Les Paul Prices (Gibson, Epiphone & Others) – 2024 Costs

Author: Dedrich Schafer | Updated: | This post may contain affiliate links.

Few guitars are as iconic as the Les Paul. Its distinct look and sound have solidified its place in the history of rock music.

But Les Pauls are also some of the most expensive guitars, or are they? While not cheap, a Les Paul can still be relatively affordable. And non-Gibson Les Pauls are even more affordable for the average guitar.

In this article, let us take a look at what a typical Gibson Les Paul costs and how Epiphones compare. We’ll also check out a few Les Paul-style guitars from other brands and how much they cost.

Gibson

What better place to start than with the original – Gibson. Gibson Les Pauls are arguably the best, but they are also the most expensive.

You won’t find a Gibson Les Paul for under $1000, and they can quickly go into the multiple thousand dollar price range. But they are worth the price of admission.

At the “entry-level” for Gibson is the Les Paul Tribute. This is about as stock standard as a Gibson Les Paul can get.

The Les Paul Tribute has everything that makes a Les Paul great, and the 490 humbuckers are designed to have a similar tone to the ‘57 Classic. This is a great guitar if you are looking for the real deal without having to spend too much.

The Les Paul Studio is one of the more commonly played Les Pauls these days. It is still relatively affordable for a Gibson and has a few modern trimmings like a SlimTaper neck and coil-splitting for added versatility.

The Les Paul Standard ‘60s and Les Paul Deluxe ‘70s are two of the more iconic Gibson Les Pauls. These are very similar to the Les Paul played by legendary guitarists like Jimmy Page and Slash.

These are probably what most people think of when they think of Les Paul. These have the feel and tone that is so often associated with classic ‘70s and ‘80 rock.

Speaking of the great Slash, he has a line of signature Les Paul Standards like the Victoria. These are among the most expensive Gibson Les Pauls and were designed in collaboration with him to make them feel and sound like his Les Pauls.

Gibson Custom

While Gibson Les Pauls can already be quite expensive, their Custom versions can quickly dwarf them in terms of price. A Custom Les Paul can easily set you back $5000, like the Les Paul Custom.

While a practically perfect recreation of a vintage 1959 Les Paul Standard costs over $11,000. This is as close as you can get to a vintage Les Paul without actually buying one made in the ‘50s.

Epiphone

While many people consider Epiphone guitars as budget Gibsons, they are by no means cheap instruments. They are certainly much more affordable but are still well-made quality guitars.

At just $270, the Epiphone Les Paul Studio E1 is a super affordable guitar. This is a great Les Paul for beginners looking for that Les Paul sound.

While it is fairly inexpensive, the E1 is still made from high-quality mahogany and sports a nice rosewood fretboard. The Zebra ceramic humbuckers also sound great and deliver that crunchy sound that you want from a Les Paul.

One step up, the Les Paul Classic is almost an upgraded version of the E1. It has the same classic look of a Gibson Les Paul and a warmer, fatter tone closer to it as well.

The Classic also features a few modern trimmings like a SlimTaper neck. The Alnico Classic PRO humbuckers also have coil-splitting for added versatility.

But if you truly want to capture the essence of a vintage Les Paul, there is the Epiphone Les Paul Standard ‘60s and the Standard ‘50s. These guitars were designed to embody the spirit of vintage Les Pauls.

These are the ideal guitars if you want that classic Les Paul sound but without having to spend the same amount of money. While they aren’t exactly on the level of a Gibson, they get pretty darn close.

For Slash fans, he also has a few of his signature guitars made by Epiphone. The Slash Les Paul Standard isn’t quite on the same level as the Gibson version. But just like the Standard ‘60s and ‘50s, it still manages to come quite close to the Gibson version.

Epiphone doesn’t just make more affordable versions of Gibson Les Pauls, they also make Les Pauls that are unique to Epiphone. These are Les Pauls designed for modern guitarists who want a modern sound, look, and feel, while still playing a Les Paul.

The Les Paul Prophecy is a Les Paul for the shredders of today. From the Fishman Fluence pickups to the contoured heel for easier reach of the higher frets.

This guitar is designed to be played hot and fast and is a great guitar for metal. But it also has coil-splitting, as well as vintage and modern voicing options. This is a truly versatile Les Paul.

Moving up to what would be considered professional-level guitars, you have the Epiphone Matt Heafy Les Paul Custom and the Jerry Cantrell Les Paul Custom Prophecy. These guitars are similar to the Prophecy, but at a much higher quality and with a few touches added specifically for the guitarists they were designed for.

This includes neck shapes designed for fast, smooth playing and custom fret inlays, as well as custom voiced pickups, just to name a few.

Les Paul-style Guitars

The Les Paul isn’t a guitar that is exclusive to Gibson and Epiphone. There are a number of guitar manufacturers that make guitars that are referred to as “Les Paul-style” guitars.

These come in a variety of different styles, and each has its own spin on the Les Paul body shape. Some of these try to emulate the sound of a Les Paul, while others go for a very different sound while maintaining the look and feel of a Les Paul.

While these guitars will likely never compete with a true Les Paul, that isn’t really their purpose. They are meant to be their own thing while paying tribute to a classic.

As such, these guitars shouldn’t be disregarded as inferior or simple copycats. They deserve their place in the guitar world just as much as the real deal.

Sire

Sire specializes in making affordable versions of iconic guitars like Strats, Teles, and of course, Les Pauls.

The Larry Carlton L7 is fairly comparable to a similarly priced Epiphone Les Paul. Its body shape and dimensions are pretty much identical, the biggest difference really only being the pointed cutaway.

It also has a similar tone. The Larry Carlton Modern humbuckers are designed to be rich, warm, and creamy, much like the tone on a ‘60s Epiphone Les Paul.

ESP

ESP guitars are somewhat in the same vein as Gibsons. They are designed to be played loud and with a lot of gain.

As far as their Les Paul-style guitars go, ESPs are designed with more of a focus on metal and more for shred guitarists. The ESP LTD Bill Kelliher BK-600 is a great example of this.

It is quite similar to the Epiphone Matt Heafy and Jerry Cantrell signatures. It is a modern metal guitar with the features that you would expect from one.

Features like a Thin U-neck that provides extra grip while still being smooth and fast. It also has a locking bridge and locking tuners to keep your strings in tune through aggressive playing.

The BK-600 also sports Seymour Duncan SH-6 pickups for high levels of distortion. They also have coil-splitting for added versatility.

Heritage

Heritage guitars are a boutique brand that makes guitars with a focus on American traditions, craftsmanship, and authenticity. Guitars like the Gibson Les Paul.

Nowhere is that more apparent than in their Artisan series of guitars. The Artisan Aged H-150 is almost the spitting image of the Gibson Les Paul.

It has a similar sound as well. The H-150 has that warm, growly vintage sound reminiscent of Les Pauls from the ‘50s.

They aren’t just simple replicas, though. Just like a Gibson Les Paul, a Heritage Artisan has that special kind of magic that makes it its own thing.

Jackson

Much like ESP guitars, Jacksons are more associated with metal, which also means that their Les Paul-style guitars have more of a focus on playing music that involves a lot of distortion.

Jackson has the Monarkh and Pro Monarkh series of Les Paul-style guitars. They are essentially the same, with increased build and tonal quality the more expensive they get.

Starting at the least expensive Monarkh SC JS22. This is made with very inexpensive materials and uses basic Jackson humbuckers. This is a fairly entry-level guitar, but one that plays and sounds much better than you would expect.

At the more intermediate level, you have the Pro Monarkh SC. Everything is much higher quality than the JS22, from the wood used to the Seymour Duncan humbuckers. The body shape is also a bit closer to that of a Les Paul’s.

And at the high end is the Pro Monarkh Marty Friedman Signature. This is the highest quality Monarkh, made with the best woods and hardware, as well as input from the former Megadeth guitarist himself.

PRS

PRS guitars are very good all-rounders. They sound just as good playing rock, blues, and even jazz as they do playing metal.

They have quite a selection of Les Paul-style guitars. If you want a modern sounding one, the SE 245 is a modern-sounding guitar, but with that touch of vintage tone.

But if you want something that is more vintage sounding, the SE McCarty 594 uses vintage-voiced, PAF-style humbuckers to give the guitar a rich and warm tone.

For something a little unconventional, there is the SE Mark Tremonti Standard. This is a pretty standard SE, except it also has a tremolo, something you never see on a Les Paul-style guitar.

PRS also has the S2 series. These guitars are basically upgraded versions of their SE models. Here you will find guitars like the S2 McCarty 594.

And finally, at the very top, you will find the Mark Tremonti Signature. A really cool guitar that combines a modern bridge pickup and a more vintage neck pickup, allowing you to go from crunchy, aggressive riffs to smooth leads and warm, rich cleans with ease.

There are certainly many more Les Pauls and Les Paul-style guitars out there. This is just a handful to give you an idea of their variety and how much they cost.

But which one are you? Are you a purist that believes the only real Les Paul is one made by Gibson or Epiphone? Or do you like the variety that Les Paul-style guitars bring?

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About Dedrich Schafer

Dedrich is a guitar player, songwriter and sound engineer with extensive music production and studio experience. He mostly listens to classic rock and punk bands, but sometimes also likes listening to rap and acoustic songs.

2 thoughts on “Les Paul Prices (Gibson, Epiphone & Others) – 2024 Costs”

  1. Your comparisons with the Gibson originals and the comparable Epiphone models is very accurate and well informed. As a previous owner of Gibsons I have become an avid owner of and advocate for the Epiphone models.

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