Gearank Recommendation
The Epiphone Les Paul Melody Maker appeared on our recommended list for Single Coil Equipped Solidbody Electric Guitars Under $200 from April 2019 until May 2021 when it was replaced with higher rated models.
Overview
Note: Epiphone has changed the name of this guitar from Les Paul SL to Les Paul Melody Maker.
The Epiphone Les Paul Melody Maker is the most affordable licensed Les Paul in the market, and it’s doing quite well even with big changes in its setup.
The most important difference is that instead of humbuckers, this one comes equipped with single coil pickups with basic knobs that let you adjust master tone and master volume.
But what it lacks in specs, it makes up with its distinct appearance and colorful finish options.
Thanks to the Epiphone Les Paul Melody Maker, you can now have an officially licensed Les Paul for a very modest amount of money. Those who are looking for a single-coil equipped Les Paul will also find this guitar appealing.
Specifications
- Body: Poplar
- Finish: Pacific Blue, Ebony, Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Sunset Yellow, Turquoise, Vintage Sunburst
- Bridge: Adjustable Wrap Around Stopbar
- Pickups: 650SCR Ceramic Single-coil Neck, 700SCT Ceramic Single-coil Bridge
- Neck: Mahogany
- Scale Length: 24.75
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 14″
- Number of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
- Nut Width: 1.6875″
- Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
- Pickup Selector: 3-Position Switch
The Epi LP SL is equipped with single coil ceramics not humbuckers as suggested in this article. Some criticize ceramic pickups, but Fender’s off shore and MIM S models also have Asian built ceramic pickups. Studio musicians and pro giggers use and laud the SL in their unpaid reviews. Upgrading the tuners, nut, bridge, ( adjustable bridge, ( Musicilly sells a decent one for cheap,) and pots might be desireable, according to purpose of use, and, even good low cost pickups, like Dragonfly, but not mandatory. The offshore factories also have the most up to date equipment. Politics would have us believe they use axes and pocket knives and Polaroid snaps to guide the build. Not so. The anti China rhetoric is diverting shoppers to other Asian Countries. From my experience upgraded hardware and electronics would place these instruments on par, or even better, than big company domestic suppliers.
We didn’t say it has humbuckers, we actually said, “instead of humbuckers, this one comes equipped with single coil pickups”