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Head to head

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus vs Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus
Electric$899
No ratings yet
68Overall / 100
Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue
Electric$8,499
No ratings yet
75Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue comes out ahead overall — 75 to 68 on our estimated score.

Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus wins on
  • Lower price ($899 vs $8,499)
Gibson 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue wins on
  • Better build (87 vs 65)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue
Overall6875
Build6587
Playability7575
Sound6868
Value6665

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue, Light Aged, Antique Pelham Blue
BrandEpiphoneGibson
TypeElectricElectric
Years——
Country—US
Body woodMahoganyMahogany
Neck wood1 Piece MahoganyMahogany
FretboardLaurelEbony
Strings66
Frets2222
Scale24.75"24.75"
PickupsGibson Burstbucker 2 / Gibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker / Custombucker
Rating——
Price$899$8,499
AccessoriesCertificate of Authenticity—
BindingSingle-ply Cream, Top and FretboardMulti-ply
Body FinishAged GlossMurphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body shapeLes PaulLes Paul
Body StylesLes PaulLes Paul
BridgeEpiphone LockTone Tune-O-MaticABR-1
Bridge pickupGibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker
CaseIncludes Vintage-Style Case with BONAMASSA Nerdville, CA GraphicBlack with Yellow Interior
Control CoversBlack—
Control KnobsGold Top Hat with Dial PointersBlack Witch Hat
Controls2 Volume, 2 Tone, with 50s Wiring, CTS Potentiometers, and Mallory Capacitors2 500K CTS Volume Pots, 2 500K CTS Tone Pots, Hand-Wired Harness with Black Sprague Capacitors
FinishNickelNickel; Murphy Lab Aged
Fretboard inlayPearloid TrapezoidMother of Pearl Block
Fretboard radius304.8mm / 12.0in304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count2222
Headstock60s Kalamazoo—
Headstock InlayEpiphone logo in Mother of Pearl, Les Paul Model in Gold Silkscreen—
Jack Plate CoverCream—
JointGlued in, Long Tenon—
ModelEIGCJB59LZNH3LPC68PSL21885
Mounting RingsCreamBlack M69
Neck pickupGibson Burstbucker 2Custombucker
NutGraph TechNylon
Nut width43.0mm / 1.69in42.85mm / 1.69in
Output Jack1/4" Switchcraft1/4" Switchcraft
PickguardCreamBlack Multi-Ply
Pickup CoversNickel—
Pickup Selector3-Way Switchcraft Toggle—
Profile50s Rounded Medium CAuthentic '68 Medium C
Scale length628.65mm / 24.75in628.65mm / 24.75in
Strap Buttons2 - Bottom and Shoulder—
String gauges.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Switch TipAmberCream
SwitchwasherCream with Gold TextBlack
TailpieceEpiphone LockTone Stop BarStop Bar
Top woodMaple with Wide Grain AAAA Flame Maple VeneerMaple
Truss rod2-Way Adjustable2-way Adjustable
Truss Rod CoverBell Shaped; 2-layer (Black/White)Authentic 2-Ply Les Paul Custom
Tuner PlatingNickel—
TunersEpiphone Deluxe with Tulip KeysWaffleback with Metal Button
Weight Relief—None

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