I happened to see this guitar on Amazon and could not believe the price. It looked just like an old Gibson Les Paul Junior TV Model I used to own back in the late 60's (wish I still had it) I had my doubts that the Epiphone would be any good since the price was so low but I know Amazon has a pretty good return policy so I thought what the heck I'll order it and send it back if I don't like it. I was pleasantly suprised. As one commenter mentioned the guitar is more yellow than it appears in the picture on Amazon and the finish is a little uneven but it's a great looking guitar and really captures the flavor of the original. At first it played a little stiff but I decided to replace the strings with some Earnie Ball 10's and that made a huge difference.
I had read that the guitar doesn't stay in tune and I thought I would need to replace the tuning keys but I think the problem is with the nut. The strings get hung up there. I put some graphite lubricant on the nut and that helped but I will probably have the guitar guy I use fix or replace the nut. I think it stays in tune about as good as my 70's Gibson Les Paul.
I also thought I would replace the pickup with a Seymour Duncan but the Epiphone pickup isn't bad at all and I will probably leave it for now. The only real change I have made is to add straplocks. A lot of reviewers have said this is a good starter guitar and they are right, but I have been playing for 40 years and own many much more expensive guitars - still I can see where this guitar will get a lot of use and will be a nice addition to my collection. One of the things I like is that the guitar is very light and is great for just sitting around practicing. The neck is great and the string height was perfect for me (very low) right out of the box. I didn't bother to buy a case but it fits perfectly in my Gibson Les Paul case. The only limitation is that there is only one pick up so the guitar is not real versatile but for just rockin out it's great.
Right after I bought mine Amazon raised the price but I still think it's a good deal. If you are interested in this guitar I would not hesitate to buy it - just replace the strings. My first Epiphone and I am very impressed.
I had no idea how good this guitar would be because I couldn't find a review anywhere, but I ordered it anyway because it was only $99 and at the worst i could use it as a mod guitar. I'd played a normal Epi junior before but never the limited edition, which are more expensive and much more rare. I think the main difference is color, but also the pickup sounds a little better and this guitar was much more comfortable than the normal one I played, which was from a few years ago and pretty worn. When the guitar showed up I took it out and it was a ton more yellow than the picture shows. It's actually bright yellow, not the natural/sort of yellow in the picture. I plugged it in and it sounded pretty good but kept slipping out of tune. After I stretched the strings it stayed in tune better but it still slips out more than it should. I'm planning on putting on locking tuners. The pickup is much better than it should be for that price. It's not great, but it sounds amazing for the price. It was set up well out of the box, good action and no warping in the neck. All in all, for the price this thing is amazing. Get it before it goes back up to $250 or whatever it was before.
Got this for a great price during a recent lightning deal. I read some chatter about the finish not looking like the stock pictures. I don't doubt this, but mine is very close, and I can see a reasonable amount of wood grain showing underneath. I've looked closely for any sort of finish flaws typical of overseas-built guitars, but I can't find anything remarkable. If I'm being picky, I would say the rosewood fretboard has a lightness to it that I wasn't expecting - but that is just natural variations in the wood and after all, it is a budget guitar.
Before it arrived, I had all sorts of ideas about upgrades I would do to the guitar: change out the pots/caps/switch jack with higher quality materials, put new tuners on, new pickup, better quality pickguard, etc. Now having the guitar in-hand, I wonder if any of the above are even necesssary. The pots are responsive and not scratchy, the tuners have very little give in them and hold tightly, all the hardware seems of reasonably high quality. All-in-all, I'm happy as-is. If I did see one necessary upgrade, it would be the bridge. The bridge is actually great for what it is - it's a compensated wrap-around style; however, it's not full adjustable. In other words, I can't make fine adjustments to the intonation. There are some sites on the web that sell fully-adjustable wraparound bridges for around $30-$40. Switch them out, and you're done. If you had a little more money, maybe think about replacing the plastic nut with bone - would be nice, but not necessary. If you're the really adventurous type, consider swapping the pickup out with something like a Seymour Duncan Phat Cat (humbucker sized P90) - that's my plan anyway!
If you're on the fence about this guitar, don't think twice. I think even at the regular price of ~$150, this is a solid buy. Certainly a great starter instrument for a serious youth, and a fun guitar for more experienced players who just want something to knock around with on the back porch.
