Epiphone '59 Les Paul Standard real world, gig tested review!

[@SuperBroncosguy]

I saw the Lighting Hopkins poster over his shoulder & knew i'd like this guitarist. Good video!

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you!

[@Edward1312]

I have the Epi 59 darkburst and it definitely doesnt have a veneer on the back, it also has an obvious two piece body that is however, well book matched.

[@YOSTINATOR]

You're correct! I have 5 of them. All of mine are 2 piece bodies with NO veneer.

[@mulemusic]

I lucked out in 2009 and got an Epiphone 50th Anniversary 1959 Burst. Those were limited to 1959 guitars, and there was a Gibson version with the same amount being made. Mine came with the Burstbucker 2 and 3 pickups and the same wiring as the Gibson version. Mine cost $1,000 and the Gibson version was $10,000. I have used this guitar a lot through the years and while I have Gibson Les Pauls in my collection, this is one I always KNOW will bring what I need. I no longer play out, and recently found my absolute Les Paul (since I can't afford a real 59) in a 79 Les Paul Custom that weighs in at over 10 pounds. Like you, I think Epiphone guitars with good pickups and wiring are well worth the money and will bring it time after time!! Nice video!!

[@JamesLWilliams-k9x]

$10,000 ?🤣

[@Tim85-y2q]

The choke points are always pickups, wiring and hardware. If you can get past those hurdles (and many modern Epiphone models do), Epiphones can be very solid guitars.

[@6speedsti241]

that color from SWEETWATER and the lemon burst JB are my favorite colors ever

[@pauldoe1628]

Love this video. Great review. Have you got a guide to your slide playing; I would really like to learn your style of playing. I am bored with using a pick and have loved American Blues since I was a child; now in my 50s. I need some guidance on guitar tuning for slide, and your finger style; what fingers for what strings etc Absolutely great work; video will be saved to my favourites.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Well, I DO offer online lessons on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Just shoot me an email at [e-mail]. That's USA Eastern standard time. I dont have any instructional videos on KZbin regarding slide, as I dont have much of a following and there are other folks that cover most of basics with a better production value than I can get.

[@dlflash56]

You should have bought the dark burst, I did. I polished the top on mine and now it looks more like an Iced Tea Burst and the flame top really stands out, now (lots of movement). I also swapped out the pickups for a set of Custom Buckers, for a R9 (bought from the Gibson Custom Shop). Now it looks, feels and sounds like my real R9 for 1/4 of the price... as it should. Dare to be different... polish that top, I guarantee that you will love the result... it should tone down the orange and bring out the flame top.

[@jukehousejohnny]

EVERYBODY got the dark burst. Id rather not have one, honestly...

[@standingbadger]

Love that tune from the gig and your slide playing 👍🏼

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you!

[@caseysniper308]

nice guitar, sounds good. i've got the 50's model and the 59 should be here tomorrow. alabama mississippi and florida are the golden triangle of the blues.

[@SwanSycorax]

Nice video. I am in the UK and a store here called Andertons have a similar deal to the Sweetwater one you mentioned with an exclusive (in the UK) Honey/Lemon-burst Epiphone '59 Les Paul. Like you, I watched numerous reviews of the '59 reissues but didn't want the dark-burst or the rather bright cherry-burst all the stores are offering. I picked mine up yesterday and am absolutely delighted by the feel, sound and look of this guitar - amazing value for money. I used to be very anti these Chinese made "copies", but Gibson with these new Epiphones and Fender with th latest Squires really so seem to have nailed putting out well priced, affordable copies of their main USA brand instruments.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Indeed, everybody has stepped up their budget model game.

[@DeWittPotts]

I just bought the Epiphone Les Paul Modern. I wanted the split coil and phase switching but can't justify spending almost $3k on the Gibson version. I played this with my band last night for the first time and really like how it plays and sounds. The guitar came with absolutely no quality issues. Like you I like my guitars set up a certain way which only took me about 20 minutes to do. So far I am very happy with the Epiphone.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Nice!

[@DeWittPotts]

@ChiefTruthSeeker the Les Paul Modern has the Pro Bucker 2 and 3 pickups witch are the same as the Les Paul 60's model. It will deliver vintage tones but with addition of coil splitting and 'Out Of Phase'. I bought the modern because I wanted the enhanced electronics as well as the weight relief.

[@peterwalliste8232]

This was the reason for my purchase of the Epi Les Paul Modern in Pelham Blue, and I love it!!

[@slakr]

You're a talented guy JJ. What a great review with real world context.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you, sir! And thanks for watching!

[@stevelankford7087]

Hi JJ thanks for the info and your take on this guitar. Awesome job and cool style you have developed!

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks, Steve! And thanks for watching!

[@Zoso981]

Good review man. Great playing too. I've got the Epiphone '59 Les Paul from A.M.S. in the Southern Fade finish. Mine has a 2 piece body, no veneer on the back. Maybe it's a Sweetwater thing........

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

The "southern fade" is the only finish i like as a burst on these. I also like the "Lemon burst" but there is only really one tint. The southern fade has that Ice tea burst look i like.

[@rj-zero1453]

Great review, sorry you feel so badly about Epiphone making their guitars in China. If you look and find a used Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Lazarus 59 Les Paul Standard, they do come with a 1-piece neck, but everything else is like your new 59. The Lazarus I have is a fantastic guitar, definitely one of my favorite Epiphone Les Paul's I have ever purchased.

[@TeleCaster66]

Lol, China is our enemy.

[@billybudd45]

Greeny looks good too

[@GeroLubovnik]

You showed the secret settings of the Blues Jr.... Master all the way up and adjust the loudness with the volume. Bass ackwrds, I know because the volume is really "gain", adjusting the preamp and the Master the power amp. Another tip is to swap out the 12AX7 tube with a 12AY7 for more overhead before breakup. No more "boxy" tone that you get when you use the Master for how loud it should be. The manual sort of alludes to the counter-intuitive setting and is easily overlooked.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Yep. That's the way the Blues jr works...

[@claytonphelps9911]

Excellent video, love how you presented this entire thing

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks, man. And thanks for watching!

[@mikepj1025]

I bought the Epiphone Slash Les Paul goldtop that a local store had as used last year. At the time it was a steal of a deal but now, with the prices so high, it was an incredible deal. I swapped the pickups for Gibson Burstbuckers 2 and 3 set that I had. I also reworded the pots in the 50s style wiring. Kept the pots and orange drops that came in it. The guitar is incredible. The neck is the best neck I’ve ever felt on any Epiphone and the back does not have that ugly veneer. I agree with you telling Epiphone to stop that. It’s counterproductive. The build quality is fantastic. The guitar should come with Seymour Duncan Slash pickups but for some ridiculous reason, it doesn’t. HUGE MISTAKE BY EPIPHONE. Charge another $100 and put Slash pickups in the Slash guitar. Great review of the ‘59. I agree those guitars are a great buy and worthy of gigging.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I've heard that the Slash models are top quality. I've had many Epiphones over the years, and this '59 is the nicest I've ever played. They're making some good stuff these days. Better than some Gibsons from years past. Not perfect, but a good deal and not a bad choice to take out and work with every weekend.

[@mikepj1025]

@@jukehousejohnny totally agree. I have zero complaints about mine after a year of it being one of my go to guitars.

[@Alex1919Eternal]

Damn! Loved your slide playing! I just bought the same guitar, same colour.

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@Alex1919Eternal thank you

[@bigjohnson9561]

I’m considering this guitar. Thanks for the review.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

I now see why you like the 58's so much! I finally got a 2016 Historic R8 Lemonburst VOS and wow! The Neck is killer! People saying these are too fat or thick confuse me? I mean maybe compared to a super strat shred neck the R8 neck may be a bit thick but compared to a R9 it is not that far off? I would say it is thinner than my 57 goldtop neck. Anyway the Custombuckers are stellar and the ring and power of these R8's unplugged is insane! Loud acoustically! Can only imagine what owning one from 1958 would be like!

[@zororosario]

These are good guitars , if you don't care for what it says on the headstock it works and sounds the same. Made in China don't make a pinch of difference in craftsmanship quality. Price is fair for what it puts out. Nice review.

[@TKevinBlanc]

Chinese manufacturers can make products at any quality level. It's up to the importer to spec the quality. Want cheap? They'll make cheap. Want top notch? It'll cost more, but they can absolutely do it.

[@onemorething100]

I Just got a Honey Burst last week. I really like it.

[@ampgent]

Great review and demo! Just subscribed

[@JohnMaag-f3t]

I've got the Epiphone "Inspired By Gibson" Les Paul Standard 50's in both Metallic Gold and Sweetwater's Exclusive Lemonburst. Both are stock from the factory and both will hold their own against my Gibson 2014 R8. Epiphone are really making some excellent guitars now.

[@maxwellfan55]

Thank you. I enjoyed the honest, workman-like review of your Epi Les Paul custom shop, although not so mad on the orange finish, personal opinion mind. From someone in England across the pond, but deep into guitars, I like your Southern style, the way you come across, plus your music. The fingers and slide technique you play also sounds great, along with the vocal (and the percussion!). I'm a pick and fingers man, but do play acoustic and reso slide. I recently bought a well used Korean early 2000 LP custom and I'm really wowed by it, the incredible burst finish, sound, playability, manufacturing quality, tuners, the lot. As I'm also a bluegrass banjo player the heavy weight doesn't bother me at all, esp when it delivers great sustain the way it does. It just feels quality. TBH, all these years I've never been an LP player (once had a Studio-didn't like the neck and stripped down vibe), more into blackguard and thinline Tele's, but this Epi LP custom has completely swung my opinion. For me a guitar has got to start off looking good to really grab me, like a woman, and this Epi more than does it. How d'you like your Blues Junior/LP combination? Does it break up a little without going too loud, need any compression? I stay mainly clean with just a little compression from a pedal. Cheers.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks for watching! I like the Blues Jr with a lot of guitars once you swap out the speaker or run it into another cab. I did some minor circuit mods to mine, but really the Eminence speaker of your choice is the best bang for your buck and makes it a really good amp. Upgrading the bias circuit and installing some Russian military power tubes gives it serious reliability. I, too, started out as a Fender player that disliked Les Pauls. And I passed on a few early 70's models years ago that now wld be worth a small house... But once I figured out that I strongly preferred the '50s neck LPs and learned how well humbuckers worked with my style, I was hooked. I basically only play Les Pauls live now. I record with Teles a good bit, but around here, clubs have bad electrical systems and all the neon lights make single coils unmaginable. I've never used any compression. I generally run my amps clean with an overdrive pedal in front of them live. The combination of humbuckers, a quality OD pedal, and good tube amps gives a very dynamic and controllable natural compression. In the studio, I have the option of just cranking the amps if I want. That said, I burnt my Blues Jr up a few times doing it that way. But I usually record in the same way I play live.

[@maxwellfan55]

@@jukehousejohnny Cheers Jukehouse, all sounds very interesting. Know what you mean about the single coil thing when performing out, can sound thin depending where, and with who. Regards that, and for personal preference, I'm considering replacing my blackguard pups with a Seymour hot tele set, also going back to the original '52 wiring, I'm missing that reverb "click" when switching pickups and just prefer the tone combination anyway. I'm into Buchanan. A lot.

[@secreature]

I have the dark cherry burst and it’s killer. There’s no way that they used a veneer on the back. Mine is definitely a two piece mahogany body.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Maybe they forgot to slap that veneer on yours. I've handled 7 of these and they all have veneers. If you look at alllllll the pics of alllllll the examples online, they all have veneers on the top and back.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@jukehousejohnny EPi only uses a veneer on the back when they use more than 2 pieces for the body. on two piece bodies they never use a veneer on the back. your is kind of a anomaly it seems since i am seeing so many of these that have a center seam.

[@MrBlackholegravity]

I have the exact same Sweetwater exclusive 59…no rear veneer, two piece body. Nice review though

[@poodleguiderpeyes7388]

Thsi was a good review, felt very honest. Thanks!

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks for watching!

[@aperezdeal]

Now that Epiphone has released a new version of these with a 1pc neck and “open book” head stock are you aiming to do a follow up at some point? Cheers.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

I researched into these Epiphone 59's a good bit and found out that although they do indeed use CTS pot's they are not the highest grade ones by CTS. One 1959 owner had his complete harness replaced with a more vintage correct harness and said the Epiphone sounded even better? It would make sense Epiphone would not use the highest cost pots by CTS. Many also seem to need a fret dressing out of the box if one plays with a lower action.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I can't testify to that, as I play heavy strings with a medium-high action.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@jukehousejohnny Yeah it is only a issue for those that play with low actions and do a lot of bending. They only need a level and crown and then the are fine

[@ampgent]

By the way, I just got into all the Possum Records dudes, and they are fantastic! Your style is so great

[@jukehousejohnny]

Some of the best music of the past 25y came out of Fat Possum. And thanks for watching!

[@herbertmcgowan3080]

I have the lemon burst Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard limited edition with that badge metal over the pickup selector cavity. The body is two peace mahogany an African grade mahogany. There is no veneer on the back the body is book Matched very well. There is a plain Maple top and then there is a triple grade book Matched veneer on the plane Maple top. The neck is two piece with a scarf joint which makes it stronger than the one piece knit at Gibson uses on their vintage instruments and VOS reissues. If you remove the pickups from the guitar you will see the mahogany body the plain Maple cap and the triple grade book Matched veneer and most of all the Deep neck tendon. By the way nice slide playing.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks for watching

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@Herbert McGowan, How does the "Lemon burst" look in person? it is the only color in pics i like?

[@arthurthedane9204]

Definitely NO veneer on the back. It's solid mahogany in 2 pieces & very well matched.

[@dliamschmitt4734]

I ordered 2 Bonamassa Lazarus 59 LP Standard and 2 of the of the Satin regular Epiphone 59’s Epi’s one tabacco burst and the Limited Aged cherry burst. My 2 Lazarus were perfect as far as the Maple wide Flame but couldn’t hold a candle to the Regular other 2 which were basically the exact same guitars. I couldn’t believe both the Lazarus were just not even close as far as playability,build,and neck. I wanted the Lazarus LP’s really bad for looks and collecting. I had to give both Lazarus guitars back and the Epiphone 59’s both were beyond perfect and kept them both. I think they may of pushed out the Lazarus to quickly to meet demand and a lot of us got a Lemon or 2. Put real Klusons on the Reg 59’s and they are right there with my many Gibson LP’s. I find myself playing the Epiphone’s which surprises me still. Just feels better. Indonesia could pull off these guitars and leave the China era behind. It bothers me even-loving the guitars. My Lee Malia LP came from Indonesia and wow that came perfect. Ordered a second and no luck. Still rather take off Indonesia sticker.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I can't speak intelligently about the Bonamassa models. And, personally, I am not a fan. But the '59 standard reissues are nice, well put together guitars.

[@dliamschmitt4734]

@@jukehousejohnny I thought so too. That was what I heard. Mine were consistent, I can say that. I was willing to fix anything with in reason. They both had necks that could not be adjusted with a truss. I’ll go as far as fixing or leveling frets on new guitar setups. People had better luck then I did with the Lazarus. I really wanted to have one. If it wasn’t for the other 2 59’s I would of had a terrible experience.

[@mulemusic]

I passed on the Lazarus, although I have purchased the JB Gold Top, and a couple of years ago snagged the JB 58 Black Beauty. I loved the Gold Top, but have only played the Black Beauty less than 5 hours. I've been playing since the mid 60s, and I just don't care for the 3 pickup configuration or the SUPER SUPER BALL BAT NECK! I like a semi-hefty neck, but this one is a load of work! (It's currently for sale on Reverb and Sweetwater Gear Exchange.) A friend of mine bought a Lazarus and is very happy with his.

[@dwliamz2370]

@@mulemusic It’s funny you say you don’t like the 3 pickup setup. I couldn’t stand it. I had a 1991/1961 reissue SG shape Les Paul in Tv Yellow no Bigsby with 3 gold hardware burst buckets. It was a perfect guitar built like a gem. The 3 pickups ruined the sound had a ton of bass had to 0 out all amp eq’s. Had it brand new all plastic on still. I wish I didn’t sell it because of the worth of a untouched maintained version today gets over 6Gs or better. I paid $1100 then.Never found one untouched for 31 years with that soft paint for sale anywhere,i without a rub mark or scratch, just was unbelievable. I sold it because even the Gibson 3 pickup setup was not for me. It was a beauty though. Not much for the SG shape except I tried that one because it was a les Paul in name.

[@MegaMr28]

which Klusons

[@robpodd8665]

New sub here. Do you get the pickups almost right on the strings to get that chewy tone? I have the 59' dark burst 2020 model, and that's what I do to get that classic les Paul tone . Nice playing 👍 👍

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks for subscribing! Actually, I do almost the opposite of that. I run my pickups relatively low and pretty far away from the strings. I don't like to have too much output from them, and since I play very agressively, my muting techniques can cause the strings to touch the pickup magents if they are too high. To my ear, that gives a far better clean tone, and that is what I base my overall sound on. I like to run my guitar volumes between 6 and 10. Never really below that on either PU. And I set the amp for a nice, full, powerful clean tone, then use an OD pedal with no bass roll-off eq, usually at about 1/4-1/3 up on the drive knob. I run the ODR at about 10-11 o'clock, though.

[@damclauchlan]

Nice quitar, I bought the cherry burst and like everything about it. It is a great guitar and the price isn't going to break the bank.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Wish they would have used a deeper red for that Burst.

[@InfectiousGroovePodcast]

I picked one of these up about a year ago. It's absolutely fantastic. A whole lot of bang for your buck.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I agree 👍

[@Edward1312]

For an inexpensive Chinese made guitar this gets you remarkably close to that classic 50's LP sound.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I agree. In a club, from 20' away, it's indistinguishable to the common listener. On a record, laid down in a high quality studio, and played back on real hi-fi equipment, there is a slight difference.

[@eddiemautone209]

😊there great I have epiphone Les Paul left handed 50s also over 12 years still sounds great

[@deadshot4245]

holy hell 12's and a medium high action. ive used 11-48 a while but i find my preference is 9-42 lowest action just above fret buzzing out because im a bend heavy playing style so i tailor mine to be easy to bend and not have to fight it but for slide it makes since to have higher action

[@jukehousejohnny]

I have found over the years that I can't feel the strings under my fingers if they're much smaller and i make a lot of mistakes. I DO run 11's on most of my Fenders, but the tone suffers. Now, I have watched other youtubers claim that tone is not affected by string guage, but they are obviously not playing the things the way I do. (And maybe I'm the one doing it wrong. I don't knw...) But I have an unusual style and have played other folks guitars that a lot of people seem to like and literally couldn't do anything with them, and I sound particularly terrible on new guitars in stores because of the small strings and low action.

[@deadshot4245]

@@jukehousejohnny that’s the beauty of guitar man each one is unique just like the people that play them there’s no definitive right or wrong just different and that’s great

[@jeshely]

Nice playing at the end!

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you!

[@mdhj67]

I noticed the Danelectro had that old style bridge. Is that an original 50s/60s Danelectro?

[@jukehousejohnny]

It's one of the earliest 50's reissues. Not available in that format anymore, but man, it's a great guitar. Really pure sound. However, the epitome of a one trick pony. If you don't like "that" sound, it's not gona work for you. And waaaaaayyyy to much hum for clubs frim those lipsticks....

[@mdhj67]

@@jukehousejohnny It's a one trick pony but that one trick is really cool. I have an old Gibson ES-125 that is definitely a one trick pony and almost useless in a live setting but it does an unbeatable crunchy rhythm.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Similar story to me, been lugging a v,nice custom shop 2012 but itvstarted getting banged up so I looked for a less pretty and less expensive traveling Guitar, I too have need of a fat neck and after trying almost 50 Guitars I took home a "Gibson, les paul special tribute black" nice fat 50s neck , 2 p90s, lightweight USA made. Changed the bridge for a decent aluminium wrap around and put a treble bleed in the treble pu control. A through a 20watt Fender deluxe and it can get any sound needed. Never ever let me down in 4 years. I feel the same, I just want the real thing even if is a "Stripped down" no frills plank designed for students. Love that Gibson made those "Tributes". With decent padded gigbag £800 GBP. Bargain, just change the bridge and its as close as you will get to a 50s for a real world price and sounds very different to the copies, even the expensive Epiphones. Thankyou ideas Person at Gibson.

[@flrpitflrp1965]

Those don’t have a veneer back. It does have the top veneer. I have three and they all have a two piece back. The normal epiphone Les Paul’s do have a veneer back though

[@jukehousejohnny]

You are correct. I was mistaken.

[@FF-so3su]

I think the colour is great😊👍

[@jukehousejohnny]

It's growing on me. But it's 500% more ostentatious than my '58 vos...

[@ciachetti]

Very cool. great playing. great video

[@TonyMartin-xg1rd]

Cool style and sound man 👍🏼

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks, Tony!

[@davidmarks5400]

I was waiting for a slide break on that last song-it would sound awesome.

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@davidmarks5400 lol I'm sure there was one... I rarely make it all the way through a tune without... prolly just didn't make it in the video.

[@davidmarks5400]

@@jukehousejohnny Are you a one man band ? Do you have a regular band-bassist and drummer? You have a sound and vibe that I think would get a lot of attention if more people heard you. There are a lot of bands that play that style that come and go,but I believe you could make it with a good bassist and drummer. You have a vibe and sound that most just don't have.

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@davidmarks5400 thanks, man. I have played with a legit band on and off through the years, but yea, I do it all by myself now. Since covid, it's pretty hard to get enough $ to make it worthwhile from clubs to pay 2 other people. And honestly, it's damn hard to find folks that are willing and able to meaningfully contribute musically.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have 2 gibson vos 58 lea Paul's one with the stock custombuckers and in the other I switched out the custombuckers in the other for a set of Duncan whole lotta humbuckers I had laying around as I found that particular set of CBs to be really scooped in the low mids and they have alot of upper mids and treble so they are very bright and I ended up putting the custombuckers in an epi 59 which is a very bass heavy and low mid heavy guitar so is kind of dark sounding and the upper frequencies were being overpowered and those CBs sound incredible in the epi 59 and brightened it up . I have 3 epi 59s and they sound daln near as good as my 2 58s.

[@jukehousejohnny]

They're impressive Epiphones, for sure.

[@adamwatson6916]

I have 3 epj 59s and none of mine have a mahagony veneer on the back. All 3 have a 2 piece mahagony back none of these guitars are supposed to have a veneer on the back .

[@schenker7559]

Correct. The Standards do, but the '59s are a two piece back with no veneer.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Mine very clearly DOES have a veneer back. I do not know about any others...

[@pl3317]

It looks like his is a veneer but my Epiphone JB '59 has no veneer. It looks like they've changed the spec.

[@pl3317]

@Vito Spatafiore agreed, have a great weekend !😀

[@justobserving7045]

Wow ... Was that a song from Junior Kimbrough that you played live ? You're good on stage , you play the music that I' m crazy for .

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thanks! Kind of a spin off of a Kimbrough tune. You can check out my Hill Country Tribute videos on this channel, and I have 3 all original records out on iTunes and all that. I only play the Hill Country style.

[@justobserving7045]

@@jukehousejohnny I play guitar since many years , always liked the blues but in the last 3 years I'm into R.L. Burnside music like crazy , it's the best thing I've ever heard . Greetings from Italy .

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@justobserving7045 I agree 👍

[@billybudd45]

Your the first review to say it has a veneer on the back, most I have seen said the body was two pieces.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Yes. A lot of people seem to be exceptionally obsessed with that aspect of this video. At the time of creation, the literature that Sweetwater had on their website listed this model as having a veneer back. In reality, it actually does not. However, the issue persists, and Epiphone shouldn't be putting veneers on anything.

[@caseysniper308]

59 came in and I love it. same color from sweetwater. both the 59 and 50's play better than any gibson I've ever owned at 1/4 the price. gibson needs to get inthe game.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I cant say that has been my experience with Gibsons, but i do agree that their quality control is not as consistent as a lot of folks would like and that the newer Epiphones are consistently good. That said, I kinda think that having just "good" and then "fantastic" examples of the same models out there in every line they make is more a testament to Gibson's use of real woods, nitro finishes, old school techniques, and just maintaining the general heritage and essentially thecsame construction of a product that has more or less been in production since the invention of the product itself.

[@TeleCaster66]

Beautiful looking thing!

[@chrisgardiner4044]

Great job 👍

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you, sir!

[@ctcards2636]

Thanks for the video, you showed pictures of yourself playing your expensive Gibson, ya gotta grow them side burns back !!! hehe. Rock the side burns bro ;-) Thanks again for the video.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Lololol maybe some day... I'm still flexin' this ridiculous mustache right now.

[@6speedsti241]

WHAT FENDER AMPS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR THIS GUITAR VERY IMPORTANT TO ME MY FRIEND

[@jukehousejohnny]

I gig with a vibrolux because I feel I get better tone from more than one speaker, and I like tens more than twelves. But the Deluxe and Pro reverbs are good too. Super and twin are too damn big. Blues junior is really more of a practice or home use amp.

[@stricknine8623]

The flame maple veener top is REAL wood...Its a thin cut taken from selecr pieces of flame maple and heat and pressure glued onto a plain maple cap. It is cost reducing while giving the aesthetics of flammed maple because it IS. Also, the back on thise guitars is plain mahogany with no ribbon mahogany veneer over it. Two piece and three piece bodies are irrelevant in function. One is neither better or worse than the other tangibly. These are fantastic guitars at a great price. Great review no less !!!

[@oza8578]

Anyone else hear Aldo Raine here? Lol Just kidding, mate. Great honest review! I'm considering one of these 59's as well.

[@mrredritehand]

Hey love your style man 🤘

[@00xanawolf00]

Great video liked and subscribed.

[@bluekoi455]

Great playing! I'd feel better if these were made in Korea,like some others. Owell, I got the aged lemon burst coz I like it

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you! I also wish they would move production back to Korea.

[@aleksik4028]

Nice playing.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Thank you!

[@joey041]

Sounds good for Duane Allman/Dickey Betts tones!

[@rmcf3972]

Are there big differences between this and the epiphone 50s les paul standard?

[@johnnyshootsalot]

Yes. But not crazy crazy different. The overall sound of the Epiphone 50's is relatively modern. I swapped pickups in mine and installed an aluminum tailpiece and its 85% there. I think at this point, its down to the finishes and the thicker gloss finish takes away a small amount of resonance.

[@rmcf3972]

@@johnnyshootsalot i am looking at the 50s standard because the 59 here in my country is about 300 us dollars more.

[@thepizzaveteran]

If anyone doesn't want to buy a guitar made in China take a look at the Gibson Tribute. The Tribute has a 50's style neck, equipped with 490R & 490T which I think sound great.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Ehh... I played several and felt that the quality and tone just wasn't there. I am also not much of a fan of the 490 pickups...

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@jukehousejohnny I am of the same opinion. IF i bought one of these 1959's how much in the ball park would it get me to a R8 or R9 in terms of sound and feel? 50% of the way there ? 75% of the way? I am not expecting a $800 MIC guitar to be the same feel as a $6K R8 but after hearing you say one of these enabled you to play one live in place of your R8 i would think these are pretty damn close?

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@CS_Murphy_R9 I'm not one of those guys that claims to not care about branding, and I try as much as possible to buy American made products. But I also call em like I see em, and I can assure you that this is about as close to an R8 or R9 as you can get for a reasonable price, as far as feel and sound goes. Looks is another story... I was fully prepared to drop $2k, or more, on a LP Standard, but all the ones I played didn't compare favorably to my R8 for the prices. These guitars aren't the greatest things in the world, but they have the big neck, the right electronics, and can deliver a really similar tone in a live situation.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@jukehousejohnny Thanks! It's funny you said you were ready to buy a newer standard because i have been looking at them myself. $2800 seems way too high for what Gibson is giving with them? They do not have a long neck tenon and have limited finishes for the 50's standard. IF i go with the Unburst i really wanted i have to pay $3K from wildwood because they are the only ones that offer the 50's standard in Unburst along with a really exceptional top. They hand pick the tops and do look amazing but i keep hearing these epi' 1959's play and sound just as good as them.

[@jukehousejohnny]

@@CS_Murphy_R9 No doubt, the standards are nicer guitars. But it would be hard to say that they're $2200 better as players. If I didn't have a bunch of Gibsons already, I would have gone with a Standard of some sort. I probably would've had to play 100 and it may have taken months to find one I really liked. But I wanted something that I could stand to lose or have damaged since I gig full-time with my stuff. If you have some showpieces in your collection as it is, these would be worthwhile additions as players.

[@eddiemautone209]

I have four guitars all left handed last guitar I bought was epiphone acoustic the guitar before that was a gretsch streamliner the only guitar I have left from the four is a Ventura Barney Kessel that guitar is right handed I have my strings set up left handed that guitar needs new pickups I been singing and playing over 50 years I know how to fix them also

[@franklinslamo]

the Epi '59's don't have a veneer on the back. Most are two piece bodies.

[@harrymunden7905]

Interested: what’s your beef with China?

[@jukehousejohnny]

They are a communist regime that has executed covert terrorists attacks on the country I live in for decades. I also don't particularly like the culture that has propagated there. I have no problem with the people, as individuals, but I strongly disagree with many aspects of their belief system and cultural practices.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@jukehousejohnny I agree for the very same reasons! 👍 I actually prefer to buy USA(especially guitars!) but the price prevents me most of the time! Like right now i really want a 58-59'style Les paul and the R8 and R9's are insane prices right now! a good used R8 is at least $4K on reverb. R9's? forget it! I would be looking at $6K and up!

[@marktheregulardude8651]

What color is that?

[@marktheregulardude8651]

Never-ending, found it: Aged Honey Burst Gloss

[@Dad-Gad]

The fact you have an RL Burnside poster on the way makes me very happy 👍

[@jukehousejohnny]

😉

[@nickyaeger1264]

Just got my aged honey burst in today. I have to say yours is very dark orange which would annoy me as well and is very noticeable outside.

[@jukehousejohnny]

Honestly, I think all of these LOOK kinda terrible... But I can't really see it while I'm playing, so, for me, it's a non-issue.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@NIck Yager, Did you get your Honey burst from sweetwater? I ask because they all should be the same color? I am going with the "Lemon burst" from GC which to me looks the nicest of all the finishes Epi is offering on these. The Lemon burst is what the Epi Lazarus was finished in.

[@nickyaeger1264]

@@CS_Murphy_R9 Yeah I got mine from sweetwater I believe that’s the only place you can buy them new because it’s their exclusive color. what I’ve noticed before buying and watching reviews on the honey burst is that some were lighter orange like mine and some were that darker tangerine he referred to in this video that’s a little off putting. That’s why I like their feature where u can pick the specific serial you want based off the pictures and weight. It’s probably a factory thing why some look so different. I also liked the lemon burst but the aged honey was what I wanted above all my second choice was the southern fade which also had a varying finish from guitar to guitar I noticed but looked amazing when done right like the aged honey

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@nickyaeger1264 you are absolutely right about this because now i am noticing the Dark bursts vary too! Some have a lot of red and some have little to no red before it goes to the dark edge. That is what i love about the Lemon burst version they all look exactly the same color wise they vary in flame obviously but at least the color is consistent. IF these were available in a true honey like you are talking about like gibson does i would have bought one of these already. I also like the southern fade but they are still on backorder . the only ones available are the aged honey from sweetwater.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@nickyaeger1264 I prefer the darkburst that has little to no red in it, regular tobacco sunburst, the red makes it look wrong to me. and the Lemon burst while looking nice can look a lot like a gold top from a distance because they did not use enough amber in the hue. it is very yellow. one reviewer on YT has one he did a vid on and i thought it was a goldtop at first.

[@vintageleon76]

IF your ever in the clarksdale Mississippi area hollar at me.

[@kennigrimmelmann4364]

You Play blues and Cajun.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I play Hill Country Blues. No Cajun. I'm not from Louisiana.

[@banana4416]

100% agreed, heck id even pay 200 more for it to be made anywhere else other than china. Guitars are works of art as well as tools and I want my artwork to come from a country that isn't modern day Nazi Germay. I wanna feel proud of my instruments and I just can't feel proud of one if it came from a country that is responsible for 5 million deaths and counting, amidst so many other crimes.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I would be happy to pay more if they were manufactured anywhere else.

[@Alex-jb6ti]

Listen man, you can have any opinion you want about chinas goverment and its history, but the people making these guitars are people who have mouths to feed, Xi Jinping isn't making budget electric guitars lol

[@lawdhaffmuhsee]

Love mine....and totally agree with the China thing.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I'd pay extra for it to be made ANYWHERE else...

[@MikeHenrick1]

Played most the video at 2 x speed and for the most part it was better.

[@jst601]

Look more closely, brother; that's a two piece body, no veneer covering on back.

[@jukehousejohnny]

You are correct, i was mistaken

[@billreynolds2221]

Fake sounds a little harsh. I refer to Gibson's as grossly overpriced Epiphones. I've owned both for years and have found Epiphones more consistently playable. Of course I'm referring to the non custom shop variety of Gibson as I have never owned one.

[@UnklePecos]

You're wrong about the veneer on the back. They are 2 piece mahogany back. That's one of the specs that make it an upgrade from the 50s std.

[@bxsoup]

You have a thousand items in your house/apartment right now . 975 of them are made in China . 🤷‍♂

[@joehahn8817]

Methinks someone should read the specs... 🤔🤔🤔

[@jukehousejohnny]

If you've got something to say, say it.

[@joehahn8817]

@@jukehousejohnny Ok, there's a solid maple cap under the flame veneer on that non-weight relieved body...😉😁

[@Joe-mz6dc]

People complain about guitars made in China as they're driving to Walmart to pick up a new microwave which was made in china. I'm sorry but I just don't get it.

[@nieko3038]

Stop complaining about China when you buy their product. Go spend the extra 2000 bucks on domestic product. Or buy an old Korean made and mod it. Still be cheaper.

[@jukehousejohnny]

If that's what you wanna do, go do it. I'm gona do what I want to do. And I already have several Gibsons and older Korean Epis, as I pointed out in the video.

[@RolandoMora]

Blablabla

[@jukehousejohnny]

Lolol jealous much?

[@justincase4925]

Get the Real Gibson

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Sure for a extra $6,000! even the used R9's are fetching $5K and up

[@justincase4925]

Excuse me while I laugh haha haha ha this guitar is a joke.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I have a stack of the "real" Gibsons. The Epiphone is no joke. If you have something worthwhile to say, make your own video and do just that. I'm sure your 1 subscriber will love it. 👍

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

It is only "a joke" as you so eloquently put it IF you are comparing it to a Gibson R9! on its own it is a acceptable guitar for $700! Shit i have seen a few here say that opted for one of these over the $2700 Gibson LP standard 50's that came out recently? I have not A/B'ed the two so i don't have a dog in this fight.

[@johnnyshootsalot]

@@CS_Murphy_R9 I actually have A/B'd those, and I own an R8. The epi is respectable. It's obviously not on that level, but for 1/5 the price, you get far more than 1/5 the guitar.

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@johnnyshootsalot I can believe this is true when all factors are weighed in. The Epi is s killer deal

[@johnnyshootsalot]

@@CS_Murphy_R9 damnit, I replied to you with the wrong account.... me both places anyway... And yes, the epi is a good deal, and I wish they'd go back to Korean manufacturing too

[@neogeoriffic]

LOL Save up for the real thing. Gibson. There is no substitute.

[@jukehousejohnny]

I have a bunch of 'em. There are negligible differences for 99.99% of players.

[@ToTheMaxGaming1]

Epiphone have really stepped it up, at this point Gibson seems to be more of a collectors brand than anything else, I have a Gibson Les Paul tribute and a recent Epi joe bonamassa 59 and the epi really is a better guitar, I’ll always love the Gibson since it was my first guitar but I can’t deny the fact that why would you ever spend 2k+ on a Gibson when Epiphone can be had for a third of the price

[@jukehousejohnny]

There is some truth to what you're saying...