Epiphone Sheraton

I bought a sunburst Sheraton 2 about six months (2009) ago by mail. I had seen them in stores, and the looks attracted me as much as anything. I was pleasantly surprised when I got mine, as to the fit, finish, and attention to detail on this moderately priced guitar. It really doesn't look much different from forty-year old Epiphone Sheratons, and the headstock shape, binding and inlay are just beautiful.

This Asian-made guitar was set up in America, but on arrival the action was a little high for me and the neck had a bit of bow. This was easily fixed using the adjustable bridge and a neck rod tweak (wrench provided, thank you). Two frets at the bottom of the high e needed a slight touch up with a file as well.

The action is good, not the best ever, but very good, with rather heavy strings I use, (11's) and I wish the nut were a tiny bit wider, the string spacing takes a little getting used to, but the guitar is quite playable. If it were stolen I'd replace it in kind.

I have not run the guitar through anything but a practice amp, but the front and rear pickups seem adequate. The guitar sounds very well at some things but so-so at others, but again, I need a better amp to properly judge this. When capoed at the fifth fret, the guitar still rings quite sweetly, which is to me, a mark of quality. I was surprised at how quiet the guitar is unplugged, the big center block really makes this hollowbody virtually a completely electric guitar.

Slight problem???the gold plating on the upper pick-up wore off almost immediately, and the bridge stop had much of it's plating about halfway gone when I got the guitar. I called Gibson, and they immediately sent me all new hardware, pickups, tuners, everything, hopefully with thicker plating. Thanks Gibson.

I just love to look at this guitar, it really doesn't have seem to have a $2000 playability or appearance difference from a Gibson 335 I have played, and I think when I get really used to it I'll find it to be a fine player as well. I consider the Sheraton to be a terrific value for the money and a great looking guitar in any price range.

Sound is fine, as far as I can tell through a practice amp.

I've played for forty years, mostly acoustic, haven't had an electric other than an old Strat in thirty years. I was surprised at how heavy the Sheraton is, but I have had all the hardware in one hand, and it weighs close to two pounds alone. Seems like electrics used to be lighter.Last electric I had was a Gretsch Electromatic, before that a Gibson ES, before that a Tele. For the money, the Sheraton is great.

Made in Kerea by Samick, Year 1988. Tobacco sunburst, all original as far as known except for recent re-fret. Headstock bears the "Epiphone by Gibson" logo which was only featured on models made between 1986 and 1988

I play mainly Soul/Motown/Funk/Jazz and a bit of disco. I use this guitar for playing soul and jazz mainly. This guitar is just perfect for Jazz and Soul, the clean tones are amazing and the notes ring out crystal clear. I play through a Fender Stage 100 amp and a Marshall JMP Super Lead MkII. FX Chain Boss NS1 I have to say the clean channel on the Fender Stage works great with this guitar.FX Chain is Boss NS2, MXR Phase 90, DOD FX84Milk Box, CryBaby Wah, Bad Monkey,Boss DD3.

Ok, this is going to be difficult to rate purely because the guitar was in poor nick when I bought it. Whoever owned it before me had obviously never cleaned the guitar in any way and the intonation was out, the frets were badly worn and the tuners were slipping. I have recently had a professional set up (thanks to Andy Viccars Custom for a great job!) and wow its like a new guitar. Its been refretted, all the electrics and pots cleaned, neck and nut adjusted and the tuners fixed. The gold hardware has a really aged look which I like. The finish on the guitar is stunning and has a real wow factor. I always get asked about the guitar when I play it at gigs.

finish looks hardly worn after 20 years of playing. Gold hardware has faded a lot. Strap locks solid.

unknown, never contacted

Been playing for about 15 years, I've owned a tele and a jag (both of which have been sold) a les paul custom, a US strat HSS and this guitar. The ephiphone beats the crap out of all of them hands down.

Well I bought my Epiphone Sherry I about a year ago at a pawnshop. I saw it and it was beautiful so I sold my Epiphone Les Paul Custom and bought this one for about 475 bucks.

The year of this sherry is 1993 and it was made in a Samick fatory.
It has a very thin/wide neck, 2 vol and 2 tone nobs.
I could never find out what the pickups are but they are ok, there kinda weird tho, they dont resonde very well to overdrive.
I belive the guitar is maple all round. Not sure.
Mine seems to be in black Lacquare finish.
The Sherry is the same shape as a Gibson ES-335 but a really wide neck
The bridge is a Tune-o-matic
Well the stock tuners are ok. Would prefer Grovers.
Rosewood fretboard with the fancy inlays, kinda small frets.

Very lovely guitar over all. just need some new pickups and it will be just as good as a Gibson.

Its suits my music style quite well. I play a weird style of music, kinda like blues, jazz, acoustic rock. But sounds very well for that style. I also for fun play ac/dc and led zepp and Gnr. Sounds good to that music but if thats all you want to play dont get this guitar.

My Current Set-up Is a Fender R212 amp and for effects I use a Boss ME-50 and a Danelectro Overdrive.

Well its alot of feedback when I use a alot of overdrive with the brige pickup. I ussaly have to turn it down to 7 on the guitar for the vol.

The sound is preety good, bright sound.

Almost enything!

Love the big guitar because im very tall and people say i look funny using a les paul thats kinda why i got this wounderfull guitar, note:Alot bigger than a les Paul. Only thing is that nobs keep falling off.

great action to begin with. very low but not to low.
Never adjusted the pickups.
everything seems to be perfect.
The only thing that i see is that the guitar aged ALOT. It looks very old, the paint started to crack where the neck and the body is joined.

I give it a 10 because you cant control something like paint cracking.

Oh yes it can definetly take the road head on. I played at quite a few places and never worried at all. dident even need a back up.

The hardward is defiently starting to tarnish since day one.

The finish will last a lifetime.

probly need to get some strap locks.

Its is 100% depenedabul!!!

Perfect but still you need to get a back up, not every one is as lucky as me lol

Well i only had to contact them about new pickups and they tried to charge me some BS price.

Well i got kinda curious so i took the neck pickup out of the guitar and kinda lost some of the screws. But fixed it about a year later

I f'ed with the warrenty

I have been playing for about 6 years, I have had quite a few guitars but love this one overall.

My only regreat on this guitar is not getting it sooner

Well if it was stolen i probly wouldent get a new one. Id just move one and see if i see another guitar i like.

I love everthign about it

I compared it to all the other guitars around. Was the best.

I wish it had better pickups, thats all.

Thats about it....If you have a chance to get one, Go for It!

I recently bought my Epiphone Sheraton after trying a number of other semi acoustics made by Ibanez, Yamaha, Aria etc. Initially I had set myself a budget which excluded the Epiphone but after playing the others I couldn't resist trying the only one in the shop. My first reaction was that it was much heavier than the others which played well enough, apart from the Yamaha which I thought was a bit of a dog, badly finished too. After a few chords I had fallen in love with the Epi. After the others this guitar almost played itself. Close inspection revealed not one constructional/cosmetic fault. In one word "immaculate". The spec for the Sheraton is well known but the colour of this one doesn't seem to match the specs on the Epiphone site. Mine is a sunburst but not like others I have seen which are a yellowish colour. This one is a sort of deep tan which makes it look like a really old guitar but very classy. When i got home a ran a check on the serial number and found that it had been made by Samick in July 2001, so I had just bought a brand new six year old guitar! As I am naturally curious I contacted Gibson customer service to check and almost by return got a reply from Vincent Wynne who confirmed the build date and suggested that the guitar had simply got "hung-up" some where with a dealer. Whatever this guitar is just great.

I have played guitar in bands for more years than I care to remember, in a variety of styles from folk to rock including ska,soul and reggae. My other instruments include a Tele standard and thinline model a couple of Strats and my trusty 23 year old Washburn D30-N acoustic which I love to death and gig with regularly. I had always wanted a decent semi and this Epiphone has given me a new slant on things moving me into funk/jazz areas I've not really got into before. This guitar has a broad range of sounds. Clean, through a Marshall AVT 100, I get a great warm "plummy" jazz sound from the neck pickup and a jangly (almost a Ricki sound) from the bridge pickup. The in-between postion hasn't been used much yet but sounds ok. I have had guitars in the past with Humbuckers which I coudn't get on with but these Gibson designed units have loads of rich clean tones and also sound great when put through the overdrive channel, very much like Claptons' Gibson 335.

No complaints about the build, fit or finish standards. All perfect to my eye. Set-up (action and intonation)both spot on. Hardware all gold plated and this is bound to wear/tarnish which will all add to the vintage vibe this guitar has. I made small adjustments to the pickups to balance the sound. The bridge pickup would benefit from a tad more output but at this stage I don't consider it worth changing.
Only one niggle. Within the first few days the selector switch failed so I changed it for the grand price of 10 euros. Maybe Epiphone could consider using better spec bits.

Haven't played live with it yet but cannot see why it would be a problem although I would always have a backup guitar with me. Even a broken string can be a pain playing live. As I stated earlier I would imagine that regular playing in warm, smokey, sweaty clubs could result in deterioration of the gold-plating, but what the heck!

Very impressed with Gibson/Epiphone customer support from Vincent Wynne who got back to me at midnight (his time) just a few minutes after I had emailed my query about serial number and date of manufature. It seems they offer 24 hour 7 day support. Thanks Vincent.

If this guitar was stolen/lost I would buy another. I just hope that all other production units would be as good as this one, but from reviews I have read some of the newer Indonesian instruments are not as good as older ones. My Samick built Epi from 6 years ago may take some beating. I would class it alongside the standards of an Elitist model and for the money is a steal.

This is a 2001 Sheraton (Not a Sheraton II) made by Samick in Korea. The S at the start of the serial number indicates that it was made by Samick while an R indicates it was made by Aria. After 2004, Epiphone set up its own factory in Korea (and elsewhere in Asia) which I think marks the start of the Sheraton II model. From what I've read and from my own experience, the Samick Sheratons are extremely well made and seem to be better than the later, Sheraton II models - - particularly the necks. This Sheraton is a sunburst, and originally had two Epiphone 57 Humbuckers. I later installed Seymour Duncan pick ups (see below). When I first bought it, I had all the pots, wiring, input jack and pick up switch replaced (all Switchcraft) as part of the purchase price. As you will read all over the web, and according to the guys at my favorite guitar shop, electronics are the weak spot for Epiphones. This was a very good move and it's a fairly cheap but important upgrade. I also added a wrap around tail piece and bone nut to maximize conductivity and sustain.

With regard to the original pick ups, they were pretty good (a little muddy). 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. These pick ups are far more responsive and articulate than the stock pick ups. I almost opted for a Pearly Gates in the bridge but I think the Custom Custom may be a more versatile pick up. Although I am sure a Pearly Gates would really scream, I can get a great sound out of the Custom Custom with overdrive and still have the option of getting a cleaner sound too. Overdriven, the Custom Custom has a sweet sustain with a creamy, biting mid range and high end tones. With overdrive on the amp, on the A, D, G and B stings from about the 6th fret up to up, you can get a very distinct brassy, trumpet like sound that I really like. But, I had to adjust the height of the pick ups to get the most out of them; it made a big, big difference. The Jazz pick up is also great. A distinct woody, tubular, bluesy, jazz tone. It removes the sharpness of the higher strings at the higher frets for a fatter, less piercing sound. On a more clean setting, it is a terrific jazz sound. Overdriven, it is a great blues sound. My rating is based on my upgrades.

The fit and finish of this guitar were first rate. Real attention to detail. The neck is extremely comfortable. It is broad without being too thick. Very easy to play. My reaction to the neck was, and still remains, immediate and positive. It was the primary element that prompted me to buy the guitar and to continue playing it. In my opinion, it is really exceptional. In that same vein, from day one, the action was just outstanding; low with no buzzing and a consistent height from the nut to the last fret. This is an extremely well built, easy playing guitar. It's a shame they cheaped out on the electronics; but that is something that can be easily changed.

Structurally, this strikes me as being a very solid, durable guitar. 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).

So far, there has been no need for contact with customer support so I can not say.

I have been playing a long, long time. I like this guitar a lot. I also have a Gibson Les Paul, a USA Strat, A Fender Classic Player Series Baja Tele (a truly phenomenal guitar) and a PRS Sanatana SE with added Dimarzio Air Zone and Air Norton with coil tap (that guitar screams and is a super player). The Sheraton is right up there with all of these guitars. I am very happy with it. It has got that distinct, great semi hollow body humbucker sound. While I have checked out a few used Gibson 335s over the years, I could never justify the cost. While I will probably always have 335 envy, with my modifications to the Sheraton, I am in the classic 335 sound ballpark at a fraction of the cost. For the most part, I have built an Epiphone 335 Elitist or a Sheraton Elitist (while staying well below the cost of a used Elitist). With regard to doing modifications, I think that in this price range, you are likely to get a very structurally solid, good looking guitar but you have to do some electronic tweaking (like upgrading pickups) to get a superior sound.
Re buying another one if it were stolen, etc, I would probably do the same thing; get a good used one (maybe in black or natural) and do the same or similar upgrades. Maybe a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge or a Seth Lover in the neck, and a JB in the bridge.

1991 Epiphone Sheraton, don't know where it was made. It was in Asia for sure cause I still have the factory quality control tag with asian characters on it. Bought it 8 years ago and used extensively in gigs and it never failed me. It has a really nice dimensioned neck, very confortable. I' came with a hard case. The feartures are the standard for a Sheraton.

I am using it now to record DI rtrough a RME fireface 800 instrument input and with Amplitube 2.1. The sound of the stock pickups is good, but they're humbuckers, and at this point I really don't like humbuckers sound, so I decided to put some humbucker sized P-90 type of thing on it. I chose Seymour Duncan Phat Cats. What a transformation that was. The guitar now sounds much better for the kind of music I'm playing. For jazz sounds the neck pickup with the tone rolled of is perfect, and with the tone full and picking lightly near the neck you can get a almost steel string acoustic sound out of it that is just beautiful. With these pickups the guitar sound is a definite 10. No doubt. I don't have much use for the bridge pickup, except maybe when used with the neck one. Some good sounds there too. One word of advice for anyone fitting these pickups to this guitar. I have found that the neck pickup had to be lowered to the minimum height for the volume to be balanced between the two pickups, a problem with the stock ones also,and the tone will also be much less boomy. The pickups are surprisingly quite also.

I bought this used and it came with 08 or 09's, which to me are useless. I always either had 11 flatwounds on it or 11 roundwounds, which I have now. I tend to prefer the flatwounds. With the new pickups I'm sure they will sound much better than the roundwounds I have there now, which tend to be very bright for some stuff. I use a high action, which suits me better and avoids fretbuzz also, which tends to show up around the 15th fret. It could probably use a fret job by now.

Sure. Only issue I ever had with it was the pots getting lose and eventually the connections breaking. Once this happens removing and putting back the pots is a nightmare. Putting them back trough the F holes into the the small holes is very tricky. I did this 3 times already and now I might be able to do it in about an hour, but it's not easy. The hardware lost most of the gold by now, and the tuners tend to go a little bit off tune sometimes.

Wouldn't know

These older sheratons are very nice guitars. Never played a sheraton II so I don't know how they are, but this one is well worth the money I paid for it. My only other guitar is an ESP that cost a lot more and I prefer this one hands down.

Blonde, all maple laminate construction just like most of Gibson's 300 series. Neck appears to be a laminate of maple/mahogany. One of the early Koreans from the Samick factory - around the early to mid 90s. What is very unusual about this particular example is that the back and sides of the guitar are very lightly quilted. The neck is the slim variety (as opposed to the club-like necks of the Sheraton IIs), and is very speedy. The rosewood board is very dark - again, unlike the anaemic-looking boards of the newer Sheraton II. Nice pearl blocks with inlaid abalone triangles, but get a little wonky past the ninth fret. The guitar is basically a version of Gibson's 355 without the bigsby, varitone and stereo output. Very posh looker. Both the binding (7ply around front of body, 3 ply around back and 5 ply around neck and headstock) and finish have mellowed/yellowed with age, and it looks fab. Nut replaced with bone, bridge pickup replaced with a Seymour Duncan - no idea which model though - that can be coil-split from the bridge volume. The trussrod cover has 'Gibson' inscribed vertically down the middle. Came with an almost new fitted Epiphone case.

Bought about 15 months ago. Strung with 12s, the original neck pickup sounds very good, and I'm not convinced that re-fitting an upgrade will make the guitar sound much better. Lovely old rich jazz tones and blues. The bridge seymour is great - amazing with fuzz and great clarity clean, that can sound like a funky muscular tele bridge. Not overly powerful and just the right balance with the neck pickup - the mixed position has some surprisingly acoustic-like textures to it that sits really well for rhythym playing in the mix. There is a great range and versatility of sounds and the amount of sustain available is also a big surprise. The pots are surprisingly good - they have good tapers and are extremely smooth in use, just like the replacement CTS pots on my solid body.

The fit and finish when this guitar was new would have been very good when it was new. The f-holes have been properly and carefully bound - the plastic is even and quite thick which is something I only ever see on custom-made or high end off-the-shelf guitars. Very surprising. The binding is very tidily scraped. The frets are very high and not particularly comfortable to play - not impressed, but then again this guitar probably had it's last set up several years ago. I'm having it set up now. The 70's bathroom-fittings style gold plating has pretty much worn off, which is a good thing in my opinion.

This guitar is heavily gigged - it has also travelled very well as it was originally bought in Tenessee, has been to India and all over Europe, so it has been thrown about in airpot luggage transfers and on stage and has it's scars. However, this guitar is really solid and pretty heavy and has proved its reliability over the years. It stays in tune very well even after a thrashing. The sound of a semi-acoustic strung with 12s being thrashed at volume is a very pleasing sound.

Never dealt with - no opinion

I've really been hankering after a Gibson 345 or 355 and bought this in the interim, while saving up or getting cred card debt down to afford a second hand example. However, I've really taken to this Sheraton in terms of its burgeoning vintage looks, the way it sounds (well, just like a Gibbo 335!), the lovely slim neck and action and solid performance. Plus the bonus of the subtly figured back and sides. To get a Gibson equivalent would mean a serious outlay of cash just to change the name on the headstock; so that money can go towards something else - the guitar is that good.

I would advise anyone to seek out the older pre-Sheraton II models with the slimmer necks if you're on the market for a reasonably-priced but posh-looking semi. It's a great guitar.

been covered

I have a VOX AD30VT. A great amp, but different review. I?ll try to focus on the guitar. I?m completely happy with the sound from the stock pickups on this guitar. I?ve adjusted them (height, pole pieces) to deal with a little boomy low end, and am very happy. I replaced the original strings (9?s) with 11?s (wound G) and it?s great now. I wonder why they put 9?s on it to begin with. I wanted to be able to practice unplugged once in a while and with the bigger strings, I can. Very recently, I?ve been impressed with this tone. Could be me, but it sounds like the guitar is settling in. I was looking for a guitar I can use for blues and rock, and foray into jazz without sounding dumb. It covers the tones I?m looking for in those genres. The amp helps a bit here, but the guitar?s hollow nature allows for some thick tone to come through as well.

This guitar is beautiful. There?s very minor finishing flaws in the binding on the neck. You have to hold it very close to see these. I can find no major fit and finish flaws to speak of. The frets are finished well, the thing plays great. Since everything is adjustable, all I was really looking for was the basics- straight neck, no big flaws, etc. The action was a bit high when I put the 11?s on, but adjusted that when I did the intonation. The nut is cut a bit high. Switching between some 1st position chords sometimes sounds a bit off (like A to G). This can be fixed, the plastic nut will probably go anyway.

Too early to say. A common problem with this model is the output jack being loose, so I was looking for that. Sure enough, it loosened after a couple days. With that fixed, everything has been great. The volume and tone knobs were on a little crooked, but that was fixed up quick. I anticipate this guitar will last a long time with proper care. It is a semi-hollow, however, not a solidbody. You?ve got to be a little careful.

Haven?t had reason to call, the Epiphone website includes a discussion forum, which has been interesting.

One note I?ll put in here. GtrCtr had no case that would fit the oversized headstock and had to order a real Epiphone case. The one that came in works perfectly and says ?Epiphone? on it. Some people have mentioned that the cases with the ?E? on them don?t fit the headstock, as it is bigger than those on 335?s or Dots. Be careful.

I've been playing 30 years, mostly acoustic. I'm careful with my guitars. I'd replace this guitar quickly if stolen. Did I mention this guitar is beautiful? The gold trim on black looks great, they have amber knobs on it to match. I think black and blonde look better than sunburst on this guitar, but I guess I think that for all guitars. I thought it had a bit too much ?bling,? but have grown quite fond of it. Epi Dots look too bland to me now. The overdone headstock is even growing on me. My wife and kids loved that part from day one. It sounds great. I can get the jazz-like smooth tones I was looking for, the full blues tones as well. It?s exactly what I was looking for. I played the Joe Pass signature full hollowbody, and didn?t find that to be what I wanted. I expected the unplugged tone to be significantly better than the Sheraton, but it was not. Same can be said for the Casino, which is also fully hollow. I looked at Ibanez guitars seriously as well. There were too many quality control issues in the several guitars I played to keep looking at them. Bottom line: Go play one, find out if it?s right for you.

Standard Gibson fare, tunomatic bridge ect. Tone and volume pots feel nice with no static. Selector switch makes no noise and give nice tonal differences. As far as looks, I have never seen such nice workmanship in an imported guitar. This is a beauty queen. I am in love with mine.
Sweet!!!!!!!

I love this tone! Running through a Fender Hotrod Deluxe it is pure and sweet. Nice clean fat blues or jazz sounds. ES-335's are way to expensive for my budget and I honestly can't hear the dif. I have a Epiphone Les Paul Custom as well and would not trade it for the real thing. That may sound nuts but I love these tone monsters.

I am amazed at the fit and finish. Quality all over, the only comment I have is that the wood grain on the Gibson natural colored 335 does look more interesting but for the price I can get by that. It is beautiful and classic looking. No flaws that I can find so far.

Here is the thing that let me down a bit with the Les Paul Custom I have. I had to replace all the pots with Gibson replacements. I bought the guitar that way and go a killer deal on it. Epiphone is notourious for cheap switches and pots. I have not had this guitar long enough to determine the quality. As of this date they seem high quality and feel like the Gibo's so I give the benefit of the doubt.

Don't know, would not use it if it broke so I don't care. I have heard that it is ok but have no experience.

I have been playing over 35 years and own an american strat and les paul custom along with 12 and 6 string acoustics (Ibanez). I would replace them all with like guitars. I love the sound of the Sheraton and the looks are the finest available. This thing looks like it should cost double what they do. Buy one and enjoy!!!!

This is a late 80s/very early 90s model. Not sure if this is one of the late japanese or early korean made models. It is not a Sheraton II which I am pretty sure are all either koren or indonesian(depending on the S or I in front of the S/N) I purchased this used 8 months ago.

features: 2 humbuckers, natural finish, gold colored hardware, binding on every edge. this is a maple laminate semi hollow, but Im sure you already know that part. Features volume and tone for each pickup and 3 way switch and stop tail. everything you would find in an Es-335.

Sound of my sheraton is absolutely splendid. The treble pickup has a great range of tone from bright jangle to clean and transparent. The neck pickup is slightly boomy and darker sounding. Some eq fixes the boomyness and can eitehr give you mellow jazz to heavy crunch. Turning on both pickup gives a nice blend of both tones. Really for this being a "budget" es-335 it sounds better than I would have ever expected. The tone is fantastic and can do just about any sound I call on it for.

My only dislikes- the tone and volume pots are abit staticy and not quite linear in their action. This is likely due to their age. I will have my guitar guy take care of this.

I purchased this used from one of the last Pure guitar shops in Houston. They set up the guitar for me when purchased. The action is superb. Very low across the fretboard from top to bottom, no buzzes or dead frets. The pickups give an even sound from string to string. The neck is medium to thin. The binding is gorgeous and well installed. My sheraton is a natural finish, and while the wood isnt particularly exciting to look at, its still nice.

My only complaints have been voiced by many others, the gold hardware has corroded quite a bit, and very little finish remains. On one hand this makes the guitar look much older than 15-20 years. On the other hand, it does give it a great vintage look and I do kind of like the corrosion. The frets are also starting to wear on my sheraton, but they are still completly playable.

The binding and inlays are perfect and still look factory fresh.

The Pots and switch are also getting a bit finicky, but not so much as to interfere with playing. I would still trust this guitar for live playing as yer main axe.

I will give this a 7 even though the hardware has aged before its time, as I do like it.

As I stated above, the guitar has been solid since purchase. It has some minor defects, but still plays and sounds great. The neck joint feels particularly solid, and the guitar weighs much more than other Epiphone semi hollows I have played.(particularly casino and Dot models)

The guitar itself feels as though it will last for at least 100 more years, though the electronics are not quite so rugged.

no idea on this, though I wouldnt call epiphone if I had a problem with this guitar, I would take it to a tech...

This is really my favorite guitar. I have a Fender mexistrat, and feel that the sheraton is much higher quality than the strat, even though the strat is solid body(and a fine guitar in its own rite)

I have played guitar for about 5 years after switching from playing keys for about 20 years. I personally love the shape, look and feel of Gibson/epiphone semi hollows and couldnt live with out it if I lost my sheraton. While I would definitely replace it, it may or may not be a sheraton that I replace it with. I would look into finding a nice Casino or possibly an ES-335 if cash permitted. This is not to say I do not like the sheraton, I just think that if I lost it I would want to explore my options.

I really cant ask for any other features here as I am not really a great player and mainly play rhythm guitar or use it to write new material. Its a great sounding, very playable and great feeling guitar.

I chose this particular sheraton as I had been shopping for a semi hollow for upwards of 2 years until I found this sheraton. This particular example had an action better than any of the sheratons, casinos and even ES-335s I played. It is butter, and almost feels as though it will play itself. Ive played maybe 1 or 2 other guitars that feel this good. Even with all its flaws or shortcomings I cant help but love this guitar.

Bought this guitar second hand. Made in Korea by Samick in 1993. Still appears to be in perfect condition. Semi solid ES 330 lookalike with a better head. Stays in tune quite well if you don't give it a lot of stick. Came with its own hard case. Neck is very fast and fairly slim-great.

I play in a blues band and normally play a Gretsch Junior 2. This guitar is in a different league altogether. It has a much fuller sound from its twin humbuckers. In the past I have played some real crap guitars-some of them Fenders and Gibsons. I am totally amazed at the sound this guitar gives through a 100 watt Marshall and 4X10 cab.I also use a Boss pedal board with mainly Boss or Digitech pedals and a Cry Baby.

Extremely well set up and finished . All the other guys in the band couldn't believe how good it was for its age. All pots and switches working fine. Nut properly cutand frets well set up. Gold hardware losing its finish but who cares as the guitar sounds great.

This is my main guitar . I do keep it in its case when I'm not playing and I do carry a spare guitar. Usually a Fender 1989 tele or a Gretsch Junior Jet 2 but I have never had to use them.

Never had to deal with Epiphone. I get my parts from Axes r us.

I have played in bands for 40 years and have played many guitars. Hagstroms, Hofners, Gibsons, Fenders, Kramers and even such oddballs as a Hohner JT 60. This is one of the best guitars I have ever had the fortune to own. If this guitar were stolen I would definately buy another one.

This is a 2004 (I think, maybe 2003??) Sheraton. You guys know the rest... Basic Gibson features, setup.

Okay, I had to write this review, because I cannot beleive how good this thing sounds. I don't care how much you pay for a guitar to get this sound, it just NAILS the sweet fat jazz tone for me. This thing is NOT muddy at all, so I don't know what the other reviewers were talking about. I think they may have an older model where the stock pickups sucked or something. I am using the stock pickups (epiphone) and I would not trade them out, due to risk of losing this sweet tone. I went through the pickup-swapping phase and sorry guys, but I don't think putting a Duncan pickup in automatically makes a guitar sound better... I mean, I played some semi-hollow schecters (comparing it with this) and they all had Duncan pickups stock. This thing is just so much clearer sounding and just sweet, (the neck pickup has spank, but it doesn't spike your ears, a big problem I have with a lot of guitars). This thing plays, looks, and sounds like a million bucks stock. Maybe I just lucked out, but I'm not messing with a good thing!! I've also played an original 70's model 335 (buddy has one), I like that guitar, but I would not even consider trading it for this! I'm not kidding here, this is the most underrated guitar I have ever played.

Mine is the natural look. I think there may be a cheaper model out?? Maybe that is what the bad reviews are coming from... anyway, if you've seen one, you know it's beautiful. Also, I think the tuners are extremely smooth. Again, I don't know what the other reviewers were talking about. Maybe older models weren't as nice??? I will say that on close inspection, you can see the glue joints aren't up to gibson standards. I really don't care about this and wouldn't pay the extra 1000 bucks for it!

Absolutly reliable so far... I always have another guitar at gigs anyway.

Never needed them, go through a local store...

I've been playing for 15 years and have owned many guitars/amps whatnot. I pay a lot of money for quality, but not if it's not necessary. I love this guitar enough that I had to do a review on it. We need more manufacturers making quality like this for this price and they deserve to hear that us poor musicians need them!

Mine is probably a mid-90's Korean made Sheraton, natural w/gold hardware. Two humbuckers, three way switch, 3 piece neck, laminated body, but one piece top and back, looks more expensive than it is. The Koreans did a very good job, especially on the MOP head stock inlay and same neck inlay. White and black purfling and neck binding looks fine--well detailed. But same as others--gold plating is getting a little flaky, tuners are barely adequate, and pickups are the same--o.k. but not performance quality. Overall: great looks, and not-ready-for-prime-time performance

I have owned many 335, 345, and even 330s all real Gibsons. Most didn't have THE feel and tone that I wanted. I got into this guitar so cheaply (traded a $350 Asian Tele even) that I felt that I could make this one work because I hated to modify the "real" 335's. After installing pickups that I already had laying around the house, a Seymour Duncan '59 in the neck and a Gibson 490 in the bridge positions this guitar came alive. Though I am not completly satisfied with the tones, it is coming closer to what I like--a full bodied harmonically rich fat, bluesy/jazzy tone. Doing this mod made me realize that I'm on the right track. Later, I want to install a Benedetto HB in the neck and maybe try the SD '59 in the bridge or maybe a SD Alnico Pro II. No doubt that the pots are inferior as is the switch, which I will switch out soon. THe rating is for after the mods. We play what ever pays us, from George Jones to Freddie King with some Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder thrown in. THis ax can cut it all. I actually like it better as a tool than all of the Gibsons I've had.

Over all, even with the short comings that I mentioned above, this is a bargain even at full price. A great bang for the buck guitar.
This rating is for dollar to value.

Well built and solid for this type (semi-hollow). You of course can't throw them around like a Tele. or leave it out in the yard, especially when it's raining.

I do most of my own repairs, adjustments. No contact with Epi.

I have really been playing in working bands for more that 40 years--yeah, that means I'm an old fart. I still play in 2 weekend warrior bands, one MOR country club band (standards, classic R&R, jazz stuff). The other is a blues band (Otis Rush, Freddie King, BB etc.) I could give a crap about what looks cool, and I'm not a vintage snob, because I have owned MANY vintages. They made crap back then too, and they make great stuff now (and crap). THe vintage market is amazing, when '70's piece of shit Stats are bringing $2000+. Get real, there's no magic in that old stuff--it's in your punkin heads. It doesn't make any difference what you play, it's what comes outta that amp. These guys that only know two chords and can't play dead, and worry about the voltage on their 9-volt batteries, or have to have a $50,000 vintage guitar to do their "art" I got one thing to say, "Har-har, har-har, chortle, chortle, guffaw-guffaw." And you can quote me on that. Oh yeah, back to the guitar... One more thing, listen to Pat Martino, Robben Ford, Hank Garland, and Howard Roberts.

I've had a couple of these; a Japan model which had 57' Classics and Grover tuners installed on it, and a newer black Korean model. Both were reasonably well constructed. The rap on the newer Korean model was relatively cheap hardware. I've rated these an "9" for nice 335-style setup with discount due mostly to the cheap hardware and cheesy pickguard. The basic body, neck and inlay work would rate higher. If you're willing to do some work on it, it can be a great guitar. I did substantial work on mine, as described below.

I sold the Japan model and started rebuilding the Korean model, which was set up so horribly, the 1st through 3rd strings rested on the frets. I replaced the bridge and tailpiece with TonePros, replaced/rewired the pots/caps (a VERY difficult job) and installed zebra Seymour Duncan pickups, an SH-1 at the neck and a custom wound SH-1/Custom Custom at the bridge. I adjusted the p/up height, the action and intonation and now I'm extremely happy with the sound. A "10" for the quality of the guitar after modification, but much lower before. Say an "8" blended.

I got mine used, and as noted, it was in sad shape. I've virtually replaced everything but the nut and tuners, and the tuners are next. Like I said, fine quality contruction and inlay. Great potential, but the factory hardware was unsatisfactory. Again, I replaced most of that, including adding a custom ebony pickguard. I'll give it an "8" for for factory fit, finish and appointments. After hardware replacements, I'd be inclined to give it a "10." Blend those for a "9."

Seems like the guitar is very well constructed. Again, the hardware should be replaced. Especially the gold plating on the original hardware is susceptable to wear. Since my reconstruction effort, I rate this solid as a rock, and it was reasonably good before. Even blended, I have to give this a "10."

Never used 'em, never a problem with the guitar I couldn't fix myself. No opinion.

I have several other guitars, including Fender Strat Ultra, 68' Les Paul reissue and even a PRS Private Stock McCarty. While you can't compare this guitar to a $10k PRS Private Stock, for the approximately $600 I have in this guitar (including p/ups, TonePros, and other hardware), it's a stunning value. Compares very favorably to the Gibson 335 at a fraction of the price. If you can find a good one, rebuild and set it up as I have, you'll have a guitar that looks, sounds and feels far better than you'd dare to imagine. If it was lost or stolen, I'd curse for hours, due mostly to the effort it takes to rewire these f-hole guitars (the rebuild took me almost 5 hours!). But I'd promptly do it again.

In the Halcyon days of 1977, I decided that I needed a second electric to compliment my strange, yet perfectly functional Hagstrom. Wanted something decent, but was on a budget. Enter...the Epi Sheraton, also marketed as the ES-225. Think Gibbie ES-335 for the poor. Major differences: Made in Japan(not necessarily bad), bolt-on neck, trapeze tailpiece. Body was laminated maple with rosewood on mahogany neck. Not sure about the sides and back. Gibson hummers and a Tune-O-Matic bridge. Metal tuners of unknown origin. Piece had a solid block of mahogany from tail to neck pocket, making it a semi-hollow body. Beautiful cherry red translucent finish with full binding and chrome hardware. I chose the one with trapazoidal inlays on the fretboard, but the store also had them with dot necks. Came with cheapo case and strap. SOLD!!

As a rocker, this beauty was a little strange to me. The action was rather high, so I asked the music shop guy to adjust it. He not only did the usual set-up, but shimmed the neck to lower the action without causing the buzzing. This is one nice thing about a bolt-on neck for all you set-neck Nazis out there. The new strings made a huge difference and the action was great. Now, I'm thinking, "Two hummers and a Gibson clone. I just gotta sound like Page." No. Sound on this bird was VERY bright on the neck pickup, mellow jazz on the combo position and absolute mud on the neck. Hmmm. This is a good guitar. Why doesn't it sound good with my cheezy 30 watt amp? Back to the music shop. Need an amp. Just happen to have an AMPEG VT-22 120 watt monstrosity on clearance(last year's demo). Good deal. I'll take it. Get it home. Try my new amp/guitar combo. Good God! What a difference! The guitar just came to life. Clear at the bridge, clean and fat when in combo and jazz city at the neck. When used with overdrive/distortion(watch out for feedback!) and MXR Phase 90...Ahhhh! My first really GOOD guitar/amp setup. Sweet bliss.

As I said, the action was very high. Once set up by a pro, everything suited me fine. The workmanship was quality and I didn't see any flaws around the binding like you see sometimes. The inlay was real MOP. EPI logo and some vine-looking thing on the headstock, both in MOP. A very pretty finish. The hardware was chrome, so no oxidation/peeling like you get with gold. Electronics were smooth and switch and jack plug appeared to be Gibson pieces. I know the pickups were.

I carried this baby through many years of bar band abuse and it never has failed me. I still have it and it's still stock. The only modification I made was to remove the pickguard. It's more comfortable for me. I did the same thing on my LP lawsuit copy when I got it. The binding is still bright and never yellowed like you see sometimes. I had to replace the pickup selector switch a few years back, but other than that...no problems.

Never had the need.

After 30 plus years of playing, I still have it and won't get rid of it. Judging from some of the other reviews, I guess it's true that they really DON"T make them like they used to. I see the prices that EPI/Gibson are getting now and I just have to laugh. I'll put this guitar against any of them. The only thing I'd think about doing if I started playing professionally again is change to a stop tailpiece to improve the sustain and maybe hot rod the pickups. They're getting a little saturated now and have lost a little of their power. This guitar is surprisingly heavy for a semi and I think that helps the tone. I'd buy another one, but I'd look for an older model.

Made Korea 2003
22 fret
2x Humbuckers

The humbuckers are odd, everyone here says their (new) guitar came with epi-stock pikups, mine came with Gibson pickups (dont know what kind)

3 way selector switch, tone and volume knob for each
Laminated top

Blah Blah the woods are pretty much the same as everyone else has said. Style is thinline semi-accoustic, beautiful vintage sunburst finish with all round binding. Stunning to look at.

Stunning MOP headstock 10 leaf vine.

Also came with Grover tuners- hardware wise I seen to have been shipped a different guitar to you lot... Everything is Gibson...

Tun O'matic bridge.
No accessories unfortunately, will have to buy a hardcase. Also the strap pegs are lethally small, the strap couls come off quite easily though hasnt done yet.

Overall thrilled. It's a gibson as far as i'm concerned and, havingplayed a 335, I actually prefer the sound, feel and certainly looks. You can't go wrong at the price.

I play blues, rock and morcheeba/primal scream type trip-hop psychodelica. Sounds stunning on all. I have a fairly high action setting as I play a lot of slide.

Never had any problems with intonation, ringing or nut (which I think is plastic but seems nice). Sounds lovely. Really nice. The bridge Pickup is bright and jangly and gives a mean overdrive and slide riff, the neck pickup is thick and deep. I love the sound. I mean I REALLY love the sound. Can't comment on the epi stock pickups that most of the guitars seem to come with though... Mine came with Gibsons.

Action was set up high, but that was fine for me as I bought the guitar to play slide. This is not a light guitar, it is a beefy beast and you can't stick light strings on it. A wound G is a must. It's not light either, but personally I like that. You dont so much strap it on as climb into it. Pickups no problem, wouldnt know how to change them anyway. Everything on the guitar looks stunning. No problems at all. Little gold wear on the bridge pickup, nothing noticeable. Joy to play.

It is my main stage guitar. It will last. It sounds great. I would rely on it :) 'Nuff said Strap buttons dodgy though...

Never had to deal with them

I love it. Maybe I got lucky with the hardware. Get yourself one. Looks georgeous. Better than a gibson 335 IMHO (and I played both when looking). Get one and hope you get lucky.

It's a semi-hollow 335-style guitar, laminated maple body, 5-way laminated maple and mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard with pearl and abalone inlays. Gold plated hardware (I got mine on a trade, so it was used and the gold plating was starting to wear). Fixed bridge, 2 pickups with volume and tone for each and a 3-way switch, and lastly, a natural finish. All in all, a very classy looking and functional guitar.

The guitar has Carvin Allan Holdsworth pickups in it, so I can't rate it from a stock-wiring standpoint. The pickups sound great, and I can dial in a nice fat sound from country to jazz to blues. I have a strat with texas specials in it, and this guitar really fills out the tonal needs of my rig. I play mostly for our church's praise team. Contemporary Christian music runs the gambit from punk to jazz to old-timey gospel stuff, and this guitar helps me achieve all those sounds.

I run it through either an old Peavey Classic tube amp when playing out, or my Behringer V-amp when playing in the church, and while the pedals I use change, I almost always keep my Jekyll and Hyde overdrive in the mix (the classic is too loud and takes up too much space). The only challenge is that this guitar is so bassy and loud that it can easily overdrive both setups, so a little tweaking was necessary to get the right sounds.

This guitar looks, feels, and plays like a Gibson, only at about half the cost. Other than some wear on the tuning knobs and a few minor scratches that only say, "I haven't been sitting in my previous owner's closet," it is great.

This is the only place where the guitar loses points. As soon as I got the guitar, I had to rewire the pickups (more of the previous owner's fault than Epi's) and I'm going to have to replace the toggle switch. It is clearly one of the places where Epiphone cut costs, as it's a pretty cheap switch. For a 335-style guitar, I would rather pay more for quality electronics as replacing parts on a semi-hollow guitar is a pain. I would use this guitar without a backup for a gig, but I would not tour without a backup, simply because pulling components out of the soundhole of this guitar to rewire it takes more time than a life on the road might allow.

I don't imagine I will be dealing with customer support since I got this used, but my only complaint was that Epiphone and Gibson don't have easily accessible stock wiring diagrams on their website (compared to Fender's gearheads section). If you want good customer support, buy a Reverend guitar or buy a new Gibson, Epiphone, or Fender from a local retailer and deal with them, not the company.

If someone could figure out a way for a 335-style guitar to be rewired and repaired easily, it would be perfect. But the guitar doesn't lose points because it is by its nature tedious to repair. I like the flexibility of a semihollow body guitar. If it were stolen, I would probably buy a lower-end gibson, because that's about what I have the guitar insured at (cost of guitar plus case plus pickups plus time spent rewiring it), but I would buy a similar instrument. All in all, I highly recommend this guitar.

No idea where it was made, or what wood it's made from. Bought it 14 years ago in Cambridge, UK.(Have some downtime at the moment and am bored so am submitting reviews of my guitars!) 22 frets, rosewood board, tobacco sunburst, gold plated hardware, 2 humbuckers, mother of pearl inlays on the neck and headstock (love that bit), stop tailpiece, you know, usual stuff. Came with hard case. Bought it during my Izzy Stradlin is god days because he played a lot of semis, and this thing looked cooler than Freddie Jackson sippin' a milkshake in a snowstorm (thanks Outkast)

Bought it when I was 18, and based it purely on looks as I wasn't playing live. Looks wise, it suits my musical taste, ranging from rock to blues to pop rock. However, I'm now starting to gig regularly now, and playing this baby live I noticed one thing. It sounds shit. Muddy and lifeless. The volume and tone controls don't do much else for it either. All or nothing! Am going to upgrade the pickups to Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers and replace all the tone pots this month. That should sort it out. Am playing through a Fender DeVille 2x12, and can't wait to hear how it sounds after it's fixed..

The action is actually alright. I like it, and it's a good player (unplugged). All the gold finish has worn off the brige, but that's cool as it looks worn in. The overall finish of the guitar is really nice. The pickup selector switch will be replaced, as it keeps snapping back into the middle. May well get the bridge replaced, as I'm forever getting intonation problems with my G-string :) The saddles won't fix this. Profesional set up here we come...

Will use this guitar more live after I've upgraded it. Have used it before, and it just sounds awful. However, I also play with a Tele and Strat for different songs, and am probably going to treat myself to a Firebird in the New Year, so I would never gig with this as a sole guitar. It's a pretty solid guitar though, and has taken a lot of knocks over the years. Very neck heavy as the headstock is huge, but a wide strap sorts that out.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing over 15 years, and this was my third guitar, and one I will never sell. I love this guitar. Looks wise, it is so cool, it has a nice action, and is a really nice guitar. It's a shame it just sounds so lousy stock. However, that will get sorted out shortly. Can't think why I never did this years ago. I'm really looking forward to playing it live when it's fixed. If it was ever stolen, I'd be really pissed off as I have a real emotional attachment to it now, but would replace it with another Epiphone Sheraton, but ditch the stock pups and tone pots for something a little more useable.

Epiphine Sheraton (not II) bought new in 1982. Made in Japan. 335 knock-off, but lots fancier. Came with a cheapo hard-case. Laminated maple top, 5-piece maple neck, 2 passive 'buckers, 3-way switch, 22 frets. Has a thick, probably urethane finish. Tune-o-matic/stop tailpiece design. Very high level of workmanship throughout; no flaws in the binding, finish, or fretwork.

The original tuners, non-locking tension adjustable, are fine, well up to lots of bends on .11's, and they still have _all_ the gold on them! (It's possible they're Gotohs or something-- certainly better than some of the other original hardware.)

In general this guitar was equipped exactly as you'd expect, but some of the hardware was pretty bad, so that knocks the rating down. The tailpiece in particular was a POS, with first the "gold" coming off and then the base metal pitting and blistering. Yuck. Also the case was not clever, so.....

I replaced the original pups when the tailpiece started to disintegrate and I swapped it for a chrome Schaller. I swapped the bridge for a Schaller roller type at the same time, and then the pups, which had lost quite a lot of gold, looked terrible so I had to do something! Having said that, the originals didn't sound bad at all and I still have them somewhere. They were very bright and jangly, which really suited what I was playing at the time, and were not particularly feedback-prone. We used to rehearse in a 12x16 concrete room, with a very loud drummer, and they never fed back. Live the guitar has always behaved impeccably no matter what unreasonable demands I make of it.

With the stock pups it really only did one sound, which it was fine at, sort of a Byrds type jangle. I swapped them for DiMarzio Super Distortions and put in coil-taps and phase switches etc at that time. The guitar now has an amazing range of sounds from knock-em-down-dead crunch through wailing sustain to deep'n'dark.

With the mods it's the most versatile guitar I ever owned-- you can even make it sound like a Tele on steroids, if you really want. It's still pretty bright, and I put that down to the wood and the design.

Just a wee piece of advice for younger players tempted to try this sort of guitar-- you need weight in the strings. 11-52's are good. Wound G is a must. This is a big guitar and it needs a bit of energy to get it going. If you really want to run light strings, go buy an SG or a Strat.

I'll mark it for the original set-up, but believe me, it's way past 10 now!

Set-up was good from new. The guitar has a fast, low action and a beautiful neck. Nicely shaped and not too thin. I don't want to get into a spat with Strat players, but if you have normal sized hands and like to use your thumb on the bass strings, you should realise that guitars like this are just not designed for you. If you use a more conventional technique, this neck is lovely.

The neck is particularly sweet from Pos V-XII, but it's good all over, nice in Open Position too. Good upper neck access, not as good as a '61 SG of course, but all the frets are easily accessible on the top three strings, and do you really need to stop the 6th on fret 22? Easily up to Gibbo standards. Very playable indeed.

Multiple binding and MOP and abalone inlay work-- man, this thing is Marisa Tomei in timber, it really is. Drop-dead-gorgeous just doesn't do it credit. Tarty enough to be interesting with class too 8^)

The workmanship is fantastic. Fretwork was well finished. I did swap the nut, which was a cheesy plastic thing, for a bone one.

Eh? This thing is built like a tank. I've had it 20 years and thrashed nine kinds of hell out of it in my "jangle-pop" days, and even now I'm older and wiser I still make her work. What can I say? Beautiful, responsive and faithful.

Well I've told you about the hardware, so.. The thing is, this is such a nice guitar-- and it really really is-- that you have to forgive a few faults when you consider that it was about a quarter the price of a Gibbo to this spec, or even less.

Never had to try.

I've been playing 35 years (ouch.) I have at present 4 other guitars, and I've owned stacks-- Gibsons, Fenders, Guilds, plus many other "lesser" marques. This is a definite keeper. I'd cry if it got pinched, cos I don't know if the new ones are as good, and I think I'd have a job getting another one like this.

Frankly if it wasn't for the fact that the stop-tailpiece had begun to look really bad I'd have left the guitar as original and been very happy with it. For what it cost, it was a steal. Changing the pups and the other parts just turned a really good guitar into a brilliant one.

No question-- this is a 10

Factory features for a good looking semiacoustic,with natural finish,
gold hardware,nice woods etc.

After a little regulation of action and pickup height,it sounds really amazing, as cool as my Gibson LP Custom!(only a bit mellower,
since it's a semiacoustic).Both pickups sounds great,and the intermediate position(N+B)is pure Gibson Juice.

You're not able to lower the action as you'd make with a Strato,but reach a good playable level is quite simple.
Neck and body maple is very nice,and fingerboard rosewood is simply perfect,as all finishes are.

seems very solid.

Not needed yet.

I've compared this guitar with a 1991 LP Custom(wich sound is a killer!)and it seems quite the same guitar in a double blind test
(only a bit less aggressive sound and a slower playability,due to
higher action and greater volume of the instrument)

Epiphone Sheraton (not Sheraton II). Made in Korea in 1999, glossy black finish , semi-hollow body, gold hardware, two humbuckers, two separate volume controls for each hb; two separate tone controls for each hb ? basically Epi?s take on the Gibson ES 335.

Points galore for the overall looks of the guitar! It is indeed quite a head-turner. Instantly improves your looks as a guitarist. However points off for the cheap components. This, if you read the other reviews, is where the guitar falls down. Cheapo hardware, pickups, tuners, electronics.

Fortunately for me, I lucked out and scored one that sounds great (see below).

The ?new? Epiphone Sheratons seem to be some of the most underappreciated guitars on the planet. Sure, they look as pretty as a prom queen. But most people think you?d have a better sound putting some pups on a plank of plywood. Such was my expectation when I scored mine as a bonus in a trade. I thought, ?Doubt I?ll get much use out of this girl ? put she?ll look nice sitting out.? Sort of like a trophy wife. Har!

Anyway, I was surprisingly when I put her through her paces. Couldn't believe how much vibration she gave me just strumming an open A. Kept saying things like, "Hmmm. Not bad... let me try at low volumes... not bad there either... she must buzz like a bee bitch at higher threats on the six string, right? Nope.... sounds good there too... Well, she's gotta sound bad in a band situation right...? No, she held up just fine..." It was like I was trying to find where this guitar sounds bad! Based on reviews here and elsewhere! Sheesh.

So after I decided to let my own ears be the judge and not Internet reviews, I was amazed on how much she cut through using the brdge pup. Bright, but not too harsh. And not twangy either ? different from a Tele -- sort of like an old Gretch? very vintage garage rock sounding.

The neck pup is fat, fat, fat ? sort of like a rural gal?s bottom after visiting the ice cream buffet at Ponderosa. Very good for gutsy blues tones. I'm not a jazzer, but could see how my guitar would do well in that sort of an application.

By rhe way, my main amp now is a 1964 Bassman, and I have a boatload of high-end effects from Prescription Electronics, Menatone, Keeley, Electro-Harmonix and of course, Boss. Everyone says their's is microphonic... I can get feedback at stage volumes just by turning toward my amp -- but it is quite controllable and enjoyable.

So, to sum up, mine sounds really good stock. I am not lying. I?ve done blind taste tests with very discerning tone tasters as well as those who aren?t (i.e., my wife) and this thing wins hands down every time. Beats my 70s SG Standard, my MIJ Strat, and my prized Les Paul Classic. Hard to believe maybe, but true. So, it?s my first-stringer. I?ve thought of upgrading the pups to Duncans, the tuners, the nut, etc., etc. -- as of others have recommended, but I?m too scared to mess with the miraculous luck I must have with this guitar. It's quite nice AS IS.

Action was not good from the factory ? needed a pro setup to stay in tune. But after that, a very nice player. Finish on gold hardware wears think quickly? especially on the pups, but it adds character and vibe. Overall body finish is quite nice -- again, I must have lucked out.

Just fine. No worries.

Haven't needed any.

Again, others have ripped this particular guitar to shreds. But my experience has been most favorable. I'm glad to give it a good review. I've been playing daily for nearly 20 years, so I think I'm qualified. Is thing the ticket for a poor man?s 335? Maybe. I?m very happy with mine. Very striking in looks and sounds. But your mileage may vary ? so be cautious. There are a lot of hollowbody and semi options out there. I think with Epis in general, quality varies widely. So, play, play, play. Do not trust Internet reviews blindly.

Natural finish, else samo samo. Except have replaced tuners with Grovers, jerked pickguard and junked stock pick ups in favor of a 498R and 57 Classic in neck and bridge, respectively. Rating jumps from 6 to 8 with alterations.

Before pick up change, sound was miserable when amplified. Pickups were microphonic and fed back. With Gibson pu's the whole tonal situation dramatically changes. 4 goes to 9.

well set up and easy to play in a big-boy 335 kind of way

pretty solid in feel and having been inside the thing it looks reasonably well constructed. however, it would be advisable to change all hardware for more durable stuff

w/ upgrades this is a really nice instrument. plays fine and sounds great. well worth the cost, particularly if comparison shopping against 335s etc. I have been playing for 35+ years and have a bunch of instruments. This one is a real contender with the upgrades. Highly recommended for someone willing to invest a little more than just the price of the instrument

1980 Japanese, blonde, rosewood neck. No Bigsby, stock tuners. All the technical stuff is the same as above. Had the stock pickups which appeared to be the weak link...

The guitar appears to have been played twice in 1980 and put in its case in a cool dry closet for 22 years then pulled out a couple of weeks ago. It is basically brand new. Fit and finish is perfect and better than most of my American guitars.

We play everything from Green Day to Steve Earle to Neil Young. I primarily use it with a 99 Fender Prosonic or a 65 Fender Bassman. It was noisy and muddy so I swapped out the stock pickups for a pair of Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers. Now it sounds awesome. I have never had a guitar like this so I cant compare it to others, but it sounds wonderful on the clean channel and downright nasty with some distortion...very very flexible!

It came to me set up just right. I traded it and the guy I got it from must have never played it. The wood is beautiful and the finish perfect. The binding hasn't even yellowed yet. I really like the inlays on the neck and headstock...very fancy!

There appear to be no flaws in the fit and finish department.

This guitar seems rugged and tight... Finish is perfect. I would and will gig this guitar but I will always have a backup...whats the point of having five guitars if you cant play em all?

Im pretty sure its about 20 years out of warranty...havent needed the folks at Epiphone but I am sure they are nice.

I have played off and on for 30 years, probably 6 years altogether. I have 76 Les Paul Custom, 84 American Telecaster, 72 Telecaster Thinline, 96 American Precision Bass, and the Sheraton.... 99 Prosonic, 65 Bassman, 98 Blues Junior, 01 Bassman 60, and an 00 Frontman 15.... If I lost it I would look for another one, and would probably go out of my way to find a Japanese one as they seem to be most highly regarded. I would swap the pickups before I even played it this time. Having always played solid bodies this guitar seems cool just because it is different. Great sustain, awesome tone and is wicked on lead, which suprised me. If you can find one get it!

335 style semi-solid guitar with 2 humbuckers, rosewood fretboard, tailpiece and t.o.m.-style bridge. gold hardware. MOP blocks and snazzy MOP vine inlay on headstock. decent HSC.as far as features go, i was pretty satisfied with what i thought i was gett

i bought this guitar for blues and jazz (clean tube sounds and a little crunch) to be used on my fender tube amp. A "poor man's ES-335", this guitar fails miserably to live up to any expectation you may have just because it is styled after a Gibson.
The stock pickups were awful. i threw 'em away and dropped in a Duncan JB in the bridge and a Duncan Jazz on the neck. this helped a bit. the construction of this guitar with regard to the glue on neck and solid wood "block" glued inside looks pretty shoddy upon closer inspection. The cheapie tune-o-matic type bridge has never worked well for me as it rattles constantly and it was machined wrong from the start, causing general adjustment problems. i couldnt get a real tune-o-matic to fit since the post spacing is not standard.
all the gold finishes promptly wore off after about a year. the tuners are very low end, i put on some grovers after i finally got disgusted with their performance. the cheap plastic nut was laughable.

of my 8 guitars, this is my least favorite. the fretboard is very uneven and has some dead spots as well as some serious intonation challenges. the cheap plastic nut was unacceptable so i cut my own bone nut, increasing the string spacing a little. i am still wrestling with cutting the saddles to get the bridge radius to work with the neck considering the unevenness of the fretboard.
this guitar is painted white. the finish is ok, but with opaque finishes, i am always scared of whats underneath...

i dont use this guitar much anymore and will probably try to sell it (unless the buyer reads this review...) I have gigged with the instrument and it worked out pretty well.

just after purchasing the instrument, some frets were buzzing and i took it back to the store. they said there was nothing wrong with it and talked me out of shipping it back to epiphone for warranty work.

to anyone considering buying this type of guitar - BEWARE! its a poorly made instrument that sounds pretty mediocre. and for $800, well, the joke was on me!

I bought this guitar 2nd hand so i don't know what year or where it was made. Its got a nice finish and a really nice neck that was a bit different from what i was used to using. The Pickups are the standard Epiphone Pickups they sound good for factory pickups. This is my first semi that i've played and so far I love it. It looks great.

I play a lot of Oasis and other rock music and some metal. It suits them all well and the pickups are good for distortion. I like the middle selection pick up the best i find the neck pickup a bit noisey. At the moment I am playing it through a Marshall 30 watt amp and a small Orange amp and using my Korg multi fx pedal and produces what I am looking for.

The only bad thing about the finish is the Gold has come off the pickups but they look pretty cool Silver. It was well set-up probably cause i bought it from 2nd hand.

I am sure this guitar will withstand live playing. Its got a good range but i'd have my Explorer as back-up. The strap button came loose but I tightened it with a screwdriver and seems to be fine now. At the moment this is my no.1 guitar. Unlike some of the other guitars i've owned like a Fender Jaguar I feel i will keep this one.

Never had to deal with Epiphone. Don't think i'll never have to.

I've been playing for about 3 years now. I've owned a Fender Jaguar before this and didn't get on with it at all. I also have a Epiphone Explorer and just really like Epiphone guitars. If i lost this guitar i would be very sad I love it and i keep playing it all the time i can't put it down. Its a great guitar for the price I paid.

secondhand Epiphone Sheraton II, tobacco sunburst, gold hardware, rosewood fingerboard, laminated maple body and seymour duncan pickups (JB and SH2 model) installed by previous owner. also hard case.

I've been playing alternative/jazz/experimental rock for 10 years.
I don't know about the original pickups, but the duncans are great. Specially the SH2 in the neck position, sounds great for clean warm jazzy sounds.
I play it through various pedals (Dunlop wah, Rat distortion, Boss compressor and delay) and a Laney VC50 tube amp and it has this sweet warm clean sound, and with distortion sounds like a Les paul.
I love the neck, very comfortable. Lots of sustain.
ok, it's not an ES335, but the sound for the price is incredible.
Much better than the Dot model!

The action was already well adjusted, but I might change it a little higher for slide playing.
I've read that a lot of people have problems with the tuners but mine keep always in tune. As I said before, the neck is very comfortable, small frets, and didn't have any problems with the bridge adjustments.
The fiinish is lovely!!

It definitely withstands live playing, but believe me, it's too heavy!!
I might change just the strap buttons, they freak me a little bit.
I can depend 100% on this Sheraton, but it's allways worth a backup.

Never dealt with them!

I've been playing for 10 years, and have owned a 62 telecaster, a Fender jazzmaster, a Gibson The Paul from the 70's and a Fender 60s Strat reissue, and believe me, this one beats them all, it has the sound I've been looking for, it's a well built guitar, and really worth for the price, I used to be very skeptical about Epiphone before but I love this guitar, I would never sell it!!

As far as features go, this guitar is allright. I bought it used, and was impressed by how much it played like a 335. Granted, it isn't a 335, but the neck, and body are similar, and it fit my hands a little more comfortably. I was not impressed with the factory pickups. Very hollow and lacking in brightness. I play a lot of Phish, so I wanted the brightness that Trey has in his pickups. I replace the epi pickups with duncans, 59's, and Man what a difference.

With the duncans, which are both coil-tapped with their respective tone knobs, this thing rocks. Has great sustaine, and you can really dig in to the fretboard.

Another problem I had was with the action. The guy who owned it before me was into action that hit the fretboard, and buzzed on every note. In my humble opinion, if you can't play with higher action, you need a few more lessons. If all you get is buzzing, then what's the point? I raised it up a little, not super-high, but enough, tweeked the neck, and it sounds great now.

This thing is built like an american guitar, which surprised me. the bracing is good, and the neck joint is very solie.

Never dealt with them

1995 Sheraton natural finish 2 humbucker 2 volume 2 tone 1 pickup switch 3 way. Archtop, Maple.

Sounds great, good tone, clean sound, jazz sound.
i particulary like the bridge pickup sound.

Good finish, good tuners and bridge, absolute sustain, i had to replace the pickup switch after 2 year. a 10$ repair that should not discourage you for buying this great guitar.
I also had a fret with some filing job needed, out of the box.
Other wise the guitar is good.

I dont think i would play live with this guitar since its really heavy, i mean, big bertha. when you sit its ok, i just wouldnt stand for 3 hours with that guitar without breaking my back...

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Ive been playing that guitar for 4 years now without any major problem. Its a great guitar for the price and most of all, i really still enjoy playing it and thats the most important caracteristic of all, i really enjoy it!

Bought this one used off eBay. I think its either a 1994 or a 1995 Sheraton, ebony finish. The guitar was pretty dirty and the gold hardwares were corroding. So.....I did a complete overhaul. Installed Grover Tuners, Schaller Bridge and Tailpiece, new gold bracket, put in 2 push-pull pots so I can switch to a "Strat"-like sound when I want to, and installed DiMarzio PAF Pro on the nect, Seymour Duncan JBs on the bridge. The result: Sounds like a $2000 guitar, IMHO.

As stated above, the Korean made pickups and the corroding gold plating really was turn off. I didn't even played it until after I've installed the DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan.

With my Crate DX-212 Modeling Amp, man, I am having hours and hours of fun with it. And with the push-pull pot to switch from single to humbucking sound, this guitar really rocks.

The ebony finish still shines like brand new after all of these years. Since I've changed most of the guitar's original pieces, including putting in a Tusq nut, this is almost a totally different guitar.

This is my only guitar, and I've had it for a few months. Seems like the last owner didn't really took good care of it, but the thing just kept on going. The finish is still shiny. The fretboard is still very playable after removing a ton of grime from it.

Never dealt w/ customer support.

With an investment of about $300 and some time, I've managed to resurrect this guitar to a really sweet axe. I love how the new pickups I've installed performed, especially the DiMarzio($10 cheaper than the JBs). If this were ever stolen, I will definitely be very very unhappy, and may have to buy another one and re-do the steps I've done to restore it.

Older model, mid 80's me thinks. Two humbuckers, with volume and tone for each. Es-335 style body, gold(covered) hardware and some lovely looking binding and abalone/pearl inlay work, very sexy indeed. Stock Epiphone pickups....hmmmmmm.

Well my style is I suppose what you might call alternative/experimental although using more classic tones.In the looks department this guitar is ace and suits my bands image perfectly. I am using this through a Fender (silver face) Twin which has been hot rodded and as far as i'm concerned the best amp ive ever played (and probably ever will). Effects are as follows(from left to right, input to output) ElectroHarmonix Micro synth, Boss Compressor, Electro Harmonix Bigmuff,Proco Rat,Vox valvetone,Boss Tremolo and Flanger,Ibanez Digital delay,and an Electro Harmonix Memoryman. The shereton sounds great clean, really dark moody sound and with the analogue delay/echo's sounds absolutly beutiful the problems start when you start to get more agressive distorted sounds out of it. The stock pickups are just too dark and everything becomes very mushy and indistinct. Which is why I have now changed the pickups for a couple of Kent Armstrongs, a vintage Alnico PAF in neck and and a high output PAF with ceramic magnet in bridge possition. This gives an excellent result with all the sounds of 335 vintage semi tones but the bite and drive of modern pickups. May I just say that there is more to pickups than just Seymour Duncans and Dimarzios plus Kent Armstrong PAF's are half the price as SD 59' and as far as i'm concerned just as good.I paid just #90 for my pickups from Rainbow products. If you are after a guitar to plug straight into your valve amp for blues/jazz or home strumming then this guitar is great value. For the rest of us then it looks like pickup changing is unavoidable and should bare this in mind before buying a Sheraton.
With Stock pickups- 6/10
With the Kent Armstrong's,

Got it at a guitar show and the setup was Ok; needed alittle fiddle here and there. The body and finish etc is impecable especially concidering I paid #200 for it. A really good looking guitar. Hardware is, well not too bad; the bridge is not brilliant but looks solid enough for now. Tuners were crap which I changed to Kluson LP tuners which are great. I also have changed the toggle switch as the old one felt like it was gonna snap every time I flicked it. The only other thing you might want to look at is the scratch plate which I have changed to a black 335 plate; the old one was a pit thin and to be honest I wasnt too cean on the golg pearl finish; looked a bit tackey.
Before my mods- 7/10
With my mods-

Pretty solid now(see above) and have no reason not to trust this guitar.
I can see that the gold covered hardware is gonna wear off at some point but that doesnt really bother me too much.
I never play a gig without a backup.

N/A

Ive been playing for about Ten years now and have owned/played a number of guitars/amps/pedals and would like to think that I can tell a good guitar by now (regardless of whats on the head stock) and my overall opinion of my Sheraton is that it's great, but only after spending some time and money on it. Ive spent overall about #200 and the guitar cost me #200 so bear that in mind before buying one. Saying that though this is alot better than any #400 guitar ive played and as far as I can say not far off a Es-335 at all. I love the look and sound of this guitar and there isnt really anything I hate about it(even before I modded it) but thing I dont understand is why Epiphone dont just put decent pickups and hardware on it and sell it for more 'cause going by all the other reviews on this page it seems that every one does anyway???? This guitar could be(and is to me anyway) alot more than just a Gibson copy.

Korean manufacture semi-hollow body, laminated maple neck, back, and sides with multi-layer binding on body. Abalone and pearloid block/V inlay on rosewood (not ebony) board, floral headstock inlay feigns elegance. Gold hardware. Dual humbuckers with ratty three-position toggle. Natural finish, stop tailpiece, non-standard bushing-post bridge with individual saddles canted at about a 5 degree 'reverse' angle to the pickups/strings (seems like 2-28/32 post spacing, one 32nd shy of the standard Gibson spacing.) Awful tuners (more below.)

Purchased as an affordable alternative to ES335 for blues/jazz/fusion/rock. Bought on sight: not plugged in at time of purchase. The plan was to gut the thing -- new tuners and pickups were purchased on the way home from the guitar store, before it was even plugged in.
So far, have installed tuners only (mandatory since stock tuners wobble considerably at the post)...still stock pickups. Playing through various small combo amps and a Pod, the sound is surprisingly good. It gets a bit harsh on the bridge position, but overall I'd recommend it straight out of the box for any student. The working pro might find the electronics (particularly the switch) a bit too microphonic.
I've played both stop and trapeze 335s of various vintages (dotboards, early patent pickups, later 60s chrome parts, recent issues) and it's certainly not a vintage 335, but may be closer to the recent issues than you'd guess...at at about a fifth of the price!!
I'll be putting in coil-cut Duncans (Pearly Gates at the bridge and some other Alnico-type at the neck) and putting in 250kohm pots (one with push-pull DPDT) and hope the variety quotient is improved as a result. I hope to push the 8 to a 9+.

Replacement of tuners and the toggle switch is mandatory. I used Gibson-branded Kluson look alikes with gold finish...they're as buttery smooth as Heather Locklear's inner thigh (much better than the real vintage Klusons!) A good toggle like those found in Les Pauls can be purchased at various supply houses.
The pickguard is a flimsy piece of sh*t and you may want to consider removing it like I did. I wonder if a real 335 guard would fit without shaping it...if you know, please drop me a note.
The action on the instrument is killer. The neck isn't one-huunert-percent-hotdamn-ruler-flat, but it's close enough to be set a lot lower than it's set now. The finish is flawless, with no marks, checks, unsightly glue splotches, misaligned parts, etc., etc. If the guitar came with the proper switch and tuners, it'd be a 8+ (not up to a 9, because while the natural wood is finished superbly, it is quite plain and anemic looking.)
One thing I look for is how the instrument vibrates in the left (for you righties) hand, unplugged. With stock tuners, it's about dead. Proper tuners improved it a bit, but it's still no dot board.

With proper electrical retrofits, the guitar can defintitely gig. You wouldn't wanna be caught relying on that stock switch.

This has to do with the design, not the help line. I personally think the bridge looks klunky so I'm looking to replace it with a vintage-style Gibson or repro thereof. The posts are non-standard and heavy, without thumbwheel (uses a screw slot exposed through the top deck of the bridge), with heavily threaded bushings sunk into the top/center block. The post spacing on center measures 1/32 shy of the stock 2-29/32, at least by my untrained eye. And finally, the thing is cocked, so it's not perpencidular to the strings. (This serves to lessen the string spacing over the pickup -- comparison with 'real' 335s not known -- but the srtings seem to be close to where they should be over the pole piece screws)
Bottom line is: I think I'm stuck. If you have suggestions, please let me know.
At least the pickups and tuners are standard assumptions, as are the holes for controls and jack. This makes upgrading a lot more straightforward.

Long/gear: I've been playing for thirty years. Gear isn't important, but somehow you can't live without it so I have some. I think buying cheap and good is preferable to buying expensive and/or poor. I've done plenty of the latter, and both at the same time. I used to use tube amps, but now use a POD because it's easier on the environment and looks like it tastes good.
Lost/stolen: I bought the Sheraton specifically because if it gets stolen or lost, I'll cry some, but not for more than a few days.
Love/hate, also, Compare: I love it because it puts ES335 toolage in the hands (gnads?) of people who can't spend $2100 and up on a new 335 (for the love of God, what's going on, Gibson? Are you outta your freakin' gourds?)
Favorite: My favorite feature is the mushy screw heads of the replacement tuners, because if you don't have precisely the proper Philips screwdriver and use immaculate technique, you'll turn the screw head into a pop-rivet head pronto --- now try backing THAT out of the headstock, rat boy! I'll consider the eventual removal of the hosed tuner screws as just another demonstration of how life throws roadblocks down that really are quite unnecessary. You'd think that I'd have more important lessons to learn than this...really...with all the crap going on on the planet, the Cosmos assigns me to f*cked up screw removal duty? Sheesh...what an insult...
Wish it had: I wish it had real tuners and a real pickup switch, but then again, if it did I couldn't have gotten one for $450.
Share: I'd like to share my contempt for the designer who seems to have designed-out a retrograde of the bridge. I'd share my tuna sandwich but I'm still on a dial-in connection.

See my original review of stock features. This review pertains only to my modifications, which include a Seymour Duncan Jazz pickup in the neck, a Seymour Duncan JB pickup in the bridge, and new volume potentiometers that include push-pull switches that I use to cut pickup coils. VERY versatile.

NOW this guitar sounds like something. The Duncan pickups are perfect for this axe. Unlike the stock pickups, the sound doesn't get muddy when I turn down the volume, nor does it sound congested and indistinct when I crank up the overdrive. In humbucker mode, this guitar can now emulate Wes Montgomery AND Carlos Santana. Cut the coils, and it even clucks like a Strat.

See previous review.

See previous review.

I was very disappointed that Gibson/Epiphone couldn't sell me replacement parts (bridge, tailpiece, etc.), nor could they refer me to anybody that did. Basically, I have to search on my own. Not very helpful, I must say.

The new pickups transformed this guitar. Now it sounds as good as it looks and as good as it feels, which is saying alot. I can't give it a '10' because I spent almost as much on upgrading the guitar to have bought a used ES335 in the first place.

Semi-hollow body electric (solid block down the middle like an ES-335). Two humbuckers. Two tone, two volume, 3-way selector. 24.75" scale. Rosewood fretboard. Bound body and neck. Caution - this is one heavy guitar. It's far better-suited to playing seated rather than standing.

I can't quite make up my mind about this guitar. It's not really suited to my tastes. I bought it to work on my straight blues and jazz chops, but I can't quite get THE sound. The bridge pickup does indeed sound very good for vintage Beatles, Stones, etc, but the neck pickup sounds way too dark and muddy, even through a fairly bright sounding amp like the Pro Jr. I'm hoping to trade for a Casino or a Rickenbacker. I think that the lower output and greater clarity of single-coil pickups, along with the resonance of a true hollow body, would suit me better.

I can't complain here. The fit, finish, action, feel are all worthy of an ES-335. It simply gorgeous and the neck facilitates fast, clear rhythm playing.

Seems very solidly built. The finish has stood the test of time (about 20 years). The plating on the pickup covers and bridge show their age, though.

It looks great, feels great, but just isn't my idea of sonic nirvana. Anybody have a Casino or Rickenbacker they'd like to trade?