@@whipscheapguitars2856 Epi's don't suck, at least not these days. Fuck the wine snobs! They can eat the cheese I'm making between my mattress and the boxsprings. Granted, they were a bit better when they were being made in Indonesia, but, we can all level or crown some frets, right? Save me $1 to $2 K? Imagine the amount of mash I can buy with that? ;-) Kidding. You want more output, toss a $60 pedal on it, if that's not enough mood, toss another on, and you still saved possibly thousands.
I ordered one of these for my daughter's 8th b-day as she was ready to learn to play. I figured $99 couldn't go wrong, I have over 25 years playing experience and have owned and still own some nice guitars, Les Pauls, Firebirds, strats etc.. Outta the box the frets were indeed rough and the strings were garbage (rough and sticky) as one could expect. The fretboard was nice and straight and the electronics performed as they should, after lowering the action and polishing the frets and a new set of strings this thing is a lil ripper of a guitar.. I've found myself playing on it for more than an hour at a time, it really is fun to play. My daughter finds it comfortable to hold (its light and she's tiny) and play on as well.. That being said I do fully understand how the beginner may get distraught trying to learn chords and scales right outta the box with no professional set up work done. At this price point it may very well be a crap shoot on what ya get but I guess I lucked out, I'm actually gonna order myself one to mod, tele pickups and wiring and I'm gonna have a tele-phone, lol.. But in all seriousness i really can't complain at all. The next one I get may be firewood but I'm happy with this particular one, I've seen mixed reviews so good luck to all that decide to purchase..
Thanks R. Lee! Good info from someone with some SL experience. I'm debating mods...but I may just buy a Junior I like and make one. I like a FAT neck and a heavier body, and a junior is close enough to work, to build one of these. You aren't joking about the strings!!!! they were like saw blades. Ive never felt strings so tacky.
Can you tell me, if you still have this guitar, do the bridge poles lean forward after these few years? Is the neck still straight, and did you have to adjust the truss rod more than a couple of times? thanks!!
I ended up here because a wonderful young lady at work won one of these in some local raffle. And I told here I'd give it a string change, setup, and show her boys some starter riffs. So just trying to see what I'm in for. But that sound ends up being one of the tones I've spent thousands looking for for decades. I think I'm gonna get myself that sky blue one and tuner, nut, bridge, fret dress that sucker. Leaving the entire electronic rig alone. Sometimes removing the noise also removes that sweet crunch. That is the perfect classic tone.
Man, your reviews are one of the best on the internet! I also like cheap vintage guitars, by the way.Like guitars from GDR, Japan or Harmony/Silvertone stuff. I think they are better than some of the brand new ones. This thing is just a great replica of the 60s Melody Maker, I like it!
I had a 60's melody maker once, and it was a really neat guitar. It was 18 years ago and I bought it in the U.P. of Michigan for $200 .......its a shame, I really didn't know how to repair instruments then and I never dialed it in and made it play like it had the potential to. Right after I sold it I started studying guitar repair, and I've always wanted another melody maker. They are super cool guitars. Thanks for the comment!
I think that these guitars sound a little bit like a fender Stratocaster and I like that. It’s probably the single coils that do it. Usually epiphone guitars have p90s or humbuckers.
I traded a 1971 Topps Nolan Ryan card for one of these cheap Epis and put some Grovers and a different bridge on it and I actually like the guitar a lot. It's got a unique sound. I have had an Epi Les Paul Jr for a couple of years and it's been a great guitar too. One pickup ,a tone and volume and it rocks and sustains like no other Some of these are not at all bad for the money . The factory tuners are unbelievably bad though you'll definitely want to change those if you play a lot.
They're a good guitar and for the price they're excellent but they definitely need a setup from a pro. Mine had an action that was way to high and the intonation screws are a joke but after a few adjustments and pulling out some of my hair I got it setup so it plays sweet,very happy with it for the price.
It's a fair review. The first review was kind of biased against the guitar, but this one puts things right down the middle. Not a piece of junk, not a super-guitar. A good guitar. A looker, which is a plus. Light-weight is a plus for many players who tend to lose circulation in their shoulder or thigh after playing real les pauls :-)
Good question! The answer is...Probably not. And the reason I say that is, you can get an Epiphone Special II for the same money ( used) and its a better guitar.....Also you could look a bit harder and get a special II used for about $75 and then have it set up by a pro for $25....then you have guitar that needs no "tweaks" and is ready to go for $99 On this guitar, I had to adjust the bridge, and file the nut slots to make it play well.....took about 40 minutes. Beginners need guitars that are easy to play or they might get frustrated and give up ,when they may have taken to the instrument if it was properly set-up.
Obviously most beginners will be given a cheap guitar, but the main thing is, whatever guitar you get, please get it setup, either by a professional or yourself if you know how. Because a poorly setup guitar will be difficult to play and might put the beginner off from learning how to play. You may end up paying more for the setup than you paid for the guitar, but that's ok, just add the two numbers together and consider that the purchase price.
Great video! When it's on ultra you might be getting feed back because your sitting close to the amp. Try standing about 8 to 10 feet away and it should sound good with no feed back.
Love your channel. What you are saying is that quality doesn't always correspond to price or collectibility. One thing though, I wish you included a little more super-clean playing.
Great vid and thanks for sharing. If you get a wild hair, you should check out the Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90. That thing is absolutely incredible for the price. I like 'em so much I picked up two of them :)
Thanks for the comment. Ive played a few and owned one and have yet to find a neck I like on them. All the ones Ive played had rubbery necks....But they all sounded really good. I just need to find the right one...because 2 p90s and a wrap bridge.......thats about perfect.
In your previous video I mentioned that I'd read an article that stated that the pickups weren't actually single coils but stacked humbuckers. Guess you've shown that to be b.s. That's single coil hum. And I agree, they sound good.
I wanted to make mention of that in the video...but I forgot at the time, and didn't realize it until editing. Also, at that point I was 100% convinced they were singles LOL!
Great review Whip, would you say that these SL’s have wider neck width than like my Squier Affinity Telecaster? This SL sounds more expensive to me than it actually is. Thank for the great review!
The neck width is wider than Squires. 1, 11/16" on the epic. 1,5/8on the squire.....but I have seen Squires with 1, 1/2 nuts .....that is way too narrow. This guitar does sound cool, but that VHT amp always sounds good.
Just bought this guitar and get it on Monday... It’s sounds and looks great from all the reviews I’ve seen. Cheap but well made guitars are my weakness.
Hey Whip, So after I put a Message on your 1st part of this Video, I decided I needed another Junior, so I put out a request on local face book buy and sell and had a guy message me a from the town im living at, and was a all mahogany Junior for $80, it had a Humbucker, I decided They just dont look right, and I had a spare dog ear P90, I had to route the corners of the humbucker route out a little and installing the p90, it completely covered the Humbucker whole. it looks the part and plays awesome after a setup, intonation, fretends sorted. and a set of 09s/42s I also had a set of klusons. My point is I think for me a Used Junior is a better buy than a SL, the SL here is $149 Canadian.
How did it end up sounding? I put a p 90 in a junior and found after a while I had to raise it up a bit by putting a small thick rubber washer between the pickup and the body where the screws pass through. It all depends on how close to the strings your pickup ends up being. I do remember having to chisel out a tiny bit where the corners of the p90 fit into the route.
The Pickup I had was a Seymore Duncan that I got on a local clasified for $20 that I put in a dogear cover, I used a little silicon to fix it in, it sounds wicked. hey look me up on face book, my Name is Joe Dunderdale.
Hey Dave. Have you had an opportunity to check out a Harley Benton SC 550 LP copy? Awesome guitar, at around $250 as I recall. Love to see you review one! Merry Christmas bro! Jack Canada
Hey Jack. The Harley Benton stuff is nowhere to be seen around here....I don't know a single person who has one. I may just bight the bullet and order one, but I need to be sure I can get my money back out of it wen I'm done checking it out...
You won't want to sell it! I'm serious, HB (Thomann) are designing their own guitars and they're manufactured in China, so you get a really, really, really great guitar for unbelievable price because they're's no middle man carving out his piece! Seriously, have a look see on the Thomann site and prepared to be amazed! Here's the link to the HB catalogue. You can also select any other makers, this is strictly the HB catalog and you'll see deals that will bring tears to your glass eye...arrghh! www.thomann.de/intl/ca/harley_benton_electric_guitars.html Later Paul Bunion! Jack - Canada
Would this be a good starter guitar for me? I played violin for 4 years growing up, and wanna venture back into learning guitar. I've owned 2 guitars in the past, but i'm right handed, they were both left handed guitars that i restringed backwords.
Can you tell me, if you still have this guitar, do the bridge poles lean forward after these few years? Is the neck still straight, and did you have to adjust the truss rod more than a couple of times? thanks!!
I like this review. I don't like the look of this guitar at all. It looks like a toy. You liked the pickups and I was thinking rail swapped but yeah that light body isn't why you go for a les Paul.. I have a question as far as which would you think would be best suited... I play a 13/16 scale Beavercreek electro-acoustic and a thinline 24.9 acoustic that I find awkward coming from ukulele so I got the smaller one which I love and prefer the sound of.. I like the lower tension and don't mind the light strings.. I am liking your epiphone junior review and started looking around I found only one used with an EMG 81 bridge and 18v conversion which they want $250 Canadian.. It's a heritage sunburst.. But I also found that a new Vintage Edition in whatever colour I want is like $220 and a travel size 22" scale that I like the idea of cuz I can lay down or sit in a comfortable chair and play the les paul express is $170 new.. I'm loving the EMG mod and know the ones he has makes this a $125 guitar and $125 modification.. I'm obviously gonna spend time at the music store nearby and play until I make a decision but what's your thoughts..
I don't have a lot of experience here. But if I wanted something to play a smaller scaled guitar there is a Squier 3/4 electric Strat that is pretty cool AND cheap. I always use Heavy strings though on 3/4 scale instruments as the tension being less with the shorter scale can cause tuning issues.
whip's cheap guitars I read always use smaller strings on smaller guitars and you won't have tuning issues. So far that's worked really well for me. But idk about electrics I do plan on continuing that for less tension. But I think I may be buying a studio goth edition once I play better.
Hey David. What Ive found is when you go to a shorter scale there is less tension on the strings to get to the same pitch, and the strings have a greater tendency to get pinched in the nut when you bend strings ( because they dotty have the tension to pull themselves back through the nut once stretched). This is just my experience and The quality of nut material has a lot to do with it....but I string 3/4 scale guitars with .11's and make sure the nut is cut correctly and all the excess material is ground away and I have better luck with tuning. Try it both ways and see what works for you. Good luck.
whip's cheap guitars that's exactly what I have seen. My latest still is going through my slow setup but it's acoustic so 11-47 is light but the B string does that exactly.. My wound 4 demand bridge sanding.. I built a reinforced backing plate for my thinline acoustic and put a fender bridge on.. Way easier solution... 😂 I think I'll wait on my electric for a while but I'm gonna try your thing first. Visit the music store often until I find the right one.... I have too much gear already
I'm trying out a washburn paul stanley lyon... It's obviously crap but it has a look like an SG bridge and neck humbuckers and it's only $80 CANADIAN!!! so like $50? It's the LPSCO7 "Signature" cheap guitar win. I just needed an electric to play and it's gonna be fine even if it is crap.
I've got a Dragonfire hotrail bridge pickup I've been holding onto . . . If I can one of these cheap, I might have to throw that that hotrail in the bridge and see what it does!!!
Guessing they're going after the pre-teen LP market if it's lighter than the Squiers... although I personally don't see the point in Gibson-weighted guitars. Weight ≠ Quality!
I don't like heavy guitars , but I do like guitars that feel stable....if you get what i mean. If I were to play this one on a strap, it would feel like a ukulele. I'm a big dude with construction worker hands and I need to feel like my guitar is solid, .......I don't have a delicate touch. This guitar feels like its made of foam. Its a cool guitar but its too light for me.
Simplest and best mod a DPDT volume pot A500k it will open the treble up but.. You only want to use Series-Parallel. Maybe put a momentary where the switch was... And 11-50 NYXL
Probably a good choice for parents who want to test the water's if their kid is really serious about learning or if it's just another fad their passing through.
Yeah, its a good starter. So is most of the Squier stuff. What really matters is having the instrument set up so its easy to play. PS...If I had only $99 to spend, I would probably buy a used Epiphone Special II.
OK whip, I actually dig the pickups. They're great for Stones, or early Who stuff. Dirty, and a wee bit Tin man! Without being able to play it/feel it (eeww I said feel it) Beeyulck! I sickened myselfish! This is a "I don't ive a *&%^$ guitar you take to parties, the cottage etc. Wouldn't be very useful on stage, unless you're doing some Stones, or some Who type tunes. Could use some copper tape insulation for sure!! Hey, $99 what do you want!? I may buy one. Great review Whipage! Jack
hey, you should check out the gibson maestro electric guitars, they are a pack guitar that comes with a cheap 5w amp, and all the other stuff (bag, strings, strap). costs like $150 new (CAD), and probably even cheaper online if you find a used one thats just the guitar without the extra stuff.
In my experience, these guitars sound pretty good but whenever I play one they just feel way too cheap. Plus, as you mentioned, the single coils are too noisy in my opinion.
You really can't go wrong for 99 bucks Even if you buy good tuners it's worth the extra 40 -45 bucks . I play mostly blues and funk/ rock also and I'm happy with mine
How can you produce intonation on the wraparound bridge without individual string saddles? That is a mystery to me. That means you never get the guitar tuned very well?
No problem with this guitar. Ive had a special I before and the body wood was soft enough to allow the bridge to pull forward compressing the wood ahead of the bridge posts.........This one is OK.
You generally get the low E' and the high E strings intoned and the rest of them should be close. Thats about all you can do with a wrap around bridge.
Let us face the real truth. this is a good beginner guitar and specialy for children and teens. it is lightweight . good to carry around . to the guitar lessons. you guys always put down a good guitar. of course, this is not the real deal for people who can afford a 1300 $ guitar and a 1000 $ amp. it is what it is built for. a light weight electric guitar for children and teens. the usual electric guitars are quite heavy for a 10-year-old. And the sound for a beginner is good enough.
Who the hell are "you guys" that always put down a good guitar"........do you know what channel you are watching????? This is Whip's CHEAP guitars. I love cheap gear. No gear snobs here. But there is a lot of true reviews.
Dayam Dave...did I post another channel link here? Sorry man...damn medication...sigh. I just came here to ask if you've checked out the HB LP and saw the offensive post, so I deleted it! Jack
As an owner of two Special ll (Plus Top)s, the only way I'd buy one of these is if they painted it hot pink and replaced that ugly pickguard with a giant Hello Kitty face...
They're not bad are they Dave? Oh, I know I've got four of them, for a hundred bucks you can't beat them I even gig with mine, I run it through a Peavey classic 50 four 10s they're Corky pickups but they kind of got their own sound I can't get mine to internet with the shit but otherwise I bring it all over the place they take a beating like you wouldn't believe, drop them do whatever you want I had my Harley Davidson fall on one believe it or not, and you could believe it, the one I gig with last night I'll send you pictures of it no I love them a hundred bucks where you going to get it a Ep for a hundred bucks.
It looks like a toy. I guess you can't complain for the price though. Man I hate that pickguard though, looks so ugly. Sounds really noisy too. Get what you pay for I guess.
Had a chance to try one and I'm not a fan, it feels underwhelming and too light. Feels like a toy. With buying kids their first guitar - I know the majority of parents know how fickle kids can be, just axe my wife! But if you buy a cheap guitar your kid might lose all interest. Buy a good used guitar which will be easy to resell if the bottom drops out of your little Hendrix!! Actually, I really very much prefer buying used, because you can find some absolutely awesome deals and end up with a really high quality guitar that will hold up for years....unless you're Pete Townshend!! WE DEMAND MORE GWEETAR VIDEOS!! No more screwing around building log cabins in hell half bog acre!! Jack - Canada
