Have you tried a 2020 Epiphone guitar? Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/q1ZXN Amazon (US) amzn.to/3jADECL Amazon (CA) amzn.to/30xVvmo Amazon (UK) amzn.to/34wDBSp Thomann bit.ly/3jAnaL3 0:00 - Hello 0:30 - What is he talking about? 1:12 - What I do 1:28 - Quick Walkthrough 3:12 - Guitar Weight 3:30 - Pickup Resistance is futile 3:43 - Inside the Guitar 5:38 - This is rare for me 7:40 - Detailed Guitar Specs 10:07 - ASMR Plastic removal 10:40 - Tons of Playing Tone Samples - Bridge Pickup Only! 15:42 - Summary - Pros and Cons
I think that at least with this model, Junior, the gap between Epiphone and Gibson is very thin... Maybe between the Epi Standard and the Gibson Standard there are more differences, but this design is so simple, it has what it takes to rock n'roll and sound like Les Paul and riff with power chords... Greetings and yes, when it arrived, I felt that I had more than I expected...
One thing learned is that when you go to retighten a screw, twist it backwards a couple of turns so that when you start turning it into the hole, the threads match up with the grooves in the wood. It can save a hole from becoming stripped by tightening the screw and cutting new threads over the old threads. Saves having to glue the screws in or adding a toothpick to get the screw to grip.... Just sayin'.
Thanks so much for this review Landon. Hint: set your sound with the volume 5-7 and back off the tone a little and you'll find a lot of great sounds with just that one pickup. The tone and volume knobs on these are pretty responsive. I used to turn everything to 10 on the guitar and forget it. But after 40 years of playing, I'm discovering a new appreciation for using those knobs. One guitar, one pickup, lots of sounds. Awesome!
@@landonbailey I know your a fender kinda guy, so it nice that you are giving the Gibson side a try. If I had more cash and talent I would have a few Gibson’s. Now I just settle for epiphones. Though I don’t have the talent for them, I have the money.
@@flrpitflrp1965 I have owned Epiphone & Gibson. I'm not hugely talented but I feel my playing went up a notch when I put down the '74 Epiphone EA250 and picked up my Marauder then again put down the '78 Gibson Marauder and bought my '05 Les Paul . Btw I'm a bargain hunter buying used or new but at today's specs and prices I wouldn't be able to buy another Gibson and the new Epiphone guitars are currently very impressive . 👍
Robert Stevens I have one of the Specials and it's quite nice. I had to lower the steins and adjust the pickups. Frets were filed nicely, the lightning bar bridge works well. For 400 bucks it's a great guitar, that said, it's a great guitar any way you toss it.
I own a 2022 Gibson Les Paul Jr. and an Epiphone Jr. The Epiphone is a surprisingly nice guitar. I wouldn't say it's better then the Gibson, but for the bucks, it can hold it's own. Let's face it, the Gibson L.P Jr. was designed as a student model guitar back in the 50's. Rockers caught on to how ballsy that single P 90 sounded in an overdriven amp. The rest is history. And yes, you can get lots of varied tones if you know how to set the volume and tone controls and use picking dynamics.
Love my Epi LP Jr. 2020! There are a ton of tones if you just play around with the tone and volume. It has sustain for days. The bridge is a little weird to get used to being so high, but I had Sweetwater set it up and the intonation is spot on. The neck is comfortable to play. For $379 US it is an excellent guitar.
Just got this guitar yesterday because I went and saw Green Day last Friday with Fall Out Boy and Weezer. I love the fat neck on it. Fantastic for chords. And the sound just rocks. And it’s made very well. No sharp fret ends and feels great to play.
Nice video, Landon. That guitar sounds glorious. I love the simplicity of a 1 pickup guitar - you just play it rather than fiddle with settings. I'm a Fender guy, but I own a Gibson Les Paul Player Plus with 2 P-90s. To me, P-90s are the best pickup because of the way they respond - lighten up your touch and they clean up, hit em hard and you get crunch. Nothing else like it. The Gibson advantage is in the finish. Nitro > Poly, especially on the neck. To me, that's worth 50% more, but not 4X more. Generally, I find the Gibson/Epiphone sounds better, at least when you get away from the budget ones, but Fender/Squier are more playable and are easier to work on due to the bolt on neck. I feel fortunate to own examples of each.
What a beauty! I’ll mirror everybody else’s comments about trying the TV Yellow special, I hear nothing but good things about those guitars 🙂. Fun fact! Epiphone is actually older than Gibson and their current lines reflect that. The Epiphone Original line is their own designs (new and old) and the Inspired by Gibson stuff mirrors the Gibson line. Great marketing decision.
Love this Guitar as it reminds me of a 1957 Gibson Lespaul Jr tobacco burst that I was lucky enough to have for several years before I was unlucky enough to have give it up! Still kicking myself for that as I have missed it ever since!
I'm unapologetically an Epiphone fan boy, I hope you enjoy it the more you play it. I love the mirroring of the models, Epiphone just keeps impressing me.
it's so strange that there's a black burst on the top, but the sides and back are brown. I love that they're using CTS pots, but I thought that Epi did away with the mahogany veneer over mahogany body thing, but I guess not. I'd rather just see the actual wood instead of having a veneer glued to both sides.
Hi Landon, Like yourself I’m a Fender guy, however after looking at your Video on the EP LPJ 🙈 I bought the Tobacco Burst, guess what I just loved it, the value for the money etc thought was just amazing. Now what did I do. I did a massive up grade. Replaced the pickup with a Bare Knuckle Nantucket P90, vintage wiring and pots, knobs, capacitor, the bridge, posts, tone lock tailpiece, replaced the bone nut. Yes🙈 it was an expensive upgrade but was it worth it. The sound while manipulating the volume and tone is the best. It was worth every Penny. Thanks for your video as I wouldn’t have this priceless guitar. 👍🏻👍🏻
A nice guitar. Has a nice tone and makes one work for tone. There is something about the simple approach to a guitar. Sounds really good through your Princeton.
The Junior was too stripped down for me as a basic guitar, I went after the LP Special I P90 soap bar. I don't mind the discrepancies since the Special I has 2 pickups & 3 way switch. Both have the single piece wrap over Lightning bar., might as well add a neck pickup & pickup switch and have options in a 3-way like a Telecaster. The Junior has the set neck vs the Special I, which is a bolt on. Maybe that makes a difference ? The thing about the Special I, at least pre-Rosewood ban, you get a grade of Rosewood. The pickups are pretty much the same whether it's a dog ear or soap bar, they're Epiphone P90's pretty much. The 2017 Special I that I have is 6.8 lbs, DCR are 8.2K for the neck, 9.2K for the bridge. I also measured the body thickness, it's not a full thickness 1.75 inch body. That's OK though, wasn't a deal killer.
For an Epiphone fan I find 350 USD a little expensive. At 429 USD you can get an Epiphone SG from the Muse series or for 499 a Les Paul from the Muse series. This Les Paul Junior should be 299. It is beautiful to look at though, and the P90 sounds good.
It’s cool that you started showing the effects on screen. Nice touch bro. I’m a fender man too but have an Epiphone 60’s Les Paul (color: iced tea). It’s beautiful but it sure is heavy. I’m digging the Princeton Special Edition- how does it compare in sound to the much less expensive Fender Champion 50?
Well the Champ is solid state while the Princeton is Tube. Tube amps have a very distinct sound. Nothing wrong with solid state, just doesn't sound like tubes.
@@charlesdement509 No worries lol. I can't afford to buy any more gear and tbh, I'm happy with my idiosyncratic old British valve amps and I never get GAS about amps like I do guitars , BUT , that Princeton makes my heart skip a beat . What a beauty ! 👌
D'addario and Ernie Ball both sell 10-packs of 0.010 high-e strings... If you got the Gibson you would notice the beautiful "Gibson" logo on the headstock.
Lol checking resistance but it is futile.. I like your honesty and the deep dive. We have smarties here in Australia & your right, they are so much better than M&M's
I love the look of this. The simplicity of this Guitar, the P90 tones and that Tobacco Burst are a Great Combo. Thanks Landon. As good as the Fenders are... it's nice to see you looking at some other Brands. Cheers from Australia.
For a little more, u should go for the TV Yellow Les Paul Special. It got 2 P90, the rest is much the same. This Epi Special got Veneer top and back to cover multi piece of wood on the body, if i'm not wrong. One suggestion, if u loosen the string more, u can take the wrap around bridge away(with string still attach on the bridge), that way u can remove the pick up more easier. For the P90, i prefer the old style with 2 screw in the middle of the pick up better than this dog ear style. The reason is it's adjustable(the height)
The molex looking connectors on those pots wiring harness are quick release so you can easily upgrade to Epiphone and Gibson official pickups without having to solder. :)
Oh, and the Barcode under the pickup is just so they can ID the guitar on the assembly line in the factory’s internal tracking system. No use to the end user. I dug the 4 non blondes to god save the queen sounding cord progression.
Epi should have left the veneers off the front and back and just let the mahogany that is the bulk of the body show through. If they used so many pieces of that mahogany in the body...then they should have painted the body a solid color. And NO...Epi was not ALWAYS inspired by Gibson...as Epiphone is an older guitar company.
The company that makes Nubone is Graphtech. The maker of Tusq. Their Nubone is MANMADE using some of the same materials they use in their Tusq nuts. Their nut material includes teflon. A substance 3x more slippery than graphite. Tuning stability is FANTASTIC with their Nubone or Tusq. Anyway,.."made from animals" is FALSE.
@@stricknine8623 you must be new at the whole sarcasm thing, so I'll explain the joke to you. I deliberately misspelled it as aNUmals as a play on NUbone. #didjagetit
Steven Shipman me too. Got one 6 months ago and I'm digging it a lot. Never had a guitar with p90s before. I'm glad I got instead of a Squire jazzmaster. I think the neck is one of the best things about it
I'm resto,... No I'm butchering a POS Hondo Explorer. It will have one pick up, bridge p90. No trem, a volume, and a tone pot. Simplicity. One pick up makes you dig for what's in there!
Appreciate your review. Thank you. I really like the veneer top (even before seeing this vid), even if it's obvious strait grained rolled log. It's still pretty wood that introduces the guitar before the first strum. I like it better than the ochre yellow wash on Gibson models, even old ones. Imagine if Gibson made a solid (even two piece) mahogany version without hiding the mahogany on the top. One thing I like more than anything is the vintage Epiphone headstock. It's just nicer than Gibson relegating it to "cheap line" status with the clipped ear style they had for a long time. They (Gibson) bought former competitor Epiphone decades ago, so shouldn't have had the insecurity about the similarity as long as they did. It's still different. I get Gibson doing a premium cheaper line instrument by having a glued neck instead of bolt on, but that's not really an issue to me. Many bolted neck guitars sound great, and the neck joint won't come loose over time. The pickup sounds very good through your setup and my computer monitor speakers, and no doubt better in the room where you recorded. These days tone can be shaped/altered in many ways, but quality has to start at the instrument. No complaints with the sound.... and replacement pickups can be had if desired. I only wish Gibson made "Tobacco Sunburst" brown like they used to. I'm old, and the dark halo wasn't black, and it was thinner around the perimeter, fading nicely into the mahogany on the sides. ....Guitar owners also love the look of their preferred instruments. Most importantly, to me, is the way it feels in hand. I didn't often play the 1966 Gibson Melody Maker I had only because the neck was so thin. My son has it now, but even unplugged, the solid mahogany resonance was amazing when I had it. I'm going to get one of these (or a Special), because they have the wider 50s neck and I don't have a LP guitar any more. I'm a living room player since I'm old and just want one. Thanks again.
As a Tele lover, getting into the Gibson/Epiphone world, you should try an Epiphone 2020 Firebird. The closest thing (tonally) to a Tele in the range. The looks may not appeal to everyone, but it should sound sweet through that Princeton.
$15 for a good wraparound bridge on Amazon with intonatable saddles. Biggest difference between my Gibson's and Epiphones is neck feel and pickup sound is pretty significant. But then you could just change pickups. 🎸
Only thing I've noticed between a Gibson and it's Epiphone version... the pickups are slightly different. I think for 4x more you're purchasing an ego....errr... brand name and (probably) better pickups. I had the $ to buy a Gibson, went with the Epi just because the value is there... absolutely. The one I went with (2020 Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Black Beauty Les Paul Custom) has almost doubled in value looking at Reverb sold listings. Crazy. Also, the 2020 Epiphones are heads and shoulders in quality above their previous year models. Should have played "Mo Chain Smokin'" (Ron Levy) on that Epi!
Really like Landon’s reviews. He’s not overly serious or commercially. This guitar is a great value for the money. I have a bunch of Gibsons and i have one of these on my short list. It’s a basic straightforward rock machine.
The cavity's mighty cluttered for something as simple as a Les Paul Junior; my Maestro (by Gibson) LP Junior's cavity wasn't crowded at all. As for the P90, they can be very powerful and I'll be experiencing one myself as I purchase a P90 called the Screwdriver from a company called Bootstrap; it's DC resistance is higher than their estimated 7.6K... it's more like 9.4K (WHOA JACK!) and I can't wait to drop it in my Tele! By the way it rings very nice and as long as the wraparound bridge compensates the strings exceptionally well, especially the plain G, it's playability will not disappoint at all... and I'm sure it doesn't! (By the way, Gibson bought the Epiphone company in 1957.)
No need to "upgrade" the pickups. The only thing you could do is cut the quick release plastic thing abs solder them up old school style as they already use sand cast alnico magnets and awesome base plates, they just sound good. Also I've got the 2019 Gibson les Paul special double cut with 2 p90's and the epiphone inspired by Gibson les Paul special tv yellow single cut and the p90's on both guitars sounds great, maybe a bit more grind on the Gibson buy they sound sho close it's not even worth spending money on frailin p90's, which sounds the closest to vintage p90's but this epiphone already comes with cts wiring harness and graph tech nut and the tuners are the same as the Gibson they just set epiphone deluxe instead of Gibson. In short these new epiphone are great guitars out of the box.
@@auntjenifer7774 I second that, the p90 in this smokes the Seymour Duncan 59 set I have in a 335 🤷🏻♂️ I ABd them today and I was like what the fuck 🤣
Hello! Landon! Just got my own copy of this guitar a week ago... And I have to agree 100% with your review! I have been searching for a decent "Junior" for several years now... both Gibson and "Gibson Copies" from "cheaper" brands. But when this Epiphone came out there was no "going back" for me. This guitar is just AMAZING and plays GREAT! And I really LOVE the tobacco and dark burst finish of this one than the "ugly citrus" yellow burst that Gibson does. This guitar really gives me the right vibe, and I also love the more "chunkier baseball" neck... it feels more like you play a true "Rock & Roll Machine" that can stand extended touring and constant use! And compared to "original Gibson" you can by 4 of these Epiphones for the same price as ONE "original Gibson". I just hope... and begging... that Epiphone will do a Junior DC also... I'm would by that one without any hesitation!
I have the Firefly '59-60 double-cut Les Paul Special clone and got lucky, a really sweet one got put in my box! I too am waiting for Epiphone to offer one.
My guess is the Gibson model has a much better quality pickup like a Seymour Duncan humbucker or a dimarzio. It would probably have upgraded Grover locking tuners. My problem with the LP Junior, Special, and Studio is the lack of binding on the edge of the guitar. The binding makes the color of the sunburst just pop.
I don’t think you would notice huge differences with the Gibson. I think it would be more a case of the law of diminishing returns. I’ve had two Epiphone‘s and have played a Gibson. Can’t feel much difference. To me anyway.
You scan the code under the pickup, you are taken to their website and find out cool info. Then something happens with the guitar to see if your warranty covers it. The tell you the warranty is void because you opened up the guitar. You ask them how they know you opened it? They tell you, "you scanned the code under the pickup, right?" The moral of the story?, it might not always be a good idea to scan every code you see, see?
Beauty guitar, I like the idea of a guitar like that, but with 3 pickups, P90 on the bridge it's ok, but I think to need a singlecoil midle and a for the neck a Telecaster neck pickup.
Great content Landon... I like your channel and your studio is getting bigger and bigger.. 😀😀🎸🎸 I found your channel while searching for a Harley Benton telecaster and you did the unboxing of the TE-52 I live beside you in Toronto, no need for shipping, I can pass and pick it up 🤣🤣🤣
What can you get in the gibson that's not in the epiphone? maybe just real mahogany, real P90 dogear, bridge is different, that one is the ray waparound and the gibson is carved, the made in usa thing and the Qc they have to pass til they came out of the factory, the fact that they invented the model, the colors are more like the 1954 original one, nitro finish not glossy, steel frets, the real deal. that beeing said, harley benton have the junior half the price of the Epiphone, and I think is better, I have one. Stay safe Landon!
Not a big Gibson fan, but they make 3 I do like. This is one. There should be a couple small allen screws at the back of the bridge that lets you sorta dial in intonation. Like Telecaster, you can get close but not dead on. Those tophat knobs sure sit high on the body. LP Jr would compliment my Telecaster nicely! Hey, if you are seriously having trouble with e strings, buy a tube of them. Nice and straight, not wound and stressed and stuffed in an envelope. Thanks for the review. H/B offers this guitar too, but I really like Epiphone's finish better.🤙
- REPEAT COMENT FROM THE WIN THIS GUITAR VIDEO - NUMBER 3 I saw a video talking about the Vox Ac15, and right away I noticed that you were (are) a RADIOHEAD head fan having a telecaster with the kill switch and the little fender with the red knobs .. I have been watch your videos ever since. I also do videos on my channel (still very small channel) and although I live in LONDON UK, must of my videos are address to Brazilians so they are in Portuguese. (the language wit h speak in Brazil). And yeah that is .. Like the stuff that you put out, your (sometimes) weird sense of humor, love the Black Strat inspired video, love the Vox mini Beatles video and got a MV50 right after that. Thats for all the vids! Cheers!
Hey those chops are sounding pretty good btw. It’s not entirely noticeable because you’re pretty good but I can tell there’s a little extra sauce on your demo jam for this one. Keep it up, brother! I just started Robert Baker’s intermediate course today and it’s 🤯
*This guitar, with a powerful P90, and its simplicity, as well as good materials, is by far the best quality/price ratio... Even though in my country (Chile) they cost about 500 dollars, it's worth it... A Gibson Junior is worth around 2 thousand dollars*
I just entered your giveaway for this and am excited for the opportunity bro. You're awesome and what a nice guitar, you have good taste in gear Lando. You should try a Gibson SG dude, talk about a rock n roll machine!
I played and thoroughly checked it out Gibson model if you take the time and have a couple of drinks you can on very, very, very careful listening here just a tiny bit of prestige and bragging rights coming out of your amp ...of course you will need a Dumble amp to hear it.
I love that thing! Cigarettes, NOT!!! You are correct about the headstock. I live about a half hour from Kalamazoo Michigan. The old Gibson factory is now The Heritage Guitar Co. They also build the amazing Harmony Guitars recently brought back from the grave. I digress, I'm an Epiphone fan. I own two and I love 'em! But that Junior is beautiful! 🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠 Oh yeah, I'm a Fender guy too!
Nice review. Never had a lp. I’m into getting this one! Looks sweet, sounds great, and something about the simplicity makes me have to have one! Just picked up a Vox Cambridge 50 and this guitar should be a great fit with all the cool tones that amp offers ✌️🎸
The fit and finish looks to be better than my Gibson SG Jr. I have no intonation ridges at all on my wrap-around bridge. If all the new Epiphones are of this quality, I can't see any point in buying a new Gibson.
Thanks for your video... Like. I had the Epi Standard Ice Tea (Chinese and Korean) and I sold them, but now that I want to get them back, they are too expensive in my country... and I'm looking for a cheap guitar, simple, but good at last. .. And I see that this one seems to comply... I think I'm going to buy it in April 2023, unless you have changed your mind...
I want one but Epiphone is really pushing the envelope with the price. Last year they were 519 cad, this year they've jumped to 549. If it goes to 600 I think I'll pass and maybe look around for a used real deal Gibson Jr. which can be found regularly for 700-900 around here. We get so ripped off here in Canada. The guitar is worth 379 all day long. 549 not so much.
The bridges on those guitars make it difficult to adjust the action with any precision. You'd better hope that the initial fret leveling was done properly... although on a $300 guitar, that can be problematic.
I thought you say tobacco-verse XD That was a real in-depth review with the zoom takes, the components, all the specifications and the test! Despite this is an entry level guitarthe brand puts attention in every single detail, those epiphone deluxe letters looks nice
Have you tried a 2020 Epiphone guitar?
Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/q1ZXN
Amazon (US) amzn.to/3jADECL
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/30xVvmo
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/34wDBSp
Thomann bit.ly/3jAnaL3
0:00 - Hello
0:30 - What is he talking about?
1:12 - What I do
1:28 - Quick Walkthrough
3:12 - Guitar Weight
3:30 - Pickup Resistance is futile
3:43 - Inside the Guitar
5:38 - This is rare for me
7:40 - Detailed Guitar Specs
10:07 - ASMR Plastic removal
10:40 - Tons of Playing Tone Samples - Bridge Pickup Only!
15:42 - Summary - Pros and Cons
Yep....pretty sweet, the epiphones have closed the gap between them and Gibsons.
Very cool Epiphone.
This one especially I’d love to try
I think that at least with this model, Junior, the gap between Epiphone and Gibson is very thin... Maybe between the Epi Standard and the Gibson Standard there are more differences, but this design is so simple, it has what it takes to rock n'roll and sound like Les Paul and riff with power chords... Greetings and yes, when it arrived, I felt that I had more than I expected...
One thing learned is that when you go to retighten a screw, twist it backwards a couple of turns so that when you start turning it into the hole, the threads match up with the grooves in the wood. It can save a hole from becoming stripped by tightening the screw and cutting new threads over the old threads. Saves having to glue the screws in or adding a toothpick to get the screw to grip.... Just sayin'.
thanks for the tip!
That is a fantastic piece of advice right there! I've had to do the toothpick move too many times!
As a a woodworker... this is spot on advice. feel the threads don't force them.
“Welcome back Troglodytes”... whoops, threw me off with the Epiphone! 😁
He definitely knows his Gibsophone stuff :)
Thanks so much for this review Landon. Hint: set your sound with the volume 5-7 and back off the tone a little and you'll find a lot of great sounds with just that one pickup. The tone and volume knobs on these are pretty responsive. I used to turn everything to 10 on the guitar and forget it. But after 40 years of playing, I'm discovering a new appreciation for using those knobs. One guitar, one pickup, lots of sounds. Awesome!
Thanks, will do!
Yo no bullshit you’re literally a goat tier guitar channel.
had to look up goat. 😀
It’s a nice guitar, although yellow les paul special with 2 P90’s is for me a home run. You need to try that one
hope to. and it's only $50 more
@@landonbailey I know your a fender kinda guy, so it nice that you are giving the Gibson side a try. If I had more cash and talent I would have a few Gibson’s. Now I just settle for epiphones. Though I don’t have the talent for them, I have the money.
I’m mostly Fender biased, but the LP Jr Double cutaways in TV yellow have always appealed to me.
@@flrpitflrp1965 I have owned Epiphone & Gibson. I'm not hugely talented but I feel my playing went up a notch when I put down the '74 Epiphone EA250 and picked up my Marauder then again put down the '78 Gibson Marauder and bought my '05 Les Paul . Btw I'm a bargain hunter buying used or new but at today's specs and prices I wouldn't be able to buy another Gibson and the new Epiphone guitars are currently very impressive . 👍
Robert Stevens I have one of the Specials and it's quite nice. I had to lower the steins and adjust the pickups. Frets were filed nicely, the lightning bar bridge works well. For 400 bucks it's a great guitar, that said, it's a great guitar any way you toss it.
I own a 2022 Gibson Les Paul Jr. and an Epiphone Jr. The Epiphone is a surprisingly nice guitar. I wouldn't say it's better then the Gibson, but for the bucks, it can hold it's own. Let's face it, the Gibson L.P Jr. was designed as a student model guitar back in the 50's. Rockers caught on to how ballsy that single P 90 sounded in an overdriven amp. The rest is history. And yes, you can get lots of varied tones if you know how to set the volume and tone controls and use picking dynamics.
Love my Epi LP Jr. 2020! There are a ton of tones if you just play around with the tone and volume. It has sustain for days. The bridge is a little weird to get used to being so high, but I had Sweetwater set it up and the intonation is spot on. The neck is comfortable to play. For $379 US it is an excellent guitar.
Just got this guitar yesterday because I went and saw Green Day last Friday with Fall Out Boy and Weezer. I love the fat neck on it. Fantastic for chords. And the sound just rocks. And it’s made very well. No sharp fret ends and feels great to play.
It's pretty! I do like that one!
Way more than the LP special you got the other week.
way more inspiring for sure :)
Nice video, Landon. That guitar sounds glorious. I love the simplicity of a 1 pickup guitar - you just play it rather than fiddle with settings. I'm a Fender guy, but I own a Gibson Les Paul Player Plus with 2 P-90s. To me, P-90s are the best pickup because of the way they respond - lighten up your touch and they clean up, hit em hard and you get crunch. Nothing else like it. The Gibson advantage is in the finish. Nitro > Poly, especially on the neck. To me, that's worth 50% more, but not 4X more. Generally, I find the Gibson/Epiphone sounds better, at least when you get away from the budget ones, but Fender/Squier are more playable and are easier to work on due to the bolt on neck. I feel fortunate to own examples of each.
ya the simplicity is the biggest appeal to me :)
What a beauty! I’ll mirror everybody else’s comments about trying the TV Yellow special, I hear nothing but good things about those guitars 🙂. Fun fact! Epiphone is actually older than Gibson and their current lines reflect that. The Epiphone Original line is their own designs (new and old) and the Inspired by Gibson stuff mirrors the Gibson line. Great marketing decision.
Love this Guitar as it reminds me of a 1957 Gibson Lespaul Jr tobacco burst that I was lucky enough to have for several years before I was unlucky enough to have give it up! Still kicking myself for that as I have missed it ever since!
I'm unapologetically an Epiphone fan boy, I hope you enjoy it the more you play it. I love the mirroring of the models, Epiphone just keeps impressing me.
it's so strange that there's a black burst on the top, but the sides and back are brown. I love that they're using CTS pots, but I thought that Epi did away with the mahogany veneer over mahogany body thing, but I guess not. I'd rather just see the actual wood instead of having a veneer glued to both sides.
I been looking at 2020 epiphones....they are doing great things over there
Anyone else thought Landon was going to go full 4 non Blondes to show off the clean tones?
Hi Landon, Like yourself I’m a Fender guy, however after looking at your Video on the EP LPJ 🙈 I bought the Tobacco Burst, guess what I just loved it, the value for the money etc thought was just amazing. Now what did I do. I did a massive up grade. Replaced the pickup with a Bare Knuckle Nantucket P90, vintage wiring and pots, knobs, capacitor, the bridge, posts, tone lock tailpiece, replaced the bone nut. Yes🙈 it was an expensive upgrade but was it worth it. The sound while manipulating the volume and tone is the best. It was worth every Penny. Thanks for your video as I wouldn’t have this priceless guitar. 👍🏻👍🏻
Foot crafted in japan.. i think we have the same level of cheap humor 😂
A nice guitar. Has a nice tone and makes one work for tone. There is something about the simple approach to a guitar.
Sounds really good through your Princeton.
The Junior was too stripped down for me as a basic guitar, I went after the LP Special I P90 soap bar. I don't mind the discrepancies since the Special I has 2 pickups & 3 way switch.
Both have the single piece wrap over Lightning bar., might as well add a neck pickup & pickup switch and have options in a 3-way like a Telecaster. The Junior has the set neck vs the Special I, which is a bolt on. Maybe that makes a difference ? The thing about the Special I, at least pre-Rosewood ban, you get a grade of Rosewood. The pickups are pretty much the same whether it's a dog ear or soap bar, they're Epiphone P90's pretty much. The 2017 Special I that I have is 6.8 lbs, DCR are 8.2K for the neck, 9.2K for the bridge. I also measured the body thickness, it's not a full thickness 1.75 inch body. That's OK though, wasn't a deal killer.
🎸👍
To intonate the bridge use the 2 allen screws on the back of the bridge. Intonate the E strings and should be set
For an Epiphone fan I find 350 USD a little expensive. At 429 USD you can get an Epiphone SG from the Muse series or for 499 a Les Paul from the Muse series. This Les Paul Junior should be 299. It is beautiful to look at though, and the P90 sounds good.
I love the sound of the P-90’s! Looks and sounds like a great instrument to me! Great review Landon! 👍🏻
It’s cool that you started showing the effects on screen. Nice touch bro.
I’m a fender man too but have an Epiphone 60’s Les Paul (color: iced tea). It’s beautiful but it sure is heavy.
I’m digging the Princeton Special Edition- how does it compare in sound to the much less expensive Fender Champion 50?
I’ve never seen the Champion 50. I will guess that this Princeton will be hard to beat :)
Well the Champ is solid state while the Princeton is Tube. Tube amps have a very distinct sound. Nothing wrong with solid state, just doesn't sound like tubes.
@@charlesdement509 Huh ? That Princeton is all valve .Even has a valve rectifier .
@@shaunw9270 thanks for catching my mistake I meant to say valve. Oopsie
@@charlesdement509 No worries lol. I can't afford to buy any more gear and tbh, I'm happy with my idiosyncratic old British valve amps and I never get GAS about amps like I do guitars , BUT , that Princeton makes my heart skip a beat . What a beauty ! 👌
One of the few guitar channels that are funny and engaging.
D'addario and Ernie Ball both sell 10-packs of 0.010 high-e strings...
If you got the Gibson you would notice the beautiful "Gibson" logo on the headstock.
Lol checking resistance but it is futile.. I like your honesty and the deep dive. We have smarties here in Australia & your right, they are so much better than M&M's
I may have to buy a carton of those. They look addictive.
😝
I love the look of this.
The simplicity of this Guitar, the P90 tones and that Tobacco Burst are a Great Combo. Thanks Landon. As good as the Fenders are... it's nice to see you looking at some other Brands. Cheers from Australia.
Very nice! Epiphone has really upped their game with their newer models.
Came here for the demo on the Epi....left with a new found respect for Joyo pedals lol Cheers from Mooney's Bay Landon!
For a little more, u should go for the TV Yellow Les Paul Special. It got 2 P90, the rest is much the same.
This Epi Special got Veneer top and back to cover multi piece of wood on the body, if i'm not wrong.
One suggestion, if u loosen the string more, u can take the wrap around bridge away(with string still attach on the bridge), that way u can remove the pick up more easier.
For the P90, i prefer the old style with 2 screw in the middle of the pick up better than this dog ear style. The reason is it's adjustable(the height)
The molex looking connectors on those pots wiring harness are quick release so you can easily upgrade to Epiphone and Gibson official pickups without having to solder. :)
that's pretty cool!
Oh, and the Barcode under the pickup is just so they can ID the guitar on the assembly line in the factory’s internal tracking system. No use to the end user. I dug the 4 non blondes to god save the queen sounding cord progression.
Epi should have left the veneers off the front and back and just let the mahogany that is the bulk of the body show through. If they used so many pieces of that mahogany in the body...then they should have painted the body a solid color. And NO...Epi was not ALWAYS inspired by Gibson...as Epiphone is an older guitar company.
Nu bone is from anumals.
I nu that
The company that makes Nubone is Graphtech. The maker of Tusq.
Their Nubone is MANMADE using some of the same materials they use in their Tusq nuts.
Their nut material includes teflon. A substance 3x more slippery than graphite.
Tuning stability is FANTASTIC with their Nubone or Tusq.
Anyway,.."made from animals" is FALSE.
@@stricknine8623 you must be new at the whole sarcasm thing, so I'll explain the joke to you.
I deliberately misspelled it as aNUmals as a play on NUbone. #didjagetit
@@landonbailey Depending on the anumal, maybe you *gnu* that...
Now I get that why Billie Joe from Green Day uses this guitar, this is simple yet amazing
The headstock is the new "inspired" by Gibson headstock. People hate the original Epiphone headstock. I guess it affects the tone! Lol
I must getting old because the headstock on 2018 epi sg special looks the same as this lp jr.
I like that guitar. Sounds nice. I got a Les Paul Special for $399.00. Two P90 pups and I really love it. Thanks.
Steven Shipman me too. Got one 6 months ago and I'm digging it a lot. Never had a guitar with p90s before. I'm glad I got instead of a Squire jazzmaster. I think the neck is one of the best things about it
Killed it on the camera angles!!! Much appreciated for us guitar build geeks
cheers!
sweet sounding guitar and nice playing. thanks for this video going over the details!
Just flipping through guitar videos and landed here!
I am here from the contest in March 2021. What a beauty guitar.
Nice....you style is different ....and jokes too.....And the dedication you have is great....
I love the look of it and the simplicity. I love single pickup guitars. Beautiful colour.
Me too!
I'm resto,... No I'm butchering a POS Hondo Explorer. It will have one pick up, bridge p90. No trem, a volume, and a tone pot. Simplicity. One pick up makes you dig for what's in there!
Appreciate your review. Thank you. I really like the veneer top (even before seeing this vid), even if it's obvious strait grained rolled log. It's still pretty wood that introduces the guitar before the first strum. I like it better than the ochre yellow wash on Gibson models, even old ones. Imagine if Gibson made a solid (even two piece) mahogany version without hiding the mahogany on the top. One thing I like more than anything is the vintage Epiphone headstock. It's just nicer than Gibson relegating it to "cheap line" status with the clipped ear style they had for a long time. They (Gibson) bought former competitor Epiphone decades ago, so shouldn't have had the insecurity about the similarity as long as they did. It's still different. I get Gibson doing a premium cheaper line instrument by having a glued neck instead of bolt on, but that's not really an issue to me. Many bolted neck guitars sound great, and the neck joint won't come loose over time. The pickup sounds very good through your setup and my computer monitor speakers, and no doubt better in the room where you recorded. These days tone can be shaped/altered in many ways, but quality has to start at the instrument. No complaints with the sound.... and replacement pickups can be had if desired. I only wish Gibson made "Tobacco Sunburst" brown like they used to. I'm old, and the dark halo wasn't black, and it was thinner around the perimeter, fading nicely into the mahogany on the sides. ....Guitar owners also love the look of their preferred instruments. Most importantly, to me, is the way it feels in hand. I didn't often play the 1966 Gibson Melody Maker I had only because the neck was so thin. My son has it now, but even unplugged, the solid mahogany resonance was amazing when I had it. I'm going to get one of these (or a Special), because they have the wider 50s neck and I don't have a LP guitar any more. I'm a living room player since I'm old and just want one. Thanks again.
As a Tele lover, getting into the Gibson/Epiphone world, you should try an Epiphone 2020 Firebird. The closest thing (tonally) to a Tele in the range. The looks may not appeal to everyone, but it should sound sweet through that Princeton.
thanks for the suggestion! I'm sticking to Les Paul style for now. :)
$15 for a good wraparound bridge on Amazon with intonatable saddles. Biggest difference between my Gibson's and Epiphones is neck feel and pickup sound is pretty significant. But then you could just change pickups. 🎸
thanks for the sharing (EPI VS GIB)
Only thing I've noticed between a Gibson and it's Epiphone version... the pickups are slightly different. I think for 4x more you're purchasing an ego....errr... brand name and (probably) better pickups. I had the $ to buy a Gibson, went with the Epi just because the value is there... absolutely. The one I went with (2020 Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Black Beauty Les Paul Custom) has almost doubled in value looking at Reverb sold listings. Crazy. Also, the 2020 Epiphones are heads and shoulders in quality above their previous year models.
Should have played "Mo Chain Smokin'" (Ron Levy) on that Epi!
Landon, I really look forward to your demos and show great fun best from Suffolk England.
cheers Doug!
I have one, worth the wait. Wrung it out for an hour today. Love The LP Jr.
Two other Epi's,,,'07 so LP Std + and circa '10 g400. All great.
Very nice!
Really like Landon’s reviews. He’s not overly serious or commercially. This guitar is a great value for the money. I have a bunch of Gibsons and i have one of these on my short list. It’s a basic straightforward rock machine.
Even if I wasn't me I'd watch me!
The cavity's mighty cluttered for something as simple as a Les Paul Junior; my Maestro (by Gibson) LP Junior's cavity wasn't crowded at all. As for the P90, they can be very powerful and I'll be experiencing one myself as I purchase a P90 called the Screwdriver from a company called Bootstrap; it's DC resistance is higher than their estimated 7.6K... it's more like 9.4K (WHOA JACK!) and I can't wait to drop it in my Tele! By the way it rings very nice and as long as the wraparound bridge compensates the strings exceptionally well, especially the plain G, it's playability will not disappoint at all... and I'm sure it doesn't! (By the way, Gibson bought the Epiphone company in 1957.)
Not nose crafted in Nauru for sure. I wouldn’t mind having one to be honest.
That would’ve bother me at all.
I love the look of this junior and the 2020 Specials. With a good setup and a pickup upgrade you could turn this into a killer budget guitar.
No need to "upgrade" the pickups. The only thing you could do is cut the quick release plastic thing abs solder them up old school style as they already use sand cast alnico magnets and awesome base plates, they just sound good.
Also I've got the 2019 Gibson les Paul special double cut with 2 p90's and the epiphone inspired by Gibson les Paul special tv yellow single cut and the p90's on both guitars sounds great, maybe a bit more grind on the Gibson buy they sound sho close it's not even worth spending money on frailin p90's, which sounds the closest to vintage p90's but this epiphone already comes with cts wiring harness and graph tech nut and the tuners are the same as the Gibson they just set epiphone deluxe instead of Gibson.
In short these new epiphone are great guitars out of the box.
@@auntjenifer7774 I second that, the p90 in this smokes the Seymour Duncan 59 set I have in a 335 🤷🏻♂️ I ABd them today and I was like what the fuck 🤣
This pickup rocks out of the box
Thanks for the review Landon, I like Epiphone guitars. I’m looking at 339se now. I think there a very good value. It never hurts to try something new.
No problem!
That guitar is awesome! Love the color...
Hello! Landon!
Just got my own copy of this guitar a week ago... And I have to agree 100% with your review! I have been searching for a decent "Junior" for several years now... both Gibson and "Gibson Copies" from "cheaper" brands. But when this Epiphone came out there was no "going back" for me. This guitar is just AMAZING and plays GREAT! And I really LOVE the tobacco and dark burst finish of this one than the "ugly citrus" yellow burst that Gibson does. This guitar really gives me the right vibe, and I also love the more "chunkier baseball" neck... it feels more like you play a true "Rock & Roll Machine" that can stand extended touring and constant use! And compared to "original Gibson" you can by 4 of these Epiphones for the same price as ONE "original Gibson". I just hope... and begging... that Epiphone will do a Junior DC also... I'm would by that one without any hesitation!
hey cool! ya it's great for sure. really enjoying mine
I have the Firefly '59-60 double-cut Les Paul Special clone and got lucky, a really sweet one got put in my box! I too am waiting for Epiphone to offer one.
A truly beautiful guitar!! And thank you for your dry humor, I chuckled all the way through:)
My pleasure!
Single pickup guitars really intrigue me.
This p90 Sound very pleasent the guitar look to feel good in hand and is beauty
My guess is the Gibson model has a much better quality pickup like a Seymour Duncan humbucker or a dimarzio. It would probably have upgraded Grover locking tuners. My problem with the LP Junior, Special, and Studio is the lack of binding on the edge of the guitar. The binding makes the color of the sunburst just pop.
Yes everyone knows that binding=tone.
I don’t think you would notice huge differences with the Gibson. I think it would be more a case of the law of diminishing returns. I’ve had two Epiphone‘s and have played a Gibson. Can’t feel much difference. To me anyway.
We daren’t judge you !! Great little guitar - will have a look if we ever get outside again.
You scan the code under the pickup, you are taken to their website and find out cool info. Then something happens with the guitar to see if your warranty covers it. The tell you the warranty is void because you opened up the guitar. You ask them how they know you opened it? They tell you, "you scanned the code under the pickup, right?" The moral of the story?, it might not always be a good idea to scan every code you see, see?
Such a smokin' finish, and the Epiphone pickups have come a long, long way.
Beauty guitar, I like the idea of a guitar like that, but with 3 pickups, P90 on the bridge it's ok, but I think to need a singlecoil midle and a for the neck a Telecaster neck pickup.
your 3 way switch is in the tone knob, turn it down for a neck tone and crank it wide open for a bridge tone
I really like your videos, simple, quality content! Keep up the good work
Thank you very much!
My Gibson LPJ does have saddles you can intonate. It's got an extra bridge.
That SOUND! Reminds me of my long lost (sold) 64 sg Jr.
ah!
That actually looks really nice without the pickguard
🎸👍
Great content Landon... I like your channel and your studio is getting bigger and bigger.. 😀😀🎸🎸
I found your channel while searching for a Harley Benton telecaster and you did the unboxing of the TE-52
I live beside you in Toronto, no need for shipping, I can pass and pick it up 🤣🤣🤣
there shouldn't be a problem with the bridge if you set it up right. Try lowering the tone/volume knobs down to get different tones.
👍🎸
What can you get in the gibson that's not in the epiphone? maybe just real mahogany, real P90 dogear, bridge is different, that one is the ray waparound and the gibson is carved, the made in usa thing and the Qc they have to pass til they came out of the factory, the fact that they invented the model, the colors are more like the 1954 original one, nitro finish not glossy, steel frets, the real deal. that beeing said, harley benton have the junior half the price of the Epiphone, and I think is better, I have one. Stay safe Landon!
Not a big Gibson fan, but they make 3 I do like. This is one. There should be a couple small allen screws at the back of the bridge that lets you sorta dial in intonation. Like Telecaster, you can get close but not dead on. Those tophat knobs sure sit high on the body. LP Jr would compliment my Telecaster nicely! Hey, if you are seriously having trouble with e strings, buy a tube of them. Nice and straight, not wound and stressed and stuffed in an envelope.
Thanks for the review.
H/B offers this guitar too,
but I really like Epiphone's finish better.🤙
- REPEAT COMENT FROM THE WIN THIS GUITAR VIDEO - NUMBER 3
I saw a video talking about the Vox Ac15, and right away I noticed that you were (are) a RADIOHEAD head fan having a telecaster with the kill switch and the little fender with the red knobs .. I have been watch your videos ever since. I also do videos on my channel (still very small channel) and although I live in LONDON UK, must of my videos are address to Brazilians so they are in Portuguese. (the language wit h speak in Brazil). And yeah that is .. Like the stuff that you put out, your (sometimes) weird sense of humor, love the Black Strat inspired video, love the Vox mini Beatles video and got a MV50 right after that. Thats for all the vids! Cheers!
It’s the LP version of an Esquire. Beautifully simple and full of tones waiting to be found.
Hey those chops are sounding pretty good btw. It’s not entirely noticeable because you’re pretty good but I can tell there’s a little extra sauce on your demo jam for this one. Keep it up, brother! I just started Robert Baker’s intermediate course today and it’s 🤯
oh hey thanks. part of my issue in the past was rushing to make videos and playing too quickly. I’m taking more time now.
Well it sounded good man. Slow ride...take it easy 🤣
"As opposed to foot crafted in Japan." Haha, like!
*This guitar, with a powerful P90, and its simplicity, as well as good materials, is by far the best quality/price ratio... Even though in my country (Chile) they cost about 500 dollars, it's worth it... A Gibson Junior is worth around 2 thousand dollars*
I just entered your giveaway for this and am excited for the opportunity bro. You're awesome and what a nice guitar, you have good taste in gear Lando. You should try a Gibson SG dude, talk about a rock n roll machine!
I played and thoroughly checked it out Gibson model if you take the time and have a couple of drinks you can on very, very, very careful listening here just a tiny bit of prestige and bragging rights coming out of your amp ...of course you will need a Dumble amp to hear it.
👍🎸
I love that thing!
Cigarettes, NOT!!!
You are correct about the headstock. I live about a half hour from Kalamazoo Michigan. The old Gibson factory is now The Heritage Guitar Co. They also build the amazing Harmony Guitars recently brought back from the grave.
I digress, I'm an Epiphone fan.
I own two and I love 'em!
But that Junior is beautiful!
🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠
Oh yeah, I'm a Fender guy too!
Love the Mastercraft screwdriver! Lol. I have the same set (as do 50% of Canadians).
Nice review. Never had a lp. I’m into getting this one! Looks sweet, sounds great, and something about the simplicity makes me have to have one! Just picked up a Vox Cambridge 50 and this guitar should be a great fit with all the cool tones that amp offers ✌️🎸
nice! have fun
The fit and finish looks to be better than my Gibson SG Jr. I have no intonation ridges at all on my wrap-around bridge. If all the new Epiphones are of this quality, I can't see any point in buying a new Gibson.
Enjoyed the ASMR repeats. So satisfying! Nice execution.
Are Canadia Smarties made from Real Sugar vs corn sweetener like USA? The Mahoganee wood is gorgeous sound who plays them I hang them on the wall.
😄
i just got the 2022 one of the same guitar same color but a lefty and its a nice guitar
congrats! good rocker machine
Still a beautiful guitar. Congrats to the winner
not this guitar :)
Lol, hey come on. I can try right? 🤣
Just making sure you are reading this
Been waiting for this all week
Thanks for your video... Like. I had the Epi Standard Ice Tea (Chinese and Korean) and I sold them, but now that I want to get them back, they are too expensive in my country... and I'm looking for a cheap guitar, simple, but good at last. .. And I see that this one seems to comply... I think I'm going to buy it in April 2023, unless you have changed your mind...
I want one but Epiphone is really pushing the envelope with the price. Last year they were 519 cad, this year they've jumped to 549. If it goes to 600 I think I'll pass and maybe look around for a used real deal Gibson Jr. which can be found regularly for 700-900 around here. We get so ripped off here in Canada. The guitar is worth 379 all day long. 549 not so much.
Waiting for the Part 2 video with the neck pickup tone samples.
I thought of having that as a joke. :)
I like the review, but you don't move the knobs, I guess that's you neck pickup.
Wow beautiful sound
The bridges on those guitars make it difficult to adjust the action with any precision. You'd better hope that the initial fret leveling was done properly... although on a $300 guitar, that can be problematic.
I mentioned that :)
I didn't check you channel, but have you tried the Epiphone Les Paul Special 90 in TV Yellow that goes around $399? I hear they are really good.
yes, I’ve done a few videos with that guitar and had a giveaway for it recently.
still love the sound on this LPJ, I've got the 2014 LPJ with Humbucker pickup, thinking the P90 might be a bit of an improvement...
I thought you say tobacco-verse XD
That was a real in-depth review with the zoom takes, the components, all the specifications and the test!
Despite this is an entry level guitarthe brand puts attention in every single detail, those epiphone deluxe letters looks nice