Review of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio Electric Guitar

17 Nov 2008

Features of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio

Tuners - Good quality Grovers with large kidney knobs provided easy and precise tuning.

Headstock - Standard Epiphone pinched-waist, paddle design with a gable top. The truss-rod cover bears the word Studio. 

Nut - This is a black plastic type that abuts the end of the fretboard, but in this case it also appears to be recessed slightly into the neck. This should only concern you if you intend to upgrade the nut (to graphite or metal) as this recess might make that process a bit trickier.

Neck - The mahogany neck is slim and comfortably playable whilst retaining that slightly-chunky Les Paul authority in the hand. The translucent wine red finish on this model continues up the neck to reveal the grain which is slightly cosmetically uneven, but not enough to spoil the overall look. The neck is set and the join is smooth and comfortable. 

Fretboard - The rosewood fretboard is medium dark with a close grain. As with many boards that come out of far-east factories it feels a bit dry. This could be perked up nicely with an application of specialist lemon oil. Traditional dot markers are of basic abalone.

Frets - Lovely medium fat frets are let down slightly as, on close inspection, they haven't been polished as well as they might have been in one or two places. This slight oversight will get cured naturally as you play the guitar in, so it is by no means a deal-breaker.  

Action - Very good from the box with space to tweak down if that better suits your style.

Body - This is where the Epiphone Studio really shines, and if anyone can tell me which features have been stripped out I'd be happy to buy you a drink (answers on a £5 note to the usual address). The mahogany body with its alder top has the thickness, weight and authority of a "real deal" Lester. The grain of the woods bask seductively under the gorgeous, autumnal wine red finish. The mahogany is straight-grained almost to the point of being stripey and the alder top on the model I tried had a touch of "quilting" about it. I had expected the body to be a flat slab, but no, the Epiphone Studio has that trademark carved top that bulges slightly with an indefinable feminine allure. Due to this carving the neck rakes back at an angle to give you the full-on authentic Les Paul playing experience. 

Bridge - Standard Epiphone Tune-o-matic in chrome. There's individual intonation adjustment available at each saddle with height adjustment made via a screw at each end of the bridge. This type of bridge and tailpiece are held in place by string tension, so if you ever de-string this guitar please do so with it lying flat and use care.

Pickups - Black open-coil humbuckers sit in black surrounds. These are stock Epiphone pickups with alnico classic magnets.

Controls - Volume and tone for each pickup and the standard Les Paul three-way pickup selector. The knobs are the cool black speed knobs that simply reek of Gibson class, here looking absolutely at their best against the red finish. 

Pickguard - Standard floating pickguard in single-ply black plastic.

Strap-buttons - Quite small, vintage-style strap buttons in the usual places. If you intend to gig with this guitar you will feel safer upgrading to larger buttons.

Output Jack - On the lower edge of the guitar set in a square plastic plate.

Finish - A dropped mark for a couple of tarnished frets but otherwise excellent.

Sound of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio

These same Epiphone pickups are fitted to many of their standard models and they certainly deliver the goods in a very respectable fashion; Great brash over-driven rock sounds from the bridge pickup, anything from blues-rock to mellow jazz-out from the neck. An excellent range of tones.

Overall Impressions of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio

If you hanker after a Les Paul but don't have much cash to spare then the Epiphone range will be where you do your window-shopping. The Epiphone Studio feels like a Les Paul on the strap and has the good looks that does the pedigree proud. For way under £300 this is an excellent first rung on the Les Paul ladder. In fact, buy this now at this bargain price, play in the neck, save up for some top-notch pickup upgrades and you'll end up with a really scorching guitar for well under half the price of a Gibbo. 

Reviewed by The Man in the Jar