shovelrider
Senior Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2011
- Messages
- 118
- Reaction score
- 182
Just took delivery of an Epiphone 339 Pro P90 in Pelham Blue! So far I am really liking it. Coincidentally, with 15% off at MF the total price came to $339.
The fit and finish are top notch with just a slight imperfection. On either side of the neck pocket you can detect a faint line going from the heel up to the fretboard. The Pelham Blue is really something to look at, especially in person. The binding is flawless with no paint bleed and a subtle color that really makes for a nice contrast. The body size is something I really like. I mainly play Les Pauls so this is much more comfortable for me than a full size 335 etc. would be. The Riviera I had just never felt quite right for me.
The fretwork from what I have observed so far is just fine. No sharp ends, dead spots, buzzing etc. and no leveling needed at this time. They could use a good polishing though. The setup is quite close and may need just a few small tweaks for personal preferences. The fretboard itself is even in color with no noticeable flaws. The nut, while I haven't noticed any real issues will be replaced. Something that all far east guitars I have played have in common.
Most far east guitars I have experienced, the electronics and wiring can be hit or miss. These are a hit. No wiring issues to speak of. The switch and knobs function as intended and these P90's sound great! To my ears, exactly what a good P90 should sound like. Bright with strong mids and just the right amount of bark when pushed. I play through a VHT Special 6 Ultra which is very Fender-ish. And to me, P90s through a Fender type amp is a great match. Compared with the Epi Riviera P93 that I had these pickups are definitely superior. Actually that is one of the main reasons I sold the Riviera.
The hardware is nice. Epiphone uses what they call the LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge and stop bar. Not much to say really other than they look nice and do there job well. The tuners are marked as Epiphone Deluxe. I believe they used to use Grovers on the 339's which would have been nice but these seem to be of comparable quality and hold tune just fine.
I have been looking for an inexpensive semi with P90s for a while. I had a Fender Modern Player Thinline Deluxe that I liked but traded for an acoustic. Then I had the Epi Riviera P93. It was a fine quality guitar but I really just didn't get along with it. Mainly due to size and the pickups didn't do it for me. Plus three pickups is just one too many. I had been looking at the Epi Casino Coupe for a while. They are very close in spec to the 339 but not available in Pelham Blue which had really caught my eye with this one. Also, I believe the Casino Coupe to have the same P90s as the Riviera which I didn't care for. I also like the plainer look of the 339 without the trapeze tail piece and prefer the look of soap bars over dogears. It would have been nice however to have block inlays on the 339. So I think this is the one for now.
With the smaller body and center block it does sound slightly different than a full sized semi. For me that is neither good or bad. Just different. Kind of a right in the middle of an LP and 335 really. Overall I am very impressed with this guitar. These guitars street for $399. I got mine with a 15% discount at MF for $339 and believe it is definitely worth what I paid and more. I am sure there are plenty of brand snobs out there that will disagree at any price though. As with a lot of the newer Asian built guitars, the quality keeps going up while prices remain low budget. Is this Gibson quality? No, but almost (I own two Gibson Les Pauls). It's also $2000 cheaper than a Gibson 339 and is available with P90s which I was looking for. Highly recommended.
The fit and finish are top notch with just a slight imperfection. On either side of the neck pocket you can detect a faint line going from the heel up to the fretboard. The Pelham Blue is really something to look at, especially in person. The binding is flawless with no paint bleed and a subtle color that really makes for a nice contrast. The body size is something I really like. I mainly play Les Pauls so this is much more comfortable for me than a full size 335 etc. would be. The Riviera I had just never felt quite right for me.
The fretwork from what I have observed so far is just fine. No sharp ends, dead spots, buzzing etc. and no leveling needed at this time. They could use a good polishing though. The setup is quite close and may need just a few small tweaks for personal preferences. The fretboard itself is even in color with no noticeable flaws. The nut, while I haven't noticed any real issues will be replaced. Something that all far east guitars I have played have in common.
Most far east guitars I have experienced, the electronics and wiring can be hit or miss. These are a hit. No wiring issues to speak of. The switch and knobs function as intended and these P90's sound great! To my ears, exactly what a good P90 should sound like. Bright with strong mids and just the right amount of bark when pushed. I play through a VHT Special 6 Ultra which is very Fender-ish. And to me, P90s through a Fender type amp is a great match. Compared with the Epi Riviera P93 that I had these pickups are definitely superior. Actually that is one of the main reasons I sold the Riviera.
The hardware is nice. Epiphone uses what they call the LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge and stop bar. Not much to say really other than they look nice and do there job well. The tuners are marked as Epiphone Deluxe. I believe they used to use Grovers on the 339's which would have been nice but these seem to be of comparable quality and hold tune just fine.
I have been looking for an inexpensive semi with P90s for a while. I had a Fender Modern Player Thinline Deluxe that I liked but traded for an acoustic. Then I had the Epi Riviera P93. It was a fine quality guitar but I really just didn't get along with it. Mainly due to size and the pickups didn't do it for me. Plus three pickups is just one too many. I had been looking at the Epi Casino Coupe for a while. They are very close in spec to the 339 but not available in Pelham Blue which had really caught my eye with this one. Also, I believe the Casino Coupe to have the same P90s as the Riviera which I didn't care for. I also like the plainer look of the 339 without the trapeze tail piece and prefer the look of soap bars over dogears. It would have been nice however to have block inlays on the 339. So I think this is the one for now.
With the smaller body and center block it does sound slightly different than a full sized semi. For me that is neither good or bad. Just different. Kind of a right in the middle of an LP and 335 really. Overall I am very impressed with this guitar. These guitars street for $399. I got mine with a 15% discount at MF for $339 and believe it is definitely worth what I paid and more. I am sure there are plenty of brand snobs out there that will disagree at any price though. As with a lot of the newer Asian built guitars, the quality keeps going up while prices remain low budget. Is this Gibson quality? No, but almost (I own two Gibson Les Pauls). It's also $2000 cheaper than a Gibson 339 and is available with P90s which I was looking for. Highly recommended.
I think the black PG from the 339 would fit perfectly, but so far I can't find a source for them. If I have to have one custom made I may choose tortoise shell. I do believe I've found "drop in" green keystone tuners. 
