Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony

by Epiphone

Product Features

• Basswood body
• 700T Humbucker pickups
• Rosewood fretboard
• 24.75 Scale

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 45 x 17 x 7 inches ; 10 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 16.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0002CZUUG
• Item model number: ENJREBCH1
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,339 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

That trademark Les Paul shape in an economical package, including to open-coil Alnico V Humbucker pickups for great classic sound and the Tune-o-matic bridge/Stopbar tailpiece combo for sustain and that signature Les Paul tone.

Les Paul Features in an Economical Package.

Angled Headstock
Unlike cheaper designs, all Epiphones feature a 14-degree headstock that gives you more pressure at the nut and so you get more sustain with less tuning hang-ups caused by "string-tree" gadgets.

Alnico V Humbucker pickups and the industry-standard Tune-O-Matic bridge.

Rosewood fretboard with dot inlays.

Double-Waxed Pickups
Epiphone utilizes a double vacuum waxing process that ensures optimum performance. The pickup is first placed in the specialized wax vacuuming system before the cover is put in place to ensure that the wax fully penetrates to the very center of the pickup and solidifies all parts. After the cover is placed on, it is again given a second vacuum wax bath until the unit is completely saturated with wax.

Output Jack
To increase reliability and ensure consistent performance, Epiphone's proprietary output jacks feature an improved contact shape and heavy-duty spring steel.

Toggle Switches
All Epiphones feature our all-metal, USA designed switches for reliable contact and longer life.

Tunomatic Bridge
Fully adjustable, the tunomatic remains a classic after over 50 years. Unlike guitars fitted with tremolos, there are no tuning or re-stringing difficulties. Plus, tone and sustain are improved because all string vibrations are transferred directly to the guitar.

Potentiometers
Epiphone is passionate about performance. That's why their instruments use one-inch diameter potentiometers for better "throw," longer life and reliable service.

Quick-Connectors
For unequalled reliability as well as ease of service, Epiphone wiring harnesses feature quick-connectors.

Specs

• Pickups: 700T, 650R
• Hardware: Chrome
• Scale: 24.75 inches
• Nut width: 1.68 inches
• Neck: Bolt, Mahogany
• Fretboard: Rosewood
• Inlays: Dot
• Body material: Basswood
• Tailpiece: Stopbar
• Finishes available: Ebony, White, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst, Wine Red

Product Description

What's so special about the Epiphone Les Paul Special II Electric Guitar? The super-low price for starters and that's not all. It gives you all the essential elements of a Les Paul. Made with a mahogany body, bolt-on mahogany neck, smooth 22-fret rosewood fingerboard, this baby is every bit as handsome as its uptown cousins. Features 700T/650R open-coil humbucking pickups that deliver long, singing sustain and true Les Paul tones. The LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece add more sustain and make string changing easier. Limited lifetime warranty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super value for the money. If you're on a budget, this is an outstanding choice...,, October 4, 2010

By 

APC Reviews "APC Reviews" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony (Electronics)

The Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Collection Electric Guitar is a GREAT GUITAR for $169.00 (The average selling price at the time of this review). The pickups, tune-o-matic bridge and stop piece are the same ones used in Epiphone's more expensive guitars, and are similar to what's used in much more expensive Gibsons. Although the tone adjustments have been simplified to a toggle between the three pickup combinations and an overall tone control for both pickups, this is not as big a deal as many might make of it. Given the vast array of other things that influence electric guitar sound -- strings, amp choice and settings, effects pedals and so forth -- the guitar sounds great as is.

The finish and general fit and balance of the guitar are great. There was a time when budget guitars screamed cheap and were quite obviously low class in a lot of areas. Those days are past with the Epiphone LP Special II.

All that said, there a few things to remember.

* The guitar comes with very light bendy strings. This is probably due to market data that tells Epiphone that the bulk of buyers for this guitar are teen Guitar Heros who think that string bending every note is an essential aspect of shredding and wailing. If you plan to put heavier strings on the guitar (like 12-51s for example) for jazz or other styles of music then you will probably need a truss rod adjustment to compensate for the added tension. If you don't know how to do this, ask someone who does. You can ruin a guitar, permanently, by being too aggressive with a truss rod adjustment.

* The guitar has a mahogany neck, but a basswood body. Do not let anyone tell you this is a bad thing. Basswood is a completely acceptable wood for musical instruments. It is not worse or better than mahogany or maple. It is just different. Once again, the differences involved will probably be irrelevant when added into all the other things that players do with amps, strings and pedals to create tone and sound from an electric guitar.

* Epiphone has more than one factory making these guitars. One is in China, the other in is Indonesia. The guitars made by each are very close in every detail, but not exactly, perfectly the same.

* The Chinese examples of the sunburst model that I have seen have a slightly golden-orange tone to the sunburst pattern, more like the traditional sunburst color in American guitars. The Indonesian examples I have seen have a much more over all orange look. Basswood does not have a lot of visible grain. The example guitar shown in the official Epiphone product photos, the photos you see on most web sites like Amazon and Musician's Friend and so forth, are probably a little optimistic when it comes to visible grain and the golden hued quality of the sunburst finish.

* The Chinese examples I have seen tend to weigh more. One Indonesian model I saw weighed a full pound and half less than the Chinese model right next to it. There is not, unfortunately, any way to tell from the box or from the barcode or SKU number on the box what factory a given example inisde the box came from. The system will deal out whatever is in stock at the moment.

The world is full of guys who will zero in on all the details they find inferior about this guitar by noting the rather obvious fact that this is not a Gibson Les Paul Standard costing $3,000.00. There are some people who will complain that this guitar has a bolt on neck. True, the set necks of the more expensive Epiphones and Gibsons are nicer. But, considering the fact that every Fender Stratocaster ever made had a bolt on neck, is this really a big deal? Would Jimi Hendrix have played "Purple Haze" better if his Strat had a set in neck? Probably not.

The guitar this model is probably closest to, in spirit and purpose, is not the Gibson Les Pauls but, rather, to the old Gibson Melody Maker guitars from the 60s. That said, this is a hell of lot more guitar for the money than any Melody Maker ever was, and adjusted for inflation, relative to what a Melody Maker would have cost you in 1968, for example, it is almost like Epiphone paying you to play it.

People listen to music, not guitars. Music is made by players, not by pickups and electronics. If you're on a budget, this is an outstanding choice. If you're not on a budget, it's still a very good basic instrument. RECOMMENDED.

65 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet little guitar for any player, December 28, 2004

By 

Neon Knightmare "Guitar Geek" (Rapid City, SD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony (Electronics)

I picked up one of these babies about 6 months ago to use as my "travel" guitar, and it has yet to let me down. Granted, the day I got it, I changed out the pickups with a DiMarzio Double Whammy in the bridge and a Virtual PAF in the neck, so I can't tell you much about the sound from the factory electronics. However, the guitar plays wonderfully. The only irritant was that, in order to get perfect intonation in Eb tuning (one half-step below standard tuning on all six strings), I had to reverse one of the saddles.

Otherwise, no complaints whatsoever -- it came from the factory with the truss perfectly set, and it only took minor tweaks to the action and a slight shim for the neck (I'm obsessive when it comes to fast action on my guitars), and I was shredding away in no time. This is an excellent guitar for a beginner, or, if you're a more advanced player in search of some vintage looks on a budget, this is right up your alley. Get a new set of pickups -- EMGs, Seymour Duncans, or DiMarzios will work great -- and you've got looks AND tone. Just don't expect that solid mahogany-body sustain you'd get from a real LP -- this one's plywood. Agathis. Tonewood. Whatever Epiphone's buzzword of the week happens to be.

Bottom line: for $150, you can't go wrong with this guitar. Out of all the guitars I own, I keep coming back to this one. Of course, unlike your average Jackson or B.C. Rich, the Les Paul body design doesn't have any pointy things to dig into one's crotch... That might have a bit to do with it as well. Are you still reading this? Just buy it already!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice 1st Guitar, January 1, 2005

By 

Matt Cunningham - See all my reviews

This review is from: Epiphone LP Special II Les Paul Electric Guitar, Ebony (Electronics)

This is a great guitar to learn the basics on. I have owned a LP2 for a year and I have nothing bad to say about it. The guitar stays in tune and has a solid construction. This guitar is well worth the money!