How bout the new Epiphone SL?

[Chistopher]

I see these are coming out soon and was wondering what preconceived notions y'all have about them. They seem to me like a Epiphone Telecaster of sorts. Single cutaway design, flat top, dual single coil pickups, master volume and tone. The only difference I can see is the appearance, scale length, wood, neck shape, playability, and all around general tone. But other than that they are exactly the same.

I see they are set to sell at about $99 in the US, and for that price they seem like a nice opportunity for some weird mods. The first thing I thought when I saw one was attempting to "mess it up".

Tell me that think would look swell with a trapeze stop bar and Tune-o-matic combo, maybe a Strabro 90 in the bridge and an Invader single in the neck. Or maybe a tapped Strabro 90 in the neck and an Invader single in the bridge. Then throw on a Peter Green out of phase middle position (would work extra well because the two pups are so different) and a TBX modded to work as both a high and low pass filter. And don't forget knob pointers too.

This thing looks totally ripe for experimentation. Let me know what you guys think of this beast.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

That's ugly. Looks more like the Epiphone version of a Squier 51 (also ugly; ) I'd rather have the Squier.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

I think they should've gone with a black pickguard, it's basically a Melody Maker D with a poplar body and bolt on meck

 

[Chistopher]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

I was thinking that with some mods, you could shoot the moon in terms of ugly. Like maybe get a custom made paisley pickguard, if you can find someone to cut it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

The neck pickup looks like it would be in the wrong place for me, but I can see people modding these. I wonder how many pieces of wood the body is made out of. It is probably the leftover parts from other Epiphones.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

It looks to me to just be a Les Paul II with a weird pickguard and single coil pickups.

 

[AlexR]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

The melody makers were LP shape with singlecoil pickups, thats why someone has said that.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

I know, one of my guitar buddies had am SG melody maker with 2 covered single coils, I remember it because if he used the vibrola at all, the low e would jump about a half step out of tune with all other strings being fine.

 

[AlexR]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

Those old vibrolas would go out of tune just looking at them!!

The 2 pickup singlecut MM from the late 50's to early 60's is really similar looking to this epi......as in the pickguard general design too.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

Those old vibrolas would go out of tune just looking at them!!

The 2 pickup singlecut MM from the late 50's to early 60's is really similar looking to this epi......as in the pickguard general design too.

Yeah the old ones didn't curve out behind the bridge, and the pickups mounted to rings instead of the guard jutting out right there, but close enough that the second I saw it i knew what it was based on

 

[Chistopher]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

Yeah the old ones didn't curve out behind the bridge, and the pickups mounted to rings instead of the guard jutting out right there, but close enough that the second I saw it i knew what it was based on

Gotta change em just enough that you can call em new. But still, it's nice to have a guitar like that that can allow people to either start learning guitar on or have a nice platform to.

 

[Wattage]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

It's a Melody Maker that's all

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

With a bolt on neck, if that's true, they're even a step below a Melody Maker.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

I think they are slightly different than a Melody Maker for one key reason, a lot of the people that the original MMs appealed to were the ones that wanted a Gibson but could afford the higher end models. Many of their sales were to people who only wanted the Gibson name on the headstock. That's not to say they are bad guitars but that's probably what the grand old Gibson marketing department thought would help Gibson sell to lower income players before they owned Epiphone.

The SL on the other hand, is just a Les Paul II with single coils and $30 off the price tag. No one buys Epiphones for the Epiphone name on the headstock, that $30 makes a negligible difference (especially considering used LP Jrs. go for less than $80 used on occasion) to the buyer, and it doesn't teach younger guitar players to appreciate the Gibson tone. If you start someone with an SL their is a decent chance they will like the control layout and pickup style and later go for a better model of something similar: a Telecaster.

So other than modding, guitars are useless; but for modding, they show great potential.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

it doesn't teach younger guitar players to appreciate the Gibson tone. If you start someone with an SL their is a decent chance they will like the control layout and pickup style and later go for a better model of something similar: a Telecaster.

That's an interesting assertion. An observation though: A beginner on a $100 guitar probably won't "like" anything about about the guitar; rather, they have that many more things to excuse their crap playing and sound for. "My playing/sound suck; must be the single coils/bolt on/non-intonatable bridge/cheap pots/cheap switch etc." All they'll want later is a "real" Les Paul which as they have been told, by Gibson, that this is obviously not. They'll probably think a $2000 Tele is probably crappy for the same reasons their cheap Epiphone is.

If they started out on an American Strat, they'd have a lot less reason in their own mind to excuse the equipment. But who does something like that any more...

 

[NotCardio]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

I they had the pickups that were in my original Melody Maker, I'd go for it, but considering that even the Gibson revamps weren't even close, I guess I'll pass. And please tell me they have other colors.

 

[NotCardio]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

The neck pickup looks like it would be in the wrong place for me

How so? (I'm not disputing it, I'm just trying to further my education here.)

 

[NotCardio]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

Also, does anyone know if those are Strat-sized pickups?

 

[NotCardio]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

And another question: how come you never hear anybody complaining about Fenders being bolt-ons?

 

[Squire]

Re: How bout the new Epiphone SL?

You get what you pay for I suppose. They're not going to set the world on fire but then they're not supposed to. It provides another option for those shopping in that price range so that can only be a good thing.

Aesthetically I actually quite like it, particularly in 'pacific blue'.