EPIPHONE LES PAUL STANDARD 50S

I
t’s been quite a year for
Epiphone; starting strong at
January’s NAMM with a tour
de force in the shape of the
Inspired By Gibson range,
we’re now able to take stock of
models in isolation. And if we’re
talking Gibson legacy, its 1950s
Les Pauls don’t get much more
hallowed in the halls of legendary
guitars. Alongside the Standard
60s, Custom, Junior, Special and
higher-end 1959 model in the
Original Les Paul Collection, the
range allows players to hone in on
the specifi c Les Paul experience
they want. But what is a 50s LP,
and does Epiphone deliver it here?
Firstly, like the era of models it
takes inspiration from, there’s no
weight relief body chambering
here (you’ll need the Modern and
Muse moderns for that). This
weighs in at 9lbs. That kind of
weight is an accepted part of the
LP experience (we’ve heard of
examples going up to a whopping
11lbs!) and it feels balanced in play,
but we’d advise investing in
a padded strap with 3” width
or above for comfort.
The more specifi c point of
distinction here is the neck, the
general perception is the Les Paul
necks of the 50s were fatter in
profi le, while the 60s examples
were slimmer. Except ’58 and
’59 examples are feted for their
goldilocks position between the
two, but even the details of this is
debated as the carve would vary
between individual instruments.
Here though, Epiphone’s neck
is a ‘rounded medium C’, and the
60s model is a SlimTaper 60s C.
It’s a signifi cant diff erence. This is
meaty, clubby – but that doesn’t
mean uncomfortable, especially
with the low action out of the box
here. Neck and fretboard radius
is a very personal choice and we
can’t recommend comparing and
contrasting Epiphone’s ’59, 60s
and 50s models in person enough
to fi nd your vintage preference.
Neck profi les are subjective
but the build quality here is not.
We have no complaints; this is
a wonderful example of Epiphone
QC in 2020. But the real joy is
plugging in. This is what we want
from a Les Paul and it’s Gibson-
worthy – a huge gamut of tone
to cover with two versatile
ProBuckers and four controls.
Touch sensitivity, midrange bite,
singing highs – it’s all here!
The taper of the controls here
allows you to really clean up with
the volume while retaining clarity
and treble; if you’re skipping this
you’re really missing out on the
versatile vintage LP experience
that legends like Clapton
capitalised on. Crucially, the neck
humbucker is spot on; muscular
with broad singing sustain, and
all this combines to give you
a huge palette for far more
than classic rock.
Robert Laing
GIBSON-WORTHY MIDRANGE
BITE AND SINGING HIGHS
EPIPHONE LES PAUL
STANDARD 50S
A gold standard from a golden
era of inspiration?
1
2
3
£549
AT A GLANCE
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography: Olly Cur tis
1
TUNERS
Tuning stability is
solid (testing included
playing loud through
our amp in a chilly
garage!) with the
18:1 ratio Epiphone
Vintage Deluxe Tuners
offering smooth and
precise adjustment.
2
PROBUCKERS
These pickups are
the stars of this show
and based on the
fabled circa ’56 / ’57
PAFs – the first
humbuckers – and
like them they’re
made with 18 per cent
nickel silver bases
and covers. The
ProBuckers also
feature sand-cast
alnico II magnets,
vacuum wax potted
coils and four-
conductor wire uses.
3
NECK
The mahogany
neck is set into the
body with a long tenon
joint – a welcome,
vintage correct
feature here.
BODY: Mahogany with
carved hard maple
cap with AAA flame
maple veneer
NECK: Mahogany with
50s Rounded Medium
C, 12” radius
SCALE: 628.65mm
(24.75”)
FINGERBOARD: Indian
laurel
FRETS: 22, medium
jumbo
PICKUPS: Epiphone
ProBucker 1 (neck),
Epiphone ProBucker 2
(bridge)
CONT ROLS: 2 x volume,
2 x tone with CTS pots
and 50s-style wiring,
3-way pickup switch
HARDWARE: Epiphone
LockTone stop bar and
Tune-O-Matic bridge,
Epiphone Vintage
Deluxe 18:1 machine
heads
LEFT-HANDED: Yes
CASE: No
FINISH: Metallica Gold
(reviewed), Heritage
Cherry Sunburst,
Vintage Sunburst
CONTACT: Epiphone
www.epiphone.com
DECEMBER 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
REVIEW
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TGR339.gear_epi.indd 91 05/11/2020 14:56