The Epiphone Les Paul Standard delivers legendary Les Paul performance, at a price just about any self-respecting guitar slinger can afford. Among solidbody electric guitars, Gibson's Les Paul Standard is indeed the standard by which all others are judged. Originally released in 1952, the first Les Paul guitars featured a body of solid mahogany with a carved maple top and glued-in, or set mahogany neck, with dual P-90 single-coil pickups, a trapeze tailpiece, and a classy "Goldtop" finish, resulting in a rock-solid instrument with tons of sustain that was as easy to look at as it was to play. 1954 saw the introduction of the Les Paul Custom, featuring a mahogany top and the new Tune-O-Matic bridge. In 1957, Gibson released the now-legendary Les Paul Standard, which featured a pair of the newly-invented humbucking, or noise-canceling dual-coil pickups (designated PAF, for Patent Applied For), and a gorgeous sunburst finish to highlight the figured maple top. Although this design was not immediately popular, and was discontinued after only a few years in production, it has since become one of the most valuable vintage guitar models in history, due to its massive tone, stunning good looks, and the roster of famous players who have used Standards on stage and on countless classic recordings. One of the players most associated with the Standard is Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, who bought his primary Standard from Joe Walsh in 1969, and used it on most of the band's subsequent recordings and concert appearances. Other iconic Standard players include Eric Clapton on his groundbreaking work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, 60's blues masters like Mike Bloomfield and Peter Green, the influential guitarist with Fleetwood Mac in their late-60's British blues era; and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, who throws down gritty Texas boogie with his "Pearly Gates" Standard.
Today, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard continues the Les Paul legacy with a number of models loaded with essential Paul features, but at a fraction of the cost of a Gibson. For instance, the Standard Plain Top features a mahogany body with a maple veneer, a set mahogany neck, and a pair of Alnico Classic humbuckers, for plenty of rich, warm tones with tons of sustain. The Epi Standard Black Royale features an Alnico Classic Plus humbucker in the bridge position, a stunning Black Pearl fine metallic finish, and high-grade electronics. The pickups are double-waxed, for maximum tone and performance without the risk of microphonic hum that can occur with vintage or unwaxed units. Epiphone offers Standards in a variety of configurations, from lefty models to period-correct 1959 reissues, as well as signature guitars from monster players like Slash and Joe Bonamassa. The Les Paul Standard has become the axe of choice for generations of players, and with the Epiphone Les Paul Standard, you can afford to own the legend yourself. Order yours today!
