Epiphone 1957 SJ-200 Natural VOS

I bought this as I’d always wanted a Gibson j200 but couldn’t justify the price, and having bought a few Epiphones over the years I didn’t think the quality of their “standard” J200 copy would be good enough.

So when this came out, and all the reviews were so positive I ordered one.

It really is a step above any other Epiphone I’ve played before. The sound is full and rich, and it is great to play.
Some reviews mention the action being more suited to strumming/backing rather than than for intricate work; I see where they’re coming from, but I think that point it’s being exaggerated. It’s not quite as easy to play way up the neck as say a Taylor, but the difference is small.

The guitar looks fantastic in person, that Gibson style headstock adds so much, and the hard case even looks great too.

All in all, after about 6 weeks of ownership I’m delighted with it, and will have it for years to come.