Epiphone Avis 

Epiphone guitars are among the finest to play. . .and perform with! While I own a number of other popular guitars, I've found the sound, beauty and ease of playing my Epiphone guitars call me back. They remain my first choice. Grateful to the luthiers, builders, and designers for all they do to bring Epiphones to life.

If zero were a choice for a review, I would give a zero.
Epiphron took my payment immediately but I never received the jeans I ordered.
I contacted them many times and received generated, non human, responses written in poor English, suggesting I should be patient.
Do not buy from them!!!!!

Habe eine Gitarre direkt im Webshop bestellt, wurde schnell geliefert, alles lief gut. Das war es dann auch. Beim Versuch, Kontakt zum Customer Support aufzunehmen, ist seit Wochen die einzige Reaktion die automatische Antwort des Postfachs, dass ein Mitarbeiter sich in Kürze mit meiner Frage befassen wird. So geht das jetzt seit drei Wochen. Null Reaktion, echt unfassbar. Ist aber klar, man hat ja das Geld eingestrichen. Danke, nie wieder!

Fantastic place to buy from no issues at all they also tracked item and kept me informed so I didn't have to. I have 1 happy boy tonight can't thank you enough so thank you again

Mit dem Auftauchen der Vintage Sunburst um 2020 tat mir Epiphone einen großen Gefallen, denn die ganz klassische Standard Firebird V ist meine absolute Lieblingsgitarre, jedoch stand ich immer vor dem Problem, dass nur Gibson eine ergonomisch und konstruktionsbedingt korrekte Firebird mit Neck-thru und Belly Cut hatte und eine solche Standard mit ihren "nur" ca. 2.000 € verflucht teuer ist

Obendrein ist dieser grauenhaft billige Vogel einem schöneren gewichen, besser wäre es jetzt nur noch, wenn die Pickguards gänzlich wie die von Gibson wären, auch die Epiphone Standard Firebirds den schöneren Headstock bekommen, wo die Stimmmechaniken hinten herauskommen und vielleicht ein härteres Bundiermaterial und/oder Fretnibs verwendet würden.

Jedenfalls hob die Firebird V Vintage Sunburst mein Bild, das ich von Epiphone habe, ordentlich in die Höhe, ich feiere sie, weil auch endlich kleinere Budgets die Chance auf eine Firebird haben, die unter 1.000 € koste, aber trotzdem alles hat, was diese wundervollen Gitarren ausmacht.

Zwei Wehrmutstropfen gibt es jedoch trotzdem:

Zum einen finde ich "Reissue" mit knapp 2.000 € viel zu teuer, denn eine Gitarre "Made in China" kostet ganz sicher nicht nur wegen Trem und Gibson Pickups so viel, wie eine echte Gibson, sorry, dass kaufe ich euch schlichtweg nicht ab, zumal man nicht einmal die Wahl hat, ob man dieses (in meinen Augen grauenhafte) Tremolo überhaupt will.

Zum anderen hatte ich leider zweimal in Folge mit der Nachfolgerin der Vintage Sunburst, der Firebird Ruby Red, ziemlich blöde Verarbeitungsmängel erleben müssen. Und das waren keine kleinen Mängel. Bei der einen waren die Bünde so hoch, dass ein Blatt Papier drunter geschoben werden kann, bei der anderen war der Headstock angebrochenen.

Da gehört einfach besser kontrolliert, denn 900 € sind immerhin mit einer MiM-Fender vergleichbar und für ein kleines Budget nicht allzu wenig.

4 Sterne gibt's von mir trotzdem, denn abgesehen einer nachgezogenen Steckerbuchse habe ich nie irgendwas an einer Vintage Sunburst machen müssen, die war perfekt out of the box. Außerdem gehört die Ruby Red, trotz ihres Bundierungsfehlers, zu den wohlklingendsten Gitarren, die ich je in Händen halten durfte.

Außerdem noch ein paar Anregungen für Farben, die schön wären.

- Black Satin, schwarzes Pickguard mit silbernem Vogel, normale Hardware
- Transparent Black Burst, normales Pickguard, normale Hardware
- British Racing Green, goldene Hardware, normales Pickguard
- Gold (inspiriert von der Gibson Firebird 50th Anniversary), goldene Hardware, schwarzes Pickguard mit goldenem Vogel
- Weiß, normales Pickguard, normale Hardware

PS.
Bitte, bitte, bitte bringt häufiger und öfter Standard Firebirds mit verschiedenen Finishes zur gleichen Zeit auch nach Deutschland. Sie sind chronische Mangelware in Musikgeschäften und ich würde es vorziehen, sie mehr vor einem Kauf antesten zu können. Außerdem benötigen und verdienen diese schönen Gitarren mehr Aufmerksamkeit, denn sie können so viel mehr, als nur Blues und Southern Rock.

I purchased an Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1962 ES-335 (replica of original Gibson) in February 2024 from a retailer. It was obviously shipped from a retail showroom, because the pick guard was covered in scratches and the chrome parts were covered in oily fingerprints and smudges. The retailer did not even bother to clean it up before shipping it to me. I was able to get a small refund as a concession from the retailer for its condition and it was generally in good shape otherwise.

Now, in June 2024, the neck has developed cracks along both sides starting at the nut, so I contacted Epiphone support expecting them to honor their guarantee from defects in quality and craftsmanship. This is a practice guitar for me, so it is never out of my sight and I have treated it with kid gloves to ensure it is not damaged in the slightest. When I travel (only locally) with it, I use the custom hardshell case it came with, so there has been no opportunity for me to have caused any damage myself.

Epiphone responded:
Thanks for reaching out and I'm sorry to hear about your Epiphone Joe Bonamassa neck having cracks. I want to inform you that headstock breaks are generally not covered under the standard Epiphone warranty terms. However, we understand the importance of assessing each case individually. Could you please send the photos in JPEG format? Once we receive the images, we'll take a closer look to better understand your situation.

Thank you for your understanding, and we'll be in touch after reviewing the photos.

I had already sent them photos but sent them again, and they almost immediately responded:
Thanks for providing the photos. While we understand the frustration that can accompany such incidents, unfortunately, these types of headstock breaks are not covered under our warranty policy.

The reason for this lies in the nature of headstock breaks, which often result from accidental damage rather than a defect in materials or craftsmanship. These breaks almost always happen due to an unusual amount of stress being forced onto the headstock, and unfortunately, there is no way to really tell if it happened under normal circumstances. Our warranty primarily only covers manufacturing defects and issues arising from normal use.

While headstock breaks are not covered by the warranty, if you require repair services or have any questions on how to handle it, please feel free to reach out to the Gibson Repair and Restoration Team.

I pushed back saying:
Considering I had no control over the guitar on the [retailer’s] showroom floor and it was clearly played while there, I should have some recourse to at least be reimbursed for the cost of the repair. In the less than 3 months that I have had the guitar it has never touched anything other than the wall hanger, a floor stand, or its case, so there is no chance I did anything to cause this issue. I disagree that it is not an issue of a defect or that the damage was not caused by neglectful handling by [the retailer]. I doubt the original 1962 Joe Bonamassa guitar experienced this issue and I am certain it saw much more stress on his tours than this replica that has been treated by me with kid gloves.

It is offensive that you would not trust me to have handled the instrument carefully and take responsibility for ensuring my investment in your instrument is backed by your guarantee of quality and craftsmanship.

If you have no other offer than for me to seek repairs at my own expense, this is the last Epiphone or Gibson product I will ever purchase. I will take action to ensure your customers and potential customers are aware of this issue and your refusal to make good on your guarantee.

I regret being put in this position and hope you will reconsider.

Epiphone support responded:
I understand your frustration and disappointment with the situation regarding your guitar from [the retailer]. It sounds like you've taken excellent care of your instrument, and it's understandably frustrating when damage occurs outside of your control.

It might be helpful to directly reach out to [the retailer’s] customer service department to discuss reimbursement for the repair costs. Sometimes they can offer solutions that might not initially be apparent. I hope you're able to find a resolution that meets your expectations.

I also contacted the retailer, who said the purchase was past their 45-day return policy, so there is nothing they would do either.

I luckily have a local master guitar builder who should be able to repair it at my expense.

I am following through on my promise to Epiphone support to let their customers and potential future customers know of this situation and that purchasing Epiphone or Gibson guitars may be at their own risk.