Epiphone Les Paul Special II Review Electric Guitar : Is It Good?

Epiphone is a famous American musical instrument brand founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna. Epiphone Les paul special II also belongs to one of the electric guitar product segments. Find out what it has and if it's worth buying.

Overview about Epiphone

Epiphone is an American musical instrument brand that originated in an instrument manufacturing business founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire, and moved to New York City in 1908. After a takeover In his father's business, Epaminondas Stathopoulos named the company "Epiphone," which is a combination of the nickname "Epi" and the suffix "-phone" (from the Greek phone-, "voice") in 1928, the same year it started producing guitars.

In 1957, Epiphone, Inc. was acquired by Gibson, its main competitor in the dome guitar market. Gibson moved Epiphone production from its original Queens, New York factory to Gibson's Kalamazoo, Michigan plant. Over time, as Gibson moved its production to other facilities, Epiphone followed suit; Gibson has also subcontracted the construction of Epiphone products to various facilities in the United States and internationally. Epiphone is still used today as a trademark for the Gibson company, both for entry-level models of other Gibson-branded products and for some exclusive Epiphone models. In addition to guitars, Epiphone has also made double basses, banjos, other string instruments, and amplifiers.

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Epiphone Les Paul Special II has a great appearance that lots of performers and musical players love[/caption]

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Specs of Epiphone Les paul special II Guitar

  • Body: Okoume

  • Neck: Okoume

  • Neck Shape: 1960s SlimTaper™ "D" Profile

  • Neck Joint: Bolt-on

  • Scale length:24.75."

  • Fingerboard: Dot inlay

  • Fingerboard Radius 12."

  • Nut Width: 1.68"

  • Hardware: Nickel

  • Machine Heads: Covered; 14:1 ratio

  • Neck Pickup: Epiphone 650R Humbucker

  • Bridge Pickup :Epiphone 700T Humbucker

  • Controls 1-volume, 1-tone

  • Pickup Selector: 3-way Epiphone toggle

  • Bridge: Tune-o-Matic

  • Tailpiece: Stopbar

  • Optional: Hard Case

  • Warranty: Epiphone Limited Lifetime.

  • Typical Weight (+/- 5%) 7.9 lbs

  • Strings D’Addario® 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46

[caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="500"] The detailed information about the Epiphone Les Paul Special II that you might want to know[/caption]

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Body & Neck

The Epiphone Les Paul 2, in particular, is a solid, flat-bodied guitar made from mahogany. Although the guitar we are looking at here today has a mahogany body and neck. However, the same guitar model is always available, made from different woods. Make sure that the woods used to manufacture the particular guitar you're considering meet any criteria you may have.

While the neck is not something you would normally expect to find on a Les Paul style guitar, it doesn't affect the overall aesthetic too much. Overall, the Les Paul Special II feels like a well-matched and finished guitar.

Electronics & Hardware

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II creates a not-so-loud volume

This is one of the weak points of this guitar because it comes with a nickel stopper and a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge. This further limits the volume a guitar can produce, but if we're being honest, 99% of all guitarists keep both tone controls over ten and use only one. The volume knob, so no problem, really.

Finally, one thing some of us might love to see on this guitar is a guard. That's, of course, if you don't mind drilling a few holes in your guitar first.

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Sound & Playability

[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Epiphone Les Paul Special II has outstanding pickups[/caption]

This is a useful feature for anyone picking up a guitar for the first time. Compared to the price of the guitar, the quality of these pickups is excellent. Now, to get the most out of the guitar, it needs to be played through a mid-range amplifier or better. If it were played through a cheaper amplifier, which is most likely bundled with this guitar, it wouldn't be able to sound anywhere near the best.

How does the Epiphone Les Paul II special sound?

Let's evaluate its quality through the following video. And let me know how you feel when you listen to it.

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The Les Paul Special was first sold by Gibson in 1952 and was designed by Gibson president Ted McCarty, factory manager John Huis, and Les Paul guitarist creator. "Featured with a solid mahogany body with a built-in mahogany neck, powerful vibrato, 24.75" scale length, and gorgeous sun-kissed and shimmering gold finish, the real Les Paul is a rock-and-patin player's dream. Years after the Les Paul hit the market, Epiphone began making a Les Paul that was more affordable than the original Gibson, offering the average person.

Epiphone Les paul special is made of a tonal wood, mahogany that produces a warm and wide tone and has a decent dynamic response and guitar bite. The tone of the Epiphone LP Special is less pointed or sharp than other acoustic woods but is wide and rounded, a great design choice that takes it a step further with the addition of powerful pickups. Compared to its Gibson counterpart, the Epiphone body is slimmer and doesn't include the prominent Gibson markings on the front. The only non-mahogany wood on the guitar is the rosewood neck, which has 22 frets.

These high-powered pickups are not optimized to produce the same clarity as timbres and distortions. They provide clear highs and perfect definition without distortion mixed with mud like other humbuckers. The truck's 700T bridge is hotter than an antique pickup to provide some extra punch while maintaining the pickup's clear balance between bold bass and highs. The ¼ « jack is solid and feels more solid than the jacks on some other cheap guitars. An edgy design, the warm ladder length is suitable for the body.

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Epiphone Les Paul Special II Pros & Cons

Although coming from a long-standing American brand, Epiphone Les paul special ii still has advantages and disadvantages. Let's start to read about them.

Pros

Many users describe it with phrases like "great beginner guitar" and "great quality for the price." And while most raves are beginners, some experienced guitarists have shared their positive feelings, specifically pointing to its build quality and playability. And while many low-cost guitars struggle with inconsistencies in a mass-production setup, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II received rave reviews from users who found it to play great right out of the box.

Cons

This guitar would have been rated better without some users giving it a lower rating because of the unfair comparison with more expensive models. Still, there are valid complaints, including the quality of the tuner and minor cosmetic flaws.

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FAQs

Q: Is the Epiphone brand reputable?

A: The long-standing brand was established in 1873 and is a famous name in the musical instruments market in general and guitars in particular so that users can trust it completely.

Q: Is it easy to buy an Epiphone brand?

A: Up to now, Epiphone has had factories in many countries, including the USA, Japan, Korea, China,... You will easily find Epiphone products and especially Epiphone. Les Paul Special II

Q: Is Epiphone Les Paul Special II worth buying?

A: Epiphone Les Paul Special II products are in the mid-range segment with a price of less than $200 to own. It will be very suitable for those just starting but cannot invest large amounts of money right away.

In general, Epiphone Les paul special II will be difficult for those who have played for a long time or have too high requirements for quality because it is, after all, just an electric guitar in the mid-range segment it will be more suitable for beginners. New to and starting to learn with an electric guitar.