Are Epiphone Making PRO LEVEL Guitars? ES335 Review and Demo
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2023
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It's not a Gibson, but I wanted to check out the latest ES335 offering from Epiphone - this comes in at around £600 and certainly looks the part?
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Epiphone has really stepped their game up. I love my 50s Standard LP. The only change I made was to put a set of SD59s in it, and I put the Epi Probuckers into my Ibanez AS73 along with CTS pots and switchcraft jack and switch. I think it nudges out the Epiphone 335 now.
I have the blue version of this, and can attest to everything being great except the fretwork. After about an hour with a fret file and polishing kit, it felt about 3x more expensive. I've gigged it a lot (both with stock electronics and later with Brandonwounds) and loved it. Hope you get another one free of damage.
Thanks John 🙏, I very much appreciate this episode.
Really looking forward to your comparison. I've been eyeing both of them up.
Dont forget Ibanez; their AS73, AS93, ASV100 are all generally reliable for gigging. Keep the pickups or upgrade and you're 100% good. As has been mentioned, the feel of the neck is mainly the difference that matters.
I have Epi's Jim James 335 and am thoroughly satisfied with it. Some minor upgrades over Pro, but good hard case sealed the deal. A fret polish was in order, but other than that, 👍🏻.
Bought an Epiphone Les Paul custom. It’s got a couple minor quirks but I haven’t set it up yet. I’ve played my friends Gibson counterpart and for a quarter of the price it’s pretty nice. I’m happy so far.
Don’t neglect ‘neck profile’ when doing comparisons. Along with overall resonance and fretwork, neck comfort and edge treatment is tops for me.
Your going to have a veneer/Laminated top on All 335 guitars, only Archtops were done from a solid billet of maple, and that may only be on most expensive ones, budget ones, could be some kind of Laminated, but I do not know for sure on that. 330's 335's, casinos, rivieras, fender coronados, Gretsch, Eastman, your sire will all be laminated.
that is actually a good thing keeps them from Cracking as easily,
I have an Epiphone ES-335 Traditional Pro. That is the one that is not figured, and has push pull pots. Mine is Inverness Green. Out of the box (not literally, I bought in a store), it was excellent. The pickups are keepers, I will mostly ignore the split coil settings, I had no complaints with the fretwork or fit and finish. I've added a Les Trem II, without changing to a roller bridge, and it works fantastically for that Bigsby-tyle wiggle (I don't dive bomb). This guitar makes me very happy, and competes well with my Gibsons (including a 63 RI ES-335). Not saying its better than the Gibsons, but it defintely deserves some love.
Got the same one in the same color yesterday, I absolutely love it already. I will say this, I went to the store and played it before purchase, I'm glad I did. There were 3 others in the store and 2/4 felt amazing, one was ok, and the last had razor-sharp fret ends.
Well Done!
I recently bought a Epiphone 339 and I love it.
Me too, I received one with the Neck pickup wired incorrectly. I sent it back and received a good one. I have since put locking grover tuners on it. I like it a lot, I've always played Strats or Telecasters. I'm really enjoying the difference.
I bought an Epi 339 around the same time as I bought an Eastman T484 costing 3 times as much. The Eastman is a phenomenal guitar with incredible build quality but there's something about the Epiphone that just makes it feel nicer to play
I bought a Casino and put in Lollar P90s and 50's wiring etc. - it's a lovely guitar. I also have the 1959 LP and the Cantrell 'Wino' which I love (ebony board) and will probably put new pick-ups into both at some point. All came with cases. The new Lifeson LP with Trem certainly looks interesting . . . whether these can be called PRO LEVEL is a matter of opinion, I guess, particularly given the pick-ups that they come with, but I've been a Pro Guitarist and Producer for 5 decades and I'm perfectly happy with these alongside my 68 Custom, Duesenberg, Japanese made Gretsch Players Edition etc. - all have their own 'thing' - tools of the trade and even with personalised mods the price difference between them the Gibson equivalents is still pretty big!
Good morning! 🌞🌄 Have a good weekend!
What a bummer with the cracked neck. I do like the headstock better on the app of phone but I sure do like what sirens doing. I do not have that model I have a S3 and for $399. It’s incredible. I wish it was lighter. Looking forward to the next video about Epiphone. Thanks as always John 👍🏻
Bought one..one of my BEST
I had one of those and loved it, got rid of it in a trade that I regret. Though picked up one of last years Gibson 335 Satin's, the main difference I notice is the feel of the neck, I love it on the Gibson. The Epiphone is a stunning guitar though
I have an epi LP custom pro and it plays and sounds great... my days of getting ultra expensive guitars are over since the revstar standard came out. interestingly the pedal show interviewed noel gallagher who talked about his signature epiphone.. wonder if its any good.?
I have the twin of this... I got it a couple years ago when they first came out. it's not a bad guitar by any means, certainly not shabby at all at it's price point BUT I've had to deal with some neck work/bridge work more than once and I've swapped the pickups, so be prepared for some extra expense. I wound up getting a deal on a 2013 Gibson ES 335 with block inlays as well... They are very different guitars, and as much as dislike Gibson as a company from the Henry J years up to the new ownership... my satin finished red Gibson is just a better instrument for what I ask of it... believe me, I would rather be satisfied with a entry level plywood or mid-grade guitar or that just swapping pickups can make one beat these expensive pieces of gear... It just hasn't worked out that way. Sometimes craft techniques and better materials does make a better instrument.
I can attest that the Sire fretwork is really good and overall a fine instrument at the price range of about $600. They were hard to come by so had to buy off an internet shop. I would not do that if they were in stock at a local guitar store. Same with an Epi. Try before you buy at a local shop has so much going for it but unfortunately the brick and mortar shops are in many areas fading out. Shipping guitars in cardboard boxes without a case is a really really bad idea. But unfortunately the added shipping weight and cost of a case for these lower priced guitars make the overall price go up so you do not see that often unless you add the case yourself in the orig purchase.
I bought an Epi Ghost Horse, I had to get it recrowned immediately as it fretted out all over the place and badly up high when bending. It plays really nice now. They need to train a bit more on how to do frets, they are OK but could be a lot better. They need to polish them better and use some actual polish so they don't feel gritty. They bevel the edges too much too and you end up pulling the high e off the edge of the neck because of it. Other than that the build quality is fairly good for the price point.
I hope they are better then they used to be. I had one 5 or 6 years ago. Bought it used. It looked great but just sounded terrible. Was so happy to get rid of it. Oh and it had a fat neck too. Which I know some people like.
Epiphone Elite/Elitist certainly were/are. Phenomenal instruments
Hi John, whatever guitar you use, whatever modeller, whatever amp, you always seem to dial in a tone that is unmistakably JNC .. and very cool. This made me wonder .. are we just idiots spending every last dime on the next greatest piece of kit or should we just focus on developing an individual technique that will become our trademark? What is the base level of kit required to develop technique? Subject for a vid?
Not idiots, but programmed by marketing from birth. Much better to focus on writing songs, your own style and technique will develop faster than just 'practicing'.
Hahaha I see what you mean! Most times I watch his videos only for his incredibly brilliant jams, and I take certain musical ideas from there!
It’s not about gear,or technique or being an idiot or not,the point is to have fun playing music,or your doing it for the wrong reason to begin with
@@getvicky13 John's jams are very inspiring for sure! I wasn't disparaging those. They are songs in their own right!
Correct
How does this compare to the Sire H7 you've been playing?
hey John, you need to try an Eastman T386. £900 ish and awesome quality
Did Anderton's inspect and set up the guitar before shipping... Taking the time to do that really pays off for suppliers... and vastly reduces returns.
It would be nice if you mentioned what patch you used if (Helix) in all your videos....also helps you to promote them....
YES - I just took delivery of a Bonamassa ‘62 ES-335 and it is impeccable! I was offered 25% off a Gibson 335 and ended up buying the JB 335 within 10 mins off Reverb within discovering it. I even went back to the shop to play the Gibson today to see if I’d return the Epiphone. No way. The Gibson is simply not worth the additional $3k CAD (based on MSRP). I’ve owned a few Epiphones in the past and this one feels levels above. It sits to my two American-made Fenders and feels as good.
The JB Epiphones are top notch - extra attention to detail and all Gibson pickups and electronics. Get them while you can.
Epiphone guitars have got stupidly expensive lately yet the QC is still lacking
+1
Every guitar now have got stupidly expensive, Gibson STanrdards are now 3k and it's a shame too but i agree with you on the QC on some models
I played ES335 Blueberry Burst and tbh - it felt cheap. It may look cool, sound better than old Epi, but in hand wasn't something that amazed me.
3:30 steve Luke / N Schon style . excent fusion rock!!! 5 stars!!! from mtw in LA.
Much prefer the burst on this compared to the Sire.
The only thing that makes a guitar pro level or not is if pro level fingers are playing it
100%
This one sure sounds pro level.
A professional is someone who gets paid for their work. If you’re a guitar player who gets paid to play your Epiphone guitar, then yes, it’s a pro-level guitar.
Facts
Play a hundred dollar guitar and then tell me if you are going to send it back
If someone can make $$ with any instrument, they can call themselves a professional. I’m so impressed with today’s quality of instruments from $1500 on down.
If I can get this in a satin ebony finish then it would be a lifetime guitar.
A bit heavier than the gibson counter part imo.. didnt much care for the hardware or pickups...However, better than many other copies.. i think if one gets this model plecked ..and change out some things ..its a good bargain
At the price of recent epiphones you are better off buying MIJ guitars like Edwards and FGN
Bought a FGN t style last year, Very solid and very musical.
This!! I learned this last year when I bought an FGN LS-10 for a bargain on a whim. Within six months I had sold all but one Korean Schecter guitar and replaced them with used Fujigen ones.
Wondering would it sound different if the pickup covers came off 🤔
It will sound a touch brighter
I've been thinking a lot lately on whether we do the right thing when we "save money" by foregoing the employee safety and product environmental regulations that are required in the U.S. Sure, we save money, but at what cost to the workers and the environment? I'm as guilty as the next person...but I'm seriously rethinking my position.
For more quality issues refer to the last 4? Videos about epiphone from the guitaristas. Definitely a concerning amount of qc issues from $600-1000 guitars.
Was going to type the same thing.
Iv
Played many gibson and own many , about half the Gibson’s I play have something wrong with the neck .
Ever hear Jack Saunders play a Squier?
I got paid quite well to play mine
This doesn't sound very good through UA-cam, maybe a bit muddy sounding. It sounds not as good as my NZ$349 Artist Guitars "Cherry 58 TRD" ES 335- type guitar which I bought about two years ago. I had the same problem with a lack of careful finishing on the fretwork, but in a guitar this cheap, that isn't a drawback to me. My guitar was made probably in Indonesia at the Cort/ PRS Se factory, or maybe China, and is very heavy, but isn't bad to play standing up and has two extremely cheap humbuckers called "bull-buckers" that sound fine for most settings, but can always be replaced. The colour is the traditional red with bdy and neck binding ,and for the money sounds pretty good. Only the tiniest of blemishes on the white binding inside the f holes is a finish problem and it sounds and plays fine ( especially for the money)
Dont look fret in anger❤
The larger question is that Epiphones were affordable when between $325 - $500, but many models are now breaching $1k. Just three years ago I could get a Fender USA for well under a grand (new), now you're looking at a $800 - $1200+ MIM guitar. Realistically, guitars are just mainly wood, wood is still cheap, and it's obvious the major two firms are hammering guitarists with insane pricing. This has nothing to do with labor costs or because it's made in the USA. There are so many good guitars you can get for under $600 that don't come from the top two with high quality parts.
The Epiphones are still very affordable compared to the Gibson counterparts. Ditto MIM vs MIA Fenders.
@@folderol8487 Affordable? New.. no.. used ok. Both Epi and Fender MIM range from $725 - $1300 (decent guitar), you can buy used USA's in vg condition for that "upper" price ($1300) all day long. In the past 2.5 yr both Epi and Fender MIM have raised prices in the 31% range - that is 5x's the rate of inflation over the same period.. so no on new imports from the big two.
I've played about 15 to 20 of these Epiphones during 2022 & 23 and I find them to be wildly inconsistent amongst brand new guitars. Sometimes the workmanship is extremely shoddy, Especially around the neck & frets. The best ones I've played have been used, usually only a few years probably 5 years olds tops, they're much better guitars because someone put money or time probably both to make them play well. Yeah they're cheaper but what at point is that OK if you are still trying to call it a 335 ??? I've played Gibsons that are just good (rather than exceptional) but never played a bad 335. Guitars are always about bonding with the instrument for me, it's mostly feel, if it feels right that's 99% of the deal. Just can't get there with these. The Sire H7's are head and shoulders better and more consistent than these. Worth paying more money into to get just the right PAF pickups into if you want to improve them. Just my 2 cents worth.
Bloody stupid question . That's click bait. But it's all in the fingers.
Laurel. Everyone is using laurel in this price band these days.
If it doesn't come with a hardcase, it's probably not worth it for them or you. Think about that for a minute. The higher end models all come with a hardcase. From what I saw of the factory videos at Epiphone, there's different teirs of QC for various price points. I wouldn't recommend an Epiphone under $799 to someone who expects it to come perfectly set up out of the box. Most of the newer signature models are coming out of that factory with a level of consistency not seen in an Epiphone before. Unfortunately, not every guitar throughout the line is getting that much attention to detail.
Very disappointed to see that crack. Imagine the let down of being excited when it arrives and then seeing that obvious imperfection. I appreciate the honest review.
Ever heard of the Beetles?
Beatles, bro
@@tomnelson5815 Was being ironic
Ever heard of the Roaches?
They're starting to price them like they are.
If they’re good enough for Matt Heafy and Jared James Nicholls, then yes.
You do realise they have epi sig guitars but play gibsons? jared james is famous for his gibson les paul custom which the epi is based on
That's like saying " if its good enough for slash then it must be good " there are epi slash guitars but he dont play epis lol
@@ticklesmcqueen2702 Yeh I realise that. But I trust their integrity and willingness to stamp their name into the Epiphone brand.
@@ticklesmcqueen2702 Slash's most notable recordings weren't done with a Gibson either, it (or they he had 2) were copies made by Kris Derrig, but Gibson would rather cash in a signature models, even if they're not 'authentic'.
@24avenged24 don't recall even saying gibson in my comments so not sure why you feel the need to tell me something that is widely known to everyone 🤔
Wow, is this a dig at Larry Carlton . Looks a lot like the Larry Carlton signature 335, in colour anyway
The other way around. This is the Epiphone version of the original Gibson model. The Sire is the knock-off.
@macsepp FYI Larry Carlton had Gibson 335 signature model back in the day that looks just like this epiphone very similar spec and burst
Everyone does a version of this 'burst, so who's copying who?
@@bustalick335 Ah gotcha. I thought you meant the Sire but you are right, it looks a bit like his old Gibson model.
I'd take the Epiphone over the Sire any day. Sounds closer to a Gibson than the Sire.
Nahh don’t bother with these. Get yourself a Tokai. Especially the vintage ones.
I still think Sire pays attention to q.c. better than Epiphone, and definitely better than Gibson overall. It's unjustifiable what Gibson charges for a 335, when there are Ibanezes , Sires, and Epis that are just as good or better. I'm an old man on a fixed income. I bought my last Gibson a decade ago and because of the q.c. swore to never buy another.
The pickups are still poor.
Any guitar is a pro guitar if played in a pro setting lol
You lost me with the gain. I wanted to hear the guitar
no
Are Epiphone? Is there more than one Epiphone?
Not as PRO as the FM3.
Absolutely *not*. Their Les Pauls are mostly dreadful, made of dodgy woods, with 8+ piece bodies.
I've never owned an epiphone that I was satisfied with. They are mostly junk.
Are that proper english? I don't think it are.
There are a major mistake in the title of your video...
That would be:
"IS Epiphone making pro-level guitars?"
Your title are wrong and you need to change it.