Epiphone '57 Les Paul Jr. Reissue

Epiphone Custom Shop '57 Reissue Les Paul Junior, guitar of the Month. has a poly finish, dark brown to black sunburst body, wrap around bridge, decent tuners that im not going to splurge on locking ones this time, fat neck (the way a junior should be) with a 24.75' scale (also, the way a junior should be) came with a crappy gig bag, made probably in 2006 or early this year, made in china. dont know how many frets, cause theres no money above the 12th fret, solid mahogany body (the way a junior should be) has volume and tone controls, came with one p100, but it sucked, so we put in a no name p90 and it sounds like a dream, set neck made of mahogany (the way a junior should be) not a lot of features, but isnt that the way a junior should be?

i got this guitar because i wanted an all mahogany body with p90's in it like the sound of simon chardiet of simon and the bar sinisters, among other players i like listening to. i play a mix of rockabilly and merseybeat, with sprinklings of other genres mixed in (psychobilly, garage, swing, punk rock, rhythm and blues, soul, old school country, power pop, klezmer, new wave, polka, ska, and anything else that i like to listen to)i currently use this with as little pedals as possible (right now, im down to a boss tuner, and a boss ge-7, graphic equalizer, but the equalizer is about to go because this guitar has the sound i was looking to get with that pedal) and it goes through a vox ac15, 10 year old made in britian reissue, a fender deluxe reverb, and various other amps i happen to end up playing through at different points in time! but most of the time, on stage, i use those 2 amps linked together with the vox on full and no effects what so ever on it, and the fender at like 5-6 with a little dabble of reverb on top, and occasionally some vibrato that sounds so shimmering! the guitar is rather noisy with the p90 that i put into it, but thats ok, cause thats how a junior should be. the sound can be described as rich and full with some serious aggressive bite that is the sound of rock and roll music! there is not that much variety for this guitar, but theres more than you would think, with it having one p90 in the bridge. by turning the volume down a little bit, i go from raging punk rock distortion (77 punk rock, not any of this metal toned bullshit) to jangly (sort of) rhythm tones, and by turning the tone control down, i go from bright, crunchy rock n roll to smooth jazz and swing sounds (almost...... it IS a bridge pickup) but that will soon change when i get a re-issue bumble bee capacitor. i changed the pickup from the gibson p100 to the no name p90 almost as soon as i got it, as i do not like the sound of humbucker pickups, certainly not this one! but with the p90 in it, which was recommended by the man himself, simon chardiet, it is the sound of rock n roll! i never had such a thick sounding geetar in my life! i give it a 4 before the pickup change, and a 9 after the change. ill settle for a 7! im also interested in putting on a bigsby b-5 true vibrato tailpeice with my next paycheck

the guitar came decently set up by the factory, but when i put 11 gage flatwounds with an unwound g string, it needed a little adjusting, and that was a synch with the trussrod adjustor they gave me with the guitar! the p100 sucked and that didnt matter one bit, but the p90 sounds great! the pole peices are very high top the strings, giving it a nice full punch! no complaints here with the sound at all! it came perfect otherwise! i give it an 8!

this guitar has yet to see a stage, but that will change next weekend as i play my final show in the arkhams in bellmore, LI, and start the new project a week later in wallingford CT at the easy street saloon! everything seems like its going to last, its just up to me to upgrade everything to nickel hardware as opposed to the chrome that it came with (come on, im a rock n roll traditionalist, and i like my nickel) i dont care of the finish lasts, because every junior i seen looks better with eroding finish, so i encourage it to wear off rather quickly! i might sand a layer of the thick polyesther off of it some time soon! the strap buttons are solid, but im putting strap locks on this beast before the end of the week! i would not gig without a backup, as i need to use a bigsby for at least a few songs in my set! for that, right now, i got a gretsch electromatic 5129, which is exactly like the old 6120's of the 50's!

i never tried to get it repaired! it probably isnt under warranty because i do so much mods to my guitars! i never dealt with epiphone, either! NY Music Repair in Melville is much better than any of these hack warranty-repair shop bullshit people i have dealt with, and i go to them for all my modification/repair needs that i cant perform myself!

i have been playing for the better part of 2 decades, and i own tons of other gear. i got a gretsch 5129 with dynasonics on it, a rickenbacker 330 with an added 3rd pickup and a bigsby on it, a martin DM acoustic, a tokai breezysound telecaster with an out of phase middle position (mickey baker, eat your heart out!), a vox ac15, fender deluxe reverb, a ton of pedals which we dont really use much, among many other treats. when i got this geetar, it was between getting this one and a tokai tv yellow double cut away junior with a much much better sounding p90 (not p100) but it cost close to $600, so i went with this since it was less than half the price of that one! if it ever gets stolen or lost, i would hunt the person down whom took it and eventually get another one (if i can find one...... these are kind of hard to come by) i love the rock n roll simplicity to it! i can do a lot with a little, and dont need all the bells and whistles that most players think they need! my favorite feature is just the fact its an all mahogany body with a p90 in the bridge! rock n roll! i dont hate anything about it! i am going to put a bigsby on it, though as soon as i can afford to buy one, as i do play rockabilly, and i need to waggle the chords! no way around that! it compares with the juniors of the 1950's at a fraction of the cost, since its got the fat neck, correct scale length, p90 in the bridge, and rosewood fretboard! now, the materials arent the same ones they use on the 50's models by a long shot, but its 95% there at probably less than a tenth of the cost of an original one! this one, i have no regrets about modifying and using to play out, and probably scuffing and putting through the grinder, as that is what rock n roll geetar is supposed to be! i guess thats it for the junior, and i recommend it to any player who wants to really put themselves into a guitar and not let the guitar get into them!

Sunburst Body with bolt on rose wood fret brd neck.Bridgge is a wrap around , nut is plastic ,frets medium, inspected 2/06 so its a 2006 or 2005? Lone P-90 ,one volume & tone.Tuners are fine.
This one was made in indionisia , some reviewers here have ones from china others Korea,don't know if there's differnce?

I bought this for slide which is what I play on all my electric guitars. Sounds great threw my Marshall JMC 800 combo. No hiss or noise from P-90 .Sounds heavy with Boss DS-1 ,twangy w/MXR Dyna Comp.
Good for blues ,Punk,and slide its prefect for.

Factory issue setup and strings are standard for South East Asian guitars. With quick setup and new strings yuo have a world of differnce ,there were no design flaws

I pounded on the axe today, took her threw stooges Raw Power/Down in the Street, into Chinese Rocks By the Heartbreakes.Hard and heavy she held in tune,even with new strings.
You can depend on this in gig.i think the finish with last forever.

Epi's always have the "Lifetime Warranty" but this a real simiple guitar to fix .Never had to deal with Epi in the past , don't think I will in the future.

Been playing for awhile. have strat & tele part-o-casters ,and a lap steel. like I said play alot of slide. This axe has alot of vibe ,and for $99 bucks on the floor of Guitar Center , I had to snatch it. I went there to check out the Epi SG G-400 ,but this caught my eye and saved me a ton o cash.If it were stolen i would miss her ,and look out for another one. had the Epi Special w/ 2 HB, and a gibson LP speical w/ 2 P-90's The Gibson's pick ups came loose, and toggle switch would cut out. I,m done buying Gibson $500 US made guitars they suck compared to Epi's of the same price.
If you play Rock n Roll get one ,thats what there made for.

I won't be rating this category because I believe it's unfair to compare its features to modern guitars. As most of you know this guitar is pretty much meat & potato but in a good way. It's so simple but elegant. I originally wanted an Japanese Orville LP Jnr but these days they are going really expensive, as much as a Gibson faded (Faded serie are crap by the way. It's got no vibe, just like playing a dead wood). I accidently came across an article in The Guitarist UK Magazine. The reviewer said it's pretty much spot on so without hesitating I started to shop around Sydney stores. Much to my surprise there's only one shop carrying this model and the retail tag is very expensive too (AUS$699) but I had to have it! (talked it down to $550) I've been fortunate enough in having many chances to play the real thing (1959) which belongs to my uncle. I'm happy to say that this Epiphone captures most of the good vibes of its ancestor. The neck shape is really similar but somewhat a bit slimmer, very comfortable to play. It's quiet a lot heavier than the real thing. The neck joint of Epip is stronger too which is a really good thing! The finish was executed very well, as good as any Gibson in the store. But do not expect too much from a cheap Chinese guitar as I saw another Jnr in TV Yellow and I have to tell you that it's so wrong! It's the shade colour I've ever seen. It's so bad that the sales person refused to sell it to me no kidding! But my Sunburst is very accurate and I can't be more happy about it.

I play mostly Blues Rock & Hard Rock. The P100 is actually quiet good and exceeds my expectation. Originally I planned to put SD Antiquity P90 in it but the stock is more than good enough. Pots are full sizes too. Inside the control cavity is neat & tidy.
Acoustically the guitar sounds like a plastic box because of the thicker than thickest finish. But it sounds awesome amplified, sweet & articulate. I didn't expect anything this good for the price I paid. It becomes alive when distorted. You've got to play it to be believed!

Factory set up was not good but I know how to set it up to suit my taste. The fretboard is very smooth and better than my recently purchased Gibson Flying V reissue. Frets were professionally installed I don't know how they do it consider the price. After setup it plays awesome...I swear! It's so good and everytime when I think about how much I paid it's just incredible.

Built like a tank. It's a very solid player. The finish is thick as hell (bad point) so I'm sure it'll last. I'm sure I can depend on it if needed.

N/A

I've been playing since I was 14 now I'm 29. I currently own Gibson LP Std, LP Special DC P90, Flying V. I also own G&L Asat Classic & Fender Mark Knopfler Strat. All being played through Mesa Lonestar or thru POD. I can't be more happier with this guitar, honestly. If it was stolen I'd probably buy an Orville or Gibson Custom shop. This guitar will bring a little smile to ya face. Take my word for it.

Single cutaway, mahogany body, set neck, rosewood fretboard, crappy plastic inlays and nut, grover tuners, epiphone P-100 stacked humbucker, volume, tone, wraparound bridge. Made in PRC. No switches, no nonsense. Hefty neck but more of a 60's feel than 50's as the model suggests - flat and wide like a classical guitar neck, not especially deep.

I was frankly kinda shocked at how gnarly this thing sounds - I was in the market for a cheap backup and bought this on a whim. The pickup stock comes screwed right down into the body and will need raising with some foam, as the output is ridiculously quiet. Ideally I wanted a P-90, having used a soapbar loaded paul on a recording and fallen in love, but he hum-cancelling qualities suit the levels of gain I use in my current band and the sound is a fair approximation. Through a cranked Marshall JTM 45 it honks - got a really intense midrange grind like early ac/dc, still plenty of snap, and cleans up nicely. It loves fuzz, and sits atop bass, keys and drums like a filthy garnish. You can wind the tone back for some mellower sounds, and pull the volume back to clean it up, but the real reason you would buy a guitar like this is to rock, and it handles that quite well. Unplugged it sounds flimsy, like a fender copy, but crank it and all of a sudden it becomes a paul. Will look into replacement pickups but I would happily gig with this.

Action was a bit buzzy and the pickup was way to low. Got it set up and, whilst it still feels cheap, it gets you from a to b with no hiccups. The finish is thick and nasty, but the way I intend on playing this guitar that won't last long.

Seems like it could take a lickin'...definitely fits the bill of a simple, durable rock weapon. Strap buttons will need replacing with straplocks - stock they are weeny and useless much like the Gibson ones. Otherwise this puppy is ready to hit the stage.

Just bought it, but got a free set up which was handy.

I've been playing live for 12 years and have played a lotta guitars. My current guitars are a 74 SG Custom and a 65 Jaguar, and whilst this is a total piece of crap when juxtaposed against them it will prove to be a fine workhorse, with the snap of the fender and the bend-friendly neck and humbucking 'tude of the gibson. For the price you can't really go wrong - it's a solid, playable, nasty sounding brute and I would highly recommend it for students, beginners, or those who, like me, play in a very physical band and don't want to destroy their real babies.

First off let me say that in my almost 40 years of playing the guitar, the LP Jr. along with the Tele and the ES125 are among my very favorite guitar formulations. But the LP Jr. is my very favorite. Leslie West made that secure for me long ago. If you are in the market for a LP Jr. these days and are not prone to spending between $1000-2000 for a vintage one you would have to consider one of the three versions floating around as I write this. First, you could shell out $1400 (yikes, go vintage in this case) for the Green Day Version...(really, how the hell is this guitar a Billy Ray guitar when the guitar was conceived and executed about 25 years before Bill Ray was...and about 40 years before there ever was a Greeen Day??????????????????...Gibson, get offa it, huh?)
Or you could opt for the regular production model from Gibson which sells for around $750 (I owned an '86 version that had the tunomtic bridge (not VOS)and I had a 2000 model that had no vibe at all. I am sorry I did not keep the '86 version...that was a humdinger. And I am glad I got rid of the circa 2000 issue)...Or...you could opt for Epiphone's LTD Vintage '57 reissue for $299...as I just did....twice...!!! I will explain...
I ordered one from MF and it was so off of VOS that it was not funny.
The P-100 (not a bad pu)..was so far north of the wraparound tail piece...it was almost silly looking; the wood grain looked "artificial"; the brownish color of the body center looked nothing like vintage; and the rosewood fretboard was dull and lifeless...and note IT WAS MADE IN KOREA...
SO, I SENT IT BACK....

BUT...I still wanted one.....a couple of months later I am looking at Music123 online and I notice a special price...$269 with free shipping...so, I take the plunge....
now here is where it gets good....a week later it arrives...only this time....the weight is more correct; the rosewood board is reddish to brown...wow...; the center body color is that yellow to red to black...yes....; the pu (still a P-100) is right close, and snug to the wraparound tailpiece...like it should be; the feel of the neck is closer to the Gibson '86 reissue and IT WAS MADE IN CHINA....YES, THAT EXPLAINS THE INHERENT DIFFERENCES....EVEN WITH CNC MACHINES...THERE WILL BE VARIATIONS, EVEN IF SLIGHT...BUT IT IS THE COUNTRY OF MFG THAT IS THE MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCE HERE...IT SEEMS THAT WHILE KOREA NEVER EXCEEDED JAPAN IN QUALITY...CHINA IS EXCEEDING KOREA...AND IS ON ITS WAY TO EQUAL JAPAN'S REPUTATION.

With the P-100 pu you are going to get a more quiet and clean sound...if pushed it will approach the gritty tone of a P90...but unless you are using the JR for raw blues and raunchy rock....you might want to keep with the P-100, even if you want to swap it out for a Gibson version of the P-100. If you are playing a lot of rhythm guitar or if you are not playing raw blues the P-100 might be the better choice.

See general comments above.

This is one solid guitar. It will last.

okay, I guess.

This guitar is a good to very good rendition of the 50's LP Jr. The only thing one would have to do, and it is a matter of taste, is to settle on the proper pu for you. The tuning machines are Grover and far better than the plastic tipped Klusons of long ago.

Special edition setneck Epi LP Junior. I got this badboy at SAm Ash in Nashville for cheap, as it took a fall and has a gouge out of the butt of the guitar down to the wood about 2" by 1/2". I actually prefer the double cut style ( i have a tv yellow epi like that w/ bolt on neck) Has a wraptail, grovers, vol & tone, and a p100 p-up. I believe this is Chinese or Korean made. Made of some oriental species of mahogany and is fairly hefty. sunburst finish. I was surprised that this guitar has a slim neck like my Casino- My 56 GT and double cut Junior have very beefy profiles. Feature wise it's simple-I have played better low buck juniors out of the box though.

The sound was bassier and more distorted than my p90 guitars-I replaced the pickup with a mighty mite p90 I had around. I am the singer and rhythm player in my band, and my brother has humbucker loaded axes- so the p100 sounded too close to his rig for my taste. All my guitars are p90 loaded Epis that I got used and cheap, so I am used to that contrast to his sound. My tone is less midrange and distorted. The guitar is now noisier with the p90, but is brighter and cleans up better. It sounds a lot more like the old Gibsons now. My band, 3rd strike plays hard rock/punk/ with a R&B sensibility. I recently had to replace my amp setup as the road really has worn out my old rig. I am using my old Ampeg 412 cab with some newer Eminence speakers, but my Sovtek mig60 has been retired in favor of an Orange 60 watt head. I use a crybaby, tube screamer, and a boss multi unit for time based effects. I like the feel of this guitar, it plays great and holds tune well. I replaced the strap buttons and bridge though- I put on a badass, just like my double cut one has. I am going to replace the nut with bone as I prefer the tone of the bone! Straplocs are washers from the Ace hardware.

The color sunburst looks nice, it is thick poly like on my other Epis-not as pretty as nitro, but very durable for gigging. action was fine-but I filed the frets to match my other guitars setups-nothing at all wrong with the way it was, just a preference thing. Pickup was correct in adjustment, I just prefer the rawer bright tone of a true p90. My brother, a bucker player liked it a lot-I gave it to him, maybe it will be of use to him. The paint is orange peely, but not real bad for a cheaper guitar. decals on the head are same as the ones on my bolt neck Epi JR- cheap looking. No flaws though, except the damage to the back edge-no fault of the guitar though.

It is currently being used to gig with. The pots are light feeling like all these Epis, but seem ok-The jack was cheap-I replaced it with a switchcraft one. Finish is poly-very durable. Grovers are nice- I usually replace cheap tuners. I do depend on it, but never have played without backup. We are a working band and carry spares for any occasion. It never breaks strings though, and tuning and intonation are dead on since I installed the badass. Strap attached to guitar with washers.

Never needed to contact them yet.

Been playing for quite a few years now. My band works over 200 dates per year. My other gear includes 3 Epis- a 56 goldtop, a tv yellow doublecut junior, and a Casino that was turquoise, but now looks more light green. I have one fender- a Mexico strat with rio grande p/ups that I just got in trade with my brother for my Epi 58 V reissue ( he is the humbucker guy!) I have a Martin DXM acoustic (cheepo) for around the house (never there really), as well as a pod for recording demos and such. If it were stolen or lost, I'd replace it with one like it or close to it, as I really need all my guitars for our 2 and 1/2 hour set. I love the dryer more woody sound now that the p90 is in it- It sounds more like the Casino- the other JR and goldtop are way more raunchy and blatty. a good mix. The strat is what I round out for clean and bluesy tones. I hate nothing about it-my favorite feature is the low price. I thought I'd really love the set neck, but really my bolt one sounds and plays just as good. I wish it had the fatter neck honestly. I do love the mix that I get in the band and this guitar looks real nice under stage lights. These fixed up imports are the way to go for working gig guitars, we use our managers gear to record in his studio!(I'm typing this on his computer!heheh)

I've never understood this "Features" category, I think it makes no sense because features are inherent to a specific design, function or aesthetic - as in the case of the LP Jr, the sparse controls and single pickup are intended to be minimalist. So, since I like this guitar, I'll rate it a 10 - it's got tons of minimum features, just what I like. :)

I was at least slightly surprised to find the single P100 wasn't thin, nasal or whimpy toned - still, it's no honkin' Gibson P90. When thru some tasty tube amps it delivered a decent tone for rock or blues. The tone pot's cap value needs to get lowered, for a better useable sweep.

Couldn't find fault with anything concerning the materials, build or finish. The initial setup was good, I ditched the 9-42 strings in favor of 11-50 and reset the action and intonation. This one was a winner,as good as it gets.

Built like a Sherman tank, it'll take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

Don't know, don't care.

Been messing with all things guitar since the early 50's, and as a luthier/guitar tech I get to work on lotsa different guitars weekly. Having owned and played a number of Gibson LP Jr.s, my take on the Epi '57 LP Jr. is that it's a fairly good translation of that model in terms of body/neck dimensions, and materials. The neck is really wide (1.727") and has some slight "chunk" to it, so it's kinda close for what to expect from a 50's LP. The overall weight is a tad over 8lbs - also as expected. Where it radically deviates is the Epi headstock shape, the really nice sealed Grover tuners in place of the cheap strip tuners, and the P100 pup. I replaced the plastic nut with vintage cow bone, installed tuner adapter bushing to retro in vintage cased tuners w/white buttons, and installed a Gibson dog ear P90 - now it really does pass for a true Gibson LP Jr 'cause that pup is where it's at for Jr tone. The stock pots are full size, not Asian junk - but the jack is cheap and I replaced that with a Switchcraft. All in all, worth the current $300 street price, and even if all you do is replace the pickup you'll have shelled out far less than the $750 street price for a current Gibson LP Jr.

-TV yellow finish.
-Les Paul Junior single cutaway.
-Wrap around non-ajustable with staggered saddles to accomodate. rudimentry intonation.
-Grover chrome big button tuners.
-24.75 scale length on the fatter side as is the case with most 50's style guitars.
-21 frets.
-1 volume knob, 1 tone knob.
-1 x P-100 stacked humbucker.
-Generic brand no-name pickup probably made for epiphone in china.
-Passive electronics.
-According to Epiphones litrature they say it's mahogany but I would imagine it would be some buget mahogany and not vintage aged hondouras
(in your dreams perhaps)

-It will suit my style more once I have upgraded the pick-up styles of music that I plan to use this guitar for include in no particular order old skool punk,ska,rockabilly,punk blues etc.

-I use it with a variety of amps including 1. 1964 Fender Tremolux head with a 2 x 10 loaded celestion box 2.Gibson Goldentone Les Paul Junior amp 3.Vox re-issue AC - 15 a 90's version Made in England 4.Fender Super 60 1 x 12 Combo 5.George Dennis Blue Beetle 15 watter 6. Fender Blues Junior 7.Tweed 1 x 15 Bandmaster Clone 8.Vox AD 30 modelling amp. Effects used are a Boss Blues Driver BD-2,Ibanez AD - 9 analog delay (not a re-issue) and an Ibanez Ge-7 graphic equaliser pedal.
-Unplugged this guitar sounds thin and wiry with more of a Fende style sound than your typical gibson sound.Once plugged in the guitar sounded quite thin and weak.
-Not a lot of variety on offer as far as the tones that you can acheive with this guitar (not really the point of a 1 pickup Junior anyway)the P-100 is a little dull and bland and lacks for want of a better word ommph that you generally associate Juniors with.

-Action straight outta the box was way too low and buzzed all over the place the intonation was resonable considering the primitive wrap-aroud bridge.
-Pick-up is way too low and robs the guitar of showing it's true potential?
-There were a few small black spot on the bass side of the neck up near the 18 th fret the overall paintwork leaves alot to be desired I have to be quite frank here and say I have honestly seen better spray work with spray cans to be honest.Nut is ok but I will replace with bone in the future

-I have no doubts that this guitar will survive the rigors of life on the road.
-Hardware seems like it will go the distance.
-Current factory finish seems adequate enough to survive life on the trials of touring
-Strap buttons look to be solid and reliable and should go the distance with normal wear and tear etc.
-I have only taken it to a gig as a back-up so far but at home anfd rehersals it seems to be holding up.
-I never gig without a backup where ever possible because it's just to risky and unprofessional.

-Haven't had to have it repaired I think that it came with a 12 month limited warranty.I bought this new from Pro Audio in Canberra via mail order as far as Epiphone goes I have never had to deal with yet.

-I have been playing for over 20 years (semi- proffesional)and own heaps of other gear including recording gear and mics etc.Guitars I currently own are a 1987 Les Paul Junior,1994 Gretsch re-issue roundup heavily customized,A stock 2003 2 tone green Gretsch Dble Anni re-issue,a 1968 maple cap Tele,a Tokai Love Rock Double cut junior copy,a Blueridge BR-143 acoustic and finally a Squire Musicmaster bass.
-I wish that I had asked about the the distance of the pickup from the stings
-If it was lost or stolen I would replace if I could get a good deal otherwise no.
-what do I love about this guitar well I would have to say the neck and it's profile etc.I also love the superb fret work and the 57 re-issue truss rod cover looks way cool,what I dont like is the below average paintwork and more than this the bland and characterless sounding P-100 and finally the crappy looking epiphone headsock and its equally crappy looking screened on chunky style headstock decals very cheap looking.
-I wish that epiphone in all its wisdom had made this guitar with a P-90 rather than the P-100.

OK now for my summary I bought this guitar after having a major gas
attack and also after seeing the words limited edition with a set neck
made from mahogany.Initially straight out of the box this guitar was a little dissapointing but once again I must say, you get what you pay for.As far as going head to head against my 87 junior there is no comparison the Gibson kicks this things arse and if you have'nt heard a real junior with a P-90 well you have'nt lived.So far I have swapped the P-90 out of my Tokai jr and moved the pickup much closer to the strings to improve the output of the guitar.What a great improvment that was, having a profound effect on the tone of the guitar. Next I plan to put kluson tuner on after a re-spray, in either vintage white or sonic blue.I will repost and update at a later date once I have finished all my upgrades and mods which I hope will make the guitar a much better instrument.The good thing about this guitar is that you get the basic junior vibe for very little dollar thus giving you something to improve upon with upgrades etc.

It's not the kind of guitar, you ask about features for.. but I shall quote:

- 1 P-100 Pickup
- Vinatge Sunburst Finish
- Solid Body Les Paul Shape
- Tune-O-Matic Bridge
- Incredible Grover Tuners
- Made in China 2006
- 22 Frets
- One Volume control, One Tone Control
- Passive Electronics
- Not sure about the wood.

I play a lot of (pop) punk such as Green Day, Blink-182, The Clash, The Ramones. I also play mainstream rock such as My Chemical Romance, Lostprophets, Foo Fighters etc. Play some alternative\indie; Oasis, The Verve, Blur and play some Nirvana as well.

I use (for home practice) a Line6 Spider II 30 with possibly a Boss DS1 Distortion. If I use the amp and pedal minus effects it is very punchy and springy. However with effects it has the same power as a humbucker which is great about this guitar because, single-coil or humbucker you have them both.

It is a very good guitar to thrash those power-chords and play all the solos you want, but in that sense it's quite versitile. Blues and Jazz work well on this guitar as the Epiphone Wildkat also features a P90.

The only dislike about this guitar is the noise it makes. Some people find it attractive but in some situations i.e. using tremolo effects it does get annoying.

Out of the box there was no problem. Action was perfect, everything was set up, even the tuning! Nothing particularly needed to be changed. The guitar itself was just wonderful out of the box and played perfectly. The nut was great, finish, pegs, everything was perfect.

This guitar will definantly withstand live playing. It is built solid. The hardware is ok as far as I can tell and the finish is brilliant. I cannot comment on the strap buttons because as soon as I recieved it I put some straplocks on it. I would gig but not without a backup. The only problem is my backup is terrible :P. I despise taking expensive guitars to small venues.

The warrenty is insured by the company I bought it from for 3 years but so far no issues have been raised.

I have been playing for near on 3-4 years and I own(ed) the following:

Gibson Les Paul Junior '56
Fender American Strat Standard (Sold)
Fender Telecaster '72 Custom
Gibson Melody Maker (Sold)
Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom
Squire Affinity Strat '51 (My Backup)

The Les Paul Junior '56 is extremely similar to the Epiphone but the pickup is much better on the Gibson and the whole feel of the Gibson is much more genuine because it uses a proper 50's neck. The Melody Maker is much more like the Epiphone apart from the Epiphone is probably better in more ways than one. I didn't like the 60's slim tapered neck. As you guys can all tell I like P-90's (the '72 tele also boasts a P-90) So that's why this was so hard to resist because I got this for such an amazing price when the RRP ??219.

I love the P-100 on this because of the dirtiness and raunchiness of it. The sound is quite basic yet effective. If it was stolen or lost I would be sooooo amazingly upset because they're only making few of the 'Ltd. Edition '57 Reissues' and I'd choose this any day over the poor quality Epiphone Les Paul Juniors feauturing a humbucker.

I however wish it had the Billie Joe Signature Mark on the back of the headstock because I love Green Day and their music and that's what inspired me to buy the Junior plus anything with p-90's. Humbuckers don't suit my style I just like the Bullseye on the Zakk Wylde model.

Buy this guitar because you can pick then up for about ??99 if your lucky (don't settle for the cheap humbucker version). It's so worth it because for the price it cannot be beat. Definantly one of my favourites.

- Made 2006, Korea
- 22 Frets
- Solid Top
- 1 volume, 1 tone
- Single P-100 humbucker
- Pretty basic, TV-yellow finish
- Grover Tuners
- Tune-o-matic bridge
- Came with the standard crappy cable that is included with all electric epiphones.

- Fits my style (punk, hardcore) perfectly
- Running it through an Epi Firefly, but it sounds much better through my 60 watt Marshal
- Very little noise
- Chunky, rich sound
- Not too much variety, but still, its good for what I do
- No complaints here, though some might prefer more tonal options

- Best factory action that I've ever seen, slight buzz on the low E, but that's been fixed
- Haven't found any flaws...though the fretboard has a slight discoloration around the 12th fret.
- Original color...guaranteed to stand out

- I have no doubt that this would withstand a gig, but I always play with a backup.
- All hardware is great for a $300 guitar
- Finish is very, very thick...though my firebird has the same thick paintjob
- I changed out the strapbuttons for straplocks, so I can't review those
- I would definately depend on this guitar, though I've never gigged without at least one other guitar.

- Limited lifetime warranty, electronics covered for a year, I think.

- I've been playing for about 3 years now and own an Epiphone Firefly 30watt and a Marshal 60 watt, as well as an Epiphone Firebird and a few Ibanezes
- I would definately replace this guitar if stolen
- My favorite feature is probably the simplicity of the guitar...for one pickup, you can't go wrong.
- I compared it to the Wilshire Reissue and a few Schecters, but I've always wanted a junior, and seeing as how this was so cheap, I went for it...glad I did!
- Buy this guitar! It's excellent!