7 Best Les Paul Copies of 2024

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The Gibson Les Paul electric guitar has been among the most iconic and universally beloved instruments since the beginning of time, or 1952, depending on who you ask.

From its instantly recognizable design to its warm, full-bodied tone, the Les Paul has become something of a must-have for guitar players.

But over the years, the Gibson Les Paul has become prohibitively expensive for a good percentage of musicians, leading to a wide variety of imitators.

Far from being the equivalent of a $15 Rolex watch, these instruments have garnered quite the reputation as viable alternatives for players seeking a Les Paul look and sound without taking out a second mortgage.

In this list, we'll look at seven of the best Les Paul copies on the market today. Leading the pack is Gibson's little brother- the Epiphone Les Paul Standard.

Best Les Paul Copies

1. Best Overall Option/"Don't Call It A Copy" – Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s Electric Guitar

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Top Material: Flame maple
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Indian Laurel
• Number of Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
• Pickups: Probucker Humbuckers

You want a Les Paul? You got a Les Paul. As Gibson's subsidiary company, Epiphone has been making affordable Gibson-style guitars since its inception.

The Epiphone Les Paul Standard 60s electric guitar is a great starting point for players wanting a real Les Paul without spending "real" money.

While the build quality and quality of components may not match its older brother, Epiphone Les Pauls are solid instruments that boast many of the same features as the real McCoy.

Mahogany body, Flame maple top, LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and perhaps most importantly- the Les Paul signature on the headstock.

The ProBucker humbucker pickups on the Epiphone Les Paul Standard ’60s feature Alnico II magnets, which give the instrument its trademark bite and brightness, as well as tight low-end depth.

Like any good Les Paul, it has sustain for days. If you're in the market for a Les Paul, why not start with the genuine artifact and give the Epiphone Les Paul Standard a try.

2. The Next Best Thing – Heritage Standard H-150 Electric Guitar

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Top Material: Curly maple
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
• Number of Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
• Pickups: Seymour Duncan Humbuckers

Founded by former Gibson employees and operating out of the old Gibson factory on Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the Heritage Guitar Company has been making high-level Gibson-style guitars since 1985.

The Heritage H-150 is their take on the Les Paul and is pretty darn close to the real thing. With its mahogany body, rosewood fretboard, and Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups, the H-150 delivers a warm, vintage sound in a familiar-looking package.

Speaking of those pickups, the H-150 is outfitted with Seymour Duncan '59 pickups, which are the company's take on the classic Seth Lover PAF humbuckers from the late 1950s.

Far from being a replica, the Seymour Duncan '59 provides more scooped-out mids than their PAF counterparts.

The H-150 comes with a non-locking Tune-o-matic bridge and Grover 18:01 tuners for rock-solid stability and intonation.

Not an inexpensive guitar, the H-150 is a worthy investment for players looking for a premium Les Paul copy.

3. Best "Middle of the Road" Option – Sire Larry Carlton L7 Electric Guitar

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Top Material: Maple with Flame Maple Veneer
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Ebony
• Number of Frets: 22
• Pickups: Larry Carlton Modern Humbucker

Sure, his nickname was Mr. 335, but that doesn't prohibit Larry Carlton from ripping on a Les Paul from time to time. The legendary session player is known for his iconic guitar work with artists such as Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and Michael Jackson.

The Sire Larry Carlton L7 electric guitar was designed to meet Larry's meticulous standards of playability and is a fantastic Les Paul style guitar.

It's not just the guitar that carries Larry's name, the Larry Carlton signature humbucker pickups were specifically designed to be as versatile as the man himself.

From a warm and woody neck pickup sound to its biting bridge, you can carve out your ideal tone with the 3-way toggle switch.

From jazzy strumming to epic rock solos, the possibilities are nearly limitless.

4. Best Budget Les Paul – Epiphone Les Paul Junior

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Indian Laurel
• Number of Frets: 22
• Pickups: P-90 PRO Dogear Single-coil

Another offering from the Gibson Guitars Extended Cinematic Universe, the Epiphone Les Paul Junior is a simple but effective electric guitar.

Armed with a single P-90 single-coil bridge pickup, and simple volume and tone controls, the Les Paul Junior is made from quality tonewoods that give the instrument richness and clarity.

One cool feature of the Les Paul Junior is the Graph Tech nut, which offers better tone and better tuning stability than plastic nuts typically found on guitars in this price range. Its Lightning Bar wrap-around bridge and vintage-style tuners top off the classic Les Paul look.

Much like the aforementioned Epiphone Les Paul Standard, there's simply no getting around the fact that the Les Paul signature on the headstock will go a long way for some prospective buyers.

Simply put, the Epiphone Les Paul Junior is a classic rock guitar at a value-packed price.

5. Best Modern LP Style Guitar – ESP LTD EC-256

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Neck Material: 3-piece Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Roasted Jatoba
• Number of Frets: 21
• Pickups: ESP Humbuckers

The ESP LTD EC-256 is the owner of a very desirable quality: value ratio - in other words, the most bang for your buck.

The EC-256 is a classic-looking guitar, very obviously inspired by the Les Paul design, with a modern and aggressive edge both in design and in tone.

The ESP humbuckers offer you a wide variety of tonal options and adequately capture the guitar's natural sustain.

So what's the secret behind the sustain? The EC-256's set-in mahogany neck provides ideal vibrational transfer from the neck to the body, which results in faster attack and longer-lasting sustain.

ESP guitars have long been favorites for hard-rock players, and the ESP-256 is no exception.

6. Best Hard-Rocking LP Copy – Schecter Solo II Custom

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Top Material: Solid Maple
• Neck Material: 3-piece Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Ebony
• Number of Frets: 22
• Pickups: Schecter USA Pasadena Humbucker

Speaking of hard-rockers, the Schecter Solo II Custom electric guitar is what some might call a "face-melter." Not me, personally, but some might! This is thanks, in part, to the increased output of its hot-rodded Schecter USA Pasadena Humbuckers.

The Pasadena neck pickup captures the instrument's warmth and top-end detail, while The Pasadena Plus in the bridge (designed specifically for Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance) will help you cut through the mix with a more pronounced upper midrange.

Its single cutaway design, thin "C" neck shape, and locking tuners make it a tried & true certified rocker and a fantastic LP-style guitar.

7. Best Les Paul Alternative – Guild Bluesbird Electric Guitar

SPECS

• Body Material: Mahogany
• Top Material: Maple
• Neck Material: Mahogany
• Fingerboard Material: Pau Ferro
• Number of Frets: 22
• Pickups: Seymour Duncan Humbuckers

Unlike the other guitars on our list, the Guild Bluesbird isn't quite a 1:1 carbon copy of the iconic Les Paul design, but there's no denying its influence or this instrument's unique playability.

With its resonant chambered mahogany body, mahogany neck, smooth binding, and pau ferro fretboard, the Bluesbird offers a warm and distinctive tone fit for any number of music genres.

The Bluesbird's Seymour Duncan Humbuckers ('59 SH-1 neck and JB SH-4 bridge) run the gamut from warm and woody to biting and snarling. This particular pickup combination is popular with players, and with good reason.

The TonePros locking bridge, stopbar tailpiece, and Grover Sta-Tite tuning machines will give you peace of mind that your instrument's intonation is intact.

Its comfortable "U-shaped" neck is unlike any of the other Les Paul style guitars covered in this list since it was based on the original M-75 Bluesbird, but the 10-inch fretboard radius will feel familiar to LP players.

One thing that may come as a relief for guitar players who have grown accustomed to the weight usually associated with a Les Paul style guitar is how comparatively lightweight the Guild Bluesbird is, thanks to its chambered body.

Your back, shoulders, and wallet will thank you for picking up the Bluesbird.

Best Les Paul Copies Buyer's Guide

Many Les Paul fans can be quite picky with their instruments, and who can blame them?

The iconic design is time tested, so any "lawsuit guitars" that try and copy the winning formula had better live up to the high expectations set by the Gibson Guitar Corporation over half a century ago.

When in the market for a Les Paul style guitar, there are several things to keep in mind.

It’s in the Look

Let's face it, the visual appeal of a Les Paul copy is one of the most important aspects to many buyers.

You're probably on the lookout for a guitar that closely resembles the classic Les Paul design, including the shape, finish, binding, and headstock style.

The attention to detail in replicating these features can significantly enhance the overall appeal of the instrument.

It’s in the Way That You Use It

The playability of any guitar is a crucial factor. You'll want a Les Paul copy that feels comfortable to play, with a well-shaped neck, smooth fretwork, and good action.

The guitar's weight and balance are also considered, as Les Pauls are known for their (generally incredibly heavy) solid bodies.

Tone, Baby

One of the main reasons people choose a Les Paul copy is to achieve the iconic sound and tone associated with the original model.

You should look for something that closely emulates the warm, rich, and powerful sound of a genuine Les Paul. The quality of the pickups, wood selection, and overall electronics play a significant role in this.

I'm Sorry, How Much?

While some Les Paul copies, such as the Heritage H-150, aim to replicate the high-end features of the original models, others offer a more budget-friendly option.

If you're consulting this list, chances are you're not a Blues Lawyer/Dentist/Collector, so you're probably aware of the price value proposition of a Les Paul copy compared to an authentic Gibson Les Paul.

Guitars like the Epiphone Les Paul Junior offer budget-friendly alternatives for the Every Man.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are Les Paul copy guitars legal?

While "lawsuit guitars" certainly still exist, today, most reputable guitar manufacturers go out of their way to create subtle variations in design to avoid looking like a knock-off. And yes, I assure you every guitar on this list is legal.

Can I get the same sound as a Gibson Les Paul with a Les Paul copy?

You can come close! Obviously, there's nothing quite like the real thing, but like any tool, a Gibson Les Pauls only sounds as good as the musician playing them. Don't let something like brand name hamper your ability to create unique, authentic art.

Build quality is much more important than brand name, and a guitar like the ESP LTD EC-256 can be just as effective a tool as a stock Gibson Les Paul you pick up off the rack at your local guitar store.

Can I modify a Les Paul copy guitar to make it sound closer to a Gibson Les Paul?

Sure you can. Most of the cost-cutting measures utilized by guitar manufacturers focus on electronics and hardware.

By upgrading your guitar's pickups, tuners, bridge, or nut, you can turn a mid-level instrument into a professional-grade axe.

Conclusion

So many hall-of-fame caliber players have gravitated toward Les Paul over the years, and once you play one, it's easy to see why.

And while Gibsons may remain a tad out of reach, there is a multitude of viable Les Paul style guitars available today for players on almost any budget.

While the Epiphone Les Paul Standard sets the standard with its build quality, brand recognition, and price tag, any of the other instruments on our list are all great guitars suitable for a slot in any player's arsenal.