Epiphone Sheraton II

I Have a (what i believe is) a 2007 lefty Epiphone Sheraton II, Vintage Sunburst..I changed the stock pickups to Seymour Duncan SH-1 on the neck and SH-4 JB on the bridge, also got a 335 assembly kit from Mojo Musical Supply to replace all the electronics (pots, switches, etc) and got Gibson gold speed knobs to top it off. the grover tuners that it came with were fine and so was the nut (Im not sure if its bone but definitely not plastic)so no changes there...

First off, don't assume that i made these mods because i didn't like how the guitar sounded or played. I was already happy playing the stock guitar at numerous gigs and got nice compliments from a lot of people on the looks and sound of it...These mods were more about my curiosity if this guitar could be (significantly) better than it already is, and if it's worth spending that extra $300...well, the answer is YES!! In my opinion the guitar now sounds and looks BETTER than an ES-335, which i don't even consider buying anymore even now that i have the funds for it...warm, mellow, and distinct on the neck, and trebly but full on the bridge. endless sustain and a wide range of tonal possibilities, maybe the assembly kit with the gibson pots and vitamin t capacitors had a hand on that..my rating is after the mod. I still would say the pre-mod guitar was worth a 9, and 1 point difference does not seem SIGNIFICANT, but like i said the stock guitar sounded great already..I'm just surprised how much better it is now and im glad i did it....

Action,fit and finish were fine and playable out of the box...only needed to do sone fine tuning on my part....finish was flawless, cannot find any blems anywhere...

I've had this guitar for less than a year now, still looks new..but then i take good care of it. i have not needed to use a backup with this guitar..even with the old electronics installed..

so far i have not yet the need to call epiphone/gibson

Been playing for 22 yrs, i have worked at music stores, played and owned LOTS of guitars over the years, righty or lefty guitars i've tried them, all...this guitar is something special to me and i have grown attached to it, i try cycling through all my guitars for gigs whenever i can, but for the important ones i take this one. simply put it just brings the best out of me. one of the best value guitars out there, and sfter the mods, it can go against any 3k guitar out there any day...i highly recommend this guitar with or WITHOUT mods.

All of the other reviews are right on target. Mine is a 2007 model.

I play all different types of music. Mainly in the style of the White Stripes, Pink Floyd (Barrett and Gimlmour), the Beatles, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, RHCP, Zeppelin, the Doors, the Who, Cream, Hendrix, Weezer, and so on. You get the picture. It works for all of them and more.

If you play anything from jazz to rock to blues and back, this is awesome. It does it all. If you are a funk player, maybe you should look elsewhere. It is not a bad funk guitar, but it's not the best for funk.

I plug it into: EHX MicroSynth> Digitech Whammy> Digitech Space Station> Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz> Vox Clyde McCoy Wah> Boss DS-1>EHX Small Stone> Digitech TurboFlange> Digitech DigiDelay> Ernie Ball Volume> Vox AC-15.

This guitar is very quiet. This is as long as you don't on super high gain. Yes, it is semi-hollow, but at such levels of distortion its no good. This is NOT a metal guitar. It barely does RATM. But, for what I play it is great.

The tone is incredible. It's very rich and full. A lot of overtones come out of it. Its got a fat and warm tone. It is very distinctive, so you will stand out in a mix. It can carry a large range of tones, whether you like more bass, treble, or mid. As for the pickups, they are also great. The neck pickup is pristine and sings. The bridge pikcup is slightly muddy, but there is no reason to spend the time or money replacing them, they are great. If you want a classic semi hollow tone, but with a little more uniqueness, look no further.

It has great action low, but not low enough so it buzzes. The pickups were positioned precisely, just the right tone for anyone. The routing was fine, I couldn't find a single factory flaw.The tuners are Grovers also, which in my book is a huge plus.

The guitar itself is beautiful. I have it in natural, and let me tell you first hand, it is one of the most great looking guitars ever. The inlays are like no other, a great design with great materials. The binding was also of that caliber, and the hardware accents it well.

The guitar is a live machine. I have played around 35 shows with no problems using only this guitar. The strap buttons were nice and strong and held the strap well, but just for the extra security I ut in the DiMarzio locking strap.

The hardware sometimes gets dirty of foggy but its nothing that is uncleanable. the hardware is also very durable and I haven't seen any signs of wear within my year of owning it.

I doubt the clear coat will ever wear off and anyway, the guitar is natural. Well mine is, but the finish on the others seem nice.

If I had to gig for my life, this guitar would not let me down. It can probably go through hell and back. I have gigged with no backups and had no problems.

I have never needed to use them and probably never will.

I have been playing for maybe 4 years or so, I have all the gear listed above, along with a Strat, a Washburn Idol, and a Washburn Acoustic.

If it were stolen I would buy it again. Maybe if it were stolen I would buy the Elitist, which has better tone, but not better looks. I love everything about mine. My favorite feature is the fact that it is semi hollow.

I would compare it to the Hagstrom Viking. This is a very close competitor. But, Hagstroms aren't as readily available. Hags also don't compare looks wise. The tonal capabilities are almost equal though.

Truly this is a great guitar for anyone looking for a guitar with beauty and tone. It also is a great conversation starter and is great to take with you to jams.

Made in Korea Sheraton II. Had it for about 15 years. Gold hardware. Sunburst etc. Everything that you would expect from this type of guitar. It does look the mutts nuts. My brother recently bought one new and epi have slightly changed the design. The sunburst finish is a slightly different shade and they've changed the headstock design.

I replaced the pickups donkeys years ago for a set of beefed-up Kent Armstrongs. This helped a lot. Apparently the pickups that are in the newer models are a lot better but I found my original ones a bit weak. It sounds great now. A nice fat semi sound. I've got 11s on it as well, which probably helps.
I'll give it 7 because I had to change the p.u.'s

It was well set-up when I got it. It's had the odd bit of tweaking but nothing drastic.

This has been my main guitar for over 15 years. In that time, I've played in soul bands, rock bands, blues bands, alt. country bands and it's coped with the lot.
I've had to change the selector switch for a brass one as I kept breaking the plastic ones.
It's been on countless gigs without a back-up and (touch-wood) never let me down.

Never needed them

Like most guitarists, I have amassed a ton of gear over the years but this guitar gets used more than anything else. I also own a USA strat and tele, dobro and various acoustics and basses but this is the workhorse.
I used to play it through a Marshall plexi, then a JCM800 and now I've down graded (volume wise) to an Orange Tiny Terror; and I've never had any bad feed-back issues.
I really can't see how this guitar is so much cheaper than the USA 335.
If it got stolen, I would cry. . . and cry. . . and then cry some more.

I bought the Sheraton II new in March of 08 from PNS in Blawnox, Pa. at their March madness sale. Got it for about $549 not counting the case and tax. I think it is a late 07 model. It has a 22 fret 5 piece maple neck with 2 of the pieces being about .125 thick pieces of mahogany running the length of the neck vs a Gibson ES335 being an all mahogany neck. It has 2 "57" CH(G) humbuckers which I believe is probably Epiphones version of the Gison "57" Classic pickups. It's a 5 ply laminated maple body with solid center block. Great abalone / MOP block inlays on a rosewood fretboard and a beautiful MOP inlay on the headstock as well as Grover tuners. Full body and neck bindings. Excellent high gloss finish, I believe polyurethane. 3 way pichup selector. Mine is the natural finish. By the way, I don't think you can use a standard ES335 case due to the large headstock.

I'm an old cellar dweller and not a gigging musician although more years ago than I care to talk about, I was and we did a lot of six night a week stuff. That's when it became a job and wasn't fun anymore.

Anyway, I went into PNS Music looking for a low wattage tube amp and of course I had to look around the store first. I just happened to see this beauty hanging right under a $3200 Gibson ES335 in natural. I had to try it. I plugged it into a Fender Blues JR. and I knew I had to have the Sheraton, so I bought it. A month or so after I bought the Sheraton, I picked up a Palomino V32 head and the matching 212 cab when places were unloading them for dirt cheap. Glad I did. I run a Digitech RP500 through the V32's clean channel and with the stock pickups it has a reasonably tight bright sound with decent note definition and very good sustain. For the most part the guitar is very clear and reasonably articulate. The higher registers can be a bit trebly and may get a little spikey depending on amp and effects but does had a nice sparkle. I also have a Vox AD60VTH with matching 212 neo-dog cab as well as a couple others. The guitar sounds good through all of them. I mess around with a little classic / hard rock, blues, some metal stuff and even try my hand occasionally at some jazz. I did say try jazz. With the right set-up this guitar can probably cover almost any style. If you're really into heavy metal, you probably want to look elsewhere. This guitar stock is well worth the money.

Now it just so happened that I did run across a couple new Gibson "57" Classics for a great price and had a tech from an authorized Gibson / Epi service center install them as well as CTS pots, a Switchcraft pick-up selector, a Switchcraft jack and I believe he also used orange drop caps. Since the mods, this guitar can now most definately run with the big boys. The Gibson 57's are definately smoother and to my ears more dynamic, but tone is a very subjective issue. It all depends on what you want. So now I have a Gibiphone. Please don't think that you need to modify this instrument, because you don't. It's a fine guitar and I would buy another one without hesitation.

Let me add by saying that the stock Epi electronics were very good. The pickups are good and I may install them in my Ibanez artcore. The pots that were in mine were very responsive and worked well. Didn't really need to change them. The only part that was really suspect was the pickup selector. It was definately a little on the noisy side. My rating is based on stock guitar and its' repective price range. I gave it a 9 but with the mods, a 12. Ha Ha!!

I absolutely love the feel of the neck.
The set-up from the factory was probably a standard factory setup, but it was pretty good. Since I like my string height very low, I did reset the string height at the 14th fret from the bottom of the string to about .06 on the 6th string and .03/.04 on the 1st string. No fret buzzing. The frets were dressed extremely well. Not a burr to be found. Beautiful grain in the wood. Inlays were well done with no filler material to be found. All joints are tight. Finish is virtually flawless. I hate to say it, but better than the $3200 Gibson. Bindings for the most part are tight although I did find one or two small spots that appear to have a a hair-like gap, but you can't feel it. One on the binding in one of the F holes and one in the binding on the lower horn. You really need to look hard to see it, but hey, you are working with wood. Could definately use a better quality pick-up selector. Stays in tune very well. There was one small mark / dent adjacent to the first fret where it looke like the tool being used to install the fretwire or when they were finishing the fret slipped and put a slight depression in the fretboard. Once again, you really for it.

I don't think there is a problem here other than the pickup selector. Other than that, this guitar should last a long time with proper care and handling. The finish is excellent and should not be a problen. The gold plating on the bridge will definately wear off. Strap buttons seem solid but I don't use them since I'm generally sitting down when I play.

Epi has a limited lifetime warranty. I think it's 1 year on the electronics. I have a Limited Edition Epi SG Les Paul Custom with the 3 pickups and a maestro trem that I took to the tech that did the Sheraton Mods for me and problem was taken care of no charge.

This is a terrific guitar with or without MODs. It became my favorite go to axe. I really enjoy playing it. Like I said earlier, love the neck. I also have a Schecter C-1 Classic which I really like, an Epi SG Les Paul Custom 3 pick-up with the Maestro trem, an Ibanez Artcore, an acoustic-electric, a bass and sold a few others. The natural finish is absolutely beautiful and it is a great souding guitar. You pay $800 extra to get natural on a Gibson ES335. If you're in the market for an archtop, you owe it to yourself to give one a try. You won't be sorry. I have about a $1000 into mine after the MOD,s and that includes a new case and Uncle Sam's extortion money. I'll put it up against anything. So, if your heart is set on a Gibson, Framus, etc, then that's what you should buy. But, if you're not worried about the nameplate and want a good guitar for a reaonable price, this guitar needs to be on your list of choices.

previous reveiwers have listed this great guitars features and they are all on the money esp the last couple..all tho made in korea this guitar has no flaws what so ever for a guitar in this price range..when i found this guitar at sam ash i was not expecting much..krean made epiphone,fiqured to be cheaply made,bad electronics,playabilty,sound feel..etc...man was i wrong!!!!this is one solid all around made guitar..very surprised and happy too. only draw back was the case was not included..and no gig bag either ,,if the was case included then a solid ten all a round

i was in the middle of purchaseing a gretch 5122 from sam ash in the 600 dollar range..i had been there several times to check it out and went back to purchase the gretch..while the salesman was cleaning up the gretch. i spotted this epiphone its beautiful sunburst finish caught my eye..i got it down off the wall and was blown away the sound and feel..played clean and dirty thru several amps was amazing i had several other good players in the store play this guitar and we all agreed..this shereton had it...warm ..fat..alil twang.. i told the salesman to put the getch back on the wall and that i was taking the shereton instead..he agreed that the epihone was much guitar then the gretch and cheaper too !!!i will not be swapping anything out of this guitar electronics wise ..no need too..illsave that money to get another shereton in black instead..

the finish was beautiful..tabacco burst gold hardeware. some woodfleck goin on ,,nice wood grain..and the guitar set up off the wall was amazing,grover tuners are keeping this guitar in tune all the time..and the headstock has a great look to it as well...very nice

i was expecting not a whole lot from this korean made guitar..and was blown away..by its workmanship straplocks,fretboard, fretwork,finish switches. all solid..i querss i got it before a lot of people mis handeled her at the store..shes in good hands now...

no reason to call them all tho i should to thank them for making a great guitar at this price...529.00

this guitar is on par with my 20001.gibson 335 in every way. my next purchase was gonna be a custom shop gibson 335..and was gonna bite the bullit and go for it...but after finding this guitar i see no reason why i should spend so much money,especialy in this day and age for a guitar when i can get this much value in a guitar ,reguardless of where its made..3000 plus virsus 600..no brainer..go check out epiphone shereton ii for ya self..i think you will be very happy ..i know iam and i saved my self alot of doe re me..

You can read the other reviewers; they covered it well.

I've been playing a used Sheraton II with tobacco sunburst finish whenever I visit a store that specializes in reselling used gear (can I say Atomic Music (Beltsville, Maryland)?). It was in near-perfect condition.

Had I not purchased a Fender Strat a few weeks ago, I would have bought THIS guitar with a Fender Hot Rod Deville or Blues Deluxe Reissue--in either case, this guitar and these amps produce the tone I've been on a holy quest for, for nearly 30 years. It's on my wish list, and I will buy both by the end of this year...I'm that motivated and that convinced, but I'm buying it new. I'm still intoxicated with the knowledge I now know what to buy.

It was in near-perfect condition.

Don't know.

Don't know.

Not fair to rate good or bad without owning the axe for a long time (at least a year), so I'll come back here after I've purchased and played it.

I have a 2006, Korean-made natural-finish model.

The electronics on a Sheraton II are standard "Les Paul" style with a 3-way switch and two humbucker pickups (with volume and tone control for each). 22 frets.

From a distance, people have mistook it for a 2000+ dollar E-335; it is an attractive instrument in both look and sound.

The Sheraton II has some of the most useable volume and tone controls that I have encountered; at gigs I play southern rock (Skynrd, Marshall Tucker), 90s alternative rock (Dishwalla, The Flys), and country (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash) and this guitar never leaves my hands.

Clean and set to neck pickup, the guitar has a nice, "woody", almost acoustic character. On bridge pickup you can get a nice country twang or (with some gain) a sustained lead rock sound.

I tend to leave it in the middle setting at most times and blend the two pickups together. The guitar is semi-hollow and has a nice air-y guality to sustained notes.

Complaints (not many): Before you get used to the guitar it can seem a little limited dynamically, not very subtle. I think this is more of an adjustment to the character of the guitar than anything.

I don't really play metal or excessively loud/hi-gain stuff but I'm not sure this would be the guitar for that kind of music; mostly due to the semi-hollow body. It can and will produce screaming feedback if you aren't careful.

Gold(?) (plated) hardware, nice Schaller tuners.

The nut is plastic which is maybe my one biggest complaint with the whole guitar.

I've had the guitar for a year now, it was 8 whole months before I decided to tinker around with pickup height and the string height has never needed to be adjusted for intonation or playing comfort. In other words the set up was pretty good. Probably miraculously good considering I pulled it straight off the wall at Guitar Center.

The finish still seems flawless after a year (knock on wood) and the hardware is rust free.

I haven't gigged too much with this guitar (on account of not gigging very often) but the 3 or 4 shows I have played have been very solid. On all occasions I played the entire 4 hours with this axe and never had any sort of problem other than the output jack coming loose once, a quick adjustment with a socket wrench and it was back to rocking.

I wouldn't gig without a backup for the simple fact that that's terribly irresponsible and trying to change a string mid-gig kind of kills the mood. ;) That being said I would never expect to actually -need- the backup.

Never dealt with them. (Worth noting I've had a 1998 Epi Les Paul for 10 years and never had any problems with it either.)

600 bucks for this guitar and I've played guitars 3 or 4 times that price that I would trade for. Great value, great tone. I wish it came with Bigsby trem and a bone nut, hence the 9.

Mine is the natural Maple colour made in 2007 with standard features. Bought it new from the US on Ebay for $US480 with hard case and had it shipped to Australia.

These guitars are the best value for money hollow bodies available IMHO and are excellent guitars out of the factory but you can greatly improve them with a few inexpensive mod's. What I did was

1) replace the PUP's with Gibson 57 Classics. Put a slightly hotter 57 Classic Plus in the bridge position. Gives much better tone on all settings but particularly the bridge and mid positions.

2) replaced the plastic nut with a graphite one. Gives fuller tones, the guitar stays in tune much better.

3) replaced the metal saddles with graphtec one's. Improves tone and tuning, and you'll never break a string.

4) replaced the difficult to read tone and volume pots with classier ones that are easy to read.

These mod's cost $US250 & also almost eliminated the guitars tendency to feedback as well as greatly improving tones. It also stays in tune much better. I made before and after mod recordings to compare the differences. Before the mod's I'd give this guitar a 6 as it was a little on the bright & trebly side for me. After the mod's it gets a solid 9.

After the mod's this guitar sounds almost as good as a Gibson ES-335. A buddy has one and we can't tell the diff when you play the Epi on its neck PUP.

It's great for many styles of rock, jazz, blues, pop, country. Very versatile but it's on the neck PUP that this guitar shines. It has a great fat smooth tone there. The bridge and mid settings are too bright and trebly for me although the mod's I made improved them greatly. The neck is chunky and smooth and the guitar blaances well when standing or sitting. It's obviously not a heavy metal guitar so don't whine if you get one and it doesn't work well for head-banging.

I also have a Strat Plus, a Gibson SG deluxe and a Gretsch Jet 6131. After the mod's the Epi is comparable tone wise with these great guitars. The Epi sounds equally great clean, OD or heavily distorted.

No prob's at all with set-up.
Tuners are just fine but were improved further with graphite nut and saddles. I really like the natural Maple finish and the headstock inlays.

I gig with it often.
As durable as any hollowbody will ever be.
I always play with 2 or 3 guitars so no issue.

hope I never use it.

Been playing professionally for over 20yrs in many rock, blues and jazz bands and have made many studio recordings. With mod's done this is an excellent guitar for around $US750. It would have cost me over $2500 if I'd bought guitar and the parts for the mod's in Australia. It sounds like a $2500 guitar now though. Be even better if it had a Bigsby as a standard feature.

This is a 1995 Epiphone Sheraton II, made by Samick in Korea. It's a twin-cutaway thin archtop electric guitar, with 22 medium frets on a 24.75" scale, two passive humbucker pickups, and Gibson-style controls consisting of a three way pickup selector switch and volume and tone controls for each pickup.

It's all maple on the outside. The neck is laminated maple and mahogany; the body (as seen in the pickup cavity) is 5-ply maple/mahogany/maple/mahogany/maple. Mine has an attractive, if thick, transparent coat of glossy polyester. The body has a maple center block, which has made this guitar style very popular since the first Gibson ES-335 in the late '50s: you get the acoustic look with solid body tone and (relative) lack of feedback.

The bridge is the tun-o-matic type with a stop tailpiece. Grover style tuners are used and all hardware is gold colored. The knobs are "amber" which is a copper color, and the switch knob and pickup rings are black plastic. Strap buttons are on the butt of the guitar and at the heel of the neck, which is Gibson practice.

The neck is a comfortable size and shape for me. It's not skinny and not chunky, middle of the road. The peghead is nicely inlaid with a "vine" inlay derived from Epiphones from the '30s, and the position markers are mother of pearl blocks inlaid with an abalone vee, at the I, III, V, VII, IX, XII and XV frets.

All in all, quite an attractive guitar for the price.

A good way to evaluate an electric guitar is to play it unamplified. Mine has a trebly sound, which contrasts with a friend's darker Gibson ES-340. It sounds better with a mellow amp than with a squawky one.

The standard pickups were nothing special, and the switch and one pot were noisy. I made the decision early on to swap out the pickups: in the event I bought Seymour Duncan's "Silver" set, which consist of a Jazz neck pickup and a JB bridge pickup. I installed new wiring, pots, switch and caps, and it was quite a challenge. Everything goes in through the treble f-hole, which at its largest point is 1" x .75". This is not a job for the impatient or stumble fingered -- in fact, my local tech refused to take the job, and that with the owner standing next to him!

While I was at it, I replaced the amber hat knobs with gold speed knobs, and the black plastic parts with creme items. To my eye, this lends a much more integrated look to the guitar. I have read of using oven cleaner to take the gold finish off the hardware (leaving the chrome shining through) but I won't do that. I bought this to play in church on those occasions when we use amplified instruments, and the gold looks fine for that.

The pickups made it much louder but still very bright through my more trebly amp. Through a Super Reverb it sounded great: present and jazzy and raw when that's what was wanted.

Even with the pickup swap, it doesn't sound as good as the aforementioned ES-340, but considering the price difference, that's hardly surprising.

Using it close to my tube amps (usually a good spot to pick up hum) it's dead quiet. Of course, I used shielded wiring and made sure everything was grounded properly. It was quiet with the standard wiring also.

So far, I like it best with both pickups on, and the tone rolled off on the bridge pickup.

I'm not into "versatile" so maybe I can't judge that. I like to find the sweet spot for any given guitar and use it at that setting, but it's now a pretty good sounding git.

I got this one used, and the former owner was a guitar tech, so naturally I can't speak of factory setup. The fact that it was nicely set up implies that there are no structural issues, of course.

Epiphone uses unfigured maple for these models, and there are a couple of "flaws" in the wood -- I mean, not integrity problems, but coloration inconsistencies -- and from the audience it looks very nice. Construction was as good as I have come to expect from Samick made instruments (I have owned several guitars and basses, including another Epi, from that factory). It's a blessing of our modern age that inexpensive guitars can be so nicely finished.

There are no other issues. Nothing loose, broken or out of place.

It stays in tune and plays in tune. I changed the strings (whatever had been on it) for Thomstik-Infeld Superalloys, .011-.052, with a wound third. My experience is that archtops, even those with center blocks, like heavier strings. I note that many players put flatwounds on, and I may try that to tame the top end.

Well, this little darlin' is twelve years old, and looks brand new. The poly finish is famous for not showing wear, but the "gold" is steadily wearing off (can't complain, I had a '63 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman with the same problem). It mostly lives in its case (but it's so pretty that it also stays on a stand where I can see it) and doesn't get knocked around. I expect it to outlast me.

Although the position of the upper strap knob isn't my favorite, it is in a structurally strong spot.

I'd certainly gig without a backup.

No experience, but Gibson/Epiphone maintains an active discussion forum that has a lot of useful information.

I started playing 1970, and I play electric, acoustic, Dobro, bass and harp. I have owned quite a few instruments over the years, and, until I spotted this one, had settled on a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe as my one and only electric. The Sheraton showed up at the local shop in the midst of me horse trading a bunch of old tube amps for lighter gear, and I got it for a small amount of cash as part of the trade. It has a hard case, by the way.

I have several amps, but I'm waiting on a Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight that's on order (more horse trading in store). Other instruments are fretted and unfretted Fender Precisions, a 1984 Dobro and a '30s Regal resonator, a couple of acoustic flat tops and the Les Paul. I have a digital recording studio and too much gear.

My take on the Epi is that it's a lot of bang for the buck. For a couple of hundred bucks and another couple hundred for pickups and parts, I've got a honey of pretty guitar that'll look right at home at our church.

I have a 1990's Sheraton 2, made in Korea. It has 22 frets, mother of pearl inlays, two volume knobs and 2 tone knobs. Black finish, red pick guard, I replaced gold hardware with black Wilkinson hardware which looks so hot!

I took out the cheap humbuckers that Epiphone puts in most of there guitars and installed a 500t super ceramic humbucker and it sounds so fierce with the Semi hollow bosy givein' it tons of low end and the pick up just adding so much mids and highs, it is rippin'! There is no feed back unless I want it to feed back. On top of that I play out of a 1990's dual rectifier rackmount need I say more? I play Punk rock n roll and It is a heavy hitter. My only dislike is that the frets are a little on the small side now because I got them buffed because they were gettin' worn. I give my guitar a 10, not all sheratons.

The set up was fine when I first got it. but I had to do some adjustments. I gave my truss rod more relief so I could lower the action and not get fret buzz. Not to much relief because you'll lose intonation if you do that, so be careful. I only use the bridge pick up and I have it up pretty high and it is awesome.

I mainly use this guitar for my live gigs. The hardware I have is tuff and keeps looking great. I try to keep my guitar clean, but I play alot on tour, so I'm always sweating on it. I try to keep the finish lookin' good. I changed the strap buttons and put dunlop strap locks on it. It is a hard working steed with huge ***** that clank, so it is way dependable. I usually use it with no back up, thats how reliable i think it is.

Never delt with the company.

I've been playing guitar for eight years. I've had my guitar for 4 years. I also own a viper 301 which is reliable and has seen different parts of the world with me. If it was stolen I would want to kill the person that did it. You don't **** with someones guitar, ever. I wish the guitar had slightly bigger frets. Not X jumbo or scalloped ****, thats for cheaters and *******!

i have an epiphone by gibson...it has both logos sheraton II
natural yellowish color, paid 500 bucks in 93...

my opinion is related to a somehow vintage guitar,not sure if all of it could be applied to the newly made epiphones...


i've been playing it for 15 years and its the best guitar ever!when i got it it had everything set(action /LOW and fast,etc...)had a few adjustments made by me every once in a while but nothing serious...

i use 11 to 50 (or mixed sizes)d'addario jazz light gauge strings(flatwounds,are there any other strings anyway at least in the jazz playing :)

and its sounds REALLY good...i have tried any possible similar guitar including the gibsons...i dont know if i was just lucky but this guitar its just more playable and has better sound then anything semi hollow out there...i believe there is a certain level in serial made guitars once u are over it its just fine...well this one is well over it and has the price tag four times less then gibson for example...

it has great look and it sounds even better!

one thing i have had problem with is the jack!it moves a little...but this is quite minor since it could be changed without spending too much.

also to consider is its weight,its not a light one!

Excelent!
one of the most versatile guitars out there...jazz,blues,rock etc...it delivers!

of course this is a subjective matter so one should try for himself...

as i sad,mine came with really low action allowing (very!)fast playing both single line and chordal...and all this without any buzzing

as a matter of fact for me its sets the standard on action and playbility...any other guitar its judged in relation to this one!

ok,mine has more then 25 years and before i got it i has been played a lot!then i put a lot of mileage too yet it seems quite new!
its solid!


on a "serious" gig i take this one!something i can trust!

the only thing is the jack to be changed...but hey after so much time things could have some problems...nothing is eternal...

just asked for information on the serial number lets see how long it takes...but reading around seems they are quite good people :)

if it gets stolen or damaged i will be a VERY sad cat...
will try to find another epi..thats for sure!

1990s Black Sheraton, Made in Korea. These guitars look very flash, with gold hardware and lots of mother of pearl.
I bought mine brand new in January 1995, when I was 17. Wanted a Gibson ES-335, still do! However, the Sheraton was, and is, a bargain. Try not to compare it directly to the 335, they are different beasts. The Epi is a bit brighter, and has a slightly wider neck.
The original tuners were not very good, I replaced them with Grovers which are much better in my opinion.
After many years, I decided to upgrade the pickups. It made a huge difference to the sound and I wish I had done it sooner. I went with Kent Armstrong humbuckers, with a neat push-pull pot switch added to one of the tone pots so I could have both humbuckers on, out of phase. I love the sound - kinda like Peter Green from the early Fleetwood Mac.
Over the years the Gold paint has tarnished on the hardware, but the paint has remained in tip top condition.

Very versatile guitar. I have played it in many bands across many styles including Blues, Jazz, Rock and Funk. I have always used Fender valve amps and currently own a Deluxe Reverb 65 re-issue.
I can't overstate enough how much of an improvement it was to add the aftermarket pickups. I was going to put Gibson 57 classics in, but went with Kent Armstrongs and they are superb. The original pickups from Epiphone around this time were not particularly good. I believe that in recent years, the pickups that ship with Epiphones have improved consierably.

I only give this a 6 for sound because of the original pups.

I have to say that this guitar plays beautifully. It always has. I have it well set up and the action is superb. Nice and low, with 0.11 guage strings.
The finish from new was very impressive, especially for the price! Lots of binding, good finish on the neck and frets.

This guitar has been my main gigging guitar for 13 years. It is very dependable, and I feel comfortable gigging with it as it is not worth as much as other guitars out there. When I bought the guitar I also bought a Hiscox lite flite case which I can't recommend highly enough. Both the guitar and case have been through the wars a little but they are still going strong today.

Personally, I think modern paint finishes are almost too good! If you polished up my guitar it would look like new (apart from the tarnished hardware). There are a couple of dings here and there, but that's life.

Never had to deal with them.

I do love this guitar because it is part of me and we have been on a journey together. Many gigs, many beers, a few too many tequilas. Now I have reached my 30s I can finally afford a 335. When I do get the Gibson I probably won't sell this baby. I will keep it for my Grandson or use it as a spare.
I have other guitars, including another Epiphone (a Zephyr Blues Deluxe ES-5 style archtop) and a couple of Fenders. The Sheraton still remains my number one axe though. If it were stolen I wouldn't buy another one, I'd just be extremely gutted.

I give it a 10 overall because for the money you can't do much better. I think in modern times, the over-the-top bling of the guitar won't be to everyone's taste, but that doesn't stop the fact that it is a fantastic instrument. Highly recommended.

2005 SHERATON ll simi-hollow body guitar $500 new

I play alot of styles of music but as of late I'v been playing punk and post-punk. (Misfits,Buzzcocks,Stooges)stuff of that nature. This guitar in stock form is a 5. for what i like to play. It sounds thin, almost weak with the stock pickups and with any kind of overdrive it would feedback like crazy, but the weight and feel of the guitar feels good. I felt very little differance between the Gibson and the Epiphone,in terms of feel. I upgraded the pickups with Gibson 57 classics and it made a world of diffrance. I can now play rock,rockabilly,punk,jazz,and metal but if metal is all you play i would go with a diffrent guitar. I highly recommend this upgrade you wont be disappointed.

I always get my guitars setup after i buy them so i cant say anything about the setup. The neck is nice and smooth no sharp fret edges. the body and paint are eye catching. The guitar looks more exspensive then what it is. I think if you play a sheraton ther is no stigma like ther is with a epiphone les paul. To bad i had to sale mine but its not a question of would i buy another one it when I'm i gonna have the cash to by another one. This guitars worth the money.

I think dropping your guitar and banging it around once in a while gives it character. This guitar is a trooper.

N/A

I'ved owend alot of top end and low end guitars in my 18 years of playing, but i would not put this guitar in the low end category, only in price and pickups. If you upgrade the pickups you will have a winner in your hands. I had mine for three years and sold it about 3 weeks ago.:-( Its true you never know what you have till its gone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No information, never needed repairs.

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

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

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

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

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

I have no idea.

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

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

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

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

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

From what I understand the support if needed is there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite features: tone and short scale.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I can't comment on customer support yet.

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

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

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

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

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

i play funky/groovy/experimental/am