I bought the Epiphone Les Paul Standard out of curiosity. I own and play Gibson Les Pauls and wanted a low cost alternative to bang around at rehearsals etc.

I ordrerd a Epi. LP Standard from one of the big online/catalog retailers. I paid $499.99 w/o a case (I just chunk it in one of my gig bags). Upon arrival I was surprised at the quality of the guitar for the price paid.

The Epi. is constructed true to it's Gibson namesake. Mahogony body, maple top (with a nice figuring to it), rosewood fretboard, and twin humbucker design. The finish was well executed though it lacked the deep gloss of the Gibson's laquer finish. Then again this guitar costs $1500 less. The trapezoid inlays showed some epoxy around their edges but didn't interfere with the playability.

The Epiphone required some fine tuning intonation and truss rod wise , though I attribute this to me living in a high altitude region. Once set-up the Epi LP played very well. The action is low and fast. Compared to my Mexican made Fender Strat the Epi. was of superior playability IMHO. The frets are dressed to an acceptable level though some fine filing could help the frets.

So far, so good. Doh!!! Now the electronics. The pickups are a bit muddy. They just don't have the clarity and warmth of the Gibson LP's. Yet again it does cost $1500 less. For the guy who plays at moderate volume levels at home they are quite acceptable. Though I would recommend upgrading pickups for any work with home studios. The wiring is a weak point in this guitar though it seems in step with other guitars in this price range. I rewired my guitar and installed Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups and it now shines. But again for $499.99 it surpassed my expectations. Perhaps the weakest part of the electronics is the 3 way toggle switch for pickup selection. The plastic switch end broke the first week and the switch itself broke a week later. I replaced the switch with a Gibson piece and have had no more problems.

Please dont get me wrong. I am in no way bashing the Epi. LP. I consider it a smart choice in this price range and an acceptable guitar for club gigging. Even with the modifications made to my Epi LP I still have less than $800.00 in the guitar and it now sounds killer. It gives my Gibson LP's a run for their money now.

For the student or casual player this is an awesome value. If you can't justify paying nearly $2k for a guitar but have always wanted a Les Paul this axe for you. And for gigging musicians, just upgrade with your favorite pickups (great pickups like Duncans, Dimarzio, EMG Hi Z's etc can be had for less than $100 each) and you'll have a nice guitar to gig with. And you want have to hire a security guard to watch over it between sets.

Recommended: Yes