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Article: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra and Elitist Les Paul '57 Goldtop.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)
- Article from:
- Guitar Player
- Article date:
- February 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 New Bay Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Since it began producing mainly budget guitars in the mid '90s, Epiphone has carved out a place in the market as a respected utilitarian brand. The company has also cleverly positioned itself as an entirely legit alternative source for genuine Les Pauls, and I count 26 variations of the Les Paul model in the current Epi catalog. What the numbers don't tell you, however, is how successfully Epiphone has bridged the gap between $400 to $500 novice-level Les Pauls, and the out-of-reach prices of the real McCoy.
At a $499 street price, the Korean-made Les Paul Ultra is a notch up from Epi's beginner LPs in terms of both price and features. And, at a street price of ...