What is it?
Jeff Beck needs no introduction and neither do his guitars. The ‘Yardburst’ and the ‘Oxblood’ Les Pauls, to name but two, are ever-linked to defining periods of the late, great guitarist’s storied past. Recently Gibson Custom launched a rather fine 130-only replica of the former in 2024 aimed at well-heeled collectors, now Epiphone, in collaboration with Gibson Custom, has now shone the light on the latter with an everyman model that’s some £8k less expensive.
Specs
- Launch price: $1,299 /£1,199/€1,399
- Made: China
- Type: Solidbody electric
- Body: Mahogany back w/ maple cap
- Neck: One-piece mahogany w/ long tenon
- Fingerboard / Radius: Bound rosewood/ 12”
- Scale length: 24.75” (629mm)
- Nut/width: 42.9mm
- Frets: 22, medium
- Hardware: Gibson Historic wraparound bridge/tailpiece, Grover Rotomatic tuners
- Electrics: 2x Gibson Custombuckers, 3-way toggle pickup selector switch, individual pickup volume and tone controls
- Weight: 8.56lb (3.89kg)
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Oxblood only
- Case: Hardshell case with Inspired by Gibson Custom graphics
- Contact: epiphone.com
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
Jeff Beck’s original was an already mucked about with 1954 Goldtop when he bought it in late 1972: its P-90 single coils replaced with Patent Applied For humbuckers and the original finish swapped for this chocolate brown opaque that apparently he coined ‘Oxblood’.
The muted low gloss sheen to the finish here, like the Vintage Gloss of the recent Reissue models, certainly doesn’t appear new. It also hides any glimpse of the woods used, although Epiphone spec the usual for the full-depth mahogany/maple body and a one-piece neck with its long-tenon join.
Again, like the new Reissues the Oxblood returns to a decent-looking rosewood fingerboard with what I’d call ‘medium’, frets and those bright “aged mother-of-pearl” trapezoid inlays.
Directly before the separate Tune-O-Matic bridge and stud tailpiece, the 1954 Les Paul used a combined wrapover, like a Les Paul Junior, and that’s what we have here. The original has retro-fitted Schaller M6 tuners and so should this one according to the spec but ours are Grover Rotomatics.
The pretty crude work on the original is replicated to a certain extent: the bridge humbucker is very closely placed to the bridge leaving that untidy gap on the unbevelled, and slightly sharp-edged pickguard.
The Oxblood sticks with Gibson USA Custombuckers, uncovered to match a post-purchase mod by Beck; the wiring is period-correct fifties-style with decent CTS pots, a Switchcraft toggle switch and a pair of .022µF Mallory 150 series 400V polyester capacitors.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
It’s one of the biggest necks on a production guitar I’ve ever handled
After testing some heavy Reissue Les Pauls I'm pleasantly surprised that this one is relatively light: a good start. But the neck is something else: it’s one of the biggest necks on a production guitar I’ve ever handled and its description – ‘Jeff Beck Custom Large C’ – is understatement.
Does this huge girth make the frets feel smaller? Well, they’re definitely more vintage feeling but the supplied set-up feels good and the tuning stability – no doubt helped by the rock-solid girder of a neck – is superb.
Without individual string adjustment on the bridge, intonation is slightly compromised – although that never bothered Beck or indeed any of us Junior/Special devotees. Also, the low four strings here were all a little sharp at the first fret due to slightly domed string grooves at the nut which needed a couple of passes with a fret file to fix.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
While there’s plenty of bite, it just adds to the sonic range and that, of course, is what the master was all about
If you’re a believer that a big neck equals big sound, not least when paired with this near light-weight body, here’s a guitar you might want to try. It’s working like it should, pretty vibrant with a full-bodied acoustic ring.
In theory, the bridge pickup placement should result in an over-sharp response, not least without a cover, but while there’s plenty of bite, it just adds to the sonic range and that, of course, is what the master was all about. Again these Custombuckers seem the perfect choice: pulling back the volume and tone and that bridge is almost single coil sounding, pick close to the wrapover and chicken-pick away while at full chat there’s just a classic biting yet throaty roar.
I have no complaints with the neck pickup’s default jazz/blues’n’rock voice either. In middle position, is there a little more sparkle due to the subtly wider pickup spacing? Well, it’s not lacking and again pull back those controls and it’s chime-y and more than suited to the sometimes funkier styles Beck was moving into with the original. You might not get close to his virtuosity but the sounds are here.
Verdict
This homage to Beck’s last Les Paul is a timely reminder of a true great. Will you sound like him when you plug it in? We wish. No, this is simply a good unshowy Les Paul with a great backstory and more importantly a wide range of very useable sounds. The huge neck does seem a bold step on a production model but it adds to the character, and this one has that in spades.
Guitar World verdict: This Epiphone repro of the most expensive-ever Gibson Les Paul sold at auction is not only considerably less money, it’s one of the best Epi’s yet: a very fit-for-purpose working Les Paul.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
Unlike other Epiphone Les Pauls I’ve recently looked at this one is a great weight. Overall the craft is very good, a little more time on the frets would elevate it further. |
★★★★☆ |
Playability |
Our sample was nicely set-up and plays well but with such a big neckthis isn’t going to be for everyone. It does mean, however, that thetuning stability proved rock solid. |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
The Gibson USA Custombuckers create an old-school classic voicing. They won’t turn you into Jeff Beck but the sounds are here! |
★★★★★ |
Overall |
It’s an unshowy Les Paul that packs a huge punch and it’s a more than timely reminder of one of the greats. |
★★★★★ |
