Epiphone Les Paul Special vs Epiphone IGC 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue

The Epiphone Les Paul Special is the simpler, cheaper-feeling guitar: a slab mahogany body, no maple cap, no binding, and basic humbuckers. The 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue is the step up: AAA flame maple veneer, a one-piece SlimTaper neck with a long tenon, Gibson Custombucker pickups, CTS pots and Bumblebee capacitors, and a brown hardshell case. Buy the Special if you want a light, tough, no-frills Les Paul for rock on a budget. Buy the Reissue if you want vintage-correct looks, a faster neck and pickups that sound closer to a real 1960 Standard. Owners of the Special praise its weight and simplicity; Reissue owners praise the neck and pickups but note it is heavier and fussier to maintain.

• Choose the Epiphone Les Paul Special if you want a simple, sturdy dual-humbucker Les Paul for heavier rock and you don't need a maple top, binding or premium electronics.
• Choose the Epiphone 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue if you want vintage 1960 specs, a SlimTaper neck, Gibson Custombucker pickups and a hardshell case in one guitar.