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bluesman345

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  1. Actually' date=' I think that Home Depot plywood gets a bad rap. It's the OSB (Oriented Strand Board/chipboard) that REALLY sucks!
  2. I would conclude that a laminate top is preferable in an archtop electric because it is stronger and reduces feedback by damping the vibrations with the layers of cross grain. I have found that acoustic guitars with laminated tops are not as resonant as solid wood tops and are often somewhat muffled sounding, and lacking depth. For acoustic guitars, I prefer Simon&Patrick/Seagull (Godin). In Canada, you can get a hand-made, solid top S&P acoustic for less than a laminate (and much less resonant) Epiphone acoustic. Outside of Canada, the price of Godin products are at least double what we pay. We are blessed...
  3. Several years ago, I asked a salesman in the local Gibson/Epi dealership what the differences are between the two brands and why Epi's are so much cheaper than their Gibson counterparts of similar style. By that time, I had already owned 4 Gibsons (Gibson ES-125, SG, Les Paul Deluxe and ES-335). He stated that basically, Gibson uses superior electronics, hardware, wood, etc. He also said that while Gibsons are usually solid wood, Epiphones are usually laminate (plywood). As we have seen, this is not very accurate.
  4. As far as I know, every archtop that I have ever heard of has been made of plywood ("laminate"), including Gibson L-5, ES-5, etc. (correct me if I'm wrong). Any flat top acoustic worth it's salt will usually have a solid piece of wood (cedar, spruce, maple, mahogany, etc.) on top, braced by flat pieces of wood underneath. An archtop, on the other hand, is formed by steaming the arch into the wood. Laminate will shape easily with steam and is stronger than solid wood - it is unlikely to split like solid wood. Hopefully, Epiphone uses high quality 3 or 5 ply laminate and not Home Depot G1S plywood or sheathing.
  5. I would say that the best way not to get ripped off is to buy your new or used guitar from an Authorized Epiphone/Gibson dealer. If the dealer is not Authorized, at least get a store warranty on your purchase.
  6. Good vid's Brian - nice, clear sound! I'm thinkin' that the feedback would be due to the semi-hollow construction of the guitar (f-holes, more resonance) and not so much the pickups. The P-90's that came with both of my Epi's (K.A. Rainbows) are all wax potted. Of course, the Zephyr Blues Deluxe feeds back because it is a big *** hollowbody, although there are pieces of wood on the underside of the top, supporting the pickups. The Les Paul, being a solid plank, wouldn't feed back unless you hold it right up to the amp. A Casino, on the other hand, is fully hollow, so it would be feedback city. As for the "Mountain" setting, my guess would be "MESA" - not something that bodes very well with a semi or hollow guitar. Very nice amp!!! :-
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