Epiphone Special

Sunburst body with smooth thin black neck. 22 Frets, two humbuckers, 3-way switch, tone and volume. I got a cheap strap with mine. Dont trust cheap straps! they slip off.

Strings have been raised for extra beefy sound.

Im using a variety of amps with a Zoom 8080 effects unit. It sounds great. Nice and basses, yet really clear on those high solo notes.
Really ideal for Rock/Heavy Rock sounds. Im play stuff from Muse to Billy Talent, and this guitar suits it all. People who have played it rekon its really good, i think the words "beefy", "mega" and "sexy" have all in been used in describing its sound.

It takes no Sh*t when it comes to the harder stuff.
Its no Manson, but its good enough.

When i bought this, the bridge had been altered, and it sounded great. Theres only two problems with this from new, well on mine anyway... The tone knob was loose and wobbly and the machine heads seem to be set out a bit. Nothing that cant be put right with a bit of TLC.

I have dropped this guitar sooooooo many times and it still works and looks fine. I had had it for about a week and i dropped it in my bedroom, it landed right on its front and didnt leave a mark. Nor did it break anything. Its very reliable and has never let me down.

Never needed it.

This machine is well worth the money.

If you dont know whether or not to get it, let me help you....
Its great. Looks great, sounds great, feels great. Its great!

Now I bought this guitar used from my friend ( so he could by his Girl Friend an christmas present )
I payed very little for it....and we made a deal that if...I ever wanted to get rid of the guitar I would sell it back to him.....
(dont know if that will happen...I am in love with it)
now it did not come with any accesories due to me buying it used , I just got the origanal cardboard case that it came with , but later I purchased a les paul case ( it deserved it)
now this is a very simple guitar , nothing fancy , BUT IT WILL , I REPEAT ...IT WILL GET THE JOB DONE WELL!!!!!!
the guitars HW is as follows
volume and tone control with 3 way pick-up selector-
Pickups: 2 sweet sounding open coil HM's
Hardware is a very classy looking chrome
the scale on this baby is 24.75 " with bolt on neck
the body is mohogany which add's alot of resin and sustaine the neck is alder wood , which is also very nice
the fret board inlay is RW/dot which is blan but for the price its suited , other than that I am not big on knowing the names of certain guitar parts.... as I am somewhat out of the know when it come to that kind of stuff

I play many musical styles , from very soft melodies to Zakk Wylde riff's and my fav..... METALLICA :o) and this guitar has been able to do it for me
I match the guitar up with a marshall MG30 dfx , I combine that with my Toneworks AX100G The AX100G is powered by Korg's REMS modeling technology, and packs a wide range of effects from heavily distorted hi-gain amp sounds, to acoustic guitar modeling, with all of this said , I sometimes just plug it in clean and riff away.....it is a very versitile guitar.........I love the size of the neck its a fatty , but I am so used to it , I tryed to play a fender american delux and I was like.....ummmm....gimmie my guitar back....
I really have no dislikes when it comes to this guitar , I just simply am completly satisfied with what I bought

well the action from factory was a little high....provided alot of sustaine , but not a fast playing guitar , I ajusted it to be as low as possible ( as low as I could get I use a simple string- de dario 10's) I have not touched the pickups at all , there is no need the factory setting it 10/10
I have not noticed 1 problem with the bridge or top.......once again 10/10
even though I bought this guitar used it was flawless even after it being mildly used for 6 months....
I continues to remain in this state to this day as i take very good care of it......all pickup selctors have worked as advertised meaning perfectly...all volume controls and tone contols are still mint as well ,there is only one ding in the body , on the back of it to be presise ( my friend dropped it , I nearly shot him.....literaly.....hey it was only a pelett pistol)

Will this guitar withstand live playing? now thats a dumb question to ask , this guitar is totally capable of handling giging hands down , i thing its definetly show worthy
now the HW get regular maintainence by : yours truly , but it will probably out last me...lol
the finish had lasted me 1 year , ( totall 2 years and running)
all HW is still firmly attached
and this baby rarely goes out of tune.... useually only with great temp changes.....as far as gigging is concerened I would still bring a back-up guitar , but thats cause of the pot......paranoia.... you know????? lol , just kidding you can never be un-prepared

Never had a probem...........this guitar is diehard....I dont think I will ever have to call anyone.

I have been playing guitar for 4 years now and after getting my last guitar stolen (dont worry I found the guy who stole it , then repossesed it , through brute force... ie. smash! smask! yoink! , the same would go for anyone tampering with this guitar....!!!)
now I was really strapped for cash at the time so thats the reson I bought it used , I was comparing many other guitars at the time but simply could not afford them ,so when this sweet offer came along I JUMPED on it like white on rice......even if I was to have bought it new it would only set me back 200$ US currency If u are in the same possition as I was , almost broke and needing a no frills guitar this is the one for u....... enjoy it like I do

Two Buttons (volume and tone) 3 way selector, two open hambuckers, mahogamy (?), tune-o-matic, with gig bag, amp, tuner, picks, strap, cable, video. Goodo lookink black finish.

Made in china

I'm learning to play (6 months) and don't like the sound o strato models, this guitar sounds well for rock, blues and hard rock.

I using a studio 10 amp drive anda zoom 505.. the amp is so bad, but if i plug in a good amp, the sound is very good with a lot o sustain and a very good bass.

For the price i had paid is very good sound and playable neck, not so good with les apul custom guitars.

The tuner is very good and the picks is beautiful and good to play.

The guitar came to me in a good box but with frets desalign, a gone to lutier and he fineshid the work, and the guitar is good to play. teh pickup is not good ajusted. But all the hardware looks very good.

The nut is correctet ajusted.

I yhink this good to learn to play.
The strap buttons looks very solid but i changes to other with lock.
Yes i use this guitar without a backup..

i leve im brazil an bought it im USA, i don't think i can use.

The sound is good, is playable, for the price is excelent... but......
The amp sound (or no sound) im clean sound. too light to play with anybody, the drive is good but i don recomend.

for the price is good buy, but buy another amp.

I'm the third owner, have no idea when or where it was made, 22 frets, sunburst gold and black, 3-way switch (kind of loose, but works fine) 1 vol. and 1 tone knob. 2 passive epiphone hambuckers; one cutaway. I bought it with a hard case. The price was 800 PLN = ca. $200 (Poland is not a cheap country for instruments) so I was a kind of occasion.

I play something from grunge to blues/rock so i need to have a guitar that sounds OK distorted and clean. It suits me fine, I like the clean tone of the neck hambucker: soft and warm. For distortion I use Boss MT-2 and it sounds great from heavy distortion to light overdrive. Middle setting of the switch can provide interesting sound for overdrive. For solos I use the bridge pickup with distortion and neck pickup for clean. I was surprised with it's sound, I might think of replacing the pickups (just for curiosity), but not for now.

Here I have to mention the poor quality of the tuners - I'll have to change them as soon as possible, they are hard to turn and sometimes hard to precisely adjust. Despite that, for the price, it is perfect. I'm the third user and there are almost no scratches. Pickup selector, volume and tone knob work fine - no noise at all. I had to adjust the bridge when I got it, just lower it and make it tune and I must I like it.

The frets have small signs of use but it's probably around 6 years old now so it's rather normal, the tuning is fine though. The Electronics is in perfect condition, as I said before, the tuners... just to get them replaced... Personally I thing the hard case saved the most of it.

I have no idea - didn't get any papers with it.

I've had it for a week now and I can't stop loving it. I had a choice - for the same price I could buy an Ibanez EX series with a Seymour Duncan pickup - I chose Special, The Ibanez sounds better for heavy metal riffs, but Special is more universal - from tough distortion to soft, clean tones (and it came with a hard case) For the price I paid it's great. In Poland it's difficult to buy good used stuff in a medium price range. I'm fully satisfied.

The tuners on this guitar are plastic and it has a three way switch with two humbuckers and one volume one tone knob. Its got that single cutaway shape the features are pretty basic it has 21 frets i think the neck is rosewood and thew neck is also fairly wide good and basic all around.

It has a very chunky sound which i like i guess with the two humbuckers it should do that. I like the sound a lot its a great sound for how much you pay. Just a overall great sound if you like the a chunky sound. The only falt is it is very hard to mute the guitar while playing.

Again this is pretty much basic but fine considering how much i payed for it the pickups were adjusted fine no flaws when i got it. Everything seemed to be in place.

I think this guitar will withstand live playing and the knobs for the volume and tone seem to be a little cheap but thats fine. i accedentally dropped it the first time i got it i droppes it on a concrete bench and nothing was even scratched. I dropped on the crappy tuners too i was surprised nothing happened to it. i play hard on it and it withstands overall its a sturdy guitar.

N/A

Overall this guitar is great for the price i paid i would. It could easily sell for 400$ It has a great sound overall and the two humbuckers are great with the chunky sound. Also it is really a sturdy guitar I am very impressed with this guitar. I have been playing for two years and i have had about 3 guitars and this one by far is the one i like the most.

Not exactly sure where it was made but I bought it supoosedly second hand with the new plastic coatings still on it in 1998 minus a string and a case but otherwise brand new so I'm pretty sure it's a 1997. Not sure of the body material though it's pretty light and easy to play. Neck is rosewood: 22 frets, fairly narrow. Gloss finish: black with gold sunburst. Two humbuckers, same standard style as the others. I play with gibson 10 gauge strings and a Marshall 10-watt (have also played with Marshall stack and a Laney HR-50). The guy I bought it from gave me a 30-year old gibson case and some crappy strap with it which serves my purposes.

This guitar sounds great with everything I play on it. I ususally play sorta Radiohead & Beatles stuff (mostly clean) but this thing has played all sorts from metal to country and shined. I find the bottom E string is only clangy if I have the bass volume too high. Other than that watch out for the G string, it doesn't always like to stay in tune. The rest of the guitar is fine whether you're playing constantly for 10 hours or leave sitting on the stand for a month between playings.

As far as I know the set up is fine, it plays fine and has for four and half years. The only qualm I have with it is that the top E tuning key is beginning to get loose. The pickups work fine. On an aesthetic point there is a slight gap between the neck and the body where it joins (next to the neck pickup), this worried me at first but has never proved problematic. The strap stays on so long as there is relatively equal pressure on each hook and has never been a problem in group practise or gigs. However, it is not entirely reliable and I suggest locks if you can afford them.

I've had this guitar for almost five years. It's played gigs. It's moved from house to house, changed cities three times including emigrating from the UK to Canada where it was thrown off a plane into the airport. My 30-year-old case has seen better days but the guitar has barely a scratch on it. The rosewood looks a little used in places and there a couple of minute scratches on the back of the body but this guitar could probably pass for two or three years younger than it is. It even survived a few accidental knocks on the metal frame of a bed during practises.

Seemhow it was supposedly second hand it came with no warranty but none has been needed. I've never had to take the guitar anywhere for repairs and the only thing I've ever changed on it is the strings.

This was my first guitar and I wouldn't want another one. Until I find enough money to buy a 1960s Ebony Les Paul to accompany it I need no other. It plays everything I need and want to perfectly and the narrow neck made learning much easier. I chose it because I liked the look and knew Epiphone was a name I could trust. It's light and thus easy to manoeuvre on stage and overall is just a great guitar. I would like another one if I lost it, though I have seen one identical to mine but three/four years newer and it doesn't quite have the same "feel" as mine. Perhaps the newer models are heavier or something. However, this guitar is untradable.

Made in Indonesia and no TOO old...
OK this guitar doesn't have it all, but it does have 24 frets, rosewood neck and 2 humbuckers and a nice cutaway les paul design volume and tone knobs and a pickup switch

I found that the sound could go from a harsh but clean sound to a deep and bassy warm sound very easily and does everything in between. My only slight grudge is that the low E buzzes on the 3rd Fret, but this isn't picked up too much in the amplification.
I play alternative Radiohead and Feeder and such like and i can get a good tone for everything i do when i run it through my 25watt washburn bad dog amp - Brilliant

Action was pretty decent but i THINK you can change it if u want to without too much sweat
Stays in tune years and my guitar isn't treated wonderfully so that great - I would need to change the strings if i started giiging though - they aren't great...

I could smash up my house without putting a mark on it - built to last. The strap buttons are ok if your careful your strap doesn't fold. Obviously you should always try and gig without a backup - if a string breaks? but this guitar will see its way through many sets of strings.
Finish isn't budging come hell or highwater so this is pretty dependable

1 year waranty - never talked to customer support though.

I only looked at this guitar because
a) its an epiphone
b) it looked like a les paul
But i played on it and i knew i MUST have it. I would buy a roomfull of these to mkae sure I always had one - although id rather have got mine in sunburst finish.
If this got stolen, Id smash up the thief with it because its mine!
All in all one hell of a guitar for such a miniscule price tag

I purchased this guitar at a music store in the local mall in 2001 but couldn't say for sure what year it was made. It has the standard 22 frets. Made in Korea. 1 volume, and 1 tone knob. 2 dual coil pickups(brand unknown at this time). It came with a rosewood neck and has medium size frets. It is black, with what appears to be a poly-eurothane type finish. It has a stop tailpiece. Electronics seem pretty responsive...no static.

Suits my needs for blues, classical, Heavey Metal, and country styles using Digitech R-P 3 effects and a Peavey amp. This guitar has a clean crisp sound with nice tone when played without distortion and a very meaty sound distorted. It squeals very easily and produces very strong harmonics. Using the neck pickup gives it an exceptional sound.
All in all I would have to say this guitar is one of the best I've owned.

The action came set as low as possible without any fret buzz. I changed to 9 guage strings from 10's, which caused slight buzz on sevent freth due to change in tension (easily remedied though). The saddles were installed backward. The pickups were a little low on the 1-3 string side but other than that ....no problems.

The finish scratches very easily and the strap button positions leave something to be desired.(I nearly dropped it 10 minutes after I got it home). I play about 7 hours a day and have never had a guitar that stayed in tune as long as this one!! As for playing a gig without a backup? Murphy's law. If a strings gonna break, its gonna do it right in the middle of a gig. ALWAYS have a backup, or you will feel pretty foolish changing strings in the middle of your set.

I've never had to take it to the shop but if i ever do then it's covered with a 1 year warranty.

I've played 22 Years. I currently own a Washburn, a Charvette, a Carrera student model, and a Sears & Roebuck something or other. If it were ever stolen I wouldn't have to buy another.....I would track down the culprit and club him with it. It's a sturdy guitar, it could take the abuse... ha ha. To be honest, I bought it on a whim. I played it about 5 minutes and said "I'll take it".

As said above 22 fret, painted black one volume, one tone, 2 humbuckers, passive, have no idea what kind of wood but its got a great sound. Stop tailpiece, stock tuners, fat neck. Lack's versatility in volume pot. When its quiet its quiet, when its up its loud. No inbetween

I play everything, this guitar is great for Bluesy Crunch Rock,,excellent AC/DC kinda chunky brown sound. Full sound on neck, bright on bridge....no hum at all, yet goes microphonic if the marshall is past 2. It lacks midrange tones when overdriven, but what do you expect from stock pickups. Great sound, Thats why I got it.

Action is great I use 11 - 52 gauge strings, it never goes out of tune. The finish is all black heavy on the Varnish clear coat, but durable, No flaws on the guitar, it was bought used for $239.00 CDN.
I was not ripped off. The guitar fits perfect, and is great for what I play.

Strap buttons are horrible, I picked up some strap locks, its great now. I can depend on this guitar for heavy rhythm and some clean lead, but not for Jazz it lacks some clarity. Guitar is great played outdoors, in a small club you'll achieve great feedback tones, the pickups have alot of attack, if you have to much gain it'll squeal at you and you'll sound like a pigeon.

Bought used no warranty.

I've played for 12 years and haven't found a chunkier sound since I played my 69 goldtop, great neck pickup sound.

OK, mine is a 1999 Korean made model. It is made...well, unfortunatly, its made of ply-wood, but thats not too awfully bad, I have delt with it, and it does'nt bother me. It has a maple neck wich is just great, nice and thin, not quite as thin as I would like, but then again, this was my first guitar, so when I got it I didnt really know what I liked. Anyways...its got 1 volume and 1 tone knob, and a 3-way pickup selector switch that allows switching in between to dual humbucker configuration. So, I could rate this guitar two ways, compared to all guitars in general, wich would give it about a "3" in this catergorie, or I can rate it by guitars in this price range wich I will do because I dont wanna detore any kids from buying a pretty good begginer guitar, so ill do it that way.

OK, this, wich may shock you, is one area that this guitar actually exceeds in. It has a wide range of possible sounds, I played the guitar for about 3 months with nothing but the guitar and a fender frontman 15 amp, wich had some noise, but over-all sounded pretty damn good for a $200 guitar. See, I think the pickups are really great, and they could have awesome tone, but what sets this axe back is the ply-wood construction, but kids, no need to fret..( no pun intended)....If I didnt mention the fact that this guitar is made of ply-wood, you would never know, it sounds just fine, and Im the type of person who just kinda accepts things for the way they are sometimes, so if something here makes a little noise, I'm so into jamming that I really dont care, anybody who is too conceded about a tiny litle drop of fuzz in the back-ground doesnt need to buy this guitar anyways. But like I said, the sound is really descent on the bridge humbucker. Now, the neck humbucker isn't quite as good, it sounds descent for doing some deap rythm, but falls short is hard tone, wich then again, the neck pickup fell into the cavity about a week ago from me abusing it, that would have never happened had I took care of the guitar, but I bang it around so the screws kinda wiggles out. There is one miracle drug for this guitar though, an effects processor, I bought a Zoom 505, and it just opened up a whole new world for this guitar, I can acheive new tones, and new sounds that I didnt ever think I could on a guitar of this price. But anyways, thats about it on sound, so in short.....this guitar sounds great for the price, and it sounds descent compared to guitars in general, but like I said before, Im rating this guitar on how it does for the price, of course when you have so many guitars you cant give an Epi special an 8, and a Gibson Les Paul a 10, thats stupid, the special would maybe come out to being a 6, but when your rating the guitar for the money, I would say this guitar deserves a god score....

Well, heres where my first bad experiance with this guitar, the action was set way too low, I got buzzing on everything from the 12th fret up to the 1st, wich, really was no biggie, I got it setup cause my dad didn't wanna take a shot at messing with it for the fear of breaking something or throwing something outa wack. So, the complete setup was $40 but that covered everything, getting it tuned up, getting the action set, and getting the intonation set properly. But when you consider that this guitar was a display model and got switched from wall to wal for store display changing, the setup wasnt too bad, but its always best to get a guitar setup after you get it and play it a little so you can come here to harmony central and rip on it in this catergorie...hahaha, but anyways, in a catergorie like this, setup can be a probly for any guitar, so Im giving the setup part a real world rating of "6".....but, the fit is another thing, the neck on this guitar feels really well as far as size and roundness is concerned, my only problem is that the neck is painted, now if you just play guitar normal and just play rythm to songs and stuff, this thing isnt too bad, but if your a hardcore shredder, then the painted neck can be a hang-up, but usually by the time you are getting good enough to shred you will be ready for a new guitar andyways so I guess the painted neck doesnt really matter. One other problem with this guitar is the strap buttons, this guitar has taken several plunges to the floor because of the strap slipping off the buttons. Another thing that kinda sucks is the position os the strap buttons, the top button is too close to the neck and it makes the strap have to curve with the body wich causes it to slip off sometimes. Now, as far as finish, the finish was nice, I got mine all black, everything is black except for the chrome hardware, and I never really noticed any major finish flaws, but I didnt really look for that stuff with this guitar cause it was my first, I was so excited about having a new guitar that I didnt give a rat's ass about the finish. So, giving the "6" I gave it in the setup, and the tied score of "7" between the fit and finish, ill have this catergorie a "7" cause 2/3 wins it.

OK, this can vary, you see, I never really took good care of this guitar, I just kinda leave it layin around and things like that, and its took several death dives to the hardwood floring in my room wich actually didnt damage it in any one particual time, the neck position humbucker has came unmounted now, and has fallen into the cavity, but I probly wont bother fixing it since Ive lost the screws and springs, hell, I never used that pickup anyways. I would have to say that this guitar is reliable, but not as much as it is durable, this thing is one tough damn cookie, like I say, its took several leeps off the strap and landed safe like a cat every time with no damge done, and that was just cause I wasnt paying attention to how crucked the strap was on so I imagin that if you take half-way descent care of this guitar it will last as long as you let it, and even if you treat it like shit, wich is the way I do, it will still last a pretty long time, although I dont think this guitar would be good to gig on, simply because its just a gigging guitar, its a begginer's bedroom practice guitar wich serves its purpose plenty. So I have to rate this catergorie in general as well, wich is pretty damn good rating considering Im rating it as a guitar and not a cheap guitar, well, in this catergorie anyways...so, moving along now, bair with me folks

You, Im not aware of any warranties this guitar has, but Im sure that there has gotta be some kind of warranty or some kinda service pollicy the dealer offers, I dont know cause I just never really felt like it was their responsiblity to keepup with a guitar that belongs to me now, I could see if like the damn neck was all of the sudden loose as hell after two days of playing, but for some simple shit like the setup, I just say screw and get it done anywhere whos a pro at it.....so, I have to give this catergorie no opinion cause I never needed them, and if I need, I would know what to do to get them.

OK, I have played lots of other guitars, well of course I have, Im a guitar player, I have a nack at that, I love just jammin on all different types of guitars, now, Im not gonna sit here and say some shit like, "this is the best guitar for under $600 ever made", cause you and I both know thats bullshit, because if that was true, then an Epiphone Les Paul wouldnt cost $400 and have more features and have a higher quality, and there are so many brands of guitars I dont see how anybody could play all of their "under $600" models and come up with the special being the best cause that just aint so, but heres what I will say, the Epiphone special may very well be ONE OF the best guitars for under $220..... I mean, guitars are priced according to the quality, and well, for Gibson, the damn name thats on them, but almost ll the other brands are priced for their quality and features, you can get a $200 Jackson JS-20 that may or may not be as good as the special, but I can tell you this, they are probly about the same damn thing as far as quality and such, but anyways, I have to leave this area with a nice score cause the overall rating for this guitar, as a guitar in this price range,$150-$225, I would have to give this little axe a pretty god rating cause it was my first, and this was the guitar responsble for making me the guitar player that I am today. Thanks for reading my review and drop me a line if you have any questions or comments, thanks

Made in korea '97, 22 frets, laminated top- black finish, it has a 3 way toggle switch, master volume and tone. Stock epi humbuckers that are actually alot hotter than other stock pick-ups (eg: rx ibanez). The neck/body is mahogany. The body is les-paul shaped, pretty thin and light. Just like a les-paul standard without the maple top. It has a tune-O-matic bridge like a les-paul, stock epi tuners. The neck is fat and comfortable. Pretty standard and simple

This guitar suits my style a hell of alot. I play heavy rock stuff in my band, like Creed and the les-paul like tone created suits me. I get a chunky sound through my marshall vs65r with it, heavy, crunchy and chunky. Just what i want. The pick-ups are pretty quiet, but are hot as. These pick-ups have alot of gain compared to other guitars in this price range. I find i need to jack up the bass on my amp to get a fuller sound but it's fine. The sustain from it is amazing, even though its got a bolt-on neck, and a lightish body it gets some major sustain. It's quite a versitile guitar. Good for alternative, punk stuff but i reckon it suits the heavy rock dropped D stuff the most. Just perfect. The only dis-like i have with it is that it sounds a bit muddy with palm-mutes sometimes when you consitantly palm-mute it. But i love the chunky palm-muted sound i get. The sound is just so me

The action outta the shop was excellent, very low and 'easy'. The pick-ups were set up well. The body work ie:routing etc... seems to be alright. The intonation was a bit out, but easily fixed. The factory strings suck! so throw some new ones on as soon as you get it. The tuners were alright at first, but i've dropped the guitar a fair few times, and i had to fix the G tuner. The pick up selector was gettin a little scratchy but a little contact cleaner later no worries. I don't like where they've put the selector, a bit hard to get at. The strap buttons are crap, on any les-paul you just gotta get some locks, then it's beautiful. The action is just so pure, makes up for everything!

My band is just about to play a few gigs in the next few weeks, so i'll see how it stands up. I've only gigged with it once before, and it was fine. I think i'm gonna change the tuners pretty soon, and get it set up again. The finish is good, and should last. Yeah, just get some strap locks and you'll be fine. I can depend on it to do the job. The best thing bout this guitar is the size/weight of the body. On stage you can jump around and be soooo comfortable with it! It just plays so nice and easy. I'm giggin with a back up guitar (who doesn't??).

I haven't dealt with the shop about my guitar cause it hasn't broken down yet. But they were helpful in with my purchase. It has a 12 month warranty.

I've been playing for 4 years and this is my 2nd guitar i've bought. I've got a strat but the single coils just don't cut it. The main reason i bought it was of the price! Unbeatable special. I was sorta looking for another guitar, then i saw it on the wall, i tried it out, fell in love with the action and chunkyness. So i pulled out the bankcard and bought it. It's a great guitar for the price. I reckon every beginner should start with one of these, cause they rock! This guitar is just so comfortable to play, it has really grown on me. This guitar just suits my style all over. My next guitar i'm looking at will be an epi custom very soon, but this will do in the meantime, great guitar for the price, so go get one

I'm not really sure what year it was made, though when I bought it, it looked as if it was no more than a year old. It was made in Korea. It has 22 medium size frets with a medium wide neck. It has a great black finish which I guess is only available with the Special and not the Special II. It has 2 knobs: tone and volume, and a 3-way toggle switch. I think that the middle setting turns on both the neck and the bridge pickups. The body is probably made of oak of maple by the heft and the neck is a mahogany base with an oh-so-smooth rosewood fingerboard.

It is perfect for my style and I love it. It has just the right amount of richness to it. It has this great tunneling effect when you put it on the neck pickup. It does buzz a little because the action is so low, but I can adjust that. I use it on a Peavey 10-inch, 40 watt amp and it had great sound.

It needs a little adjustment of the action but other than that it was great. Because I bought it used, I'm not sure if the guy before me did anything extra with it like adjust the pickups. In any case, they sounded great and were at the right height and configuration. It has good heft and looks good. Everybody who sees it thinks it is great.

It is damn reliable. Besides my odd G to B tuning, it will not allow the strings to be cut into by the bridge. I have bumped it many times and dropped it once and it only has one dent. It does scratch pretty easily because of the shiny finish. The strap button by the neck is a hassle because it is too far towards me on the curve so a strap tends to slip of at inoppurtune moments. It is over all a very, very dependable guitar.

Never dealt with 'em.

I have been playing for just under a year and it is the best guitar I have ever owned(it beats my old Mako). I got it at a pawn shop so there was no way to find out anything about it. The owner had for some reason priced it at $189 which is much less than the list price for one in such good shape. To my surprise it also came with a deluxe gig bag and the woman at the counter offered to lower the price to $175 without me even asking! I got a tremendous deal on a tremendous guitar. I would use it without a backup whithout looking back. It's best feature is its smooth, dark fingerboard. The only thing I don't like is the buzz it make sometimes if you hold the trings down lightly. If it were stolen, I would go right out and try to find another one. It is almost a perfect guitar.

The guitar's features were just like other's review.
I get a Cherry Sunburst finish and the guitar came together with a hard case.

Recently I play jazz and blues most of the time. The neck pickup sounds amazing thick & rich and I like it most. Its clean sound can beat any fender's guitar anytime. It is not absolutely free of noise but it's just worth the money. I don't really like the bridge pickup. It is too muddy for playing rhythm. I can hardly get the bright sound. I tried few amps and I gave up. But anyway I won't use the bridge pickup most of the time. The sounds from the neck pickup is good enough. I'm planning to change the bridge pickup, any good suggestion from you guys?

This guitar came in bad settings. The action was too low (The strings almost touched the bridge pickup!). Neither the pickups were set-up properly. After an hour of adjusting by myself and my lecturer, it was fine. All the hardware is in good condition. The only problem is the pickup selector which reacted too slow for the switch. And again, it needs replace!

So far this guitar did quite well. I played it in a few performance and it sounded great. I assume the finish will last if I polish it frequently. All guitars would last longer if you take good care of it! I haven't face any problems in the strap button like others. I will definitely depend on it since I don't have a backup yet. (I'm planning to buy a Sheraton. Is it good?)

N/A

I have been playing it for 2 months. I owned another korean made electric guitar before and I get rid of it as soon as I bought this one. The only thing which I wish I had asked was "can I pay less if I don't want the hard case!" It doesn't fit the guitar. If it were stolen or lost, I will truly be sad about it ($$$...)because I might not be able to get another one which sounds like this one. Frankly speaking the tone it produced is just like my lecturer's Ibanez AM-100! And it doesn't give me any trouble yet. I should have bought this guitar as my first guitar.

OK, same as everyone else's, tune-a-matic bridge, with H/H, three position p/u selector, 22 fret, one tone, one volume, mine is a '97(I think), made in Korea. I agree with some of the other comments regarding the tuners. Soon after I got my Special; won it in a promotional contest, I replaced the tuners with Grovers and have been happy with the tuning ever since. Good finish, but the detail work is a little sloppy, espeicially the frets, and the neck to body joint. Expected on a free guitar, that sells for $250 or less.

I get all of the sounds I want with this thing. I've only been playing for two years so consider my limited number of possible sounds at this point. I try to play everything from metal shred, to sweet strummed chords. I currently play through a Digitech RP-7(thanks to my wife), and Crate GX-30, and I have no problem waking up the neighbors. My friends can usually recognize what I'm playing too, so the sound possibilities are there. It has a meaty crunch potential, more so than singing or biting leads. With a little tweaking and concentration I can usually find a comprimise, to acheive a certain sound if necessary.

I had to take it in and get it set up originally. But as I've learned it's a forgiving guitar to adjust, and it responds well. The action is always somehow a little less than the best it could be, thus I am always searching for another guitar, I guess I'm trying to say it's not great, but not bad either. I will always be like that.

This guitar would definitely stand live playing, since the tuners have been replaced. Although I've never played guitar professionally, I played drums professionally for about five years. Considering my inexperience on guitar I'd still say this ain't no sweet machine, but it will do the job if you make it. I've had no problems with the strap buttons. I find this guitar to be consistent and dependable, and would use it as the backup or for detuned songs, not a primary guitar.

No chance or reason to.

Like I said I've been playing for two years, newby. I would be pissed if it were stolen because I've put Good tuners on it, and bought an Epiphone hsc to cart it around in. I have tried to play Fenders and I can't, so this style or feel of guitar is best for me. Sometimes when I'm making good music I forget how cheap it is and, it becomes an extension. So in that respect it's not so bad. But there are a lot of better guitars that by virtue of there superior tone and touch instantly inspire more.(and cost more)

made in 97 in indonesia 22 frets solid top 1 volume one tone and a 3 way switch stock pickups passive body: alder/maple neck:mahogany sunburst les paul copy no curve stock tuners neck: 24.75"

this guitar is pefect for the kind of person just starting out it has such a good sound for the price the humbuckers are nice for the stock kind but you can always upgrade them but i prefer it the way it is right now you can not get a better sound the price.

the guitar was setup to perfect spec at the dealer shop because they set all the guitars up to spec when they get them but i have a life time warranty.

it could withstand live gigs but i would recomend you don't the guitar is more like a guitar for screwing around with if you have played for a while but if you are starting out chances are you are not doing live gigs.

i have a great dealer to deal with and a life time warranty.

i have been playing for a year and the out of all the guitars i have tried in my price range this one looks and plays the best ibanez and squier will never be in the same league with this one they suck ass

Features: Made in 1997, Korea (probably) Frets: 22 Solid-top Controls: volume, tone, 3-way selector Pick-ups: standard Epiphone humbuckers, H-H configuration Body wood: mahogany Neck wood: ? Finish: yellow sunburst Body style: Les Paul Special (uncurved), single cutaway Bridge: Tune-o-matic Tuners: originally Epiphone standard, non-locking, replaced by Schaller, non-locking. Neck:flat
Comment: I'm really amazed about the quality of the pick-ups. They sound great for a guitar worth about 250$, and are reasonably free from feedback and noise. The tuners on the other hand are disastrous. They made the guitar worthless for heavy use on stage or in the studio. Therefore I replaced them by Schallers, which has proven to be a workable solution. I still have some problems with neck-instability, though. A small word of advice: if possible, give the guitar some time to adjust to the temperature level of the place you'll be gigging.

I'm mostly using the Special in combination with Marshall amplifiers, notably the Valvestate and JCM 900 series. For 'clean' settings the Special seems adequate enough, though it lacks in character. There are no 'fat' Gibson sounds in there, unfortunately, because the guitar is lacking depth on the low end. However, the high end's very nicely defined, almost Ibanez- or Fender-like. As far as distortion is concerned, the Special makes a better impression. It's sustain seems above average. Furthermore, even during the raunchiest playing chords stay well defined. And around the tenth fret notes gain a nice, Fender-like ringing quality, during soloing. I would recommend the Special mainly for heavy rock, punk and metal riffing. It's less adequate for blues, and jazz is certainly out of the question!

The Special's factory set-up seems okay, except for two important mistakes: 1. the completely unusable tuners. In my opinion, they should replace these as quickly as possible, even if it makes the guitar a little more expensive. 2. the action. The strings are set too closely to the neck. I think this explains the rumbling noise on the low end which was mentioned in one of the previous reviews. Just set those bass strings a little higher on the Tune-o-matic!

The Special performed well in a live-situation, after I replaces the faulty tuners. The guitar's hardware seems up too some road-wear. And when heavy touring takes a few chips of the body, who cares? It's not like you bought a Goldtop Gibson... Beware of snapping strings, though. The edges on the brigde-saddles can be a little aggressive, so take a file and let them know who's boss.

I don't remember getting a company-warranty. The Special's definitely a do-it-yourself-guitar. So it's probably a good idea to buy one from a dealer which has customizing experience, if you don't want to go at it yourself.

When I bought the Special, I was looking for a budget-priced guitar that would hold out in live-situations. I think I got what I wanted. Though the hardware (mainly the tuners) was not completely adequate at first, I grew very satisfied after the afore-metioned modifications. I don't think there's a better-sounding guitar in this price-range. It certainly beats those tiresome budget-priced Squiers, Ibanezes and Arias, as far as heavy shredding's concerned. In short: a great guitar for those who are not yet planning their touring schedule, and a nice little play-thing in the back of the car for those who are.
In short: a great guitar

This guitar was made in 96 in Malaysia. It has 22 jumbo frets. It has a laminated top ebony with orange sunbrust, the finish is good, I abuse it everyday for two hours and it has a lot of stickers on it but very good made. It has a 3 way pick swich and one volume and tone pot. Two humbuckers, the stock pickups are very good for what you spend, I replaced the bridge with a Duncan Distrotion and this guitar puts out some serious toneI this baby with a epiphone ten watt amp, gig bag, strap(sucked), cable, tuner(very good) and video (very basic) the neck is fast with a beautiful feel to it. mahogany. it has the normal Les Paul body(well kinda, not the same arc in the body, but is kinda light. The 3 way sucks, I've had to replace it twice and bought a real good (gibson) one to replace it. Compared to other guitars I've played and thought about buying, this is the best it gets for the money. The neck plays good even when you sweating, the strings never brake(I use ernie balls 10-50 slinky top, heavy bottom) and it can take a beating

This baby screams, and can be quit for soft stuff. I love it, I play everything from blues to rock to punk and it does IT ALL? I play it through a 80 watt Crate with settings for lows on 8, mids on 4, highs on 6. I play it with a Boss Mt-2, and a Zoom 505. Sound good on any setting. Full Sound, great rythem playing. I didn't care for the bridge pickup and put in a duncan, but that is personal taste. Great sustain for a guitar so cheap

Factory set up was flawless. Pickups were great,just wanted more bite from bridge. only flaws I found were the pickup screws holding the pickup protectors were misaligned and ruined the wood there on two screws but nothing to big.

THis guitar will withstand anything, I've dropped, kicked, and hit people with it and it doesn't do a thing wrong, the finish is thick and the back is scratched (my fault, my chains get in the way) the strap buttons are solid, the only thing I hate it the 3 way selector. Replaced it, and the cable plug loosens up every now and then, but can be tighted with your fingers and every guitar I've ever played does that. I would use this guitar anywhere with or without backup(backup would be another. T

They replace the switch the day I complained and the warranty is a life.

I've been playing for a few years, and played different guitars. The only thing I would have asked before buying is why didn't the salesman tell me about it earlier, way better then peavy, squir, and even cheaper Ibanez. I love that I know everytime I pick her up, she is gonna be 100% ready. One last thing, I love this guitar so much that, and I'm not lying, everyone who knows me knows that she will be buried with me. That is how much I love this guitar

It's a basic guitar. It is an electric guitar. This was epiphone's concern when building the Special.

Wonderful. I've owned Vintage Les Paul's and Fender Stratocaster's, and this guitar manages to produce a sound that easily out-performs its price. The sound on the neck pickup is fun, fat, and Hendrix all-out, while the bridge pickup is sharp, crisp and classic. I've never played such an accessible (price-wise) guitar with such wonderful sound.

The Special is cheap, and some of the cheapness is reflected in the construction. The neck is not fitted well, and the tuning pegs are just awful. When the final account is tallied, though, you can purchase new tuners at little expense, and the neck-gap doesn't seem to affect the sound at all. If it were a 500-1000 dollar guitar, the construction would be disappointing; for a 200-300 dollar guitar, the contruction is fine.

I play hard and care little about the look of a guitar, as long as it continues to produce good sound. The Special is a tough machine, and--though I would recommend an upgrade to a Les Paul case rather than the cheap cardboard thing that is usually paired with the guitar--can take much abuse.

none needed

I've been playing guitar for just over six years. I've owned all sorts of guitars, amps and effects. Currently, I own three acoustics and the Special electric. If you want, or need, the stunning beauty of an American Strat or the amazing power of a Les Paul, then you should put up the money and buy a Strat or a Les Paul. If you want a guitar that plays well, sounds great, and combines strength with finesse, then you should consider the Epiphone Special. There is no other--let me stress that--There is NO OTHER guitar under 600 dollars that is as great as the Special. If you are currently thinking about buying a Special...don't. Go get it. It is worth far more than the price for which it is sold. After that, have fun.

I don't mean 6 in a bad way, it just dousn't have a lot of features. It has 21 or so frets, Rosewood fretboard, Tune-O-Matic Bridge, 2 humbuckers, 1 volume, 1 tone, and a 3-way toggle switch. I like the feal of the neck, it is a bit wider than some of the others I have tried. Made in Korea

I play hard on my guitar. I play fast ska, punk, alternative, and classic hard rock(Led Zepplin, Deep Purple,etc.) The sound fits my style pretty well. The main complaint is that the low E string is pretty chanky and makes a growling sound when you let it ring. Also you can't mute the strings for anything, they just keep ringing. Other than that it has a good, full sound. I play through a Peavy Rage 158(mostly) and a DOD Grunge pedal. It works great with this combination

The guitar was set up ok. There were some flaws like loose input jack and wiring. Also the bridge keeps coming loose and throwing the tuning way off. I like the pick ups alot. You can switch from a bass sound to a really bright sound. They work great.

I have only played it live once. And it seemed ok. But at home it dousnt stand up very well. The strap button has broken off, the wiring cam unsoldered, the pick up selector switch cover broke, and the bridge came loose. I cant depend on it at all. I would deffinately use a backup at a gig if I could afford one.

I have never dealt with Epiphone but the dealer was very helpful. It has a lifetime warranty. And the dealer has an authorized repair staff to repair it under warrenty without shipping it all the way to epiphone

I know that that guy on top says he is sick us snot nosed little kids that dont respect this guitar. He got ripped off considdering the list price is only 200$. I feel sorry for that guy that he payed that much for that guitar. If it were lost or stolen, then I would pitty the theif. I am trading up to a Fender Standard Stratocaster soon. I like the feel and sound of this compared to a Guild Bluesbird, Ibanez Shomaster,and the Fender Telecaster but the quality sucks. Im always afraid Im gonna break something else. I have been playing for a while and this was my first electric guitar. I played my dad's 50 year old acoustic before that and it is still going strong, unlike the Special.