Epiphone Les Paul Studio Review | BELIEVE The Hype?

[@appetiteforguitar]

What do you think of the Epiphone Les Paul Studio? Let us know in the comments.... Also a correction - the pickups are Alnico Classic Pro Humbuckers. Still excellent sounding pickups.

[@FrankDux-rq7go]

it looks really nice.

[@LeopoldShitzalot]

The Epiphone Pro buckers are made the same exact same way and with the same exact materials as the Gibson burst buckers and the pro buckers are highly acclaimed pickups

[@appetiteforguitar]

The Probuckers are excellent in my opinion too. I've heard moans in the past about them being a bit muffled and woolly (I won't mention names lol), but that is not the case here. They punch far above their weight and sound great. I also have older Epi's with Probuckers - my oldest is a 1998 Korean and that sounds awesome too. They just need to be dialled in correctly and they rock.

[@donthewatcher]

@@appetiteforguitar probuckers are darker than burstbuckers but are pretty decent, if they can cut through in a live band situation , then they pass my test for pickups... probuckers can work for your specific application/sound

[@appetiteforguitar]

They are definitely a lot better on this than on some LPs. They sound very nice. Warm, but can be adjusted to cut through nicely. The single coil positions are surprisingly good too. I like them a lot. They pups can even do screaming leads when dialled in right. They've got a really nice overall sound with lots of depth to the tone. Talking about probuckers, I just re-bought myself a Slash Les Paul in Appetite Burst with Custom Probuckers (big regret selling my last one - I missed it immediately!). The pups were designed to sound like the Slash Seymour Duncans. They succeed massively, but they got smashed on release which was a shame... I think a lot of people decided because they weren't SD, they had to be bad without even trying them. I bought into the damning comments at the time and believed SD Slash Pups were needed. Whoops. I took them out with little, if any change to the sound. I'll put them in something eventually! Proper Deep dive Review of the Slash incoming - I'd love to put some of the record straight on that one. Keep rockin'

[@whiterat1977]

Going to take your word for it and order one soon cos I love the look - I have a 2 Gibson Juniors and a Gibson Custom and never totally got the hype for the money - prefer my Tokai LP Custom to play and hoping this new Epiphone is equally as good

[@appetiteforguitar]

Nice, I hope it works out! I also did a deep dive comparison of the new Studio vs a Studio made in Korea in 1998 you might enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3yyoGWrdpmIjtk

[@LeopoldShitzalot]

Epiphone was restored back to premium brand back in 2019/2020 by JC Curliegh.. epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson..JC Curliegh ends that BS in 2019/2020

[@appetiteforguitar]

This guitar definitely doesn't feel like a budget guitar in any way. It's a top notch instrument.

[@opicak86]

​@@appetiteforguitarI got mine today, in red wine colour and man, I'm really surprised how good this guitar is. I had an Epi LP Custom Korea and Gibson LP 60s Tribute. Both were really nice guitars but, this one is definitely superior. From my feeling, it is more, and I mean much more, resonant guitar than those two. The finish is absolutely beautiful, the action is very comfortable and sounds? Quality, versatile and very colourful. It is really a joy to play this guitar. ❤

[@appetiteforguitar]

That's great! Glad you're enjoying it 😎. The wine red is beautiful. Much like you, I'm comparing it to my Gibson and I enjoy playing this just as much. I really like the neck on this one which is just the right handful. Very comfy and reassuring to play.... sounds great too!

[@LeopoldShitzalot]

@@appetiteforguitar here's the specs of a 2021 Epiphone custom koa Les PauLes Paul Custom Bound All-Mahogany Body w/ Koa Top 24.75" Scale Rolled Mahogany Neck w/ Ebony Fretboard & Pearloid Inlays Dual ProBucker Humbucker Pickups Era-Appropriate Wiring & CTS Potentiometers Fixed Bridge, Graph Tech NuBone Nut '60s Style Kalamazoo Headstock & Grover Rotomatic 18:1 TunersThe new Epiphone Koa-topped mahogany body Les Paul Custom is part of Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Collection and honors the 1950s classic designed by Mr. Les Paul himself in 1954 as the “tuxedo” version of his groundbreaking solid body masterpiece! Featuring the traditional Custom bound all-mahogany body, 60s SlimTaper™ neck profile, ebony fingerboard with block inlays, gold Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece, a pair of critically acclaimed Epiphone ProBucker™ humbuckers, and Custom split-diamond inlay on the headstock. This Epiphone Inspired by Gibson model also has the 60s style Kalamazoo headstock, rolled neck for a comfortable feel, Graph Tech® NuBone® nut, era-appropriate wiring, and CTS® pots.BODY Body Type: Solidbody Body Shape: Les Paul Custom Body Material: Mahogany Top Material: Koa Body Finish: Gloss Color: Natural NECK Neck Material: Mahogany Neck Shape: Slim Taper Neck Joint: Set Neck Radius: 12" Fingerboard Material: Ebony Fingerboard Inlay: Pearloid Blocks Number of Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo Scale Length: 24.75" Nut Width: 1.693" Nut Material: Graph Tech NuBone HARDWARE Bridge/Tailpiece: Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Stopbar Tailpiece Tuners: Kidney-style Tuners ELECTRONICS Neck Pickup: Pro Bucker 2 Humbucker Bridge Pickup: Pro Bucker 3 Humbucker Controls: 2 x volume, 2 x tone Switching: 3-way toggle pickup switchl now recently discontinued...as you see it's all high end premium electronics hardware and build....

[@yarriddictus1053]

Wait it has splits coils? I own this guitar and never knew haha

[@appetiteforguitar]

It depends on the year... if it's a recent one then yes! I have a 1998 Korean LP Studio as well as this one - awesome guitar but no split coils on it. Give the volume knobs a gentle pull and you might get lucky!

[@Redleg383]

Terrific thorough review. Not too many other reviews would have taken off the pickups and showed the actual measurements.

[@appetiteforguitar]

Thanks, it means a lot. I try to be as detailed as I can. Really glad you enjoyed it!

[@barshivan]

Bro i want to buy one of these and it seems pretty well but in turkey economy is not very good so one of these are 18000 turkish liras it makes like 650 dolars now my question is if i buy one of these can i use it more than 2 years and is ist worth the price because this will be mine First electric guitar and i want to buy something good

[@appetiteforguitar]

That's about the same price in the UK. Yes, it's a great guitar. Well worth it. I have had a bunch of other guitars and this is one of my favourites. I won't be selling it. As a beginner, for you, it's good that you are considering getting something of this level. It is a guitar you could have well beyond two years. It is an excellent quality instrument. It should give you a lot of enjoyment.

[@HeartYougdda]

As you said, in the specifications of the guitar, Epiphone writes that the tuning machines are Grover but I and so many other people when we bought this guitar realized that they are Wilkinson instead. Do you know what happened?

[@appetiteforguitar]

Well, from what I can find, it seems Epiphone had supplier related issues with Grover. It's unclear whether that means financial disagreements or lack of stock. I'm glad to say the Wilkinson tuners are excellent though so I don't feel like I missed out. I have Grovers on a couple of other guitars and the Wilkinson are just as good. Keep rockin' 🤘🎸

[@HeartYougdda]

@@appetiteforguitar Thank you for your response as always prompt and comprehensive. I was worried because I had read that Wilkinson was quite cheap and I had big doubts. In any case the new Epiphone studio is much better than the previous ones and the one I have sounds great and I love it. You are the best!

[@appetiteforguitar]

Thanks, no worries. Happy to help 😎

[@sergiozavala1616]

This Is gonna be my last guitar.

[@appetiteforguitar]

Lol, I've said that a few times 😅. If it is your last, it is a great choice though... right now out of all my guitars (including my Gibson, review incoming btw), it's the one I keep turning to. It's really really nice to play.

[@robertoalfalla256]

Nice Review! Thanks! I just Started learning guitar at 65 years old... have a nice fender DG-60 to learn on and I'm thinking this for my 1st Electric... Your thoughts?

[@appetiteforguitar]

Thanks! I think it's a fantastic guitar. Lots of choice of tones and very comfy. It should be a lot of fun to learn on this!

[@joshbruks]

Love that model❤

[@appetiteforguitar]

Same! I've been using it to jam even today. It's really nice to play, very inspiring. I've got a comparison of this vs my 1998 Korean LP Studio incoming too. Keep rockin' 🤘🎸

[@joshbruks]

@@appetiteforguitar great! I'll be waiting

[@patrickbryant-cn9cy]

I have the same model with the wilkinson tuners. I don't have the g-string tuning problems people complain about. The darkness of the top also differs. Mine is darker than some others. The pickups are on the warmer side as stated, but are full and rich. I've only had to adjust intonation slightly on the d and b strings. My favorite sound with mine is the clean channel on a Mesa dual rectifier amp sim and celestion greenbacks with a tube screamer used as a boost.

[@appetiteforguitar]

Nice, it's a stellar guitar, glad it sound like you are enjoying yours. The tuners were a surprise but a good one in fact. I really like the tone too... I could have played for hours in the review 😅. I need to get hold of a proper Ibanez TS9 and give it a whirl with this... keep rockin'

[@Waqq23]

A wine red epi studio was my first guitar that i got on sale for about $400 usd and i could not have asked for a better guitar to start off with. The bit of extra money spent above the sort of $200 starting point from squire/epiphone goes a very long way

[@appetiteforguitar]

Definitely! The Studio is leagues ahead of a Special II for example. Not to say a Special can't be upgraded... but the Studio rocks out the gate.

[@chuncylong5660]

I found i loved the Epiphone Les Paul i have many different LP's i use this model and the Studio LT you can see pictures of us in the studio and me playing with people that have guitars way higher than mine and they'll call me and be like make sure you bring that ugly brown guitar.

[@danielquijas5313]

Mine has Grover tuners

[@doyouevendraft]

🤤🤤🤤

[@scripteaze]

Fir a first guitar should I get a strat or les paul? Im 53, my budget is $1000 US

[@appetiteforguitar]

That's a good budget for a first guitar and gives you some great options. Strat vs les paul for a first guitar, ah that's a fantastic question! This Epiphone Les Paul Studio is a brilliant guitar, comfy to play and sounds great. As a beginner, I would definitely ask the store to set it up for you. If both a strat and a les paul are well set up they should give you just as good an experience.... having said that if I could turn back time, the instrument I might have started with is actually a PRS! They're generally a middle ground between a strat and a les paul and very easy to play and really consistent in terms of quality. If you keep playing, then I'd say branch out into a strat or les paul depending on how you feel and the genres you gravitate towards - or of course stick with PRS or look at other brands. I did a 1 year update on my PRS SE Paul's guitar here if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inO7fXmfjbODhsU

[@scripteaze]

@@appetiteforguitar Thank you Sir for the elaborate reply.!

[@appetiteforguitar]

No worries, happy to help. A bad set up leads too many people to give up which is such a shame. Even a cheap guitar like a Squier Affinity with a great set up beats an expensive guitar that is set up badly. Playability is king.

[@dadkingcoffey8333]

The gibson smokehouse burst looks so much better

[@appetiteforguitar]

The Gibson is a beauty for sure. I think the Epi holds it own and is pretty gorgeous too. Keep rockin' 🎸🤘

[@rigodon97]

Got this as well! Very happy about it. Might mod it but nothing wrong with. Just one thing tho: these are not Probuckers but Alcnico Classic Pro (it says it on the back of your pickups as well: "ACP"). These aren't the same as Probuckers.

[@appetiteforguitar]

Thanks, you learn something everyday... It seems like the Probuckers have mismatched coils and so have a more pronounced midrange and sound more airy, but could have some hum at high volume... the ACP are instead matched and warmer sounding apparently and no hum. I might do a video on a comparison, very interesting! I need to open them up again and analyse, but I think I have Probuckers in my Epi Traditional Pro, Epi Custom Probuckers in my Slash and the ACP in this... they do all sound slightly different. Keep rockin' and please sub if you like this kind of content, lots more coming! 🎸🤘

[@rigodon97]

@@appetiteforguitar I went into an upgrade rage after getting the guitar... It seemed to me from several forums I've read that the ACP's were Epiphone clone of the Gibson 57s Classic and the Probuckers the -attempted- clone of the Burstbuckers. I've listened to a bunch of comparison and for me it does the trick pretty well. I ended up adding the Probuckers but just because of some will to make it more of a "Custom" guitar since the Epiphones Custom line use the Probuckers. But the ACP were excellent on their own. Only *real* problem I had on this guitar at the end was the G string (fixed by adjusting the nut, but I don't recommend the viewers doing it on their own if they've never done it before). It's really worth a high end Epiphone

[@appetiteforguitar]

Sounds cool, I've not changed anything on mine... yet. I really like the warmth from these. Nice and full without being woolly (at least in my view). I just watched a tiny bit of my Trad Pro review from a few months ago where I opened the cavities up, low and behold, the serial is 'PB' in the bridge and 'ACP' in the neck. So they mixed it up on that guitar. That does help explain why it does sound a bit different to this one. I've also got a Gibson with 490R and 490T, which again sounds different - very very different in fact - it is really punchy and more for rock/hard rock I would say. Overall, I think the Epi Studio though is a really awesome guitar, great for a relatively modest budget. Regarding the G string, I'm not all that surprised it gave you a few problems, the angle is quite strong between the nut and the tuning post. I compared this Epi Studio and a much older Korean (1998) one that has a much narrower headstock and a straighter angle... my full deep dive comparison of the two guitars here if you're interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3yyoGWrdpmIjtksi=Loo0lK8eypdF_XCL

[@rigodon97]

​@@appetiteforguitarstill modding and tweaking the guitar here ! I was able to fill in the nut a bit on the G string + changed the bridge, intonation is now perfect. Didn't cost much to fix that. Just customized the hell out of this guitar though more globally. It's now all black parts instead of silver, nice locking tuners, with an uncovered neck humbucker and antic bronze humbucker cover. Makes the burst stick out even more !

[@appetiteforguitar]

@@rigodon97 Sounds like custom greatness. In my mind's eye that is a cool look!

[@ozflyer1]

NO LES PAUL NEEDS SHEILDING

[@appetiteforguitar]

Ah... it's a debate that keeps going. At least it's one element to take out of the mix when problem solving any noise issues. With humbuckers at home it shouldn't make a lot of difference on the whole, but there's loads of forums talking about the pros and cons so I won't write an essay here about it. These days if everything is wired up and grounded properly it shouldn't be an issue. There's a video here about the type of issue it can help with (and there are various others): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaDafYKZp7SiiM0

[@aureliusandthespiral]

I think it's worth it

[@appetiteforguitar]

Couldn't agree more

[@HeartYougdda]

Amazing guitar like your review! You are for sure one of the BEST web reviewer

[@appetiteforguitar]

Thank you! That's super appreciated. Keep rockin' 🤘🎸

[@HeartYougdda]

@@appetiteforguitar Do you think there is much difference between the Epiphone Les Paul Studio and the Epiphone Les Paul Classic? Which one do you prefer?

[@appetiteforguitar]

For me I like the Studio. The specs of the two guitars are very similar, but there are some key differences: 1) The Studio has what Epiphone call Ultra Modern weight relief. So in general Studios should be lighter than the Classic. I like to stand up so that's great for long hours of practice. 2) The Studio does not have the binding that the Classic has. The binding looks nice, but without it the Studio actually has a slightly more rounded feel to the neck which I like. 3) The Classic has phase switching on the pickups and the Studio does not. So the Classic could potentially have more tonal versatility. But they both do have split coil modes. Overall, they are both very good guitars. A lot is down to personal preference. Hope that helps!

[@HeartYougdda]

@@appetiteforguitar Yes of course your opinion was important. I just purchased the Studio Ebony and was literally shocked at the sound and quality of the guitar. Completely better than any previous Epiphone. You are right, they have taken a big step forward with this guitar.

[@appetiteforguitar]

Awesome, glad you're emjoying it. I really like this guitar a lot. I also did a deep dive video comparing my ebony Studio from 1998 and this new Studio you might get a kick out of. Some interesting discoveries that even surprised me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3yyoGWrdpmIjtksi=09t1pR4skLrSejET