just got mine yesterday and i dropped it off at david neely's (catalyst for Lazarus) to get a Set UP , it has a banging flame veener. . Epi/Gibson custom shop did a great job.on the Lazurus and thanks Joe for re issues of classic vintage guitars great review
I bought one of the early Les Paul Joe Bonamassa Gold Top guitars. ( around 11 years ago?) I brought it in to get set up by a local luthier and they had a used, but like new, set of Gotoh bridge and tailpiece for 1/2 price. I couldn't resist and had them put it on. When I went back to pick the guitar up the luthier said he was impressed with the sound and hooked it up to an Aguilar amp and played a little. Every head in the shop turned and some jaws dropped when he started playing. One customer came up to me and asked if I'd sell my guitar to him. I turned him down as I hadn't spent any time with it because I'd brought it right from unpacking it to his shop. So, putting in a better bridge and tailpiece might also make some big changes to the Lazarus.
Mine finally arrives this Thursday. It's my Xmas gift to me.Can not wait to hear how it screams.You get a lot of guitar for a price that is where it should be.Now I need it to bite like Steve Marriott did in Humble Pie!!
Scott Lewis is the Epiphone China facility supervisor and Master builder and he was Master builder for Gibson their are also American luthiers at the Epiphone facility who also were with Gibson...Scott Lewis has been with Gibson/Epiphone for 46 years and he is considered one of the very best
I purchased a lazarus to see how an instrument supposedly mimicking a genuine 59 LP would sound and feel, and out of great respect for joe Bona. I own and have owned many gibsons and Epi’s in the past 60 years. I have a Gibson 1959 conversion. I have played a genuine 1959 lp at Song birds in Tn. The epi is as close as I can detect, with my unfortunate hearing reduction from standing in front of my plexi marshal stack in the 1970’s for a few years. The Lazarus is a superb instrument! If is was gloss, (as a collector, esthetics are important) I would have kept it. The tone is more ‘woody’ like and original LP and more so than Gibson stds and Traditionals - to my ears. So just like many many instruments I have owned, I should not have sold it….
that guitar and the 59 reissue both the long neck tenon and Gibson burst buckers in it. As a matter of fact I'm sure it does. ProBuckers are Epiphone's “tribute” to the Gibson Burst Bucker. The Burst Bucker is a really nice AlNiCo based Gibson's PAF-family pickup. While it is machine-wound, the design includes a different wind count for each coil, resulting in an unbalanced coil inductance.They are not the same. Close but no cigar.
Epiphone have been putting high end electronics in certain Epiphone models since 2019 the pro buckers are PAF humbuckers as a matter of fact if you go to buy a set of pro buckers humbuckers they will cost you $170.00 not cheap the High end Epiphones are the Customs Moderns and prophecy Models
I have one..pretty damn nice with appointments…yours has a nice flame veneer…mines ok…that one pops ..nice guitar ….it’s basically the epi 59..with a better veneer….
I have 2 epi 59s and they are fantastic guitars for the money but there was no way I would have spent that kind of money on them if they stock with Probuckers . They say Probuckers are copies of Burstbuckers but to my ears they sound very different and the BBs are just in a higher league especially in the lower frequencies.
@@orlandoluthier6167 By Orlando do you mean Florida. We just had our premier regular repair and building shop here close down: Guitar Factory. Thanks for an answer I ordered the Nomad.
Awesome guitar. In my opinion still sounds so much thinner than a Gibson. Just like most Epiphone to Gibson comparisons. Buy a used Gibson Standard. You will achieve a much fuller, more natural and warmer sound. Way too thin and tinny sounding for me, bit I've been playing Gibson's for years and have owned both. I guess I'm just used to the sound of my 05 50s standard premium plus top. I traded an American strat for it at a pawn shop. It is hands down the best sounding guitar that I have ever played in 28 years.
Weird, I sold my 2008 Gibson Standard (2002 specs) that I bought new in 2008 after I bought and tried my first of 2 1959 epiphone outfits. Bought the first one out of curiosity (basically the same guitar as lazarus but with a scarf joint in the neck) , after 3 months of comparing , the Gibson had to go . Andertons U.K. has a video posted where they compare the 1959 to a. Custom shop 1958 you have got to watch it hahaha
Don't kid yourself epipjome let's lemons out of the factory just as much as gibosn. I have 2 epi 59s and they are great and while the fret work is better on both is much better then most other epiphones I have Owmed or tried they are still far from perfect and will need some work but everything else is fantastic. I have been following the epi 59 forums and the lazarus 59 forums and while most owners are very happy there have been some people who were unlucky and got epi 59s and lazarus 59s that were complete dogs and had to be provided with replacements. The majority were happy with their guitars myself included but the happy to unhappy ratio was about the same as any other brand model range . The epi 59s have quite a bit of variance in weight neck thickness/carve as well as the tops and also the tone . Some got thin necks and some got quite fat necks . One guy said his epi 59 neck was as fat as a Gibson 58 Les paul RI. Some measures 9.4 at the 1st fret whole others measured 8.6. . One of mine has neck only slightly thicker then a slim taper and is nowhere near a Medium rounded C.. some weigh 9.5 pounds while others report weights of 8.12 pounds . The tops range form super flamey to almost plain tops My 2 are very different guitars. One is heavy and the other is very light. There is 1 pound in the difference. One has a highly figured top while the other is somewhat plain and very inconsistent from one area of the body to another. One neck is almost a slim taper and the other is fairly thicker but still not a full medium rounded C. It's on the thinner end it the medium C range and the tone is quite different. One is very low mid heavy and has a very pronounced vowel tone or partially cocked wah while the other favors the upper mids and is more open and less compressed but yet also a bit more balanced by comparison to the other again it leans towards the upper mids but not to the point or being harsh and not in an overbearing way like a V30 celestion can sometimes be .
I excuse them too. When I finally could afford a Les Paul, about 20 yrs ago, I couldn't find a good one. I ended up buying not one, but two PRS Singlecuts - so a 2000 and a 2005. One a ten top, the '05 was a 245. I had the 245 until last year (20) and still have the other. Have a 2019 Standard, and now, a new, Lazurus. I love it! It's like a 75% completed Les Paul. I had to tweak it (bridge and neck) just a little bit, and wow, I sure love it - especially the neck. Feels so good. I'm a sucker for all Burstbuckers, though I favor 1&2. I may move these into an SG of mine, and go for some lower output PAFs - just because that's how I personally like my LPs. I genuinely dig mine (and I have a large collection), and love just looking at it. I think Gibson/Epi nailed it with these. Just be prepared to tweak it to your liking. It's got all the goods, but usually need a minor setup.
@@PaulSter absolutely man you nailed it with your description. The frets were in pretty good condition as well. most Epiphones I work on get a fret dress and a set up and play perfect, better than any Gibson after that.
@@stratolestele7611 It doesn't look aged in any way. It looks like they are cutting corners by missing the buffing stage of finishing and calling it "aged". Guitars simply do not age like that.
@@booshting3520 lol. Epiphone "cutting corners "? That's what the entire brand is based on! It's trying to cop a vintage vibe by purposely adding that particular finish. As far as cutting corners on the Lazurus, no. No it's no less expensive from a production standpoint than a buffed finish, of which they produce many, many more. You can get shiny polished guitars for $99. It's not expensive to do. Epiphone specifically chose this look for the Lazurus. You happen to be in the minority of those who 'may' like the specs, but don't like the finish. If you're that bothered by it, move along to the scores of 'shiny' guitars. Doesn't matter, Epiphone is selling these as fast as they can make them and used ones are going for more than original pricing.
@@stratolestele7611 Of course it's cutting corners, they're bypassing a whole part of the finishing process and calling it aged 😆 Of course it will sell. Epis are good budget guitars
"Not even in tune" Why do people expect a guitar to be,.."in tune" out of a shipping box. A guitar is extremely volatile..Every time I pick up a guitar,..mine or someone else's,..I expect to take a few seconds to tune it and almost always need to. The strings are no different,...when you get a new guitar,....EXPECT to replace the shipping strings.
just got mine yesterday and i dropped it off at david neely's (catalyst for Lazarus) to get a Set UP , it has a banging flame veener. . Epi/Gibson custom shop did a great job.on the Lazurus and thanks Joe for re issues of classic vintage guitars great review
I believe it has Gibson Burstbucker 2 & 3 pickups in it.
Correct. I found that out after I took the pick ups out and looked at the back probably about halfway through the video.
@@orlandoluthier6167 I realized you said it in the video too. I honestly love this guitar it feels very nice in the hands
I bought one of the early Les Paul Joe Bonamassa Gold Top guitars. ( around 11 years ago?) I brought it in to get set up by a local luthier and they had a used, but like new, set of Gotoh bridge and tailpiece for 1/2 price. I couldn't resist and had them put it on. When I went back to pick the guitar up the luthier said he was impressed with the sound and hooked it up to an Aguilar amp and played a little. Every head in the shop turned and some jaws dropped when he started playing. One customer came up to me and asked if I'd sell my guitar to him. I turned him down as I hadn't spent any time with it because I'd brought it right from unpacking it to his shop. So, putting in a better bridge and tailpiece might also make some big changes to the Lazarus.
Absolutely great input!
Mine finally arrives this Thursday.
It's my Xmas gift to me.Can not wait to hear how it screams.You get a lot of guitar for a price that is where it should be.Now I need it to bite like Steve Marriott did in Humble Pie!!
Yeah i think this thing will deliver!
@@orlandoluthier6167
I am playing it through a nice 100w Randall stack..Should sound good!
Scott Lewis is the Epiphone China facility supervisor and Master builder and he was Master builder for Gibson their are also American luthiers at the Epiphone facility who also were with Gibson...Scott Lewis has been with Gibson/Epiphone for 46 years and he is considered one of the very best
Very cool review. Always look forward to your videos and highly recommend your work my guitars play fantastic after you work on them.
Thanks man that’s so good to hear I appreciate it so much!
I purchased a lazarus to see how an instrument supposedly mimicking a genuine 59 LP would sound and feel, and out of great respect for joe Bona. I own and have owned many gibsons and Epi’s in the past 60 years. I have a Gibson 1959 conversion. I have played a genuine 1959 lp at Song birds in Tn. The epi is as close as I can detect, with my unfortunate hearing reduction from standing in front of my plexi marshal stack in the 1970’s for a few years. The Lazarus is a superb instrument! If is was gloss, (as a collector, esthetics are important) I would have kept it. The tone is more ‘woody’ like and original LP and more so than Gibson stds and Traditionals - to my ears. So just like many many instruments I have owned, I should not have sold it….
Yeah these guitars really are as close to Gibson Epiphone has ever done
Nice video. Did you purchase directly from JB’s website? Thank you
I did.
I have one and it’s amazing, much better than the tribute and studio Gibsons I own.
Really? So it is better than the regular Epi 59s?
@@bushcry1 I don’t have enough experience with the Epiphone 59 inspired to answer you that, sorry.
that guitar and the 59 reissue both the long neck tenon and Gibson burst buckers in it. As a matter of fact I'm sure it does. ProBuckers are Epiphone's “tribute” to the Gibson Burst Bucker. The Burst Bucker is a really nice AlNiCo based Gibson's PAF-family pickup. While it is machine-wound, the design includes a different wind count for each coil, resulting in an unbalanced coil inductance.They are not the same. Close but no cigar.
Lazurus neck is one piece. Only difference, but definitely a worthwhile difference.
Beautiful top!
Epiphone have been putting high end electronics in certain Epiphone models since 2019 the pro buckers are PAF humbuckers as a matter of fact if you go to buy a set of pro buckers humbuckers they will cost you $170.00 not cheap the High end Epiphones are the Customs Moderns and prophecy Models
the new prophecy has fishman pickups, and most Epi bonamassa's have burstbuckers
Why does everyone have to mention that its not in tune out the box. Its not suppose to be, strings should always be loosened up when shipped.
I think I was just mentioning how new it was not that I was in any type of way disappointed or that I expected it to be perfectly set up or anything
@@orlandoluthier6167 yea I get it.
Just literally every video is mentions it. Awesome breakdown of the guitar though!
Thx!
I have one..pretty damn nice with appointments…yours has a nice flame veneer…mines ok…that one pops ..nice guitar ….it’s basically the epi 59..with a better veneer….
With 2 pieces body... one piece neck....
I have 2 epi 59s and they are fantastic guitars for the money but there was no way I would have spent that kind of money on them if they stock with Probuckers . They say Probuckers are copies of Burstbuckers but to my ears they sound very different and the BBs are just in a higher league especially in the lower frequencies.
What did you use on the Fretboard??
In this video, I use the feeder wax you can get at Home Depot which is great but lately I’ve been using the music nomad F1 oil
@@orlandoluthier6167 By Orlando do you mean Florida. We just had our premier regular repair and building shop here close down: Guitar Factory. Thanks for an answer I ordered the Nomad.
@@ksharpe10 yes Orlando FL. Google me for my info. Orlandoluthier.com is my site.
Close the windows behind the fan. The sound will be better.
Solid advice thank you!
Where in Orlando is your shop?
Located in Casselberry. Google Orlando Luthier
Awesome guitar. In my opinion still sounds so much thinner than a Gibson. Just like most Epiphone to Gibson comparisons. Buy a used Gibson Standard. You will achieve a much fuller, more natural and warmer sound. Way too thin and tinny sounding for me, bit I've been playing Gibson's for years and have owned both. I guess I'm just used to the sound of my 05 50s standard premium plus top. I traded an American strat for it at a pawn shop. It is hands down the best sounding guitar that I have ever played in 28 years.
Absolutely my favorite gibson Guitar‘s are the ones that were made in the 90s. 2008 specifically was also a good year.
Weird, I sold my 2008 Gibson Standard (2002 specs) that I bought new in 2008 after I bought and tried my first of 2 1959 epiphone outfits. Bought the first one out of curiosity (basically the same guitar as lazarus but with a scarf joint in the neck) , after 3 months of comparing , the Gibson had to go . Andertons U.K. has a video posted where they compare the 1959 to a. Custom shop 1958 you have got to watch it hahaha
what's all the excess noise? is the wind blowing?
Its a fan. Probably shouldn’t of had it on. My bad.
Looks great. It's a shame scalpers got em all.
Don't kid yourself epipjome let's lemons out of the factory just as much as gibosn. I have 2 epi 59s and they are great and while the fret work is better on both is much better then most other epiphones I have Owmed or tried they are still far from perfect and will need some work but everything else is fantastic. I have been following the epi 59 forums and the lazarus 59 forums and while most owners are very happy there have been some people who were unlucky and got epi 59s and lazarus 59s that were complete dogs and had to be provided with replacements. The majority were happy with their guitars myself included but the happy to unhappy ratio was about the same as any other brand model range . The epi 59s have quite a bit of variance in weight neck thickness/carve as well as the tops and also the tone . Some got thin necks and some got quite fat necks . One guy said his epi 59 neck was as fat as a Gibson 58 Les paul RI. Some measures 9.4 at the 1st fret whole others measured 8.6. . One of mine has neck only slightly thicker then a slim taper and is nowhere near a Medium rounded C.. some weigh 9.5 pounds while others report weights of 8.12 pounds . The tops range form super flamey to almost plain tops
My 2 are very different guitars. One is heavy and the other is very light. There is 1 pound in the difference. One has a highly figured top while the other is somewhat plain and very inconsistent from one area of the body to another. One neck is almost a slim taper and the other is fairly thicker but still not a full medium rounded C. It's on the thinner end it the medium C range and the tone is quite different. One is very low mid heavy and has a very pronounced vowel tone or partially cocked wah while the other favors the upper mids and is more open and less compressed but yet also a bit more balanced by comparison to the other again it leans towards the upper mids but not to the point or being harsh and not in an overbearing way like a V30 celestion can sometimes be .
Burst buckers 2 and 3
Must be windy in your shop.
Yeah i had a fan on. I’ll try not to do that anymore.
These are listing used for upwards of $1100, which I think is ridiculous since it’s probably worth more like $500 maybe $600 with the case 😂
They were 899 retail when they first rolled out.
How much do y’all think is a fair price?
900ish
@@orlandoluthier6167 thanks, do u think if I used compound polish for the finish I’d harm the guitar. I’m not a fan on the matte look
@@greenmanalishi6963 it wont harm it no. It will shine it and probably unevenly.
Trogly excuses Gibson flaws all the time
There are some really great Gibson guitars out there. (Especially 90’s ones and 03-08) but there are so many bad ones that it is inexcusable
I excuse them too. When I finally could afford a Les Paul, about 20 yrs ago, I couldn't find a good one. I ended up buying not one, but two PRS Singlecuts - so a 2000 and a 2005. One a ten top, the '05 was a 245. I had the 245 until last year (20) and still have the other. Have a 2019 Standard, and now, a new, Lazurus.
I love it! It's like a 75% completed Les Paul. I had to tweak it (bridge and neck) just a little bit, and wow, I sure love it - especially the neck. Feels so good. I'm a sucker for all Burstbuckers, though I favor 1&2. I may move these into an SG of mine, and go for some lower output PAFs - just because that's how I personally like my LPs.
I genuinely dig mine (and I have a large collection), and love just looking at it. I think Gibson/Epi nailed it with these.
Just be prepared to tweak it to your liking. It's got all the goods, but usually need a minor setup.
@@PaulSter absolutely man you nailed it with your description. The frets were in pretty good condition as well. most Epiphones I work on get a fret dress and a set up and play perfect, better than any Gibson after that.
@@orlandoluthier6167 thanks and yes they do!
Trogly sells Gibsons.
Needs buffing
I like the satin feel on it
Silly, it's meant to give it an aged vibe.
@@stratolestele7611 It doesn't look aged in any way. It looks like they are cutting corners by missing the buffing stage of finishing and calling it "aged". Guitars simply do not age like that.
@@booshting3520 lol. Epiphone "cutting corners "? That's what the entire brand is based on! It's trying to cop a vintage vibe by purposely adding that particular finish. As far as cutting corners on the Lazurus, no. No it's no less expensive from a production standpoint than a buffed finish, of which they produce many, many more. You can get shiny polished guitars for $99. It's not expensive to do. Epiphone specifically chose this look for the Lazurus. You happen to be in the minority of those who 'may' like the specs, but don't like the finish. If you're that bothered by it, move along to the scores of 'shiny' guitars. Doesn't matter, Epiphone is selling these as fast as they can make them and used ones are going for more than original pricing.
@@stratolestele7611 Of course it's cutting corners, they're bypassing a whole part of the finishing process and calling it aged 😆 Of course it will sell. Epis are good budget guitars
"Not even in tune"
Why do people expect a guitar to be,.."in tune" out of a shipping box.
A guitar is extremely volatile..Every time I pick up a guitar,..mine or someone else's,..I expect to take a few seconds to tune it and almost always need to.
The strings are no different,...when you get a new guitar,....EXPECT to replace the shipping strings.
Expect to do a fret dress and a setup is what I recommend with most guitars out if the box.