Holy vs Glory

Greetings, guitar buffs. I've never owned an Epiphone guitar. I used to own an Epiphone amp (head) once but that went to a deserving owner for some token money. I always support people who are starting out & show a keen interest in gear. I'm never about selling stuff for recovery's sake. Moving on, I've been following the developments of two Epiphone LP type guitars lately & had decided to purchase one. The first contender is this Vivian Campbell signature, Holy Diver diver model. It's one kickass guitar featuring my kind of OTT high output DiMarzio pickups (X2N!) & more importantly, a revised headstock outline. I've never clicked with the butchered Gibson open book design & this one looks in place, to say the least. 

Its contender is another signature model, Jared Nichols' Old Glory. This one's another killer guitar featuring a lone Seymour Duncan P-90 in the bridge. This minimalist approach is absolutely my thing but of course, I have to deal with that headstock. You know, that headstock. Both guitars feature very different neck profiles & how do I know this for sure? Both are now in stock at Swee Lee. Head down to the Star Vista showroom to experience them yourselves. 

There are two other models in stock, the Frampton triple humbucking LP & Matt Heafy's 7-string. I'm not talking about them here because they are not on my consideration list but are equally worthy guitars to check out. Why a sudden interest in Epiphone, you ask? It's a bucket list item. 😎

Wishing you folks a good week ahead.

EDIT: Due to some administrative issues, the Old Glory will not be offered for sale until further notice. My apologies to blog readers who made their way to Swee Lee's Star Vista showroom only to discover this withdrawal. I understand that some of you are trying to reach them through their social media accounts for clarifications. 

UPDATE: As at 1200hrs, 15th November 2019 (Friday), the Old Glory is available for sale. Thank you everyone, for your patience.

PICS: Epiphone

Epiphone: Heads up!

You might have come across this headline last weekend. It seems that Epiphone is moving on with the headstock design for instruments manufactured in the near future. Don't be surprised if it happens very soon, maybe a Winter NAMM 2020 announcement. 

It would mean that this headstock is going into extinction. According to Epiphone, it's a 'maligned' design that's worth a revision. In a recent tweet, Gibson's CMO alluded to the fact that something closer to the Gibson headstock design would take over soon.

Even before this made headlines, you'd notice that the recent Vivian Campbell Holy Diver signature Les Paul is already sporting a different headstock outline. No idea if this is causing an endless wave of elation amongst those who avoided buying an Epiphone due to this design repulsion. Am I one of them? Hmm...

Holy LP

This was released just days ago - the Epiphone Holy Diver Les Paul for Vivian Campbell. The actual guitar that made the Holy Diver recording was a Gibson but this was created to closely replicate that model, especially the inclusion of a pair of DiMarzio X2Ns. 

Does not come with a case though, just this bag; EpiLite bag they call it.

Campbell's custom

This was announced recently- Vivian Campbell's Custom Shop signature Gibson LP. The fingerboard is still a non-wood selection (richlite) but I like the fact that there are DiMarzios in there (Super 3/ Super Distortion). It reflects the endorser's choice & not something steered by the manufacturer. In my opinion, Mr. Campbell deserves this deal but for the rest of us, the USD4,999 price tag is prohibitive. But then again, we remind ourselves that, at the rate things are going, they need the money.