Today's a special day for any guitar playing Guns N' Roses fans as the long-awaited Epiphone Slash Collection is released. The collection was first teased in January by Slash himself and comprises a handful of Les Pauls boasting the same finishes as their Gibson counterparts, and a pair of J-45 acoustic guitars.
Coming in at the high-end of Epiphone's lineup, the Slash Collection models have some very grown-up specs. The J-45s have an all-solid build with Sitka spruce on top and mahogany on the back and sides, while the Les Pauls have a solid mahogany body with AAA flame maple cap that'll add some luxury under those transparent gloss finishes, and mahogany necks carved into a comfortable C profile.
Available in Anaconda Burst, Appetite Burst, Vermillion Burst, November Burst and in a 'Victoria' Gold Top finish (named after the person who stole his original Gold Top), these Epiphone Les Pauls looks pretty sweet. All come equipped with a pair of Epiphone Custom ProBucker pickups, a three-way toggle plus the usual two volume, two tone control setup.
As we have seen with some of their other top-line Les Pauls, Epiphone has used quality components throughout, with CTS potentiometers with Orange Drop capacitors ensuring the tone controls taper nicely and Epiphone Strap Locks so your beloved new guitar does not hit the floor.
As for the fundamentals, these will measure up comparably with the Gibson Slash Les Paul Standard, with a 24.75" scale, 12" fingerboard radius, 22 frets, and a thick leather strap advisable for long sessions. In keeping with its 50s models, Epiphone has used the long neck tenon as a nod to vintage instruments.
Aesthetically, the only major difference is the headstock and that Indian laurel is used for the fingerboard instead of rosewood – but it looks the part with trapezoid inlays, binding and, best of all, the custom-matched hardware and controls. Slash's signature Skully illustration can be found on the rear of the headstock, and his signature is on the truss-rod cover.
As with the Epiphone 50s Les Paul Standard, the Epiphone Slash Les Pauls are fitted with LockTone bridge and tailpiece, a Graph Tech nut and Epiphone Vintage Deluxe 18:1 tuners.
The acoustics, meanwhile, offer two financially accessible versions of Gibson's iconic dreadnought with Slash's signature flourishes. Available in Vermillion Burst or November Burst, the Epiphone Slash J-45 acoustics offer a modern feel, with 16" Indian laurel fingerboards and a Slash custom C profile mahogany neck.
Both come fitted with an LR Baggs VTC pickup and preamp, with volume and tone controls tucked away discretely in the soundhole. As with the Les Pauls, we have Graph Tech TUSQ nuts, while Epiphone has chosen a set of Grover Rotomatics for tuners, and an Indian laurel bridge.
The Epiphone Slash Collection is available now worldwide. All models ship with a custom hard-shell case. The Epiphone Slash Les Pauls and J-45s are priced £799 / $899. See Epiphone for more details.
