EPIPHONE POWER PLAYERS LES PAUL
DECEMBER 2022 TOTAL GUITAR
THE TG TEST
87
EPIPHONE
POWER
PLAYERS
SG AND
LES PAUL
Epiphone are here to help kids fulfil
their rockstar potential with two
pint-sized guitar legends
I
f there’s one thing we can be sure of it’s that your rst
guitar has a monumental impact on you as a player.
Put the right guitar into the hands of a child and their
playing career will be accelerated, sending them
speeding down the road to rock stardom, whereas an
ill-tting axe will put the brakes on their progress
entirely. Clearly, Epiphone agrees, as they’ve created
an entire collection of guitars specially designed as
a gateway for budding guitarists – the Epiphone Power Players.
Like something out of a Rick Moranis-led 80s ick, Epiphone
has pointed their shrink-ray at their most famous instruments,
turning them into short-scale shred machines that are sure to
t even the smallest of hands.
This isn’t Epiphone’s rst venture into the world of miniature
guitars – far from it. Some of you may remember the admittedly
slightly unloved Les Paul Express, which sat in the depths of the
brand’s range for quite some time. Now,the Express wasn’t a bad
guitar. It’s just that the nuts-and-bolts approach to a kid-
friendly guitar was a little uninspiring – we can’t imagine that it
lit a re in the belly of many young players. Contrast that with an
eye-catching design, bright colours and focus on playability, and
it’s clear that the new Power Players Les Paul and SG breathe new
life into the concept of a beginner’s guitar.
Sporting a 3/4+ length scale – or 22.73”, to be exact – as well as
a Slim Taper D neck prole, a sculpted heel for improved upper
fret access, and a set of 650R/700T humbuckers, these little
guitars have an impressive spec list. As you’d expect, with these
dinky guitars being aimed squarely at newbies, they come with
a plethora of accoutrements, such as an Epiphone branded gig
bag, strap and plectrums, plus a basic guitar cable – all you need
to do is supply the amplication. Read on and we’ll take a close
look at both guitars.
Words Daryl Robertson Photography Phil Barker
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