Encore E99CSB E99 Electric Guitar - Cherry Sunburst

Product Information

By this time, many guitar manufacturers from the Far East had 10+ years experience under their belts, and the improvement in quality began to shine through. Univox, Kawai, Silvertone and Domino were starting to deliver guitars that – from a price / quality point of view – were beginning to eat into the markets that Fender and Gibson dominated. Not only was the manufacturing quality improving, but the quality of the REPLICATION was reaching new highs. The lawyers at Gibson started to get restless, and young guitar players like myself were also getting restless… I could not wait to go out and buy a UNIVOX Les Paul for 1/5th the price of the real thing! Damn, it was so inexpensive that I could almost afford to smash it on stage! Cool! But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The Reverend Roundhouse is a premium guitar, which shows in its price tag. So if you’re a complete beginner, I would not recommend it at this stage; other LP copies half the price can do a great job nowadays.

Towards the end of the 1970’s, Fender and Gibson were loosing market share. That is why we hear so much about the “Lawsuit ERA” guitars. Late in the seventies, Gibson Guitars won a legal battle for patent infringements, which over time, shut down all but a few “copy” guitar manufacturers worldwide. This allowed some elbowroom for Gibson and Fender to rethink and retool their operations to fortify their position in the market. To avoid the same problem happening again, Gibson bought Epiphone and started building some very nice Imported Copy Guitars! Fender opened facilities outside North America under different brand names like Squier. GIBSON LES PAUL COPIES From its striking design to its versatile tonal range, I really enjoyed playing this guitar throughout the review. It felt inspiring; whether I was recording some demos or just jamming with my friends. Just to note, the 245 doesn’t have a push-pull coil split, so you can’t really get those ‘glassy’ clean tones like a Strat. But tweak your amp settings a bit, and it’ll still sound gorgeous. Ease of Use After putting this thing through its paces, I can confidently say it’s a top performer. One of the best Les Paul-style guitars for metal that I’ve reviewed, and still flexible enough to adapt to other genres. And the eye-catching finishes only add to the overall aggressiveness of this guitar.

The Seventies was the era of Classic Rock, so it’s not surprising that so many new guitar brands were flourishing then. But it was a less innocent time than the Sixties, and it soon became known as the “Lawsuit Era”. Here’s all you need to know about all the best,  the most badass, and the most copyright-infringing guitars of the time.

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong has a Gibson signature model based on ‘Floyd’, his 1956 Les Paul Junior. Original ’50s LP Juniors like Billie’s cost a bloody fortune, but don’t despair. Our little Epiphone job is on the right side of 200 quid. The Schecter Solo-II is a bit on the expensive side, but with its superb craftsmanship, high-quality materials, and innovative design, I think it’s well worth it. It’ll serve intermediate and professional players nicely, especially if you like exploring different genres. The playability of this unit is as impressive as it looks. The 24.75″ scale length felt familiar, and the 12″ fingerboard radius was just right for playing chords and riffs. The factory setup came with low action and perfect intonation, so I could get straight to jamming with it.

The Roundhouse is an experienced guitar player’s dream. The 24 and three-quarter-inch scale length and the medium oval profile make it comfortable to play for extended periods. The knobs feel smooth and easy to adjust on the fly.Bottom Line: The ESP LTD EC-256FM electric guitar is a fantastic Les Paul copy and one that won’t burn a hole in your budget. If you are also a fan of the modern, yet subtle updates to the original, this one is a no-brainer. Estimated Price Collings is a company that is geared toward making boutique acoustic guitars, but their City Limits guitar is quite similar to a Gibson Les Paul. There is the maple top, the single cut, as well as the overall shape. And because it’s a Collings, you can rest assured that each guitar will be made to fit the highest possible standards. However, when you take a closer look at their Les Paul style guitar, you will notice that there is another Les Paul-inspired guitar that the Collings resembles more: it’s the PRS. And it’s a dead heat in terms of quality, attention to detail, and price as well, especially if in comparison to the PRS SC 245.