Played five guitars at Guitar Center...

...and here's my quick take on them. I was surprised by a few.

Guitar 1: Epiphone G-400 (SG) Worn Cherry - This guitar was the biggest surprise for me. I thought I would love it, seeing as how I love my cheapo Epiphone SG Junior, but I really didn't like it. This was my first experience with a "real" set-neck SG, and I didn't like how the neck felt like it was so far out from the body. It wasn't comfortable. I'm sure I'd get used to it after a while, but I didn't like it. I was also thoroughly unimpressed with the quality of it. My Indonesia-made cheapy is much better finished than this Chinese-made not-so-cheapy. The switch felt cheap, the knobs were wobbly, and the pots didn't do much - the tone controls had very little taper. I was completely disappointed with this one. And at $349, it wasn't worth it at all. I didn't like the sound of the pickups, but a lot of that could've been the amp.

The only one available was an Orange Crush 20-watter and it was easily the worst amp I've ever played through. The distortion was fizzy and it had no tone. I'd play it again through a better amp if I liked the way it played, but I didn't.

Guitar 2: Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro - This one was much better than the SG. I still didn't like the pickups, but they did sound better than the SG's, even through the shit Orange amp. Quality was substantially better, and it had a nice wine red flame top on it. Or course it was more expensive than the SG, too: $499, which is kind of a lot for a Chinese guitar. Even though it was better than the SG, it still didn't speak to me, so I put it down and went on to...

Guitar 3: Fender Modern Player Telecaster HSS - Another Chinese guitar, but this one was $399 and the quality was leaps ahead of both Epiphones. It felt and sounded good, too. It had a lacquered neck, which was a bit sticky, but the pickups sounded great. I just wish it had some kind of switching that would allow the bridge and neck to be played at the same time, so you can also get classic Tele sounds to go along with the very Stratty tone this thing put out. And I was still playing through the Orange. It was my favorite, so far...

Guitar 4: Sterling Axis 40 - I liked absolutely nothing about this guitar. I played and almost bought a Sterling JP50, so I know they can make good guitars, but this was terrible. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the design. The body shape made it uncomfortable to sit with. The non-recessed Floyd copy seemed like a waste (I'd prefer to be able to bend the pitch in both directions) and the neck felt cheap and narrow, yet it was too thick. The overall quality was OK, but I didn't like the guitar at all. The face that is was purple didn't help.

Guitar 5: LTD EC-256 - I almost didn't play this one. I was ready to leave after playing the Axis, but I took one more perusal around the store first. The LTD was hidden in a corner, and it was the only LTD in the store, so I had to play it. I never played an LTD before and I wanted to know what they were like. Well, as soon as I picked it up, I knew it was special. It just oozed quality. It had a beautiful sunburst finish and flame top with a natural back and sides. It was light but felt substantial. I played it a bit unplugged and I loved the neck - a nice D profile that wasn't too thick, but wasn't thin either.

Since this was in a different spot than the others, I plugged it into the nearest amp, a Line 6 Spider IV 75-watter, and I have to say it sounded very good. They must have made a lot of improvements from III to IV. Anyway, the guitar played like a dream. The pickups sounded great, both in humbucker and tapped single-coil mode. They had clarity and power, but more vintage power than screaming-at-the-amp power. I could've played it all day but I had to head home. Obviously, it was my favorite of all the guitars I played, and it was only $399, $100 cheaper than the Epiphone LP but worlds better.

Gear Review: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Pro

In typical Epiphone style, the Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Pro is another cheap and cheerful Les Paul rendition for the guitarist on a budget, but now is more versatile than ever! Despite its low price, the Epiphone Les Paul is well recognized as a renowned, respectable guitar. In fact it was used by Oasis' Noel Gallagher in the 90s and has continued to be used by high-profile players in a variety of environments and music styles. Les Pauls are famously versatile, which is one of the biggest selling points, and the new Epiphone LP Ultra Pro gives even more without sacrificing an affordable price tag.

The most impressive feature you’ll notice is the two ProBucker humbucker pickups, which are built around Alnico magnets with Elektrisola magnet wire. The ProBuckers are based upon the iconic BurstBucker pickups from the Gibson Les Paul Standard, which are designed to imitate the original PAF humbuckers. All this results in the classic, rich, powerful Les Paul tone that we all know and love. But it doesn’t stop there. The pickups can be coil-tapped through the push-pull switches on both volume controls so you get a totally different weapon added to your arsenal.

I play everything from classic rock to folk and everything in between, and when you play the Epiphone Les Paul Ultra Pro you notice how amazingly adaptive it is, and it just sounds really full and clean. If I closed my eyes and played this guitar, unaware of the brand, I would honestly presume it was a top of the range Gibson Les Paul, for more than triple the price. It handled anything I could throw at it from ripping guitar solos to complicated riffs with ease. I was expecting the chambered body to have a slightly negative effect on the tone but other than making it noticeably lighter it was almost identical to a solid mahogany.

The construction of this Epi Les Paul Ultra is much more traditional but remains the quality that we've come to expect. It has a standard mahogany body, which is finished with a quilted maple top. The Mahogany neck is a treat behold with rosewood fingerboard and SlimTaper ‘D’ profile. It is then completed in typical Les Paul style with the ever-popular tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, and the classic Grover tuners give added stability.

I'm struggling to find any downfalls with this guitar other than the minor things that aren't really a big deal, like where it is made. the main difference between a Gibson and an Epiphone Les Paul is that Gibsons are made in America, which is a huge selling point for some reason. And lets not forget with a Gibson you're buying a badge as well. So my advice, get one of these beauties and put a sticker on it and it'll save you over a grand.

I'm a firm believer in getting the best you possibly can for your money, so if you're determined to get a Les Paul it has to be Epiphone and the Ultra Pro is probably the best you can buy. It is priced at around £500 ($599 US) and for what you’re getting it's an absolute bargain. It's a joy to play and obviously looks amazing. It's also a perfect gigging instrument as it's light, versatile and fairly cheap. It's the sort of guitar that if it was stolen or broken then you'd buy another, it's that impressive.