But if you want to, you could push it to distortion and play some heavy stuff too. It definitely is versatile and adaptable. By this time, many guitar manufacturers from the Far East had 10+ years experience under their belts, and the improvement in quality began to shine through. Univox, Kawai, Silvertone and Domino were starting to deliver guitars that – from a price / quality point of view – were beginning to eat into the markets that Fender and Gibson dominated. Not only was the manufacturing quality improving, but the quality of the REPLICATION was reaching new highs. The lawyers at Gibson started to get restless, and young guitar players like myself were also getting restless… I could not wait to go out and buy a UNIVOX Les Paul for 1/5th the price of the real thing! Damn, it was so inexpensive that I could almost afford to smash it on stage! Cool! But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Right out of the box, the beautifully carved maple top with a flamed maple veneer hits just right. The body is made from solid mahogany and weighs about 9 pounds, which I felt had that authentic Les Paul heft and sustain. Collings is a company that is geared toward making boutique acoustic guitars, but their City Limits guitar is quite similar to a Gibson Les Paul. There is the maple top, the single cut, as well as the overall shape. And because it’s a Collings, you can rest assured that each guitar will be made to fit the highest possible standards. However, when you take a closer look at their Les Paul style guitar, you will notice that there is another Les Paul-inspired guitar that the Collings resembles more: it’s the PRS. And it’s a dead heat in terms of quality, attention to detail, and price as well, especially if in comparison to the PRS SC 245. True to the Les Paul, it features a classic single-cutaway design, which is supposed to allow easy access to the upper frets, and a Tune-O-Matic bridge for solid intonation and tuning stability. The LTD tuners in chrome finish looked good and were pretty stable too.

The Solo-II is ideal for intermediate to advanced players looking for a versatile, high-quality guitar. It’s perfect for those who appreciate the classic Les Paul style but crave a more modern instrument. This guitar is about as close as you can get to a real Les Paul without breaking the bank. Being owned by Gibson, Epiphone has made this guitar authentically true to the original. It looks, feels, plays, and sounds just like you would want.

Here are the Best Les Paul Style Guitars and Copies

Personally, I’ve always found most PRS models to be very versatile; they easily adapt to anything I want to play. And this one fits the bill too. The Epiphone Les Paul Standard offers a high-quality build, excellent playability, and vintage style at an affordable price point. I feel it captures much of the essence of a Gibson, without the costly overhead. The best Les Paul style guitar is always going to be the Gibson Les Paul, so let’s just get that out of the way. However, in the world of guitar, the word “copy” or “replica” does not necessarily have to spell poor playability and subpar build quality. In fact, you could make a case that some of the guitars we have reviewed on our list are actually better than the original. Let’s take Slash as an example and his iconic sound. Slash has always been known as a Gibson Les Paul player, but what you may not know is that he recorded the legendary Guns N’ Rose LP “Appetite for Destruction” on a guitar that wasn’t a Gibson Les Paul. Since we are speaking about Les Paul style guitar, we have to say that just about every guitar manufacturer out there, apart from Fender Stratocaster obviously, has or has had a Les Paul copy in their lineup of guitars, this means we won’t be listing all of them, but we will shine spotlight on those whose work and quality warrants a mention. Also, we will also provide information you will need to know when choosing a Les Paul copy. What Makes a Good Les Paul Copy?

The EC-256 comes in a range of colors, including Cobalt Blue, Dark Brown Sunburst (the one I reviewed), Vintage Natural, and See Thru Purple Sunburst, making it easy to choose your flavor. If we have one niggle with Encore’s Blaster Series guitar, it’s that - despite generally solid hardware - there was a bit of difficulty keeping the E99 in tune when you’re bending the strings a la Gary Moore. But that didn’t stop us having a blast. From its striking design to its versatile tonal range, I really enjoyed playing this guitar throughout the review. It felt inspiring; whether I was recording some demos or just jamming with my friends.

The Seventies was the era of Classic Rock, so it’s not surprising that so many new guitar brands were flourishing then. But it was a less innocent time than the Sixties, and it soon became known as the “Lawsuit Era”. Here’s all you need to know about all the best,  the most badass, and the most copyright-infringing guitars of the time.

Like Jimmy, Eric and Elvis, we’re sold on the Dano vibe. Some of the most expensive guitars in the world pass through the office. Not many of them can match the fun we had with the ’63. You can’t get a better recommendation than that.

Most guitar manufacturers have had a go at designing guitars aimed at female players. To be honest, most of them are nothing more than regular guitars sprayed pink or covered in glitter. There is an element of that with this Squier, but by aligning itself with a hugely successful character like the cute little Kitty, Fender has produced probably the least patronising guitar for young girls - and boys in touch with their feminine side, of course. Bottom Line: The Reverend Roundhouse is an incredible entry in the single-cut guitar market. Excellent build quality and playability with a nuanced sound make it a must-try for anyone who’s looking to try new guitars for inspiration. Estimated PriceThe Mitchell MS450 can be a bit rough around the edges at times, but it’s incredible value for money. It’s got a good design and sound out of the box, and with some tinkering, it can get even better. Bottom Line: The ESP LTD EC-256FM electric guitar is a fantastic Les Paul copy and one that won’t burn a hole in your budget. If you are also a fan of the modern, yet subtle updates to the original, this one is a no-brainer. Estimated Price Tokai is a Japanese guitar manufacturer that has a long tradition of making high-quality replicas of Gibson and Fender instruments. In fact, in the 1970s, there was a period of time when Gibson was having a hard time keeping its customers, and companies such as Ibanez and Tokai emerged with pretty accurate copies of the Les Paul. Ibanez actually got sued, and Tokai was threatened with a lawsuit, which is why their instruments of this era are also known as “lawsuit guitars”. Ibanez replicas are no longer made, but they are highly coveted among players because of their quality, which is rumored to be superior to that of original Gibsons of the era. If you’re inspired to start learning guitar, need a Les Paul style model, and are unsure of what you want to play or how much you should spend, this is the perfect bet. But I think experienced players may want to splash a bit more and get one of the better guitars on this list.