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For what it is, I 100% agree that it is overpriced. And they are making enough of them that you should NEVER pay full price for one. I was especially drawn to this one because it was built on my birthday. And I like the ebony fretboard and black binding. But I also acknowledge that I did not pay full price for this one, even at launch. So, if anyone is going to get one, they are willing to deal on them. Mine was the same price as the older Studio, so don't go paying over $1500 for one of these.

I think its because of the weight relief right? I'm eyeing the 2018 models because they have the fretboard binding but that's not at all what you're talking about lol

I think the reason they label it a "modern" is because of the comfort cut at the heel joint and the switching for the pickups. Other than those, the only other thing that's even remotely similar to the 2019-2023 Modern is the fact that there's binding on the neck. And there have been studio models with binding in the past, so even that is a stretch.

Gibson should call these models THE Gibson "More" Paul's.

I like this Epiphone 1955 Standard. But I think you'll like the Junior or a Special with P90 pickups better. I have now played my Junior and this Epiphone back to back and I would definitely choose the Junior every time. The possible exception is if I'm going to be going to a rougher environment to play a gig.

It was my favorite, too, and that's why I decided to let the two American Dream models go. The AD17 and AD27 are both excellent guitars in their own right. I just wanted a little more. When I bought the Blacktop, I was really looking at a budget minded Taylor to get into the Grand Pacific body shape. And it fit that niche exceptionally well. And still does. And the AD27 came in on a trade for my IBG J45. It needed a little clean up and a new set of strings to give it life. And, once those were done, it delivered. But the 417 was ready to go right out of the box. And that is something that my 810 also was. So I instantly bonded with it and have zero regrets about letting the other two go.

that's OK I like mine just fine and would play it no matter how rich I was not to mention some of the older acoustic sound as good as Martin

I think it depends on the generation, model and perspective. If you're a young player and you're trying to get an inexpensive guitar, Epiphones are on par with most of the instruments produced in the Asian Pacific Rim region. Are there others that are better? I think so. But this is all subjective, because each player has their own taste when it comes to how a guitar should feel/sound. Will an Epiphone ever be better than a Gibson? Again, it depends on what the player feels and wants. My feeling is No, it will not ever be better than a Gibson. To someone who can't afford a Gibson or someone who is just going to modify it, they might see it as the perfect starting point for their project.

Dumpster fodder!

I think it is on par with what I expect from an Epiphone. There are better Epiphones, but there are worse Epiphones. For the sub $900 category, I feel like it's a decent instrument. And the looks are outstanding. They made this one more affordable, so they cut corners in places like neck construction. Which I think was a mistake.

That British dude with the long hair?

I've seen scarf joints in the same area last for decades. I've seen scarf joints down lower that didn't last 5 years. It's kinda in how they did the work we cannot see, rather than what we can see. I do feel like it's an odd place to piece together a neck. And I would recommend NOT letting it fall on, or near, the headstock. Time will have to be the ultimate judge of whether they did this one right or not.

While I 100% agree with that, I must say that Epiphone is making better instruments than they have in the previous 40+ years. I've played some Epiphones from the 1980s. They were pretty bad. I'm sure each generation has had some high points. But the Epiphones electrics that are being made right now are pretty exceptional in the sub $1000 pricerange. The crazy thing is that there are now some Epiphones that are the same price as Gibsons. The latest Inspired by Gibson Custom offerings from Epiphone are almost the same price as Gibson Les Paul Studios, and are the same price as the Gibson Les Paul Modern Lites. So they are moving Epiphone upmarket. This particular one stickers for less than $900, and, at that price, it's hard to find something with P90s that is better in appearance, feel and sound.

@@guitarsandgears3948 What about those made in Japan? Aren't Japanese Epiphones supposed to be absolutely superior to everything else out there?

There were some really well made Japanese Epiphone models years ago. And there are some that will tell you that they were the best Epiphone has ever been. I've never played one but I've heard a few of them. And I don't think they sound any better, or worse, than the modern Epiphone models. Especially the models with the Gibson USA pickups in them. With Gibson making some Epiphones in the USA again, I can't help but wonder where they will draw the line. There's a cult following for Epiphone, but I'm not sure it's enough to sustain the USA made models. And I kind of wonder if they are giving the high end Epiphone models open book headstocks now because they are going to discontinue the USA made models at some point. And that brings up the question of how discontinuing the USA made models is going to affect the price of those in the used market. Will there be a surge in demand for them, in the future, when they become quirky short lived models? Or will they become a cheap way to get an American made Epiphone?

Epiphone out does gibson by a mile I own both.

Yes it was unfortunate that the Beatles..Stones..Kinks all used Epiphones.

I've now owned 5 different Taylor models and they have all been easy to play right out of the box. I recommend them to anyone that is looking to get an acoustic that is a well rounded guitar. I think Martin and Gibson have their place in the world, but, if you want to do it all, the Taylor is a very strong option.

Feel? No. Appearance? Yes, just a little. Sound? Yes, and it's because of the setup. I just adjusted the Sweetwater one a little bit to make it closer to the first one and it sounds identical. So that really was just the setup on it making it louder.

Because I'm impatient and thought my Sweetwater sales rep was going to miss them on launch day. I had a standing order for one with Sweetwater, but my sales rep didn't answer when I called in, so I decided to order one from another shop I had a contact at. Later in the day, my Sweetwater rep called and told me he had the guitar set up to be shipped, and I decided to keep my order with him since he's a friend of mine.

@@guitarsandgears3948 makes sense

I just listed the second one that came in on Reverb. I listed it at $949 to cover what I paid in taxes over what I paid for the guitar. So if you want one sooner than later, I've got a second one that I just listed for sale. I'm uploading a video of that one as we speak.

I kind of want to go back to the original neck pickup, but I'm having trouble finding one that works. There are some that are sold "as is," so I'm hesitant to buy one that might have been taken out because it was failing/failed. The maple fretboard models were rare, from what I've seen. I've only seen one of them in person, whereas I've seen several of the rosewood variants in person.

They are selling fast. Joe Bonamassa's website still has a few, from what I've seen. Most of the other retailers are backordered until next year now.

I'm not sure, but I do like the sound of it. I just got finished conditioning the fretboard and spending a little time with this one and it's very easy to love. I never really bonded with Lazarus or the Black Beauty, but I can see myself playing this one on a regular basis. Maybe I'm a P90 guy that just happens to have humbucker equipped guitars? I guess only time will tell.

I am definitely a P90 guy that sometimes uses humbuckers 🙂🙂 the P90 is my all-time favorite pickup, I even have a few strats and teles modified with P90's... But of course the combination of a Les Paul and P90's is such a perfect thing... I can't wait to receive mine...

No, I did not. A few years back, I put in a standing order for my Sweetwater sales rep to set aside one of each of the new Joe Bonamassa Epiphones when they launch each year. And he had done that 3 years in a row. Then, last year, he was on vacation when it launched and I didn't order one of the SG models because I thought he had it covered. This year, I called him up and he didn't answer. I got a little jumpy and went ahead and ordered one from a different company so I would be covered. Sure enough, later in the day, my Sweetwater rep called and told me he had one set aside and already had it set to ship. Because he's a friend, I decided to keep my order with him and just sell one, or both, depending on how I liked them.

​@@guitarsandgears3948gotcha. How do they hold their value?

Past Epiphone JB Les Paul models have been good about going up in value because they were limited edition guitars. I sold my Black Beauty and Lazarus models for a profit after about a year of ownership. The ES-335 from a couple of years ago was so good that I decided to keep it because it has the vibrola on it. So I think these will go up in value because they are P90 equipped and seem to be very good quality. That and the fact that this color is kind of unheard of in the Gibson/Epiphone lineup. I'm not sure if these are limited editions, but they seem to have sold quite quickly. So if you want one, get on the waiting list soon. I'll be selling one, or both, of mine in the near future.

​@@guitarsandgears3948Joe made a comment that hinted that these might be limited to a run of 1,000 plus the 300 with his name as inlays. We'll see I suppose.

I think that matches up with what Lazarus was, so that makes sense. I think the ES-335 was something like 2000 units, and they didn't sell as well as Lazarus, so I'm sure they want to make sure and sell every one of them. I don't remember how many of the SG Customs they made. It might have gone back to 1000 for that model, too, since it seems like those sold out pretty quickly.

I've been looking around for a Raven SG to try out. They seem to be hiding or overpriced, but I'm looking for one to compare to this Les Paul and to my other two SG models. I'm glad you liked the demo!

@@guitarsandgears3948 the Raven was clunky compared to my other SGs.(Gibson 2 and Epiphone 5) but a beauty it was 👍

I've tried it with the Raven, the Adam Jones LP and the LP Junior, all with the same results. I think it's just this little VOX unit. But it might just be THIS VOX unit, which is why someone wanted to get rid of it. For that matter, if they didn't have anything else to play it through, this VOX unit might be why someone wanted to trade off the Raven, as well.

Notice that when I plugged the Raven into the amp directly, it didn't make any noise. Just the sounds of the pedals through the amp. I've only played the Raven on this amp, but I'm pretty sure that I'll get the same results when I play it through the Hughes & Kettner and Marshall.

@@guitarsandgears3948 Interesting - thanks

lol, thanks for the laugh. But it's already paid for, so it's mine now.

That's a Gator case. Here's the link to it at Sweetwater: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GWJUMBO--gator-deluxe-wood-case-jumbo-acoustic-guitar

I really like it. But I don't think it has the bass response of the J-45 Rosewood. Gibson has a sound to it. And that sound is mostly boomy when you are playing any of their dreadnought guitars. And while the Taylor certainly has a full sound to it, I feel like the J-45 has a little more in the bass than the Taylor. If you're going to be singing over it, or have a singer that sings more in the mid range than up high, I might be more inclined to recommend the Taylor.

​@@guitarsandgears3948 ? Martin d18 better for song.

Over time, the Taylor really did open up and come into its own. But I still liked the feel of the Martin better than the AD27, so I kept the Martin and let the AD27 go to a new owner who loves it way more than I ever did. The American Dream series is still, in my opinion, the best entry level Taylor you can buy. I would definitely choose it over the Mexican made Taylors, simply because it had a feel that was distinctively Taylor American made. That said, I'm seriously thinking about letting go of the Martin D15M because I feel like it's more of a novelty than a player for me. It fills a spot in collection, but does it really need to? I'm not sure anymore.

I agree with you. And I"ve got a few Gibson Doves, so I'm very much biased towards the Gibson version. For that matter, I'm a fan of the Gibson version of EVERY Epiphone acoustic that I've played. But this one isn't terrible. It's obviously laminate back and sides. It's never going to project like the Gibson version does. But it's pretty comfortable to play on and the top is pretty nice. The most desirable feature of this one (and that's a very subjective point of view) is that this one has the Hummingbird pick guard on it instead of a Dove one. I've decided to keep this one around as a fun guitar for the kiddos and their friends to play on.