Guitar Gear Forum

Not ready to make an NGD post or post pics, cuz I'm still waiting for parts (I'm swapping out all gold hardware for nickel...keeping the same pickups but replacing the covers and polepiece screws), but I've been playing it while I wait and holy crap...it's astonishingly good!

Weight is just 8 lbs 6 oz

Neck feels killer and measures .895" at first fret and 1.039" at 12th fret...doesn't have too much shoulder...just really really nice feeling neck.

Doesn't feel "dipped in poly" in the slightest to me either.

Really REALLY nice.

I bought an ebony one (IGC hardshell case included) from a seller on Reverb and got $300 off the price, so I'm putting that money saved into personal touches. I decided to go with an aluminum tonepros import bridge and tailpiece which will shave a touch more of the weight off, too.

Highly recommended!

Not the custom, but I've tried the $1299 1959 Les Paul standard, specs are nice and the guitar felt and sounded nice. The finish didn't have that encased in plastic feel. Its a tough pill to swallow for that price, but some PRS SE are nearing the $1000 mark and do not have USA pickups or hardshell case.
I think I would still rather buy a used Gibson Les Paul traditional for a little more money.

Epiphone has finally put out some shit I like. Again being in a tech at a shop, I get to see a lot and the one that actually REALLY had me thinking was that Jared James Nichols Les Paul with just a single p90. I like P90s, maybe I would swap it one day or even route a humbucker but that thing played like a US Gibson to me. Forget the price range but I wasn’t to say $800-1000ish. Worth it for sure

And some of the high end Epiphone Les Pauls I’ve set up are all really good they definitely do not feel like the plastic Epiphones of the past. Altho those are still around but mid priced (well high for them) Epiphones are quality guitars for sure

I'm a huge fan of the Jared James Nichols LP too. Great guitar!!!
It seems like they upped the quality quite a bit the last few years.

Guitarbilly wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 8:20 pm I'm a huge fan of the Jared James Nichols LP too. Great guitar!!!
It seems like they upped the quality quite a bit the last few years.

Yeah it was killer. Plus the pickup i belive was a “genuine” Gibson or maybe it was a Duncan. But it had some balls to it. The satin finish on the one I played was killer. It literally felt like a satin Nitro. Actually I’m not sure it actually wasn’t!! Have to check out the specs

Tone pros nickel plated aluminum tailpiece and bridge (full nashville like Gibson LPC) arrived and is on...very nice.

All I'm waiting for now are the pickup covers, L-bracket assembly for pickguard, keystone buttons for the tuners, and witch hat knobs with 30 degree knob pointers (going ‘68 LPC in that regard). All will be here early in the week.

As info in case anyone gets one of these and wants to put knob pointers on...even though they're the metric version of the CTS pots, they require imperial knob pointers (not metric) because they have the same size nut/washer base as the regular CTS pots.