Viktor1972

Hi Guys, I just bought a Korean 1987 Sheraton in Tobacco sunburst with 'Epiphone by Gibson' on the headstock. The guitar plays great, but needs a setup. I'm off to a luthier at lunchtime to see what can be done. The action is too high and there is a rattle on the first E string. But I'm sure that this will be taken care off today. The guitar as such is great, great dark look and amazing playability. I have owned quite a few Gibson's : ES-347 / 335 / 345 / 135 / 175 and a L4. I have sold them all, the only regret I have is the L4, that was an amazing guitar that I should have kept. But I got a great offer and didn't refuse. The other Gibson's just were not what I expected for the price (even second hand). This is my second Epiphone Sheraton and it will not be my last. I have a blond Sheraton made in Korea in 2004 (Unsung) that is amazing, but this Korean '87 guitar is even better. It reminds me very much of the playability of the 80's ES-347. Same feel of the fretboard (although this is rosewood and not ebony like on the ES-347). Pickups are amazing and 'warmer' in my opinion than the pickups on the '04 Korean guitar. So this is my second Sheraton and I will keep them both. I did my last gig with the blond '04 guitar and she did great. No tuning issues (as oppossed to some Gibson's), great sound and build like a tank. The '86 Korean guitar sounds even warmer, looks classy and with a proper set-up will be another keeper. I never had that feeling when I had the Gibson's and I was always worried that something would happen to them. And at the price I paid, that wasn't an option. I can see that some Gibson's must be really superior, and if you can get your hands on one of those, keep them. But I've had too many Gibson's and never really felt that one of them was that great. The two Korean Sheraton play as well as the Gibson's I had and sound great, the '87 guitar clearly the best. But upgrading to Gibson pickups could be an option for the '04 guitar. The '87 is just fine as is, and can be compared to most ES-335's anyday. Another issue however is the new 50thEdition of the Sheraton. I've played two and both had issues. The one I played in Belgium had a bad nut and was send back to Epiphone (the guitar also felt "dead"), the one I played at EsseMusic in Italy had a non-working bridge pick-up and was also sent back (but felt "alive", great sound even acoustic). So I would definitely recommend trying the 50thEditions of the Sheraton before buying. It seems like quality control just isn't there yet. I'm sure that some Chinese Epiphone guitars are great, but since my two Korean Epiphone's are amazing for a great price, I would suggest taking a close look at Korean models before buying a Chinese one. You can still get one at low prices, and it is safe to believe that prices will only go up for Korean made Sheraton's since they will become Vintage guitars in a couple of years from now. And the two Korean ones I have are worth every penny I paid for.