Epiphone PPEG-EGL1EBCH1 Electric Guitar: Full Review

The Epiphone Electric Guitar Player Pack is an excellent starter guitar package for beginners looking to learn and play electric guitar. This affordable bundle includes everything needed to start rocking right out of the box.

The Epiphone Les Paul Special-II guitar delivers legendary Les Paul tone in a slick, lightweight design. The Electar-10 amp provides 10 watts of classic overdrive crunch. Rounding out the package is all the accessories - gig bag, clip-on tuner, strap, picks, cable, and free online lessons.

This versatile electric guitar pack offers new players an easy introduction to playing electric guitar. The quality hardware inspires continuous practice, while the extras eliminate any barriers to getting started. Overall an ideal choice for aspiring guitarists ready to plug in and play.

Unboxing and Contents

The Epiphone Player Package Electric Guitar comes well packed to protect the instrument in transit. Opening the box reveals the Epiphone Les Paul electric guitar plus all the accessories you need to start playing right out of the box.

Inside you'll find:

• Epiphone Les Paul Special-II electric guitar
• Epiphone Electar-10 amp with overdrive
• Gig bag
• Clip-on headstock chromatic tuner
• Guitar cable
• Guitar strap
• Picks
• Free online lessons from eMedia

This is a complete starter pack with everything a beginner needs to start learning and playing electric guitar. The included amp, cables, tuner, picks, strap, and gig bag mean you don't have to purchase any extra accessories to go with your new guitar.

The Epiphone Player Package provides great value by bundling all the essentials into one box. This makes it easy and affordable for a new guitarist to get started playing. The Les Paul Special-II guitar included has a classic design and delivers versatile tone thanks to its two humbucker pickups. Combined with the 10-watt Electar amp, you'll have everything you need to start practicing and playing your favorite songs.

Epiphone is known for making affordable versions of classic Gibson models. So with the Les Paul Special-II you're getting that iconic guitar shape and sound at a budget-friendly price point. This is perfect for beginners who want to learn on a recognizable guitar without a big investment. And the Electar-10 amp, while basic, provides enough power for home practice sessions.

With this bundle, Epiphone has taken the guesswork out of choosing the right electric guitar setup. No matter your skill level, this Player Package will let you start rocking out right away. It's a great choice for aspiring guitarists who want a complete starter kit that will grow with them as they advance. Be sure to check out the Cordoba 6 C5-CE CD Withouth Gig Bag for another quality starter electric guitar option.

Hardware

The Epiphone Electric Guitar Player Pack comes equipped with quality hardware to provide great playability right out of the box.

Bridge

The guitar features a Tune-o-matic bridge with a stopbar tailpiece. This combination offers solid tuning stability and sustain. The Tune-o-matic bridge allows for precise intonation adjustments on each individual string.

Tuning Machines

The tuning machines are Grover-style tuners with an 18:1 gear ratio. This results in very fine tuning capability. The tuning machines are smooth and hold tune reliably even with heavy use.

Pickups

Two open-coil humbucker pickups are included - a 650R humbucker in the neck position and a 700T humbucker at the bridge. Both pickups provide a warm, rich tone when played clean and excellent distortion when driven hard. The dual pickup configuration offers tonal versatility. The Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus ES2 acoustic-electric guitar (available here: Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus ES2 FG02016011001751084) is another great option for guitarists looking for quality hardware and electronics. The solid koa top produces a balanced, focused sound with crisp highs. The ES2 pickup system features a custom-calibrated pickup and preamp specifically voiced for this mini guitar, delivering impressive amplified tone in a small package. The compact size makes the GS Mini-e Koa Plus comfortable to play yet it still delivers impressive volume and sustain. The satin finish showcases the beautiful figured koa pattern. So whether you're looking for your first electric guitar or wanting to add a premium travel-sized acoustic-electric to your collection, the Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus ES2 packs impressive performance and tone into a small footprint.

Playability

The Epiphone Les Paul Player Pack electric guitar features a slim taper mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard that plays fast and smooth. The 1960's SlimTaper D profile neck has a very comfortable and easily playable feel, with a narrower nut width that helps smaller hands easily wrap around the neck.

The rosewood fretboard is nicely finished providing a great feel against your fingers as you play. The medium jumbo frets allow for easier and more accurate fretting and bending. They have a polished feel that helps reduce string squeak. The fretwork overall is well done, with smooth and rounded fret ends to avoid any sharpness.

The hardware complements the playability as well. The tuners help keep the guitar in tune, while the Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece provide good sustain and intonation. The lightweight and contoured body is comfortable to hold for long periods of play. Overall the guitar has a fast action and very playable neck that both beginners and experienced players will enjoy.

Sound

The Epiphone Les Paul Player Pack offers a great tone for a beginner electric guitar. The Epiphone humbuckers provide a balanced, warm sound when played clean. There's good note definition that allows you to hear each individual note in a chord. When driven hard, the pickups deliver a smooth, singing overdrive - not harsh or overly compressed.

The mahogany body and set neck contribute to the Les Paul's characteristic warm, rounded tone. There's good sustain and resonance thanks to the solid wood construction. The tone knobs allow you to tailor the highs and lows of the pickups, giving you a wide range of usable tones.

Overall, the guitar captures that classic Les Paul sound at a very affordable price point. Beginners will appreciate the versatility from clean rhythms to singing leads. More advanced players may want to upgrade the pickups down the line, but the stock humbuckers are very capable for an entry-level guitar. The hardware and electronics provide a solid tonal foundation to build upon.

Versatility

The Epiphone PPEG-EGL1 electric guitar package offers versatile sound possibilities for a beginner's instrument. The two humbucking pickups provide a fuller, warmer tone well-suited to blues, rock, metal, and hard rock. The 5-way pickup selector switch allows you to choose from the bridge pickup alone, bridge and middle pickups together, middle pickup alone, middle and neck pickups, or neck pickup alone. This variability allows you to shape your tone for anything from searing lead lines to thick, saturated rhythm chords.

The fixed bridge also provides good sustain and tuning stability when using heavy distortion or dropping tunings like D or C standard, allowing you to play metal or nu-metal riffs. However, the lack of a tremolo may limit dive-bombing effects. Overall, the guitar covers a wide range of heavier genres, while the smaller single-coil neck pickup adds some brightness for classic rock, punk, or indie styles too. While not as versatile as guitars with coil-splitting or additional pickup configurations, the Epiphone Les Paul offers flexibility for new players to experiment with finding their sound.

Quality

The Epiphone Les Paul Player Pack offers solid quality and workmanship considering its very affordable price point. The guitar features a mahogany body and smooth nitrocellulose lacquer finish that give it the look and feel of a more expensive instrument.

The hardware is decent for a beginner guitar. The tuners stay in tune reasonably well and the bridge and tailpiece seem sturdy. The pickups and electronics deliver good tone and are soldered cleanly.

While it won't compare to a Gibson Les Paul, the Epiphone model exhibits nice attention to detail. The fretwork is smooth, the parts line up correctly, and there aren't any major flaws in the materials or construction. It's a well-made guitar that should hold up well for new players.

The included amp and accessories are also fairly sturdy and usable. Overall, the quality and workmanship exceed expectations for an entry-level guitar package at this price. While not pro-level, it provides solid playability and reliability.

Excellent Value for Money

The Epiphone Player Pack offers an unbelievable amount of value considering its very reasonable price point. At around $200, this starter pack comes with everything a beginner needs to start playing guitar right out of the box.

You get a high quality, Epiphone-branded Les Paul electric guitar with two classic humbucker pickups for that iconic rock tone. The guitar alone would cost over $100 on its own. Additionally, you receive a small practice amp, gig bag, strap, picks, cable, clip-on tuner, and access to online lessons.

For a complete starter set, most competitors charge $300 or more. The Epiphone Player Pack manages to keep costs down by using cheaper hardware and electronics, while still providing a real wooden guitar and genuine Epiphone branding. This is an excellent tradeoff, as most beginners will eventually want to upgrade components down the road anyway.

At this price, the Epiphone Player Pack provides tremendous value. You get a legitimate electric guitar and amp that can handle practice, lessons, and jamming with friends. The quality is certainly good enough for a new player to learn on. Considering the cost of private lessons or group classes, the Epiphone Player Pack pays for itself very quickly.

Alternatives

When looking for an electric guitar in the sub-$200 price range like the Epiphone PPEG-EGL1EBCH1 Player Pack, there are a few other solid options to consider:

Yamaha Pacifica PAC012DLX - This Strat-style guitar has an alder body with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It has a HSS pickup configuration with coil-splitting on the humbucker for versatile tones. The hardware and electronics are good quality for the price. Overall it's a comfortable, reliable guitar for beginners and beyond.

Squier Affinity Telecaster - The Affinity Series offers classic Fender style and tone at a budget price. This Telecaster has a solid body, maple neck, die-cast tuners and two single coil pickups for that twangy tone. While it lacks some bells and whistles, it nails the core Tele experience.

Ibanez GRX20ZBKN - Ibanez is known for fast, shred-friendly guitars. The GRX20ZBKN brings that speedy feel with a poplar body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, two humbuckers, and a tremolo bridge. The wizard neck profile helps playing comfort and technique.

Jackson JS Series Dinky - Jackson's high-performance JS Series offers the Dinky, a super-strat style guitar ideal for hard rock and metal. It has an arched poplar body, maple speed neck, compound radius fretboard, and hot humbuckers. The Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo allows for dive bombs and other effects.

Those looking for their first electric on a strict budget have solid options between the major guitar manufacturers. Try out different styles to find what inspires you most.

Summary

Overall, the Epiphone Electric Guitar Player Package provides exceptional value for beginner to intermediate guitarists looking for an affordable, quality electric guitar option.

Some of the key pros of this guitar package include the classic Les Paul style Epiphone guitar with a solid mahogany body and maple top for iconic tone, the 10-watt Electar amp that provides good practice volume, and the included accessories like strap, cable, picks, and clip-on tuner that make this an all-in-one starter kit. The hardware and electronics seem fairly durable and provide good tonal variety.

The main drawbacks would be that more advanced players may want to upgrade certain components like the pickups, tuners, and amp down the line. The tone and sustain of the guitar itself may not match up to a more expensive Gibson Les Paul.

Overall though, for the very reasonable price point, this starter pack by Epiphone offers an excellent way for new players to start learning electric guitar with professional-level gear. The classic styling is ideal for a range of musical genres, and the hardware should last you well beyond the beginner phase. This is easily one of the top, most recommended electric guitar packages for any new player looking for their first real axe.