These units don’t sound as crystal clear and powerful as the Gibson Burstbuckers included on Epiphone’s Limited Edition 1959 Les Paul Standard, but they do deliver a fine PAF vibe and sound that’s similar to the Burstbuckers with the volume knobs dialed back a bit. When combined, the two pickups coil-tapped all the way to slinky town. When playing in the lower register with the neck pickup, and using a bit of gain from a Blackstone Mosfet Overdrive into a 1966 Fender Super Pro, we found the sound a bit fizzy, but splitting the coil cleared it up.ĭoing the same with the lead pickup took the tone into funky treble territory. The coil splitting proved to be versatile. In combination, they complement each other to create a copacetic middle ground. In humbucker mode, the neck pickup is girthy and the lead pickup is edgy. The Axcess Standard has Epiphone’s Ceramic Pro humbucker in the neck position and a ProBucker 3 near the bridge, and both can be split into single-coil mode with a lift of the corresponding push/pull volume knob. Speaking of which, the tonal diversity on tap is astounding. The factory setup was spot-on as well, and while the action seemed almost too easy at first, there was no buzz or splat to be found. The neck is full without being too plump, and the fretboard feels nice and smooth all the way up and down. A slight scarf cutaway on the top back makes it feel cozy against one’s belly, while a sculpted cutaway at the base of the neck allows for more comfortable playing in the upper registers. Sling it over your shoulder and, yeah, it’s heavy, but not particularly so for a Les Paul. Appointments include four golden top-hat control knobs, trapezoid fretboard inlays, keystone tuners, cream binding all around, a set-neck glued into a solid mahogany body, and Lifeson’s signature etched in the truss-rod cover.īeyond the pickup configuration, Lifeson-specific features include a Floyd Rose locking vibrato system and a neck profile built to his personal specs – “moderate, not too thick and not too thin.” The flame maple veneer on its carved Viceroy Brown-finished maple top conjures the vibe of a vintage Gibson Les Paul, albeit not quite as fancy.
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