New member, Epiphone Les Paul ES Pro

[DHart]

Hello, hello, fellow Epi people! I'm new to this forum (been around a long time on other forums).

I've had a couple of Epi guitars, but am really excited about a guitar that I just ordered, online, from GC. I'm not looking for this guitar to "be" a Les Paul in tone, as I have some cool pickup changes planned for it.

I tried to post pics, but I need a few more posts, and some "likes", before I am allowed to post photos. (If you know me from other forums, you know how I love to post my photos!)

So... does anyone here have one of these Epi Les Paul ES Pro models? I'd appreciate your thoughts on them.

 

[BGood]

Welcome and let me ask right away, why you think the pickups in that LP will need to be replaced ? It has ProPuckers, which are really good pups.

 

[DHart]

Welcome and let me ask right away, why you think the pickups in that LP will need to be replaced ? It has ProPuckers, which are really good pups.

Thank you, BGood!

No, I don't think that the ProBuckers "need" to be replaced. From all that I've read, the pickups in the Epi are perfectly good pickups, offering a fine rendition of PAF tones.

I like the guitar itself, size, weight, balance, looks, semi-hollow body... but I'm not looking for PAF tone.

The reason I would replace them is simply because I would like the guitar to have the tone quality of TV Jones T-Armond pickups. That's the only reason. Not because I think that there is anything wrong with the ProBuckers.

I do a lot of work with pickup changes in my various guitars, and have a bit of a collection of very nice humbuckers in my parts closet.

 

[Davis Sharp]

Welcome to Epi-Talk. Looking forward to pics.

 

[BGood]

The reason I would replace them is simply because I would like the guitar to have the tone quality of TV Jones T-Armond pickups. That's the only reason.

Fair enough.

 

[Norton]

I have loved every Es Les Paul I’ve played (maybe 20 ??) Gibson and Epiphone .

It’s a cool platform. Like the casino coupe. Smart. Really smart.

If i wasn’t knee deep in building aluminum necked guitars from scratch I’d already have one.

 

[BGood]

If i wasn’t knee deep in building aluminum necked guitars from scratch I’d already have one.

! ! ! Can we follow that somewhere ?

 

[DHart]

Welcome to Epi-Talk. Looking forward to pics.

Hi Davis... thank you for the "Like". I can post photos now! Woo-Hoo!

Since the guitar hasn't arrived yet, I can only post stock photos, but will do a follow up with my own images next week.

Super excited to receive this guitar as it is exactly what I am looking for in terms of size, weight, balance, body style (semi-hollow). I love the looks. The neck will be fine,I'm sure, as I play a wide variety of neck profiles right now and love them all.

Can't wait to hear how it sounds with TV Jones T-Armond single coil pickups in it!

 

[DHart]

I have loved every Es Les Paul I’ve played (maybe 20 ??) Gibson and Epiphone .

It’s a cool platform. Like the casino coupe. Smart. Really smart.

Many thanks, Norton... that's very good to hear!

It doesn't seem like the ES Les Paul is highly popular. I guess most Les Paul buyers want more of a traditional (solid body) Les Paul.

I've had a number of traditional Gibson Les Pauls already and this Epiphone ES model is the one I really lust after!

 

[Norton]

Looks good in black!!

 

[Paruwi]

Welcome here @ €piTalk

 

[DHart]

Welcome here @ €piTalk

Pete... I remember you now from MLP. It's been a long time since I spent time there, but how could I forget the face of Sister Keef?

Thanks for the welcome here!

 

[DHart]

I found a lightly used version of the Les Paul ES Pro, and it's being shipped in so I can compare it to the new trans black version.

This one is wine red.

Uh oh.... I think I've developed a bit of a "thing" for these ES Les Pauls.

Gibson doesn't make them any longer. And who knows how long Epiphone will continue to do so?

Just not very popular, I GUESS? That confirms it, I don't swim with the "school".

 

[MonochromeRainbow]

That wine red is gorgeous.

 

[Davis Sharp]

Good looking guitar!

 

[DHart]

The wait (for shipping) is driving me ca-ra-zy...

 

[Paruwi]

The wait (for shipping) is driving me ca-ra-zy...

 

[DHart]

The wait is O V E R !!! Woo Hoo.

I received the guitar today. Shipped from Epiphone China to Gibson in Nashville, inspected and sprinkled with Gibson's Tennessee fairy dust in Nashville, then officially packaged & shipped sealed to Guitar Center's warehouse in Kansas. It arrived to me unopened since factory packaged in Nashville. Brand spanking new. Made in March 2019.

Out of the box, stunningly gorgeous. I'm impressed already. Feels really nicely made, too.

On playing it, I come to find that the ProBuckers sound better, much better than I thought they would.

In fact, in SPLIT-COIL mode, they sound SUPERB! Brighter, stronger, clearer than in humbucker mode.

As humbuckers they're not bad, but when split, they have the nicest split-coil tones I've ever heard - and that includes the BurstBuckers, when split, that came in my 2012 Gibson Les Paul Standard AAA Plus top Trans Amber (which cost about $2500 when I bought it new in 2012.). The way Gibson/Epiphone has implemented the split coil feature with these ProBuckers works REALLY well.

My guitar looks almost exactly the same as this stock photo:

To my surprise... this is the nicest Epiphone guitar I've ever played... and I've owned an Elitist MIJ Casino (which was very nice!), Epi ES-339 Pro P90 (good), and played a LOT of them in the stores.

Epi/Gibson really hit it out of the park with this Les Paul ES Pro model. If the headstock was covered with a cloth, so I couldn't see the brand, I couldn't tell this guitar from a Gibson version ES Les Paul. In fact, the one Gibson ES Les Paul that I DID play, felt a bit cheap and cheesy. This Epi feels like solid quality through and through. And, with a 15% off coupon at GUitar Center, $552. REALLY! Just $552. It's a steal of a price.

The guitar is even nicer than I hoped it would be. I'm a little bit in shock over that, really.

 

[DHart]

Decided I needed to make my own photo of this guitar...

The weight is 6 lbs 15 oz., so not very light, but not at all heavy either - feels like substantial quality. Interior block is the same shape and configuration as Gibson used on their version of this guitar. (I spied through the F-holes.)

Whoever took this photo got the bridge placed backwards, but anyway, you get the idea.

Sure glad I discovered this model. Did I say how wonderfully BRIGHT the tones are? Not warm like a typical Les Paul.

 

[DHart]

I do have one very minor complaint... the strings feel slightly coarse, not silky smooth, like new D'Addario strings. Perhaps they are a little corroded? No worries.

I think a fretboard oiling and new D'Addario strings are the order of the day!