2023 Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess Review

[Charvel1975]

Hello everyone , so I took my Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess to rehearsal last Thursday and my first observations were the factory action was high and kinda hard to play and was going out of tune but I didn't have the lock nuts tightened. It definitely has some weight to it & I have to weigh it yet. I had it running through my USA made Peavey 6505+ head into my Marshall 1960A 4x12 cab with the Digitech RP360XP through the Effects Loop for effects only and I noticed there wasn't any brightness to the sound but I think the amp needs tweaked some more on the settings or something as the other 2 guitars I ran through it didn't have the brightness either. The Les Paul definitely is versatile with all the switching options to go from humbucker to single coil on both pickups and also can switch to out of phase. I played a couple RUSH riffs and it definitely had "that" sound too Didn't play on the Epiphone Ceramic Pro in the neck position but that Epiphone Probucker 3 bridge pickup had some girth to the sound and part of that could be the .010 - .046 factory strings but I took it in for a setup the next morning with these strings I got for it for standard E tuning:

Gauges:
.0095, .0115, .016, .024, .034, .044

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...t-plus-nickel-wound-electric-strings-0095-044

I'll report back more once I get it back from setup

 

[JackBootedThug]

that guitar has tons of potential. Looks great also....

 

[gibsonash]

No piezo , i pass .

 

[Charvel1975]

Hello I just got done jamming a couple hours through the new Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess Guitar tonight and it's great!!

Only ran through my Line 6 Toneport UX1 USB recording interface and Line 6 POD Farm amp sim software so far as it was late and trying to keep the volume low but I also jammed to some cover songs as well. Just had recent setup done on it with a string guage I've never tried before; D'Addario EXL120+ Nickel Super Light Electric Guitar Strings: Gauges 9.5-11.5-16-24-34-44 tuned to standard E tuning. My other Epiphone Les Paul Custom is setup with D'Addario. 010-.046 guage strings in standard E tuning as is my 1998 Gibson Les Paul Special P-100 and I must say these strings are quite a contrast in bends and soloing! Much easier bends and the Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom has the sustain even with the tremolo!

This guitar is simply stunning. The Alex Lifeson has just an ever so slightly chunkier neck and the neck feels wider than my other Les Paul's - but man these guitars are just a cut above! It differs from the standard Alex Lifeson Les Paul as well in that it doesn't have the piezo in the Floyd, but it has a quality of sound and tone that is just richer sounding. Both pickups have coil splitting on both volume pots and there is a phase switch on the bridge position tone pot and the wide range of sounds is incredible!

Before the setup out of the case it had Gibson strings .010-.046 from the factory - tuned it up - the string height was high. The binding detail too is so nice. Get this guitar - you'll love it!

2023 Epiphone Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess Ruby

Body Material - Mahogany
Top - AAAA Quilt Maple Veneer
Binding - Mult-ply Top & Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard
1000 Series (Original-style) – Floyd Rose
Pickups - Bridge Epiphone Probucker 3
Neck Epiphone Ceramic Pro
Controls - 2 Push/Pull Volume (coil-split), 1 Push/Pull Neck Tone (Up Position Phase), 1 Standard Bridge Tone
Tuning Machines - Grover Rotomatic
Hardshell Case

https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/Alex-Lifeson-Les-Paul-Custom-Axcess/Ruby