Epiphone Les Paul

[shredhed]

Always play the instrument in question, and never be blinded by brand names.

+1

[chrisolson]

I have also owned a number of Epi LP's. I liked them quite a bit. I usually replaced the tuners with Grovers or Sperzels, and p'ups with whatever I was into at that moment in time -- usually Dimarzio Super Distortion/PAF Pro combos, or Duncan JB's and stock neck combo.

I tend to find that the older ones that were actually mahogany body & neck with maple tops (you can tell by the logo - it goes straight across the headstock instead of slanted the way they are now...) had better fit & finish than the newer ones, and they weren't alder. They had a truer LP sound IMHO. The pickups & tuners are better these days though. But with my current amp, I probably wouldn't be able to tell anyway.

Play a few and buy the one that feels & sounds best.