LongMan Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Did it again, could not resist on this one: ES-355 Joe Bonamassa Standard Outfit. What a great instrument! Epiphone did nail it with this one, I tip my hat to the product designer who did the specs for this guitar. This guitar feels just right from bottom to top: • Craftsmanship, fretwork and finish are flawless. • Setup was spot-on right out of the case, I guess the dealership did a good job on inspection. • Every detail gives the impression of quality: From the 18:1 ratio Grover tuning machines that work smoothly like a hot knife in butter, over the NuBone nut, down to the Switchcraft pickup selector and the Bigsby B70 with Vibramate string spoiler (very appreciated!). Just look at details like the pickguard mount or the imperial bridge. • The ProBucker-2+3 pickups sound great, backed up by the Mallory 150 condensers on the tone pots. • The neck is described as 60s slim taper D profile. Well, not that much compared with other Gibsons and Epiphones that are specified as 60s slim taper. The neck of the Bonamassa ES-355 is a lot beefier than a Gibson Custom Shop ES-345, even more than the beefed up 60/30 profile of my ES-359. It feels more rounded in the middle section, not as fat as my 1955 inspired Les Paul Custom, but significantly thicker than any slim taper I saw on other guitars. Said the other way around: I like beefy necks, and I certainly love the neck of this Bonamassa ES-355! To be honest, this is the first chinese Epiphone where I'm not tempted to change any parts. Everything is just as it should be. Is it expensive? Well, it is not cheap obviously, but worth every single penny from my point of view. And no, it is not a rebadged Epiphone ES-355 that was released a couple of years ago. There are some significant differences: This one has 3-ply top and back, while the old one was 5-ply. This one has a mahogany neck, while the old one was maple. This one has an ebony fretboard, while the old one was rosewood. The ProBucker pickups are a big step up from my point of view. From my impression this guitar is able to close the gap between Epiphone standard models and the Gibson U.S.A bottom line. To end a long story short: I love this guitar, and I strongly recommend to get your hands on one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultra pearl Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Great looking guitar. I have a 339 pro, I love it. But I really like the Johnny A signature custom. All the signature Epi's are really great guitars for the $$. I tried a Gibson 339 at my local music store, it doesn't come close to my Epi 339. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 This Gibson ES copy can be interesting with a stopbar . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongMan Posted February 17, 2019 Author Share Posted February 17, 2019 This Gibson ES copy can be interesting with a stopbar . Na, it just stays true to the original: Btw. that one, compared to the Epiphone price tag, adds $4000 to the bill for a famous headstock, a can of nitro finish and a "Richlite" fingerboard (instead genuine ebony). Really? I don't know lad... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 This is not a poor chinese copy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt4356 Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 Na, it just stays true to the original: Btw. that one, compared to the Epiphone price tag, adds $4000 to the bill for a famous headstock, a can of nitro finish and a "Richlite" fingerboard (instead genuine ebony). Really? I don't know lad... Ignore the resident troll, he comes and goes talking the same rubbish, with no insight or response. Congratulations on the guitar, nice to hear a good review, I hadn't heard anything about them since the announcement. I have the Joe B firebird 1, it's a phenomenal guitar for the money, not into the blokes music at all but the details and specs he appears to want attached to his sig guitars deserves credit. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Awesome guitar, Real Gibson ES-355 Ebony ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Ignore the resident troll, he comes and goes talking the same rubbish, with no insight or response. He's sure shown his true jerk colors on this one. What an a-hole! BTW, that Epi looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Awesome guitar, Real Gibson ES-355 Ebony ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolution Six Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 This Gibson ES copy can be interesting with a stopbar . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Did it again, could not resist on this one: ES-355 Joe Bonamassa Standard Outfit. What a great instrument! Epiphone did nail it with this one, I tip my hat to the product designer who did the specs for this guitar. This guitar feels just right from bottom to top: • Craftsmanship, fretwork and finish are flawless. • Setup was spot-on right out of the case, I guess the dealership did a good job on inspection. • Every detail gives the impression of quality: From the 18:1 ratio Grover tuning machines that work smoothly like a hot knife in butter, over the NuBone nut, down to the Switchcraft pickup selector and the Bigsby B70 with Vibramate string spoiler (very appreciated!). Just look at details like the pickguard mount or the imperial bridge. • The ProBucker-2+3 pickups sound great, backed up by the Mallory 150 condensers on the tone pots. • The neck is described as 60s slim taper D profile. Well, not that much compared with other Gibsons and Epiphones that are specified as 60s slim taper. The neck of the Bonamassa ES-355 is a lot beefier than a Gibson Custom Shop ES-345, even more than the beefed up 60/30 profile of my ES-359. It feels more rounded in the middle section, not as fat as my 1955 inspired Les Paul Custom, but significantly thicker than any slim taper I saw on other guitars. Said the other way around: I like beefy necks, and I certainly love the neck of this Bonamassa ES-355! To be honest, this is the first chinese Epiphone where I'm not tempted to change any parts. Everything is just as it should be. Is it expensive? Well, it is not cheap obviously, but worth every single penny from my point of view. And no, it is not a rebadged Epiphone ES-355 that was released a couple of years ago. There are some significant differences: This one has 3-ply top and back, while the old one was 5-ply. This one has a mahogany neck, while the old one was maple. This one has an ebony fretboard, while the old one was rosewood. The ProBucker pickups are a big step up from my point of view. From my impression this guitar is able to close the gap between Epiphone standard models and the Gibson U.S.A bottom line. To end a long story short: I love this guitar, and I strongly recommend to get your hands on one! Really elegant looking 355 variant... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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