It's here, it's here, the new phone book is here, I'm somebody, my name's in print

[DanTheBluesMan]

Navin R Johnson

The Joe Bonamassa Les Paul Custom Black Beauty outfit is here.

Somebody at Musician Friend, which is part of Guitar Center, deserves a pat on the back for an outstanding packing job. It was on a par with one of my own packing jobs, and not to be too modest but I do a really great job packing guitars. I never expected something this good from them.

Epiphone really knocked this one out of the park. The case is as good, or better, than any Gibson brown Lifton reissue or black Custom Shop case. The latches are the best I've ever seen and the case has yellow lining, a thing of beauty.

The guitar is no let down from the great beginning. I haven't weighed it yet but it feels like less than 9 pounds. It was shiny and spotless. The tuners, with the funky looking vintage Epiphone buttons, work as good as the Grover style on my 2-PU LPC. The neck is a medium C, chunky and fills the hand but without big shoulders. The setup out of the box was excellent. I don't know if somebody gave this guitar some TLC but it's possible, given the care in packing.

The controls are traditional 2 pickup 4 controls. The middle position of the selector joins the middle pickup with the bridge pup for a very cool and useful sound. I don't know if it's out of phase, but it is not thin and reedy. The neck pickup is the real deal. It is as good as the best I've heard in Custom shop Les Pauls, like my R0.

Now I've got to decide what to sell to make room. Not a terrible problem to have.

[Keefoman1]

Have seen a couple of reviews on these. They look and sound great! Gongratulations!

[DanTheBluesMan]

I'm beginning to think the rhythm sound I've heard in my head all these years was actually a Les Paul Custom. I've always associated them with well-heeled talented players and certainly heard my share of people shredding on them. I've never given them their due for laying down the rhythm and being funky as the day is long if you want them to. I also did not expect to own one due to their cost and potential heftiness. Now I have two and one really should go.

I think I'm putting the 2-pickup LPC on CL tomorrow.

[OldStrummer]

Looks nice, Dan. Those are some BIG pickups! The headstock looks pretty big, too. Or is it just the angle the photo was taken?

[ch willie]

Epiphone is getting its shit together for the first time since their manufacturing left Korea for other Asian countries.

As I've announced loudly, I've just gotten a Chinese Casino nd the thing requires 0 mods. The most amazing to me though is the long scale Epi SG type bass. It's a righty, and I had alefty nut put on it, but man those controls are in my way. I'd never gig it--since I plan not to gig again, no prob). It sounds exactly like those great Gibson slab basses of the 70s.


I'm glad for you, Dan. It's a great looking guitar.