Custom Shop Vibe, Gibson USA Guts, Real-World Price
If you’ve been chasing that tuxedo Les Paul feel without going all-in on a Gibson Custom Shop, this one hits that sweet spot. Solid mahogany body, maple cap, ebony board, and real Gibson USA pickups give you the sound and feel you hear on records, without wrecking your gear budget.
Classic Les Paul Construction With A Tuxedo Twist
This is the recipe that made the Les Paul a legend: a solid mahogany body for warmth and sustain, topped with a maple cap that adds cut and clarity. The Alpine White gloss finish and multi-ply binding give you that classic tuxedo look that never goes out of style, on stage or under studio lights.
The guitar feels substantial in all the right ways. At 9 lbs, it has that reassuring Les Paul heft that helps notes bloom and sustain, but it is still balanced enough that a long set will not punish your shoulder. It rings acoustically before you even plug it in, which is always a good sign.
Modern Medium C Neck That Just Feels Right
The one-piece mahogany neck uses a Modern Medium C profile that sits right between a ’50s baseball bat and a super-slim shred neck. It fills your hand just enough to feel solid, but it will not fight you for fast runs, wide bends, or long chords.
The long tenon set-neck joint helps the whole guitar feel like one piece of wood, so notes jump off the fretboard and hang there. Real talk: this is the kind of neck you stop thinking about after five minutes because it simply does what you ask it to do.
Ebony Fingerboard For Speed, Snap, And Clarity
The ebony fingerboard is a huge part of the feel and tone equation here. It is smooth under your fingers, adds a bit of extra snap to the attack, and keeps complex chords from turning to mush when you add gain.
A 12 inch radius with 22 medium jumbo frets means bends feel buttery without fretting out, and chords still sit comfortably under your hand. Mother of pearl block inlays give you that old-school Custom look while you are getting work done.
Gibson USA Pickups, Hand-Wired Muscle
The pickup combo is classic Gibson USA: a 490R in the neck and a 498T in the bridge. The 490R gives you warm, vocal neck tones that stay articulate for blues lines, jazz voicings, and syrupy lead work. The 498T brings the punch, with tight lows, aggressive mids, and enough output to push your amp into that sweet singing grind.
Because the electronics are hand-wired with CTS pots, Mallory caps, and Switchcraft hardware, the controls feel smooth and musical instead of on/off. Roll your volume back for cleaner, glassy textures, or dime it and let the guitar roar. It takes pedals like a champ and cleans up beautifully from your volume knob.
Gold Hardware, Ebony Board, All The Right Details
The gold hardware is not just for looks, but it definitely delivers on that stage-worthy tuxedo aesthetic. Grover Rotomatic tuners with an 18:1 ratio keep everything rock solid in tune, even with big bends and heavy right-hand work.
LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece give you stable intonation and sustain, while the black speed knobs, 5-ply black pickguard, and multi-ply binding tie the whole look together. Flip it over and you get black control covers with the Inspired by Gibson Custom logo, which is a nice reminder of what you are holding.
Case, Care, And The Moore Guitars Touch
This Epiphone ships in a black hardshell case with a goldenrod interior and Inspired by Gibson Custom logo, so it is protected and gig-ready right out of the box. You are not getting a budget gig bag here; this is a proper home for a serious instrument.
Every guitar that comes through our Evansville, Indiana shop gets the full Player-Perfect setup from real players. We inspect it when it arrives, dial in the action, intonation, and feel, then give it another full check before it goes in the case. Photos are of the actual guitar, so what you see is exactly what you will open up.
Questions about this Les Paul, neck feel, or how it stacks up to others you are considering? Call (888) 794-8482 and you will talk to a real player. No scripts, no pressure, just honest guidance to help you land the right guitar.
