Epiphone Wilshire Phant O Matic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Can’t begin to say enough good things about this guitar! I first saw Steve Marriott of Humble Pie using one of these back in the day! I had one in White, sone time later on. The neck profile, pick-ups, frets, sound and feel are second to none. Light weight too, for gigging endlessly! Get one now!! You won’t be disappointed!Jimbo

I love the fact that this guitar is an Epiphone original and not just a cheaper version of a Gibson model. First, AMS was fast and easy to deal with. It was my 1st time ordering from them. Guitar shipped same day I ordered and arrived 2 days after, packed good and in great shape. The guitar itself is even more beautiful in person then it shows online. When I first seen these advertised (Coronet, Wilshire, Crestwood), my 1st thought was 'man those look awesome' and I NEED one – simply put….it's amazing. Plugged this beauty in and it sounds as good as it looks. Those P90's are great. Frets are perfect, and the setup is great right out of the box. I look forward to playing this for years to come !!!!smbdownload

I love this Casino. I knew I wanted a P-90, and I really wanted a fully hollow body. I wanted to see if I could replicate a I've been agonizing over the purchase for months, looking for every possible solution, and was almost ready to pull the trigger on the Epi USA version, and after MUCH research, finally decided to go with the regular Epiphone. The construction, from everything I read, is excellent, and I knew that if necessary, I could always switch out the pups. Well, I can't say enough about how good this guitar is! I am extremely fussy on setups (I do setups on my own guitars and for other people) and this thing was ready to play right out of the box! I literally didn't touch a thing except to tune it up. I won't even have to dress the frets. I may touch them up just a bit (again, I'm really fussy) but they feel better than most guitars that cost three times as much. It is really beautiful. I love the vintage sunburst. The finish is flawless. Now for the important part – it plays like a dream. The neck profile is extremely comfortable. I can move up and down the neck as fluidly as on any guitar I own. And the sound! I was amazed at how present it is, even before plugging it in. I see this little sweetheart spending a lot of evenings on the couch with me. Soft enough not to overly bother my wife, but again – very present. Plugged in – well lets just say I won't be replacing these pups. It is exactly the sound I was hoping for. I'm no Grant Green, but I can certainly understand why he loved this guitar. Would I recommend it? Heck yeah! Country? Check. Classic rock? Check. Rockabilly, surf, blues and even jazz? Check, check, check, and check.Jess

Had the money to buy any guitar in the shop. Liked the looks of the SG, worn ebony with rosewood fingerboard and the Gibson speed knobs. Having only played guitars with 9.5 radius, I found the 14 radius was better for bar chords. The craftsmanship is excellent, can find no flaws the body or neck. The truss rod was out of adjustment, considerable back-bow. I fixed that, and set the action low. The intonation was spot on. Frets were polished with no sharp edges. I plan to upgrade the cheap electronics with new pots. As for the pickups, they sound ok. Since I use a modeling amp, not a big issue for me. The nut is a GraphTech synthetic bone. Nice touch for an inexpensive guitar, since i do not like changing them out…too much risk of damage. I have fender Strat and Tele, but have not put this down since purchasing it. Once I upgrade the electronics, this will be a very solid guitar.Jeff

I've been playing guitar for over 15 years. I got an 05' Gibson SG Standard for my 13th birthday. Over the years of influence in your ear about other guitars, you decide to dabble with different sounds and set ups. After playing a few strats, a ES-339, and a LP Standard over the years, I've always found myself to be happy at home with my SG. The 490R and 498T pickups are the best pickups Gibson made in my opinion. The versatility is astounding, ranging from jazz-fusion types like Larry Carlton, to the crunch of post hardcore, while pitching perfectly on iconic 70s solos and leads. Wether you're new to the Gibson family, or looking to add to your Arsenal, the SG Standard will forever please, and forever fit into any track.Jack

Absolutely love this guitar. It has taken the spot of my main Gibson for playing out. I alternate between this and my Dark Night American Pro II Stratocaster. The color schemes go well together and match my band's logo color scheme and branding so that's kind of a cool plus. I love the neck profile, the U shape is chunkier than a 60's Les Paul but is very comfortable in my hand and really reduces fatigue when I'm playing chords. I am still able to shred away with ease during solo time. I'm a huge fan of the nitro cellulous finish. I really like how the mahogany body resonates…I think it improves the tone. The QC, fit and finish on this guitar seems flawless to me. Gibson has really stepped up. Lastly, I want to comment on the soft case. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I was very surprised at how much padding there is and how plush it is on the inside. It is much more portable than a hard shell and honestly, with the shoulder strap….I may prefer it over the hard shell. It's easier to take to practice or a gig and the pocket has enough room for my wireless buds, iPod and foot controller (for iPod). I'm really stoked with my new SG, and I'd love to get one in white with gold hardware if AMS will ever offer it;-).Jon

Overall: This guitar showed up in need of a complete setup. Nothing was properly adjusted and setup, and I’m still not sure about the neck truss rod. Fortunately for me I know how to setup a guitar, however everything was out. When I set up a neck I usually adjust for .009” relief. I am unable get that with this neck probably because the truss rod was installed wrong at the factory. I might send this one back for that reason because if I ever go to a light gauge string I’d have to raise the action at the bridge so high it would be unplayable. As far as the CTS pots, they’re a very cheap version and they’re not very good. I replaced all of them with Bournes 500k pots and installed a Switchcraft jack. It definitely makes a big difference. Now that it’s been setup and fixed, except for the neck truss rod, it’s a great guitar. The Epiphone pickups sound great and the tuners are nice too. The finish is perfect and the stock hardware seems good. I certainly can recommend this guitar, but I feel zZounds should at least try and send these out in better condition. A setup like what I did would cost about $150. The last guitar I bought from zZounds was perfect, they let me down this time.Scott

What can you say? Epiphone has always made a good guitar, even before they became part of the Gibson family. The Epiphone SG and Les Paul models are top notch guitars, and are a great value for the price. So if you're looking for a good starter electric guitar, I recommend Epiphone all the way.krimzo_96

Great guitar, looks good, plays quite easily. Barely had to tweak it at all. A lot more economical than a Gibson(most don't realize it isn't.) I am very happy with this guitar and would recommend it to anyone who wants quality on a budget.richa.schau

I am a professional musician and play 5 days a week — I play my Epiphone SG full time. I don't have to take my Gibson 335, Les Paul, SG or Tele. This guitar holds it's own with any of them. I've been a player for 50 years. Highly recommend…musiclane301

Well I really like the Epiphone vintage reissues and Epiphone coronet could not miss my guitar collection. Great looks,sound is pretty much what I expected it to be and of course a quality product.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Received this guitar in great condition. It did need minor setup as would be expected. The guitar was finished very nicely and even had a rolled fret job on fretboard. I did pull the pickups and wiring covers while setting it up and it does have CTS pots with hand soldered point to point wiring as advertised. Plays great and the P-90 sounds awesome. Epiphone did a great job at reproducing this pre 62 Coronet. That being said, they used the post 62 compensated wrap around tailstop bridge which was a nice touch.Happy Go Eppie

Overall: I have purchased a lot of guitars in my life, many from you all. Let me say, that this Epiphone Coronet(red cherry), blows a lot of them away. I'm talking Fender, and Gibson alike. I mean, $399.99! Give me a break! I think it could probably go for $599.99 easily. i wouldn't be surprised to see the price go up eventually ,Anyway, I digress. First of all, right out of the box, the action was almost perfect. Intonation seemed to be pretty decent as well. The fret ends were not sharp at all( unlike some of the fenders I have purchased), and they are polished nicely. The P-90 screams, even through my little pig nose amp. Unbelievable. I would highly recommend this guitar to anyone, pro, am, beginner, anybody.(P.S. – get the cherry finish, the wood looks good under the red cherry.Epiphone hit a home run with this oneSincerely, Sande ProtichSande

Overall I do think that this guitar is well worth the little cost, I think credit has to be given to Gibson and epiphone for overseeing the quality of overseas company that makes this guitar. I also want to say that I bought the epiphone Les Paul hardshell case after I received and played the guitar and knew I was going to keep it, the case is also of good quality. I have played professionally for many years and also for fun Jamming with friends and other musicians, and exclusively played my 70s fender strat, and will continue to play the strat as the action is better and a little easier to play and I like the fender sound, I play the strat with the original fender Tube Concert Amp and I play the Les Paul with the concert amp and it sounds good also.I also play both with the Line 6 Jam amp and they also sound very good on the line 6 jam amp. I intend to play the Les Paul as often as I can and I do enjoy playing it. I received this guitar on June 5 and I was very happy to see it was well packed for shipping and was in very good condition when I received it. The action is very easy to set up I changed the strings as it comes with .10 and I like a lighter string. The guitar sounds and players very well the humbuckers sound good the 2 volume and tone work fine and the neck and treble switch works well at this time. It seems the Les Paul 100 is a well built and quality guitar at this time and only time will tell how it will hold up. I think if care is taken it should last a long time. I have owned a lot of guitars in my time and in my time all guitars were made in USA. I did not really like the Gibson the necks are big and bulky but I did like some of the deeper sounds. The guitar I played the most is my70s Fender Strat and I think I will play this Les Paul 100 more also. The guitar seems of good Quality, right now I think if there is a flaw it would be in the tuning knobs, right now I have a little problem with one tuning knob the 3rd string [G] goes out of tune during playing a short time I will try to tighten tuning knob to see if this will help. But over all the quality is good I think that the epiphone les paul 100 is a great value for the price, it sounds good and plays well for a non USA guitar I dont think you will find better, I hate to say this because I am a real fender fan and I have played some of the fender non USA guitars and they were terrible.joesplaceny

I bought this guitar for a couple reasons. My first reason was because i wanted a guitar that was my own, and not acoustic, ive used my brothers acoustic guitar fr my learning thus far, but ive grown apart from it, ive started wanting to learn skills used on electric. Another reason was, i can play well, and im in a band, but our guitarist isnt good at all and insists on playing guitar, so ive decided if i can play in his place, i can at least teach him. Finally, i am a huge fan of the anime "K-ON!" and the main character, Yui, plays a Gibson Les Paul in the same color as this, so that had a bug impact on what guitar i chose in the end. I absolutely love how it looks! It's simply awesome to have it in my room, and i constantly get told at school that i have a "sexy guitar" or i get asked "how much did it cost" and its awesome to know that it didnt cost me more than a PS3! And i love the features the guitar has [the 2 different pickup sounds are very useful]. And there is in NO way there is a $2000 dollar difference in sound quality, it still sound amazing, especially with some distortion or overdrive added to it! I'm yet to change the string on it, so obviously it still lacks in my own touch to it, but i will eventually get to that. and very VERY tiny scratches to the pick guard and writing on the switch labels were spotted upon its arrival, but these cannot be seen unless close.jayzap96

Overall: This is my umpteenth Epiphone custom sg guitar ive bought since the last guitar i had which was the more lower end 61 standard i bought here used last year. The caps pots and Gibson USA burstbuckers are definitely a step up in the right direction and are true to the original reissue Sg standards back in the beginning of the Gibson sg. It sounds like a 2000 dollar Gibson reissue sg but at Epiphone import prices. I intend on keeping this guitar for a lifetime and is a good backup guitar to my similarly pricef esp ltd viper 1000 deluxe i bought a year ago from a competitor in the now disconnected tiger eye finish from zZounds. Lastly i also intend on getting a real Gibson sg custom 63 version used for a discounted price. One more thing i might buy a backup les Paul sg standard by Epiphone just in case this one gets stolen or lost. Thank you Epiphone custom for stepping up your game and making better sg custom shop guitars than in the past. The black Epiphone sg custom with gold hardware is no joke either and i might another one when i get done paying for this Les Paul sg standard first fron here.Isaac

I got this guitar in sparkling burgundy and the finish is beautiful. The workmanship on this guitar is great; it feels very high quality. The fretwork is also really good, with no fret ends sticking out to cut my hands. That being said, the pickups are not very good. I initially debated purchasing the guitar since it sounded very ice-picky and thin when I played it in the store. But I decided to take a chance, knowing the return policy that GC has. I brought it home and the first thing I did was go over it completely. The fretboard was very dry. Even my wife, who doesn't play guitar, looked at it and commented on that. So removed the strings and polished the frets and cleaned/conditioned the fretboard. Then I swapped out the Alnico Classic Pro pickups, which are rather bad, and put in a set of Probucker 2/3 pickups that I had sitting around. Better strings, polished frets, and some nicer alnico 2 pickups made a huge difference. It sounds full and thick and warm, and it plays like an angel. I highly recommend it, as long as you can swap out the pickups.Robert

I bought one of these several months ago. Ok I'm not good guitarist so take that into into consideration but I have player series strat and have always played strat style guitars and I'm not saying i love this guitar more than the Fender I love them both but as far as the guitar is concerned she got so much potential tonally. I have no complaints about the ascetic she beautiful sexy gorgeous took a little getting used to the weight and contours compared to the strat there is adjustment period but she just rocks. I never played a Gibson but if this guitar had Gibson I guess it be a little better but also 2grand more. If I have any complaint is she is finger print magnet always wiping down get some dunlop 65 and microfiber cloth. The Glossy neck won't appeal to all but I can deal with it. Fret work perfect. I'm not a gigging musician but i have no doubt she gig worthy. Oh also, get the pro coverage cause I found out ALL Les Paul are extremely fragile at the neck,It has to do with the angle of the neck, Google it, do your research on owning a led Paul little different than strat anyway the guitar is 600-GREAT VALUE then with 2 years pro coverage plus tax it was under 900 or somewhere around there. And if you get a bad quality then ask for another cause it is coming from Asia so there is variability in workmanship but mine is PERFECT. If I ever get rich maybe ill buy a Gibson but for now this satisfy my Les Paul needs. I wanted an alternative to my strat to emulate Slash sound lol I need to work on my technique but this definitely rocks a Les Paul sound. I did see a review or 2 that liked the sound of the 1950 better but I played them both and liked the 60s better but check them both out the inspired by Gibson line is definitely worth the money if you want a Les Paul without breaking the bank. Just take your time do your homework if you can go to a GC and play it then do that In rarely write reviews especially this long but I love this guitarMichael L

Overall: This is my umpteenth Epiphone custom sg guitar ive bought since the last guitar i had which was the more lower end 61 standard i bought here used last year. The caps pots and Gibson USA burstbuckers are definitely a step up in the right direction and are true to the original reissue Sg standards back in the beginning of the Gibson sg. It sounds like a 2000 dollar Gibson reissue sg but at Epiphone import prices. I intend on keeping this guitar for a lifetime and is a good backup guitar to my similarly pricef esp ltd viper 1000 deluxe i bought a year ago from a competitor in the now disconnected tiger eye finish from zZounds. Lastly i also intend on getting a real Gibson sg custom 63 version used for a discounted price. One more thing i might buy a backup les Paul sg standard by Epiphone just in case this one gets stolen or lost. Thank you Epiphone custom for stepping up your game and making better sg custom shop guitars than in the past. The black Epiphone sg custom with gold hardware is no joke either and i might another one when i get done paying for this Les Paul sg standard first fron here.Isaac

I got this guitar in sparkling burgundy and the finish is beautiful. The workmanship on this guitar is great; it feels very high quality. The fretwork is also really good, with no fret ends sticking out to cut my hands. That being said, the pickups are not very good. I initially debated purchasing the guitar since it sounded very ice-picky and thin when I played it in the store. But I decided to take a chance, knowing the return policy that GC has. I brought it home and the first thing I did was go over it completely. The fretboard was very dry. Even my wife, who doesn't play guitar, looked at it and commented on that. So removed the strings and polished the frets and cleaned/conditioned the fretboard. Then I swapped out the Alnico Classic Pro pickups, which are rather bad, and put in a set of Probucker 2/3 pickups that I had sitting around. Better strings, polished frets, and some nicer alnico 2 pickups made a huge difference. It sounds full and thick and warm, and it plays like an angel. I highly recommend it, as long as you can swap out the pickups.Robert

Overall: This is my umpteenth Epiphone custom sg guitar ive bought since the last guitar i had which was the more lower end 61 standard i bought here used last year. The caps pots and Gibson USA burstbuckers are definitely a step up in the right direction and are true to the original reissue Sg standards back in the beginning of the Gibson sg. It sounds like a 2000 dollar Gibson reissue sg but at Epiphone import prices. I intend on keeping this guitar for a lifetime and is a good backup guitar to my similarly pricef esp ltd viper 1000 deluxe i bought a year ago from a competitor in the now disconnected tiger eye finish from zZounds. Lastly i also intend on getting a real Gibson sg custom 63 version used for a discounted price. One more thing i might buy a backup les Paul sg standard by Epiphone just in case this one gets stolen or lost. Thank you Epiphone custom for stepping up your game and making better sg custom shop guitars than in the past. The black Epiphone sg custom with gold hardware is no joke either and i might another one when i get done paying for this Les Paul sg standard first fron here.Isaac

I got this guitar in sparkling burgundy and the finish is beautiful. The workmanship on this guitar is great; it feels very high quality. The fretwork is also really good, with no fret ends sticking out to cut my hands. That being said, the pickups are not very good. I initially debated purchasing the guitar since it sounded very ice-picky and thin when I played it in the store. But I decided to take a chance, knowing the return policy that GC has. I brought it home and the first thing I did was go over it completely. The fretboard was very dry. Even my wife, who doesn't play guitar, looked at it and commented on that. So removed the strings and polished the frets and cleaned/conditioned the fretboard. Then I swapped out the Alnico Classic Pro pickups, which are rather bad, and put in a set of Probucker 2/3 pickups that I had sitting around. Better strings, polished frets, and some nicer alnico 2 pickups made a huge difference. It sounds full and thick and warm, and it plays like an angel. I highly recommend it, as long as you can swap out the pickups.Robert

This guitar had been on back order for almost two years. I ordered then cancelled twice after long delays. Finally, the world went back to semi-normal, and I was able to order it and receive it in 5 days. Absolutely stunning finish. The blue case it comes in is an added bonus. I have a 2004 Gibson LP Standard with Burstbucker Pro's, and that is the standard which all others are judged. This Epiphone Les Paul holds its own when played back to back. The Seymour Duncan JB is bright, articulate, and adds about 10% more volume to your rig. It is made to rock hard, so dialing it down might be a challenge, but I am not using this Tommy Thayer Les Paul to play Elizabeth Reed. Fit and finish were fantastic right out of the box. The only thing I turned screws on was adding strap locks. The Electric Blue finish is mind blowing and you will be able to pick up some purple hues because of the amount of glitter in the finish. Rock and Roll All Night! My only gripe is that I wish Ace Frehley had a finish this cool, but then again, he wasn't in Kiss as long as Tommy Thayer. This is coming from a kid who learned to play guitar from the original Space Ace.Justin

Phenomenal Instrument. Superbly crafted. Slim tapered 60's neck. Excellent fretboard. Smooth playing Guitar with an Ultra Comfortable neck. The Seymour Duncan JB Humbuckers (The Bridge has Custom Blue Pole Pieces and the Neck has a Chrome cover and bezel) are very touch sensitive, powerful and have this incredible tone!! The 18:1 Grovers turn so Smooth and keep it in tune. The intonation is fantastic. It is Non – Weight Relieved which might account for the incredible Sustain. The Sparkle Electric Blue Finish is Absolutely Stunning and flawless. As is the binding. Although It seems more purple than blue. The chrome Tommy Thayer Truss Rod Cover and The mirror pickguard add so cool accents along with all the bright chrome hardware. The electric blue hardshell case is so fantastic and reminds me of a plush Limo!! The Tommy Thayer picture and Certificate in a fancy hard binder adds a very nice little surprise to the "Case Candy".JJ

Overall: Definitely overpriced, but then again, you’re paying for the name and the free guitars Tommy Thayer’s getting out of the deal.It claims to have two Seymour Duncan Jazz Bridge pickups. Those are my favorite pickup, I already have them in two other guitars, and to me, the sound out of this doesn’t feel like them.It does feel a bit cheaply made, even compared to the Epiphone Wilshire I own, which is another artist model and was three hundred bucks cheaper than this.I don’t know if it was damaged in shipping or was already broken, but my neck pickup does not function. Switching to the middle is noisy and thin and the neck position is a killswitch.The bridge pickup has some wiring issues as well, the volume pot actually has to be backed off slightly from 100% before it will work. I don’t want to go through the process of returning it for repairs or replacement. I’m not good at wiring my own stuff but it’d be easier to bring it to a local guy. Especially if shipping was the issue to begin with. The control knobs don’t feel like the were placed in properly, either, they’re uneven and wobbly, not flush with the body at all.The only reason to buy it is the finish, and it does look great. The chrome hardware is also quite snazzy, far more mirrored than usual.I don’t know if it’s $800+ worth of great, probably not.I don’t regret buying this but I also wouldn’t buy it again, if that makes any sense to you.Joe

I am basically play for my own entertainment, and this LP Modern is rapidly becoming my favorite, even though I also really like my G&L Tele and Strat models. The shorter scale makes a difference and I find the neck fits my hand really nicely. The sound is great, as is the finish. Having said that, I would have given it 5 stars, but my guitar came with 5 areas of light scratches and scuffs, including under the protective plastic on the pick guard, but I was able to polish all of them out to where all but one area is completely gone. The worst spot was by the toggle switch, which is all but disappeared and probably with a little more polishing, would go away completely. I didn't want to take the chance of going thru the clear, but am happy with the results. Someone else who is uncomfortable with that process may find it unacceptable, but I doubt those issues are common on Epiphones and MF's return/exchange policy would certainly cover that as I was assured if I wished to do so. The Sparkling Burgandy finish is a real eye catcher and now it makes me want to pick up the guitar and play it, which is the whole point. The added weight relief makes it enjoyable hanging on your shoulder. This is a very nice guitar for the price and then some. And Devan Miller has been great during the whole process and follow up. Very knowledgeable, patient, and extremely helpful in answering all my questions. Highly recommend him as a rep.Steve R

Overall: The Epiphone Les Paul Modern sounds great and looks amazing. The new/old Kalamazoo headstock is a game changer for the overall look of the instrument. With push/pull coil split and phase switching there are a wide variety of useful sounds over and above the traditional Les Paul. Any differences between Epiphone and Les Paul pickups can be compensated for with EQ, especially while using overdrive. There is a bit of noise similar to single coils when using the coil split function.The guitar came with a great setup from the factory. Action and intonation are about the best I have seen of any of the dozen or so guitars I have owned. Tuning stability is exceptional. This is noteworthy for an Epiphone as there are often issues with tuning stability on Gibson LP's due to the angle of the headstock being greater than the Epiphones. The locking tuners are an excellent upgrade, and should be standard on most guitars these days. Regarding quality control, I identified three high frets that are causing some minor fret buzz, but not enough to send it back. Some minor fret work will resolve this, but you should take this into consideration if you are not inclined to spend extra money on a brand new guitar for fret leveling. I have read that this is a common issue with 2020-2021 Epiphones. Fret ends have some sharpness to them. The black pickguard has a gap around the neck pickup. Not very noticeable unless you are looking for it, but I am not sure why this is an issue. I have seen it on other guitars of this model. Though it is an Epiphone, this seems to be one area that would not be difficult to fix in design. Finally, there are minor quality control issues on the finish mostly around the binding with paint bleed or similar. Overall, at this price point, the guitar is a great purchase for the hobbyist, considering the Gibson version will cost about $3,000. However, with so many quality guitar choices in the $1,000 price range, I am not sure I would pay much more for an Epiphone, and am glad they kept the price point in this range.Shanon

This Epi is the best out of my 4 Epiphones and right next to my Gibson Les Paul. I weighed this at about 7.8lbs. I had to leave the pickguard off. Fret ends are smooth and the neck is between a slim-tapered and chunky. I love the Probucker pups, which, to me, are similar to the Gibson 490R and 498T pups that I have on my SG. This axe presents a lot of 'firsts' for me-my first modern relief axe, my first access Les Paul so it's nice to have the extra room at the higher frets, my first set of locking tuners which makes changing strings so much easier and these Grovers hold well. The pot tapering is superb and the out-of-phase switch has a nice sound, too…Overall, this is the perfect axe for beginners and the perfect axe for professionals. You deserve to play one for yourself. Play it plugged AND unplugged…Feel the resonance.John564

I brought the Caribbean Fade, and it's amazing looking. Great sound, really has that Gibson sound. Finish is really really nice, very well put together, perfect weight, great guitar all around for the money. I am a huge fan of both Gibson's, and Fender's, I may lean alittle more towards the Fender side though. I will say for the money I bought after playing them both back to back that the new Fender Player series Mexican Stratocasters sound almost as good as the Fender American's nowadays, and for the money if you are split between a Epiphone (trying to get the Gibson sound on a budget), and the Fender Player Mexican (looking for the Fender American sound) these guitars are both about the same price, I would get the Fender, maybe not as pretty as the Gibson, but the Fender is the most versatile guitar there has ever been and the Player series is alot of guitar for only $700+ dollars, and is very close sounding to the American. But if you want a Gibson and can't afford their outrageous and I know they are amazing, but I just don't see or hear $2,800 worth of guitar there. But I do hear an amazing Epiphone Les Paul for under $800, I guess my point is, you could buy an Epiphone Les Paul Modern, and a Fender Player Mexican Stratocaster, and still have a $1,000 to spend on an Amp for the price of the Gibson alone, and I feel the same way about the Fender American model, although I think the Fender American at only $1,700 is a superior guitar to the $2,800 Gibson, you just get alot more guitar for $1,100 less then the Gibson. Save your money, this Epiphone Modern is a great guitar that sounds amazing and looks amazing. One thing I didn't realize, and this is another reason to go with the Fender Player series, is your going to have to pay a professional to put your pick guard on your Epiphone, as it does not come attached. I'm sure that will be another $100, as I'm not scewing anything into my guitar without the insurance a store would have to replace it if something went wrong haha. Personally I don't beat on my guitars enough, and with how pretty the Caribbean Fade looks, and with the Epiphone having more clearance from strings to tje body, then the Fender, I'm leaving it off. Hope this helps, if you are dead set on wanting the Gibson sound at a budget the Epiphone Les Paul Modern is a great guitar. One other thing you will most likely also have to buy a specific case as it doesn't fit in the basic hardcase I bought when I bought my Fender. Gibsons body Shape is more unique then alot of guitars, and I wouldn't risk using anything other then specifically designed Gibson/Epiphone cases, wear as a PRS, Ibanez, and a great majority of guitars fit in the standard hard case. I spent the extra $130 for a Epiphone case. As it was resting on the tip of the guitar in my standard hard case and that's a big no no. Enjoy!!!J

Sound: Pickups sound great with several different voicing available with the coil taps and phase switch. Features: Just feels like a top shelf instrument. Ease of Use: Playability was great out of the box , it is outstanding with a truss rod and bridge tweak. Quality: Fells extremely well made. Value: I think it is comparable to other guitars in this price range Manufacturer Support: No The Wow Factor: It is absolutely beautiful – the prettiest guitar I’ve owned and I’ve owned over 70 guitars! Overall: First of all, I have extremely high expectations when an import guitar cost $700, so this review is written from a critical viewpoint. I ordered Thursday night and it was in my hands Saturday morning at 11! Great job. Epiphone box packaged inside of a bigger box albeit with no packing material between the two. Guitar arrived unscathed. Epiphone decals and warranty info but no truss rod tool. I was so happy that the pickguard wasn’t installed nor are there holes drilled in this beautiful finish, but it was included in the box. The fret ends are as smooth as silk! I was worried about this as my 2020 Epiphone Explorer felt like a cheese grater. Action was a little high with zero neck relief from the factory. Frets are actually pretty level. I gave it the slightest amount of relief and dropped it to 2/64 on both the low E and high Es. Predictably, it had some buzz up past the 12th fret. I raised it to my standard 4/64 and 3 /64 and there is zero fret buzz. Way to go a Epiphone factory! The Grover locking tuners are great but whoever put the strings on at then factory doesn’t know how to use them properly as they still wrapped them around the post. The electronics all function as they should and have a quality feel to them. They have a full range of motion and not just on/off like some cheaper guitars tend to have. The fit and finish is near perfect. I found just a very slight over spray on the binding on the treble side and a finish imperfect on the side of the nut. Other then those two things, nothing- it’s perfect! The Caribbean Fade is the prettiest did sg I’ve ever seen in person – the wow factor is huge on this guitar.Arnie

As with most people, I'm hesitant to buy guitars sight unseen through the mail. But with the current state of the world, that's becoming more and more the norm. Luckily the guitar arrived in absolutely perfect condition and set up nicely. The Red is really deep and rich. I know it's cliche, but the pictures really don't do it justice. I've been on a quest all these years for a guitar with a neck that properly fits my small hands and extremely short thumbs (nearly impossible to roll my thumb over the top of the neck ala Hendrix). I was torn between the Sheraton and the Casino, but decided on the Sheraton. When the next 48 month 0% promotion rolls around I may get the Casino as well. The tone of the Sheraton is very surprising for this price range. I also own a Clapton Strat (almost 3 times the price), and I absolutely enjoy the sound of the Sheraton more, as hard as that might be to believe. Obviously that is subjective. However, the place the Sheraton really shines for me is the neck! It fits my hands better than any other guitar I've ever played. Rolling my thumb over the top still isn't an easy proposition, but at least it's in reach (no pun intended), and with some practice I'll eventually get there. On the Strat it was impossible. I mainly play on the neck pickup, and it has a nice creamy, warm sound combined with my Blues Deluxe Reissue. I've never owned a 335 type guitar, as I always thought they were for jazz, but this guitar is very versatile. It's still a crapshoot with ordering through the mail, but I highly recommend the Sheraton if you (like me) can't afford a Gibson.Patrick B

Overall: Ive had this guitar a little over 24 hours now and cant put it down!! I got the blemished wine red model and the only blemish it had was a smidge of paint got on the binding where it meets the neck, i mean you had to really look close to see it and zZounds being the grandslam hitters that they are knocked 100 bucks off the price!!!I recieved it in a 1 1/2 days ( doesnt get any faster than that) and straight out of the box the action was perfect the intonation was spot on! The D string was maybe a cent out of tune. The guitar in wine red with the gold hardware is visually stunning, build quality you ask? Its built like a tank from the grover tuners, bone nut, loctone bridge and tail piece with a 3 way toggle you can litterally abuse and the probuckers sound amaZzing in full humbucker and coil split. This is a 1,000 + quitar with an intermediate price tag! Got to take a minute to shout out to the guys and gals at zZounds this is the third guitar that ive bought from them and they just keep knockin it out of the park!!! I will never shop for a guitar any where else you guys are first ballad hall of famers all the way!!! If your sick of the used car salesman approach and being followed around the lot, zZounds is the answer, they are the most professional ive ever dealt with period. Whem the extura prophesy in purple burst gets in stock, put one back for me, that is my next purchaseTommy

Overall: Gone are the days of buying an Epiphone for the bones and upgrading everything.Out of the box, the bass side action was pretty high. 3 turns of a screw driver and a retune and it's perfection.Sweet, sustaining tones. The neck pickup is thick and rich, the bridge pickup bites with nice midrange.I have the Iced Tea finish and it is flawless.It's pretty loud, acoustically as well.The fingerboard is a nice, even, dark chocolatey color. There are no sharp frets, and the frets themselves are smooth and there's no grittiness when you bend a string.The tuners feel like quality.the right amount of resistance when you turn the key,.very smooth tuning.This guitar holds tune amazingly well. The nut is cut very, very well. I just spent an hour bending the hell out of notes and it's still perfectly in tune.Even the strings that come with It are decent.If this was my only guitar (it's not, I own over 20 lol), I would be happy.If you've got less than $600 to spend and you want a high quality guitar, this is the one.Now, can it be made better with some upgrades?Maybe. We shall see. It's very easy to swap out the tailpiece for a lightweight aluminum one, the studs for locking steel studs, and the inserts for steel inserts. You can even find brass saddles that fit this bridge perfectly if you know where to look, as well as steel thumbwheel posts. Throw on some locking tuners while you've got it apart, and Bob's yer auntie.This one is a keeper. And with a 12 month payment plan? I'd only have to sell plasma twice a month to pay for it!Cody

Epiphone did a good job of recreating the classic semi-hollow body, but it isn't perfect. To start, it's very heavy. The neck and giant head (while very cool) causes significant "nose dive". I find myself pulling it up way more often then I would like. My second con is the pickups. They are good but break up a little too early for me. But, other than those two things it's an awesome guitar. The features like the binding on the neck, a burst finish, and inlays all over make it beautiful to look at and feel on the hands. You would pay big money for a Gibson with the same level of features. Build quality on mine is fine, binding edges are crisp, frets are level, wiring seems to be assembled well. I'm putting a better set of strings on mine (no idea what comes on it but I hate it) and smile every time I pick it up.James

Overall: I've been a guitarist since the late 80's, but I no longer play professionally, but I do play at home a lot. I've sold off most of my Gibsons (I held on to my '19 Les Paul Traditional) and I'm having a blast with these new Epi models. Everyone is raving about the Standard and the '59 models, and rightfully so. I own both, as well as a new Custom Silverburst and they're all great. This Classic is no exception. It actually arrived needing the least amount of setup work of all the others. The Alnico Classic Pros are brighter and a bit hotter than the Probuckers, but they're not at all harsh. The electronics work as expected, the neck pickup sounds sweet when split and the Phase feature sounds good with some moderate gain. The nut was cut extremely well and the frets don't need really much dressing. The neck is a little slimmer than what I'm used to, but it's easy adapting. The fretboard is a bit dry, but that's normal. Actually, these new Epiphone models all arrived in better condition than most of my Gibsons did in the past. The new Epiphone models are players guitars. Not wall art or collector's (cork sniffers) guitars, I wouldn't hesitate to take any of them to a gig and have fun with them. That's the whole point, right? I just wish they had made import guitars of this quality when I first started playing.Uriah

Out of the box and tuned, this guitar was completely unplayable with the neck so bent that pressing the strings at anywhere beyond the 8th fret fouled the frets higher up the neck, this also meant the action (measured at the 12th fret) was over 6mm. Fortunately I’ve a good understanding of how to set-up a guitar so adjusted the neck to have minimal relief with the truss rod – as a point of interest there was no truss rod allen key in the box, so just as well that I have my own tools. Once the action was set to my preferred settings (and by no means not as low as many like it) I had loads of fret buzz all over the place. So resetting the neck flat and using a ‘fret rocker’ I found 17 of the 22 frets (at various points across the neck) in need of remedial work to get them level. However as the guitar was new I decided initially to just add a bit more neck relief & set the action a shade higher, while I decided if I should just send it back or spending some hours sorting the frets in the near future? There are some positive points! I really liked the ‘worn’ (satin) finish although I feel there should have been a higher discount over the gloss finished versions as this must have saved loads of time during the finishing process. The Alnico Classic PRO pickups sound powerful with loads of variation between the neck and bridge and support coil-splitting. With the coils split option, with push/pull volume pots, there is (as expected) a significant drop in output but they do sound good, verging on P90 territory, rather than Strat/Tele sound ‘alikes’. One of the areas that lower cost guitars usually fail on is the quality of the tuners, here they have fitted Grover Rotomatics with an 18:1 ratio. They are smooth and easy to operate with the large kidney button heads, holding tune very well. The nut, a Graph Tech, was superbly cut, but unfortunately this was completely wasted with the poor quality of fret levelling from the factory as several of the strings would buzz when played open when set at a reasonably low action! The trapezoid neck inlays are very well fitted and although acrylic, do a very good impersonation of mother of pearl. Visually the guitar look stunning with its unusual colour and matt (worn) finish, but I do find the inclusion of gold knobs a bit of a clash with the all Nickel hardware and at the back cream control plate covers just don’t look right and should have been black. But both of these last two issues are a really cheap to resolve at about £12 for both black cover plates and 4 clear knobs. Overall both positives & negatives to consider and if I’d been unable to adjust the guitar myself, there would have been no option but to just send it back for a refund/replacement (hence 3 stars which I think is quite generous) as it is I’ll be keeping this. If I could have bought this locally it would have been great to try before I bought, but my local Epiphone dealer (90 mile round trip) didn’t have any in stock and was unlikely to get one, so I went the mail order route. The guitar is now playing well and will be even better when I get the time to sort out the frets and put a set of 9-42 gauge strings on.Paul

This guitar is absolutely stunning. At about $450 the Epiphone Les Paul Special certainly hits its price point without question. This is the 2nd time I bought this guitar, but I couldn't resist buying this again. I'll start with the cons first, that I noticed applied to both Special's I've owned.. The poly finish is thick. The combination of the "tv yellow" color and the thick polyurethane sort of gives a toy like feeling, or a bit of a cheapness to it.. Speaking of "tv yellow," it's really more of a Dijon mustard/ Carmel color. I don't think that's a bad thing or ugly by any means, but as other reviewers may have stated, the Epiphone isn't quite as accurate to its high end counterpart. The pickup routes and control cavity were also a little bit choppy, but that's just nit picking. If you buy this guitar, you will most likely need a setup. 2nd time around, I knew that going in but both guitars I bought needed set ups. That being said, this guitar is awesome. Surprisingly the laurel fingerboard was really smooth and moist. I do not sense bad or tall frets, but are scratchy at first. The P90 pros are so good. The CTS pots are so dynamic. The volume and tone sweeps combined with these P90 pros are so dynamic and touch sensitive, that they can hang with the best of em. The guitar resonates so well and plays both clean and crunchy top notch. Punchy and warm…Absolute quality electronics. I haven't found a bad tone in any position. If your used to playing your guitars with everything at 10, this guitar with inspire you to play around with all the tonal possibilities by simply rolling in & out your pots. The neck on this is fat, and so nice but not absurd. I highly recommend it. For the price, you can't go wrong and will love the tones, just plan on getting a setup and you will absolutely love this guitar.Zac F

I've wanted a semi-hollow for some time and I took the plunge to get this one. It's a very nice guitar that looks good and plays well. I was initially suspicious because of the price, as other guitars in the range did not play so well to me. Anyway, I had the store do a setup to ensure everything was fine and had the strings on I like to use. I change my own strings, of course, but I don't have tools for doing a proper setup. Good thing I did. Their Technician/Luthier CONNER, was very, very conscientious about his work, even fixing a slightly raised 14th fret. He was very meticulous in his inspection and work. If you don't have a semi-hollow body ax, this would be a good choice for the money. I have not had it long enough to say much about the two split-coil switches for the humbuckers. Maybe they'll turn out to add some good sounds as I play more. My only significant gripe is that the back of the neck has a standard gloss finish. If you play guitar, you probably hate that, as well. But some light sanding and oil should improve the playability.George

This was for my son, a late beginner, to add to his Ibanez s521. This was ordered online, not bought off the wall. It comes very well packaged for shipment and arrived with zero scratches or damage. The strings that it has are actually OK and I may keep them for a bit. I am not a huge fan of the gold metallic but it is the kid's preference, and the finish seems nice. I did not see much of the paint covering part of the binding in places as some have remarked, and the binding seems to be pretty decently done. The only really startling indicator of low build quality on ours is the very rough finish on the insides of the f holes. There are places that the paint has small runs in it and you can tell there was cost savings. There are guitars in the price category that are much better finished in there and I would have gladly paid a couple of extra bucks for this. At least they could have painted it black on the sides of the holes, like they did on some of the other colors, to hide it somewhat. On the gold, it is just jarring. I may do just that, after it is out of warranty of course. It is sad because there aren't any other significant issues on mine. The fret ends seem pretty nice and there really isn't any lifting, sprout, or sharpness on any of them. I am intermediate, so I can't really say authoritatively how the tone compares to others objectively, but to my ears it sounds pretty good especially compared to some others in the price range, like the stock Ibanez pickups. Seem to have clarity and not muddy. Like the neck profile. Neck required a slight loosening of the truss rod to straighten and the action was easily lowered to 1.5mm at the 12th fret low e without significant buzzing. The treble bleed does its job and single coil option is nice too. It won't sound like my strat but it does give some versatility. The guitar is very fun to play with its neck profile and radius once I did my mild setup on it, and hard to explain, but I don't want to put it down once I start using it. Despite the one flaw, I still think it is a good buy and recommended.JM

A great es-335 from Epiphone, especially with the alnicoV humbuckers, coil splitting, and quality control all around. I did very little set-up to get nice low action; I must also put on some new strings, loop-tie them, with some stop bar adjustment. I like this glossy ebony finish, but used steel wool on the back of the neck to take down the stickiness. Clear mellow sound with a bit of woodiness on the neck pickup; good for rhythm, CCR, country, jazz, and classic rock. The bridge pickup gives me more attack; good for clear chicken picking, and with pedals heavy distortion chunks and leads. With the coil split, I can almost get a Tele sound on the bridge pickup. The neck shape is sort-of D shaped; I prefer the rounded C-shape of the 1950s Gibsons. Great guitar at a super price on deal of the day sale. This is one of those rare very low priced yet quality guitars worth buying and playing.Professorchill

I purchased the Epiphone 1958 Gothic Explorer a few months ago and I was very disappointed with what I got. First of all, the wood cannot be mahogany as listed on the product info. The headstock is significantly heavier than the body. When you stand up with the guitar on you it constantly falls on its head. You are forced to constantly hold up the guitar and the unbalanced weight starts to wear on your left hand. It might be fine if you don't play that much or just strum power chords. But the unbalanced weight slows you down for anything else. I read other reviews and others also think its not mahogany but instead alder, a lighter white wood. I checked through some youtube videos of people playing and I saw one where someone scrapped off the gothic finish. I was unsurprised to see that the wood underneath looked exactly like alder and not mahogany. I Don't know if this is an error in the product info or that Epiphone ripping you off. Other than that the tone knob has a very limited range. Just strum a chord and then toggle the tone knob, you'll hear that there is not much difference between 0-10. That might be fine for a beginner but for someone who really wants to shape their sound its unresponsive. Also the harmonics on the guitar aren't good. The stock pick ups don't have the highs to really support your harmonics; artifial, natural, and especially pinch.ilikemetal69

Add my voice to positive reviews! I have the Goth 1958 Explorer and the Korina 1958 Explorer, they are identical under the paint. Asian Mahogany (Nato) with a Maple neck. The neck is quite wide, very good sustaining notes. Move the front strap knob to the base of the neck and balance is perfect. Weighs 7-lb 12oz. I have my Korina set up for slide, the 11-49 strings adjusted just high enough for a glass slide to clear the frets, and still play chords below the 12th fret. Why call it a Goth? Not sure any Goth bands used heavy overdrive guitar rhythm or lead.Buffalo_BiL

I have always wanted a 335, but did not like the larger size. I saw this 339 and stepped up and bought it home. Had to wait 6 weeks, but was it ever worth it. This is the best guitar I have ever played or been around. Cannot make my mind up if it plays better than it looks, or if it looks better then it sounds. It came set up really well, intonation and all. All I had to do was tune it and go. Cannot find one flaw in the paint, assembly or anything wrong at all. It rings so true, holds a note and there is a major difference when selecting either pickup or both, and the tone and volume controls lets you have an infinite setting control on tone and volume. Set the bridge to really ring out and the neck one a little muddy and together it is killer, but can flip the switch and brighten a solo up good. An absolute joy to play. Just strike your favorite chord and let it ring…beautiful fun. I was worried about the neck thickness, but it is a non issue. Easy to chord, simple to fret in any way you please. I cannot express just how happy I am with this guitar. Michael at musicians friend was a great help in every way getting it here.Keith

Very comfortable to hold and play, with a slightly chunky neck which is my preference. Combines the best aspects of 335s and Les Pauls. It's also heavier than I thought it would be (again for me a good thing, I don't like feather-light guitars) I was expecting SG weights and annoying neck dive. As suggested already it seems to sound somewhere between a full-sized 335 type and a solid body, which again isn't much of a surprise. Seems to have more twang than my LP which is good for my taste, which is more soul and funk. The finish is also perfect, though slightly different to the one advertised at the time of purchase. The neck fades into a natural varnish rather than the all-black paint. Also the sides are solid natural varnish rather than the fading between black and natural effect.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

My first electric. Got it in a combo kit with amp and bag. Hook it into my computer now and rarely use the amp for anything. That being said, as many people have mentioned the bridge. If this isn't your first guitar, or you are looking for a second guitar – don't get this one. I learned about intonation and action and all that while having this guitar. You can only set the intonation on the outside E's and everything else is just what you get. My the height of my bridge for medium action on the low E is maybe a 1/16 from bottoming out, any lower it will buzz more. To get the same range of action on my high E my bridge is almost a 1/4" in the air. I do not know enough to get into shimming the neck to get it leveled out more, I just know enough to assume a 1/4" rise over 3" space probably isn't a good thing. However! I've learned plenty on it over these last 6 months. I bought this guitar because I did not want to invest a lot of money into it if I wasn't going to stick with it. I bought this in February of 22. The first 5 months I probably played on it maybe 50-60 hours. These last 4 months I've probably played on it 1-3 hours a day. I started using apps to learn and being able to plug it directly into my computer has been amazing. It's served it's purpose, I'm now getting to the level of playing where I'd like a better quality instrument and am looking in the $400-$500 range. For a first guitar, and you're not sure if you're going to stay with it, this was great for me and I will pass it on to someone else to get started with. Other than the bridge intonation and probably not flat fret board, I have had 0 mechanical issues with it.Jay

I'm reviewing the gold top model. I own a lot of guitars but I didn't have a gold top Les Paul and always wanted one. This is an amazing guitar for the price! Fit and finish are perfect. It sounds and plays great. I love it. Note, always put a new set of strings on a guitar that comes with strings on it. It's a simple fix for a lot of problems you thought you had, but don't. Who knows how long they've been on or what brand they are. Now, the details. Frets were perfectly level, no sharp ends. Slight amount of oxidization. I polished the crowns and ends with Micro-Mesh pads. I used 6000>8000>12,000 grit pads. I wasn't taking metal off, just polishing them to a jewelery finish. Really makes bends and vibrato silky and smooth. I do that to all my guitars. I like the Indian laurel fingerboard. It's a good alternative to rosewood. I cleaned it with alcohol, then applied a very light amount of fingerboard oil/conditioner. Let it sit a few minutes then wiped it dry. It has a beautiful look and feel now. As for setup, the only thing that was set correctly was the intonation. So I lowered the bridge to the (low) action I like, and it was pretty clean, a little buzz on the upper frets. The neck was trussed completely flat, so I loosened the truss rod about 1/4 turn and that gave it the right amount of relief. No more buzz. Next, I filed the nut slots slightly wider and deeper. Action was too high off the nut. I use XL strings (9-42) and the slots were even too tight for them! That was the only real glaring problem on this guitar. Tight nut slots cause tuning issues and your average customer isn't going to have the tools or skills to fix that. I have a set of precision nut slotting files and feeler gauges to cut them to the proper depth. Man, that was the magic touch. The action is amazing now, all the way up the neck. No problems with tuning stability. And that's all I needed to do. It plays like a dream. I thought I would need to swap out the pickups but I like these. I'm old and play mostly classic rock, and these sound just right for the Les Pauls of that era. I get that sound that Gary Richrath (REO Speedwagon), early Joe Walsh, Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Joe Perry, Page, Billy G, had in the late 60's – 70's. I ran it through a Goat distortion simulator and got Tom Scholtz Boston sound perfectly. It was actually better than another LP I have with DiMarzio super distortion pups. Easier to control the overdrive. All in all, Epiphone has really raised their bar. If you have typical electric guitar setup skills, you'll make this a sweet playing guitar. If you don't, it's worth it to find someone who does. Just a few minor adjustments and you'll have a fine axe to play.Rich