100th Anniversary Epiphone Les Paul

I'm not a Les Paul guy... but if I was going to get one, it would very likely
be a used Epiphone Les Paul Tribute. This Epi is equipped with many of the mods
we would install on a cheap guitar: Gibson '57 Classic pickups (my favorite)
good quality wiring harness... So right out of the box it's better than most other
Epiphone guitars.
Epi Les Paul Tribute.jpg
The only things it might need would be better Tuners, Tusq nut, and a higher quality
bridge and tail. But I'd play it a lot before making those changes, just to see. Maybe the
stock parts are okay.

I own two Epiphone guitars, and after modding both of them from stem to stern I have ended up
with two excellent and unique instruments that can take their place onstage next to instruments
costing eight to ten times as much. So IMHO the best reason to buy an Epi Les Paul is if
you enjoy modding guitars. You can end up with something that sounds as good as a Gibson
but not pay three to five thousand dollars. *grins ...I like this philosophy.

Let's face it: The Gibson Les Paul is the standard by which all other guitars fall short
(according to Les Paul guys)... We can debate this point all we want, and it's still true.
I personally don't believe this, but since most guitarists do, I have to face fax. So if you're
going to play a Les Paul copy onstage, it better be good. And I believe the Epiphone Les Paul
Tribute has this potential. So I'd buy one if I felt like I needed one. I don't need one because
I have a number of really excellent guitars that do everything I'm capable of.
Les Paul Studio faded.jpg
The other Les Paul guitar that keeps catching my eye is the Gibson Les Paul faded special.
Here's another instrument that can match performance with one costing four to ten times
as much. I really like the Gibson faded finish, so visually this one appeals to me. The thing that
I like best about the Les Paul faded special is that it has no line running down the middle of the
instrument. The center seam on most Les Paul guitars really bugs me. *shrugs
>Nobody else seems to fuss about it, but for me that line is a turn off. The first time I saw one of those faded Les Pauls, I thought it was so lovely that I nearly pulled out my master card and took it home. It was on sale
used for like $500. I should have bought it right then and there. Burst bucker 1 and 2... you could pay
$5000 for a Les Paul and only get a shinier version of the same thing. I played the faded Lester, and liked
it a lot. Maybe it was weight relieved. It felt very comfortable.

Those are just my ramblings... good luck in your quest.
 
Some Epiphones I played were nice, kinda like Gibson, not all play and sound well, so you really have to evaluate everything on a case by case basis, same with the Gibson pickups...some are good, some are not...
 
or else the book matching should really match. if they are going to do that they should
do it with a level of artistry that's on a par with the price. They want $2800 for this one.
It's lovely, but it bugs me. I'm just not a Les Paul guy.
LPS17B8CH1_MAIN_HERO_01.jpg
when I look at it, this jangles like the brassy bells of hades.
I like jangly guitar tones, but in my ear please, not my eyes.
 
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Col Mustard said:
or else the book matching should really match. if they are going to do that they should
do it with a level of artistry that's on a par with the price. They want $2800 for this one.
It's lovely, but it bugs me. I'm just not a Les Paul guy.
View attachment 4093
when I look at it, this jangles like the brassy bells of hades.
I like jangly guitar tones, but in my ear please, not my eyes.
Click to expand...

The line doesn't bug me and I have only seen one bookmatch top that actually aligns visually in my lifetime.

One colleague i know has a $12,000 PRS Artist Series upon which the bookmatch doesn't quite line up...
 
Bookmatches only line up on the poorer wood. The problem is that you are looking at the grain from opposite directions, so all the internal reflections that cause the effect are out of line.
 
The 3D effect in quilted maple is caused by reflecting surfaces just below the actual surface they are curved and wavy, so as you change the angle that you look at them you see moving areas of dark and light. When you slice a bookmatch and open it up you see a more-or-less different set of angles in the two halves. The stronger the figure, the more difference you see. With a lesser piece of maple the figure is much more vague and widespread, so it doesn't change so much across the cut.
 
N_031114C4.jpg

I like this one.
 
DonP said:
The 3D effect in quilted maple is caused by reflecting surfaces just below the actual surface they are curved and wavy, so as you change the angle that you look at them you see moving areas of dark and light. When you slice a bookmatch and open it up you see a more-or-less different set of angles in the two halves. The stronger the figure, the more difference you see. With a lesser piece of maple the figure is much more vague and widespread, so it doesn't change so much across the cut.
Click to expand...
Makes sense. This effect always bothered me on this guitar, but now I can take pride in it!

Jack%20-%20Tom%20Anderson%20Drop%20Top_zpswvemftrn.jpg


IMG_1507_zpsttuxaohs.jpg
 
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