REVIEW: Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul Special-II

Shane tried out the Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul Special-II, available from the Fret Zealot store with the Fret Zealot system installed.

Here’s what he thought:

AFD – that means “appetite for destruction”. Are you hungry?

I am, for this sweet guitar. This is the Slash Signature model from Epiphone.

It stands out. We’ve got some really excellent premium features including the white binding around the body. It’s pretty hard to ignore but we’ve got a really interesting color scheme with this butterscotch, flame maple top. It’s a really high-quality looking piece and then we have a really interesting contrast with the cherry red on the back and you see that on the back of the neck as well.

In terms of the electronics, this guitar has some really nice ceramic pickups and modern humbuckers by Epiphone. For control you have your volume and your three-way selector that gives you treble, rhythm and both. Tone knobs, classic Epiphone bridge, hard tail style, and this one is a bolt-on neck. Really nice tones coming out of this instrument, I find it easy to channel some classic rock and blues sounds, some sounds you’d associate with the man himself (Slash).

It’s got some really cool personalization – the Slash top hat insignia on the neck, rosewood fretboard, and jumbo frets. They definitely feel substantial to play with and they won’t wear down as fast because they’re jumbo.

When I took this guitar out, one thing in particular caught my eye. That’s right, it has a built-in tuner in the pickup. At first, I was confused but then I realized what it was. I’m really interested in this feature, I would like to see more guitars with it. I find it really useful. It’s a nice tuner, it seems to be built right into the pickup. There’s actually a battery compartment in the back, it takes a small watch battery.

Throughout the guitar, you get a lot of Slash personality, a lot of classic rock vibes, but this guitar doesn’t overly saturate you with the artist model. It gives you enough room to kind of bring out your own personality. The pickups are a zebra style, which is a really iconic look and even the knobs are top-hat style.

All around, a super fun guitar, super snappy and responsive to play. I find the tones really clear, the pickups respond great to distortion but also clean up incredibly well. It’s a versatile instrument. I think this would go anywhere from jazz to hard rock. I had fun tuning it to drop D to play some heavier riffs. It’s a great guitar for someone looking for a higher-end Epiphone in the beginner line. This guitar comes in a performance pack with an amp and the outfit pack. They both have the same guitar, but the other items in the pack are different. You can check them out on our website.

When you buy it on the Fret Zealot website, it comes with the Fret Zealot LED system, you can set it up with this guitar and start exploring the Slash songs on the app. That’s how I learned how to play the riff for “Sweet Child of Mine”, I actually didn’t know how to play it before.