Alesis Recital 61 – 61 Key Digital Piano Keyboard
$199.00
The Ultimate Beginners Electronic Keyboard Piano – Electric piano with 61 premium full-sized semi weighted keys with adjustable touch response to suit your preferred playing style Premium Sounds – 10 voices (including Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Synth, and more), built-in FX: Chorus, Reverb, and two built in 20W speakers that deliver crystal-clear, room-filling sound Connectivity Covered – ¼” sustain pedal input (not included), ¼” stereo headphone output for private practice and stereo RCA outputs for connection to speakers / amplifiers Play Keys Anywhere – Power via the included power adapter or 6 D cell batteries (not included) for professional piano performance wherever you are Powerful Educational Features – Standard, split, layer, and lesson modes with 128-note max polyphony and Skoove 3 month premium subscription for expert interactive online piano lessons Interactive Piano Lessons Included – 60 Free Virtual Lessons from Melodics and two months of free live video lessons from TakeLessons where you can interact and learn from an expert instructor
Lobo –
Great sounding and playing guitar.
Before I bought this guitar I read allot of reviews, some good some bad. Some people said it’s not great wood and save your money for a better guitar. I am stationed at a FOB in Afghanistan and did not want to spend allot of money on a guitar that will not live in the best of conditions but still be professional enough to keep my interest in practicing while I was away. I thought well for $149 I could afford to do some upgrades later if I liked the guitar or sell it when it is time to leave.When the box came I pulled it out and gave it a quick look see and was pleasantly surprised. It really is a pretty guitar in Vintage Sunburst. It is thinner and much lighter than a standard Les Paul more along the lines of a Les Paul Junior with two knobs, a selector switch, but with two pickups. The neck was straight and very comfortable, the frets can be smoothed out more but are really fine the way they are and although slightly neck heavy feels great while playing. When I plugged it into a Vox headphone amp (Twin)and some high grade headphones and started adjusting the knobs a huge smile came across my face. This thing growled and spit, or can sound very clean and jazzy. I did do some adjustment for intonation, lowering the strings a bit which made it more responsive to the pickups. I will keep this guitar and play it on stage. Just change the strings immediately to a higher quality set, adjust or have a guitar shop adjust the intonation if you do not know how. The tuners have to go they have slop in them, which are 9mm not 10mm tuner holes so you will need to ream the back of the tuner holes some and put a better set of tuners on the guitar. While you are at it exchange the plastic nut for a graphite nut. You will see a noticeable difference in sustain and staying in tune. However it is a player straight out of the box. For a beginner it can’t be beat, for an intermediate or professional that likes funky guitars, this is a great platform to experiment with or upgrade. It doesn’t sound exactly like a Les Paul but has allot of characteristic’s of one. It has it’s own cool sound. I love this guitar.
17 people found this helpful
Greg Robles –
Handyman special.
It is a very decent quality instrument.It came with no instructions.It came with no truss hex key.I had to tighten the volume pot, it was loose, and the volume knob fits crookedly.Is the bridge pickup supposed to sound weaker than the upper neck position pickup? The bridge pickup also had an oily coating on it.I have a good mind to ask for a refund.But-I love it. It has a nice sound, and the shorter scale neck fits my physique better than the long neck guitars.
2 people found this helpful
Darrington H. –
Great beginner guitar
Would highly recommend for beginners or those who want to modify or customize a guitar. The strings are pretty cheap, and don’t have such a nice sound, but thats an easy fix.
One person found this helpful
Danny –
4th the sunburst was flawless and absolutey beautiful, smooth and shiny
ok 1st, it was shipped and received on time, it was in double boxes, the inside guitar box had extra packing, outside box was secure and sufficient. 2nd the guitar was packed and totally covered well. 3rd it had epiphone owners manual, a neck wrench, extra info and an epiphone guitar case/window/bumper sticker, all in a big zip lock bag. 4th the sunburst was flawless and absolutey beautiful, smooth and shiny. 5th the neck and bridge is set well from factory, am sure it will be tweaked after a few hours, the neck is bolted well and frets are right, the tuners work well and are easy to handle, the strings are medium good quality 6th the pickups are fantastic, the toggle switch is heavy and easy located, volume and tone knobs are speed knobs easy located, the cable input is heavy and cable is tight, strap nuts are good quality and secure, 7th and best part, it sounds fantastic on all pickup selections, it is very easy to play, All said this is a fantastic guitar, the price is great, play ability is great, The Epiphone Special 11 LE is the biggest bang for the buck you will ever get, my qualifications to evaluate is ive been songwriting performing various genres of music for 45 years, ive owned high end guitars and different types of equipment, and played venues large and small, and toured. Finally, why do I promote this guitar so highly, For the love of music, in the hope that some child will be interested and some parent wont be duped into buying expensive things that may or may not be as well built as this guitar, it can make a difference if a person holds interest, and perhaps an adult can continue in their own efforts and enjoy better, this is a simple and great guitar, thank you for your time to read this, and please enjoy the music you make with this fantastic guitar.
4 people found this helpful
jimrenfroe –
3 Stars, Good value but it needed a lot of work
I got this pretty fast. I took it out of the box and wanted nothing more than to give it 5 stars just for value alone. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief that I got this guitar for the price. First, the ‘tuner’ issues that I’ve been reading about. Replace the strings! I stretched and stretched these things and they would not stay in tune. A set of D’Addario 10’s cured that straight away (or whatever you prefer just change them). The tuners aren’t the best but they are not to blame, it’s the cheap strings. Now, technically if you only play open chords this was playable out of the box. The neck angle was so off the A string rattled no matter how high I set the bridge. The guitar would not intonate due to the ridiculous angle. Yes I could have sent it back but I suspect I would have gotten another just like it. I had to spend about 6 hours shimming the neck AND the nut (Never had to do this to the nut on an electric, not even on a used guitar. The nut slot was cut too deep), as well as working on leveling nearly every fret to make it playable. It required 3 business cards to shim the neck which is the most I’ve ever had to use. After I got that straight I removed a bit of paint from the neck and set it with wood glue in the pocket and on all the screws. In my opinion this helps a great deal with these and all bolt ons for that matter.If I bought this used none of this would have been a big deal. But as I’m looking at this horrid neck angle and doing all this work I’m steadily staring at the ‘QC passed’ sticker. Must have been built on a Friday afternoon or something.— NOW–after I did this it is sweet!!. I play through a Peavey Valveking 100 and it rocks as good as my Strat w/ Duncans and Dimarzios. The quality of the electronics is not sub par at all. After adjusting the pickups screws to match the string height and getting all the horrible wax off them, I’d argue that this is as good as any Epi I’ve ever played as far as pups and all, so don’t hesitate there because I don’t really care for Epis and I’m in love with it. (I bought this to sell mainly, but now????) The build quality; hmm, if you can do guitar work go for it. Otherwise I’d highly recommend a more expensive model. The $299 models are great right out of the box usually.
31 people found this helpful
Christian –
This guitar is perfect for a beginner guitar
This guitar is very nice and really appealing. It sounds fantastic and it stays in tune. For 200$ this thing is perfect for a beginner electric guitarist. The only things I recommend would be switching out the strings if you really want it to sound awesome, although the strings it comes with sound good too.
2 people found this helpful
James Oscar Lawless –
Nicer than I ever thought it would be.
Up front -I have not owned a Gibson or Epiphone in YEARS.I switched to Schecter.Then – I was turned on to Dean guitars.See – I am a guy who murders guitars.I’m not a super shredder. I am not Steve Vai.But I wear out frets like a bear.However – my equipment was mostly stolen from me.I need to play but money always is an issue.Then Epiphone Les Paul Special II arrived as a suggestion.With the coupon I paid 144. Dollars. $144.99 with Free Shipping.It arrived 1 day late, but there were mitigating circumstances.Out of the box I tuned it up. No adjustments needed.I WILL change the factory strings to my favorite Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys;However – that’s all I will need to do – It stays in tune. The neck is fast and comfortable.It’s 13 lbs of solid.Even sounds great unplugged.I MAY just get a spare in black.VERY GOOD BUY.Order one.
One person found this helpful
Chad Peery –
NOT just for ‘beginners!”
I’m a seasoned musician of over a half century. I love my strat, but still, it didn’t produce sounds that I was seeking, so I thought I’d take a chance on the Epiphone Les Paul Special II. WOW! This one was 200 bucks, and I was expecting the usual cheapo guitar problems, like cheese-grater frets and being in need of a decent setup. Instead, I unboxed a guitar that had been set up beautifully! Smooth frets, no buzzing, straight and true neck, every fret was smooth, no obvious defects in body or finish, and when I played it, I couldn’t believe how it felt! Beginner guitar my azz! This plays, feels, and sounds like a pro guitar, and for the price, that is absolutely astounding! Now, it isn’t the ‘real’ mahogany, it’s a lighter version of the wood, but it’s much better than basswood or the cheaper woods normally found on budget guitars. The Pups are just exactly the humbucker sound I was looking for, and my only gripe is the bridge not being able to adjust individual string height. That’s the only thing I might replace, but I’ve lowered the action to where I like it and still, NO BUZZ! This guitar is really well set up. I could not be happier with this instrument. Well done, Epiphone! Now I see why they market it as a beginners guitar: in reality, it competes nicely with their more expensive lines, including the Gibson versions.
31 people found this helpful
ZBel –
Amazing feeling playing this thing 🙂
Let’s get this out of the way now, I am no where near knowing how to play, let alone judging one guitar from another. Before getting this guitar I had to acoustic guitars which i had because of Rocksmith guitar game. The new Rocksmith came out this past year and I got it into my head to buy an actual electric guitar. I went for a solid price as I have no intention of taking classes or anything like that. This is primarily for my kids and I to rock out during weekends and picking up what we can while playing.Now for the review, this thing, cosmetically makes look like a rock god lol. Compared to the acoustics I have used, I feel better using this going up and down the neck. It really feels so much better. I hate when I get stuck with the acoustics now when we play multiplayer. I have been playing the game at least for 1 hour every other day since getting this thing and I am surprised at how much I have picked up. They say to play for like 60 days and you just pick up the guitar, I have not gotten that great (I am not one to sell their game) but compared to the first time I played Rocksmith with my acoustic and now with this thing, I can move from several chords on the fly where I could never reach that before.For any beginner I think this would just be amazing at the price. I mean it worked so well for me, how couldn’t for some other beginner that may go further.
One person found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
Very good for the money. Good knock around for beginning to intermediate players
I bought this after decades of playing Martin acoustic guitars because I figured it was finally time to take more than a passing stab at an electric.Really, for the price, this is a very good guitar for beginner or intermediate players. I use this as a knock around to practice scales, modes, and whathaveyou in my spare time. For that purpose, I’m very happy with the purchase. The only downside is that the action was lower than I’d like (even for an electric) when first arrived. Still, this is perfectly playable as a hobby instrument and well worth the money. True, if you spend four or five times as much you will get a noticibly better guitar, but unless you’ve got gigs lined up that will pay for said expensive guitar and you really know what you’re doing, it’s not needed.Put another way, I had a friend come over who swears by his $1,000+ Gibson Les Paul. He asked to play this – I said sure and gave no other comment. His assessment? He shrugged said “not bad” and continued playing.
7 people found this helpful
Isaac –
Excellent guitar
I was very impressed with the quality, finish and playability of this guitar. I’ve been playing for 30 years and own about a dozen electric guitars of various makes across a wide range of prices. I wanted to get an SG to play some classic rock and have fun with. I didn’t expect much for the price, but I tried this guitar and the G400 Pro and honestly preferred the feel of this one.The guitar came boxed with an inner box to protect it during shipping. Although playability out of the box was fairly good, I had to perform a setup to get the guitar exactly as I wanted. I removed the strings, rubbed down and oiled the fingerboard, then strung it with D’Addario 10-46 nickel wounds. The truss rod required a quarter turn adjustment to get the neck profile straight. The intonation and action were pretty much perfect out of the box. I just raised the action a tiny bit to make it more in line with my other instruments.The pickups are a bit darker than a traditional SG and while they sound great heavily overdriven, the clean sound is a bit lacking in character. After a week or so of playing, I replaced the pickups with a set I bought from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009A5JA98/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1These pickups are amazing value for money and sound fabulous. However the pickup frame was larger than the original stock pickups so I had to rout the body slightly to get the new pickups to fit. This was a simple operation which only took me 10 minutes to do with the Dremel.After a bit of work, this guitar now looks, plays and sounds like a professional instrument. It’s rapidly becoming my favorite guitar to jam with. I love it!
One person found this helpful
Hank Spanky –
Crazy Good!
I currently own 8 guitars….Fenders, Gibson, Rickenbacher, Guild, Gretsch and Martin. I’ve been playing for more than 40 years. I was in the market for an inexpensive electric to use strictly for playing slide. After checking out some pawn shops and antique stores (nothing really got my attention) I saw this on Amazon and was intrigued by all the positive reviews. For 149.00 how could I go wrong? This guitar is crazy good! So much so that I am not going to raise the action for slide as I truly enjoy playing it as a “normal” guitar. Is the wood the most beautiful….no. Is the “sunburst” hand painted….no (although the finish is perfect). Does the setup need tweaking….yes. The weight and feel of this guitar are great. Hardware is what you find on the Epi top of the line LP’s. All in all a great sounding, very comfortable guitar. I still can’t believe how much guitar you get for the money. Got a Guardian hardshell case for 69.00, new strings and setup…..so for around 300.00 you are good to go. I was so impressed with this guitar I bought one for my brother who used to play, but didn’t have a guitar anymore (hoping he would get back into it). He loves it too! Hank Spanky 7/1/2013
11 people found this helpful
Alex –
BEST GUITAR EVER!!!
This guitar is AWESOME!!! It’s a top of the line guitar for an insanely affordable price. When I took it out of the box, I literally almost cried. She is a thing of beauty to behold. As soon as I laid my fingers on her sweet, silky strings I instantly knew that it was a match made in heaven. I would have sex with this guitar if I could… LOL!(I tried but it was rather painful I don’t recommend it) I absolutely LOVE playing this thing and the sound is amazing, even with my old school amp. The only downside, if you could even call it that, is that the guitar does not come with a strap, case, or plug to connect it with the amp. I got all these things separately though also from amazon for pretty cheap and with all the money you save on the guitar it really is not a big deal. Another thing was there were a few small, superficial scuff marks on the top of the guitar near the tuning pegs but these probably occurred during shipment which is understandable and has nothing to do with the manufacturer. All and all, this is the best guitar I have ever had and I am SOOO happy with this purchase!
9 people found this helpful
Johnny W. –
a STEAL for beginners!
I bought this mainly to learn on Rocksmith 2014 on both the PC and Xbox One. I got it when there was a special, it was under $100, so why not! That’s is a steal!I am now on my 2nd week of playing the guitar, and the high E string broke. I told myself I would get it “professionally” setup once that happens. And that’s exactly what I am going to do. Just waiting on the TUSQ XL Epiphone nut to show up so it can be put on it then get it all setup. Since I am one of those people that been having tuning issues. Got a variety of strings tooOverall for the price that I paid! I am really appreciating it. I don’t plan to play live or in person for anyone. This is something I just want to do. So for that sole purpose, this is a great guitar just for that.
4 people found this helpful
Jarrod –
I really like this guitar
I really like this guitar. Is it the best guitar I’ve ever owned? No. It is also far from the worse guitar I’ve owned. The strings that came on it are pretty awful, I didn’t even attempt to play on them. I replaced them with a fresh set and there was some fret buzz but after adjusting the truss rod a half turn and raising the bridge ever so slightly it played great. (Don’t do this if you aren’t experienced)I have replaced the plastic nut with a Tusq one and that helped with tuning a lot. The plastic one liked to bind when turning, even after I lubricated it. The tuner are just ok. There is some slop in them and I will probably replace them at some point. The pickups sound great and the selector switch is solid and the pots have no static.I use this guitar to play Rocksmith and it works great for that purpose.
Shay Marie –
I wanted something very affordable but also great quality. After looking around at guitars considered in …
I have been playing for well over 5 years but recenlty moved to college away from home and left my electric guitar there. Wanting to play again and have an electric here, I wanted something very affordable but also great quality. After looking around at guitars considered in the same price-range/level like Fender Squires and such, I decided to go for this guitar as I know Epiphone is a great brand from personel expireinces with previous guitars I have had. The guitar came very nicely packaged with a certificate of authenticity and an Epiphone catalog. I have now been using this guitar for about month and I am very very pleased with the quality of the guitar for such an affordable price. It works perfectly with the amp I already own, all of the amp chords I already own as well, and the strings the come on it are good quality. So if you are looking for an affordable guitar that is also excellent quality, I would highly reccommed this guitar over any other brand within the same price range.
2 people found this helpful
Lu –
Great guitar for beginner & masters alike!
This sounds fantastic. For the price this thing rocks and constructed very well. Only a guitar snob would play this and make a face of disgust.I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about the law of diminishing returns? Well, in a blind test to my friends they couldn’t tell the difference between this and my $1500 electric/acoustic Ovation. I can, but the Ovation is… 10% better tops.This is the lowest I’d go in pricing though, tbh. It’s totally worth it.Make sure to get a decent amp. Or an output only amp. That way you can use headphones or connect your guitar to a preexisting sound system you already own with component, aux or optical cables.
3 people found this helpful
AJ Martin –
Excellent Guitar, Phenomenal Price
This guitar, the Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL II, is worth far more than the asking price! If you are looking for a well made Guitar without breaking the bank, this is the one for you. Epiphone has a long standing reputation of building wonderful instruments, and this Les Paul is no exception. The quality of the components would typically be included on a far more expensive model, so it’s a real treat to find on an Epiphone at this price point.This guitar looks great, has a good weight to it, and the action feels just about right. It sounds fantastic. The strings that come pre-installed are pretty light, so, great for note bending if that’s your thing. Even though this guitar is comparable to more expensive Epiphones and Gibson’s in the line, it’s controls are simplified which is great for beginners. It’s very easy to change the tone, without having to worry about the settings. I definitely recommend this guitar, even to experienced players, I think you’ll be surprised with the quality of this inexpensive Les Paul.
One person found this helpful
R. Powers –
Best little guitar for the price
Set up is about an 85 out of 100 out of the box.ProsQuite playable. Looks good. feels good. sounds good. The edition about four or five years ago was not worth having without significant modification. The current model looks a lot like the first model with all recommend mods done at the factory.ConsMy biggest setup complaint is finger nut. Action is a little high. This is not a good issue for beginners to tackle. Its close enough that many shops will ignore it without specific instruction. It is the difference between ok or sweet when you fret your first chord.Negative reviews did not get the same instrument I did. I have owned, played and modified beginner guitars. This is a good one. I also own play and maintain guitars worth 20 times what this one cost. I wonder what impact the amp and settings have on those who complain about the sound. my pickups are plenty hot with appropriate range.Bought this to take to garage and church where it may very well get passed, dropped or punted. Very pleased.Recommend you pay the $ to get it sweet as far as set up if you can’t do it yourself. And run it through a good AMP.
10 people found this helpful
Keith Claiborne –
Great price
Took a chance on Description: Condition: Used – Like New – Item will come in original packaging. Packaging will be damaged. Guitar was delivered in original box that looked like it had been shipped around the globe, but very minor damage to outside shipping box. Inside original Epiphone box looked good and seemed to be factory sealed. Guitar was wrapped in plastic with all original box contents and appeared to be brand new, never used or opened. Not bad for $117!
Jeffro –
Well-made, plays well.Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony
Hello again. I have written a review on this guitar just after I purchased it and now it’s been over a year and I still stand by my positive review. I own about 8 guitars now and this guitar is one of two of my favorites. My other favorite is a Dean electric 12 string. When I hold and play this Epiphone Les Paul special 2 guitar it feels and sounds like something I could take on stage but it doesn’t have the cost associated with a Gibson. What’s also amazing is that it’s still around a $150. It’s well worth the noney. It stays in tune and it high quality. Well worth the money. I just purchased an electric/acoustic Epiphone ukelele today for my Chiropractor. I will review that later. If you are looking for a Les Paul guitar this is not one. Not his typical style although Amazon does sell one for about $250 so don’t let the name fool you. It’s still a very nice guitar though. Very solid construction and a beautiful polished ebony finish and tuners. I highly recommend this guitar. Buy it! Thank you.
3 people found this helpful
ceehee –
Excellent Value!
I give this guitar 5 stars because for what it is–a low-budget guitar–it is awesome and well worth the money! Mine definitely needed a setup and string change. Since that has been done, this guitar plays just as beautifully as my more expensive LP Studio. Initially, there was quite a bit of fret buzz, but that was mostly taken care of with the setup. There’s still some fret buzz, but no more than with more expensive guitars I’ve played and owned. I find the flat, lightweight body to be an advantage in that it makes the guitar quite easy to handle, and doesn’t make my legs or chest sore if I hold it close for an extended period of time. The pickups, well, they do what they’re supposed to do, and the guitar sounds great through my Orange Crush amp. No loose hardware–everything seems appropriately snug, and I haven’t had a problem with going out of tune yet. My initial intention with this purchase was to have a cheap guitar that I could just kick around and not worry about abusing. What I got is a very nice instrument that deserves to be well-cared for. This guitar is a pleasure to own.
19 people found this helpful
mother of four –
1st one sent back, 2nd one good
This was my son’s only Christmas present and when he opened it we realized it was defective. 🙁 I was so sad for him, but we thought after the Christmas break we’d take it into a repair shop to see if they could fix it. The strings were SUPER high off the fingerboard making it unplayable. The repair shop said it would cost as much as the guitar was worth to fix it and I should send it back. Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?! So Amazon was great. I sent it back free of charge, got a new one sent out to replace it with no additional charges and the new one is great. The strings are in the right position. SO glad there was a happy ending to the story!!!! And the exchange for the replacement didn’t cost us anything extra. UPS even picked it up from our doorstep.
Kindle Customer –
There’s a reason it receives 5 star
This guitar is very attractive looking, and plays well right out of the box. I am a beginner guitarist, so please take this review for what it’s worth. I am extremely pleased, and don’t plan on ever upgrading. This guitar is a darker cherry red wood color in the center than shown in the picture. So expect it to be a different color than what you order. See customer pics.It comes with strings installed and almost tuned. The volume knob is well designed for smooth and convenient use. The tremble and rhythm switch is far enough out of the way that you’re not going to accidently hit it while strumming. My only gripe is that the high E string gets caught on the top pickup when I’m playing hard, but maybe I’m just a novice. I will say that it’s very easy to play.Everything on it is very adjustable which I also like. The only BUYER BEWARE statement I can think of is: you’re going to be addicted to it!
3 people found this helpful
Suzi –
Good quality for price
Why I purchased: Been playing other instruments/ some classical guitar and decided to get an electric to have some fun.Packaging & Strings:The product was packaged really well– cardboard box wrapped in bubbles in another cardboard box. The strings were protected and etc. With that being said, I’d still change the strings from what it came with to something else that you’d might like instead (came with really light ones). I don’t know if this is normal/just my shipment but the B and the higher E string both had fret wear marks. I don’t know if that was intended or it’s been pressed against while in storage for too long. But no need to worry if you’re going to re-string anyways.Sound Quality: It seems good so far. By no means, am I a expert for guitar so for a beginner person’s ears, they seem good.Notes: This only comes with Guitar and the strings on them…. Go ahead and purchase cables/ cases/ straps or anything else you might need along with it.
4 people found this helpful
James David –
A gamble
I really can’t complain because the guitar was very cheap..HOWEVER. The neck on this guitar was absolutely insane out of the box. The highest action I have ever seen on a guitar. From the reviews it doesn’t seem like everyone had this issue so I guess I was somewhat unlucky..even after adjustments to the truss rod and bridge the action will only budge so much. I live in NYC and I don’t want to pay 40-50 bucks for a setup considering the guitar was 200 lol. I am a bassist but have been writing songs and wanted to get something cheap to record on. Anyways this guitar was a gamble and I got what I got..I have a feeling I can straighten out the neck in time. I’ll most likely end up taking it to a tech to get it sorted. Thanks !
One person found this helpful
BigCajunAL –
Defect tune o matic, bad truss rod cover
Mine came with a defective tune o matic bridge, contacting them. Will report back with results. called Epiphone they sent in request for new bridge(tune-o-matic) they said 7 days its been 2 weeks, truss rod cover smeared, they sent me a new one and the holes don’t line up. now I have to send a picture, again I’ve been without my guitar for 2 weeks. Very disappointed in Epiphone, cheap Chinese doo-doo. Doubt if I will be buying another Epiphone. as of 11/13/20 still have NOT received my bridge(tune-o-matic), its been 3 weeks now. i bought a $25 after market bridge, works better than Epiphone’s doo-doo, i also bought a $6 truss cover which looks way better than the original. I’m a 56yr old man who grew up watching my uncle play his 50’s – 60’s Epiphone and a friend had one also. those were NOT cheap Chinese made. SHAME on you Epiphone!! you evidently have NO quality control. MOVE BACK TO AMERICA!!Ibanez, Schechter and dean here I come! UPDATE Dec 2020, the output jack is only working sometimes and the selector switch is not working correctly, buy another guitar at this price Grote make a good guitar for a lot less.
3 people found this helpful
BigHNut –
Excellent Guitar!
Overall I’m impressed with the quality of it. I’m no guitar guru, I wouldn’t even consider myself a novice player and I’m not even sure if I could consider myself a dabbler. Regardless I’ve accumulated a few guitars over the years to fool around with and this one definitely tops the cake. The sound was excellent out of the box when hooked up to my budget
Sawtooth ST-AMP-10ST-AMP-10 10-Watt Electric Guitar Amp
amp and it looks pretty rad! I might actually have to start learning how to play now!My only issues so far are in regards to the blemishes on the guitar. There’s a few on the body, and a couple more on the side of the fretboard, and headstock. Regardless it was worth a hundred bucks in my opinion!
One person found this helpful
Sirius –
Beautiful and perfectly made!
I purchased this guitar after much thoughtful consideration of other possibilities, but the nearly universal high marks for this particular make and model finally persuaded me to go with this one, and I do not regret that decision.First of all, it is a beauty. Initially, I was a little disappointed in that very little wood grain shows through the orangish finish. (My guitar was made in China, which may account for the darker hue.) I thought I had wanted a lighter color, but the more I look at it the happier I am with what I have. Second, this instrument is no light-weight, either in heft or playability. It is solidly constructed, very well put together, and plays like a dream. (I lowered the action until I encountered some fret buzz, then backed off the adjusting screws just a bit; that’s basically the only adjustment I’ve made, or likely will make.)It’s been barely a day since the guitar arrived and, as yet, I’ve only played it unplugged. I can’t wait to hear how it sounds amped up.
One person found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
My gf loved it
I bought this as Christmas gift for my gf. It was perfect. She LOVED it. We both like the sound this guitar makes.
One person found this helpful
Henry Charles Wiedefeld –
Good deal
Got for my son, he loves it and plays it all the time. Only issue I have had was the cable that goes to the amp to guitar, the connector on the inside one of the wires came un soldered. Quick fix
APC Reviews –
Super value for the money. If you’re on a budget, this is an outstanding choice…
The Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Collection Electric Guitar is a GREAT GUITAR for $169.00 (The average selling price at the time of this review). The pickups, tune-o-matic bridge and stop piece are the same ones used in Epiphone’s more expensive guitars, and are similar to what’s used in much more expensive Gibsons. Although the tone adjustments have been simplified to a toggle between the three pickup combinations and an overall tone control for both pickups, this is not as big a deal as many might make of it. Given the vast array of other things that influence electric guitar sound — strings, amp choice and settings, effects pedals and so forth — the guitar sounds great as is.The finish and general fit and balance of the guitar are great. There was a time when budget guitars screamed cheap and were quite obviously low class in a lot of areas. Those days are past with the Epiphone LP Special II.All that said, there a few things to remember.* The guitar comes with very light bendy strings. This is probably due to market data that tells Epiphone that the bulk of buyers for this guitar are teen Guitar Heros who think that string bending every note is an essential aspect of shredding and wailing. If you plan to put heavier strings on the guitar (like 12-51s for example) for jazz or other styles of music then you will probably need a truss rod adjustment to compensate for the added tension. If you don’t know how to do this, ask someone who does. You can ruin a guitar, permanently, by being too aggressive with a truss rod adjustment.* The guitar has a mahogany neck, but a basswood body. Do not let anyone tell you this is a bad thing. Basswood is a completely acceptable wood for musical instruments. It is not worse or better than mahogany or maple. It is just different. Once again, the differences involved will probably be irrelevant when added into all the other things that players do with amps, strings and pedals to create tone and sound from an electric guitar.* Epiphone has more than one factory making these guitars. One is in China, the other in is Indonesia. The guitars made by each are very close in every detail, but not exactly, perfectly the same.* The Chinese examples of the sunburst model that I have seen have a slightly golden-orange tone to the sunburst pattern, more like the traditional sunburst color in American guitars. The Indonesian examples I have seen have a much more over all orange look. Basswood does not have a lot of visible grain. The example guitar shown in the official Epiphone product photos, the photos you see on most web sites like Amazon and Musician’s Friend and so forth, are probably a little optimistic when it comes to visible grain and the golden hued quality of the sunburst finish.* The Chinese examples I have seen tend to weigh more. One Indonesian model I saw weighed a full pound and half less than the Chinese model right next to it. There is not, unfortunately, any way to tell from the box or from the barcode or SKU number on the box what factory a given example inisde the box came from. The system will deal out whatever is in stock at the moment.The world is full of guys who will zero in on all the details they find inferior about this guitar by noting the rather obvious fact that this is not a Gibson Les Paul Standard costing $3,000.00. There are some people who will complain that this guitar has a bolt on neck. True, the set necks of the more expensive Epiphones and Gibsons are nicer. But, considering the fact that every Fender Stratocaster ever made had a bolt on neck, is this really a big deal? Would Jimi Hendrix have played “Purple Haze” better if his Strat had a set in neck? Probably not.The guitar this model is probably closest to, in spirit and purpose, is not the Gibson Les Pauls but, rather, to the old Gibson Melody Maker guitars from the 60s. That said, this is a hell of lot more guitar for the money than any Melody Maker ever was, and adjusted for inflation, relative to what a Melody Maker would have cost you in 1968, for example, it is almost like Epiphone paying you to play it.People listen to music, not guitars. Music is made by players, not by pickups and electronics. If you’re on a budget, this is an outstanding choice. If you’re not on a budget, it’s still a very good basic instrument. RECOMMENDED.
897 people found this helpful
Damín Reyes –
Amazing guitar for beginners
The quantity is so so good and high
John Muir –
Great guitar
The guitar arrived early and in great condition. Amazing sound for a guitar this affordable.
APC Reviews –
Super value for the money. If you’re on a budget, this is an outstanding choice…,
The Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Collection Electric Guitar is a GREAT GUITAR for $169.00 (The average selling price at the time of this review). The pickups, tune-o-matic bridge and stop piece are the same ones used in Epiphone’s more expensive guitars, and are similar to what’s used in much more expensive Gibsons. Although the tone adjustments have been simplified to a toggle between the three pickup combinations and an overall tone control for both pickups, this is not as big a deal as many might make of it. Given the vast array of other things that influence electric guitar sound — strings, amp choice and settings, effects pedals and so forth — the guitar sounds great as is.The finish and general fit and balance of the guitar are great. There was a time when budget guitars screamed cheap and were quite obviously low class in a lot of areas. Those days are past with the Epiphone LP Special II.All that said, there a few things to remember.* The guitar comes with very light bendy strings. This is probably due to market data that tells Epiphone that the bulk of buyers for this guitar are teen Guitar Heros who think that string bending every note is an essential aspect of shredding and wailing. If you plan to put heavier strings on the guitar (like 12-51s for example) for jazz or other styles of music then you will probably need a truss rod adjustment to compensate for the added tension. If you don’t know how to do this, ask someone who does. You can ruin a guitar, permanently, by being too aggressive with a truss rod adjustment.* The guitar has a mahogany neck, but a basswood body. Do not let anyone tell you this is a bad thing. Basswood is a completely acceptable wood for musical instruments. It is not worse or better than mahogany or maple. It is just different. Once again, the differences involved will probably be irrelevant when added into all the other things that players do with amps, strings and pedals to create tone and sound from an electric guitar.* Epiphone has more than one factory making these guitars. One is in China, the other in is Indonesia. The guitars made by each are very close in every detail, but not exactly, perfectly the same.* The Chinese examples of the sunburst model that I have seen have a slightly golden-orange tone to the sunburst pattern, more like the traditional sunburst color in American guitars. The Indonesian examples I have seen have a much more over all orange look. Basswood does not have a lot of visible grain. The example guitar shown in the official Epiphone product photos, the photos you see on most web sites like Amazon and Musician’s Friend and so forth, are probably a little optimistic when it comes to visible grain and the golden hued quality of the sunburst finish.* The Chinese examples I have seen tend to weigh more. One Indonesian model I saw weighed a full pound and half less than the Chinese model right next to it. There is not, unfortunately, any way to tell from the box or from the barcode or SKU number on the box what factory a given example inisde the box came from. The system will deal out whatever is in stock at the moment.The world is full of guys who will zero in on all the details they find inferior about this guitar by noting the rather obvious fact that this is not a Gibson Les Paul Standard costing $3,000.00. There are some people who will complain that this guitar has a bolt on neck. True, the set necks of the more expensive Epiphones and Gibsons are nicer. But, considering the fact that every Fender Stratocaster ever made had a bolt on neck, is this really a big deal? Would Jimi Hendrix have played “Purple Haze” better if his Strat had a set in neck? Probably not.The guitar this model is probably closest to, in spirit and purpose, is not the Gibson Les Pauls but, rather, to the old Gibson Melody Maker guitars from the 60s. That said, this is a hell of lot more guitar for the money than any Melody Maker ever was, and adjusted for inflation, relative to what a Melody Maker would have cost you in 1968, for example, it is almost like Epiphone paying you to play it.People listen to music, not guitars. Music is made by players, not by pickups and electronics. If you’re on a budget, this is an outstanding choice. If you’re not on a budget, it’s still a very good basic instrument. RECOMMENDED.
201 people found this helpful
ADR115 –
Excellent product for the price.
We purchased this guitar for our son. He loves it. Sound quality is great. The product exceeds expectations. Quick delivery. No complaints here.
2 people found this helpful
Dustin ProckDustin Prock –
Great capture of your old signature 👌
citan-uzuki –
Fine choice for THIS newbie.
Fine choice for this newbie.I bought this guitar for use with Rocksmith 2014. It has been a month and I have not had any issues with the guitar. One of the strings will lose some of its tension and will need to be adjusted fairly frequently. However, it is a minor adjustment to make.Rocksmith 2014 will work with other electric guitars. This one simply came with the bundle. I am sure that you can get higher quality, higher-performing units to use with the game. However, at this point, you may not be sure whether you will actually like playing the guitar. So, it may not make sense to spend more money for a better guitar at this point. I have known a lot of people who took up the guitar with a great deal of enthusiasm, only to lose interest after finding out just how hard it actually is to learn. It all depends on your budget, naturally.This is a fully-functioning guitar and not a game controller. Rocksmith 2014 is not at all like Guitar Hero, wherein the latter uses a special guitar-shaped game controller. The beauty of Rocksmith 2014 is that the game is actually made to work with an actual electric guitar. The secret is the cable. The cable plugs into where you would normally insert an amp cable. The other end of the cable is a usb that plugs into the front ports of your Playstation 4.The build quality of this guitar is more than good enough for you to learn on. If you are thinking of playing Rocksmith 2014 and you do not already own an electric guitar, then this one is worthy of your consideration. Buy a strap and the appropriate size guitar case and you are good to go. It should also be good enough if after you finish the game and you decide that you want to continue your learning, you will not need to immediately buy another guitar. In other words, this is a practical guitar choice for someone to learn on. You can buy cheaper models and you can also definitely buy more expensive models. But for this game and for a new learner, this one is a good choice. I do not foresee a situation in the game where you will find yourself under-equipped with this unit. This model was chosen by Ubisoft as one that would work well with their game, given the price of entry as well as the level of quality needed to play Rocksmith as well as interface with the different game console models.As I said, there are plenty of cheaper choices out there. But, I would not recommend a cheaper model for a new learner. Someone new to guitars will naturally make mistakes in the handling of the instruments, string tension, and adjustments. For someone just learning, they need a sturdy guitar that can tolerate a little bit of less-than delicate handling. Especially if the learner is a less-than careful youngster. In my opinion, this Les Paul is a sturdy unit.
6 people found this helpful
Dave –
After a proper set-up 5 stars Damn nice guitar
I am editing my previous review on this little guitar after taking the time to properly set it up, dial it in and play it for a while. I edited yet again as someone didn’t appreciate my “gloating” over other guitars I own. Sorry to offend YOU.I made a knee jerk review (again) right after I got this. But in all fairness I received my Gibson Les Paul on the same day, buying IT from my local music store and professionally set up, ready to go. I was comparing apples and oranges, so to speak. But now, even after comparing them to each other, they really aren’t that far apart.The Gibson is the best guitar I’ve ever owned and made my previous comparison based on it. But this little baby is now my second favorite.My other review was NOT FAIR!!!!!! I paid a lot more for the Gibson and 149 bucks for this Epiphone. Dollar for dollar this little Ephiphone is a steal!!!! WOW!!!I must honestly admit, the edge goes to my Gibson, but not by as much as you’d think. This little Epiphone is an outstanding guitar, regardless of price. If I were to play them each blindfolded I would never guess one was $149 guitar, ever! The tone of the Epiphone is much like the Gibson Les Paul. It’s easy to play, comfortable and has a sweet sound. I can either rock out with it or mellow out and play the blues or classic rock.To be honest, I will probably play this Epiphone a LOT more than the Gibson. After all, if I ding this one up I haven’t broke the bank. I think I’ll tend to use this one a lot more than the other.I am very happy with this Epiphone Les Paul and will proudly play and OWN it. I am amazed they can make this thing for the money they charge. I may purchase another one and put it away as I’m sure the price won’t stay this low. PLUS, I’ll get another one in a different color!! You can never have too many guitars.. I am going to an a pickguard to this one. The finish on it is outstanding and I’d like to keep it that way.If I were thinking of learning to play the guitar, this one is a no-brainer….BUY IT!!!If you’re an established player looking for a really nice practice guitar, I’d buy this one is a heartbeat. I was shocked at how sweet it sounds, how good it looks, how comfortable and light it is and how well it plays. Sure it was way out of tune and required a few height adjustments but now it is FANTASTIC.New rule for me, no writing reviews until I own the product for at least one week!!!!!
7 people found this helpful
Coastwx –
I already had a case and nice Marshall Amp
I’ve been a lazy person in terms of writing product reviews, but had to chime in on the Epiphone LP purchase. First of all, I did research on new guitar options at the local Guitar Center website and settled on this instrument. They had it for $199, so for kicks I looked on Amazon two nights before I had planned to test and buy at our GC on a Sat. Amazon had it for $159 and $199 for lots of extras. I already had a case and nice Marshall Amp, so only needed the guitar. The best part, it arrived on Sat about the same time I would have purchased locally. The reviews were so good, I was not worried about testing live before purchase and it was a great choice.I’m only 3 months into this journey to become a musician, so a beginner, but absolutely love everything about this guitar. I messed around in the early 90’s on old electric while in college, but never learned chords or any songs. When my wife acquired her old Sears-quality kids guitar from her Mom, I put new strings for something to mess around with on the weekends. Several weeks later, I got a cheap First Act electric for $25. Several weeks later a nice Takamine acoustic as the ears “learned” the notes and chords better. While switching from this quality acoustic guitar to the First Act, it was clearly apparent the First Act was a piece of junk. Notes and chords were just not clear and just not enjoyable to play. Well, this Epiphone is an awesome step forward combined with the Marshall amp. While I want to progress to blues scales in time, I’ve purposely focused on the major and minor chords and seamless transition between them. This guitar expresses the notes of chords so clearly. What I love most is the ability to slightly modify major chords like from Dmaj to Dsus4 and have it translate so clear as an example. Prior I never used the effects on my Marshall because it just sounded like a mess, but this guitar solves that issue. After a whole weekend of use, it felt like a big leap forward just because of quality. The fretboard layout helped refine the chords I’ve learned so far, so all strings were clear. Really helped practicing bending, hammer-ons and pull offs too. At any rate, for the money, it’s hard to beat. I suspect that if this journey continues a more expensive guitar may be warranted in a few years, but as others have said, this will always be a quality practice instrument. Especially considering we spend every other weekend at our beach bungalow and it is nice not having to transport every time.Oh, it was good to go right out of the box except a slight tightening of the strings to get in tune. No dings… in perfect condition.
27 people found this helpful
Craig Hawkins –
Don’t Buy This Guitar — it is a rip off
This is the first bad review I’ve written on anything I’ve bought on line in 15 years, but I feel obligated to point out that this guitar is beyond poor quality, it is so beyond poor quality it is practically unplayable.
Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony
I was very much looking forward to getting this guitar — the name alone holds a lot of weight “Les Paul”. When it arrived I was excited to play it, so I hooked it to my amp and started to tune it, and I must admit it was sounding good. I noticed on the bottom (high e) string though, I was just getting garbled sound from the sixth fret down, and something was just off with the sound. The string above it was off too. I finally gave up and requested a replacement, I had already tossed the box (big mistake), totally expecting no problem with the replacement planning to ship the replacement back in the new box. But, you guessed it, the replacement was bad too, with a similar problem.This time just to make sure I wasn’t missing something, I took it to a guitar store and asked them to setup the guitar for me. I hadn’t told the guy anything about the problem I was having, but he immediately noticed several problems with the neck, fretboard and frets. He said they could more than likely fix it, but it wouldn’t be worth it since the fix would cost almost what I paid for the guitar.Now I’m stuck having to find a box to ship the second guitar back in, and I have no guitar.I don’t like to skimp on quality, since you end up paying more in the end when you settle for low quality stuff. I violated my own personal rule in this case, and got bit. This guitar was a rip off and a big waste of my time.I will get a guitar, and a good one, but I will look for ones with more than 11 favorable reviews, or go to a music store and play it first before purchasing, and know that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
10 people found this helpful
Agent Smashing –
Great to learn on
I love this guitar, I’m currently learning how to play guitar with Rocksmith 2014, although it doesn’t sound as rich in tone as a more expensive guitar, it a LOT closer to a professional sound than your typical starter guitar. I’ve got about 40 hours on the guitar and I was surprised my hands haven’t bled, but I did slowly build a resistance to it. Now I can play without any pain. Anyway, great guitar with the classic Les Paul look, and once you move on to something better you can hang this on the wall with pride as your first guitar. One thing I will warn about, the sunburst in the picture looks great, but when you get it in the mail it may be a darker orange (like mine), personally I dont care but some may.
One person found this helpful
J Gerhart –
Nice for the price
I play acoustic instruments, but wanted to try a solid electric without breaking the bank. Epiphone has a good rep and the price was right. I find it easy to play without further setup and it looks better than I had hoped at the price. The tone switch is a bit touchy, need to jiggle occasionally.
George Fitch –
Beautiful guitar – love it!
My expectations were exceeded with this guitar. It was delivered in perfect condition. Minor tuning was all it needed and i find that even the intonation is correct. The guitars action is right on and is very playable right out of the box. Sounds great on my cheap amp which is surprising. Its a beautiful looking guitar too! This is maybe my best purchase ever…..
Rick Hunter –
Buy this guitar. Today! Right now!!
This is an AWESOME guitar! When I asked all my guitar player friends what to buy they unanimously said “buy an Epiphone,” so I did, and my God I have loved it since the moment I opened it. I’d give you all kinds of technical reasons why it’s awesome but I’m that guy who had to google what the treble/rhythm switch does so just trust me it’s a beauty! I’m only giving it four stars because it arrived, despite all of its intricate and multiple layers of delicate packing and protection it still had two inch long chips alongside the left side of the neck. When I’m playing I don’t even notice them but they’re still there and I can’t be parted with this thing long enough to try to replace it!Buy this guitar. Seriously.
tonelab –
Going to need to do some work
Needs tweaking, rosewood fingerboard was dry needed to soak with linseed oil replaced stock pickups with Seymour Duncans ….wiring and solder found a few cold joints took care of that that was a non issue for me needed to be set up as well not an issue for me but for the beginner or intermediate might present some challenges next step is to replace stock tuners with locking tuners also thinking this is basswood and not mahogany it is very light great potential but honestly the only reason why I didn’t buy a premium Les Paul this time what’s because of the abundance of parts that I have laying around Seymour Duncan pickups Grover strap locks Grover locking tuners etc
2 people found this helpful
Dakotah Jennings –
Epi Les Paul Special 2 = AWESOME
It’d been about 6 years since I’ve had an electric guitar. I traded my old one off to pay a debt and just never returned. I decided recently after moving back to my home town that I was going to get back into playing electric guitar, only this time I wanted it to be more than a “hobby”. I fully intend on doing local gigs for fun and some side cash and this guitar will EASILY deliver.It came in perfect condition. The action is set perfectly and I don’t have any issues with buzzing strings. It comes with clear (black) control knobs, which I’ll likely replace with something a bit prettier. But overall this is a great guitar. It even sounds amazing, it really does have that ballsy sound of a LP….. because well 0_o it IS a LP. Its no Gibson, but it IS a LP!Very happy with this purchase!!!!
Allen Paul –
Great workhorse with a few minor issues
I love the sound of this guitar. It is definitely underrated by many and serves as not ONLY a great beginner’s guitar, but also quite the workhorse. I’ve been playing guitar for seven years, and this guitar beats out several others I’ve used. It’s very comfortable, and it sounds great when clean and has a punchy, full sound with the gain cranked. When I got the guitar, I found a crack in the paint, but it’s on the edge so it’s hardly noticeable. Other than that, and the need to replace the tuners(they don’t stay in tune. period), this guitar is far better than I expected. I would recommended this to any beginner guitarist and those who enjoy a good, solid, and very playable rock n roll workhorse.
One person found this helpful
Leslie Dean –
Stunning Guitar
Being my first electric guitar I absolutely love it. Im 6’7 with long arms and the guitar just feels right; it is very comfortable. It is also a beautiful guitar. I absolutely love the black finish and the elegant writing. Im not a huge fan of the knobs but they dont take away from the guitars beauty at all so I can’t complain. It sounds wonderful as well. One thing that really gets me is I came from a really cheap acoustic guitar and it took a lot to push those strings down. With this guitar it is ease. Very well suited to learning guitar as it doesnt take much to push the strings down to get a good note to ring at any fret. I absolutely love this guitar.
19 people found this helpful
A.j. –
I was on a very tight budget and so it’s not like I bought it as a “learner” guitar
So, I didn’t buy this expecting much. I just wanted something cheap. Take my word for it, not too shabby. No rattling frets which was my main concern. I might not exactly bother putting some Zakk Wylde pickups in because after all it wouldn’t make sense on this one overall but I paid 4x as much for my last epiphone and this one isn’t that far off. Think of it as something you can learn or practice on and not have to worry as much about things like abuse/damage/theft because at the end of the day you can afford to get another one (or save for a better one). Trust or don’t, but you’ll be surprised.
4 people found this helpful
Daniel Courtney –
Incredible Value for a Very Decent Guitar
That there are new guitars, with this quality and at this price is indeed a marvel of 1) modern technology; and 2) a good reason why Trump had better not screw up the good thing Americans (and western consumers) have in dealing with Chinese manufacturers (this was made in China, not Indonesia as some have mentioned). Were this a Made in America guitar, it would cost two-to-three times the price – and the quality – who knows if it would be as good? And if it were Made in America, chances are it would be Made by American Robots.With that said….this is a fine guitar. It’s not a great guitar. But it is an admirable knockoff of the Les Paul. It plays well and sounds well. My primary guitar is a Telecaster – but I always wanted a Les Paul. This is close enough for my purposes at this stage of life . I’m having fun with it, and I wholeheartedly endorse this guitar, for beginner players or as a second ax — or even as a primary ax if you are not real particular and fussy. For 30-40% of average gig playing guitarists, this fine guitar might just be good enough. At any rate, it is an EXCELLENT value.
4 people found this helpful
Marcos –
Epiphone Les Paul for next to nothing JUST DON”T GET THE AMP
A Les-Paul Special II for around a hundred bucks? (Update: the price has gone up and down since I purchased it for 159) And there are people actually complaining??? I don’t care if it is an Epiphone and not a full blown Gibson, this sounds like a Les Paul Special, it certainly plays like one. The only thing is, I paid about a buck for it, not several hundred. It came setup just fine, with manual, an alin wrench for the kneck, which I checked, and needed no adjustment. There were only a couple of legitimate complaints about the guitar, the rest were people who ordered the package deal and had problems with the crappy amp. One: A user received his paint chipped, body blemishes, etc. Weird, obvious anomaly. Two: A user plugged into the amp with another guitar and it worked, so the problem lied with the electronics in the git.This is a great take on the classic Les Paul is excellent for multiple applications, especially METAL, which isn’t my main genre but I do play metal riffs occasionally, especially now on this guitar among my 12 other guitars.What a deal.When it comes to major guitar makers who make their own budget guitar, i.e. Fender Squier, etc. Epiphone is by far an exception. It is made by Gibson but there are Epiphone’s for over a grand – it is by far different than “budget guitars” and has its own identity. Epiphone guitars are RARELY beneath a mediocre standard, and often excellent quality.DON”T PASS THIS UP.
10 people found this helpful
Gary Y. –
A great value out of the box – an absolute steal with a few upgrades.
This guitar is an awesome value, even at $169. I got it for $99 and it’s definitely a steal at that price. The whole thing feels solid and well made. Contrary to what the details say, it’s actually made with a mahogany body, not a basswood one. All the frets are smooth. Obviously not as well polished as a Gibson, but no sharp edges like on some low cost guitars. I find that it holds tuning pretty well from day to day, even with 9’s. This guitar can easily match more expensive budget models without sacrificing quality. Put in some new pickups and it will rival even $1000+ guitars.It is slightly smaller than a typical LP, with a thinner body and a slightly narrower neck so it is great for beginners and people with small hands. It’s configured with 1 tone and 1 volume knob for both pups, and a three way switch for bridge (treble, neck (rhythm) or both.. The stock knobs turn very smoothly, but the switch is less smooth and the ring often comes loose.The tuners are cheap things. They don’t all turn as smoothly as they should. The plastic neck is rather wide which can lead to sticking. These issues can be remedied pretty easily by getting some locking tuners and a graphite or bone nut. All the upgrades I mention would bring the total cost up to around $300-350, for an instrument that sounds and plays better than some thousand dollar ones.
3 people found this helpful
Alan D. –
“PERFECT SOUND”
“PERFECT SOUND” you ask,??, Best i have ever heard;;, i had to pry my fingers away to type this;;,This, “GUITAR”, has the most, “BONITA” sound;; it’s more than pretty;;, there are a few flaws in it;,#,1- the fret board, had fret glue ? or something on it > and the fret’s, and the board itself looked likea solvent had been used on it, kind of dry and graying, but once i cleaned the glue off;, a little murphysoil soap, fixed that;; #,2-there are a few scratches;, but i plan on putting a, Hamorite, finish on it anyway#,3- the pickup switch, has a little side to side, slop in it;, but no static, even when switching;;.On the plus side;;, cristal clear sound;;, no static, hum, or feedback,at all, the clean’st, i’v ever heard;;.the guitar, plays like a dream come true;;,very close string to fret, tolerance;;,with no fret buzz;;.it look’s real nice, i put: “SURFING” brand, chrome nob’s on it, and, “C.B. GITTY” brand, chrome humbucker ring’s,I would have sent it back, but i made that kind of mistake with a great sounding guitar before;;,with a carlose;;, i pointed out a flaw to the music store owner, to see if i could get a discount;;,then he would not sell it, “with a flaw”;;, even when i offer’d more than he was asking;;,that was ,32’yr’s,ago,and i have regretted it ever since, until now;;, i found another, “GREAT GUITAR” with “PERFECT SOUND”;;;……….Al Dorris.
One person found this helpful
Range Rover –
Beautiful Guitar for the Price!
What a Great guitar, especially for the price! Beautifully packaged by Epiphone, including graphics on the box, with nice documentation inside, even a poster (case candy) also double boxed for shipping. Arrived in perfect condition. Love the feel of this guitar. The guitar was made in China, however it says that it was set up and inspected by Epiphone in the USA. It was set up perfectly, intonation was right on. Weight is a little less than a Les Paul Standard, because of the flat face, buy that is okay. It is comfortable to play not overly heavy. Very basic, and traditional, with the flat top mahogany slab body, and single volume, and tone knobs. The finish is beautiful, light gloss over a beautiful transluscent cherry sunburst finish. It has a Gibson type, flat bottom, bell shape, truss rod cover, that says Les Paul Special II. I did a couple of custom upgrades, like adding a custom flat mounted tortoise pickguard (custom made, bought from eBay), which makes the guitar look phenomenal, also I upgraded the pickups with chrome covered Humbucker (type) (bought on AMZ for $14) for more of a vintage sound (not wound as tight as the stock pups), also the chrome dresses it up. Note: the stock pickups did sound fine, just a matter of preference. Lovin’ this guitar!
One person found this helpful
James –
Awesome for the $
So, at $149, I kept my expectations low, aside from the other good reviews here and elsewhere. As soon as I unboxed it, I was impressed! No shipping damage, no factory flaws that I could see, well wrapped and protected for shipment. Right out of the box, after a quick tuning, I started playing this git and couldn’t put it down! Intonation was set nearly perfect, action was just right (for me) and the tone WITHOUT an amp was amazing!It comes with a couple of ceramic-8 potted pickups that were fairly hot at 16.3k bridge and 13.6k neck. The tuners will probably get swapped out for some Grover’s, but the stock ones hold tune fairly well, for cheapies. The strings are probably 10’s, and are the usual cheap “black fingers” kind, so change those ASAP. The only issue I have with the electronics is the tone knob doesn’t seem that sensitive, it’s rated at 500k with a capacitor that I can’t make out the farads on. I’ll probably swap that out (I’m one of those guys who use the tone). I’ve had Strats for years and years, but always wanted a LP style git. If you don’t care that it doesn’t say Gibson on the stock, BUY THIS GUITAR! You won’t be let down for the money. My American Strat has sat lonely and unplayed since I got this.Seriously. Buy this if you want a budget minded Les Paul. I’ve paid more for less in the past…
One person found this helpful
Jon Evans –
Good looking guitar
Looks great and the craftsmanship is great value for the price.
T.J. –
Couldn’t be any better.
The guitar arrived on time and packaged well.Unboxed and unwrapped this Epiphone Les Paul Special II to see a beautiful guitar. The Vintage Sunburst finish was flawless.All the frets are well done and appear to be absolutely perfect. A straight edge showed level frets. No rough edges on anything.The tuners seemed good and smooth during tuning. There was no slipping, popping, or rough spots.The toggle switch seems to be good with no give. The volume and tone knobs are tight with just enough resistance to movement.Performed a quick tune, and plugged it into the amp. The pickups and electronics are great. The action and playability are equal to my Gibson.30 minutes of playing and I can find absolutely nothing wrong with the guitar. No need whatsoever to go through an initial setup on it.There’s no fret buzz on any string on any fret anywhere on the neck. Notes all the way up the neck on each string are spot on.The strings seem good not great. They’re good enough that I won’t change them for now.I wouldn’t normally buy a guitar unless I’d first held it and played it. But for the price I took a chance, and I’m sure glad I did !!!I’m extremely pleased with my purchase. It couldn’t be any better.
4 people found this helpful
Diagram –
Great Guitar
I bought this a number of years ago and am only now writing a review. This is because I did not really use it for the first 5 years. Craftsman-ship excellent. Paint excellent and it has held up very well. Tuners stay tuned. Frets level and ends smooth. Neck appears to be a Slim Taper “C”. I am not definite on this but neck is a “C” section not a “D” section and very comfortable. Pick-ups work well and do what they are supposed do. Tune-O-Matic Bridge is easy to adjust. Everything works. I have become surprised what a great guitar this is. I have more expensive guitars but often use this because it is so comfortable to play. It is a flat top and not a fancy guitar but a good basic solid guitar. Hard to go wrong with this.
4 people found this helpful
WilbrookWilbrook –
Body Cracks and Buzzing Bass Strings
When I received this Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Vintage Sunburst I discovered there are cracks in the wooden body, under the paint. I can tell that the wood was cracked before it was painted because the paint flows into the crack in one instance on the back, is visible up over the “shoulder” close to the strap peg and can be seen under the paint on the front. In another instance the paint bridges a crack on back below the cutout shoulder and can be seen under the paint in the right light front and back. Is this normal? (There was no sign of shipping damage on either the outer carton or on the inner product box). Regarding playing, the bass strings buzz on the frets when fretted (not my fingers) which probably can be corrected by adjusting the bridge. I was under the impression that Epiphone guitars were ready to use right out of the box. I have contacted Epiphone/Gibson company to advise on the cracks and the buzzing bass strings. I am concerned that the cracks may get worse, and if this is this normal for a guitar in this low price range made in china. I got a reply from Gibson Customer Service which said “We would need to see pictures, but it would be highly unusual if there actually were cracks in the wood. The set up on an instrument can shift during shipping and handling, so a new instrument may need to be set-up.” I will probably return this instrument and buy one in person from a music store where I can see and try the product before buying it.Update:11-12-15. I discovered another crack in the vicinity off one of the screws that holds the neck on. I sent several pictures to Gibson Products/Epiphone a few days ago but have yet to receive a reply. It seems to be a pretty good guitar but I expected it to not be cracked. Guitar was made in China. Photos attached.
101 people found this helpful