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Pros:
- Les Paul Design
- Powerful Sound
- Cheap
- Good Tuning Stability
Cons:
- Non Satisfactory Tonality
- String buzz
- Very basic pickups
Ah, the Epiphone Les Paul. The legendary guitar has permeated the cultural fabric of the musical world so deeply that there hardly exists a musician in the world today who does not own one. Nobody should ever be surprised then that the guitar manufacturers do their best to cash in by offering everyone the same chance to possess one, regardless of the quality of the guitar. So let us take a look at the incredibly affordable Epiphone Les Paul-100 – a great electric guitar under $300.
Body Quality
The first thing that is going to make you want to buy this guitar is the gorgeous design, which is why we are going to discuss it right now. Les Paul is famous because it is beautiful. The rounded design, with the slight cutaway and easily accessible frets, is a combination of beauty and comfort. The design allows the player to feel cool as much as they feel comfortable playing their guitar. There are several coloring options for the guitar available, and if I were you, I’d go for one of the sunburst models. If you don’t, the guitar is going to be gorgeous still.
The body of the guitar is built out of the ever-famous mahogany. This hardwood has so many qualities that make it attractive to all musicians. Mahogany is known to be extremely sturdy, capable of withstanding years of abuse without ever displaying any dents or scratches. While some do love a beat up look on their guitar, an instrument with integrity is highly appreciated as well.
The guitar is also known to have a warming effect on the tonality of a guitar. It resonates wonderfully with the lowest tones of an instrument, producing a thick, enjoyable sound. The guitar also has a maple top, for the added brightness that it produces. When done right, this creates a great combination of sounds, allowing the guitar some flexibility. Here, the manufacturer did not do the best job, so while both sound effects are present, neither produces a full, fulfilling effect. The tonewoods end up effectively blocking each other.
The neck of the guitar is made of mahogany as well. As mentioned before, mahogany is known to be a great hardwood in terms of sturdiness. Something we all can appreciate in a guitar we want to do a lot of dancing, traveling, and playing with. On the other hand, mahogany is also known to be rather heavy. With a full mahogany guitar, this means that you will be having issues with actually carrying this guitar around. The neck is bolt-on, which is pragmatic enough. The fretboard is made of rosewood.
Hardware
The bridge of the guitar is designed in the Tune-o-Matic style with a stop bar attached. Tune-o-matic bridges are traditional with Les Paul guitars at this point. With solid string stability and some great action, it is a very decent bridge.
The nut of the guitar is made of plastic, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. It only costs a few dollars more to install something of a higher quality and has a great return on the actual sound of the guitar. Otherwise, such as this time, we have an issue with string buzz.
The tuning machine on this guitar is very good. The tuning stability works well on the guitar, with the instrument only going out of tune after a long time of relentless playing or after not playing at all for months.
Electronics
The guitar comes equipped with two humbuckers, one at the neck and the other at the bridge. The 650R Humbucker and the 700T Humbucker, respectively, are decent stock humbuckers that produce enough power and good enough sound to interest most beginner players. They won’t be going flat or getting old any time soon. Though they are pretty basic and will eventually be replaced by a player who has gone from beginner to intermediate.
The guitar has four knobs, which are individual controls for the two humbuckers. Two volume controls and two tone controls. The guitar also has a rhythm vs treble switch.
Epiphone Les Paul 100 Sound
The guitar has a decent sound. The presence of the humbuckers filters out most of the string buzz caused by an underwhelming nut. What you get is a guitar prone to powerful sounds, but also capable of being smooth and mellow. A nice combination for anyone looking for a guitar that covers all of the basics of rock and roll sound.
Conclusion
Overall this is an adequate guitar. While it does have its own problems, the price it is offered at is decent enough to warrant consideration. It is powerful and, despite the flatness of tone, has a powerful sound. Recommended for a beginner.
