Review of the Epiphone Kirk Hammett "Greeny" Les Paul, with Cole Lumpkin 

I'm not sure what you meant by "funny." There's a potentially positive development coming out of another recent review video... the Yamaha Revstar. Apparently the retailer is reaching out to Yamaha after a couple of the Revstar guitars that have been brought to my shop didn't pass the inspection. Perhaps this video could also trigger some QC improvements at Epiphone. But I still can't figure out what you meant by "funny."

This is a good guitar, but a few mods would greatly improve it. If I was to think of mods to improve this guitar... here's the list. I would definitely rotate that neck pickup, as it really doesn't look good. The rotation of the pickup does nothing to the sound, anyway. Level those 2 or 3 high frets and give the frets a proper polish and buff. I would remove that plastic nut and clean up the nut shelf, then install a nylon nut and cut it down to minimum height. I would improve those messy soldering connections. The fact that the bass side of the fretboard has .002" more relief than the treble side is actually really good. Some luthiers try to achieve that through various advanced leveling techniques. The bass side having slightly more relief is actually potentially good. On the cosmetic side of things I would remove that 3-screw truss rod cover altogether and possibly plug those two crew holes. If I was feeling really up to the challenge, I might tackle a mod that would completely plug the holes (invisibly) and extend the middle part so I could install a 2 screw Gibson cover. A lot of work, just for beauty. But they really made it look like a Chibson, with this headstock and that cover. I hate it. I would strip the finish and remove that ugly flam veneer. If the exposed maple looked good I would keep that exposed. If not, I would make it a gold top. Strip the whole guitar and respray with nitro. If anyone wants this, let's do it.

​@@GuitarQuackeryI'm sure it's a decent guitar, and undoubtedly the mods you described would make it great. The problem with it is that it's wildly overpriced based on a marketing gimmick where it's made to resemble a particular Les Paul owned by several famous guitarists.

To me $600 to $700 on a quality Epiphone is within the realm of value, as long as the distribution of the money is fair (no slave labor). The Greeny Epiphone is not much different than any other $700 Epiphone LP. There are a few differences, though. I forgot to mention in the video that I believe that the frets were leveled. If you go back and look at the microscope images, you can see that the frets are a bit flat on top. So, they were leveled, but not properly recrowned. No other Epiphone goes through any fret leveling stage. Of course, it has the Gibson pickups. And not to mention the high quality Switchcraft output jack. Unlike other Epiphpones, all the hardware was properly tightened.

​@@GuitarQuackeryIf the kids at the Epiphone factory in China could level the frets on the Greeny model, why can't they do the same on other models?

Thank you for your feedback. Will do more videos like this one.

This is exactly what I like to do, actual reviews that have no affiliations with manufacturers, distributors, dealers, wheelers, etc.

Good to hear it was to your linking.

The case is actually only $50, but it does have an expensive handle. Thanks for your comment. Don’t forget to invite others to watch.

Thank you very much for this information. Hope people read it.

Glad to have you on board. Please recommend the channel to friends. Thanks.

Oh, and I hope you don’t miss the sister channel @GuitarDepartment

Yeah, I would personally suggest doing exactly that. Converting another guitar and making it your own signature model. I believe people have also suggested, converting a Led Paul Tribute into a Greeny. And Dylan of Dylan Talks Tone also has a tutorial on how to “make” your own Greeny pickup.

Feel free to watch the follow up video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Un8Rj1BoVBM.html to see what I eded up doing with the guitar. I just talked about upgrades and I did show how to fix the tilt of the pickups, but did not do any actual work. I returned the guitar, then paid a little extra and bout a Gibson R8 (reissue 1958) Les Paul. This looks like a hand filed nut, which is not what we typically see on Epiphone Les Paul guitars. This might be a good nut material, I really cant say one way or another. My first attempt to repair the nut, if I wanted to do it on a lower budget, would be to take the time to file down these string slots correctly and to clean up all the shredded parts that the files would produce. A nylon nut would also look like this if one doesn't take the time to clean up the shreds. Hope this helps and thanks for dropping by.

Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm glad you clicked like & subscribe and I would also like to suggest clicking the share button, if you know anyone that would benefit from this content, to help grow the channel. Making this content has been affecting my turnaround time in a big way and is making a big dent in the business. But if I can monetize this channel, at least it will help me continue doing this. Thanks. To answer your question, yes, I am in NYC. In fact, there are two locations. One is the old location, in Brooklyn, and the other one is the newer location in Midtown Manhattan, in a shared space with Music Makers NY (the rehearsal studio). Both businesses are easy to find on Google, if you are in NYC. If you're interested in finding out more about the location, you might want to watch the new location announcement video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hc9ZYB2alPQ.html that shows you around the studio. Thanks buddy.

I did not. I had a lot on my mind, and I forgot to measure the pickups. I should have. I have a Gibson Les Paul R8 with 50s wiring. When I turn the volume pots on my R8, the volume does not get bumped up when dialing down from 10 towards 9. I wish I had dug a little deeper into this issue, which is clearly a problem. To be honest, I’m struggling with time management. Doing these videos absorbs a lot of my time. I hope you understand. Thanks.

Correct. Both of those mods have bene replicated from the original Greeny , but the fact that it is rotated 180 degrees is not the modification that produces the out of phase sound.

Yeah, but did it come with a $900 hard case? LOL

Ha Ha No,but i find you cant normally play a case and if it is to classy someone might think whats inside this case and try to take it.@@GuitarQuackery

Thank you for your kind words. I’m not sure I can live up to “the best tech in town,” but I do feel comfortable with the title, “the best tech on the block,” LOL.

@@GuitarQuackery ok the only tech on the block that I would trust with my guitar. I have a new build that needs a new bone nut.

Well, I don’t know what any of that means and I’ve never done it before, but I’m willing to give it a try.

I am actually planning to do a follow up video, which will be a theoretical discussion about what could be done to this guitar to upgrade it, which will not be a logical option for anyone that has to pay a tech.

I'll certainly watch this, but still not prepared to spend £1500 on an Epiphone built with low cost labour / overheads. If I want the 'greeny' thing I'll buy a used Gibson LP standard and swap the pickups ...sell the 'buckers for around £200. Maybe with all the hype I might be over the "greeny" thing :)

@@keithtt7798 I think, if one is going to have several Les Paul guitars, it does make sense to have one of them with these pickups. But I agree with you that it doesn't make sense to spit out $1,500 for an Epiphone that's mass produced in the same factory where $600 Epiphones come from.

I love mine and I've owned at least 15 Gibson Les Paul's..I M also had 25 of the best guitarists in Nashville as cartage clients for 15 years . Gibson snobs can't stand that Epiphone is getting waaay better at their signature models . You know what they say about opinions. right ?

I kind of wanted to test that, but the video was already getting too long. Perhaps next time, next guitar. Thank you, Doctor.

I just did this procedure. The output measures 1.8 ohms, when I turn one of the volume pots down to 1.

If we changed the logo to Chibson, it would actually improve the appearance of the headstock, LOL.

Epiphone nowadays really makes high quality guitars. Of course, there will be variations, depending on which factory workers worked in them, but overall, they are high quality guitars, for the money. The $1,500 price tag is too high, though. Make sure you don't miss my latest Epiphone Les Paul Review ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hDh8zxV9WP4.html for the 60s Standard model.

I definitely have plenty of regrets, when looking back in life. Even when looking back a week ago (like thinking about some repair jobs I've committed to, that I should not have gotten involved with). Why do you ask?

@@GuitarQuackery to be honest I look back sometimes to wish my life could be different without regrets

I think most people will have a regrets. Life is full of ups and downs.

I've heard this theory being bounced around. I guess that would be a good investigative topic for KDH, if there's something to be uncovered.

Quite a few people feel that way. It is clear that they have in fact done more high-quality work on this guitar then they normally do on Epiphone Les Paul models. But the price is in fact too high. It would be a good price if it was made in the USA, or in Japan. But I do not like the veneer top, regardless where it’s made.

Yeah, I know... In fact, I've already seen some RU-vidrs make this exact comment. Dylan, from Dylan Talks Tone also put out an instructional video on how to mod your own pickup to make it a "greeny".

Thank you for your positive feedback, Interestingly, I already got one thumb's down, in the first hour of this video. I really can't figure out what in the world to do differently, on a guitar review.

@@GuitarQuackeryI wouldn’t worry, I really think that some people use the thumbs down as a lazy ignorant way to tell the algorithm to not recommend your videos to them. Keep it up, I loved the microscope camera views

Thank you for the thumbs up. I’ll keep the microscope running.

Oh no, I definitely would not say so. My biggest issue is that it is overpriced.

Sure, but it is important to point out that every guitar should be looked at separately, regardless of make and model. We can't review guitars like we review smart phones. Guitars are made of wood and there are no two identical pieces of wood to begin with. And guitars are not made to the same tolerances as car engines, computers, etc. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for dropping by.

There is definitely an opportunity for improvements, and the finishing stages of manufacturing.

In that case, I'm sure you are at least happy I wasn't the one doing the playing demo, LOL.

There is an old Chinese proverb, that says, “China is one in Ormus guitar factory.” I honestly don’t know how many guitar factories there are in China. I’ve heard some talk on RU-vid that there aren’t that many. Of course, the quality is getting better, because it’s all CNC made. Like a Toyota car, when all the industrial robots are precisely calibrated, they will produce consistent products. In fact, Epiphone guitars are more consistent than Gibson guitars. That’s because at the Gibson factory they still employ a lot of hand work.

Yes, I understand, the “slave labor“ remark is more broadly applied. Sometimes parents bring me guitars, complaining that their kids broke the pots or the output jack. I explain that on most guitars made in China or Indonesia the hardware is typically not tightened, so when you turn the pots or use the output jack eventually the solder joints break. Then they complain that their kids need the guitar back as soon as possible and they want it right away, yada, yada, yada… and why don’t they tighten the hardware properly? They don’t think of the people who make those guitars, and how much those people get paid to tighten all the components properly. And they don’t ask themselves if their own kids would tighten all of those same components, if they got paid the same wages?

It is, in fact, a guitar with a really long name, the Kirk Hammett Greeny Epiphone Les Paul. Let’s see what other names get attached to it and times to come.

I've had my Epiphone Greeny for 4 days now. This is a very well made guitar and no it's not a Chibson. It kinda reminds me of a Gibson Tribute Les Paul. Oh yes I'm going to name mine Gary.

An Epiphone with a Gibson open book headstock huh? Nice!

Except Gibson Tributes, have no binding. Well I had a 60's Tribute & it wasn't bound anyway.

@@user-er3lp9pc5eIt’s a China made copy (a Chibson indeed).

Friend, I regret to say that you are incorrect. But don't just take my word for it, as it is a well established fact, what causes the "Greeny" sound. Just go to Dylan Talks Tone ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mdBT9Mr5T3E.html to the 8:48 time mark on his video and see for yourself how Dylan explains it. And please be easy on your comments.

The purpose of my review, to be perfectly honest, was to attract more views, so I can get monetized. It totally worked.

@@GuitarQuackery ....Except that the view you got from me was only a few seconds and came with a smash on the "don't recommend channel" button. Feed that to the algorithm...

I can totally understand that you don’t even like the idea of a review of this guitar. I don’t like that guitar myself. I am simply trying to make useful content for guitar players who need access to helpful Guitar tech information. I noticed that review videos get views. We all know that this is an overrated guitar, so I used it to get more clicks. If you watch the video, you will see that it’s not a positive review, but you were also find information that will be useful to you in other ways, as I do reviews in ways, that other channels do not. For what it’s worth, I believe you should give it a fair try and watch some of the videos that I’ve posted. I’m sure you will find a helpful information in some of the videos.

Right on.

Are you referring to the tone pots?

@@GuitarQuackery no. You said this video has 4 halves. The correct term would be quarters but I knew what you meant. Great channel by the way. I subbed.

Oh, I see. That was part of the humor. The guy you see on the screen really me, the way I really am in real life. That guy is a quack. He doesn’t know how halves work. But he is half real and half fictitious character. I like to flirt with humor that can sometimes come across as ambiguous. So I guess in this case, it wasn’t crystal clear if I was being serious, or incompetent, or if it was just a slip up. It was in fact fully scripted and in this video, I was reading the text from the teleprompter.

@@GuitarQuackery I knew you were joking hence my little 🤣 at the end. Otherwise, I might’ve given you one of 🤔 or possibly even a 😳 but since you thoroughly explained in case I really believed you think 4 halves make 1 whole, I’ll give you a 👍.

I don’t understand what this means.

If these Epiphone prices continue to go up, they will have to start a budget company for those who cannot afford an Epiphone.

@@GuitarQuackery exactly...Gibson is once again ripping it's customers off.

While it should be the goal of any financially healthy company to maximize their profits and minimize their losses, it is clear that sometimes companies don’t exactly offer value for the higher price tag. While it is true that Epiphone guitars have improved significantly in quality, in the past few years, it is also true that this one is greatly overpriced. This is a guitar that is mass produced in China. A quick look through the microscope clearly shows that they did not employ anyone with higher skills to work on the nut or the frets. What added to the higher price tag is the shape of the headstock, the signature model details, the hard case, the Gibson, pick ups, high-quality electronic components, the new bridge design (with wobbly posts) and possibly a better selection of woods. But at the end, this is still just a guitar that’s mass produced in China. They should’ve built this one in the USA plant and priced it at $1,800. and for that price, they could have not used that flame maple veneer, which cheapens the whole guitar. I would much more prefer a simple maple cap (which is in fact, what is already underneath that veneer), regardless of how fancy the grain looks, or doesn’t look.

​@@GuitarQuackerydon't forget about the long neck tenon, and the mother of Pearl inlays. MOP inlays on a Epiphone is a premium spec!

@@Hotelguitarplayer Sure. I did in fact forget to mention those details in this video. Thanks for pointing this out.

I don’t doubt that. Although a USA Ferrer is supposed to be better, anyway. Like I said, in the video, this is a $600 guitar inside of a $900 case.

@@GuitarQuackery I guess if you are really into the greeny guitar then it might make someone very happy but I would personally just get a different Epi and have greeny pick ups installed for less money

I honestly don’t understand what you are referring to. Who is devaluating whose work? What true understanding?

I think you might be right about that.