How to pick a good 1st Les Paul?

[Rex_Rocker]

i like those ltd guitars a lot, but that comes back to something i said earlier in this thread. i love my hamer, but it doesnt sound as "les paul" like as my gibson. i feel the same about the esp models. a buddy has a eii eclipse that is a fantastic guitar, but its not as "les paul" like as a gibson. id say both my hamer and his esp are better guitars in some ways, but theres something the actual lp has the others dont even though they all look and are similar in many ways. does that matter? thats up to you. i eventually decided i wanted a real lp in my arsenal so found the right one for me

Totally agreed. But I still think they're as much (or better) of a Les Paul as an Epiphone and overall better guitars *on average* than most similiarly priced Epiphones.

BTW, I mean the full thickness ones with 22 frets, personally. I do agree that the more common thin-bodied ones with 24 frets are further away.

[eclecticsynergy]

My issue with (present-day) Epiphones is the placement of the bridge pickup.
In bridge position, just a few millimeters makes for a significant change to the sound.

Back around 1980 I moved the bridge humbucker in one of my Floydcasters a mere quarter inch farther away from the bridge.
It was an amazing difference - far more than I'd expected. Not subtle, genuinely surprising; transformed the voice of the guitar.
Since then I'm a believer.

In neck pickups, three quarters of an inch (like the placement in 24-fret guitars) is a difference you can hear and feel.
When it comes to bridge pickups, millimeters matter. A quarter of an inch is a big deal.

EDIT: FWIW, the 90s-era MIJ Epiphones (which are actually rebranded Orvilles, built to the same specs after the Orville brand was discontinued) have the correct Gibson placement for their bridge pickups.