50’s vs 60’s Epiphone Les Paul Standard | 2020 Side by Side 

The neck on the 50's feels perfect to me. I played it side by side with the Gibson equivalent and it felt extremely close to me. With my skills (or lack thereof) I can't justify spending the extra $ for the Gibson.

Both sound great but the 50's was the hands down winner to my ears. The 50's wiring gave the same pickups more clarity.

I bought the 50s and I’m loving it so far! Great tone and quality!

Thanks, Jimmy. I always enjoy your videos. Very well done. Keep up the good work. And stay safe.

Great comparison, both sound great. I enjoyed the 60s more especially when you dug in and played with gain. I can’t wait to try the new Epiphone lineup!

Thank you SO much for this video! 🙏 This helped me a lot in trying to decide which one I want to purchase. I think I’m gonna go with the 60s although they both look and sound amazing!

They dont have techcnically the same pickups. The 50s had Probucker 1 & 2 and the 60's has Probucker 2 & 3. This was not mentioned here.

I recently bought the 60’s. What a killer guitar! 😎👍

Niiice job Brosky ;) I always love a good shootout comparison.

Absolutely love my 50s gold top! It’s me first Les Paul and my first C shape neck guitar. I’ve played it everyday for the 3 months that I’ve owned it, I just can’t put it down! I’m very impressed

Thanks Jimmy for your video, You helped me decide (was a tough decision). I picked up a 50s Gold Top based on the cleaner sound, but it was a tough choice. The neck is beefier than I’m used to, but comfortable. It is similar to my acoustic J-15 neck, but a tiny bit chunkier right at the nut/first fret. I’m getting used to it and am loving the fit & finish on it. I was shopping for a proper Gibson model, but am more pleased with the proper Epiphone, really. Mine is not much over 8 lbs and the pickups sound as good as Gibson pickups, IMO. I think the main difference for me will be the better wood, hardware, and wiring on the Gibson. As for feel and sound, they are neck and neck IMO. As far as 50s vs 60s it is a toss-up, based on neck and pickups. I tried them both for 3 different days through a deluxe reverb and they are both top notch guitars. The 60s is hotter and non-50s wiring gives a smoother tonal sweep, not as chimney as 50s, very good, but different tone. If you play higher gain music, you may prefer the hotter pickups, but honestly I think anyone with some know-how will be able to get whatever tone they need from either model. The neck feel will be one of the primary deciding factors, I believe. Thanks again for the video. As far as others’ comments on your lighting, just put a key light on your face only and you will be good to go.

I like beautiful clean sound of 50s, but I also love 60s sharp sound and its amazing how similiar the sound is compared to Gibson

Thanks for this review, i was thinking about getting the 50s but now ive heard the 60s im definitely going to try that out because i loved and preferred the sound.

I just got my 50’s yesterday. Absolutely zero finish issues, zero fret issues. Came setup to my liking. Love the neck and it sounds amazing. I’m digging the new headstock also. It’s a beautiful guitar. Hard to believe what they can make at this price point. I bought mine from American Music Supply. I believe they do an inspection before shipping.

I have a 50’s … however in your test, I liked the 60’s during the gain tests, but the 50’s was brighter, especially with the bridge pickup in the clean tests. I like the 50’s neck, but that is certainly a personal preference. IMHO, you couldn’t go wrong with either one. Thanks for the video!!

Great job!! I personally went with a 60’s model. It just felt, and sounded better in store. Guess I got one of those “it just connects with you” versions. Fell in love instantly. My only complaint was a few sharp fret ends. But, easily fixable.

I believe the sixties had a better sound when you dug into it. But they're so close if you did not know they were being compared you think it was the same guitar playing. 60s definitely! Plus I'd rather have Grover's any day! But in all fairness I picked the 60s and I've been loving it! I have big hands but I still like the Slimmer neck also. Thank you for the test, it was fun!

Ohhh...yes I walked out of the store with it!! Love it!!

I am curious about what the differences are between the 60s and the classic, especially when it comes to the neck and the wiring. I would be grateful if you could shed some light on the topic.

Very nice and helpful video! I'm primarily a Strat player, so it's the 60's Les Paul for me. Slimmer neck profile, and the tones are less harsh to my ears than the more treble-y 50's tones. I'm just glad that the 60's came with the Grover tuners. I don't understand how Epiphone ever decided to put those nasty-looking plastic tuning pegs on any guitar. They remind me of the glow in the dark toys that I used to get out of the cereal box as a kid.

Both guitars look and sound amazing! Sometime I preferred the 50's and in other instances I preferred the sound of the 60's, especially with gain! It's a tough choice, Il need to go to the guitar store and compare them that way. I'm seriously considering the classic worn gold! Thanks for the demo!

Lead on 60s, clean on 50s. Comes down to neck size you prefer

Thanks for the thoughtful comparison! I own a 1968 Gibson LP Custom so I sort of 'attuned' to that sound, esp. as I quite often play finger-style. I recently tried both these in the Gibson / Epiphone main store (in HK) and came to same conclusion as listening to your vid that overall the 60's has a bit more 'warmth / body / fullness' and is slightly 'darker' which is what I'm used to + the 60's neck suits me way more. That said, they are both lovely instruments - Epiphone seem to be hitting it out of the park these last few years.

the wiring of my Epiphone 59 appears identical to that of the 50's. The only difference I can tell is that the 50s model comes with quick connect pickups and doesn't have the upgraded toggle switch and out put jack of the 59. It even has the yellow Mallory capacitors. The build quality of both appear indistiguishable.

I could hear a distinct sound which is 50s/60s and 70s sound from those that played them from that time I like them both .This is helpful. I’m trying figure out what my Epiphone is. somehow it brought me to you.

The '60s seems to have slightly higher output, although that might be down to pickup height. It also seems to have slightly more prominent upper mids...

Great sound, especially the LP 50´s

So, I am listening to this side by side comparison on an IPhone with ear buds. Sometimes I listen to music on my phone with a $300 pair of Sennheiser HDPro headphones. Certainly the sound is better, especially in the bass. My point is, I didn’t hear ANY difference between the two guitars. Others who have posted here have. Is it the ear buds that are preventing me from hearing differences? P.S. I did hear a 3 way blind comparison of 2 Epi Les Pauls and one Gibson LP. I was able to distinguish the Gibby from the 2 Epiphones. There WAS a difference, but not one big enough to justify an extra $2000. PPS. I bought the 50s Gold Top.

Both good. personally in the store we GO FOR THE 60S

Great comparison! Just a little thing, you forgot to match pickups heights, the bridge pickup height on the 60s was way higher than the one on the 50s, hence the difference in sound. I preferred the 60s sound when clean but the 50s when crunching!

The 50's Les Paul sounds so much better than the 60's version. It's clear and chimey. The 60's Les Paul sounds muffled by comparison. It's probably the 50's wiring in the 50's Les Paul that's making most of the difference.

So...if we leave the small hardware difference and the dimensions of the neck both guitars sound almost identical. The 60s sounds a bit more sharp to me, more rockish. The 50s is more warm(bluesy), but really small difference. If i have to make a blind purchase without trying the neck in my hand...i would probably go with the 60s. However...i will make my choice based on the neck dimensions. Thank you for the video, it was really helpful1

I recently purchased the 60s because the neck was way more comfortable for me, but listening to this comparison I can definitely hear a tad more clarity with the 50s, which I would’ve preferred. Oh well, I’m still 100% happy with mine.

Hi there, thank you for this lovely comparison video. I have been playing f ender guitar my whole life but love Les Paul guitars. Whill the 50s be too odd on my small fingers? This is the only thinng that is holding me back.

60's all the way for me! more attitude, less polite. great demo! very well done.

Thinking about getting one of the new epiphones. Has anybody bought 1? Which model and what's your opinion?

I was thinking about purchasing the bourbon burst 60's Epi Standard to go with my Gibson version.

I love both 2020 50s & 60s Epiphone Les Pauls

Really nice comparison! I vote for the 60s :-). I would like to know how it feels 60s neck vs fender strat modern c? Is 60s thinner?

You said the pickups are the same, and Epiphone's marketing literature isn't consistent. Some things say Probucker 1 and 2 in the 50's, 2 and 3 in the 60's. Their customer service has been terrible and I haven't gotten an answer as to the difference in over a year. But I would imagine the 2,3 set is hotter than the 1,2 set, which is also supported by your samples. I like the clarity and what I expect a Les Paul "should" sound like from the 50's one, but wish I could get the 1,2 set in the 60's version because the cosmetics are more subtle and appealing to me, and the neck doesn't make the nerves in my wrists tweak. That said, I ended up with a 50's for the sound, and yes, I do love it. The unsubtle 2-tone burst is slowly making it's way past my objections.

Both nice I have Les standard left handed it resembles the Gibson Les Paul it has klausin old fashion tuners witch I'm surprised we got it about nine years ago it's great

The '50s has Probuckers 1 and 2,the ''60s has Probuckers 2 and 3 and the '50s has a long neck tenon while the '60s doesn't

I want to buy les Paul but I can’t decide between 50s and 60s standard, With your video I realised that the 50s delivers les clean sound than 60s which I think is better. What is your opinion guys?

50s sounded clearer in the cleans, 60s sounded a bit muddy there. 60s sounds a bit stronger and louder in volume in the gain, 50s sounds pretty good still there. Difference in lead gain sounds is slightly imperceptible to me. 50s hardware looks more attractive to me. Overall I'm leaning towards the 50s, but I like the 60s burst more than the 50s haha. If only you could pick the burst color

Is the 60's neck different than the 2020 Epi LP Customs? I prefer the new 60's neck but I want the LP Custom.

'50's seems chimier and I dig the vintage tuners. If this is right, though, i'd dig the slimmer neck profile of the '60. in reality, its all good. I have a '07 Plus Top, csb that I love. I bought it new then and grovers and a slim taper neck. Less beefy than my G400 from a few years later. actually put more 'miles' on the sg. You just get into it.

Ambas suenan genial.. pero me gusta mas la 50´s.. Gracias por subir el Video.. un saludo 🙌🙌🙌🙌

Epiphone Les Paul plustop pro vs either the 50s or 60s LP? Thanks!

I want the 50’s and then I want to swap the vintage tuners for Kluson locking revolution tuners.

Thanks. The 60s sounds to me to be brighter, but more brittle. The 50s has a more low end but not as bright.

Colors are so similar, 50s is cherry and 60s is iced tea, but they seem so similar in these test, maybe the cherry is darker and shows better the flame, am i right?

It comes down to the neck profile for me, I am not a fan of the skinny 60s neck. But both guitars are great sounding. I have the 50's Standard and one of the 59's.

Watched this with my eyes closed and didnt know which was which. The 50's sounds better clean - especially for Jazz - The 60s sounds better with gain

I bought a black epi Les Paul custom pro back in 2015 and after I had the plastic nut swapped out and got rid of fret buzz at a couple frets it has been a great player.But that old headstock though!😝The min I saw the new headstock and it already comes with the nubone nut I was sold and for only about 70 more dollars than I paid for the 2015!($550.00)And I got the goldtop finish!Hope I get one where the qc was les drunk or in a hurry the day they made it !

I bought both I was so impressed with the 50’s I purchased a 60’s 😎

So hard to distinguish which one would be better... I vote 60s cause of slimmer neck & hotter sound.

Hello I have a left handed les paul standard 50 s guitar I have the vintage deluxe tuners didn't even know that till was told from youtube les paul player

I know I’m a year late with my question, but how different do the necks feel, thickness (depth) wise? I own the 50’s Gold Top and want to buy a second LP. I like the 50’s neck, but slightly slimmer wouldn’t bother me. If the 60’s feels considerably thinner, I’ll stick with a 50’s model. I just really like the 60’s iced tea finish.

The 50s sounded a tiny bit warmer to me but it was so slight you would never notice in a mix. I think it boils down to one question----do you prefer a fat neck or a slim neck?

Tbh they sound very similar. I think 60s might sound slightly better dirty but less good clean. Idk it’s pretty much splitting hairs on the differences

I have and love my '50s Epi Goldtop, so I may have a slight bias...the '50s sounded better to me in this video!

Hey! Which 2020's Epi Les Paul is closer to the Gibson Les Paul that Jimmy Page used to play? Please tell me if you know. thanks

i like the sixties epi. it sounds a bit hotter than the other one and has a bit of rumble when you play it hard.

I am buying one soon and I am testing now at the shop. They look very "sexy" I have to say that Epiphone did a great job - They also sound good though slightly different - My only concern is about tuning issue that many Gibson and "Gibson like " model have _ could you give me a advise in this respect? Thanks for the video - Mauro

Which one's heavier?

I believe part of what we are hearing is the 50's long neck tenon vs the 60's short neck tenon. Along with the difference in electronics.

The 50's was much more "alive" and in my opinion the one I would have chosen. But the 60's was really good, cleaner, clearer and "dampened".

The pickups on both these models are not the same, which is why they don't sound the same either. The 50s LP comes with Epiphone Probucker 1 in the neck and Probucker 2 in the bridge while the 60s LP comes with Probucker 2 in the neck and Probucker 3 in the bridge. The Probucker pickups (which are basically Epiphone versions of the Gibson Burstbucker pickups) get progressively hotter as the model number increases - just like their Gibson counterparts.

I wouldn't mind having one of each just for fun, but the 50's is head and shoulders better sounding

i prefer the sound of the 60's. But not by a big difference, so I should try them to decide and I will if I don't go for a second hand 1959 outfit... Not still sure if I prefere one of these brand new or a second hand 1959 with burstbuckers....

What do You guys Raccomend like for 50's dislike for 60's

Thanks for the information! I went with the 60s model. I like the 50s tuning pegs, but the bourbon burst only came in the 60s model. I'm extremely happy with my choice though, and love the clean warm sounds I'm getting. I've had no issues at all. Any ideas on a good amp to go with the Epiphone LP Standard?

I think 50s sounds a little bit more delicate. I feel I prefer it, though afraid of the thick neck).

All the 2021 les Paul Standards are now high end the real deal Les Paul's les Paul himself would have been very proud of these for sure these are era correct

For me it sounds like the 60s is a tinch darker sounding than the 50s🤔

Hi! I love Jimmy Page and I was wondering which one of the 2020's Epiphone Les Pauls is the Epiphone version of Page's Gibson. Could you tell me that? Thanks

The inlays on the 50's sounded better to me.

love the video but please use better lighting

The 50s was noticeably uh creamier, for lack of a better term. Seemed to sustain longer.

I bought the 50s first, and it was absolutely stunning, for live sessions. However, I couldn't tame it in the studio so bought the 60s as well, given the lower output without the capacitors. Both guitars are amazing in their own respect.

For a novice player, which neck would be best?

60s is louder & brighter. 50s mellower which I prefer better.

Merci ;)

Which is better for adult beginners - the 50's or the 60's?

I don't notice any different with both les pauls

grover regular tuning heads vs vintage style? Psh. Vintage style all the way baby. OR just get locking tuners if possible since those are the best even if they might not look the way you want them to and are a tad bit more pricy... Here's my story lol. Once I got wasted and passed out in my bed with my guitar in the bed with me lol. Apparently I rolled over a few times in my sleep and ended up slicing my arm up a good bit. My arm apparently moved over the head stock when I was sleeping and I hurt myself on the sharp ends of the guitar strings sticking out. NOT KOOL. Also one time I gave a acoustic guitar to a friend and his silly kid hurt herself on the sharp head stock strings sticking out. Kids can't resist messing with the tuning pegs lol. If it's a switch or a knob or a crank or something... Lil kids want to play with it lol. Another great reason why we should keep stuff like guns and other dangerous things in the hands of the sane/educated instead of allowing them to be in the hands of the crazy and stupid but that's a whole other issue lol. See... This is why I freekin HATE regular tuning heads. It's a comfort thing. Might not bother some folks but it totally bugs me. Vintage style or lockers for me. Another tip is to put tooth paste or some type of glu on the tips of the strings so they are not so sharp. But that can some times fall off and look stupid so... Like I said. Best stick with vintage or locking in my honest opinion. There is a way to make regular tuning pegs NOT have string slack sticking out that can stab you but it's VERY hard to precisely thread the string so perfectly. Using small clamps to help hold things in place while you tighten the peg can help but even then it's a bit tricky. I did it once on my acoustic martin made in mexico. Took like a fuckin hour and I think it sadly resulted in a guitar that goes out of tune a lil faster than normal so that sucks... Good video boss. I honestly think that if you want a les paul, Gibson is just about the last company you should buy from honestly... 1... They are usually over priced... 2... They don't have the best track record when it comes to quality. Fender, ric, gretsch etc etc have a MUCH better track record of satisfying customers. If your gibson has a problem which is kind of a thing... Good luck getting the assholes at gibson to help you out. Apparently their customer service when it comes to repairs and getting your money back is a giant pain in the a. 3... TONS of les pauls out there that over all beat gibsons les pauls. Don't get me wrong... If you got a gibson les paul that works great then good for you but still... That doesn't change the fact that many of them are faulty. It's the dumb ass head stock angle and wood thickness around their truss rod. Makes for a guitar that can break easily around the head stock causing massive tuning stability issues. Many les paul makers have made their guitars to NOT have these problems. Something that gibson seems to be ignorant about. Me thinks they refuse to change so they can keep that model detail as their "brand" and whoever copies it is just some one they can sue because they are dicks. Gibson is suing a company I love right now. Heritage. Nice guys right? Heritage is made up of many old school workers who even used to work for gibson back in the day and this is how gibson treats them... Wonderful... And with the guitar world becoming less popular... I worry that great guitar makers like ric and heritage might go under : ( I got a heritage les paul 1996 h-140 gold top. From the good wood years lol. Cost me 1500 but it's pretty sick. No guitar is really worth more than 2000 in my honest opinion so I think it was fairly worth it. Gotta love the 90s... They did a lot of great guitar work in the 90s. Good news too because the 70s and 80s were not the best guitar years lol. Today guitars are nowhere near as popular as they once were, but at least you got a lot of guitar knowledge out there and today they are creating some great modern guitars. Got my music man cutlass and it just SCREAMS of modern day guitar work at its best. But yeah... To sum up... If you want a les paul... Go with companies like heritage, epiphone, a gretsch jet/penguin is basically the same thing as a les paul, even prs puts out a very les paul looking model. PRS guitars are very good despite being over priced a lot of the time and are also known as the guitar for lame ass butt rock and emo but still... They are good lol. Even some chinese companies make a fabulous les paul. I forget their names but they exist : ) If you got a ton of money and want to risk getting a good gibson les paul, particularly a les paul custom, custom shop model, or historic which range from 2500-5000 bucks... Or a vintage real deal one that can cost 50k to 300k...... Then go for it I guess lol. Buyer beware though... You know how the old saying goes... If your les paul stays in tune then that's because it's chinese lololol.

Both lovely sounding guitars but I don’t think there is a lot between them but I would go for 1950s because I like the feeling of the thicker neck profile I’ve just collected my new Epiphone 1950s Heritage Cherry Sunburst it looks and feels amazing. l just need to bring down the action a bit the nut slots a bit too high for my liking I think they are great value for the money I cannot wait to try it up against my Gibson 1960 Classic.🎼🎶🎸👍🏼

Great video, do the 60 lp have a long neck tenon?

you could play higher notes too!

50's so much better for my ear

Couldn't tell which model was which 🤔🤔🤔

Which color is that Les Paul?

Hi, is there any difference in weight between two?

Wow! There’s quite a difference, I wasn’t expecting that as they both got the same cheap pickups. Up to personal taste which one anyone prefers. I personally don’t care much for either. I had a Epi Les Paul Standard Pro and I thought the pickups lacked something? The pickups on my Gibson SG completely blew them out of the water. The new Epiphone Inspiration by Gibson are really good guitars but I would replace the pickups, bridge and stop bar tailpiece. You’d have a guitar to equal a Gibson in tone at a decent price.

the 50's sounds with less output

Jimmy, are you in a witness protection program? A little stronger lighting would be welcome. Thanks for the video.

60s thinner sound

60’s is the winner .

Great subject but you need to fix your video exposure. Way too dark. Just a suggestion.

Veneer not a cap