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Post by b1 on Jul 17, 2015 11:48:05 GMT -6
Aha, mine got delivered today! No flaws. It was practically in tune out of the box. Very resonant. The fret surface is smooth. A very well made guitar. The PUP selector is a little wiggly, but I knew that was possible from the start. I'll do a good setup and lower the action before I plug it in. A phenomenal deal @ #349.00. The wife and I love it!
As well built as these are, I have nary a reason to desire a Gibby. I'll comment on the sound later, but I would imagine the PUPS will sound like a classic ES335, or custom wound jobs with a 335 flavor; probably indistinguishable from the classic sound on a recording.
I'd say these will increase in value when people realize just what kind of beast it is. Just like the T-60. The price stayed low over the years until people realized that the Fender or Gibson name didn't matter when it came to a quality guitar.
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Post by b1 on Jul 17, 2015 16:19:50 GMT -6
Oh, man. Color me giddy! The only setup I did was lower the action. I'll plug into the amp later, but I'm going through the REDDI and can't break myself away from the tone. I stopped mid song to report back. It's all there at this level. This is a great guitar. Martin John Butler might not like neck shape compared to his 335, but after a few notes it doesn't matter to me, certainly not for this incredible $349.00 tone and playability! No bone nut needed. That might be too bright. I anticipated the nylon/plastic nut would be perfect for this guitar, and it is. A nylon nut is what Gibson uses on Johnkenn's $4,000.00 merchandise. |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jul 17, 2015 16:48:55 GMT -6
Good luck guys, enjoy! Post some sounds when you can.
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Post by mdmitch2 on Jul 17, 2015 20:43:01 GMT -6
I actually prefer this slightly smaller neck profile... not a fan of chunky necks. I'm gonna take some 0000 steel wool to the frets this weekend, and maybe get to record a bit with it. b1 , what are you doing for a case? I didn't want to spend $125 for the epi case, so I was thinking a gig bag of some sort. |
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Post by b1 on Jul 17, 2015 21:58:49 GMT -6
The ProBoards server was down. mdmitch2, the only case I see at the moment is this for $90; a little more than a gig bag: www.amazon.com/Epiphone-Case-Dot-Sheraton-335/dp/B0002FO9QYI thought I saw one the other day a little cheaper than that, but the only link I saved was from MusiciansFriend for $150. www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/epiphone-335-hardshell-guitar-caseI guess I'll hang mine on the wall for a while until I look around for a case. I took a closer look at my frets and the first 5 were a little rough, but nothing drastic. After I played it a while, it seems better all around on the frets. You could loosen the strings enough to swing across the frets if they're not too bad. It doesn't take much on the crowns unless want to shine them all up. |
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Post by keymod on Jul 18, 2015 4:41:22 GMT -6
Man, I don't even play guitar and this thread is making me want to buy one...........  |
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Post by b1 on Jul 18, 2015 11:30:15 GMT -6
Man, I don't even play guitar and this thread is making me want to buy one........... Lol... at least it would make a great gift to the guitar player in your life. |
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Post by b1 on Jul 18, 2015 13:24:55 GMT -6
I got this card a few months ago, before I considered buying the Epi... didn't realize it until after I ordered:  |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Jul 20, 2015 8:50:03 GMT -6
I took a closer look at my frets and the first 5 were a little rough, but nothing drastic. After I played it a while, it seems better all around on the frets. After playing for a couple hours the frets feel MUCH better, and it's not bothering me anymore. I'll still probably polish them up a bit when I change the strings. |
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Post by jimwilliams on Jul 20, 2015 9:29:49 GMT -6
My mint 1967 Trini Lopez is my 335. It has a thinner neck than a 335. Looks way cooler too.
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Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 12:23:14 GMT -6
I took a closer look at my frets and the first 5 were a little rough, but nothing drastic. After I played it a while, it seems better all around on the frets. After playing for a couple hours the frets feel MUCH better, and it's not bothering me anymore. I'll still probably polish them up a bit when I change the strings. I'm going to see how level the frets are when I change the strings. I suspect they aren't ideal - may go ahead and level & re-crown them to get the action even lower. The nut on mine needs re-slotted if sticking with the .010, whereas the strings are binding a little. I'm going to see how it is with .009's before I do that. Still haven't plugged into the amp, lol. |
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Post by b1 on Jul 20, 2015 12:24:43 GMT -6
My mint 1967 Trini Lopez is my 335. It has a thinner neck than a 335. Looks way cooler too. That's as much 335 as anyone needs... |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Jul 20, 2015 23:56:25 GMT -6
I'm going to see how level the frets are when I change the strings. I suspect they aren't ideal - may go ahead and level & re-crown them to get the action even lower. The nut on mine needs re-slotted if sticking with the .010, whereas the strings are binding a little. I'm going to see how it is with .009's before I do that. Still haven't plugged into the amp, lol. Yeah I'm gonna try 9's too..... I also lowered the action, but I'm getting some buzz before I can get it as low as I like. I haven't plugged it in yet either! A friend of mine just ordered one today after playing mine. |
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Post by b1 on Jul 21, 2015 12:28:39 GMT -6
I think the reason the string action was set so high by Epiphone USA, is to hide the uneven frets. At this price they aren't going to spend a lot of time on a good setup. I set the action just up above the buzz, which is really just a few thousandths higher. The truss rod seemed like it was adjusted right, but when I get the strings out of the way, it'll be more clear. With all of the frets level and the truss rod set right for the string gauge, theoretically, all of the frets will buzz or bottom out when the action is too low. When only a few buzz while the action feels better on adjacent frets, the frets are uneven. I think your friend will find this guitar is a great tool for the toolbox.  |
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Post by lolo on Jul 23, 2015 0:37:25 GMT -6
Think im gonna grab one of these Epi 335's.
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Post by b1 on Jul 23, 2015 9:46:16 GMT -6
Think im gonna grab one of these Epi 335's. People are snatching them up. It seems like they are usually back-ordered after each run. |
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Post by lolo on Jul 23, 2015 20:43:42 GMT -6
Anyone tried the Epi dot studio? Or is it just better to go for the Dot?
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Post by b1 on Jul 24, 2015 0:13:25 GMT -6
I don't think you're going to get the Alnico Classic Pro PUPs on the Dot Studio, or the coil tapping. From the reviews, most people favor the ES-335 PRO, based on aesthetics and features.
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Post by b1 on Jul 25, 2015 10:59:21 GMT -6
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Post by b1 on Jul 25, 2015 13:53:08 GMT -6
Has anyone used a Trapeze Tail-piece or a Bigsby on their Gibson or Epi? I'm hearing people describe the Trapeze as making it harder to bend strings. This is the opposite of what I was thinking. Never used one to know any better.
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Post by b1 on Jul 27, 2015 1:14:07 GMT -6
mdmitch2@mdmitch2, I don't know how far you've gotten with the Epi, but there's something to note. The truss rod and nut are left hand threaded. The frets weren't level, so I leveled and re-crowned 'em over the weekend. I've got super low action now, but I had to take all of the tension off of the truss rod with the .009 strings. It still needs more relief so I can put tension back on the truss rod. I'll let it acclimate awhile to see if the neck flexes enough to put some tension back on it. It must be super straight and stiff. It plays fine if I use a light touch... It's getting there!
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Post by mdmitch2 on Jul 27, 2015 8:08:09 GMT -6
mdmitch2@mdmitch2, I don't know how far you've gotten with the Epi, but there's something to note. The truss rod and nut are left hand threaded. The frets weren't level, so I leveled and re-crowned 'em over the weekend. I've got super low action now, but I had to take all of the tension off of the truss rod with the .009 strings. It still needs more relief so I can put tension back on the truss rod. I'll let it acclimate awhile to see if the neck flexes enough to put some tension back on it. It must be super straight and stiff. It plays fine if I use a light touch... It's getting there! Nice -- let us know how that goes. I haven't had a chance to do much else with it lately... but I will sooner or later! |
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Post by Ward on Jul 27, 2015 23:23:08 GMT -6
mdmitch2@mdmitch2, I don't know how far you've gotten with the Epi, but there's something to note. The truss rod and nut are left hand threaded. The frets weren't level, so I leveled and re-crowned 'em over the weekend. I've got super low action now, but I had to take all of the tension off of the truss rod with the .009 strings. It still needs more relief so I can put tension back on the truss rod. I'll let it acclimate awhile to see if the neck flexes enough to put some tension back on it. It must be super straight and stiff. It plays fine if I use a light touch... It's getting there! Left hand threaded? What is this witchcraft? |
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Post by b1 on Jul 27, 2015 23:30:42 GMT -6
Yeah, it's the first one I've seen. I spent about 15 mins. thinking the rod was wacked. Did a search & found a guy that kept returning the Epi, because he couldn't get it set up right... Found out it was left handed threads!
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Post by Ward on Jul 28, 2015 20:27:28 GMT -6
Yeah, it's the first one I've seen. I spent about 15 mins. thinking the rod was wacked. Did a search & found a guy that kept returning the Epi, because he couldn't get it set up right... Found out it was left handed threads! Is there ever any warning issued about this, at point of purchase? Because that would SERIOUSLY piss me off... with both the brand and the dealer. Even more so with the dealer. |
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