JeffB
Let it B
Today I hit a couple of shops lookin @ Les Pauls, and Les Paul copies. I sent my LP Deluxe back..Loved the way it played and the sound was phenomenal, but the QC issues bugged me for a $1500 guitar. So I set out looking for LP "tone" on a budget.
I ended up trying out a few different Epihones, a Michael Kelly Patriot, a Dillion Goldtop, and a/b'ed them against 2 diff Gibby LP classics. Some were played through a Marshall DSL combo, a couple through a MESA F-50 combo (since that is what I own)
Observations:
The Dillion was OK. Build and fit & finish was nice. Jes didn't have much in the way of tone. Thin and muddy sounding amplified, not a good acoustic tone either. It did have good sustain, surprisingly. No comparison in sound to the real LP classic.
The first Epi I tried was LP Standard. It was much like the Dillion. Fit & finish was OK, nothing spectacular, but the acoustic and amplified tones were marginal at best. Sustain was so-so..again, no comparison to the LP classic.
The second EPI was also a Standard. Build quality was horrid..the nut, everything was loose, the pots were scratchy, pups were dark and muddy. Frets were sharp and uneven. pitiful.
The Michael Kelly Patriot Q had a very nice fit and finish for the most part. Better than the epis I'd tried previously, tho not quite as good as the Gibson. Considering the price (550) though it was pretty impressive. Unfortunately it had absolutely NO sustain. Like ......none. The pups were very muddy. PUP switch cut out intermittently. If it sounded as good as it looked I woulda bought it. It played very well.
I was about to give up and jes plunk down the dough for a Gibby, when I saw one Epi that caught my eye. a Transparent Amber Standard Plus. Pretty veener..more yellow and vanilla looking than amber. I eyed it over...nut looked pretty good..has grover tuners (?, don't think the other epis did), frets were prett decent..no sharp edges. A couple of cosmetic issues at the headstock and neck joint but considering the price..acceptable. Acoustically it sounded "OK". It was a good bit lighter than the MK Patriot.
Plugged into the MESA F50. Hit an open G chord and it immediately got my attention. PLayed some power chords and dialed the amp in. Started noodling around the upper frets to check sustain. It was there in spades. Hmmmm. Ended up playing that guitar for an HOUR...din want to put it down. Tone/Sustain was as good as the Classic, but not quite as sweet or warm as my Deluxe. But it was pretty darn close. I actually couldn't believe it. The stock pups are actually pretty decent..a bit bright perhaps..lacking a little clarity, but alot better than the duncan design I had in the Jackson, and most IBZ pups. It was def classic LP sound. Fat with lots of low mids and bite. No noise/feedback issues. I've had a bunch of "real" LP's over the years (standards, customs, and one custom shop model) and although the fit and finish was much better on them, I can't say too many had better natural tone than this Epi.
She's in my bedroom as I type. I jes got done givin it a 2 hour workout at home through the Valvetronix (and sounds really good through it too, tho as I said, a little too bright). This is what I was lookin for...a less expensive clone that has a decent natural sound/ piece of wood, that I can throw some Duncans in and upgrade the other electronics if need be. With Grovers I'm not sure if I need to upgrade the tuners..will have to see over time.
Time to order up some nickel cover 59's or Seth's.
So as others have stated here, there ARE some good Epiphone Les Pauls out there. If you are on a budget, search 'em out. Play a bunch of 'em. As my dad used to say "if ya throw enuff $hit on the wall boy, eventually some of it's gonna stick" :laugh2:
I ended up trying out a few different Epihones, a Michael Kelly Patriot, a Dillion Goldtop, and a/b'ed them against 2 diff Gibby LP classics. Some were played through a Marshall DSL combo, a couple through a MESA F-50 combo (since that is what I own)
Observations:
The Dillion was OK. Build and fit & finish was nice. Jes didn't have much in the way of tone. Thin and muddy sounding amplified, not a good acoustic tone either. It did have good sustain, surprisingly. No comparison in sound to the real LP classic.
The first Epi I tried was LP Standard. It was much like the Dillion. Fit & finish was OK, nothing spectacular, but the acoustic and amplified tones were marginal at best. Sustain was so-so..again, no comparison to the LP classic.
The second EPI was also a Standard. Build quality was horrid..the nut, everything was loose, the pots were scratchy, pups were dark and muddy. Frets were sharp and uneven. pitiful.
The Michael Kelly Patriot Q had a very nice fit and finish for the most part. Better than the epis I'd tried previously, tho not quite as good as the Gibson. Considering the price (550) though it was pretty impressive. Unfortunately it had absolutely NO sustain. Like ......none. The pups were very muddy. PUP switch cut out intermittently. If it sounded as good as it looked I woulda bought it. It played very well.
I was about to give up and jes plunk down the dough for a Gibby, when I saw one Epi that caught my eye. a Transparent Amber Standard Plus. Pretty veener..more yellow and vanilla looking than amber. I eyed it over...nut looked pretty good..has grover tuners (?, don't think the other epis did), frets were prett decent..no sharp edges. A couple of cosmetic issues at the headstock and neck joint but considering the price..acceptable. Acoustically it sounded "OK". It was a good bit lighter than the MK Patriot.
Plugged into the MESA F50. Hit an open G chord and it immediately got my attention. PLayed some power chords and dialed the amp in. Started noodling around the upper frets to check sustain. It was there in spades. Hmmmm. Ended up playing that guitar for an HOUR...din want to put it down. Tone/Sustain was as good as the Classic, but not quite as sweet or warm as my Deluxe. But it was pretty darn close. I actually couldn't believe it. The stock pups are actually pretty decent..a bit bright perhaps..lacking a little clarity, but alot better than the duncan design I had in the Jackson, and most IBZ pups. It was def classic LP sound. Fat with lots of low mids and bite. No noise/feedback issues. I've had a bunch of "real" LP's over the years (standards, customs, and one custom shop model) and although the fit and finish was much better on them, I can't say too many had better natural tone than this Epi.
She's in my bedroom as I type. I jes got done givin it a 2 hour workout at home through the Valvetronix (and sounds really good through it too, tho as I said, a little too bright). This is what I was lookin for...a less expensive clone that has a decent natural sound/ piece of wood, that I can throw some Duncans in and upgrade the other electronics if need be. With Grovers I'm not sure if I need to upgrade the tuners..will have to see over time.
Time to order up some nickel cover 59's or Seth's.
So as others have stated here, there ARE some good Epiphone Les Pauls out there. If you are on a budget, search 'em out. Play a bunch of 'em. As my dad used to say "if ya throw enuff $hit on the wall boy, eventually some of it's gonna stick" :laugh2:
My Deluxe tho having a few QC control issues def had better tone and playability than my Heritage 150 did. Prolly jes a better piece of wood.
