Epiphone Les Paul Special (Cheap - But Worth It?)
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- Опубліковано 25 вер 2022
- Epiphone Les Paul Special (Cheap - But Worth It?)
The Epiphone Les Paul is certainly cheap, but it's the kind of price that can be a bit risky at times. So is it worth it, or should you maybe invest a bit more for a better guitar. Let's find out.
Enjoy!
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Elmo this channel is amazing, brilliant content man! Love the honest reviews, a real musicians aspect on all things about guitar. Keep up the good work, cheers from Greece!
Thank you very much!
I actually prefer bolt-on necks to glue-in because you can actually service them without taking it to a specialist.
There are tricks to fixing a neck like a neck that has no more truss rod adjustment without doing anything crazy.
All commenters below have made valid remarks pro and con. I'll add, as an owner of 'real' Les Pauls and other nice and relatively more expensive guitars, that you're as likely to get a good Epi Special as a bad Gibson and they are a solid mod/upgrade platform as well as a reliable, tough secret weapon for gigging that has monster tone for hard rock and is priced right. Keeps you from having to take your nicer guitars out of the house to a bar date or party and risking damage or loss. You made this one sound fine today! The jangles disappear when you plug in and probably this one just needs a slight torquing of the truss rod to put back some relief in the neck. The bolt neck is not an issue and does not necessarily hurt sustain- as with Fenders/Squiers, a removable neck can be a positive when it comes to maintenance and repair. Most guitars can also benefit from a proper setup and some tweaking. Sometimes the frets on these and other 'cheap' guitars need attention but this too is not uncommon, even on expensive guitars. Admittedly, for many of us who are not rich the Epi Specials are substitutes for the Gibsons we'd prefer but they do the job, and are great fun.
True.
@@MrPolevaulter Thanks Elmo. Trying to keep it positive and be helpful.
I was given one of these probably 10-12 years ago and it was one of the older gloss-finished “Special II” models. I recall it being an excellent playing and sounding little axe. Probably one of those guitars that if do some work to it or just “get the right one,” then it can be a lot of fun. Great demo, ironically you got some of your best recorded tones out of this thing!
Cheers Clifton!
I have a 2000 model, cardinal red with the coil split, little heavy, little dark , but not bad. I'd trash those tuners.
Yes Elmo,these lp special 2s have a 650 rhythm and a700 treble pickups. That the same pickups on a Gibson lpj tribute. These cheapo epi have surpriseingly good pickups and hardware
Probably the same as mine, then. 2009 model with the gloss over black/sunburst. I put a PAF style humbucker from StewMac in the bridge and it sounds pretty nice. The previous pickup straight up died somehow. As someone else said, the tuners are trash and you have to re-drill your headstock to put in new ones. So yeah, some of the parts are pretty "cheap", but there's a good guitar in there somewhere. A good setup helps too.
Bought a used 2014 model. Has a beautiful real deal rosewood fretboard, no fret sprout. It's great. Like the pickups so kept them. Swapped in a set of Grover 133N Deluxe tuners, good to go.
Thanks for the review Elmo! 👍👍😎🎶✌🏻
My pleasure.
I'll be checking out the alternatives. But, you could still play a broomstick attached to a shoe box, strung with yarn and make it sound good. Just love your playing.
Thank you 😊
I have the wine red Epi LP Special II and the Epi AFD Special II. Both were not ready to play out of the box. All strings were really loose and not fresh. I added strings, set up the neck & intonation. Adjusted the action and they play awsum. Great pups. Definitely worth the money.
Ceramic 8 pickups are underrated.
I Purchased the first version of this guitar in 1996 , I did not have enough money at the time to buy one of the all time great Les paul's , so i choose this guitar. 28 Years Later I still have it.
Im handing it to my son.
There’s a old theory that bolt-on necks increase treble and snappy response, at least more reliably than inexpensive set neck guitars, that can have poor contact at the body-neck joint.
Thanks for the review!
The black version of this model is sold for 179€ in Europe,we had 3 of them at the music school that I 've worked.
Let's just say that nowadays there are many better guitars for the price or even cheaper.
Elmo, greetings from Munich-Oktoberfest 🍻
Oktoberfest? Nice. That's something I'd love to experience some day.
Can you name any guitars that are better for the price/cheaper?
When you play on a Les Paul, you have to play a KISS song. Even if it's Lick It Up (not played by Ace Frehley). And some Zakk Wylde riffs.
That's the law. 😎
Great video btw! As always!
Thanks!
But I fight the law and I win😅
@@frankpetermann9366 I, too, fight the law.
But not because I don't like Zakk or KISS. Exact opposite, I'm a huge KISS fan.
But just because I'm a bad guitar player. 😂
@@AstralBayo 😅
I have the translucent black one and love it! I put Gibson locking tuners and a graph tech nut on it. I set up the guitar really good and have D’Addario EXL115 11-49s on it 🤟🎸
I bought an epiphone Les Paul years ago great guitar, gave it to my nephew who started playing biggest mistake ever 😂loved playing it great guitar
Great for advice thanks you again always 🙏👍
Thanks!
For birthday this past September, my wife got me a Les Paul Special 2 from Music Go Round, used .. it is glossy, beautiful mint condition, I look it over, it's an 2004 model, all mahogany neck and body (it's heavy), burst buckers, grover tuners, the sustain on it is unreal, think she got a diamond in the rough there!!
I did notice that this is the "Vintage Edition" whiih is sold by the big dealers. It has a poplar body. The Special II with the gloss finish is the one that Epiphone has on their website. It has a mahogany body. The truss rod cover just says "Special II". I got mine on sale for $179.00 on Amazon about a month ago. Still that price today 11/24.
Bought one for slide a few years ago. For that, it’s perfect.
👍
I started out on a gloss black Special II, a long long time ago. I could never make it sound good. That had nothing to do with the guitar. Ended up selling it when I moved abroad, and kind of regret it. One day, when I have money to waste, I'll get myself a Gibson LP Studio in gloss black to compensate. :)
My nephew gave me his after he upgraded to a real Gibson Les Paul. The one he gave me has a glossy finish and sounds better than the one you're playing. It doesn't buzz and sounds amazing with my classic Big Muff pedal and shreds pretty good with regular distortion from the amp. I'm jamming it out of a Gamma50. I think it's a great guitar.
OBVIOUSLY!! Gibson is the REAL LP…
It's so funny watching you play!your eyes roll back in your head. I can tell how much you love playing. I really enjoy your reviews. Thanks jim
Glad you enjoy it!
Thanks elmo'i love to watch cheap guitar reviews! I play left handed . I have the epi lp 2. It's a decent guitar. It's good enough without adding to much. Upgrade. I hate purchasing a more costly guitar,"then have getting more upgrades on it. Here's a cheap guitar that sounds really good! Thanks Jim K.
Sounds good. I was thinking of getting one for a beginner guitar. I think they are 249 at guitar center and it has equipment.
My first one was a special II bundled with a cheap gigbag, analog tuner, cable and Crate GX-15R amp. IIrc it was about 300DM in '96. I don't know what that would be today, I think about 300€. It was playable but manufactured like shit. Strings we're about 1cm above the fretboard on the last fret and no matter what I did, I could not get the strings exactly above the pole pieces. But man, I just Love that guitar. I repainted it, installed Kluson tuners, chrome pickup frames, a switchplate, new jack and switch, and even split the Humbuckers with new push/pull pots. Also did a fretjob and adjustet the string level. Not an A grade guitar but she's fun to play now.
Cool bananas :)
@@MrPolevaulter Pardon me? 🤔
I had one of these about 25 years ago when I first started playing. Great axe for beginners. Thanks for the review. Sounds solid my man 🎸😎.
Cheers!
Me too!
I just got a similar one. The les paul VE. No problems, sounds good lightweight. Minor adjustment for action. But the thing that really bothered me was the color of the fretboard. A pukey light brown. It’s dark brown on the website where I got it. So I painted it funky colors. No adverse effects on the guitar.
I was given an Epiphone Les Paul SL which was the model even lower than this with single coils.
A very twangy sounding guitar but I loved it starting out but it had some huge set up issues which I only realised after becoming a more experienced player.
Would be great if you review Ibanez azes 40. Would love to hear what's your thoughts about it. As I am thinking to get it as my first electric guitar. 🙏
8:48 LOL .Just bought a Special with one piece bridge for $115. Going to put in a GFS Mean 90 in the bridge, remove the neck HB and voila...cheap junior. Love the content! Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Thanks!
Had one for about six months in Pelham blue and while I really wanted to love I couldn't. It performed and sounded OK but it just didn't feel right. There was something about the shape of the neck just felt off. The pickups weren't great either but it sounded good when I swapped them for the vintage set that came in my Harley Benton sg copy. I put Seymour Duncan 79s in that.
When you look at budget instruments from 40 years ago, yeah I'd say the Special II is a good value. I bought one 12 years ago just to have a guitar to bang around on, but I had to replace a ton of shit on it. We're not talking upgrades just for the sake of upgrades, the tuners suck, I had to replace those plus the jack, the bridge pickup, the pickup switch and I forget what else. Kinda needs a new neck but I def transformed a 99 dollar guitar into something more "mid-range". They're pretty easy to work on, at least, and you can learn new skills repairing and upgrading.
I have one. My practice guitar. I paid $50. Used. But its like new. The pickups Rock. Yes its worth it to me. 👍✌️🎸🎸. Nice Gary moore licks bro 👍💯
I have the SG special..thats a Realy great Guitar...ok the tuners are not so good..but plays extremly well! Monster playing by the way!
Cheers!
i can only see this serving as a mod base to go into a junior/special approach and have a simple and light guitar to play at home
i mean, i cannot treat this guitar like a actually lp style guitar, for me is kinda another guitar
Fair enough.
Had one and only complaints I had was the selector switch sometimes would go pop or go dead.
The nut *might* be fine… maybe all it needs is a truss rod adjustment.
my special II looks different, it is a mahogany guitar with rosewood fretboard, its a nice bang around guitar for cheap.
Like 400. Loved watching it flip. Hahaha. Great review man!!!
Could you do a review on stagg SEL-STD guitar .. LESPAUL BODY with a push pull knob.
Strange and confusing that they call this Specials. For me a Special is 2 P90’s a wraparound bridge and double volume and tone. And those are awesome from Epiphone, both the LP and the SG. But if you want to go even cheaper, ofc is only a matter of time before you run into quality issues. Still amazing bang for buck with a proper setup.
I looked at one, it looks cheap, Ibanez 170 blows it out of the water. Best save up and get a better guitar. That fretboard is a funny coloured Rose wood! If I am honest you looked as if you struggled a bit with it. AS always it is nice to watch you play.
Thanks!
I have the same guitar had the truss rod adjusted it plays great and sounds cool
Cool 😊
Looks like $219 in the US. The Black One was $199 at the big Sweetwater distributor. So - it has a bolt on neck. The Stratocasters have always had a bolt on neck. I really don't see the advantage of a glued on set neck. Good Demo.
Thanks!
Yeah, I just bought this player pack. First time playing in like 20+ years. Could I use Ballistol (Better version of WD40 without the extra chemicals propellants) which is basically mineral oil me and my dad use for cleaning out hunting rifles and wiping the knives to prevent oxidation. It’s also good for wood rifle but stocks and wood in general. It won’t damage plastic or rubber… this I know. However, I’m not sure if it would affect the fret board? It would definitely condition the wood but I’m not sure if that would ruin the sound at all? I literally have the exact guitar he is playing and mine has the same rattle but for $219 (Guitar Center matched Amazons price) for the guitar, amp, cables and case I decided it won’t get any cheaper for a plug and play. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
I have a black one. Must obviously start playing it again.
sounds good to me.
Great little guitar. cat's got it made now.
This model was my first guitar back in 2019, funny enough, it's still around, modded to oblivion and beyond. Tuners were, TBH, utter trash that made the guitar go out of tune after a single one step bend! Replaced them with some Gotoh non-locking machine heads that pretty much will last you forever, then I replaced the bridge (5-th string saddle sagged lower than a lowrider, a cheap roller bridge fixed the problem), THEN I replaced the nut with a synthetic bone one, THEN I installed some cheap Chinese no-name zebra pickups to have the ability to split coils (what's funny, they have MUCH more clarity that the original ones, ESPECIALLY the bridge humbucker). Also, I managed to make holes for coil split switches by punching them with a screwdriver, LOL.
As I said, it's still here, with 12's strings, tuned to C Standard, always ready for action due to the mods. In fact, I'd say every sub-500 bucks guitar needs at least hardware replacement. For example, my Contemporary Strat with Floyd Rose is 1 year old, and I've already replaced the pressure pads and saddles (STILL the 6th string goes out of tune pretty easily).
And in this model string E is not going in the line with neck pick up.
Ive got an old Encore Les Paul has 2 tones and 2 volumes , Mahogany Body but sadly a bolt on neck and needs work as fret buzz due to age but only cost me £80 , I cant play it in gigs anymore though anyway as it weighs something ridiculous like 10lbs lol
Hey buddy, I noticed the dryness also! Could I *use Ballistol on the fret boards?* It’s made in Germany and me and my dad use it for everything!! It’s basically mineral oil that gives good protection for metal and wood I’m told. It’s not abrasive like WD40 (I’m in the 🇺🇸 btw) with all the extra chemicals. We use Ballistol for cleaning our hunting rifles, wiping down knives to protect from rust etc. Ballistol won’t damage rubber o-rings like WD40 would. It actually soaks in and protects wooden rifle butt stocks as well. Just not sure about guitars as this is my first in 20+ years. I know it’s cheap and I’m not expecting amazing results but if this would help protect and keep that fret board looking better I’ll definitely try it. My fret board looks dry like yours and has the same dusty look
Don't know.
Ha! Just noticed you had the truss rod cover off to tighten the rod a little. Did the trick, didn't it?
Yeah.
I got the epiphome les Paul special II Slash and its incredible by that instead
Great!!
E..for the sunburst I say buy.. custom,hate the Epiphone headstock, looks like it should be on an acoustic I would cut it, to a different shape, maybe rounded, for the price and the color, it would be worth it to do a full blown custom on it through $500 at it..
Hey guys. I’ve just bought the 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Special Edition II from an old man. The guitar is like new, very comfortable for me and sounds reasonably good (previously I played classical guitar and acoustic guitar). And what do you think about improving it?
I had one of these just recently it was my first guitar .But I swapped it for a strat style guitar instead good guitar tho for beginners..
I’m currently torn between a strat and a les paul. Is one better ?
I still like that style..LP JR etc… …you get what you pay for. Acceptable as first guitar I suppose.
Certainly.
Have you ever tried jet guitars? , they go for 100-200 and are literally as good as mexican fenders in my opinion
I've ordered one ages ago, and it's still not arrived.
He shread it so hard, the guitar was about to fall in pieces 😂😂
+1 on "I like the look somehow". It's different than the average LP which isn't necessarily bad, some of them look sorta boring.
Some do, yeah.
Your playing proves its cant be that bad!
Cheers!
I actually think it’s a cool guitar!! 🤘🏻
I have one of these but it has a lacquer finish . It is a decent guitar and mine came set up good for me out of the box . My step son got the same guitar and his was in dire need of a setup . I still enjoy playing mine but all I have is cheap guitars :)
Cool :)
Doesn't matter how inexpensive they are, if they sound good, that's all that counts.
@@eamonmcdermott4032 I’m a beginner and haven’t played in a while (wasn’t good 20yrs ago, just learned a few riffs as a teenager) and my guitar sounds just like his with the rattling twang. If I replaced the but what could I use to protect the fret board from drying? I was thinking maybe a mineral oil made to condition wood called Ballistol. It’s made in Germany and me and my dad swear by it. It’s safe and non toxic without any propellant so it’s safe for rubber and plastic. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated
My parants gifted me this guitar, and in my hands is wonderfull, well i gues, i just started playing and im still a noob but i like it :)
I love my LP special. I swapped pick ups for a Slash Signature (bridge) and a Alnico Pro II (neck)... my first guitar and still #1 in my heart out of all of my guitars. I will never part with mine
Cool 😊
So having this exact guitar and the same issues with the rattlin frets… should I replace the nut and what would be a good replacement? Also, could I wipe the fret board down with Ballistol (it’s mineral oil basically) to protect the wood from dry climate in New York? It’s basically German WD40, but better as it has no propellant’s and won’t damage rubber or plastic. Me and my father small game hunt with air rifles (NY State ran out of 22LR rounds for small game season a while back) and this stuff conditions wood and prevents steel from oxidation very well. Would it damage the frets in any way you know of? Any help would be greatly appreciated… like anything to make this guitar sound even a little better?! I love it though… played for 3/hrs today and had a blast ✊
@@greg6162 Not sure about the oil. Graphite nyt should be good.
You will have to refret, these epi frets are super soft and wear after heavy use pretty quick. This could easily cost the same as the guitar if you pay a luthier.
You make it sound pretty good but I think I share your reservations and for the money I think there are better ones out there
Yeah.
Entry level guitars with certain names on the headstock are worse than the cheaper brands. For the same money you can buy a better model that doesn't need a lot of upgrades.I stick with Harley Benton Fusions and not had a bad one yet.
@@Barbarapape I own a HB Tele and the fabulous HB Hb35+ and I agree that I would take them over any epiphonies 👍🏻
@@Ashbash75 The established brands sell on their name, which means very little these days.
@@Barbarapape indeed.... Hence the recent price fixing ruling against Fender....
rattle = more distortion = more good! :D
Hammer to Fall returns... and so does Lick it Up... wooooooooooyeahhhhhhhhhhalllllllriiiiiaaaaaghhhhhhttttt.... come on!!!!!
:)
Just purchased on Musician's Friend for $149 in the US.
Get a studio e1 epiphone instead for the same price it has 2 volume and 2 tone controls
Do you can search the serial number of this guitar? I bought the same guitar but the serial number doesn't exists on site.
I've sold it ages ago.
Ok… so I’m not crazy?! I bought this exact model (special ii players kit $220 guitar center matched) *after playing at $1200+ Gibson Les Paul* and it seemed a little off. Thought it was the amp. Also, I haven’t played in over 20+ years (1996) and I didn’t practice much to begin with, so I thought it was me? And actually most of it is… except it could use a new nut for the rattle, right? Mine is definitely doing that rattle as well. I will UA-cam this and do it myself, maybe?? Would that be the number one thing to upgrade would you say?
A new nut might improve things.
That peppa pig riff hade me crying
🤣
Well, you definitely make it sound good 😂
Thanks :)
I hope you have a nice day to
Thanks! I have a bit of a cold actually. Not too bad though.
Are there any famour stars who use one of these instead of the full fat les pauls, this sounds like a nice guitar
Not that I know.
One of the better cheap guitars
You could give Elmo a sack of potatoes and somehow he would make it sound like gold.
Thank you :)
Is the studio better?
Dunno.
NICE but the studio version is better
Nice guitar to start a bbq with.
I didnt expect the peppa pig part😂
Bro, this shit here in Brazil costs 1000R$ 💀
Actually it's a very good guitar, the factory setup (with 9 gauge strings) is almost perfect. Also you can adjust the truss rod, level the frets properly. So it is possible instead of way more expensive instruments. Of course -because it's cheap- it has many weak points. Tuners are crap, you have to replace the cheap plastic nut to graptech/bone nut, the humbuckers are a joke, the whole electroincs (although it works) are pieces of shit (the cheapest chinese stuff), also the bridge and the saddle is a joke. Another thing to mention that it has a very thick layer of polyuritane laquer, so basically the finish is a heavy, thick coat of plastic. If you sand that down to wood and give it a proper finish it'll sound 1000x times better.
never ever(!) buy a Gibson. You'll pay just for the name. Buy an Epiphone and upgrade it. It'll be a way better guitar than a Gibson, for much less cost.
In USA it is $249.99, a very good price for an above average guitar.
The guitar itself is $169.99… they have the player pack with this exact guitar for $219.99 on Amazon. Went to Guitar Center and they price matched
300$ in Canada 😢
Elmo, weird to hear that the Epiphone was able to channel Gary Moore but unable to channel Slash... could it be that this LP is afraid of snakes?
Also, on a more serious note; was it me or were you having tuning issues?
I had some if I remember correctly.
What’s the verdict? You are a brilliant guitar player!!!
Thank you very much 😊
There seems to be many netter alt out there
don't go lookin' for a premium steak on a cheap chinese restaurant; for its price, this guitar is pretty decent 🤘
Elmo, You could make a turd sound good! 🥴🤦♂️🤣
Haha :D
I bought one used online, so I didn't see it first and must take into account that I don't know what happened with the prvious owner. That said, it really is an awful, problematic guitar! I cannot stop the fret buzz without setting the action unreasonably high, and the twangs and rattles from the bridge are over the top! I did replace the nut in the hopes of stopping the fret buzz, but to no avail. After just setting the action high, I realized the buzzing problems from everywhere else would require more money to ateempt improvements that may or may not be realized - and in the end just gave up on it.
Sorry to hear.
Sounds good in your hands. In a live setting the audience will give zero f*cks what guitar you're using as long as you sound good. Only guitar nerds and guitar snobs will b!tch about it.
First 😎!!
Your biggest achievement I'm guessing. Smh.
@@castleanthrax1833 Just about 😁
It gave him a guitar face, so he liked it!
What a piece of crap. Gibson will sell anything these days.
This Sh!t hurt my ears. Dude.
Man this guitar is soooooooo HORRIBLE! It should be considered as scam
No it's a peace of crap
I found a used one for 150 bucks pickups were already changed new pots but action was as if u could drive a sports car under the strings the neck was hump backed but got it home done a string and set up and I love it for a cheap guitar I've played expensive guitars and this one plays and sounds just as good so yea they are around 200 to 300 in the USA 🇺🇸 but couldn't pass for 150 shit im happy