Epiphone Sheraton II

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).

well this is an update from my fuull review......after getting over the new axe nirvanna,,,i found the stock pickups too get too muddy
with lots o volume.so........i upgraded....bridge,...a dimarzio
super 11 distorter excellent, neck 57 gibson clsssic,wow
it really does make a difference. its a10 now and even does metal
justice... n blues n rock n jazz n plus n .plus.

Originally submitted a review for this instrument last December......before I replaced stock PU. Threw a couple of 57 classics into this thing and turned a frog into a prince. The thing really sounds great now. It always looked nice and had a decent neck/action/intonation. But now it sounds wonderful!

Standard configuration for an Epiphone Sheraton II made in Korea in 2001. It came with a plush hardshell case that seems well made. Ebony (black) with gold plated hardware, mother-of-pearl and abalone inlays in the neck and headstock. Strikingly beautiful in appearance except for an unattractive pick-guard. Has anyone out there tried getting an ES335 pickguard from Gibson and substituting?
I'm going to dock a point for the pickguard.

The sound is flat with the stock pickups. The 2001 model is supposed to have the 'new and improved' pickups. They could be worse but they could certainly be better. Personal taste plays a part so I recommend that anyone buying this guitar should TRY a number of different Gibsons with different pickup combinations to get an idea of what this guitar could sound like with REAL Gibson pickups. I've installed a '57 Classic at the neck and a '57 Classic+ at the bridge; this was after lots of research and I'm now completely satisfied with the sound of this guitar. I use it to play classic '60s and '70s rock. Also some jazz and blues. I love the sound with the new pickups. I also replaced the pots and toggle switch with new Gibson components, and a switchcraft jack. Ooh la la, it sounds terrific now. It's a 10 with the improvements, a 6 without them.

The factory action was quite good, I haven't had anyone mess with it yet. No string buzz, the factory did a good job with the frets and adjustments. The intonation was set up reasonably well. I'll eventually have it all fine-tuned but I think that I'll wait until it 'wears in' a bit. The finish is fantastic, I'm particularly thrilled with the ebony finish & gold hardware.

It is a new guitar so time will tell. The pickups were changed so the gold plating on them is now REAL Gibson. I'll probably change the machine heads to real Gibsons, also. I've seen a year-old Sheraton II and the plating looked pretty rough, especially on the pickup covers because they get punished the most. Oh, also... the original factory toggle switch 'cut out' when changing positions. I can't stress enough how much better I like this guitar with the changeover to real Gibson components.

I was able to get a schematic for this guitar from the Gibson website. They sent me a schematic for an ES335 and told me that it matched the Sheraton II exactly. They were prompt and friendly. Go figure...

I've been playing for over 30 years. This guitar will probably become my most-used instrument. I'm using it primarily with a VOX AC15 and it really sings. Incredible tone and sustain!! Like others have said in previous reviews, it compares favorably with an ES335 if you change the pickups. Gibson probably doesn't WANT these things to sound great from the factory. Why would anyone spend thousands of dollars on a real Gibson if an Epiphone sounded as good, straight out of the box?

this is all written below. you say guitar, i expect a plank with strings on it, anything else is a feature. the binding on this thing is a plus. i mean what kind of features do you want on a guitar ? it doesn't have a v12 motor or anything megacool like that, it's a very well decked out guitar though.

i run this through an american made fender princeton, a dunlop 545 (chrome), a voodoo labs od, and a boss bf-2 flanger. it's fairly versatile, but i find it does best in settings involving drive equal to or less than classic rock. clean she's absolutely gorgeous. overdrive is very warm, and it really cuts through in a solo. not the best for metal, if indeed it's a hot thing in metal now to play a hollow body.

stock pickups aren't awful, but they aren't great. i replaced them with the gibson 57 classic series. excellent choice, really turns this guitar up a notch. basically, it's an es-335 without the wiring. that'll change eventually, i'm in no rush though because that's not a hassle on a frequent basis, just something that's nice to not have to worry about. i give it a 9 because everything i compare it to pales, and i'm a guitar player, i try out everything in stores just like you do.

action's easily adjusted. as far as intonation goes, well on the high e string the saddle on the tune-o-matic won't quite go as far as i need it to to get perfect intonation. it's close, but i might need to get it professionally adjusted. the wiring isn't good, but i'll change all that out. from a visual standpoint, it's stunning. probably the most gorgeous guitar on the market. very pleased in this category

mind you, the neck is a 2x4. small hands need not apply

it's a hollow body. relatively speaking, it's very solid. i've had this for three years or so and it doesn't have even a scratch on it. it gets used extensively, and has been gigging with me whenever i needed it to. it also went through a year of semi-daily rehearsals. it travels well.

i've been playing for five years. if it were stolen, i'd be pissed. it's a very good guitar, especially for the money. if you put work into it and make a few adjustments, you'll have one of the best instruments on the planet. if not, then it's merely solid. visually and sonically, i'm extremely pleased.

the features are great. way better than an es 335.gorgious gweeter
all around. don t know what year it is serial no. s99064459 ......
any one know the year send if so to gweeter8@yahoo.com.
super great kneck.

don t know what happened to others but she s a kickin axe. sound is just fine in my hot rod de ville 4x10. original and blues and classic rock ....so far so good, but i might try duncan seth and one other.

action was higher than i like but it played well. lowered it ripps pretty fast with great tone...must have been a wed guitar.

the gold pickups are wearing very fast as such the duncans will come.
this is the gweeter i gig with reliable comfort n trust.

no need

i ve played a lot of gweeters over 35 years and im happy with this
one its one of the best around especialy for the price
excellent gweeter dam she looks sweet too.

Bought this guitar in 1997-8, natural finish, gold (but not for long) hardware etc. You've read it all before.

For the most part this guitar should be played unamplified. While I have wrung a couple of nice recordings out of it, predominantly in a Bluesbreakers mode the thing sounds mediocre when amplified. This, as indicated by several other reviewers, relates to the mediocrity of the stock PUs. I have a pair of Classic 57s which I will install when I get the chance but basically have used this guitar fairly unfrequently.

Action is a strong point, smooth and fast. Finish is beautiful. Hardware is prone to near instantaneous oxidation. Also the tuners were cheap junk, replaced them with a set of Grovers which helps a lot. Indeed, most of the electronics (pots, toggle) are also pretty cheesy but serviceable. So it's a 9 for action, 8 for feel, 9 for finish, 3 for hardware= Avg 5-6

Wouldn't use it at a gig at all at this point in time, maybe when I swap out the PU's. Still it seems pretty solid and frankly if it were lost or damaged it might mean that one of my other instruments would have been spared, a reasonable trade off.

No experience with Epiphone but have had good relations w/ Gibson when necessary

Playing for too long, ~36yr. I have a bunch of other electric and acoustic guitars and also enjoy keyboard playing. Although I have no regrets about buying the Sheraton, I will have to do the PU surgery before proferring a final opinion.

"Double rounded cutuaway, arched bound maple top, f holes, raised bound tortoise pickguard with stylized E logo, maple back/sides, center block maple neck, 22 fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl/abalone blok/triangle inlay, tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece, bound peghead with pearl vine/logo inlay, 3 per side tuners, gold hardware, 2 humbucker covered pickups with exposed screws, 2 volume/tone controls, 3 position switch."

This is the definiton of the Sheraton and Sheraton II by Epiphone itself.

I checked the serial number and found out at Epiphone that when the Sheraton II started being manufactured in Korea, they did not register the numbers properly so as far as I (and they) know, my guitar does not have a 'born certificate'. I do know though that the Sheraton II is a contemporary re-issue of the original Epiphone Sheraton (hence the 'II') which was manufactured from 1959 to 1970. The Sheraton II began its legacy in 1997. My guitar is probably from 1997. Make no mistake when you see an old Sheraton, it is vintage shit and you should not let the opportuniy ellude you. Go for it.

I got this guitar in august 29, 1998. I'll tell its story later on.

As far as I'm concerned, this is an ok guitar features-wise. I don't know how to hate it tho so I won't.

This guitar covers an extensive field of sounds and tones and I am satisfied with it but not before I had one of the humbuckers replaced by a Gibson Classic '57 (the bridge one). The stock PU's are extremely poor and like someone stated below, this guitar can howl at no moon when you crank the gain of your amp. I'm probably replacing the neck humbucker as well but I couldn't be arsed to do so as of yet.

The guitar is not noisy at all. If it's noisy than it's probably because of the gear you're using. Despite the poor stock PU's, the neck one sounds full and warm and you have a good range of tones. It's sensitive to the tone controls and if you are patient you can be very surprised. Especially with all-tube amps.

I play in a band that plays contemporary music (a cover band mostly) and although you have to struggle with the guitar to deliver Limp Bizkit-like sounds, you can pretty much play anything you want. It won't emulate any Telly or Strat sound but it will do it fair enough. At home I play Oasis, Beatles and general british rock and it suits my taste to the fullest.

I play it through a Marshall JCM2000 DSL401 and a Marshall VS65R. Of course, it blows anyone's through the all-valve Marshall but it can be really boring with a valvestate amp. This is probably because of the amp though. It's amazing how a valvestate amp is so worse than a tube one. And I thought my 65 watt VS was a good beast. Go for the tubes.

I also use a BOSS ME-8 (multiple effects processor) and teh guitar works fine with it.

Replacing the humbuckers with the ones of your taste, you have a delicious guitar to play with at hand. But with the stock PU's I'll give it a 6,5 rounded up to 7.

I traded this guitar so it was second hand but it was brand new. No one ever played with it. As I got it I brought it to my personal luthier to take care of it and replace the humbucker that very same day. As far as finishing and fit, it's a 10 in my opinion. It's all great and there's no flaws. I can't seem to find any in it.

However, after a few months the hardware gets oxidized and that, I think, is a major Epiphone hardware problem. It happens with my Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic also. The golden hardware goes green sometimes. It's not very good. That's definitely a 6 for it.

Other than that, everything is fine. The guitar was well set-up at the factory since it hasn't been used by anyone before I traded it. This is an 8.

Other than the hardware oxidizing, this guitar will last forever if you let it. Solid as my two beloved combos. :-)

I don't use it with a backup. Ths straps are very solid but I always recommend a strap-lock which I use in my guitar, the Dunlop ones.

I DO depend on it.

Never talked to any of 'em.

I've been playing for 6 years now and I've been suffering to find the guitar of my dreams. I found it in the Sheraton II but not without a fight. I'll tell you why.

I have also an Epiphone EJ-200 acoustic, an Yamaha APX-4-12A acoustic, a Washburn Strat Lyon Series and a Fender Jazz Bass.

If I ever lost this guitar I'd buy another semi-acoustic. I don't know which one though. Maybe a Riviera or even the original beautiful red Gibson semi-acoustic itself.

I love the look of it and I love it just because I love it. I don't know. It was love at first sight. (it's vintage sunburst with golden hardware)

Now, I'll tell the story behind the myth. In mid 1997 I bought a Rickenbacker 325V63 'Miami', a vintage re-issue of the same guitar that Lennon used when on tour with the Beatles in... Miami, right. However, I did not even see it before buying and I found out it has a f***ing short scale and my hands are quite big. Plus, as it's a re-issue, it has precisely the same hardware. Shit bridge, shit tailpiece, the strings would never stay in tune. Plus, the 3 pickups are match only to the vintage Vox amps they used to use. I don't know, They don't work with digital effects and distortion. Ok, I didn't know much about it at the time but I believed in the guitar. It's beautiful.

So, I spent one full year of my life with a 15 hundred bucks worth guitar that would serve for nothing to me. (I bought it new in NY)

One day I step in this Wal-Mart like store here where I live and I see this big shiny Sheraton II hanging on the wall simple to serve as a background to the CD store inside this big mall. It was hanging beside this big poster of the Beatles. I kinda flirted with the guitar everyday and one day I decided to talk to the manager of the store. I brought him my Rickenbacker and a big book with several pictures of Joh Lennon with the guitar and said: "Look, this guitar is worth 1.500 bucks, it's the same as Lennon's and it's much more good looking than that guitar you have on your wall. Let's trade it. You'll get a better background wall and I'll get the guitar I want and you'll even get money off my back because that Sheraton is cheaper than this Rickenbacker." So be it, the guy traded with me, hung the Rick on the wall and I got my Sheraton II.

BUT, I am so picky coz I want a guitar which never goes out of tune and man, does EVERY guitar I play let the G string goes soft and give me a completely out of tune open chord after a solo. I don't even play like Ray Vaughan. I just play and bend like everyone else. To solve this I replaced the bridge with a micro-tunning Gibson bridge, the one which comes with the Lucille model for instance and put up a Gotoh locking system in the neck. After that, I never got back to my luthier again but I spent quite some money to get this guitar going.

Because of that and, read this, this is not only because it's a Sheraton II, this is me who's talking, I'll give a 7 as overall opinion. Because I know that it could be a Gibson Standard, I'd put the tunning system the same way. So, don't take this so seriously if you don't even know what a guitar out of tune is. This guitar is tremendous.

My Sheraton II was a '97 model, purchased in March of '98. It is a semi-hollow, double cutaway guitar, similar to a Gibson ES-335. This means a double cutaway body of laminated maple with a center block. It also has a 24 3/4" scale on a 5 ply maple and mahogany neck, with an "ebonized" rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets. Electronics is typical with two generic humbucking pickups, volume & tone pots for each pickup and a three way switch for pickup selection.

The guitar was finished in a reddish brown sunburst, shading to black on the top. All other surfaces are red/brown without any shading. There are 5 ply bindings on the top edge of the body, fingerboard, headstock and tortoise shell pickguard, and single ply binding on the back and "f" holes. There is an extravagant amount of pearl and abalone inlay. The "epiphone" name is inlaid on the headstock, along with a "vine" inlay. The fingerboard has large pearl blocks divided by wedges of abalone inlaid for position markers. The tuners, pickup covers, stop bar tailpiece and bulky tune-a-matic bridge are gold plated, but the metalwork has a cheap, cheesy look and feel.

The guitar came with a very bulky hard shell case. It appears to be sized fo fit a similar 12 string guitar.

I play mostly blues and blues-based rock. In the store, the guitar seemed promising. The stock pickups, while a little bland, were not as bad as a lot of people say. They are, however, extremely microphonic, making the guitar squeal like a pig if the gain on the amp is cranked very much. Even my little Fender Super Champ could make the poor Sheraton howl in pain.

Obviously, the guitar cannot really be gigged with in stock trim, and new pickups are definately in order, if only to control the feedback. I planned to change them, but never quite got that far. Read on to see why.

Rating is for stock pickups, and reflects lack of usability.

At a distance, the guitar looks like a million bucks, slick and uptown classy. The neck is wide, but not too deep, very fast, like a good Gibson neck from the mid 60's. The fretwork was good and level, and the ititial setup was quite good.

From here, it goes downhill. The fret ends protruded over the fingerboard, leaving sharp edges. The paintwork was applied too thick in spots. There were swirl marks and scratches in the top which were inadequately buffed out. The back was covered with overspray, and not buffed out. The tuners, bridge and tailpiece were poorly finished, with big scratches showing under the plating. The first time I restrung the guitar, the ball ends got stuck in the undersized holes in the tailpiece, and had to be removed with a puch and hammer. The plastic nut was servicable, but cheap. The rear strap button screw was mislocated and crooked. Inside, there were big gaps between the back and the center block.

I can't out how this guitar gets such high marks in this category from everybody else. Apparently mine was a "Monday morning" guitar.

I suppose I should have quit right there, but I figured that most of the faults could be cured or lived with, so I had a luthier replace the nut with a bone nut, and the huge, ugly bridge with a Gibson bridge. This required doweling the existing bridge holes, but the thombwheels hid the repairs. He also dressed the sharp fret ends. I replaced the tuners with Grover Rotomatics, and the tailpiece with a Gotoh unit. Now the guitar was shaping up.

Still, I had doubts about the guitar. The neck joint is short and appears to be more glue than wood. Also, there is no kerfing to reinforce the joints between the top, back & sides. I don't know if the guitar will fall apart, but the overall construction doesn't inspire confidence. I might have gigged with it if I had replaced the pickups, but I finally decided that I would be spending more on the guitar than it was worth to me

the few times I've dealt with Gibson, they were courteous and prompt with a reply. The usual reply was to tell me that they don't sell replacement parts, and to see my dealer.

I almost never depend on the company for service. I either fix it myself, or take it to a good luthier. I am fortunate that I have a guy who does great work and doesn't laugh at the guitars I bring him to fix.

I've played for 35 years and own a lot of other guitars and a few amps.

After doing so much work on the guitar, I began to realize that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (I already knew this, but sometimes it's still fun to try). I was faced with spending another $200-$250 for pickups for a guitar that I was still likely to be unhapy with, so I decided to cut my losses and trade it in. If it had been stolen, I wouldn't have cried.

It's too bad, because the Sheraton was a lovely guitar. However, it was too much "show" and not enough "go". If you have one you're happy with, I'm happy for you. Maybe I bought the one bad apple in the barrel, but I have to call this as I see it.

I love the beautiful inlays and gold-plating, which hasnt rubbed off this 2000 Korean-made git-fiddle in the months ive owned it. It came with the newer, Gibson-liscensed wax-potted pickups, which sound comprable to the Seymour-Duncan copies. The finsih was done expertly, a fine vintage sunburst. The tuners are large, gold ones, similar to the Yamaha acoustic ones. The maple back is finished like the front, just of a slighty less beautiful piece of lumber. Sam Ash threw in a gig-bag and stand.

I play lots of blues-jazz, like a Kenny Burell mix. But i need the output to go for full out alt. rock for some gigs. This guitar does both well. When i crank my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe on the Drive channel, set around 6 on gain, i get a sweet overdrive, responsive to my picking dynamics. It could be the tubes...but this guitar sounds loads better than my friends Ibanez-ass thumping metal guitars in the same setups. The guitar also is geat for the clean, bassy jazz hollowbody sounds i need. What versatility!

The PUs, as with all hmbuckers with only 1 pivot point, move a little, but i was told it was normal. The creme binding is applied perfectly, and the setup was fine. One gripe: the STICKERS applied to the pickups at the factory, whne removed ,left a visible residue that only came off with 2 bottles of lighter fluid and a roll of toilet papaer. Besides that..its a thing of BEaAUTY.

This guitar seems quite hardy, and the finish hasnt checked or chipped as of yet. The stap buttons are rather large, and hold my strap well, even w\o locks. I always gig with a backup, simply for stirng breakage, but in any other respect, this axe will hold up. The finish and such seems expertly applied and durable, as good as the many 335s i have played. I am sure this guitar will age beutifully.

Ive never spoken with them..but the Epiphone policy of voiding the warranty with any modifications, even straplock addition scares me.

I LOVE this git bucket, what a dream. I have people coming over just to play this, and they dont wanna put it down. Ive loaned it out to some of my pro-am jazz player friedns for gigs, and they love it. I am ENTIRLEY Satisfied with this bad boy.

made in : 1997 (I think, if I understand Epi's Serial # system) in Korea
Pickups 2 Humbuckers
Hardware Gold
Scale 24.75"
Nut Width 1.68"
Neck Joint Set
Neck Material 3-piece Maple
Fingerboard Rosewood/Block & Triangle
Binding Body/Neck/Headstock
Body Material Laminated Maple
Top Laminated Maple


I believe the finish on mine is "vintage sunburst" though to my eyes it looks more like "tobacco burst". Second hand axe, so I "inherited" a hard shell case, a padded Levis strap & gold plated straplocks.

So if one is looking for features like gizmo-splittable-super distortion pickups and locking trem systems, this ain't it. However if one is looking for a good looking, playable, good sounding guitar, this is it my friends.

I was concerned that the treble pickup would sound too mushy, that the neck pickup would sound too muddy ... when am I going to learn to give The people at Epiphone credit? The neck pickup sounds full and warm, the treble pickup has a nice bite ... if a bit nasal on its own. Both pickups combined give out a nice, balanced sound.

Agreed, the results one gets from a headphone amp will vary from those in a genuine amp. I have yet to connect in my recently acquired Marshall JTM-310. Chances are I'm likely to get microphonic feedback (then again I may be surprised). Updates to this review are to come, but played through my Zoom 503 amp simulator, the palette of sounds is pretty amazing. If I wanted to have a "shredder" guitar, I would have gotten one. But this delivers a sweet overdriven sound.

I've seen some reviews where the neck inlays were improperly fitted, glue blobs, etc. Agreed, the gold plating has a tendancy to wear off, but I see no flaws with this guitar.

If I am to believe the reviews on this guitar, yes! As it's been mentioned previously, the gold plating does have a tendancy to rub off but the finish on this guitar is spotless.

The previous owner replaced the stock strap buttons with strap locks, y'know what? Take care of your axe and it'll take care of you, 'nuff said!

Never had the opportunity.

There a story behind this guitar(and believe it or not, it's true - well, sort of!): some 8 years ago, I was visiting Steve's Montreal location and had fallen in love with ... an Epiphone Sheraton (can't remember whether it was an original or a II), which I had to pass due to lack of funds. It was with some regret that I walked out of the store, without that classy looking guitar.

Just last week I walk into Steve's Toronto location, and I see this Sheraton II, exact same finish, at the amazingly low price of $600.00 ... (agreed it's second hand but still!) as I enquired on financing this sweet looking axe, I was expecting to spend an extra $80.00 - $90.00 on a hard shell case. Guess what, for the same price I got a hard shell case, a padded strap & straplocks ... what a deal!

Part of me wants to believe that my guardian Angel sent that guitar my way, giving me a second chance at it ... while I doubt it's the same guitar, it does make for a better narrative doesn't it?

All poetic notions aside, this was one sweet deal. Sweet enough to have me put my Dano and Epiphone Les Paul Studio up for sale. Really, no lie.

For songs that require a solid bodied humbucking sound I have my home made, very playable DC Les Paul. For songs that call for a sweet single coil tone, I have my Mexi Fender Stratocaster. For those other bluesy, jazzy, rockabilly-esque (don't laugh, the tones are there!)tones, I have my Epiphone Sheraton II.

The part where I say I had to pass buying it 8 years ago (in Montreal) is no bull. I feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I finally own one, and woe is the creep who would try to steal it (or any of my gear as far as I'm concerned) from me, he'd better pray the cops find him first ... no bull!

No lo se!! 2nd hand purchase from UK music store where it's blind leading the blind. Just a 'king amazing guitar for the price!!
22 frets. Natural finish. Usual set up.

Into blues heavily bordering on jazz (Clapton, BB King, Ford).
Playing via Tech 21 Trademark 60. No effects.
Amazing range of tonality from biting treble to mellow comping jazz chord style. Couldn,t believe it...spent 4hrs in a music shop comparing it to a genuine 335 thro a Marshall 100w valve amp.
Rate it 9 cos nothing's perfect..

Action highish, pickups well balanced, top one piece of maple. Few scratches and dints, scratch marks on back from a belt buckle. All adds to the patina (as does the gold rubbing off but only cosmetic ....it's the SOUND that matters).

Looks cool. Think I'll take the scratch plate off though.

Yes. It already has by all appearances. Feels like a rock. Neck slightly flexible as other folks as commented but no different to other guitars...it't all this "there's something wrong with my guitar" parinoa (spelling?)

No comment.

Rate this guitar HIGH. It was a bargain. Been playing for 20 years. Didn't know anything about Epis before tonight...went out shopping for a 335 but through pure objectivity went for this Sheraton OVER the Gibson on saved over 1200 quid for a better sounding instrument.

Switch a bit loose and the tone pots crackle a bit but these are easily remediable. Bulid quality and tonality of constuction are everything electrics are changable and/or mature with age.

Wish I'd found this instrument 15 yeatrs ago.

Otheer guitars...Fender Tele (US standard), Fat Strat Delux, Yamaha APX 9, APX 5, Aria Pro PE420, a wacky old Antoria LP custom copy.

This is just an update to those who care....check everyone elses stats

This is why I felt like doing another review. In my last one, I stated that the stock pickups are mediocre at best (as you can see by everyone elses reviews). Now I have just recieved my guitar back after replacing the toggle switch and the pickups. I changed the neck to a seymour duncan '59, and the bridge to the SH-5 duncan custom. What can I say. Unbelievable sound. The bridge selection gives lots of bite, but not too trebley. Mid range is strong and very pronounced. Not muddy at all.
The neck '59 gives a deepy, definitely more rich texture, much like a fender neck p/u does. It still sings in the highs, just not as predominant as the bridge custom. I could not ask for a better selection of p/u's. I have to thank all the other reviews here for aiding me in my choices. Before I think I rated this a 7. It is definitely now a 10.

Still holding up, 3 years in. the gold finish continued to wear, but since I replaced the pickups with double blacks, the tarnished gold PU covers are no longer a hinderance. I plan on replacing the tuners with shaller satin chromes. That finish not only looks sweet, but won't tarnish.

Ditto here. Guitar hasn't let me down yet. I've left it in the car over night in the fall (oops. I prayed to the guitar gods not to warp the neck) and it didn't screw up the intonation at all. The gold still continues to wear off, but since the replacement of the pu's and toggle, (and soon the tuners) the only thing left gold is the bridge, which seems to be holding the gold finish better than everything else.

The toggle was covered under warranty. Free.Just dealt with my music store for that, though. Hafta give it a 10, just cuz I was gonna pay for it, but they actually reminded me of the warranty.

Rig has changed a bit. And I'm almost totally satisfied. Just running the epi into a Mesa Bottlerocket into a '79 musicman 2 X12" combo.
I think I'm a little tonally limited by the amp, but It's gonna take me awhile to save up for a really nice amp. A lot of trying out to do....Mesa?.....Rivera?.......I wonder.....
My rating before the changes I think was 7 or 8. With the new hardware and pu's, this guitar definitely gets a 10. I tried it out as soon as I got it back, immediately went down to a friends place who has a es-335, and I swear, I think my baby sounds sweeter, warmer, tonally more responsive. All I can say is, yum.

Same as all the others. It's a es 335 style guitar. I bought it the year it was made used. It's a great guitar for the cash! I love this guitar the neck is wonderful. Pick ups might not be as good as others it could have but good for stock cheepies.

I play blues/alt/rock mainly but I mess around everywhere. The sound is good but I think could be better with new pick ups. I play through a OK amp a peavy sold state. This guitar is good for blues and jazz I think. I like the sound of the pick ups personally but I am thinking about changing them. I want a better distorted sound.

This is where my guitar shines. The action is awesome. I have a friend with a gibson es335 and my guitar blows his away. All the people that have played the two have said the same thing. The Sheraton just has a better feel. Now don't get me wrong, not all epi's are made the same! His pick ups sound better...

I have had this guitar for over 5 years and no problems to speak of, moreover, I have played it almost every day in that time. It holds up good. I would think about strap locks on this guitar if your playing live. It's not as strong as a solid body but I don't like most solid body guitars so thats ok with me. Really a good guitar!

I bought it used so I don't know about this.

I have had this for over 5 years and it holds up great. If it were stolen I would shop around and try and find one as good as mine, so YES I would buy it again. If you need or like the es335 sound and don't have the cash for one this is your ticket. Hell some gibsons don't even feel as good as mine. Just play before you buy.

This is a 1999 model, natural in color, made in Korea. Same specs as quoted by other reviewers

Ok, here''s the reason for my review. As noted by many others, the stock pickups are mediocore at best. As a result I really wasn't playing this guitar much. I even tried to sell it on Ebay but didn't get any good offers. So I decided to try some new pickups. I has a pair of Seymour Duncan '59s installed. The improvement is the sound of this guitar is unbelievable!! If you're interested in giving your Epiphone a true old Gibson PAF tone, STOP READING right now and head to the music store. You won't be disappointed. You will be glad you didn't spend $2400 for a Gibson 335. (My '5' rating is for the stock pickups.)

Fit and finish was good when I got the guitar. No complaints after changing the strings. As noted by others, the cheesy gold coloring on the hardware does tarnish and wear quickly. When I had the new pickups installed, I also got some new gold pickup covers (the Duncans did not come with covers, but I think you can order them with covers.) Also, as mentioned by others, the pickup selector switch is of poor quality; it was making a crackling noise when I switched it. I was going to have it replaced when I had the pickups installed, but the guitar tech just cleaned it up and resoldered the connections. It sounds OK now, but still feels sloppy.

Seems as good as anthing in this price range.

Haven't had to contact the company

Generally, I think this is a terrific guitar for blues and classic rock AFTER you put some decent pickups in it.

I have been playing guitar for 25+ years and have had a few guitars that I could get the sound out of that I wanted. This is because I am not very good. I have had a Fender Mustang (first guitar) Aria 12 string, Ventura hollybody, Yahama accoustical, Fender american Strat,
Epiphone Sheriton II, and a Vox Super Lynx, Fender's both had great sound and playability. I just got the Epiphone and was enjoying it, It was a gift from an old friend that used to play, and gave it up due
to time constraints. I bid on one on e-bay and won it so while waiting
for it to be delivered I played the one he gave me I was impressed with the guitar. It has a great sound, plays good and both through the
sears twin 12 amp and the fender prinston chorous amp. The company I
bought the epiphone from shipped me the wrong guitar, they called and
asked if I would ship it back and they would send me the right one. I
agreed to return it. When I got it I opened the box and it was a Gibson 335. I had never played a Gibson and that is what I wanted in the first place, so I pluged it into my amp and tried it. I know now why everyone wants one. I makes the epiphone sound like a cigar box with strings. I love the looks of the Epiphone but the sound of the Gibson was awsome. Now I am in a fix I own two Epiphone's and want a Gibson. I don't know but I think the first thing I will have to do is
get a set of Gibson Classic 57 pickups, or call TV Jones and see what
he would recommend out of his lineup. If I can't get the sound of the
335 nothing will do but buy one. I am just glad that they did not send me a Gretsch (way out of my price range). If your considering an
Epiphone over a Gibson because of price forget it save your money and
buy the Gibson, there is too much difference in sound and playability.

With stock pickups sounds like a cigar box with strings

Factory setup, not bad but could use lower string set up. Beautiful finish, dark brown to black burst, inlay head done well looks great, gold hwd looks good except neck pickup rubbing off on edge's, finish is great no flaws or scratches

Very solid guitar, Yes I would gig with this guitar, finish on gold plating too thin, I think this would be a great guitar if it had the right pickups and pots.

Never delt with any company for warranty work. I think that the dealer is the best place to go.

If I can get the sound out of it of a Gibson 335 then I will keep the Guitar. Like I said before I have played and owned Fender, Vox, Yahama, Aria, and Ventura. Mostly knockoff's of great gutars except Fender. This Epiphone is no different great price, great looks, Nice action, but IT'S NOT A GIBSON or Gretsch. I won't know if I will Keep it until I change the pickups out to Gibson Classic '57's and get it set up to get the same action of the Gibson 335.

An ES-335 copy.

I play jazz, blues and fusion and it sounds Okay. The neck pickup suits for jazz well. Bridge pickup could be quite better - it will be the first thing I am going to replace.

The guitar was set up well.

Golden pickups and bridge lost their color in few days (If you touch them few times, they?ll get silver). I have serious problems with pickup selector - I had to repair it just a week after I bought the guitar.
The original Gibson-strings are bad...
An Epiphone original case for Sheraton is very very and once more very bad. If I bought this guitar once more, I would rather have it made from a case-maker. Price of the case is very high.

???
Is there any Epiphone customer support in Czech Rep.???

I was looking for that kind of guitar, but Gibsons and Ibanez are quite expensive for me. There was not any other chance to get an 335 copy in Czech stores than Sheraton II.
A lot of musicans (esp. rockers that are selling guitars in strores) told me to not buy that guitar. Most of the things they talked about, were false. Later I found out, that most of them never did not play that guitar for a longer period of time than 5 mins. And most of them were just trying to tell me that I will never play Deep Purple on it...
An excellent guitar for jazz and blues beginners.

Purchased new in November, 2000, but I think it was made in 1999. Features are as described below. Has a nice natural finish. Great neck with nice inlays and binding.

The sound is okay. I have to agree with the other reviews that say that the pickups are fair, as best. I intend to replace them down the road when they discolor enough (see below) to justify replacing them for both the sound and the finish.

The action was okay, but I took it to the Guitar Factory here in Orlando, Florida (an Epiphone service center) and they filed down the neck nut to make the action really nice, since it was too high originally. They did the work for free-"under warranty" -when I took it in for a problem described below. The gold hardware has some oxidation problems, which is kind of disappointing, but I knew that ahead of time from reading the reviews here.

As mentioned above the gold hardware's finish is the most disappointing part of the guitar, but can be replaced down the road. The finish on the body is very good. The guitar seems well built, overall, with a neck that is very comfortable to play-and nice and straight. It should last a long time.

The one problem I've had is apparently with the pickguard. When I play for awhile, if I touch the big Epiphone "E" on the pickguard I'll get a snapping/clicking sound through the amp. It doesn't happen all the time, but it seems to happen in spurts. According to the Guitar Factory, the pickguard is probably picking up static electricity from the strumming and the "E" is acting like a capacitor, collecting the charge until I touch it and "discharging" it through the amp. Their only suggestion was running a wire from the bottom side of the pickguard and grounding it inside the body. I didn't have that done because it might make it unsightly and was hoping someone here could recognize this problem and offer me some other solution. Any suggestion posted here would be appreciated. Otherwise a nice guitar for the price.

I have been playing guitar, on and off, over a 30+ year span, playing stuff from the Beatles, Eagles, Clapton, and, most recently, chord/melody and light jazz. My other guitars are an Ovation Custom Balladeer and 12-string Balladeer.

The same as most here. think it's a '99, Korean made, gold hardware,lam-maple, blah blah blah. It had everything I was looking for, and not costing me an arm and a leg. Nice antique sunburst finish, semi-hollow body....you know. It's no Parker Fly, but I wasn't looking for that anyway...

Got this guitar a couple of years ago. This guitar filled a hole in my sound I was looking for. Running a Danelectro Daddy-O crunch through my'79 Music Man amp, I'm getting close to the sound I'm looking for. My other guitar is a strat. I play rythmn and find the strat not "chunky" enough for the part, even when I switched the bridge pickup with a Duncan hotrails mini-bucker. This guitar fit the bill.Lots of chunk (when selecting bridge position anyways). Gets extremely muddy on neck position, though. The band I'm in jumps around in style, from the buggles to alice in chains. With a little pedal tweaking, I'm able to achieve pretty much a full scope of distortion, nice distortion. I'm sure if I replace the pickups with, say, classic 57's, it would be even sweeter.....

When I recieved the guitar (it was ordered in), the strings that were on it had divets, or creases where they pressed against the frets. How hard did they pack the guitar down? After swapping the strings though, it played nicely. The action was nice and low, intonation was in...I did have to raise the neck position humbucker, since the bridge position was WAY hotter than the neck.
The toggle, like other people have said, is crap. Haven't switched it yet, but will very shortly. Finish was flawless. I actually don't mind the pickgaurd. The gold hardware is wearing considerably off, but it is an aging process. I like to think that it is from use, and am proud that I'm wearing it out. (Even though it looks a little cheesy).

Haven't had a problem playing this guitar in two years of gigging. It has become my main axe, the fender is the backup now. If you move around or jump around on stage, MAKE SURE you put strap locks on this puppy. I almost dropped it 3 or 4 times the first gig I did with it, as the strap kept popping off in mid leap! I trust this guitar much more than my strat.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I ordered a casino, but was told it would take 6 months to come in (not easy to find a lefty casino). The Sheraton was given to me as a loaner til the casino came in. I played this one for a month, and decided to keep it. I liked the looks and the playability of it. A little cheaper than the casino, too. I am now pretty close to the sound I want. A pickup upgrade and maybe the mesaboogie V-twin giving the distortion, and I gotta feeling I'll be in heaven.

Purchased March 2001, 1999 John Lee Hooker "Boogie-Man" Special Edition; ebony/gold hardware; made in Korea (I think); "Boogieman" inlay at 12 th fret; humbuckers; 3 way switch triangle/trapezoid inlays; gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous; I could live without the gold hardware (the tuners are taking on a green tint in some spots) and the Boogieman inlay, but this thing looks great

Cream meets the delta blues, this thing will tear your head off! You can fingerpick it in clean mode and it sound great.

Would be a 10, but the factory strings and set up seem more for jazz. $80 for a setup and strap locks and now it is a 10

the selector switch is a little iffy, replace it and put on some strap locks and you've got a 10

Gibson hotline 24 hours 1-800-4-gibson, very nice

Awesome, awesome, awesome, the neck is great, the guitar is beautful and sounds awesome. This thing is like a Cadillac with strings. Log off your computer and go buy one ....now

MORE OR LESS SAME SPEC AS EVERYONE ELSE. GOLD STOCK PICK UPS AND HARDWARE. VINTAGE SUNBURST FINISH, LOOKS THE BIZ! THINJ ITS KOREAN YET AINT SURE. IM NOT BOZZED WHERE IT WAS MADE OR WHEN, I LUV IT.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF NOEL GALLAGHER THEN THIS GUITAR IS GREAT. I PLAY A LOT OF INDIE/ALTERNATIVE MUSIC IE, OASIS, SUPER FURRY ANIMAL AND I ALSO WRITE MY OWN STUFF. I USE A MARSHALL G80RCD AND FENDER PRINCETON 65 AMPS WITH THIS MAMA AND IT SOUNDS LOVELY THROUGH BOTH. WITH A WAH WAH U CAN CREATE A LOVELY SOUND STRAIGHT OFF 'DYA KNOW WHAT I MEAN?'
WHEN YOU FIRST GET IT YOU HAVE TO PLAY AN OASIS SONG, ITS THE LAW!

NO QUALMS WITH THE FINISH AT ALL, THE ACTION IS LIKE A DREAM, SO EASY TO PLAY COMPARED TO MY EPIPHONE SG AND FENDER SQUIRE STRAT. THE GUITAR SITS LOVELY OFF THE HIP AND IS QUITE COMFORTABLE. I THINK THE PICKGUARD LOOKS CHEAP YET U CANT HAVE EVERYTHING. I JUST CANT PUT IT DOWN, IM HAVIN WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS NOW!

A LOT OF FOLK SAY THE GOLD WEARS OFF BUT IVE HAD MINE FOR 3 MNTHS AND I PLAY 1-2 HOURS A DAY AND MINES STILL INTACT. I HAVENT STARTED GIGGING AS YET BUT PLAN TO SOON SO THATS THE REAL TEST. I DONT HAVE A DECENT BACK UP GUITAR SO I HOPE I DONT NEED ONE. I TRUST THIS GUITAR WITH ME LIFE.

HAVENT HAD ANY PROBS APART FROM DELAYS IN DELIVERY BUT THAT WAS SORTED OUT QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.

AT THE PRICE IT WAS A SNIP, IVE SEEN IT IN LEEDS SHOPS FOR #525, SO I CHUFFED I GOT IT SO CHEAP. IVE BEEN PLAYING ABOUT A YEAR SOLID AND HAVENT OWNED A DECENT GUITAR BEFORE SO ITS A CHANGE TO CHEAPO CRAP. I WISH THE PICKGUARD WAS MORE CLASSIER. IF IT WAS STOLEN ID BUY IT AGAIN OR MAYBE A SUPERNOVA MODEL YET THERE HARD TO GET NOW. MY FAVOURITE FEATURE IS THE TONE IT WEEPS AND HOW COOL IT LOOKS. IF ITS GOOD ENUFF FOR NOEL ITS GOOD ENUFF FOR ME.

Korien made ES-335 copy. Purchased new in '92. 22 frets, Maple laminate body, set maple neck, rosewood fret board, gold hardware. Passive psuedo Epi PAF pick ups. Finish is vintage sunburst. Tune-o-matic style bridge. Came with Epi 335 style case. Two tone, two volume controls and a 3 position switch.

Theorhetically, this guitar should have matched my style well, but it came short. I try to play progressive rock with heavy influences from both classical and jazz. (yea, yea, it's been done before.) Both jazzy clean and with vintage (jethro tull'ish) marshall distortion. My hopes were that this guitar would replace my need to play both my 73 Les Paul Custom, and my EMG packing frankenstien strat. It didn't work. Anyway,
I don't use alot of effects. I run a DSP128 through my marshall, basically fixed on med.rm. verb, and I have a 69 Fender Bassman 50 watt head that I'm still trying to get along with.
All in all, the Sheraton looks better than it sounds.

Had to dress the frets as there was some uneveness to them. Otherwise, the action was very low and fast. There is a slight mis-alignment with respect to the strings lining up over the pickup poles, but not too far off to be a problem. Otherwise, the finish of the guitar body was very nice. The binding, including around the F-holes was very nice.
Naturally, the electronics bite. They seem cheap and have been redesigned for 2001. (Nearly 10 years too late for me.)

The gold plating on all the hardware sucks. It wears off in short order with a little playing. The frets hold up well. The finish is still perfect. Pick gaurd scrathes easily, but I suppose that's what it's for. The strap buttons are oversized and work well. Sure wish they used std. chrome hardware, as the gold hardware is the only real problem with the guitar durability.

Don't know. No need to bother them.

I would not buy this Guitar again. Over the years, I found that I didn't play this guitar much. Never played it live, and rarely used for rehersals. Only used occasionally for recordings if it happen to capture the tone I was looking for. (not very often.) Tried replacing the pickups recently in an attempt to start using this guitar. (Active EMG 89's). Still don't like it. I ordered a De Armond X-155 "pig in a poke" style. (Never played one!) based purely on my research and am hoping that this will give me the nitch sound that I have been looking for for years. (aka Steve Howe meets Pat Matheney.)
I believe that if I spent the cash for real Gibson pickups, that this guitar would have a chance at sounding like an ES-335, but am unwilling to make that investment, as it would still be a comprimise from the sound that I really want.

alright, here we go. I just picked up my sheraton from the repair shop yesterday and I almost creamed my shorts after hearing how it sounded with the new pickups. no joke. the sound flows through the air like melting crystals...
well, now for the rundown.
I think it was made in '99. Korean. you all know the specs, so I won't bother getting into that.
So, the pickups! The stock PU's sounded like they should for the price. The neck PU was kinda mushy, and the bridge was kinda shrill. So after owning the guitar for two days I ordered a pair of Seth Lover PU's (Neck and Bridge). you have no idea. This guitar sounds like gold. All the talk about how this guitar can be the equivalent of the ES-335 is DEAD ON!!!
That aside, I'm kind of worried about string saddles. I've broken one string, although I was playing a little hard. But I think a little filing job should solve that problem.
I'm going to replace the tuners tonight. You might notice a "clink" while tuning certain strings. This is the tuning peg "slipping" from the tension. I think I'll go with some grovers to fix this.
Everything else is perfect. i mean it. perfect.
I'm giving a 10 here, but that's only with replacement parts, other wise, it's a 5.
oh yeah, I also changed the volume knobs because the stocks are really ugly. It's like they're trying to hard to make it look vintage. In my opinion, their just plain ugly.

I play tons of different styles of music, but "Shoegaze" is the focus of my sound. The warm/crisp/melting sound of this guitar should suit anyone except for the skids(megadeath/slayer)...
let's see, effects. well, I'll just list em, cause I've spent 7 years adding and ditching effects, and I've finally got the perfect set up. So, Electroharmonics Bigg Muff, Small Stone Phaser, Boss Volume pedal (FVsomething), DOD 2-second Digital Delay, Cry Baby wah( I think I'll get a vox sometime soon), Boss Pedal Tuner/Power supply, Dalelectro "Tuna Melt" tremolo, Boss Chorus, Danelectro "Fish 'n Chips" equalizer, Boss DD-5 Digital Delay, E-bow plus, Alesis Quadraverb II(Q2)... that's it. done.
oh yeah, amp. I run through a fender Deville 2x12. The reverb on this amp accents the sheraton II's(well, the sheraton II with Seth Lover pickups) sooooo well.
So yeah, it's Gold. (now...)

Set up was perfect.
As I said in my other entry, the gold wore off within two weeks. But who cares... not me, I've got new pickups!!!
Oh yeah, the PU Selector sucked too, it started cutting out and it was really noisey, so I ousted that and replaced it. perfect.
Again, with replacement parts - 10, without, 6

The new hardware is going to last until my dying day. I've got two guitars and I'll be bringing them both to my shows and using both of them...

N/A...

I'll stop now and just say that this guitar, when overhauled, is the shit!!! the sound is orgasmic.

just a short review, I'll update the entry in a couple days. I bought this guitar knowing that the electronics sucked. I intended to replace everything from day one. After owning the sheraton II for two weeks the gold finish started to wear off, the pickup toggle switch started cutting out as changed positions... Soooo, yes, this guitar sucks if you're not willing to spend some coin on an overhaul.
More to come

The body is excellent but the pickups and toggle switch are terrible, I'll be spending $400(Canadian) on new pickups, toggle switch, and electronics. From what I've read here, I hope to have a sweet ass guitar when I get it back from the shop.
I'll let you know.

1998 and Made in Korea, 22 frets, hollow bodied semi-acoustic with 2 volume and 2 tone controls, 3 way selector, laminated body etc etc etc. It also came with a free hard case, as I refused to buy it otherwise!

I play a lot of blues and folk based music, and this guitar is surprisingly versatile, especially using capo or bottleneck. The top end can be cranked up to give a nice bright sound, and the more bassy qualities come in handy too (for faking a bass line!) I run it thru either a 50 watt Poker combo, or a Fender automatic, and it sounds better than either of these amps might otherwise promise. The only downside is that with (too much) Boss distortion, you suddenly sound like Soundgarden.

The action is great, the pickups needed a little tweaking for comparative volume (ie neck pickup louder than bridge, although this can be handy in a small combo). Everything else fine, except the strap button uder the neck had obviuosly sheared off in transit and been re-fitted by an idiot.

I have had this guitar for nearly 3 years and it is the same as the day I bought it. Solid piece of wood. My strap button gruipe is recorded above. The only reson I might use a second guitar is for a different sound (tele style noises are beyond this macine), or to save my back from the immense weight!!

I've never used this facility.

I have been playing the guitar for nearly 20 years, and have several acoustics (12 string, E-acoustic, hot-rodded acoustic for slide, plus a few other pieces of junk!!). I bought this guitar to replace stolen fender and aria electrics, and I have no complaints. You can sit and play it without it falling off your lap (handy for recording!), and compared to other semis, it does feel indestructable.
If it got pinched? I think I'd buy another epiphone of some sort, perhaps something even bigger for extra protection!