Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Black Beauty Les Paul Custom Review (+ Giveaway of a Positive Grid Spark)
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- 10/24/20: I'll be working on the follow up video within in the next few days, so if there's anything in particular you'd like to know, see, or hear, please let me know in the comments! Thanks for watching :)
Just for further clarification: I’ll be giving away the amp only, not the guitar.
I very much enjoy your clean and soft playing, plus your commentary is enjoyable and pleasant to the ear, keep it up!
Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! I’m trying to be more consistent with my uploads and comments like yours help with motivating me.
My favorite review of this! It was great to hear higher gain riffs on it. I can’t wait to get mine! It’s been on back order for a minute.
Thank you Danny! It’s incredible for high gain tones. The mid range is full and very focused. Sadly, it didn’t shine thru the speakers of the Spark in this video in the best way, but I’ll capture them thru a better signal chain in the next one!
I got mine from Guitar Center Hollywood the first day they became available.. I had to set it up but now I really am impressed with this guitar! I enjoy playing it more than my 2017 Gibson Les Paul standard.
Congrats! I hope the factory strings were wound better on yours haha.
Cesar wasn’t kidding when he said 2020 is the year of Epiphone! Compared to the Epi’s when I was growing up, you can’t get much better than these guitars. Makes me wanna buy a white LPC and do some mods!
@@sunnyhaair I restrung with a set of hybrids 9-10.. I'm amazed how this guitar holds it's tune and the intonation is great. The most impressive thing I've found is the fret work! Spot on, no buzz at all..
@@sunnyhaair just got my white lpc today 🤤
@@kushkarma7081 Nice! How are you liking it?
Hey sir, is that an actual song at 0:29 or just some nifty fun fretwork?
Beautiful guitar and great review, the matching flannel was a nice touch too!
Jason Poole! The man who sparked my interest in visual media 😎
Thanks for the view and the comment buddy. I always think of the bonfires when I feel that first fall breeze 🔥
Oh man that guitar has a clean finish and the case was also amazing when you open it with so many things in that. Nice review.
Thank you for the view and comment! I’m pretty blown away by how nice the case is. Love that yellow interior accenting the guitar.
i'm waiting on one of these!
Oh the waiting game is tough, but trust me - it’s worth the wait!
Thanks man. I was waiting for someone to tell us some things and thier first impression about that beauty. Ordered one when it was anounced but it seems that the whole shipment for the european market got damaged on the ship to europe - at least that's what my dealer told me. So it's delayed till end of January at all greater european music stores D: I'd love to hear that thing trough a real amp! Cheers & Greetings from Germany!
The whole shipment?! That’s terrible. I wonder what caused that. Hopefully no people were damaged in the process.
I’m a modeling guy, so I won’t be able to play it thru an analog amp in the next video. I haven’t decided if I’ll play it thru the Helix or thru the Fractal FM3 though. Let me know if you have a preference! Thanks for the view and the comment 🎸
@@sunnyhaair I'm just not a huge fan of the spark. I'm using a Katana myself. I guess both the Helix and the Fractal will be great. Do you have any experience with older Epi's for comparison of the build/setup quality?
mine also came this week, this review is spot on. very nice guitar.
I got one of the last ones around directly from Joe's website. It is out for a setup now, as it wasn't setup real well out of the box. The pickups are great, and the overall feel is amazing. I'm not into the grungy tones, but the sustain and power of this guitar takes it into a Gary Moore and of course, Joe Bonamassa tone heaven.. I'm glad I was able to get one, as they are pretty much gone, and fetching at least $200 more on the used market..
The sustain is amazing! I know the lore has been that the third pickup’s magnetic pull affects sustain, but I don’t find that to be the case at all. I’ve got another Les Paul with 2 pickups and this has better sustain. I suspect the big neck is responsible for that.
How was your fretboard out of the box?
@@sunnyhaair Fretboard out the box is good. I just felt it needed a going over. I like that Sweetwater always does a nice setup on most guitars you buy there, but this model was long gone. I was lucky they had a couple left at Joe's official site. No set up, and I had to pay shipping, but I GOT ONE! That is all that mattered. Also, nice perk by buying it direct is that I got two backstage meet and greet passes for a show when he starts up again! I have met Joe a couple of times, and he was very nice.. (signed my JB Epi Gold Top). I have a dear friend who I have known for years (she went to Woodstock and saw Jimi!) who I am giving the passes to. She and her daughter are major Joe fans, and I wanted to do something nice for them. I sure wish I had snagged a JB Flying V! Those are cool!!
I would blast my house with this piece 🎉
Beautiful guitar. So glad to hear honest feedback on the Spark. I've been toying with the idea of investing.
Thanks! I’ve considered doing a video for the Spark so I can expand on my thoughts about it but I’m hesitant about coming off as clickbaity.
The reviews here on RUclips are why I decided to buy it, and honestly, I was so disappointed in this amp that it made me question whether or not there’s something wrong with me haha. But a quick google search made me realize I’m not alone in my disappointment.
If my opinion is worth anything, the Blackstar amps might not be as feature packed, but you get solid speakers and great pedal platforms for much less money.
@@sunnyhaair I have the little Blackstar fly 3 which at least allows me to get sound out of my guitar. Being a newbie I have nothing to compare it to (first-hand). I was attracted to the Spark's features as much as the sound quality, I guess.
I have the Fly3 too!
Before I switch to modeling, I owned and played thru about a dozen or so amps over the years (PRS, Peavey, Marshall, Fender, Randall, stacks, combos, iso cabs, and all the standard stuff). The Fly3 really is GREAT amp. I wish it would’ve been around when I started. Believe it or not that’s actually been the amp that I’ve played thru the most over the last 3 years. Just because it’s so convenient and it’s CLEAN. I love running pedals thru it. I’ve even run my Helix & Fractal stuff thru it because it’s such a great platform.
With the Spark, even though the sound isn’t there through the speakers, the features are there and if you’re going direct, the sound is good too. So you could always route the output to some studio monitors or even the Fly3 you have. Ultimately, I’d say go for whatever inspires you to play and makes you happy!
@@sunnyhaair Appreciate the replies.
I'm an odd ball in that I appreciate time spent playing with clean and clear tones. No massive or even moderate gain settings. I'd sure like to hear the Black Beauty in clean mode. :-)
I completely understand what you mean! That’s the first thing I do with a guitar, I just tend not to include much of it in my videos cause my playings not good enough to not bore people haha.
I did include my initial clean test at :56 if that helps any :)
Great video bro and amazing guitar!
Hello Sunny Haair
congratulations for the video!
how is this guitar?
what differences do you find compared to the Gibson Les Paul
Do you like this guitar? Would you recommend it?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Thank you! I love this guitar and I would recommend BUT only if you can handle a heavy guitar with a very thick neck.
It’s been years since I’ve played a Gibson, but the last Gibson Les Paul Custom I played I didn’t think of favorably because there was an incredibly thick coat of lacquer on the neck. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison though because that was in a Guitar Center! I plan to buy a Gibson Les Paul this year and I’ll be sure to make a comparison video!
Do you think it worth to spend the extra money for this guitar instead of the regular custom? (putting apart the fact that bonamassa's guitar has hardcase).
When I bought this is was about $150 more than the standard Epi LPC. I definitely considered it worth it given the large split diamond, non weight relieved body, and case. Aesthetically I liked it more than normal Epis.
Last I checked the second hand prices were pretty high. I saw a few sold in the $2,000 range and I can understand that. It’s a great guitar. It’s priceless to me. With that said, if I just saw this hanging used at guitar center for $800-$1,300 I’d buy it. Anything more than that I’m not so sure that I would.
I’ve since got a couple more Epiphone Les Paul Customs - the Gold Glory & Koa topped (used the Koa one in my recent 3 pedal challenge video). I love them, but this black beauty is definitely my favorite! The neck, the weight, everything about it just feels miles ahead of the other two.
Thanks for watching!
While I was watching this video, I felt like if I was watching Noir movie with a very dark narrator... I Loved it, hahah great review.
I do have a bit of a neo-noir fascination haha. Thanks for watching!
Your guitar sounds great! Thanks for giving us a chance to win this amp!
Thank you for saying that! I was concerned about how the sound would translate since I wasn’t too thrilled with it during the video editing.
I hope you’ll be entering the giveaway when it’s live. I know this amp can make someone happy! It’s got a lot of redeeming qualities and a lot of music to put out into the world.
Wow very thorough! Enjoyed your voicing also.
Thank you! I really appreciate that.
I have one of these too. It is a really great guitar. I also ended up getting an "aged" switch tip for it since the rest of the binding was so yellowed that I felt like the original white tip stood out too much. I liked the guitar so much that I ended up also picking up the limited edition epiphone silverburst custom that was on sale with the new headstock.
Nice! Where’d you find the switch tip? I actually wanted to make the same mod. It “sticks out like a sore thumb” as they say.
And I had a similar experience. I liked it so much I bought one of the Koa top customs with the new headstock! I wanted the Silverburst too but ended up getting the Gold Glory.
Thanks again for watching!
@@sunnyhaair I got one from Reverb. Think it was about 5-6 dollars and labeled as "Amber Switchcraft switchtip".
Adam Jones Signature & now this beauty ..good times👍😍
Nice review, do you have to dress any if the fret ends? Mine had a some sharp unfinished edges ... easily taken care of, just wondering about yours.
Thanks Wayne! I didn’t have any issues with the fret ends, but that fretboard was unbelievably dry. So dry in fact that it developed a hairline crack between the 5th and 7th frets before I had a chance to hit it with some boiled linseed oil when I first changed the strings :(
It doesn’t really bother me because I like having a little “character” on an instrument.
I picked up a new one this past Feb 28th. The store clerk told me it was the last new one available on a nationwide database he searched. I think I might put it on reverb😁 meanwhile it's sitting in the closet.
I’m surprised to see they’ve doubled on the used market. Don’t think I’ve ever seen an Epiphone double so fast (if ever 🤔). That’s a testament to the guitar though! It’s definitely worth what it’s fetching.
I was considering selling mine to fund the Jerry Cantrell Wino Les Paul Custom cause that was my first dream guitar - Jerry’s wine red custom. But this one is the first Les Paul I’ve owned and I love it. Can’t let it go!
@@sunnyhaair i have 2011 gibby lp studio deluxe thats nice aswell. debating which to keep. budget doesn't allow it🤨. thanks for responding👍
Amp is fine you don't drive a Cadillac like you drive a smart car. That guitar is the most beautiful ever, im so happy for anyone having one.
Thank you for watching!
Cool stuff mines on order.i got boss katana mk11 instead of spark.amp is superb for the money and well built.it rocks
I’ve never checked out the Katana series but I’ve been meaning to one of these days!
This guitar is awesome and I have shared this video all over the internet Instagram Facebook Twitter plus family and friends
That’s so cool of you to do - thank you I really appreciate it!
I just received one and I have been having a buzz issue when i turn the volume up and i am not holding the strings. Have you experienced the issue?
Is that with gain sounds, or even increased volume on a clean tone?
@@sunnyhaair On clean tone, and when i reduce the the tone it doesnt make the noise..
@@sunnyhaair Ive taken it to two guitar techs and they said it was ok, its the pickups. I just wanted to know if anyone else has the issue..
@@Joshtogoodedits Yeah, it's not unusual to have some buzz when not touching the strings. But, it's also not unusual to have a grounding/shielding issue that could lead to more buzz than normal. So, it's tough for me to say where your Les Paul stands without having heard it.
I don't recall having an alarming amount on mine with the overdriven tones, and didn't have any on the clean tones, BUT the Spark has a built in noise reducer that probably contributed to that.
Either way, the buzz is nothing to be alarmed by! I just got some new Jazzmasters and one buzzes if I'm too close to my computer, the other one doesn't. There's so many variables that could be at play and so many easy fixes. One of my favorites is shielding the electronics cavities with foil tape if necessary.
The Outsider! Nice! By the way, what was that part when you were bend-tapping without strumming with the pick? Sounded cool! Was it a Tool song or something!? By the way, I just subbed. Good job on the review! Finally a review of the guitar with metal music!
You recognized it! I haven’t picked up a guitar in the last 10 years without playing some interpretation of The Outsider. Such a fun song.
If you’re referencing the part at 4:11-4:18, that’s a piece from one of my songs. Very flattered you thought it could be a Tool song!
Thanks a lot for the view, comment, and subscription - it means a lot!
@@sunnyhaair Yeah! That's the part! I'm gonna try and play it myself! It has a very Tool-like quality! I love it when people write music, in a more unconventional way, with tricks of their own, and not just the usual picking, strumming, and tapping shred-style!
Damn Sunny, that thing can chug, nice !
Its chugs unlike any other! I think that thick neck helps with the resonance. I palm muted on it for 40 minutes during this filming session cause it sounded so fun haha.
Hope life’s treating you well Bryon! Thanks for watching.
Que tal amigo. Oye y despues de estos meses que la has tenido, que te ha parecido? sigues en la misma linea de que es una muy buena guitarra? si tiene el sonido Les paul de una Gibson?
Con Google Translate:
¡Gracias por ver!
Después de todos estos meses, todavía me encanta. ¡Estaba tan impresionado que compré otra Epiphone Les Paul Custom! En cuanto a la construcción, si no fuera por el clavijero, se compararía bien con cualquier Gibson que haya tocado. En cuanto a la electrónica, no estoy muy contento con las pastillas ProBucker. Los reemplazaré en algún momento.
Thanks, I am hoping to add one of these as my first electric. Now to find one, as they are rare here in Canada!
I think you’ll be able to find one! From what I understand it’s a limited production period, but not a low production number.
@@sunnyhaair Had my local store contact Epiphone and they were told it was a limited run and non were available, unless I could find one in store. Found one, through Reverb, in Ontario at Gear Music...it arrived today😁
Nice film quality. Did you get the amp and the guitar together?
I actually bought the Spark on pre-order back in March. It was delivered in July, but I’d only had the chance to play thru it with headphones a few times until I made this video.
Thanks for the view and the compliment on the filming!
Sounds great clean and dirty. Nice guitar👍
Thanks for watching!
Looking forward to future content👍
Thank you for the view, comment, and subscription!
is it bad that i only wanna play this tuned down to c?
Not bad at all! Spoiler for my long term video on this 🚨 It’s my C Standard/Drop A# guitar and it handles it very well! For me, thicker necks = lower tunings 😅
Thats a nice review💕💕
Thanks for watching marc!
Very nice guitar and amp. 🎸👍
Nice looking guitar! 👍
Has the giveaway finished?
Thanks for the comments! Nope the giveaway hasn’t finished. In fact it hasn’t even started yet! So you’re still good to enter when you and the site are both ready.
I have bought this beauty.
Congratulations! 🎉 It’s a great guitar
👏👏👏👏👏👏
I want to participate to win the amp bcz it sound so cool love it 💕💖
Is it heavy?
It’s the heaviest guitar I’ve ever held, but the weight is distributed so well that you don’t really notice when you’re wearing it.
I’ve got a few guitars with very dense Honduran mahogany bodies that weigh a pound or two less than this but feel much heavier because they’ve got bolt-on necks. I was scared when I first picked up the Les Paul, but when I put the strap on I was blown away that it didn’t weigh me down!
Price ?
The list on this one is $799 USD, but I’m not sure if they’re still available new, so they might be a little more aftermarket.
AS A PRO FOR 45 YEARS I DON'T LIKE LES PAULS OVER 7.50 POUNDS AND TO THIS DAY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE TO WAY A TON, EVER JOE SAYS LIGHTER ONES SOUND HE SAME.
I managed to cop this one and a 59, still waiting on that 59 😭
That’s awesome! Let me know how they compare. That dark 59 looks so cool. I would’ve picked up one of those (or a normal Epi Les Paul Custom) but I bought of one the new Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmasters instead.
I can’t wait to see what Epiphone puts out in 2021 though. Maybe an Adam Jones model on the same level as this Black Beauty?
I am definitely impressed with the quality control and tone of the bonamassa. I honestly thought I’d upgrading the pickups but once I played through it I changed my mind. I ordered that southern fade from zzounds so it should be here by December. I will compare both with my Gibson Les Paul special with P90s. Well not much of comparing but more to see what comes out of them all.
December?! Man that’s tough.
I thought I’d replace the pickups too. I even had a gold Seymour Duncan Pegasus & Sentient set in my cart, but this is one of those guitars that I don’t want to change a thing on.
They are sold out everywhere I look in Canada, bone dry..tabernac. Limited edition
Go to Joe Bonamassa's own website. I bought mine there no problem
@@word67 Thanks man, I just ordered one., only $899 US
@@rush2124u2 You won't be disappointed. I've played for 50 years and know a little about guitars. This is an incredible value.
@@word67 Thanks for the info much appreciated
I want one to put a b7 bigsby
I’ll be selling this one in a bit! I’ve gotta make a follow up video on it first
v yellow binding!!!?
It’s definitely very yellow haha. I think the gold hardware helps it blend it. If it were chrome hardware or black uncovered pickups it wouldn’t look so great.
Dig’n mine.
It’s hard to put it down isn’t it?!
yeah but it's not gibson. i'd rather buy used gibson lespaul studio for the money
would love to enter the contest
I’ll be sure to let you know when it’s live. It’ll be super easy to enter - just type in your email address and that’s all ✉️
Thanks for watching Kevin!
@@sunnyhaair k_brown63@yahoo.com
I’ve noted down that email address and I’ll enter for you as soon as it’s up if I’ve got yours permission to do so.
@@sunnyhaair yes mpst defantly you have my permision your doin a grate job keep it up
by the way i love that bridge picup
Enter me in the giveaway