. I wanted a J-200 copy after making a mistake and selling my EPI J-200 Elite many years ago. The Masterbilt J-200 is nowhere close to the Elite series sound or quality and it's not a Gibson. I received the Masterbilt J-200 this week and did a complete set up including reshaping and lowering the bone saddle and adjusting the bow out of the neck with the truss rod. (easy to do). I also treated the neck with a concoction of Guitar Honey and Minwax mahogany to seal and treat the neck. I took off the 12 – 53 strings (wimpy sounding) and put on 12.5 – 55 Martin SP strings which made a huge improvement in loudness and tone. The overall workmanship is good and minimum flaws noticed. Observations: Heavy guitar (just like my other Epi Masterbilts) They plane the wood down only so thin to add strength and rigidity but it does NOT vibrate like a quality guitar. The spruce top is just too darn thick. The top measures .160" thick. many of my guitars are .120" – .125" thick. The X bracing on this guitar is huge in comparison to other Jumbos I have and that adds a lot of weight to the guitar. This also keeps the top from vibrating effectively. The "Gloss" finish advertised is really more of a "satin" and not a nice high gloss. I have used paste wax and buffed the top twice to improve the gloss finish. I wish Epiphone would not use this satin finish. I am not a fan. The frets are nice and the guitar appears to have been Pleked! They are very consistent down the neck and allowing for a nice low action without fretting out. Electronics sound fine and do a nice job. Overall this is a nice guitar and a real step up from the EJ-200 laminated guitar. As a solid wood guitar in in this price range I would say it is a good buy. It is fun to play with nice tone and OK volume. If Epiphone would plane the top, sides and back wood a bit thinner it would improve,Monte

I am both surprised and please with this guitar I purchased this guitar at GC Nashville after returning a Gibson Les Paul Classic that I bought online. (lesson learned, don't buy from GC online.) The staff there were great and had no issues with me returning a $2200 guitar that I bought online. Even more supportive in helping me pick out a much less expensive guitar. Great people. This Epiphone is awesome. The fit and finish are great. The action is low and no buzz. The tone is great and It is lighter and easier to handle than the Gibson . The best part is it cost a third of the one I returned. I really wanted a Gibson but I am so glad I picked up this Epiphone. A word of caution. I looked at and played several guitars at GC before choosing this one. I even played a couple of other Epiphone Les Paul Customs. No two were the same. One had razors for frets, one had an action you could drive a truck under and this one was just right. Go in an play them before buying.Mike

This is my second 6 string electric, and I couldn't be HAPPIER with it! My first guitar is an entry level Epiphone SG Special that was a couple hundred bucks back in the day. It got the job done…good frets, good tune, good everything. I recently decided to step it up and get a "mid-range" guitar but still not break the bank with an Epiphone. And I'm not calling Epiphone cheap…they are just more in my price range when compared to Gibsons. Stepping it up is the right description for this guitar!! It is AMAZING! The feel, the tone, the look! It sounds great and feels good in the hands too. I especially love the Silverburst color!! The main reason I wanted this specific guitar. It's Adam Jones from TooL color scheme finish but on an epiphone! They are coming out with his own model of epiphone, but I'm impatient lol. Looks are important to picking out a guitar as much as sound! The inlays on the fretboard look beautiful. The pick guard and finish are beautiful, the trim/binding around the guitar… this guitar has reignited my passion for playing! As of this writing, I have no complaints! Excellent guitar!Matt

I purchased this guitar because a Les Paul was missing from my gear arsenal and I didn't want to drop three grand on a Gibson. I played a wall model at a local GC store and decided to buy, but requested a factory new model sent to me, because the wall model I played had some nicks in the fretboard, a sketchy 3 way switch and had worn strings and the intonation was way off above the 14th fret. I paid for next day air shipping to expedite the process because I tend to want the things I pay for fairly quickly. The shipping tag originated from the same city I live in, meaning they had a factory new either in the warehouse or at the neighboring store about 20 miles away. So I essentially paid 42$ for expedited shipping and could had likely gotten it same day if I asked the right questions I suppose. Shame on me. The next business day my guitar is delivered to my residence, I open it and immediately inspected it for possible shipping damage or factory flaws. It arrives with a broken 3 way switch, all strings tuned nearly 2 steps flat and also needed to make a truss rod adjustment to straighten the neck. Completely unacceptable that these issues left both the factory and GC's "quality control" in the condition it did. Luckily I work at a local small box music store and worked with our own luthier after hours to set it up and correct the problems. All that said, this guitar is absolutely fantastic. It plays and sounds very good and even though the stock pickups aren't top tier, they are excellent performers at a very reasonable price point. Monster value in this guitar. If you can acquire one some where other than Guitar Center, do it. If you do purchase from guitar center, make absolutely certain to have it looked at by a professional before accepting it. 5 stars for the guitar and it's value. 1 star for guitar centers lack of QC shipping items.Dan

I bought one of these several months ago. Ok I'm not good guitarist so take that into into consideration but I have player series strat and have always played strat style guitars and I'm not saying i love this guitar more than the Fender I love them both but as far as the guitar is concerned she got so much potential tonally. I have no complaints about the ascetic she beautiful sexy gorgeous took a little getting used to the weight and contours compared to the strat there is adjustment period but she just rocks. I never played a Gibson but if this guitar had Gibson I guess it be a little better but also 2grand more. If I have any complaint is she is finger print magnet always wiping down get some dunlop 65 and microfiber cloth. The Glossy neck won't appeal to all but I can deal with it. Fret work perfect. I'm not a gigging musician but i have no doubt she gig worthy. Oh also, get the pro coverage cause I found out ALL Les Paul are extremely fragile at the neck,It has to do with the angle of the neck, Google it, do your research on owning a led Paul little different than strat anyway the guitar is 600-GREAT VALUE then with 2 years pro coverage plus tax it was under 900 or somewhere around there. And if you get a bad quality then ask for another cause it is coming from Asia so there is variability in workmanship but mine is PERFECT. If I ever get rich maybe ill buy a Gibson but for now this satisfy my Les Paul needs. I wanted an alternative to my strat to emulate Slash sound lol I need to work on my technique but this definitely rocks a Les Paul sound. I did see a review or 2 that liked the sound of the 1950 better but I played them both and liked the 60s better but check them both out the inspired by Gibson line is definitely worth the money if you want a Les Paul without breaking the bank. Just take your time do your homework if you can go to a GC and play it then do that In rarely write reviews especially this long but I love this guitarMichael L

Bought without trying it out because I had seen a photo and decided I would like to try it but was out of stock for many months. Then it became available for $79 off and I jumped. – It came well packaged and in perfect condition. 'Played as well as it looked and it looks even better than the photos show it. The finish is as deep and glossy as any I have seen, and even the fretboard is bound. It seemed a tad bass shy at first but over the last few weeks has bloomed and now sounds beautifully balanced with tight well defined tones throughout the octaves and plenty of shimmer up high. 'Have not plugged in yet but it projects well without amplification and should be just fine for a small stage like a church or coffee house. I highly recommend this guitar to any enthusiast.Steven

I went to the GC in Palm Desert CA with a five-hundred dollar budget for a new acoustic/electric. There were three guitars that I had to play, but I was open to checking out others. I didn't see the Hummingbird in the room so I asked the clerk to check for me … he found one. Before he got back with the Epiphone, I had a chance to play the Guild and a Fender that were on my list, as well as a few that were not. The Fender was winning … until the clerk showed up with the Epiphone. The craftsmanship/fit and finish, the feel of the neck/action, the sound projection/tone … Everything about the guitar was perfect for me! I could not be happier!John

Overall: So I know this isn’t zZounds fault, it’s epiphones. But I got the guitar originally, not setup had someHorrible buzz vibration that was not normal even for a non setup guitar. Cracking at the nut, micro dents in the body at the saddle. But it had the e sonic 2 shadow pickup system which was absolutely stellar. Sent it in for a return and received a much better condition guitar but with fishman pickup system. Epiphone is now outfitting these guitars with the bare bones basic ass fishing presys system. It’s not even the presys + which is 200 dollars. This pickup is like 60 bucks. I have previous recordings with my e sonic and have tried to emulate it with this presys and it just doesn’t compare. Great guitar but the downgrade in pickup grinds my gears. My advice is to buy the e sonic 2 system or presys + system and swap them out. You’ll then have a much better sound and recording quality when plugged in. zZounds was great on the return process however. Will continue to be a customer.Joshua

I have wanted a Les Paul since I was in high school in the 1980s. For my 50th birthday (Jan 2022) I really was determined to get one. But, on a country church pastor's salary, no chance at a Gibson, even Epiphones were pricey for me. Thanks to some generous friends who saw a post of mine on social media about my dream guitar. They took up a collection and told me to buy a guitar! So I did! I purchased the Translucent Blue. It is everything I hoped it would be and dreamed of having since I was in high school. Ordinarily, not a fan of factory strings, usually change strings first thing when I get a guitar. But this sounded fantastic out of the box. It's not very often a product lives up to expectations, much less exceeds them. This Les Paul is everything I hoped and then some. The Translucent Blue is an absolutely GORGEOUS intstrument. It plays great, sounds fantastic. Be warned, Les Pauls are heavy guitars. If you're used to something more lightweight, this may be a surprise. I've played them before, I was expecting it to be heavy. This feature might turn some off, but I'm fine with it. Bottom line, if you're pondering getting this guitar, make the leap! You will be glad you did!!!Pastor Frank

Holy wowzers I'll try to keep this quick. I'm one of those guys that has had TONS of guitars. I currently own 10. I had a Gibson LP but ended up parting with it years ago and have recently started wanting one again. Did a lot of research on just about every LP clone out there including ones from Japan, etc. Why not just get a Gibson you say? Well obviously because of the price tag and how much extra it costs to get the name on the head-stock. In no way do you need to spend triple to quadruple the amount it takes to get a Gibson if you don't feel like it these days. These Epi's are cut using the same exact machine that the Gibsons are cut on here in the USA. The same wood is used. This particular model even has CTS pots, a GraphTech nut, and ProBucker pickups. The major difference is China. Yes, China. I would have balked at that years ago, but I also own a J. Mascis Jazzmaster that is made in China and it is absolutely flawless… just like this Epiphone. As a bonus, the "made in China" is only a sticker. You can just remove it so you'll feel much better about yourself when you look at it haha. Without rambling on and on, I always check Guitar Center online to see what is available at my local stores when I am in the market. This one caught my eye because I'm a sucker for quilt top LP's. I called in and had the local dude confirm it was there and he said it hadn't even been taken out of the box yet. BONUS! I rushed to the store and got to unbox it myself. I always like to see guitars like this in person to make sure the top looks good and there are no glaring QC issues. In this case I was extremely satisfied. It came right out of the box with perfect action and perfect intonation. Literally all I had to do was stretch the strings and tune up and it was ready to rock. Here are a couple more nuggets before I sign off to play it more. The frets on this one are nailed. Smooth and polished. The quilt top is unbelievably gorgeous (just look at the pics). The weight is about right for a LP. Chunky and not too light like a super shredder. I love that. The pickups are exactly what I need in my collection. They will do just about anything but super clean chimey ambient tones but who cares, I have other guitars for that. All of the switches and pots feel excellent so I am feeling like I will not have to change one thing on this guitar making it a steal at this price. If I had to nitpick one thing, I would like to see Gibson "allow" Epiphone to use the same exact head-stock shape that the Gibsons use. Fender does it with Squiers so what's up with that Gibson??? While the new "inspired by" Gibson head-stock is WAY better than the older ones, it is still a shame they are so hard headed and that is yet another reason why I chose to get an Epiphone. Again, that is being extremely nitpicky. In conclusion, the newer mid to upper end Epiphone guitars are worthy of checking out by any level of player. Do yourself a favor and at least pick one up if you get the chance. Now excuse me while I go blow my windows out.Mark

This is my Long Term Review. I have had this guitar for a bit over two years now and can give a more complete picture of it. First, the good. This is a very well made guitar. Under the pros, you will notice I mentioned Good Construction. This is particularly important in a 12 string. The biggest issue with all 12's is that they tend to come apart very quickly. You will have bowing, warping, separation of glueing, etc. All this is because of the tremendous extra pressure 12's suffer. After 2+ years, this guitar is still solid as a rock, and I leave it strung all the time. So I would say construction and bracing are very good on this instrument. Along with this is the fact that it Stays In Tune. This is another major issue with all 12's. Again, that extra force tends to make them go out of tune quickly. This one holds tune very well, and that is important as tuning a 12 takes some time. As for sound, I would say Not too Bad overall, and Really Good for an budget level guitar. It is a little thin for my taste, but there are ways around that. First, throw on a set of decent strings. I prefer Martin Marquise on mine, but personal choice. Second, I like to play through an acoustic amp, and I put a Seymour Ducan Woody on mine. When adjusted correctly, I can get a really decent, full bass sound, lots of body and still keep a nice jangle expected from a 12. Will it sound like a Martin or Gibson, no, but it gives a really nice sound for such a low price. As for the negatives, very few. First, keep in mind when Epiphone says "Select Spruce Top," they really mean laminated, not solid. But I suppose there varying qualities of laminated woods as well, and this one is great – really good resonance and sustain. It could maybe do with a better set of tuners, but as said before, it holds tune exceptionally well. Overall, for the price, Epiphone makes a really nice and playable guitar. Now am just praying they come out with a Masterbilt version of it.kdw

When shopping for a first guitar for your child (or yourself) it's confusing. The sales staff will usually direct you to the solid top Yamaha FG or FS series. Tone and quality wise, those are great guitars but they also come out of the box in need of a good setup to be playable up the neck. With the PRO-1 line, Epiphone has worked hard to deliver a reasonable factory setup on one of their most inexpensive models. I can not overstate the benefit this brings to the player! A few other things that stand out for this price range: We also get NuBone nut and saddle on all pro-1 models (this is the material Taylor and other top of the line builders use on their models). The NuBone nut makes a big difference in tone. Also it's a short scale which I think makes it easier to play, the neck is a slip D profile which makes it easy to get your hand around. Tuners at 18:1 ratio not 14:1, that's a first for a guitar in this price range and you get a humidifier and free lessons. If you play the least expensive PRO-1 model against anything in the budget acoustic room at Guitar Center (for those floor plans that separate budget from high end) you notice it's easier to play than anything else…. There is a solid-top version that comes with electronics if you must have a solid top, the truth is having a solid top is overrated on most budget guitars. All solid wood construction does sound different, but when you mix a solid top with the laminated back and sides, it's just hit and miss. If you stick with playing your first guitar won't be your last, and you're more likely to keep playing if you have an instrument that sounds good that is also very easy to play. For that the PRO-1 is your best bet right now.Jeremy

For the price this is a very nice sounding and playing guitar. I have owned higher end acoustic guitars in the past, and just needed something to do some occasional acoustic recording and playing when friends came by. It isn't quite up to the Takamine that I had (but it was also well over 10x the price of this one!), but it sounds great! I did swap out the strings, but that's to be expected. Overall, it is a good looking and nice playing/sounding guitar for a very, very reasonable price.Dave

I am basically play for my own entertainment, and this LP Modern is rapidly becoming my favorite, even though I also really like my G&L Tele and Strat models. The shorter scale makes a difference and I find the neck fits my hand really nicely. The sound is great, as is the finish. Having said that, I would have given it 5 stars, but my guitar came with 5 areas of light scratches and scuffs, including under the protective plastic on the pick guard, but I was able to polish all of them out to where all but one area is completely gone. The worst spot was by the toggle switch, which is all but disappeared and probably with a little more polishing, would go away completely. I didn't want to take the chance of going thru the clear, but am happy with the results. Someone else who is uncomfortable with that process may find it unacceptable, but I doubt those issues are common on Epiphones and MF's return/exchange policy would certainly cover that as I was assured if I wished to do so. The Sparkling Burgandy finish is a real eye catcher and now it makes me want to pick up the guitar and play it, which is the whole point. The added weight relief makes it enjoyable hanging on your shoulder. This is a very nice guitar for the price and then some. And Devan Miller has been great during the whole process and follow up. Very knowledgeable, patient, and extremely helpful in answering all my questions. Highly recommend him as a rep.Steve R

Overall: The Epiphone Les Paul Modern sounds great and looks amazing. The new/old Kalamazoo headstock is a game changer for the overall look of the instrument. With push/pull coil split and phase switching there are a wide variety of useful sounds over and above the traditional Les Paul. Any differences between Epiphone and Les Paul pickups can be compensated for with EQ, especially while using overdrive. There is a bit of noise similar to single coils when using the coil split function.The guitar came with a great setup from the factory. Action and intonation are about the best I have seen of any of the dozen or so guitars I have owned. Tuning stability is exceptional. This is noteworthy for an Epiphone as there are often issues with tuning stability on Gibson LP's due to the angle of the headstock being greater than the Epiphones. The locking tuners are an excellent upgrade, and should be standard on most guitars these days. Regarding quality control, I identified three high frets that are causing some minor fret buzz, but not enough to send it back. Some minor fret work will resolve this, but you should take this into consideration if you are not inclined to spend extra money on a brand new guitar for fret leveling. I have read that this is a common issue with 2020-2021 Epiphones. Fret ends have some sharpness to them. The black pickguard has a gap around the neck pickup. Not very noticeable unless you are looking for it, but I am not sure why this is an issue. I have seen it on other guitars of this model. Though it is an Epiphone, this seems to be one area that would not be difficult to fix in design. Finally, there are minor quality control issues on the finish mostly around the binding with paint bleed or similar. Overall, at this price point, the guitar is a great purchase for the hobbyist, considering the Gibson version will cost about $3,000. However, with so many quality guitar choices in the $1,000 price range, I am not sure I would pay much more for an Epiphone, and am glad they kept the price point in this range.Shanon

My first electric. Got it in a combo kit with amp and bag. Hook it into my computer now and rarely use the amp for anything. That being said, as many people have mentioned the bridge. If this isn't your first guitar, or you are looking for a second guitar – don't get this one. I learned about intonation and action and all that while having this guitar. You can only set the intonation on the outside E's and everything else is just what you get. My the height of my bridge for medium action on the low E is maybe a 1/16 from bottoming out, any lower it will buzz more. To get the same range of action on my high E my bridge is almost a 1/4" in the air. I do not know enough to get into shimming the neck to get it leveled out more, I just know enough to assume a 1/4" rise over 3" space probably isn't a good thing. However! I've learned plenty on it over these last 6 months. I bought this guitar because I did not want to invest a lot of money into it if I wasn't going to stick with it. I bought this in February of 22. The first 5 months I probably played on it maybe 50-60 hours. These last 4 months I've probably played on it 1-3 hours a day. I started using apps to learn and being able to plug it directly into my computer has been amazing. It's served it's purpose, I'm now getting to the level of playing where I'd like a better quality instrument and am looking in the $400-$500 range. For a first guitar, and you're not sure if you're going to stay with it, this was great for me and I will pass it on to someone else to get started with. Other than the bridge intonation and probably not flat fret board, I have had 0 mechanical issues with it.Jay

I was quite lucky to get the last Worn Yellow in stock online (for now). It arrived the next day. After some easy setting and adjusting it started to play very nicely. The sounding is quite pleasant and the playability is great. I'm an acoustic player who is very picky on the sounding of a guitar, now owning an all-solid Yamaha which sounds great. And I'm happy to have this Epiphone to try some new types of sounding. Overall, a great buy at this price! Highly recommended!David

Went in-store and purchased this blue beauty, got it home tuned her up plugged her in and on my VOX VT20X this Les Paul sounds amazing!! I also own a D'Angelico SS and a Squire fat Strat and obviously none of them will sound exactly the same however the LP for the price sounds far better than I expected. This is my practice guitar and who knows maybe even a couple of upgrades and it will be my travelling guitar. Well balanced lightweight even the factory strings worth keeping for a while. Definitely a good buy.jason

Overall: First off I own and I've always liked Epiphone guitars and basses since I was a kid. This one I bought to finish out my collection. I was hoping it had the same neck as the Amos flying V, but sadly it did not. I'm not sure about the wood used for the body either. The example I received had normal issues that I guess you would expect from a $500 guitar. Neck had back bow which I got somewhat corrected due to a cross threaded truss rod nut. The electronics we're another story. I know I must have been spoiled by the Amos but the humbuckers didn't sound right. Upon inspection I found the bridge ground wire(not attached) was ran through my toggle switch not allowing the switch to active the bridge hum. Also the humbuckers we're themselves wired wrong. After some soldering it sounds a bit better but I plan to gut it like a fish and redo the electronics. Overall it's s cool guitar just gotta go over it and check quality for yourself maybe replacement some components?Jason

This is my first Epiphone guitar. Kind of an impulse buy, I didn't even know these existed. I saw it and bought it the same day, and am glad I did. It has become my most played guitar. First I was blown away by the quality, the finish was flawless. The sustain is surprising, better than some high end guitars that I have owned. I adjusted the intonation a little and at some point will have it professionally set up, but for now I am very happy with the way it sounds. The wood is beautiful, it is very light and the electronics and hardware seem to be of good quality. The only issue is that one of the tuners was screwed on to the back of the head stock a little crooked. It works fine and didn't bother me enough to send it back or even try to straighten it up. I am pretty picky with my guitars and most people would never notice it. I have owned a Gibson with way worse problems than this. I bought the Epiphone case to go with it and it also seems to be of good quality. I have had it for about four months now and am still very happy with it. I think it is a great guitar for the money. I would buy it again.OLDBOLDDIVER

I had been looking for a moderne on the used market for awhile with them rarely coming available if at all. I stumbled on AMS and seen these reissues available. As I looked more into them realized they were made of Korina like they should be and also had my favorite headstock of the Korina series guitars. I was sent the wrong guitar “explorer instead of the moderne” but AMS has a great employee that helped right the problem and got me the correct guitar. When the guitar arrived and I got it in my hand I was really impressed. The fit and finish is excellent and extremely light weight with one of the best feeling necks of the 30 some guitars I own. I wish I could have gotten ahold of one when l was playing live. It literally hangs perfectly strapped on making play effortless. If there is anything I would change it would be the fretboard material as it is a little light in color but that is just a cosmetic preference and nothing to do with functionality. Great guitar when I was just expecting it to be the mate of my v and explorer hanging on the wall! Definitely became my new favorite guitar!!Willy

I’m real happy with is guitar but don't be fooled by some guy claiming on YouTube he never played a Gibson that sounds as good. That guy needs to play a new Gibson J45 to fix that! Neck feels great and is fast. Good bright tone focused on the mids. After the honeymoon is over you will find the treble strings sound slightly muted and I’m hearing this on all them. I think it’s from the under saddle Fishman pickup, but cant be sure until I remove it. The bone nut and saddle are made perfect and tuners work well with guitar staying in tune with stock strings. Fret work and intonation perfect on mine. The finish very good, but not perfect. This guitar is real good for bluegrass, but also a very good finger picker! Im thinking its the best acoustic out there for the price. Don’t be fooled, Gibson would never have a guitar built for them in Indonesia to out perform there branded J45 for a 3rd of the price lol I have no regrets, don’t hesitate, buy it!Mountain Rock

While the fit and finish is not at the Gibson J-45 level and the sound may not be exactly that of the Gibson variant, I did find the tone to be within the J-45 range. There is some glue smear at the bottom of the neck near the sound hole. The flatness of the sound board is ever-so-slightly wavy in a couple spots, maybe I'm just being overly picky. The rosette ring around the sound hole looks like it could be a sticker or painted on. I was surprised at how well the IBG J-45 sounded – clear articulate bass with slightly rolled off high frequency and excellent sustain. Many complain about the Fishman pickup, I thought it sounded rather good connected to my Boss Acoustic Singer Live. In playing back to back with my other brand ($3500) guitar, the sound from the IBG J-45, left me saying, "Hmm…" It sounds that good to me. The only question that may remain is – can one get over the logo on the headstock? You'll have to decide for yourself, but if it's the quality of sound, then rest assured that the IBG Epiphone J-45 delivers. If you don't believe me, swing by your local guitar shop and hear it with your own ears. 5-stars in sound, 3.5 stars in fit and finish. My overall score is a solid 4-stars.Norman

I don't know how Epiphone can sell this amazing guitar at this price point. The sound is beautiful and rich for a parlor, coupe guitar. The Fishman electronics on can really add spice to your playing through an acoustic amp. Now the workmanship…….it is very well made and the wood on the sunburst is beautiful to look at. The neck is very smooth and easy to play. I highly recommend this instrument regardless of your skill level. I also ordered a hard case from Epiphone. It's my only acoustic and a perfect compliment to my Telecaster. Get one !IJames

Lovely sounding guitar, bright but smooth, no buzz, bass is solid but doesn't overwhelm. Plays really well. Nice mix of decent scale length but with a reasonably compact body (I have a Mini-Maton also, but find the fretboard too small for my larger hands/fingers, hence I bought this). Looks fantastic. All up, really good quality for the price and target market, and I would definitely recommend trying it if this is your price bracket. You get a lot for your money with this one!Tim W.

The reason for four stars instead of 5 is because of the lack of having a fully accessible 2 octave reach to those upper frets, and particularly on the "lead" neck. (Epi really needs to fix that — just stretch that neck out there another 3-4 inches on the new model.) Otherwise … I've had this guitar about 4 years now (the white one). Everything except those upper frets are stellar — but that is a critical concern when reaching for certain leads. I do a one-man-band thing. About 1/3 of the night I'm needing the 12 string on rhythm parts, and about 2/3 of those songs require jumping to the 6 string for the lead parts. This one guitar has REALLY honed my playing skills. The material ranges the spectrum of genres (Bob Dylan to AC/DC to Styx to BOC & everything in between.) I played rhythm & sang behind dynamite lead players over the years, and never developed my own lead skills till starting the OMB thing, and having this doubleneck in particular. WOW. I'm a different guitarist (and singer) at this point. I knew that by using backing tracks, singing (even harmonies with a splitter), and doing such a range of styles (and often two guitar parts) would require either a '5 song per night' acoustic or a double neck for more flexibility. The 12 string aspect fills in things perfectly when you are the only guitar on stage. It's great for many of the "clean" songs on the list. I went with Epi over the Gibson for budget and an obvious "fear factor." (I can't imagine taking a $5k guitar into the average bar or coffee house to get stolen or banged up.) After years of playing it, I really doubt there is 10 cents difference in quality, which really surprized me. This is not the 'generic equivalent' of the Gibson. It is a precision instrument, right down to the feel of the frets (and I own and have played primarily Gibson all my life — a V-2, a standard V, a LP custom, a LP studio, and an SG). The 6 neck feels just like an SG — fast and tight. The 12 is just as great under my smaller fingers — yet another surprize. With a padded strap, it is tolerable through an entire set, and I only weigh 'a buck thirty-five soaking wet.' Many 2 neckers are back breakers. It's heavy — but not quite as bad as some of the guitar-shaped concrete blocks I have tried out. Also, I had to make my own customized stand for on stage. Pick up a standard one, get some angle iron and a pair of the wall mount guitar hangers, drill and tap the angle iron, mount the hangers adjusted to the neck spacing, then mount that bar to the head of the stand. Seemed the best option at the time, and it works. For sound, the original rig is/was a Digitech multi-effect unit on the floor into a 100w Marshall. The Digitech is a bit light on acoustic modeling, so I am about to make a change. By putting a dual 1/4" adapter on the existing output, I can split things into two chains. For the 12 string neck, I'll have that route into a more robust acoustic modeling floor FX unit (like the Boss AD-8), then into a Marshall AS100D acoustic amp. When I flip the switch to the lead neck, that will go to the existing rig (love the available options on the Digitech for that). So I'll be able to go from the bright rhythm parts of "Take it on the run" (REO Speedwagon) to the crunch leads, and back. There might be a bit more footwork involved, but with an OMB situation, I'm beyond noticing how much I play with gadgets under my feet. The point in having a 2 necker is flexibility. If that's what you want, and can live either without the upper few frets — or have longer fingers than I, then THIS is the guitar you probably want. (For the other 2/3 of the night, when I am on harder-edge material and absolutely require the end of the 2nd octave, I grab either my V or Strat. Either goes into the lead side of my FX chain, and that's that.) I strongly recommend looking at amplification as a first concern. If you can have two amps on stage — one for really tweaked-out 12 string dynamics and even acoustic modeling, and another for the hot side of the 6 string — DO IT that way. Just plan on it. You won't regret it. The heat of those lead pickups will have you crazy trying to balance one neck against the other on the volumes. Fact is, the lead neck on this guitar has the HOTTEST pickups of my entire collection (im guessing about a +15db boost). Period. It screams, and just loves the hard rock/metal. Without missing a beat, the quality of the 12 string side is absolutely higher than any acoustic I've ever owned. With modern FX units, and any skill at all — well, if I had to downsize to only one axe, this would be the one I'd keep. No doubt about it.Aaron-4M-5X

Alpine White is back! If you wanted one of these in something other than Heritage Cherry nows the time to buy one. Overall this is a well made Gibson EDS style double neck. With better pickup selection choices vs the Gibson. Three switches are better than two. I've got a Norlin era EDS 1275 ala Felder. And this compares favorably. Slightly lighter and seems more resonant. The resonence may be due to to the revised Page spec tail peice location. while it's personal preference I much prefer the ProBucker 2-3 over the Alnico Classic Pro pickups this ships with. Having a pair for some added punch on at least the 6 string side would be nice. Wheather your playing originals or covers, live or in the studio this is a fabulous way to add some 12 string girth, chime and jangle to your sound. If your doing covers in a band having one of these opens up a whole bunch of material. And playing it on a double neck is twice as much fun. I own this And a Gibson EDS. I highly recommend the Epiphone version. At the price point it's hard to beat and if you like the sound of a electric 12 string they are fun to play and add the sonic charactor only a 12 string brings.Scott from Cleveland

It seems every Epiphone guitar I've owned always has a few bugs to be worked out. However once they're fixed they're very nice guitars to play. This double neck was no exception as the 12 string neck cut out on me due to some wiring issues. Musicisnsfriend was very cool about the issue and sent me a replacement that's had no major issues so far. Given it's size you would think I guitar like this would be difficult to play both awkward and heavy. However I was pleasently surprised how comfortable the guitar felt. The guitar is actually a bit lighter than my Les Paul. Both necks are easy to access. Switching back and forth takes a bit of practice if your new to owning a double neck. This guitar features a three way switch to switch between the 12, the 6 or both at the same time. I find having both necks lowers the output of the pickups a bit. I prefer to switch between one or the other personally I seldom use them at the same time. In addition to the three between the necks, each neck gets it's own 3 way tone. There are two volume and two tone knobs that control both necks as well. As states earlier the necks are very nice to play. I find the action very comparible to a Les Paul. The pickups are very well balanced providing enough output for great lead from a good crunch up to a high gain metal. But the pickups aren't too hot to give it very clean tone when needed as well. As with the neck the tone also is very comparible to that of a Les Paul. I've not played many 12 string guitars prior to buying this one, so it's difficult to compare the top neck to another. It plays very nice. The action was just right out of the box with no setup needed. The only minor complaint I would make with this guitar is the access to the higher notes on 19th fret and on. Each neck only features a 20 fret neck which limits you a bit if you play lead using higher notes. The sg body doesn't have as deeper of a cut away body as some guitars so access to the 19th and 20th fret can be hardZack

Bought without trying it out because I had seen a photo and decided I would like to try it but was out of stock for many months. Then it became available for $79 off and I jumped. – It came well packaged and in perfect condition. 'Played as well as it looked and it looks even better than the photos show it. The finish is as deep and glossy as any I have seen, and even the fretboard is bound. It seemed a tad bass shy at first but over the last few weeks has bloomed and now sounds beautifully balanced with tight well defined tones throughout the octaves and plenty of shimmer up high. 'Have not plugged in yet but it projects well without amplification and should be just fine for a small stage like a church or coffee house. I highly recommend this guitar to any enthusiast.Steven

I went to the GC in Palm Desert CA with a five-hundred dollar budget for a new acoustic/electric. There were three guitars that I had to play, but I was open to checking out others. I didn't see the Hummingbird in the room so I asked the clerk to check for me … he found one. Before he got back with the Epiphone, I had a chance to play the Guild and a Fender that were on my list, as well as a few that were not. The Fender was winning … until the clerk showed up with the Epiphone. The craftsmanship/fit and finish, the feel of the neck/action, the sound projection/tone … Everything about the guitar was perfect for me! I could not be happier!John

I am both surprised and please with this guitar I purchased this guitar at GC Nashville after returning a Gibson Les Paul Classic that I bought online. (lesson learned, don't buy from GC online.) The staff there were great and had no issues with me returning a $2200 guitar that I bought online. Even more supportive in helping me pick out a much less expensive guitar. Great people. This Epiphone is awesome. The fit and finish are great. The action is low and no buzz. The tone is great and It is lighter and easier to handle than the Gibson . The best part is it cost a third of the one I returned. I really wanted a Gibson but I am so glad I picked up this Epiphone. A word of caution. I looked at and played several guitars at GC before choosing this one. I even played a couple of other Epiphone Les Paul Customs. No two were the same. One had razors for frets, one had an action you could drive a truck under and this one was just right. Go in an play them before buying.Mike

This is my second 6 string electric, and I couldn't be HAPPIER with it! My first guitar is an entry level Epiphone SG Special that was a couple hundred bucks back in the day. It got the job done…good frets, good tune, good everything. I recently decided to step it up and get a "mid-range" guitar but still not break the bank with an Epiphone. And I'm not calling Epiphone cheap…they are just more in my price range when compared to Gibsons. Stepping it up is the right description for this guitar!! It is AMAZING! The feel, the tone, the look! It sounds great and feels good in the hands too. I especially love the Silverburst color!! The main reason I wanted this specific guitar. It's Adam Jones from TooL color scheme finish but on an epiphone! They are coming out with his own model of epiphone, but I'm impatient lol. Looks are important to picking out a guitar as much as sound! The inlays on the fretboard look beautiful. The pick guard and finish are beautiful, the trim/binding around the guitar… this guitar has reignited my passion for playing! As of this writing, I have no complaints! Excellent guitar!Matt

I purchased this guitar because a Les Paul was missing from my gear arsenal and I didn't want to drop three grand on a Gibson. I played a wall model at a local GC store and decided to buy, but requested a factory new model sent to me, because the wall model I played had some nicks in the fretboard, a sketchy 3 way switch and had worn strings and the intonation was way off above the 14th fret. I paid for next day air shipping to expedite the process because I tend to want the things I pay for fairly quickly. The shipping tag originated from the same city I live in, meaning they had a factory new either in the warehouse or at the neighboring store about 20 miles away. So I essentially paid 42$ for expedited shipping and could had likely gotten it same day if I asked the right questions I suppose. Shame on me. The next business day my guitar is delivered to my residence, I open it and immediately inspected it for possible shipping damage or factory flaws. It arrives with a broken 3 way switch, all strings tuned nearly 2 steps flat and also needed to make a truss rod adjustment to straighten the neck. Completely unacceptable that these issues left both the factory and GC's "quality control" in the condition it did. Luckily I work at a local small box music store and worked with our own luthier after hours to set it up and correct the problems. All that said, this guitar is absolutely fantastic. It plays and sounds very good and even though the stock pickups aren't top tier, they are excellent performers at a very reasonable price point. Monster value in this guitar. If you can acquire one some where other than Guitar Center, do it. If you do purchase from guitar center, make absolutely certain to have it looked at by a professional before accepting it. 5 stars for the guitar and it's value. 1 star for guitar centers lack of QC shipping items.Dan

My first electric. Got it in a combo kit with amp and bag. Hook it into my computer now and rarely use the amp for anything. That being said, as many people have mentioned the bridge. If this isn't your first guitar, or you are looking for a second guitar – don't get this one. I learned about intonation and action and all that while having this guitar. You can only set the intonation on the outside E's and everything else is just what you get. My the height of my bridge for medium action on the low E is maybe a 1/16 from bottoming out, any lower it will buzz more. To get the same range of action on my high E my bridge is almost a 1/4" in the air. I do not know enough to get into shimming the neck to get it leveled out more, I just know enough to assume a 1/4" rise over 3" space probably isn't a good thing. However! I've learned plenty on it over these last 6 months. I bought this guitar because I did not want to invest a lot of money into it if I wasn't going to stick with it. I bought this in February of 22. The first 5 months I probably played on it maybe 50-60 hours. These last 4 months I've probably played on it 1-3 hours a day. I started using apps to learn and being able to plug it directly into my computer has been amazing. It's served it's purpose, I'm now getting to the level of playing where I'd like a better quality instrument and am looking in the $400-$500 range. For a first guitar, and you're not sure if you're going to stay with it, this was great for me and I will pass it on to someone else to get started with. Other than the bridge intonation and probably not flat fret board, I have had 0 mechanical issues with it.Jay

I'm reviewing the gold top model. I own a lot of guitars but I didn't have a gold top Les Paul and always wanted one. This is an amazing guitar for the price! Fit and finish are perfect. It sounds and plays great. I love it. Note, always put a new set of strings on a guitar that comes with strings on it. It's a simple fix for a lot of problems you thought you had, but don't. Who knows how long they've been on or what brand they are. Now, the details. Frets were perfectly level, no sharp ends. Slight amount of oxidization. I polished the crowns and ends with Micro-Mesh pads. I used 6000>8000>12,000 grit pads. I wasn't taking metal off, just polishing them to a jewelery finish. Really makes bends and vibrato silky and smooth. I do that to all my guitars. I like the Indian laurel fingerboard. It's a good alternative to rosewood. I cleaned it with alcohol, then applied a very light amount of fingerboard oil/conditioner. Let it sit a few minutes then wiped it dry. It has a beautiful look and feel now. As for setup, the only thing that was set correctly was the intonation. So I lowered the bridge to the (low) action I like, and it was pretty clean, a little buzz on the upper frets. The neck was trussed completely flat, so I loosened the truss rod about 1/4 turn and that gave it the right amount of relief. No more buzz. Next, I filed the nut slots slightly wider and deeper. Action was too high off the nut. I use XL strings (9-42) and the slots were even too tight for them! That was the only real glaring problem on this guitar. Tight nut slots cause tuning issues and your average customer isn't going to have the tools or skills to fix that. I have a set of precision nut slotting files and feeler gauges to cut them to the proper depth. Man, that was the magic touch. The action is amazing now, all the way up the neck. No problems with tuning stability. And that's all I needed to do. It plays like a dream. I thought I would need to swap out the pickups but I like these. I'm old and play mostly classic rock, and these sound just right for the Les Pauls of that era. I get that sound that Gary Richrath (REO Speedwagon), early Joe Walsh, Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Joe Perry, Page, Billy G, had in the late 60's – 70's. I ran it through a Goat distortion simulator and got Tom Scholtz Boston sound perfectly. It was actually better than another LP I have with DiMarzio super distortion pups. Easier to control the overdrive. All in all, Epiphone has really raised their bar. If you have typical electric guitar setup skills, you'll make this a sweet playing guitar. If you don't, it's worth it to find someone who does. Just a few minor adjustments and you'll have a fine axe to play.Rich