SGN: Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 (II) review

[aerlingus18]

hey man do you do any effect reviews? and would you recommend behringer uc200 im only starting off with effects

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@aerlingus18 I will do a review of the Zoom G1 soon for instance. I have only owned one Behringer pedal (a bass limiter). The sound was rather good but the knobs were a little bit too loose. It would change setting in the middle of songs. Duct tape is the mother of all solutions...

[aerlingus18]

@SwedishGuitarNerd cool thanks man :D

[sicopr2003]

You said clearly in the video is the vintage sunburst but i didn't listened the first time i saw the video,im so sorry.Thanks for answer.

[sicopr2003]

Very useful this video.What color is that guitar? I ask because some colors look similar on internet.i will buy one and im afraid to choose the wrong color.

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@sicopr2003 It's the "Vintage Sunburst". It's too orange for my taste :)

[creationoftheworld]

I think i am going to buy this guitar , it will be my first guitar (i am 25 and finally gathered the courage to give it a try) , now i want to focus on rock/hardrock/heavy metal , and i am wondering when i would mainly use distortion through my amp , would i need to downtune my guitar aswell for an really deep sound , or is it like or you downtune the guitar and play it clean or you use the amp to create the deeper sound ?! Thanks !

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@creationoftheworld You can get a deep sound without detuning. Most Metallica and Iron Maiden songs are in standard tuning for instance.. It's more what suits the song and what key you manage to sing in. If you want a modern american metal sound then downtuning is usual a part of that. I never downtune, but I have a 7-string guitar just for the fun of it. My theory is that you usually have a bassist who is tuned down an octave so you should use that instead for deepness.

[creationoftheworld]

@SwedishGuitarNerd Ok thank you , now another thing i am wondering is , will i (as an beginner) go through alot of strings fast ? Would i need some back ups ? Or would an good string for instance an ghs boomers(thats the one in my package) last a few months and not snap in the first week ? And any gauge advise ? I hear that gauge 10 is good for beginners because it is not so harsh on the fingers but still gives an good sound.

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@creationoftheworld I can't give a straight answer to that question. I break strings all the time (even bass strings) since I play hard and use heavy picks. Of you use thinner picks and a softer touch strings can last for months. Have a backup-pack in your case. You never know when they snap. GHS Boomers are great strings and 10s suit this guitar well. If you tune down you should consider getting some thicker strings though so that they don't get too loose and hard to play.

[creationoftheworld]

@SwedishGuitarNerd Ok , thanks for your help friend !

[ScarletFierce]

how did you do the different sounds like in 11:38? did you use a distortion pedal?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@ScarletFierce I use a Zoom G1 multieffect/ampsimulator for all my videos. I switch between different patches. It's cheaper than most distortion-pedals but can do so much more.

[arthurleino]

I had mine set up at the store I bought it. No problems with it staying in tune. Great guitar for the $. I like it better then my old Fender Tele!

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@arthurleino Yes it's incredible what you can get for such a small amount of money!

[natnalexfan11]

Do the strings bend eaisly?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@natnalexfan11 I didn't really feel that big of a difference. It's probably 010s on it.

[LeandroGC06]

Is it good to play Rock/Metal?



[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@LeandroGC06 Yes it's a rock-machine :) 

[TheJacksonMaster]

Is that Suhr in the back?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@TheJacksonMaster Nope it's a Cort. Watch my review of it!

[ledzepplien1337]

I just purchased this guitar and I don't like the tuners either. In the future if I replace them I was wondering what kind or brand of tuners I should replace them with? thanks

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@ledzepplien1337 I'd go for any sealed tuner that has the tuning knob screwed to the tuner. Any brand. They seem to do the best work, be realiable over time and to hold the tuning best. I've used cheap chinese unbranded ones that were just great. You just have to look for the right features.

[DRGK9]

@ledzepplien1337 go for grovers. there used on gibsons

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@DRGK9 Grovers a good stuff. Not too overpriced either.

[DRGK9]

@SwedishGuitarNerd i have some on my epi. il play it for an hour. put it in the case. then take it out the next day still in tune. play for another couple hours. almost perfectly in tune

[krazy4knives]

@SwedishGuitarNerd which is better. i know theyre for two different styles, but all in all sound quality and build quality, do you like this or the affinity tele better?

[blackjackatx11]

i own one of these, it was my first guitar and i still play it all the time. the pickups are great, they sound fantastic for it to be such a cheap priced guitar. i have to say the only thing i dont like are the tuners, they really aren't good at all. other than the tuners this is a great guitar, imo, the best beginner guitar in its price range!

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@blackjackatx11 We seem to agree on that. A great guitar, but with changed tuners; a guitar for life.

[loganbennett13]

I would like to get one of these and mod the piss out of it. Would this guitar be good for that?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@loganbennett13 Tell me your planned mods

[loganbennett13]

@SwedishGuitarNerd I was thinking of putting either emg 81s in the bridge and emg 85s in the the neck or getting a pair of blackouts for it. And i was going to get new tuners for sure.

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@loganbennett13 Cool! I was actually playing it last night for the first time since I did the review and I was amazed. The neck and playability is really good. EMGs will make it sound really classy and bring out the screaming midrange of it even more.

[loganbennett13]

@SwedishGuitarNerd Cool. Thanks.



[lukefromdownunder]

I just got one, good guitar and good review

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@lukefromdownunder Awesome!! Don't miss my upcoming reviews!

[CaramidaCaramizie]

I really liked this review. It helps that you're honest about its flaws, 'cause most of the reviews I've been going through (for this guitar) have been annoyingly sweet about it. It helps to know what problems to expect from what you're buying. :)

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@CaramidaCaramizie Thanks for the comment. I try to be honest and not too positive or negative. I'm glad that translates to you as a viewer!

[xavictor]

what about ltd esp models such as ec50?

ps. ur vids are awesome, im enjoying it

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@xavictor Thanks for the nice words and the suggestion. I'd love to review some cheap LTD models soon.

[snookermad1]

What gauge strings are stock with it?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@snookermad1 I'd say they're 10-46.

[larcon2011]

i am thinking to buy a epiphone sg, and this epiphone les paul, which one would you recomend me?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@larcon2011 To be honest there isn't much difference between them. The SG might be more easy to play on the higher frets, but other than that they are basically the same. Same hardware, neck and pickups. It's also a matter of eastetics. Do you want to look like Slash or Angus Young? :)

[Thelonesniper101]

This Is 10 billion times better than those pos squires and you are a liar the neck is pretty thin and squires are suitable for blues and jazz that's it les pauls are much more versatile and this guitar is great even for experts

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@Thelonesniper101 I have no reason to lie. I might have a different opinion than others but I tell the truth the way I see it and I'm certainly closer to the "real" truth than any ad-paid magazine.

[Thelonesniper101]

@SwedishGuitarNerd Nope.

[tech9boarder]

what would you recommend for a beginner just going onto electric guitars?

1. Squier Fat Strat

2. Epiphone G-310 sg

or this one. the epiphone LP Special 2? 

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@tech9boarder I'd go with the Squier. They are more diverse and can do many styles. My experience is that they're making good quality instruments at the moment. Watch my Squier-reviews to find out more.

[gorillazhead]

@tech9boarder I'm getting the Special II, but it's all about preference.

If you like the single coil sound, get the Fat.

[nbs1421]

Does this have high action?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@nbs1421 No the action was low and buzz-free.

[thisisMatkin]

thanks, great video, i have to say, it was much more enjoyable with transcribed audio turned one :) 'we have a mahogany neck shrimp' 'if she or he owns a gay bar'

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@thisisMatkin Hahaha!

[Densson]

Ordered one today, I will come back and tell you what i thought!

And also... tack för en bra recension! ;)

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@Densson Yeah!

[Bikerider914]

I wanna get one of these and upgrade the pickups to sd-8 invaders and upgrade the tuners and possibly eventually the fretboard to les Paul inlays, dots are boring

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@Bikerider914 Sounds like you would save some money buying a completely different guitar :)

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@camburns1 It depends on what you are searching for. If you want to play a lot of music-styles I believe the Yamaha is the best. The Epiphone suits heavy rock and does that very good. The Yamaha has a smaller neck so it's easier to get around when you're new to playing guitar. They both suffer from crappy tuners! Myself I haven't tried that many Epiphones but I have owned (and still own) some Yamahas and they've all been great.

[886NINJA]

This is the best electric guitar I have ever owned

[riciy]

i owned this guitar for about 3 years and i started playing e-guitar on it..idont know if i would recommend it, not for intermediate players anyway...it might be just fine for beginners like i was because it's quite cheap and you wont waste money..you were absolutely right on the tuners..two of them broke like after few months. also the neck pickup gave up on me, maybe its just faulty wiring, but since i got a new guitar i didnt bother repairing it. well, bit trashy but i kinda liked it anyway=)

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@riciy Thanks for that comment! It's always interesting to hear how these guitars hold together over a longer period. I try them out brand new and can only make qualified guesses on how they will stand the test of time.

[samg013]

i thought the same as you about the sunburst, it doesnt really look vintage which put me off buying that colour. it doesnt look like a sunBURST, just a sun lol

[ldenman]

fantastic review! This was a god send compared to the trash reviews on youtube.When I come to Sweden I will buy you a beer! I am going to buy this guitar today, so thank you for the great tips.

Cheers!

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@ldenman Thanks a lot man! I hope you will enjoy yours as much as I liked mine. Cheers!

[ThirteenPeeps]

yeah, bolt ons would be much better if they were just a little thinner.

[Iamfukenripped]

They dont have mahogany bodies ... mindyou, did something change?...im looking at the cavity where my pickup sits and it looks like plywood O.O , layers of board stuck together... then again mine is a 2006 model so maybe they changed the woods and quality *wonders*...

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@Iamfukenripped Intresting comment. According to Epiphones homepage it's a mahogany body. They don't state that it is a SOLID mahogany body though.. They have changed the specs on some of their guitars the last years so it's possible that your Special II is different from mine. I found it to be very resonant. That says nothing of the construction. A well-made plywood body can be better than a bad solid-wood body made from bad timbers.

[Iamfukenripped]

@SwedishGuitarNerd Regardless of anything, theyre certainly great guitars, I have had min for 5 years ... with a few upgrades i.e pickups and machine heads... you cant really go wrong..

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@creakystair They are the hottest!!!

[ghigaful]

vintage sunburth :))))) is vintage sunburSt man :D

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@ghigaful Hahaha!!

[MrBloodyGooch]

Does this guy ever give a ten?

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@MrBloodyGooch I have given tens. Check my other reviews :)

[ktep77]

Awesome review :)

[JimmyPaigeIsGod36]

Should this be my first electric guitar

[avatarcollides2day]

@JimmyPaigeIsGod36 no

yamaha pacifica id say

[Bereaphen]

Awesome review. I think I'm gonna sell my Squire Bullet and get this instead.

[annieAAH]

is this still available?the whole pack

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

Thanks for all the kind responses!

[Shogun1289]

great review, thank you!

[MrGuimbard]

great sound! awesome!

[soulagent79]

It might be a good guitar for the price, but does it also feel like a real Les Paul or is it good but something else? I can imagine the bolt on neck kills a lot of the sustain.

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@soulagent79 I'll say it's more a case of something good but something else. It has that fat humbucker sound. A regular Les Paul is probably more varied tone-wise. Since the body is thinner it doesn't give you that traditional Les Paul feel. That can be a good thing though :) Gibson has created a myth that glued necks give you more sustain. That's not at all true. I will probably dedicate one of my videos to this subject. Go to Ed Romans homepage to learn about the facts.

[soulagent79]

@SwedishGuitarNerd That's interesting. I always thought: bolt on neck = more attack, glued neck = more sustain. I'll check out Ed Romans hp, thanks for the tip.

[anthonyring123]

ive had this guitar for about 6 months now, and the thing i love the most, is the neck, i love it, its really smooth and not to thick or thin, the pickups are eh... a little difficault to get pinch harmonics. i like the look of it, i honestly think the tuners are alright, they stay in tune for me decently well, for a 160$ its a pretty damn decent guitar, a alirght back up for a small garage band

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@anthonyring123 I liked the neck as well. It sure feels like a real guitar. The tuners stay in tune well but give the impression that they will fall apart any minute. I've experienced that with similar ones. I recommend it as a second or even a first guitar.

[LeftyFlipBassist]

@anthonyring123 Couldn't you just change the pickups later on when you get enough money?? that's what i plan on doing

[TheArts8]

Actully the epiphone les paul junior is the cheepest

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@TheArts8 True! Isn't that the one humbucker one? They don't sell those in my part of the world.

[ELJUANB]

hey viejo muchas gracias por tomarse el tiempo de hacer vídeos como este y compartir las cosas que usted sabe. muchas gracias

[f1l173]

i have this guitar for abt a yr or so and sounds really good the only turn down to me r the tuners , theyre really bad ,you keep losing tune all the time

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@f1l173 We seem to agree here :) Thanks for the comment! It's really interesting for me to hear about how it has worked over a period of time.

[hamzabinamin123]

@SwedishGuitarNerd can u tell me more about the tuners like whats the bad thing about them...Would they require replacement after some time?

[grungeboy31]

@f1l173 i have the same exact one the guy is reviewing and yeah man the tuner's are really bad....

[PBBB13]

thanks i really want this guitar and now im sure that its is a good guitar and im going to get it soon(=

[SwedishGuitarNerd]

@PBBB13 I'm glad that I was able to help you!