Was at Swee Lee yesterday & tried some LP epis. The new batch of epis there include the following: Zakk Wylde/ Custom/ Standard/ Studio. As with other epis which I’ve tried, these do not match up to their Gibson counterpart in specs, especially the neck profile. Most LP epis sport a slim D profile regardless of its Standard/ Custom tag. They are thick enough to generate a good bass response & slim enough to induce some fast fretworks.
First up were the Custom & Zakk Wylde. The former plays well but is rather bland tone-wise. I only tried it for like 5min, put off by its muddy neck tone & it went back to the display hangar. Next up was the ZW & this fared a little better, attributable to the EMGs in there but it’s nothing close to the real thing. Do bear in mind that these are the HZ versions, so it still exudes passive qualities albeit a more responsive signal attack & midrange. Both guitars tried very hard to be the originals but only come close in looks. Do some serious personal evaluations before you cough up the near $1K asking price…
There’s a very interesting LP studio on offer here, a pewter finished ltd edn. If you fancy a celluloseless feel, then you’d enjoy this unit because the finish is extended to the neck. It came with a very comfortable action & was a joy to play. Also, be wary of its thin body, in fact, it’s the thinnest I’ve come across in the Epi range, so it exudes less bass, more lower midrange (thin enough to suspect there’s no maple cap here). Somehow, the Gibson humbuckers (which I’m not a fan of) sound right for this unit. Players will be put off by its glossless finish, not because it’s a bad player. Well it’s a personal preference & I like it. Listing for $595…
Finally, the Std models. There’s a fantastic flame top you should check out. It looks & sounds stunning, easily one of the best value for money, if Epis are your thing. I love its overall tonal balance, not excessive in the bass end, credit yet again to the Gibson humbuckers here. However, I’d like to draw your attention to a gold top unit which is… made in CHINA! Yes, some consignment of Epis now are chinese, but here’s the take: It’s the best LP here! The fit & finish are immaculate, surpassing the expected workmanship from chinese units. It’s also lighter than a std sized LP so there’s lots of warm midrange in addition to the thick bass expected from an LP. This one was well set up by one of the salepersons there (Jumat) & the playability was befitting of its impressive tone. I spent the most time with this one, squeezing all manner of possible tones- clean, crunch & at high gain, it pulled through very well. Std models list for $795…
The Epi LPs of today are a far cry from its predecessors. It’s mainly due to the better humbuckers (Gibson) in there & improved eastern workmanship. Korea & China made guitars should not be struck off your shopping list, simply because they do not possess an american pedigree. The quality isn’t consistent but if you come across a well made unit, you’d do well to bring it home.
