UliRothRules from Washington state
Subject:
Killer Guitar at an Unbelievable Price
Quality:
Who needs to pay more than $2000 for a frontline Gibson Les Paul when you can just gig with this axe? Seriously, it's kind of a joke on Gibson, whose quality control and yen for overpricing has come into question over the last few years, that their Epiphone line almost makes their regularly badged stuff little more than toys more for the idle rich than working class folks such as myself, who can more than get by with the Epis.
Sound:
The low end is exceedingly ballsy. I played it through a Vox AC15C1, not exactly your heavy metal amp, and the amount of body on the chugs was house rattling. Then I cranked it up and got kind of a Randy Bachman on "American Woman" lead tone. The cleans were slightly compressed, but perfect for Pink Floyd stuff. Note, though, that the pickups are really sensitive and so you have to be conscious of how you do your palm mutes so that your playing will sound clean. I can only imagine what this thing would sound like on a cranked Marshall or Dual Recto. It also packs a surprising amount of sustain for this price point.
Reliability:
It appears that everything is well constructed and assembled, so I expect it to last me for the remainder of my life. I'm contemplating putting a Super Distortion in the bridge, but that isn't to say there is anything wrong with the stock pickup.
Overall:
I bought this as a scratch and dent. However, it was false advertising on AMS' part since there was nary a scratch, dent, blemish or deadspot on this thing. Different strokes for different folks, but I don't see why this immaculate instrument was returned. I will definitely be paying more attention to the scratch and dents in the future for more bargains.
Playability and Feel:
Creamy feel and it will actually help make you a more efficient player since any heavy handed handling will be picked up and sound clumsy. Of course, this also makes it very easy to play and saves on hand fatigue.
Tone:
You can definitely do a lot of different stuff with this, from Zep to blues to jazz. For sure it's not for country players, though.
So kids, if you're thinking about learning guitar and intend to attack it seriously, save a little more money and try to get one of these instead of your usual $100-200 crap boxes because though they are a little heavy, this is a very comfortable and playable guitar with balls that you can actually play out with.
Finish:
Gorgeous. The gold hardware, while it will deteriorate and shed as time goes on, looks amazing against the black finish. The binding was flawless.
Action:
The action out of the case was uber low and so there was some buzzing on the low E and A strings. The guitar was a full step out of tune, though in relative tune. So I tuned it up to standard, which raised the action, and the buzzing became almost non-existent. You only have to touch the strings in first and second position to get them to sit on the fretwire, making it fast playing there. A light touch is definitely called for due to the pickup sensitivity, too.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Matt "FatFingers" Clapper from Colorado
nihilist74@yahoo.com
Quality:
I bought a white and a black epiphone les paul custom. They seemed to have quality workmanship. I didn't have to tweak the black one at all out the box except raise the picks ups a bit. The white one i raised the pick ups and lowered the action a bit.
Reliability:
I also own 3 epiphone les paul standards which ive had over a year and they seem to be tough guitars, All that hard mahogany wood makes these things pretty tough.
Overall:
Beautiful guitar and for me extremely playable. The wood of the guitar and the pickups seem to sound really good.
Playability and Feel:
Im a big man and i have real big hands. The wide thick les paul necks are just right for me. The short scale of the les paul makes them really fast for me to play them. I love playing fast and its easy for me to reach the higher notes. If you have small hands you may not enjoy playing les pauls as much. Go with ibanez instead. These guitars feel great for playing rock, punk, death metal, grindcore and anything in between for me.
Tone:
The mahogany wood les pauls are made of gives them great heavy tone. You wouldn't think it would make a difference with electrics but it does. I had BC rich guitars, and various others before. I play anything from midrange high gain, scooped mid sounds and classic rock sounds on these guitars and it sounds great.
Finish:
The paint job on the guitar is beautiful and shinny, I love just looking at the things.
Action:
The black one was perfect out of the box. The white one, i needed to lower the action a bit. No big deal for most guitarists. Once i lowered the action on the white one, the playability was great.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
05/30/2009
Ken from Alabama
Quality:
It looks to be of quality construction and seems put together well.
Reliability:
Just got it.
Overall:
I loved the look and the scratch and dent price couldn't be beat. 1st one opened looked brand new with the stickers and everything still on it, but upon closer inspection had a crack in it. Called customer service and after I sent pics of the crack, Joe sent me another one. 2nd one looks flawless. AMS has a customer for life. Best prices around and customer service that is simply amazing. Thanks.
Finish:
Finish was nice and shiny. Looks great so much so that I can't stop picking the thing up.
Action:
Came out of the box slightly out of tune. Adjusted everything up a tad. a couple of minutes and good to go.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
starting over from florida
Quality:
This guitar is solid!
Overall:
I love this guitar
Playability and Feel:
Plays great
Finish:
Paint was satiny smooth
Do you own this product?:
yes
Andres Tapia from Scottsdale, AZ USA
andrestapia7@gmail.com
Subject:
Great guitar @ a great price..
Quality:
Very well made. I have treated her poorly yet, it's still sounding amazing.
Sound:
I was impressed with how long it would sustain a note. I dropped mine and even with a neck fracture, the notes still held..
Reliability:
really well, with the only exception that the hardware finish began to wear off due to the extensive use, wear and tear is expected.
Overall:
well it's eye catching, gorgeous antique white finish with the gold accent hardware.
Playability and Feel:
neck is ok. It's not chunky, but it's not to be compared to a telecaster or gibson. The neck is medium thickness, strong enough to withstand a drop, and continue to sound great.
Tone:
I personally like the sound. I play from southern rock to metal with it, and even some jazz. the thing that also makes the sound are the strings. I changed the nut and I put GHS Custom light, with heavy bottom.
Finish:
Paint was flowless
Action:
as it is expected from an Epiphone guitar. I didn't need to get it set up since it was so good.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
11/2/2011
jacqueline from denton tx usa
Quality:
its made pretty well, the only reason i didnt give it fie stars is because the neck needs to get adjusted every couple of months.
Sound:
It sound warm and has great tone. Bluesy sounding
Reliability:
still plays great had it for 3 years
Playability and Feel:
its kinda heavy but not the heaviest iv'e played the neck is wide but thin so good for lead and solos
Tone:
the pickups were mellow but thick, the tone was warm and smooth, like a les paul should sound
Action:
out of the box the action was terrible but i brought it in to have it adjusted.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
Ignite the Revolt from St. Charles, IL, US
Subject:
Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ebony
Quality:
the quality is overall great and very dependable. its like a hidden talent within the guitar to be that great.
Sound:
the tone is, in my opinion, the equivakent to a gibson standard, everything matching equally. the sound comes out nice and mellow unplugged, no twang at all. plugged in just makes it that much better.
Reliability:
like i said earlier, ive only had this guitar for about 2 months, and i have had no problems with it other than the action was a bit too high out of the box, but that takes 5 minutes out of my time to fix it so its really not bad at all.
Overall:
the guitar was everything that i expected it to be and more. the alnico classic humbucker pickups bring out the best sound in any somewhat decent amp, the finish was near perfect and ive had this guitar for about 2 months now and i have ont had a problem with it.
Playability and Feel:
the guitar itself is heavy for a guitar. i mean, its a les paul its going to be but the feeling of playing the guitar is great. best ive ever experienced besides a gibson custom. the frets are raised slighty off the fret board so you can feel the the frets better with the inside of your thumb and near the palm of the hand. over all, its great.
Tone:
the tone is more on the dark and smooth and mellow. very good for any guitarist trying to sound like rise against, sum 41, or rancid.
Finish:
the finish was near perfect. a little mess up on the back where the paint seemed to blob up alittle and the pickguard had a scratch over the details of it and thats all. eberything else is perfect.
Action:
the action out of the box was a little too high, but no problem to fix it.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
July 12, 2011
God is Awesome from Cresco, PA
Subject:
I Love this Guitar!!!
Quality:
Very well made very dependable.
Sound:
Tone is either sweet and buttery or crunch depending on what you want out of it.
I play Christian rock and it just fits every song we do. I run it directly through the house board out of a BOSS GT-3 it's just fantastic. I'm looking at a Marshall Half Stack to team up with it.
Reliability:
I had the strap knob loosen up once easy fix. Now no problem.
Overall:
The fit and finish are fantastic, the feel is great the sound and sustain are crazy good.
Playability and Feel:
It is heavy...but I've ordered a new strap and I hope that eats up some of the weight. It is fast to play and everything is where you need it when you need it.
Tone:
It can be Bright and snappy, Dark and smooth, depends on how you play it and what you are running it through.
Finish:
Mine is white and it is great the paint has depth which is hard to do with white.
Action:
Good but I bring all of my new guitars to someone to tune it up.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
05-30-2011
BN Retired from Michigan City, Indiana, USA
Subject:
This is an outstanding guitar
Quality:
The custom is very well made and should provide excellent service for years. 5 Stars
Sound:
This Custom has a very soft, smooth sound or the crunch you need when playing rock. With this guitar you can play any style of music. I purchased a Line 6 and they are an excellent match. Sound rated 5 stars
Reliability:
I just purchased this guitar, however I have had a LP for over a year and I would expect the custom to endure as well as my other LP has. Another 5 stars
Overall:
I recently purchased the Epiphone LP Custom and it has exceed my expectations. I purchased the Alpine White. The body, neck, and head has a border, that you only fine in the most expensive guitars. The finish is smooth and high gloss and flawless. The gold trim is excellent and the inlays on the neck and head add to the beauty. The three ply pick guard is beveled which shows the black, white, black layers. I would rate this guital 5 Stars Overall.
Playability and Feel:
This guitar is solid mahongy and is heavy, but if I can handle it at my age (69) the youngsters should be able to also. The neck is slim and fast, but slightly different then what I am used to, but I have adjusted and that is no fault of the guitar. I like the shape of the body, the three way switch and the tone and volumn controls are easliy accessable. I was surprised to find out the volumn controls are push/pull to allow for usilng single or double coils in the pickups. That doubles the sound effects you can generate. I missed this feature in the specs. 5 stars
Tone:
I have been playing with the tone since my amp has effects in a wide spectrum since I received the guitar and I can't find any style of music it doesn't sound good in. The pickups seem to have it all smooth, and mellow, hot, thick and thin. My grandson is in a band and not a LP fan. After playing it for an hour he turned to me and said. "Wow. I have been a singer all my life and this guitar is my new partner.
Finish:
The finish as mentioned above was perfect,the only thing I have done is installed locks for the strap. The neck is bound to the body and the fit is perfect. The border is very well done throughout the entire body, neck, and head. The gold appointments are great and the 3 ply black, white, black pick guard with the beveled edge adds to the overall beauty. 5 stars
Action:
The action was good right out of the box, tune it up and it is ready to go. The Tuneing Machines are very smooth and the gear is enclosed. After the strings are tuned a few times the guitar stays in tune. 5 stars
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
I own it and of the three guitars I have it takes first place.
Date submitted:
May 9, 2011
Mick Mars from over seas
Subject:
better than a gibson
Quality:
very dependable.and yes
Sound:
gotta scrue with it but great
Reliability:
dropped it out of my van, it still plays like the day i bought it
Overall:
best guitar out of my 20
Playability and Feel:
heavy.sippery.and yes
Tone:
bright and dark.hot
Finish:
i diddent like the color... so i painted it red
Action:
not ment to get dropped but its awsome
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
10-11-2010
T from Florida
crabdaddy@cox.net
Quality:
Very well made instrument,I would compare this to an actual Gibson,and that is a bold statement coming from me.I love my Gibsons.
Sound:
The tone is really remarkable,and clean.
Overall:
I've played a lot of guitars in my day,and I gotta say this is one of the best yet.
Clean smooth action give this guitar an easy thumbs up.
Playability and Feel:
This is a very fast guitar,the neck is a little wider than most but once I got accustomed to it,the notes flew off the fret board like crazy.
Finish:
Beautiful finish,clean smooth lines,the gold really pops on the white finish.
Action:
Straight out of the box and very minimal adjustments.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
21 Sept 2010
Mike Gervais from Klamath Falls Oregon
mikegervais2007@msn.com
Quality:
The craftsman who built my Epiphone les paul has my seal of approval beyond a doubt. This is an incredible bang for the buck if you get my drift.
Sound:
The tone is rich. The humbuckers are known for this.
Reliability:
I just got mine. It looks road worthy to me. Built like a tank
Overall:
I absolutelty love the tone of this bad boy. Sustain and tonality is where it is at with me and this one has got it.
Playability and Feel:
I like the neck it "feels" fast and to me when do achieve the feel I can produce the riffs and chord structures that I am going after with ease.
Tone:
I absolutely love the tone of the humbuckers. This axe is totally verisatile easy to achieve the tone I am looking for.
Finish:
Alpine White with Gold trim, black pick guard, its a knock out.
Action:
Absolutely Perfect.
Do you own this product?:
Yes I Do
Date submitted:
1/20/2010
Michael from USA
Subject:
With an Epi this good, why buy Gibson?
Quality:
Very well made guitar, attention to detail is obvious. Binding perfect as is the finish. No errors there. Decent quality hardware, but go easy on the polishing on the gold.
Reliability:
I've been playing this guitar three years now with not one issue.
Overall:
First Epiphone I've owned. After reading numerous reviews on other sites, this was the Epi to buy. These are up to the same standards as the mid-range Gibsons, it's money well spent.
Playability and Feel:
Feels like a Les Paul. Heavy with a thick, but nice neck and very playable. This isn't my first LP. It's not a metal guitar though with the right amp it can be used for it. It's not a fast neck, but fast enough for most rock, pop, and country. If you have back problems, look elsewhere. You will get used to it. It's all I've played for years.
Tone:
Pickups were it's downfall. Though acceptable, not up to Gibson or SD standards. If they offered SD's for a couple of hundred more, the guitar would be spot-on. Pickups are slightly muddy, lacking definition in the bass. Highs are OK, but could also be better.
Replaced both pickups in this guitar with SD '59's and it sings now with a VOX AC50
Finish:
Perfect for polyester. No blemishes or errors. Holds up better than lacquer, but not as nice.
Action:
Near perfect. One string needed slight intonating, the rest were fine. It was even tuned out of the case. Action was set up correctly, at least for me. Not too high or too low, no fret buzz. Frets are medium and very well done, no sharp edges and well set in the neck and binding along the edges. Stays tuned even with heavy bending. Tuners are Grover, possibly foreign made, but very good none the less.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes