Epiphone Sheraton II made in China... ?

[mesmerized]

Hello all,

I'm new here! Greetings!

I'm currently working in Shanghai and found myself in need of a guitar. I'm considering getting an acoustic guitar but also feel tempted to go in another direction, i.e. a semi-hollow guitar. Now, Epi Sheraton II is relatively cheap here in China but I'm kinda worried that it's not the right way to go since I've heard some rather unfavorable comments about Epiphones made in China... On the other hand, however, I don't think there is any other semi-hollow guitar priced similarly...

Thanks a lot.

[bieke]

Well, I've heard these MIC Epis have improved a lot over the years

They have been making Epis in China at the Unsung Qingdao pfactory since 2002, and it's the chinese Epiphone division of Gibson

As such, this cihnese plant has access to proprietary manufacturing techniques from Gibson.

 

I have not played a MIC Sheraton II, but I do have a Epi EB-3 bass that is also made in the Qingdao factory

All it needed was new strings and a setup and it's a great player.

The only unfavorable comment that remains is the sound quality of the pick-ups, which is not up too par with the US made Gibsons

 

And the quality control has improved, there are still bad instruments out there, so if you can try before you buy, that would be good.

 

And eventually, if you're really not happy with the sound, you may want to upgrade the PUs

 

Here's a realtively recent factory tour review

There are 550 employess working in the plant, it looks like a state of the art manufacturing facility

 

 

 

[sammyreynolds01]

My Epiphone Les Paul was made in China and like bieke said all it needed was a setup and new strings.

[mesmerized]

Thanks for your replies, both of you!

 

My Epiphone Les Paul was made in China and like bieke said all it needed was a setup and new strings.

 

 

By "setup" you mean... what exactly?

 

I'm pretty sure that those Epi's sound just fine but... if the Korean ones sound better than perhaps I should keep looking for one? Are the pick-ups the same in the Korean ones and Chinese ones?

 

EDIT: I'm not quite sure what's the difference between Sheraton II, Rivera II and the new ES-335PRO.

[sammyreynolds01]

Thanks for your replies, both of you!

 

 

 

 

By "setup" you mean... what exactly?

 

I'm pretty sure that those Epi's sound just fine but... if the Korean ones sound better than perhaps I should keep looking for one? Are the pick-ups the same in the Korean ones and Chinese ones?

 

 

A little tweak of the truss rod, intonation and aciton.

[thatsbunk]

what $ can you get it for there?

[groovezilla]

Check out the Eastman Guitars. I just got one, pretty darn sweet!

[Steve2112]

Eastmans are nice. You could ALMOST get a USA guitar for that...and you have to do you research.

 

Simple fact is USA isn't building the variety you can get from Asia. Hard to get Eastman looks and build at any price point made in USA.

 

I never thought I'd have a China model. Most of my Asians are Korean. That sounds so wrong. But my new old Hamer Echotone is well made, plays and sounds great for the dollars. I know...built from the blood sweat and tears of Asian slave labor. They get 2 yen and I get a guitar...we all win!

 

I'd pout this (Hamer Echotone) sub 200 dollar guitar up against many 800+Eastmans for sure. Having said that...I have SEVERAL Eastmans on my ebay watch/wish list. Heck...it's likely they were made in the same factory by the same folk.

 

There's not three million Asian guitar factories. Just a handful.

[Steve2112]

Hello all,

I'm new here! Greetings!

I'm currently working in Shanghai and found myself in need of a guitar. I'm considering getting an acoustic guitar but also feel tempted to go in another direction, i.e. a semi-hollow guitar. Now, Epi Sheraton II is relatively cheap here in China but I'm kinda worried that it's not the right way to go since I've heard some rather unfavorable comments about Epiphones made in China... On the other hand, however, I don't think there is any other semi-hollow guitar priced similarly...

Thanks a lot.

 

Thought Id address you directly. You MUST play your intended target. You could get a 1500 Gibson used and not be happy with it. PRS? Peerless? Benedetto? Big bucks but it doesn' t mean it's for you.

 

Never though ZI'd be happy with a china Hamer Echotone. Went out of my way to avoid it. Saw one for cheap at Sam Ash....tried the Epis and gretchses next to it for 3 and 4 times as much. Bought the Hamer.

 

Got to play them....or get lucky.

 

I haven';t found anything wrong with the China Hamer. Easily stage worthy.

[mesmerized]

what $ can you get it for there?

 

 

About 440USD. No idea how much I'd have to pay for a Sheraton II in the US 'cause I'm not from the US...

 

Dear all! Any insights on the difference between Sheraon II, The Dot, the new Epi ES-335 PRO, Riviera II and Casino?

[mesmerized]

The problem is that I don't really know what I should be paying attention to when buying a guitar. I don't know how to check if the truss rod is set correctly or not or how to check intonation and aciton... I'm not even sure what else I should be looking at in order to avoide buying a bad-made instrument.

 

How much are Sheratons II in the US?

 

What do you think about Epiphone Riviera II Custom P93? I'm also thinking about Epi Casino... As far as I know Rivera and Sheraton have different pick-ups but I'm not sure which one would be better for classic rock and blues.

 

 

PS Haven't seen Eastman Guitars in any of the local stores. Same goes for Hamer Echotone. Haven't seen those, haven't heard of them in all honesty.

[mrbrown49]

Of the guitars you mentioned, I'd get the sheraton unless you are sure you like p90s. They are a bit of a unique animal for guitar pickups. You either love em or hate em in my experience.

 

[mesmerized]

Of the guitars you mentioned, I'd get the sheraton unless you are sure you like p90s. They are a bit of a unique animal for guitar pickups. You either love em or hate em in my experience.

 

 

Would you please be so kind and elaborate on this a bit more? What's the characteristics of P90s? Is Casino also equipped with those? How about Rivera II Limited Edition? It comes with P93s but I don't know how those differe from P90s.

[Preacher]

 

How much are Sheratons II in the US?

 

 

Looks like about $600, more or less.

[mrbrown49]

 

 

Would you please be so kind and elaborate on this a bit more? What's the characteristics of P90s? Is Casino also equipped with those? How about Rivera II Limited Edition? It comes with P93s but I don't know how those differe from P90s.

 

P90s are single coils so they can be noisy (buzzzzzzzzzzz), unlike humbuckers. p90s just have a different sound than strat single coils or humbuckers. There are many variants, but to generalize, they tend to be gritty and rude sounding with a pronounced upper mid response. Play them next to a PAF style pup and you'll see what I mean.

 

The casino does have p90s and it is also different in that it's a full hollow, unlike a 335 which has a big block of wood running down the center. These can be prone to feedback if you are playing at a loud volume.

 

I'm not sure about the p93s (never played em) but I imagine they are similar to p90s tone wise.

[Steve2112]

 

P90s are single coils so they can be noisy (buzzzzzzzzzzz), unlike humbuckers. p90s just have a different sound than strat single coils or humbuckers. There are many variants, but to generalize, they tend to be gritty and rude sounding with a pronounced upper mid response. Play them next to a PAF style pup and you'll see what I mean.

 

The casino does have p90s and it is also different in that it's a full hollow, unlike a 335 which has a big block of wood running down the center. These can be prone to feedback if you are playing at a loud volume.

 

I'm not sure about the p93s (never played em) but I imagine they are similar to p90s tone wise.

 

 

The full hollows are REALLY prone to feedback. The semi hollows much less so. Often the feedback is a GOOD kind. Controllable. I do remeber one time with the above Ibanez I was playing really really loud on stage, and I felt this roar starting to build...and the top of the semi hollow blasted out this gush of air from the f holes. I thought I blew it up lol.

 

The guitar player in my band plays one fo the smaller Ibanez semi hollows....and he almost can;t play a solid body. He uses the feedback very well.

[mesmerized]

 

 

The full hollows are REALLY prone to feedback. The semi hollows much less so. Often the feedback is a GOOD kind. Controllable. I do remeber one time with the above Ibanez I was playing really really loud on stage, and I felt this roar starting to build...and the top of the semi hollow blasted out this gush of air from the f holes. I thought I blew it up lol.

 

The guitar player in my band plays one fo the smaller Ibanez semi hollows....and he almost can;t play a solid body. He uses the feedback very well.

 

 

Thanks for your input Steve! I'm not quite sure if I understand what "feedback" is though...

[peskypesky]

I just bought a new Epiphone Dot at Guitar Center this week. Could not pass up such a well-made guitar for such a low price. I tried a Sheraton and a Casino that were also really well-made, but the Dot's neck just felt better in my left hand.

[groovezilla]

 

 

Thanks for your input Steve! I'm not quite sure if I understand what "feedback" is though...

 

 

Feedback is when the sound coming from the amp goes back into the guitar and then back in again and again, growing. However if it is the "good" kind it is dampened enough to control and create a sound of it's own or ring on a given note. The beginning of Foxy Lady by Hendrix is THE classic example.

[groovezilla]

The Feedback from the Hollowbody guitars is a flavor of its own, very cool. Kind of advances stuff, so not sure this make a difference to you.

 

Regarding P90 vs Humbuckers. As a matter of taste, I prefer the P90's kinda strat like with a smoother tone. You get more smoothness a frequency response with the P90 but at the cost of some noise. However, they P90's these days are much quieter than those of yesteryear.

[groovezilla]

Addressing the comments about cheaply made guitars vs. well made guitars. From my experience this has more to do with the construction and finishing than the "setup".

 

I was looking at the the The Loar LH-350 because I like the price. One look at the crappy works done on the neck joints and finishing and I almost threw up. The same upper end model, LH-650 was soooo much better. I suspect you'll see the same difference between the Epiphones and Gibsons - but I don't have the direct experience to back that up. I found the Eastmans to be a sweet spot, definitely worth the extra $300 bucks to get a well made guitar that will last you a lifetime. IMO.

[peskypesky]

I found the Eastmans to be a sweet spot' date=' definitely worth the extra $300 bucks to get a well made guitar that will last you a lifetime. IMO.[/quote']

 

Based on the Eastmans I've played, I'd agree.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Give a thought to the Epi 339s also, some come with very decent pickups

[Tom Mc1]

My Epi Sheraton II was made in Korea in the late 90s. It fits the sound of the band, so it's been my main guitar for the last few years. I tried a MIC one a few weeks ago when I was checking out a new amp. I didn't hear any noticable difference but I wasn't paying attention to the guitar sound, but the amp sound. These are really good sounding. The price is right if you want to try an ES335 style guitar and not spend a lot of money. The question is how closely Gibson is watching the quality control of the China factory. MIC is an automatic no for me of anything unless I have no other choice.

[Danhedonia]

"The Feedback from the Hollowbody guitars is a flavor of its own, very cool."

 

See: "Psychocandy," The Jesus and Mary Chain. 30-some minutes of the Ronettes fed into a snowblower. Exhilirating.

 

If you are unsure of the differences between a Sheraton and Casino (hollow vs. semi-hollow), you are somewhat inexperienced. Nothing wrong with that, we all start somewhere, and I would suggest that the best way to avoid a regretted purchase is to set an initial goal for usage of the guitar. Joining a classic rock band and gig within a year? etc. Then you can narrow down choices.

 

Because really, there is nothing 'wrong' with the guitars you mention - none are really 'better,' they're just different. However, here is a caveat: ALL guitars and IMO especially hollow-bodies and semi hollows MUST be seen as "try first" animals. The above-mentioned bad joint work, etc., means you really have to try before you buy, unless you are willing to spend time and money on return shipments.