Best Les Paul Under $1,000
The £700–£1,000 range is where genuine Gibson production becomes attainable on the used market, and where Epiphone's best models approach the quality and feel of entry-level American production. This is a meaningful upgrade from the under-£500 instruments.
Best Options Under £1,000
Gibson Les Paul Tribute (Used) — £700–900 | Best Overall
The Gibson Les Paul Tribute uses a satin finish rather than gloss to reduce production cost — the guitar is otherwise a genuine USA-made Gibson. Mahogany body, maple top, BurstBucker 1 and 2 pickups (voiced for vintage PAF character), Nashville bridge, Grover Rotomatic tuners.
Why to choose: A used Gibson Tribute at £700–900 is the most significant quality jump available in this price range. The Gibson Nashville production quality, genuine mahogany/maple tonewood combination, and BurstBucker pickups sound demonstrably different from any Epiphone model.
Where to buy: Reverb.com, eBay, local classified ads, Guitar Center used. Condition varies — buy from sellers who allow returns and include photos of headstock and fretboard.
Sound character: Full, warm, sustaining — a genuinely musical humbucker response. The BurstBuckers are asymmetrically wound (different winds on each coil — as in vintage PAF pickups), giving a more complex tone than symmetrically wound alternatives.
Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard — £600 | Best New Under £700
Epiphone's most authentic vintage replica — based on the 1959 burst, widely considered the greatest Les Paul ever made. Custom Burstbucker (Alnico II) pickups, PLEK'd frets, long-tenon neck joint (improving sustain transfer), aged hardware, oil finish neck for fast playing feel.
PLEK'd frets: Epiphone uses PLEK fret levelling on this model — a computer-controlled fret levelling process that produces absolutely consistent fret heights. The playability difference vs non-PLEK'd instruments at this price is noticeable.
Best for: Players who specifically want vintage 1959 Les Paul character and aesthetic — the burst finish options are accurate and beautiful.
PRS SE McCarty 594 — £750 | Best Alternative
A PRS single-cutaway with a 24.594" scale length — named for the slightly longer scale than Gibson's 24.75" (an attempt to split the difference in feel). The SE 58/15 LT humbuckers are voiced toward vintage PAF character. Available in both double-cutaway (DC) and single-cutaway versions.
Sound character: Slightly cleaner and more articulate than the equivalent Epiphone — PRS's pickup character has a different voice from PAF-voiced humbuckers. More modern in character while remaining warm and musical.
Choose PRS SE McCarty if: You want Les Paul-format guitar with different tonal character, or if PRS build quality consistency matters more than vintage authenticity.
Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy — £650 | Best for Metal
Active EMG 81/85 pickups (the standard metal humbucker), Fishman Fluence active electronics option, compound-radius fretboard (9.5"–14"), Grover locking tuners. The Prophecy is aimed at high-gain playing rather than vintage blues-rock.
Choose Prophecy if: Metal or hard rock is the primary genre and active EMG pickups are a requirement. The passive Alnico configurations in the other Epiphones don't produce the tight, consistent high-gain response that active EMGs deliver.
Comparison Table
| Guitar | Price | Pickups | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Les Paul Tribute (used) | £700–900 | BurstBucker 1+2 | Everything — best tone |
| Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard | £600 | Custom Burstbuckers | Vintage blues-rock |
| PRS SE McCarty 594 | £750 | SE 58/15 LT | Modern versatile |
| Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy | £650 | EMG 81/85 | Metal, hard rock |
Choosing Between These Four
Want the single biggest quality jump available at this price? A used Gibson Les Paul Tribute at £700-900 offers genuine USA Gibson construction — the guide is explicit that this represents the most significant upgrade available in this entire price range, ahead of any new alternative.
Prefer buying new and want the most authentic vintage character? The Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard's PLEK'd frets and Custom Burstbucker pickups make it the most convincing vintage-replica option, with a playability edge from computer-controlled fret leveling that's genuinely noticeable.
Want a Les Paul-format guitar with a more modern, articulate voice? The PRS SE McCarty 594's SE 58/15 LT humbuckers and PRS build consistency suit players who want the physical format without committing to traditional PAF-style warmth.
Metal or hard rock with active pickups is the goal? The Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy's EMG 81/85 configuration and compound-radius fretboard are purpose-built for high-gain playing — a genuinely different instrument from the vintage-blues-rock options here, not a lesser version of them.
Common Mistakes
Buying a new Epiphone without checking the used Gibson Tribute market first. As the guide states unambiguously, a used Tribute at £700-900 outperforms any new Epiphone at equivalent price — skipping this comparison means potentially missing meaningfully better value for similar money.
Assuming the PRS SE McCarty 594 is simply a Les Paul copy with a different logo. As the guide explains, its pickup voicing and 24.594" scale length are genuinely different design choices, not an attempt to replicate Gibson tone — treating it as an inferior Les Paul clone misunderstands what it's actually trying to be.
Choosing the Prophecy for vintage blues-rock tone. Its active EMG pickups and high-gain focus make it the wrong instrument for warmer, more dynamic passive-pickup blues and classic rock playing — a mismatch of gear to genre that no amount of amp adjustment fully corrects.
Overlooking PLEK'd fretwork as a meaningful, not cosmetic, upgrade. As the Epiphone 1959 section notes, PLEK's computer-controlled fret leveling produces a genuinely noticeable playability difference compared to non-PLEK'd instruments at similar prices — this is a real manufacturing quality detail, not marketing language.
ToneStakr's Take
At this price tier, seriously investigating the used Gibson Les Paul Tribute market before committing to a new purchase is the single highest-value move available — the guide's own analysis places it clearly ahead of every new alternative at comparable money. For players who specifically want new-only certainty or vintage-accurate aesthetics, the Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard is the strongest new option; reserve the Prophecy exclusively for players already committed to active-pickup metal tone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Gibson Les Paul Tribute worth it?
Yes, genuinely — it retails around £1,200 new but is frequently available on sale near £900, or used at £700-900. It offers authentic Gibson construction with a satin finish specifically to reduce production cost, making it an excellent buy at these price points.
What is the PRS SE McCarty 594?
A PRS single-cutaway with a 24.594" scale length (between Gibson's 24.75" and Fender's 25.5") and SE 58/15 LT humbuckers voiced toward vintage PAF character while remaining distinctly PRS in overall tone — different from Gibson voicing but genuinely high quality.
What is the Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard?
Epiphone's most authentic vintage-replica Les Paul, featuring PLEK'd frets, Custom Burstbucker (Alnico II) pickups, a long-tenon neck joint for improved sustain transfer, and aged hardware — widely regarded as the best Epiphone Les Paul ever produced.
Should I buy a used Gibson instead of a new Epiphone at this budget?
Generally yes, if you're comfortable with used-market buying — a used Gibson Les Paul Tribute at £700-900 outperforms any new Epiphone at equivalent price, with a significant difference in resonance, pickup quality, and overall feel.
How do I safely buy a used Gibson Les Paul Tribute without risking a bad purchase?
Buy from established platforms (Reverb, eBay, Guitar Center used) specifically from sellers offering returns and clear photos of the headstock and fretboard — these are the details most likely to reveal prior damage or excessive wear that photos of the body alone might not show.
Is the Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy a legitimate long-term metal guitar, or a compromise version of a "real" metal guitar?
A genuinely legitimate choice — its EMG 81/85 pickups are the industry-standard metal pickup configuration used by professional players, and the compound-radius fretboard specifically suits fast, technical playing. It's a purpose-built metal instrument, not a Les Paul awkwardly adapted for the genre.