Epiphone Genesis

The Genesis was only made for a couple years 1978-1980. They are essentially a Les Paul style guitar and were probably the biggest reason Gibson had to buy out Epiphone. From the factory they came with a versatile set of features including a 5 way selectable toggle, a coil tap, two volume controls and one tone control... not to mention a hefty mahogany frame that resonates beautifully.

I have removed the original pickups from both my standard and deluxe editions (saved them of course!) and replaced them with Seymour Duncan SH5 (bridge position) and SH2N (neck)pickups. The change has been well worth it! The original pickups in both guitars were beat up and noisy.

I play in a hard rock band so this heavy beast of a guitar works really nice. I run it through a Vox Tonelab floor board into a Peavey 5150II. My deluxe is actually a little noiser than the standard (noisy volume pots) but this is probably because the deluxe has seen more hours of use than the standard has. The tone as I mentioned above is huge and thick, yet the coil taps enable this guitar to play almost any style including twangy country! In my opinion, this guitar is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played. The standard version simply lacks the 'fancy' moldings and fret inlays that the deluxe comes with. Also, my deluxe is a sunburst, while I believe standards were only manufactured in solid black, red or white.

I have no idea how well these guitars were set-up when they left the factory, but my two are great now... which I guess says a lot considering they are about 30 years old!

Yes this guitar will withstand playing live and sounds great recorded as well. This thing is a tank and if more guitars were built this well today, I would probably have bought a newer guitar instead of a second Genesis. Neither one of my Genesis have let me down or quit on me while touring or in the studio.

I've never dealt with Epiphone or Gibson and certainly not back when Epiphone was it's own company!

I've been playing guitar for 14 years and piano for 22 years, so I do know a little bit about music/writing/tone etc and this guitar is a gem. If it was stolen I would be on ebay the next day trying to find another Genesis, all the while wishing ill on the son-of b*tch who stole my current one! If you can find an Epiphone Genesis in decent shape, buy it.

My grandfather bought the genisis for my father when he was ten it was his first guitar. He recently gave it to me, it happens to be made the first year of production 1979 and it is also the 130th one made. this guitar has been beat up and been refreted but it still sounds good. I play it every ounce in a while and it sounds good whith my distortion pedal. I plan on keeping this for a long time maybe the rest of my life and i am only fourteen. I hope i have a long time left with it.

it goes out of tune every ounce in a while but it has withstood thirty years of playing and it still sound good epiphone has reliably guitars

no warranty

i have played four years and have three other guitars and one is a epiphone les paul i really love that guitar and as you can see i love epiphone i also have a alverez and a fender strat

I got this guitar at a garage sale for $70 bucks. It looks great and sounds Ok. I'm sure with new pickups this thing might sound pretty good. I mostly use a PRS Hollowbody w/ two 7's ,Ans an AMmerican Tele with a Antiquity bridge PU. This guitar plays well and looks great...it just sounds too muddy and the resonance never wants to "open up"...kinda boxy.Might be better if modded

I TRY TO play mostly lead. I'm into very tranparent tones, that blossom into vocals shapes rather than a buzz that's amplified. This guitar sounds OK. It's way better than a cheap squire or some junk like that, but still lacks any real great tone. Very muddy....even split to single coils.

Good...I can see a seem through the finish of when they glued the body pieces together...

Seem solid as a rock

NA

People get so excited about guitar when companies stop making them. The old Japanese stars are even worth a fortune...but for a good reason. They sound good and are made of good wood. This guitar if built today, would not gain to much attention..it sounds muddy as hell, and it weighs a ton! Maybe some $200 pickups might fix the tone but then I'm ruining the vintage vibe and still don't know if it will sound any better. There a reason people pay money for good guitars...wood is expensive and so are nice pickups...throw on some quality hardware into a custom nicely finished neck and body, and match it all up...$$$ This guitar lacks good wood, pickups, and sound

I bought a Genesis Bass used in 1982. At the time, I had only been playing for 3 years and had just gotten a Rick 4001 to add to my Fender Jazz bass. I showed up a gig with it and pulled it out at the start of the third set. The guitarist flipped out over how good it sounded. He insisted I play it everywhere for the rest of the time I was with them. A few months after that band broke up, money became tight and I sold it. I have owned a few Les Paul basses, several Fenders and a couple Ricks, but I have been looking for a black Epiphone Genesis bass for years. I switched to guitar about 10 years ago and would like to pick up a guitar version as well. This coming from a long time Strat guy. If anyone knows where I can get them email me reverendmsa@hotmail.com

Thanks

Mark Archambault
www.MySpace.com/TheMarkArchambaultCombo

Made somewhere between 1979-81.
I've got the deluxe model.
2 humbuckers with a coil split switch,3 way pickup toggle switch, 2 vol knobs per pickup and a master tone knob.

Weighty solid mahogany monster!! Unbelievably heavy.. this thing just oozes tone.

Tuners are very reliable (I just got it in today and was I surprised to find out that the original tuners were feeling tight and very stable for an instrument of this age! Excellent quality hardware.

The neck feels like it's between the 59 and 60's neck. It feels awesome.

I'm giving this a 10 here due to this guitar having all the features I need in a gigging guitar.

Here is where this guitar shines.

Have only just gotten the guitar in today from a vintage dealer so I haven't gotten to measuring how hot the pickups are but let me tell you this, this guitar flat out Floors the new Gibson Les Paul's I've tried out at the store.

The pickups on this guitar sound like gold to me. They provide what myself and most people are seeking these days the vintage tone sublimely. Words cannot describe my feelings when I plugged it into my amps.
If I had turned the volume up any louder, a guitar enthusiast would probably break into my house to steal this guitar.
This is what I would feel like doing if I heard my neighbors axe sounding as sweet as this.

The volume knobs and tone knob are extremely responsive and it really adds to the dynamics of your playing style.

The coil tap switches are amazing. This guitar is no strat and I wasn't looking for a strat either but let me say this, the coil taps bring out what I call a tone that's edgy, bitey and has a feeling of an old friend coming up to you and greeting you with a smack on the back.

If I were in a shop and I hear someone plugging it in, I'm sold!

I'm really not being over the top when I say this guitar sounds as good if not better than the les paul standards that Gibson is making now.

First of all if some of you are wondering why I compared this to the les pauls in stores and not my own, this is because I'm sorry but I do not like the looks of les pauls. This is the only reason why I don't owe one.

A few examples of my guitars are an ES-339, Blueshawk(the Gibbys).
(Yes I have a fetish for F-holes and horns)

I love any guitar with f-holes and guitars with horns.
This genesis, which I'm very fortunate to be able to obtain, is my answer to getting the les paul sound. I tried getting the fat warm les paul tone with many other guitars but to no avail.

Okay guys,
this is not factory setup (I doubt anyone cares what the setup was like 30 years ago..)

The action is awesome.
Plays like butter.
Fit and finish is superb.
I've seen many vintage ibanez and yamaha guitars with dreadful finish checks and even scarier are the finish checks on their necks.
This guitar however had no finish flaws even after 30 years.

I wonder if the luthiers who worked on this guitar know that their work is this amazing.

NO scratchy pots!! I repeat NO scratchy pots even at this age! All original!

Tuners are amazingly stable. So tight (tighter than the ones on my damn les paul florentine..). Holds a tune for as long as I did not bend 4 to 5 semi-tones in a song. I doubt any guitar holds a tune well after being consistently bent 4 - 5 semitones anyway.

Saying anything more than what I've said above would only be redundant..

30 years later.
Never dealt with epiphone before

I have been playing for awhile and I own a couple of gibson's custom shop models and standard models, some ESP Standards and well 2 Epiphones.
One is this Genesis and one is a Les Paul ES(sounds worlds apart from the Genesis but also very sweet)

If it were stolen, I would be very sad. I would chase the thief to the ends of the earth not to put him through hell but to get my baby back!

I love this guitar.

Made somewhere between 1979-81.
I've got the deluxe model.
2 humbuckers with a coil split switch,3 way pickup toggle switch, 2 vol knobs per pickup and a master tone knob.

Weighty solid mahogany monster!! Unbelievably heavy.. this thing just oozes tone.

Tuners are very reliable (I just got it in today and was I surprised to find out that the original tuners were feeling tight and very stable for an instrument of this age! Excellent quality hardware.

The neck feels like it's between the 59 and 60's neck. It feels awesome.

I'm giving this a 10 here due to this guitar having all the features I need in a gigging guitar.

Here is where this guitar shines.

Have only just gotten the guitar in today from a vintage dealer so I haven't gotten to measuring how hot the pickups are but let me tell you this, this guitar flat out Floors the new Gibson Les Paul's I've tried out at the store.

The pickups on this guitar sound like gold to me. They provide what myself and most people are seeking these days the vintage tone sublimely. Words cannot describe my feelings when I plugged it into my amps.
If I had turned the volume up any louder, a guitar enthusiast would probably break into my house to steal this guitar.
This is what I would feel like doing if I heard my neighbors axe sounding as sweet as this.

The volume knobs and tone knob are extremely responsive and it really adds to the dynamics of your playing style.

The coil tap switches are amazing. This guitar is no strat and I wasn't looking for a strat either but let me say this, the coil taps bring out what I call a tone that's edgy, bitey and has a feeling of an old friend coming up to you and greeting you with a smack on the back.

If I were in a shop and I hear someone plugging it in, I'm sold!

I'm really not being over the top when I say this guitar sounds as good if not better than the les paul standards that Gibson is making now.

First of all if some of you are wondering why I compared this to the les pauls in stores and not my own, this is because I'm sorry but I do not like the looks of les pauls. This is the only reason why I don't owe one.

A few examples of my guitars are an ES-339, Blueshawk(the Gibbys).
(Yes I have a fetish for F-holes and horns)

I love any guitar with f-holes and guitars with horns.
This genesis, which I'm very fortunate to be able to obtain, is my answer to getting the les paul sound. I tried getting the fat warm les paul tone with many other guitars but to no avail.

Okay guys,
this is not factory setup (I doubt anyone cares what the setup was like 30 years ago..)

The action is awesome.
Plays like butter.
Fit and finish is superb.
I've seen many vintage ibanez and yamaha guitars with dreadful finish checks and even scarier are the finish checks on their necks.
This guitar however had no finish flaws even after 30 years.

I wonder if the luthiers who worked on this guitar know that their work is this amazing.

NO scratchy pots!! I repeat NO scratchy pots even at this age! All original!

Tuners are amazingly stable. So tight (tighter than the ones on my damn les paul florentine..). Holds a tune for as long as I did not bend 4 to 5 semi-tones in a song. I doubt any guitar holds a tune well after being consistently bent 4 - 5 semitones anyway.

Saying anything more than what I've said above would only be redundant..

30 years later.
Never dealt with epiphone before

I have been playing for awhile and I own a couple of gibson's custom shop models and standard models, some ESP Standards and well 2 Epiphones.
One is this Genesis and one is a Les Paul ES(sounds worlds apart from the Genesis but also very sweet)

If it were stolen, I would be very sad. I would chase the thief to the ends of the earth not to put him through hell but to get my baby back!

I love this guitar.

I bought my Epiphone Genesis brand new in 1982. The Genesis model only ran for 3 years, making it rare. The run times were from 1979 through 1981. It is made of a solid mohogony body that as you know weighs a ton. You have a volume dial for each of the Humbucker pickups, a tone dial, the 3 way switch for the 2 pickups and a coil splitter switch, which is a unique and great feature! The 1979 model was made in Japan and the 80 and 81 models were made in Taiwan. There were 3 models. The basic model had small round inserts on the frets; the cheapest color was the solid black model. Mine's a base model but is Wine Red in color. The deluxe model had rectangular inserts and more white striping around the neck and body and finally was the custom model. Also with the extra striping, it had more decorative inserts. This guitar was built using mostly Gibson Les Paul parts. The strings were comfortably low to the neck making it easy and great to play, well. The pickups are lound and crisp giving it a great sound. It is thought that Gibson stopped production because the price was very low as new, which is why they moved production from Japan to Taiwan, as an attempt to reduce cost of build. They originally designed this unit to draw more players to the Epiphone brand. If your Genesis is in good condition with all its original parts, take good care of it and keep it for a while. The value is only going to go up further! Hope this helps.

Your serial numbers are on the back of the headstock towards the top. Actually I am on this site trying to get some info. I have a Genesis with a serial # that I want info on. Its 9000001 and I wonder if it has any significance. Does anyone know where to find this kind of info out?

have an genesis aswell own it for 25 years.. love it :-)
but i can't find a serialnumber on it...where do I have to look ?
was it a sticker ore stamped in? are there guitars made without the serial???

at the time in de 70"s they were sold inclusive with a case..

I own 2 genesis, or genesi? I bought what I believe is a custom in around 1980. It is a brown gold sunburst, binding everywhere, and trapazoid inlays. I loved the shape as it was not the common double cutaway, but resemble the lower half of a LesPaul in both directions.
The long headstock and HEAVY body give this guitar legendary sustain. The tuners are excellent, ratio is small and exact and they hold after almost 30 years of playing. I had always thought this was a USA made guitar but recently I have read that they were first made in Japan in 78 and in Taiwan 79-80. I bought it with some use so maybe it is a Japan model. Mahogany body/maple top. The most versatile pickup/electronics I have ever had with a 2humbucker guitar. split swtch.

It sounded good through my first amp which was a peavey pacer112. Also sounded good through fender twin, and now my exclusive amps are Tubeworks tubedrivers (amazing hybrids).
This guitar never makes noise, although the pots have been cleaned.
Full/warm sound, and hot/overdrive sound ala santana.
I like everything about this guitar.

The wood and finish on this guitar is a work of art. The burst is repeated on the back, the sides, the neck right up to the back of the head stock! The hardware is showing lots of signs of wear, it is not uncommon for my guitars as I have an acid skin and my hardware corrodes, but for 30 years of play it is good.

For any gig where I would take only one guitar, it would have to be a Genesis. The guitar had 2 bad falls, one where it fell off a flat bed and the neck stuck in the ground, it didn't even go out of tune. The second, it dropped from around my neack (the strap-lock was not fully engaged) and cracked the neck right at the headstock. That has been glued - recracked- and glued again. Even still it has perfect intonation up and down the neck.
I searched for years and bought a second Genesis in 2000. It is a standard black with dot inlays, and binding on the top only. It is in every way superior to my epi LesPaul standard. over the years I have owned a lot of guitars, and they have all come and gone, this is the best production guitar I have ever played, and I would buy another if I saw it.

I had the neck of the custom glued 2 times, it is very good now.

I have been playing for 31 years.
Guitars: 2 Genesis, Epi Les Paul standard, LP100, SG400, a customized hamer.
Amps: 2 td752 45 watt, td714 30watt.
Effects: Boss pedals, tube screamer, crybaby.

It's not likely they would both be stolen...but, I would replace if I could, and as I said I will buy another as soon as I find one. As far as I can see, this had to be the best produced, worst marketed guitar in history!

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.

The Epiphone Genesis, according to Vintage Guitar, was designed in the Gibson U.S.A. offices and built in Japan in the late 70s.

It has the usual number of frets.

Solid top Double cut away that throws the balance off, especially when sitting down.

One Volume, Two Tone Controls, One Coil Tap, Passive electronics,
Two humbuckers designed by the Gibson technicians

Mahogany body with Rosewood fretboard

Sunburst finish.

Tune-O-Matic Metric

Regular Tuners, probably Gotoh.

Regarding Sound
I bought it new in September 1980 with the idea of getting something with a Telecaster sound.

I use a Fender Stage amplifier, circa 1987 and get lots of compliments from other guitar players.

Pots are a bit scratchy, but so would you be after nearly thirty years of being bashed, picked on, wailed on, dropped, bashed and tossed.

It has a cool PAF roar, especially through the Fender Stage amp. I can get a ear splitting treble, too. Very versatile.

I truly enjoy my Genesis and would recommend it as a great guitar to anyone. I've read comments in Vintage Guitar that places it with Les Pauls and it has been described as the greatist unknown sleeper buy.

I'll buy another one and use it for experimentation regarding electronic switching ideas I've gotten from the other reviews of this guitar.

Rock and Roll.

Old Gibson tube amps, Fender Stage amp

Danelectro distortion box, Emerald Echo, Morley and Danelectro wah pedals.

My Genesis does anything I can play and desire to play.

Dislike: the off balance from the double cut away horns.

Guitar set up was very good, but I noticed a buzz in the 11th or 13th fret, on it and another Genesis.

Pick ups were fine.

Oh yeah, I had new gold everything put on it. Very prt sunburst with gold hardware and faux mop tuners

My Genesis is excellant for any type of playing.

I would take to a gig without another guitar, if I had too, but other guitars are cool too, as I describe my thirty guitars, each one is like a different woman, each responds to a different touch, stroke, and "demand".

Never had to deal with anyone over the guitar after twenty four years. Who can complain?

I've been playing either for too long or not long enough.

Yeah, does it sleep in the wet spot. (yup)

Would buy another and track down the thief and reap havoc on him/her

I like the feel, sound and thick base ball bat feel of the neck. I dislike the one fret that buzzes and the off balance from the double cut away. I like the pick ups and wonder about different switching schemes.

I got my first Geny in 1979 when I was a starving student at Purdue University in Fort Wayne Indiana. It was the cherry red model, modest features, I think I paid about 300 dollars for it. I wanted a LP at the time and couldn't afford it, the Geny was a great alternative. It was made of mahogany like the LP, but with a double-cutaway, and it had that wonderful coil tap, that enabled me to get more versatile for the progressive sounds I was beginning to get into. I had many comments about it, and I used it as my main instrument for many years. Got married, had a family, one day somewhere about 1992 I left my Geny leaning against the basement wall "for a minute" and turned and found my 4 year old daughter reach to grab it, missed, Geny fell on the concrete basement floor and literally broke it's head stock off... after the bad news that the neck couldn't be repaired, I packed Geny away in a corner of the attic and went on with life, and other guitars... until I happened to see someone selling a beat up clone of Geny on Ebay last summer. On a whim I bought it. I stripped the recent acquisition down and refinished it with Cherry finish from guitar reranch (it really does work) I took all my bright and shiny, well cared for parts off of Geny one and discarded all the beat up electronics and hardware off of Geny two. Installed Gotoh tuners, a bone nut, seymour duncan jazz neck and jazz bridge humbuckers (jazz bridge is not easy to find, but what wonderful clear tone, excellent high frequency response!) I refretted Geny two with jumbo frets. I was really fortunate that Geny two has better action than Geny one, (at least what I remember). I replaced the original mini toggle with an on/off/on mini toggle from guitarelectronics.com that allowed me to select north coil/humbucking/south coil --- giving me a choice of either single coil instead of simply the north one. This was a project of a bit of passion, and I had a great time "restoring" Geny. I really love the outcome.

I play progressive jazz with a bit of art rock (Yes, ELP, etc.) and blues to suit my taste. Geny 2 handles about 90% of the sounds I need. The coil tap allows me to get strat like sounds, and I can push a solid humbucker sound when I want. Since I made the choice to go with two Seymour Duncan Jazz pickups, I don't get thrashing stuff, but that was my choice. I really like the solid body sweet tones that come out of this thing, they really do offset my buddies ES175 type sounds. Really nice in the mix with jazzbox and hollow bodies, blends in nicely and is quite distinctive. Sounds terrific out of the Roland JC-120 with a touch of chorus effect. My friends are impressed and have been looking for something like it, to no avail. I am currently rewiring one my friend picked up on EBAY. Not charging him anything for it... but I should!!!!

Action is great. Finish is not bad, but then again, not professional, some little errors and such. But it was fun to learn! I'm not embarrassed by it.

Seems to be holding up pretty well, and I keep it carefully positioned on a guitar stand or in a case at all times! Since all the wiring and components are new, there is nothing to complain about or to blame Gibson/Epiphone for....

Long out of warranty!!!!

Geny is a sentimental favorite that has been a wonderful surprise for me. The Seymour Duncans make this guitar truly sound distinctive and great!!! My friends agree, this is really cool. I love having Geny back!!!! Thank you Seymour Duncan, Ebay, Guitar ReRanch, guitarelectronics.com, and thank God for the WWW. These are resources you young folks shouldn't take for granted. I wish we had them in the 70's!!!!

Ok, I'm totally following the guide lines here concerning the who, what, where, when, & why. Not sure what year, but according to some very "In the know" people at a guitar store here in Seattle, it was made somewhere between '79 and '81 most likely in Japan, but maybe Taiwan. 22 frets like all the others. Yep, solid and laminated top. Knobs are 2 volume, 1 tone, & 1 coil tap. 2 open hummers in it, left the stock neck pickup in, as it's great, but compared to my Les Paul, the bridge was kinda bland, so I put in a Duncan sh5 and now it's a lil bit hotter then the LP, but fairly close. Passive electronics. Can't tell ya what kind of wood(s) are used other than rosewood fret board, but wouldn't be surprised if it's Mahogany as it's such a heavy sucker. Standard black finish. Body style reminds me a lot of Brian May's guitar ( double cutaway ), and it doesn't help that everyone I know refers to it as my Brian May guitar either! lol The bridge is identical to my LP's. The tuners aren't labeled, but probably Gotoh, but regardless of what kind they are, they stay in tune better then the Grovers on my LP, i.e. they're awesome! The neck is a set one which I love, as I detest bolt-ons ( and don't even get me started on what I hate about strats, other then their sound ) and is fairly similar to my LP, which is an early 90's Epiphone by the way ( yes, with rare GOOD stock pickups ), so it's thickish, but nothing like the tree trunks they're putting on 'em now, and it has dot inlays with standard sized frets. Luckily it came with a nice hard shell case, as I bet you'd be hard pressed find another one that accomodates such a long headstock. I give it a 9 instead of a 10 only because it's so dang heavy, which I've grown accustomed to, but still gotta arch and crack my back aften playing for a while. Then again, the sutain caused by the density, longer headstock, and hotter pickups is incredible.

It suits my music style quite well. With the coil tap on and the p/u selector in the middle it gets a great sound for cleans, as a matter of fact I used it solely for the cleans last time in the studio ( shameless plug www.mp3.com/treblelift ). I originaly bought it as a back-up to the LP, but since adding the sh5 it's developed it's own personality so that I alternate between it and the LP depending on which song needs what. They both sound enough alike though that I can keep my settings the same on my amps when I switch between the two guitars. My band plays harder-edged alternative, i.e. think Husker Du meets The Church with Catherine Wheel and Therapy? throwing their 2 cents worth in from time to time. I'm playing the Genesis through a Carvin MTS3200 which is comparable to a JCM800, but with a lil more UMPH! and a clean channel that's brilliant. I'm also using it through a Kustom KGA65 so that I can get more of a "Fendery" tone w/o the Fender price tag. dependng on the song, I sometimes run it through both amps at once ( love them a/b boxes ), and this guitar just makes the sound come alive. It covers the sound range of a tele/strat, a Gretsch double jet, and a Les Paul w/o sounding exactly like any of them, but like it's own bad self, which of course I love. (btw I've played it through a JCM800, a Line6 Spider, a Crate DX112, and even a Rogue CG30 ( my practice amp ) and it's dead brilliant through 'em all!

The action is a lil lower then what I have on the LP, so I'm thinking of getting it raised a hair, but still pretty dang nice. I bought it at a pawn shop, so I have no idea what it's original set-up was like. I also have no idea whether it's bookmatched or not, and frankly could care less, I play guitars for the way they feel/play and sound, not the way they look, otherwise I'd be beside myself with frustration due to the numerous nicks and dings that are adding character to it. The bridge seems properly routed to me. Some of the hardware was a bit oxidized on the bridge, due to sweat more then likely, but ya gotta figure things like that'll happen if a guitar is used for 20 or more years. The binding is starting to show it's age, which is cool by me. The guitar DID have some issues where the pots and input jack were concerned, but got those swapped out for under $30, so minor stuff all around.

This guitar totally holds it's own live, so if hard pressed, and the LP were in the shop ( highly unlikely ), I probably could get away with it alone for a show as it never breaks strings ( boomer 11's ). As stated by myself and a lot of the other reviewers, this guitar is over 20 years old, with all original hardware, and will probably last more then 20 more. The strap buttons were removed and strap locks added on day 1 of owning it, as I do this w/ all my guitars. The thing is a work horse and is, along with the LP, one of the most dependable guitars I've ever owned.

I've been playing for 20 years ( man, am I REALLY that old already?! )both guitar and bass. I've owned waaaay too many of both over the years, but have it narrowed down to this guitar, my LP, and a cheap old Washburn bass that does just fine. I'm debating whether or not to get a semi-hollowbody, but that's another story for another time. I've already stated my amps ( both my present ones and former ones ), and just using a Brownstone chorus, a Danelectro flanger, and a Boss overdrive for solo boosts, which are rare as I'm primarily a rhythm player that adds little fills here and there. If this guitar was lost, stolen, or destroyed I'd get another w/o a second thought. I see 'em on ebay often enough, and occasionally other places on line or at local shops. Even though these guitars are worth every penny ya pay for 'em and a lot more probably, the going price right now is roughly around $200-$250, but every once in a while ya see someone trying to scalp ya by charging a lot more, so be warned. That said, I love just about everything about this guitar except the weight, but unless yer a wee man/woman, which I'm not, that's only trivial. If your taste in guitars tends to lean towards Les Pauls like mine does, but you also like a lil variation, then this guitar will be perfect for you.

I am guessing from the serial number that my Epiphone Genesis was made in 1979, not sure where. It is black with tan trim and has a rosewood fretboard with dot inlays. It has the split-coils switch and it appears that someone had added an extra switch to get those in-between sounds (similar to a 5 position switch on a Strat.) Since the rythmn pickup has a cover and the bridge pickup doesn't I assume that an after-market pickup was added. The finish is a very glossy laquer, it is somewhat cracked from falling over a few times, getting hauled around to various jams etc. It's very heavy but I'm used to it, it wouldn't sound the same otherwise.

I play everything from hard rock to country to blues and this guitar fits right in anywhere. I use a Peavey Backstage Plus 35W amp and various effect pedals. The Genesis can make both convincing Les Paul and Strat sounds. It sustains like nobody's business, you can go out for a beer between power chords! There is very little that I dislike about this guitar other than the frets are close together. This was the first guitar I ever bought and am unlikely to ever part from it. (Till death do we part!)

The guitar is set up very well with only a bit of fret wear. The pickups are hot and I raised the bridge pickup a wee bit to make it even hotter!

In recent years the guitar has not been played too often and the pots are somewhat noisy. I am confident that a shot of contact cleaner will fix that. I am not a professional musician but it seems like if the guitar was properly maintained it would handle live playing with little problems. Here's a tip for you young kids: I use milk bag tabs as strap locks and have never had a problem.

It was a second hand guitar but there was no need for customer support as it has performed flawlessly.

This is the first guitar I ever bought. I also have a good Strat copy. Between the two, there has never been need for another electric guitar (others have come and gone.) It is my hope that I am still playing this beautiful instrument when I'm an old geezer. Till death do we part!

This an arch topped guitar produced somewhere in Asia for about 3 years.
As I've had this guitar for over 2 1/2 years. This review should be both objective and educational.
Basically it's a double cutaway that resembles a cross between a Les paul and an Ibanez Artist with a slim Beatle's acoustic styled headstock.
Though there is limited information on the web most of it is contradictory; whether it was made in Tawain or my favorite '" Made in the same factory as the Ibanez Artist" which was a clever rouse used by an Ebay seller to stimulate interest in his guitar, or whether the top is in fact Maple or Alder, though some will argue that the body is solid Mahogany. This guitar is heavy weighing in at 10 pounds (the same as the newer Epiphone Les Paul standards.
The electronics are as followed. Two volume pot's , Master Tone control, coil tap, a three way selector, and two customized pick-ups (on mine). The bridge pick-up being a Zebra Seymour Duncan SH (?), and the Neck being a Super-Chunky Bartolini (So chunky in fact that Cambell's Soups issued a cease and desist order to Bartolini forcing them out of production).
There are three models. I may have the names and inlays incorrect. Standard, (dot inlays, no binding), Custom ( crown inlays, full LP custom binding) Deluxe ( Gold hardware, block inlays
The tuners appear to be Gotoh. The Tune-o-matic and stop tail piece appear to the same as a Les Paul with the exception of a slight concave angel to the bridge (?).
I would give it a 10 here but the top is kinda thin we're the controls are all located below(right) the bridge (i.e. don't step on your cord).

I play in a noise rock group, and a trash rock group, but when I'm alone or lost in my own little world I'll find myself falling into Blue Monk or Round Midnight at times; I can't imagine a genre that guitar isn't suitible for.

Through my Mesa Mark IIC this guitar Kills, It doesn't sound half bad through a Lab Series L5 either. I use both big ugly analog effects and newer proven effects to shape my sound, but it's nice to know I can bypass them and get a soulful round tone .
It only gets noisy when I switch to single coil mode. It doesn't have the twang of a tele or a Strat but it does get close enough to pump out some viscous twang. Being abl to switch between Twang and woman tones on the fly is also appreciated.

As this guitar had been played for 20 years before I set eyes apon it in that pawn shop.

I used to work for a Luthier who instructed me in wghat to look at wjhen buying a guitar, Fret wear, nut wear, propelled neck, neck repair (which these guitars seem to encounter alot).

Aside from minor esthetic flaws (which I don't mind ) this guitar is in very good shape

I've been gigging with this guitar for a year without so much as a broken string during a performance! I've knoked over cabs whilst channeling Hendrix a couple of times. I'm sure it could take out a couple of zombies if need be and still be ready to hit the stage.
I replaced the strap buttons with straplocks a couple of months ago, now this heavy girl won't fall off (yeah).

I dosen't seem to be very rock and roll; to have some company hold your hand does it? The pawn shop closed down in 2000!

I've played for about seven years. I have a lot of effects, varoius amps , MIJ Jaguar(modded), Yamaha SBG200, and I just got a Squier SUPER-SONIC, so now that I have back ups I might use this less, but I think I'll actually enjoy it more!

The tops on these guitars are kind of thin at the area containing the controls be very careful with your guitar cord so that you don't damage the top (as I did last week) it's not an easy repair !

Stock Colors include Red, Black, and Sunburst. If anyone knows of any other stock color's then please post a review or email me

features bla bla bla
a switch let's you turn your humbuckers to single coil
it is a nice option.
gold hardware and toni iommi bridge sweet
sunburst finish
double cutaway body

i played and vintage gibson lp deluxe a couple of time (it wasn't mine I aint rolling wit dat kind of scrilla)and i like the genesis sound mo
I gave the genesis an eigth because the low e-string drowns
the the rest of the notes when it is struck
if not for that I would give an even higher rating
the sound is full and clear but can be a bit bassy
that can be a plus or minus depending on the sound your going for

i my got genesis used from a pawn shop in seattle,(why in the hell would someone have pawn this guitar? i don't know but seeing that i found it in a pawn shop in seattle they must have needed the snaps for smack) i don't know if the set up been fornicated with. i think the set-up is still factory or atleast satisfactory. did the guitar contain any flaws? yeah but their minor flaws. A single tone nob for adjust both humbuckers. and the input jack is on the surface of the guitar without kind of real scratch guard to keep the guitar from getting all nicked up
the action was a little higher than im used to playing. but i would
not adjust(one of millions of ex-romates in New York told me that you get more tone from higher action)and now that im studying piano my
finger are stronger and more flexiable so i imagine i could handle
this guitar mo better. I left the genesis in seattle when i went away
to school.

will this guitar withstand live playing
i haven't played it live but my guess is that
the the owner(s)before me played quit a bit
wish i hope to do so if i can stay put in a place longer than
a year
the hardware and the sunburst finish have already lasted 20 plus years
i wouldn't rely on strap button that isnt a strap lock
causue if you drop an epiphone or gibson on it headstock that's it
would use this to gig without a back? I would use more than one guitar
at a gig but this guitar can be trusted without a backup

NEVER TRIED TO FORNICATE WITH ,NORLIN,EPIPHONE,OR GIBSON

how long have i been playing? depend on who you ask, but i been kick it for a minute. is there something i wish i had asked before buying this guitar? yeah how do i quite the low E-string so i can hear the rest of the strings(however i did know about that low e before i bought the guitar).what do i love or hate about the genesis epiphone?
love and hate are emotion i reserved them beings. i love alot and try not to hate. but im only human of what flesh and blood are made(so body out there got that joke i just know it) but what like about this guitar are it uinque double cutaway body and most importantly the sound. what i dislike is the e low drown out the other string if i can figure out how to fix that without changing the wiring or the pickups i be satified. other guitar i own 56 0r 57 danelectro u-1(the real deal not a reissue) a ripper univox(that had its univox humbucker pickups replaced with emg lace pick before i got it) both guitar
i have to thank my guitar pimp for finding those guitars. ThankS Mr. Ron Garcia
I would not compare any of these guitar because they are all great instruments but for different reasons.
but earlier in the sound section i compared the genesis epiphone to a vintage deluxe lp i played and still stand by my orignal literary crappalizations. I chose to compare the genesis to the deluxe lp because they are mo alike in design than the other guitars i own.
When i first got this guitar and played i was intimidated by it felt
like it was too much guitar for me. if it were stole or lost would i buy it again. my fender telecaster was stolen and it was a great guitar but if it had been stolen i would have never bought the genesis
which i like better. so the same thing aplies for the genesis i would
look for something else like peavey t-60 or a... never mind cause it hard ennough to find what i be look for without tipping off mo potential buyers. oh yeah i do know who stole my guitar and i saw
him (crackhaed chris) in handing out flyer for a bar near washington
square in new york and unlike all the rest of you manly macho men
i didn't pound him into submission (i just charged it to the game)
after all a guitar no matter how well built is just an object. yeah an object you and I worked hard for put still just an object. not worth causing physical harm to someone else or jail time for me.
And that's keeping rizzo for shizzo my weepoles
Anything else i would like to add. Yeah i have jammed with people
where they had the crappier guitar and i played the high end guitar
and the sound better because they were the better player so my avice
to all muscian is don't get caught up in the i have to have the best
gear trap because it can and will get costly and you can use your money for something more important like a house payment, travel, or what ever else your into. learn your instrument don't get stuck on anyone style and the rest will take care of it self.

wah da ta my main damiens

I have a Genesis Custom from somewhere between 1979 and 1981. It was made in Taiwan. As the other reviewers have said, it is based on a Les Paul with double cut-aways. I have seen pictures of Pat Travers playing a Gibson that looked very similar to the Genesis. Anyway, It is all original as it came from the factory. It has two volume conrols, one tone control, a pickup selector switch, and a coil tap switch. I have never taken the pickups out to see their manufacturer, but I assume that they are Epiphone-made. The electronics are the standard passive style. The body appears to be mahogany with a maple top which has no figuration; just a nice plain grain. It is the brown sunburst that was a standard option on these guitars. It has a tune-o-matic bridge and stop-bar tailpiece. All of the hardware, including the polepieces, is gold, although on mine,it is beginning to fade. I bought mine with an OHSC that has nice yellow plush lining.

I own 20 guitars, 3 basses, and a mandolin, and this is my favorite instrument to play. I have Gibsons, Fenders, Hamers, Kays, Hohners, Hondos, Arias, other Epiphones, and various others, and this Genesis Custom is my favorite. I play a variety of styles, but mostly blues, jazz and rock, and this guitar is versatile enough for all of them. I own several amps,including a Marshall and a Fender, but my main amps are a Lab Series L5 and an old Rauland P.A. tube head that I converted for use with a guitar or bass. I honestly think that the Genesis Custom sounds great through all of my amps at any volume, although I prefer to use a loud-but-clean amp setting with the volume knobs on the guitar turned down to 5 or less. That gives me a really clean and natural sound, similar to that of a hollow body. The guitar can produce beautiful clean tones and raunchy rockin' tones as well. Although as I have said, I prefer the clean ones. It has a great old blues and jazz tone. I love it!

I bought this guitar from an antique / consignment shop in 1997 or so. The guitar was almost 20 years old at the time, but it had been kept in excellent condition. I do not believe that this instrumnet has ever been worked on or tampered with. Although I have "customized" almost all of my other guitars with different pickups, tuners and such, I have never felt the need to do anything to this guitar. I truly feel that it is a special guitar. I use .011 -.050 gauge strings and I have never had any set-up work done to it, although I usually do my own.

Although I have never taken it out of the house to play, it certainly seems strong enough to withstand any test. I usually prefer to take a less-loved, yet still somewhat versatile guitar like my 1986 Hamer GTLE out of the house to play because I would never want anything to happen to my beloved Genesis Custom. As far as I am concerned, in the five years that I have had this instrument, it has seldom given me any problems. Although sometimes the selector switch gets a short in it causing the rhythm pickup to go in and out. I need to fix that.

I have been playing for about 11 years, and as I have said, I own many guitars, but this is my favorite. I love the feel of the neck, although it could be a little slimmer. I love the sound of the pickups, although they are not as sweet as old Gibson PAFs. I guess the only real complaint is that it is HEAVY. It weighs a ton, but I am sure that enhances sustain, although I don't use a lot of sustain in my playing. I have been looking for another one of these ever since I got this one, but have only found two, and those were on ebay. If you ever see one, get it. You should not be disappointed.

Mostly to add to other reviews, I just bought one to reburbish, it is the non-custom with dots on the neck not blocks and chrome hardware, it is finished in purlply-red semi-see through.
The wood is not mahogany - the neck is certainly maple - there is a sizeable chunk missing behind the 3rd fret the body has some laquer damage back and front and it looks like ash based on the grain structure - I have an Ibanez artist 2617 also maple neck ash body and the two are quite similar in weight and sound.

It looks actually quite like a brian may guitar. its more bottom heavy than normal double cut aways like the Ibanez and I have a Yamaha SG - all 3 from the same year.

I find the head stock too long and thin and the strings on the top 2 rows(d and g)foul the middle row tuners - I added a trevor wilkinson string tree/ truss rod cover to cure this. I am tempted to shorten or moify the head stock.

The neck after some truss rod work is wonderful

The guitar is original with original pick-ups open coil humbuckers
they sound very good not very high output but even.

I have modifed the electronics to 4 way switch- neck - series -paralelle - bridge (more like a PRS) and repleced the coils split with a 3 way - outsdie coils - humbucker - inside coils.
This gives some nice sounds and is easy with ony 1 cavity.

The finish is typical japanese 70's thus lots of polyureathane -bomb proof but not best for the sound.

It has a thick body and a thick neck. it is heavy.

Overall good quality, tuners are unamed probably Gotoh but they work fine after 30 years.
Plating is not damaged the advantage to chrome over gold.
Knobs are nice but not ususal Les Paul layuot and took some getting used to thus I changed it.

Neck pickup is a bit bright - its closer to the bridge than normal thus not surprising. This is not a problem its sometime nice to have.
Its probably the only humbucker where I back the tone control off on the bridge.
Neck is fine and creamy.
By switching mods I have more sounds.
Pickup quality is good

best suited to some overdrive
very good sustain.

I bought it with some damage so I cannot comment - but it fixed up real easy.

It looks like it did this already and it still plays fine 30 years on built like a tank.
The dings are easy to repair due to good quality materials from the start.

No comments

I have far too many guitars.
This is a great every day one it looks different. based on the purchase price it is exceptional.
based on the design yo can modify it and still play.

It is better than any of the new Ephiphone les pauls I have seen or played.

If you can find one buy it

I only have to say one thing about that guitar
I owned one epiphone genesis custon (black) i was forced to sell it due severe financial problems a couple of years ago i'm 34 , my father gave it to me as a gift when i was 15 y/o a couple of months later i bought a GREAT Fender strat custom(USA) but let me tell you this ,i allways liked better the sweet sound of my first electric guitar and i feel profound regrets for had to sell it , it was a fine instrument and i miss it so much (more than a couple of girls i used to date) the mention of that guitar wakes up deep feelings and memories of the best time of my life. IF YOU HAVE ONE JUST KEEP IT
And i will pay a lot to have it back .if that were possible (sadly i don't think so)
Walter
eMail: emperorbsas@hotmail.com

I only have to say one thing about that guitar
I owned one epiphone genesis custon (black) i was forced to sell it due severe financial problems a couple of years ago i'm 34 , my father gave it to me as a gift when i was 15 y/o a couple of months later i bought a GREAT Fender strat custom(USA) but let me tell you this ,i allways liked better the sweet sound of my first electric guitar and i feel profound regrets for had to sell it , it was a fine instrument and i miss it so much (more than a couple of girls i used to date) the mention of that guitar wakes up deep feelings and memories of the best time of my life. IF YOU HAVE ONE JUST KEEP IT
And i will pay a lot to have it back .if that were possible (sadly i don't think so)
Walter
eMail: emperorbsas@hotmail.com

E. Genesis Custom, ser.# 0690047, purchased from "Crazy" Ron's Music, Toledo Ohio 1/14/80 for $463.50 new. Brown to red/brown to gold/yellow sunburst, gold hardware, block pearl inlays starting at the first fret [22 frets], black plastic covers & pick ups, white body & neck binding w/ 3 black stripes through the binding, wonderful enclosed tuners w/ the smoothest firmist action . The guitar stays in tune!!Very fine grain in the body wood & cant tell type. Rosewood fretboard. Solid & well built. Some binding flaws [wavering] on the neck.

Sounds better than my 89' Les Paul, with a much rounder tighter sound. The L Paul often sounds hollow in comparison. With coil tap & using both pick ups, I can get a nice Gretch semi-hollow N. Young sound on "Down by the River." Play through a Yamaha amp, w/ BOSS distortion, chorus, echo. Agree w/ others here, this guitar has a heavy bass side making it hard to hear the highr strings at times. I tend to want to want to turn up to get that upper end, but cant get it. The neck pick up is heaviest & is best played clean & quiet. With distortion, I get good sustain. I play "Classic Rock."

Solid with few adjustments made.Action is low & playable at upper frets. Weighs 10 pounds & is neck heavy which is it's biggest drawback.This can be compensated by using a course leather strap that will grab your shoulder. Play .9's now but use to play .10's. The fat frets allow for easy fretting of cords, but accuracy is thrown off for lead work when playing .9's because there is alot of neck to hold on to.[However, you get use to this and lead work works out fine. Les Paul neck is better for lead work.] Neck is thick depth wise but not wide. Rust & tarnish set in on the gold finish. Rust found deep in the bridge saddles, & on pick up pole pieces.Tuners are smooth & firm. String breaks take place at the bridge only.

Pots were replaced when they got dirty. The plug jack loose now & crackles sometimes & I need to replace it......then it will be ready/reliable for stage playing. Finish coating may be to thick, especially on the neck.Strap button were replaced w/ Shaller strap locks which gives you confidence, especially w/ this 10lb. guitar.Stays in tune & I would trust it as my primary guitar on stage.I have a hard pick attack.

Have not dealt w/ the Epiphone company, & know very little history on this guitar. I have learned all the history from this site. Thanks people!Have never seen a Genesis in a store since 1/80 when I bought mine at age 17.The nut was replaced 2 yrs. ago to eliminate string pinching & to lower the action. This replacement was done w/out my approval. Was not that upset cause the action was improved & tone remained good. Still have my "Limited Warranty " card from Norlin

In 1/80 I was 17 & knew little about guitars. All I wanted to do was to spend all my money before mom & dad changed their minds.So off to Toledo my friend John & I drove listening to his 8 track until we got w/in Toledo FM radio range! My Dad was cool enough to tell me to also buy an amp that had some volume to it!! so I bought a Peavy Pacer 112 [45 watt I believe] amp for $239.50. This guitar seemed to have the Hard Rock look & sound I was after then.I wanted a L. Paul or close looker. Since then I've gotten more & more clean w/ my sound. Overall solid smooth sound clean or dirty.The coil splitter is a nice feature, but doesnt sound like my 90' Strat Plus.Despite the thick neck, it plays nice. I wish it had 2 tone knobs.Wish it came w/ a hard shel case.The longer head will make it hard to find a hard case. I have to carry the cased guitar cradled like a baby cause I cant trust the chip board case that now has a broken latch. If it were lost or stolen & I HAD to replace it, I would go for a semi-solid Gretch. I already own a Strat, L. Paul, & Tele. This Epiphone can copy all 3 of these guitars. Thanks alot!!

read others

The sound is just great. I needed to redo the wirering ( the pot where scrachy and trey cut the sound sometime) but now every thing is ok and man this thing rocks. I play old stuff like AC/DC. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath... the sound is realy full and you can tune it to what ever you like!!!

the finish is great ( there's a few nicks but thats my mistake)the white trim is now more of a creamish color and that just make the guitar look better. The only thing I'd do is slim the neck down.

This is like a tank. Its as tuff and as heavy as one. but you know what they say "the fat lady sings!!!" after having changed the pots on it. it could play live ( if i had a band that played live. hehe)

I got this guitar for the deal. And i wanted to get a second guitar to play a bit in the electronics. but it turned up , it sounds and plays better than my SG copy i have. so It now my main guitar!!! Plus on thing i like about this guitar, No one has one like this around or know that it is. SO it's not like a plain strat that every one has. and it looks cool too!!!

I bought this guitar secondhand in 1999 in England. The laqcuer (black) is almost perfect, except for some darkbrown spots coming through here and there. The binding has turned into some nice light yellow colour. Original humbuckers. It came in its original case. Everything smells so old!

Double cutaway, thick guitar. Regular chrome hardware, 22 frets, great and precise tuners etc. Two volume pots, one tone and a coil tap. Body and neck probably mahogany, there could be a top but you can't see it. Frets, for some reason were completely unworn! I believe the previous owner hardly played it. No rust though.

Made an educated guess that it was an early 80's guitar, similar to e.g. Ibanez Artist of that period. Only recently found out it was only made late 70's, early 80's.

It suits my style perfectly.. Ranging from Eric Clapton (bluesbrakers period) to Led Zep to Black Sabbath... It's a very versatile guitar, especially if you learn to use the volume and tone controls..

The coil tap does a good job of getting a (dark) strat sound.

Played it over a very clean amp first with its original pickups. This guitar has a lot of weight, incredibly deep bass tone. The pickups are not THAT good though, although they're ok for regular playing. Very clean, with a scooped mid sound. Neck pickup however is too boomy on low strings though. This all changed when I swapped the pickups to Gibsons.. An alnico in the neck and a Tony Iommi signature pickup in the bridge !!!

I own a Marshall JTM30. Paired with the guitar your sound can get very diverse. Clean sounds very good (Allman Brothers and Fleetwood Mac especially). The crunch sounds (for late 60's to 70's music) are very smooth, quite precise. The sustain of the guitar is really amazing but is probably not very different from Les Pauls.

Since the bridge is a Tony Iommi it's not surprising you can get a nice Sabbath sound, very controlled, very ballsy. Turn down the controls though, and you can play very clean.... before you scare your neighbours to shit again...

Pros:

- low bass tone (very tight)
- easy to adapt for different styles
- very full-sounding
- sustain

Cons:

- coil tap ok (not a strat though)

I had this checked by a luthier, who did a great job. Frets needed some work as it had hardly been played, neck adjusted, electrics redone. It could use some more neckwork to even things out.

The headstock is very long! Probably helps the sustain. However there is a problem with this in tuning sometimes (as I use quite heavy strings) on the E and A strings.

Quality of the lacker is fantastic (as new), although it can chip quite easily at the back where the plate is to the electrics.

The nut was replaced, since the old one was overcut in D. Now it's perfect. The binding is Ok, but it's cracked in the length somewhere down the neck... Adds to the charm though.

Overall: very sturdy.

I've played it live and it really cuts through. As I said, it's very sturdy, so I have no problems playing it (even though it's 20 years old).

Once sent Epiphone an email with some questions about the Genesis. They never replied. I don't think too many people know about this guitar...

Anyway it's secondhand...

Wouldn't want to lose it. It looks great, people are always curious...
Best guitar purchase ever!

In 2000, I purchased a Genesis Custom, sunburst finish. According to the Epiphone website, these guitars were in Taiwan from 1979 to 1981. It's based on the Gibson LP with a second cutaway, a pickup switch repositioned near the vol and tone cluster, and substituting a coil tap switch for the second tone control. The Standard Genesis features set-in neck, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay (22 frets), chrome hardware. The Custom is the same, except features bound rosewood fingerboard with crown inlay. The Deluxe has gold hardware. Body is mahogany. Mine is the sunburst finish. I've seen black and red. Tune-O-Matic bridge has same familiar feel of almost any Gibson. Tuners are nice and smooth (appear to be Schaller) The two Gibson humbucking pickups have a volume pot for each (though the control for the bridge pickup is on the top on mine). There is only one tone control, but who plays with those knobs anyway?

I play Rock 'n Roll from the 60s & 70s and this guitar sounds great on about any song. I use a '75 Twin Reverb (silver face), a Ross (yes Ross) compressor, a DOD FX60 Chorus, and an Ibanez TS7 Tube Screamer. The humbucking pickups prevent any unwanted noise. The combination of pickups and dense wood (this is a heavy guitar) provides some of the smoothest sounds I've heard. And it's all across the spectrum. If you want bite, just switch pickups. More bite? Hit the coil tap. Epiphone's traditionally longer head (about 2" more than most guitars) makes it harder to find a case. I've played a couple of other Genesis' and have noticed a "ping" when tuning the second and third strings. Could be the nut.

Don't know what the factory settings were. I just bought mine a year ago. It was set up with .08 slinky's and a very low action. I took it to a luthier who did a great setup for only $18. Man, it's worth it. I use .10s and sometimes .11s. Can't see any flaws in original workmanship. There are some boo-boos from the previous owner, but that's to be expected. The finish has a tendency to crack around the controls, so be careful if you have to replace anything. I've heard that quality was superb at first, then dropped off. Mine is one of the good ones.

Mount a bridge and tuner to an anvil. Think it would stay in tune? It's not just the dense wood of the body that makes this a heavy guitar. The neck is thick, yet has a luscious feel. This guitar is all Gibson and meant to last a lifetime. I've taken it to gigs and never worried about using something else.

Because I bought it used, warranty doesn't apply in my case. And because it is so much like a LP, I'm confident that any reputable lutiher can maintain it.

I've been playing since 1966 with a leave of absence through the disco years. I own a '65 Gibson SG Special, an Epiphone Dot, a blonde, 2000 American Strat with a maple neck, a Grammer flat top, a Peavy T-60 from the late 70s. I don't want to lose this guitar. I'm playing it more than any of the others. I have another Genesis on the way and will buy more when I can find them. No wait!!! These guitars stink. Forget everything I've said. Don't keep them. Get rid of them. Sell them. (To me)

I got this guitar in seventh grade...so it's probably a 1979 or 1980 model??? I recall hearing it was made in japan.

This is a double cutaway. Imagine a Les Paul with two identically sized cutaways (above and below the neck) and you've got the idea.

Very heavy guitar. Bound neck, not bolt-on. Full gold hardware is starting to fade. I think it is mahagony (?) with a rosewood fretboard.

Thick black finish with white striped edges (mellowing nicely :-) and parallelogram fret board inlays.

Dimarzio super pickups, three way pickup selector, two volume, one tone, and a coil tap switch. The coil tap switch kills any hum problems, "thickens" up the sound, and seems to increase the gain somewhat. I have no idea how or why.

This guitar has the original Dimarzio super humbucking pickups which are VERY bright - bright - bright! I play through a Fender Super Reverb and with the bright switch on, this guitar is unbearably crisp. I have to muddy it up quite a bit to get the sound I like. Having said that - again I've played it for over twenty years - and I think I've grown to love and play music more to this guitar. So I think it sounds awesome.

When I got the guitar, I didn't know what "setup" meant. (Still not entirely sure.)Anyway I've never had it setup and it plays great for me. But after what happened in 1985 (see next section) there is an occasional rattle or buzz.

Durability? Let me tell you about durability...

In 1985 this guitar was dropped ON IT'S HEAD by my college roomate. The drop cracked the headstock down into the neck. I never had it fixed and the guitar stays in tune as well as any other guitar I have. That same year (in the same dorm) I stood up with the guitar cord under my foot and ripped the output jack completely out of the front face of the guitar! (Terrible design flaw.) Since then I have moved the output jack to the lower edge (where it should have been) and covered the busted woodwork with a hand shaped piece of engraving laminate (black surface, white core, like used on trophies or wall plaques.)

As for hardware - the tuners are still tight and silky smooth. I have YET to find a guitar with better tuners.

Everything on this guitar is rock solid - except the stupid idea of putting the output jack right on the face of the guitar!

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I've been playing for nearly 25 years - should play better and know more than I do but that's life. If this guitar were lost or stolen I would cry. It was my first "new" guitar, my first solid-body electric, and my biggest vote of confidence from my parents. This guitar could never be replaced. But I would immediately find another one anyhow.