Joe Bonamassa Epiphone Les Paul Custom is coming

[gadgetfreak]

This guitar can be made to play and sound great it’s just as been said Lousy Setups and I couldn’t agree more with the guy in that video your going to want to change strings immediately they are the worst strings I’ve ever played. I think tuners work great and nice and tight. For the amount of verbal diarrhea I’ve said there is a lot of good. I don’t know why I expected it to be clean and setup, that’s a crazy notion on a new guitar.

I watched another sweewater unboxing and found it interesting that they double boxed it. Mine was just shipped in the small epiphone box. Don’t go by my experience usually everything I buy is lemons, running joke in my house.

 

[Wuuthrad]

Anyone lucky enough to have one care to share some demos of the middle pick up position?

Not yet, but here’s a no talk all playing video:

 

[Sp8ctre]

Has anyone received one yet that has more fingerprints and dna on it than a crime scene? Just got mine and I swear its GC and no pride, I ordered it Saturday night so how could I have gotten it so fast? I researched the shipping and it came from a local store, Sorry not having that I'm disgusted with how gross it is. Nasty dirty and pickup covers are just covered in prints and oil too. WTF GC,

I plugged it in and the only pickup that sounds good is the neck, could be just setup issues but it's quacking like a Strat and hardly any output. The setup playing wise is low as my other Epiphone. It's as fast playing as you'll get before buzzing, pretty good there.

I'm going to sit for a minute and think about, I'm not thrilled on the presentation. F'ing gross and I don't want to clean it so they can see how nasty it is. My son has hands that sweat I get it but clean the guitar up before shipping it. I spend to much for this shit, not on this guitar but on other gear there before covid. I know I sound like a bitch but you'd laugh if you seen how dirty it is, I mean I know it was the store model because every inch has been touched. If it was just shipping guy would be a couple, this thing looks like dirty mike and the boys had there way with it in the back of Will Ferrells car.

I received mine yesterday from GC. It was shipped in the Epiphone box with no double boxing and the box looked like it had been through a war zone. I was sure the case or guitar or both would be damaged, but all was fine.

The strings were terrible as you stated and my B string snapped before I could even get it up to pitch! I'm at work 90 miles from home and I don't have a spare set of strings. I plugged it in and played with it the way it is.

I love the sound of the neck pickup alone and the out of phase sound with the middle and bridge pickup, but the bridge pickup alone sounds terrible to me. It seems very shrill and the output seems lower than the other positions. Not sure what can be done about it yet.

Condition wise mine is flawless. There are no issues at all. It was clean and had no handling marks on it. My invoice said it was being shipped from a warehouse, but it got here in one day by UPS ground. It had to have come from a local store IMO.

For the record mine weighs in at 9 pounds on the dot.

 

[Wuuthrad]

Isn’t it vintage spec- made to replicate Joe B’s guitar?

If so I assume the 3 pickups will be the same and somewhat normal for the bridge to sound that way, especially if it’s too close to the strings which I would expect, and should just need a setup to your liking!

Curious how does the neck feel?

 

[cerasgrgag]

Seems like these have a long neck tenon and sound pretty good as per the last video.

 

[gadgetfreak]

Interesting you got an invoice? I just got guitar in case inside epiphone box. Not surprised B string broke they are the worst strings.

The neck feels awesome, no complaints there. My action is actually low and fast. Shocked yours weighs 9lbs, I didn’t weigh mine but it felt light. Will weigh it later.

Can somebody just verify how the sweep is on volume pots plz? Cts pots should be fairly good sweep mine are lousy, almost no volume till 7. Sorry to go on but I really need to know what to expect or look for if I try for another

 

[Sp8ctre]

Isn’t it vintage spec- made to replicate Joe B’s guitar?

If so I assume the 3 pickups will be the same and somewhat normal for the bridge to sound that way, especially if it’s too close to the strings which I would expect, and should just need a setup to your liking!

Curious how does the neck feel?

It is spec'd to Joe's 58.

Neck feels great to me. A little chunky, but not huge. I'll measure it Friday when I have some calipers.

The Bridge pickup sounds great in the Andertons demo. I was playing completely clean and I thought it sounded thin and quaky. Setup should fix that.

 

[CB91710]

This guitar can be made to play and sound great it’s just as been said Lousy Setups and I couldn’t agree more with the guy in that video your going to want to change strings immediately they are the worst strings I’ve ever played. I think tuners work great and nice and tight. For the amount of verbal diarrhea I’ve said there is a lot of good. I don’t know why I expected it to be clean and setup, that’s a crazy notion on a new guitar.

Setup, maybe not.... You can have a perfectly set up guitar leave the factory in Corona or Nashville, and the temperature and humidity differences completely screw it up, so best case, the factory may opt for "best compromise" where it plays "ok", but not the best it can be.
We used to have local music stores that took the time to inspect and set up new guitars. Some still do, but don't expect that out of a chain store unless you pay extra for it.
Pretty convinced that the 22 points of the "55 point inspection" is making sure that the frets are present.

But clean? Ya... A brand new guitar that is filthy is unacceptable. It doesn't need to be polished, but it should look presentable when the case is opened.

 

[gadgetfreak]

@CB91710 I’m inclined to agree with you on the setups but my chief complaints have been poor presentation and pickups outta whack.

I don’t think humidity will mess with pickup height. I had a busy night so never looked at it again but I’ve heard the guitars online sound great so maybe I’ll have my luthier look at it.

If I knew GC could setup it up I would ask for it to be cleaned and setup but I don’t have faith in my local stores. I’m deciding if I want to even have my guy check it out, he’ll hook me up but do I want to waste his time. I know a lot about setups in theory but never trust myself to get the best out of it.

 

[CB91710]

Got my FedEx tracking number today... supposed to be here Saturday.

 

[Wuuthrad]

Got my FedEx tracking number today... supposed to be here Saturday.

Damn.....nice ! Keep us updated!

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

Mine came in today. First off, I'm impressed as heck wth the case. As nice, if not nicer, than either the brown Lifton reissue or Custom shop black case AND it has yellow lining inside. Latches are about the best I've ever seen.

Opened it up and nice clean beautiful guitar inside. I'll weigh it later but I don't think it was over 9 pounds. The neck is to die for. I got to hand it to Epiphone, they really did not just take any old LPC off the line and put another pup in it. That neck is a delight. Definitely chunkier than the 2-PU LPC but without big shoulders, I'd call it a full C shape, so nice to play.

Tuned it up, the tuners work as nice as the 2-pickup LPC I have, and those are probably the best tuners I've ever had. I was a little surprised by the wiring. I thought it was going to be 3 vol, 1 tone. Nope. 2 vol, 2 tone, to the bridge and neck pickups. Middle position is middle pup and bridge. Very cool out of phase tone. The control knobs are bell style and not the usual Epiphone barrels. The pots are smooth with a good sweep.

The pickups are outstanding. I don't know if they're different from the 2-PU model or if it's the guitar. The neck pickup might be the biggest surprise of all. Utterly outstanding tone, right up there with my R0 for sounding incredible bone stock. All positions of the selector switch sound great.

I will want to polish the frets with some Meguiers when I change the strings. I don't know if they set this up before shippng it. The packing job was damn near as good as I would have done it so somebody gave this serious attention. There was lots of bubble wrap in the Epiphone box, which was in side a Taylor box with even more bubble wrap. This was not just taken off the shelf and slapped into a shipping carton. Musician Friend is part of Guitar Center, and I had no expectation of such care and diligence in packing from them.

And now I've got a dilemma. I really like the 2 pickup Custom. I'm over the moon with the three pickup. I have no doubt I'm keeping that one. I'll probably sell the 2 pickup Custom so somebody out there can have a really nice guitar

 

[Sp8ctre]

Mine came in today. First off, I'm impressed as heck wth the case. As nice, if not nicer, than either the brown Lifton reissue or Custom shop black case AND it has yellow lining inside. Latches are about the best I've ever seen.

Opened it up and nice clean beautiful guitar inside. I'll weigh it later but I don't think it was over 9 pounds. The neck is to die for. I got to hand it to Epiphone, they really did not just take any old LPC off the line and put another pup in it. That neck is a delight. Definitely chunkier than the 2-PU LPC but without big shoulders, I'd call it a full C shape, so nice to play.

Tuned it up, the tuners work as nice as the 2-pickup LPC I have, and those are probably the best tuners I've ever had. I was a little surprised by the wiring. I thought it was going to be 3 vol, 1 tone. Nope. 2 vol, 2 tone, to the bridge and neck pickups. Middle position is middle pup and bridge. Very cool out of phase tone. The control knobs are bell style and not the usual Epiphone barrels. The pots are smooth with a good sweep.

The pickups are outstanding. I don't know if they're different from the 2-PU model or if it's the guitar. The neck pickup might be the biggest surprise of all. Utterly outstanding tone, right up there with my R0 for sounding incredible bone stock. All positions of the selector switch sound great.

I will want to polish the frets with some Meguiers when I change the strings. I don't know if they set this up before shippng it. The packing job was damn near as good as I would have done it so somebody gave this serious attention. There was lots of bubble wrap in the Epiphone box, which was in side a Taylor box with even more bubble wrap. This was not just taken off the shelf and slapped into a shipping carton. Musician Friend is part of Guitar Center, and I had no expectation of such care and diligence in packing from them.

And now I've got a dilemma. I really like the 2 pickup Custom. I'm over the moon with the three pickup. I have no doubt I'm keeping that one. I'll probably sell the 2 pickup Custom so somebody out there can have a really nice guitar View attachment 494261

I agree with everything you said here, but most of all with the Neck pickup sound. It is truly glorious! I also dig the OOP sound between the Middle and Bridge pickups. Not in love with the Bridge alone.

This guitar has been the biggest surprise of the year for me and I'm very happy I jumped in and bought one. I'll be selling at least one of my Norm Burst's and possibly both...

 

[gadgetfreak]

@DeafDumbBlind Kid. That’s great your happy with it and they took care of you.

The only thing I will give a friendly warning on is the case looks cool as hell but it is far from the quality your comparing it too, just don’t slide it on any surface but carpet.

That pleather material will scar/gash real easy believe me mine already has a giant scar from somebody probably just putting it down on the ground a little aggressively.

Play the F outta it man!!!

Oh I meant to ask you guys do your tuners have reds in them? It’s hard to see from any pics but in person I can see lots of red marbling color mixed in. I like it

 

[scrumm21]

.....
Pretty convinced that the 22 points of the "55 point inspection" is making sure that the frets are present.....

..... good one !

 

[CB91710]

@DeafDumbBlind Kid. That’s great your happy with it and they took care of you.

The only thing I will give a friendly warning on is the case looks cool as hell but it is far from the quality your comparing it too, just don’t slide it on any surface but carpet.

That pleather material will scar/gash real easy believe me mine already has a giant scar from somebody probably just putting it down on the ground a little aggressively.

Play the F outta it man!!!

Oh I meant to ask you guys do your tuners have reds in them? It’s hard to see from any pics but in person I can see lots of red marbling color mixed in. I like it

The red is apparently supposed to be there... shows pretty clearly on the sample pics on Joe's store if you enlarge to full size.

 

[Sp8ctre]

@DeafDumbBlind Kid. That’s great your happy with it and they took care of you.

The only thing I will give a friendly warning on is the case looks cool as hell but it is far from the quality your comparing it too, just don’t slide it on any surface but carpet.

That pleather material will scar/gash real easy believe me mine already has a giant scar from somebody probably just putting it down on the ground a little aggressively.

Play the F outta it man!!!

Oh I meant to ask you guys do your tuners have reds in them? It’s hard to see from any pics but in person I can see lots of red marbling color mixed in. I like it

My tuners have some nice red marbling in them. I like it as well.

The case seems sturdy to me. It may not be road worthy, but it's nice enough.

 

[Wuuthrad]

I’m pretty sure that the red tuners are vintage correct Epiphone tuners, I’ve seen them on a reissue somewhere but I can’t remember which one! lol...

 

[Sp8ctre]

I’m pretty sure that the red tuners are vintage correct Epiphone tuners, I’ve seen them on a reissue somewhere but I can’t remember which one! lol...

They are from what Joe has said in the video he posted comparing the guitar to the original 58'

Mine; You can see the red in a couple of them. I need to take some better pics...

 

[DeafDumbBlind Kid]

I noticed that in pics before I got mine

some are obvious

some are a little subtle

some are just specks

I had others that were internal shades but didn't photograph well at my skill level. At first I thought they were shoe polish smears or something like that. I didn't realize they were part of the plastic until I saw these posts.