Epiphone '56 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue

Oct-2002 Goldtop Les Paul 1956 reissue. Made in Korea by Saein.
Not being able to afford an historic Gibson Les Paul Goldtop '56 I upgraded an Epiphone Goldtop '56. The Epiphone Goldtop provides a good starting point because its only weakness is due to its cheap hardware.

In some aspect this guitar is amazing: I've change most of the hardware, I only let the nut, the pickguard and the pumps (which are excellent) unchanged. Tuners and their bushings are Gotoh vintage, Nickeled TOM and Stop-bar are also Gotoh (the gotoh bushes too thin don't fit on the body).
The pots and the switch, the Swichcraft jack from Stewmac, the knobs, the jack plate and the vintage wire the Gibson switch ring from Greggrogers, the pickguard bracket and the straplocks from Schaller.
Eventually I have realized the '50 wiring of the the Historic Gibson.


You can have a look on my site to see all my improvements http://membres.lycos.fr/thieeryt/indexe.html

(rating before upgrade= 7)

I mostly play blues and rock using a PX4-Korg Pandora and a Marshall MG15CDR.
I'm fond of P90 sound, and with the improvements I have brought (the '50 wiring, Hovland Musicaps, TOM, tuners, etc..) this guitar sounds as well as it is possible.
(rating before upgrade= 8)

Even if the global aspect is fine, the only thing I was not able to correct was the finish which presents many flaws.
(rating before upgrade= 6)
Final rating 8 mostly because of the imperfect finish.

Very strong craftmanship but with unreliable hardware and electronics.
(it cost me only $150 to change almost every wrong part.)
(rating before upgrade= 7)

Now the job is at its end and even if I know it doesn't worth an historic Gibson nor a standard one I'm proud of my axe which sounds and looks almost (except for its finish and its ugly head) like a top vintage guitar.
(rating before upgrade= 7)

This is a 2002 model, made in Korea. It's a copy of a 1956 Gibson Les Paul. 22 fret neck, laminated-and-pressed-on top, 2 volume pots, 2 tone pots, one for each of the two Epiphone alnico P90As. Per Epiphone, the body is mahogany/alder and the neck is mahogany. Finished nicely in polyurethane. Decent ABR-1 bridge copy, 24.75" neck scale, just like the "real" Les Pauls. Cheap Kluson knockoff tuners, also just like the "real" Les Paul. (I also own a "real" SG.) Came with absolutely nothing- case was separate, and that means no "case candy" either. For $500+ street price Epiphone should really consider charging a little more MSRP and including a case or at least a gig bag. I'm deducting a point for it.

I play a little bit of everything and center around indie rock, classic rock, blues, and "alternative rock." I'm convinced I can cover all of those styles with this guitar. I'm recording with a Line 6 POD XT and/or a Tech 21 Trademark 10. The P90s are noisy, like any single coil would be; I'm considering replacing the factory P90s with the Lace 900 set. P90s are a wonderful thing, though- they can do just about anything from clean to high gain well. This guitar sustains wonderfully now, and I'm confident the Tonepros bridge and tailpiece that are on their way here will only enhance that.

My local shop told me they did nothing to this guitar short of pulling it out of the box and tuning it. If that's really the case, Epiphone did a great job. I normally do my own setups on all of my guitars, but this one was fine "as-is", so I didn't feel the need. The pickups could have been better adjusted, but that's two screws and 20 seconds per pickup. There were no obvious flaws of any kind in this guitar- the electronics function as I'd expect and everything was well mounted and aligned. The weight was right where I wanted it- about 8 pounds, actually a little shy of that.

I'm confident this guitar would handle live playing well. The hardware seems to be decent-quality, short of the Kluson knockoff tuners, which are easily replaced for all of $25. Yes, I'm replacing the bridge and tailpiece, but that's for convenience, not because there's anything wrong with the hardware that was on the guitar. I can't imagine wearing off the finish on this guitar, but I do wax all of my guitars regularly, so I don't anticipate problems. At the end of the day, guitars are fairly simple pieces of equipment, and I'd trust this one as much as I'd trust any of my others, which means of course I'd have a backup guitar at the gig.

I've only contact Epiphone once about a Les Paul copy I owned a few years ago. They were courteous and responsive then. I never leave my instruments stock, so the warranty on this one will be voided shortly. The bright side is that short of woodwork, I do my own setups and repairs.

I've been playing guitar for 16 years, and own several other guitars and various other pieces of gear. For project studio stuff, I have this Les Paul, a '99 Gibson SG Standard, a '98 Fender Telecaster Plus with a Barden Tele set installed, a Bill Lawrence "Tonekaster" Strat copy with a Lace Sensor Hot Gold set installed, and one of those cheapie Kramer P-Bass copies from musicyo.com. They get played into a Line 6 POD XT or a Tech 21 Trademark 10, and from there into a Tascam US-428 and into my computer, usually into Cakewalk Sonar or FL Studio 4.

I had a pretty good idea of what this guitar was and what it was capable of. Gratefully, the Internet is a fantastic resource for information, so I was prepared the day I bought it.

I really like Les Pauls and despise the weight (and the nitrocellulose finishes) on Gibson Les Pauls, so I'd absolutely purchase another of these if I ever needed to replace it.

Les Pauls are wonderful- lightweight ones that still sound right and sustain well, even more so. I like the P90 routes (if not the noise factor of the pickups), the neck is great, it's absolutely worth what I paid for it.

The best thing about a good Epiphone Les Paul copy is that if you know what you're doing (I do), you can selectively replace hardware and electronics to make an instrument that's convincingly 90% of the "real" thing (and I've played plenty) for under $1000. This is especially true of the Goldtop with P90s, as the Gibson reissue has a street price of over $2000 (which would prevent me from gigging it). When I'm done with this guitar, it'll have the Tonepros bridge and tailpiece, the Lace 900 series pickups (silent P90s) a bone nut, and 14:1 Gotoh tuners, and I still won't have $1000 invested in it- and it'll weigh under 8 pounds. I've owned and still own Gibsons, I've owned PRS, high end Fender, and even a Reverend. The same advice applies to all of them- start with a good one, one that you've played, and you can't go wrong. I'm confident I didn't, and I expect to be happy with this guitar for years to come.

Goldtop. P-90's. Mahogany-alder body. volume and tone knobs for each pickup as well as a switch to use either pickup or use them both together. Knockoff tuners. Thin neck.

The sound has amazed me. I had never had p-90's ever before this and I was in shock as to how well they performed. A little side note is that I was so impressed with the stock epi pickups that I thought if I put a set of Gibson p-90's in the guitar that I could improve on the sound even more. I bought a set of Gibson p-90's and took them back out the next day. THE EPI'S SOUNDED BETTER!! You cannot go wrong with these pickups. They do well distorted but clean they rip. I have heard alot of talk about them not being good for Heavey Metal type of music but I disagree. They are not suited especially for that but they work fine and give a different sound as well compared to dual humbuckers.

This guitar had a few issues in this department but it is also about a grand less than the Gibson Les Paul so I would expect it ya know?

THIS THING IS SOLID AND IT WEIGHS A TON.

Been playing for 20 years or so. I own alot of other gear including many guitars. I wished I had bought this guitar years ago. I love the looks and I dislike only the weight which I also love if you know what I mean.

Sweet Gold Top-This is basically a Standard but it is a limited addition and it has the Gold color on top with Cherry stain on the sides back and back of the neck. P-90's of course.

I really have tried alot of guitars and this one is a great sounding guitar. The p-90's are so nice. Warm sound and mine does not feedback unless I am attempting to get some.

I agree with the review from above. I cannot really judge a guitar maker for the action not being exactly the way I personally like it. The really cool thing about the Les Paul is the adjustments at the bridge. It is so easy to raise or lower. We of course have a truss rod which can improve the guitars action as well if it needs adjustment. The finish is sweet as well. This guitar is not perfect but it does resemble perfection.

Feels very strong but it is a piece of wood for heaven's sake. I guess it might last longer than the lightweight guitars out there but who's to really say. This thing is heavy for sure. Sounds great acoustically as well which is nice if you dont always plug in. The strap buttons are very basic and really should be replaced if you are using a strap. Straplocks are fairly inexpensive and a great way of insuring your guitar stays on your shoulders instead of hitting the floor.

I did read alot of the reviews here before deciding which Les Paul to get. Alot of the reviews trashed the switch, tuners, pots and the input jack. I have found that the pots are fine with the exception of them not being real forgiving. The switch on mine is still working fine after six months. The input jack has come loose but it has not malfunctioned in any way. The tuners really could stand to be replaced but they do work fine. Some have even said the pickups dont sound so good. I have no idea why someone would say that. I appreciate the sound of these pickups and although they may not be the best for extremely heavy music they sound superb for nearly every other style of playing. I think you may be able to find other Les Pauls for a slightly cheaper price but I think the extra money they charge for the Gold top over the regular standard is worth it. The custom is about the same price but then you get humbuckers which may not sound nearly as good.

what everyone else has said. 2 p-90s and boy what a pretty gold finish. pearloid inlays would have been a nice.

this guitar sounds lovely, simply. i just bought one and it is perfect if you play alot 'clean' or with light distortion. i play mostly indie rock and blues, and although not surpassing fenders in the indie stakes, it still does a bloody good job. using an orange ad 15/12 and marshall mg100dfx it performs brilliantly with the valve amp, warm and very clear, and even sounds the shit on my solid state. p-90s do distort unlike any other pickups i find, you either like the sound or not i guess. theyre bright, yet the neck pickup is very bassy. nice contrast, well rounded sounds. metal heads need not apply, although this is a cheap guitar to have in your arsenal regardless of what style you play...you'll always find a use for it.

bought mine second hand and it was set up brilliantly. the action can get so low and so comfortable on these guitars without even a hint of buzz. playing all the way up the neck is a dream.

havent gigged with it, but i wouldnt forsee any problems. tuners are alot better than this than on any other epi or gibson ive played, but thats probably just down to luck. built like a rock nonetheless.

never had to find out.

great price for a great guitar. epiphone have finally got it right with this one, dont bother with their h'bucker guitars unless youre gonna change the pups. i was certainly surprised at the quality of the p-90s having never used them before. mellow and RAWK! and also very clear. good sustain too. if youre a total indie kid, then jazz's and tele's are probably what youre after, get a nice medium-21esque twang...but this guitar is one of the nicest clean sounding guitars ive ever played, as good as a fender, and is definately the nicest guitar to play...faster and smoother than my gibson sg! everyone who can afford to own one of these should.

2002 Goldtop Les Paul 1956 reissue. Made in Korea, inspected at the rossetti workshop December 2002, cost #350, new. 3 way selector switch, 2 p-90 pickups, goldtop finish, non locking tuners. Beautiful. My girlfriend bought me this for valentines day.i was so shocked i nearly cried. She purchased it online from sound control, it arrived perfectly packaged from dundee, i live in birmingham.

The sound of this guitar is amazing. I use Marshall MG amps and this is my third guitar, the last two both being squier strats. i wanted to step up from the budget range as i feel i have progressed. This guitar provides the sound i have always wanted. From clean, warm tones to tangy, distorted sounds i dont know how but its got it all.

I dont think the guitar was set up very well at the factory but then, on the other hand, i suppose they may have decided to keep the guitars 'options open', meaning it is left to the owner to be set up to their desired taste.
Everything else was perfect, the only probelm i had was the jackplug was loose but that was by no means a huge problem, i just tightened it. I think this was because being on the shop floor of sound control, people were just playing it all the time.

Obviously this guitar is so much better than my last two, i would use this without backup anyday (unless i needed alternate tunings).I feel it will be very reliable for me in the future and it will be a very long time before i purchase another one.

Ive never dealt with them, but their online resources are quite useful.

Ive been playing for 4 years now and i think if you are looking for a non budget guitar but dont want to break the bank, this is the one for you.
If this were lost or stolen, i would definetly get another one (thats after i cried my heart out).
I love everything about it.The colour is phenomenal, the shape is cool, and, most importantly, the sound is perfect. Plays like a dream.
I didnt know whether to get a standard fender strat or this, my girlfriend picked it although i wanted one for ages. When i opened and saw this, i knew id made the right choice.

Epiphone 56 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue (hessle music centre, coolchords.com) special edition.
Its basically a gibson copy of a goldtop, but its just about the best copy you can get for the cash, P90 wax dipped picks, Nice weight,I've fitted schaller strap locks,and Gibson tuners from ebay (off an historic gold top, nice touch).
3 way selecter went dicky on me, soon fixed by howard at coolchords.com (hessle music centre).

its good for les paul fat tones, p90's give a bit more ring.(its a bit free, alright now ringing, with right amp.
i'am using a jtm45 (re-issue)for the bluesy stuff,(at home only, amps to good to take gigging, and gig with a vs265 +1987 gibson les paul, The goldtop is back up, I have used it in past...no probs after the 3 way selecter beefed up.
tone pot on treble has minimal hiss..but nothing to worry about.
wait for it.
I have a vs265 for gigging and a custom made ts-808 clone.(bought jan 2002)
(thanks Ian, newcastle).
The epi Goldtop is now a Tone monster on this rig. as good as my gibbo. proberly the p90's but it out sustains anything else i have used. this thing plays the lot. I'am tempted to use the epi for gigging full time...but vanity stops me.

I've set my own action on it...by simply taking saddle bridge to minimum. tuning in....bend all strings on 19th fret, if they buzz.slacken off..hike bridge up..re-tune untill they don't buzz...hey presto...nice low action.never touched the truss rod.
jackplug bracket came loose...just tightened it up...

Solid ...with the new 3 way selector and scahller strap locks, i don't thrash em anyway.
would not use it without a back-up. solid all over.
(got 10's on it, keep frets polished, smooth fret board.).

Never used em.
got a 12 month warranty from hessle music ( coolchords).
And the shop owner, took it back after 2 months to check/set-up etc.
(helpfull guy, Howard Jennings)

Its a good buy, its not gibson..but its got the tone, wish three way selecter was gibson parts.
I love the weight of it...chunkey feel,,,I may fit linley fralin p'90's to it,,,as theses picks do the bizz,
Nice cream/chrome/mahog stylish looks...nice guitar for #400.
same as any other decent guitar...needs decent amp/strings, no fret buzz, or pops/crackles....I like it.

Korean made-late ninties. mahogany-alder top. two way toggle for pickups. P-90 pickups. Gold top. Les Paul. Standard Les Paul features. Neck is pretty thin.

Very pleased with the pickups. Both can actually be used which is rare for and epi les paul.

The action was too low really. I worked it over myself and it is great now. A few minor finish flaws from factory but basically it is sweet.

Tough - heavy - solid

The guitar is sweet. The tuners need to be replaced. The volume-tone pots need to be replaced. The toggle switch needs to be replaced. The input jack needs to be replaced. I am not dissapointed at all because I read the reviews here and I already was prepared for these minor issues. NO BIGGIE.

2002 Epiphone '56 Gold Top, archtop, I believe the top is Alder, solid top, made in Korea. Guitar is stamped "Limited Edition" on the back of the headstock. 2 P-90s, pretty standard Gibson '56-type design. This is the second one I got from the dealer. The first one was damaged in shipping, and the best surprise with the replacement, is that it's a little heavier. The first one felt like balsa wood, probably 4-5 lbs. The new one is closer to 7 lbs, and feels more like a real guitar. Moral here, is try a few, there's quite a bit of variation in weight between guitars. Go for what you like, here.

Pickups are Epiphone, but look different from the pickups on the model I returned. The covers are a milkier color, and seem to sound better than those on the model I returned. They sound awesome, and don't seem to have the noise problem that many folks here, have described. They sound very "Les Paul." My you, I won't be selling my Telecaster for "max twang" but the Gold Top is a different animal all together.

The Gold Top is just terrific. Not greenish like some have described, but a nice yellow-y gold color. Very nice. Stop tail, Tune-o-matic bridge, all the standard Les Paul hardware. A nice (new) feature, is the screw adjuster at the top of the bridge-post, that allows you to use a screwdriver to adjust the post height. A very thoughtful feature. (BTW, de-tuning makes bridge-height adjustment much easier).

I agree with everyone who has posted here. The tuners are pretty low quality. They look OK, but the gearing sucks, and they don't hold tuning very well. I'm looking for a replacement set. These have to go. The 1st string (high-E) tuners doesn't feel like it has a gear in it at all. It spins very loosely. The others work better. Having a lot of experience with Asian sourcing, I know Epiphone could find a better supplier for tuners, if they looked. Gotoh is there, and they make a better tuner for not a lot of cash, so my advice to Epiphone, is find a better source for tuners. They're not up to the level the rest of the instrument is. My research on tuners, is that Gibson offers a "Historic Series"
tuner set for this peghead hole size, that is a direct drop-in for the Epi Gold Top. They're a little hard to find, but they're out there. And expensive (about $60-70/set). Other good replacements are Gotohs, that can be had for $25-30/set. Depends on how "Gibson" you want to keep the guitar.

Scale length is standard Les Paul dimensions (24 3/4") I believe, 22 frets, and excellent access to upper frets. I play slide, and this is a nice feature to have, since it extends the scale range considerably over other designs, and simply makes it much easier to access. Neck is faily thin, pretty standard Gibson-type profile. Nut is pretty plastic-y and could also be kicked up a notch, although it works well, and doesn't bind with the 9's that the guitar ships with.

The input jack doesn't have much retention, and a plug doesn't seat properly in the jack, so I'll replace it with a Switchcraft, I'm sure. For now, it works, but here again, Epiphone could do a better job with component selection. A Fender, in the same price range as this, is equipped with much better componets than the Epiphone (IMO).

No case or gig bag inclused, but I bought a TKL, which fits the guitar well, and has an arched-top to accommodate the geometry of the guitar. I believe TKL is Gison's suplier for their high-end cases, so you'll do well with a TKL for the Gold Top.

I bought the guitar for the kind of "overdriven" southern rock stuff that I play, and for slide, as well as blues. It's perfect for both. I sold a 2002 PRS Santana to get this one, mainly because the PRS open-coil humbuckers are a little too dark for my taste. The Gold Top's single-coils are terrific. Not too noisy, very quiet in the "combo" (middle) setting, since they appear to wired to provide the noise cancelling effect that humbuckers provide. You can get a nice Chet Atkins sound, a Dickey Betts vibe or a nice Duane Allman slide tone out of the Epiphone. Sustain is great, and the pickups (for my taste) are heads and shoulders above the Epi Les Paul Standard humbuckers.

I like everything about the Gold Top, from a sound & tone perspective.

Factory neck-relief setting was fine, but bridge height needed lowering. I do this stuff myself, and didn't have any problems getting string-height adjusted to my taste.

Pickup height seems good, although I would have raised them a bit, had I not lowered the strings. They now sem perfect for the string height I'm at, at the moment. Pick-up routes are clean, and fit pickups well. The pickup covers don't come close to matching the pickguard (or vice-versa), but I don't care much on this point. Fit and finish are a 9. I'll subtract a point here, since there are some polishing swirls on the top edge, near the strap button. Looks like they polish it after they install the button, then try to get around it with the polisher. Could be better, but it's passable.

So long as you don't throw it around, I'm sure it will hold up. It seems very solid, and glued/screwed together well. I've never owned an Epiphone solid body for any long period of time (although I have a mid-60s flat-top acoustic), so I'm not certain how it will hold-up over time, but this wouldn't be a major concern about this model. It's very solid. HArdware seems well-plated (stay away from Asian-sourced
gold-plated hardware, though, since it will wear off before you get the guitar home) and should last a long time. If not, these parts are easy to replace. This guitar will withstand any kind of playing you do, live or otherwise. Finsih is clearly a 9 (would have been a 10, but for some better poishing that could have been done). Removing the rear cavity-cover for the pots revealed a very tidy job. No polishing compound or dust, very neat soldering, and good screw-fit to the cover. I'd use it as a gigging guitar, although I don't gig much anymore. Sorta retired
from the concert-circuit.

Never dealt with Epiphone's customer service, but as a company that's been around longer than me (and I'm no youngster), I'm sure they have it pretty well figured out. The dealer (Musician's Friend) was very responsive in replacing the Gold Top when the first ne ordered was damaged. Had a minor problem with billing, but they sorted it out. I don't like buying guitars through catalogs or on-line, because it's nice to play them before you buy them, but I had a gift certificate I had to use before it expired, and I'd always wanted a Gold Top. Had I had a spare 3-4 grand, I'd have purchased a Gibson, but the Gibson 56 Reissue, is very pricey, for what I'd use it for. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised in the Epiphone. They could easily upgrade the tuners & jack and put the Gibson name on this guitar. It looks, sounds and plays better than any $599 Gibson Faded SG that I've played. That guitar looks and feels toy-like compared to this model.

Been playing 35 years, and have three Fenders-two Teles and a Strat, a DeArmond M-72, two Yamaha Acoustics, one with a Fishman pickup, an old Epiphone acoustic, a Hohner solid-body electric-classical and a Sho-Bud pedal steel. Really didn't need any additional information on the Gold Top, since I'd played them a number of times. If it were lost or stolen, I'd probably get another one. It's that
nice. The only thing I dislike is the headstock shape, which for my taste, should be the Gibson shape, as Epiphone used for a while. It just doesn't look like a Les Paul headstock should look.

I compared the guitar to a Godin (Duncan Equipped) P-90 model, I believe it's in the "L" series. It was quite nice, but tough to find in the stores to get some test-drive time with. It's a nice model, and roughly in the same price range, but tough to find. I have a local dealer who orders them as needed, but the Gold Top was similarly equipped.

Just wish it had better tuners and input jack. Other than that, it's the most Gibson you can get (new) for $599, that sounds good. I looked seriously at the Gibson Les Paul Junior Lite, but didn't want P-100s, since most folks end-up putting another $200 out to replace them. I only found three solid body P-90 guitars out there. The Gold Top, Fender/Japan Jazzmaster or the Godin, all able to be had in this price range, and I went with the Epiphone. Since I'm overall pleased with this purchase, I's like to add a 330-Casino to the list at some point. It also seems to be a reasonable reissue of a great guitar that I recall from the "old days."

This Korean made Goldtop was manufactured in 2002. It is a Les Paul Standard configuration with the exception of the pickups, which are P90's instead of humbuckers. See the Epiphone site for the nitty gritty details about wood, etc. Need I say more? It has that classic Les Paul design in every way, except for the maple top - Epiphone uses Alder / Mahogony instead, which actually makes the axe a litte lighter - a nice touch. The only problem is that the tuners suck - this is typical of Epiphone. My other Epi also had crappy tuners. I replaced those, and have already ordered the replacements for this one. On my other Epi (a LP Junior), the replacement tuners made an incredible difference in keeping the guitar in tune, and I am expecting the same benefit here. I ordered some Gotoh Kluson look-a-likes. The tuners are the only reason for the rating being less than 10 - Epiphone should have spent the extra $5 on better tuners and saved me the trouble.

I am into classic rock and blues. Thats why I wanted another P90 based guitar. I already have 2 others, but this is the first one with 2 pickups (the others are both Juniors). The sound is nothing less than great. I love P90's and these are pretty screaming versions. The bridge pickup has enough high end to rip your ears off (or just sparkle if you play clean), but I tend to roll off the tone control a bit to get a really warm sound. The neck pickup has lots of depth without getting muddy (like my PRS Santana SE does). Together, they give you lots of range by playing with the balance through the use of the 2 volumen controls. Of course P90's do hum a bit, and they can also squeal if you are not careful (thats why I didn't rate sound at a 10). But the tonal benefits far outweigh these pitfalls. No disapointment here.

Factory setup of the action was considerably higher on the bass side than the treble side, and I was expecting to re-adjust this when I next change the strings. But after playing it for a while, I think that the tech that set up this little baby was right - it feels super. Quite frankly it feels as good as my 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom. The finish in the guitar is simply beautiful - the Goldtop sparkle is really nice and the brown back and sides reveal some nice wood underneath. This guitar compares favorably with its $2000-$3000 Gibson cousins for a lot less money. Once again, only the tuners are a disapointment.

We'll see - I have only had it for 1 day.

In the past, I have called Epiphone, related to my Junior, and found them a little less helpful than I would have hoped. At the time, I chalked it up to the fact that I had their cheapest guitar, although that really is no excuse. But generally, I don't expect to use their cs very much anyway.

I have been playing for almost 35 years. I own several other guitars, including a 1969 Gibson SG Standard, a 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom, a 1996 Gibson Historic Reissue of the 1960 Les Paul Junior, a 1999 Epiphone Les Paul Junior, a 2000 PRS Santana SE and a cheap no-name acoustic. I play through a Mesa Boogie Nomad 55 1x12 combo, and also own an old Crate practice amp. I use a Boss Blues Driver, a homemade Tube Screamer clone, a Cry Baby wah wah, and Morley volume pedal, a Korg Pandora's Box 4 and an older Zoom multieffect pedal (503 or 504 I think). If it were stolen or lost, I would buy this one again - I am very pleased with it so far. I love the sound and the neck profile, and I hate the tuners (but they'll be changed before the end of the week).