The deep neck with the Modified-V shape... the V shape gives you the reach of a thin neck. You get the stability of the neck against your palm, but with the corners knocked off into a V-shape gives you the reach... best neck I ever felt!
I’m curious why the specs call the neck profile a “Slash Rounded C” if it’s actually more like a V or soft V shape. My friend is getting one of these guitars, so I’m hoping to get to try one of these soon. It’s pretty weird that they’d called the neck something that it’s not. I’ve heard others say it’s beefy, but not in a baseball bat type way - they say it really just cradles and supports the palm and hand perfectly. I’ve heard even small hands have no problem feeling comfortable, mostly because the radius is on the flatter side. I think this is the first time since this guitar was released that I’ve heard anyone say they didn’t really feel the neck was comfortable. Can’t work for everyone, but by and large, I’ve heard this is an incredibly comfortable guitar that sounds great and comes with incredible specs and features that aren’t included on the Inspired By Gibson and other Epiphone J-45 models. You even get a hard shell and locking tuners. And until Dec 31, they’re $200 off everywhere, which means they’re back at the original pre-pandemic launch price of $799. It’s a huge value right now (and goes to show that brands/dealers can still make a huge profit with pre-pandemic pricing - kind of like the sale happening now on all PRS SE guitars). My one gripe spec wise with this Slash J-45 is that it doesn’t have a Fishman pickup Sonicore. I don’t have personal experience with LR Baggs, but I tend to feel Fishman pickups have a pretty accurate representation of the in-room tone. Fishman pickups are also built to last for years and rarely break. I’m not sure why they went with an LR Baggs on this model when nearly every other acoustic-electric Epiphone and Gibson have Fishman. If Slash wanted something more “modern,” then I wish he would have selected a Fishman Fluence at that point, so guitarists could have accurate sound representation AND some modern features on an acoustic pickup. Anyway, that’s my take. Looking forward to seeing what this neck is all about because nobody seems to say that it’s a C profile except Epiphone, lol.
@@MashaT22 If there is an Epiphone version of this (which there should be) I know nothing of that. I played a couple of the Gibson versions. To me they do not sound like a J45, but are voiced differently. I believe the "Slash C Profile" is defined by the word "slash" in it ;-P and not the letter "c". Unfortunately Gibson has created the myth that a "slim profile" neck is better than a thicker profile neck and people also seem to be afraid of V-necks for some reason too. So I think the "Slash C-profile" is marketing. For me, repeat FOR ME, the V-neck makes more sense for playability and when you are actually playing who cares about how the neck feels in your hand. I want playability not to stand around and hold the neck. a V- gives you stability, index point and yet great access to the fret board. If you like the Slash J45 tone then if you are a player you will learn to love the soft modified V-Neck. IMHO
To me and I don't know if anyone else thinks this, but this and the Inspired by Gibson sound different from one another. I think it's the finish each uses. The inspired by sounds more open and woody toned and this sounds more like a legit brand new Gibson if that makes sense. Both sound really good. The only downside to this guitar is having slash all over it and the case. I'm not really into the whole signature guitar thing. I'm still debating on which one though. Then there are the Epiphone Texans which are a longer scale length and same finish on them as the Inspired by. Basically the Texans are the inspired by J-45 with a longer scale length and different colors and of course with the iconic e on the pick guard/scratch plate. Oh, choices... haha
I agree. I hate the signatures and names ... embarrassing. I like this guitar and am in the market for a backup to my Taylor ... for the price - this seems like a good one. The Gibson J-45 is three times the price. Is the difference really worth it?
@williamcatalano1762 I used to think the same, but if I'm into the sound of the guitar I'll overlook it. I mean with that mentality I would have to hate every Les Paul.
@@crazywiener11 I ended up not getting any of the three I mentioned and fell in love with and bought a Gibson L-00 Rosewood. The only signature guitar I've ever leaned towards is the Fender Jazzmaster Troy Van Leeuwen. That guitar is sharp, but it only has his signature on the back of the headstock and so it's not flashed all over the guitar or case. It's very muted in that aspect so I can overlook it.
@williamcatalano1762 Glad you found what you were looking for. I have ordered this, not arrived yet, hope I like it. Don't mind signatures. But it can get a bit much if it's too overkill I suppose, aesthetically.
Allo' Dan ! I just ordered this BEAST of a guitar' and your video was really helpful in making my decision! you are an honest reviewer, great player as well. keep it up, Man , Cheers on you, Mate.
@@heatherhiggins5016 DC16-RGTE that's a mouthful right lol. When my grandpa passed away I bought it in his memory. He played from 13 yrs old till he died at 89 he always wanted a Martin and never bought one. I wish I would've had the money when he was alive to buy him one of his own.
@@heatherhiggins5016 It's a DC16-RGTE thats a mouthful right lol. I bought it in memory of my grandpa who played from 13 till he died at 89. He always wanted one but never bought one.
The neck is definitely a little odd. I agree. It’s a V and not a C shape. Bought this about 2 days ago. It’s a very nice guitar. Sound is nice as well. Even though the neck is different when I picked it up this morning I didn’t notice it like I did at first. Think I’m already getting used to the feel.
I've played all of the Epi IBG acoustics at one time or another, and have been impressed by how good they are. I might pick up the J-45 at some point, but for me, instead of paying more for the whole "Slash" gimmick, I'd need the price reduced significantly. I'm a grown man, not a fanboy. Same with something like the Martin "Cash" guitar. I mean, unless it's a guitar that really belonged to Johnny Cash, what's the attraction of having his name plastered on it?
not a fan of the "slash" myself. That said, better electronics, grover tuners, and hard case. Certainly not the same guitar as the regular Epi J45. I'ld just replace the truss rod cover
The ads describe the neck profile as a "C", but it's definitely a modified "V" which I personally dislike. I returned mine the day after it arrived. It's a very nice guitar otherwise, and a great price. I've decided I need to play a bunch of guitars before buying anything.
I’ve never quite understood the V neck. I think I could darken the fretboard, but I really wish he didn’t like such huge necks. I had his Thunderbird and it was a badass in my collection but ultimately traded it locally for a Jazzmaster because the neck was just too fat.
The finish on the guitar is awesome! I'd like to order one but the neck makes me hesitate getting one. I've looked for one locally but none are available for me to try it out.
@@heatherhiggins5016 Ordered one and the neck is larger but it hasn't bothered me playing the guitar. Actually the neck feels great and I haven't put it down. I'm glad I took a chance on one.
Initially I had the same concerns abt the neck. Got it yesterday, and I'm already getting used to this neck today. It's a great neck and works for electric guitarists
i did it finally and put a n lrbaggs vt into my hummingbird.. and ... no parole.. just WOW.. don´t know what to do with my vermillion .. return ut back ..!? i still playing my humm and sitll thinking ists much much better .. rosewood fingerb. and bridge.. (or maybe ebony)... any tip or advice .. please... !
Thanks for the review. I guess I like the color because I ordered one a few days before I saw this review. Was the action high because the neck needed to be adjusted or was the issue at the nut or bridge? Guess I will find out…. I played the regular inspired by model and liked the sound and feel ( fret job and action was good). I don’t usually go for signature models, but I have found with Epiphone the signature models seem to always be a step up from the regular model and worth the extra money. Hope I get lucky and mine comes with a better set up but I will report back for anyone else considering getting it.
@@rodsimmons9337 I bought the guitar from sweetwater. It came in desperate need of a set up. I do my own work so not that big of a deal. I had to lower the action at the nut and saddle and give the frets a good polish but now it is playing nice. The sound is very even. Not too much bass or treble. Finish is great. Even though I love it, I am actually thinking of selling it. I already had an acoustic but I mainly just play electric and I realize this is not going to get enough use to justify keeping it. It was an impulse buy because my wife loves the sound of acoustic guitar more than electric. Best of Luck!
I’m looking at the standard inspired by Gibson j45 and this one so anyone have a review on the lr baggs pickup vs the fishman sonicore? I understand a lot of the Gibson acoustics have the lr baggs system
Hey nick. If you search for guitar talk j45 you’ll see I did a video on the inspired by Gibson model as well as a comparison between the inspired by Gibson and a Gibson J45 where one has the fishman and one has the LR Baggs
@@GuitarTalkUK very helpful thanks :) lr baggs definitely sounds more natural sounding to me than the fishman. Also I prefer a rounder neck anyway so I’ll probably be picking one of these up
I was not a fan . I tried it up against a Yamaha Chinese version of The Red Label series. It was superior in every way. I was disappointed. I wanted to love the Epi.
The deep neck with the Modified-V shape... the V shape gives you the reach of a thin neck. You get the stability of the neck against your palm, but with the corners knocked off into a V-shape gives you the reach... best neck I ever felt!
Thanks for this input on the neck profile. Really helps.
I’m curious why the specs call the neck profile a “Slash Rounded C” if it’s actually more like a V or soft V shape. My friend is getting one of these guitars, so I’m hoping to get to try one of these soon. It’s pretty weird that they’d called the neck something that it’s not. I’ve heard others say it’s beefy, but not in a baseball bat type way - they say it really just cradles and supports the palm and hand perfectly. I’ve heard even small hands have no problem feeling comfortable, mostly because the radius is on the flatter side.
I think this is the first time since this guitar was released that I’ve heard anyone say they didn’t really feel the neck was comfortable. Can’t work for everyone, but by and large, I’ve heard this is an incredibly comfortable guitar that sounds great and comes with incredible specs and features that aren’t included on the Inspired By Gibson and other Epiphone J-45 models. You even get a hard shell and locking tuners. And until Dec 31, they’re $200 off everywhere, which means they’re back at the original pre-pandemic launch price of $799. It’s a huge value right now (and goes to show that brands/dealers can still make a huge profit with pre-pandemic pricing - kind of like the sale happening now on all PRS SE guitars).
My one gripe spec wise with this Slash J-45 is that it doesn’t have a Fishman pickup Sonicore. I don’t have personal experience with LR Baggs, but I tend to feel Fishman pickups have a pretty accurate representation of the in-room tone. Fishman pickups are also built to last for years and rarely break. I’m not sure why they went with an LR Baggs on this model when nearly every other acoustic-electric Epiphone and Gibson have Fishman. If Slash wanted something more “modern,” then I wish he would have selected a Fishman Fluence at that point, so guitarists could have accurate sound representation AND some modern features on an acoustic pickup.
Anyway, that’s my take. Looking forward to seeing what this neck is all about because nobody seems to say that it’s a C profile except Epiphone, lol.
@@MashaT22 If there is an Epiphone version of this (which there should be) I know nothing of that. I played a couple of the Gibson versions. To me they do not sound like a J45, but are voiced differently. I believe the "Slash C Profile" is defined by the word "slash" in it ;-P and not the letter "c". Unfortunately Gibson has created the myth that a "slim profile" neck is better than a thicker profile neck and people also seem to be afraid of V-necks for some reason too. So I think the "Slash C-profile" is marketing. For me, repeat FOR ME, the V-neck makes more sense for playability and when you are actually playing who cares about how the neck feels in your hand. I want playability not to stand around and hold the neck. a V- gives you stability, index point and yet great access to the fret board. If you like the Slash J45 tone then if you are a player you will learn to love the soft modified V-Neck. IMHO
I just ordered this guitar and I can't wait to get it in my hands
How is it?
To me and I don't know if anyone else thinks this, but this and the Inspired by Gibson sound different from one another. I think it's the finish each uses. The inspired by sounds more open and woody toned and this sounds more like a legit brand new Gibson if that makes sense. Both sound really good. The only downside to this guitar is having slash all over it and the case. I'm not really into the whole signature guitar thing. I'm still debating on which one though. Then there are the Epiphone Texans which are a longer scale length and same finish on them as the Inspired by. Basically the Texans are the inspired by J-45 with a longer scale length and different colors and of course with the iconic e on the pick guard/scratch plate. Oh, choices... haha
I agree. I hate the signatures and names ... embarrassing. I like this guitar and am in the market for a backup to my Taylor ... for the price - this seems like a good one. The Gibson J-45 is three times the price. Is the difference really worth it?
@@Ogukuo tal vez ni siquiera valga la pena esta epi .. creo que hay otras epi mejores y mas baratas
@williamcatalano1762 I used to think the same, but if I'm into the sound of the guitar I'll overlook it. I mean with that mentality I would have to hate every Les Paul.
@@crazywiener11 I ended up not getting any of the three I mentioned and fell in love with and bought a Gibson L-00 Rosewood. The only signature guitar I've ever leaned towards is the Fender Jazzmaster Troy Van Leeuwen. That guitar is sharp, but it only has his signature on the back of the headstock and so it's not flashed all over the guitar or case. It's very muted in that aspect so I can overlook it.
@williamcatalano1762 Glad you found what you were looking for. I have ordered this, not arrived yet, hope I like it. Don't mind signatures. But it can get a bit much if it's too overkill I suppose, aesthetically.
Allo' Dan ! I just ordered this BEAST of a guitar' and your video was really helpful in making my decision! you are an honest reviewer, great player as well. keep it up, Man , Cheers on you, Mate.
Love these guitars... Do the Piezos sound like poop to anyone else? Doesn't do it for me.
Agreed. I wish they offered without electronics
Glad to hear its a good guitar I just ordered one yesterday in the vermillion red Thanks.
Mine is the Vermillion its simply a beautiful guitar
@@heatherhiggins5016 I play the heck out of mine and my Martin is getting jealous lol
@@stodd32 Thats is saying a lot what Martin do you have?
@@heatherhiggins5016 DC16-RGTE that's a mouthful right lol. When my grandpa passed away I bought it in his memory. He played from 13 yrs old till he died at 89 he always wanted a Martin and never bought one. I wish I would've had the money when he was alive to buy him one of his own.
@@heatherhiggins5016 It's a DC16-RGTE thats a mouthful right lol. I bought it in memory of my grandpa who played from 13 till he died at 89. He always wanted one but never bought one.
The neck is definitely a little odd. I agree. It’s a V and not a C shape. Bought this about 2 days ago. It’s a very nice guitar. Sound is nice as well.
Even though the neck is different when I picked it up this morning I didn’t notice it like I did at first. Think I’m already getting used to the feel.
Great review man! Does it sound that much better than the regular j-45 inspired by Gibson .
I'm not familiar. What's a "piezo"? 1:50
🍕 ☝️
@@bertbregdenz2756 finger pizza?
I've played all of the Epi IBG acoustics at one time or another, and have been impressed by how good they are. I might pick up the J-45 at some point, but for me, instead of paying more for the whole "Slash" gimmick, I'd need the price reduced significantly. I'm a grown man, not a fanboy. Same with something like the Martin "Cash" guitar. I mean, unless it's a guitar that really belonged to Johnny Cash, what's the attraction of having his name plastered on it?
not a fan of the "slash" myself. That said, better electronics, grover tuners, and hard case. Certainly not the same guitar as the regular Epi J45. I'ld just replace the truss rod cover
@jim6690 Well, I suppose a Les Paul belonged to Les Paul once. Imagine if Slash rejected the Les Paul because Jazz wasn't rock n roll?
The ads describe the neck profile as a "C", but it's definitely a modified "V" which I personally dislike. I returned mine the day after it arrived. It's a very nice guitar otherwise, and a great price. I've decided I need to play a bunch of guitars before buying anything.
Usually a good idea! lol
I had the Slash Thunderbird and it sounded/looked badass, but the damn neck was huge! I’m 6’4 but prefer the slimmer necks.
I’ve never quite understood the V neck. I think I could darken the fretboard, but I really wish he didn’t like such huge necks.
I had his Thunderbird and it was a badass in my collection but ultimately traded it locally for a Jazzmaster because the neck was just too fat.
Can you compare this one VS the J-45 inspired by gibson? Love your reviews
Thanks :) if we ever happen to have them both in at the same time I’ll do it
@@GuitarTalkUK Man, what we need is a comparasion with the Eastman e10 ss (slope shoulder) They are close to the same price.
something nice to have in count is the wider fretboard that epi´s acoustics brings
What is the scale length? What pickup is in it? If it has the vtc by lr baggs in it I hope you like a cheap sounding pickup.
I tought the pickup was a Lr baggs vtc?
yes
Great review thank you!
The finish on the guitar is awesome! I'd like to order one but the neck makes me hesitate getting one. I've looked for one locally but none are available for me to try it out.
I Have one what about the neck don't you like?
@@heatherhiggins5016 Ordered one and the neck is larger but it hasn't bothered me playing the guitar. Actually the neck feels great and I haven't put it down. I'm glad I took a chance on one.
@@bigjohnson9561 Those fat frets make it easier to play fat neck or not
Initially I had the same concerns abt the neck. Got it yesterday, and I'm already getting used to this neck today. It's a great neck and works for electric guitarists
i did it finally and put a n lrbaggs vt into my hummingbird.. and ... no parole.. just WOW.. don´t know what to do with my vermillion .. return ut back ..!? i still playing my humm and sitll thinking ists much much better .. rosewood fingerb. and bridge.. (or maybe ebony)... any tip or advice .. please... !
Hi, does it have the same body depth as the Gibson?
i wuld put gold gotoh tunners .. or just nickel .. with locked system
Nice video. I'm going with the Yamaha red label instead of this one after this video.
Thanks
I detest piezos. I’d drop in a K&K mini pure or a rare earth blend system. Amazing guitar though. Strongly considering this.
Thanks for the review. I guess I like the color because I ordered one a few days before I saw this review. Was the action high because the neck needed to be adjusted or was the issue at the nut or bridge? Guess I will find out…. I played the regular inspired by model and liked the sound and feel ( fret job and action was good). I don’t usually go for signature models, but I have found with Epiphone the signature models seem to always be a step up from the regular model and worth the extra money. Hope I get lucky and mine comes with a better set up but I will report back for anyone else considering getting it.
How did your purchase go... ??
@@rodsimmons9337 I bought the guitar from sweetwater. It came in desperate need of a set up. I do my own work so not that big of a deal. I had to lower the action at the nut and saddle and give the frets a good polish but now it is playing nice. The sound is very even. Not too much bass or treble. Finish is great. Even though I love it, I am actually thinking of selling it. I already had an acoustic but I mainly just play electric and I realize this is not going to get enough use to justify keeping it. It was an impulse buy because my wife loves the sound of acoustic guitar more than electric.
Best of Luck!
I’m looking at the standard inspired by Gibson j45 and this one so anyone have a review on the lr baggs pickup vs the fishman sonicore? I understand a lot of the Gibson acoustics have the lr baggs system
Hey nick. If you search for guitar talk j45 you’ll see I did a video on the inspired by Gibson model as well as a comparison between the inspired by Gibson and a Gibson J45 where one has the fishman and one has the LR Baggs
@@GuitarTalkUK very helpful thanks :) lr baggs definitely sounds more natural sounding to me than the fishman. Also I prefer a rounder neck anyway so I’ll probably be picking one of these up
I really like this guitar. I think it sounds better than the Gibson j45 .its warmer & has more midrange too .
The already went up $100
No I just buy one for$999.00
At Guitar Center.
@@eduardoramirez6877 came out $899
Got B stock from Anderson’s in the uk for £499 it was basically brand new, yeah I just removed the pick guard took around 10 minutes.
@@paulbeveridge2462 Hi Paul, how did you do this? Just force it off? Does it polish up nicely once removed?
these get grover and baggs , the v shape is not that great for strumming, in this video picup sounded terrible tho
👍
good and cheap
I was not a fan . I tried it up against a Yamaha Chinese version of The Red Label series. It was superior in every way. I was disappointed. I wanted to love the Epi.
Are you referring to the Yamaha FG3? Tried it too, but didn't think the same