Epiphone Sheraton II

I got this used on Ebay 8 years ago!!!! So I've had this guitar for awhile now that I'm doing a review. It was $280 dollars. Great Price!!! Some of the pole screws were missing. I never replaced them. The gold hardware was a little worn. The serial number on the headstock was filed off so it's a good possibility that this guitar was stolen. It's a normal two humbucker, two volume, two tone semi-hollow body guitar. I agree with others that I like the sheraton's looks more than an ES-335. The inlay on the Sheraton are really beautiful and I like the gold hardware. I think gold hardware looks snazzy!

I love this guitar and have grown to love it more and more over the past 8 years of owning it. I have been playing for 11 years and went to college for guitar. I have never done anything to modify it. I have set up it myself to play how I like and that is it! I did take the pickguard off though. I have the sunburst and the pickguard hid the beautiful finish. I am a fan of two humbucker guitars. I also own a g-400 that I have modified and put seymour duncans on. I love using both humbuckers on this guitar with a clean sound or slightly broken up sounds. It's gorgeous sounding! The neck pickup is very warm and sounds great for jazz. The bridge pickup has nice bite when distorted and it can handle a heavy distortion very nicely. This guitar will go from beautiful jazz clean to shred metal if you want. Don't let anyone tell you a semi-hollow can't do heavy stuff. I have used this guitar through my peavey classic 50, Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier, and Digitech rp 250 and the other 20 some effects pedals I have had. It reacts great with all the pedals I have had. When I first bought this I didn't love it as much as I do now. It is very comfortable to holder if you are a bigger person. I find my g-400 is a little small and I look funny holding such a small guitar.

It was 8 years ago, I don't remember the action when I got it!!! I have changed sizes of strings since then. I used 9's then and then moved to thick and thins, then to 11's, and now 10's. I have set it up differently for each gauge of course. The pickup selector was noisy for alittle and sometimes would cut out. I was going to get a new one but then it stopped. The neck is very very comfortable. It fills my hands nicely but it's too small or big. Just right!

I think electronically is is reliable. I think it is alittle more of a delicate guitar compared to a bolt on like a tele or strat. Stevie Ray once told about how for "Third Stone from the Sun" he would roll the tone down on his middle pickup and grab the guitar and shake the "wang" bar as he said and that you couldn't do that with an ES-335. He was right. Treat the guitar right though and it will treat you right! I replaced the strap buttons with strap locks which I do for all of my guitar. Remember that part in "That Thing You Do" when the bass player is jumping up and down after winning battle of the bands and his bass strap goes and his bass goes crashing to the floor. That is a nightmere of mine which is why I have the straplocks.

Never dealth with anyone on custumer support on this guitar

I always wanted an ES-335 style guitar since around 1996 when I saw Billy Corgan playing one in the Bullet with Butterfly wings video. I love the Sheraton because of it's fancy looks and great sound! I am not the worlds best guitarist. I have played for a decent amount of time and have impressed some people in that time. I have had the chance to play with some very good musicians when I lived in Boca Raton and one very well known bassist in the area told me he loved the sound of my sheraton. He said it was the warmest guitar he had ever heard. He has been in the business a lot longer than I have so that was nice to hear. I would definitely look for another one if it were stolen. The sad thing about guitars is that everyone is different so it's hard to replace a favorite guitar. I am in love with this guitar and everytime I play it I realize it more. The sound is great and it feels so nice in my hands. I have played on Gibson ES-335 and really enjoyed them but I like the look of the Sheraton more.

1994 Samick made Sheraton II. ES335 style, center blocked body. Natural finish with poly finish, dual humbuckers. Grover-style tuners, 3 way switch. Not too bad stock, but can be on par with Elitists with some mods.

I play mostly blues, some rock. I've been want an ES-335 for years. Bought this used off of eBay with every intention of upgrading, so no disappointments. I liked the stock pickups OK. They sounded better than the ones that came in my Epi Les Paul, but not wonderful. The pots were scratchy and the jack needed replaced. Replaced all 4 pots with CTS 500k's ($3.25), the jack with a Switchcraft ($3), the capacitor with a Sprague Orange-drop.($3) Gibson p'ups were a no-brainer, I opted for the 490/498T Gibsons (with gold covers). I got the pair off eBay for $115 shipped. I left the stock switch since it was not making any noise or dropping out when switched. May install a Switchcraft later. Rewired with Gibson Braided wire (5ft @ $6). Total upgrade: $140. The sound: a Solid 10!

I don't know the history of this guitar. It was set up very good when I recieved. I suspect the previous owner had frets levelled & polished. No buzz, very low action. Nut may be bone, may be plastic. I can't tell. I was playing with the idea of changing hardware to Gibson, but Samick used some weird-assed bridge. I didn't want to take a chance of pulling the studs and drilling holes for the Gibson. There were no issues anyway, intonation was perfect and the bridge didn't rattle like some of the cheap Epi crap out there. (Not dissing Epiphones. My son & I have & do own several. Just an observation). The tuners, however, were another story. This one had some Grover knock-offs. I replaced with genuine Grover minis (gold. Cost:$40. I also didn't like the ugly amber top-hat knobs...replace with real Gibson gold vintage. Cost $12. I still don't like the pickgaurd, but that's minor. May replace with an ES-type someday. I suspet I will have to get one made custom since this isn't a real Gibson. For now, everything is beautiful. All I know is that for less than $650, I have the best sounding, best playing guitar I have ever owned! I have owned Gibsons & American Fenders....I like this one better. I am very seriously thinking about putting a Varitone switch in next.

This guitar is a brick. Very well built, very heavy. With the upgrades, I would take a chance gigging without a backup. The guitar is 12 years old and looks as good as the day it was made. I have the Epiphone TKL-made case. There are better out there, but hey, this one came with the guitar and does it's job well. If you like working on your own guitars, get one of these! They have problems with the stock hardware, but upgraded, these are Worthy of the Gibson name on the truss-rod cover.

Bought it used. Never had a problem with an Epiphone product, so no opinion.

I've been playing for 33 years. I play mostly blues. I own an Epiphone EJ-160 (John Lennon), an American Strat (standard) and a Martin D28. If this thing were stolen, I would cry like a little girl for days, write a song about it an start watching eBay for another. It is a total bitch re-wiring a semi-hollow body guitar, but this one was worth every tear, drop of sweat and curse word that I let out while upgrading it..(If someone knows any tricks to make it easier, let me know!) I play this though a Fender Showman 112 combo, sometimes using my Boss GT3 in between. If you like the classic ES-335 sound, get this guitar, pour some sweat and (a little) cash into it. You will be amazed!

This is a 1997 Samick made ES 335 variation with humbuckers. Most of these details have been covered in other reviews but unlike later variations of this model this is using an "ebony" fretboard and I am about 90% sure these are stock Gibson pickups. Somewhere along the way the pickguard had been taken off but I think it looks nicer without it.

For rock, blues, jazz and country this is a pretty cool set up. For metal, look elsewhere. Even though there were several posts people with people using this for punk but in my opinion I think hallow bodied guitars sound like an angry bee when ran through an amp with high gain.

Through an low watt amp with a small speaker like a Princeton or Super Reverb this is a thing of beauty.

Given it is a nine year old guitar it is imposible to say what the stock set up was like but I do know that I had to make several adjustments for my liking:

1) Lower the action.

2) Adjusted the radius of the pickups pole pieces to more accurately trace the arch of the fretboard.

3) Lower the neck pickup by about 1mm to 1.5mm and then further lowered the "A" and "E" string to balance the pickup's output.

All of these were easy to do with a slot head and philips screw driver.

With nine years of playing the hardware is warn and pitted and there is a small dent on the top. Given this is a backup guitar I am not overly concerned.

This is the backup guitar. I bought it because I didn't want to loose or damage my Guild Bluesbird.

As mentioned in several reviews the electronics are suspect but I am saving up a little cash to R S Guitarworks electronics upgrade kit.

From Epiphone? No.

From Guitar Center? Yes. I bought an additional year warranty. They even gave me a call a week after taking the guitar home to see if I still liked it and to see if there was anything unusual going on.

With any hallow body or semi hallow body it is extremely important to play the guitar unplugged first. If it sounds like a shoe box strun with dental floss now it will sound equally bad when plugged into an amp.

I have tried several Japanese made hallow bodied guitars after purchacing the Samick made Shearaton II and in my opinion the MIJ Epiphones were far superior but given I didn't want to go through the hasle of either selling the guitar myself or trading it in for a loss I have decided to keep what I have. I have also tried non Samick made Korean Epiphones and they are no where near the qc as the Samick made Epiphones. If you can find an upper level MIJ Epiphone grab it if not the Samicks are a good second.

Made in Korea, assemebled in USA. Mine is Ebony (black) with gold hardware. 2 volume and 2 tone controls for the 2 Epiphone humbuckers.
Grover tuners (nice). Jumbo frets (I think that's what they are). No case :( The 3-way selector switch is loose. Sometimes it crackles in when switching.

Sounds very much like a hollow-body (semi) should sould. Fat, warm tones. Smooth as smooth should be. I play mostly blues, along with some classic rock, and some alternative.
I do notice sometimes that the low E and A seem to overwhelm the overall tone. I think it's just a matter of tweaking the amp settings. I play through a Vox DA15 digital amp (which is very tubelike in some respects). I also use a Line 6 Pod XT Live for effects and amp modelling. Overall, the sounds out this beauty are sweet.
Maybe one 'dislike', no markers on the higher frets. Not really that bad a deal. I have read other reviews here which indicate Epiphones poor quality switches and pots. I will give the benefit of a doubt as to how they hold up.

Setup was perfect for me. Low action, intonation and pickup settings are fine for my tastes. I could not find any visible flaws. Not that I expected any on a $600 guitar.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? You bet !!!

Does the hardware seem like it will last? We shall see. Gold hardware tends to wear more quickly than the chrome.

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? Yes, very high quality finish IMO.

Are the strap buttons solid? Yes. Can you depend on it? I certainly hope so.

I don't play in a band or on stage. I'm just a play at home or jam with friends sort of player.

I haven't had to experience Epiphones customer support. I bought mine from Guitar Center. They have great support here.

I've been playing on and off for maybe 10 years. I'm still learning. I traded an Ibanez Artcore AFS75 in black (old style semi hollow electric )for this Epi Sheraton II. I also own an Ibanez Classical with pickups and a cutaway (not great but not bad either). I also own (see review elsewhere) a Schecter S1 Elite (my main axe). I just replaced my little Fender amp with a Vox DA15. Nice....much improved sound and tone quality.

I really researched different models of semi-hollowbodies before I decided on the Sheraton. If it were lost or stolen, I would invoke my right of revenge on the bugger who nicked it. I would replace it with another.

Ebony finish, gold hardware, 2006 MIK. Grovers! That's a bonus and even my "real" Gibson 135 didn't come with 'em. 2 Epi humbuckers which sound just as good as the Gibson ones in my Les Paul - I don't know what these other reviewers are griping about. Has all the features I'd expect in a semihollow.

I could use this guitar for anything from punk to jazz, although I gravtiate towards indie rock these days. Sounds HUGE played live and on tape - I've shoved this through $3000 tube combos and cheap modelers and it consistently sounds great. I'll reiterate - people complaining about the pickups in these either aren't familiar with semihollows or just really like soldering - there's nothing wrong with 'em and I like 'em quite a bit.

OUTSTANDING fit and finish - every bit as well done as instruments I have at 3 times the price. Setup was perfect out of the box and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to "plug and play" without my usual tweaking.

The hardware and electronics are fine - nice solid feeling switch and pots, strap buttons do what they're supposed to. I fully expect this guitar to be as reliable as my other instruments.

Standard Epi warranty, although I doubt I'll need it.

I've been at this for 31 years now and was a keyboard player for years prior to that. I own way too much gear to list out here. I like the Sheraton for lots of reasons, but the standout things are the fact that it's still MIK rather than MIC like the cheaper Epis and that it's not a knockoff of another Gibson model - the Sheraton's been its own thing for years. This is my third semihollow (alongside my Gibson and my Gretsch) and I'm finding myself really gravitating towards them.

GC gave me a fantastic deal on this guitar - $600 including our outrageous (almost 10%) local sales tax and the "deluxe" Epi case, which is leaps and bounds above their normal chipboard ones. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

This is my 2nd Blond (see below for reason). It is a nice looking guitar brand new 2006. I got it with the Epiphone case whihc is real nice. Made in Korea (much beter than any Chinese Epiphones).

The sound is OK but I will replace the pickups. they do not have the power of any humbucker type guitar I have ever had and are muddy.

I play Classic Rock, Country, Blues and some Jazz through a Fender Prosonic normally but have used it with a few other Fenders and an Marshall 60 wat combo. JCM60

I have a blond Sheraton 2, my 2nd. I bought one with a 30 day return and found out bridge was in the wrong position and there was no way to set the intonation. I actually like the first one better for looks and it ws heavier but the second one was right on with intonation. I still had to make some adjustments to the action but it plays pretty well. The nut will have to go eventually and the switch is noisy but overall I am happy with the second guitar.

I think the hardware will definately fade and I will eventually replace some stuff besides the pickups but for the 600 I paid I expected I would and will eventually end up with a low budget guitar even after mods that will be close to the ES335 I could not afford right now.

I emailed Epiphone and they told me to bring the first guitar to some repair shops not close to home but Guitar Center let me swith no problem and I am happy with them anyway. The 9 is for Guitar Center

I have been playing 25 years and gig 50-80 times a year. I wish I checked the intonation at the store before I bought the first one.
I wanted a nice 335 type guitar and expected the pickups to be replaced but overall I think once I tweak it this guitar will be just what I want. It is nice looking and feels nice with a reasonable acoustic sound too. In some ways it is better than I expected.

I think it is a lot of guitar for the money but check the intonation and make sure it has enough room on the bridge to adjust.

I posted a review on 05/05/2006 asking at large how people coped with no fret markers beyond the 15th fret. I had only placed this guitar on lay-away and had no real experience in playing it. Now that I have had it several weeks, I have discovered that you don't really need fret markers above the 15th. I will confess that I bought some tiny rub-on markers for model cars and placed them on the binding at the 15th and 17th frets, and while they have held on well and will probably always be there unless I delibertly remove them, I find them totally unnecessary. That's because anybody can find the 17th--its just 2 frets above the 15th, and it just so happens that the body binding ends right at the 19th fret--a bigger indicator no one could ask for, and 21 is just 2 frets higher and I don't play up there very much anyway. In fact, I find it actually _easier_ to play the upper registers with this Sheraton than with my Les Paul because of the actual absence of markers--it's not nearly as cluttered up there where frets get so close together on a 24 3/4 inch scale.

In the event that I won't get a chance to add another comment in this proforma review setup, I noticed that my Epiphone "E" was half unstuck when I got the guitar home. The first thing I did was carefully place some super glue under it and clamp it down hard with a "C" clamp for a couple of minutes. No, the glue didn't run out all over the pick guard and guitar top as many of you might be thinking. I was very concerned that it might, but I was a little bit careful and a lotta bit lucky. I don't think it will ever come off now.

One other thing I will mention here in features in the event I won't get a chance to later in this proforma, is that the guitar stays in tune better than I thought it would but not as well as I would like it to. I put Nickel strings on all my guitars when I brought this home and I find it doesn't stay in tune as well as my others (all high-end guitars-StratReissue, Les Paul Spotlight and Custom Tele).
If this proves to be bothersome, I noticed that the custom gold Schallers I put on my Tele are exactly the same size as regards the holes and mounting screws, so that is an option. BTW, the Nickel strings make a difference on this guitar, which is very bright on both the neck and bridge pickups. The give it a nice bluesy tone.

The Nickel strings make a difference on this guitar, which is very bright on both the neck and bridge pickups. They give it a nice bluesy tone, a little darker than standard steel but not as dark as the Les Paul comes out on Nickel. I will go back to standard Swedish steel on the Les Paul and Strat, but the Sheraton and Tele (which I built 20 years ago and has always been overpowering because of the brass nut, birdseye maple neck and curly maple body and red hot pickups) will stay on "Pure Nickel".

Lousy set up. Can't believe America can lend its name to the set up. It was great if you bought the guitar for slide. Personally don't like guitars whose strings are 1/4 " above the 12th fret. Also, I notice that it is very hard to play on the first fret, which is because the cheap plastic nut has its grooves cut so high. It gets noticably easier on the 2nd, 3rd, etc. I compared it to my Les Paul, and the strings on the Sheraton cross the nut 50% higher than on the Les Paul. My luthier can fix that easily enough, and I really don't think I need to go to a bone nut. BTW, anybody considering a brass nut, which I put on my Custom Tele, be prepared to add a lot of open string dampening to your right-hand technique.
They'll start ringing not only from being plucked, but also in resonance with other strings, having not been plucked at all. This is why the "Pure Nickel" has helped my Tele a lot, because they don't resonate as much.

Would have given this category a zero for the action (all due to poor setup) save for the beautiful fit and finish, which rate a "10" in my opinion.

Have heard many people complain about the gold rubbing off--the same thing happened to my Les Paul in less than a year. Big deal--that's what happens to gold finishes--even to White Falcons.

Don't know.

All mentioned in my 05.05.2006 posting if you are interested.

Sure I'd buy it again--that's why I bought it. It is something I can afford to lose, but without a case I'd be a total fool to try take it with me. Even with a case, I'd have to get a travel container. It's easy enough to take the neck off a Strat or Tele and roll both neck and body in a few towels and put in your suitcase--and put trousers and ties in the guitar case which baggage handlers are anxious to out-sort into their own hands.

Made in korea assemebled in usa etc. mine is black and everything is stock I have not customized it in anyway, I love the 4 knobs but I just leave them all turned up, the 3-way selector switch is nice but sometimes it crackels in between stages but not a problem, nice looking guitar but the gold-trim is a little cheesy but ah who cares and this guitar did not come with a case :(

Great sound! I read the reviews here before purchasing it and though I understand why so many hate the pick-ups on this thing its not like you cant build great tone from these pick-ups, I love the warm muffled sound of this thing its not as punchy as my tele but I have heard worse, much worse, though I may want to geek it out sometime in the future, its not like im not enjoying it now, my amp is in the shop so right now im using a 15 watt squier SS amp and to my surprise it sounds nice through this thing but I have tried it through a 212 fender HRD just like mine and oh man love the hollow body rosewood sound going through tube amp not bad not bad at all for the kinda of mellow rock I play but nice clean and handles distortion very well, nice sustain that keeps going even though your already changing chords...

Ok great neck feel great inlays and I can see why people would want to change the nut on this thing because it just doesnt look right on it but what I didnt like is how when I changed my strings the bridge came off but oh well all it means is purer tone, I love the way nothing gets in the way when I PALM MUTE! comfortable, I dont want to damage my rosy palmer hands but overall the best thing is the action I mean the strings cant get any closer to the fret board :)

Ive only owned it a couple weeks now but it seems a little fragile to me because this is my first REAL hollow-body I have owned an ibanez acoustic electric and telacoustic (crap) but i am used to solid bodys so im a little leary of it but its probably all in my head but i know its not all hollow because of the solid block of wood inside so it seem very durable in that sense but im not in a band so I cant say weather its gig worthy or not but I dont see why not...

Been playing 11 years and Ive been looking for an Epiphone anyway and it just so happens to cost less than Gibsons (I say F*ck Gibson and there prices) I saw it in a local shop and it was love at first sight, I had to have her, nice black looking hollow-body, sounds great, feels great end of story.

Just bought an Ebony model. Tried it out just for the feel because I used to own one in 1961. That one was heavier, blond, and if I remember correctly cost atout $700 in 1962 dollars.

This one sounds better than any Gibson I've ever played or owned.

I am writing this because I have a question for everybody. I have never seen a guitar that only has markings up to the 15th fret. My near vosion is getting bad even with glasses, and I often have trouble overshooting the 17th fret on my les paul and Custom Tele, which are marked. With this I am flying blind (no pun intended). How do you cope with it? I have contacted my luthier who can put on side markers but he's not equipped to handle these fancy things. I suggested dots but he recommended not--would ruin its value. But, this is an inexpensive GOOD/Great guitar and its value is its value to me--not to somebody I might sell it too after 25 years. I think what I may do is tape off the rosewood behind the fret, tape off the top of the fret on 17, 19, and maybe 21 too, and just put a coating of silver-to-white fingernail polish on the back of the fret itself so I can see it. How stupid does this sound and why am I the only person who ever remarked about this? I will have enough trouble seeing the side markers, which I have noted I only use when standing up. When seated, my eyes always go to the fret markers when I make a long jump.

6 frets in a line on a shortened 24&3/4" neck without markers make it hard to land correctly in the upper registers.

playing 47 years
''87 '57 reissue strat, custome tele, les paul, gave away the rest--jap/strat, tele, jazzmaster.

amps--1954 pro 15" jenson--tweed--perfect condition, 78 super reverb,
88 super 60, 89 twin.

yeah, 3 more fret markers

2004 Made in Korea. Laminated top with std. 2 p/u, 2 vol. and 2 tone controls. Gold hardware and tobacco sunburst finish. I paid $259 in a pawn shop and it still had tags on it. I can't argue the price. No case but I have a new case on order.

This is a hot guitar, even with the stock pickups. It really pushes a Fender Deluxe Reverb but I have a blackface Twin Reverb, '66 Bandmaster, Line 6 and several other amps. I got little response from the tone controls until I turned the volume all the way up. The pots need to be changed and I will do this myself. I've owned a '67 ES-335 and liked it. I will probably like this guitar also.

There was sticker on the guitar saying it was set up in the USA. It had a pretty good set up but I tweaked it a little. The pickups are adjusted about right for me. The neck is great. Even with low action, there is no buzz on any string, all the way down the neck. I can't complain about the finish. Probably the "prettiest" guitar I have ever had. This guitar was used but there was not a mark on it and it didn't have a case. It had only been out of pawn for about 30 min. when I walked in and bought it.

I haven't played it enough to say for sure but so far, it seems very reliable and durable. I think it would be fun to play live. The finish and workmanship are wornderful. The strap buttons are about standard for any other guitar. Using with at a gig without a backup - I always take a Tele along. I will hate to put the first scratch on it.

I only emailed Gibson with my serial number and they emailed me immediately with the age of the guitar and told me where it was made.

I've owned a guitar since 1964 but really started playing a lot in 1975. I own several Fender Tele's, one '69 Tele with an original Parson's - White B-bender and 3 Strats and 3 P-basses. Mostly Fender blackface amps (a real 1965 Twin Reverb and a '66 Bandmaster)and a few silverface Fenders. 2 Gibson amps and 1 Epiphone from the 60's. 2 Leslie tremolo units. Lots and lots more other stuff. I've owned over 200 guitars and 200 amps since 1975. I haven't decided if I will keep this guitar but I like it a lot now. I own lots of nice guitars to be an old bass player

This is a follow up to my 12/25/05 review below. I have a 2001 Sheraton II that I bought used and it was in very, very good condition. Sunburst, with two Epiphone ?57 Humbuckers. I changed the pick ups a few weeks ago and put in a bone nut and wanted to update my review. In that first review, I noted that I had all the pots and wiring and the input jack and pick up switch changed out as part of the purchase price. This was a very good move and it?s a fairly cheap but important upgrade. My rating is based on my upgrades.

With regard to the original pick ups, they were pretty good. Mine were Epiphone ?57 Humbuckers and on the back of them, it notes they are also used on Epiphone Dots and Les Pauls. However, after a lot of thought, I put in a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom (SH 11) in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Jazz (SH 2N) in the neck. Wow. The Custom Custom is an astounding pick up. BB King Live at the Regal Hotel. Sweet, sweet, singing, sustaining, fat, creamy, biting mid range and high end tones. In the D, G and B stings from the 8th fret up to 18th fret it?s almost a trumpet kind of sound at times. Incredible. If you overdrive the amp a little, it also reminds me of Neil Young?s work with Buffalo Springfield at times too. But, you have to adjust the height of the pick up to get the most out of it. When I got the guitar back with the new pick ups, they were both set too low and the difference in sound from the original pick ups was negligible. Fortunately, I read about this common adjustment oversight on this website (why do techs do that?) and it was another easy fix. When I raised them to the recommended height, it made a profound difference. The Custom Custom is a killer. The Jazz pick up is also great. A very different sound altogether. It removes the edge from the higher strings at the higher frets for a meatier, less piercing sound. A true jazz / blues sound. Between the two pick ups, there?s a great range of individual sounds. Together, there are even more possibilities. Re the new bone nut, it added a little more conduction of sound and sustain. I just don?t think a plastic nut can do much for a guitar - - other than to save costs for the manufacturer. My rating is based on my upgrades.

As noted in my 12/25/05 review, action, fit anf finsih are great.

After reading a lot about the Sheraton before I bought it (and confirmed by music store staff) the weak link for Epiphones are the electronics; switches, tone controls, volume controls and, to some extent, the pick ups (they were a little muddy but not horrible). Structurally, this strikes me as being a very solid, durable guitar. I have had no problems in that regard.

No contact with customer support so I can't say.

I've been playing a long, long time. I like this guitar a lot. Re buying another one if it were stolen, etc, by buying this guitar used and at a good price, my upgrades have still kept this guitar in a reasonable price range. Even a beat up Gibson 335 would be way, way, way more expensive than what I have invested so far and the tone and playability of this guitar is now really great. It?s a poor man?s 335. However, it?s a shame that Epiphone is so close to having a really great guitar right off the rack. What would it cost them to put in better electronics? In comparison, I got a used USA Strat in great condition and at a great price and I haven?t had to put a dime into it.

2005 Korean made, 22 fret, lam top, 2 vol, 2 tone, 3 way, 2 humbuckers.Grover tuners, tune-o-matic/stop tail, 5 piece neck.
No case.
With some small, fairly inexpensive upgrades, this guitar could really be a contender.
All guitars should come with a case, no guitar should have a plastic nut.Pickups are no more than a refrigerator magnet, and the pots/switch are overseas junk.
The actual guitar is great though, well made..

Unplugged, it sounds awesome. Nice midrangey tone. Loud and clear. A few tweaks and it played great.
Plugged in, the electronics were quiet, but the pickups were muddy as hell. I planned on changing them anyway, and knowing that it sounded great UN-plugged, I knew it would sound fantastic with a good set of pickups.I did my homework and decided that the Seymour Duncan "Phat Cats" were the pickup for this guitar. I ordered them with the gold covers, and installed them. Upon removing the electronics, I noticed the 3-way switch is pretty cheesy, so that will have to be replace, as well as the pots.Also, I looked at the back of the Epi pickups, and found they were both Epi Les Paul 57 bridge pickups..
After installing the Phat Cats with the Epi springs and rings, the guitar just came alive! Great cut and clarity with excellent midrange punch. Just enough power to make it scream under heavey gain, but retains the "hollow tone" with the volume rolled off a little. Seriously, these Phat Cats fall somewhere between a hot mini-bicker, and a P90.. No, and I mean NO singlecoil hum...
Now this somewhat inexpensive guitar sounds like a FINE instrument!
My rating with the Phat Cats is a 9, stock is as below...

Action was acceptible. A little tweaking and it's almost as good as mu Les Paul...I see no flaws in the finish at all. It's stellar!
Wiring was a little sloppy, but I fixed that myself..The nut is plastic, and needs to be replaced with a bone nut for sure.
Grover tuners are a nice feature.

I think it will hold up well.Hopefully the finish will wear off some. I like my guitars used looking. This is my first Brand New guitar.Holds tuning well through a set. I can even change to open G without any problems.I never gig without backup. I always have my strat and Les Paul anyway. This guitar fills a different niche for me.
First thing I did was put Schaller straplocks on it, as all my other guitars...

Have not tried...

Been playing since 1980. I have a 1976 Les Paul Custom, a 1998 USA strat with fat 50's pickups, a Charvel Model 4. I run them through my Mesa Boogie Mark III simulclass head and 2 thiele/EV loaded cabs all in Imbuya/wicker, and a 1968 Gibson Hawk 1-10" amp. For effects I use an analogman TS9/808, crybaby 95Q, TR2, EHX Deluxe Memory Man, A/DA Flanger.
If it was lost or stolen I'd replace it with another. I love the looks, and the way it plays, I hate the plastic nut and cheapo electronics including muddy pickups. I looked at the Gibson hollowbodies, and may someday get a 335, but for now, this serves the purpose.
For the cost of the pickups/bone nut/pots, switch/jack/case...$250
So, for $799, I have an awesome blues machine that's pretty versatile.
I'm really pleased with it. All in all, it's a great guitar for the price. It certainly won't replace my Les Paul or strat, but does it's own thing really well, and looks great doing it.

Well, my Sheraton II was made in Korea, i think it's a 2005 model, i don't know exactly, but i think so because the serial number starts with "U05...". Maple laminated top.

2 volume pots and 2 tone pots. 3-Way selector like all hollowbody's guitars, i really don't like the selector, it's just seems to cheapy!

It has 2 humbuckers, i like the sound of both but can be much better for the price of the guitar.

The finish of this guitar is just excelent...i love it. It's a kind of tobacco sunburst, but it's not that shiny. I don't know if u get the color I'm talking about...imagine mixing the tobacco sunburst with the vintage sunburst...just GREAT.

The headstock of this guitar is just EXCELENT...it seems like a 2000 dollar's guitar. It has a real nice "life's tree" on it...cool!
Has also Grover tuners (i didn't know it come with those tuners!) so it was a big surprise when i saw it.

The hardware (the tune-o-matic bridge, grover tunes, pickups, etc...) is gold. I like it.

I give it a 9, because the 3 way selector sucks. I will replace it by a brand new one when i have the money to.

I play rock, and some punk rock too. Including lots of bands:

Rock like: The Beatles, Oasis, U2.
Punk Rock: Green Day

Well let's see. I bought this guitar 4 days ago, so I'm getting used to it in these days. I like both humbuckers sound, but maybe i will replace the neck humbucker by a Seymour Duncan 59 and the bridge one with a Seymour Duncan SH-4. It will sound GREAT for what i play.

But the stock pickups are really nice. Incredible for jazz or blues!!

You know i think that this guitar will sound terrible with some distortion...it is WONDERFULL. I love the sound of it! Even with the stock pickups.

The guitar set-up was great...no complains.

The wood of the Sheraton II is great...just great. The finish is wonderful, like i said before, it seems a 2 thousand dollars guitar.

The strap buttons are solid, but i'm getting used of how to hunging my guitar strap correctly right now...it's quite hard to figure out if you are used to play a Stratocaster, a Les Paul or a Telecaster guitar.

I will definitly gig without a backup...but I would like to carry my Yamaha Pacifica 412 too, just in case...
The golden strap buttons are wearing off...they will get completely silver with a couple of days more.

Never deal with them.

I love it...it's just wonderfull, but be careful, it's not PERFECT.

I bought mine about 6 years ago, so a 99-2000 model. Bought it new from a Sam Ash store. Went in looking for an Epi Dot and walked away with this one. Korean made. Everything else already covered here.

The sound through my Marshall AVT50 amp is wonderful. Deep, rich ... loads of tone and sustain. I play whatever strikes my fancy on this guitar and have yet to be disappointed.

Scrap the electronics. I had the switch and pots replaced immediately after buying it. Also had a bone nut installed. Gold hardware is very cheap. Gold disappeared within a couple of weeks, but it adds character to the guitar. The fit and finish is superb.

This guitar travels with me everywhere I go. I'm not at all concerned with it being dinged up or damaged. It's a horse and should be ridden hard.

Never contacted them

Yeah, I'd definitely want to replace it if lost or stolen. At varying times I had considered replacing it with an ES335 or ES137, but then I play it and forget all about replacements ...

Hey cum on gold h/ware all throughout, gorgeous blonde natural finish with no flaws to talk about,the binding around the body and neck is very classy and gives feel of solid and secure not to mention sumptuosly finished. The neck is absolutely adoreable, fast,solid, and an answer to my prayers as my hands are akin to that of shovels Gorgeous grover tuners that again feel safe and solid

this guitar is suited to any style or genre I chuck at it it
sound is tops thats being compared to my les paul and Ricky 360 It really is spot on the sounds starting from deep, warm and resonant up into the thick rock tones L P alike also easy to coax a bright glassy arsenal of sounds

here where's you could say the only negative aspect being the fact that this axe really does need to be set up properly obviously to suit yourself then again what axe does not!

absolutely ROCK SOLID but with all the finesse of a dreamy curvacious babe

12 moon warranty ----same as all else these days

2005 model, natural finish with gold hardware, 3 way switch with alnico humbuckers, gloss finish, tune-o-matic bridge, Grover tuners.

I play a a lot of styles, mostly modern rock and harder rock, some pop, some metal. The guitar plays out well through my Vox AD50VT amp. This thing really chunks up more than I expected. Semi hollow body is prone to feedback at high volumes. Loud enough to strumb around acoustically and get a decent sound to practice vocal melodies to.

This one is nearly perfect. Two gripes:

1. My guitar has a strange knot in the wood, very small, very unnoticable at first. I am being very picky.

2. Slight buzz on low E when I got it. Intonation/bridge adjustment fixed right away.

I have had no problems whatsoever in the 8 months I have had it. I have banged it here and there, and every time I look painfully for the scar, and every time I am surprised to find no damage in it's place.

Never needed any assistance that my local GC guy couldn't provide.

Been playing for about 7-8 years now, this is my first "real" electric guitar. I had a Washburn Lyon ($99 special) and a Korean Fender Tele FMT that treated me well, but this is in another league. I am happy to sit this guitar next to my Larrivee and my Tacoma. We will see how it stacks up to my Elitist SG '61 reissue when it comes.

it was made in korea and i dont know what year it was made but i've had it for ten years -bought it second hand.

this guitar sounds great and i use a roland jazz amp

i have never bought a guitar that is this perfect and i do own a couple of gipsons-if i have to complain about this guitar i'll be a bloody fool!

after ten years of abuse it still looks brand new with a little weae and tear on the pick ups but so what it will most probably outlast me!

what is this?

i have been playing for 33 years and boy if someone steels this guitar i will not replase it,it is already replaced.i bought a couple of other guitars and this is my favourite.not many other guitars has the same quality.

2001 Sheraton II, made in Korea, etc, etc, same stats as already mentioned by the others. Fit and finish is great.

After many years without an electric guitar I decided to buy another one. For the last few years, I would check music stores to see what was available at a reasonable price but nothing really moved me enough to buy. A friend let me play his PRS SE ( he set it up beautifully) and I liked it enough to consider buying one. However, when I played PRS SE?s in stores, the action and sound were not so great so I had my doubts. I subsequently went on to try a lot of other guitars in a very disciplined, methodical way. Since I always liked the Gibson 335, I looked at Epiphone DOTS. Although the price was good, they just didn?t knock me out. Then, by chance, I spotted a black Sheraton II and tried it. My reaction to the guitar was immediate. I loved the way the guitar played. The action was truly remarkable. The sound was great. Incredible range between the two pick ups. Super sustain. Rather than respond to the initial euphoria, I put it down and came back to it a few days later. It was still a terrific playing and sounding guitar. And, just to make sure the first Sheraton wasn?t a fluke, I tried them at several places and every one of them played great, right off the floor. I also went on the net and read a lot of reviews on the Sheraton and noted their shortcomings (primarily switches). Within a week, I found a used one in mint condition for $450 with the case. As per the reviews I read, the volume and tone controls on the used Sheraton were indeed ?scratchy? and the pick up switch made a lot of nosie. As part of the purchase price deal, I had all the wiring, switches and input jack taken out and replaced with Gibson parts. Of note, the tech who worked on it showed me the original switches, wiring and jack; they were all coated with what seemed to be polish that was probably sprayed on as the last part of the manufacturing process. While this wouldn?t be a problem with a solid body guitar, the ?F? holes in the Sheraton allowed the polish to enter the body of the guitar and coated the switches and wiring, etc, which probably caused the problems everyone was noting. The other problem I noticed (and which was noted by others), is that the guitar went out of tune after some hard playing. However, some research in to the problem consistently produced the same answer: the most common problem with strings going out of tune lies with the nut, so, before you go to the expense and hassle of changing the tuners, check the nut. I was skeptical but the truth of this became very clear to me after I had a bone nut made for my acoustic guitar. Being very new, the strings would bind in the newly cut nut slots. So, it was hard to keep the guitar in tune and the tuners that worked very easily with the old nut, suddenly worked very hard. So, I bought some nut lube (?Big Bends Nut Sauce?) and the problem disappeared. I applied this fix to the Sheraton and I can now bend the living daylights out of my strings and they don?t go out of tune. It seems almost too simple to be true, but it is. After these pretty inexpensive ?fixes?, the Sheraton is, in my opinion, a terrific guitar and a genuine bargain. I am extremely happy with this guitar. Friends who have played it, love it. I like the stock pick ups. Super for blues and rock and very, very credible for jazz. I?ve toyed with putting in Seymour Duncan?s but, honestly, I think the sound is fine. I think this is a great all around guitar at a great price. I'm rating the guitar after the inexpensive "fixes".

As noted above, this guitar was beautifully set up - - as were all the Sheratons that I played . Pick up adjustment was fine. The finish on the guitar is terrific. The fret board and head stock are really nice (inlaid Abalone shell). This used, 4 year old guitar shows some wear on the bridge pick up (the gold coating is worn away where your hand rests on it while you play) but I think that just goes with any gold coating. The wiring issue is covered above and is cheap to fix. I'm rating this after the fix.

I?ve been playing this guitar a lot and it?s great. I think the basic structure of this guitar is very, very solid and of good quality. The only weak link was the polish coated wiring and switches, etc, and, again, it was a cheap fix.

The Epiphone web site is pretty good. Since it's a used guitar, there's no warranty issue. And, I've had no reason to call them, etc..

Many of the final rating questions have been addressed above. If it were lost or stolen, I would probably replace it. It?s a great guitar for the money. A few months after getting the Sheraton, I bought a used, mint U S A Strat which I also love. I think they?re each very good examples of their particular guitar type (single pole vs humbucker, etc). These are two very different guitars - - a real apples and oranges thing - - but each broadens my appreciation for the other.

Left Handed Korean, was vintage sunburst (more in a moment....), laminated maple top, usual frets, pickups etc blah blah blah.....

Play in 2 bands - covers band and blues band - play through Fender Custom Vibrolux, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Fender Bassman 10 and Fender Champ (did I say I like Fender Amps?)

I took out the stock pickups because, well, they were shite! I have an old Ibanez twin neck from around 1972 with the original Super 70 pickups - these are Jap ripoffs of Gibson Humbuckers. Thought I'd give them a try before buying some others - what a difference - this now sound exactly how I thought it should - it nails BB King, Cream-era Clapton, Freddy King, Alvin Lee et al - loud, honky, full - fabulous with both pickups flat out together - wow! If you can get hold of a pair of these old pickups - bang them in and stand well back! Lovely clean tone which breaks up nicely as it's cranked - put through a Digitech Bad Monkey and Dod OD 250 - this is a sound of some beauty.

Action is superb - i use Rotosound Reds - 13 - 56 gauge. Had to recut the nut but plays like a dream now. Now - the finish..... Superb, flawless but I always disliked the Tobacco Burst - so I got to work with some sandpaper and wire wool and stripped It back to it's natural honey coloured maple. I wanted an old appearance so It's been french polished - beautiful satin dark honey colour which is now wearing beautifull where i sweat on it. Back and sides are still the lovely dark mahogany colour which complement the front nicely. I replaced the horrible knobs with a set of old Gibson black top-hat style and replaced the really shitty tuners with Grovers - now it stays in tune for a whole gig! Like all Sheratons the inlays are lovely and the neck is a dream.

I usually play my old strat and pick this up for a different sound where needed - however, at a recent blues gig I played with another strat player, I used this for the whole 2 sets - clean tones, dirty tones, heavy, the lot - i was delighted!
Gold plated finish shouldn't be allowed on guitars anyway - even the vastly inflated-priced Gibsons wear and fade with use - adds character in my opinion.... Replace strap buttons for locking ones - this is a HEAVY guitar. I never play without a backup - i'm heavy on strings - but I would use it for a full gig again.

Yeah, right......

Been playing in bands semi pro for 27 years. Other guitars are a custom bodied Strat w/right handed neck, Tokai USG30 (Jap Lawsuit model), Custom Telecaster, Tanglewood acoustic. Amps are all Fender (see above), Pedal board - Dunlop Cry Baby (70's model)- Dod OD 250 (clean signal boost)- Cheap Aria Distortion (turn the tone down - awesome)- Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive - Boss Chorus - Boss DD5 delay. I also have a Boss GT6 programmed like the pedal board for backup - not too keen on digital reverb however).
This is the second time I've owned this guitar I'm sure - i sold it cos it wasn't great but regretted it cos I liked the way it looked (apart from sunburst front). Since the mods it's the guitar i leave out of the case around the house - and It's getting used more and more in gigs.

This guitar just arrived at my door from Mus. Fiend..., er, I mean friend. So, I assume it's relatively new. Now, this is not a John Lee Hooker Sheraton II. But only, as far as I can tell, because of a few things. It has two Gibson mini-buckers; Gold stop-tail and all real Gibson parts (ABR-1 bridge, etc.). But (interestingly), it does NOT have a 3-laminate Spruce-Maple-Spruce top. Instead, it has a 5-ply maple-birch-maple-birch-maple laminate on the whole thing, just like they are using on the Elites. Now, I should point out, that a guy I know has an "official" JLH, and his ALSO has a 5-ply throughout (ahh, Gibson...what a tangled web...) Also, mine came with a (cheapo) Gold-Plated import toggle switch like they use on their regular production stuff (unlike the Elites!), and a plastic nut (ditto).Rosewood fingerboard, Abalone inlays, etc. More on this below...

Aside from the above rant, this thing sounds phenomenal...sustains for days. Put it through a TopHat Club Royale, and a new Vox AC30 CC1 and, try as i might, couldn't get anything less than stellar tones from it!

Action, Fit & Finish (on mine, at least...) is a 10 , with some figure in the Top. Much better than a Historic 335 I saw recently(the Japs probably ARE making it, with is really fine with me; after all, we're paying 3,4, and 5 grand for new Japanese made Gretsches, aren,t we?

Who knows, should be fine; After all, Korean-made stuff is pretty damn durable now, too (DeArmond Starfire Special, anyone...?)!

Never hold your breath with these guys, ya know?

I did a bit of digging, and it seems the story is thus: Gibson's (Epiphone) arrangement with the JLH Estate was up and they were left with a bunch of guitars; (some completed/others not)so they decided to get rid of the stock on hand and blow them out to Musicians Friend (their # one connection, since Gibson has alienated everyone else in this quadrant of the Universe) The parts were sent to Gibson and...well, I don't know Anyone who has any more backstory on this (for sure) please let us know! But gang, c'mon: For $999., this thing is truly a bargain.

This is a 2005 model, made in Korea. Ebony finish, rosewood fingerboard with block inlays. Two humbuckers, two volume controls and two tone controls. Three way switch. All gold-tone hardware. Grover tuners. I gave the features a 9 because the epiphone "E" symbol kept peeling off the pickguard. I eventually quit sticking it back on and got rid of it.

My musical style is blues-based with Sabbath-like, heavy edges, and this axe does it right. I run this guitar (and all my others) through a Vox ToneLab and into a Samson Expedition 300 compact PA system. All kinds of amp sims from Soldano SLO-100 to Marshall Plexis. I do not have any noise issues with this guitar. In fact I have more noise problems with both of the real Gibson guitars that I own. This guitar produces the whole range from sweet seduction to searing agony.

I love the looks, sound, and quality of the this guitar. Since it was designed for jazz players, the neck is very stable and very straight. Once I got the relief where I like it, it has stayed right on the money ever since (if you have this situation, put a set of .012 guage on it and let it sit for a few days). Plays like a dream.

The factory setup was excellent. It was medium height and setup for a very straight neck. Good for jazz-style flatpicking. The pickups were adjusted properly and have not been adjusted. You can see a length of wire through one of the f-holes.