Jessica! - Epiphone Slash AFD Les Paul Special-II – 2014 Appetite Amber

2014 Epiphone Slash “AFD” Les Paul Special-II in Appetite Amber

Meet Jessica, a 2014 Epiphone Slash AFD Les Paul Special-II finished in Appetite Amber, with a flame-maple veneer, zebra-coil Ceramic Plus humbuckers and built-in Shadow E-Tuner.

Inspired by Slash's unmistakable Appetite for Destruction-era Les Paul aesthetic, the AFD Special-II was designed as an accessible route into classic hard-rock looks and tones.

Jessica arrived at The Stray Chord carrying considerably more than ordinary play wear. A substantial impact had removed both finish and timber from the side of her body, leaving an open wound that could easily have seen an affordable guitar written off completely.

Instead, she was rebuilt.

Following structural and cosmetic repair, extensive fretwork and a complete professional setup, Jessica was successfully rehomed for £160.

About Jessica

The Epiphone Slash AFD Les Paul Special-II takes the straightforward Les Paul Special-II platform and gives it an unmistakably Slash-inspired makeover.

The Appetite Amber finish sits over a flame-maple veneer, producing the classic amber burst appearance associated with Slash's most recognisable Les Pauls. A contrasting dark red back, cream detailing and zebra-coil humbuckers complete the look.

Electronics are provided by a pair of Epiphone Ceramic Plus humbuckers, delivering the strong output, midrange presence and bite expected from a guitar designed primarily with rock in mind.

A three-way pickup selector allows access to the brighter bridge pickup, warmer neck position or both humbuckers together.

One of the model's most distinctive features is its integrated Shadow E-Tuner, discreetly incorporated into the bridge pickup surround. This allows the player to check tuning directly from the guitar without requiring a separate clip-on or pedal tuner.

The result is a relatively simple and accessible Les Paul-style guitar with considerably more personality than a conventional entry-level instrument.

Restoration & body repair

Jessica's most significant problem was impossible to miss.

A substantial impact to the side of the body had removed a section of both finish and timber. Rather than simply disguise the damage cosmetically, the affected area first needed to be rebuilt and stabilised.

During her rehabilitation at The Stray Chord she received:

• Damaged body area carefully stabilised
• Missing material rebuilt in stages
• Exposed timber sealed and protected
• Repair levelled to match the surrounding body contour
• Colour carefully matched into the existing finish
• Transparent red finish recreated over the repaired area
• Repair progressively levelled and polished
• Original scar sympathetically retained rather than concealed dishonestly
• Neck relief correctly adjusted
• Complete fret level across all 22 frets
• Frets recrowned and polished
• Sharp fret ends individually dressed and rounded
• Fingerboard edges carefully hand-rolled
• Fingerboard thoroughly deep-cleaned
• Fingerboard conditioned and rehydrated
• Ceramic Plus humbuckers checked and balanced
• Three-way selector and controls checked
• Shadow E-Tuner tested
• Action lowered and optimised
• Full intonation
• Final electronics and playability inspection

Jessica's repaired area remained identifiable on close inspection, as any substantial historic repair should be, but was left stable, smooth and properly protected.

Rather than attempting to erase her history, the objective was to make sure that damage no longer prevented the guitar from having one.

Specifications

Jessica's adoption

🔥 REHOMED 🔥

Jessica arrived wounded, with a substantial piece missing from her side.

She left rebuilt, professionally set up and ready to cause chaos once again.

Jessica has now found her new home and is no longer available for adoption, but her page remains permanently in The Stray Chord Rehomed Archive, documenting her repair and providing a reference for players researching the Epiphone Slash AFD Les Paul Special-II.

Six strings. Iconic looks. One battle scar. Another chance.

Rescue • Restore • Rehome