The Epiphone Les Paul PlusTop Pro is a modern upgrade to the classic Les Paul design, featuring ProBucker pickups with coil tapping.
The PlusTop Pro closely resembles the more expensive Gibson Les Paul Standard 2012, serving as an affordable alternative.
At the core of this modernized Les Paul is still the same old familiar tonewood – a solid mahogany body. The “PlusTop” label on its name means that this guitar features a AAA flame maple veneer top – which from the various pictures available looks really good. The body is wrapped with a 1-ply cream binding on the top to complete its vintage look.
It has a traditional style 24.75″ scale mahogany neck with a ’60s style SlimTaper “D” profile. The neck has a radius of 12″, and is glued-in to the body for improved stability. It is topped with a rosewood fingerboard that features 22 medium jumbo frets, pearloid trapezoid inlays and side binding. The guitar also features an angled headstock construction that is said to help with open string intonation and sustain.
What differentiates this guitar from the other Epiphone made Les Pauls is its built-in electronics. The Epiphone Les Paul PlusTop Pro is equipped with Pro-Bucker pickups which have Alnico II magnets, which are the same magnets used in vintage PAF humbuckers. The guitar has a Pro-Bucker-2 in the neck position and a Pro-Bucker-3 in the bridge, both pickups emulate the original PAF pickups.
The Pro-Bucker-3 is just slightly overwound for a bit more grit when doing lead work. Aside from providing classic LP sounds, they also feature coil-tapping and is controlled by the independent push/pull volume knob. This technology lets you achieve a variety of single coil and humbucker sounds, that result in improved tonal versatility. The pickups passed through two vacuum waxing process to ensure quiet operation and are made of ABS plastic bobbins, 1010 Cold Rolled Steele Pole shoes and screws.
Other features include the LockTone tune-o-matic bridge, Stopbar tailpiece and Grover 14:1 machine heads. The guitar comes in a variety of finishes that include Honeyburst (inspired by the late ’50s vintage Les Pauls), Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Trans Blue, Vintage Sunburst and Wine Red.
The Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro is currently retailing for $499.
For more information on this guitar, you can visit Epiphone.
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