Checkout the New Epiphone Les Paul SL – The most affordable Les Paul Ever?

At just £99 the Epiphone Les Paul SL is the cheapest two pickup Les Paul Epiphone have ever made. But is it any good?

If you are looking for a quality guitar with pedigree then the new Epiphone Les Paul SL may well be the guitar for you. What makes it even more attractive is that Epiphone claim it is the most affordable 2 pick-up Les Paul ever made.

Epiphone, as you know, is part of the Gibson Company and are seen as the affordable, entry level, alternative to a Gibson. As you would expect, the guitars, although more affordable than a Gibson, adhere to the Gibson quality standards.  So don’t be fooled these are great starter guitars.

However, with the Epiphone Les Paul SL they have taken the classic Les Paul offering and given it a contemporary look. The result, we think, is a great looking high quality guitar which offers a very affordable entry level instrument for the new guitarist.

What does the Epiphone Les Paul SL have to offer?

Well no surprises the shape is the classic Les Paul design but that is where the comparison with the classic ends. This really is a great looking guitar with a real modern feel.  Yes it has the classic Les Paul body but the rest has been given a good re-think.

First up the Epiphone Les Paul SL has been designed with the beginner in mind.

The Poplar body is slim and lightweight making it a comfortable guitar to play.  The 22 fret mahogany neck has a slim line taper and a shorter scale length.  The shorter scale length makes it an ideal neck for novices trying to get their fingers used to chord shapes and playing scales.

In terms of electrics the Epiphone Les Paul SL has two Epiphone single coil pickups. There is the Epiphone 650SCR in the neck position and the Epiphone 700SCT in the bridge position.  The pickups can be accessed through a three way bridge selector and there is a master volume and tone dials.

All in all the build quality, hardware and electrics are great giving a solid guitar which really does punch way above its price point.

To see the Epiphone Les Paul SL in action check out the video below of John Bohlinger putting it through its paces.

What’s Our conclusion.

The finish of the Epiphone Les Paul SL is top quality and very eye catching. We think this guitar is going to fly off the shelves especially when you consider that it will retail in the UK at just £102!

The Epiphone Les Paul SL is available to order from Amazon.

To find out more about the Epiphone Les Paul SL visit the Epiphone website.

	Epiphone Les Paul SL
Body	Poplar
Bridge	Adjustable, Intonated "wrap around" stopbar combo
Neck	Mahogany
Frets	22 Medium Jumbo frets
Fretboard	Mahogany
Neck Shape	1960s SlimTaper D profile
Scale length	24.75"
Nut width	1-11/16"
Bridge pickup	Epiphone 700SCT Ceramic single coil
Neck pickup	Epiphone 650SCR Ceramic single coil
Pickup switching	3 way pick-up selector switch
Controls	1 volume and 1 tone control
Hardware	Chrome
Recommended retail price	£102 (at date of publication)