Dave from Cow Country USA
Subject:
Nice but Not so Nice
Quality:
I believe these guitars are made at Gibson's Ephiphone plant in Korea. They are definitely imported from Korea. I don't know if that is why the electronics in mine were a mess, or if mine was just the one that happened to get by quality control. The neck and body are tremendous and the EMGs are nice pickups but the wiring job that was done on mine and the pots and 3-way selector switch are cheap. I don't normally buy imports, I usually build (from parts) my own or buy American made guitars. I got this because the US Steinbergers are not made any more thanks to Gibson and I really wanted one.
Sound:
The EMGs have a great sound to them for blues and classic rock. The bridge pickup screams for leads. The tone pot on mine did absolutely nothing when I got the guitar. I opened up the electronics compartment and there was no cap on the tone pot.
Reliability:
I've had this guitar for 2 years. The wiring in it is crappy. I've replaced both the volume and the tone pots because of scratchy sounding noises coming from them. There was no cap on the original 250k ohm tone pot. After I replaced both pots and added a cap, the tone roll-off was much better. However, now the 3-way selector switch is scratchy and needs to be replaced and the battery box has a short in it. I'm planning on re-wiring the 3-way switch and battery box next.
Overall:
It's a nice piece of wood and the neck is fantastic. The electronics are crap. I've had nothing but problems with it.
Playability and Feel:
It's a really light weight axe. The strap extender on the back takes a little getting use to. But once you've played it for a while, you don't notice it any more.
Tone:
With the new pot and cap, controlling the tone roll-off is much easier. I can get a nice bright sound out of the bridge pickup for leads and a nice warm blend for rhythm with both pickups or the neck pickup. It has an EMG 81 in the neck and an 85 in the bridge position I believe.
Finish:
The finish has held up well for the first 2 years I've owned it. I have the Transparent Amber and everyone comments on how great the finish is. I replaced the cheap plastic knobs with some nice Stainless Steel knobs which really changed the look of the guitar for the better.
Action:
Right out of the box, I had to take this guitar for a setup. The action was way too high. Once setup, the neck on this is great. The phenolic fingerboard is like nothing that I've ever played before. I really like the feel of this guitar which is why I'm still hanging on to it in spite of other problems.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes