Epiphone Les Paul vs Gibson Les Paul Guitar Review
August 1, 2009 by Chaz
Epiphone Les Paul vs Gibson Les Paul Guitar Review
Epiphone Les Paul
The Epiphone Les Paul Standard with plus top may be the best electric guitar in its price range. Two Alnico Classic humbucking pickups deliver big slabs of the fat, warm tones, transcontinental sustain, and deep, soulful distortion that made this guitar famous. Crafted with a solid mahogany body and flamed maple veneer over carved top, set mahogany neck with a slim-tapered neck profile, 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, cream body and fingerboard binding, and chrome hardware. Limited lifetime warranty.
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Electric Guitar Features:
- Solid mahogany body
- Flamed maple veneer over carved top
- Set mahogany neck
- Slim-tapered neck
- 22-fret rosewood fingerboard
- 24-3/4″ scale
- 1-11/16″ nut width
- Alnico Classic humbuckers
- Locktone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece
- Cream body and fretboard binding
- Chrome hardware
- Price: $549
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Plus electric guitar has all the traditional features you expect from a Les Paul: mahogany body and set neck, figured maple top and a pair of Gibson’s awesome ’57 Classic humbucker pickups. The Plus on this guitar is the gorgeous, figured maple top—just the right touch on this iconic rock machine. One not-so-traditional improvement—the neck has been dressed by Gibson’s Plek machine, a computer-controlled robot that analyzes the neck, files the frets, and cuts the slots on the nut to a hundredth of a millimeter accuracy for optimal action and intonation without string buzzing.
Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Plus Electric Guitar Features:
- Body Wood: Mahogany, non-chambered weight-relieved
- Top wood: Figured maple
- Scale Length: 24-3/4″
- Neck Joint: Set-in
- Neck Wood: Mahogany
- Fretboard: Rosewood
- Plek’d on Gibson Plek Machine
- Neck Shape: ’50s rounded
- Frets: 22
- Nut Width: 1.695″
- Fretboard Radius: 12″
- Bridge: Nashville Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: Stopbar
- Pickup Bridge: ’57 Classic Plus humbucker
- Pickup Neck: ’57 Classic humbucker
- Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way pickup selector
- Vintage speed knobs
- Tuners: TonePros Kluson-style
- Hardware color: Chrome
- Binding: top and neck
- Finish: Lacquer
- Price: $2299
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I’ll save the money and take the Epiphone. Epi play as good as Gibby’s after a quality set-up. You’d have to be very anal to think there is a $1,500 difference in tone quality.
yeah chaz is right the epi’s play just as good after a set up. they sound exactly the same, and if they don’t, i have a top of the line epi custom PROPHECY les paul and it has gibson dirty fingers pups!!!GO WHITH A PROPHECY!!!!!!!
Forged Abou Dit – Gibson rocks. I tried to convince myself about the Epi, but the neck and tone are miles apart. I took the Epi custom back and got an LP Studio that kills the Epi – no comparison in anything. Quit trying to convince yourself and get the Gibson. Find it on sale at Guitar Center – ask for a discount – they do negotiate.
Look, you can buy a VW or a Lexus. Now you can try all day to convince yourself you have a Lexus while diving your Jetta around but….well, you’ll figure it out.
I have two Epi Les Paul Special II guitars. Basswood body, bolt on neck “ebonized” ie. chem-treated rosewood boards, from China. I have played 43 years, owned over 120 guitars, 25 at a time, played all styles. These guitars at less than 200 bucks beat any Les Paul I have ever owned by a long shot. Obviously computer controlled build. Accurate and consistent guitar to guitar. Excellent well dressed frets, lack of binding is a plus. Intonation near perfect. Best of all the pickup selector switch is at the bottom where it belongs : out of the way. Simple vol and tone master. Best Gib-type and Les Paul style I have ever seen, and its light. And the real plus: quiet pickups with plenty of chimey treble and really sweet midrange tone. The last thing I want to do is dis someone’s pricey American guitar, but folks you have to be honest about hardware – it is what it is. PRS figured out the controls location, and Taylor realized the tone balance of a bolt-on neck. There is nothing special about the way guitars were made in the 50′s and 60′s. I was there. The majority were crummy, and thats a fact.
Design has come a long ways, and manufacturing as well. An instrument is a music machine, not a piece of furniture. If you want to test this, purchase an Epi LP for 170 – 200 dollars and put it up against your finest 4000 dollar Gibson E-series or custom, or against a $4000 dollar PRS Gib copy. I think you’ll see what I mean. Now, what does this mean for the manufacturers?
I don’t know, but we have to go forward, just as technology in all other fields. Good luck with your playing and remember, harmony and fun is the goal.
Wow, great post! Thank you.
I have to agree… there is no substitute for a REAL Gibson Les Paul. The quality between the Gibson and the Epiphone are totally different. The Gibson plays and sounds so much better. If your ear and hands can’t tell the difference, save your cash and get the Epi. Mine could tell the difference so I got the Gibson. Yeah, they are expensive, but worth every penny. End of story. Now stop lying to yourself and get the Gibson.
Set Mahogony neck in a solid mahogony body…? I’d say if the guitar is not staying in tune, it’s not the neck flexing. Think about it. IF the neck was that weak, wouldn’t there be a significant bowing? I’d look more at the tuning machines. Generally that is usually where the problem is. Especially when it comes to guitars with solid bridge and tail pieces. Strings loosing tune are caused by one thing and one thing only… the tension level of the string has changed. If the neck and body are solid… the bridge and tail piece are solid… it only leaves one other choice. Well assuming that the strings were properly strung and stretched of course. The only thing that makes the Epi a $500-$600 guitar vs. the $1,800+ that the Gibson sells for, is the fact that the people who made it don’t get $15-$25 per hour and full benefit packages. That’s how I see it… sorry.
This review is useless. It is stupid to demonstrate a guitar’s sound by plugging it into a stack of effects and throwing on ten miles of distortion. You could take the same pickups and mount them on a piece of frozen crap and it would sound roughly the same.
The only evaluation/comparison WORTH ANYTHING uses a TOTALLY CLEAN SETTING. My god what a waste of time.
I 100% agree with “Martin”. Put the pickups on a frozen piece of crap and check it out yourself. I own a Epi Les Paul Standard Plus, played it clean, compared it to a Gibson Les Paul, clean, no difference.
Hmmmm……. would that be a genuine made in USA frozen piece of crap or a frozen piece of crap from China or Korea? Just trying to keep the playing field level…
Comparing an Epiphone to a Gibson is like comparing a Samick to a Gibson. People trying to say a Samick is better than a Gibson are completely dreaming. Giving an Epiphone a setup and changing it’s shit pickups doesn’t change it’s crap wood. They are not even made with a maple cap it’s alder. They will alsways sound totally different. The phrase “Epiphones Les Paul” is just complete crap.
everyone who thinks there is a 2.000 dollar difference is lieing to themselves not vice versa i have the prophecy gx with gibson pups and high grade woods that are the same as any gibson. my prophecy will kill any gibson.
I have been playing 28 years. I have owned multiple guitars including Epiphone Les Paul’s and Gibson Les Paul’s. If there is any difference I have noticed the Gibson is slightly fatter on the bottom end. Other than that, the guitars feel very similar. I actually like my Epiphone LP Standard better than my Gibby LP Studio and it looks 100x better.
I currently own two Epiphone Les Paul guitars & have been happy with their quality & tone for many years. I recently purchased a Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional, which allowed me to do a side by side comparison. Sadly I have to admit that the Epiphone’s tone, although good, does not have the same harmonic content or sustain as the Gibson. The Gibson’s tone is rich and fuller sounding. By comparison, the Epiphone has a thinner sound which a appears to lack some top & bottom harmonic content. It is a bit like going from mono to stereo. I suspect the difference in tone, can be attributed to the use of high quality, denser but lighter timbers used to manufacture Gibson guitars. The electronics & bridge also appear to be made from high quality components compared to the Epiphone. That said, for the price, the Epiphone is a great sounding & looking guitar that I have been happy to play for a number of years, but when you are ready to play something that sounds sweeter & more ‘real’ to the ear & your budget allows, trade up to or purchase the Gibson, you won’t be disappointed.
I bought an epi. Let’s say my knowledge and experience is just above or below zero. Would I be incorrect to say that comparing these two to a VW and Lexus (as Hen says above) would be unfair? I would think that a better comparasion would be a Chevy Venture to a Pontiac Montana or an Oldsmobile Siloette?
I am an acoustic player,
i will be having an electric guitar soon..
i will buy a les paul this xmas… , soo which is better? the gibson or the epihpone?.
OK. I’ve owned both, and still have a 79 Gibson “the Paul”, and a 98 Epiphone, Les Paul standard, Limited ed. The 79 is nice because it doesn’t weigh 10 pounds, and has the slim neck. As far as it goes though, I prefer the Epi. If it had actual 57 classic’s in it, it could not be beat. The quality of Gibsons craftsmanship is far less than the Epiphone line. I hate to say it, but they just don’t put the love in the guitars they make now days. If you want a good quality Gibson, then you have to pay 3 or 4 thousand dollars for it.If you want a quality Epi, then all it’s gonna cost is less than $1,000. So, if you ask me, buy an Epiphone,and put a set of 57 classics in it and then tell me if you can tell the difference. I personaly think the quality of a Gibson just ain’t up to par with the Epiphone.
I have a Gibson LP standard trad and an Epi LP custom, and honestly i can´t notice much great difference….i usually plug them in a GT 10 and a class 5 Marshall amp
just an addendum:
for the price you pay for a Gibson you can get 4 Epis….and the difference among them is not 400 per cent…the sound is pretty similar, not better, not worse….what makes the sound is the guitarrist and not quite the instrument…if ir was so jimmi Page would not use a cheap danelectro for Kashmir…people tend to look at the Name instead of looking at the instruments..
Maybe the only true test comes with time. Can the workmanship and materials of either last 10, 15, 20 or more years and will they sound as good or better than they do today? The golden-age Stradivarius has been theorized to have unique tonal qualities that result from the density of the wood used, a density that is believed to have resulted from the Little Ice Age’s affect on tree growth, which the Stradivari were produced from. As an Epi owner, I have to admit that most subjective tonal quality arguments (I hear my ___ has fuller sound) I’ve read here are lame. The use of electronics to measure frequancy response of both non-amplified and amplified units might be the only true test. But, if the Stradivarius is an example of wood density in lasting tonal quality, maybe the Gibson rules in its golden years because of the quality of the Mahogany used in its construction. Taking care of it for that long might be the challenge though.
I have owned 2 Gibson LP studio guitars and returned both. I found that the fretboard tends to saw your fingers and the tonal quality just didn’t blow my skirt up. I now have an EPI 56 goldtop with P90′s and a EPI Les paul traditional pro which both combined cost me less than the Gibby studio. I am absolutely in love with both of the guitars. The fretboards are a dream and the action and playability second to none. I have not been inclined to change the pups or the electronics at all. I play through a fender Deville 4X10 tube amp and couldn’t be happier. Maybe some day if I just need to blow a bunch of coin, I’ll look into a Gibby Standard, but don’t hold your breath.
If you´re using VST technology any 350 dollar japanese Ibanez will do the job…
Maybe nobody understands Gibson vs. Epiphone. Your paying for the legendary name on the head. Ppl need realize that buying gibson is just like buying a necklace at tiffany. You have to spend a hell of alot of money for It but the girl will die over it, other than a noname brand that looks he same. That’s how I see it. By the way gibson owns epiphone and they made it to give gibson looks at cheaper prices.
I don’t know where you got your info on Epi guitars. Gibson bought them out to keep their sales up. Epiphone was around for a long time before Gibson bought them out. I’ve owned both, and for what it’s worth, I like my Epi’s just as good as any Gibson that I’ve had,for a third of the price. Maybe ,Epiphone makes quality instrements, because they are the ,Red headed stepson of Gibson.Rite now ,I have a 1979, Gibson, The Paul. For those of you that don’t know? It is solid Walnut, with open coil “T Top” humbuckers, and a contured body. It has the weight ,and feel of an SG, with the tone of a Les Paul. It is a Nice guitar. I also have a 1998 Epiphone, Les Paul,limited eddition, that I would put up against any real Les Paul!!They are not called a limited edd. any more. Now they are called the Les Paul Standard, Plus Top. And to be honest. The quality isn’t as good as when they were limited edd. Oh well. Can’t please everyone all the time.
I have a 98 Gibson les Paul Special and jam quite regularly with a friend who has an Epi les Paul. The stock epi sounds like someone had tied a pillow to the amp compared to the Gibson. I have also noticed that the bridge is a lot thinner on the Epi compared to the Gibson. I have now upgraded my Gibson with a set of Seymour Duncan 59 pickups, Tone pros locking bridge and stop end and a set of Tone Pros Kluson locking tuners and the two guitars are not even on the same planet anymore.
1- Take a Gibson Les Paul, and hear it
2- Take a Epi Les Paul (a GOOD one), and…
3- Take a Chinablaster Les Paul (but is the fist gibson w a fake logo on it and you don’t know)…and hear it
Results 1st w closed eyes then the same with open
Close d eyes: you like the 1st or the 2nd or the 3th who knows..
Open eyes:
–the first guitar sounds a lot better and you play better because the wood and the neck profile bleh bleh plus the pickups PERIOD!!!
–The 2nd sounds good but it has no soul, the pickups are not like gibson, and the woods are cheaper…it’s a beginner guitar
–The 3th sounds like a joke but well equalized on china to match the sound with cheaper wood and john tao doe pickups, in other words a beauty crap!!!
hahaha… we hear with the eyes! and if you ears can tell the difference, as you pay more, more you convince of that, no?
sorry about my english
is it allowed to trade guitar in guitar center???
Guitar Center doesn’t give fair value for guitar or gear trade-ins. They are bad at low balling. I suggest using Gear-Vault Classifieds or Craigslist to sell your guitar / gear.
I would like to buy a new electric guitar, my choice is
FENDER TELECASTER and EPIPHONE LES PAUL…
Which is better??…
Both of your guitar choices are good. You have to decide which you like better. Personally, I’m Les Paul guy. I know many Telecaster guys. Depends on what kind of music you play. Do lots of research before buying either guitar. If possible, go to GuitarCenter (or any local music store) and try them both out.
The biggest difference among the Gibson and the others is the feel,,,the Gibson is more stable…as i wrote before, if you use VSTs all of them sound good
i have a question. im sorry if this is not in topic….
i just want to ask if which is better bass guitar because i will buy one soon.
Fender Precision bass or Fender Jazz Bass??
and pls tell the difference between the two..
thank u.
GIBSON ES 175 Custom shop
Does anyone owns one of these ?
I´m thinking about buying one…is the feel similar to the LP ??
thanks
I own a Epiphone Special II. In my opinion is was a great deal for the price. However, like the saying says, you get what you pay for.
Initially this guitar needed a bit of work when I bought it. The frets would snag my E string because of the finishing on the edges, a few hours of carefully cleaning up the edges with a nail file and gently tapping the frets with a small hammer to seat them properly solved that. The original tuning keys were very very cheapo and were replaced by some Grover tuners. I had to fabricate a new electronics access panel, the original one warped and they don’t seem to sell them at Epiphone ( or I couldn’t find one). The plastic jack plate broke in half , and I replaced it with a metal one. The tiny skinny screws holding the strap pegs let go in a couple of days and were replaced with much longer and thicker screws. Also, out of the box, the saddles were rough and unfinished causing consistant broken G-strings until I carefully sanded them smooth.
So, a $200 guitar became a $300 guitar, am I upset? No, not at all. I love this guitar now, it is awesome! I don’t get very angry when a band mate smashes me and my guitar into a mic stand or drum set. I seriously doubt if I would be willing to step onstage with a $2000/$3000+ guitar. We aren’t a jazz band.
For the positives:
Whatever they used for the clear coat finish this guitar is bulletproof. 3 years of playing almost daily and there isn’t even a scratch on the back where your belt buckle rubs it.
The price just can’t be beat, even if you factor in the repairs and upgrades I did to this axe.
I got the ‘Flame Job’ model, it is an extremely sexy looking guitar.
For a beginner , great choice. Great price. If you happen to have a few extra thousands of dollar, yeah go big, go for The Gibson…if you are a struggling artist like me, a little elbow grease and a Special II will leave you with a fun and affordable guitar.