Guitar Les Paul Blue Print For Sale (2024 Update)

Picked up a 2019, same exact model about a month ago. Quality and build is superb, the carved top has even more flame than I expected. I wanted an "understated" look, and it's perfect. Flame changes with light. The nitro finish is buffed like new, unlike the VOS models, and the natural dye on the back and neck is rich and deep. Instrument is plek'd, action and intonation are flawless. The CustomBucker pickups are all the rage, you can only get them on a new instrument, and are supposed to be the best PAF repro so far. I'm still trying to decide if I like them, my ears say that the 60s have more natural midrange than 59s, but I can eq it out on my amps. They also seem to be unpotted. I'm really inspired by the sound and feel of the '60 LP, the looks and quality are just icing.Ron

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

Overall: This is my umpteenth Epiphone custom sg guitar ive bought since the last guitar i had which was the more lower end 61 standard i bought here used last year. The caps pots and Gibson USA burstbuckers are definitely a step up in the right direction and are true to the original reissue Sg standards back in the beginning of the Gibson sg. It sounds like a 2000 dollar Gibson reissue sg but at Epiphone import prices. I intend on keeping this guitar for a lifetime and is a good backup guitar to my similarly pricef esp ltd viper 1000 deluxe i bought a year ago from a competitor in the now disconnected tiger eye finish from zZounds. Lastly i also intend on getting a real Gibson sg custom 63 version used for a discounted price. One more thing i might buy a backup les Paul sg standard by Epiphone just in case this one gets stolen or lost. Thank you Epiphone custom for stepping up your game and making better sg custom shop guitars than in the past. The black Epiphone sg custom with gold hardware is no joke either and i might another one when i get done paying for this Les Paul sg standard first fron here.Isaac

I got this guitar in sparkling burgundy and the finish is beautiful. The workmanship on this guitar is great; it feels very high quality. The fretwork is also really good, with no fret ends sticking out to cut my hands. That being said, the pickups are not very good. I initially debated purchasing the guitar since it sounded very ice-picky and thin when I played it in the store. But I decided to take a chance, knowing the return policy that GC has. I brought it home and the first thing I did was go over it completely. The fretboard was very dry. Even my wife, who doesn't play guitar, looked at it and commented on that. So removed the strings and polished the frets and cleaned/conditioned the fretboard. Then I swapped out the Alnico Classic Pro pickups, which are rather bad, and put in a set of Probucker 2/3 pickups that I had sitting around. Better strings, polished frets, and some nicer alnico 2 pickups made a huge difference. It sounds full and thick and warm, and it plays like an angel. I highly recommend it, as long as you can swap out the pickups.Robert

When I first opened the box what I saw was a work of art, I only hoped it was as great as it looked. I pushed the power button on the G-Foece Tuners and the G string light up red, I picked the G and all ways in tune. I checked it with my Petersen Strobe Tuner, and yes it was spot on. I plugged into a Vox AC30 HW, the notes that came out of the speakers seem to bloom with harmonics I've never heard before. The fit and finish looked like someone went through the Les Paul with a fine tooth comb, I figured the Les Paul being a 2016 would need a set of fresh strings. The instruction for the G-Force Tuners states to do one string at a time, so the G-Force would not need to be recalibrate. So I set up the windup wind down menu on the G-Force unwound the low E. The rewind confused me a bit, usually i cut the string about 1 1/2 past the next tuner, not so with the G-Force only cut the string to the next tuner inline, too much string will cause the G-Force to lock up due to too many winds on the post. When you get to the G-B-E Strings 1 1/2 will work better so the Strings don't slip on the post and cause tuning issues. The 490R & 498T pickups really surprised me. The 490R is very articulate not muddy in any way, if fact I use it more that I've ever used a neck pickup…the middle position is great for Lead or Rhythm, I've heard Jimmy Page uses this position a lot now I understand why. The 498T is very hot 13.7 ohms as opposed to the 7.6 ohms neck. Even though the ohms are far apart they work well together. I set my Neck volume about 6 for a nice clean rhythm sound and the bridge I set at 8-9 so when I want that little more bark it's there. So to sum it all up this Les Paul is all I need to get the tones I need. This is my Desert island Guitar.Huncy Sound Studio

I just bought a nice Candy Apple Deluxe Fender Strat a while back to upgrade to a REAL guitar, so a Les Paul was next on my list of guitars to get…someday down the road. Went to GC and traded in my bass to upgrade to a new one. On the wall I saw this deep cobalt blue Les Paul for under 2K. After 2 weeks I could not resist, said YOLO and ordered it online for store pickup. A wonderful instrument and offers a much different sound in contrast with the Strat, no regrets. I often just stare at it because it is a work of art, looks so nice next to my new strat and bass 🙂Anthony

While I still feel that the lower-end Epiphone Les Paul's (I had a Special II as my first electric) are great for the money, I decided to move up to my first actual Gibson Les Paul. The weight relief is what immediately caught my attention and I find this guitar a lot more comfortable to play. I'm also blown away by how much sustain it has over my previous Epiphone not to mention the overall finish and the ability to split the humbuckers. I went for the Cherry Burst but it wasn't easy to choose as the Midnight in Manhattan (blue) looked just as beautiful.Lloyd

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

This Epi is the best out of my 4 Epiphones and right next to my Gibson Les Paul. I weighed this at about 7.8lbs. I had to leave the pickguard off. Fret ends are smooth and the neck is between a slim-tapered and chunky. I love the Probucker pups, which, to me, are similar to the Gibson 490R and 498T pups that I have on my SG. This axe presents a lot of 'firsts' for me-my first modern relief axe, my first access Les Paul so it's nice to have the extra room at the higher frets, my first set of locking tuners which makes changing strings so much easier and these Grovers hold well. The pot tapering is superb and the out-of-phase switch has a nice sound, too…Overall, this is the perfect axe for beginners and the perfect axe for professionals. You deserve to play one for yourself. Play it plugged AND unplugged…Feel the resonance.John564

I brought the Caribbean Fade, and it's amazing looking. Great sound, really has that Gibson sound. Finish is really really nice, very well put together, perfect weight, great guitar all around for the money. I am a huge fan of both Gibson's, and Fender's, I may lean alittle more towards the Fender side though. I will say for the money I bought after playing them both back to back that the new Fender Player series Mexican Stratocasters sound almost as good as the Fender American's nowadays, and for the money if you are split between a Epiphone (trying to get the Gibson sound on a budget), and the Fender Player Mexican (looking for the Fender American sound) these guitars are both about the same price, I would get the Fender, maybe not as pretty as the Gibson, but the Fender is the most versatile guitar there has ever been and the Player series is alot of guitar for only $700+ dollars, and is very close sounding to the American. But if you want a Gibson and can't afford their outrageous and I know they are amazing, but I just don't see or hear $2,800 worth of guitar there. But I do hear an amazing Epiphone Les Paul for under $800, I guess my point is, you could buy an Epiphone Les Paul Modern, and a Fender Player Mexican Stratocaster, and still have a $1,000 to spend on an Amp for the price of the Gibson alone, and I feel the same way about the Fender American model, although I think the Fender American at only $1,700 is a superior guitar to the $2,800 Gibson, you just get alot more guitar for $1,100 less then the Gibson. Save your money, this Epiphone Modern is a great guitar that sounds amazing and looks amazing. One thing I didn't realize, and this is another reason to go with the Fender Player series, is your going to have to pay a professional to put your pick guard on your Epiphone, as it does not come attached. I'm sure that will be another $100, as I'm not scewing anything into my guitar without the insurance a store would have to replace it if something went wrong haha. Personally I don't beat on my guitars enough, and with how pretty the Caribbean Fade looks, and with the Epiphone having more clearance from strings to tje body, then the Fender, I'm leaving it off. Hope this helps, if you are dead set on wanting the Gibson sound at a budget the Epiphone Les Paul Modern is a great guitar. One other thing you will most likely also have to buy a specific case as it doesn't fit in the basic hardcase I bought when I bought my Fender. Gibsons body Shape is more unique then alot of guitars, and I wouldn't risk using anything other then specifically designed Gibson/Epiphone cases, wear as a PRS, Ibanez, and a great majority of guitars fit in the standard hard case. I spent the extra $130 for a Epiphone case. As it was resting on the tip of the guitar in my standard hard case and that's a big no no. Enjoy!!!J

Sound: Pickups sound great with several different voicing available with the coil taps and phase switch. Features: Just feels like a top shelf instrument. Ease of Use: Playability was great out of the box , it is outstanding with a truss rod and bridge tweak. Quality: Fells extremely well made. Value: I think it is comparable to other guitars in this price range Manufacturer Support: No The Wow Factor: It is absolutely beautiful – the prettiest guitar I’ve owned and I’ve owned over 70 guitars! Overall: First of all, I have extremely high expectations when an import guitar cost $700, so this review is written from a critical viewpoint. I ordered Thursday night and it was in my hands Saturday morning at 11! Great job. Epiphone box packaged inside of a bigger box albeit with no packing material between the two. Guitar arrived unscathed. Epiphone decals and warranty info but no truss rod tool. I was so happy that the pickguard wasn’t installed nor are there holes drilled in this beautiful finish, but it was included in the box. The fret ends are as smooth as silk! I was worried about this as my 2020 Epiphone Explorer felt like a cheese grater. Action was a little high with zero neck relief from the factory. Frets are actually pretty level. I gave it the slightest amount of relief and dropped it to 2/64 on both the low E and high Es. Predictably, it had some buzz up past the 12th fret. I raised it to my standard 4/64 and 3 /64 and there is zero fret buzz. Way to go a Epiphone factory! The Grover locking tuners are great but whoever put the strings on at then factory doesn’t know how to use them properly as they still wrapped them around the post. The electronics all function as they should and have a quality feel to them. They have a full range of motion and not just on/off like some cheaper guitars tend to have. The fit and finish is near perfect. I found just a very slight over spray on the binding on the treble side and a finish imperfect on the side of the nut. Other then those two things, nothing- it’s perfect! The Caribbean Fade is the prettiest did sg I’ve ever seen in person – the wow factor is huge on this guitar.Arnie

Overall: I purchased this guitar from zZounds about 2 years ago. Black and amazing: Before I made the move I played over 100 Gibson Les Paul and other brands, every time I came back to this exact model as the "Standard" to compare, after 6 months or so I pulled the trigger and received this Les Paul. The only thing I have a problem with is I wish I had all colors as this guitar will be a collector in time. The neck, profile, binging, hardware, pickups and electronics are perfect, not a single issue. The tone pull knows are extremely functional and the lower right tone when its "pulled up" is all on gain, treble tone and right into lead solo's without playing pickup selector and tones adjustment. Brilliant.This is players guitar, not a case queen. So glad Gibson came back from the dead.I've owned original 1969 Les Paul's and some 60 Stratocasters all of which have been narrowed down to 4 amazing Stratocasters, and a few other gems for live, scoring to film and all go to instruments.BUY THIS GUITAR and YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED.I am not endorsed by any companies!!!!Michael S. SmithMichael

I've been playing guitar for almost 4o years and have always wanted a Gibson Les Paul because my favorite players use them. As a teenager, I couldn't afford one and saved up for a Washburn WP-80 (licensed les paul custom copy) and loved it. Ever since it has been my #1 and I've always regarded Gibson to be all about the name and not really worth the money. Well, I heard about the new Gibson line up a few years ago, decided to check them out, and discovered the Les Paul Classic model. It checked all of the boxes for my dream guitar. Plain top subtle burst, bound body and neck, coil splitting buckers, and weight relief. I saved up and ordered it through MF and it arrived 3 days later (on my birthday, no less!). Man, I don't know why I waited so long to own a Gibson. It is the sweetest playing/sounding/smelling guitar I have ever held. I was concerned about the wood grain when ordering sight unseen, but was relieved when I finally opened the case (see pics). Set up was good right out of the box. Pickups sound amazing, clear, open, and woody. The only disappointment was that the "9-hole" weight relief really isn't that noticeable. It's still a hefty Paul. Which is fine now, because I'm getting older and usually play sitting down. Also, there is a "freckle" on the fretboard. I know some would take issue with that, but to me tiny little imperfections like that just make the guitar special and unique, and It doesn't affect playing at all. Overall, I LOVE this guitar and am very satisfied!Ryan

This is a beautiful guitar and if it were 1000$ it would be well worth it. For 2300$ though I would like to have some inlays that don't look like cheap plastic and not have fret buzz. The buzz could be fixed with a set up but for 2300$ I feel like it should come set up. On the back the slots for the cover plates are not routed so they just sit on top. Not a deal breaker but this does make it look a little incomplete. Overall it sounds great minus the fret buzz. I'd say no better than a se model and not worth the extra money unless you just want a bolt on neck. I prefer bolt on or through necks which is why I bought the ce but I plan to return it and either get an ernie ball music man or an American strat.Not satisfied with AMS quality c

I bought this because I was in the market for a US guitar and I already had a US Strat. I was thinking about a Gibson Les Paul Classic and then PRS showed up on my radar. I did some research and decided to play both. I have an Epiphone Les Paul so I thought I would prefer the Gibson. I played this guitar first and the Les Paul just didn't feel right after that. I bought this one a couple weeks later. After having it for an extended period (12 hours) I started thinking about selling my Strat and buying a Silver Sky. This guitar just felt so good I didn't want anything else. The neck feel is fantastic. The tone options are amazing The color is sooooooo much more vibrant in person than in pictures It is sitting in the rack in the other room while I type this and I wish I was playing it right now. It was totally worth every penny and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a true quality instrument.Jay P

A few points to mention, the neck is 1.687 wide, the tail piece is aluminum, the pickups are alnicoII @8+ electrical reading, the case is TKL all leather made in Canada, the straps are locking, the neck is less than C but more than D ( perfect for me). no pick guard and no pickup covers, matching hardware those are the differences from the other Standard Models. I have been playing since 14 and I'm now 50+ (OUCH!)I can testify that the playability and feel of the fretboard on this model is the best I have ever played. The quality of the construction is better than a $5000 and up Japanese models LP's. The sound of the pick ups are are extremely pleasing and ADDICTIVE! My ears do not tire. I can honestly tell you that the sound is and upgrade from the LP Classic models for sure! The color of this November Burst model on the GC site picture IS NOT THE COLOR you must check it out in person to see if you like. I do is FREEKING gorgeous! Folks the bottom line is that GIBSON is an American icon and the reason they are expensive is because all things are made outside of the USA if things where made here they would be cheaper and better. The closing of the Memphis Factory is a SHAME to the leaders and citizens of the state of Tennessee they should have not let that happen SUPPORT USA PEOPLE! it ROCKS!John

Overall: About 34 years ago, I saw the coolest guy I'd ever seen play a guitar playing an awesome guitar in the awesomest band I'd ever heard. This is the guy that made me want to play the guitar and the guy I imagined I was when I got my first guitar and posed with it in front of the mirror. I've been a huge fan of both GNR and Slash most of my life and decided it was time to get the guitar that inspired me to start playing.The guitar is gorgeous! The pictures are great but it's so much more beautiful in person! I just sat looking at it in awe for half an hour before I took it out of the case! The tone is right on. I wasn't expecting anything less. The pickups are super hot and responsive.It plays like a dream! Right out of the case it was perfect!The case candy is added bonus! I've never owned a Gibson and they definitely won me over as a future customer with it.So, if you love Slash, love sexy Les Pauls, or just love beautiful works of art, I would recommend this guitar!Michael

A follow up from my previous review. Sorry for the USA rant, but here is more of what I think of this guitar. I'm just a joe blow musician but if you play in stadiums with four 4×12 cabs and two 100w amps running at full blast then the " Burstbuckers" aren't going to cut it, you're going to have to swap the pickups to Seymor Duncan Slash ,those will do the job perfectly and it will be your dream guitar. But if you just do venues and social gigs and practice on your own then this is a fine guitar This model will have the least QC issues. I just wanted a good QC Gibson USA L that spoke to me with standard Gibson LP pickups and no pick guard, this is the one no big deal. I have a gut feeling that Gibson USA will not exist in 5 years from now. Gibson will Take the International Company Parent Epiphone and call It Gibson. Maybe a good thing? time will tell. Enjoy your guitars everyone chao!John

Great guitar. I have several gibsons, some nicer Ibanez, and some of the upper end of the epiphone guitars. This guitar worried me before it arrived if it would have a loss of sustain or if it would sound thin due to the thinner body. It doesn’t. Full sound, great pickups, stays in tune perfectly and no neck dive. I’ve played the Gibson custom shop Frampton guitar, Custom shop Bonamassa standard, several other standards etc.. To me, this is more comfortable and I prefer the pickups here to the others. My favorite guitar and I would definitely recommend to anyone. I do wish it came in more colors, I’d buy a couple more if it did.David

I tried to be a Gibson hater for so long, but this guitar really converted me. I’ve always loved the look of Les Pauls but never like the thickness or weight of them (I’ve owned an Epiphone Les Paul which gave me the general body size to expect, at least). Also having a shoulder injury which makes heavy guitars basically a no-go, this ended up being an all-encompassing package for a perfect Les Paul. The weight of mine must be in the lower 8 lb, high 7 lb range (I haven’t gotten to put it on a scale yet, but it feels similar to my guitars that weigh in at those numbers). The thin body feels amazing and doesn’t push my forearm out as much as the traditional thickness of my Epi LP. I was also expecting some neck dive issues, but I don’t experience that with this one. I’m so glad they do the slim taper neck on these as it’s got to be the perfect neck shape, in my opinion. It fills the hand wonderfully yet doesn’t cause my hand to cramp and fatigue like way thicker or way thinner necks. The guitar played pretty amazingly out of the box. I did have to do a slight truss rod adjustment, but the provided Gibson tool makes any adjustments on this guitar a breeze. The 57 Classic +/57 Classic pickups are amazing too. Just the right amount of output with tons of articulation. I needed to back the neck pickup off a tad as it was a bit louder than the bridge right out of the box. Now it’s super even in volume between the selections and it can get so many tones just with the simple 3 way and volume/tone controls. Only real gripe I have about the guitar is that the nut isn’t cut too well for the low E string. It definitely will stay in the slot, but it maybe only has about the bottom 1/3rd of the string resting in it, and it tends to be the highest action of the strings at the lower frets. The guitar still plays like butter and I’m super happy I took a shot with this one. I also don’t have any of the typical tuning woes that most Gibsons seem to be plagued with, so I know the nut is cut pretty well, for the most part. I definitely can see myself playing more Gibsons in the future now, and I’ve already been GASing for some SGs. If they all come out of the box like this, I have no issue buying more whenever the money comes around. I hope they continue with the Lite series as well, because this guitar really gives me the best of both worlds with classic looks and comfortable playability.Ryan

First of all, why I waited so long to add a Les Paul to the collection is beyond me. This thing is so comfortable to play, between the weight balance and the neck feel. I mostly play slim taper as I've smaller hands, but theres just something about this 50s neck. The feel is something I'd describe as substantial, like you're not just playing something that's super light and borderline weightless, but instead an extension of yourself. The range on the P90s is absolutely bonkers. The lows actually give you some great clarity, while the higher you go, the more it pushes and begins to punch. The neck pickup (and middle position as well) sound wonderfully warm and comfortable, especially through my Orange TH30. I do not understand why I waited so long to get my first Les Paul, and I can safely say this guitar will not leave my side for a long long time. Bonus points for how quick this shipped…ordered on a Friday, delivered on a Saturday! Freaking fast, and faster than I anticipated, but not complaining at all. Thank you so much AMS for helping me be the rock star I know I am!Matt

So I have several guitars and have come to enjoy the sound of p 90 pickups. Wow. This thing does not disappoint. The quality of build is outstanding. The Tv yellow is beautiful. Being mostly a Fender player, I was very unsure of the neck size. Wow, I actually love it. Being a bit older, this guitar neck is actually a little easier for me to dig into. The frets are amazing. I can do thinks on this neck that I can no longer do on my thinner necked guitars. It's an awesome guitar. I never owned a Gibson but wow.. the Case itself is worth the purchase. Holy moly every guitar should automatically come with a case like this. Awesome purchase.Dorje Champa

This guitar has an amazing vibe to it. The P90s are awesome. They have that midrange snarl that we all know and love. The 50s neck is very chunky, but in a good way. The feel of this guitar literally throws be back in time to the 50s. Combine that with the retro look and the classic TV yellow finish, it just makes me want to jam to some good old school rock and roll. Being a couple pounds lighter than my Standard, I can play this one all night without any shoulder issues. There is so much to love about the look and feel, but let's not overlook that fact that this is a tone monster! I will definitely be using it in some upcoming recordings. That being said, there are some not so awesome issues that need to be mentioned. A very minor issue is the intonation. All the strings were slightly sharp at the 12th fret. This was even across all the strings, so it has nothing to do with the wrap around bridge. This could have been set properly before leaving the factory with a small turn of the set screws in the bridge. No biggie though. A couple minutes with a screwdriver and a tuner and I have that issue fixed. The bigger issue is the condition of the binding and the fretboard. It looks to me like they were both damaged by the Plek machine during the factory setup. There are compression dings in both, the binding and fretboard. There is also a section that looks like a file carved into the fretboard. There is a similar compression ding in the binding right behind the nut. If that wasn't enough, the binding on the low E side is uneven and looks like a groove is carved into it lengthwise. You can see these in the attached photos. I don't know how these defects made it past quality control. If I was doing the final setup at the factory I would have flagged this one as a factory second. I guess the rumors about the improved quality at Gibson is a matter of the luck of the draw, because the fit and finish in the areas I mentioned are quite poor on mine. Yes, these flaws are cosmetic and won't affect the playability in any way, but I still expect better from Gibson. I guess some things will never change over there and this is what we have to expect if we want their name on the headstock. I give this guitar an A+ for tone and feel, a D for quality control and defects. All things considered it gets an overall C+. At the end of the day it is still a keeper because I love playing it, defects and all.Mike

Only $300 difference from standard and $500 from modern LP… tough choice. I like flame tops for sure but bored of tobacco burst, honey burst, cherry burst and other plain traditional bursts… so leaned towards something more classic modern and bold… so went with translucent cherry. And my back isn't great so wanted something lighter. The coil tapping is nice to have but isn't great… especially compared to my PRS guitars. I'm not sure why Gibson can't figure this out. Again nice to have but wish Gibson could do a better job with this. Coil tapping quality was the same on my studio. I absolutely love the pickups on this guitar… probably some of best humbuckers ever made because of the extra brightness and clarity. I've sold so many of my guitars with humbuckers and gravitated towards single coil guitars because humbuckers are typically muddy in comparison. These 61's are a game changer for me and got me interested in Gibson LPs again. I love the colors of the LP modern too… but not sure what you're are getting extra for the added $500 other than a carved heal joint which I'll never use… and ultra weight relief… which is good if you have a bad back. But I think the electronics are the same with slightly hotter pickups. I guess boils down to which pickups you prefer and color. I love the classic and modern LP colors… again tough choices…but classic is perfect for me… I really love them all for different reasons though.Thad

What we have here is a great American made Gibson Les Paul for a good price. I bought one a year ago and bought a second as a backup/different tuning for stage use. Not that the guitar requires a backup, but strings break and things happen. The 490 pickups are great all around work horses. While I'd recommend different pickups on a per person/per style situation, these are right in my ball park and do what I want them to (goosed with an OD or boost at times). All of the electronics and hardware are fine. Same with fit/finish and the gig bag (which is also very nice). As I said, I have two of these now. The first is a year old and has been through once a week rehearsals and twice a week gigs. The satin finish on the neck settles in nicely with a bit of playing and sweat. It gets slicker over time, shows age, and feels great. Same with the body as well. As with all satin finished guitars, it wont stay that way. Playability on both were perfect out of the bag. No sharp frets and setup/intonation were just to my liking. Now let's compare these Tributes to a Standard. I won't discuss the chambered body versus non nor the maple versus mahogany necks. You really won't notice the difference other than the weight. More weight does not always equal better tone. Here's the thing, I don't notice a difference in tone between the Tribute and Standard….well, not enough to justify the cost difference. I had my doubts when I ordered my first one that it could stand up to my Standard. But I dug it off the bat. To quell my doubts, I had the other guitarist in my band run it through its paces so that I could stand back and hear. That was the Les Paul tone….I was happy. As such, I ordered a second as they were in my stable to stay. Solid guitars with great tone that I will not cry about when they get dinged or messed with at a gig. Now, the Tributes are thinner than the Standards. And of course no bling such as binding or headstock inlays. Switch washer comes in the bag should you choose to install it. But the tone and playability is what you expect from a Les Paul. I would, and have, recommended these to my friends. Great instrument at a great price. BTW, the included case. This was an incredible surprise as I didn't know what to expect. It's a lether "type" exterior, great padding, pink fuzzy interior, LARGE front pocket, and double backpack straps. It's a VERY nice bag! Accessory kit gets you a picture of your guitar being setup, documents that you will probably not read, a few tools, and as of this posting, a nylon guitar strap. While lower in scale compared to the Standard (what with it's hard case, multi tool, and leather strap), it's still rather cool. All in all, these are my go to guitars for stage and studio right now. I have more expensive guitars, but cost doesn't equal tone or feel.Brandon

The guitar came in really good packaging and not a single thing was wrong with it. The guitar sounds fine and surprisingly good quality for something this cheap. Great starter guitar for anyone looking to start practicingEddie

Purchased this guitar pack as a gift for my younger sister who is interested in having a guitar just to cool around on. The guitar itself is pretty nice, but the included amp doesn’t work and it doesn’t have an obvious way to turn on. No on/off switch and the volume knobs don’t click it on either.Clayton

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

I am a home hobbyist. I have played guitar for about 40 years and have had dozens of guitars over that time. I've owned several Les Paul's over the years including another Standard. This guitar had a great setup right from the factory. Very low action with no fret buzz. The neck feels great in my hand, the pickups sound great, and the finish (triburst) is amazing. The only negative thing I would mention is that it appears that Gibson is using a different color rosewood on their fingerboards these days. It's more of a gray color than the traditional reddish that I prefer. The fingerboard itself feels great but I like a darker red color than gray.Mark

I've been eyeballing this guitar for quit sometime in the GC website. Unfortunately, the local GC never had it in stock in their store. I asked the local GC store manger if he can check the other GC stores if they have one available. Fortunately he found a GC store that just received one. So, I drove 2 hours to the GC that had one. Arrived at the GC, walked in and long and behold, there it was on the very top display rack. I asked one of the GC sales rep if I can try it out, he replied that the store just received the guitar and that I'd be the first one to play it. Played it for 30mins, I love the feel of the 60's slim tapered neck and the sound of the Burstbucker pick-ups. I end up taking her home!Art

I am not going to say anything all the other reviewers did not. My only gripe is the solder joints were broken on both pickup covers causing some pretty bad Microphonics. Big deal. I swapped in a SD JB/Jazz set an now it even sounds better! I did not know about the busted solder until I realized that's what they do to keep the covers on. I will not get rid of the pickups and will fix them and drop them in another Paul I have. But the guitar plays so good. Also, with the TRI-burst limited we are just a little cooler than everyone else! Thank you Elvis at Clackamas GC!Ivan

Received the 2016 Gibson Les Paul Studio HP in fine order just as every guitar I have received as a gift from my wife or purchased myself has arrived. Musician's Friend has never disappointed. First the Bad News: The guitar and case are impressive in appearance at first glance, but after a couple of hours of playing, it soon became very apparent the G-Force Tuning system leaves a bit to be desired. I use a lot of heavy bending and heavy gauge strings. The system often struggled finding proper pitch and it searched unsuccessfully sometimes and ultimately settled for out of pitch tuning. It might be a good system in theory (jury's still out), but in practice, not there yet. This was most frustrating while trying to record tracks and trying to keep ideas flowing. Further the volume and tone knobs were all crooked and wobbled when rotated, they were all set at different elevations (height) from the body of the guitar and the volume knobs would fall off when using the push/pull coil splitting feature. I picked the knobs up off the floor almost every time I used them and I found this most disappointing from a manufacture like Gibson. I returned the guitar two days after receiving it, again thank you Musicians Friend your customer service, it has been stellar in my numerous purchases and this was the first guitar I have returned. Second the Good News: I loved the coil splitting feature, this in combination with the 490R and 498T pickups created an abundance of tonal capability. The guitar played fast and smooth, nice neck, like the added width and the reach to the upper frets. Paint job was flawless and the Granadillo fingerboard played very fast and comfortable. Ditch the G-Force system and afford better quality control on the volume and tone knob fit and installation and you will have a player willing to try Gibson again sometime in the near future.Stratocasterplusplayer

Just received a brand new 2016 Gibson Les Paul Studio HP from Musicians Friend. Beautiful, plays wonderful, sounds great. Other than the g-force tuners, which worked good after I initially tuned it manually, this is a spectacular guitar for an amazing price. Thank you. The finish is excellent, nothing wrong, setup was perfect, pickups sound great, case is a piece of art and weighs as much as a marshall stack. Pretty sure I could run over it with my car and it would be fine. Great deal, great guitar, happy player.T-Bone

Exactly as described in documentation, When GForce is turned off, tuning keys are infinately and ultra finely manually adjustable. So there's no issue if you don't like it.Ripper