The beginner-level instrument market is a moderately tough niche to crack. There’s no dearth of beginner-level musical instruments, and you can even purchase them at major retail merchants such as Wal-Mart or Target.

However, the old adage “you get what you pay for” applies when purchasing a instrument at the same place you can buy motor oil. Obviously, it’s challenging to buy a good, novice instrument without wasting your money.

You should look no further than the Epiphone Les Paul Special II, which costs less than $170. Though it’s patently a guitar aimed at the budget market, you still get a lot of bang for the dollar.

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a noteworthy entry into the budget instrument market with its solid playability and full sound.

The Epiphone Les Paul Special II sports two open-coil humbucking pickups (the 700T and 650R), which transforms the acoustic tone from its basswood body. The guitar boasts a bolt-on neck (mahogany) and a rosewood fretboard. A tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece are stock, as are dot inlays.

A 3-way selector switch along with master volume and tone controls permits you to set your sounds. The guitar’s specs include a 24-3/4″ scale and 1-5/8″ nut width.

Before we could really put the guitar through its paces, we had to make some minor readjustments, such as setting the intonation and action properly. The pickup selector needed some contact cleaner to remove some scratchiness, and the tuners also needed to be tightened a touch.

However, these troubles were relatively modest. Overall, we were quite happy with the quality of the Les Paul Special II. The finish (wine red) looks genuinely nice overall, but it is a touch thin, so you have to try not to nick it too bad.

Overall, both the sound and the action were very solid, particularly for a sub-$200 guitar. The neck did have a couple of dead spots, but that’s to be anticipated for budget guitars. It’s still a wonderful instrument for the money.

Especially considering its low cost, we think the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is a outstanding guitar for the beginner or someone looking for an inexpensive practice instrument.

If you are looking for a great price on a guitar for beginners or for a great inexpensive guitar, you should definitely consider a Epiphone Les Paul, particularly the Les Paul Special II. For the absolutely lowest prices, look no further than Ray’s Guitar Shop, which offers the best prices on all new and used electric and acoustic guitars on the Internet.