Epiphone Sheraton II

I bought mine used for $450 with hardshell case. It was a beautiful earthtone brown burst. I researched the serial # and found it was manufactured in mid '90s. I spent ALOT of time playing it when I first got it. It was VERY comfortable to play sitting down. However, when standing with a guitar strap, I found it top heavy and the headstock tipped downward. I had to keep adjusting it while playing and that's EXTREMELY annoying.

Shortly after I bought it, I had occasion to sit with a Gibson 335 standard. The comparison was inevitable: there was no comparison! The Gibson practically played itself in my hands. It was a very fine instrument and clearly the Sheraton, although a very nice guitar and a good deal for the dollar, is NOT in the same category.

I coaxed some very nice tones out of this guitar in live setting. It was more prone to feedback than my LP-style solid body guitar, which is expected, but it was controllable. I would have liked very much to pop a couple of gibson '57 classics in it for comparision to the original pickups, but in the end, I decided to sell the guitar outright. I had other priorities. It hurt to see it go and I felt like I owed it an explanation ("It's me, not you.."), but all things considered, it was the right decision for me. I got what I paid for it so I guess they hold their value. Plus I got free play time on a new guitar! I still want a 335 style, but I think I'll hold out for a Gibson 335 Standard.

Overall, I'd say the Sheraton II is good value for the money if you buy it used. I couldn't see spending $800+ Canadian for new one. That's what they're listed for nowadays....

My Epi. Sheraton II: 2006 Made in Korea,Ebony Finish, Semihollow Body, Maple Center. Block, f-holes, Laminated Maple Top, Sides, Back, Multi. Ply Set Neck Maple and Rosewood I believe, Rosewood Fingerboard. Abalone and Mother O' Pearl inlays and Binding all around. Gold hardware: Grover Tuners, Tune-O-Matic style bridge, Stop bar tailpiece. Three way switch, Dual Alnico Epi Classic Humbuckers.

I like to play Blues, Alt/Indie Rock, some Funk, and Rock n' Roll. I think this guitar suits my needs to cover and blend these tone territories. My setup is pretty simple: My Sheraton II into a BOSS Tuner pedal into my Mesa Boogie Express 5:50 2x12 all tube combo, and occasionally I'll use a BOSS CE-2 Chorus pedal the effects loop. Okay as for the sounds I get on the neck pickup: full, warm, mellow at times when rolling back tone knobs, great sustain overdriven, and sweet resonant clean tones. As for the bridge pickup: seems not as full as neck pickup,(could be the height adjustment) it gets trebly but not too harsh, good rock sounds, but still has a nice sustain and harmonics for screaming leads. In my opinion, the Sheraton II sounds are pretty versatile, although I don't think it would suit best for styles with really high gain, it might produce too much feedback. I like the sound of this guitar in stock form, but like every guitar I've owned, I may do a few mods. to it, just to add more personality that suits me. But I'm in no rush to overhaul it.

I got this guitar in a trade, so when I tried it out it there wasn't a factory setup. I was surprised how well it was set up with low action to it's smooth rosewood frets with well detailed inlays. The neck bindings could be a bit smoother at the edges, but playing it over and over I think will naturally erode them. It does have some oxidizing goin on the gold hardware, which I like it's aging look. The input jack loosens, but I just retighten it. The 3 way switch makes a little noise sometimes but doesn't bother me. The finish and detail of this guitar is excellent! The Grover Tuners are smooth and stay in tune really well. The strap buttons are bigger than my old Gibson SG's, and they work fine with my movement. This guitar feels well-built, and seems like it will age nicely.

I have not gigged with this guitar yet, but I think it will last and become my "workhorse" down the road.

Never dealt with em.

I've been playing almost 15 years now and throughout I've owned a few guitars (Gibson, Fender, BC Rich, Charvel), and this guitar's sound and vibe suits me. I love that I found this guitar, it really inspires me-

Guitar was built Unsung Korea in April 2009 - Vintage Sunburst finish; comes with 3 piece maple neck, 2 PAF styled humbuckers, laminated maple body, 3 way PU selector switch, 2 tone and 2 volume for each pick up, gold hardware and grover tuners, stunning pearl/abalone inlay and double bound body.

The finish of my guitar is absolutely stunning, I may have gotten lucky but as many others have since commented, it's the sweetest looking Epiphone Sheraton II due to the incredible flame maple figuring on both the top and back of the body. The finish is poly and is extremely durable.

The neck is not too fat and not too thin ... I love the feel of the Sheraton II neck - it is extremely fast and comfortable to play. After a set up the guitar stays in tune beautifully. Solid features all round and a ten from me as it's what I wanted.

This guitar has excellent acoustic projection even before it is plugged in. The pick ups are not great but ok and while they are fine for now I will be replacing them with something hotter in the bridge and perhaps a PAF 57 in the neck.

There is nothing to dislike about this guitar sound wise ... once you get some upgraded PU's and replace the pots et al this guitar will equal any Gibson 335. I tried quite a few Gibsons side by side with the Sheraton - pound for pound the Sheraton is the equal of the Gibson with the only factor being that pickups. The fit and finish of the Epiphone was generally superior, but for small items, like the Gibson has a bone nut while the Epi has a plastic one - easily fixed.

Apart from these little things the Sheraton is a class act ... I played the Sherry through an AC30 for about 3 hours and this guitar just ripped - I nailed country, rockabilly, blues, rock and jazz riffs all day long; what can't this guitar do? Side by side with the Gbison 335 the feel of both guitars was about the same ... the Epiphone is a perfect platform for upgrades and once done you won't look back.

I'll also be adding a Bigsby to mine ... soundwise it will be a 10 when upgraded but out of the box it's a 7. I give it a 10 because it WILL sound a 10 with new PU's.

This is where I was really impressed ... the Sheraton I selected is just stunning. The bound body, the vine inlay headstock, gold hardware which I usually hate on any guitars - looks wonderful on this guitar. The neck is 3 piece maple with two skunk stripes ... the frets all smoothed off - inlay is perfect on the fret markers. Of all the guitars I played the Sheraton II was the best for fit and finish, better than the Gibsons I played and $2000 cheaper.

You gotta ask yourself ... is a Gibson $2000 better than this? No! Once upgraded this guitar is THE guitar.

I have not gigged it yet but it feels very solid and sturdy to me ... the finish is pretty bullet proof if I can draw that bow. The reports are that the hardware tarnishes pretty quick and that suits me just fine as I like that aged look. Overall this guitar will last.

Stunning guitar ... buy one!

Made in korea. laminated top, to epiphone humbucker pickups, It has grover gold tuners that came stock. Holds perfect tune. 3 way switch. archtop guitar. I bought the VS and it looks amazing. like a million bucks...I love the inlay on the headstock!

Well this is my first arch top guitar i did alot of looking around before i bought this one i almost bought a Dot, But then i got an amazing deal on this sherton that i could not pass up. I use only tube amps no solid state amps , 1 vintage 1 new fender. I love this Guitar i had know idea what i was missing I TOTALLY DIG THIS ARCHTOP HUMBUCKER MONSTER!
Its a great Rock Guitar Great blues guitar great jazz guitar what the hell its all you need it even sounds desent unpugged and you can play through and amp clean and do the singer songwriter thing if need be. its my go to guitar now...My get up in the morning before work and play come home after a long day and write a song on...Ive Been reborn I see the light!
Its all about my SHERATON NOW! and this is not my first day of owning if ive had its for 6 months and were still in love...Thats saying alot when these days theres so many guitars to choose from its hard to bond with a guitar...THis sheraton sounds amazing

THis one has no flaws and its a factory second...it looks perfect sounds even better than it looks...

One Word( strap loks when you play live).....yes this is a professional grade instrument only thing i plan on changing is the 3 way switch..

Ive Been playing and singing a hundred years back when johnny rotten was king..I own bunch of guitars and some may say im a gear junkie and they would be right...I dig this epi and it is staying in the family for sure.

You know the features. My story is as follows: I'm a full time musician and make a living with a guitar in my hand. My first guitar was an Epiphone, so I've always had a soft spot for 'em. I've had a few since, but none that I've been satisfied with. (I also own several american strats and teles, Gibsons, and some high end Martins.) I've wanted a 335 forever, but just never found one that I thought played quite as well as the price tag said it should. I've also browsed the Epi hollow bodies over the last few years, and had pretty much written them off until I found this particular Sheraton II. I assume it is the newest model, since it's made in China, but it plays MUCH better than the ones I've tried in the past. Sounds similar.

My buddy was lookin' for a guitar at a local shop and I was just along for the ride, checkin' out some microphones and such. He asked me to play it for him and see if it was worth-a-count while he played a tele, because it looked so cool.

A Deluxe reverb and 30 minutes in the booth, and I was ready to take it home. It's not the best guitar in the world, by any stretch of the imagination, but it's superb for the money. I ended up paying $700 otd with tax and the matching hardshell case.

I'd rate this a 6 for features because it really doesn't have anything past the basics, however it does come equipt with nice Gotoh tuners that work very smoothly, and a pretty nice vintage sunburst finish for a foriegn made instrument, so I'll give it an 8.

The tone is not bad at all. Not made in USA quality, but it's close. I've found the bridge pickup to be thin sounding in comparison to the neck, no matter how they're adjusted. It's not so bad that it's unusable, and there are still a lot of sweet sounds to be had, they just aren't '57 classics.

Freddy King tones are easily dialed in on the bridge with my BiValve juiced up a bit, and with a switch to the neck and a couple of knob turns you can nail the Jazz sound. And of course, B.B. is just right there, anytime. The Sheraton into a vintage Princeton is absolutely amazing for Wes Montgomery type licks, and into anything with a shade of Marshall you can get early Clapton easily. The sustain is impressive with or without gain, and as you'd expect, you get that great woody tone from the semi-hollow body.

I give it an 8 here too, because it's seriously close to a new 335, but a step or two away, overall.

Best Epiphone I've ever played, and it certainly rivals many, (and shames some), of the Gibsons I've had and tried. The fret work is very good, and the setup was nearly spot on. All I did was install some heavier strings and raise the action just a bit. Intonation was on from the get-go, and the neck is just right. No buzzes or dead spots and the inlay is sweet.

The finish is also good for what it is. Again, it's not a U.S. made, solid wood instrument, but it has no real blems or corners that were cut, and the vintage burst looks great with the gold hardware, and pickguard with the kewl Epi "E" symbol. The knobs work well and smoothly and the headstock inlay is a little much for me, but looks very nick with the classy outline and old school logo. The nut looks and feels like a piece of crap, plain and simple. I will likely have this replaced soon.

I'm rating this a 9. However, this is only in comparison to other Epiphone and Gibson guitars. I'd have to say 7-8 if you bring out some American Fenders for direct scrutiny.

I've not had it toooo long, but I suspect the electronics will need replacement before anything.

Overall, this is a GREAT guitar for the price. Get's you right there with the 335 crowd for half the price. The nut and electronics are the weak points here, but with a little bone or coriander and a set of '57 classics, I'm sure it'd be nearly indistiguishable from the "real deal".

Mine is built in the mid 90's which are reportedly of a very good construction quality (which i can affirm)

It's a standard semi-hollow body Epiphone Sheraton II with 2 humbuckers.
As it's a very versatile instrument in my opinion, it gets a 9 for features.

I like the full, round sound of this semi-hollow body guitar. Acoustically it sounds like an es-335. When amplified, the stock pickups give the guitar away as a copy - they sound veiled, although well balanced. But i miss the articulation. Also the distortion coming from them is not very pleasant - not enough bite and highs. I'mplanning to change them either to Gibson classic 57's or SD Antiquity's - haven't decided yet. That should make it quite indistinguishable from an es-335. Non the less, this Epi is very versatile and fits well for many styles - rock'n roll, rock, blues, heavy stuff and even jazz.
For what it is now, i give the sound an 8.

I bought it used a year ago. Previous owner had set it up very well. No issues.
The finish is good. Don't know if it's normal or it is just my guitar, but the block inlays on the neck are surrounded by a broader frame of glue stains than i usually see on such necks. But i'm not sure if they came like that from the factory and it's nothing that is very apparent.
A volume pot is a bit loose - but that's probably a question of age and use.
The overall finish is beautiful. When it comes to looks - this is the most beautiful guitar i've seen. With its vintage sunburst (which is in a different color than the Gibsons and the new production Sheratons - it is darker, a bit more on the red/brown side) and the well designed pickguard form it is visually a very balanced design (although a bit on the fancy side - maybe to fancy for some tastes).
The action took me some while to get used to, because my primary axe is a strat - so the neck is quite a bit thicker and wider. Once you get used to it, it plays well, although, i still prefer the neck of my strat.

i give this an 8 because as a semi-hollow guitar it will never be as durable as solid bodies. Other than the aforementioned little flaws - everything seems to be fine on this guitar - even after the 10+ years of use.

no idea. but i think i'll never have to find out.

I'm very pleased with this instrument. Visually it's just stunning - great for shows. Soundwise ithink it has no reason to hide from a real es-335 (provided you upgrade the pickups). For this price (450 euros used) i think this is the best way to get good es-335 sound and looks (to my taste the looks are even better!)
I would buy it again if it would be stolen - it's so versatile and fun to play. I would recommend to look for the used ones - especialy from the 90's - beginning to mid. The wood is drier and the instruments will sound more balanced (provided they have been properly handled by the owner) and they have the most beautiful finish. I've heard that the pickups on the newer ones are improved - but they don't come close to proper PAF copies, so you probably will have to change them anyway.
I relaly like it for many reasons - so it gets a 9.

This is a 2007/08 Made in "Korea" Epiphone Sheraton II. I've been around guitars about 36 years, sometimes playing a lot and sometimes not at all. I've always wanted an ES-335. Well finally I bit the bullet and decided to at least take a look at them even though I knew they are fairly expensive. Plan "B" was to also look at some of the knock off's like the Sheraton II because I've owned Asian made guitars in the past and they are built quite nicely. Long story short, after playing and getting the feel of the ES-335 in comparison to the Sheraton II, and the fact that there was about a 3k difference in price, the Sheraton II WON hands down. It played better, looked much better and the detailing blew away the full fledged Gibson. although Epi is now back to being a subsidiary of Gibson. The finish work on the Epi was unbelievable and even the smallest detail in the binding etc. was incredible. Now for the not so good part. The overall "plugged in" sound. The Gibson of course had better tone range and especially clarity and could get dirty very nicely whereaqs the pups and pots on the Sheraton II left a lot to be desired. This is probably where the Epi is saving the manufacturing cost. On the hardware. The bridge on the Epi was fine as well as the tailpiece. I was concerned with the machine heads because the guitar easi;y went out of tune quickly but after a set up, now it's just fine. I did make some mods though after contacting Gibson directly. After doing my research I decide to change the pups to Gibson Burstbuckers # 2 & # 3. I also bought matching pots rated at 500 ohms or better. I changed out the nut to a bone nut. Now? Let's just say that this guitar should now be called an Epi-TUDE !! The enhancements that were made gave me exactly what I was looking for and then some!! This guitar SCREAMS when you want it too and MELLOWS to rival ANY hollow body out there. The tone range is now absolutely unbelievable. Sustain? HA...Don't even go there !!! I think it actually holds sustain even better than my '64 SG Custom !!

I play anything from simple Blues shuffles to Hendrix and most anything in between and this guitar can now deliver any of it. I typically use a 50 watt Marshall and there again, I can get the cleanest "cleans" to the "dirtiest" dirties in a heartbeat. Sounds are rich and full and encompassing and it seeems like every note, particualrly with chords is very punchy and clear as heck.

Factory set up was ok I guess. i played it out of the box for a good 6 months before any mods and even a set up. I wanted to be sure of exactly what I wanted done and did my homework before wasting time and money. From what I can see, I can't fnd any flaws anywhere but then again, this is a Korean made guitar and not the newer Chinese made parts which I've read were pretty bad. Don't forget though that the final assembly as I hear it told is actually made here in the U.S. by Gibson.The Korean components then are meticulous except for the pups and pots and nut.

I don't see any reason why this guitar won't last a lifetime or 2. One of the things I really love about the guitar's finish is that whatever they use on the neck is absolutely fantastic. Normally, especially with the new "laquered" guitars, the necks get gummy and binding and need constant attention as the laquer is still "curing". Not so with the Epi. You can play it for hours and never does the neck feel dirty or gummed up. The only thing that I'm not sure about, and only time will tell, is if the finish on the bridge and tailpiece will hold up or fade or flake. It has a gold finish but even if it did "wear" in looks that wouldn't concern me. Gig without a backup? Most certainly. This guitar is solid in feel and build and again, I found it rather impressive next to the ES-335's in this respect.

Never had to use it except for asking hardware questions to Gibson directly and they were very helpful.

Like I mentioned, I've been around guitars for quite some time and can normally spot quality when I see it. I tend to like the finishing touches on the higher end guitars and to me, tonal range is very important. I also own a Yamaha Accoustic which introduced me to lower cost, but higher quality workmanship of guitars made in Asia. My other guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Double Cutaway Plain Top along with the '64 SG Custom that I have. This Epi-Tude is now my main player and if it were stolen or something? I would totally replace it with the mods that I made because it's such a pure joy to play.

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

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

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

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

AWESOME LOOKING.

sexy durability.

can eat.

makes me wanna.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simply amazing guitar!

Gibson/Epiphone stands by their products!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Big Rand
Traverse City MI.

35 years playing experince, pro.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warranty is lifetime.

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

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

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

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

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

I purchased my Epi Sheraton II with a hardshell case about 5 months ago now. Mine is a natural finish with gold hardware. The finish was extremely clean and very sharp looking. No excess finish on the frets as others have claimed. There are seperate volume and tone knobs for each humbucker and one 3 way switch. The knobs and switch definately feel a bit cheap and I suspect I'll be replacing them soon, however it's not expensive or difficult at all to do that. Will probably upgrade the pickups as well, though they don't sound bad at all.

I play classic rock, some free form jams, blues, and a little jazz. I play through a Zvex Porbe Wah>Analogman bicomp>Fulldrive Mosfet>TS-808>EX Polychorus>EH Pulsar>TRex delay>Traynor ycv80q 4x10 80 watt tube amp.

The Sherton is silent, no buzzing or humming at all. It has a darker creamy tone at the neck (some might call it muddy) and a bit more grit at the neck. Both pickups give an astoundingly full soung though, and make it very easy to be versatile in switching back and forth for different tones within a lead.

The semi hollow body style is what makes it shine. It still has that full hollow body tone for jazz and blues, but if you really push it with this guitar it will sustain for miles and won't feedback as much as a full hollow. The feedback that it does produce is very manageable and can be quite musical if you leran how to tame it and use it as a resource.

Here's where the discrepancies really come into play with the Sheraton. I noticed alot of reviews about poor setups, improperly lined birdges, so on and so forth. Many guitar makes and models suffer this same fate. I have played Gibson 335's that sound like crap, play like crap, and generally give the impression that an inebriated man put it together. Same goes for the Sheraton. On the flipside I've played both where they were the butteriest smoothest playing guitars in the world. The Sheraton I bought fell into that category. In fact, I walked into Guitar Center with every intention on spending thousands on a 335 and sat down with the Sheraton II while waiting for the sales rep. My Sheraton sounded and played much better than the Gibson, so I bought it instead. I don't play for the label on the guitar, I play for the sound that comes out of it.

Like I said earlier the switches do feel cheap. Also the pick guard feels and is cheap and the E logo on the pick guard will likely fall off in no time. I might just remove the entire pickguard. I give this guitar an 8 in this category because of these flaws.

With the current switches I am a little leary playing live with this guitar. I do, but I have a feeling it's gonna bite me in the arse if I don't get around to upgrading soon. I have no worries about fit and finish as I take very good care of my babies. As with all guitars I installed straplocks immediately. I wouldn't use any guitar on stage without a backup no matter how good it is.

N/A. Haven't had a circumstance to rate this category.

I've been playing for almost 20 years. I've pretty much summed everything up in this category with the above so I'll just sum it up here.

My guitar is really fantastic IMO, especially considering the price. My suggestion to everyone who is interested in this guitar or one like it is to play before you pay. They do vary quite a bit. If you are determined to get this guitar but can't find one that sounds right or plays right, keep looking. There are perfect ones out there. I would like to give this guitar a 7.5 rating to be fair, but I had to choose either 7 or 8.

I received a black Epi Sheraton incl hard case that I ordered from a website (bad idea, I know but the price of ??420 was very good). The hard case was the best part of the package. The guitar was abysmal. The neck was set at an angle to the body - either that or the bridge was put in the wrong place on the body. Either way, the strings were running across the fret board at an angle, which meant that at the 16th fret the 6th string was further from the edge of the fretboard than the 1st string. How this guitar ever passed even the most rudimentary quality check is a puzzle only Epiphone can answer. In addition, the volume and tone control knobs were put on the put wonkey and there were bits of (presumably) glue residues in left in various places.

It made a sound alright but I didn't go any further in checking it out.

Action was high but that wouldn't have been a problem as it can be adjusted. It just didn't play well - hardly surprising if the strings aren't were they're supposed to be. Finish was inadequate: glue residues in various places (see previous). Having said that, the Sheratons do look good what with the inlaid mother of pearl - but that's where it ends. To me they seem like prettyfied Epi Dots, all impressive when you first see them but once you pay them all the good impressions go out of the window.

Can't comment on this as I sent it straight back.

The distributor was very helpful and they immediately collected the guitar and refunded me once I complained so I can only praise them. I don't think the quality of the guitar is their responsibility - that rests with Epi.

I have been playing guitar for 13 yrs I own an old Japanese Les Paul copy and I recently bought a Japanese Gibson ES335 copy made by Tokai (ES100). If you're looking for a 335 copy, I can only recommend the Tokai. Great quality, tone - leagues better than the Sheraton while the price is not that different. And of course NEVER buy before you've tried a guitar. I've learnt that lesson... Based on my experience I can't recommend the Sheratons. I did play quite a few Sheratons in shops and there I thought they were ok guitars but it only took a comparison with the original Gibson and the Tokais to convince me not to bother with Epiphone anymore.

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

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

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

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

Never dealth with anyone on custumer support on this guitar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1) Lower the action.

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Epiphone? No.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't know.

All mentioned in my 05.05.2006 posting if you are interested.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

yeah, 3 more fret markers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have not tried...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never deal with them.

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

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

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

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

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

Never contacted them

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This one is nearly perfect. Two gripes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

this guitar sounds great and i use a roland jazz amp

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

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

what is this?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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