There was a time when you could snag a Gibson Les Paul Studio or Tribute for between $500 and $600. At that point I posted my opinion that it’d be a good idea to SNAG one of those, because the prices would surely be going up. They did. A used Gibson Les Paul Tribute these days is around $850. They’ll be a grand before you know it.
The Epiphone Les Paul has always been a great buy on the used market – overlooked by many, I’ve seen plenty over the past few years for around $300 to $350. And they still are, as of September 15, 2020, as I type this. There are two reasons they’re still cheap: there are lots of them out there, and a brand new Epiphone Les Paul is about $600.
But here’s the thing: I’m betting that Epiphone is going to raise their prices over the next few years. And as they do, the prices on the used market will also go up. It happened with Mexican made Fender Strats, it happened with Gibson Les Pauls, and it’s going to happen with Epiphone. They put a LOT of money into their new line, and the prices are VERY reasonable – I don’t see parent company Gibson not taking advantage. In 2021 they’ll go up, and the used market will start to rise with it.
So if you were thinking about buying a used Epiphone Les Paul for $300 to $350, you might want to buy it soon. They can’t stay that low forever.
