Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Why do you want to play soft? Get a special. Or a Gibson Jr. 

I have the epiphone es 335 knock off, and like it a bunch, although shortly after I bought it I got a decent bonus and then picked up the real thing (gibson). I was actually thinking about picking up the Ace Freely les paul that epiphone was knocking out a while back, but held off on it. I figured I would buy other guitars before I would puchase a real les paul but for the 400 bucks I figured it would hold its value. My next two guitars will probably be an eric johson strat and then a gibson j 200.

My nephew has one and is one the worst electric guitars I ever played. 

Unplayable.

You just can't play it. Bonamassa can. 

Dunno 'bout that. He's got some chops but severely lacking in the soul category, IMO.

Don't think his problem is the guitar he plays.

I do believe its the heaviest, highest action, high volume electric guitar in production.

Unplayable for beginners. Scarp for the pickups and hardware only.

Not really an instrument by definition.

>>You just can't play it. Bonamassa can

How much do want to bet, I could squeeze gospel blues out of that guitar, like you never heard?

I saw Robben Ford the other night and he was playing a priceless, perfect condition 1954 Gibson Les Paul that was being playing out of a vintage refurbished 1965 Fender Stack. 

He was getting tones closer to Duane Allman that been achieved since Sky-Dog held that might Gold-Top Les Paul he's known for.

On the floor behind Robben was 1968 Gibson SG.

Cut short "his mind made a promise, that his body could not fill"

Amazing guitar player though. 

Blue light next time go with your nephew and help him pick out a guitar that is properly set up. To label all epiphones as trash because your nephew has some warped necked piece of shit that was never set up is a bit of a disservice to this thread. I pulled out the old 335 knock off last night just to check it, have not played it in a long time and the thing was barely out of tune and the neck was every bit as playable as my gibson. Is it a Gibson? No, but that is the whole point of these affordable guitars. Gibson has pretty much priced themselves out of the market for most players

Also have an es 335 knock off (Ibanez AS103) that is excellent in terms of both playability and tone ... and a far better deal (something like $700 after 15% discount).   Mine was setup almost perfectly out of the box & apparently this was the case for a lot of others I read about online as well.  I think the big thing with knock off's is that you just got to poke around and also physically play them for a bit to see if they're going to be a "fit" for you're style/ear.   Here's a review for 335 ko's ... I'm sure there are some out there for Les Paul if you dig a bit.

https://reverb.com/news/thirteen-335s-under-1300-dollars

 

>>>anyone own or played one of these?

I have one.  I like it... good intro guitar... nothing really too special though.  I got mine for ~175 bucks in 2012.

There are some crappy beginner Chinese guitars with an Epiphone nameplate that really don't play very nice,  and almost a century of excellent Epiphone guitars & basses.  Somewhere on the shelf I've got a nice coffee-table book with the glorious history of that company,  heavily illustrated,  going back to Manhattan in the early 1900's.

Maybe I'll locate it later and snap a few footos for  here.

>>Blue light next time go with your nephew and help him pick out a guitar that is properly set up. To label all epiphones as trash because your nephew has some warped necked piece of shit that was never set up is a bit of a disservice to this thread.

I've sold Epiphones here on Long Island as a manager of the largest musical retailer here for almost 10 years and have been playing guitar since 1970.

That guitar is not a winner, no matter how its set up. Bad choice & bad advise in trying to convince a player that it is.

A killer Gibson Les Paul Standard has issues, the Epi is something to completely stay away from.  Are you looking for a guitar that looks like Betts or sounds like Betts and plays well?

Late 70's there were lots of very nice Ibanez Les Paul clones on the used market for 200 bucks or less.  They were really well put together.  Don't see them around much these days.

Search eBane and a few pop up.

I like this "IBZ"  Ibanez clone.  Sold a couple months ago.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBZ-1970-s-Lawsuit-Era-Les-Paul-Electric-Guitar...

There were also "Hondo" and "Hondo II"  LP clones that played pretty nice around that time.

I wanna grab a Tiesco

https://reverb.com/item/3139772-teisco-memphis-electric-guitar-made-in-j...

Harmony Stratotone was my first electric- very similar to this one

got it at the PX for about $29

A buddy has,  or had a couple Epiphone China guitars in the SG shape,  which he wanted to sell.  I just couldn't enjoy playing them any more than my el-cheapo Indonesia Squire Strats.  They are cheap krap also,  but the necks & frets are better.  One I replaced the electronics with stuff from a Peavey strat clone.  Much better.

I could see the usefulness (Epiphone China) if I had a 10-yr-old kid who would beat up the thing,  but I enjoy playing instruments that are built well.

>>>>I know $500 ain't gonna get me a Gibson..... <<<<<

Au contraire mon frere ... 

Look for a used Gibson Les Paul Special . I've seen them as low as $600.

Here ya go... Page 2 - $499

Mahogany natural finish with tulip tuners. I'd get it. 

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Gibson-Les-Paul-Special.gc

Delivered and 45 days to try or return. 

Or try a Chibson. 

Bluelight,

Sam Ash, or Family Melody? Guitar Center?

Hi Trail- Family Melody starting in the early '80 (high school and while in college). In Sunrise Mall and out of their outlet Plainview.

Sure we sucked at guitars and were really there to sell Hammond Organs & Yamaha Baby Grand pianos, but each store had a Gibson, a Fender, Ovations and always something unique.

The best electric guitar retailer on long Island from 1984-1990 was Focus Two in Bellmore and East Northport.

Murphy's Music in Huntington is still the go-to acoustic music store on LI

They even have National Dobros in stock there. They are right next store to Sam Ashe (still a great store) and run a good business.

Ron Demarino (John Lennon's luthier)and his son are here on LI and are amazing craftsman.

http://www.facebook.com/DeMarinos-Guitar-Works-367415299337/

 

Back in the mid 90's, I got a great deal on a Fender Heartfield from Sam Ash on Queens Blvd. Paid $99.00 bucks out the door, my son learned to play on it.