Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus

Our very talented videographer, Larry talks about his Pick of the Week - ‪@OfficialEpiphone‬ Les Paul 1960's Tribute Plus.
This guitar has Gibson USA ‘57 humbuckers, 1960 slim-taper “D” neck carve with a long-tenon neck joint, Switchcraft/CTS electronics, Mallory tone caps, and Grover 18:1 Locking Rotomatic tuners. If you appreciate quality build and components, this guitar is a no-brainer.
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[@mattphenixcity]

I have one and it has changed the tune of some LP haters! Love it!

[@corymichael2583]

I picked up one of these from ZZSounds about five months ago and I have to say... it is by FAR the best Epiphone I've ever played and even stands out over my mid 2k Gibson LP's. It's made my strats lonely for play. Worth every single penny.

[@blodiaaa6990]

What amp do you use?

[@b.dobalina]

So glad I stumbled upon this guitar 10 years ago in the used section at Guitar center. At the time I had no idea what I was getting, but it felt better than the 20 guitars I had played in the shop leading up to that point (including Gibsons). It's all about the feel and the sound, and this guitar won hands down. After doing my research, my decision was only reinforced as I learned just how great the electronics were. I'll never sell this one, even if I'm rich enough to afford/justify a Gibson someday...

[@iggyflop3777]

I've got the same epiphone, same color. I bought in march. You are right, it's an incredible value. everything is great on this guitar. And the fretboard is perfect.

[@DJ_V_squared]

I have one great les paul. It's become one of those gems in the used market. I hope epiphone considers releasing updated versions in the future.

[@rayboyle1511]

Got one in cherry burst 💥 Absolutely love it!!!!

[@sylviewheeler6237]

I have this guitar ,I bought it two years ago . I absolutely love it .

[@railfankasey]

Just bought one and I love it. Same color too!

[@raydandy4899]

I own two. The one like in this video and a sapphire blue one. I have had these for 5- 6 years now and gigged with them at least 150 nights. I think they are every bit as good as my two Gibson Les Paul Standards. No question. When I got my first one they were $649 new.

[@hellyeahreactions]

I have this guitar and it sounds amazing

[@Scanz_99]

Sebaastien yes I also have it and the sound in comparison to the price is absolutely insane and fantastic

[@Billy_bSLAYER]

Today I just got one, 2003, brand news still with the plastic film on all the hardware!

[@sketchyold]

@@Billy_bSLAYER This model wasn’t available in 2003.

[@sbbeowulf8296]

I guess my grandpa knew what Guitar to pick out its mine now and I use it a lot and its great it really does well when everything is turned up

[@markrogers9326]

Very good review! I already have a couple of Epiphone Les Paul and I am pleased with all of them.

[@Billy_bSLAYER]

I love mine, and your review made the sell!

[@henrygerwien186]

This is one of the best and most serious reviews I saw and heard. There is no overwehelming crying or endless solo playing, but very good description and informational facts. Larry, you did fantastic work here! Thanks from Henry (Germany)!!!! 😀😀😀

[@hrzlpfrz]

Servus Henry, da muss ich dir absolut Recht geben - gerade wo ich eben eine used Cherry faded sunburst für unter 500€ erworben habe

[@bobravenscraft5376]

On the brown one and the brighter sunbursts the tiger stripe stands out nicely

[@jerryfraker377]

Nice guitar great video. Loving the custom shop sg i just bought from you guys.

[@MooreMusicGuitars]

Thank you! Glad to hear you love your Custom Shop sg!

[@grizz1887]

I tried one in Friday. Plays great. On clear,the neck p/u sounded good. On over drive/distortion, muddy. Bridge p/u sounded great on clear and distortion. Not sure if I'd buy it when one p/u sounds better.

[@-musiccinema1970]

Very tasty guitar !

[@Mountainrock70]

The first ones starting in 2012 had rosewood fretboards. The push pulls are series/parallel switching. Its a tribute to 1960 not 60’s with the long neck tenon and the 57’ PAF style buckers. This is the finest Epiphone Les Paul made. Im more of a purest when it comes to Les Pauls. I prefer everything original in looks and function, which this guitar is not, but I cant say anything bad about it. Get one in your hands, plug into a tube amp and dime it. Then you will see! I actually have a nice Gibson Les Paul that is second fiddle to my 2012 - 1960 Tribute Plus.

[@markkinney5030]

I got one mind 3 years ago from sweet water mind is blue and grean on sweet guitar!

[@alabamahebrew]

2 Weeks ago I went to Zzounds and ordered myself a brand new Lzzy Hale White Epiphone Explorer, it arrived and it had a few finish flaws, so on Tuesday I decided to send it back and get something else. I went with this Epiphone 60's tribute in the faded cherry finish and let me say this - as someone who has purchased multiple brand new Epiphone's as well as Gibson's, Fenders, Gretsch's, Ibanaez, Jackson in the last 7 years, Epiphone is by far the winner as far as delivering a consistently great product!! I have had to return 2 of them due to QC issues, interestingly enough they were both the most expensive ones I got as well! LOL. A Johnny A signature model and now this Lzzy Hale - I have the Epiphone 2013 Tommy Thayer Silver LP spaceman and the Lee Malia artisan LP and both were great guitars. The two new Gibson's had several issues, the two new Fenders (Strat and Tele) had worse issues than the Gibson's and 1 of the Ibanaez Iceman's had to be exchanged due to finish issues. The Jackson Dinky was THE worst however!! Today I got this new 60's tribute and it's sitting on my lap as I type this and I have to say that so far, this one is THE best I have ever bought!! It sounds great, feels great and NO finish or any type of QC issues at all!! I got mine for $650 through Zzounds for $75 a month and I am NOT disappointed!! Now to be 100% honest, I do think the case could be a little better. The side padding is normal thickness but when compressed it seems to offer little as far as actual "padding" goes. But since I am not a gigging musician and play sitting down due to a broken back, the case sits in the closet lol.

[@iggyflop3777]

and mine too : any type of QC issues at all.

[@donvape336]

I want this guitar

[@evks82]

i am thinking about getting this guitar but i also saw the Epiphone Les Paul Traditional PRO-III at guitar center and cant decide which is better buy?

[@MrJabinho]

I have 2 of these :)

[@davidlawrence701]

What finish is on the neck? Great guitar by the way tho

[@Jazzipad1994]

Great video about this guitar which deserves to be more famous and considered by guitar players! I have this guitar I have got from another guitar player and both of us agree to say that it sounds great and we feel a better quality compared to a standard from Epiphone. I really love this guitar I advise to everyone who wants to buy a great guitar with one of the best of fun for the price! Is it difficult to find this model in a physical shop? I heard it's a quite rare model. Is it right?

[@MooreMusicGuitars]

Not sure how many exist, but since Epiphone's new philosophy is to offer models that closely duplicate each Gibson LP counterpart, this one is out of production for now. There were a lot of special things about it, and I hope it's offered again. -Larry

[@emirya]

should i buy this or gibson studio?

[@thomaskeller9758]

I’m a bit confused with the push/pull tone knobs. Doesn’t changing series/parallel only affect tone when both pickups are active in the middle position? So in middle position, pulling either the bridge or neck knob up does the same thing? Or am I misunderstanding?

[@karsenic6436]

So I have one and there’s certainly a difference on single pickups too. I won’t pretend to know the whole magic behind it but I definitely get more single coil-y shiny, bright and glassy tones with a slight volume drop when I pull the pot out.

[@Ottophil]

Theres two coils in a humbuck. Series and paralel are talking about the relationships between the coils of the same pickup.

[@therollband1290]

I did some online research about the 57 humbuckers and they’re almost exact reproductions of the original Seth Lover PAFs, with a couple differences: they are machine wound with an exact even amount of turns on each coil (5000) and they are wax potted. The originals were wound by hand -so they don’t have exact even # of turns. They were also not wax potted.

[@oscardeleonjr.7297]

I have the 60s tribute black cherry , beautiful guitar and people at guitar center were intrigued by it even one of the employees when I took it to get a pick guard installed.i like it so much that I don't play it much to avoid wear and tear

[@fescoversongchannel230]

Hi sir, comparing this with epiphone les paul modern, which one got the best full,rich tone?

[@MooreMusicGuitars]

The 1960 Tribute (with Gibson USA pickups) and the Epi LP Modern with Probuckers both have tones that I consider to be similar to vintage PAFs - articulate and chimey. For a fatter tone, you may want to check out our Epiphone Les Paul Muse with the Alnico Classic Pro pickups.

[@fescoversongchannel230]

@@MooreMusicGuitars thanks for the reply, appreciated it. Now I'm getting more confused, I like both of them 😅, muse and this version

[@pndamonium1241]

I've been investigating a bit more about this guitar. According to Ephiphone Catalog 2018 and 2019 this one has a carved maple top and not a veneer as all of the other ones, for me this makes sense for the added pricing but I would love if someone else could confirm this.

[@corymichael2583]

That's how they list it at Sweetwater and a few other sites.

[@merveofficial]

Tribute plus or custom pro ? What are the dıfferences ? And whıch one should I choose ? 🙏🏻

[@MooreMusicGuitars]

The 2021 Epiphone line doesn't include the Tribute Plus, but for Gibson USA pickups, you might want to check out the 1959 Les Paul Standard. It was built in partnership with the Gibson Custom Shop and includes Gibson's Burstbuckers. mooreguitars.com/pre-order-epiphone-1959-les-paul-standard-aged-dark-cherry-burst/

[@mrmaramind]

Is the Paul ferry new, cause mine has Rosewood from 2014?

[@tenantrep]

Do you have the grover locking tuners?

[@mrmaramind]

@@tenantrep it did not. I ended up passing on the Tribute for the brighter sound of a Telecaster 75th anniversary. I oddly found one used even though it just released 2 months ago. My win.

[@arroncajigas4260]

This is different from epiphone les paul 1960 tribute?

[@wolfgangamadeuskeen]

Ok, I want to be able to play like this guy. Who are the blues guitarists I should be listening to?

[@MooreMusicGuitars]

Thank you, Dan! A question like this makes me realize (sadly) that I haven't really learned anything new since 1975. Anything I have came from Leslie West, B.B. King, and Johnny Winter. There are so many great modern blues players, but the licks from these guys' catalogs will take you anywhere you want to go.

[@wolfgangamadeuskeen]

@@MooreMusicGuitars Awesome - thank you. I've been putting down Clapton's Unplugged phrasing and it is absolutely addictive. New things thanks!

[@andrewbrookes2485]

Gary Moore

[@tnickel2]

Mine was made at a factory in Japan.

[@jamestenbroeck3077]

Same here. How does yours play? I just got mine it’s a 2003.

[@adamwatson6916]

Audio taper is vintage correct . Hard to call a guitar a tribute to a 1960 les paul when it had linear pots

[@metalcaster96]

is it one piece mahogany body?

[@Mountainrock70]

No Epiphones are one piece bodies. Only Gibson’s will deliver on that with either one or two piece. I have 12 Epiphones and a couple Gibson Les Pauls.

[@herbmaloid8752]

I have one and it's 2 peice and heavy.

[@haystack17]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.....I'll put my Tribute Plus up against 90% of the Gibsons. Maybe only the 10% that are truly customs might clearly win. The only difference is a Gibson owner can say they have a Gibson. I did have to have my frets cleaned up and a good oil on the fretboard but for a $2000 ish savings and the ultimate goal is sound.....this is it. If I was famous epiphone would love me as this would be on stage

[@francebohin2480]

Is this guitar good for metal?

[@martenx1384]

The guy is payed to give his "opinion".

[@martenx1384]

Great guitar. Ik played one. It's only the cheap fretboards of Epiphone, that make them sound cheap. "the wood is above the pricepoint'". I am sorry but in 2018 we had the cites. And it showed there is no Epiphone with real Mahogany appointments. Probably again fake Luan plywood. I think the only genuine guitar of Epiphone are problably the Semi hollows.

[@southboundguitar]

Picked up one in Midnight Sapphire about 6 months ago. It has a rosewood fb. According to the serial number look-up system, it's a 2014. I played it side by side with an Epi standard at the music shop, and the pickups are night & day better. This thing sounds amazing, and looks even better. I have huge hands with really long fingers, so I thought I would hate the slim taper neck, but I've actually gotten quite used to it. It's easy to switch between this and my strats, or my RG550. It did have one pot with a loose stem, so I ended up pulling everything out and completely rewiring it with a StewMac LP wiring kit. I gave her 50's wiring, replaced all of the pots with brand new CTS pots (it did come with CTS volume pots, but the original push/pull tone pots were not), and some orange drop caps. I may put the Mallory caps back in, but I'll definitely do some alilgator clip testing first. Having said all of that, the guitar DID NOT need to be rewired. I could've just swapped the pot and been done with it (or left it alone and played it just fine). It sounded and played phenomenally stock. I just wanted 50's wiring, and I've hand-wired my other guitars, so why not this one. It has a long-tenon neck joint. I verified this myself when I had the pups out. Many Gibson LPs don't even have that. The AAA top is just a veneer, but....damn is it beautiful, and there's a full maple cap sitting just beneath. It sounds amazing. The 57 Classic/Classic+ set really work well in this guitar. I compare it to my strat with PV57 pickups, but with much more meat and taters (balls & bass response). It's super bright and clear (when compared to any other Epiphone LP), and really drives my tube amps well when I crank it. I have a SD Jazz/JB combo in my RG550, and I really want to throw them in this LP, but I just can't bring myself to pull out the "PAFs." The neck pup is definitely darker than the bridge. I see people saying that it's too muddy, though, I have not had that experience. I think it's really about setting your pups at the right height. I set all of my new rigs at factory rec'd pup height, then plug it in and adjust by ear (lowering them in almost all cases). The neck pup sits REALLY low on this one. I think that's why Gibson had to beef up the bridge pup, hence the '+.' With the Gibson Classic 57 set and the proper build of this guitar.....this is absolutely one of the best bang for your buck Les Pauls....neigh, guitars....out there. They even came with a f***ing hard case when new.....all for 600 bucks!! I, unfortunately, did not score the case with mine.....but I did snag it for just $585 + tax....which isn't bad at all, considering the used market right now, and the fact that this thing can go for 800 bucks in mint condition (even without a case).