Don't Buy An Epiphone Les Paul Special I Until You Watch This Video | Review, Unboxing and the Truth
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- čas přidán 10. 11. 2020
- If you are looking at buying an Epiphone Les Paul Special I, then you need to know what you are getting yourself into.
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Thanks for all the love on the video. @StephenJonesTV pointed out I kept saying LP Special II... I should have been saying LP Special I... Sorry for any confusion. I had the II on my brain and it just came out HA!
I always enjoy your videos bud!Keep em coming 😀
Thanks man! Next one is scheduled for Sunday!
Love? 84 likes? 24 dislikes LOL
@@bsideguitar what would you suggest for a starter pack for a 8 year old?
I mean, I have a special 2 slash outfit, and it rocks, it's a very good guitar for the money, except from the electronics. That part sucks bad...
Dude, you can fix that loose tuning key with one turn of a screwdriver, it happens on really expensive guitars too. Calling it "unacceptable" is a bit of a reach
I mean he needs some spicy opinion, otherways his crappy ut channel will die
That's what I thought. It's not the end of the world if your tuning key is loose
@@wilburke189 oh i did it today, i didn't even know how to do it but i saw a screw on it and tighten it and i fix it wiouth the knowledge how to do is, so its REALLY easy
True, but depends who you buy from. That’s his point. Get it from someone who will give it a look over and tighten that screw.
Not a reach at all... in who's mind would that shit pass QC?
Being a dedicated Epiphone player and owner for many years, I have to chime in here... you're expecting perfection for $180, and to be very straightforward, you're not going to find it at that price point. You made such a huge deal out of a loose tuning key...things like that will happen, man; just get a screwdriver out, tighten it up, and move on... that's not a deal-breaker. And to be equally straightforward, yes, Epiphone is a major guitar manufacturer, but so are Gibson and Fender, and even they have QA issues, even at their most expensive price points. No matter who the manufacturer is, no matter if they're handmade, or made on an assembly line, every manufacturer puts out a few turds here and there; it's just how it is.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I have been surprised at the responses I have received on this video but just two points to think about. First, the only reason guitars come out a certain way is because we as the consumer allow it to happen. Now I understand there will always be some fault tolerance and guitars with issues, but almost every Epiphone under $200 I am trying has some issue with it. That only happens because we turn a blind eye to it and allow Epiphone to keep producing guitars without tight QC, and we buy them.
As far as the idea that every brand will have "turds", that is for sure true, but my bigger concern is the number of turds I am getting from Epi vs any other brand in that same price point. Keeping in mind I am talking about their guitars under $200, as the guitars in the $379+ range I have played are fantastic!
Good conversation and thanks again for chiming in.
to be fair, you can absolutely buy a better les paul style Harley Benton for less than $180. set neck, 2 tone and 2 volume pots, etc. I have an epiphone LP special II that i bought like 20 years ago for around $220, I used to have a g-400 that I spent like $300 on. I bought a harley benton explorer copy for around $150 shipped and sold the g-400 because the explorer copy plays ever bit as well for half the cost.
I've seen 3 of these guitars, all 3 of them had defects, and it's not always as simple as fixing a tuning knob... My buddy bought one where the headstock is basically falling off...
To be straightforward with YOU, the price point is irrelevant, if there are defects in the product; the product is a scam... I expect any product that I purchase to function as advertised regardless of the price point... I don't care how much it costs, if I purchase a pack of gum, open the pack to find out that half of the pack is ruined or missing, and my buddy unironically tells me "You should have bought their deluxe brand..." I am punching that buddy in the face...
If you can't ship a non-defective product at the price point then don't ship anything at that price point at all... From what I can tell; these guitars belong in the toy aisle at Walmart not at Guitar Center...
You can find these for $120 all day long. Most ppl can figure out how to tighten up a tuning key. I have one and it sounds and plays great
He said it in the beginning bro. Out of the box value. As I’m not having to do any handy work. As in a beginner not feeling like he wasted 200$. If it isn’t handled before leaving epiphany factory. Then ok. Big deal. They do it on several thousand dollar guitars too. But from a dealer? Seems to me I’m smart for physically checking out a guitar before I buy it. How the guitar is set up hanging on a wall says everything about the dealer.
@@daveyrock6521 Nah, if a beginner can't tighten 1 fucking screw... There is 3 screws just to get to the trust rod which will most likely need to be adjested within a week or so if you live in a different state that has different climate then the seller. They just need to learn early on guitars do require periodic maintenance.
@@brianworden7022 as someone who is about to begin playing, Im expecting to have to learn to fix shit. It’s how the world works. If your not willing to put in the work to keep it nice condition than you shouldn’t have it
@@oofproductions27 fax
I have this exact guitar and this guitar is amazing for its price, I definitely recommend for beginners. My guitar came perfect, his guitar was most likely roughly shipped, or assembled carelessly. Still respect your opinion ✊
I got one of those LP special I P-90 last year. I hated it for the longest time. Then I bought some setup tools and learned to set it up (many nights Of trial and error). I also put in a TUSQ nut in. It plays pretty well, I really like it as a guitar that I can use for open tunings. Great for the price point! I paid $129.
the box protects the headstock and tuners which would suck if it gets damaged ... the allen wrench is vital if you need to adjust the neck.... u dont come off sounding smart complaining about the box that protects the guitar !
I put another $100 in mine. Tuners, nut ,strings , intonatable wrap bridge , and pio cap. It’s a beast. With great tone differences.
I got one of these used for $50 and it is an excellent guitar...not for the money, in and of itself an excellent guitar. Sounds great, lots of warmth, lots of bite. It's light, it feels great in my hands and responds well to dynamics as I'm playing. Good for jazz, good for Rock, good for Blues, good for Country, even sounds good playing Classical (Satie translates well to Electric guitar). The only thing I miss are dedicated volume and tone for each pickup but that matters less with P90s IMO. While I might agree with watching out for products from Big Box stores (as this reviewer advises) you can get a good one. And a good one will be very good indeed!
That’s the cheaper special what do u expect for 150 bucks lol
There's a lot of guitar in the same price
Or a little more and a lot better
I heard the squier bullet mustang is a really good guitar for it’s price. It’s $170.
Its not about the value for the money, it’s about the value in general. How good the guitar is regardless of the price. I wouldn’t pay 180 for a guitar I didn’t enjoy. If it’s as simple as a good setup then fine but honestly, I’ve played a 100$ first act 222 that was better than an sg tribute. Gibson worth the extra 800$? I don’t think so.
Idk why grown men are even playing guitars that come in a kids guitar bundle I have two epiphones in the 400 dollar range and I love them. Tbh I would never buy one again after playing guitars built in South Korea way better quality craftsmanship playability overall
@@daveyrock6521 Really?
I have a 97 Made in Korea Epi LP Standard in cherry burst. I'm happy with it.
The tuning key can be tighten. Just use a screwdriver. You flame epiphone for a MINOR mistake and call it unacceptable. I’ve had the red one for a year now and I’ve never had a problem with mine. You act as if you know so much but you can only play simple riffs and songs. Maybe you should practice more instead of judging something so harshly.
Jeez, grab a screwdriver and tighten up the tuner.
Not the point. A kid new to guitar probably knows fuck all about tightening a tuner. Should be qc’d.
@@fancykarlmarx that kid most certainly has a parent that can do this.
The tiny screw vibrated in shipping. Kids gotta grow up and tighten a screw at some point in their life. It’s kinda intuitive!!!!
@@Alex_3311DesignCo if you’re new you’re not gonna know what needs to be done to your guitar. I know beginners wouldn’t know about tightening the tuner pegs unless they’ve done a ton of research.
You guys saying a kid or a noob won't know what to do must be dense. Its a screw, you turn it, thats it. I could work a screw driver when I was 5 years old. I was fixing flats on my bike at 6 years old. How lame can kids or parents be not to tighten a screw?
As far as noobs go, I am new to guitars. I bought one and it buzzed on the top 3 frets. I googled and watched CZcams and learned to set up. Plays awesome now. Noobs can learn fast these days.
Good video! I plan on getting a LP special vintage black on sweet water and have them adjust the action and drop in a Seymour Duncan SH8 invader humbucker on the bridge, along with Ernie ball slinky cobalt 10-52 strings and definitely upgrade the machine head tuners 😜🤘🏼👊🏽
incredibly biased review
I have the Epiphone special worn gray I actually love the guitar I had no issues from out of the box it’s very comfortable I also have two squires and I love those guitars and I do appreciate this channel I have a question what is the better amplifier fender or a Marshall
Nice review BTG, but buying online is sometimes better than the store. I wanted the Epi Trad III gold top. Went to GC, they had one on the floor selling as brand new. Man, it played like mess. I asked did they have one in the box because I wanted it. They said, "no". I asked if they could setup the one on the floor because it was terrible. They said, it'll be around 50 bucks. So I went online, price matched it and ordered. Out the box, that thing was sweet a/f. 4 years later, it's still sounding good.
I once had a Harley Benton SC 450 which comes out of the box with 5 loose tuners. The bores in the headstocks were too big for the screws. The bridge bolts were not tight fastened in the wood too. The fingerboard was extreme dry an dirty and the frets were rough and matte. After 2 hours of work it was a quite good guitar for the low price of around 150 Euros i did pay.
Now i have an Epi Standard pro which is far better than the HB.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul vintage edition and I love it
It had a loose key issue, but the sound more than makes up for it! Plus, it had important accessories.
I was impressed with mine, though the color was not close to the bright worn TV yellow in MF website. The pickups are killer... I paid for a setup and some frets were worked on. Best tone is 90's rock songs with high distortion IMO
I have a similar player guitar. I agree don't order one blind if you can't fix or set it up. thanks man. love cheap gear vids.
The whole point of this particular Epiphone Les Paul Special I is that is has P90s, which no Squier in that price range has. Your recommendation doesn't really apply to anyone who's buying that guitar so they can have something with P90s.
Also a loose tuning key is really not a big deal. As other people have said, their super fancy high-end guitars have arrived from the factory with loose tuning keys. If you don't have a screwdriver or a socket wrench set, you're doing a lot of things wrong as a human being with basic life skills. Yeah, it should have been caught by QC, but it's not some inexcusable massive screw up like bad solder joints (which are easy enough to fix anyways) or cracked wood or a warped neck or something else would be.
Also I picked one of these up for $100 on the used market and I really really like this guitar. It sounds fantastic.
While I understand your point, I would argue the whole point of this guitar is for Epiphone to sell a bunch of inexpensive guitars to beginners. Coming from that angle is my frustration with it.
When most beginners walk into a guitar store they don't know what pickups they want or what type of guitar they are going to walk out with. With what I have seen from the epi stuff under $200 I would never recommend it to a beginner. If you have some guitar skills and can tweak a guitar, sure you can make it work, and yeah there will be good ones, but as a whole, I have not been impressed.
@@bsideguitar yes, but those tuners are attached to the guitar with a few small phillips screws. You don't need to be a guitar tech or expert at anything to get a common household tool and tighten a screw.
If a nut isn't filed properly, I get it. If the bridge is all messed up, holes aren't drilled right, solder joints are bad, etc, I get it. Maybe I come from a time and place and era where literally everyone has a few different sized screwdrivers laying around the house and some people are so helpless and dependent that they can't even tighten a screw on their own...I just don't see a loose tuner as a massive dealbreaker for a newbie.
Just got a vintage edition a couple weeks ago first guitar, looking into those mustangs would you recommend it , since the mustang has a tremolo bridge i believe?
Great video. They should've said don't throw away the LITTLE box!
Ha! Maybe that was the super important and valuable part! How could I have missed that 😂
I bought a 2016 LP VSpecial from Epiphone and I have no issues with it. Love it!
Well... I think you should acknowledge that it sounds better than a Fender Bullet, kinda of. Other than that, you made some good points.
I have had an epiphone LP special ii for 5 years and only very recently upgraded to a Gibson SG 61 reissue. My epiphone definitely had problems typical of cheaper guitars like strange tuning stability and sometimes finicky electronics but it was a work horse for the 5 years I mained it. It was a 2016 which was a pretty good year but I tried both the 2018 and 2019 versions in stores out of curiorsty and they felt and sounded MUCH cheaper and VERY low quality compared to mine. They got rid of the nice gloss finish they used to have and it’s a gross sandpaper matte finish, the newer ones always had fretting issues and the necks felt cheap and composite. I feel like they’ve committed to turning it around with the 2020-2021 series though.
That’s it I’m sold I’m gonna buy one rn and see how it goes
im primarily an acoustic player. i got one for the rare occasion that i want to have a few beers and shred along with some punk. mine was great out of the box. good action. decent tuners. low action. no buzz. super hot pickups. no complaints. ive had 600 dollar electrics in the past that played worse. but i guess quality control isnt that great. i must have got lucky.
Les Paul on the wall : Loved mine but after hours of setup new 10s . Pickups were counseling out on high gain amps ! sent it back ZZounds were great for refund ...
I love my faded gray LP special I with humbuckers. The cherry and yellow I believe are a little more money. Great out of the box. Came with strap, cable, turner, 10w amp, strings on. I bought it at Guitar Center outside of Charlotte NC USA. They matched Musicians Friend price online. Go to the nearest store and try one first!
you left the stickers on the p-90s and is still sounded okay
I just bought one. I love it for what i do. I do electronic music ( so i will just mimic my keyboard lead). The tuning keys are a little stiff and loose depending on the turn. My keys don't shake like that though. I bought the 3 year warrenty and am only out 230. Quite a steal for me.
I got the new 2020 TV yellow single cut les Paul special inspired by Gibson and everything was perfect especially the tuners but the medium jumbo frets are all filed down way too far, can't shake vibrato like with my new squier starcaster hollow body.
The epiphone is going back for the bad fret work. The tuners on mine were awesome.
Edit, you got the cheesy one,I got the inspired by Gibson one.
I do agree with you on Don’t buy from big stores!
But even some small stores don’t check them, just got a Gretsch concert, long neck from a smaller store and when I got it the tuner would not turn on, had to order new batteries from Amazon, was a drag but what can ya do.
I could have sent it back, and I was on the phone with the store manager and the courier collection was booked the next day.
I decided to buy New batteries from Amazon and try that in the Uke, it worked.
You should not have to do that BS after spending $200 but S**t happens as the Americans say!
I was also very lucky it was in Stock here in England, Loadssssss of items out of stock and No music stores open anywhere ......Total lockdown here!
How long have you been working for Gibson and Fender, I have used these guitars for live gigs for years.....................
For me the worn look just doesn't do it. So I took a chance on a Special II still in an unopened box. It is a gloss black and the finish was perfect. The machine heads were installed properly. The sticker on the package you laughed about is really for a Player Pack which contains a canvas guitar cover with an electronic clip-on tuner, strap, pics, and cable. Also included is a simple 10 watt Amp so young folks can play in their bedroom immediately. My Player Pack cost $190. with tax. There were only two concerns I had. First the light color of the Rosewood finger board pops out from the black finish. Even after treating the finger board it did not darken much. Based on the picture on the box I was expecting a darker finger board. Of course there are various grades of Rosewood as I know from buying Chess pieces. Unlike your model the Special II has the Tube-o-matic Bridge and a StopTailpiece. I am puzzled why the intonation screws on the saddle face the humbuckers pickup versus the toward the Stop Tailpiece which makes it harder to adjust intonation with a screw driver? The humbucker pickups are much better quality than the single pickups on a Budget Squire Strat. Finally, the Epiphone Les Paul's shorter neck makes it slightly easier for new players to play notes and chords - less pressure on the strings is needed since the tension of the strings is less. This reduces stress on the neck also. So the sticker you made fun of is for a Player Pack not an individual guitar which does include extra goodies - saving $50 on buying those items from a guitar store.
It had a great sound just need a little setup
I just bought a new Gibson SG and it has the deluxe tuners on it, but they were all barely screwed down and about to fall out. And that was $1000+ guitar built in Nashville USA factory, and it came with a polaroid of it at the factory. It needed fret ends filed and a few other things done to be legit playable, and I really like it. If you don't wanna tinker on a guitar, pick another hobby, that's my two cents. Thanks for the review bro.
my firebird is worth 5grand and still needs adjustments/ babying from time to time
dont underestimate how shitted on an item can get in the mail lol
Ya, when you buy a néw car you always have to tighten the lugs nuts, ignore the ‘small’ issues. If not find another way of transportation.
@@44scoots You say this sarcastically but new cars need maintenance all the time, and then cars need yearly maintenance after that at the very least. So yes - if you don't intend on maintaining your car, I'd advise you find a different means of transportation. I can't think of one thing in the world that doesn't need maintenance, even your own body requires constant maintenance if you want to be fit and functional.
@@jsedge2473 that’s not what I’m talking about, jeez. I’m sarcastically talking about a new car, you shouldn’t have to do any maintenance on a new car when you first get it. The OP is talking about a new guitar and is insinuating that it’s ok that it will need work when you buy it, which is absolutely crazy, especially after spending $1000. So me by saying “find another way of transportation” I’m insinuating “buy another guitar brand”.
I got a red on backorder for $119. It seems like yellow ones get better reviews. Anything to that? That tone is pretty good. I been playing almost 30 years. Just want a nice neck and try p90s.
It's 🔥. Used it live twice already. May add Bigsby and better tuners.
At my shool there is 3 of these and after a month or so the 3 of them had issues where the port for the cable broke and the switches or nobs failed
I tried two of these at Guitar Center, both of which had necks that were not fully seated in the neck pocket before the screws were inserted (making them more like 25 inch scale guitars than 24.75). I then ordered one online and it actually turned out okay, but the tuners are just too cheap and the funky plastic “neck binding” stuff is odd. I really wanted to try P90s and it was good for that, but I’m ultimately going to get rid of it because “pride of ownership” doesn’t really apply here. Squiers are miles better for this price point - I have a Bullet Telecaster that’s great!
I have one. I think I paid $139 for it. It was in need of a set up when I got it. After setting it up and polishing the frets it plays and sounds great. I definitely plan on keeping it. I bought it because I wanted a guitar with P90s in it. Going in to it I know it probably would need some work. I agree with buying local and buying Squiers.
The only bad reality is that many music stores are not bringing this Epi Les Paul Special with P90s... Only option for me was to buy online...
That’s true.
Do the tighten up!
I just bot one, only thing wrong was my truss rod, it was not activated at all, horrible buzzing sound, but after adjusting it, it sounds great. No tuner issues at all
Fun fact he is a guitar expert but knows nothing about valuable accessories.
That's not an Allen key. Allen is a brand name, it's actually called a hex wrench.
Epiphone has definitely been hit or miss for quite some time. I have a Masterbilt acoustic that’s fantastic but outside of the old Elitist models I don’t expect much.
Having been a Trainer and Instrument tech for Musicians Friend & Guitar Center with Gibson certification, among others, I have handled 100s of guitars and I would not buy an Epiphone without seeing it first. That is, unless Your willing to drop the money to get a plek leveling done an have some extra cash for hardware upgrades.
I really want to like their products, and have purchased and returned 3 of their guitars over the past two years because of the inability to intonate, misalignment of the neck, and unlevel sprouting frets. Maybe things will change as Gibson’s new management takes over. I really hope so.
Thanks for an honest review. I've been burned so many times with online purchases, that I will no longer buy a guitar if I can't hold it in my hands first and look it over. I have to drive 300 miles round trip to get to the nearest dealer.
I think either that or develop a good relationship with a local dealer that will ship. I have a good drive to the nearest dealer but I have a great relationship with some that I trust will not send me bad guitars.
300 miles? Bwahaha.. I have to take an 11 hour flight if i want to buy the guitar i want without having to worry whether i'm buying a fake or not.
Where the hell do y'all live? I've lived all over and never been hours away from a music shop 😆
yea but where did you buy it from
And this is why you buy a Special II got rid of many issues that the Special I had
An epiphone with QA issues, plus the cost of mods of your choice (even if you choose the expensive route like boutique p90s, completely new frets, new wiring, vintage tuners, and a bigsby just for laughs) would still come out cheaper than a Gibson (even w/o QA issues). However, it's understandable that if you paid money for a product, the least they could do is have it ready to use without repairing anything yourself (tho shipping comes with its own set of problems). You still gave a shout out to squire and other epiphones so we can weigh all of our options. Thanks for your perspective!
Django Reinhardt, beatles, bob dylan, rolling stones etc
epiphone is a great choice for students or professionals needing a "scratch" guitar or a second/third instrument to experiment with alternative tunings on
i still recommend snagging one of these used
I can totally get behind calling these a scratch guitar. Remember the names you mentioned were all playing epiphone when they were USA made and “higher” end guitars. As I mentioned all the Epi stuff over $400 that I have played has been great.
I have a special 2. Its decent but has some high frets, some sharp edges. Sounds okay. It really needs a service
And maybe that’s the point. If you buy it be ready for a service 🤷
I have one but I have the 2 one I don’t have any problems with mine at all bro
I mean, you could just tighten a bit the key with a screwdriver...
Hi, have humbuckers ? thanks
These items are Mass produced and shipped all over the world, some folks are bound to get a few that are crappy!
Just had a Gretsch concert Ukulele, and a Tanglewood guitar I had to return.
What folks should do if their are any issues is SEND IT BACK .....surely people don’t need a PhD to figure that one out!
Don’t keep the item and bitch & moan about it.
Does enyone know how much this guitar weighs?
Sorry, but the parent company, Gibson, had lots of QC issues, in the fairly recent past, on guitars that cost 10x what that Epiphone costs. A loose machine head really isn't a huge deal....tighten the couple screws and get over it. In my opinion, buying a guitar under $200, you should pretty much expect a little bit of fine tuning to get it in tip top, playing shape.
I have a Epiphone SG Special VE, the tuners on that guitar are the same as on mine, and there is a screw on them that allows you to tighten the nob, it looks like in shipping at some point, that screw got loose for this guy. Its a simple thing to do, to tighten that screw, mine did not have that issue. I like mine, but I am someone that is accustomed to being broke, so it was around the top of what I could afford. Anyhow, I don't think that screw coming loose is a big enough deal to tell people not to buy that guitar. That is the same kind of issue a 2000.00 dollar guitar can have when you get it out of the box. Its like complaining about the action being too high on a electric guitar, or complaining about the buzz, it makes no since to do so on electric guitars. Such issues happen to most guitars that have to go through shipping, especially when they have to go through different climates. In this case, it was a simple loose screw, and it was likely tight at the factory.
Anyhow, If I give a company 200.00 of my dollars, I expect a functioning product. I don't expect top of the line in most cases, but I do expect the product to work. In this case, the product functioned as intended. So as long as the person buying said guitar knows what they are buying, which is a cheap guitar, then I would say people should buy it.. Ill watch his other video, to see what his issue with the cherry one was now. I hope all is well to whom ever reads this, if anyone does.
Idk man, as basically a beginner at guitar only started like 5 months ago i just completely sanded and reglued the bridge of my horribly worn out harmony sovereign aswel as replacing a tuning peg, one loose screw is not a big deal, for beginners its all a learning experience.
I got an Epiphone Les Paul Special 1, great guitar, very happy with it, pick ups are a little muddy, however good tones can easily be found by EQing
So grateful I sub’d. I’m not a player (yet I’m 52😉) but my son is well on his way 15. These are very important to our family . We thank you my brother. I hope you may retire with your channel.
i agree i went to the store, and tried 3 of these out of 4 were awful, no way would i roll the dice with buying one online. you gotta go in and plug a few in and give listen and look over
The loose tuning key is one of the easiest remedies of any guitar, my $2500 fender guitars get that all the time. Put some clear nail polish on the screw thread and you’ll be good.
To be fair, I've had a PRS SE custom24 that came with 2 totally loose and shifting machine heads. It was a premium top model, and had the worst quality finish I'd seen. I own several Gibsons, and a couple Fenders and other brands, but wanted something I could just toss in the trunk of my car and play anywhere and not worry about. Yestersay I found a 00's Epi Special 2 GT in Pellham blue for sale used for $300Cad, with a gig bag and case, in fairly new condition. It seemed more or less to fit the bill for what I wanted. I'm happy with it, it's better than the regular models, as it's got a Floyd Rose style trem, and seems to have had a good setup with nice frets. Plus it's got a cool kill switch feature(at least I think it's a feature..either way it works as one). Quite a lot of fun, but I can see why you'd be unhappy with that one.
you can put tape on the tuner
would this be a good beginner guitar?
Any guitar, as long as you take care of it
This is a great guitar. Highly recommend.
Bought 1 for 129, swapped out bridge and tuners for another 100.
I'm pretty happy.
Completely satisfied with my epiphone and it does have a bolt on neck just like fender etc. If you can't play the guitar and make it sound good then that will be the problem in most cases. I also have a first act guitar and it sounds amazing, when my neighbor plays it lol
Dude, the desiccant packet. You missed it. I mean, wtf . . . That’s valuable.
😂 dang can’t believe I missed it! Ha!
Just DO NOT EAT!
@@carlbaumeister3439 wdym they taste delicious man
Bought mine as back ordered, brand new, $173 from Guitar Center. It shipped from a music store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was UPS delivered in a wrinkled up used cardboard box with a big FENDER logo printed on the box. Opened it up, No manual or other papers, of any kind other than a simple packing list saying where it originated from. It massively wrapped in thick bubble wrap that was wrapped round and round and round the neck with packing tape. I had to fight to free the neck and body. Had slack strings. Tuned it up and kept detuning after many attempts to tune it. I think the strings kept slipping at the tuners as they had no lock wrap on any of them. Had it now for over a week, strings finally trying to take a set after tuning many times, it keeps moving out of tune. When I ordered they said it was back ordered coming from china. I thiñk what I got is a used guitar out of a music store in Baton Rouge.
Do those tuners have the screw on the button? Did you try tightening that up?
After the video they were able to tighten up but those tuners still don’t hold tune. The weakest link in these guitars.
@@bsideguitar, how's the nut on it? I've I have a set of what are probably the worst Kluson Klones ever on one guitar (super wiggly, TONS of gear lash, etc.) and as long as the nut is cut right and I tune up to the note they still hold tune.
The nut on this one was OK. I just finished recording a review of an SG Special that will release Sunday and the nut was much worse.
@@bsideguitar, I've seen nuts that look good but with slots cut at the wrong angle or with burrs in them that cause the string to hang up. I've also seen nuts that look like they were cut with a chainsaw that worked perfectly fine. LOL
Ha! Yeah those chainsaw ones are always head scratchers ;)
It is good that there are open minded reviews. Typically people just high light how great a product is and partially miss lead people. It is good to give healthy informative critics too. In my Special II the pick-up selector broke almost as new. The metal in it is soft pot metal and detail connection made badly. The physical force needed to do the movement is too much for it to bear. The neck pup worked and both together but bridge pup not. In the treble position (bridge) the selector kept both pups on and no bridge alone possible. I opened the cover and the selector dropped out. Well...the pups are pretty good but body doesn't fit to your body (the cut is too small and sharp). Tuning keys were fixed but I tightened them still before seeing this. Cable jack was loose...plug rattled in that. I opened it and fixed/got better. Bought Yamaha Pac HSS as second beginner guitar - way better quality out of box, no issues.
I almost bought one, cause i was looking for cheap les paul with humbuckers, now i think of buying Cort Les Paul or Squier Bullet cause i need humbuckers in bridge
Thanks for video btw
I think you will be happier with the Cort or Squire ;) glad it helped!!
@@bsideguitar, you helped me that's definetly a subscribe
I’ve been considering buying a squier bullet for the past few days. I will check out the cort Les Paul because I have an acoustic cort guitar and didn’t know they made electric les Paul’s lol..
My first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul 2 bundle (guitar, amp, cable, strap, tuner (it was a pitch pipe, that's how long ago THAT was.), and picks.). The guitar was beautiful in my eyes, vintage sunburst finish, and the amp was an in house 6 inch speaker crap practice amp but it worked for me for a bit. After a while I learned how bad this guitar actually was. It was atrocious. I can't play any Epi today without remembering it and I am soured on Epiphone forever. Sucks because they do make some really good guitars.
The sticker for the Allen key probably cost as much as the key..lol..what do you expect for that little..my first quitar 20 yrs ago was 350$
Love mine
Isn’t this the Les Paul Special-I?
Sounds decent, looks good...tuning peg is definitely a turn off but squier raised the bar for cheap guitars!
As did Harley Benton!
Just tighten the peg
especially the Affinity Series...great guitar for $167 on Sam Ash. I got the Butterscotch made in Korea with Fender Pickups. It's great
I’m 2 years late to the party here but I can’t help but feel you had absolutely no intention of giving this guitar even half a chance
I will always by a cheap Epiphone over squier. I've never had luck with cheap squiers. Just my take on it. Something like that is a super easy fix. I wouldn't think twice about that. I always replace cheap tuning pegs anyway.
Me too...i just bought epi lp ve yesterday...and i like Epiphone over squier...because i love humbucker and epiphone's bridge frat...
The new II's bodies are made from poplar. Very light guitar. The SG special is also poplar. I prefer mahagony. If you look, you can find an older Special II made from mahogany, neck and body. If you are lucky you can find one from 2011-2012 that were made at the Samick factory in Indonesia. There are two Samick factories. Both produce good guitars. You can find them with a little patience between $100 and $150. The wood on the poplar Special II models are very thin where the pickup knobs and input jack are and are prone to break easily. 🤷 Find the older model, throw some new pickups in it and you'll have a monster player.
My 2020 Epiphone Les Paul Special had fret bulge and a crappy nut which required groove filing and a complete re-do set up to get it to play without detuning on the lower 2 frets if you dig in just a little. $400 + $125 for a case and a serious set required makes the Epi LPS NOT such a great deal.
No Mister, Epiphone is so much better already.If the problem is one tuning key what should i say? I bought some years ago a guitar that had issues with the frets,the leveling wasnt right and i was forced to fix it! Yeah that was a problem Bro,not a tuning key cause its so much easier to fix it my self.Be healthy and strong
To be fair squier doesn't have that problem because they don't use screws on their tuning pegs
The screw at issue is at the end of the thumb piece.
It would take all of 10 seconds to tighten the tuning key. Not sure why he made it such a big deal.
Epiphone guitars can be a great value but there are soooo many QC issues. A loose tuning key is no problem imo but the fret work is often terrible. Never order an epiphone online go to a store because I find roughly 4 out of 5 epiphone guitars have problems with fret work, especially high frets
The classic for 499 now 549 is amazing
I really like your review. I got the worn yellow with humbuckers back in August. I tried the screwdriver adjustments on the tuners and still couldn't live with it. I got some $20 tuning keys from Amazon and also made a few minor setup adjustments and I'm good to go. I do like it for playing at home, although "it is what it is". I have seen several cheap imports using the same tuning keys I bought from Amazon...can't understand why Epiphone can't at least go to these. It couldn't cost them $5 per guitar more to do...could it?
Those $5 keys end up adding $20-40 to the guitar retails ha!
@@bsideguitar Yep....sad, but true.
Mine got delivered with a cracked neck brand new.
Yeah, that loose tuner thing wouldn't bother me.
This is a great guitar!!!!
Thing is depends where you get it from sweetwater is a way better company than guitar center musicians friend or half of the other warehouse shipped guitars
Yes. But that Special 1 model is not offered by Sweet Water
@@bushcry1 true lot of places vary on what they carry
got one for 60 bucks- all agree its a screamer- get a good one and it might be a great one. Hangs between a 6k 335 and a 4k standard amongst others- so I wouldnt have it if it wasnt really a "special 1" Agree tuners are shitty-but they hold tune once you get there- I am afraid changing them would change tone so they stay.
Just picked one up at a pawn shop for $80. Guitar guy there set it up nice and it's a fun little guitar for me to learn on.
Got mine for €30 in a second hand shop...I love it. ❤️ sounds amazing, can't believe how lucky I was getting it,my friends are probably going to get one for a second guitar, so I think it's worth every penny of asking price new.
Sounds like your typical "it's not a Gibson!" fanboy.
If you are going to buy a guitar online get it from Sweetwater.
What does Sweetwater add that other retailers don't?
@@rrrafiel amazing customer service. And a bag of candy i believe as well.
Better yet, buy it from Melody Music. They will inspect and do a set up, and no I don’t work there
Sweetwater is great. Until there’s a problem . . .
Their 55 point inspection is only on $299+ guitars
I bought two mid-range Ibanez guitars ($450/$500) and the both needed $300/$400 worth of work just to get them to play but I bought a $700 Ibanez that was fine. It used to be most guitars came pretty well setup from the manufacturer but nowadays (before the pandemic but not by much, a year or two maybe) it's been a complete and total crap shoot. You have no idea what's going to happen and the company may or may not take it back or fix it.
Good review, but I would focus on the Epiphone LP VE - where QC is generally not an issue. It has the wrap-around tailpiece _and_ a sweet tune-o-matic bridge, so you can intonate the damned thing, AND it comes with damned fine humbuckers - for less than 180 USD - IMPORTANT no initial setup or dialing in required. Shit-can the Epi strings _immediately_ upon delivery, hydrate and buff the fretboard (you will want to do this a few times over the first month or so, at string changes), 0000 steel-wool the frets (or play them in with a couple of twelve-hour bend-sessions if you don't want to deal with the perils of steel dust in your hardware; which, due to my impatience to play is usually the route I choose, anyway).
I recommend D'Addarios or any reasonable equivalent (8's and 9's work well with this guitar - I recommend 9's and have found no need for 10's) - plug it into any modern-day 150 dollar amp with reverb, gain and an 8" speaker (the pickups scream, if you want them to), and Bob's your uncle - meaning, you will be deep into the LP experience, before you know what hit you. I chose the ebony (black) finish, after considering the walnut finish. I'm happy with my choice, as it looks best with the black-painted headstock.
The only real caveat would be the tuners. They are of fairly dubious quality, but the paddles provide enough leverage to make fine-tuning plausible. At this stage, they are the only thing I would consider replacing, if they don't smoothen-out over time. I've been playing for 50+ years and wanted/needed to move on from Fender, but didn't want to go on the arm for a high-dollar Epiphone or a much higher-dollar Gibson, until I was sure.
I started this venture thinking I'd eventually upgrade and keep this as a beater, but was soon convinced during the break-in period that this guitar was a player; one that you could confidently strap on without dislocating a shoulder and carry in a Gator gig-bag, without fear. I'm not positive, but I believe this model has a less dramatically rearward-angle to the headstock than that which has been responsible for so many Gibson neck-breaks. Stay tuned. I'll be back if anything changes, but, for the moment, my plans are to drink excessively and play the living sh*t out of this thing.
I bought a cheap epiphone from factory all my tuning peg were damn near off
Yup… sadly I’m not surprised 🤦