What's so special about the Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar? For the amount of value, it offers for the price, pointing out “downsides” is a cynical endeavor. These models include the Epiphone Casino, the Epiphone Limited Edition ES-335, the Epiphone ES-339, and the Epiphone Wildkat entry-level hollow body guitar. The model becomes even more with its “Player Pack,” a bundle that includes an Epiphone guitar amp, a bag, a cable, a strap, a set of picks, and a tuner. In a similar fashion, it has the same mahogany neck Les Paul guitars pack. Rosewood is the typical choice for the fingerboard as it’s a smooth and naturally oily hardwood. You can follow this article too if you’re simply looking for a budget-friendly guitar you can gift to someone else. As I mentioned before, this is a flat-body guitar. A flat radius, allows you to go from chords to solos easily. It also feels lighter than the Gibson Les Paul, which is why it is a great choice for beginners and kids. For a minimal investment, you can go from bedroom player to live gig situations just by investing in better and better amps. There’s nothing you could do about this, though. It’s surprising how this guitar approaches the Gibson Les Paul so much in terms of sound and build. It has a rosewood fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and simple dot inlays. First off, it has sealed machine heads for tuners with nickel buttons. What it lacks, though, is the same kind of carved-top body you’d find on expensive LPs. Left position: only the bridge humbucker is on. They also come in different weights and natural colors. The electronics are quite basic but still functional. Moreover, tonewoods are less likely to produce any changes coming through budget guitar amps. And although the price is much, much less, it’s built with almost the same materials. It also has a stop bar tailpiece, which increases sustain even more. Loud, humbucking pickups and an easy neck are student friendly. That said, the bundled amps won’t do any justice to the LP Special II. SOUND QUALITY. Overall, this is a relatively easy to play guitar for beginners and a really comfortable choice for experienced players. The quality of its pickups is superb for the price, and although it lacks some clarity for the clean sections, they react well to distortions and offer hefty sustains. And currently, Mastodon’s lead guitar player, Brent Hinds, plays with a Signature Epiphone Flying V Custom. Their offerings are as expensive as instruments can get, but they also pack premium sound, playability, designs, features, and aesthetics. However, unlike Squier, Epiphone still creates premium instruments and signature models. Soon, the company was able to compete against Gibson and Fender. The Les Paul guitar changed the music world forever because its prototype was the first solid-body guitar to exist. The one it has introduces a fair amount of fret buzz. Nevertheless, Epiphone has a strong position in the area with the LP Special II guitar, which is one of the most popular choices in the segment. And once you’re plugged, this beginner-friendly guitar is most definitely a Les Paul. It’s certainly a popular model for budget players and beginner musicians. They feel a bit rough, a bit unfinished, but it’s still acceptable at this price range. Vintage Sunburst is the most famous color for Les Paul guitars. And although you’re still going to feel the weight on your neck, at least you won’t feel the price of “Carved Top” Gibson guitars. There’re no shortcuts. Stopbar (tailpiece type), 12 (fretboard radius), 1960s SlimTaper D Profile (neck shape), DAddario 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46 (strings) The truth is, not bad. The sound of a solid-body electric guitar depends almost entirely on its hardware (pickups, electronics, and bridge). There’s more info about these aggressive axes on the best guitars for rock guide. Mahogany is very popular because it’s the only hardwood that works on any part of every guitar. You would never get this guitar outside of its comfort zone with these two pieces. Today, we’re looking at the cheapest “real” Les Paul there is, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II. Tonewoods refer to the hard pieces of wood used to construct a guitar. What we’re reviewing here is a Les Paul guitar at a price we can afford. And after many months of trial and error, they created the Gibson Les Paul Gold Top prototype. That’s why I’m urging you to check our prior best combo amps list. It shines because it’s a medium-weight timber that adds both punch and warmth. We may link to products if we deem helpful to the reader. This is the curvature of the neck, and a 12’’ radius is the LP standard. A carved top body is a 3D contour made with computer-controlled carvers to enhance the sustain and enrich the tone of the guitar. The segment of beginner guitars is very tough. The length of this guitar (measured from end to end) is 24.74’’, which is the same size as the Standard LP. They are more than okay, and they can even hold heavy de-tunes for the heaviest metal genres. So, what does a cheap Les Paul sound like? See, the top Les Paul sells for a hefty price, and, while controversial, I’d say this is the best rock guitar there is in the market. Gibson is a top music instrument manufacturer. Having said that, if you have some experience, there are two things you could do to increase the value of this guitar by tenfold. This is a Mahogany-made guitar, which is a surprising choice as mahogany is a tonewood that usually belongs at higher price ranges. The Epiphone Les Paul Special II ships in two different colors. It has a mahogany bolt-on neck. Now, aside from Fender’s Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul is the most replicated electric guitar in the market. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates. It can even hold a whole live set without giving you too much intonation issues. Tonewoods: mahogany body with basswood top, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard Because, instead of a budget Les Paul alternative, this model could be the evidence of too many corners cut. The original 1952 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top had a contoured top similar to a violin’s arched top. It has a compromise, though which is the plastic nut. It doesn’t use any extra material for the finish of the guitar. I. Secondly, the fret ends could be better. The super-low price for starters and that's not all. The neck offers a nice 1960s SlimTaper D profile, which is LP’s vintage super-slim neck shape. Gibson believed this decision would put their solid-body guitars far ahead of Fender. I think the reasons to like the Epiphone LP Special II are very clear. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The fret ends (the edges) arent as smooth as I’d like. The Broadcaster appeared in 1948, whilst the Les Paul guitar appeared in 1952. And then, naturally, you could change the pickups for top-quality humbuckers. There is plenty of competition from no-name brands replicating Stratocaster bodies. This is not the case with the LP Special II. Epiphone is Gibson’s subsidiary creating cheap Gibson models like the Les Paul, the SG, or the Thunderbird bass. Flat bodies offer increased access to the higher frets compared to the rounder and fatter carved-top body. It has a wide and flat 12’’ radius. The LP Special II is cut as the original Les Paul. We’ve highlighted and praised Gibson’s little sister Epiphone. Moreso, a light instrument is something you’d want to have for your long gigs. These tapers are well above its price point, which is why they are a definite highlight. There’s more info about guitar pickups in this DiMarzio pickups guide. The LP Special II packs two humbucker pickups in its body. These things alone make this a true Les Paul. You can change all of the hardware pieces of any electric guitar. This guitar feels fast and comfortable. Most rock music has been made with a Les Paul: Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Pearl Jam, Metallica, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Deep Purple, Frank Zappa, Stone Temple Pilots,… you name it. Epiphone was founded in Greece (1870) and then moved to New York by 1912 when the original founder passed away. The Epiphone Elitist series brings forward Epiphone vintage instruments with the higher quality standards the brand can offer.