A huge surprise...

xHymnal

I just played one of the new Epiphone Sorrento's: it's hands down one of the best guitars i've ever played! 

Yeah it's not Collings style craftsmanship but it genuinely holds it's own against the Gibsons I played and sounded GREAT! I've owned a lot of high end guitars and this is seriously damn good. When did Epiphone begin upping their game this much?! The case is a bit flimsy and there are a couple of finishing details that could have been done better but that's really getting nitpicky. Plus the green olive burst is simply stunning. 

/comments?! 

JookyChap

Fotos?

That's good to know though, it's odd how while Gibson are making more stripped down and cheaper guitars, Epiphone seem to be making some real class ones. I had a fiddle with a Riviera the other day and the quality was excellent on that too. Beautiful thing indeedy

xHymnal

I may look into getting one. I know, I think Gibson are also increasingly adding gimmicks to their guitars whilst Epi seem to be like you say adding a real touch of class and looking to the past. The neck profile and fret dressing on the one i tried were both absolutely lovely. It's a shame epi use such thick finishes; though the Sorrento i tried had a super thin finish which I liked a lot

guitarfishbay

Hymnal said:

..... hands down one of the best guitars i've ever played! ....

..... played and sounded GREAT! I've owned a lot of high end guitars and this is seriously damn good. .... Plus the green olive burst is simply stunning. 

/comments?! 

Yeah, sounds like you should have bought it! 

JookyChap

Yes, I meant to say the Riv had a lot thinner finish than I'd expected too, it really was classy, and yes the frets were perfect

badlydrawnbanjo

One of the 50th anniversary ones? Superficial I know, but I can't get over the badge plate on the headstock.

stickyfiddle

Ooh, I didn't know thy we're doing Sorrentos again?! Excellent

xHymnal

I think the metal badge looks really cool, each to their own! Yeah, it's the 50th anniversary one: so they have made 1962 which is quite a cool touch

xHymnal

impmann

I seriously want one of these... all thanks to this demo on YT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5qUa1ZRY4g

ThePrettyDamned

One of the best guitars I've played, and by far the best Explorer, is an epiphone my mate has, korina, black and gold hardware with a mirrored gold scratchplate.

I don't know what it is, but it plays better than anything I've ever played and sound so, so good. A magic guitar - one that, if it had a Gibson badge, you would believe came from the custom shop. So, so good.

He paid 200 quid for it, unseen, off eBay! Jammy git.

OilCityPickups

I think a good Epi pretty much stands up there with the high priced competition. Not so keen on their LPs because I think the headstock looks like a dogs breakfast on that body shape ... but I adore my own 67 V ... and I was playing an Epi Firebird the other day ... and aside from the 'wrong' pickups ... it was lovely.

A_T_W

Damn that looks slick

ThePrettyDamned

TheGuitarWeasel;93902" said:

I think a good Epi pretty much stands up there with the high priced competition. Not so keen on their LPs because I think the headstock looks like a dogs breakfast on that body shape ... but I adore my own 67 V ... and I was playing an Epi Firebird the other day ... and aside from the 'wrong' pickups ... it was lovely.

Interestingly, the same friend with the Explorer also has a firebird. It's horrendous it's one of the old epi custom limited ones, but while it looks beautiful and plays well (though, inexplicably, not as well as the Explorer) it's very,very dull. It's incredibly heavy, too - a real boat anchor. I'm not a huge believer in lighter =better, but this is uncomfortable, even for him (he's a tank of a drummer), and the tone is dead, plugged on or not. No sustain either. Yet it's basically identical to the Explorer, fundamentally - same scale, same hardware. Proof that wood matters?

So I guess it was a Friday afternoon job. Shame, because it's got a beautiful, thin satin finish and looks like a 2 piece, well matched body. It is older - an early 2000s model I think?

Drew_TNBD

Cheap guitars piss all over expensive guitars.

(I know, I know, I'll take the flak for saying it...)

NervousJohn

Florentine cutaway = win

I like this a lot.