So this is my Gold Top. I absolutely LOVE this guitar. I don't know that I could have one that suits me better if I had it hand made at the Gibson factory as I watch over the luthier's shoulder. Back in 1997 I was playing CBGB in New York City and after the gig we were all to go eat with our A&R guy. We hurried to load our gear in the van so we would no miss our reservations. Somehow, somewhere along the line my guitars got left in the club, on the street, who knows but the bottom line was they got left behind. After a few days it seemed they were gone forever. I was left with no Les Paul so I had to go get a replacement. I had heard that Epiphone was making some very nice guitars after Gibson agreed to license the Les Paul and a few other models, and selling them for a reasonable price. So I went in and played a few and settled on this one. I didn't bother plugging it in when I tried it because I knew I would replace the Epiphone guts in favor of my own set up. (Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan Custom in the neck and Allpart pots w/ ceramic caps). What I was really interested in at the time was how it felt and how it sounded acoustically. I was looking for a warm but clear sound from the strings. This guitar had it in spades. I dunno, maybe I got the guy who did the final setup on a good day or who knows what, but the planets of the rock and roll universe aligned on this one. It just felt like an extension of my own hands. Since I added this guitar to my collection, I have added 2 more Epiphones and I love all 3. This one is still my favorite. I even prefer it to my "Genuine Gibson" Les Pauls. I have used it in countless live performances, studio and jam sessions. It stays in tune like no other, the tone is solid as a rock and it will go from zero to sixty in nothing flat. I have looked for others... Same make, model, paint, etc. but they just are not the same. This was truly a lucky find. Next up.... I have no idea, I'll figure out which one when I sit down to blog.
