Epiphone Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar, Wine Red

 Steal of a Guitar!
I have owned my Epi Les Paul Custom for about two and a half years now, and I have to say that this is the ABSOLUTE best value for most guitarist. Gibson USA builds the finest guitars, with the Les Paul one of the most recognized and revered guitars to ever be designed. The Gibson Les Paul is the Stradivarius of rock guitars. The Les Paul is the most versatile guitar ever designed. It is used heavily in blues, jazz, rock, pop, metal, country... Unfortunately, most guitarists are like me, just something you do on your off-time, and the cost of a new Gibson Les Paul is pretty expensive. I'd have to sell a kidney or my first born for a fully custom Les Paul.

Here is where Epiphone comes into the picture. The Epiphone Les Paul is not built in the US, but goes through the same inspection process as the Gibson USA models. The electronics operate in the same manner. It also has a very similar feel as the Gibson USA models, so you will still get the same playing characteristics. The pick-ups and pots are not the same as the Gibson USA models, but you can swap them out later if you want.

The build quality of Epiphones are as good, if not, in my opinion, better than Fender or Ibanez, and you get a guitar with a set neck, an absolute necessity if you want great sustain. One drawback to buying the Epiphone Les Paul over a Stratocaster or JEM is that it is very unusual to find one with a VibroTone, the equivalent of a whammy bar (A.K.A. tremolo) on a Fender Stratocaster or Ibanez JEM. If you want to get a good tremolo for your Les Paul, check out Bigsby Guitars (http://www.bigsbyguitars.com/).

A good reason to buy a Gibson is that they stand behind all of their guitars. I bought mine as an eBay special. My guitar is what is known as a 2nd guitar, a guitar that doesn't meet the inspection criteria for any reason. The only problem is the paint is a little thin on the last inch of the headstock, and a minor crack in the clearcoat. When I received my guitar, the little plastic cover over the pickup switch had broken. I called Gibson USA to explain the problem and find a distributor of Epiphone OEM parts to buy one. While on the phone with them, they asked for my name and address to register my guitar. Before I could ask where the nearest parts store was, they told me that they ordered my part and would send it to me, free of charge. I had my part within a week and a half.

The best way to explain the Epiphone Les Pauls are that buying one is like getting an $8000 guitar for $800. A guitar of this quality, back by a company that cares about it's customers (Most of the employees are guitarists, too), is worth more than the suggested retail price. You can easily find these guitars for less than a thousand dollars. If you're still looking for a good reason, remember that only Fenders get smashed on stages in front of crowds. Jimi Hendrix is know for his Stratocasters on stage, but he recorded in the studio with Gibson Les Pauls.