Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO vs. Fender FSR Standard Ash TelecasterEpiphone Les Paul Std. Plustop PRO vs. Fender FSR Standard Ash Tele

[Tex_Hex]

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO vs. Fender FSR Standard Ash Telecaster

 

I've got $500 to spend on a new guitar and I'm having a tough time deciding between:

 

Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO in Heritage Cherry Sunburst

http://preview.tinyurl.com/9ktsc3g

 

or

 

Fender FSR Standard Ash Telecaster

http://preview.tinyurl.com/lscscfw

 

I've owned a Epi. LP in the past (early 90's model) and really enjoyed it. The Plustop PRO looks like a fantastic guitar for the money but so does the Telecaster. The Telecaster goes for $499 at retail and the Epi. is $499. I'm leaning heavy towards the Epi. but the Telecaster has such sweet, mellow sounds and looks like it can play just about anything. Does the coil taping on the Epi. even come close? Anyone here tried both and have any suggestions?

[Spamonkis]

Yea, that...

[Scott0]

 

This.........

agreed, this is truly a fantastic guitar!

[gypsyseven]

I would take the Tribute Plus!

[LP121]

Agree with these guys. Get a Tribute Plus and never look back.

[capmaster]

Since I own an Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus, I know this is a very great guitar. The parallel option (no tap/split) is pretty fine. The Gibson '57/'57 Plus pickups make it a real deal, a guitar on which everything is nice as it comes stock. The advertising "The best Les Paul for the money" is absolutely matching this guitar.

 

Among my Fender Telecasters, there is an American Deluxe Ash model which is in a completely different price range. It comes with N3 Noiseless and six adjustable saddles what I think is a great advantage. I never would want to have one with only three, and so I think I would retrofit it with a six-saddle bridge. However, compared to alder timbers, the ash body has its own distinctive tone which I like very much.

[kjeokiedog]

agreed, this is truly a fantastic guitar!

Just got one of these, too, and not looking back!

[Whitmore Willy]

Tex_Hex,

 

Go for a used Stella....

 

Yes, I'm kidding. Just wanted to say,

Welcome To The Forum!!!

 

Willy

[Whitmore Willy]

I guess he bought the Tele and never came back....

Too Funny!!!

Never occurred to me to look at the original post date. My Bad.

 

Maybe we should send him an P.M.

 

Willy

[DrGolf]

I have a Plus Top Pro in vintage burst and it is a fine a guitar. I also have a 2003 Gibson Les Paul and it is very difficult to tell the difference in tone. The Epiphone neck is "clubbier" than the Gibson but is still comfortable. What I have noticed is that the binding on the Epiphone is perfect whereas you can feel the edges of the binding on the other guitar which cost three and a half times as much when I bought it new.

 

I also have a Tele Deluxe which retails for £1300 and the Epiphone, with its split coils is much more versatile.

 

It is great to be playing in nice meaty Gibson tones and then switch to single coil sound. Having one pick up on humbucker and the other on single coil gives you another range.

 

I don't know anything about the Tele you mentioned but you can't go wrong with an Epiphone Plus Top Pro.

 

Dr Golf

[Not-Too-Late]

I guess he bought the Tele and never came back....

 

Someone is on the ball by the looks of it. Boy, all these flattering comments about the Tribute Plus has got me going now. Tuesday is my wife's keyboard lesson at GC -- I might just have me a look see.

[MotorPro]

Total beginner here so bear with me. I have been looking at getting a Std plustop pro. Everyone on here is saying the tribute plus is a lot better. In terms someone with no experiance can understand can someone tell me what is better and why?

[crust]

Total beginner here so bear with me. I have been looking at getting a Std plus top pro. Everyone on here is saying the tribute plus is a lot better. In terms someone with no experience can understand can someone tell me what is better and why?

 

I'm interested in an explanation also. I like my Standard plus top pro very much. I really cannot envision a much better Epiphone LP style guitar (for what it cost). I have not played an Epiphone 1960 Tribute. Can there really be that much of a difference ? Pickups and different neck profile ? Which do you prefer ?

A nice tribute is going for 400 (no case) to 5 hundred +(on Ebay, looks like a brand new one is no longer available everywhere). There is a blue plus top (has a very nice blue/sapphire flamed top) 1960 tribute (with case) on Ebay for $589 today. Nice looking guitar (to me)

 

1960 Tribute specs

Body Material:Mahogany Top Material:Carved Hard Maple w/AAA Flame Maple Veneer Neck Material:Mahogany Neck Shape Options:1960's SlimTaper™, D Profile Neck Joint:Vintage "Deep-Set", Glued-In Truss Rod:Adjustable Scale Length:24.75" Fingerboard Material:Rosewood w/Mother-Of-Pearl Trapezoid Inlays Neck Pickup:Gibson USA '57 Classic™ Humbucker (4-Wire)Bridge Pickup:Gibson USA '57 Classic Plus™ Humbucker (4-Wire) Controls:Switchcraft™ 3-Way Pickup Selector, Neck Pickup Volume, Bridge Pickup Volume, Neck Pickup Tone (push/pull - series/parallel), Bridge Pickup Tone (push/pull - series/parallel) Electronics:Mallory-150 Tone Capacitors Binding:Fingerboard-1-Ply (Cream), Body - 1-Ply (Cream) Fingerboard Radius:12" Frets:22, Medium-JumboBridge:LockTone™ Tune-o-Matic/StopbarNut Width:1-11/16"Hardware:Nickel Machine Heads:Grover™ Locking Colors:Black Cherry (BC), Faded Cherry Sunburst (FC), Midnight Ebony (ME), Midnight Sapphire (MS), Vintage Sunburst (VS)

Est. USA Street Price:$599

 

Standard plus top pro specs

SPECIFICATIONS

Body mahogany, Top AAA flame maple, Neck hand-set mahogany Scale24.75" Fingerboard rosewood Frets 22 medium jumbo Fretboard Radius12"Fingerboard Inlay trapezoid Nut Width1.68"Binding1-ply cream (body)1-ply cream (neck) Pickups ProBucker-2™Bridge Pickup ProBucker-3™Bridge Locking Tune-o-matic™Tailpiece Stopbar Controls-Neck pickup volume with push/pull coil-tapping Bridge pickup volume with push/pull coil tapping Neck pickup tone Bridge pickup tone Machine HeadsGrover™ 14:1 Color Honeyburst (HB), Heritage Cherry Sunburst (HS), Trans Blue (TL), Vintage Sunburst (VS), Wine Red (WR) Hard case optional

A new standard plus top pro without case is about $500 new.

 

Standard plus top pro, or tribute plus top pro ? Do you like the Gibson pickups in the tribute ('57 classic and classic plus) or the probucker 2 and 3 on the standard ? Which neck profile ? Why ? Do you need the tribute's case too ? Worth the extra $100 (or so)

heres a pic of mine LP Standard plus top heritage cherry burst (clownburst) lol. I really enjoy playing this thing...except I will eventually change the saddles to graphtech's as I have broken the high E string 2x (the way I bend strings when improvising) already.

[Scott Marlowe]

Well the Tribute comes with a hard shell case. GC has them new btw for $699.

 

I'd say it comes down to which you like the sound and playability of. Either is a darned good guitar, but I would lean towards the classic 57 pickups myself.

[capmaster]

I have a Plus Top Pro in vintage burst and it is a fine a guitar. I also have a 2003 Gibson Les Paul and it is very difficult to tell the difference in tone. The Epiphone neck is "clubbier" than the Gibson but is still comfortable. What I have noticed is that the binding on the Epiphone is perfect whereas you can feel the edges of the binding on the other guitar which cost three and a half times as much when I bought it new.

 

I also have a Tele Deluxe which retails for £1300 and the Epiphone, with its split coils is much more versatile.

 

It is great to be playing in nice meaty Gibson tones and then switch to single coil sound. Having one pick up on humbucker and the other on single coil gives you another range.

 

I don't know anything about the Tele you mentioned but you can't go wrong with an Epiphone Plus Top Pro.

 

Dr Golf

Both your guitars described and pictured here look very nice.

 

As for the edges of the bindings on Gibsons, I think it has to do with the nitrocellulose finish. This is more of an adhesive kind whereas the Epi's polyester finishes are more cohesive so to say. Evening out the tiny grooves and ridges with a nitrocellulose coat like on Gibsons would take a thicker coat I believe.