Review: Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Well guys, Natural One said he liked sunburst Les Pauls, so here a review on Epiphones Les Paul standard in sunburst for you guys to enjoy. I would have done a Gibson model but i thought i should do reviews on more affordable models first. Of course this review was found on UG but i picked what i felt was the most helpful of the lot.

Features: My Epiphone Les Paul was made in Japan, it has a nice rosewood neck with 22 frets. I think it was made in 2005. It has a awesome sunburst finish, that looks even better when the scratch plate is taken off. It's got a Tune-O-Matic bridge, two volume, two tone controls, 3-way pick-up selector and some nice alinco humbuckers. It has a good size neck and I think almost anyone could pick up a les paul and play with no problems. // 7

Sound: Now the sound of a les paul is the reason everyone wants to buy one! The humbuckers on this bad boy are fantastic, they give a lovely creamy rich tone when on the 'rhythm' pickup they scream out bends and has the sort of sound you might expect to come out of Slash's Marshall (which is the sound I wanted to achieve). But the Les Paul is also very versitle and can handle soft blues, to punk rock, to heavy metal, to anything! I use my Les Paul through a Marshall 30MGDFX, which I recently bought to, it sounds amazing, it also sounds cool through a Fender amp or a Vox. I also have a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby which sounds absolutely awesome with the LP. The Les Paul suits my style of music because I play a variety of punk and classic rock but I reccomend if you only play punk music do not buy a Les Paul Standard go for a junior! // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: I'm proud to say, that this guitar is very well built and has no flaws really, it doesn't make any weird sounds or doesn't come apart. The pickups were well adjusted too although I decided to higher them up a bit for a touch more output. The woods also descent so no complaints here! // 9

Reliability & Durability: I haven't played with my Les Paul (live) yet. So I'l tell you what it is like to just play! At first when I got my Les Paul I really wasn't used to all that weight tugging on my shoulders cos I play a Tele, but after a few days you get used to it and you feel like it's a guitar you can really rock out with and it feels like you have a lot of control over it. There are no problems with the finish or anything as of yet but I might see things happening to it in a few years time. I probably wouldn't take it to a gig without a backup but that's just me. // 8

Impression: My overall impression of this guitar is a very good one. I have a Fender Mex Tele and a Les Paul so I can create a wide range of sounds now I was looking for a classic rock sound to match the likes of Slash, Angus Young etc. And I definately found it. If you're thinking of buying a Gibson, don't! Unless you really have a lot of money to spend the Epiphone is a better alternative and the Gibson Les Pauls don't offer much more for the extra grand. Although I've only been playing for the better part of a year and a half I think I really know my stuff, I've played a lot of guitars and searched every where for a classic rock sound and the Les Paul provides it. The only thing I'd change to this guitar is perhaps put some Seymour Duncans in but that's my opinion. If I got it stolen or lost it I would probably experiment with something else but that is only because I feel I want a bit more scratch to the tone of my next guitar. The only thing I could compare this too soundwise would be a PRS but they tend to be a little pricier! // 7

Cort x-6

Here's another sweet guitar. a Cort x-6. hope you guys enjoy the review!

Features: The features on this guitar arent great they include volume and tone controls plus a 3-way selector. The pickups are just two humbuckers and it has non-locking tuners. I like the shape of the body, it's sort of Strat style with a bit of edge to it. There are 22 pretty big frets on it with not much space between strings as the neck is pretty thin so it can be tricky for stubby paws. It is finished well with sparkley red and hard lacquer paint on top.// 6

Sound: The type of music I play is punk and this guitar works well in that aspect although I think it is more metal, it has ok sustain and distortion isnt bad either although I think it lacks that rich deep sound of a les paul but, but not eveyone can get their hands on them. I am using this guitar on a 20watt Alesis Digital amp it sounds well when quite low but the quality fades on high volume. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar was in perfect condition when I got it (not a scratch), everything was done to perfection altough the pickups had a very slight bit of rust on them. Pickups were adjusted quite well although I've messed about with them since. Tuning pegs could have done with a tiny bit of tightning but thats not a problem you can do that yourself. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I don't think this guitar was made to be played on stage as it cannot handle high volume and afterall its only a starter guitar, but it would do for small pub gigs. The hardware is very sturdy and durable and is quite reliable and seems like it will last a while yet. // 6

Impression: Overall I think this is a good start off guitar and is worth the money although I think I will go with a Gibson Les Paul next time. As I said before if your into metal, it's your man, but if your into punk get a Les Paul Copy or something. I've been playing about three years now and I also have an SG so the Cort has a lot to live up to but if your planning on getting this guitar I would wait until next as I heard they are making a newer version of this guitar. // 6

Review: Epiphone g-400

I REALLY WANT THIS BABY. too bad im a poorfag with no dough. well heres the staple copypasted review for you guys to enjoy.

















Features: I bought this guitar from a seller advertising on Ebay about 4 months ago now, not one of the Brand New models as it was built in 2000/2001 as far as I know, presumably in Korea. Now lets get the basics out of the way- Standard 22-fret rosewood fretboard, two humbucking pickups, chrome hardware, mahogany body with a very beautiful cherry red finish. The general style and shape of the body is the most accurate match to the Gibson SG in my view, and looks a hell of a lot better than other guitars in it's price range. Epiphone humbucker pickups as standard, but were made by Gibson specifically for Epiphone, before the more recent models where the pickups are made by Epiphone theselves. Standard Epiphone tuners. 2 volume and 2 tone controls, and a 3-way selector. I have yet to start modifying this guitar, and I am considering a Seymour Duncan SH-6 Distortion pickup to add a little more oomph to the guitar, as well as some Grover tuners as I have had a bit of trouble with the g-string coming out of tune recently. // 7


Sound: I play quite a lot of modern rock and alternative music, some punk and a little metal, and find that this guitar can cope quite well with the expectations set. I use two different amplifiers, a 15W with distortion and a 60W which can only output clean tones without any major effects. I find myself using the 15W most often with this guitar, it produces a full, solid tone on heavy distortion, and can manage a reasonably satisfactory clean tone on this small amplifier. However on the larger 60W amp, the bridge pickup can create a much nicer clean tone, however not as well as it can produce distorted ones. The accessibility to the higher frets is very good, one of the best I have played so far. The higher fret notes sound just as clear and full as the lower ones, making this guitar near perfect for fast solo work, however I found that the action of the guitar when purchased was un-naturally high, possibly the previous owner's preference, but I had to lower the action by quite a long way to achieve a comfortable setup. Overall, the standard humbucking pickups are good, and produce rich, full tones that can cope well with most music styles, from heavy rock to blues. However, if you are looking for a guitar with a very fat, powerful output, it would be worth spending a little extra time and expense on upgrading the pickups to something a little more expensive. The sound created from the pickups are very good compared to some other guitars in competition with the G400. // 7


Action, Fit & Finish: When I bought this guitar from the seller, second hand, there were no major flaws considering the guitar is now 5 years old. I am unable to comment on the factory setup of the guitar for the above reason, but the action as I stated above was very high possibly the owner's preference. The action can be lowered reasonably far without creating fret-buzz, and the pickups seem to be adjusted well. It is overall a very quiet guitar when adjusting/selecting pickups, and all the hardware is still perfect. The guitar is reasonably light, and doesn't strain my shoulders too badly when standing, compared to my ancient 30 year old Encore Coaster which is unbearably heavy even after 15 minutes of playing standing up. As for the body of the guitar the wood is still of very good quality, and shows no signs of cracking or weakness. I love the finish of the G-400, the glossy, rich cherry red colour compliments the deep wood grain visible underneath, creating a multi-toned finish and one of the most beautiful reds I have ever seen, especially in sunlight. The only flaw with this guitar is the jack plug- which seems to have been repaired. The actual jack must have become very loose (I think that because the jack lead enters the guitar at 90 degrees to the body, the lead must have been pulled, putting more pressure on the wood holding the jack plug in place). The jack is now being held in place by a square piece of black plastic, screwed into the wood of the body, and holding the plug with a nut. This has created a small weakness and slight chipping of the wood, but I managed to repair it using a mixture of wood filler applied from inside the back panel of the guitar, where the jack is now screwed in place. I was going to get this professionally repaired but hasn't been a big issue with the guitar as yet. Overall very good quality finish and fit, and has good action to play when set up according to your playing preference. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The electronics and hardware of the guitar seem very durable, however the 3-way selector is quite flimsy and probably wouldn't withstand heavy handling. The G400 is very neck-heavy, so a lot of care has to be taken when playing standing up- it's best to make sure you always have a hold on the neck. I realised today that investing in good quality strap locks is a great idea as I witnessed my guitar headstock divebomb to the floor with a rather loud smash, when the strap at the neck end decided it wanted to break free. The result of this not much. The finish is still perfect on the headstock and everything is still intact, suprisingly, as my first impressions of the finish durability were quite inexpectant, there seemed to be lots of scratches over the body when I purchased it, and one small ding where the glossy varnish/lacquer has a dent like a small ripple on the fron of the body, not too noticeable. The main flaw with the finish is near the strap button on the back of the body next to the neck a semicircular set of many scratches about 2 inches in diameter is visible from the guitar strap that the previous owner used, constantly being ground against the body of the guitar. At least it isn't noticeable when playing. Overall, the guitar still looks beautiful with no major flaws, and the scratches are only visible on close inspection. // 9


Impression: I have been playing for around one year now, and find that this guitar is almost perfect for me. Playing mostly modern rock and punk music, I feel that the neck rythm pickup can manage to create heavier, distorted sounds that suit this music. I can imagine that with a larger amplifier that supports distortion, the guitar would be perfectly suited. I own two other guitars that are cheaper and made by Encore, the G400 is definately leagues ahead of the other two. If it were to be used for gigging, it would definately be my first choice, however not up to performance with the more expensive Gibson models which I would suggest for more experienced players than myself. If I were to have my money back and buy another guitar, I would probably choose the same model again, and definately the earlier models from around 200/2001 due to the Gibson made pickups. If you are a new beginner, I wouldn't suggest getting this as your very first guitar, as I find that I progress much more quickly on my £13 Encore guitar, (yes, £13 only) as I find it much more relaxed and comfortable for playing. I feel that the guitar would be suitable for people that are moving onto a higher level guitar, and people playing a few local gigs etc. but not professional players requiring an instrument that meets the high standards they would expect, and that the Gibson would be a better choice. // 8

BACK TO BUSINESS

well, after a LOOOOOONG leave of absence, ive finally had the time to start on my get-cash-for-axe project. i need my ex followers back. i know it wont be easy but heck, im gonna try anyways. im counting on you guys.

Review: Fender Squier Affinity Strat

K guys, im sorry i cant update as frequently as i used to.. im in the middle of my exams now and im seriously busy.. just be patient k.. thx fr the support

Features: It has a laminated top, the neck is a beautiful, dark, burnt red maple. Srat body, obviously. 5 way selector. 2 tone adjusters. // 7

Sound: I play whatever the hell I think sounds good. Lately alot of 90's grunge some newer and older metal, reggae, and always punk.

The sound is extremely decent for the money. The guitar has an extremely bright poppy loud sound when on the clean channel. The distortion is very good, BUT it depends on your style. For me it was perfect considering I play the kind of music that does not require an articulated sound board.If you play a type of music that needs a very distinct sound than this guitar would be about 3 notches above mediocre. This guitar is basically my baby and I would never sell it. 

Bottom line: its a AMAZING guitar for the money, BUT you will want a nicer, more, advanced guitar, if you will, as you progress musically.Its a beginner guitar, but not only for beginners. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS GUITAR I GUARANTEE IT. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I took this guitar right out of the box and started shredding. It was in perfect condition for playing. The pickups will sound absolutely great on the clean channel of your amp, distortion also. I am thinking about changing out the pickups, only because I've been using this guitar for about 3 years now. The guitar contained no flaws, for the first 2 years. Afterwards, due to season changes, the neck started to warp ever so slightly. All you need to get this fixed is show it to your local geeeetar center or music store, they'll fix it right up. As far as action goes from the new state... Ummm preety bad not going to lie. BUT it is adjustable, thank God. I have a red finish and it looks absolutely beautiful in my opinion. This is a great guitar to have if your looking to make something yours, if you know what I mean(stickers, drawings, etc.) I'm sure you'll love it enough to call it your baby. (; // 9

Reliability & Durability: This sucker is indestructible, I can't count the amount of times I have bumped it on dressers, walls, (insert blunt, hard object here). It WILL hold up. I have played with it live 4 times with my band...no problems whatsoever. I would totally trust this guitar at any gig, I know I'm no gig guru, but considering I've had band practice 3+ times a week for 7 months and it holds up, I wouldn't be worried. The strap buttons have yet to fail me. The finish hasn't scratched, after soo much wear. I really do love this guitar despite its simplicity to most players. // 10

Impression: I play whatever. Literally. I play metal, punk, reggae, acoustic, rock, alternative, indie, ska, grunge etc. etc. etc. and this guitar is almost perfect with every genre, the only one I would worry about would be Acoustic playing, but you didn't buy an electric for that now did you?

I have been playing for about 3 years now, of course I desire another guitar but this sucker suits me fine at the moment. (actually I'm about to purchase either a Schecter or Ibanez rg120) If this guitar was stolen, I would cry, and I'm totally serious hahaha. I would immediately buy another one. The one and only con about this guitar would be the action/intonation/height of your strings from the neck... LOL. They are getting much too far from the neck. Everything else is totally awesome. Maybe its just me, but I love this guitar, as I love all my guitars, but this one the most. One thing I wish it had was the word "Fender" instead of "Squire" in Fender font on the head. Hahaha. I don't know I just feel like a poser when walking into music stores with it. (; this guitar has a beginners reputation, but I believe its a suitable guitar for at least an above mediocre guitar player. Damn, finally finished with this review. Ha. Took forever. // 10

Review:Epiphone Les Paul Slash Signature

here's your weekly review.. copypasted as usual

Features: This guitar was made shortly after the Gibson Slash Signature model was made. There were only 75 of the Gibson ones made, and this is a Epiphone Limited Edition, so there's not alot of these around. I think this one was made somewhere between 1997-1999. This is almost exactly the same as the Gibson version, except instead of a hand painted snake, it is a decal, instead of a pearl snake coiling up the neck, it is trapazoid inlays, and in the place of a carved snake in the middle of the head, it is a small Slash siganture. But the pickups are the same, so you will get the same sound. It is equipped with 2 Alnico II humbuckers. Like the Gibson one, it has 22 frets, and like any standard les paul, has 2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, and a 3 way selecter Switch. Unfortunately the 3 way selector Switch is very loose, and can break very easily, which sucks. The body has a wonderful red flametop which looks spectacular. The tuners and bridge are black, instead of chrome or gold (which Gibson usually uses), so it is an interesting change. The neck is a very fast neck, which makes for great soloing. // 8

Sound: I am a rock guitarist, and this guitar delivers the sound you need to play rock. When I bought this, there were no pickup covers, so they are open coils, which means a raw-er sound. When you play through full guitar volume on the bridge humbucker with distortion, you get a sound that you would expect to hear from Slash. Think Welcome to the Jungle or the ending solo from November Rain. If you play through clean with full volume and tone on the neck humbucker, you get the exact sound from the beginning of Knockin On Heaven's Door. If you play with full volume and no tone, you get almost a spanish guitar sound. When played through distortion you get an awesome creamy tone. Very cool. I am playing this through a Peavey amp and a Digitech50 multi effects pedal. If I can get a Slash sound through these things, imagine the sound you can get from a Marshall stack. Exactly. This is an excellent sounding guitar, and is perfect for hard rock, and a little punk. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I got this guitar used, so I can't tell you what the factory set up was, but when I bought this, the action was still incredible. It is an incredibly fast neck, and has great frets. The finish is incredible looking, and this guitar has a beautiful red flametop. I think the exact color is called cranberry. Anyways. There are only 2 problems with this guitar I found. The 3 way selector Switch was very loose, and is now extremely loose after I was playing with it. The nut also isn't that wonderful. On the G and D strings it gets stuck on a pitch, then suddenly jumps up a few when I am tuning. But other than these minor defaults, this guitar is incredibly well built. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar has very good reliabilty, and it is very durable. I've used this in a couple of live shows, and it has delivered well, getting a great sound, and a great tone for solos. I need to replace the pickup selector and the nut, but even with both of these in less then perfect shape, it still plays and sounds like a dream. The finish is very solid, and after months of getting scraped with my picks, looks like new. The strap button closest to the neck recently came out, and I need to get that repaired, but that happens with all of my guitars, so I'm not blaming that on the guitar. This is a very dependable guitar, and would use it on a gig with a short set-list without a backup. However, I would take a backup with me on a larger set list gig. So for reliability, durability, and dependability, the Slash Signature Les Paul is top notch. // 10

Impression: This is my favorite guitar that I own. It has an amazing look, and amazing sound. I love everything about it, and my favorite feature is definatly the sound and look of it. This is the best sounding of my other guitars. It isn't a common guitar, and is kind of rare, so if you ever come across one, I urge you to buy it. It is a wonderful hard rock/punk guitar, but I wouldn't suggest it for nu-metal. I read about this guitar before I knew there was one near where I lived, and when I saw it, I knew immediately that I had to get it, and I definitely don't regret it. // 10

Song Review: System of a Down: Know

yup.. its soad again.. im sorry i cant really post often.. kinda busy nowadays.. k den.. lets begin

LYRICS
Cursed Earth, Cursed Earth, Cursed Earth, Cursed Earth.

I will never feed off the evergreen luster of your heart all because we all live in the valley of the walls when we speak we can peak from the windows of their mouths to see the land the women chant as they fly up to the sun.

You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, Ever think you know why,
Know.

Books all say different things while people flap their yellow wings trying 
to soar by being a whore of life and almost everything the sheep that ran 
off from the herd may be dead but now's a bird able to fly able to die able 
to break your cursed earth


You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, Ever think you know why,
Know.

On the other side, on the other side, the other side,
Do you ever try to fly, Do you ever try to fly?
Have you ever wanted to die, you ever want to die?

Don't ever try to fly, don't ever try to fly,
Don't ever try to fly, unless you leave your body on the other side,
Never try to die, you ever try to die.

Know, You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, You never think you know why,
Know, Ever think you know why, Know. 


MEANING

i will never feed off the evergreen luster of your heart 

this means that he wont believe what organized religions tell him, in their fancy way of making themselves look innocent and good, hence the words used like heart. he says this since they have no real proof or really know and are just in it for their own gain


all because we all live in the valley of the walls

this means we live in a world where we dont know whats gonna happen next, hence the valley of the walls. the walls symbolize that we cant see was on the other side, like when we die. no one can see and know the truth.

when they speak we can peek, through the windows of her mouth see the land the women chant as they fly up to the sun

this means when organized religions like christianity or islam tell u their belief about heaven and all that, when they speak and seeing them fly up to the sun, saying they are explaining to u that u will die and go to heaven if u follow us.

books all say different thing while people flap their yellow wings

is like what free thinker say - it means different books say different things about afterlife, no one knows. people flapping their yellow wings, means all people jumping to conclusions and believing what they read, hence YELLOW WINGS, in other words fake wings. they are living their lives thinking that the religions are right, so they are already flapping their wings to get ready to go when they really dont know.
the rest basically means we try to soar, by believing but then in reality we go out and take advantage of things and the earth, being a whore of life, thinking that believing is enough to get into heaven and we can be a whore in life. the sheep that run stuff mite support the idea of reincarnation stating that that could be a possibility as well, thats why he says MAYBE dead,,

then the whole u ever wanted to die stuff, thats basically saying have u ever really wanted to know what happens and think hard about, but then says, dont ever try to fly unless u leave your body... saying that no matter how hard u think u wont know until u actually die (leaving your body on the other side), and again starts with the, you'll never think u know, stating that all in all, u will never know until u die.

kay guys.. i kinda rushed through.. srry again..