Benniator1281733997 Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 What kind of neck profile does the Epi Les Paul Custom have ('50s or '60s)? What exactly is inlaid on the fretboard? Is it plastic? Ceramic? The "block inlays" description is wonderfully vague. How many pieces of wood generally make up the neck and body of an Epi Les Paul? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingfrets Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 The inlays are what are generally referred to as "mother-of-toilet-seat." Marbled plastic basically. I don't know about the neck profile on the customs, but the bodies can be made of 1-6 pieces of wood (depending on where and when it was made). I'd guess the transparent finishes will probably use fewer pieces since they would be more visible based on the 2 LPs I own ('03 Korean made transamber is 1 solid piece...doubt it's mahogany - maybe alder? And an '07 Chinese honeyburst which is 2 pieces - 1 large piece that makes up 90% of the body with 1 smaller piece where the jackplate mounts). Painted finishes - who knows what's under there. Some of the lower priced Juniors are literally nothing more than plywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 My Custom from Saein has the neck profile which is somewhere between the 50's and 60's style. It's still more like the 60's profile, I'd say. I'm so used to it I was almost disappointed when I last tried a couple of Gibson Standards with different necks. Don't tell anyone, but that day I honestly mistook a Gibson LP for an Epiphone! I examined a couple of very nice EE Epiphone LPs (must have been trans amber / cherryburst / honeyburst plus tops) and grabbed the next LP in line that looked like just another Epiphone. After a minute I started to wonder why the neck felt so different and what's that "60's neck" sticker doing there on the headstock. That lead to a Gibson 50's/60's tryout, summa summarum I somehow like the neck profiles on my Epiphone Custom (~ 60's) and '57 Junior (~ 50's) more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokestack Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 The wide variance in wood specs is one of the most significant aspects of modern Epi production. Perceived quality is not always a reliable guide to performance...but it's still disturbing. We have a seven year old Unsung built Standard at home which has a really nice centre joined two piece true mahogany body . Weighs in at about 8.25lbs and with a pair Wilkinson "Seth" pickups it plays and sings as well as you would expect any decent Les Paul to do. We also had until very recently a ZW, which was quite evidently a three piece spread of Indonesian "mahogany". [finish sinking revealed the joins]. Thanks to the excellent EMG HZ pickups [which I prefer to the actives !] it sounded fine...but never had that woody and flute like voice which the Standard has. [it was there even with the stock pups] What would be interesting to know is to what extent the tonewood employed has varied with finish. The guitar industry has always [and quite naturally] selected the nicest spreads of timber for trans finishes and I wouldn't expect Epiphone production to be any different in that respect. However, now that veneered multi piece spreads have become the norm, will that still apply ? [BTW . The ZW has been replaced in the arsenal by a Music Man Axis of all things ! Never though I'd hear "tone" from a guitar with a Floyd Rose...but there's a first time for everything I suppose ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper1281734000 Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 The neck is usually somewhere inbetween 50's and 60's from what I hear, but more leaning toward the 60's slimmer neck. The inlays I think are pearloid, which is fake plastic that looks like pearl, or some other plastic, but I'm not sure. The body of a transparent les paul for what I've read in the past is usually 1-3, plus the "maple" (mahogany or alder) cap which may be 1 or 2 pieces. The top is usually covered by a very thin piece of maple called a veneer just to make it look nice. I have no idea on the neck but I'd guess 1 or 2. This is mostly everything I've heard in the old forum, I haven't experienced seeing or noticing any of this myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benniator1281733997 Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Thanks for the input, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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