EPIPHONE POWER PLAYERS SG AND LES PAUL

Epiphone are here to help kids fulfil their rockstar potential with two pint-sized guitar legends

- Daryl Robertson

If there's one thing we can be sure of it's that your first guitar has a monumental impact on you as a player. Put the right guitar into the hands of a child and their playing career will be accelerated, sending them speeding down the road to rock stardom, whereas an ill-fitting axe will put the brakes on their progress entirely. Clearly, Epiphone agrees, as they've created an entire collection of guitars specially designed as a gateway for budding guitarists - the Epiphone Power Players. Like something out of a Rick Moranis-led 80s flick, Epiphone has pointed their shrink-ray at their most famous instruments, turning them into short-scale shred machines that are sure to fit even the smallest of hands.

This isn't Epiphone's first venture into the world of miniature guitars - far from it. Some of you may remember the admittedly slightly unloved Les Paul Express, which sat in the depths of the brand's range for quite some time. Now, the Express wasn't a bad guitar. It's just that the nuts-and-bolts approach to a kidfriendly guitar was a little uninspiring - we can't imagine that it lit a fire in the belly of many young players. Contrast that with an eye-catching design, bright colours and focus on playability, and it's clear that the new Power Players Les Paul and SG breathe new life into the concept of a beginner's guitar.

Sporting a 3/4+ length scale - or 22.73", to be exact - as well as a Slim Taper D neck profile, a sculpted heel for improved upper fret access, and a set of 650R/700T humbuckers, these little guitars have an impressive spec list. As you'd expect, with these dinky guitars being aimed squarely at newbies, they come with a plethora of accoutrements, such as an Epiphone branded gig bag, strap and plectrums, plus a basic guitar cable - all you need to do is supply the amplification. Read on and we'll take a close look at both guitars.

EPIPHONE POWER PLAYERS SG

For young ones about to rock