History of the Les Paul Guitar

The Les Paul is one of the most iconic guitars both in terms of looks and tone. Its influence on rock, blues and jazz is undeniable. Traditional Les Paul’s have a rich tone that emphasizes the mid-range.

Les Paul, the musician, was a constant inventor and influencer. In 1946, he created a solid body prototype that he called, “The Log”. Gibson wasn’t interested at the time but changed its mind in 1952. Between the late 50’s and early 60’s, Gibson offered four models: Custom, Standard, Special, and Junior. Guitar legends like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, and Pete Townshend adopted the LP as their preferred guitar. They were followed by later artists like Slash and Jeff Beck.1

Gibson bought Epiphone in 1957. Since then, many Epiphone guitars are substantially similar to their much more expensive Gibson counterparts. Many Epiphone guitars, including the Les Paul Ultra-II, are manufactured in Korea. Additionally, they may use less expensive finishes or hardwoods.

 

Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II

The Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II is a hybrid electric+acoustic guitar. It preserves the look of a traditional Les Paul guitar. It possesses the traditional Les Paul sound, captured by a pair of Alnico Classic humbucker pickups.

But, it can also generate a clean, shimmering, “acoustic-like” tone. The acoustic sound is captured by the Nanomag pickup, designed by German acoustic pickup maker Shadow. The Nanomag is embedded in the fingerboard after the 22nd fret. The inside of the Ulltra-II is chambered both to reduce weight and enhance the acoustic overtones.

With two jacks, it’s possible to combine the output of the Alnico Classic humbuckers with the NanoMag  or to separate the two for a different mix of sounds.

On the back of the Ultra-II are the Nanomag controls including treble, bass and gain settings.

As shown in the photos, I bought my LP iin Midnight Ebony with gold hardware. I later upgraded my Ultra II to an Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III and gave my Ultra II to my son.

Updated on April 18th, 2017