Epiphone Sheraton II

2001, semi hollow, korean, natural finish - looks amazing! (so much better than the sunburst) very fancy with the body, fretboard and headstock binding as well as the inlays and design on the headstock...looks great! fancier than any 335

Great sound, very versatile, being semihollow. Great for blues, jazz, rock and anything inbetween. the pickups aren't amazing but they do the job, being epiphones. i intend to upgade them eventually.

This guitar plays really well the fretboard and neck are amazing, just the right size. Does not stay in tune very well however. Needs some grover tuners. The toggle switch tends to cut in and out from time to time but when all is working well it is a great guitar for shows. if hardware and tuners were upgraded, there would be no need for a backup. The gold on the hardware tends to wear of however, because it is not real gold but for an epiphone you can't complain!

i love this guitar it is very versatile for several styles of music. it also has a good weight to it so it feels like a good solid, well made guitar. It looks amazing! with upgrades to PU's, hardware and tuners, this guitar will stay with me for life!

Mine is a 1994 or 95 Sheraton 2 with vintage sunburst finish. the rest has been well covered in the other reviews. Bought used on E-bay for $430.00 w/Epi hard case and Gibson 57 classic pu and a 57 classic plus pu.

Sounds very warm and jazzy. As it came used with 57's pups already in it ( along with receipt for pups and installation) i cant comment on the stock pups sound.

This guitar came perfectly set up for me. fast and low with no fret buzzing using .010 strings The quality of the finish is superb and still looks brand new. It has stock tuners that work quite well and stays in tune for ages. The gold plating has held up very good and actually still looks new, contrary to some of the other reviewers. The only problem I've had is the nut came off of the cable jack, and was a real bear to get back on because the jack fell back inside and the only way to put it back in place is through the f-hole.

This guitar is very reliable and can be used as your main axe. The strap buttons are solid but straplocks are always a smart addition.

Overall I love this guitar and would definitly buy one again if lost or pinched. I also own a 1969 Epi Riviera made in the USA. It has a bigsby trem and Demarzio pups with cherry color finish. Says Kalamazoo, Mich. inside below the f-hole. I would put the Sheraton up as an equal to the Rivierra although the Sheri is prettier

Korean built in 1994 and bought in 1995
Came with a plush hardshell case
High gloss poly natural (blond) finish on laminated Maple body
Fancy 3-layered binding on body and neck,
22 fret fat, U-shaped maple neck with double skunk-strip
25 1/2" scale neck with fat frets on rosewood board
'Gibson' engraved on truss rod cover on headstock
Fancy vine-style inlays on headstock
mother-of-pearl (?) triange-in-square fret markers
Original gold hardware throughout, sealed tuners
2 tone, 2 volume, 3-way toggle sw, 2 (cheap) HBs
red-tortose pickguard with 'e' logo
Essentially cheap hardware but good looks are the key here

Original cheap PUs, neck was muddy and bridge harsh and piercing. However they are relatively quiet like humbuckers and are more or less useful as is. I liked the neck PU the most for jazzy mellow tunes. The bridge PU was really nasal and harsh but could be tamed by rolling off the highs with the tone knob. For a clean sound with the HBs you will want an amp that can handle the low end. My Fender Deluxe with a 12" Jensen does well. My practice amps don't fair as well. The stock PUs are LOUD.

Last year, I replaced the PUs (see overall rating comments below for full descritption). With original PUs a 7, with new PUs a 9. I have developed a taste for single coils so I don't play this guitar out much and it stays in the case. I might sell it.

Factory setup was great. Neck and Bridge PUs were balanced. Intonation was good. The poly finish is indestructable. Workmanship is near perfect- the Koreans really have the 'finish department' covered. The tuners are okay but I replaced them with grovers.

The maple body is HEAVY and also sturdy. It can really take a lot of punishment. The poly finish is rock-hard and looks everybit as good as it did about 8 years ago. I have left the guitar out on a stand during all seasons and the action stays about the same. I have never played it out much but it appears to be a very solid instrument.

I have never contacted Ephiphone.

I play my guitars straight into the amp with just a hint of reverb and overdrive. I am not a cruncher and/or effects freak. For me this guitar is good for Larry Carlton-style easy listening jazz, standards, Robbin Ford-style blues and perhaps 50s-60s R'n'R. Aferall, if you want serious overdriven distortion and crunch why not go for a LP or Jackson?

Essentially, this guitar is a Gibson ES-335 knock-off. It is a lot cheaper than the real thing. Note that Epiphone is now offering the Elite series with better hardware but you don't have to go that route. With about $200 you can upgrade your Epi Sheraton II to the 'Gibson ES-335 class'. I made such changes as follows:

1 - changed out the PUs to Seymour Duncan Seth Lover PUs neck and bridge. They were about $75 each ($150 for the pair). They are about a good as you can get for that vintage PAF HB sound. The neck PU is lush but with definition for great jazz tone. The brige is bight but not as harsh as the stock PU and you can even emulate the Tele sound to some degree.

2 - changed out tuners to Govers. Took all of 10 minutes to switch out with no extra holes to drill. The guitar tunes and stays in tune. The Grovers cost $50.

Note: The new PUs and Grovers are nickel and chrome respectively.

Cosmetic change:

3 - sanded the 'e' logo off the pickguard and used a little acetate to smooth the finish back to a semi-gloss. Changed the bracket to chrome.

As you can see, I am trying to move away from the gold hardware to chrome/nickel. Unfortunately, the Gibson tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece do not fit the mounts on my Epi. I may try to get some chrome replacements from Epiphone someday.

One more personal fix. This is not for the faint of heart and there is no going back. I added a master volume knob to the lower treble bout. Being a Fender-guy, I like having just one volume knob. This mod is not easy, but I can send you instructions. You will have to tap the signal with a 500K pot just before the output jack.

If anyone wants to try any of these mods, especially the PU mod, contact me at weblazer@cs.com. It is tricky, but I learned from StewartMac on how to deal with the pots with only the F-holes to work with.

Overall rating for guitar as is, is 8. (With mods it gets a 9 because the guitar is now essentially as good as the Elite or maybe even the real Gibson ES-335.) It will never be a Gibson ES-335 so no 10 here.

1994 model in vintage sunburst which I bought new. Made in Korea.You know the rest.

I play mainly blues and classic rock and found this guitar to be great for both. Many reviewers complain about, and change, the pickups- but I've never had a problem with the stock ones.

Guitar came with a great factory set up- probably the best I've ever experienced. Much better than on any Gibson I've played since. More on that later. Pickups were well adjusted for balanced sound. The finish was perfect and the neck straight as an arrow with low action and absolutely no buzzing or fretting out anywhere on the board. Very Impressive. No for the down side. The saddle for the high E string had a burr on it which kept causing string breakage whenever the string was bent. A small file took care of that. The toggle switch is garbage. Started crackling out about 6 or 8 months after I bought it. Other than that no problems. All in all, very impressive for a guitar in this price range.

With a better toggle switch- rock solid. Played literally hundreds of gigs with this guitar with no problems whatsoever.

N/A.

I loved this guitar and like an idiot I sold it to buy a Gibson ES 333 which is without a doubt THE worst single piece of total crap I have EVER wasted my money on. After almost $300 worth of fret work it still buzzes all over the neck. I've played many new Gibsons since and they were mostly the same. Poor finish work, necks with humps at the neck joint, loose bridges, too low nuts, you name it. So much for American workmanship. Gibson stinks.

I'm now looking to find another Sheraton, but I hear there have been some production cutbacks during the last year or two- for example I understand they are no longer using the beautiful triple neck binding, and now using single binding. And they are no longer printing the E on the pickguard, but using those cheap plastic or tin E's that fall off immediately after purchasing (like they did on my Dot model). I may just have to try to find another '94 model.

I have been playing for 38 years, and also (among others), have a '96 American Standard Strat (great guitar), a Jorge Montalvo Cypress Sr. Hauser Flamenco guitar with cutaway (amazing guitar), a Dreadnaught, Fender Hot Rod Deville 410 amp, and a plethora of pedals.

The only other thing I'd like to share is that there are some very nice instruments coming out of Korea these days- don't write them off. And don't buy Gibson!They are overpriced junk from a company purely living off of it's name! They may own Epiphone, but the workmanship on the Gibson's is definately sub par!

I'm delighted to write a positive review of the Epi Sheraton 2! This is a 2003 model with a natural finish, 2 humbuckers, 3 way toggle, volume & tone controls, nice headstock and rosewood fretboard. Other features are described below. Overall, this is a "looker".

Played it for the first time through a Line6 PodPro last night, recorded a little & put it back to back against my Gibby 335. Sounded wonderful. All of the tones were terrific.

Set up nicely, pickups will need to be adjusted. No observable finish problems.

We will see. That's why I give it a 5.

Don't know.

I've been playing longer than I like to admit! I own several high end instruments and wanted the Sheraton primarily for the looks. And it does fit in well with my collection. I own a studio with plenty of outboard equipment, as well as samples and software and like to experiment with tones from keys/synths and guitars.

All in all, I really like this instrument. If you are looking for a real nice hollowbody to go along with other instruments, the Sheraton 2 is an excellent buy. I'd absolutely buy another - it won't beak the bank and looks/sounds nice!

BTW, price really wasn't an object with respect to this review.

I'm not sure what year mine is. I believe it's mid 90's. I've owned it for 2 yrs. It's basically Epiphones better more dressed up Dot, or an inexpensive variation of a Gibson ES-355. This one has a natural finsih. I had to get rid of the stock pickups, they sounded thin, lifeless and had to many feedback problems. I replaced them with a Dimarzio tone zone in the bridge and a Rio Grande Genuine Texax humbucker in the neck. Both pickups have exposed zebra coils, and are splitable via push/pull volume knobs. It has become my main axe because of the versitilty factor. This one has a nice fast maple neck. My only gripe is the Sheraton II's headstock is out of balance causing it to drop. This can be fixed by using a leather strap w/suade on one side.

Because I changed the pickups and split the coils, it's super versatile and can be used for almost any style. I use it for surf, garage rock, country rock, blues and some swing. I guess it probably won't work for metal styles, but I don't play any. I play it through a early 90's white Fender deluxe reverb w/ a TS-9 and sometimes some tape echo. It can be dark, bright, or anything in between.

As for factory set-up I don't know, I purchased it used. Most import factory set-up's suck from what I've seen. I set it up for my style and it works great. Who ever Epiphone had make these did a killer job. Probably contracted in Korea. Very nice inlays and 5 ply binding. The finish is starting to wear of the neck of this one increasing the playability. I have to use graphite on the factory nut, but plan to get a bone nut installed. The factory tuners are crap, I replaced mine with Gotohs.

This one has fallen off a stand at a gig right onto a tile floor. Because of the maple construction it survived. A mahogony neck probably would have broke. I've never had any problems besides the pick-ups and tuners which I replaced. I gig it all the time without a backup. I replaced the strap buttons w/strap locks.

Never had a problem to deal with.

A fabulous guitar, every bit as good as a real 335 or 355. Save yourself thousand's of dollars by buying a used Epi Dot or Sheraton instead of a pricey 335 (unless money is no object.) Make sure it's a set neck model, this is crucial for the sound and sustain of a semi-hollow ES style guitar. Replace the pickups with something better and your set all for around $600-$700 instead of $2,500 for the over priced Gibson. Believe me I know I've had gibson semi-hollow's in the past. In fact I also currently own a very nice sunburst ES-135 with a Bigsby. A very nice insturment in it's own right. But the Epi's versitility and vibe make it my #1. Fantastic value.

I just picked up a used 1994(Korean)with a hard shell case and am already in love. The guitar is stock, no mods. The binding on the neck was done very quickly at the factory but I know a great luthier who can clean it up. A black to tobacco finish that is in reasonably great shape and I love. Have had some sunbursts and such but really like the subdued look of the tobacco finish.

Great blues/jazz guitar but easily transforms into a rock monster. I am running a Mesa Boogie clean (no effects) and am extremely impressed with how bright this guitar is. I typically use a US Strat Plus with Dimarzio VV pickups and thought there was no way a semi-acoustic could touch it..... I am presently surprised. The sustain is amazing.

Action is nice. I actually tweaked the neck in the store as it had such a monsterous bow that arrows should have come with the guitar. The neck pulled straight and after raising the action a hair and putting some 11 ga. on it plays awsome. Several very experienced players (buddies) have picked it up already and have told me that if I sell it I need to call them first.

It is a shame that gibson Chinced on the gold hardware. The tuners stay in tune, the bridge intonates and adjusts etc but the gold plating on the instrument is garbage. I am not a 'gold' kind of guy but it does suit this guitar. I will at some stage replace the pick-up covers etc but this is only visual. The finish seems to have held up very well. Some typical flaws around the binding but nothing that is hard to live with.

I have been playing for about twenty years and untill about 2 years ago I thought the only way to buy a decent guitar was to go brand name and spend mucho bucks. This is not the case. I love my US Stat but it now has a Warmoth neck and Dimarzio pickups. The $1,500.00 Cdn I spent on it originally was a waste of money. About a month ago I picked up a Korean made Tele for $300.00 Cdn. (Rosewood neck/ash body) After a fret job and a set of decent pick-ups the guitar plays and sounds like a (better I think) US model. This Epiphone is an awsome bang for your buck and a guitar I will keep in my collection. I would replace it if it were to go missing.. absolutely.

I'm not sure what year it was made. The serial begins with 'I03..' followed by about 6 other numbers (don't have it front of me), so I'm guessing that it is a 2003 model. The sticker inside one of the F-holes says Sheraton II VS (vintage sunburst?), and I purchased this as a factory second (stamped 'used' on the back of the headstock). After inspecting it, I believe the possible reasons it was stamped a 2nd are 1. the sunburst is more orange than the Sheraton II I see in pictures, which looks more brown; 2. some of the wiring and an adhesive patch is visible through the bottom F-hole, and 3. it is missing the 'E' logo on the pickguard. However, everything else appeared new (including the plastic still on the pickguard/pickups) and I saved a couple hundred dollars to boot.

Apologies for not knowing the specs, but some reviews below have all the helpful information. I was a little concerned after reading reviews of poor tuners and pickup selectors on the Sherry II, but it appears that these problems were fixed by the time this guitar was made (it has Grover tuners and no pops or crackles coming from the pup selector). It did not come with any case, and a hard case is definitely necessary (all my other guitars, including my Taylor Big Baby, are in gig bags). Unfortunately, the generic 335 case supplied by the dealer is a bit too small and I have to ease it in after playing. I recommend going with the Epiphone brand case designed for this model.

For the price, this is definitely one of the more ornate-looking guitars and very stylish, especially the tree-branch inlay on the headstock and the block inlays in the fingerboard. I've wanted this guitar for a long time based on its looks alone. Over time I began to appreciate the 335 sound so I put my Fender Toronado up on sale to pay for this one. It looks like a more expensive guitar so I give it a 10 for features.

I play mostly modern rock and this fits it well. I've been playing guitar for about 6 years, and mostly through Fenders. Currently the only 'amp' I have is a J-Station, since I can play through headphones and not annoy everyone around me. As soon as I plugged the Epi in I got rich, warm tones. I was so used to the 'nasally' sound of Fender single-coils (which aren't necessarily inferior) that it was quite a welcome change for me. I also found it easier to sound 'good' (subjectively, of course) through the Sherry than through Strats and Teles, possibly because of the thicker tone and sustain. When I started learning guitar, one of the bands' songs I used to practice on was Oasis, and this guitar is capable of hitting those tones (I believe Noel Gallagher's custom Epi is based on the Sherry).

I think this guitar is suitable for all types of music, except maybe for metal, punk, or some types of country. No complaints about the stock pickups, yet. I may change them in the future but at the moment they sound good to me.

It came strung with 9's (I prefer 10's), but other than that it played fine. The action was low and uniform to play along the entire neck. The finish was fine, except for the color issue listed above, but that didn't bother me. I find that Korean-made guitars generally have very good playability, even if other issues arise. This one was no exception.

I feel a little more cautious about this one than my solid-body guitars, but it feels solid overall. I heard it is a PITA to re-solder the pots for these 335 copies (unlike Fenders where everything is under the pickguard) so hopefully none of them will short out or anything. From reading other reviews though, I think it should last for quite a while.

I believe since I bought it as a 2nd, I am not eligible for any warranty. I haven't dealt with Epi otherwise.

Great guitar. Looks and sounds fantastic. It makes you look like a good player just hanging off your shoulder (which helps me compensate for lack of skill ;-) ). Someday when I'm out of school and earning enough money, I may go for a real Gibson 335, but still keep this one around, or maybe hang it on a wall as a piece of artwork.

Mine is the standard 2003 model. Vintage Sunburst, gold hardware, two humbuckers, two volume and tone controls, 3-way switch, etc. It is a beautiful instrument. Flawless finish. Awesome feel. The binding is exquisite.

This guitar has that sweet, full, round sound that I crave. It's that chunky jazz tone that can be played straight or bent into whatever sound you desire.

I tuned it and it played like a champ right out of the box. As far as I can tell, this guitar is flawless.

The guitar doesn't seem fragile, but I baby it. I play for myself, so this really isn't an issue. I think musical instruments are not meant to be indestructible. I suppose a working musician would be better equipped to answer this.

Got the warranty. Haven't had to use it.

I'm a novice (<1 year) player. I own a Godin SD that I also love! I chose the Seraton II for the looks (sunburst finish, gold hardware)and the sound (warm, full, sophisticated, jazzy). I can't imagine how much better a Gibson ES-335 would have to be to justify the 4x price differential. I know I'm not enough of a player to even worry about it. I don't need a Rolls-Royce. I love my Cadillac!!!

I recommend that anyone shopping for a particular piece of hardware calls Musician's Friend once a week and ask if the object of your desire is on sale. They run phone-only sales! I saved $80 off an already good price. I was calling to order a Guitarport and as I was half-listening to the specials, I asked about my dream-guitar and lo and behold they had it on sale!!!!! Why pay more?!?!?

Back to the guitar, I have only just received it, but it is a dream. And the comments from some Epi semi-hollow players about iffy switches and controls may be due to them not understanding how the controls are wired (in series for center switch position). Mine are terrific! I love the sound those two hummers give me. Rock on!

I bought mine back in 1994, and It was amde in Korea. It has 22 frets and It has a sunburst finish

I play alot of Spacey rock kinda stuff. I use a Fender Pro 185 mostly with this guitar. I use a Vox Ac30 also. The guitar sounds great through both. If you're looking for a strat or tele sound do not buy this guitar. It's a much richer tone and not as harsh a sound. Although I do find it quite versatile.

I play this guitar exactly the way it came from the factory and it still sounds great. Except for some of the switches and knobs which crackle if you turn them.

I played in a band and strictly used this guitar for more than three years and never had a problem. You can definitely depend on this guitar. I put it through some abuse and it still looks and sounds great.

I've been playing since 1990 and this was my third guitar. I've owned Les Pauls and other long forgotten guitars and I can truly say that this is a solid guitar.

This is a new 2003 Epiphone Shereton II left handed vesion made in Korea. It has 22 frets on a set 3 piece maple neck which is thicker than i expected but surprisingly feels great. The two gold plated stock epiphone humbuckers are controlled by a three way toggle (which feels quite cheap) and a volume and topne for each p/u wich aren't bad. The body is laminated maple as well as the top and seems to be really nice wood. The vintage sunburst finish is amazing, i don't like it on alot of other guitars but it really fits this, it goes perfectly with the gold plated hardware and i couldn't find a flaw in the finish (it's soo shiny!). It's a double cutaway archtop es-355 style which feels great compared to my old strat style guitar. It has a tunomatic bridge with a stopbar tailpiece which doesn't give as good sustain as the trapieze or other styles but is still out of this world. I was worried about the tuners on this guitar because i heard alot of bad things about the epi tuners, HOWEVER, epiphone has listened to the complaints and grover tuners are now standard. The neck is great, i thought i wouldn't like a thicker neck but it fits the palm of my hand perfect. It's 3 piece maple with two mahogany stripes (which i think are a great touch) running down the back. It has a nice rosewood finger board with block and triangle inlays (i dunno what they are made of) the frets seem to be the same as my old guitar, other than that i have no idea what they are. Also i noticed i can play alot faster and for alot longer without getting sore fingures. I had to pay extra for a case, im going to assume that the accesories (crappy little skinney cable and alan key for truss rod) came with the guitar and not the case. I give this guitar a 7 for 3 reasons. First is that left handed only comes in one colour. Second is that i really miss my tremelo and u can't get an archtop (that i have found anyway) with a left handed trem. And third is that u would think that for any guitar u would put a better switch on. Other than that it is an awesome guitar.

This guitar suits my styles almost perfectly (would be perfect if it had a tremelo). I like to play alot of blues and am getting into jazz. Also i play alot of hendrix/zepplin sort of stuff but i can play almost anything except heavey metal (metalica and stuff like that, ozzy acdc and the like are great) thisguitar will play anything and sound great. I am playing it through a peavy blazer (i know i know, im lookin for a nice 30 watt tube amp or something now) with the reverb and overdrive from the amp and it works great. The neck pickup has a muddy blues sound to it with great low end but not alot of high end. The bridge p/u had a great high end, almost a little twangy. a mix of both is great.

This guitar fits me perfect. With my old strat i would find myself slouching alot and picking around the twelf fret but this guitar is built for me. The action is so low it barely feels like playing and there is no fretbuzz. The pickups are also great. Im not sure what to think about intonation, it looks as though it was set by a formula or something, but it sounds ok. everything except the switch feels precision on this guitar. I have a feeling that sooner or later im going to get the switch changed, doesn't feel very good. I gave it a 9 because of the switch.

It seems like a solid guitar, if the who played it and tried to trash it at the end i think he would have a hard time. It is a very solid guitar, most other guitars i tried are less solid than this and they feel like playing a 2 by 4. The hardware is going to last a long time, u can tell (except for that damn switch). I heard the gold plating has a tendancy to wear off but i dunno yet. The strap buttons are very solid, although ive been thinking of getting straplocks just in case. I dunno how well i can depend on the switch, i think ill wait a year or so and then put in a better switch. I wouldn't want to gig without a backup just in case something crazy happened, if a string or somethin broke what would i play? But considdereing the next time i try to do a gig my old guitar will hopefuly be sold and my acoustic doesn't really fit with what i play i will probably go without a backup

the warenty is one year. i haven't had to deal with the company except for ordering it(which was good, it came a day early if that counts for anything) but im not sure how to get a waranty, it didn't come with a card and you can only fill out a waranty online if u live in the states. I gave it a 3 because im sure it's a good waranty but i dunno how to set it up.

Ive been playing for 4 years now, i started with my mom's old fender acoustic then "moved up" to my own sammick strat stytle electric with a 15 watt peavy amp. If this guitar were stolen or lost i would definatly buy it again, if i had the money to pay for one twice. I love just about everything about it, i wish that they would put a better switch in it and it came with a tremelo. I compared it to the other two epiphone archtops that comein left handed and chose this because it was more versatile than the joe pass emperor II and i didn't want a single coil pickup. I looked at other brands but epiphone has a great reputation so i went with that. I wish this guitar had a tremelo on it but it isn't a big loss. THis is a great guitar, it was a little expensive for what i do but i plan on keeping it for a long long time and im sure it will be able to stand up to anything.

I purchased this 2001 Sheraton through ebay. I wasn't sure about the guitar, but for the price I paid I thought I would give it a shot.
The guitar is "built" by Gibson guitars, althought the guitar has a sticker on the back of the neck saying "Made in Korea". The guitar is a 335 copy, and I must say it is better than most 335's I've seen and played, for less than 1/3 of the price. The stock pickups aren't very good, so I replaced them with Gibson 490's. This made an incredible difference. The hardware is pretty cheezy with the gold plate that is wearing off fairly quickly. Most of the other components are cheap - the pickup selector occationally does not engage the bridge pickup - the pots are cheap and crackle when turned. These all can be replaced with better quality parts. I also replaced the saddles on the bridge as I was breaking strings quite often. I replaced them with graph-tech saddles. It made a difference on string life.

The sound this guitar produces is awesome (after the pickup change). I have owned an original 335 as well as a Heritage 535 which is apparently made by the old dudes that once owned Gibson. This cheap, Korean copy is years ahead of the Heritage and is equal if not better than the 335 I owned. I can play any music style with this guitar - jazz, blues, rock, country - it can handle all styles.

I don't know how the setup was from the factory as I was the second owner, but I can say the setup I received it in was great. The action is perfect, with no string buzzing on any frets. The neck is smooth and fits the hand all the way up. The hardware however, isn't holding up as well as the rest of the guitar. I suppose one can change all those items and have a better instruement.The finish is flawless. I can't find any blemishes on the finish whatsover. It is finished in a vintage sunburst finish that is very classy looking. The entire guitar is bound including the f holes - nice touch. The one piece neck is true and straight. Other than the hardware, I would have rated the finish with a 10.

I don't gig any more, so I don't know how it will hold up. I can only say that this guitar is very, very solidly built. A bit heavier than most other 335's and the Heritage I own. I guess this gives the guitar that solid feel. I think you can truly depend on this one.

no idea - never needed to call them.

I have been playing for over 35 years. I have played pro and have worked in the studio as a player and producer. This guitar is truly amazing. I currently own 6 guitars - 2 custom built Fury guitars (the most awesome guitars I have played www.furyguitar.com), a hot rod strat, a Heritage 535, a Les Paul Custom, and now this Epi.I was shocked that this Epi would be as good as it is. The boys from Heritage didn't even finish their 535 any where close to the Epi. What happened to the pride of manufacturing? These guys are getting too old - need the cash more than taking time to build a decent product. They should buy an Epi and see what quality looks like.I will be selling my Heritage, and keeping this Sheraton. I hope anyone looking for a 335 style guitar, gives this guitar a try. You won't be disappointed.

The bridge is standard tune-O-matic, Bound Ebony finish with bound pickguard Tuners are, Grover tuners, pick ups are the new Gibson designed Alnico wax potted humbuckers, nut is plastic, Rosewood fingerboard. three way toggle switch, two volume, two tone controls. The control knobs are the same as fitted to gibsons, I know cos I bought some Gibsons knobs for an amp I'm building.

I play mainly delta blues, some chicago blues and english folk rock, but I've been getting into the blues style of john lee hooker and BB King (son plays sax so Blues brothers material is a good source for us)I play it through an old Orange Amp, given to me back in the seventies by the bloke who designed it (friend of me dads) I think it was the test amp he built, all valves and wopping great transformers that keep the room warm.

The sound from the pick-ups is truly amazing, the neck pu gives a lovely warm jazzy sound whilst on the centre setting of the toggle I get an outstanding blusey sound. sustain is lonnnnnnnnnnggggg

Factory set up is just fine but after 6 months of bedding in the epi all but plays itself so I'l probably regret it and spend the next six months getting it back to where it was.

The gold finish is holding up very well indeed, no rubbing of or oxidising and the guitar is getting an awfull lot of playing.

Other reviews seem to single out the tuners and pickups as areas of concern but the tuners are grovers and appear identical to those on the e355 and are as sweet as a nut, leastways I've had no trouble from them, The pick up problem seems to have been addressed by the new pickups (perhaps they do listen at Gibson) The pickguard on mine is Black perspex bound as for the main guitar with a metal E on it, it seems neither cheap nor tacky as some people say, again all I can think is that there is someone outhere reading these reviews and making changes. It plays better than a mates Gibson Les Paul custom who's action I find very heavy. The finish is without exageration flawless, the Koreans are making some serious instruments. The abalone and M.O.P inserts in the fret board? plastic or not? I can't tell, neither can any of my freinds so what does it matter? it looks good, the quality of the fretboard is excellent, up to that of my Ibanez and that cost #350.00 in 1976. the finish to this guitar is absolutely fabulous

The guitar seems bomb proof to date but summer beckons with a lot of outside playng at rowdy camp site parties so judgment is reserved. Use it without backup? got to mate, it's me only electric, and the wired accoustic I used to use is well past it string by date, but the omens are good.

Lifetime warranty, easy to register and it comes direct from Gibson, e mail support seems good given the time difference between US and GB, even when asked inane questions.

Bought my first electric after 30 yrs of accoustic playing classical, 6 and 12 string,(if you exclude my original 60's Burns Bass) So after many years of scrounging friends guitars and thereby sampling a few very good ones, lots of mediocre ones and even a few outright dogs (but their owners loved em)I chose the Sheraton II (2002 model, Korean manufacture) after playing both a Gibson blueshawk and Ibanez AS series for direct comparison. Put simply it was better than both put together by a big margin, not something I say lightly having an Ibanez 12 string for which I'd lay down my life rather than see go.

I love the finger board the action is so fast.

If it were stolen would I buy another of course, it is simply the best guitar I have ever played, there may be better but I havent seen one and for the price why would anyone want anything else, granted it may not suit everyone and no doubt a strat can do things it can't but it does what I want, beautifully.

Watch out, with this latest guitar it seems the Koreans have woken up and are kickin butt, I can seen this guitar becoming sought after as are the 80's Japanese offerings, it reeks quality. I just cannot see the justification for the price difference between a Gibson and this Epiphone

-98 Vintage sunburst

I had the bridge pickup changed to a Gibson '57. The difference wasn't so dramatic, the Gibson just clears out better. Currently I'm not using neck pickup that much, but it seems adequate.

I won't be changing the tuners since mine work good and I'm not planning to fit it with a Bigsby, that would change things. The tuners hold pitch better than the factory ones on my Epi Riviera.

The sound is mellowish, very good for my use. I play it through Fender Blues Deluxe with some fx pedals such as Sparkle Drive, Voodoo 1, Fuzz Face, Cool Cat etc.

Bought it used. Changing the bridge pickup would be wise.

Stands good for performances. I'd never gig without a backup, that would be naive-anything could happen that is NOT dependant on your guitar. Plus knowing that you have a backup you can play withot holding back.

I've been playing 10 years wit different equipment. This and Riviera will do so long that I'll get es345 (curious about the varitone) and Vox AC30, all 60s stock, naturally. That wouldn't mean that I'd play better, just cosmetics... The Epi's are great value for the money altough you have to ugrade the hardware.

Korean made, laminated maple Sheraton II. Vintage Sunburst, Albalone/Pearloid Block/Triangle inlays with flower and vine on headstock. Three piece maple neck,lengthwise. There are Mahogany strips between the maple. The whole guitar is bound. Gold hardware and stock Epihone humbucker pickups. Rosewood neck. 3 way selector switch.

This guitar is great all-round for any style. Very warm, pickups are good. Very similar to a Les Paul sound. Pickup selector sometimes cuts out when switching between pickups. This guitar sounds great with a solid-state amp, but this baby will knock your socks off with a tube amp. I am impressed more and more with this guitar everytime I play it. I have had it for a year now and can count the number of times I have played it. I mostly use my Les Paul for that BALLS TO THE WALL growl.

This guitar was setup perfectly right out of the box. The neck is fast and sleek with wide frets to accomodate 10 to 12 guage strings. Upper fret access is a snap, i just wish I could play better after the 15th. The finish is very close to perfect.

This guitar is good enough for anyone to play live or record. Lenny Kravitz has one, John Lee Hooker used it. Many rock stars use Epihone: George Harrison, Noel Gallagher, Tom Petty, Pete Yorn just to name a few. This quitar is totally dependable. The tuners on mine work perfectly, no tuning problems at all. I don't understand why people complain about them unless older ones had different tuners. The gold on the harware starts to wear quickly but I've been told that higher end guitars have the same problem. Gold looks nice but it wears! I will have this guitar my whole life. I might eventually get a Gibson picup selector though.

I haven't had to deal with them.

If this were stolen I would replace it again. It the best bang for the buck. You could easily put the Gibson name on this guitar.

1997 Korean-made semi-hollow ES-335 copy. Purchased new with a Hiscox hard case. Laminate maple top, back, sides and neck with rosewood fingerboard. Natural finish. 2 stock Samsung humbuckers. Two volume and two tone pots and a 3-way pickup selector. Tune-o-matic bridge. Gold-plated hardware.

All fine really, although the stock pickups and tuners are not up to much and the gold finish either rubs off or oxidizes. Other than that, fairly decent but nothing revelatory.

Very warm, if a little muddy (though I'm sure this could be cured by changing the pickups) and it will squeal if you crank it, particularly on the neck pick-up. Fine at what it does - although if your model has the Samsungs and you're seriously looking at committing to this guitar, you'll want those pickups changed. If you want a Tele / Strat style sound, you'd best go elsewhere - this just plain won't do it.

A bit of a mixed bag. Really great action, nice fast neck. Tuners suck, though - like the pickups, they're really gonna need changing. Seriously let down by the gold finish that either rubs off (tail-piece, bridge) or oxidizes (tuners) - I would have much preferred a chrome finish. Pots and pickup selector feel a tad flimsy, but have proved solid so far. Finish is the best thing about this guitar - it looks great and has stood up to all manner of knocks over the years.

It's a solidly built guitar that'll hold up to most knocks, if a bit heavy. The hardware will probably last, despite the oxidization I mentioned earlier. I have gigged with it and would do so again, although it is a bit on the heavy side. Have had some grounding problems (buzzing noises that go away when you touch the hardware) but these were fairly easily fixed - take note though that this guitar is a bugger to work on (as are all ES-335 style guitars).

Dunno if I would gig without a backup - I'm forever breaking strings with those tuners (and yes, it has been set up properly!). It's not the most versatile guitar in the world, so I'd probably have another guitar around anyway.

Never had anything serious go wrong.

When I bought this several years ago, it suited my style perfectly - I was mostly into Beatles and British indie rock (I can see how this guitar would be suited to jazz and blues, too). Now I'm a little older and wiser, I prefer the slightly harsher, more treble-heavy Tele sound. For that reason, I don't play this guitar as much as I used to.

It looks good but is seriously let down by average pickups and barely adequate tuners. I wasn't too fussed about the gold hardware but the grounding problem was pretty frustrating.

Even though it doesn't really suit my style anymore - Telecaster Custom is my electric of choice which kinda shows where I am right now - I'll still hold on to it because I'm hard pressed to think of another decent ES-335 copy for the price. OK, it's not particularly versatile (it won't "dirty" up as well as a Tele or a Les Paul) and I complain about the pickups, etc. but this is a perfectly playable, solidly-constructed, very nice looking guitar with a decent sound at a fraction of the cost of an ES-335. No doubt the Epiphone badge will appeal to Beatles / Oasis fans (as I was when I bought it).

I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, but you could do worse. For the money, it's fine. If you need that warm sound and see this used at a good price, it's certainly worth serious consideration.

Korean Epi SherII Black
heavy modified, Sperzel tuners, Duncan Pickups, MannMade bridge, Schaller Fine Tuning Stop tail piece.
Epi Hard Case

- Low rating, since had to replace everything to get it up to par.

Very pleasantly surprised at this guitar. i have been using it more & more and will probably be my main guitar. I like it better than my U.S. Gibson's i've owned (Les Paul Studio both 1992 models). Surprising sound, not hollow sounding at all, just warm tones and good sustain

Again, surprised at the quality and finish of the guitar, considering it is 'cheap' made in korea. this rating is based on price for performance. it ain't a $3800 gibson by any stretch but for what you pay for, it is definately decent.

since this isn't an expensive gibson you feel safer banging it around, but it really keeps up and seems solid. I did put strap-lox on it however, just in case ;-)

no idea, but it is backed by Gibson, i would figure that is fine.

I've been playing for 17 years semi-pro.
Own/Owned American strats, teles, gibson les pauls, ESP, Carvin, yamaha, takamene, Ibanez, Kramer/spector..

very pleasantly surprised. i wanted a semi-hollow for a long time, but didn't want to spend $2000+ on a gibson, but didn't want to buy a piece of crap either, when i found this on on HC with all the mods (i did install the fine-tuning bridge), i made an offer and i am really glad i did. knowing now what i do about it, and if i lost it, i would buy a new one or maybe upgrade to a gibson, but i have to say i like this one alot. don't think i'd like one straight from the box, but it is a good guitar to Modify. looks great, and plays great. with the fine tuning shaller bridge and sperliz trim-loc tuners thing stays in tune for weeks.

335 copy, left-handed, build by Samik in Korea I think.
with case, etc, etc, like all the other

WHAAAAAAAAAA !!!!
I had a friend whom played for me 10 years ago with a gibson 335, and I have to say that since this, I was looking for a left-handed gibson, but never found one. This sound was so expresive, so warm.
So, when I saw this guitar at 500 euro, new, I said, lets have a try...
I'm in love with this guitar... really nice sound for Blues, Jazz, Funk, etc...
I have to say that I never could compare this with a real gibson or gretch, but this guitar sounds superb
Yes, a bit muddy on the neck, but mixed with the bridge, it sounds full, warm, jazzy, bluesy, groovy....
I maybe will change the stock pick up in a while, but they are really acceptable.

I really fly on this guitar...., I fell good with this guitar.
It's really well made.
except for the pickup selector and the button, that look and fell a bit cheap.

It seems to be reliable.
Except once again for the Button and the selector

No idea

I have been playing guitar for 13 years now, and this is the guitar I was looking for all this time !
If you are looking into buying a jazz blues guitar, this baby is for you ! It sing what ever you play...just have to touch it!
Sure, if you have the money to buy a Gibson...but remember, the Gibson will NEVER sounds as a real Epiphone ! ;-)
If you change the pickup, you can get your own sound.
Go and take one !

2002 model. Korean Model. Gibson pickups. Gold hardware. Ivory inlays, blah blah blah. The case is about $85 Canadian funny money. Not bad features for the price. The main thing is...do they work? They look sweet. Everything on the Epi I tried worked tip-top.
Nice Guitar, I've seen less amounts of features for that amount of cash. And let's face it you'd have to sell your first born to buy a Gibson ES anything these days.

Suits my style perfectly, Blues, Jazz, Rock, pretty much does it all. Probably not too good for heavy drop tuning or punk though. I use a little Fender 112 Hot Rod Deluxe, sounds fantastic. Full, bright and not muddy like other reviews i've read about this guitar, of course those might be older models, they've made quite a few improvements on this years model, switch,pickups....
I love the sound and the feel,I'd have to make a few minor adjustments for heavier strings though. The stock 09's that come on it are razor sharp and very tight. Feels like paper-cuts. With the new strings on it, I may even get deeper tone. Don't let people tell you this guitar or Epiphones are cheap, they've come a long way and let's face it..who can really afford a Gibson or Gretsch these days? $3000 c'mon, i want my kids to go to college some day. $1000 Canadian is the price up here, so no, this guitar is not cheap. Sweet sounds for the cash and you don't have to worry the whole night about your $3,500 investment when gigging, isn't $1000 enough.

Guitar is a little stiff out of the factory as most are. I like heavier strings than 9's but that's no big deal to change. The pick-ups on the the new model sound pretty warm and soothing. No Flaws at all. Nothing noisy at all, although i would probably upgrade the pots, considering the switch was obviously upgraded as well as the pick-ups, i'll bring it to a tech for that so he can fish those babies outta there. Kind of a pain in the ass to do that. Other than that, very comfortable sitting or standing.

Everything seems in good shape, i'll let you know. I always gig with a backup so that doesn't apply to me i suppose. Seems dependable enough.

never dealt

Been playing for 10 years, own a fender usa strat, and a Gibson standard SG. this guitar fills the jazzy,blues void for me. Solid. Buy a new one or at least try the new Sheriton 2 before writing a review on an old one. The New one is very nice.

Made in Korea, it's set like a Gibson ES-335; no difference, other than the block (I believe it's made of wood on the Gibson). The Gibson's are laminated just like the epi's. This one came with hardshell case. Tuners are good; not spectacular. When I got it I had the switch, the pots and p/u's replaced. Love the looks. Natural finish. First hollow body. I liked it a lot then; I love it now. Got it 'cause I needed a back up but it's now my main stage guitar. It was a 7 before; it's a 10 now. Also love "triangle in rectangle" inlays on fretboard. I guess when they started making them in the 70's (I think), whatever parts were left over from the Gibson's got shipped to Korea, or Japan and used on these.

For blues and country rock this guitar is just right. I'm still learning it and looking for the "sweet" spot, if you know what I mean. Love that natural feedback. Had original humbuckers replaced with Gibson PAF on neck and a half PAF, half Seymour-Duncan Jeff Beck on bridge (I'm a freak; don't ask) which turned it from a $600 or so guitar to $1000 plus. Sounds incredible: Classic, if you will. Playing it mostly through a Fender London 185 solid state and an old Sovtek tube head, and it sounds so warm. I give it a 9 because, like I said, I'm still learning it.

When I got it, s/u was okay, considering that I got it used, not from a dealer. Gold hardware's faded (which I don't mind) and could not tune the top 2 strings (high B and E) for the life of me. A trip to the local luthier did the trick. Replaced pots, switch (original was a little screwy) and humbuckers. Plays like "butta'" now. After adjusting rod found out tuners work just fine, but could still be improved. There were no dings or scratches. The guitar looks amazing, especially after I removed the cheesy Epiphone pick-guard. I'm getting a 335 pickguard for it. It is now a 9 (maybe about a 6 when I got it).

So far so good, but I'm getting strap locks, 'cause this guitar is not one to be dropped. I haven't dropped it yet, and don't want to try it. Always have a b/u. Been doing this too long not to.

Have not needed. Hopefully never will.

Somehow I turn most of my guitars into Frankestein's, with all the replacement parts I put in them, but that's just me. I think this is a great guitar, but if you're willing to spend just a little bit more $$ there will be no difference between this guitar and it's american daddy. Improvements are not always needed. In my case they were, but even then, it doesn't take much to make it turn heads when you play it. There is definitely something about this guitar that makes it stand above all the others (an American Strat, Jazzmaster w/ DiMarzio Humbuckers (told you I was a freak)). This one will be with me for as long as I can help it, and with God's help hopefully.

Made in China or Korea anyways I forget .22 frets semi hollow body (Natural color )with F holes and 3 layers 0f bound maple neck. Pickups are Gibson new york mini humbuckers. 3-way selectors with volume and tone for each selection. Came with a hardshell case.

I play some jazz ,blues but mainly 50s, and 60s,rockin roll, thru a fender princeton dsp, this amp changes the whole sound of this guitar.I had been playing thru a Traynor amp and it sounded dull. Now it sounds complete on any setting

Factory setup was good, fit and finish were also good no glue marks on fret board but the pick guard was noisy, it was rubbing up against the pickup so I took it off myself and passed a small dremel sander along the edge of the pickguard to take abit off and now its perfect.Whats up with the plastic stickys that they glue on to the pickups that say Gibson, that glue is next to impossible to take off.

I've never played live but for basement use this thing will last forever.

Never had to deal with them yet !!

Been playing 30 years. I also own a fender Lead 2 ,which had a bit of a brighter sound but the sheraton is a bit smoother with a deeper tone. What I like about this Guitar is that its big and easy to hold on to.

es-335 copy.
sustain block, 2 humbuckers, 2vol., 2 tone controls;
nice inlays, good mechanics
looks great, especially in sunburst

great sounding!
from funk to jazz - nearly everyhting is possible and sounds quite original.
when playing with heavy distortion it tends to feedback soon, but that's normal for a semiacoustic

properly set-up, no faults discovered

the pickguard-screw was lost. but no problem to replace

Never needed a backup, never had any problems in live situations or at home.

never needed

i play the sher. over a 72 Fender ProReverb or with a hughes&kettner attax 100. i also use a boss od-3 for a fat blues sound. great!!!
the fender is 1st choice of course.

i'd never change for another guitar more expensive, as the epi sounds and feels great. it never broke down since 6 years of permanent use, so i'd buy the same one again in cause of loss/or if it was stolen.

The blues guitarplayer Keb'Mo also used a sheraton on a live gig in Germany. And so do some other profs i met on concerts or in a pub.

low price, great gear. buy one.

First off, I am a jazz-blues player. I play bebop, rhythm changes and jazz-blues exclusively. I did not evaluate this guitar through a distorted amp as I never play that way. This guitar was tested through a Fender tube amp and a Polytone Megabrain into a Rich Raezer Stealth 12 speaker cabinet.

This topic has pretty much been covered. I will add that the pickups are quite decent for the price, especially the neck pickup. It is a little muddy, but easy to brighten up by changing your amp tone settings.
The bridge pickup is a little bright for my liking but quite acceptable. The pickup are called Epiphone 57CH (G). There is a specific rear and front pickup.

The pickup switch has Epiphone written on it and failed the second day I had the guitar. I could not select the bridge pickup without
5 or 6 trys, if at all. I replaced it with an expensive Switchcraft
gold colored switch and it makes have incurred no further pops or problems.

The woodwork is actually very good for a under $1000 guitar. Mine has a natural finish. The neck/body joint has a very tiny amount of filler. The binding job on the headstock and neck is flawless. The F-hole binding has a couple of filler spots. The pickguard is flimsy and I simply removed it.

The tuners are okay. I have a Korg DT-3 and was surprised how accurate
it tunes up under the scrutiny of this digital tuner set in the "Cent" mode.

The frets on my axe were filed by the store's guitar tech, so I am not how sure good they were out of the box. They are great now though! The bridge allowed me to intonate the guitar perfectly.
I understand the gold plating wears off with use.

Note: For me, the sticky residue from the decals on the pickups came off the best with a cotton rag and water. Over 2 days, I had them shiny and clean.

This guitar has great sustain and you can hear and feel the vibration on the maple top unamplified. It is a good looking guitar.

Overall the guitar is great and the hardware is fair. You can always upgrade hardware though and this is my intention.

The acoustic tone of this guitar is very good. It has well balanced
tone and as a jazz box, it is a serious contender. It has a good balance of warmth and wood tones. The sustain is incredible!
Chords sound crisp and full. Single note runs are big and musical. I tested this guitar against a bunch of Guilds (2 - 3X the price), Ibanez and other Korean made archtops and I kept coming back to this guitar and then bought it.

The guitar was set up for some light guage round wound strings and was well intonated. I play heavy guage with low action and always with flat wound E A D and an unwound G string. .052 - .012.

After straightening the truss rod (To allow lower action) I put on a set of flatwound strings and was really impressed with the playability.
The neck is fast and effortless. This guitar has a nice flat fretboard and works well with low action, unlike many of the other Korean archtops I tried. The finish is good. I noticed my natural finished Sheraton 2 had better looking woodgrain and quality than the sunburst model that was also there.
I bought the natural as it had the fret job and because it looked cool.

I put on gold-colored strap locks. It feels solid. Not quite as solid as a 335, but I carry it in a gig bag and bang it around and no harm has come.
I could not stand the feel of the pickguard as it was very flexible and if I would have kept the pickguard on, I would have braced it.

I do not have a backup. I carry tools, strings, solderering iron and
it would have to be a major disaster before I gave up on this guitar when gigging.

I would get another. It is my main guitar and other players are impressed with its tone and playability.

A final note: I am a big Seymour Duncan pickup fan. I went an purchased some gold-plated Seth Lover model pickups and my my....
This guitar has serious tone now. These pickups have the perfect balance of warmth and brightness. They took the Sheraton 2 over the top. It was a good sounding guitar with the stock pickups, but now is
simply wonderful. It turns heads now. I am sure the Gibson 57s and other Seymour Duncan pickups would also be good choices, but the Seth Lovers in the Sheraton 2 has ideal my tone pretty much nailed.

I may replace the bridge and tailpiece eventually, but not in the near future. This is a great guitar for adding better hardware to as
overall it is a great guitar with fair hardware out of the box.
Many reviewers have said the tuners are poor. I disagree, they are okay and certainly adding some Grovers or the like would be nicer, but is not critical.

My review ratings are lower than others i have noticed. I am quite critical about guitars and also realize that guitars and amp reviews are very subjective and also there are lemons and keepers in every
production run.

Try the Sheraton 2 against other comparible Korean-built guitars and you may buy it. I am glad I did. The quality of under $1000 guitars is
getting better and better. We are so lucky to be playing today. There is so much great new, old and re-issued gear for us to enjoy.

KOREAN MADE 1995, BEST LOOKING GUITAR MADE IN THE ES335 STYLE eg; thinline-double cutaway semi hollow body two Humbucking 2 vol/ 2 tone control with a price tag under $700.00 that feels right and sounds right. The pickups are original Samsung and don't have that much vibe for real power lead playing, but they have enough for any easy listening and most rythym work. The finish and fit are extraordinary.I brought this guitar after trying it out against a vintage ES335(used). I got it with a gig-bag, but I have since gotten the hardshell case for it.

I play many different styles and I do a bit of studio work, having recorded TV jingles and a couple of albums. I use this axe for almost all my electric rythym work and any electric jazz (Larry Carlton, Eric Gale,etc). I play it through a Peavey Truimph 60 (tube),a Roland JC120, and a Roland Cube60. It sounds good through any of them, especially the Cube60 (w/Celestion V1260 spkr) which seems to let the voice of the instrument happen. The treble(bridge) pickup leaves a little to be desired by itself, but the the middle (2PU) setting anthe neck pickup are satisfying to me most of the time. I use a Dunlop CryBaby Wah Wah and Chorus/Delay/Tremolo pedals from Danelectro or ZOOM 2020 and 4040 Effects processors. I( plan to put either Gibson 57's or Seymour Duncans on it judging by all the feedback that the other reviewers have given.

The action was perfect for my style, but my dealer set the instrument up to my specs (.010-.046, low action with the stop tailpiece down on the body). I'm always trying something new with my guitar settups, so I have tried a hybrid string mix of .010,.012,.016,.026,.036,.047 which fits me a little better for all the styles I play and allows me to bend to my heart's content. The Gold plating on the pickup covers has all but faded away, but I'm a working player not a guitar runway model or collector, so I don't care as long as I sound good and the axe feels comfortable.

I've had this guitar for more than six years gigging regularly (ask the IRS)and this guitar has been one of my most called upon to get the job done. Who cares if the finish wears away some, How much does a Gibson Dot335 (chrome) cost today? Does it look this good? And if I spend the extra money on a set of new pickups, Won't I have to spend at least 3 times as much for something that sounds and looks as good? the strap buttons have held it in place so far, but one of these days I'll get some, too. I have depended on this axe and it has not let me down except for string breakage which I carry an extra second guitar (Parker P-38)for and that's only on live stage shows.

I've been playing since 1964 and I own a'77Strat w/Vintage-Noiseless Pickups, a Parker P-38, A Jackson Fusion Std. Pro(Floyd Rose/S/S/H Hot-rails),an Ibanez 1974 Double-Neck 6/12, an Ibanez "Artist" 70's, an Aria Pro Elecord(MOdel#p-90)acoustic/electric roundhole/archtop. If this guitar were stolen I would either buy another or an Ibanez Artstar which is the only axe in this class that sounds better. The only slight problem I have with it is that my D,and G strings have a tendency at times to go a little flat after some hard bending, but I correct that easily by just pressing down slightly on the string in question between the bridge and tailpiece causing the string to go back in tune(I can live with that).

There are so many reviews on this guitar regarding features, that i need not repeat them. It is just that, A semihoolw ES335 copy at a very reasonable bang-for-the-buck price.

I have been playing for over 36 years most of them proffessionally working as a stage performer and recording session musician. I needed a semi-hollow body guitar for my work since i had sold a Gretsch "Nashville" a couple of years back and did not have an instrument of comparable sound/versatility in my arsenal. I went to my local dealer who let me try out many guitars until I got stuck on a used Gibson ES335 and a brand new SheratonII. After about 3 hours of playing I chose the Epiphone SheratonII because I figured that I am a working musician and resale didn't matter to me since I pretty well much bang up my axes and wear them out because I'm a player not a buff or collector. The sound is good enough that almost all my rythym lines on my recording sessions of the last 5 years have been cut with my SheratonII. On stage I play in one of the top Rock and Roll 50's and 60's bands in the country, and I find myself playing my SheratonII at almost half of my shows using it as my only guitar. MY main axe for that act is a Fender 1977 Strat with "Vintage-Noiseless" pickups but I still like the feel of my Sheraton on stage. It sounds great with the amps that are supplied by the sound companies that provide us with a backline at the venues I appear at. They usually have Fender Twins or Roland JC120's, but on occasion, they have had Marshalls and Mesa Boogie amps. The Sheraton has always sounded correct. My own amps are aPeavey Triumph 60 (tube 6L6 + 12AX7), a Fender Super 60 (tube), a Roland JC120, and a Roland Cube 60. She sounds especcially great on soft jazz work through the Roland Cube 60 where the middle (2P/U) sound comes to life. After reading all these previous reviews I am going to change my pickups to either Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios. I can use a hotter sound on some classic rock and fusion material that I do.

Action was as close to perfect, but my dealer always goes over every instrument that comes into his shop and once I chose the one I wanted he went in his back room and had it set up for me, which was 10-46 light strings and a super low action with the stop-piece all the way down for more sustain and string tension. My only problem with tuning is that my D and G strings seem to flatten a little when I bend a lot, but because I know that, I just tap the flat string just between the bridge and tailpiece and it slips back into intonation.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Without a doubt! In fact my group is known for our exciting stage movements and choreography, which includes me taking a solo while playing with my teeth and dropping to the floor and resting on my back in a prone position. To that I say," Who needs SrapLocks?" I haven't in six years with this guitar and I've yet to drop it.

I have a problem, I go to my local dealer, he hasn't let me down yet.

I have been playing for over 36 years and I have owned or played just about every kind of axe out there from Gretsch Country Gentleman, Nashville, Tennessean, Dou-Jet, Gibson Firebird, Les Paul Standard, Deluxe,SG Standard, a PRS, Fender Telecasters (late 60's and early 70's),Stratocasters (1976 hardtail, and 1977 Ash body/Maple neck). I presently own a '77 Srat w/Vintage noiseless pickups, a Jackson Fusion Std. Pro, an Ibanez 1974 Double-neck 6/12, an Ibanez Artist (Blackw/Creme trim),a Parker P-38, An Aria Pro Elecord Model #P-90 acoustic-electric archtop roundhole, and an Epiphone Chet Atkins Model CEC Acoustic Nylon string electric. If this axe was stolen, I would run right back to Castellano's and order another one or an Ibanez Artar which is the only other guitar that can beat this one fot the money (it cost more than the Sheraton, but it feels lighter and the sound was a little bit better).