• Incredible Value ... incredible guitar!

  
  As reviewed by Jim Harbur on 8/15/2011

  I?ll start this off by letting you know that I have been playing guitar for over 40 years. In my opinion, no one has ever come closer to the ?perfect guitar? than the Les Paul. They are instruments that will deliver no matter what type of music you are playing. They can scream metal one moment, moan out some soulful blues the next and swing it up alongside any hollow body jazz-box. I own 7 of them myself, including the Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro ? the Gibson version of the guitar I am reviewing here. I was first attracted to this guitar by the beautiful Korina finish and the fact that these Epi Traditionals sport most of the same features as the Gibson. Korina wood is actually a species of African Limba ? a wood that has many of the same tonal characteristics of mahogany, but is much lighter in color and is also somewhat lighter in weight. I?ve always loved Gibson?s use of the wood in guitars such as the ?58 Flying V and Explorer and this Les Paul is a real eye-catcher. As they say, however, looks aren?t everything ? especially in a musical instrument. After playing this guitar, I am here to tell you that these Epi Traditional Pros hold their own against the Gibson version at one quarter of the price! Say what you will about collect ability, resale value and bragging rights ? if you are looking to purchase a guitar to MAKE MUSIC, you simply can?t go wrong with this guitar! Some details: The neck features a hefty D profile. Not a ?baseball bat?, but good and chunky. It fills the hand nicely and actually aids in note bending since the neck will actually help you apply some pressure you normally have to rely on your fingers/thumb to accomplish. Those of you that have gotten used to slim ?shredder necks? should really check these larger profiles out. They?ll take a little getting used to, but these 50?s and 60?s rockers really knew what they were doing. I set the action down nice and low and there was not a buzz to be found anywhere on the fret board. The electronics are wonderful ? all pots and caps were well seated and silent as is the three-way switch. We?ll see how long it lasts and how soon a replacement will be required, but everything was great out of the box. Epiphone?s Alnico Classics deliver a nice, punchy PAF-like tone, and the addition of individual coil-splitting for each pickup makes for a very versatile palate of tones to draw from. Fit and finish were flawless on the model I picked up. Not a hint of overspray of any sort of blemish to be found. I will say that the ?satin? finish on the back of the guitar and neck is a bit rough compared to the Gibson, or for that matter other Epiphone models like the Ultra and Prophecy, but it?s way smoother that the Gibson ?faded? models and nothing that won?t sort itself out after a few weeks of playing (or a quick buff with some fine grit sandpaper if you are the inpatient type). So there you have it. These are simply outstanding guitars (and I?m not even going to add the ?for the money? caveat). If this finish doesn?t do it for you, then take a look at the other finishes that are available in standard mahogany models. I am VERY happy with this guitar and extremely impressed with what Epiphone is accomplishing in creating quality musical instruments!

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• Real value

  
  As reviewed by Bruce Teague on 3/9/2012

  Big thumbs up to my GC here also. When I bought this the pup switch had bad connection. GC fixed it immediately at no charge. I was very taken with the different look of this guitar, but VERY happy with the feel of the neck. The split coils make it so versatile. Light, sounds chambered, which gives it a more versatile sound than trad LPs. It would be very hard to get a better guitar. Tuners suck as they do on all Epi's, but this stays in tune a bit better than the last one I owned.

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• Great Guitar!

  
  As reviewed by Mike Gaeth on 2/29/2012

  I bought mine in the store about 6 months ago and from the moment I picked this up in the store, I knew I wanted it. Very easy to play and has great tone. It is a gorgeous guitar and has been more than a pleasure to play. A friend of mine who has been playing for 30 years and owns two Gibson Les Paul models himself said it was the best guitar he has ever played under the $1,000 mark. If you were thinking about buying this guitar, do it and you won't be sorry.

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