Epiphone ENPTVSNH1 Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Epiphone ENPTVSNH1 is an affordable, well-built electric guitar from one of the most respected names in the business – Epiphone. As a subsidiary of Gibson, Epiphone has crafted some of the most iconic instruments in rock history.

The ENPTVSNH1 offers classic Les Paul styling with a carved maple top and mahogany body. It's an excellent choice for beginners and working musicians who want the iconic sound of a Les Paul without breaking the bank. The Epiphone ENPTVSNH1 delivers classic rock tone and playability at a price that's hard to beat.

Body & Neck

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II has a solid mahogany body which gives it a warm, balanced tone. Mahogany is known for its smooth mids and excellent sustain. The mahogany body not only sounds great, but also looks classy with its vintage sunburst finish.

The neck is also made of mahogany, topped with a rosewood fingerboard. The 1960's SlimTaper D profile neck has a very comfortable and fast feel. The combination of mahogany and rosewood contributes to the guitar's overall tone, resonance and playability. Most players find the neck extremely comfortable and easy to play fast licks on.

Pickups

The Epiphone Les Paul Studio features two open-coil humbucker pickups that provide a rich, warm tone. The neck pickup is a 700T Humbucker, which produces a smooth, round sound perfect for jazz, blues, and clean chordal playing. The 700T captures the woodiness of the mahogany neck and adds warmth to the tone. It has decent output but focuses more on tone than raw power.

The bridge pickup is a 650R Humbucker, which has a bit more bite and growl to it. It's bold and aggressive, great for hard rock and metal styles that need more cutting mids and treble. The 650R is hotter than the 700T and really growls when driven hard. It has ceramic magnets which account for its bright, articulate tone.

Together, the 700T and 650R create a versatile tonal palette ranging from warm cleans to high gain overdrive. Their open coils and Alnico magnets give an organic, unprocessed sound compared to EMG active pickups. The 650R adds some nice snarliness on the bridge while the 700T warms up the neck tone beautifully.

The pickups in the Epiphone Les Paul Studio provide a great range of tones for everything from jazz and blues to hard rock and metal. The combination of the warmer 700T neck pickup and hotter 650R bridge pickup allows guitarists to go from singing leads to aggressive rhythm at the flip of the pickup selector switch.

When shopping for a new electric guitar, be sure to try out the pickups and listen to how they sound. Pickups make a huge difference in the overall tone of a guitar. Factors like coil type, magnets, and output all impact the sound. So test drive those pickups before buying.

Many players upgrade their pickups to customize and improve their tone. Aftermarket pickups from Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio and others can take your guitar to the next level. A pickup change can make a guitar feel new again. It's one of the easiest mods with a big tonal payoff.

But you may not need aftermarket pickups if the stock models are good quality. Brands like PRS use great proprietary pickups designed specifically for each guitar model. And Fender's Texas Specials, Custom Shop Fat '50s, and V-Mod pickups are excellent as well.

Passive pickups use magnets to capture string vibration, converting motion into an electric signal. Active pickups incorporate a preamp powered by a battery for higher output. Both types have their advantages, with passives offering a more organic tone and actives with more power and bite.

Mini-humbuckers, P-90s, single coils, and standard humbuckers each have their own sound aesthetic. Sonically, P-90s fall between single coils and humbuckers, with more growl and thickness than singles but more bite than humbuckers.

Guitarists love swapping out pickups and testing different types in their instruments. There are tons of options when upgrading your electric guitar's pickups. Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, EMG, Bare Knuckle, Fishman, Lace and Lundgren all make great pickups for rock, metal, blues, jazz and more.

So be sure to explore different pickups. They directly affect your tone and how a guitar feels and responds. Good pickups can make an average guitar sound stellar. Bad pickups can ruin an otherwise excellent instrument. Test them out and find your perfect sound!

For a great affordable acoustic-electric, check out the Fender FA-125CE. This slim, comfortable dreadnought has a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The Fishman preamp and pickup system provides excellent amplified tone that captures the true acoustic sound. And it comes in at under $200, making it a fantastic value. The Fender FA-125CE packs impressive features into an inexpensive package. It's perfect for beginners and intermediate players looking for their first acoustic-electric. Don't miss this amazing deal on a great guitar!

Hardware

The Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL-II has high quality hardware that matches the performance and reliability of guitars twice its price. The tuners are sealed Grover tuners with an 18:1 gear ratio for precise and accurate tuning stability. The nut width of 1.650" provides comfortable string spacing for clear fretting and bending.

The Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece provides excellent sustain and intonation. The combination of the Tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece anchor the strings securely for rock solid tuning stability even during aggressive playing styles involving tremolo techniques or wild whammy bar dives.

The all chrome hardware looks great against the classic Les Paul shape and provides durability to match the legendary Les Paul tone. The hardware compliments the smooth and comfortable neck shape to make this Les Paul feel fantastic to hold and play for hours on end. Overall the hardware punches far above its class and budget-friendly price point.

In addition to the great hardware on the Epiphone Les Paul SPECIAL-II, there are many other high quality electric guitars worth considering. The Martin 11D10E-01 is an excellent option with a solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It produces a balanced tone across the tonal spectrum. The Fishman Sonitone pickup system provides natural acoustic amplification when plugged in. Overall it's a versatile guitar well suited to many musical styles.

When shopping for an electric guitar, it's important to consider your budget and playing style. Solid body guitars like the Les Paul are ideal for rock and metal with their fat, sustained tones. Hollow and semi-hollow body guitars offer more resonance and feedback. The neck profile and scale length also impact playability. Testing different guitars in person is recommended to get a feel for what suits you best.

Electric guitars require an amplifier to project their sound. Combo amps with built-in speakers provide an all-in-one solution, while heads and cabs allow for more customization. Effects pedals like reverb, delay, and distortion help sculpt your tone. A tuner pedal is essential for keeping your guitar in tune. Investing in quality accessories will allow you to get the most out of your guitar.

Learning electric guitar takes dedication but pays off in being able to play your favorite songs and write your own music. Mastering techniques like palm muting, alternate picking, and vibrato will give you control over your sound. Learning music theory helps you understand how chords and melodies work together. And nothing develops your ear better than playing along with records.

The electric guitar continues to be one of the most popular instruments across many genres from rock to blues to jazz fusion. With so many options available, there is an electric guitar out there for every budget and playing style. Do your research and you're sure to find your perfect match.

Sound

The Epiphone Les Paul Special-II offers a versatile sound that works well for rock, blues, and other genres. The two open-coil humbucker pickups provide a thick, warm tone that can go from clean to distorted nicely. The pickups are quite hot, giving a powerful rock sound when cranked through a good amp.

The bridge pickup provides plenty of bite for lead lines and solos. The neck pickup has a smooth, mellow warmth perfect for blues and jazz. Having separate volume and tone controls for each pickup allows shaping the sound further.

Overall, this guitar can produce classic rock crunch, singing blues leads, and grungy alt-rock distortion. The pickups and electronics give a wide range of usable tones. It's a very solid workhorse electric that punches above its weight for the price.

Playability

The Epiphone Les Paul Special VE electric guitar features a slim taper neck profile that many find extremely comfortable and easy to play. The slim design helps players easily reach all areas of the fretboard without strain.

The neck is constructed with mahogany which provides stiffness for accurate intonation while still being smooth on the hands. The fretboard itself is made of rosewood which offers a nice smooth surface for fast playing.

The guitar's scale length is the common 24.75" allowing for familiar feel and standard string tension. The action on the Special VE can be easily adjusted to suit your preferences. Out of the box, the action is set low for speed and comfort.

The hardware is smooth and well-finished. The chrome tuners in particular operate very smoothly for stable tuning. The nut slots are properly cut allowing notes to ring true with no buzzing. Overall the Special VE has all the hallmarks of great playability.

Pros

The Epiphone ENPTVSNH1 electric guitar offers many advantages that make it a great choice for beginners and intermediate players.

• Quality materials and construction: The ENPTVSNH1 features a solid mahogany body and set mahogany neck, which are known for their balanced tone and sustain. The neck is glued to the body using a mortise and tenon joint for added stability and resonance. It has a rosewood fingerboard that is comfortable to play. The hardware, including sealed die-cast tuning machines, a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge, and stopbar tailpiece are high quality and keep the guitar in tune. The guitar is well constructed with attention to detail.

Cons

Some users have reported issues with tuning stability on the Epiphone Les Paul Electric Guitar. The tuning pegs and nut may need some adjustment out of the box to hold tune properly. This seems to be hit or miss, with some owners having no tuning problems but others struggling to keep the guitar in tune, especially when using the tremolo.

The bridge and nut are both made of cheaper materials, which could contribute to tuning instability compared to higher-end hardware. The tuners are also lower quality and may not hold as precisely as sealed tuners.

Setup and intonation out of the box may need some tweaking as well, which is common on lower cost guitars. So some guitar tech work may be needed to get the best tuning performance. The nut slots, saddle height, and neck relief all impact tuning stability and may need adjusting.

It's worth checking the tuning frequently and possibly looking into upgrading some of the hardware like the nut and tuners if tuning problems persist. Proper string stretching, winding, and care will also help tuning stability. Overall, occasional tuning issues seem to be the tradeoff for the affordable price point.

Alternatives

For those looking for alternatives to the Epiphone Les Paul Special-I Electric Guitar, Epiphone offers several comparable models worth considering:

Epiphone Les Paul 100

The Les Paul 100 is an affordable entry-level model featuring a mahogany body and neck, a rosewood fretboard, and a pair of open-coil humbuckers. It delivers the classic Les Paul tone at a budget price point, though the hardware and electronics are more basic. The Special-I has a slightly more sophisticated look thanks to the flamed maple veneer.

Epiphone Les Paul Special II

A stripped down version, the Special II has a similar mahogany body and neck but with dot inlays instead of trapezoid. It uses lower grade pickups and hardware to reach an even lower price point than the Special-I. Those looking for barebones rock 'n roll crunch on a tight budget will appreciate this simple yet capable option.

Epiphone SG Special

Fans of Gibson's legendary SG model will want to try the SG Special. Featuring the famous double cutaway shape with beveled edges, the SG Special has a similar mahogany construction but in a lighter, slim-tapered style. The neck joins the body at the 22nd fret for easier upper fret access. The SG rocks hard with humbuckers while adding some tonal variety.

Epiphone Explorer

For something completely unique, check out the Explorer with its angular, spaceship-like shape. Designed for fast riffing, it offers great comfort thanks to the deep double cutaways and forearm contour. Dual humbuckers deliver searing lead tones. The Explorer turns heads on stage while delivering real rock fury.

Summary

The Epiphone ENPTVSNH1 is a well-made guitar for beginners and intermediate players looking for an affordable instrument with a classic rock sound.

This Epiphone electric guitar features a mahogany body and neck for a rich, warm tone perfect for blues, rock, and metal. The dual humbucker pickups provide plenty of output and sustain, while the LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece offer stable tuning and intonation.

While not as premium as more expensive models, the hardware, electronics, and overall construction make this a very solid option in this price range. The playability is smooth and comfortable right out of the box.

The ENPTVSNH1 gives you an impressive bang for your buck if you're searching for a Les Paul-style guitar with versatile humbuckers. While the pickups and hardware could be higher end, Epiphone cut costs in the right places to deliver a well-playing instrument with classic rock and metal tones.