Epiphone has refreshed its entry-level lineup with the unveiling of beginner-friendly versions of iconic Gibson guitars, in some classic finish options, and some not-so traditional.
The new electric guitars comprise the Les Paul Tribute and the SG Tribute, while the J-45 Express shrinks Gibson’s iconic slope-shouldered dreadnought acoustic guitar down to 7/8ths of its size for an instrument that is A) kind to young hands and novice players, and B) portable enough to travel with. There are left-handed models available, too.
If the Tribute electrics look familiar that is because they assume the archetypical form of their Gibson counterparts, but also that they do a similar job as the Gibson USA Tribute series, with Epiphone similarly stripping down the spec to make these pretty much as affordable as it gets (hint: if you’re looking for an even cheaper deal on an Epiphone guitar, the Power Players Les Paul and SG might be the one, and they come bundled with a guitar strap, guitar cable and some picks, too).
The Tribute models have a more muted aesthetic, with unbound bodies, dot inlays instead of the acrylic trapezoids you would typically find on the fingerboard, and of course there is no maple cap. These all have carved mahogany tops, and the necks join the body with a four-bolt joint instead of being glued to the body like their more expensive.
Epiphone has also dispensed with the pickguards. But the money spent by doing that can be apportioned to the fundamentals – this is still a very credible build. You have a solid mahogany body, a mahogany neck topped with a bound laurel fingerboard. The fingerboard’s 12” radius allied to the 24.75” scale length is wholly on-brand for a Gibson electric.
So is the pickup and control configuration, with a pair of Epiphone 650R/700T ceramic humbuckers at the neck and bridge positions controlled by a pair of volume controls and a pair of tone knobs. A three-way pickup selector is mounted on a black washer on the instrument’s shoulder.
The SlimTaper neck should be a welcoming platform for novice players, and heck anyone who wants something comfortable enough for chords but shaped to get out of your way when soloing.
Epiphone is offering the Les Paul Tribute in Ebony, Vintage Sunburst and Heritage Cherry Sunburst, with an Aqua version available direct from Gibson, either online or at the Gibson Garage in London or Nashville. Priced £249/$299, these are available now.
The SG Tribute receives the same treatment. It has the same essential dimensions as the Les Paul, same pickups, and the neck is similarly bolted to the body. This, if anything, is even more beginner-friendly, with Epiphone stripping down the traditional SG control setup to a simple volume and tone. It is priced £249/$279 street, and is offered in Cherry, Ebony or in Aqua as a Gibson exclusive.
Now for the J-45 Express. That would be a good name for a band. What we have here looks familiar all right. We have the slope-shouldered silhouette that definitely makes us think of Gibson’s indomitable workhorse. But when you pick this one off the shelf you will notice that the body is shrunken; in fact, Epiphone actually lists this as a slope-shouldered travel guitar, which speaks to its portability.
Portability, however, could also be translated as beginner-friendly, or child-friendly. Younger players will often struggle with a full-sized dreadnought, and many of us on staff here still have nightmares (and cramps) at fighting the action on a set of 14s on a cheapo dread’. This would be much more fun as a guitar for a beginner.
Again, the body and build is pared back. This is Epiphone doing the essentials. The body is laminated mahogany on the back and sides, with layered spruce on top. The neck is C profile (and we’d wager a crowd-pleasing C at that), and the scale length of the instrument is a very approachable 22.7”. You will notice the difference in string tension and the feel of the guitar.
Again, there is a 12” laurel fingerboard, with dot inlays marking out the 19 medium frets. This has been kitted out with a set of mini die-cast tuners and it has a reverse belly bridge carved from laurel to match the fingerboard. It measures 43mm across at the nut.
It also ships with a gig bag, inside which you will find three guitar picks to get you started. All you need next is three chords, then you’re off to the races.
Epiphone is offering the J-45 Express in Ebony and Vintage Sunburst, and there is a Pelham Blue version available as a Gibson exclusive online or at the Garages. Single-ply binding has been applied to the the J-45 Express’ body. It looks the part for £/$299.
For more details, head over to Epiphone or the Gibson Gazette, where you will find news of all things Gibson.
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