{"id":65,"date":"2015-05-24T19:54:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-24T23:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/?p=65"},"modified":"2023-10-07T20:33:33","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T00:33:33","slug":"epiphone-lp-special-1-p90-tone-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/2015\/05\/24\/epiphone-lp-special-1-p90-tone-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphone LP Special 1 &#8211; P90 Tone Machine!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just picked one of these up from a recent Guitar Center $99 guitar sale. Like many, I think I\u2019ve always been put off a bit by the Epiphone name \u2013 not because of any first-hand experience, mind you \u2014 but, just because it always \u201cseemed\u201d that going for an Epiphone was really just settling for another cheap Gibson copy. So, maybe (probably) it was for that reason that I had never even given one a try.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, we were looking for a theme for our first SoundGrounds episode \u2013 and this $99 sale seemed to be as safe a time as any to test one of those Epiphone\u2019s out. Having been dreaming of a Gibson Les Paul Special \/ Melody-Maker, I was happy to find the Epi Special was part of \u00a0the sale. Granted, I was only buying and testing one of their \u201ccheapest\u201d models \u2013 and my expectations were not very high.<\/p>\n<p>As for the buying experience \u2013 I\u2019m not a big fan of Guitar Center\u2019s web site. It is far, far, behind the quality and thoroughness of the Sweetwater site. I\u2019m still baffled as to why GC does not put more effort into their online business \u2013 but, they were the only one that carried this particualr Epiphone model (and even the used ones on eBay were priced higher \u2013 before adding shipping). Guitar Center doesn\u2019t instill a lot confidence in their attention to detail \u2013 and you can expect zero to no customer service or human follow-up on any order. In contrast to Sweetwater, where you\u2019ll always receive personal service \u2013 have a high-degree of confidence that if anything goes awry, they\u2019ll take care of you. For guitar orders, this is even more important. With that said (am I biased toward SW?.. probably), Guitar Center did get these two guitars (we bought the Epi and Dean &#8211; both $99 \u2013 more on that in a separate review) to us in one piece \u2013 although the Dean box was pretty-well beat-up, with gaping holes through both the two outer \u2013 and the inner-box (with the guitar). This was more likely due to mishandling by UPS than any fault of GC, however. If it was a more expensive guitar, I imagine I would have refused the shipment without opening the box \u2014 but, where it was only $99, we took our chances, opened the box on camera, and hoped for the best (see the YouTube episode for more).<\/p>\n<p>Back to the Epi LP Special \u2014 Only two color choices were available at the time of my order \u2013 Worn Cherry \u2013 and Worn Black. I chose black, as it most reminded me of the current-run Gibson P90 equipped Melody-Makers \u2014<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=as_ss_li_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=radioasis-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B084GX983K&amp;asins=B084GX983K&amp;linkId=57826fd35e378a67987405fe4e64351c&amp;show_border=false&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Overall, the Epiphone packaging was excellent. Looks like they\u2019ve got the process down to a science. The guitar was in its own inner-box \u2013 well wrapped and protected with custom engineered cardboard inserts and protective wrapping. The inner-box was within another heavier box, sealed tightly with staples. Lastly, that entire two-box arrangement was placed within yet another box at Guitar Center, with additional protective materials. Guitar Center did a good job there \u2013 and was a big step-up from my last online guitar purchase from them in 2007 \u2013 where the guitar (an $89 Squire Mini Strat) arrived in a single flimsy box (that looked like it had been through a battle), the guitar being covered inside in only a simple white sheet of foam. So, they\u2019ve come a long way since then.<\/p>\n<p>First Impressions\u2026<\/p>\n<p>This Epi LP Special is really well-finished. It has a light mahogany body and bolt-on neck with rosewood fret board. The worn-black finish is super-smooth (this is a very satin-y finish \u2013 no gloss). The neck shape feels like a modern \u201cC\u201d shape \u2013 not too chunky \u2013 and the smooth finish makes this very fun to play. Frets were well-dressed and had few, if any, sharp spots \u2013 at least nothing that needed attention anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>The nut looked to be some kind of black plastic, or composite, but I\u2019m not sure on that yet. I was well fitted, however, and the action at the nut was great \u2013 right out of the box \u2013 no buzzing, the neck was straight, and it just felt great.<\/p>\n<p>The pickups on this baby are what really attracted me to it. In 1992 I bought a Gibson ES135 with two P-100 pickups, which are (from my understanding) a more noise-cancelling version of the P90. I loved that guitar and those pickups \u2013 and still don\u2019t recall why I ever sold that one.., but, this little Epi Special brings back all of that sound, with great output \u2013 and very little noise.<\/p>\n<p>The one-piece stop-bar tailpiece is excellent. Intonation seemed to be spot-on. I had an old Leo Quan Badass bridge\/tailpece from the early 80s, that I was expecting to use to replace the stock Epi tailpiece \u2013 but, it was absolutely not necessary. \u00a0I don\u2019t think it would fit anyway, as the standard LP sized lugs of the Leo Quan were probably too big in diameter to fit the smaller diameter Epi lugs.<\/p>\n<p>Electronics are simple \u2013 single volume, tone, and three-way toggle pickup selector. All work great, with no added noise, clicks, or wobbly feel. Inside the control cavity were full-sized, good quality components and decent shielding. The volume pot responds really well to slight adjustments in volume \u2013 and allows those P90\u2019s to go from a mild break-up, to the full-out bite they\u2019re known for. They\u2019re a very responsive pickup \u2013 and the tone can be addictive.<\/p>\n<p>Adjustments \u2014 Only adjustments I made after the video review was to replace the stock strings (which felt like .09 \u2013 .42 gauge) with a new set of Ernie Ball Cobalt .10 \u2013 .46 that I had handy. While I had the strings off, I took a little time to clean and oil the fret board \u2013 and polish the frets. I also lowered the action just slightly to my taste.<\/p>\n<p>This and That \u2014 Well, I\u2019m still amazed that I\u2019m writing this much about a sub-$100 guitar. It really is a ridiculous value \u2013 especially for guitarists looking to round-out their guitar sound-palate with a P90 equipped axe. I would not hesitate to record or perform with this \u2013 in fact, I\u2019ve already used it to record a bit \u2013 and it sounds beautiful. One\u00a0other simple thing that Epiphone does with their guitars (that I appreciate, anyway) \u2013 is that they use an engraved neck plate on their bolt-on models (inscribed with \u201cEpiphone \u2013 performance is our passion\u201d) \u2013 Again, just a simple addition, but a very classy touch. Even many of the high-end bolt-on boutique guitars I&#8217;ve seen still use plain off-the-shelf neck plates \u2014 not to mention, most of the non-USA lines of US brands (e.g., Made-in-Mexico Fenders, the G&amp;L Tribute models from Indonesia, and so on) \u2013 so, a welcome touch to see this \u201cMade in China\u201d Epiphone sporting an engraved neck plate.<\/p>\n<p>Playability? \u2014 This little Epi Special plays really well \u2013 I think it\u2019s as good, or even better in some cases, than similarly equipped Gibson models I&#8217;ve played around with at the store. Neck feel is extremely comfortable \u2013 and this is a guitar light enough to play all night and barely notice you\u2019re wearing it. For some, they might initially buy it simply as\u00a0an inexpensive gigging alternate to a more expensive Gibson (or similar) \u2014 something they won\u2019t be too concerned about banging around, or being stolen \u2014 but, this Epi LP Special grows on you quickly \u2013 and it\u2019s so inexpensive, you may just decide to get another as a backup to the backup.<\/p>\n<p>The Verdict \u2014 If you\u2019re looking to add the growling tone of a P90 equipped guitar to you arsenal, at a ridiculously great value, I don\u2019t think there is any better option out there than the Epiphone Special 1. I mean, you can\u2019t even buy a new set of P90\u2019s on their own for less than a hundred bucks \u2013 and when you add-in the great fit and finish of this Epi, it\u2019s just a fantastic deal. The non-sale GC price is still inexpensive \u2013 maybe only $129 as of this review. You can find them on eBay as well \u2013 from about $100 or so (without shipping). This line included three available colors \u2013 Worn Black, Worn Cherry, and the classic TV Yellow.<\/p>\n<p>I won\u2019t lie.., I STILL dream of a Gibson P90 model someday \u2014 either a Les Paul Melody-Maker, Les Paul Junior, or Les Paul 100 Double-Cut \u2013 but, after having this Epiphone around for the past month, I\u2019m in no rush at all \u2014 it really is a great little guitar.<\/p>\n<p>Steve<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Update: October 2023<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as an update to my 2015 review of the $100 (at the time) Epiphone Les Paul Special 1 &#8212; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been eight years since that review &#8212; and while I still have that guitar sitting in the rack, I don&#8217;t recall the last time I&#8217;ve played it. NOT because it&#8217;s not a great little axe &#8212; it is. In fact, I took it with us to visit Sweetwater in Indiana for the June 2016 Gear Fest &#8212; a long 16 hour drive (along the way, we visited Niagara Falls in NY, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH) &#8212; and it was the perfect guitar to have on a road trip like that. But, since that time, I&#8217;ve acquired a few other P90 equipped guitars &#8212; An ebony Gibson Les Paul Classic (absolutely beautiful), an Epiphone Casino (natural, with Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 dogears), and an Inspired by &#8217;55 Epiphone Les Paul Custom, that is really an incredible guitar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a long time away from doing these gear reviews, I&#8217;m planning to get back to it soon &#8212; and will be reviewing as many of my guitars, amps, and other gear (basses, recording gear, pedals, mics, studio computer stuff, music production and promotion tools, etc.)  as possible &#8212; along with videos, audio podcasts, and whatever else I can figure into it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To hear some of my guitar work, check out my Spotify page here: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Steve Rinaldi\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/artist\/3mOXLtHtJdkAhFDOyBakYK?si=lE4TfdQ4Q6qT70Pvc-w1Wg&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, you&#8217;ll find me on Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, and all the rest, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just picked one of these up from a recent Guitar Center $99 guitar sale. Like many, I think I\u2019ve always been put off a bit by the Epiphone name \u2013 not because of any first-hand experience, mind you \u2014 but, just because it always \u201cseemed\u201d that going for an Epiphone was really just settling for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"<p>Just picked one of these up from a recent Guitar Center $99 guitar sale. Like many, I think I\u2019ve always been put off a bit by the Epiphone name \u2013 not because of any first-hand experience, mind you \u2014 but, just because it always \u201cseemed\u201d that going for an Epiphone was really just settling for another cheap Gibson copy. So, maybe (probably) it was for that reason that I had never even given one a try.<\/p>\n<p>In any case, we were looking for a theme for our first SoundGrounds episode \u2013 and this $99 sale seemed to be as safe a time as any to test one of those Epiphone\u2019s out. Having been dreaming of a Gibson Les Paul Special \/ Melody-Maker, I was happy to find the Epi Special was part of \u00a0the sale. Granted, I was only buying and testing one of their \u201ccheapest\u201d models \u2013 and my expectations were not very high.<\/p>\n<p>As for the buying experience \u2013 I\u2019m not a big fan of Guitar Center\u2019s web site. It is far, far, behind the quality and thoroughness of the Sweetwater site. I\u2019m still baffled as to why GC does not put more effort into their online business \u2013 but, they were the only one that carried this particualr Epiphone model (and even the used ones on eBay were priced higher \u2013 before adding shipping). Guitar Center doesn\u2019t instill a lot confidence in their attention to detail \u2013 and you can expect zero to no customer service or human follow-up on any order. In contrast to Sweetwater, where you\u2019ll always receive personal service \u2013 have a high-degree of confidence that if anything goes awry, they\u2019ll take care of you. For guitar orders, this is even more important. With that said (am I biased toward SW?.. probably), Guitar Center did get these two guitars (we bought the Epi and Dean - both $99 \u2013 more on that in a separate review) to us in one piece \u2013 although the Dean box was pretty-well beat-up, with gaping holes through both the two outer \u2013 and the inner-box (with the guitar). This was more likely due to mishandling by UPS than any fault of GC, however. If it was a more expensive guitar, I imagine I would have refused the shipment without opening the box \u2014 but, where it was only $99, we took our chances, opened the box on camera, and hoped for the best (see the YouTube episode for more).<\/p>\n<p>Back to the Epi LP Special \u2014 Only two color choices were available at the time of my order \u2013 Worn Cherry \u2013 and Worn Black. I chose black, as it most reminded me of the current-run Gibson P90 equipped Melody-Makers \u2014<\/p>\n<p>\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\namzn_assoc_tracking_id = \"onamzaceti-20\";\namzn_assoc_ad_mode = \"manual\";\namzn_assoc_ad_type = \"smart\";\namzn_assoc_marketplace = \"amazon\";\namzn_assoc_region = \"US\";\namzn_assoc_design = \"enhanced_links\";\namzn_assoc_asins = \"B084GX983K\";\namzn_assoc_placement = \"adunit\";\namzn_assoc_linkid = \"43281700d1d86bec53181e9497c066c3\";\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"\/\/z-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/onejs?MarketPlace=US\"><\/script>\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the Epiphone packaging was excellent. Looks like they\u2019ve got the process down to a science. The guitar was in its own inner-box \u2013 well wrapped and protected with custom engineered cardboard inserts and protective wrapping. The inner-box was within another heavier box, sealed tightly with staples. Lastly, that entire two-box arrangement was placed within yet another box at Guitar Center, with additional protective materials. Guitar Center did a good job there \u2013 and was a big step-up from my last online guitar purchase from them in 2007 \u2013 where the guitar (an $89 Squire Mini Strat) arrived in a single flimsy box (that looked like it had been through a battle), the guitar being covered inside in only a simple white sheet of foam. So, they\u2019ve come a long way since then.<\/p>\n<p>First Impressions\u2026<\/p>\n<p>This Epi LP Special is really well-finished. It has a light mahogany body and bolt-on neck with rosewood fret board. The worn-black finish is super-smooth (this is a very satin-y finish \u2013 no gloss). The neck shape feels like a modern \u201cC\u201d shape \u2013 not too chunky \u2013 and the smooth finish makes this very fun to play. Frets were well-dressed and had few, if any, sharp spots \u2013 at least nothing that needed attention anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>The nut looked to be some kind of black plastic, or composite, but I\u2019m not sure on that yet. I was well fitted, however, and the action at the nut was great \u2013 right out of the box \u2013 no buzzing, the neck was straight, and it just felt great.<\/p>\n<p>The pickups on this baby are what really attracted me to it. In 1992 I bought a Gibson ES135 with two P-100 pickups, which are (from my understanding) a more noise-cancelling version of the P90. I loved that guitar and those pickups \u2013 and still don\u2019t recall why I ever sold that one.., but, this little Epi Special brings back all of that sound, with great output \u2013 and very little noise.<\/p>\n<p>The one-piece stop-bar tailpiece is excellent. Intonation seemed to be spot-on. I had an old Leo Quan Badass bridge\/tailpece from the early 80s, that I was expecting to use to replace the stock Epi tailpiece \u2013 but, it was absolutely not necessary. \u00a0I don\u2019t think it would fit anyway, as the standard LP sized lugs of the Leo Quan were probably too big in diameter to fit the smaller diameter Epi lugs.<\/p>\n<p>Electronics are simple \u2013 single volume, tone, and three-way toggle pickup selector. All work great, with no added noise, clicks, or wobbly feel. Inside the control cavity were full-sized, good quality components and decent shielding. The volume pot responds really well to slight adjustments in volume \u2013 and allows those P90\u2019s to go from a mild break-up, to the full-out bite they\u2019re known for. They\u2019re a very responsive pickup \u2013 and the tone can be addictive.<\/p>\n<p>Adjustments \u2014 Only adjustments I made after the video review was to replace the stock strings (which felt like .09 \u2013 .42 gauge) with a new set of Ernie Ball Cobalt .10 \u2013 .46 that I had handy. While I had the strings off, I took a little time to clean and oil the fret board \u2013 and polish the frets. I also lowered the action just slightly to my taste.<\/p>\n<p>This and That \u2014 Well, I\u2019m still amazed that I\u2019m writing this much about a sub-$100 guitar. It really is a ridiculous value \u2013 especially for guitarists looking to round-out their guitar sound-palate with a P90 equipped axe. I would not hesitate to record or perform with this \u2013 in fact, I\u2019ve already used it to record a bit \u2013 and it sounds beautiful. One\u00a0other simple thing that Epiphone does with their guitars (that I appreciate, anyway) \u2013 is that they use an engraved neck plate on their bolt-on models (inscribed with \u201cEpiphone \u2013 performance is our passion\u201d) \u2013 Again, just a simple addition, but a very classy touch. Even many of the high-end bolt-on boutique guitars I've seen still use plain off-the-shelf neck plates \u2014 not to mention, most of the non-USA lines of US brands (e.g., Made-in-Mexico Fenders, the G&amp;L Tribute models from Indonesia, and so on) \u2013 so, a welcome touch to see this \u201cMade in China\u201d Epiphone sporting an engraved neck plate.<\/p>\n<p>Playability? \u2014 This little Epi Special plays really well \u2013 I think it\u2019s as good, or even better in some cases, than similarly equipped Gibson models I've played around with at the store. Neck feel is extremely comfortable \u2013 and this is a guitar light enough to play all night and barely notice you\u2019re wearing it. For some, they might initially buy it simply as\u00a0an inexpensive gigging alternate to a more expensive Gibson (or similar) \u2014 something they won\u2019t be too concerned about banging around, or being stolen \u2014 but, this Epi LP Special grows on you quickly \u2013 and it\u2019s so inexpensive, you may just decide to get another as a backup to the backup.<\/p>\n<p>The Verdict \u2014 If you\u2019re looking to add the growling tone of a P90 equipped guitar to you arsenal, at a ridiculously great value, I don\u2019t think there is any better option out there than the Epiphone Special 1. I mean, you can\u2019t even buy a new set of P90\u2019s on their own for less than a hundred bucks \u2013 and when you add-in the great fit and finish of this Epi, it\u2019s just a fantastic deal. The non-sale GC price is still inexpensive \u2013 maybe only $129 as of this review. You can find them on eBay as well \u2013 from about $100 or so (without shipping). This line included three available colors \u2013 Worn Black, Worn Cherry, and the classic TV Yellow.<\/p>\n<p>I won\u2019t lie.., I STILL dream of a Gibson P90 model someday \u2014 either a Les Paul Melody-Maker, Les Paul Junior, or Les Paul 100 Double-Cut \u2013 but, after having this Epiphone around for the past month, I\u2019m in no rush at all \u2014 it really is a great little guitar.<\/p>\n<p>Steve<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guitars","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":314,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65\/revisions\/314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thesoundgrounds.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}