My 355 is at the tech getting a fantastic set up by one of the best guitar tech in NYC Matt. I can’t wait to get it back If you ever see this Matt from 30th street guitars, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
Thank you for an excellent review. I have just bought an Epi 335 inspired by to take on the road and I am very impressed. BTW, I still have my Stinger Cornell which, if I remember correctly was from Guitarist Magazine. It has seen a lot of work over the years.
I just bought the new Epiphone IBGC '59 Les Paul. It's a fantastic instrument, the Custombucker pickups are two of the best pickups I've ever played. Fit & finish on the guitar is also top notch. An A+ grade, for sure.
Epiohone does not advertise the guitar as having a slim taper neck . Its advertised as a 59 rounded C . There were no slim taper necks in 1959 . Its advertised as a 59 rounded C or a medium C .
My information was that they had ‘slim rounded’ necks, but I thought they were more like (but not identical to) a 59 style neck, as I say in the video.
Recently got the 355. Sounds fab. Finish was a bit ropey and the nut needed filling as was catching my fingers. Otherwise a superb guitar. I’ve now put a Bigsby on it. In short can’t put it down. Now looking seriously at the SG!
The Epi ES355 Lucille has the slim taper neck, this one is a medium rounded profile. I acquired a Lucille through an unexpected trade. I owned a Gibson ES345 that I sold 12 years ago, and is still the single biggest gear regret of my life. When I first got it I was turned off by the stereo outs, since I only played through one amp 🙄. When I realized that I could use A/B/Y switchers and run individual pickups through fuzzes and overdrives, while the other pickup bypassed them, it became almost an obsession. Running one through a wah or volume pedal was my favorite. The Lucille had the slim taper neck, and I detested it. Most Epi's have a slightly narrower nut, fretboard and string spacing compared to the American Gibson. Normally it's not a big deal, it is what it is. With the slim taper neck however, it makes it feel like I'm playing a wooden yard stick. I like the fat one piece neck that that have. Plus they have the long tenon, which Gibson USA no longer does (a maddening decision). That and the fact that it's an actual maple/poplar laminate like the Gibson, instead of the all maple top and back that Epi normal have is another reason. The pickups are cool, but the specs and construction method is what separates it from the others IMO. If you were looking for any copy, you'd be hard pressed to find one spec'd the same, unless you're willing to go with a Heritage or something, but those aren't much less than Gibson. The hotter wind is disappointing.
I think GIbson may be on the road to redemption. After buying a brand new Les Paul Standard that would not produce any sound out of the box (this is around the year 2018), I decided to grab a Gibson Modern Figured Les Paul. Brand new, and out of the box, the setup was damn near perfect.I've been playing it for about a month now, and debuted it at a gig this past weekend. Monster tone! I need that relieved neck heel, and the stock Grover locking tuners are a nice bonus. Very little modification required on this guitar. Fretwork is immaculate.I'm still pissed they sent me a brand new LP Standard that didn't work, but I'm less pissed now that I got what I ultimately wanted.
I already have the Epiphone JB 59 ES 335 and it is a really good copy of the Gibson 335 but on saying that I also have a 1999 Gibson ES335 with an ebony fretboard and after A/Being them for the last 10 months I find the Gibson is definitely the better guitar and should be for the difference in price . I must admit that I am very interested in the Epiphone ES 355 and would like to A/B that against my original (Full title)1999 limited edition made for the millennium ES 335 , incase anyone is wondering about the ebony fretboard .
I have surprised myself. Fat or thin, both styles are appealing to me. On the fats, I like that feeling of stability in the palm. On the thins, I like the speed that seems to come naturally. Don't know which I prefer! Maybe I just like guitars...
Great review and lovely playing by Richard as always. These look like great spec instruments but I can’t help wonder about the value, well for the SG anyway. I picked up a 2022 SG 61 reissue with vibrola for £1200 recently, which is a fair bit cheaper than one of these for a full fat USA model which will surely hold value and be better bones of a guitar.
Although I'm one of those people that bash on them for the increased prices, Í really like that 335. I might wait around untill one pops up on the used market... 😊
Keep bashing them. The differential is ridiculous.Give me an Epi with Gibson pickups and I'll take care of the rest myself. Switchcraft tech is very affordable.
I have the Epiphone "Inspired By" Les Paul SG, but with two Burstbuckers instead of 3. Love it! Plays like a dream and gives me that singing, fat woman tone I've been chasing my entire life. Hard to beat the value, dollar for dollar. If you want that fat GIbson sound at Epiphone pricing, this is a great option. I do have the Gibson SGS3 with three pickups and the side trem. Great guitar. Never use the trem. It's loaded with Classic '57s. Killer. The middle pickup does seem to be in the way sometimes when finger-picking.
I looked at one of these 355s but ended up going for an Eastman . Couple of hundred quid more and in my opinion much superior. Seymour Duncan antiquity humbuckers sound amazing. Both great guitars though. Great video.
There appears to be an inconsistency in the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided on this Epiphone guitar and the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided in Gibson guitars. The Epiphone guitar Gibson CustomBuckers are “potted” and the Gibson guitar CustomBucker pickups are “unpotted”. According to the Gibson website, CustomBuckers are not potted. So, are the CustomBuckers provided on the Epiphone made in the USA by Gibson, or are they actually manufactured in some other country and just called Gibson CustomBuckers?
It’s a solid semi hollow guitar. Although I’ve noticed they are on the heavier side when compared to the Gibson they leave out many 59 appointments but I suppose they purposely do that to justify their custom shop model
Stick with it! Seems impossible at first, but don't let that discourage you. You WILL have a breakthrough moment when it all comes together. But there's a price to pay, and that is not giving up.
Fair point - think Richard was merely using 'poly' as verbal shorthand for the high-gloss poly finishes we're all familiar with but we'll be clearer in future.
@@guitarist I just sand the poly off the back of the neck. I've done so on several of my guitars of alll makes. Results in easier outdoor gigs where my hands get sweaty.
