Epiphone brings out a beautiful classic design of a Les Paul blended with ultra modern technology for an unmatched tonal versatility.
Epiphone Ultra III is where the best of the past meets the future. Classic and gorgeous Les Paul shape with all of its trademark features and supreme quality is now introduced to tomorrow`s technology. Still a Les Paul, but at the same time much more than a Les Paul.
The new Epiphone Ultra III has two pickup systems. The first choice comes in the shape of Epiphone`s new ProBucker humbucking pickups modeled after Gibson`s BurstBucker pickups. 18% nickel silver base and cover, Elektrisola wire, accurate bobbins, slugs and screws, and sand casted Alnico II magnets, the Ultra III pickups recreate the airy sound of Gibson`s standard setting "Patent Applied For" era humbuckers which helped define rock genre. The second pickup system is Shadow Germany`s NanoMag pickup at the end of the fingerboard, and it features three samarium cobalt magnets, an air coil and active electronics. It is a low impedance pickup and it captures the body acoustics and string harmonics. This magnificent combination allows the player to have the heavy rock crunch plus beautiful acoustic-like tone and everything in between.
The list of technological enhancements for the Epiphone Ultra III doesn`t stop with the pickups just goes on and on. Next on the menu, there is a chromatic tuner built into the mounting ring of the bridge pickup. Just push the ON/OFF button and the guitar will be instantly muted. The tuner features eleven LED`s for easier tuning. They show which tone is played and whether it is sharp, flat or in tune. Pickup systems can be utilized separately, as well as combined. To allow smooth transition and blending, NanoMag`s volume knob also serves as a switch. By pushing it, a player can easily and seamlessly skip between the systems, or turn on both of them. Mounting ring of the bridge pickup also contains two LED`s to monitor the pickup system in use. Red light signifies that NanoMag is active, blue is for ProBuckers and both lights mean that NanoMag is active alongside the ProBuckers.
Next on the list is the ability to choose between three outputs. Standard 1/4" is a MONO output that blends both pickup systems into one signal.Another 1/4" output serves as stereo output. If a player plugs two cables into these outputs sound of the ProBucker pickups will be distributed to one, and NanoMag`s signal to the other channel, which gives the possibility of being effectively plugged into two amps, for example, humbuckers into a guitar amp, and NanoMag into an acoustic guitar amp. The A/B switch allows instant selection of the outputs. Also, there is a third output, the USB output. With a USB cable, a player can plug directly into computer and via various software, such as Native Instruments or Guitar Rig, play through loads of amplifiers and effects, while listening through headphones or computer speakers.
The tradition comes in with hardware and construction. Body of Epiphone Ultra III is made of solid mahogany wood paired with glued-in mahogany neck. Body top wood is a flamed maple veneer. The neck features Slim Taper profile and rosewood fingerboard for famous Les Paul tone and sustain. Bridge is Epiphone`s "patent applied for" LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge with LockTone stopbar tailpiece, and it allows easy string changing and a great sustain. Tuners are Grovers with 16:1 gear ratio.
Other Features include white body binding, Mortise & Tenon neck joint, 22 medium jumbo frets, Mother-of-Pearl trapezoid inlays, 1.68" nut width, ten gauge strings and a three-way toggle switch for the humbuckers.
Ultra III really covers the field delivering stunning looks, traditional Les Paul quality and feel, offering a multitude of tonal options. An instrument for the road and the studio, for heavy rock and acoustic ballads, and everything in between.
