Epiphone Genesis

Features described elsewhere...I just bought this on Ebay after reading these reviews and must say his axe is a gem! Good workmanship, solid as a tank and well designed.

Previous owner replaced the pickups with relatively high output Lace humbuckers but sent me the originals. There are 5 pickup options with the coil splitter and they are all useful. I use it for rock blues and jazz-it's a real rocker though in terms of sound. Pickups/guitar has a lot of clarity-notes come out well-defined and full. I have a Godin P-90, Mike Kelly Hourglass, 73 Gibson SG, and Blackburn Explorer, and Gibson American Classic and the Genesis is best in terms of variety of sounds/tone.

Bought it used-it sets up great.

Finish is olding up well. It heavy and will likely be around longer than I will.

I have 20+ guitars and currently play thru a Vox Valvetronics 50W. I seems to bring the best out of every model on the amp.

Features listed below, nothing changed

What a guitar! I have had about every Gibson ever made, and the Genny stands up to any of them.

One little fault, feedback. You really need to get away from the amp if you play with any volume.

Fits my hand like it was custom made for me. The finish on the rear is less than perfect, front and sides are flawless... but I don't stare at it, I play it :-)

Rock solid. I owned it for nearly 2 years, bought used and never
had a problem with it.

N/A

I wouldn't change ANYTHING on my Genny... OK, cherry sunburst would be cool, other than that feedback reduction if it could be had without cutting into it's great sound.

What's going on at these guitar makers when they cannot release a model and let a following grow into it? I have NEVER heard of anyone who owned a Genny who didn't like it!!! Epiphone must have too many MBA's making decisions there.

79 that I found at a Sound Oddessy store in the Cherry Hill Mall...bought this axe new for $179.00 on closeout as they were discontinueing all musical instruments. Two volume and one tone control, coil splitter hooked to two passive humbuckers, other than that it's a real basic ass kicker of a guitar! Super heavy, solid body with neck through design that I just know contributes to this axe's insane sustain. Body is bound in ivory plastic around the face that has aged nicely to give an uneven colored but still very classy look, no neck binding with basic dot inlays. The neck is super chunky, feels almost P-bass thick, but really fast all the same. I've never found another guitar that feels quite like it. The body is a deep double cutaway, giving uninhibited access to all frets. I do not know what kind of wood this axe is made of, due to the body being covered by its thick laquer-like finish, but from the weight, sustain, bright tone and feel I have to guess it's solid maple (2 piece, judging from the grain on the front), as is the neck, It has a rosewood fretboard (unfinished) with medium frets that give a lightning fast feel. The guitar came with a basic LP shaped hardshell case that I still use to this day, despite the fact that it's falling apart around the hinge area. Been shooting around the idea of getting a coffin case for it, but I need to justify the expense to my wife first.....

I've owned this guitar since I was 16, my style has developed around and because of the way it plays and sounds. I have used it through too many different amps and effects to remember, I now have an Ampeg J12 Reverb with the built in tremolo (50's style sounding warbly effect for those who have never had the opportunity to use one) that I pretty much use all the time, with no other effects. I can get every sound from the classic LP crunch to a super smooth, almost acoustic/electric tone from the neck pickup using the coil splitter and some creative mixing. The most versatile electric I've ever owned, and I've had many in the past 25 years! My only bitch is the neck pickup dying on me, leaving me with a non splitting '57 humbucker in that spot, which has limited the versatility somewhat. What I wouldn't give for an original replacement.....

Mine has the deep wine red finish, which I fell in love with at first sight! Fit and finish are still excellent, even after all these years. The laquer has chipped around the jack, as has been noted in many other reviews due to the thinness of the wood and the lack of a protective plate around it, but I think it adds to the character of the guitar. Neck is rock solid and very chunky feeling, action was kinda high but easy to fix. The gloss red has a tendency to look very dull and murky under bright lights, but other than that it is really nice! The axe came set up with ultra light strings (everybody wanted to be Jimmy Page back then...) which I do not like. With a little work with a fine file, I was able to gring the nut to accomodate medium jazz strings (12 to 54). This made all the difference in the world in the overall feel of this guitar. I have tried different guages as well, everything from standard Diaddario 10s to heavy phospher/bronze wound mixed with steel unwound uppers (my current setup) and all have fared equally well under constant use. Compared to some of the guitars my friends were getting at the time for the same price, my Eppy was and still is one of the best on the block!

Well, as I have said, I've owned this guitar for well over 25 years now, and it is still my main axe. Besides me killing the bridge p-up (had to replace it around 1992, put a Gibson '57 in it that just does not measure up to the original), I have had no problems with this gem other than those I caused myself. One that sticks in my mind is a New Year's gig I played with a band called Legend at a ratty club called the Hollywood Bowl in Mt. Ephraim NJ, it must have been either 1986 or 87, well one of the guys packing up for us wacked my eppy's ultra long skinny headstock on something and broke the &^%$#@ clean off! I didn' find the damage until 2 days later when I showed up for band practice...when I saw my baby's neck snapped like that, I want ed to just kill somebody! I thing the guy that put it away realized this too, he took off like a bat outta hell and I didn't see him again until after it was fixed! Had the headstock reset and the neck tweaked by a guy who used to work out of RPM1020 in Philly, he made a great playing axe play nicer and saved my one and only from an early grave! I still have the original stop tailpiece, tuning pegs, and all other hardware and they're holding up great! There's slight pitting on some of the chrome, but nothing that affects the playability and does not look that bad either. I replaced the volume and tone pots with super duty units (as big as a half dollar coin, where the originals were dime sized) before I realized the neck pickup was fried, I think this may have contributed to the huge sound I get out of this guitar. It originally came with three tiny pots, and although they worked fine, did not look very durable. My replacements are still hanging in after fifteen years, and the repalcement knobs I used give the axe a very retro even for a late seventies axe look, almost like fifties stereo controls! I've played hundreds of gigs with just this axe, and also trying to use others (always looking for that great one, even if it's right under my nose) with this as a backup, wound up switching to this one even with the ES-135 at times!

Never needed them , so I can't say

Been playing since I was 11, I'm 42 now...owned this guitar since I was 16, it was my first "real" axe! My only wish is that I had another original pickup for the neck position, so I could have my total package sound again! I've owned too many different electrics over the years to count, ranging from a cheapy Hohner baby Dean copy to a Gibson ES-135 reissue (just sold that one for $550, whatta dummy) and to date the Genesis is still my number one when I play out or just jam in my living room through a practice amp! This guitar helped shape my playing style, if it were stolen I would track down the loser who took it and hang them by their gonads! There is no replacing it, I've actually played other similar guitars (same model/year/etc) and none of them felt like this one...I got a rare gem for next to nothing when I bought this one, and it wound up being my longest lasting friend as well!

1979 epiphone genesis that i found at Spacetone Music, 22 frets, Set neck, Two volume knobs, One tone know, a 3 way switch for rythem and lead, plus a coil splitter, Dark transparent red,almost postive its a mahogany neck with a rosewood fret board, dot inlay, great tuners, the bridge is just like a gibson, two open humbuckers, it came with a gig bag.

I bought it used obviously, the action was great, the finish is worn but the thing is 27 years old, the frets are still in great shape, no problems

I depend on this guitar more then my gibson SG special that i paid twice has much for.

ive been playing guiat 13 years, i own 3 fender strats, 1 gibson sg special, 1 gibson flying v, 1 epiphone genesis. If i come across another for below 500 bucks ill buy its easily. best guitar ive bought for the price. it compares to a les paul. if anyone has one to sale contact me at my email.

I have had this 79 for over 20 yrs. just love it! It has been through a lot and just stands up for more. I am probably going to have to do something with the knobs but after this many years I don't mind.

It is heavy, tough, and reliable as hell. wine red in colour.
she is a beast and would never part with her (just like one of the kids)

Epiphone Genesis. Don't know the exact year,bought it used around 1980.22jumbo frets,2exposed humbuckers,2vol,1tone,1coil tap.Black finish with white abd black binding.Solid maple body,very heavy.Tune o matic bridge,stop tailpiece.Fat neck,had grovers on it when bought,now Scaller locking tuners.This thing totally rocks

I've played classic metal on it for years.through a JCM800 set up clean with a Pro Co rat, a Rocktron Tsunami chorus and a Cry Baby you can pretty well cover the gamut of 70's and 80's metal.Les Pauls be damned!!!!!

N/A got it used and did the setup myself.

It's a monster.I used it at many gigs with no backup with no worries.

Never called them

I've been playing since late 1963.I love the fact that it's a Les Paul in disguise.If it were lost or stolen I'd try to find another one.The neck and pickups are my favorite features.The only real flaw is the jack placement.It should have been on the side because the top is very thin over the body cavity where the jack is mounted and any side pressure can split the top around the jack.I'm about to have a luthier friend of mine remedy that problem as well as do some fret and finish work to get it ready to rock for the next 25 years

I have a '79 genesis I bought used on ebay from Canada for about $450(you can thank me later for artificially inflating a bargain axe's price and infuriating the cheapo guitar collectors out there). It looks like a double cutaway les paul from hell. Mine has a nice tobacco sunburst, two humbuckers, mahogany with maple top, rosewood fretboard, crown inlays like a les standard, and two volume and two tone controls with a coil tap. The neck feels really comfortable to me, kind of fat, but fast. I used to own a McCarty Hollowbody with a wide-fat and this blows it away. It's a cool era piece.

I absolutey love the sound of the two pickups with the volumes and tones both set at 5/6. You get that nice Peter Green/B.B. King tone. Unfortunately, that's about the only sound I can get that I like with these pickups. They're due for replacement this week with GFS Dream 180's( Filtertron meets PAF tone). This will alow me to get the sound I like and allow the split option to actually sound better than it does. It's like getting your tones' balls cut off with the split on the stock pickups. But at the price and if you can get away with having a one trick pony then it's pretty cool.

The saddles were thrashed and I broke more than a few strings in a week, but this is a 25 year old guitar with the original hardware, so I can't fault it for that. The nut is overcut on the low E and G causing buzzing. I used the toothpick trick to make sure it wasn't the neck and it worked. So I'm out seventy-five bucks on an earvana nut and graph-tech saddles. No worries..........

The guitar is a fucking tank. When I strap it on it definitely feels like phallic piece. I know it can take a little abuse, but I don't treat guitars like that. I've heard reports of people breaking the headstock off when they've dropped them, but if you've ever rocked out on any set-neck guitar you know that can happen. I just use strap locks and get down safely.

I doubt Gibson even remembers this model. Otherwise, they'd reissue this instead of all the bullshit they make now. I talked to Michael at eastwoodguitars.com about a possible reissue, but he was concerned about the public's response to paying close to $699.00 for a reissue that people can still get pretty cheap if they can find them. I say flood his sight with e-mails, because what he does with vintage axe reissues is close to being magical. They are 99% of the time better than the original and in this case the improvements he could possibly make would more than make the asking price worth it. Flood his site!!!! eastwoodguitars.com /myrareguitars.com

I've been playing close to eleven years and I've owned a B.C. RICH Mockingbird Supreme, an Ibanez Blazer, an Ibanez Talman, a PRS McCarty Hollowbody, a Fender Telecaster deluxe, a Fender Fat strat with a floyd, and a Fender Cyclone. I loved all of those guitars for mostly sentimental reasons, but they have all come and gone. I parted with them by choice and necessity, but if I was homeless I'd still have this fucking guitar if not to play than beat the shit out of would be muggers and low-lifes. This is the only axe I have right now, but I have an Eastwood Ultra-GP on order(see the reviews on that one!)and I am totally pleased with what could have been a potentially bad ebay purchase. It'll stay with me because of the neck and because it has real potential to be a gem. The entire body resonates when you fucking pick a note. The only two guitars that came close was the B.C. RICH and McCarty and they cost a fortune and then paid alot of bills. The price to upgrade this to perfection is worth paying >$500, but I'm convinced that if you flood eastwoodguitars.com with requests then we'd get what we want: an axe we're not affraid to go through hell to replace and it could be potentially better, but if you see a genesis and have any reservations about buying it, stop and just decide what it costs to upgrade and make into a real winner and then you'll more than likely own one. Or just e-mail me and I'll buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why they do not re-make this guitar, I don't know. it was about a '79,
or '80, great wine red finish two vol./ one tone/and coil tap, and
two exposed humbuckers.

the sound was clean and very up front, and when you crank it up the
thing sings like amuch more costly piece.

nothing I would call a flaw, inconsistant finish in places, nut slightly off center.

It did it all,and never failed. this thing was a tank!

never had a problem, did not call.

I don't know how I let this guitar get away from me. but I would love
to have another one. I've owned a fender stratocaster, gibson maruader
b.c.rich eagle standard, ibanez musician, and a hamer californian.

guys

all of you

can i tell you

you rock my world

i designed the genesis series

during the time that i was director of marketing for the company

i came into that job after having spent a number of years designing and producing the very first hamer guitars

to hear that it has endured

and endured well

makes me feel better than you can possibly know

and yes

it was one fucking heavy guitar

rock on my friends

jim walker

Details pretty much done well below, but as usual my findings may vary.

Mine has TWO volume controls, and a master tone. The coil tap unlike others DOES work. The PUPS have TWO height adjusting screws on one
side of the pickup. This may help stabilize them at high volumes. Curious why nobody else did this.

The neck is "chunky" just the way I like it.

Again, my opinion differs from some... The stock pups sound as good
as anything I have in a HB from Gibson.

The "coil tap" adds a nice flavor, like a Varitone

Quite well done overall. The neck is setup low, and fast, I had to raise the strings to make it play the way I like it YMMV. The triple body, neck and head binding looks very good.

I'm not real critical on an inexpensive guitar in visual quality, I go for playability, and sound, this it does well.

It's really nicely balanced too.

The input jack goes in at a 90 degree angle to the body. Why I don't
know but this arrangement causes jacks to break if you step on the cord
and didn't have it wound behind the strap.

No biggie, it's a minor fault.

The nut needed some pencil lead on it to keep from having the tuning jump areound, but this happens on the most expensive Gibsons too, so
it's a small bug.

Action and sound are great, getting to the second octave is a dream.

I wonder why good designs fail, and we perpetuate crap designs because
they're "classic"

I don't know what other color variations they came in, but I'm looking
for another one, frankly I like it more tham my LP standard. That says
a LOT.