The Les Paul Ultra-II is a truly different hybrid guitar combining a real Les Paul Guitar with a fingerboard-mounted NanoMAG Samarium/Cobalt pickup and electronics to produce shimmering acoustic tones with ultra-wide dynamic range. It is crafted with the same acoustic chambers as those in the regular Les Paul Ultra. Comprehensive NanoMAG controls are discretely incorporated into the back cover. True Stereo outputs capable of both mono and stereo with a regular cable.
The NanoMAG is a magnetic pickup with an air coil and a composition of different samarium cobalt magnets incorporating active electronics in a minimum of space. The pickup is protected by an epoxy layer, and the silver-platinum shielding, together with the active electronics, provides a low impedance, hum free output signal. The NanoMAG pickup provides an acoustic sound, but can also produce sweet blues and jazz tones. It is very resistant to the feedback and offers incredible dynamics in all positions.
Based upon Epiphone's top-selling Les Paul Ultra, the Ultra-II adds a proprietary NanoMAG low-impedance pickup embedded into the fingerboard and custom electronics to create a Les Paul that is not only capable of blistering, electric guitar riffs but also shimmering acoustic-like tones and when combined, greatly expanded frequency range and tonal capabilities.
The goal of the Ultra-II was to create a more versatile guitar that was capable of not only real Les Paul tone, but also acoustic-like qualities but without adding a lot of controls and changing the overall appearance of the legendary Les Paul. Unlike other instruments that attempt to create a completely new guitar design, Epiphone went about this differently by starting with a proven, electric guitar design and adding to it.
The Ultra-II is all Les Paul. Its pair of Alnico Classic humbucking pickups combined with traditional LP design let's you rock like legendary Les Paul players. However, the Ultra's body is strategically chambered to not only reduce the weight, but to add subtle acoustic overtones. Taking advantage of this design, Epiphone teamed up with the premier German acoustic pickup maker, Shadow to take the Ultra to the next level. The result is the Ultra-II.
At the heart of the Ultra-II is the NanoMAG pickup. Referring to its small size and its composition, the NanoMag is a completely new kind of magnetic pickup that combines 3 Samarium-Cobalt magnets with on-board, active electronics to produce a low-impedance pickup with absolute linear response and an uncharacteristically wide frequency range. Voiced specifically for the Ultra-II, the NanoMAG is embedded in the fingerboard after the 22nd fret. Positioned at this harmonic-rich sweet spot, the NanoMAG is able to capture all the harmonics - from the lowest to the highest - with incredible accuracy and all with ZERO noise or artificial coloration. This again is different from all other acoustic pickup technology.
Front mounted controls for the Ultra-II remain in the standard LP locations. However, function is changed to Neck Volume (magnetic), Bridge Volume (magnetic), Master Tone and NanoMAG volume. Controls specifically for the NanoMAG, as well as the 9-volt battery compartment are discretely mounted on the back of the instrument on the control cavity plate. Using the back controls, you can set the treble, bass and gain of the NanoMAG. Once you find the settings you want, you generally won't make many changes to them. However, the control is there if you need it.
The Ultra-II also adds true stereo outputs that allow you to either combine its Alnico Classic humbuckers with the NanoMAG output or, separate the two for mixing possibilities. Both options allow the use of standard 1/4" instrument cables. With this, the player can route the magnetic pickups to a standard electric guitar amplifier and the NanoMAG to an acoustic guitar amp or the PA. Using the front mounted volume controls, unlimited blending and mixing of the two signals is possible.
If you want a versatile, professional instrument that's capable of both Les Paul crunch and real acoustic-like tones, the Epiphone Ultra-II is it!
Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II Electric Guitar Features:
Body: Mahogany, strategically chambered
Top: Quilted maple
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Profile: SlimTaper, satin finish
Neck Joint: Glued-In
Truss Rod: double-action, 2-way
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius: 12"
Frets: 22 medium jumbo
Scale Length: 24-3/4"
Nut Width: 1.65"
Neck Pickup: Alnico Classic
NanoMag Low-impedance
Bridge Pickup: Alnico Classic Plus
Bridge: LockTone Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece: LockTone Stopbar
Front Controls: Neck Humbucker Master Volume
Bridge Humbucker Master Volume
Master Tone
NanoMAG Master Volume
3-way Toggle (Humbuckers)
Rear Controls:
NanoMAG Treble
NanoMAG Bass
NanoMAG Gain
Tuners: Grover, diecast
Outputs: 1/4" Mono, 1/4" Stereo
Power: 9V battery
Hardware: Gold
Binding: Body, Neck
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Add your own chapter to the story of rock guitar. Order today.
Posted by Beto Barriga from Bucaramanga, Colombia on Jul 14, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Active Musician
Reviewer's Play Style: Rock and Pop/rock
I have around 1.5months and I'm soooo glad with this guitar... sound so great, I think that is very versatile with the rock sound of humbuckers and high tones with nanomac... is like a combination of acustic and sngle coil sound!! Fretboard.. excelente! Soft! Sweet!
Weight.... Low weight
Finish.. the finish of this guitar.. are excelent!!! It's beautiful!! Gold are excelente, but gold bridge is being lost by hand sweat, but a little!
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Amazing!
Posted by MLP from Florida on Jun 10, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Hobbyist
Reviewer's Play Style: Classic Rock, Blues, Country
I have had this guitar for about 7 months now, and can't put it down. The guitar just sounds wonderful even unplugged. I did find the pups to be a little weak, and replaced them with a set of Gibson 498t/490r that I had laying around. Once the pickups where changed, I fell in love with it all over. I typically play more Blues/classic rock stuff, so this pickup set works quite well and when you bring the NanoMag into the mix it just gets better. It is so easy to get a multitude of sounds from this one guitar. The grover tuners work great and certainly keep the guitar in tune. There are a few downfalls that I have noticed, I feel that I have a loose fret or uneven frets which can be fixed, and also the gold plating easily wears off. Other than these issues and the extremely tight outputs that keep getting mentiond, it is a great Axe. Well worth the money paid.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Wow. Just... wow.
Posted by SSBLead from Kansas City , KS on May 23, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Active Musician, Recording Engineer, Music Major
Reviewer's Play Style: rock, alt., blues, metal, punk, etc.
I picked up an LP Ultra-II kind of on a whim, just figuring, "what the heck?" I noted the NanoMag Shadow-designed pickup in the fretboard and wondered what it was all about.
I plugged it into a Fender Supersonic (wicked amp, by the way) and was quite impressed. On the clean channel, that NanoMag was glassy and bell-like. You can get a gorgeous acoustic tone out of it, or you can crank the pickup's gain control and get a Strat or lipstick p-up tone out of it. Mixing it with the neck Alnico V sounds pretty good too - adds some humbucker beef to it and sounds like a Fat Strat with both pickups on and up. Mixing with the bridge isn't so good - with some tone knob tweaking it's ok for some apps, but full-on it can get kind of quacky.
The NanoMag convinced me to bring that guitar home, where I plugged it into MY Supersonic and went to town on the Lead channel. The NanoMag doesn't do high gain very well, but it can definitely get some thick, fuzzy blues sounds.
I'm favorably impressed with the Alnicos. They shimmer nicely in Bassman or Vibrolux clean circuits and sound utterly gorgeous in a clean Bogner channel. But they overdrive well and open up slowly with gain, giving you the chance of some smooth crunch without getting too edgy, too early. That said, they'll wail away on high-gain Bogner and Mesa channels with some pretty impressive resonance. Harmonics aren't the greatest, but with some work, you can definitely get them. They also have an interesting reponse to tremolo picking in that the faster you pick, the more harmonics appear. Gorgeous sound.
I got the red quilt top, and it's pretty, but the black quilt top is fabulous. It just looks... deep, if you know what I mean, and the gold hardware is pretty good. I've sweated and marked it up pretty good, but after some polishing, it still looks good. After having it for some time, the gold still hasn't started to come off, so that's encouraging.
Actino came set up perfectly, but intonation needed a little work. Tuners are solid, nut is well-cut, bridge is easy to adjust. I had a bit of rattling on my high E saddle, but a little graphite and some loctite on the actual screw fixed it. I don't suggest that for those of you who want to keep adjusting it, because that's really rather permanent, but for me, it works since if I ever redo it, I'll just replace the bridge.
Now, some explanation: it must be kept in mind that the single tone knob is a master tone knob for ALL pickups, including the NanoMag. It's a very versatile tone knob, as well, so minor tweaking results in substantial tone changes.
Also, when you turn up the NanoMag, it changes the voicings of the other pickups. This is a negative if you're running from the single mono output jack. Running from both jacks prevents that problem, but it is worth noting, as your bridge pickup can go from sizzling overdrive to a muddy, gross sound with the NanoMag up only 1/4 of the way. It is beneficial for a clean channel, but on overdrive, it sounds abysmal.
Overall, an excellent buy. It could have been a lot better with Burstbuckers, but at the price I got it for, the BBs can be acquired. Enjoy!
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
Very impressed...Very
Posted by Stratman420 from Canada on May 8, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: playing over 10 years
Reviewer's Play Style: Pop, Rock, Alternative
I usually don't write product reviews, but I had to let people know how incredible this guitar is for the price. what I was looking for was a guitar with a satin finish on the neck, humbuckers and that's it. Wasn't looking for something with acoustic chambers and an acoustic simulator pickup. I actually never even wanted a les paul or sg or what ever, I was open to anything. Once you hear how focused the sound is because of the chambers you'll be sold. The guitar is pretty lively sounding even when not plugged in. The input jacks are unusally tight to plug the cord into, but I imagine they will loosen up after a while. Most players don't like to use a neck pickup, especially if it's stock, but having the nanonmag pickup really opens up the tone, you just get a really nice clear sound out of it always. Like obviously this guitar will not replace an acoustic, way different beasts, but this guitar is just the sound I've been looking for. Some minor complaints - again the input jacks a little tight, the finish on the neck, I love the bright red colour, but it's not a perfect finish you can feel a few very small bumps and what not, not a big deal believe me, also the guitar is neck heavy because the body is chambered. I actually hate neck heavy guitars, but I will put up with it on this model, I'm going to hang a weight off my strap on the other end or something to try and balance this guitar. Other than that there is really no need to upgrade parts on it, the bridge is good, it comes with grover tuners which are great, I like the pickups, but if you really wanted you could upgrade the neck pickup. Hope this helps anyone trying to decide.
Overall
Quality
Features
Value
SWEET
Posted by DerekVadneau from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Apr 14, 2009
Experience w/product: I own it
Reviewer's Background: Active Musician
Reviewer's Play Style: Rock, Punk, Metal
I love this guitar. Replaced the pups with Seymour Duncans (Pearly Gates bridge, 59 neck) but put the Epi bridge back in later - has more of that Les Paul sound. The Epi neck pup is bad. The 59 is brilliant. Never used a better neck pup. Smooth, clear and perfect for this guitar.
Nanomag is nice, but not mixed with the other pickups. Great option and really turns heads. However, NOT a replacement for a really nice acoustic guitar, but more than adequate for me.
My bass player was amazed by the sound - bypassed my preamp straight into powered speaker, just the 59 and the sound was beautiful.
Bridge pup can handle rock and metal, although if you're an active pup person, then you probably won't like it for metal.
Crack in finish at pickguard screw hole at neck, mono out jack hard to insert cable, stereo out doesn't work. Might have been the previous owner. The jack plate is non-standard so you can't replace it unless under warranty. Gold on saddles was worn off (1 month old).
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