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Epiphone Les Paul Standard '50s Electric Guitar - Metallic Gold

Solidbody Electric Guitar with Mahogany Body, Maple Top, Mahogany Neck, Indian Laurel Fingerboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Metallic Gold
$699.00

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Epiphone Les Paul Standard '50s Electric Guitar - Metallic Gold
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A Time-traveling Tone Machine

With the iconic look and sound of 1950s-era Les Pauls, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’50s is full vintage character and classic rock ‘n’ roll vibe. A mahogany body pours out warm resonance, while a maple top punches up the tone with clarity and snap. The comfortable ’59 Rounded Medium C neck snugs perfectly into your hand for easy chording and dynamic fret runs. Powered by Alnico ProBucker pickups, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’50s has a distinctive rock ‘n’ roll growl when pushed and a warm, pleasant top end when you lay back. Premium appointments, such as Epiphone Vintage Deluxe machine heads, LockTone ABR Tune-o-matic bridge, and high-quality CTS ’50s-style wiring complete the package on this formidable tone machine, available from Sweetwater.

A universe of tone with ProBucker pickups

The ProBuckers on the Les Paul Standard ’50s feature Alnico II magnets — the same as sought-after vintage PAF humbuckers — for rich, warm tone with crystalline highs and a tight bottom. With a ProBucker-1 in the neck position and a (slightly overwound) ProBucker-2 in the bridge position, crank your gain, and you can do some serious damage. We’re talking legendary Les Paul — fat, snarling tone served up with exceptional sustain.

The Les Paul backstory

The Les Paul story started with an instrument called “The Log.” In the early 1940s, on a quest for an electric guitar that would sustain for days, Les Paul — the legendary guitarist and inventor — fashioned what may well have been the first solidbody guitar from a length of common 4" x 4" lumber. For appearances (and possibly playing comfort), Les sawed an Epiphone hollowbody in half and attached the two “wings” to either side of The Log. Les continued to develop the idea through a series of prototypes, ultimately resulting in the classic solidbody guitar we know and love.

With a Les Paul, you’re in good company

From rock to fusion and beyond, the Les Paul’s surly snarl has virtually defined attitude-laden overdriven guitar tone. Legendary guitarists such as Jimmy Page, Al Di Meola, Alex Lifeson, Slash, and countless others have forged their signature sounds with a sunburst Les Paul. Epiphone now gives you the opportunity to experience that one-of-a-kind tone and look at an amazingly affordable price with the Les Paul Standard ’50s. What’s more, the Standard ’50s comes with Epiphone’s limited lifetime warranty and is backed by Gibson’s 24/7/365 customer service — so you know you’re making a solid investment.

Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’50s Features:

  • Recreates the look and sound of 1950s-era Les Pauls
  • Warm and resonant mahogany body and a clear-toned maple cap
  • Mahogany neck with ’59 Rounded Medium C profile
  • 2 ProBucker humbucking pickups
  • LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge; stopbar tailpiece
  • High-quality CTS electronics with ’50s-style wiring
  • Epiphone Vintage Deluxe 18:1 ratio machine heads

Why Buy Your Guitar from Sweetwater?

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Tech Specs

  • General
  • Number of Strings 6
  • Left-/Right-handed Right-handed
  • Body
  • Body Type Solidbody
  • Body Shape Les Paul Standard '50s
  • Body Material Mahogany
  • Top Material Maple
  • Body Finish Gloss
  • Color Metallic Gold
  • Neck
  • Neck Material Mahogany
  • Neck Shape '59 Rounded Medium C
  • Neck Joint Set Neck
  • Radius 12"
  • Fingerboard Material Indian Laurel
  • Fingerboard Inlay Pearloid Trapezoids
  • Number of Frets 22, Medium Jumbo
  • Scale Length 24.75"
  • Nut Width 1.693"
  • Nut Material Graph Tech NuBone
  • Hardware
  • Bridge/Tailpiece LockTone ABR Tune-O-Matic Bridge with. Stopbar Tailpiece
  • Tuners Epiphone Vintage Deluxe, 18:1 ratio
  • Electronics
  • Neck Pickup Epiphone ProBucker-1 Humbucker
  • Bridge Pickup Epiphone ProBucker-2 Humbucker
  • Controls 2 x volume, 2 x tone
  • Switching 3-way toggle pickup switch
  • Miscellaneous
  • Strings .010-.046
  • Case/Gig Bag Sold Separately
  • Manufacturer Part Number: EILS5MGNH1

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

It was nice right out of the box

Great guitar. It played really nice right out of the box. After a day of playing it, I changed the strings to my prefered gauge and brand and set the intonation for the new strings. The pickup height, nut slots and action were all good. I did polish the frets. The tone is great, I love 50s wiring and low output pickups. The pots are responsive/musical and the volume pots clean up nicely without the treble loss when you roll them back. Very happy.
Music background: Old Professional
Rated 5/5

Impressive delivery from Epiphone

If you're shopping for this guitar, no doubt, you are wondering how it compares to the Gibson version. So, I'll get right to it. It's not a Gibson, but it's close. And for the money, it's probably a better deal.

I have some real-deal Gibson Les Pauls, as well as a '58 VOS I have gigged with for many years, and this '50s gold top is nothing to be ashamed of. I purchased this guitar and the Epiphone '59 re-issue to replace that VOS because I don't like taking it out every weekend. Bottom line is that the Epiphone can hold its own with playability and tone. Granted, it's not QUITE as resonant as a Custom Shop guitar, doesn't have the ultra fine finish and fit, and doesn't have the same top quality feel, but it's close enough that if you didn't have them side by side, it would be tough to tell much of a difference.

All that said, the neck on this Epiphone is not as big as my '58 VOS. Which translates to me as being a little less comfortable to play over a 2 or 3 hour stretch. But I like giant necks, and this one is by no means bad. Just not AS big. I have the older Epiphone '56 Gold Top reissue and it's major shortcoming was that it actually had a slim 60's neck, which I find far less playable. My Epi '59 reissue has a larger neck that is more on par with a genuine late '50s Gibson.

The pickups in this model are pretty good, but I will likely swap them out as there is just a little something lacking in the overall tone when played back to back with the Gibsons I have. Pots and switches work well, and the finish is nice. Just wish Epiphone would ditch the veneers on the backs and offer some nitro finishes...
Music background: Professional
Rated 5/5

Oh My - Awesome

The look. The feel. The sound. Yep - a time machine ride back to the 1950s. I have wanted a Gold Top for a long time. Finally pulled the trigger on one. I'm glad I did it at Sweetwater. The setup was great. Enjoying it very much.
I ordered the Epiphone case to match.

It's Never too late to have a Happy Childhood.
Rated 5/5

Very nice quality

You can't beat a classic and this is one of the best, very good quality has great sustain and tones absolutely love this les paul. And a big thanks to sweetwater on the setup and shipping i received it next day.
Music background: 20 years, rock, folk, country,
Rated 5/5

Beautiful Les Paul Goldtop

First of all, many thanks to Ian Angle who has been helping me out at Sweetwater for years now on everything from software to guitars. He let me pick out the one I wanted and sent me full photos. Also, the shipping and packing department at Sweetwater is fantastic; not a scratch or a ding. The box was packaged with care and loads of bubble-wrap; the guitar was safe during a 1000 mile journey. AND they send you candy in every order. Cheers!

I thought I would spend about 90 days with this beautiful piece of joy, before sharing my thoughts with others who may be looking to buy one. I am no expert guitarist. I never was into the whole goldtop thing; have a bunch of bursts. But when I first held this guitar, with natural light coming through the window, I understood the whole goldtop thing. It is visually stunning, from the metallic gold that reflects and refracts the light just right, to the complementary colors of the top, binding, and back. The back appeared to be redder in the online pictures, but it actually is a perfectly reddish gold hue to match the front. The gloss finish makes it always sparkle in the light, and amazingly no fingerprints come off on the front. It's like fingerprint-proof.

The neck is a perfect (58/59) feel. It's thick, but not a baseball bat. It is so loud and bright when you strum it acoustically that you would not believe it. You can feel every note all the way down the neck; resonance is amazing. The Pro Buckers are good, better than expected. They do not sound muddy at all. You get a real Les Paul sound; you get nice clean tones; plug it into Guitar Rig6 and go to town. Check out the specs online; Epiphone's 2020 guitars were all amazingly well done.

I stuck a Bigsby on and called her Jolene; now I hardly ever reach for the bursts. The goldtop just has a certain feel, mood, when you play it (as do all guitars, I guess). If you like Les Paul guitars, you will love this guitar.
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