Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Alex Lifeson and Epiphone Debut the Les Paul Custom Axcess

Alex Lifeson and Epiphone Debut the Les Paul Custom Axcess

Created through extensive work with Alex Lifeson and Gibson, Epiphone’s Les Paul Custom Axcess is designed to redefine the boundaries of the classic Les Paul in an accessible, versatile package.


“This is a stunning guitar, it’s beautiful and it sounds great to play,” says Alex Lifeson. "You have got to plug it in and play it, it sounds great. You can create a lot of different tones and sounds, and a player at any level can make use of this guitar. Playing guitar takes you to that place in your heart and your soul to express yourself creatively and to just have fun, it is just fun to play, it always has been and always will be.”

Available in both left and right-handed versions, the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess carries a powerful Epiphone Ceramic Pro neck and Pro Bucker 3 bridge pickups with push/pull coil splitting on the volume controls, along with a Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo-the world’s most efficient vibrato. Along with all of this, the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess still presents that timeless Les Paul look that has remained a classic for more than 60 years, a hardshell guitar case is also included.

Alex Lifeson made his mark on the music industry over 50 years ago, redefining the boundaries of progressive rock guitar. His signature riffing, copious use of effects processing and unorthodox chord structures befitted him the title by his RUSH bandmates as “The Musical Scientist.” While the bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with RUSH, he has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer, most recently with his new project Envy of None, as well as becoming a solo artist with the release of his 1996 solo album Victor. Lifeson ranks third overall in the Guitar World Readers poll of ‘100 Greatest Guitarists’ and is also included in Rolling Stone’s ‘100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

For more information, please visit epiphone.com.

Alex Lifeson Introduces the 2023 Les Paul Custom Axcess

Keith Urban’s first instrument was a ukulele at age 4. When he started learning guitar two years later, he complained that it made his fingers hurt. Eventually, he came around. As did the world.

Throughout his over-30-year career, Keith Urban has been known more as a songwriter than a guitarist. Here, he shares about his new release, High, and sheds light on all that went into the path that led him to becoming one of today’s most celebrated country artists.

There are superstars of country and rock, chart-toppers, and guitar heroes. Then there’s Keith Urban. His two dozen No. 1 singles and boatloads of awards may not eclipse George Strait or Garth Brooks, but he’s steadily transcending the notion of what it means to be a country star.

Read MoreShow less

Mooer's Ocean Machine II is designed to bring superior delay and reverb algorithms, nine distinct delay types, nine hi-fidelity reverb types, tap tempo functionality, a new and improved looper, customizable effect chains, MIDI connectivity, expression pedal support, and durable construction.

Read MoreShow less

Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.

Photo by Ken Lapworth

You may know the Gibson EB-6, but what you may not know is that its first iteration looked nothing like its latest.

When many guitarists first encounter Gibson’s EB-6, a rare, vintage 6-string bass, they assume it must be a response to the Fender Bass VI. And manyEB-6 basses sport an SG-style body shape, so they do look exceedingly modern. (It’s easy to imagine a stoner-rock or doom-metal band keeping one amid an arsenal of Dunables and EGCs.) But the earliest EB-6 basses didn’t look anything like SGs, and they arrived a full year before the more famous Fender.

Read MoreShow less

An '80s-era cult favorite is back.

Read MoreShow less