Best epiphone les pauls 2023

This epic guide to the best Epiphone Les Pauls proves you don’t need to spend big to get those legendary rock tones

The Les Paul is a tonal behemoth that provides musicians with limitless sustain, a fiercae midrange bark, and a creamy warm tone that is unmatched by other guitars. It’s understandable why so many people dream of owning a Gibson Les Paul someday, even thoughthe fact that its hefty price tag may prevent them from doing so. Fortunately for us, the Gibson sibling firm has significantly improved and has begun to make some of the best Epiphone Les Pauls ever, providing us all an opportunity to access the LP’s power for less money.

Finding the best Epiphone Les Paul for you can seem like a difficult endeavor because there are so many versions available, not to mention that they all have a lot of the same features.

Some of these are priced to be someone’s first electric guitar and are ideal for beginners. Others provide a second guitar that is approachable for intermediate players who are growing serious about the instrument and want to advance their playing and sound. And it speaks much about the drive and creativity at Epiphone that the company also sells models that serious players would take into account on their own merits. Let us roll to the products and find out the best Epiphone les pauls.

best epiphone les pauls 2022: product review

1. Epiphone Les Paul Power Players

specifications

Brand	Epiphone
Color	Ice Blue
Top Material Type	Mahogany Wood
Body Material	Mahogany
Back Material Type	Mahogany Wood
Neck Material Type	Mahogany
Fretboard Material Type	Indian Laurel
Guitar Pickup Configuration	H-H
Hand Orientation	Right
Number of Strings	6

A 3/4+ version of the renowned Gibson Les Paul form, the Epiphone Power Players Les Paul. Its 22.73″ scale length and slightly smaller mahogany body make it a great option for young players. It is also light and simple to play. Due to its high-quality parts and superior construction, it sounds better and holds its tuning longer than comparable “student model” guitars.

A pair of genuine Epiphone humbuckers are used to power the bolt-on mahogany neck, which has a carved heel for easier access to the upper frets and a full, rich Les Paul tone. Gig bag, strap, picks, and other accessories are included with the Power Players Les Paul.

verdict

Don’t skimp on quality if you’re not a guitarist yourself and are trying to get a beginner-friendly instrument. The quality of these Epiphone Power Players sets them apart from more affordable alternatives, even if they may all appear to be the same. These guitars have simple, dependable features and excellent playability and tone.

This is by far your best choice if you have a young child who is ready to start learning guitar. An enduring and highly rewarding hobby is music. Epiphone has made it possible for guitar to have a chance to make a good first impression without spending a fortune.

2. Epiphone Les Paul Special TV Yellow

specifications

Brand	Epiphone
Color	Brown, Yellow, Black
Top Material Type	Mahogany
Body Material	Mahogany
Back Material Type	Mahogany Wood
Neck Material Type	Mahogany
Fretboard Material Type	Indian Laurel
Guitar Pickup Configuration	S-S
Hand Orientation	Right
Number of Strings	6

The Epiphone Les Paul Special is built in the same manner as the other guitars on this list, but here, there are fewer concessions needed to recreate the simple joys of a slab of mahogany with some strings. No belly cuts, chamfering, or other fancy features are apparent. It is merely a piece of wood with two scorching P-90s.

With all the fatness and clarity of its more expensive cousins, the Epiphone Les Paul Special sings. That’s largely because the body was built out of mahogany. Mahogany is a popular tonewood because of its blend of harmonic richness and outstanding sustain.

verdict

The Epiphone Les Paul Special solidbody electric guitar will enhance your collection of musical instruments with its timeless aesthetics and recognisable tone. The Les Paul Special honours the legacy of the Les Paul formula, which has been rocking since the 1950s, while also incorporating some much-appreciated contemporary improvements, such as a Graph Tech nut for improved tone and tuning stability. The Epiphone Les Paul Special delivers the goods at a great price, whether you’re after the looks or the tone.

3. Epiphone Les Paul Special Vintage Edition

specifications

Brand	Epiphone
Color	Ebony
Top Material Type	Poplar
Body Material	Poplar
Back Material Type	Poplar
Neck Material Type	Okoume Wood
Fretboard Material Type	Rosewood
Guitar Pickup Configuration	H-H
Hand Orientation	Right

This electric guitar is a good one for beginners. No, it doesn’t quite match the Standard’s or any of the other more expensive models here in terms of tonal range, but you will still get a well-built, adaptable instrument with a very approachable 1960s slim-taper D-profile neck.

Some beginner guitars can be intimidating, but the Special VE has a simple charm that’s difficult to ignore. It has a gently proportioned neck, a dual-humbucker setup, a scaled-down control circuit with volume and tone knobs and a three-way pickup selector mounted between them.

verdict

It’s a beautiful aesthetic for a beginner’s guitar and increases the likelihood that it will serve its intended purpose as a tool for learning certain chords and scales. The Epiphone Les Paul Special Vintage Edition will serve you well as you continue down the rabbit hole that is guitar playing and gear if you upgrade the tuners (these aren’t bad but they are basic) and install new pickups (though the standard ones are perfectly respectable, with plenty of crunch and no hum). Even if you don’t, if you’re just getting started, this is a wise investment.

4. Epiphone Les Paul Custom Koa

specifications

Brand	Epiphone
Color	Koa Natural
Top Material Type	Koa
Body Material	Mahogany
Back Material Type	Mahogany Wood
Neck Material Type	Mahogany
Fretboard Material Type	Ebony
Guitar Pickup Configuration	H-H
Hand Orientation	Right
Number of strings	6

The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Koa is an exotic take on the theme with many features carried over from the previous entry, and it has to be on this list just because it emanates a feeling of class that belies its affordable price.

What else does koa provide except its stunning appearance? We tend to consider of this premium tonewood as sitting halfway between Brazilian rosewood and mahogany, providing complexity to the high end if it is paired with mahogany. However, at this price, we’re talking more about a veneer than a large slab of the material.

verdict

The Warmth And Richness Of The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Koa Are Abundant. Seth Lover’s Legendary PAF (Patent Applied For) Humbuckers, Which Epitomised The Golden Age Of Rock ‘N’ Roll And Are A Perennial Favourite Of Six-String Slingers, Are The Ancestors Of The Koa’s ProBucker Humbucking Pickups.

5. Epiphone Slash Appetite Les Paul Special-II Performance Pack

specifications

Brand	Epiphone
Color	Appetite Amber
Top Material Type	Maple
Body Material	Okoume
Back Material Type	Mahogany
Neck Material Type	Okoume Wood
Fretboard Material Type	Pau Ferro
Guitar Pickup Configuration	H-H
Hand Orientation	Right
Guitar Bridge System	Tune-O-Matic

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a great guitar for beginners. The instrument’s acceptable construction, elegant figured wood veneer, and dark cherry stain give it the appearance of Slash’s famed Appetite For Destruction guitar, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t a Gibson either but a Kris Derrig imitation. These features might be used to argue for its inclusion.

Additionally, this instrument boasts a stylish dual-humbucker arrangement. Those humbuckers have strong ceramic magnets that produce aggressive, rocking tones, making them ideal for giving your opening riffs some force.

verdict

This guitar has a AAA flame maple top and other features such a dark cherry mahogany body and neck, ivory binding, and a silk print of Slash’s Snakepit emblem on the headstock. It also has AAA flame maple for the body. An excellent all-inclusive package for beginners or anyone looking for quality and affordability is the Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul Special-II Performance Pack.

how to choose the best epiphone les paul

The identical names given to several Epiphone Les Paul models can make it challenging to understand exactly what you’re looking at if you’re in the market for one. To learn everything you need to know about picking the ideal Epiphone les paul, keep reading.

body style

Slab
Slab type bodies have no curves other than the guitar’s natural shape and are entirely flat. The name “slab” comes from the guitar’s body’s completely flat top and back. Slab guitars are typically less expensive to construct, making them more accessible.

Sculpted Top
There are various variations of the Les Paul, but the carved top is the most well-known. A mahogany slab body with a carved maple cap adhered to the top characterises a Les Paul with a carved top. The maple gives the guitar’s tone more brio and snap, but it also adds a lot of extra weight.

neck profile

Different neck profiles are available for Epiphone Les Pauls. Since this is a factor that is entirely dependent on personal preference, there isn’t really a profile that is “better” than another.
In order to get the most feel and sustain out of the guitar, more seasoned players frequently select thick necks like the ’50s profile. A heavier, thicker neck can assist a guitar continue to ring out for longer due to the added bulk.

pickup

The most significant and intimate modification you can make to your Les Paul’s tone is this one. Any electric guitar’s electronics, most notably the pickups, have a significant influence on the instrument’s overall tone. There are a few different pickup styles available for Epiphone Les Pauls, including:

P90
Gibson invented the P90 pickup, which is a particular kind of single coil pickup. These P90 pickups, which by definition are more similar to a Strat than a PAF Les Paul, are famed for their ability to snarl when used with high gain.

Humbuckers
The PAF, or Patent Applied For, humbuckers found in most Epiphone Les Pauls are known for their thick, heavy tones, which served to define rock in the late 50s and early 60s and continue to do so today.

conclusion

For practically every guitarist, the Epiphone Les Paul is a terrific opportunity to get their hands on a real workhorse instrument that will, for the most part, be a lifelong friend. You can be sure you’re getting a high-quality product because they are made to exacting standards in Gibson’s privately owned overseas plants and are available in nearly all the same configurations as their Gibson counterparts. So, with the help of this guide you can choose the best Epiphone les pauls that are suited for you and to make your music to go the next level.