Epiphone Les Paul Studio Chameleon Review

The Gibson Les Paul has been a legendary instrument since its creation as the first ever electric guitar in the 1950's. Since then, some of the world's greatest musicians have graced the strings of the Les Paul. There is no question that the Les Paul is probably the most recognized guitar of all time next to the Fender Stratocaster. Now Epiphone, a company owned by Gibson, offers a version of the Les Paul called the Epiphone Les Paul Studio Chameleon. Let's see what separates it from the pack.

Features: The idea behind the Les Paul Studio Chameleon was to strip down some of the Gibson Les Paul's cosmetic features and offer all the absolute essentials to make it affordable but authentic. The Epiphone Les Paul Studio Chameleon's body is made of mahogany. The unique finish, which gives the Chameleon its namesake, is two toned polyurethane that actually changes colors with the light it's in. This feature jazzes up an otherwise stripped down guitar nicely. The neck of the Les Paul Studio Chameleon is also made of mahogany, and is set into the body. It's inlays, true to the stripped down form, are pearloid dots. The hardware of the guitar is all made of chrome. As for electronics, the Les Paul Studio Chameleon features two Alnico Classic HB humbucker pickups, with two volume and tone control knobs and a three way selector switch.

Playability: The Epiphone Studio Chameleon has all the essential playability characteristics that come with any other Les Paul. It's body is thick and has a nice weight to it. The neck is relatively fat and wide, which I consider a flaw in most all Les Paul style models. The fact that it is set into the body, however, does make it a bit easier to play on the higher frets.

Sound: This Les Paul, even though it is made by the somewhat off-brand daughter company of Gibson, delivers genuinely great tones. It's no secret that Epiphone sacrificed quite a bit of cosmetics (including a pickguard, pickup covers, and trapezoidal inlays to name a few) to be able to deliver a high quality sound. What it lacks in style, it makes up for in sweet, rich toned substance.

Overall: The Epiphone Les Paul Studio Chameleon delivers what it promised. When you walk into a room with it, the finish will catch everyone's eyes, but they will at first likely be underwhelmed by its overall looks. But when you plug it in and let it rip, prepare to watch eyes bug out. The Chameleon is a perfect name, because it's a killer axe in disguise. You can get your own Epiphone Les Paul Studio Chameleon for about $400.