Les Paul Acoustic Guitar For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

Overall, I would NOT buy this instrument again and wouldn't suggest it to people without warning them of my issues. If this ukulele broke, I'd replace it with a Kala. I wasn't very well pleased with this uke (or it's cheap gig bag) and will not be holding onto it for much longer. I bought this uke after previously owning a Beaver Creek (no-name Canadian brand) ukulele and then a Kala Mahogany KA-C ukulele. I had made the decision to sell my Kala and buy this Epiphone because I've been overwhelmingly pleased with my Thunderbird Pro IV bass and trusted the Epiphone brand (although I have been skeptical in my 7 years of being a musician). I must say that after owning the Epi uke for about 3 months now, I am looking to sell it in order to buy my Kala back. I had bought this ukulele because it had a built in pickup (which my Kala did not have) and it looked sweet! I was pleased with the aesthetics but the sound quality is just missing. I had heard this uke has two very different sounds when plugged into a system and when played acoustically. This is exactly true and I'll highlight it in the next section. Note: I replaced the strings on my epiphone ukulele instantly because I was told to do so. If you own this ukulele (or are going to), CHANGE THE STRINGS. Although I bash the ukulele a little bit in the next paragraph, you will hear a substancial difference in sound quality (for the better) if you change the strings.When played acoustically, this ukulele has a very flat sound. I say that especially because the ukulele itself is very flat. This affects the whole sound of the instrument and does not sound like a true ukulele much at all. However, that being said, this should be expected by anyone purchasing the ukulele because it clearly IS an acoustic/electric combo. Because of that, there needs to be sacrifice on both ends to meet in the middle.When playing through a system, this ukulele has an even worse sound. I have played it alongside another ukulele player who didn't have a pickup so we just mic'ed her ukulele. Hers, without being plugged right into the system, sounded much better and fuller than my epi did plugged in. I was almost embarrassed at how poorly my instrument sounded. I would honestly say I'm quite let down with this product. I do not feel like the value is there at all and as I said before, i'm currently in the process of selling it to afford a REAL ukulele.Bass Crazy

This is my 3rd uke. I actually went in to GC to get a different uke, but started messing around with one of these and fell in love. Yes, as others have said, it's not very loud. I mean, duh, look at the flat body. But the sound is just incredibly unique and appealing to my ear. It sounds almost like a clean 50s electric guitar, like something you'd hear in an Otis Redding song, and that's when it's unplugged. It's crazy, it really has an electric sound while unplugged. And plugged in it's a really fun play as well. I understand why some people would be disappointed if they are just looking for a ukulele that looks cool, because this does not sound like your typical uke. Also, I love the stock strings. They really add to that original sound and they are kinda thick so you can really strum away on this thing like a guitar. I wouldn't recommend it as someone's first ukulele, but definitely a second or third to provide a truly different and unique sound.PDX Me

I've been playing guitar off and on for most of my life (call it 45 years) returning with a new emphasis a few years ago, but I've only touched a ukelele a few times in my life. This little guy is fun! Excellent tone, well constructed, and the flame maple top is really pretty. Although it doesn't have a volume or tone control like a Les Paul guitar, it sounds fine coming through an amplifier. The included gig bag is a nice touch, and seems like a good one. The tuning is (of course) completely different than a guitar, but guitar knowledge carries over well to the uke. Picking it up with a chart of ukelele chords and tuning it with my electronic tuner, I was playing within a couple of minutes of opening the box. I've only had it a few weeks, but so far I love it. Epiphone really puts out instruments that are a good value, and this one is no exception. My wife was surprised at the excellent tone but I expect nothing less. Quality woods and construction get you that tone. If you're on the fence, get one and spend some quality time with it. You'll have fun, and isn't that what it's all about?CFLBob

I just wanted an affordable acoustic to write songs on so I wasn't asking for much. It's very well built but really it doesn't sound very full or even very good, especially for a dreadnought and isn't the most comfortable to play. I have to confess, I set it up myself and I'm sure a pro could do a lot better. Still, it's got this sort of bad muffled sound that cheap dreadnoughts are famous for.Michael

I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I have to admit that this model is now my favorite Dreadnought acoustic I have ever owned. I have more guitars than viruses, which include vintage and "high end" types. It's not just "a great guitar for beginners" even though the price is a guaranteed good investment. I am experienced and I bought 3. One for each of the different places I travel. I plan on getting more as gifts and another to designate as DADGAD. Do not let the low price deceive you. Try playing this guitar at the store while sitting in the "high end" section. Play a full G on this guitar, and then on one of the popular expensive ones. The action is low with no buzz and very buttery to play scales, especially when a capo is used. The intonation remains accurate all the way to the highest notes. The fretboard is unpolished, so vibrato may be noisy, especially with the stock strings (see below). The neck may need a slight adjustment with the tool after a month, but this is typical with most new out of the box acoustics. I recommend replacing the original strings with Elixir Nanoweb bronze. I use medium, and a beginner should try light. I am not sure why this model is so inexpensive. Whatever the case, the designers did it right.Dadadadeo

I'm really impressed with the quality of this guitar. I went to guitar center to pick it up. And as soon as I took it out of the box, I was amazed. I couldn't wait to get home and try it out. And sure enough, it sounds just as good as it looks. I've been playing acoustic guitars for over 30 years. My nephew wants to learn to play and he just graduated high school. So I was looking for a reasonable price starter guitar. Came across this one and decided to buy it. And I feel I made the perfect choice after looking at several others. The quality, feel, and sound is awesome for the money. Stays in tune after wailing on it. Would definitely recommend this guitar to anyone getting started. Also the accessories it comes with are nice too. Everything you need to get started. High five on this one!T Man

This 79 buck guitar was the biggest surprise ever! I really didn't expect much, and was having second thoughts after I placed the order. I bought the sunburst version on a SDOTD as a total impulse buy. I have several expensive acoustics, and I don't need a cheap guitar. But I have to say, this is a really nice instrument. The fit and finish is above average, with relatively smooth fret ends and a huge sound. The tuners, however inexpensive, work as intended and stay in tune. The sunburst finish is lovely, with only one small thumbnail scratch. The neck joint is well done, and the neck has a comfortable full feeling. Epiphone has improved the "E" symbol on the pickguard, it is made into the plastic, and not glued on and wanting to fall off like on the older Epiphones. The rosette appears to be painted on, but it looks good regardless. The bridge (rosewood) is solidly attached to the top, with no lifting or gaps. The body has a white plastic binding front and back that is well executed. The rosewood fretboard is attractive with nice grain. And the sound! This guitar has a huge, loud sound for a laminate guitar. Tomorrow I plan to replace the original strings with some quality mediums, which can only make it sound even better. One odd feature is a false truss rod cover, held in place with three wood screws. There is nothing under it! The access to the truss rod is inside the sound hole. I did have to remove some glue from around the truss rod adjusting nut inside the guitar. Quite frankly, the quality and sound of the Epiphone just blows me away! If I had to sell all of my other acoustics and only keep this one, I would be content. It's that good!JimmyJ

This is my 2nd of PR 150, I bought a sunburst one in the store. Only thing I noticed is the neck on the natural one is a bit thicker but its barely noticeable. I tried all the comparable ones in the range and this one just has it, full rich clean tone. It was flawless right out of the box, took 3 days to get to me, free shipping. The factory action is a touch high for my liking but can be set up to play perfect. I didn't find any fret buzz or issues, I just like low action. I plan to have this one set up as well, very worth the extra money. Stays in tune well, sounds incredible. These are very versatile guitars and do sound better with use and age. Best quality strings make a big difference on these. 80/20's really make it sing and sound like a Martin but with a bit of depth and warmth. Phosphors, it sounds more mellow and like Gibson. Obviously its not either one but you can still get very good quality enjoyable tone from these. I use it for older style county/bluegrass and it does great for that but also blues and oldies. They respond great to the player, pick attack, light and harder strumming and lead. Only thing I don't like is the finish on the back of the neck but that's personal preference. I've gotten used to it and hardly even notice, I'm used to standard Fender teles and strats that have a matte finish. Overall I think this is probably the best acoustic in the price range.Andy

Sounds great and for the price acceptable, ( Right around $200). I am just relearning after a serious hand injury and the taper of the neck is perfect. Just wide enough for comfort at all frets but not to wide for stretches. No buzzing,good action. The whole thing is laminated which is to be expected in this price range but has a limited lifetime warranty, plus I bought the extended warranty for accidental damage for $38 , which I never do but felt it was a good choice for this. It might have minor issues in the future. The sound is rich and full bodied. The tuners are not the smoothest and it doesn't seem to stray in tune. Guitar Center dressed the frets which were really sharp. Good for me to relearn and practice with but probably not sturdy enough for regular gigging. Although I am rough on things. Great entry level instrument I think for new players. I couldn't afford $500 or more so this fit the pocketbook.Christopher

Don't let the term "beginner guitar" steer you away. I've been playing for over 40 years and have never enjoyed owning and playing a guitar as much as I have this one. I bought it with the sunburst finish, as I have never owned one like that, and this is what initially caught my eye. I came home inspired one day to find my trusty old acoustic Fender had a lifting bridge, so I needed a replacement. Having heard an ad about a recent GC sale, I popped on over to see if I could try out several different models, before I found myself settling on this one. I had never really heard of the brand before, but when I went home to research it and found who the company was owned by and what bands used Epiphone. I lucked out with an amazing deal at GC, fitting my budget for a quick replacement. And I am so glad I did. This guitar has inspired me to play for hours on end, and I honestly have hardly put it down since I bought it in March. I chose to protect it with an Epiphone Case (the eDread) and not only play it every day, but like to look over at how nice it looks in the room, in or out of the case. It has rekindled my old passion for playing, and I am looking forward to replacing my vintage electric with an Epiphone, as well. Through research, I have found that the "PR" series was eventually replaced by the "DR" series, so the Truss Bar cover has the latter initials on it. I have also found that this is virtually the same guitar as the DR-100. After weeks of playing, the guitar stays in tune very well. I often play along with videos and have even taken some new virtual lessons and haven't had to tune up again for a couple of weeks. For the price, particularly during a sale season, you really can't go wrong with this as your first, second, or even third guitar. Love it.Tony G

I love this guitar, but I got mine for a killer price, so… I probably like it 5x better than had I paid full price. I'm marking it not a good value because the new prices are ridiculous. But I am extremely happy with the price I got it for. Plays great, sounds great, looks great. It's got that awesome vintage vibe but has excellent playability all the way up and down the neck. Great for strumming and fingerstyle, and least for anything I want to do with it. The mic on the LR Baggs Anthem blender doesn't get much use because it feeds back. Run it through a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI, and you will love it.martin_gibson

This is a unique Gibson. With the Rosewood sides and back and long scale it sounds a bit like my Martin HD-28. This guitar though, with the Rosewood bridge seems to have a little more clarity and punch. Unlike short scale Gibsons this guitar has a nice tight sound. Fit and finish is really good. I am very pleased to add this Gibson to my growing guitar collection.Victory Pete

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

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

I've been dabbling with learning how to play the guitar for several years, I've even took a guitar class at the local community college but have gotten frustrated easily to where I quit. I'll say that I have had a "on again, off again" relationship with guitars for the last 15 years. I am not an expert in guitars and am steadily learning the process – how they are built, the electronic parts, etc. I decided to give it a go again with this inexpensive guitar that is a great little learning tool for the novice player like myself. One thing I did do when I got this is change the strings. I watched several review videos on this model and one the the first things people recommended was to change the strings. So I bought a box of Ernie Ball Regular Slinky's (10-46) and re-strung the guitar immediately after I got it out of the box. I am pleased with my progress so far. Could be the fact that I found a great website that gives excellent beginner lessons and helps me to understand the fundamentals of guitar playing. Things that the college instructor didn't teach very well. Of course, it helps that I can play the videos over and over! I'm upgrading to a Fender Mustang LT 25 amp, which will give me a huge range of different tones that I can get out of this guitar. As my skills develop and I get better (hopefully), I will look at upgrading to a higher price point guitar. I would love to get an SG! If you are looking to get started in the guitar community, I would recommend this model to get started. I've watched many videos of experienced guitar players jam some pretty cool riff's with this thing!Jason

This is an incredible guitar for the money. Only thing that needed serious help was the action at the nut. Using the stock nut and a set of nut files, I set it up to my preferred specs of 1/64th of an inch a two the first fret. This ensured comfortable playing as well as tuning stability. After cutting the nut slots to the right height, looks like the file made sure the strings wouldn't catch and now the guitar stays in tune much much better. I would replace the pickups with p90s if I could. Some modification to the pickguard might make this a possibility. Sometimes, I forget I'm playing an Epiphone. With the nut corrected it really is possible to get it feeling pretty good. Here are my personal specs: .005" neck relief measured at the 8th fret. 1/64ths action at the first fret across all strings. 1/16ths of an inch action at the 15th fret. It does not play as well as my Gibsons do: the explorer feels much lower and faster with the same specs and my les Paul traditional does reel in some "big time" tone. In spite of this, the Epiphone SL really does hit the mark. It's capable of all the same specs after adjusting the nut, making for a very playable guitar. I also don't believe the tuning issues are due to the economy tuners since after I adjusted the nut the guitar stays in tune much better. I bought a replacement black tusq nut but have not installed it. I wonder if there's even really a need to do so. This action at the nut is very low but the guitar pulls it off very well. I'm sure that with better pots (remember this is an economy guitar) andLeón

Cost is cheap hence your not going to get a quality built instrument in return. The company cheapens out on everything: Wood, pickups, tuners, wires, knobs etc. Save your money and just buy a made in USA Gibson which will 10 lifetimes longer than this throw away junk. Not worth it!ENGlishJELLo

Awesome it contains everything that I needed for my guitar Only 1 issue How do you tune it? Some advice or buying a book to help in that area would be good I looked it up on google.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I don't think anybody out there needs me to tell them how great Gibson is. This particular item is a fingerpickers dream (IMO), it plays great, sounds great, looks great and is the perfect size for playing in a sitting position. What more could you ask for? If you can afford it I would highly recommend it.Donald

This is my first Gibson, and I was not disappointed. It was everything I expected from an American made guitar. The set up was perfect for my style of playing. I own several guitars, and this is the first time I did not have to make any adjustments to the action or the intonation. This guitar lends itself to finger style playing, but also sounds great when strumming. The guitar also sounds great plugged in. Well done Gibson!Sophia

I am blown away at this guitar! Sounds so good. It’s super responsive to your playing and has a nice warm tone. The sustain from any note is beautiful. I’m a happy customer of AMS and love the guitar they sent me. I made one small neck adjustment to have a little less neck relief and it plays so easy now with zero fret buzz. I love my Martin but this is different and I’m in love with it!Scott

This guitar is incredible. A USA made GIBSON for this price is a great deal. And this guitar sounds so good! Mine just came today and arrived in perfect condition. The set-up was also really good, and plays great right out of the box.Andrew

Nice volume, comfortable neck, playing blues/folk and doing some fingerpicking/pickless strumming works especially well on this guy. The "player port" might freak people out, but as a singer-songwriter, I love how my voice and the sound coming out of that port interact. It's quite unique in that way.JB

I play all types of music on Guitar. I have a number of guitars and this Gibson GOO is now my favorite finger style guitar. Responsive and so easy to play. Well done, Gibson! You know, you don't buy a guitar for the Gig Bag but the one that came with my GOO is a luxury item. So Cool.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

Overall: I've been a guitarist since the late 80's, but I no longer play professionally, but I do play at home a lot. I've sold off most of my Gibsons (I held on to my '19 Les Paul Traditional) and I'm having a blast with these new Epi models. Everyone is raving about the Standard and the '59 models, and rightfully so. I own both, as well as a new Custom Silverburst and they're all great. This Classic is no exception. It actually arrived needing the least amount of setup work of all the others. The Alnico Classic Pros are brighter and a bit hotter than the Probuckers, but they're not at all harsh. The electronics work as expected, the neck pickup sounds sweet when split and the Phase feature sounds good with some moderate gain. The nut was cut extremely well and the frets don't need really much dressing. The neck is a little slimmer than what I'm used to, but it's easy adapting. The fretboard is a bit dry, but that's normal. Actually, these new Epiphone models all arrived in better condition than most of my Gibsons did in the past. The new Epiphone models are players guitars. Not wall art or collector's (cork sniffers) guitars, I wouldn't hesitate to take any of them to a gig and have fun with them. That's the whole point, right? I just wish they had made import guitars of this quality when I first started playing.Uriah

Out of the box and tuned, this guitar was completely unplayable with the neck so bent that pressing the strings at anywhere beyond the 8th fret fouled the frets higher up the neck, this also meant the action (measured at the 12th fret) was over 6mm. Fortunately I’ve a good understanding of how to set-up a guitar so adjusted the neck to have minimal relief with the truss rod – as a point of interest there was no truss rod allen key in the box, so just as well that I have my own tools. Once the action was set to my preferred settings (and by no means not as low as many like it) I had loads of fret buzz all over the place. So resetting the neck flat and using a ‘fret rocker’ I found 17 of the 22 frets (at various points across the neck) in need of remedial work to get them level. However as the guitar was new I decided initially to just add a bit more neck relief & set the action a shade higher, while I decided if I should just send it back or spending some hours sorting the frets in the near future? There are some positive points! I really liked the ‘worn’ (satin) finish although I feel there should have been a higher discount over the gloss finished versions as this must have saved loads of time during the finishing process. The Alnico Classic PRO pickups sound powerful with loads of variation between the neck and bridge and support coil-splitting. With the coils split option, with push/pull volume pots, there is (as expected) a significant drop in output but they do sound good, verging on P90 territory, rather than Strat/Tele sound ‘alikes’. One of the areas that lower cost guitars usually fail on is the quality of the tuners, here they have fitted Grover Rotomatics with an 18:1 ratio. They are smooth and easy to operate with the large kidney button heads, holding tune very well. The nut, a Graph Tech, was superbly cut, but unfortunately this was completely wasted with the poor quality of fret levelling from the factory as several of the strings would buzz when played open when set at a reasonably low action! The trapezoid neck inlays are very well fitted and although acrylic, do a very good impersonation of mother of pearl. Visually the guitar look stunning with its unusual colour and matt (worn) finish, but I do find the inclusion of gold knobs a bit of a clash with the all Nickel hardware and at the back cream control plate covers just don’t look right and should have been black. But both of these last two issues are a really cheap to resolve at about £12 for both black cover plates and 4 clear knobs. Overall both positives & negatives to consider and if I’d been unable to adjust the guitar myself, there would have been no option but to just send it back for a refund/replacement (hence 3 stars which I think is quite generous) as it is I’ll be keeping this. If I could have bought this locally it would have been great to try before I bought, but my local Epiphone dealer (90 mile round trip) didn’t have any in stock and was unlikely to get one, so I went the mail order route. The guitar is now playing well and will be even better when I get the time to sort out the frets and put a set of 9-42 gauge strings on.Paul

This guitar is absolutely stunning. At about $450 the Epiphone Les Paul Special certainly hits its price point without question. This is the 2nd time I bought this guitar, but I couldn't resist buying this again. I'll start with the cons first, that I noticed applied to both Special's I've owned.. The poly finish is thick. The combination of the "tv yellow" color and the thick polyurethane sort of gives a toy like feeling, or a bit of a cheapness to it.. Speaking of "tv yellow," it's really more of a Dijon mustard/ Carmel color. I don't think that's a bad thing or ugly by any means, but as other reviewers may have stated, the Epiphone isn't quite as accurate to its high end counterpart. The pickup routes and control cavity were also a little bit choppy, but that's just nit picking. If you buy this guitar, you will most likely need a setup. 2nd time around, I knew that going in but both guitars I bought needed set ups. That being said, this guitar is awesome. Surprisingly the laurel fingerboard was really smooth and moist. I do not sense bad or tall frets, but are scratchy at first. The P90 pros are so good. The CTS pots are so dynamic. The volume and tone sweeps combined with these P90 pros are so dynamic and touch sensitive, that they can hang with the best of em. The guitar resonates so well and plays both clean and crunchy top notch. Punchy and warm…Absolute quality electronics. I haven't found a bad tone in any position. If your used to playing your guitars with everything at 10, this guitar with inspire you to play around with all the tonal possibilities by simply rolling in & out your pots. The neck on this is fat, and so nice but not absurd. I highly recommend it. For the price, you can't go wrong and will love the tones, just plan on getting a setup and you will absolutely love this guitar.Zac F

Ok I felt the need to jump in here after reading some just off reviews about this guitar after purchasing mine. 1. Go to literally any guitar shop and play 5 of the same guitar and each one will play and sound slightly different with various levels of quality control which comes with any manufacturing environment. If you purchased one of these blind and did not play and examine it in store and got a lemon that's on you. Also the one dude that said these are repainted are simply false. Check out Trogly's show you Youtube where he does a full review of both Raven's. 2. Since it's release I'm lucky to have a few GC in my geographic area that I check out when I can. I played LP Studio's, Tribute's, SGs, and tone wise this one won all. These ceramic pickups are a step up from anything in the 1-2k price range in the Gibson line if you like to play overdriven and loud. Cleaned up they sound good but make no mistake this thing is built to roar. 3. STOP hating on Richlite. I simply don't get it. If you apply this same principle on materials guitar nerds are saying man that plane in 1930 flew beautiful so the materials used then are the ONLY materials we can use to build planes today. Pretty silly huh? Technology should advance to build better, more sustainable instruments. The fretboard feels great and the fret word is very good. But read I played many many over the past few months before I finally pulled the trigger. 4. One thing that gets an at mention but I think deserves some additional props is the fact that it's a mahogany body AND neck and it's a true solid body with no weight relief. It definitely adds extra ompf. 5. To wrap up, it's an awesome guitar and mine is well finished, set up, and assembled (including wiring). Do your homework, play a lot of rigs, and know what to look for in quality control and finish.Ryan

If I could give 0 stars, I would. I received this guitar new and it is, without a doubt, the worst $1100+ guitar available anywhere on the market. There is NO WAY this should have ever left the factory and ended up as my problem, but I'm not surprised considering Gibson's so called QC and "customer service". And don't expect them to care about your "cheap" guitar (quote from Gibson "customer service".) Just look at the pics- paint missing so you can see the bare wood underneath (not red underneath like the other reviewer said, just brown), scratches and scuffs and grey paint all over the neck and headstock, a bunch of the greying out over the dots was sanded off down to white, scuffs and what looks like grey paint all over the tuners, bridge pickup was a mess (the edge looked all chewed up and the tape was higher than the top edge of the pickup, it was also as low as it could possibly go), even the "baby pic" of the guitar that was included was a joke (washed out, borders on 2 sides, a dirty rag prominently displayed). I could go on, but you get the point. Gibson and Guitar Center should be ashamed of selling garbage like this, but of course, they are not.Eric

I have always enjoyed the tones of the 496R/500T pickup combination but they are hard to come by these days. My LP Traditional has a Duncan Distortion in the bridge but sounds nothing like this one. I already have an LP Special with the 490's in them and I'll grant that they are better for clean stuff, but these pickups have that gnarly, saturated gain tone that some us cherish. She plays like a dream as well. This guitar also comes with an excellent soft case (unlike the chintzy gig bag of my other Special) and a stop bar tail piece, rather than the wraparound bridge. I have had the Richlite fingerboard on higher-end Gibsons and have no complaints with that either. It looks a bit like ebony, but perhaps a bit warmer sounding. Oh, and please enough about the finish wearing quickly. ALL of the tributes do that. Some call them battle scars as it happens on high gloss nitro as well if played long enough. First they get shiny as your playing rubs on the top coat and then they can wear through. Would you rather have a polyester finish that feels like a plastic hard coat and muffles the tone? So… here is an American-made Gibson with a nice case for about a grand? Grab one while you can!Franco

First off, while chatting live with the agent, I was offered the guitar for $40 less than the advertised price. Great bonus. Then I got fast free shipping on a guitar that was basically set up to play out of the factory sealed box. Other stores, Like the Guitar Center conglomerate, send you guitars that have been hanging on their wall. I will always deal with Sam Ash when buying online now., BTW, I love Epiphone acousticsBluesman

I own Martin, Gibson, Fender and several vintage imports from the 60’s and 70’s. I wanted another acoustic to write songs with, play outdoors and just beat on in general, saving the frets on my higher end guitars. So I didn’t want to spend much. I picked this guitar first and formally by the specs rather than by reviews. Out of the box this guitar looks beautiful. I removed the “E” immediately with no trouble without any adhesive sticking to the pick guard. This made the guitar look much better IMHO. My guitar sounded great to me the second I started getting it tuned to pitch. Plays very easy, zero fret buzz and spot on intonation. The sound of this guitar is somewhat unique and I believe it will open up and resonate more soon since the woods used seem very decent. You can’t go wrong for the price. Mine was the sunburst by the way. I own higher end guitars like I said, so I don’t want to compare this to those, but my friend has one of those Martin imports that are “cheaper” like $799ish and this Epiphone guitar is better.Mountain Rock

This is an excellent guitar even for twice the price IMO if you’re looking for a song writing guitar this a perfect choice . It sounds well balanced sustains well is loud and has some gutsy low end and clear treble side overall excellent playability and value. Mine made in Indonesia is exceptional in its finish which is a rival to way more expensive guitars. Rather than cut down on quality of build and finish Epi kept a very high standard.Petros Voutsanesis

I had a great experience with Musiciansfriend. I called my gear advisor, Scott, and he went the extra mile to answer all of my questions over about a two week period. My guitar weighs just under 10 pounds. The set up was superb with a low action and near perfect intonation. Phenomenal sound. Just amazing. Each string rings out clear and balanced. This is my first Gibson. I am a Fender player ('69 Jaguar, '97 Strat) so I was afraid I wouldn't like the warm tones of the humbuckers (nearly went with P90 because of this), but I can't compliment this guitar enough. It's a legend for a reason. The only bad thing is the case. It's obvious that Gibson doesn't take as much care in quality control for their cases. Pea sized bubble on the exterior and lining already coming unglued. However, musiciansfriend is working to right this for me.Jonathan

Overall: Ordered my 60's Les Paul in Unburst on Thursday February 10th. I paid for overnight shipping cause I couldn't wait & zZounds didn't disappoint. Guitar arrived on Friday the 11th before noon!!! Thank you zZounds. Now onto the review……amazing guitar. The figured top is beautiful. zZounds lets you pick the Les Paul you want by serial number & the top looks even better in person, I couldn't be happier. The fit & finish is excellent. Setup is perfect out of the box, plays like a dream. Sustain for days & the '61 Burstbucker R & T pickups just scream!!! Gibson's quality control is on point now!!! Just a beautiful guitar.James

Wow, does this guitar growl. These pickups are so hot, I was startled when I turned up the amp. On clean, every note in a chord is articulated brilliantly. And the sustain is strikingly long and full. I thought the fit and finish was exceptional, and appreciate the quality considering the price. It makes my other guitars feel like I'm riding a bike with a flat tire. It's just not a fair comparison. I am afraid I will have to upgrade my entire fleet now – it has spoiled me. I am more gratified with the purchase than I anticipated.Howard

Love the J-45 but also have historically owned Rosewood guitars so this combination was a perfect fit for me. It's got a big full sound, good lows, nice highs. The onboard pickup is better than I expected and when played through an acoustic amp, the low end and fullness of the sound was insanely good. The guitar has a beautiful finish and some nice added touches above the standard J-45. You can't go wrong with a J-45 regardless but if you want something a little different from the standard in terms of sound and looks, I would take a serious look at this one. I couldn't be happier with this one.Randall K

I really wanted an electric J-45. The G 45 seemed to fit the bill. I've owned many Gibsons since the 70's, including a '63 J45 adjustable bridge and a '64 L5 CES. But they've gotten so expensive that new ones are basically out of my reach. I know Gibson fit, finish and quality and I have to say this guitar falls a little short, even at a grand. I own several acoustic electrics that I use as gigging workhorses. I ran across 3 major issues with the G45 Studio. The G string tuning key responded poorly and required nearly 1/2 a turn in either direction to change string pitch. The offset bridge for high E and B strings raised a flag for me since all my other acoustic electrics have a straight bridge. I could not get the guitar to be reasonably tuned no matter how many cents I tried to compensate either way. If I played an E it would be in, then a D, the D would be noticeably out. I am very experienced in compromised tuning, but it was irreconcilable with this guitar. Lastly, the sound. When I plugged the guitar in to the P.A. there was barely any sound coming out. My other acoustics are consistent in volume when plugged in. I loosened the strings, lifted the bridge and found small pieces of wood left that had pinched and left dents in the pickup wire compromising the contact of pressure of the bridge downward. So the sound was uneven,even after I blew out the wood chips. I would consider buying the guitar again if I could test play it through an amplifier before purchasing, but I won't pay full price for a demonstrator model that has already been played by numerous people and the guitar stores I have visited had no new ones out of the box. The included case makes this a steal. But with the quality control for this model you take a chance. I played the guitar for approximately 30 hours before returning.Rikenrocker

Build quality looks good. Substantial top bracing. Neck feels really good but is difficult to play because of neck curvature which creates high tension on strings – probably been sitting around the Perth shop for an extended period – no one bothered to check before sending. Will have to get it set up (more expense). Could not play with the Gibson strings provided – heavily oxidized – again old strings from a guitar that has been idle in the shop for too long – no one checked this either. Have had to buy low tension strings to play it until set up. Fretboard as dry as a …., but feels better now I have conditioned it a couple of times. Also, there are problems with the inner case lining (lifting) – again blind dispatcher – and the brass finish on the outer case clasps on arrival looking dull) have turned to a burnished silver only after opening the case for a fortnight. Really pretty poor form Manny's not checking the guitar out before shipping 🙁Lindsay A.

Hopefully, this will be a favorite acoustic guitar. The small 00 body size is very comfortable and casual. The neck shape is a described as a soft-V, fits comfortably in hand with a nice wide, flatter fret board that suits my large hands and fingers well. It's a handful where the neck meets the body. Lots of nice construction points on the guitar. The internal bracing is beautifully done. The hand scalloping is obvious, the bracing wood is tight grained and finished smooth. Compliments to Gibson builders on this one. The neck is unbound, the fret ends are polished and fit perfectly. The body finish is consistent and the polishing is perfect. The sound hole rosettes are clean as is the binding on the entire body. The rosewood grain is tight and consistent on the whole body. The Sitka Spruce top is clean, without any wood imperfections or distortions in the grain. Very slight color variations that give a pleasing appearance. The string height along the entire fretboard is consistent. No buzzing. No action adjustment has been needed. What a joy! Pull it out of the case, tune to pitch, play. Amazing. Plays as one would expect from an instrument at this price point. Don't really notice any next tapering, very subtle. How about saying it has a 'lush' midrange. Extremely full sounding. Nice thumping bass, not shrill anywhere. Have not used the electronics but with a complimentary acoustic amp this guitar should fill any recording or live performance roles. Total amateur here. A pro musician will be able to get more out of this instrument for a long, long time. Excellent build quality, great tonal breadth and depth. This is a great Gibson guitar.Kev

Guitar Heaven: it don't get much better then this. I purchased my L-00 over the reviews I read. When it arrived the setup looked good and the neck was perfectly straight. I tuned it and started playing: yuck! The sound sucked and it buzzed!! However, it had never been played!! So, I started playing it: putting quality sound into the body. My L-00 stopped buzzing and started sounding!! I've had it for two days now and every time I pick it up it sounds better and better!! Wow!! Looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with it for the rest of my life!! Dreams do come true!! 5 STARS!!Harold

Build quality looks good. Substantial top bracing. Neck feels really good but is difficult to play because of neck curvature which creates high tension on strings – probably been sitting around the Perth shop for an extended period – no one bothered to check before sending. Will have to get it set up (more expense). Could not play with the Gibson strings provided – heavily oxidized – again old strings from a guitar that has been idle in the shop for too long – no one checked this either. Have had to buy low tension strings to play it until set up. Fretboard as dry as a …., but feels better now I have conditioned it a couple of times. Also, there are problems with the inner case lining (lifting) – again blind dispatcher – and the brass finish on the outer case clasps on arrival looking dull) have turned to a burnished silver only after opening the case for a fortnight. Really pretty poor form Manny's not checking the guitar out before shipping 🙁Lindsay A.

Hopefully, this will be a favorite acoustic guitar. The small 00 body size is very comfortable and casual. The neck shape is a described as a soft-V, fits comfortably in hand with a nice wide, flatter fret board that suits my large hands and fingers well. It's a handful where the neck meets the body. Lots of nice construction points on the guitar. The internal bracing is beautifully done. The hand scalloping is obvious, the bracing wood is tight grained and finished smooth. Compliments to Gibson builders on this one. The neck is unbound, the fret ends are polished and fit perfectly. The body finish is consistent and the polishing is perfect. The sound hole rosettes are clean as is the binding on the entire body. The rosewood grain is tight and consistent on the whole body. The Sitka Spruce top is clean, without any wood imperfections or distortions in the grain. Very slight color variations that give a pleasing appearance. The string height along the entire fretboard is consistent. No buzzing. No action adjustment has been needed. What a joy! Pull it out of the case, tune to pitch, play. Amazing. Plays as one would expect from an instrument at this price point. Don't really notice any next tapering, very subtle. How about saying it has a 'lush' midrange. Extremely full sounding. Nice thumping bass, not shrill anywhere. Have not used the electronics but with a complimentary acoustic amp this guitar should fill any recording or live performance roles. Total amateur here. A pro musician will be able to get more out of this instrument for a long, long time. Excellent build quality, great tonal breadth and depth. This is a great Gibson guitar.Kev

Guitar Heaven: it don't get much better then this. I purchased my L-00 over the reviews I read. When it arrived the setup looked good and the neck was perfectly straight. I tuned it and started playing: yuck! The sound sucked and it buzzed!! However, it had never been played!! So, I started playing it: putting quality sound into the body. My L-00 stopped buzzing and started sounding!! I've had it for two days now and every time I pick it up it sounds better and better!! Wow!! Looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with it for the rest of my life!! Dreams do come true!! 5 STARS!!Harold

Bought this online over the holidays (Dec 25) for my son. It arrived yesterday (Dec 30), which was very quick. We unpacked it and began to tune the strings which were loose. The very first string (high E, the thinnest) snapped at the bridge. Tried to repair it, but there wasn't enough slack. Went to Best Buy today to explain the situation, and they said we could return it for a full refund or exchange. (They could not repair onsite, or provide spare parts.) The guitar otherwise was in excellent condition so we decided to keep it given the defect was so small. Went to Long & McQuade to get the replacement string and so far so good. The guitar is fine now, and all the other "original" strings are holding. (Given how inexpensive they are, the manufacturer should have included spares.) We will see how it goes over the next few weeks. We are hoping it will last. Time will tell. Not being a guitar expert, the price point (purchased on sale) seems reasonable, especially for a beginner. My son is a young teen and is having a lot of fun with this new instrument. The recommendation for this make and model came from his music teacher, and the sound quality is pretty good.M&M

Put this money into a better guitar, this ones neck was super off. Entire neck bent within one week of playing moderately, and was in fixable without taking the bolt out of the neck and replacing it. Putting this money into a better quality model is better for your mental health and wallet.GuitarGirl007

Guitar sounds good. Took me some time to tune it. But when tune up was done it sounds great. After a year lower bridge is slowly detaching and will probably replace the whole guitar since I bought the warranty and the bridge is glued. Again for $100 and something this is a great purchase.Dushane