I Tried The Epiphone 'Greeny' (with Gibson Headstock) | Review + Demo

I Tried The Epiphone Greeny Les Paul (with the Gibson Headstock) | Review + Demo

🐕 Episode Guide:
0:00 Intro - Check Links in the Description
0:08 The Last of the Greenys?
0:20 About Greeny + Gibson's Releases
1:16 They Did What?!
2:07 Other Features
2:25 The Case
3:33 A Better Buy?
4:32 First Impressions
5:02 Inside Look / Specs
13:18 Clean Tones
14:37 Dirty Tones
16:39 Final Thoughts
18:55 What to Watch Next!

🎞️ Videos Mentioned:
0:44 2022 Gibson Kirk Hammett Greeny Les Paul Collector's Edition

0:47 2023 Gibson Kirk Hammett "Greeny" Les Paul Custom Shop Murphy Lab Aged

0:53 2023 Gibson USA Kirk Hammett Greeny Les Paul Standard Faded

0:57 Gibson Releases Greenybucker Pickups

2:46 2023 Epiphone Kirk Hammett Flying V Purple

3:39 2021 Epiphone Joe Bonamassa Lazarus Les Paul 1959 Reissue

⚙️ Gear Used to Make the Show: (AFFILIATE LINKS)
Guitar + Recording:
Camera:
Affiliate Links are found in this description + comments section - clicking and purchasing items from partners will help financially support the show.

[Trog]

Do you think the Pearl inlays were a smart choice?

[JohnMaag-ft]

I've owned the Epiphone "Greeny" for 2 weeks now and I flat out love it. Fit and finish, playability, tone and all over performance of this guitar is excellent in every aspect of what I want in a Gibson guitar. The price of $1499 is very fair.

[younkinjames]

Basically Kirk will end up owning Greeny for free after all this greeny stuff being sold

[markdakel]

Gibson has certainly done a few provocative things with Epiphone over the past couple of years, I am still in sticker shock over the retail price of the last two or three releases, if they would upgrade the fingerboard to Rosewood, and provide better finishes
it would be easier to justify the cost, but keep in mind, the big winner and all of this is Gibson brands. Whether you buy an American made Gibson or a Chinese made Epiphone, it’s all going into the same bank account.

[hkguitar]

11:48, the stain/binding line is not due to scraping, it is a mask/tape line.
Polyurethane finishes are not scraped like lacquer, the edges are instead taped off.
The reason the MOP Gibson logo "pops" more is due to it being an actual piece of shell almost .10" thick, the plastic Epiphone logo is part of the headstock overlay.
Poly finish aside, if Epiphone really wanted to improve their $1500 guitars they could start by using better grade fret wire.
It has been my experience that the Epiphone/Chinese Fret Wire is kind of soft and gritty.
Every Epiphone I've performed a Fret Leveling on has had soft fret wire that was really dirty to work with.

[billbrayley]

Yeah, I paid $1, 500 used for my 07 Gibson 335 in 2013. It’s sad that mid-lines are now proline price and proline are unobtainium for most regular folk.

[joecoach]

I HATE the dull satin finishes on the premium Epiphone models. It just makes it look cheap, not relic'd. Maybe its because I dont have any attachment to the Greeny history but I cant get warm to paying $1500 for an Epiphone when you can find Gibson LP classics and traditionals in excellent shape used for the same price.

[mmonkeyman]

I bought one of these. Very nice guitar thanks to all the little touches that separate it from a 1959 spec Epi LP. No regrets at all.

Some of the tops on these things are very ugly, I managed to get one that's on the darker side and looks pretty nice thanks to my sweetwater rep picking one out for me about a month before it officially went on sale.

[scwebb]

If you watch the latest Andertons-visits-Gibson-Vault video, Lee and Aljon talk about this being the first of the new premium range of Epiphones that are designed to replace the low-end Gibsons (basically Tributes). In terms of the unique (to Epi) features of the Greeny you get the one-piece neck, the open-book headstock, Grover tuners, MoP inlays, Gibson fretwire, custom bridge, Greenybuckers, upgraded electronics, mismatched control knobs and the carve-top is taken from a 3D scan of the original Greeny. Whether you think that plus the name (and associated artists) is worth the price is of course entirely personal.

[christianhunter]

Only thing missing from this Greeny are a few trips down a flight of stairs!

[matthewf]

The Epiphone marketing guy did say that they’re using Gibson fretwire on the Greenie. So, you do get a littlemore than just the headstock and pickups.

It’s still too dang expensive for a Chinese Epiphone without a rosewood fretboard. You can get a Gibson Trad Pro from a few years ago for the same or less.

[renodavid]

I dig it. Thanks for the rundown. I think an untapped market for the Greenie (as far as I know) would be for them to come out with a Greeny ‘69. I’m sure there’s a ton of Peter Green fans out there who would love to have a version of the guitar in the same condition it was in before he sold it to Moore. It’s gotta happen eventually.

[Trial]

Nice review as always!! I do find it interesting that everyone is catching up on the pick up/magnet arrangement of the Greeny. That set up was available in the 2004-2006 Joe Perry Boneyard Epi with the insanely flamed Boneyard veneer. And it flew completely under the radar!! Anyway, as a dedicated Epiphone player and collector I want one, but NOT for $1500. I'll wait till the buzz subsides and get a nice used one. Great job on the review, keep them coming!!! Bryan

[johnnyxmusic]

Last time I was this early there were only 29 versions of this guitar.🤣😂😊

[BeachGuyDave]

Very awesome review! I feel like ever since Kirk acquired the greeny, it has given him a new love for playing the guitar. Prior to him acquiring it, he was more on the surfing kick and now he’s a little bit more into Music again. And I think it’s a direct result of the guitar. And if that’s the case, then we should all be thankful for Qveen and Guitars and hopefully we have some more awesome albums coming out from Metallica in the future!

[marksouthgate-wmie]

With regard to your comments about the frets, they do indeed use gibson fret wire on this guitar as disclosed at the end of the Andertons Gibson Garage visit video. It will also give you a better understanding of where Epiphone are trying to go with their upper range of guitars.

[Lean]

It's either Gibson/Fender Custom Shop/PRS Core, or it's Firefly...nothing in between. Little harsh, but what I mean, is that they're offering a lot of features in the "budget guitar" range these days. $1500 for a made in China or Indonesia mass import is a no-go for me. Those have to stay below $1, 000.

[Turboy]

Gonna say it...I never have liked the out of phase sound and probably never will. If I ended up with a Greeny of any variety I'd find it necessary to make the neck pickup a normal phase one.

[geraldpinkerton]

I collect Epiphone signature model guitars, so this was a must have for me. As far as playability, sound & feel, it’s not much different than the Epiphone 1959 reissue. The Greenybuckers are pretty great. I think if they were to still include the leatherette booklet with signed COA & picture, I’d feel a little better about the price. As far as future Epis with the open book headstock, I’m really hoping they’ll release a Jimmy Page #2. I’d pay $1500 for that as well. Phenomenal guitar, a great addition to my collection, but as far as being a players guitar, I like my Epi ‘59 & even my Chibson Greeny better

[CarlosJuarez-gppi]

Epiphone should have a MIJ range of guitars