The TG guide to the...
Collectors are always talking about 1959, but there has never been a better time to buy a Les Paul than now. Quality Epiphone models make Gibson’s iconic singlecut more accessible than ever. For our money, these are the best you can buy…
£469 Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s
POUND FOR POUND, THE BEST LP ON THE MARKET
Never mind ‘Best Les Paul on the market’, you could mount a case for Epiphone’s 50s Les Paul Standard being the best mid-priced electric guitar you can get right now. It crucially sells the illusion that you are playing a ‘proper’ Les Paul. You’ve got the solid heft of a mahogany body, topped with a AAA figured maple veneer on the ’Burst models. The neck is a rounded C shape that fills the hand and is supremely comfortable. The ProBuckers are excellent pickups but further down the line you could upgrade them and make this a guitar for life.
£769 Epiphone Joe Bonamassa “Lazarus” 1959 Les Paul Standard
A HOLY GRAIL FOR BUDDING BLUES- ROCK SUPERSTARS EVERYWHERE
JoBo’s long-standing collaboration with Epiphone has given us many a keenly priced gem, but they don’t get much better than this Chinese-made repro of his legendary ‘Lazarus’ ’59 LP. Shipping in an Aged Lemon Burst and equipped with Gibson USA humbuckers, CTS pots and 50s-style firing under the hood, it’s a stage-ready electric that challenges the notion that an entry-level Gibson would be better. When we talk about Epiphone’s top models closing that gap between their higher-priced siblings, it’s guitars like this we’re talking about.
£249 Epiphone Power Players Les Paul
A BACK TO BASICS MODEL THAT IS IDEAL FOR BEGINNERS
Everyone has to start somewhere, and as beginner guitars go, the Power Players Les Paul is a superb option, with the option to upgrade for an all-in-one starter pack featuring a strap, picks, gig-bag and 35-watt practice amp. Unlike the others in this list, it has a bolt-on neck, but don’t let that put you off. The recipe is familiar enough to give players an idea of what a solid mahogany singlecut with dual humbuckers sounds like, and it’s ideal for budding blues, rock and punk players. The shorter 24” scale will suit younger players with some growing to do.
£749 Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy
THE BEST LES PAUL FOR METAL
Epiphone’s Prophecy series beefs up the Flying V, Explorer and Les Paul for metal, equipping them with Fishman Fluence multi-voice humbuckers, Grover locking tuners, speedy neck profiles and – look closely – a very un-Gibson 24-fret format. This is not your granddaddy’s Les Paul. There are jumbo frets and a sculpted heel to usher the shredder’s hand upwards. The sounds available can take you from super-tight chug through more vintage PAF-style tones that you would associate with a 50s mode
