Great guitar for a beginner. Well set up and ready to play.

Epiphone Les Pauls are popular with players at all levels, from beginners to budget-conscious pros—and with good reason. While a Gibson Les Paul will generally set you back north of $2,000, their Asia-built Epiphone cousins offer excellent bang for the buck at prices in the low-to-mid hundreds.

Family Lines
Similar in shape to a Les Paul Junior, the SL’s poplar body is slim, compact, and very light. None of the SL models have the deep mahogany grain of the Les Paul Junior or the flamed tops that some Les Paul Standard enthusiasts drool over. But their quirky solid colors, contoured pickguard, and top hat knobs will turn heads. The controls are straightforward: A 3-way pickup selector switch and two knobs that control volume and tone for both pickups. The input jack is located on the pickguard, rather than on the side.

Ready for Action
The quality control on the SL is remarkably good for a guitar with a two-figure price tag. There are no sharp fret ends, and the volume and tone knobs have a smooth, noise-free taper.