batwing Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Hi LongMan That's a nice looking guitar, (except for the askew frequensator!)the sunburst looks better than in the Epiphone promo shots. Bad news about the number of issues it has. Apart from the intonation being off I'd regard all the other faults reason to return it, ask for a thorough QC of the next one before its sent. I was really interested in getting one of these but the being in Australia the only way will be buying from oversea's and unfortunately with Epiphones QC(?) that won't be happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiekiduk Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 wonder why the sunburst looks so different from the promo pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ant7629 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 First impressions: + Nice and tasteful vintage sunburst, very similar to the Elitist Casino VSB. + No black painted F-holes! That finally was the reason to pull the trigger on this one. If the shipped guitars had black painted F-holes like the first Epiphone images did show, I would not have bought it, period. + Nice neck shape, very much like the Gibson 60s slim taper on their ES-335, different from other ES type Epiphones (Riviera Limited Edition, Dot, Standard Sheraton II). + Very light weight, much lighter than my Riviera Ltd, lighter than my korean built Sheraton II, even a tad lighter than my Elite ES-335. + Very detailed remake of the 62 Sheraton. + Good overall build quality of the wooden parts. + Decent sound, the Gibson mini humbuckers are way better than the standard full size humbuckers on other chinese Epiphones. Very open and mud-free sound. Unfortunately my guitar has some flaws: - Action is way too high, almost 1mm over the first fret, almost 3mm over the 12th fret. - The string holders on the Frequensator tailpiece are mounted somewhat aslant, see picture. - Partially the innermost ply of white binding on the top is still covered by the black paint. - Intonation is a bit off. - The spring in the TOM bridge that holds down the saddles was already off on one side. - The neck has a bit too much bow. - The bridge pickup volume control doesn't work at all, you get always full volume (well, at least better than having the pickup not working). - Both pickups have astonishing low output, and are somewhat prone to noise. Maybe caused by wrong soldered harness. For a guitar in the €700 euro price range this are a bit too much mistakes for my taste. However I will not return it, as I don't expect another guitar of that series to be much better. The playability issues can be solved with a proper setup (which I would have done anyway), and I can fix the harness myself. At least there are no issues with peeling off gold or cracking finish, and the hardware like pickups, bridge and tuning machines is mounted straight. That guitar looks amazing in sunburst, congrats! Sorry that you have had some issues with yours. I'd say it needs a full set up and maybe fret dress like mine did. It plays fantastically now. With regards to your Frequensator, have you tried adjusting the nuts that hold each piece on? Sometimes they haven't been assembled properly and it could be an easy fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIB3z Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 So, I am sending my Sheraton back to the shop. I ordered the guitar in Italy with delivery to Poland but the shop pays for the return service and then they will ship me another unit. But... this not very funny how this "GAS and I want it now" thread is slowly turning into "what's wrong with my unit" thread. To "LongMan". I also think that you should return your faulty guitar because that's the basic way to tell the producer that something is wrong with them. Otherwise they will keep delivering rubbish to the market and counting on customers to fix it and do the part of THEIR job. Another thing. On the guitar that I got they did not filled "No.... of 1962" sticker so at least I could write "No 1 of 1962" myself and probably get greater resell value in the future. Or maybe not... if they forgotten to fill it also on other units there will be to many "1 of 1962" guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AldoMcD1 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Another thing. On the guitar that I got they did not filled "No.... of 1962" sticker so at least I could write "No 1 of 1962" myself and probably get greater resell value in the future. Or maybe not... if they forgotten to fill it also on other units there will be to many "1 of 1962" guitars. Mine also has no number (neither did the other two I played). The COA supplied with the guitar only lists the serial number - I would have expected the COA to also include the number (e.g. 25 of 1962). I'm going to drop an email to customer services with the serial number along with details where it was purchased to see if they can tell me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIB3z Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Mine also has no number (neither did the other two I played). The COA supplied with the guitar only lists the serial number - I would have expected the COA to also include the number (e.g. 25 of 1962). I'm going to drop an email to customer services with the serial number along with details where it was purchased to see if they can tell me. Oh, what if they tell you now, yours is 2142 out of 1962 ? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongMan Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 That's a nice looking guitar, (except for the askew frequensator!)the sunburst looks better than in the Epiphone promo shots. Indeed, saw pictures of the real thing on the Sweetwater web site. That convinced me to order one. From the promo shots I wouldn't have bought one. Btw.: In an earlier post I quoted a picture of the red one, missing a nut on the Frequensator tailpiece. A miracle happened, the missing nut silently appeared Did anybody say Photoshop? Bad news about the number of issues it has. Apart from the intonation being off I'd regard all the other faults reason to return it, ask for a thorough QC of the next one before its sent. That will not happen, best I could get is another box that nobody opened before shipping it to the customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongMan Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 That guitar looks amazing in sunburst, congrats! Thanks! Sorry that you have had some issues with yours. I'd say it needs a full set up and maybe fret dress like mine did. It plays fantastically now. It will get a full pro setup including fret dress. I planned that anyway, so I don't care too much about the action out of the case. It's just annoying for people who expect a playable instrument out of the box (and you could well expect that for this price tag). With regards to your Frequensator, have you tried adjusting the nuts that hold each piece on? Sometimes they haven't been assembled properly and it could be an easy fix. Already fixed that one. Was just giving 2 nuts a few turns to get it straight. But still: Why didn't they do it at the factory? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ant7629 Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 Thanks! It will get a full pro setup including fret dress. I planned that anyway, so I don't care too much about the action out of the case. It's just annoying for people who expect a playable instrument out of the box (and you could well expect that for this price tag). Already fixed that one. Was just giving 2 nuts a few turns to get it straight. But still: Why didn't they do it at the factory? Agreed. It's a sad state of affairs that they can't manage to dress the frets properly and perform a small setup before it leaves the factory. It's the same with almost every guitar I've bought new. My 335 needed a fret dress and setup...... 2 grand guitar and they cant manage that!! Hope you get it to your liking. I can't stop,playing mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongMan Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 To "LongMan". I also think that you should return your faulty guitar because that's the basic way to tell the producer that something is wrong with them. Otherwise they will keep delivering rubbish to the market and counting on customers to fix it and do the part of THEIR job. I fully agree with your argument. But here are a few thoughts why I will not return this particular guitar: - The VSB is already sold out today, so most likely I will get no replacement, just get back my money. But I like the guitar apart from that issues, so I will rather fix it myself than return it. - The dealer is 450km away, so no chance for me to bring it to the shop and ask for a proper setup. Btw. this is the only dealer in Germany that actually sold this guitar. - The base of the guitar is OK, the issues can be fixed resulting in a great instrument. - Even if the dealer had still VSB Sheratons on stock I would not return it. There's a certain risk that another guitar is even worse, with issues that cannot be fixed easily (cracks in the finish etc.). I've been thru this story already, I never got a chinese Epiphone that had no issues. And there were worse ones than this Sheraton. I know that this sounds a bit cynical, but that is my experience - I currently have 8 Epiphones, and sold 2 other ones. Another thing. On the guitar that I got they did not filled "No.... of 1962" sticker so at least I could write "No 1 of 1962" myself and probably get greater resell value in the future. Or maybe not... if they forgotten to fill it also on other units there will be to many "1 of 1962" guitars. Mine is missing that running number as well. Just fill in your favorite number Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIB3z Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Mine is missing that running number as well. Just fill in your favorite number So what is it? Germany, GB, Italy, the whole Europe received these guitars without running numbers? This is bad news for collectors. Does it mean that we have in Europe pre-production trial run that do not count into total amount of 1962 pieces? Or does it go like -3/1962, -2/1962, -1/1962 in Europe and then 1/1962, 2/1962, 3/1962 the rest of world? It looks like in US they got this numbering right: OK, I will write 1/1962 on mine, who wants to be 2/1962, 3/1962 etc.? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiekiduk Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 the ones without the numbers were probably sent from china to Europe and were never set up in the usa in nashville. They probably don't even count to the 1,962. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AldoMcD1 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I emailed Epiphone Customer Service and received a response indicating that my guitar is number 195 of the total production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledge57 Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Sorry to hear about all the problems, I hope you guys get them all sorted. I've got to say, with all the issues you guys are having I'm kinda glad I cancelled mine and bought the Peerless instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I've got to say, with all the issues you guys are having I'm kinda glad I cancelled mine and bought the Peerless instead. You've probably made a solid choice going with Peerless. Consistently high build quality will only be attainable if the QC standards set by the company reflect that goal. Gibson's USA factories can be very hit & miss in the QC department, so it stands to reason that the expectations in their wholly owned Chinese factories would not be any higher. I'm sure some excellent '62 Sheratons will hit the market, but there will also be a fair number of clunkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Loco Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I received my natural one today. Thx god I'm not a beginner! I would've send it back immediatly - i've never seen such a BAD setup on any guitar, even $100 ones ! Totally unpolished scratchy frets, worst strings I've ever touched, sky high action, baaaaad intonation, unbalanced frequensator ... awfull. Luckily, it's only a setup matter - once the frets are polished, new strings intalled and action and intonation set the way it has to be, the guitar plays great and sounds like I was expecting it to sound: full (even unplugged), with that minihum bite nothing can replace. Stunning beauty too (but not perfect - binding could be better and the back wood is better looking than the front ... if you look VERY close though). So in the end, I'm really happy but this stock setup is a shame - my made in Indonesia Crestwood was fine out of the box, with ok strings (not great but ok), good action, polished frets and absolutely no blems! So, out of the box it's China/USA 0 - Indonesia 1. But I say it again: great guitar in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongMan Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I received my natural one today. Thx god I'm not a beginner! I would've send it back immediatly - i've never seen such a BAD setup on any guitar, even $100 ones ! Totally unpolished scratchy frets, worst strings I've ever touched, sky high action, baaaaad intonation, unbalanced frequensator ... awfull. Sorry to hear... on the other hand I'm glad I'm not the only one Seems the entire run has QC issues in one or the other way. After playing for some days I decided to replace both bridge and nut. The bridge is squeaking and rattling, no matter how you adjust it. So I'll put in a Gibson Nashville bridge (this one is a lot cheaper here compared to the Tone Pros Nashville style bridge). For the nut I will take a GraphTech TUSQ, have good experience with these on other guitars. Originally I was looking for an Elitist Sheraton in excellent condition. However I had to import it from overseas, no offers around here. That would have cost me app. €1500-1800,- including tax and customs. After setting it up professionally and replacing bridge and nut the 62 reissue Sheraton will be well under €850,-. Still a good deal for that guitar I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Loco Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Sorry to hear... on the other hand I'm glad I'm not the only one Seems the entire run has QC issues in one or the other way. After playing for some days I decided to replace both bridge and nut. The bridge is squeaking and rattling, no matter how you adjust it. So I'll put in a Gibson Nashville bridge (this one is a lot cheaper here compared to the Tone Pros Nashville style bridge). For the nut I will take a GraphTech TUSQ, have good experience with these on other guitars. Originally I was looking for an Elitist Sheraton in excellent condition. However I had to import it from overseas, no offers around here. That would have cost me app. €1500-1800,- including tax and customs. After setting it up professionally and replacing bridge and nut the 62 reissue Sheraton will be well under €850,-. Still a good deal for that guitar I guess. No need to be sorry - as I said, it was only setup issues and now it plays and sound wonderfully. Mine's bridge is fine - i have a Riviera (limited edition) with a rattling bridge though, had to put a Tonepro bridge on it. Nut is fine too. Overall, a trully great guitar if you carry out a complete setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ant7629 Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 Agreed. After a good set up, I can't put mine down. A very well made guitar, well finished and those pick ups are just great. I just feel sorry for the guys who are having issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Loco Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Agreed. After a good set up, I can't put mine down. A very well made guitar, well finished and those pick ups are just great. I just feel sorry for the guys who are having issues. The unplugged tone is already wonderfull - I've had (and still have) many semi hollow guitars and i can't think of a better sounding one. Now add the Gibson miniH to the equation ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Loco Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Here's my blonde Sheraton: With some friends (Riviera limited Edition and 1962 Crestwood): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 Doc, in that second photo, the body of the Riviera looks considerably longer than that of the Sheraton. It doesn't seem to be an optical illusion, and this has me quite surprised and a bit puzzled. If there is really that much difference in body size, it would seem that one or the other is likely way off the original specs (the two ought to have the same sized body), and I wonder which one it is? I've seen quite a few body variations over the years on post-1970 Asian Epi semis, which usually show up in the shape of the horns/cutaways, or the contour of the waist, but I've never seen a photo like this showing two guitars with bodies that differ so much (apparently) in length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Loco Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Doc, in that second photo, the body of the Riviera looks considerably longer than that of the Sheraton. It doesn't seem to be an optical illusion, and this has me quite surprised and a bit puzzled. If there is really that much difference in body size, it would seem that one or the other is likely way off the original specs (the two ought to have the same sized body), and I wonder which one it is? I've seen quite a few body variations over the years on post-1970 Asian Epi semis, which usually show up in the shape of the horns/cutaways, or the contour of the waist, but I've never seen a photo like this showing two guitars with bodies that differ so much (apparently) in length. Still it is only optical - the Riviera is standing in front of the Sheraton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Thanks. I really couldn't tell for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Semi Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I'm waiting for mine! I've taken the plunge and ordered the Cherry with no trem. I'm hedging my bets that it will be of fine quality as the other Epi's I have - a LP Custom (Chinese made) and a Valensi Riviera (Korean) are fantastic quality. I see that Sweetwater already has them in stock but have ordered mine from a local shop on special order. This is a serious GAS machine and could not help myself. Even my wife is OK with it so why not?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.