Five Best Value Singlecut Guitars: Les Pauls, P90s, And More!
Gibson, Epiphone, Harley Benton - Something For Every Budget!
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While there is no arguing about the Les Paul’s legendary status in guitar land, it is by far the only single-cut model. To give you an overview, we have selected the five best value singlecut guitars to check out.
Best Value Singlecut Guitars: The List
Best Value Singlecut Guitars: What To Consider
Single-cutaway guitar design is about as old as the double-cut version, especially in electric guitars. Its most famous iteration by far is the Gibson Les Paul, with the Fender Telecaster a close second. However, Teles and their many non-Fender models are usually grouped into a second category, T-style guitars. So, in this list, we’re going to focus on the LP-side of things.
If you’re looking into finding the best value singlecut guitars and have your eyes set on LP-style models, there are a few things to consider. Usually, these come either with humbuckers or P90s as pickups. Most either have glued-in or through-neck constructions or hardtail bridges and headstocks in a three-a-side design.
More modern iterations might come with locking tuners or even a tremolo. If you’d like to stay close to the original, then, in terms of wood type, it’s Mahogany for the body and neck, a glued-on maple top, and a rosewood fretboard. Since this list consist of only five best value singlecut guitars, we couldn’t possibly claim it to be complete. These five models are our suggestions to get you started.
Gibson Les Paul Custom – The Real Deal
If you want THE singlecut model that has it all, the Gibson Les Paul Custom is it. Sure, there is the Standard series, the Supreme series, the Classic Series, the recent Double Trouble models… But there is a reason Randy Rhoads, Jerry Cantrell, Peter Frampton, Billy Duffy, Adam Jones, Keith Richards, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, The Edge, Robert Fripp, Kirk Hammett, Justin Hawkins, James Dean Bradfield, and so many other legends played a Custom at least at one point of their career.
Mahogany body, arched maple top, mahogany neck (Custom C profile), ebony fretboard with the typical Mother-of-pearl block inlays – just from these ingredients alone, it’s one of the best value singlecut guitars on the market. And with that 5-ply binding and the gold-plated hardware, it’s also a beauty. For pickups, you get a Gibson 490R on the neck and a 498T on the bridge, both humbuckers.
The Gibson Les Paul Custom is available at Thomann* for 4,979 euros. A guitar case is included.
Epiphone Les Paul Custom – The More Affordable Real Deal
While the Les Paul Custom sure is one of Gibson’s crown jewels, it also isn’t cheap. But if you love Les Pauls and your budget is tight, there is always Epiphone. Since the Gibson-owned guitar maker is close to where it all happens, you can get a surprising amount of value for a custom LP.
This model also comes with a mahogany body and neck (SlimTaper profile), an ebony fretboard, and pearloid block inlays – like Gibson’s Custom LP! You also get all the classic (not Classic!) ingredients with a 24.75″ scale, 22 frets, a three-way switch, and a LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge. For pickups, this guitar comes with two Epiphone ProBucker custom humbuckers.
The Epiphone Les Paul Custom is available at Thomann* for 749 euros.
Harley Benton SC-Custom III P90 – Best Value Singlecut Guitars
It does not have to come from Gibson to be one of the best value singlecut guitars! Harley Benton’s excellent SC-Custom III line was a huge step up in terms of quality and sound. And besides quite a few singlecut models with humbucking pickups, even two with active pickups, there is also a model with P90s.
And why not add at least one singlecut with a pickup setup the way the Les Paul saga started? That’s right, in the first few years, after being introduced in the early fifties, Les Paul guitars came with P90 pickups. So with this SC-Custom III P90 model, you’ll stay close to the legend’s roots!
Harley Benton used Meranti wood for the guitar’s body and set-in neck (Modern C profile), and roasted jatoba for the fingerboard. This model also comes with a top made of an AAAA flamed maple veneer. Two P90 are installed: a Tesla TM P90B Alnico-5 at the bridge and a Tesla TM P90N Alnico-5 at the neck.
This entry in our list of best value singlecut guitars, the Harley Benton SC-Custom III P90 is available at Thomann* for 319 euros.
ESP LTD EC-1000
The ESP LTD EC-1000 is a modern take on the singlecut design. These guitars come with a high-quality Tone Pros T3B-T and T1Z locking bridge, and LTD tuners. Mahogany body, three-piece set-in neck, ebony fretboard (24 frets) – with a pretty sleek design, the EC-1000 offers a lot.
This guitar includes two active EMG 81 and EMG 60 humbuckers, perfect for noisy stages and recording studios. And that matte black finish with the gold-colored binding and hardware is just marvelous! The ESP LTD EC-1000 is available at Thomann* for 1,079 euros.
Larry Carlton L7
Judging by the reviews, this model seems to be a secret favorite as a budget LP model. The Larry Carlton L7 just received an update at NAMM 2025. The L7V brings slight improvements to an already excellent. However, since it seems to take a moment until the L7V models are available, let’s take a look at the original iteration.
You get a mahogany body and a maple top with a beautiful maple veneer. This guitar also comes with a glued-in mahogany neck (C profile) and an ebony fretboard. The inlays look lightly different, as they come in a trapezoid form factor.
This model also includes Sire Premium Locking tuners, a Tune-O-Matic style bridge with an aluminium stop tailpiece, and an ivory-colored pickguard. Regarding pickups, it comes with Twei Alnico-5 humbuckers with chrome covers.
The Sire Larry Carlton L7 costs 489 euros at Thomann*
More On The Best Value Singlecut Guitars
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10 responses to “Five Best Value Singlecut Guitars: Les Pauls, P90s, And More!”
I had a les paul Gibson but the head broke off. I used some glue on it but I did work. It broke again and fell on my butt cigarettes burnt my foot fell off. How do I fix it
Just gluing a Headstock back on doesn’t usually work. It’s often necessary to drill into the Headstock and reinforce across the break with material that reinforces the break. This is usually done with materials like Carbon Fibre Rods or Truss Rod steel. on one 12 string break I repaired, I used tool steel. It take a long Jobber drill bit to drill from the end of the Headstock down passed the break seam on both sides. Then I filled the remainder of the holes with a mahogany dowel. After staining and revarnishing the area, you had to look very closely to see the plugs.
Les Paul Jr.
At the time, I think Epiphone has real good value guitars, and the Epiphone Les Paul 1959 Standard model ticks all the boxes (besides of having Gibso writte on the headstock. These feature quality electronics (switch, pots, jack), American made Burstbuckers 2/3 – at least at this all the cheap offerings have a massive lack, and you have to change these parts at some point (better sooner than later)
I agree. Dimensionally, the Epi Les Paul’s are pretty much exact copies of the Gibson models, at significant savings. The Bolt on neck version, LP Special II, is best avoided. Too cheap, and doesn’t sound or play like a Paul.
the Les Paul design was taken to Epiphone before it landed at Gibson I’d say in the modern era Gibson oh the headstock means little anymore Gibson’s golden days price value and quality it seems it’s long behind them and I have owned old and new guitars from both to judge the Epiphone 59 Les Paul with a few small changes is a cracker right out the box
I have a 2016 Les Paul Traditional for sale . Please advise subject to viewing. Immaculate condition
basically all you have shown me is Les Paul style guitars aren’t there any other ones as well or those are the only ones?
Yeah, we only had 5 on the list and ‘Singlecut’ is a generic term for a ‘Les Paul-style’ guitar. Though, I would also suggest a Telecaster falls into that bracket as well. I already wrote a Best T-Style guitar for those and so did not want to double up. https://www.gearnews.com/the-best-value-t-style-guitars-buying-the-50s-workhorse/
great info on the best guitars that we all love. I started playing in 64′ in Santa Ana orig home of Fender. Leo was second only to the late great Les Paul.
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