I have an M3 from 1992. I suppose it's a Stealth model, as it has no pickguard. It has a translucent amber finish.
There currently is a very similar one on Ebay, except it is translucent red.
You can find some videos of my guitar on my Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/scalibq).
I'd like to add that the Epiphone Em-1/2 series aren't new. Back in 1992-1996, when the original Gibson M3/4 were in production, Epiphone offered the Em-1/2 Rebel series, which were basically budget copies of the Gibsons.
They had the same body shape as the Gibsons (and a reversed headstock, unlike the current Em models), but they used a bolt-on construction, just like the current models.
They also had the same H-S-H pickup configuration with the mini-switch for the vast array of pickup selections (sadly that too is missing on the current Em models).
The Em-1 Rebel was the cheapest model, and featured a standard Strat-style tremolo.
The Em-2 Rebel had a double-locking tremolo like the Gibsons, although I think it was a brandless copy, not a real Schaller like on the Gibsons.
A very nice detail imho is that the tremolo was custom-made for Gibson, and where you normally had "Schaller" stamped into the baseplate, on an M3 it reads "Gibson".
I'm looking for an Epiphone Em-2 Rebel myself, I think it will make a nice couple with the M3 that I have.
I've actually sent an email to Gibson asking if there's any chance of making an Epiphone Em-2 variation with the original pickup configuration, and perhaps the reversed headstock. It's worth a shot
At any rate, I think these are some of the finest Superstrats ever made. I've been playing for about 13 years now, and my first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul. I've been hooked to Gibson's creamy sound and sustain ever since. But when I got more advanced as a player, and started digging into Satriani/Vai territory. This was around 1997... I had seen the Gibson M3 in a magazine earlier, and knew that this was the guitar I wanted to get. I just couldn't find one anywhere, neither new nor secondhand. So I got an Ibanez RG570CT instead.
Fast-forward about 10 years, and the neck pickup on my RG570CT dies. I figured I had the money, so I might look at a backup guitar. I remembered the Gibson M3, and started searching Ebay.
I found one, but sadly I didn't get it on the first auction. Not much later a second one surfaced. I seemed to be the only bidder, so I won it without any trouble.
The guitar was playable, but not in too great shape. After setting it up, I knew that this guitar was everything I hoped for, and more. It's the only guitar I've ever played that is nicer/faster to play than my Ibanez. And the sound is very different aswell. The sustain is immense, especially considering the weight.
So I decided to invest some money into having the guitar refretted, and replacing the missing/broken parts. It's not a great looker, but it plays and sounds pretty much like new now, and I love it.
Over the years I've collected some pictures, promotional material and such. I am thinking of putting it online somewhere for easy reference. It's by no means complete, but it will at least give a rough idea of what various models look like.
