The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom 1959 ES 355
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Epiphone's new "Inspired by Gibson Custom" series introduce a number of features players have been asking for, but along with the higher end appointments comes a higher price. In this video I've chosen my personal favorite of the series, the 1959 ES-355, and explain why I feel it's an overall better value than most of the models.
I detail the features, discuss the overall quality, and provide demos both isolated and in a mix, and straight into the amp as well as with a little mild overdrive.
www.Patreon.com/leonardgriffieblues
#epiphone #es355 #semihollow #gibsoncustom #bluesguitar
Your analysis and perspective addresses the important factors, thanks for that and the excellent playing. I agree that this guitar is the best value of the new higher end IBG models, but also the new Les Paul Customs which replicate exactly the same specs as their Gibson counterparts. Like you mentioned w/ the 355, a used Gibson Les Paul Custom is also very expensive because they have been a custom shop only guitar for years…at least $3500+, usually north of 4K. This model and the LP Custom both represent the best value in that light. I have a few recent higher end Epis including the ‘62 ES-335 Bonamassa model which is a really nice guitar, it’s no slouch compared to my Gibson ES-335 Traditional which cost considerably more. Epiphone has been doing some great things lately, I hope they continue in this direction. Thanks for the vid ✌️
Thanks so much for your perspective. I agree the LP Customs look like a solid choice as well. Thanks for tuning in.
That’s how I feel. That is why I ordered the LP Custom in Alpine White as soon as I heard about this new line of premium Epiphones. And it has been a month since I got that one - my 5th Epi LP. Given that I already have a Les Paul Custom in black (ie, a 2012 MIK Black Beauty) I decided to order the 1959 ES-355 in Ebony. I’m sure from what I have been hearing around that guitar will be awesome. I can’t wait.
I didn't want your demo to ever end. You sound so good. Nectar from the Gods. Kudos.
Thanks so much. That’s kind of you. I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Great Demo and Review Leonard! Loved it!! Cheers from Salem, Oh.
Thank you so much my friend.
I love mine. Worth every penny
Good to hear. Thanks for watching.
I would happily buy this guitar and not feel the need to buy a legit Gibson ever. Matter of fact, I already bought one of these 😂
To give some perspective, I almost never keep the guitars I buy for review, but I don’t think this one is going anywhere. 😎
Congrats! What color did you get?
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 glad to hear that. I just got mine in the mail today. This ones definitely staying with me for life.
@@mr3klax the same cherry red dude in the video has. It’s more beautiful in person believe it or not lol
@@MackDaddyVic I believe you. It has always been my experience that they are more beautiful in person than in their online photos. The mother of pearl inlays on the headstock are simply gorgeous. That bound oversized headstock with the split-diamond is my favorite. I can’t keep my eyes of it. I’m getting mine in Ebony this Friday.
The tone is incredible for the price
I have to agree.
Great review and great playing as always!
These have been on my radar for a bit.
Thanks so much. Yep, not a bad choice at all.
An excellent review Leonard, and some very "tasty" playing! You touched on several points that other reviewers have simply left out. I concur with your comments (it is the sum of its parts that matter, not the headstock shape!), and have picked one of these up in white. I'm very pleased with it and have no regrets whatsoever. The fretwork on mine (which has been my biggest gripe with Epiphones at all model levels) were nicely finished with no high frets. More times than not, this has NOT been the case with those that I've tried. This is a legitimate professional quality instrument.
Thanks so much. It is interesting that the one I had didn’t need any fret leveling, nut work, or any setup work at all other than a little work on the fret ends and a simple action adjustment to taste. That almost never happens with modern Epiphones and truth be told, most Gibsons need a little more. Remarkable and they seem to be pretty consistent.
Thanks so much for watching.
In a video with Marty Schwartz, monster 🎸player Jack Pearson discusses his love for some cheap Squiers made in Indonesia. Says it’s all about the resonance.
Yes, I’m very aware of Jack and his Squiers. In fact, as I understand it, he likes the really low priced Bullet models. Of course any professional player will have some deluxe fretwork done, which will be beyond what a casual player is willing to spend since it probably doubles the cost. But he loves the sound and feel and that’s just business expense. I’ve also seen Jack playing modern (ie, Asian made) Epiphones. It’s always way more about the player. Thanks for watching.
Great playing and overall excellent review. Looking forward to picking one of these up when they land in the UK, thanks Len 👍
Thanks my friend. I hope you get a great one.
Elegant, that covers the guitar and, of course, your playing, and your vast knowledge of Both!!
Thanks my friend.
Mine should be arriving by Tuesday! Ultimately this is hardly an Epiphone anymore. Real ebony, real MoP inlays, Gibson wiring and spec electronics, accurate selector switch, Gibson pickups, accurate headstock, etc. just unbound fret edges and a different name at the top. Good as it gets. I have owned two Gibson 335s and just sold the newer Epiphone Lucille for this. The Lucille was just about on par with my Gibsons (lacking mostly in the finish and the pickups). This seemingly rectifies every issue the Epiphones have had and I'm super stoked
The real shame is what Gibson did with the brand when Norlin took over. Prior to that, Epiphone was one of the finest brands on the planet, first in New York (I have a 51), then after the sale to Gibson when they became a second brand made in the same plant. It’s nice to see some real quality return to the line. Thanks for watching.
I just ordered the white one superbstoked as well ! Lets hope they are as good as they seem .
Thank you for your in-depth review and opinion of this model. Just ordered this guitar in Ebony. My first-ever semi hollow body. Can’t wait. SUBSCRIBED.
Have the Bonamassa signature 62 reissue 335 , one of the nicest axes I have ever owned, well worth it. I was originally going to get a Gibson 339, but the Epi sounded and felt and looked so much better .
Nice. Well enjoy it and thanks for watching.
Ya know, after watching your video this 355 is the first Epiphone I'd consider buying. Now if they released a Byrdland with similar features I'd probably give in and pay the ransom ;)
Well, I can tell you this is the first modern, offshore made Epiphone I’m actually considering keeping.
Thanks so much for watching.
Decided to go for the Epi '59 Les Paul (Bought it yesterday), but I think this one will be bought at some stage too. Thanks for the video!
And thank you for watching.
That ebony board just smacks me in the face and says, "Hey!!! look at me". I think it's worth it with the custom buckers and case and body appointments. No doubt in my mind. A used Gibson 355 may not be in the same equation. It could have issues.
To say nothing of the fact used Gibson 355s tend to run $5K and up.
Hi Leonard, as ever lovely phrasing. A real alternative would be the Epi Lucille. You can buy a new one in the UK for around £700 (maybe $800). It has the gold hardware, CTS pots, ebony fb, and, for all us semi-hollow fans, a backplate to switch out the loom and switches if desired without resorting to aquarium tubing or surgical forceps. No Custombuckers but you could invest in some SDs. A dealbreaker for some might be the lack of f-holes. Having said all that, that 355 plays and looks the business. All the best.
Thanks my friend. Sure. While I have no personal experience with the model, the Epiphone Lucille could be an option and while they’re $950 in the US, used examples are readily available and might be a way to get close with a pickup swap. Of course you don’t get the one piece neck or the maple/poplar ply body, but I’m sure it’s still a nice guitar and as you mention, that back plate makes a pickup swap easy.
Hey Leonard, great review, answered all my questions, just waiting for Epiphone to release stock of the black version and I’m buying one. Love your tone and appreciate all your reviews, Kind regards 😊
Thank you so much my friend. Appreciated.
I haven’t heard any mention of a black one, but it would be a natural addition. My Dad played a black ES-355 in the 60s.
I hadn’t heard of the black ones either, but someone mentioned the Epiphone official website, so I looked and they’re on there! I’m fascinated by the debate (love hate thing between Epiphone and Gibson owners). I tend to think of Gibsons as being like old American muscle cars, loads of style and class ,with wooden steering and crap brakes, but when you get them running right there’s nothing to beat them lol! I own both brands and think the only answer is play what you love and makes you happy!
Best wishes
@@MattMorgans Thank you my friend. Same to you.
Great video Leonard, very interesting guitar
Take care
✌️🧷🎸
Thanks so much.
Excellent review and commentary on the Epiphone 335, while I have yet to pick one up and play it, it seems to be the best offering of the new releases, I think the upgraded pick ups are nice, but the fact that it has an ebony Fingerboard makes it worth considering.
Excellent playing !
You definitely highlighted the guitars ability to be great
Thanks so much. Yes, the ebony board is very nice and correct to the model. I was disappointed to see the reissues of the models where the originals had a rosewood board are still using laurel. That's just a little bit of a letdown for this top of the line series.
Epiphone ES-335 style guitars? I own 40 of 'em! Every one of them is set up to suit my style of playing Blues and Rock, most of them by me as I've gigged them relentlessly for the past 25 years.
I started out in 1971 on a Coronet Telecaster copy that played OK but sounded less than OK. But it cost me $30 so I wasn't complaining. Then on Christmas Eve 1975 I bought a black Les Paul Lawsuit copy for $50. Immediately my playing lifted noticeably thanks to the much better playability and awesome sound of that guitar. In fact the entire sound of the band lifted thanks to my lead guitar sounding so much better. I sold the Tele straight away. For 11 years, that was the only guitar I owned.
Then in 1987, my bass player told me about a wine red Gibson ES-335 copy with a trapeze tailpiece. It was at my local pawn shop which prior to that day, I'd never visited. Dunno why not. But I bought it and immediately fell head over heels in love with it, or more precisely, with the ES-335 style guitars. To this day I have never played any guitar other than either a Gibson or Epiphone, or other Asian-made ES-335. It was then that I read about my hero Ted Nugent owning 20 Gibson Byrdland guitars, and I quickly realised that it was perfectly OK to own more than one guitar! At the height of my career I owned over 15 x Epiphone Sheratons, 5 x Gibson ES-355s, 8 x Epiphone Rivieras, and other Epiphone models, including the Dot models.
I took an interest in white Epiphone Sheratons many years ago and I own 11 of them at last count.
Unfortunately I'm no longer active in the music industry because I can no longer play guitar at all. I have bone spurs on all my neck vertebrae and they're severely pinching the nerves to my hands, my left hand more so than my right. I'm intending to re-ignite my interest in bottleneck slide guitar. Guess I'll sell the vast majority of my guitars, since I can't play 'em any more, but which of my kids do I kick out of home first? I mean: they've all been really good to me, ultra-reliable, and they all look and sound fantastic. Which one do I let go for a fraction of what it cost me to customise it? I know they all paid for themselves dozens of times over and more. I played well over 3,800 paid gigs in my 25-year career, and I must have been to over 1,000 jam sessions as well. I've sold all but one of my Gibson ES-355s and I only still own one Gibson ES-335 Fat Neck. I wanna hang onto those in case I come good. But my 14 former stage guitars, all Epiphone Sheratons and Rivieras that are all customised to the max, I can't bear to sell them. They made me the player I wanted to be! I just can't reward them my letting them go for the measly prices they fetch, compared to the new up-market Epiphones that are available today. I had a storage drive go out of service a few years ago and it contained plenty of my videos from my prime as a guitarist. before I had the chance to upload them on TH-cam, so they're lost forever; but I still have quite a few videos on TH-cam filmed when I was in my late 50s and early 60s that still give an accurate view of what I used to play at every gig. I'll leave them up. I'm Number 3 in the Reverbnation Blues charts for my state capital city, despite my not doing anything at all to promote myself on that platform. So someone must be watching them!
Sorry to hear about the physical issues taking you out of the game. Take care and thanks for watching.
Nobody asked for your fucking life story ( probably fictitious).
I've got a 2012 Gibson Studio and believe me when I say its fret ends earned it the nickname "porcupine". So just being a Gibson is no guarantee that a guitar will be free of that particular problem!
You’re certainly right about that. One of the most disappointing guitars I bought was a very expensive Gibson Custom Shop model from the early 2000s. After a full fret level and dress it did play and sound great, but was still full of cosmetic issues. I wanted it to be a lifetime keeper but ultimately was just too bugged by the very tactile binding ledge all the way around and I sold it. I’ve also had great Gibsons as well since the 60s. Recent ones have been pretty good overall, but Plek notwithstanding, the fretwork has still been hit or miss.
Thanks so much for watching.
Great video, great playin’!
Thanks so much.
Every time I see an argument about the price, claiming they rather have a used Gibson, I always politely ask them to show me where are they seeing an ES-355 anywhere near $1299. I never hear or see a reply. I’ll be getting one of these soon…
If I’m patient enough, they’ll be on the used market for way less.
I always do some research for each video and I looked specifically for what sort of used Gibson you could get for that money. The short answer is no semi hollow I’d want. As I said in the video, maybe an old 335 studio that needs work. It’s an empty argument.
A few used ones are starting to pop up, but the savings would be meager so far. Not much less than a new one with a dealer discount. But yeah, shouldn’t be long.
Thanks so much for watching.
I need the white one of these !
Last I looked there was still one or two on Reverb, but most dealers are currently backordered. Best of luck and thanks for watching.
Tasty playing Leonard. I wish I could get my hands on one to try to see if I like that fat 50's neck.
You know, I originally planned to keep that one but after a couple of shows I decided a more 60s style neck suited me better. I loved the way it sounded, but I ended up with the 150th Anniversary Sheraton, which is similar quality quality but has a 60s neck, a vibrato tailpiece that works amazingly well, and the Gibson mini humbuckers which seem slightly more versatile, in that I don’t have to grab a Strat when I want a more focused sound. It did need more luthier work but that’s probably just luck of the draw.
That sounds Sweet🎸👍
Honestly, better than expected. Thanks for watching.
Sounds great ❤
Thank you my friend.
I like the pickups. Everything else is OK but the pickups are a definite plus. But the limited colors has left me pausing... "maybe they'll offer something I prefer."
Thanks for watching. I tend to like the vintage red for semi-hollows, but yeah, color is so subjective, more choices are always a good thing. I suspect there may be if these do well on the market. Then again, maybe not. Gibson/Epiphone has never offered a lot of choice in this regard. Be aware there is a black version on the Epiphone site, but last I checked most dealers don’t have it.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 I was shocked to see White. Lordy. I pay attention to stage costuming for guitar-colors at this quality level (low or mid) and recording guitars get more favorite gear. Black is a fairly neutral color for me, on stage ("it can go with anything") but I was shocked that White looked simply awful... "Blues" have shown up in the last 10 years or so, and that gosh-awful drab-green. I do like the aging quality of 20+ year old Reds, though. Just not for stage appearances.
Clap, clap, clap...good video.
Thank you my friend. Glad you enjoyed it.
Epiphone vs Eastman what do you think?
✌️🧷🎸
Before this one I would have said Eastman all day long. Not even close. This is the first import Epiphone I’ve considered keeping. Very close to the Eastman T486 and I like the neck shape just a little bit more.
After owning both a Gibson 335 Dot and Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1962 ES-335 I can say there is little difference in sound both feel great and play amazing. Gibson has the Name and will retain its value more, Gibson will have real rosewood and Nitro Finish and has a slightly better feel. You can get a very good Gibson Dot used for about $2200 vs the $1300 for a new Epiphone.
One thing that seems to get missed is the value retention thing is very much relative. You can buy a new ES-335 for $3500 and they sell used for about $2500 (current production model). This 355 is $1299 new and I’m going to guess when they’re readily available we’ll see then used for $8 to $900, a very similar devaluation. And as I said in the video, if you want a 59 style 355, with the fatter neck, ebony board, Custombuckers, etc., then you’re talking Gibson Custom Shop at $7,000. So it’s all about what you want.
I almost never keep a review guitar, but I might keep this one. I’ve owned many Gibsons in my very career and used to tour with a 335. This Epiphone, as a musical instrument, not a logo, is a fine guitar.
Thanks so much for watching and engaging.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 yes I agree, that 62' 335 epi had a lot of what I wanted and I knew I would never get an OG so I'm very happy with it.
The Sire 335 is nice for 700
Yes, I reviewed the P90 version quite awhile back. I liked it though I didn’t jibe with the neck quite as much. They are a good value. Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 my pleasure
Looks Fab🤠
I agree.
I agree.
On the subject of fret ends: Epiphone look like they're really going for the strictest accuracy, because every Gibson I ever owned had prickly fret ends. What's that? Your Gibsons didn't have that? I know the reason why. Any guitar that makes it through Gibson's quality control with less that a perfect finish in any way . . . ends up being sent to Australia, where I live. We're too far away to send every factory second back, so that's all the Gibson dealers end up being able to sell to us. Epiphone are just as bad. Back when the USD was worth jack, it became an attractive proposition to buy second-hand Gibsons and Epiphones from overseas, thereby bypassing all the factory seconds that the dealers were stuck with. By doing that I was able to see first hand how much better the guitars that i'd bought from American, British, and Japanese dealers really were.
That’s very interesting, I’d never heard that. Thankfully, prickly fret ends is a relatively easy problem to fix. I continue to see little finish issues with Gibsons though. Mostly little things the Gibson faithful are happy to live with, such as the tooling marks I mentioned.
Thanks so much for watching.
So I guess the reason this guitar costs less than a Gibson is because it is made in China. I has almost the same quality body and electronics as the USA 355 but at a third of the price. Just goes to show that labor in China is way way lower than in the USA.
That’s exactly right. Thanks for watching.
Get the Epi '59 with custom buckers in your hands. If you say that one is no good, I will eat that hat.
LOL. Not sure which it’ll be, but I do plan to feature one of the solid bodies in the series and see how it compares. I’m fairly certain it’ll still be a better option than a low end Gibson for anyone except those that just can’t get past where it’s manufactured or the name on the headstock.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 I'll keep a watch out for your review....dare I say, my bet is that you'll like better than a "mid-range" gibson :)
@@gregperkins7723I will keep my fingers crossed as I already got the Custom in Alpine White. Although they have 490s instead of Custombuckers.
It's definitely closest to a Gibson Custom Shop in the new lineup. They are all great, but this ES-355 is the closest.
Why? Let's look at the Epiphone 1959 Les Paul. Laural fretboard instead of rosewood and veneer over plain maple top are different than even Gibson USA Les Paul Stabdard 50's model.
This one has the same body construction and gas real ebony fretboard as the resl thing.
They all have the same stuff as well. Like they come with long tenon that's better than Gibson USA models but come with the poly finish while even Gibson USA models are nitro finished.
Bridge solution is at the Gibson USA level but is not up to the Custom Shop level.
Pickups are Custom Shop level while harness is Gibson USA level. Not that even Custom Shop comes with a good harness. It is definitely nicer and cleaner looking in the Custom Shop guitars, but it is definitely the weakest link in current Custom Shop guitars. I change them always and get great results.
Pair of Custombuckers run above 500 bucks. That's simply added cost. Though I have done pickup upgrades for people, and even for myself, that cost more than guitar did.
Here, you finally get a proper headstock shape. It was always irritating me seeing all other shapes Epiphone had in the past. This means a lot to many people. Plus, it comes with a case.
You can get for 600 bucks normal ES-335 but with eastern pickups and no case and that headstock shape. Good guitars, but those can't compete with this.
No argument from me. 😊 Thanks for watching.
Get the information my friend. You, like most reviewers default the Gibson as automatically the better guitar. The truth is that has not been the case for over 20 years. Features you say?? Try the 60's Tribute Plus made by Epiphone released in the 2005-2007 range. You couldn't get a Gibson Les paul with the same specs unless you ordered it specifically. I've written so much about it, I'll let you do the research. As for the SG's. My Epiphone SG plays better than my Gibson SG. It has 57 classic pickups, solid mahogany body and neck and a Rosewood fretboard. It has locking Grover tuners, a Faux Bone nut, aluminum stop bar and rollamatic bridge. The electronics consist of CTS, Mallory, SwitchCraft, and it uses orange Drop capacitors. the neck has binding as well. The particular guitar is the 61 Reissue Epiphone SG. I've worked on guitars over 30 years. When you learn of guitars by becoming a Luthier, you begin to see the games which have been played on human beings for decades. Dig and get the truth. You have a great method, just do away with the inherit bias and call a spade a spade so to speak. Gibsons are great guitars but so are Epiphones, as well as Ibanez, as well as many, many others like the Sire guitars. America doesn't hold the magic key to building great guitars any longer and until American companies can sell guitars for a normal price, they;ll not get the same business as their Indonesian counterparts, especially when the Indonesians are building guitars which not only rival all others, but in many honest cases, blow them away.
Somehow you’ve misread me. I have no Gibson bias whatsoever. I’ve owned Gibsons in the 50 years since i first became a professional guitar player and almost every Gibson I bought, new or used, went immediately to my guy for a full fret level and pro setup. The only exceptions were a 70s Les Paul that someone else had taken care of and a 1966 ES330 that was a wonderful guitar. I’d have to look the script over to see what might have mislead you, but perhaps it was my comparison to the Gibson this guitar is emulating, an actual 1959 ES355. But I recall mostly talking about how much Epiphone got right.
I suggest you watch some more of my reviews. You’ll find out I feature way more guitars built in Asia and I call em as I see em.
BTW, I rarely keep any of the guitars I review, but the one I am keeping is the Epiphone 150th Anniversary Sheraton. It’s with my guy right now getting it fully ready for prime time. When it comes to my personal Epiphones, I’ve always preferred the original designs. In fact I own a 1951 New York built archtop I’ve had for nearly 30 years. (Oh, and I currently own no Gibsons).
Catch some of my other videos and thanks for watching.
Problem by gipson guitar is agresiv ton
Not quite sure what you’re saying there my friend.
they did them a great favor to cancel that ugly Epiphone headstock and use the beautiful Gibson open book headstock! (just like Fender and Squier; the design of the headstocks are iconic)
We do get used to seeing something a certain way after decades, so it makes sense to use the Gibson headstock on the Gibson designs and the Epiphone headstock on the original Epiphone models (Sheraton, Riviera, etc.).
Thanks for watching.
Wow, i cant believe people buy these(or any) Epiphone.
Considering they’re one of the most ubiquitous brands on the planet, I’d say you’re in a very small minority.
People need to get their heads out of the clouds....Gibson is NOT the end all.....the days of Epiphone being a budget guitar....or a guitar that you bought and wish you could buy a Gibson .....are OVER....you DON'T need a Gibson unless you just want to impress your goofy friends .....learn your chd ges ...and BUY the NEW Epiphones ... these guitars are FANTASTIC
I agree Epiphone is building some nice guitars these days, especially at the top tier.
Thanks so much for watching.
If you like it and can afford it, it is worth it!
Indeed it is.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 мне надо будет подкопить деньжат...но...по моему...оно того стоит... спасибо вам за ролик...лайк...и я подписался.🤣
I’ve seen some reviews on TH-cam of this and other models in this series. They were good and valuable, but I was looking forward to your take as well. You have some details and perspectives that others don’t quite touch on, and then of course your playing as unique to you, which is always a pleasure. I appreciate your contributions to the guitar community.
Thank you my friend. I do appreciate the kind words.
Hi Len, when I first heard about these, I thought to myself, has Gibson gone mad? Then I slowed it down and did some actual homework. What it boils down to for me is simple. The pickups on this Epi 335 cost $500 when purchased from Gibson. Now for me, that's crazy money, but that's what they cost. Then you toss in a Gibson harshell case which will run $219. When I subtract $719 from $1300 I get $581 for a guitar with CTS pots, mallory caps, and upgraded hardware including Grovers. When you put it in perspective, this is a very fairly priced guitar. Like you, I get totally annoyed with Epiphone's ever present rough fret ends on new guitars. I bought a couple of the Epi inspired by Gibson 50's LP's.Both showed up with really sharp fret ends. Granted I got them for $519 @ from SW during gear fest, but still, in this day and age, that shouldn't happen. If this gorgeous 355 was available in lefty, I'd buy one with zero hesitation. I think it's a fair deal. The purist's will cry no Nitro finish, and I get it, but for this money, this guitar is a deal. The tones you were getting from it were as good as any Gibson I've ever heard. Thanks for a great and unbiased review.
Thanks so much my friend. Yeah it’s not Nitro, but it’s thin and not at all glossy and really looks and feels very nice.
Fantastic review Leonard. YOU may have just sold me one. I don’t know anything about the new “inspired by” instruments other than what I just saw you do. But, I did recently buy the Bonamassa 63 SG. It’s been a revelation and a fantastic instrument..
@@THEItchybruddah Man I wish Epi would make lefty's in these higher end models.
@@TheRange7 I feel ya. Hopefully if these are a success for the company they’ll build em lefty as well. Bad as it seems, it is better these days in general. My lefty heroes (Albert King, Otis Rush, Jimi of course) all had to play flipped over guitars!
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 indeed Len. I'm not complaining I have a nice stable of Lefty's which I've purchased over the last 50 years. Epi has been great about keeping us in mind too. Cheers
Leonard makes any guitar sound good. If I didn’t already have a couple 335 types, I’d surely get one of these Epiphones. That headstock is a great improvement, and those pickups are serious.
Thanks so much. Yes, as I mentioned, some of Gibson’s best vintage style pickups yet.
I admire your self-control. It was easy for me. My would-be first-ever semi-hollow body.
Epiphones are now the entry level Gibson’s. There is no shame in playing an Epiphone they are great guitars and the company has as much history in guitar making as Gibson.
Yes, Epiphone has absolutely upped their game, which is nice to see. But really, there’s never any shame in playing any guitar. If you can play. I’ve known fine pros who’ve played some really low budget guitars.
Thanks for watching.
Very nice playing.. i tried one of these 2 weeks ago. I also tried a gibson 335.. I ended up settling for an Eastman T59 in antique cherry... To me it was on another level to both the epiphone and gibson in playability and tones... Granted i cant make any of them sound as good as your good self.. but my pick would be the Eastman. New subscriber from the UK
The Eastmans are very nice indeed, and while I haven’t reviewed a T59 yet, I found the T486 to be a sweet guitar I was tempted to keep. Thanks so much for watching.
Eastman ! Sure they’re good quality nd all but its not original design! Everyone copied design from Gibson . Why not own the original thing ? Save it up or buy good condition used !
Just don’t defend Chinese made copy cat!
@@Faisalhossain-s5h I tried to 2x Gibson 335s before i got the Eastman.. neither played sounded or had the feel the Eastman has... The Gibson was just lack lustre in comparison.. I have other Gibsons I really like . But for me the Eastman was leaps and bounds ahead of the Gibson.. why would I pay more for a guitar I don't think is as good
I second that.. l wanted a real 335, had saved up to it, played a few and went home with an Ibanez as150, played and sounded in another league, the 335’s didn’t resonate and lacked the sustain. I love my Gibson 50’s LP Standard 2020 tho…
@@wildebassman there are always duds in every Gibson model lol. sometimes you need to play handful before finding the "one" unfortunately most dont have that luxury. the Ibanez is a solid pick, better with intonation/tuning stability too.
It's worth the price...JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to high end Epiphones in 2019/2020.. epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson that ends with JC Curliegh he restored epiphone..the legendary Epiphone brand..
It is nice to see Epiphone building world class instruments again. I agree when they’re at this level they’re worth the price.
Best review I’ve seen yet of the epiphone inspired 335. Keep up the great content, sir. 😊
Thanks my friend. I appreciate that.
you sound great; reminiscent of Elvin Bishop.
Thank you my friend. I’m sure Elvin and I listened to a lot of the same people.
Ive had a few Gibson 335's and some epi 335's, Gibson 335's even when spec'd the same sound different somehow. But I tend to like the Gibson 335's with the 57 Classics, I think the 57's just sound right for the 335. As far as Epi's i tend to like the Sheraton's best
Yes, they do sound different. Especially the regular line. Closest was the Inspired By Gibson Custom ES-355, possibly because it’s the only modern Epiphone that uses the same maple/polar ply, one piece neck, and Gibson Custombuckers. My 150th Anniversary Sheraton sounds great, but it’s not trying to be a 335. Thanks for watching.
First time watching one of your videos, and I’m impressed. As I’ve already decided to pull the trigger on one of these, I wanted an honest review, and I think I got it. You have an authoritative tone and delivery, honest as well. Clear and concise information. I’ll be watching more. Cheers Leonard.
Thank you so much my friend.
My made-in-Indonesia Inspired By Gibson Epiphone Hummingbird is outstanding. The only thing I wish they’d done differently is use a real rosewood board instead of laurel.
Yeah, some of them look pretty good but in general I’m not a fan of the Laurel either. However, I have a couple of videos demonstrating the use of Monty’s Montypresso for making a Laurel board look like vintage rosewood. Great product.
Actually the les Paul and ES335 we're inspired by epiphone and les Paul and we all know this now
Thanks for watching.
Saw one of these for £1,100 in UK online.
Its very tempting, also nice review man and playing. 🎸
Any chance of posting the link of the sweet A maj Jam track? 🤞🙏😎
Thanks my friend. I normally make some backing tracks available for download on my Patreon page.
Great information and great playing! I have watched all the videos on this 355. Yours is the most descriptive and your tone was by far, the best. Could you please reply with what you ran this guitar through? Thank you for considering this.
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the video. For most of the demo, I’m plugged straight into a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (blond spec). The very last segment, on the bridge pickup, I’m using a Cornerstone Gladio SC pedal for some very light overdrive, and that’s indicated with a subtitle.
You sound absolutely brilliant on that guitar!
Thank you so much.
Very nice that Gibson did this Epiphone. It’s looks great, it’s sounds great, I‘m sure it feels great too… and the price is already very fair if you consider what you get. Beautiful ES-355
As you saw, I was quite impressed with this one. Thanks for tuning in.
WoW Best sounding bridge pickup ever. Great video and playing.
Thank you my friend.
Hey One Question. I like playing Blues and Jazz on the neck and funk on the bridge. (Split coil Duncans).
Do you think using 250k pots is better than the installed 500k for the bridge? - A strat in position 4 is my favorite funk gear. Many say split coils on a 335 for funk aren t the real deal. - Could be true cause the 500k make the single coil too shrill. So getting into strat territory the 250k could do something good to my 335?
Thanx dude.
Beste blues channel out there.
Thank you my friend. I honestly think the problem is less about pot values (though obviously they make a difference) than the fact most humbuckers just don’t sound that great split. There are a handful that sound way better than most (Tom Anderson H series are some of the best I’ve heard at this). PRS gets a little closer because their wiring scheme isn’t a full split. Some of the second coil is always present which both keeps the volume up and the hum down. I would just research which pickups split the best. That’s going to be the key, keeping in mind most of them don’t. It makes sense. The requirements of a good humbucker coil are much different than that of a dedicated single coil.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 thank you very much for your recommendation. Really appreciated.
Hi. Whats the brand of strings that you are using? Thanks
GHS Boomers.
All they have to do is the fender thing call it a Gibson maid in china
I’ve long thought Gibson should’ve done something similar to PRS SE for the Gibson designs, and used the Epiphone brand for the Epiphone designs. I say that mainly for their benefit. For me personally, I’m not married to the logo. I’m more interested in he quality of the instrument. But I’m in the minority I’m sure.
Thanks for watching.
You must work in radio with a voice like that.
😆 Actually no, I’ve never worked in radio. Unless you want to count being interviewed by a station local to the area where we were doing a show. But yeah, I’ve heard similar comments for decades.
Thanks for watching.
Recently bought 2003 es355, Korean built, great guitar, nice workmanship
Nice. Well enjoy it my friend and thanks for watching.
I've watched your videos and have always enjoyed your playing and your critiques, because you always seem fair and impartial in your reviews, but in this review, I really heard something different in your playing this time, as if you were singing with the guitar, a flow like I haven't heard you play before. I also like how you put the cost in perspective to what would be this guitar's closest comparison, an actual Gibson ES-355, which here in NYC, I haven't seen for less than 2500, and that was for one that was in run down condition, a guitar you would need to completely work over to get right, so to me, trimming the fret ends is a smaller task in comparison, although I agree that Gibson/Epiphone need to keep a closer eye on the fretwork. I know they use plek machines, but after the machine is done, they need someone who manually rounds the frets if need be
I can’t actually confirm this, but I’ve heard that some guitars built in China and Indonesia just sometimes use wood that isn’t fully seasoned, causing a little too much shrinkage. It doesn’t have to be much to leave the fret ends slightly rough. It’s a byproduct of the massive scale of modern production.
Thanks for following my channel. I appreciate it.
This is the just the sort of review I wanted to see. Thanks for the video sir.
Thanks so much. Happy you enjoyed it.
That was a really nice review and assessment and the playing is always outstanding. You know what impresses me, you always get great tones from whatever guitar you showcase. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well that Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb sounds which I believe you replaced the speaker with the Celestion G12 Neo Creamback in place of the Jensen. Great stuff Leonard! 👍👍
Thanks so much. Yes, the neo Jensen didn’t do the amp justice. I would advise anyone to buy the blonde version, which I would have done so myself if I didn’t already have a neo-Creamback. The firmware update that gets rid of the virtual bright cap is important as well if you have the black one.
I have Epiphone 🎸
I put Goran Pickups 4:10
Now is great beter as Gipson
I don't like Gipson sounds ,for me this sound is not nice..
Changed Pickups and is Great.
Epiphone is great quality , Great
I’m happy you’re enjoying it and thanks for watching.
The Gibson Les Paul Tributes are the only brand new Gibsons that are the same price as these Epiphone inspired by Gibsons. It’s crazy what assembly in another country will do to a price tag. I know that the US builders are likely a lot more experienced, more careful, use the best choice woods, etc, but most of an electric guitar’s tone is in the pickups; then in the player’s hands and then things like action height and bridge material.
It’s an interesting topic and I plan to devote a video to the perceived pros and cons of far eastern manufacture, address concerns that seem more conjecture than reality, and attitudes based on decades old information. Stay tuned and thanks for watching.
I have 2 Epiphone one 335 and one LP . The 335 will not stay in tune very well . Like the PL does . Had 3 guitar Tecks work on it all ready
Even with a new nut?
That’s strange that a good tech can’t get it staying in tune better, since it’s almost always the nut that causes the problem, assuming it’s not poorly strung. I hope you get it figured out.
How much are you paying the guitar techs for not fixing the problem?
@@pauljohnson3686 I had the original 59 epiphone and even after I replaced the nut, the tuning stability was still poor. The tuners were loose and sloppy and I said, I'm done! I sold the dog.
I like your slow blues. I reserved a les paul standard 60's. Hope i won't regret. Of course, as you always say, it's not the guitar who make the guitarist... Great playing Leonard
Thank you my friend. Best of luck to you.
I've been contemplating getting one of these for a while now, and I think this is the best review I've seen so far, not to mention the playing! I think you helped a lot in me deciding buying one! That being said, I'll blame you when my wife finds out!
Yeah, I’m sure she’ll buy that story. 🤣
Thanks so much. Happy you enjoyed the review.
Thank you for your in-depth review and opinion of this model. Just ordered this guitar in Ebony. My first-ever semi hollow body. Can’t wait. SUBSCRIBED.
Nice. I still haven’t seen an ebony version, though a viewer told me they were on Epiphone’s website. I hope these are consistently great and obviously I hope you love it. Thanks so much for watching.
By the way, if you don’t mind, where did you find one in ebony? It’s on the Epiphone site but I can’t find one for sale anywhere. Thanks
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Thanks. I can’t find the Ebony version anywhere else either other than at the Epiphone official website. It says ‘Ebony VOS Exclusive. So, I guess this version is exclusive to Epiphone only. So, that’s where I placed my order. It’s priced the same with free shipping. Epiphone sent me an email saying that it’s in back order. And its Estimated Shipping Date is 05/25/2024. Thanks!
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Mr Leonard, I don't mind at all as your interest made me feel good as it somehow validated my decision in a good way. As you already know, I found it on the Official Epiphone website. I have not actually bought anything from their site as I usually get all my stuff from Sweetwater. But, the Ebony version is listed as 'Exclusive' which probably explains why it is not available for sale elsewhere. Before I discovered that there was an Ebony version, I was looking forward to getting the IBGC Les Paul Custom in Ebony for Father's Day since I was so impressed by the new IBGC Les Paul Custom in Alpine White. I have never owned a semi-hollow body as I am a Les Paul guy. But, the overwhelming positive reviews (yours including) of this 1959 ES-355 made me want to get one. But, it was not available in the color that I want. So, I thought of waiting for the next round. A casual visit to the Epiphone website changed all that. It was there all along, the color that I wanted hiding in plain sight. The site says I can get it by June 3. I then, immediately placed my order in a heartbeat. Epiphone then sent me 2 emails - order confirmation & estimated shipping date which is 05/25/2024. I apologize for my long reply. It is just my excitement coming out.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Mr Leonard this is probably my 4th time trying to answer your post I don’t know what’s going on but my reply is vanishing. Anyway, it’s at the official Epiphone website. It’s listed as Ebony VOS Exclusive - probably the reason why this model is not available for sale elsewhere. It’s in Backorder. Epiphone sent me 2 emails - order confirmation & estimated shipping date (05/25/2024).
Es355 will do all the tones, BB,Richard Betts, tele and more. I run this into a Roland ss amp. Frets were good , it was USA setup by Epiphone..qc sticker on the headstock.
I’m happy to once again hear these seem consistent. The one I featured plays and sounds better than any offshore made Epiphone I’ve tried, and I’ve reviewed quite a number. Thanks for watching.
Love this review and your playing… I just bought a dot 355 for £150… it’s nice and a bargain but not like this
Thanks so much my friend. Enjoy yours!
The 355 is worth every penny. I bought one and it is every bit as good as my gibson 335 I had. Actually the workmanship is better on this 355. Like you the only thing was I had to polish the fret ends. These are a no brainer especially for the price. These are pro guitars and not like the dinky epiphones of past.
I couldn’t agree more. And yeah, I don’t see a lot of Gibsons built this flawlessly.
Thanks for watching.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day also today is my oldest sister birthday ❤😊
Thanks so much. Tell your sister happy birthday!
Fantastic review. Seems like a great value. I'd be curious how it compares to a Sheraton or for that matter any semi-hollow that offers as many features for the money. I love the idea of all the Gibson features for a third of the price.
Thanks so much. Yes, I’m considering a shootout with the 150th Anniversary Sheraton, which sells for the same price.
Great Review A+,.... Thanks much
And thank you so much for watching.
Nice video Mr Leonard. Seen this several times. Just got my IGC 1959 ES-355 in Ebony today. My very first semi-hollow body. And it’s fantastic. It’s VOS. But, I prefer gloss. As expected, it’s got those sharp fret ends. Other than that, craftsmanship is flawless. For me, it looks, feels and plays great. Like you said, it’s got that woody and airy tone. Cheers!
Glad to hear they appear to be consistently good (though they really should do something about those fret ends). Enjoy it my friend.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845Just to update Mr Len. I took my ES-355 to a luthier for a set-up as I couldn’t get rid of fret buzzes. I was told that the truss rod was over torque. Some of the frets were loose. He also worked on the nut and the fret ends. And lowered the bridge. And put some Ernie Ball 9-42 strings. This professional set-up made a big difference. He commented that it is a well-made guitar. And that I should keep it as it is literally a Gibson.
@@mr3klax Unfortunately loose frets is not at all uncommon with guitars that don’t glue the frets in. The traditional method is to just press the frets in, which works fine so long as the wood doesn’t contract. With guitars made in such huge numbers these days it’s just luck of the draw, but thankfully fairly simple to address. Normally very thin superglue is wicked into the slot. I’ve done it myself.
The one I have just required minimal setup stuff. Truss rod adjustment, action, intonation. The nut was cut surprisingly well from the factory.
I’m glad your got yours sorted out and it should never need another thing.
I’m a lefty no such thing all epiphone lefty are 599. ,355 only
Yeah it’s too bad they don’t make lefty versions of everything.
Many guitar companies are now offering three or more price point tiers. Gibson now has Custom Shop, Gibson, Epiphone Inspired By Gibson and then Epiphone. PRS does the same with PRS Custom Shop, PRS Core, PRS S2 and finally PRS SE lines. There is a model for every player. The good news is that all the lines are now good to great quality…none are dogs like the lower tier guitars were when I was a young guitarist 60 years ago. This is a great time for guitarists…great quality, tone, and playability can be had for very reasonable prices and there are MANY choices.
I absolutely agree. I was one of the lucky ones that never had to learn on crap guitars (my Dad was a pro guitarist), but I was aware of what almost unplayable junk most of them were back in the 60s and 70s. Now young players can spend a couple hundred bucks for something that plays and sounds more than decent.
Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Your analysis and demo of this Epiphone guitar is the most informative on the web. One can tell that you are an experienced, knowledgeable and honest reviewer. I own many guitars after collecting them over my 60 years as a player. The one I don’t have is an ES-335 style Gibson. I was considering buying a Heritage or Gibson ES-335 style guitar but was on the fence because of price…but at the price of this Epiphone I could not resist…I ordered one after I watched your review. I figure that even if I need to have my guitar tech do some work on it to correct any minor niggles, I will have a great guitar for a very reasonable cost. Thanks for your help! Have a great day…happy guitar playing.
I want this guitar but all the suppliers are sold out and say they have no idea when they will receive new stock.
There are still a handful of dealers on Reverb that have them. Don’t pay more than $1299 though. I noticed one dealer trying to take advantage by asking $1499!
Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Thanks. I am in England uk though
@@pauljohnson3686 Well in that case, Anderton’s says they have them in stock on their website.
There appears to be an inconsistency in the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided on this Epiphone guitar and the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided in Gibson guitars. The Epiphone guitar Gibson CustomBuckers are “potted” and the Gibson guitar CustomBucker pickups are “unpotted”. According to the Gibson website, CustomBuckers are not potted. So, are the CustomBuckers provided on the Epiphone made in the USA by Gibson, or are they actually manufactured in some other country and just called Gibson CustomBuckers?
Unless the company is outright lying, they’re USA made Gibson Custombuckers. They sure sound like it. Great pickups, and I’d say that I’d they were made anywhere.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Someone on another site stated “Gibson CustomBuckers” are whatever Gibson wants them to be”. That may be the case here. Gibson CustomBuckers are unpotted according to the Gibson website. It may be that Gibson decided to pot the Gibson CustomBuckers used in the Epiphone guitars for some reason they have not shared with their retail distributors or customers. I have no idea…but the literature says there is an inconsistency.
@@petesmith6434 Just let me say that I take anything some anonymous person on the internet says with an enormous grain of salt. Especially on forums. I don’t participate in those anymore because too many people tend to state what is pure conjecture as fact when in reality it’s nothing but speculation.
I could also speculate but there’s only one thing that’s actually important, they sound absolutely great, potted or not. Sure, maybe they leave them unpotted in the Gibson CS guitars because those are bought by people most insistent on vintage correctness and Epiphone buyers will more likely be playing them on loud stages where squealing could be an issue. But again, that’d just be me doing what forum dudes do and speculating. They’re some of the best sounding PAF clones Gibson has made. That’s the bottom line. Thanks for engaging.
I bought a used 2022 Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded 60’s for the same price as the epi Greeny and that was from a major uk retailer
Yeah, as I said in the video, a used Gibson solidbody is a much better possibility. But the semi hollows aren’t normally competitive at all even if they have a major repair or something of that nature. And even less so a 355. But yeah, I’m not sure I’d look at a top tier Epiphone if I wanted a Les Paul (Eastman on the other hand, would still be in the running!) Thanks so much for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 great playing by the way 👍 I really have this on my wish list, don’t care what it says on the headstock or where it’s made (my 2012 Squier classic vibe was the best playing Strat I’ve ever played) it’s got stellar specs for the price, as good as any in the price range.
what beautiful tee-shirt ! ! I want the same.. ^^
Thanks my friend. It was a gift.
Did the 59's not come with the varitone switch?
The Varitone was first introduced on the ES-345 in 59. It has appeared on 355s over the years, but I’ve never seen it on a 59 model. Doesn’t mean there are none but you see it more often on 60s models (along with the stereo wiring). It was a standard feature of the 345 though.
Thanks so much for watching.
Whoa...great guitar and awesome playing.
Thanks so much. Happy you enjoyed it.
Thx . Liked and subscribed ❤
Very much appreciated.
You sir are a very fine guitar player !
Thanks so much and thanks for watching.
Excellent review
Thank you my friend. Appreciated.
Keeo it! Sounds great live, too. :)
I probably will, and I can’t afford to keep the guitars I review.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845
I'll get more gigs. 😄
I still think for $1300 you can buy a better made and sounding Korean made semi hollow from dangelico. While epiphone is solid, 1K+ for a made in China with no bump in QC is no different than their $400+ models. “Historic” spec wise they still have no hide glue, true ABR-1 bridge, or nitro finish. Sure you want the “look” of a real ES-355, the 1K seems to go into the headstock and pickups. Gibson is successful in marketing these as a “Gibson for a lower price” when it’s far from it.
Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near this good. The fretwork and depth of tone did exceed any of the many modern Epiphones I’ve reviewed on this channel.
Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845I have a 2021Epi Lucille( decent guitar, mid tier quality)but that's it I'm done with Epiphone. Only where to go is up( Gibson?) from here. Honestly though , are the frets on your Epi 355 that much better than the previous Epiphone models because Epiphone frets would generally give one sore finger tips. PAF style pickups all sound the same to me including Epiphone's Alnico Classics and Probuckers imo. Nice playing!
@@kennyblackbird5674 What you’re feeling is not the quality of the frets, but the quality of the fretwork- leveling, crowning, etc. I guarantee those guitars making your fingertips sore would feel great after some work by an expert luthier. That said, this 355 already feels great. Some extra attention has definitely been given to the fretwork. Now it could be luck of the draw, but comments from other owners would suggest that’s not the case. I just hope they didn’t spend extra time on this first run and subsequent runs will drop down to the usual hit and miss, quickie job.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 😅😅👍Right!
Gibson Les Paul Studios and Tributes come with the rough fret ends as a standard feature. 50 years from now people would demand them as a historical feature and pay a premium for it. But I say if theres a magic that you can feel and hear, that sets the guitar apart from the others in the price range. And I think this 335 sounds good in the video!
Robin Trower
Probably only in the sense that we’ve listened to many of the same people. Thanks for watching.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 You guys are look alikes a good thing!
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 Well , you talked me in to it . Get mine June 3rd . Thanks man !
I did the same thing. I took it to a gig the same day i picked it up. My main guitar is a 58 reissue lespaul. I ended up playing the 355 almost the whole night. Great value.
Nice. Yeah, the fretwork and overall setup has to be the best I’ve encountered on an Asian built Epiphone. Of course as I mentioned, I had to take care of the prickly fret ends. And it plays nicer with a minor truss rod adjustment, but the all important fret leveling and nut slotting are almost in PRS territory, which is shocking.
Thanks so much for watching.
@leonardgriffieblues5845 yes and most importantly is the sound. It hangs up there with my standard Gibsons that I paid alot more for.
Here's the spes on the 2021 Epiphone exclusive limited edition modern figured Sg..
recently discontinued ... very high end...Modern Figured Guitar Trans Red
Epiphone SG Modern Figured Electric Guitar Specifications
Shape: 60's Kalamazoo
Brand Logo: Modern Epiphone in MOP
HS Center Logo: Gibson Pineapple
Machine Heads: Grover Locking Rotomatic with Tulip Button
HS Face Color: Black Gloss
Truss Rod Cover: 2-Ply, (blank)
Binding: None
Neck Material: Mahogany
Nut: 43mm Graphtech WHITE
Neck Profile: Asymetrical Slim Taper
Neck Joint: Set Neck
Finish: Gloss Black
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Inlay Style: Std. Trapezoid
12th Fret inlay: Std Trapezoid
Side Dots: 2mm Black
Binding: Single Ply WHITE (needs to be true White)
Scale Length: 24.75, (628mm)
Radius /Number of Frets: 12", 24
Body Style / Shape: SG - Body blends smoothly with side of neck
Heel Sculpting: none, 3mm step
Material: Mahogany with 3/4" Plain Maple Cap
Veneer: Top: AAA Flame Maple
Neck Pickup: Epiphone Probucker 2 PB2NHBN-4
Bridge Pickup: Epiphone Probucker 3 PB3NHBN-4
Pickup Mounting Rings: Black
Switch Type: 3-Way Toggle / Black Cap
Control Assembly: 2 Vol(coil splits via push/pull)/2 Tone(1 with Phase via push/pull)/ 3 Way
V/T Knob Color / Type: Clear Top Hats with Ridge
Output: Nickel plated metal plate
Back Plates: Black
Hardware Plating: Nickel
Tail Piece Type: LockTone Stop Bar
Bridge: LockTone ABR
Strap Button: 2, Butt and Back of Heel
Okay, uh… thanks for the heads up.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 sent the wrong specs on the wrong guitar it's fixed.. shit like that happens
Only thing I will never understand...a lot of guitar players love those old made in USA Vintage Epiphones...so why they don't do Epiphones custom shop made in the USA at a price of a standard Gibson you can buy an American Epiphones with American wood.. maybe made in Mexico.. it think it would be a bargain in terms of tone and quality
I'm with you. I'm a huge fan of all the older Epiphones, both Gibson made and the original New York models (I own a 51). My guess is the decision makers at Gibson don't believe there's enough demand. They did do the Japanese built Elite/Elitist line, which of course were discontinued, though I'm not clear why.
@@leonardgriffieblues5845 yes but the demand....is a custom shop only build on request if ordered...
I hope they come out with sunburst soon.
Historically, sunburst 355s are very rare. This model is a reissue 59 and there’s only one known example of a sunburst 59. Most were red or black, with an occasional white or natural (they got the red color very close!). Funny enough, stoptails like this one were also pretty rare. Most came with Bigsbys.
Thanks for watching.