Epi Exclusive LP 59 Standard in Aged Southern Fade..........

[The~Kid]

Normally the regular Standard 59 go for 900 bucks now.....


So for 800 bucks it's not bad, comes with a case and an exclusive color..... Back in stock. Doesn't have the Gibson Headstock or one piece neck but still has a great 59 profile neck, two piece body and comes with Burstbuckers 2 and 3. I have two of these and they are great.


They don't last long and they take a while to get new batches too so get them while they are in stock if your looking at nice LP...... these 59 style necks are amazing and they also come with long/deep tenon and solid binding. If you call they usually hook it up with a discount too but if they don't still a great price new.


I got both new at a discount and they are simply amazing....... Both are amazing players with beautiful tops too ^_^

 

[JohnnyGtar]

Epiphone has really come a long way. Very, very good instruments coming from them since the new owners took over.

 

[The~Kid]

Epiphone has really come a long way. Very, very good instruments coming from them since the new owners took over.

These aren't the Reissue 59 Epis that come with one piece neck, Gibson headstock and Gibson frets and I think those have a one piece body and CustomBuckers but honestly these Standard 59s are great too and I prefer the BurstBuckers as they are hotter too and the 2 piece body is super resonant too. Both have long/deep tenon......


No Gibson Headstock or Gibson Frets on these like on the 1300$ 59 Reissue..... but yeah the 2 piece body, thick binding and long/deep tenon go a long way. Burstbuckers 2 and 3 are pure tits too and nvm that 59 profile.

 

[VonBonfire]

These aren't the Reissue 59 Epis that come with one piece neck, Gibson headstock and Gibson frets and I think those have a one piece body and CustomBuckers but honestly these Standard 59s are great too and I prefer the BurstBuckers as they are hotter too and the 2 piece body is super resonant too. Both have long/deep tenon......


No Gibson Headstock or Gibson Frets on these like on the 1300$ 59 Reissue..... but yeah the 2 piece body, thick binding and long/deep tenon go a long way. Burstbuckers 2 and 3 are pure tits too and nvm that 59 profile.

I'd shop a used Edwards before I bought a new Epiphone LP at that price. I have not seen a run of the mill Epi LP that was better than an Edwards.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

These aren't the Reissue 59 Epis that come with one piece neck, Gibson headstock and Gibson frets and I think those have a one piece body and CustomBuckers but honestly these Standard 59s are great too and I prefer the BurstBuckers as they are hotter too and the 2 piece body is super resonant too. Both have long/deep tenon......


No Gibson Headstock or Gibson Frets on these like on the 1300$ 59 Reissue..... but yeah the 2 piece body, thick binding and long/deep tenon go a long way. Burstbuckers 2 and 3 are pure tits too and nvm that 59 profile.

Man, that's a beautiful guitar you've got there. I'd love to check one out. I've got a Epiphone Les Paul Trad Pro IV and the quality is through the roof, especially when the price is factored in. I got mine new for $399 on sale and it's just nuts how well built this thing is. The Alnico Classic Pro pickups are basically 57 Classics with A5 magnets. It sings and screams. I'm old...in my 60's, and I almost always replace pickups, but these sound really nice. Wasn't expecting that. I've sold a million Les Pauls over the years, and this bad boy punches far above its weight.

 

[The~Kid]

I'd shop a used Edwards before I bought a new Epiphone LP at that price. I have not seen a run of the mill Epi LP that was better than an Edwards.

The Epis just get it right here IMO and these new Chinese ones are not run of the mill IME even the Stadnard 50s is decent, has long/deep tenon and all one needs to do is upgrade to Duncan Pearly Gates or similar or Alinico Pro lls and CTS pots if they don't come with them already but I believe they do. The 59 Standard also come with CTS pots and Mallory Caps....... Burstbuckers made in the USA and unpotted..... thick maple cap......


I honestly haven't picked up an LP guitar in this price range in years because none really get that Gibson feeling like these have IMO and yeah not even Gibson Standard 50s have long/deep tenon and it's a feature that you really can only get from Murphy Lab and maybe the Greeny models but that's about it. I have a Korean one with Duncansfrom the Unsung factory and it is not even half as good as these new Chinese Epis IMO.

 

[The~Kid]

IMO a lot of the previous Chinese and Korean Epis have been run of the mill but whenever Gibson did the move to "Inspired by Gibson"......


The quality, build and tone are just way way better, don't know how they do it but pretty much they are busting out really nice stuff and a lot of these are arguably better built than a lot of Gibson entry level stuff too.

 

[VonBonfire]

I honestly haven't picked up an LP guitar in this price range in years because none really get that Gibson feeling like these have IMO and yeah not even Gibson Standard 50s have long/deep tenon and it's a feature that you really can only get from Murphy Lab and maybe the Greeny models but that's about it. I have a Korean one with Duncansfrom the Unsung factory and it is not even half as good as these new Chinese Epis.

If you're happy, you're happy. CTS pots is a nice feature from the factory. Epi's have always had crap electronics until more recent times. The 3 way switch had previously been a must-change part if you wanted a reliable gig axe. They always failed me....

As for the long neck tenon....Edwards has that and the neck joint is work of art level precision fit. Lemme dig up a pic for you bro....

 

[VonBonfire]

IMO a lot of the previous Chinese and Korean Epis have been run of the mill but whenever Gibson did the move to "Inspired by Gibson"......

I had a 2015 Chinese Sheraton in wine red that had good bones. Even the Probucker II's were nice sounding, actually close to rivaling Gibson tone quality. But the pots and switch, junk. The switch failed at a gig, lol. I should've kept the guitar but the monster sheraton headstock of that time was a neck diving SOB. Should've bit the bullet and tossed a bigsby on there but didn't feel like unloading 2/3rds of the purchase price.

Not quite as open sounding as an ES but still more than acceptable for low rent gigs or a blues jam. The five piece neck was actually nothing short of amazing. They called it a slim taper but it was wider in the shoulders and five piece makes for a very stable neck. I think they've dropped that labor heavy feature on the newer Sheratons but the headstocks are slimmed down.

 

[The~Kid]

If you're happy, you're happy. CTS pots is a nice feature from the factory. Epi's have always had crap electronics until more recent times. The 3 way switch had previously been a must-change part if you wanted a reliable gig axe. They always failed me....

As for the long neck tenon....Edwards has that and the neck joint is work of art level precision fit. Lemme dig up a pic for you bro....

Honestly that looks amazing and I bet it's killer ^_^

 

[The~Kid]

I had a 2015 Chinese Sheraton in wine red that had good bones. Even the Probucker II's were nice sounding, actually close to rivaling Gibson tone quality. But the pots and switch, junk. The switch failed at a gig, lol. I should've kept the guitar but the monster sheraton headstock of that time was a neck diving SOB. Should've bit the bullet and tossed a bigsby on there but didn't feel like unloading 2/3rds of the purchase price.

Not quite as open sounding as an ES but still more than acceptable for low rent gigs or a blues jam. The five piece neck was actually nothing short of amazing. They called it a slim taper but it was wider in the shoulders and five piece makes for a very stable neck. I think they've dropped that labor heavy feature on the newer Sheratons but the headstocks are slimmed down.

Honestly if you digged it a lot maybe not soon but yeah check out a current production Sheraton whenever....... price ain't bad and quality has probably gotten that much better too since 2015. Pup change is all one may need and that's it and a decent set up.

Tbh a lot of Edwards, Burny, Agile guitars Ive played have been pretty sick but yeah I don't know the moment I picked these up there was something about it that just hit a spot. I honestly brought one down of a wall at GC from my subconscious telling me to do it....... It was pretty nuts but I just kept staring at it like I've seen it before or it was familiar but I couldn't figure out how or from where....... after playing it for a bit, it hit me after dozing off staring at another one on the wall and it finally hit me that it reminded me of a real 59 my Dads friend had I saw when I was a kid..... It just like straight up took me back to that time I saw an actual pretty much time capsule 59.


These even come with the the same inside color case the real 59 I saw had......the early Epi 59s had a pink interior but these have that more proper Magenta interior like a vintage case and even more spot on than the red ones Gibson USA uses.


The finish and tops and that sheen are very much like a vintage guitar and once I plugged it in I really connected with the neck too. Played like 10 different ones and found them all to be rather super consistent and like carbon copies of one another too. I think they cost like 900 hundred at the time or 1000 bucks in store.........


So when they had them at Zzounds for 800$ plus a discount...... I mean yeah it was a done deal. Even now a stupid good deal.

 

[The~Kid]

This one is called Peaches ^_^

 

[rsm]

Late last year, I got an Epi Inspired by Gibson Custom '63 Les Paul Custom with three CustomBuckers, that would be around $700 if you purchased three of these pickups new. Got it shortly after getting a Gibson '61 SG Standard. Both are great guitars IMO; so are the fit and finish.

 

[The~Kid]

My Dads friend actually had a vintage Custom model from memory with the most 3D like top Ive ever seen and the deepest thinking back at it but the sheen looked like the new VOS they use on the Epis....... it had Gold Hardware too and he said he got the best one he could. He never played it apparently or if he did it was on occasion but he just loved the way it looked.


This was a hardworking guy too who worked all his life and didn't have time to play but he got it when he was much younger and was the original owner.


It was in a box, in the shed like a Time Capsule.......


I've never really seen a guitar like it since. It was in Cherry Burst but a heavy dark Cherry Burst......


It's hard to remember all the details because I was a kid but it was amazing. The tops on the new Epis or maybe any Gibson or anything from anyone is nothing like the tops from back then. Those tops back then just looked like pure gold/diamonds/deep pristine oceans........


But the VOS finishes do give a real authentic look and damn near spot on and the flame tops on these Epis are not half bad either

 

[The~Kid]

I mean my Dads friend vintage Gibson Les Paul looked a little like this........

But yeah with the most beautiful, deep and 3D/lush like top I have ever seen and more of the VOS type finish vs gloss but pretty much like this and in a vintage Magenta interior case......


A time Capsules guitar doesn't keep it's finish though becomes dull and gets a different sheen like the 59 Epis get though.

 

[J_Rocket]

I have an Epi Les Paul and would be open to getting another one, but the lack of Stainless Steel frets is pushing me towards an LTD EC instead. Crazy that with so many $1000+ Epi LP models these days that none of them have stainless frets.

 

[The~Kid]

I have an Epi Les Paul and would be open to getting another one, but the lack of Stainless Steel frets is pushing me towards an LTD EC instead. Crazy that with so many $1000+ Epi LP models these days that none of them have stainless frets.

Dudes back then didn't use Stainless Steel frets...... seem to have sounded fine IMO. I get stainless steel frets or other bells and whistles right as nice as a PRS is or like an LTD or ESP even is.....

These Epis are pretty kick ass and that's all Ima say. The Custom models with Quilt tops for example offer a one piece mahogany neck...... they go for 800 bucks. All they need is a pup change and your set. Personally I get stainless steel frets but I don't like them because they sound weird or make the strings sound way brighter IMO.

 

[J_Rocket]

Dudes back then didn't use Stainless Steel frets...... seem to have sounded fine IMO. I get stainless steel frets or other bells and whistles right as nice as a PRS is or like an LTD or ESP even is.....

These Epis are pretty kick ass and that's all Ima say. The Custom models with Quilt tops for example offer a one piece mahogany neck...... they go for 800 bucks. All they need is a pup change and your set. Personally I get stainless steel frets but I don't like them because they sound weird or make the strings sound way brighter IMO.

Fair enough. I know that SS frets are not 'traditional' in any way, but it is still surprising that Epi doesn't have at least a few models with that option for those that want it. I guess until they think they are losing market share by not offering them they will stay the course.

 

[The~Kid]

My Dads friends name was Vicente....... this guy like never really played the guitar ever..... he just had it in the case for years and probably had it in the shed for years before taking it out to show it to me that day.

I've seen some guitars in great condition and some vintage ones in the best condition you could think of like some in Slashes collection but these have been played. A guitar that has been played will age differently than one that isn't played ever and just in its case.


A guitar that is played will keep its sheen and shine and one that isn't will lose it like you get on VOS finishes. And yeah I've never seen another to this day similar to Vicentes Les Paul Custom other the Epi 59 Standards and the 59 Reissues regarding that finish......


The top was like a flame and quilted maple...... like the clearest marble or most pristine ocean....... 3D as hell and no tops can be made like those now especially with the effect of the ageing in the case. That top was what dreams are made of I'll tell you that much. The gold lost a lot of the shine too and looked more like brass but it still looked great.......



Sometimes I wonder what happened to Vicentes guitar. The family just rummaged through his things and no one really knows what happened to it but something tells me someone found it and not just anyone....... and I hope it's in good hands because that thing was really nothing short of a real treasure.


Vicentes guitar pretty much looked like this but imagine it with a VOS like finish and just a way way way more lush, deep, clear and 3D/holographic like top as nice as this one is........ in a Magenta interior colored case...... like the Epi 59s come with.

 

[Music&Chaos]

My buddy has this one.

Absolutely beast of a guitar.

He also has a couple of other really nice Epiphones, some custom or one off runs.

I have upgraded pickups and electronics in various models and such.

Nice electronics with CTS pots and stuff.

I always think about how nice they feel and sound....until I put my beat up 2004 Les Paul studio against them. Smashes them every time. Not even close.

I have played tons and tons of Epiphones. Some are really nice for sure but when you start asking me for close to $1k for one, it is never gonna happen.