J. Bonamassa Epiphone to come

[Jimi75]

This is great news I think. Epiphone will come out with a JB signature LP this year.

Here's a quote from the man himself:
"I have the prototype on the bus and its ace. Burst buckers, good hardware and this one is pretty light."

:AOK

 

[ZMAN]

I was about to make my Goldtop Classic into a JB Clone. Damn! Now I don't know if I should leave it stock and wait to see the Epi JB. Where did you get the info Jimi?

 

[Blaze]

I was about to make my Goldtop Classic into a JB Clone. Damn! Now I don't know if I should leave it stock and wait to see the Epi JB. Where did you get the info Jimi?

It comes from his site forum here, a guy started a thread about a Vintage Icon replica of his Gibby ...

http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13751

 

[Katastrophe]

Can't wait to see that! Good on Joe to work with Epi for a sig available to mere mortals.

 

[markb]

I tried a few Vintage LPs before I worked out what felt wrong about them. It was only when I saw one on a stand next to an Epiphone I realised the Vintage necks have a shallower back angle. Not a huge difference but enough to feel slightly "wrong". I like the look of the Mick Abrahams SG Special though :AOK

 

[marnold]

It'd certainly be interesting, especially if they can put it at a price us cheapskates can afford.

 

[ZMAN]

I have the Vintage Icon Gold top with P90s. It is an excellent guitar. I paid 400 Can. and had to have a fret level for $100 including set up and strings. Now for 500 it is as nice as any of my LPs.
They use Wilkinson pickups and hardware and all of that is really good.
I bet the Epi will be over a grand street price.

 

[Geraint Jones]

Similar spec to the '59 reissue I just bought ?

 

[ZMAN]

Similar spec to the '59 reissue I just bought ?

Not sure what your question was?

 

[Geraint Jones]

Sorry Zman for the confusion.The new JB Epi , I wonder if they had a few left over from the 1959 they made on the Reissue slapped a gold top on `em and a few hundred dollars .

 

[Jimi75]

Sorry Zman for the confusion.The new JB Epi , I wonder if they had a few left over from the 1959 they made on the Reissue slapped a gold top on `em and a few hundred dollars .

The Epi 59 is a sales hit, properbly they have not so called left overs...
But the basis for Joe's sig could be the same, as the neck profile on the "real" JB sig is a 59 profile.

 

[ZMAN]

I think Epi finally got it that they make a pretty good facsimile of a Gibson, The electronics are usually the only thing people switch out. They already have a goldie with p90s, and I think the 59 and the Slash have USA electronics so why not a JB.
The Elitist models did it from Japan, and were excellent guitars, maybe too good.
Miy Goldie is in the shop as we speak, and I am debating whether to JB it with Black accessories.

 

[Jimi75]

I am debating whether to JB it with Black accessories.

Same thoughts here...it would look great...:AOK

 

[Katastrophe]

Photos of the Epi JB Sig!

Scroll down to the June 24th entry:

http://epiphoneblog.wordpress.com/

Freakin' drool!

 

[ZMAN]

Since we are revisitng this thread, does anyone know when the guitar will be available and the specs. Mine turned out wonderful but I still have left the creme plastic on it and only one seet of knobs. It might be worth a look. I bet it won't be cheap.

 

[marnold]

According to the comments in the article that Kat linked to, it's expected "sometime in the 4th quarter." Some asked there how much it would cost but he didn't respond to that. My guess is that it will be on the high end of the Epi line.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Some asked there how much it would cost but he didn't respond to that. My guess is that it will be on the high end of the Epi line.

Yup, agreed. I'm guessing $800 - $1000 range, similar to the Slash signature model, maybe not quite as much.

 

[Katastrophe]

It's Here! Clicky Linky!

http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-EPI-ENJB-MGNH1

 

[marnold]

Surprised it's a limited release. $699 is a pretty good price. What does a 1959 neck profile mean? Chunky as heck?

 

[duhvoodooman]

Wow, cheaper than I thought it would be! Tempting, but I really prefer a CSB finish with a nice wood grain to a goldtop.

What does a 1959 neck profile mean? Chunky as heck?

Though this is obviously a hugely subjective judgment, many LP devotees consider the '59 neck profile to be just about ideal. It's thinner (depth-wise) than the "baseball bat" '58-and-earlier LP's, but thicker than the substantially thinner '60 profile, which many players find too thin and rather tiring on the hand. That Historic Series '59 Reissue that I recently worked on for a friend had this neck profile, and it felt just great to me. Very comfy! "YMMV", as they say....

 

[duhvoodooman]

Here's a couple of pics from that AMS product page--one with Joe and another B-I-I-I-G one of the guitar itself:

 

[NWBasser]

Wow, cheaper than I thought it would be! Tempting, but I really prefer a CSB finish with a nice wood grain to a goldtop.

Though this is obviously a hugely subjective judgment, many LP devotees consider the '59 neck profile to be just about ideal. It's thinner (depth-wise) than the "baseball bat" '58-and-earlier LP's, but thicker than the substantially thinner '60 profile, which many players find too thin and rather tiring on the hand. That Historic Series '59 Reissue that I recently worked on for a friend had this neck profile, and it felt just great to me. Very comfy! "YMMV", as they say....

Hoo boy! That sounds like the perfect neck profile for me.

That's a pretty decent price. I wonder what pickups it has?

Edit: I see it has the BB 2 and 3. It also comes with a hardshell case. Wow!

 

[Heywood Jablomie]

The best thing about these signature guitars is that, instantly, you'll be able to play just like your new guitar's namesake...........

 

[Katastrophe]

Gee, Heywood, I don't think anyone thinks they'll play like Bonamassa if they buy the guitar... I'm more interested in the features and in it's construction. Only by playing one will anyone know for sure, but it sure looks like a player.

For a sig, it's also not festooned with drawings, graphics, or other silliness. It just looks like a guitar. Outside of the TRC, with JB's name on it, the average person wouldn't know it was a sig... and I like that.

The price is also less than the other sigs that Epi offers... So, construction, not overly flamboyant, and price... What's not to like?

 

[Heywood Jablomie]

Gee, Heywood, I don't think anyone thinks they'll play like Bonamassa if they buy the guitar... I'm more interested in the features and in it's construction. Only by playing one will anyone know for sure, but it sure looks like a player.

For a sig, it's also not festooned with drawings, graphics, or other silliness. It just looks like a guitar. Outside of the TRC, with JB's name on it, the average person wouldn't know it was a sig... and I like that.

The price is also less than the other sigs that Epi offers... So, construction, not overly flamboyant, and price... What's not to like?

I'm just poking some fun at hero worship.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Sorry to be dense, what is a "CSB" finish? I really like Goldy LPs. That thing looks pretty cool! I don't know about Epis, but it seems like special edition type guitars sometimes have a little better fit and finish. At least the Fender Ann. type guitars seemed like that. Maybe this one will too.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Sorry to be dense, what is a "CSB" finish?

CSB = cherry sunburst, which was the finish on the iconic '58 - '60 Les Pauls. Often shortened to "Burst" when referring to these guitars.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Oh, ok. As far as bursts, I am more a "tobacco" burst guy, though I hate that name. Cherry burst is too . . . something for my taste. I guess that is a or
"the" classic LP finish though, right?

 

[duhvoodooman]

The CSB finishes on these old LP's were done with a red dye that faded out under exposure to light over time. Consequently, they end up with a much more subtle sunburst effect. Many of them don't have any real red color left in them--they end up looking more like an amber or honey burst. Some faded more than others, depending upon amount/type of light exposure, so there's a pretty wide degree of variation in these old LP's. Apparently, Gibson realized this fading "problem" sometime during 1960, and switched to a more color-fast red dye. So the last bunch of 'Bursts made are distinctly redder around the edges, from what I read over at the MyLesPaul forum.

That R9 I worked on for a friend recently is a good example of what I'm talking about. In this case, that faded CSB coloration is intentionally reproduced for these Historic Reissue guitars. Here's the body photo of that guitar:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Now that is a lot prettier to me than the more modern "Strawberry/Banana" ones I have seen. I still like this goldie better though. Could be a nice Epi!