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Epiphone Les Paul Studio 2020 - Present - Wine Red - Upgraded - $325 (Englewood)
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This one is not a Gibson, but with the upgrades, it sounds significantly better than a stock factory Epiphone, making it a fantastic choice for someone wanting a great-playing LP without breaking the bank.
Key Upgrades & Specs
I've upgraded guitars in the past, sometimes with minimal difference in performance, sometimes with very noticeable differences. The upgrades on this guitar, in my opinion, significantly improved the tone and playing experience. Here's the rundown:
Pickups: Tonerider Alnico II Classic Humbucker Set: Inspired by vintage 1950s PAFs, this set offers clear, open clean sounds filled with warmth and sustain. Overdriven tones are smooth and tight without any harsh overtones or an overly pronounced midrange. They are a massive sonic upgrade over the stock factory pickups.
Electronics: Mojotone Solderless Les Paul Wiring Harness: High-quality pots and components that provide a smooth, reliable volume and tone taper with zero crackle. Bonus: Because it’s a solderless system, changing pickups in the future is entirely plug-and-play. Original wiring directions are included.
Bridge & Tailpiece: Upgraded Lightweight Aluminum Hardware (Gotoh or equivalent premium brand--can't remember which one!) Replacing the heavy zinc stock hardware with a lightweight aluminum bridge and tailpiece improves the guitar's natural resonance and sustain, giving it a more lively feel. Outside of the pickups, this was probably my favorite upgrade.
Nut: Graph Tech TUSQ Nut: Eliminates string binding at the headstock for much better tuning stability and smoother string bending.
Flaws
Functionally, this guitar is dialed in and ready to play. The neck is straight, the truss rod works perfectly, and the frets have plenty of life left. Because I believe in 100% transparency, there are two minor cosmetic flaws that occurred purely during the upgrade process:
Near the Nut: There is a small chip in the finish right next to the nut, which happened when removing the stubborn factory plastic nut to install the TUSQ upgrade.
Under the Control Knob: There is a small chip in the finish on the top, located right under one of the volume controls. This happened while widening the factory holes to fit the USA spec Mojotone pots. You cannot see this from the playing position—you have to tilt the guitar up and look underneath the knob to find it.
Neither flaw affects the playability or structural integrity of the guitar. I have included clear, close-up photos of both spots. I photographed the chip near the nut with and without the flash on. It's a lot less noticeable in person than the flash photograph would indicate.
What's Included
Epiphone Les Paul Studio Guitar (weighs approximately 8 pounds 10 ounces)
Mojotone solderless wiring instructions if you'd like to experiment with your own pickups
Thank you for your time and consideration!