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Epiphone Bob Marley
List: $600
Epiphone fans rejoice! no, not because Bob Marley`s pic is finally on your fav guitar brand, but celebrate because the Epi Bob Marley is a good sounding, good playing guitar per se...
I had difficulties putting it away simply because it`s a well set up unit, rich in feel & tones. The lacquerless finish is the ultimate feature IMO of this model, I have always believed that a thin body finish lets the inherent wood tone breathes through the pickups better & this guitar proved just that. I had good experiences with the Fender Highway1 series so this guitar isn`t a major surprise. It also means that the neck doesn`t get sticky after prolonged hours of playing, you just wanna keep going- well done Epi!
Another departure from the average LP is the flat top surface- it`s not arched & it really doesn`t matter. in fact, I`m beginning to understand why Les Paul himself advocated for a flat top design which Gibson ignored. That`s another story, but the feel of this one`s very impressive. Another plus there...
The humbuckers (GIbson desigend), my friends, account for much of the good tones coming out from this guitar- clean/ driven, they deliver. Raggae/ rasta fans would love the bright tones eminating from the bridge unit although the neck counterpart could use a little less `wooliness`. In overdrive mode, both humbuckers are impressive, lots of single notes clarity & a healthy low-end to appease palm-chugging fans. the zebra color configuration is simply sweet.
If there are any demerits here then i`d wager that the neck profile is a little wider (marginal to some of us) than an average LP. In fact, i intentionally played another LP just to make sure & it was just that. of course it`s not too darn wide to such an extent it impedes comfort but players who are accustomed to a typical LP would feel the diff. Another minus for this one is the Bob Marley pic itself- no offence to fans of course. In my honest opinion, it just doesn`t do good to the overall image of the guitar, it surely doesn`t add to tone...
All in all, the Bob Marley Epi is a wonderful player for the lot who don`t mind the absence of familiar LP attributes- it didn`t even say `Les Paul` on the headstock. Please do not buy this guitar in an attempt to replicate Marley`s Gibson tones, for that purpose, you must tread the P-90 path. I must say that the list price is a fair one, worth every cent.
