Epiphone Sheraton II

I thought i would write a review of my Epiphone Sheraton 2. Mainly coz im bored but also to voice my opinion. My epi vintage sunburst was built in october 2004 and has all the same features as everyone elses (i guess)I first played one about a year ago in a music shop and fell in love with it, not just the sound but also the look...its gorgeous! Recently bought at the end of 2007 on ebay for ??300 and is in mint condition!

I play in an Oasis tribute band and needed a semi acoustic mainly for the look. I toyed with a epiphone dot and thought it was shite and used to use an epi les paul until i found this on ebay. I really dont understand why everyone slags off the electrics in these guitars, i play it through my laney vc30 2x12 and it sounds amazing the pick ups dont need replacing neither do the controls or pots etc. I think its tone purists that decide they need to, which is a personal thing, so i cant see why they would review a guitar that everyone else can buy purely to their own specs.

The Fit and Finish on this guitar is amazing, i have no problems with it at all. The action was a little high when i first got it but this was second hand so i cant moan. Even brand new guitars need setting up no matter what make they are (gibsons and all).

As i siad before, i play in an Oasis tribute and im constantly gigging around 2-3 times a week and this is my main choice of guitar. I also use a 2000 les paul (which is amazing too, the 57 pus in it are great) but only use that for capo'd songs really and play the sherry the rest of the time. Although i know this guitar would never let me down, i always take a back up coz there is nothing worse than breaking a string mid set and having 300 plus people shouting at you while you change it. All my guitars have straplocks, dont rely on strap buttons. you will only drop it once.

Never dealt with epiphone, i guess they are a bunch of nice people in their own right.

I have been playing about 16 years and kicked it all off with nirvana moving onto oasis and beatles plus lots of other shite. I have owend so many guitars since i started but the Sheraton is by far the best (i can hear my les paul crying in the background but f**k it). The look and the sound is enough to turn anyones heads and i love getting this out of the case at a gig and people staring at it. Its a beautiful guitar and if i could have sex with it i would...i guess it would be a little dry....Go and fuc*ing buy one you C*nts

This is just another review, because I'm bored, I doubt it will add substantially to the countless reviews already done here, but what the heck...
Mine is a sunburst Sheraton, that I bought secondhand in 1992. My guess is it was produced in the 80ies, but I'm not sure. Probably Japanese-made, but there is no serial-number, sticker in the body or any indication what so ever on the guitar. But it has a black plastic topnut and a photograph-tortoise pickguard different from the ones on the recent production models, so I concluded it is made in Japan.

First, I did upgrade it, but only recently. I bought it with a changed neck-pick up. The salesman said he thought it was a PAF. Yeah right... (of course it was not). The bridge PU was stock. Back then I used .010 strings. It sounded ok to me, bluesy, never too sharp, solid tone. I played jazz, soul, funk and rock on it. A very ES335-like tone. I never could tell the difference from a real ES335 anyway. But the neck-pickup started to get microphonic which was very anoying, so I bought a set of Seymour Duncans (Classic 59s), just because they were available at my local music store. I think the guitar now even sounds somewhat better with those, it breathes more. I can do from clean jazz, to rauchy blues to more straight rock, all very convincing. My set-up is a 7ender Blues Deluxe amp, with some pedals (Boss Bluesdriver, Vox V847 wah, Boss tremolo, Behringer phaser).

I bought the guitar well set-up. I always fiddle with set-ups, my likings seem to change over time. It now has 012 flatwounds because my style of playing is mainly jazz-orientated. With the 012s I was able to adjust a smooth action, with sufficient 'resistance' from the strings. The neck feels comfortable, thin even. It will need a re-fret soon, because the frets are pretty worn over the years. The new frets will probably be medium to jumbo-sized. The finnish is a thick polyester coating. I prefer nitro, I think it has better tonal qualities but I doubt if this guitar would really benefit. No complaints in this category.

Between 1992 and 2000 this guitar has probably done some 30 gigs a year and countless rehearsels, lessons and jamsessions. I never did and do gig with a backup (too much trouble) and it has never ever let me down. After 2000 I got different guitars that I wanted to play on stage (archtops), but recently I find myself playing this one more and more because it delivers a convincing jazz-tone without feedback and it's the only guitar with humbuckers I have. Also, because of it being a relative cheap guitar, I prefer bringing this one to sessions and gigs where I don't dare to bring my more vulnerable archtops. Also, it works better in noisy situations where the archtops are prone to feedback. Futhermore, I replaced all the pots and the input-jack because they were worn. I changed to thick 012 strings bacause I mainly play jazz (mainstream, bebop, hardbop, and groovy clubjazz-stuff) and blues (old school T-bone stuff) and feel I need heavy strings for my playing. It's still as reliably as it ever was. A well built instrument. I have never even broken a string on it!

No information, never needed repairs.

A poor man's Gibson? Probably! Though I've played on Gibsons that played and sounded worse. Recently I had a chance to A/B it with a recent (2004 or so) wine-red ES335. Playabillity and feel was about the same. The Gibson sounded somewhat different, not necesarily better, just different. The Gibson had a little more 'air' and brightness in it's sound, where the Sheraton stayed somewhat 'in the closet'(don't know how else to discibe it..). The Sheraton on the other hand has a pleasant mellow-ness that suits jazz. The price-difference is exeptional as we all know. Justified? Not for me, but when I would be a professional player at a high-level wanting to play an ES335-model, who knows. When I bought the Sheraton I was still a student and couldn't afford a Gibson so my budget made the choice for me.

Semi-hollow ES-335 archtop, manufactured by Samick in Korea, 2 humbuckers, 2 vol / 2 tone pots, black.

My style is swing/bebop but this type of guitar is popular for rock, pop, blues, funk, reggae, country, punk, whatever... All kinds of sound from warm bubbling jazz arpeggios on the neck pickup, slightly overdriven bluesy riffs, singing rock leads, twangy rock'n'roll from the bridge PU or funky ringing sounds in the middle position. It is an allrounder, maybe not for heavy-metal or anything with very high levels of distortion. I have no complaints about the pickups and see no need for replacing them. It is rather a solidbody guitar that looks like an archtop. I'd be perfectly happy with the sound of a Paula too, but this one is much more comfortable when sitting on a chair.

Of my four Epiphones (all from different factories) this one is the only one that had no initial flaws. Neck is straight, frets well finished, which makes for a nice low action. Bindings, inlays, f-holes are fine. Only the pots started making scratching noises after a while. Cheap to replace them yourself but it takes a while to get everything properly in place with an f-hole guitar. If you are a jazz player you should not use the heaviest flatwound strings (.13, .14) or you might run into intonation problems because the adjustment range of the bridge is limited. This guitar does better with roundwound or halfround strings up to .11 in my opinion.

Pots and switches and tuners are so-so but should last a while if the guitar is new. I would use this for a gig but would never play without a backup, no matter what kind of guitar it is.

I have no idea.

I have been playing for 20+ years and own a couple of Korean guitars of different brands. What I like about Epiphone guitars in general is their looks and sound. What I don't like about Epiphone is their inconsistent quality.

Epiphone 2007 Sheraton II, black with gold hardware. I went to GC to buy a Gibson 335 and came home with the Epiphone Sheraton II. I've owned several Martins, D-28, D-35, D-41, Taylor 814, Two Gibson Les Pauls including a Frampton and a Fender Strat U.S. Deluxe. The Sheraton is the biggest bargain in guitars. The fit and finish was just as good, or better than any of the Gibson's that I saw at two different GC stores. I thought I would never buy an Epiphone, as it has had the stigma of a discount guitar. Nothing could be further from the truth. To pay four or five times as much for a Gibson is insane.

I play jazz, blues, a little country and classic rock for over 40 years. Very Good, but not great sound/tone, which is very subjective. In order to improve the sound/tone, I just ordered today from Mojo a complete new prewired ES-335/3 way boutique assembly that includes 4 new Gibson Pots, 2 capacitors (Mojo Vitamin 'T"), one Switchcraft straight three way toggle switch, one Switchcraft jack, along with two new Gibson pickups; one classic 57 gold, one Classic gold Plus. Epiphone from what I have read has crap for electronics and so I have spent just a little over $325.00 for the electronics with a new bone nut, new strings, lowered action and I will now have a first class guitar for less than $925.00.

The fit and finish was close to perfect, but only after I went through and cherry picked the best Sheraton located at two stores. With the exception of a scratched and mauled nut on the jack that should have never left the factory, the guitar finish on the body, neck, frets and back, is one of the best I could possibly imagine for a sub $2000.00 guitar and better than most $2,000 plus guitars.

With the exception of the questionable electronics, the guitar should last a lifetime like any instrument, only if you take care of it properly.

From what I understand the support if needed is there.

Playing for over 40 years, I defintly would by another one if stolen. Fabulous fit and finish at any price, but sup par electronics and doesn't come with a case, but you really should expect it for a $500.00 guitar. It simply amazes me how they can build a guitar of this quality, ship it over here, Epiphone takes their profit, GCenter takes their profit and can sell it for only $580.00. Truly a real bargain in today's market.

Finish is impressive. Unfortunately, superior to any Gibson 335 I found new at retail dealers, including GC. Great inlays, fret dressing, and overall look. But I bought because of the playability. I was comparing this with much more expensive guitars and preferred the Sher II. All were similar 335s or clones with the block in the body and short scale. Of course, the neck is a very nice five piece construction with a rosewood, or striped ebony fingerboard. The controls are vintage-like. Pickups are humbuckers which seem tamed to suit the hollow body and its likely uses.

It suits the blues and general uses very well. I use it with a Blues Deluxe Fender (40+ Watts, One 12" spkr) and a Roland cube. It can get pretty wild and heavy, but is smooth and warm for the blues and classic stuff. The hot pickups push considerably more volume than my Tele or Strat.

The size and weight are a problem for long stretches. But hey, that's what it is, right?

The wood selection was good. No flaws, drips, bare areas etc.

The guitar was not set up from the factory. In fact, the wood was relatively dried out. I carefully humidified the guitar throughout the winter. It was set up in the fall 2006, and by end of spring 2007 I needed another setup. The wood has become more adequately humidified (it took a few months) and the neck needed adjustment. Now the action is back to 3/64s on the low E, and the high E at 2/64s without buzz or slap. More than good. I suspect the humidity issue is done. I have not had an issue prior with the many guitars in the home.

The pick ups were WAAAY out of spec. I had to raise them quite a bit, and BOY: all thought of replacing the pickups went out the window when we heard them.

I would have full confidence in this ax. The parts and the construction appear to be on par with any comparable guitar made. I think this particular guitar is a huge leap forward from the Dot and in an entirely different quality category than the Ibanez options (however, some Ibanez are quit nice, but they are quite different from the Sher II).
The finish is hard and thick. Strap buttons are very good.

I don't have the shoulder strength to do a long set with this style guitar. But that is no problem. I switch back and forth with my Tele anyway. So that's a non-issue.

Life time warranty. I presume the warranty work is as good as the shop involved.

I have been playing since 1967. I have played more in some seasons of life than others. I play more now than in the early nineties (kids were young...) I own a Tele, just sold a great Strat (rats), Olson D acoustic, Martin HD28, Ovation balladeer (1976), Fender Blues deluxe amp, Roland cube, Roland Micro cube. And like every guitar lover, I only need one more.

Favorite features: tone and short scale.

I only paid 650 bucks for this guitar. They are still cheap and I wonder if I would get it re-fretted when it is due for that when that costs so much... Maybe I would get a new one....

It has what a Gibson ES-335 has, except nicer inlays on the fretboard and headstock. Gold plated metal hardware.

Paid $525 for it new. I just bought it, so presumably it's a 2007 or 2006 model.

Seven years ago I was looking for a semi-hollowbody with humbuckers. I didn't like any of the ES-335's at Mars Music, and I ended up with a Lucille. Now, the Lucille is a beautiful instrument, but I never fell in love with it (fat neck, lack of balance for rhythm playing), so there was still an ES-335 sized gap in my collection of guitars.

After reading some reviews of the Sheraton, I tried it out at the local GC. Even though the one I preferred was poorly set up (more below), the sound was perfect. I compared it with a new ES-335 priced at $2,700 and the only real difference was the action.

The neck pickup is warm and buttery, and the neck pickup is aggressive (a little too much, but not a big problem). I played both the Sheraton and the ES-335 through a Fender Tweed Twin; they both sounded very round and defined at low settings. With the amp cranked, the bridge pickup was great (think "Crossroads"). The neck pickup was a little muddy on the same settings, but cutting the bass on the amp resulted in a nice Clapton "woman" overdrive.

When I got the Sheraton home and played it on my Fender Bassman 59 RI and Cyber Twin, my impression was more than cnfirmed. Wonderful. There's something very nice about feeling the body resonate on the right notes, and there's an element of feedback (easily controlled) that stands out more than a solid body guitar.

Why did I mention the Lucille? Because I'm selling it and replacing it with the Sheraton. I guess that says something.

The action at the store was poorly set up, with too much relief on the neck and a high action. It took about thirty minutes to fix that at home. The Epiphone uses a hex nut for the truss rod adjustment (like a Fender) instead of the Gibson lug, which is convenient. The bridge height is easier to adjust than some Gibson tune-o-matics, because you can use screw slots as well as the thumbwheels.

After adjustment, the action is exceptionally good. Low and fast, not a buzz in sight.

Interestingly, the other Sheraton at GC had the opposite problem to the one I bought; the action was too low and the strings were buzzing on the frets.

My rating is for the action AFTER it was fixed. If I rated the action at the store, it would be a 4.

It's too soon to say anything about reliability. I've read bad things about the switch, jack, and pots. We'll see. Works fine now.

I can't comment on customer support yet.

I've been playing guitar for forty years, part of the time professionally. I play blues, rock, classical, and some jazz and country.

I have a number of other guitars, including a '71 Les Paul Standard, a Strat and a Tele (American made), a '72 Martin D35, and a '65 Rickenbacker 450 12-string. At the moment, I can afford good instruments, and I could have bought the ES-335 if I had liked it a lot better. The Sheraton, however, was the obvious choice. It's at least 95% of the guitar (if not more) for 20% of the price.

I think the Epiphone Sheraton is an excellent guitar at any price, and a fantastic buy at $500-$600. I don't see how Gibson can go on charging the differential they do just for the label.

2003 Epiphone Sheraton II. Natural finish, gold hardware, awesome mother of pearl fretboard inlays and nice abalone vine inlay on the headstock.

its a really good weight, i changed out the knobs for some riviera style top hats. looks alot cooler.

i play funky/groovy/experimental/ambient indie rock with classic rock and heavy blues influence. basically its really cool indie rock thats pretty diverse. its kind of in the realm of portugal.the man, brand new, the blood brothers, etc.

anyway, i have a squier jagmaster with a seymour duncan phat cat p90, a standerd tele with 52 ri pickups, and the sheraton. i have a pretty diverse group here, and i get tons of great tones out of them.

i have a big pedalboard, but its got lots of electro harmonix and boss stuff. i use alot of delay and reverb, some tremolo, and i love my big muff. i run everything into a 1972 fender bassman ten and a usa made fender hot rod deluxe.

i love my rig, and my guitars bring out the best of it. especially the sheraton. ithought i might be changing the pickups out but damn, they sound great. not muddy or anything. i must have got two out of a good batch.

AWESOME LOOKING.

sexy durability.

can eat.

makes me wanna.

I bought the my Sheraton II in 2003. The features are well advertised, as this guitar has oodles of reviews. I like the guitar, and generally agree with many of the other reviews. I want to point out what I don't, or no longer like about the guitar. I also made some modifications to the instrument and want to share them for the benefit of other readers.
I originally liked the thick shiny finish and all the little sheraton extras (mother of pearl inlays, gold hardware, etc). The mop inlays are nice, but look at PRS instruments to see how this is more appropriately done. The thick poly (glue) finish is easy to keep shiny, but it inhibits tonal output. I have come to prefer a lighter finishes for tonal reasons. I bought the guitar with the intent of replacing the electronics. I'm not a big fan of the stock PUs wiring harnesses, and hardware.
I had the frets crowned and polished and the neck adjusted, as well as had the action set by a competent luthier. Nice improvement, making the instrument playable (better than some 335's).
Additionally, I have grown tired of the mass-produced poly finish. Be careful not to bump the finish. It is brittle and chips easily. I replaced all the gold hardware with nickel hardware and like that better. I wish the sunburst pattern on the sheraton was the same as the elitist and american made patterns. I am wishing for an older 335 or a nice Lennon Casino. My sheraton lacks both the tone and the aesthetic vibe I expected.

This is not a subtle instrument. It lacks harmonics, depth, and bass response. The guitar is powerful and works well for a blues tone (think harmonica). Jazz players should fault it for lack of a smoky tone. My stock strat is a tone monster (my friend tells me that I can make it 'breathe') compared to the Sheraton. The sheraton is a bit of a workout to play compared to my other guitars. It is beefier, and takes a little more left-hand strength.
When I bought the guitar a local luthier convinced me to replace the stock PUs with Gibson burstbucker pro's, as well as cts pots, orange caps, and a switchcraft. The burstbucker pro's seem to me like great PUs for a vintage les. It surprises me that PAF pickups were used on Les Pauls, 335's and super 400's -- pointing to the versatility of PAF pickups. The burstbuckers get that old school les paul sound, but they overpower my sheraton so that it lacks the basic versatility of a 335. I find the guitar and the burstbucker pros not to be a good tone match. Running both the pickups simultaneously with the volumes rolled-back yeilds a good jangle if you know how to set the parameters just right. Rolling the volume pickup back on the neck only gives a nice acoustic sound. The bridge pickup is well suited to rock or blues.

Stock electronics are what you would expect for a $400 price tag. I bought the instrument because I liked all the dressing and gloss. I repaced all the electronics, and had the instrument professionally set up shortly after the purchase. Bindings are pretty, but dont expect the kind of quality you would get with a from a custom les. Japanese instruments seem to have US level fit and finish. Koreans arent quite as good. The wood on the top is slightly less 'figured' than a vintage 335. There are a few flaws in the base color on the back of my sheraton. No big deal I guess. If you look at the cavity in my sheraton, you can see the flamed side of the ply. I wish the inside was flat black. I wish they would use a classier looking truss cover. Nothing is hidden, you can see all these things for yourself. I would be hard pressed to buy one on ebay. Too much can go wrong to trust the Samick factory quality checks. I played a Lennon Casino. I liked every aspect of the guitar.

Wow. So much glue is used that I doubt it will ever fall apart. All that glue inhibits the sound a little. Finish is too brittle.

If you get good customer service from Epiphone, then good for you. If you don't, what can you really expect for a $400 instrument. If you buy one of these babies and hope to rework it with new electronics and a good setup, be prepared to give it to a luthier. It's tough to get into it. Im crafty, but I quickly gave up. I spent $200 on pickups and $400 on electronics and neck work. PRICEY additions to a $400 guitar. I wish now that I had just bought a Lennon Casino.

Played for 20+. Not a professional by any means. I also own a tele and an american standard strat. The strat is my baby. Loved it when I brought it home, no issues ever. The Sheraton has been a lot of work.

Simply amazing guitar!

Gibson/Epiphone stands by their products!

I recently had a fantastic service experience with Epiphone that I would like to share.

I just purchased an Epiphone Sheraton II guitar that is now my new favorite Guitar.
I was rather unhappy though, with the way the guitar fit in the case and sent a series of e-mails to TKL (the case manufacturer) and Gibson Epiphone.

I sent both of them pictures of the case fit and measurements of both the guitar and case, and after listening to my input, Vince Wynne of Gibson stepped up to the plate, and shipped me a brand new case free of charge for my guitar!

The case was beautifully crafted, and fit my Epiphone Perfectly!

Needless to say, I was blown away by their dedication to customer service!
It???s not too often that a company goes above and beyond the call of duty these days, but when they do, I feel they should be recognized for it.

I would like to publicly thank Vince Wynne and Gibson/Epiphone Guitars for their outstanding customer service to me.

Sincerely,
Big Rand
Traverse City MI.

35 years playing experince, pro.

Natural finish, bound neck, jumbo frets, "short scale", 2006, Grover tuners, stock humbuckers(Gibson, I presume imported), five piece neck, Korean made. Came with minimal documents, just tags etc. and a nice wood hard shell case with great handle.

I wanted to complement my Strat and Tele with the hollow humbucker sound. It does sound marvelous. I use a Roland cube 30 and a Fender Blues Deluxe. My style of play is country, blues and PW. The better the amp the better this guitar sounds. I assumed I would swap out the pickups, but I am thoroughly pleased with them. Front PU is not muddy, but warm, smooth and can be sorrowful. The Rear pickup is also expressive. Together you have some nice dynamic diversity. Of course, the 16 year old boy was amazed at how he got some heavy humbucker thunder out of it. "It doesn't sound like a geezer guitar..."

I really like the short scale. A merciful feature for my arthritic knuckle. The look is super. It is heavy, but the sustain and overall feel is fabulous. The intonation and fretwork is flawless. The tuners are good.

The action was a pinch high for me. It would have been perfect for most. I lowered the action on the treble side to about 2.5/64ths and 3/64ths on the bass side. The PUs were too low, but it sounded great. After adjustment we got all the goodness out of the PUs. We just followed specs for the PUs and they are superb.
Construction detail is worth a look. I compared this to countless Gibsons and never found an American product even close in workmanship. What is wrong with our factories and production gurus? What is wrong with our workers? We used to make the good stuff. Now the Koreans spank us soundly if this is any indicator.
It would be a 10 if they had put better tuner on it. But the Grovers are adequate.

It is tough as nails. It is the envy of other players. Hardware is great generally. Jury is out on the tuners, but Grovers are way better than the tuners way back in the day...
Finish, strap buttons, etc. all seem durable and good.

It should stand live playing well. I am not sure I would like to hold it all night... It is a bit heavy. But we switch 'em up. Mostly Tele playing. The SheratonII comes out for its tone on certain songs. Great for blues.

All finish will wear off with enough playing. But this stuff is poly and should be around for a long time. If I wear it off, that might be pretty cool anyway.

Never do a gig without a backup. That's just dumb. Dumb things happen like thievery, destructions, accidents etc.

Warranty is lifetime.

I use Hoffman guitar in Minneapolis for my work. They make the difference. Gibson/Epi are the insurance. Charlie Hoffman is great for all guitar work. Great work on high end acoustics as well as electrics.

I have been playing since 1967.... wow 40 years. I am getting old.

I own an Olson acoustic. A '76 Ovation. A Martin HD28 (marvelous). A 50th Anniv Strat (Fender). A frankenstein Tele with a alder body (cheap but good), Warmoth boat tail maple neck (SS frets-very nice), vintage type tuners, Fender Vintage PUs.

Stolen or lost. Bummer. Maybe another one. Or maybe surprise myself and find a Gibson without defects and drips and bad workmanship... long shot.

Be careful, they ask musicians to do some addition below. Good thing I finished HS.