I have two Gibson. Never would even consider an Epiphone. Just ordered one of these. Watched every review and can’t pass up on this. Can’t afford a Gibson ES-anything. This seems like it’s a great substitute!
I just bought the new Epiphone IBGC '59 Les Paul. It's a fantastic instrument, the Custombucker pickups are two of the best pickups I've ever played. Fit & finish on the guitar is also top notch. An A+ grade, for sure.
The Epi ES355 Lucille has the slim taper neck, this one is a medium rounded profile. I acquired a Lucille through an unexpected trade. I owned a Gibson ES345 that I sold 12 years ago, and is still the single biggest gear regret of my life. When I first got it I was turned off by the stereo outs, since I only played through one amp 🙄. When I realized that I could use A/B/Y switchers and run individual pickups through fuzzes and overdrives, while the other pickup bypassed them, it became almost an obsession. Running one through a wah or volume pedal was my favorite. The Lucille had the slim taper neck, and I detested it. Most Epi's have a slightly narrower nut, fretboard and string spacing compared to the American Gibson. Normally it's not a big deal, it is what it is. With the slim taper neck however, it makes it feel like I'm playing a wooden yard stick. I like the fat one piece neck that that have. Plus they have the long tenon, which Gibson USA no longer does (a maddening decision). That and the fact that it's an actual maple/poplar laminate like the Gibson, instead of the all maple top and back that Epi normal have is another reason. The pickups are cool, but the specs and construction method is what separates it from the others IMO. If you were looking for any copy, you'd be hard pressed to find one spec'd the same, unless you're willing to go with a Heritage or something, but those aren't much less than Gibson. The hotter wind is disappointing.
Thank you for an excellent review. I have just bought an Epi 335 inspired by to take on the road and I am very impressed. BTW, I still have my Stinger Cornell which, if I remember correctly was from Guitarist Magazine. It has seen a lot of work over the years.
Epiohone does not advertise the guitar as having a slim taper neck . Its advertised as a 59 rounded C . There were no slim taper necks in 1959 . Its advertised as a 59 rounded C or a medium C .
My information was that they had ‘slim rounded’ necks, but I thought they were more like (but not identical to) a 59 style neck, as I say in the video.
picked one of the epiphone 335's up the other week, needed some intonation adjustments and a tweak in the truss rod. I've played a couple of Gibson 335s including a vintage 60's one and at 1/3 the price of a new Gibson it's really good certainly something I wouldn't have been ashamed of taking on stage if the original Dots were this good 25 years ago when I was playing (though I was mainly a bass player back then as it got the gigs when guitarists were a dime a dozen)
I have the Epiphone "Inspired By" Les Paul SG, but with two Burstbuckers instead of 3. Love it! Plays like a dream and gives me that singing, fat woman tone I've been chasing my entire life. Hard to beat the value, dollar for dollar. If you want that fat GIbson sound at Epiphone pricing, this is a great option. I do have the Gibson SGS3 with three pickups and the side trem. Great guitar. Never use the trem. It's loaded with Classic '57s. Killer. The middle pickup does seem to be in the way sometimes when finger-picking.
I already have the Epiphone JB 59 ES 335 and it is a really good copy of the Gibson 335 but on saying that I also have a 1999 Gibson ES335 with an ebony fretboard and after A/Being them for the last 10 months I find the Gibson is definitely the better guitar and should be for the difference in price . I must admit that I am very interested in the Epiphone ES 355 and would like to A/B that against my original (Full title)1999 limited edition made for the millennium ES 335 , incase anyone is wondering about the ebony fretboard .
I think GIbson may be on the road to redemption. After buying a brand new Les Paul Standard that would not produce any sound out of the box (this is around the year 2018), I decided to grab a Gibson Modern Figured Les Paul. Brand new, and out of the box, the setup was damn near perfect.I've been playing it for about a month now, and debuted it at a gig this past weekend. Monster tone! I need that relieved neck heel, and the stock Grover locking tuners are a nice bonus. Very little modification required on this guitar. Fretwork is immaculate.I'm still pissed they sent me a brand new LP Standard that didn't work, but I'm less pissed now that I got what I ultimately wanted.
Recently got the 355. Sounds fab. Finish was a bit ropey and the nut needed filling as was catching my fingers. Otherwise a superb guitar. I’ve now put a Bigsby on it. In short can’t put it down. Now looking seriously at the SG!
I have a black Gibson SGS3. I'm a sucker for 3 gold pickups and a black body and have owned several guitars so configured. What I've found is the middle pickup really gets in the way of picking. I'm keeping the guitar, but I don't gig with it anymore. I still buy based on cool factor, though. Haven't quite learned my lesson.
I personally have a 2011 Epiphone Dot (pre-Inspired By Series). Wouldn’t trade it for anything- and yes, I’ve tried out several Gibsons of the same ilk. I guess I’m just a fan of economically feasible guitars that sound & play really well. Silly me…
My 355 is at the tech getting a fantastic set up by one of the best guitar tech in NYC Matt. I can’t wait to get it back If you ever see this Matt from 30th street guitars, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
I looked at one of these 355s but ended up going for an Eastman . Couple of hundred quid more and in my opinion much superior. Seymour Duncan antiquity humbuckers sound amazing. Both great guitars though. Great video.
Just curious to know how you drew the decision ? Did you play both or just compare on paper and videos? I owned an Eastman but interested in getting this one.
@@wangluyi the Eastman I have is a lot better for not a lot more money. I tried both . Don’t get me wrong it’s still a great guitar. And don’t think you’d be disappointed. Just thought the Eastman sounded better and felt more alive to play.
Great review and lovely playing by Richard as always. These look like great spec instruments but I can’t help wonder about the value, well for the SG anyway. I picked up a 2022 SG 61 reissue with vibrola for £1200 recently, which is a fair bit cheaper than one of these for a full fat USA model which will surely hold value and be better bones of a guitar.
love gibson and i think the es 355 epiphone is good enough guitar for the money and for the sound....the gibson still sounds better but not by that MUCH and ill even say this another guitar i own that gives my gibson a run for its money is oddly enough is my dangelico excel dc tour....if you havent played one of them yet i would say go try it if you can....worth every penny i spent on it
I have surprised myself. Fat or thin, both styles are appealing to me. On the fats, I like that feeling of stability in the palm. On the thins, I like the speed that seems to come naturally. Don't know which I prefer! Maybe I just like guitars...
Although I'm one of those people that bash on them for the increased prices, Í really like that 335. I might wait around untill one pops up on the used market... 😊
Keep bashing them. The differential is ridiculous.Give me an Epi with Gibson pickups and I'll take care of the rest myself. Switchcraft tech is very affordable.
There appears to be an inconsistency in the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided on this Epiphone guitar and the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided in Gibson guitars. The Epiphone guitar Gibson CustomBuckers are “potted” and the Gibson guitar CustomBucker pickups are “unpotted”. According to the Gibson website, CustomBuckers are not potted. So, are the CustomBuckers provided on the Epiphone made in the USA by Gibson, or are they actually manufactured in some other country and just called Gibson CustomBuckers?
It’s a solid semi hollow guitar. Although I’ve noticed they are on the heavier side when compared to the Gibson they leave out many 59 appointments but I suppose they purposely do that to justify their custom shop model
Stick with it! Seems impossible at first, but don't let that discourage you. You WILL have a breakthrough moment when it all comes together. But there's a price to pay, and that is not giving up.
I have several SG & LP Gibson Standards and Specials and the Epi "inspired by" equivalents. In every case, the Gibsons look, feel, and sound nicer - not three to four times nicer, but they do feel more slick, more slinky, more refined. The problem with Gibson is that you need to try before you buy. They're inconsistent.
I've got the UK only ES345, it has the varitone and a stoptail, comes with the classic pros, I love it, it looks and sounds killer, no need for a les paul with one of these.
Grandmother is the oldest a nice Guitar amd all that nice Headstocks very cool perhaps they make a custom one with says Asshole over the split diamond thing then it´s a Asshole 355
I returned mine after waiting for eight months… Sharp frets, poor paintjob, strange buzzing inside the body… And a rather uncomfortable thick neck. 😢And i really wanted to like it.
Well I received my 355 in terrible condition. Horrible setup, sharp fret ends, etc, it needed a lot of work and they should be ashamed to send it out like this. They probably send out the top (setup) ones to RUclips reviewers but dont think your stock one will be like that.
Fair point - think Richard was merely using 'poly' as verbal shorthand for the high-gloss poly finishes we're all familiar with but we'll be clearer in future.
@@guitarist I just sand the poly off the back of the neck. I've done so on several of my guitars of alll makes. Results in easier outdoor gigs where my hands get sweaty.
Epiphone was a Gibson beater back in the day before Norlin ruined them..and now they are Gibson beaters today.. Gibson fanboys should have realized this was going to happen when JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to premium in 2019/2020...the Gibson open book headstock with the name of Epiphone is not the proper Kalamazoo epiphone headstock..
I recently received one of the new Fender Wolfgang SA126's in purple. The electronics are Meh, bad pup switch-hisses and cracks switching pups, and the volume pot is bad, too. Gotta wiggle it to get it to work, and the volume only comes on at around 7, then it's full, and the tone knobs do nothing, no discernable tone adjustment, so I think the caps are failing, as well. I like a nice, even volume change over the entire volume range from 0 to 10, and the crappy pots they put in the SA126 are not very good. My point: I'm thinking of sending it back and instead getting this, the ES355. It comes with better electronics and it's $700 more affordable. Any thoughts from you players out there? Would you keep the SA126 and put in good electronics, switchcraft selector, Bourns pots-perhaps, mallory caps or the PIO's, I'd like to hear what everyone thinks because I have heard nothing but good things about the ES355 Epi's.
I have two Gibson. Never would even consider an Epiphone. Just ordered one of these. Watched every review and can’t pass up on this. Can’t afford a Gibson ES-anything. This seems like it’s a great substitute!
Killer jam at the end. Both guitars sound awesome!
The 355 is next up on my list. I recently purchased the IGCS J-200 and it’s absolutely stunning feeling and sounding.
What is the IGCS J-200? Sounds like an acoustic...???.
@@spidgeb3292 it’s the jumbo acoustic model offered in this line of guitars
I just bought the new Epiphone IBGC '59 Les Paul. It's a fantastic instrument, the Custombucker pickups are two of the best pickups I've ever played. Fit & finish on the guitar is also top notch. An A+ grade, for sure.
Christ Richard ,I wish I could play like you. Bravo 👌
Great Demo! Fantastic playing.
The Epi ES355 Lucille has the slim taper neck, this one is a medium rounded profile. I acquired a Lucille through an unexpected trade. I owned a Gibson ES345 that I sold 12 years ago, and is still the single biggest gear regret of my life. When I first got it I was turned off by the stereo outs, since I only played through one amp 🙄. When I realized that I could use A/B/Y switchers and run individual pickups through fuzzes and overdrives, while the other pickup bypassed them, it became almost an obsession. Running one through a wah or volume pedal was my favorite.
The Lucille had the slim taper neck, and I detested it. Most Epi's have a slightly narrower nut, fretboard and string spacing compared to the American Gibson. Normally it's not a big deal, it is what it is. With the slim taper neck however, it makes it feel like I'm playing a wooden yard stick.
I like the fat one piece neck that that have. Plus they have the long tenon, which Gibson USA no longer does (a maddening decision). That and the fact that it's an actual maple/poplar laminate like the Gibson, instead of the all maple top and back that Epi normal have is another reason. The pickups are cool, but the specs and construction method is what separates it from the others IMO.
If you were looking for any copy, you'd be hard pressed to find one spec'd the same, unless you're willing to go with a Heritage or something, but those aren't much less than Gibson.
The hotter wind is disappointing.
Thank you for an excellent review. I have just bought an Epi 335 inspired by to take on the road and I am very impressed. BTW, I still have my Stinger Cornell which, if I remember correctly was from Guitarist Magazine. It has seen a lot of work over the years.
Tasty playing.
Fact.
Great sounds nice playing 😊
Love Mine ! New 10s adjust truss and action . Fast delivery American Music !
Nice playing!
GOOD DEMO AND REVIEW.
The AlNiCo IIIs inn the 335 sounds awesome! Clear and airy
Epiohone does not advertise the guitar as having a slim taper neck . Its advertised as a 59 rounded C . There were no slim taper necks in 1959 .
Its advertised as a 59 rounded C or a medium C .
My information was that they had ‘slim rounded’ necks, but I thought they were more like (but not identical to) a 59 style neck, as I say in the video.
picked one of the epiphone 335's up the other week, needed some intonation adjustments and a tweak in the truss rod. I've played a couple of Gibson 335s including a vintage 60's one and at 1/3 the price of a new Gibson it's really good certainly something I wouldn't have been ashamed of taking on stage if the original Dots were this good 25 years ago when I was playing (though I was mainly a bass player back then as it got the gigs when guitarists were a dime a dozen)
I have the Epiphone "Inspired By" Les Paul SG, but with two Burstbuckers instead of 3. Love it! Plays like a dream and gives me that singing, fat woman tone I've been chasing my entire life. Hard to beat the value, dollar for dollar. If you want that fat GIbson sound at Epiphone pricing, this is a great option. I do have the Gibson SGS3 with three pickups and the side trem. Great guitar. Never use the trem. It's loaded with Classic '57s. Killer. The middle pickup does seem to be in the way sometimes when finger-picking.
Nice choices in the upper scale of Epiphone. Epiphone does make acoustics and semi acoustics in the USA if you wanted to pay Gibson prices.
I already have the Epiphone JB 59 ES 335 and it is a really good copy of the Gibson 335 but on saying that I also have a 1999 Gibson ES335 with an ebony fretboard and after A/Being them for the last 10 months I find the Gibson is definitely the better guitar and should be for the difference in price . I must admit that I am very interested in the Epiphone ES 355 and would like to A/B that against my original (Full title)1999 limited edition made for the millennium ES 335 , incase anyone is wondering about the ebony fretboard .
I think GIbson may be on the road to redemption. After buying a brand new Les Paul Standard that would not produce any sound out of the box (this is around the year 2018), I decided to grab a Gibson Modern Figured Les Paul. Brand new, and out of the box, the setup was damn near perfect.I've been playing it for about a month now, and debuted it at a gig this past weekend. Monster tone! I need that relieved neck heel, and the stock Grover locking tuners are a nice bonus. Very little modification required on this guitar. Fretwork is immaculate.I'm still pissed they sent me a brand new LP Standard that didn't work, but I'm less pissed now that I got what I ultimately wanted.
Recently got the 355. Sounds fab. Finish was a bit ropey and the nut needed filling as was catching my fingers. Otherwise a superb guitar. I’ve now put a Bigsby on it. In short can’t put it down.
Now looking seriously at the SG!
What exactly is ropey about the finish?
I have a black Gibson SGS3. I'm a sucker for 3 gold pickups and a black body and have owned several guitars so configured. What I've found is the middle pickup really gets in the way of picking. I'm keeping the guitar, but I don't gig with it anymore. I still buy based on cool factor, though. Haven't quite learned my lesson.
Awesome Thank you for Sharing 💯✴
I personally have a 2011 Epiphone Dot (pre-Inspired By Series). Wouldn’t trade it for anything- and yes, I’ve tried out several Gibsons of the same ilk. I guess I’m just a fan of economically feasible guitars that sound & play really well. Silly me…
My 355 is at the tech getting a fantastic set up by one of the best guitar tech in NYC Matt. I can’t wait to get it back
If you ever see this Matt from 30th street guitars, YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
love matt...great builder as well
How is he getting that sustain with the clean tone? Compression? Or is that the dirty tone? Can't quite tell. Sounds great!! Help me, Guitarist!
I looked at one of these 355s but ended up going for an Eastman . Couple of hundred quid more and in my opinion much superior. Seymour Duncan antiquity humbuckers sound amazing. Both great guitars though. Great video.
Love my Eastman Airline MAP. Excellent manufacturing and customer service. Beautiful guitars with plenty of fat tone.
Just curious to know how you drew the decision ? Did you play both or just compare on paper and videos? I owned an Eastman but interested in getting this one.
@@wangluyi the Eastman I have is a lot better for not a lot more money. I tried both . Don’t get me wrong it’s still a great guitar. And don’t think you’d be disappointed. Just thought the Eastman sounded better and felt more alive to play.
@@davidkay3443 glad you told me that. Really made me drop the idea of getting one.
Great review and lovely playing by Richard as always.
These look like great spec instruments but I can’t help wonder about the value, well for the SG anyway.
I picked up a 2022 SG 61 reissue with vibrola for £1200 recently, which is a fair bit cheaper than one of these for a full fat USA model which will surely hold value and be better bones of a guitar.
Satin is the finish sheen. It is not a finish itself. So, "rather than being a poly or a nitro," what kind of finish is it?
It's poly, but a thinner satin iteration of it
Is the 50’s Rounded Medium C neck bigger or smaller than the Round C neck found on the ES 335’s?
love gibson and i think the es 355 epiphone is good enough guitar for the money and for the sound....the gibson still sounds better but not by that MUCH and ill even say this another guitar i own that gives my gibson a run for its money is oddly enough is my dangelico excel dc tour....if you havent played one of them yet i would say go try it if you can....worth every penny i spent on it
Does the Epiphone have the Gibson headstock break angle or the more mild Epiphone break angle?
Anyway thanks for the always pro presentation. The simplicity, balance and more substantial neck of the 355 speaks to me.
I have surprised myself. Fat or thin, both styles are appealing to me. On the fats, I like that feeling of stability in the palm. On the thins, I like the speed that seems to come naturally. Don't know which I prefer! Maybe I just like guitars...
Although I'm one of those people that bash on them for the increased prices, Í really like that 335. I might wait around untill one pops up on the used market... 😊
Smart. They will probably be below 900 then.
It's a 355 not 335.
@@cuda426hemi my mistake...
@@ronnierazor4302 No biggie, and I agree with you on that axe ☮
Keep bashing them. The differential is ridiculous.Give me an Epi with Gibson pickups and I'll take care of the rest myself. Switchcraft tech is very affordable.
Got one on order from Anderson’s. It’s gonna be months waiting though 😭
There appears to be an inconsistency in the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided on this Epiphone guitar and the Gibson CustomBucker pickups provided in Gibson guitars. The Epiphone guitar Gibson CustomBuckers are “potted” and the Gibson guitar CustomBucker pickups are “unpotted”. According to the Gibson website, CustomBuckers are not potted. So, are the CustomBuckers provided on the Epiphone made in the USA by Gibson, or are they actually manufactured in some other country and just called Gibson CustomBuckers?
They weren’t potted on either of these guitars if that helps.
@@richardbarrettguitar1228 Thanks.
How is the headstock the most important thing?
I guess for purists who are concerned with vintage accuracy. Unimportant, IMO.
@@spidgeb3292 головки грифов эпифон -- просто некрасивые...дело не в винтажности!
It’s a solid semi hollow guitar. Although I’ve noticed they are on the heavier side when compared to the Gibson they leave out many 59 appointments but I suppose they purposely do that to justify their custom shop model
I wish these were available left handed
Hi how are your rock on dude l am learning to play guitar basic power chords
Stick with it! Seems impossible at first, but don't let that discourage you. You WILL have a breakthrough moment when it all comes together. But there's a price to pay, and that is not giving up.
I have several SG & LP Gibson Standards and Specials and the Epi "inspired by" equivalents. In every case, the Gibsons look, feel, and sound nicer - not three to four times nicer, but they do feel more slick, more slinky, more refined.
The problem with Gibson is that you need to try before you buy. They're inconsistent.
The 355 should have been done with varitone and maestro vibrola
If you can find one, check out the Ibanez 2457 from around 1975. Has exactly that setup
I've got the UK only ES345, it has the varitone and a stoptail, comes with the classic pros, I love it, it looks and sounds killer, no need for a les paul with one of these.
or the shinichi ubukata es 335 with 57’s and bigsby is v cool.
I prefer none, just gimmicks and added weight. I have an Epiphone es 345 with those appointments.
How's the neck dive on the SG?
Grandmother is the oldest a nice Guitar amd all that nice Headstocks very cool perhaps they make a custom one with says Asshole over the split diamond thing then it´s a Asshole 355
Why are they calling this a 355?
Because its a 355
2 very NICE guitars Dick! \m/
I returned mine after waiting for eight months… Sharp frets, poor paintjob, strange buzzing inside the body… And a rather uncomfortable thick neck. 😢And i really wanted to like it.
Well I received my 355 in terrible condition. Horrible setup, sharp fret ends, etc, it needed a lot of work and they should be ashamed to send it out like this. They probably send out the top (setup) ones to RUclips reviewers but dont think your stock one will be like that.
The finish is neither poly nor nitro it is satin…
Well, it is a satin lacquer but the satin is polyurethane
Fair comment and good point. I think Richard might be referring to the visual effect rather than the actual component of the finish. 👍
Fair point - think Richard was merely using 'poly' as verbal shorthand for the high-gloss poly finishes we're all familiar with but we'll be clearer in future.
@@guitarist I just sand the poly off the back of the neck. I've done so on several of my guitars of alll makes. Results in easier outdoor gigs where my hands get sweaty.
Epiphone was a Gibson beater back in the day before Norlin ruined them..and now they are Gibson beaters today.. Gibson fanboys should have realized this was going to happen when JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to premium in 2019/2020...the Gibson open book headstock with the name of Epiphone is not the proper Kalamazoo epiphone headstock..
Hate top mount input jacks. 🤨
I recently received one of the new Fender Wolfgang SA126's in purple. The electronics are Meh, bad pup switch-hisses and cracks switching pups, and the volume pot is bad, too. Gotta wiggle it to get it to work, and the volume only comes on at around 7, then it's full, and the tone knobs do nothing, no discernable tone adjustment, so I think the caps are failing, as well. I like a nice, even volume change over the entire volume range from 0 to 10, and the crappy pots they put in the SA126 are not very good. My point: I'm thinking of sending it back and instead getting this, the ES355. It comes with better electronics and it's $700 more affordable. Any thoughts from you players out there? Would you keep the SA126 and put in good electronics, switchcraft selector, Bourns pots-perhaps, mallory caps or the PIO's, I'd like to hear what everyone thinks because I have heard nothing but good things about the ES355 Epi's.