Ignore them. They're the same idiots who think they're better than David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Brian May and every other great non-shredder guitar musician.
@@ormonddude And he doesn't seem owned by one guitar maker or another. Some good players are all in the Fender bag and some are in the Ibanez camp, yet act fully independent while being 17 years old. He's a real guy making slow, badly done videos. This, I trust more.
I don't know why so many people are denigrating this guy's playing in the comments. His style might not be your taste, but the guy can play. It's improvisation meant to demonstrate the guitars, not a performance of finished songs. Anyway, SGN-- thanks for making this demo. I just picked up a used Epi Special II for ten bucks! Needs some work, but nothing drastic. The neck feels great. The main difference I hear in the demo is more clarity and detail in the Gibson's tone, especially in the treble range. With high gain, this translates as more "crunch". I would expect replacing the Epi's pickups with the same as the Gibson's would take away much of that difference. Thanks again.
ubertar Wow thanks for the support man! I really needed that :) Yes you can without a doubt make a Special II very close to the Custom I they had the same pickups and electronics (another big cause of bad sound).
+SwedishGuitarNerd Hey, I just replaced the nut with a bone nut (cut one from a blank) and it opened up the sound A LOT. Much nicer highs. Sounds very much like the Gibson in your demo now. Bone blanks are dirt cheap and not difficult to shape with a rotary tool. I highly recommend it.
+SwedishGuitarNerd I just used an emery wheel on a rotary tool. I also replaced the tuning machines b/c even though it held tune well, the crappy plastic heads would buzz b/c they can't be tightened, there's no screw. The difference in tone with the bone nut is dramatic. It's really a great sounding guitar now.
moral of the story: spend your big money for a great amp electric guitars arent really that different you put a decent bridge on it(tuneomatics are legendary mostly for sucking) and you got a great guitar a wilkerson rollar bridge is like 15 bucks maybe less, you can get better pickups anywhere 5 way rotary mega switch for the prs switching maybe 5 bucks you can turn these epi lp2s into something scary for practically a cup of coffee
your convincing me to do just that in fact i just found this thing called a "freeway switch" 6 position toggle switch drop in replacement for the les paul 3 way toggle, it can do any combination of the four coils im looking into 4 wire humbuckers right now
tune o matics are legendary for sounding incredible and being the absolute best at using multiple tunings, anyway,you may suck and im sure you do daily but dont be dissing the tune o matic.
i sort of agree with Roman here. But the real moral of the story is: spend enough to get a guitar that will stay in tune, and the rest of your budget on a fantastic amp.
thankfully your opinion means absolutely nothing and is completely,unarguably and most definitely wrong, the fact this fool cant play as good as my 5 yr old kid doesn't give this a good comparative quality.
13:17 it's not really a big difference.... I'm with you bro. Listening really there aren't so much difference. But in the construction, durability, etc.. Gibson has years beyond the Epiphone Special II. But anyway. I have a special II and I am really impressed with the sound quality. My kit: Special II + Frontsman 15g + g1on. For me they were very affordable and the result was better than I expected. R$ 700,00 for the brand new Special II + R$ 350,00 for an used Frontsman 15g and R$ 290,00 for a G1on. R$ 1.340,00 reais = $ 490,00 dollars. In terms of Brazil, it's acceptable. Because we have a lot of taxes. But I guess in other bigger economies, is possible get this kit for almost $300,00 dollars.
Wow the generic sound really does sound comparable. I recently traded a lower budget bc rich to a buddy for a few bucks and a brand new epiphone special 2. I know i am losing out in the deal but the epi is actually a little better feel that the bcrich assassin cheaper model. I will always miss that guitar but i did want an lp type gimuit also.. f i know im gonna keep my eye out for another bc rich in the future though. I always loved em.
I bought one cheap and after a while setting it up after dressing and polishing all the frets was still left with a buzz on the third string. After a lot of polishing and head scratching trying to find which fret was causing the buzz, I discovered that the cause of the buzz was the tuner finger screw which seemed to be loosened from the shaft. A spot of glue fixed this, but when I get a moment I think best replace them even if the do seem to work O.K.
i own the same guitar but with p90's. it has "epiphone custom shop" printed on the back of the head stock. it also has full size pots and good switches not to mention the build quality is amazing...not bad for $120usd. the only thing i changed was the tuners, i put grover mini roto's in it. i love this guitar!
The Eppie is a great cheap guitar, it has a superb sound and its quite nice guitar for a beginner, u can get the entire pack with amp included for 199$ on amazon
@@bluedogsurvive6501 how are ya enjoying it ? I have the express which is basically the exact same guitar but in a jr size. I love it and think it sounds amazing , not to mention fun as hell to play.
this epiphone or squier affinity strat hss or squier vintage modified tele?:-):-):-)i like rock,pop rock and a little bit of punk.....blues rock too....please tell me.....
Well to sum up, this means you can drive both cars and they both make you go to the destination you want. But, one beats other brutally on highway while others overall wallet sucking is way lower in casual city driving.
Thanks for the great comparison test. It really helps me make a decision to buy my first beginner guitar that is still good quality, playability and value like this Epiphone. Thanks again for your great production and thoroughness. Stay well and keep strumming these amazing musical instruments :)
those cheap epiphone guitars sound just as good as an expensive guitar with a few upgrades, change the tuning machines, the bridge, the nut, and the pickups and they sound great, the wood does not matter in the sound of an amplified electric, it's all about the hardware and electronics, which need to be upgraded to make an Epiphone Special a contender
cool, I have an Epiphone SG Special, I upgraded it with a Tusq XL nut, a Mighty Mite Roller Bridge, a set of Hipshot Grip Lock tuning machines, and a set of DiMarzio D-Activator X pickups, a push pull for coil splitting, and a DPDT mini toggle for out of phase tones, I left the kill pot in tact cause it can be useful in some situations, I changed the tone cap to an orange drop just to do it, I have owned and played many expensive guitars but I prefer my cheap Epiphone to any of them that is after I upgraded everything, I took my time with each upgrade, I didn't do it all at once, I bought the guitar and liked it so much that I had to make it better. they really are well built guitars and the upgrades put it right up there at the top with the expensive guitars,
lets see, 120$ on the pickups, 9$ on the nut, 60$ on the tuning machines, 15$ on a push pull pot, 5$ on a mini toggle, 30$ on the bridge ok so that is $239 in upgrades, the guitar itself was $170 so $409 total spent on the guitar over a 3 year span, I didn't do it all at once, it took a lil time, just spent the extra money here and there because at the time I didn't have alot of money to spend all at once on a more expensive guitar, I am quite pleased with the results, Had I spent $350 on the Epiphpone G400 I would have still felt the need to upgrade the pickups and hardware. Epi pickups suck, haha, so all in all I have a damn good guitar for $400, It has everything I want, It was definitely worth it to me,
You do realize that during the early 70's,Epiphone made the mini humbuckers for the Les Paul Deluxe. I know,I have one.Not being a dick,but Epi makes "some decent stuff.
Hey thanks for doing this! I just picked up a "Special 2" at a local thrift store (with matching amp) for $100 and wasn't sure what I'd found. Very encouraging to hear I didn't screw up too badly!
What you'll get from those pickups is mostly a tonal change. It will sound better in other words. The sustain will probably not be affected at all. The difference between the pickups is that the 254 is made to be in the neck position and has less power and more treble so that it is even with the 255 that's supposed to be in the bridge position.
+Guy s What sort of mods would you do to this beginner guitar to make is sound better and not so much bass... I just bought one as a beginner and it sounds rather dark... compared to other similar guitars in the $2-300. Would like to put pick guard on it. I use 9 - 42ga strings...
+SwedishGuitarNerd Not necessarily true. You could sand down the neck/pocket to remove the paint, glue the neck in if you wanted, change bridges etc. However, I think the epi sounds just fine :)
There's this English word called "editing." In Swedish i think it's "redigering." For clean bridge Go to 3:40 then 5:35 . For dirty bridge go 7:35 then 10:24 . Bridge solo 8:04 then 10:53 . Neck solo 8:24 then 11:17 . You're welcome.
This was the purpose of my video. For you to get to hear if there was any big difference. The necks doesn't feel very different from each other. The Custom feels more solid as a whole but that has more to do with it's weight than anything else. I felt more free playing the Special 2.
The ones in the Epihpone are regular sized P90s so it should be an easy upgrade. Let me know how it worked out and if you liked the new sound of your guitar.
The musician in me wants to say that the custom must be way better because it had a legacy, and I'm too new to know the difference. But as an engineering major, I know that little really matters apart from the strings, contacts around the bridge//tuning knobs, and pickups. Learning guitar is gonna be fun.
Maybe it's because I'm a cheapskate. But I like the epiphone. The leads sound the same on the high end but the bar chords sound different on the low end. Today I found a epiphone special ii at a pawn shop for $65. The neck was slightly bowed and the pick ups were missing the screws to raise and adjust them. I think i will buy it as a project and clean it up.
I bought the Special 2 in a Mexican pawn shop this week; looks like they were hitting people with the guitar--has all sorts of nicks and dents in the body, BUT, it plays nice, stays in tune all over the neck and all the freakin' electronics work! Only 1650 pesos for the guitar, which is around $80.00 bucks USA, and the amp I'm using is a karaoke device with one speaker. Both cost me 117.00 US Dollar. The output jacks on both the guitar and amplifier work just peachy with no buzzing or static noise--which is unbelievable for abused pieces of hardware that are 20 years old.
Awesome! These are made with rather soft woods so you don't need much force to leave marks in the body/neck. But as you say it shouldn't affect the tone or functionality. Just look at all the relic'ed guitars where people pay to have their guitars beat up.
@@SwedishGuitarNerd Yes, these artificially distressed guitars sell for thousands of dollars above the retail number. The upscale shop in town here has some of those, plus it sells both types of Jimmy Page 1968 reissue Telecasters.
Hey my good man, great review. I watched your review a few times and some others, It was my birthday on 28th April and I ordered the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2. It arrived today and I'm very happy with the sound. A huge difference from my Yamaha ERG 121, I hated that but its hard on a low budget. I notice the sustain is very good as you said in your review. The frets have a little rust, and one of the tuners is tilted on the neck. I'm very happy with the Rock sound. Thanks for a great review
This is as exciting as when I was a kid and had to watch Murder She Wrote with my grandma. But anyway I have a Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG and a Epiphone special 2 that I bought in 1997. My friend laughs at me because I play the special 2 more than my other guitars. That thing rocks, especially for a guitar I bought on sale in 97 for $99.99.
To be honest I bought an Epi Special II exactly like the one he's playing, and it sounds better than the Epi Standard I used to own. Cool comparison dude. Very popular guitar, less than $150 new some places. These guitars are great for gigging, or modding.
Oh another nice comment on my playing! I might just do a series of instruction videos :) I'd love to do a LTD review but they currently doesn't have a Swedish distributor so I have big troubles finding some. As soon as I can I will do the EC50 since you're not the first to request that one.
So I have a Ibanez Gio. How much of an upgrade would it be for me to buy the Special 2, or would I basically be buying the exact same guitar, just different name? Also, any opinions on the Schecter Demon 6?
Frisbee The Ibanez is a better guitar in my opinion! It has better parts and is put together with more attention to detail. Schecter are making great guitars at the moment. I'm not sure about the Duncan Designed pickups on the Demon 6 though. Watch some videos of people playing it and see if it's a sound for you.
he doesn't suck, his playing is just all over the place. either he needs to develop his ear, or he's stumbled onto some new form of jazz I've never heard of.
I have the Les Paul Special II and I'm thinking of changing the pickups for it. I've been thinking on DiMarzio DP255BK or DP254BK (Not sure what's the difference). The main thing why I want to make this change is to lengthen the sustain. It would be awesome if you could answer this and tell me if it'd be worth it or not. Your videos are awesome! Rocka på!
SwedishGuitarNerd, thanks for the review. what kind of pick are you using? Im using dunlop jazzIII pick. and some thinner ones I know its personal,but im wondering. I also have the Ep lespaulII When you fully turn up the volume is your giving background noise? I use it with guitarRig,maybe it could be that?
Innervey Kosmos BeatsToMusic I think I was using 0.7 regular Dunlop picks back then. Not mega-thick and not mega-thin either. I have no idea what's causing your feedback. I assume that you're playing through headphones?
SwedishGuitarNerd Oh sorry, I misread you comment. Yes all electric guitars are noisy when you turn up the volume. Especially with distorted or high-gain sounds.
im looking to play metal and grunge and i need a guitar i was looking at the les paul special two, or should i get a js22-3 from jackson? although its a 7 string. i dont want to spend to much on it but the jackson still fit my budget.
yeah, my friend changed the nut :P and the reason for the wraparound bridge is because the melody maker series is deisgned to be a near replica of the 50's les Paul juniors (which had p90's, smaller body, wraparound bridge and 1 pickup) but these have a duncan design in them, and come in three shapes the pickup on my friends (he has an explorer versoin) is also high gain, but the invader which i have on my ibz is mental compared to that.
SwedishGuitarNerd This comparison is very helpful. What do you think, which is the best cheap Gibson Les Paul copy ? What do you think of Epiphone LP 100 ? (I wanna buy one.) Thanks ! :)
Richard B. The LP100 is the best Epiphone one. I recommed the LP-style guitars that Cort (CR series) and LTD (EC series) are making. Good luck with that!
Well for instance using thicker strings can have a small effect. Most of the sustain comes from the construction and the materials used though. So yes. Maybe it's time to upgrade the entire guitar? :)
I have a special 2 and it's pretty sweet, i picked it up used. the appearance is kind of rough when you look over it but other than some cosmetic things it's still a good one. Picked it up for $120 USD and couldn't enjoy it more. Nice video by the way, enjoyed it.
what kind of watt amp would you recommend for a beginner. Because the les pual special2 come with a 10 watt amp and I don't know should I just buy a bigger amp or wait until I get better
It depends on what you are going to use the amp for. If you're just playing at home then you won't need a bigger amp. On the other hand if you will be playing with other people and especially a drummer you'll need something bigger. It's not so much the watt, but the size and quality of the speaker. I for instance use a 5-watt amp with a full rock band. Compared to the Epiphone amp it's in other words weaker in wattage, but it has a bigger speaker from a company called Celestion that makes some of the most used guitar speaker. Look for an amp that has 10" or bigger speaker and preferably something made by companies like Celestion or Eminence. Some companies make great amps with their own brand of speakers. Peavey and Roland amps are fantastic for instance.
Rounder sound compared to strat bodies in this price range..the clean has something as opposed to the starter strat bodies that kind of fizzle out. Looks like my nephews getting one of these ;)
are epiphone p90s different sizes to normal p90s? i own an epiphone les paul special p90 limited edition and the p90s let me down tone wise, im looking to switch the bridge pickup with a seymour duncon antiquity p90...if they fit
The Bullet Strat in that case. It has slightly better parts and I love the sound of single coils. If you on the other hand are after a fat humbucker sound you will probably prefer the Epiphone.
Would you reccomemd the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 for someone that is really good? I have seen revews with people talking about it beimg a beginners guitar.
I'm thinking about getting into electric guitars and the epiphone LP II was at a decent price would it be a good starter or is there something better for the price? PS I think I have a amp and cord
+Adam ramzan The low price comes from the fact that it's a rather terrible guitar. I usually recommend something from the Squier Affinity line. They are affordable guitars, but are made with a lot of attention to detail and with good hardware.
Geez why is everyone being mean to the poor guy? He can make great comparison videos. Just because he isn't shredding doesn't mean he isnt good
+Nicholas Coble Thanks a lot man!
Did anyone even consider that English is his second language I mean really
Ignore them. They're the same idiots who think they're better than David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Brian May and every other great non-shredder guitar musician.
@@ormonddude And he doesn't seem owned by one guitar maker or another. Some good players are all in the Fender bag and some are in the Ibanez camp, yet act fully independent while being 17 years old. He's a real guy making slow, badly done videos. This, I trust more.
I don't know why so many people are denigrating this guy's playing in the comments. His style might not be your taste, but the guy can play. It's improvisation meant to demonstrate the guitars, not a performance of finished songs. Anyway, SGN-- thanks for making this demo. I just picked up a used Epi Special II for ten bucks! Needs some work, but nothing drastic. The neck feels great.
The main difference I hear in the demo is more clarity and detail in the Gibson's tone, especially in the treble range. With high gain, this translates as more "crunch". I would expect replacing the Epi's pickups with the same as the Gibson's would take away much of that difference. Thanks again.
ubertar Wow thanks for the support man! I really needed that :)
Yes you can without a doubt make a Special II very close to the Custom I they had the same pickups and electronics (another big cause of bad sound).
+SwedishGuitarNerd Hey, I just replaced the nut with a bone nut (cut one from a blank) and it opened up the sound A LOT. Much nicer highs. Sounds very much like the Gibson in your demo now. Bone blanks are dirt cheap and not difficult to shape with a rotary tool. I highly recommend it.
Did you get special files for the string slots? That seems to be the trickiest part.
+SwedishGuitarNerd I just used an emery wheel on a rotary tool. I also replaced the tuning machines b/c even though it held tune well, the crappy plastic heads would buzz b/c they can't be tightened, there's no screw. The difference in tone with the bone nut is dramatic. It's really a great sounding guitar now.
I'm happy for you!
moral of the story:
spend your big money for a great amp
electric guitars arent really that different
you put a decent bridge on it(tuneomatics are legendary mostly for sucking)
and you got a great guitar
a wilkerson rollar bridge is like 15 bucks maybe less,
you can get better pickups anywhere
5 way rotary mega switch for the prs switching
maybe 5 bucks
you can turn these epi lp2s into something scary for practically a cup of coffee
+roman14032 I'm looking forward to your upgrade video! :)
your convincing me to do just that
in fact i just found this thing called a "freeway switch"
6 position toggle switch
drop in replacement for the les paul 3 way toggle, it can do any combination of the four coils
im looking into 4 wire humbuckers right now
tune o matics are legendary for sounding incredible and being the absolute best at using multiple tunings,
anyway,you may suck and im sure you do daily but dont be dissing the tune o matic.
trillriff-axegrinder not true, they suck in every real way
i sort of agree with Roman here. But the real moral of the story is: spend enough to get a guitar that will stay in tune, and the rest of your budget on a fantastic amp.
Another great guitar review. Enjoy each one and always learn something new. Thanks.
Thanks a lot for the kind comment and for watching!
In my personal opinion the epiphone sounds better, maybe because is a newer model than the '89 gibson
And everyone wants vintage guitars...
thankfully your opinion means absolutely nothing and is completely,unarguably and most definitely wrong,
the fact this fool cant play as good as my 5 yr old kid doesn't give this a good comparative quality.
trillriff-axegrinder You know opinions can't be wrong right?
everyone knows that epiphone destroys customs
duhhhhh
trillriff-axegrinder damn, who tf hurt you?
13:17 it's not really a big difference.... I'm with you bro. Listening really there aren't so much difference. But in the construction, durability, etc.. Gibson has years beyond the Epiphone Special II. But anyway. I have a special II and I am really impressed with the sound quality. My kit: Special II + Frontsman 15g + g1on. For me they were very affordable and the result was better than I expected. R$ 700,00 for the brand new Special II + R$ 350,00 for an used Frontsman 15g and R$ 290,00 for a G1on. R$ 1.340,00 reais = $ 490,00 dollars. In terms of Brazil, it's acceptable. Because we have a lot of taxes. But I guess in other bigger economies, is possible get this kit for almost $300,00 dollars.
Great rig. The G1on will make any guitar sound amazing I think and the Frontman is great for a loud clean sound that suits the G1on.
Wow the generic sound really does sound comparable. I recently traded a lower budget bc rich to a buddy for a few bucks and a brand new epiphone special 2. I know i am losing out in the deal but the epi is actually a little better feel that the bcrich assassin cheaper model. I will always miss that guitar but i did want an lp type gimuit also.. f i know im gonna keep my eye out for another bc rich in the future though. I always loved em.
I bought one cheap and after a while setting it up after dressing and polishing all the frets was still left with a buzz on the third string. After a lot of polishing and head scratching trying to find which fret was causing the buzz, I discovered that the cause of the buzz was the tuner finger screw which seemed to be loosened from the shaft. A spot of glue fixed this, but when I get a moment I think best replace them even if the do seem to work O.K.
Yes the tuners are really the weak spot on these guitars. Once you upgrade them you have a fully functional rock machine!
Great video comparison m8 - Great to hear the contrast between them which wasn't as marked as I may have previously suspected :)👍
syefee You're welcome!
its hard to justify spending $2500+ more for the gibson when the sound isnt that much different....good demo
Thanks man!!
i own the same guitar but with p90's. it has "epiphone custom shop" printed on the back of the head stock. it also has full size pots and good switches not to mention the build quality is amazing...not bad for $120usd. the only thing i changed was the tuners, i put grover mini roto's in it. i love this guitar!
P90s will make anything sound good :)
Thank you man! It's very valuable to me and other viewers to get to hear other peoples opinions and experiences. Rock on!!!
The Eppie is a great cheap guitar, it has a superb sound and its quite nice guitar for a beginner, u can get the entire pack with amp included for 199$ on amazon
Hashed Prod. As cheap as it gets!
I paid 166 shipping and all for the package
@@bluedogsurvive6501 how are ya enjoying it ? I have the express which is basically the exact same guitar but in a jr size. I love it and think it sounds amazing , not to mention fun as hell to play.
Just found your channel, and I like your demo! Subscribed!!!
Thanks a lot for watching!
Excellent comparison. Two good guitars. Thanks!
John Threlfall Thanks for watching!
Great video!!
Thanks a lot for that!!
this epiphone or squier affinity strat hss or squier vintage modified tele?:-):-):-)i like rock,pop rock and a little bit of punk.....blues rock too....please tell me.....
Get the epi or the tele because the affinity strat is a rip off
Well to sum up, this means you can drive both cars and they both make you go to the destination you want. But, one beats other brutally on highway while others overall wallet sucking is way lower in casual city driving.
That's a great way of summarizing it :)
Pretty much jdm vs muscle
Thanks for the great comparison test. It really helps me make a decision to buy my first beginner guitar that is still good quality, playability and value like this Epiphone. Thanks again for your great production and thoroughness. Stay well and keep strumming these amazing musical instruments :)
Thanks a lot man!!
That was enlightening. Thank you. New subscriber.
Thanks a lot!
And I appreciate your kind comment! Thank you!!
those cheap epiphone guitars sound just as good as an expensive guitar with a few upgrades, change the tuning machines, the bridge, the nut, and the pickups and they sound great, the wood does not matter in the sound of an amplified electric, it's all about the hardware and electronics, which need to be upgraded to make an Epiphone Special a contender
I will actually make a series of videos where I upgrade an Epiphone SG Special and I think it will prove your point :)
cool, I have an Epiphone SG Special, I upgraded it with a Tusq XL nut, a Mighty Mite Roller Bridge, a set of Hipshot Grip Lock tuning machines, and a set of DiMarzio D-Activator X pickups, a push pull for coil splitting, and a DPDT mini toggle for out of phase tones, I left the kill pot in tact cause it can be useful in some situations, I changed the tone cap to an orange drop just to do it, I have owned and played many expensive guitars but I prefer my cheap Epiphone to any of them that is after I upgraded everything, I took my time with each upgrade, I didn't do it all at once, I bought the guitar and liked it so much that I had to make it better. they really are well built guitars and the upgrades put it right up there at the top with the expensive guitars,
Wow! It seems like you put 5 times the price of the guitar into upgrades :)
lets see, 120$ on the pickups, 9$ on the nut, 60$ on the tuning machines, 15$ on a push pull pot, 5$ on a mini toggle, 30$ on the bridge ok so that is $239 in upgrades, the guitar itself was $170 so $409 total spent on the guitar over a 3 year span, I didn't do it all at once, it took a lil time, just spent the extra money here and there because at the time I didn't have alot of money to spend all at once on a more expensive guitar, I am quite pleased with the results, Had I spent $350 on the Epiphpone G400 I would have still felt the need to upgrade the pickups and hardware. Epi pickups suck, haha, so all in all I have a damn good guitar for $400, It has everything I want, It was definitely worth it to me,
You do realize that during the early 70's,Epiphone made the mini humbuckers for the Les Paul Deluxe. I know,I have one.Not being a dick,but Epi makes "some decent stuff.
Hey thanks for doing this! I just picked up a "Special 2" at a local thrift store (with matching amp) for $100 and wasn't sure what I'd found. Very encouraging to hear I didn't screw up too badly!
It's not a bad place to start!
Amazingly done man, you can really play! Just convinced me to buy the les paul special II, never played before but I need to try it out!
Flipzer If you just change the tuners on it, it's a suprisingly good guitar. Thanks for watching and your kind comment!
What you'll get from those pickups is mostly a tonal change. It will sound better in other words. The sustain will probably not be affected at all. The difference between the pickups is that the 254 is made to be in the neck position and has less power and more treble so that it is even with the 255 that's supposed to be in the bridge position.
Wow! That sounds really cool. I've been thinking about doing something similar to a Epi SG Special. Thanks a lot for sharing that info!
I just got the Ep Special 2 LP. So far it's a great guitar. simple and it sounds good and it's so cheap. :)
Rock on man!
Chained Unfree Me too :)
Chained Unfree Yep, me to, confirmed ;)
It really is crazy-cheap!
SwedishGuitarNerd and it feels like a $1000 guitar also
With a little ajustmens and "mods" will sound the same!
+Guy s Good luck with your mod-project :)
+Guy s What sort of mods would you do to this beginner guitar to make is sound better and not so much bass... I just bought one as a beginner and it sounds rather dark... compared to other similar guitars in the $2-300. Would like to put pick guard on it. I use 9 - 42ga strings...
The only route to go is to upgrade the pickups. I think it needs something that has less output and more high frequencies.
+SwedishGuitarNerd Not necessarily true. You could sand down the neck/pocket to remove the paint, glue the neck in if you wanted, change bridges etc. However, I think the epi sounds just fine :)
I have the Special II, and looking for an upgrade. I really like the Les Paul shape, and I'm considering on buying the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro.
That would be a good option I think and a real upgrade.
Depends on what you need. If you don't like/need the smooth singing sound of a neck pickup then get the junior.
Thank you for your work...it might be said that each one is an individual piece of wood, the price might be based on reputation (hype).
Thanks! Yes you certainly pay for the brand. The Gibson one was certainly better, but it's not 30 times better.
Great reviews. I appreciate it.
There's this English word called "editing." In Swedish i think it's "redigering." For clean bridge Go to 3:40 then 5:35 . For dirty bridge go 7:35 then 10:24 . Bridge solo 8:04 then 10:53 . Neck solo 8:24 then 11:17 . You're welcome.
This was the purpose of my video. For you to get to hear if there was any big difference. The necks doesn't feel very different from each other. The Custom feels more solid as a whole but that has more to do with it's weight than anything else. I felt more free playing the Special 2.
5:39 vs 3:49
+Jason Griffiths Thank you good sir
+Jason Griffiths thanks dude! ( sounds the same)
The ones in the Epihpone are regular sized P90s so it should be an easy upgrade. Let me know how it worked out and if you liked the new sound of your guitar.
The musician in me wants to say that the custom must be way better because it had a legacy, and I'm too new to know the difference.
But as an engineering major, I know that little really matters apart from the strings, contacts around the bridge//tuning knobs, and pickups.
Learning guitar is gonna be fun.
The Gibson sound is amazing, but that Epiphone Special II is quite impressive. Cheaper and powerful!
Yes I'd even say too powerful. The Epi pickups would probably be less muddy if the had a bit less output.
As soon as I find a nighthawk I will review it. I'm looking forward to that as well!
I've been rocking my Epiphone Les Paul Special II for nearly seven years and have had very little trouble with it. It's my go-to guitar.
guitarman122508 That's great to hear. Keep rocking!!
Maybe it's because I'm a cheapskate. But I like the epiphone. The leads sound the same on the high end but the bar chords sound different on the low end. Today I found a epiphone special ii at a pawn shop for $65. The neck was slightly bowed and the pick ups were missing the screws to raise and adjust them. I think i will buy it as a project and clean it up.
It's a great modding platform, if the neck isn't bowed out of playability.
I bought the Special 2 in a Mexican pawn shop this week; looks like they were hitting people with the guitar--has all sorts of nicks and dents in the body, BUT, it plays nice, stays in tune all over the neck and all the freakin' electronics work! Only 1650 pesos for the guitar, which is around $80.00 bucks USA, and the amp I'm using is a karaoke device with one speaker. Both cost me 117.00 US Dollar. The output jacks on both the guitar and amplifier work just peachy with no buzzing or static noise--which is unbelievable for abused pieces of hardware that are 20 years old.
Awesome! These are made with rather soft woods so you don't need much force to leave marks in the body/neck. But as you say it shouldn't affect the tone or functionality. Just look at all the relic'ed guitars where people pay to have their guitars beat up.
@@SwedishGuitarNerd Yes, these artificially distressed guitars sell for thousands of dollars above the retail number. The upscale shop in town here has some of those, plus it sells both types of Jimmy Page 1968 reissue Telecasters.
The Gibson has a much more robust sound. There is a huge difference all around. Very helpful demo.
The Epiphone doesn’t sound awful.
TONI DUPONT-MORA Thanks for watching!
Hey my good man, great review. I watched your review a few times and some others, It was my birthday on 28th April and I ordered the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2. It arrived today and I'm very happy with the sound. A huge difference from my Yamaha ERG 121, I hated that but its hard on a low budget. I notice the sustain is very good as you said in your review. The frets have a little rust, and one of the tuners is tilted on the neck. I'm very happy with the Rock sound. Thanks for a great review
What Amp and Affects being used ?
Diamon david The guitars are going straight through a Zoom G1 pedal into the mixer.
Okay, thanks! :) Is there anything I can do to effect the sustain at all, or is it better to look into a more expensive guitar?
I wrote ESP about it some months ago and they haven't replied yet..
Thank you! How do yours differ soundwise?
I'm thinking about epiphone as my first real electric guitar, thanks for the vid.
Good luck with that one!
Do , it. You won’t regret it.
I love the sound of the stock pickups on the les paul and sg specials.
This is as exciting as when I was a kid and had to watch Murder She Wrote with my grandma. But anyway I have a Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG and a Epiphone special 2 that I bought in 1997. My friend laughs at me because I play the special 2 more than my other guitars. That thing rocks, especially for a guitar I bought on sale in 97 for $99.99.
Yes it sure does. I think it has more to do with the materials than the set-neck construction though.
Wonderful review!
Thanks!
Great video what is the difference between the special 2 and the epiphone les Paul 100?
Why not? The Pearly Gates pickup is supposed to be more bright and would suit my taste at least :)
Awesome! What made you get the Epiphone when you already had the Gibson?
7:34 vs 10:26
Thanks
To be honest I bought an Epi Special II exactly like the one he's playing, and it sounds better than the Epi Standard I used to own. Cool comparison dude. Very popular guitar, less than $150 new some places.
These guitars are great for gigging, or modding.
+Howage1 Thanks for sharing your experiences! Only you know what's best for you.
Thanks for your opinion ;)
And what do you think about Ibanez GRX 40 vs the Squier?
I hope she likes it and that it encourages her to be an awesome guitarist!
Oh another nice comment on my playing! I might just do a series of instruction videos :)
I'd love to do a LTD review but they currently doesn't have a Swedish distributor so I have big troubles finding some. As soon as I can I will do the EC50 since you're not the first to request that one.
dude, your playing is fine. good video. and I'm sure your playing is even better now, 8 years later lol
@@american_cosmic It's worse than ever!!
So I have a Ibanez Gio. How much of an upgrade would it be for me to buy the Special 2, or would I basically be buying the exact same guitar, just different name?
Also, any opinions on the Schecter Demon 6?
Frisbee The Ibanez is a better guitar in my opinion! It has better parts and is put together with more attention to detail. Schecter are making great guitars at the moment. I'm not sure about the Duncan Designed pickups on the Demon 6 though. Watch some videos of people playing it and see if it's a sound for you.
Maybe one day. I'm having a review-break at the moment, but who knows what the future brings+?
he doesn't suck, his playing is just all over the place. either he needs to develop his ear, or he's stumbled onto some new form of jazz I've never heard of.
exactly its called very free Jaz
thanks for the tip, what pickups would you recommend for a metal tone
keep going man. nice video
+Caner Sevince Thanks a lot!
I have the Les Paul Special II and I'm thinking of changing the pickups for it. I've been thinking on DiMarzio DP255BK or DP254BK (Not sure what's the difference). The main thing why I want to make this change is to lengthen the sustain.
It would be awesome if you could answer this and tell me if it'd be worth it or not.
Your videos are awesome! Rocka på!
I just bought the Epiphone Special II and i really love it. I also have a Gibson Les paul and love that as well.
Wich is the best clean sound in your opinion?
The Epiphone SE II or the Squier Strat Affinity?!
Cheers from Portugal ;)
SwedishGuitarNerd, thanks for the review. what kind of pick are you using? Im using dunlop jazzIII pick. and some thinner ones I know its personal,but im wondering. I also have the Ep lespaulII When you fully turn up the volume is your giving background noise? I use it with guitarRig,maybe it could be that?
Innervey Kosmos BeatsToMusic I think I was using 0.7 regular Dunlop picks back then. Not mega-thick and not mega-thin either. I have no idea what's causing your feedback. I assume that you're playing through headphones?
SwedishGuitarNerd Oh sorry, I misread you comment. Yes all electric guitars are noisy when you turn up the volume. Especially with distorted or high-gain sounds.
brilliant as always. You should do a few scale lessons. You have a lovely smooth lead guitar style, I'm so envious!
Keep posting!
Nazgul 6 pickups in a Epiphone special 1 hmmmmm I got the p90 version but I wanna take those out I don't like them it was 100$ pawnshop can't beat it
The P90s probably sound a thousand times better than the high-output humbuckers in mine.
Should I feel bad if I can't really tell much of difference in sound between the 2 guitars?
im looking to play metal and grunge and i need a guitar i was looking at the les paul special two, or should i get a js22-3 from jackson? although its a 7 string. i dont want to spend to much on it but the jackson still fit my budget.
The JS22 is a 6-string guitar. It's a much better guitar than the Epiphone.
SwedishGuitarNerd thankyou :)
GREAT comp video. I need a cheap beater and you basically just settled it for me. Special 2 for the win- (in terms of cheaper guitars)
Excellent! Since my video Epiphone have improved their quality and Gibson have gone downhill. So it's an even better choice today 🙂
yeah, my friend changed the nut :P and the reason for the wraparound bridge is because the melody maker series is deisgned to be a near replica of the 50's les Paul juniors (which had p90's, smaller body, wraparound bridge and 1 pickup) but these have a duncan design in them, and come in three shapes the pickup on my friends (he has an explorer versoin) is also high gain, but the invader which i have on my ibz is mental compared to that.
can u upload the video of your homemade telecaster? i would like to see.
nice video i have a question. with the special 2 can i get a good slash tone? can you do a video if you can please
SwedishGuitarNerd This comparison is very helpful. What do you think, which is the best cheap Gibson Les Paul copy ? What do you think of Epiphone LP 100 ? (I wanna buy one.) Thanks ! :)
Richard B. The LP100 is the best Epiphone one. I recommed the LP-style guitars that Cort (CR series) and LTD (EC series) are making. Good luck with that!
Well for instance using thicker strings can have a small effect. Most of the sustain comes from the construction and the materials used though. So yes. Maybe it's time to upgrade the entire guitar? :)
I have a special 2 and it's pretty sweet, i picked it up used. the appearance is kind of rough when you look over it but other than some cosmetic things it's still a good one. Picked it up for $120 USD and couldn't enjoy it more. Nice video by the way, enjoyed it.
What model pick ups does the epiphone special have.
what kind of watt amp would you recommend for a beginner. Because the les pual special2 come with a 10 watt amp and I don't know should I just buy a bigger amp or wait until I get better
It depends on what you are going to use the amp for. If you're just playing at home then you won't need a bigger amp. On the other hand if you will be playing with other people and especially a drummer you'll need something bigger. It's not so much the watt, but the size and quality of the speaker. I for instance use a 5-watt amp with a full rock band. Compared to the Epiphone amp it's in other words weaker in wattage, but it has a bigger speaker from a company called Celestion that makes some of the most used guitar speaker. Look for an amp that has 10" or bigger speaker and preferably something made by companies like Celestion or Eminence. Some companies make great amps with their own brand of speakers. Peavey and Roland amps are fantastic for instance.
Thank you for the advice swedishguitarnerd
I got a special 2 for Christmas. I love it.
Awesome! I'm happy for you!
Is it comfortable to play?
epiphone special 2 or ibanez gax 30? it will be my first electric guitar,i want to play blues,rock and metal(not a lot of) what do you think?
Rounder sound compared to strat bodies in this price range..the clean has something as opposed to the starter strat bodies that kind of fizzle out. Looks like my nephews getting one of these ;)
You have lucky relatives!
Thanks so much, that was so useful for me
I will do just that. Stay tuned for next weeks videos!
are epiphone p90s different sizes to normal p90s? i own an epiphone les paul special p90 limited edition and the p90s let me down tone wise, im looking to switch the bridge pickup with a seymour duncon antiquity p90...if they fit
Jesus you scared me at 12:10 hahaha Nice review though.. I like the Epiphone Les Paul special II :)
Hahaha! I'm waaatching you! Only you know what's best for you. You should get one while they're still mega-cheap.
i have the special ii and love it for 100 american dollars as opposed to 5000 american dollars thanks brother guitarnerd
Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences!
is epiphone's lespaul 100 as small and light as the les paul 2 special? please reply , thanks
Should I get the Les Paul Special ii or a Squier bullet stratocaster?
+Ronan McGarrigle If you ask me: Neither. I would spend the extra money and get a Squier Affinity :) It's worth it!
+SwedishGuitarNerd Also how much is a Squier Affinty
+SwedishGuitarNerd But if you had to choose between the two of them which one would you choose. Even though I will probably still get the Affinity
The Bullet Strat in that case. It has slightly better parts and I love the sound of single coils. If you on the other hand are after a fat humbucker sound you will probably prefer the Epiphone.
I think this is an unfair comparison, everybody knows Epiphone would win! :)
Theodore Merrill funny joke
Would you reccomemd the Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 for someone that is really good? I have seen revews with people talking about it beimg a beginners guitar.
I'm thinking about getting into electric guitars and the epiphone LP II was at a decent price would it be a good starter or is there something better for the price? PS I think I have a amp and cord
+Adam ramzan The low price comes from the fact that it's a rather terrible guitar. I usually recommend something from the Squier Affinity line. They are affordable guitars, but are made with a lot of attention to detail and with good hardware.
i took more time looking at guitars after and the affinity is the best so far
It's a great instrument! I own one myself.
thanks for the advice now i have to save up
The cheapest, easiest upgrade to a Les Paul: Remove the pickguard. It looks so much better without it!
Like how you do scales on guitars to show how it sounds. Just like doing piano scales.
You're a rare bird. Everyone else seems to want me to play their favourite Metallica song..
Thanks Mann.. i like the video its pretty cool. :D
You're pretty cool for leaving such a nice comment!
I am glad that somebody has the same opinion as I do :D
Fascinating, brilliant - focuses on what matters