Epiphone Review: Sheraton ES-225

History:

Purchase: I picked this up in 1977 after deciding to branch out my sound from my wierd but perfectly functional Hagstrom II(another review, another time). Single coil vs. Hummers. Wanted a good guitar, but was monitarily challenged. Went to the local mall music shop and saw...the EPI!! It was cherry red and had 2 Hummers(Gibson). I cried poor to the sales rep and he cut me some slack. Got it for $350, including case. Case was a nice Gibson hardshell with plush lining.

What I Like About This Epiphone Sheraton ES-225: Finsh is cherry red translucent with full binding. Very pretty. All chrome hardware, so no worrys about finish coming off as with gold hardware. Mahogany neck with rosewood fret board has real MOP trapazoid markers. The store also had dot necks, but I liked these better. MOP EPI logo and vine-looking thing on the Gibby style headstock. Hummers and pots/switch are actually Gibson units. Piece has a solid mahogany center block from tail to neck pocket(bolt-on neck). This makes it technically a semi-hollow body, and really helps the tone/sustain. Lends itself to all kinds of music from rock to southern rock to full-on country or rock-a-billy. Very versatile.

What I Do NOT Like About The Epiphone Sheraton ES-225: Trapeze tailpiece instead of stop type. Hurts the sustain marginally. Center block makes it surprisingly heavy. Nothing compared to a LP, though! A wide suede strap took care of it. Feedback can be a problem. After all, it is a hollow body. Some of you set-neck Nazis out there might consider that a minus, but I never had a problem. Neck's a little chunky, but I have large hands, so...

Epiphone Sheraton ES-225 Quality Rating: Very good build quality. Built in Japan. Maple semi-arched top; I'm not sure about the sides and back. Very possibly mahogany. The grain looks like that. Could account for the weight, too. Good quality Gibby pups and Tune-O-Matic bridge. Action was a little high for me, but the music shop guy said he'd do a set-up for me at no cost. Not only set the action, but shimmed the neck to keep it from buzzing with lowered action. Perfect for me. All bindings perfect, even at the neck pocket. Real MOP for all inlays. I removed the pickguard just for comfort.

Review Summary: Hard to beat this axe for bang-for-buck. Until I got my LP lawsuit copy, this girl was it. The Hagstrom was relegated to back-up status. Couldn't really get the full impact until I bought my Ampeg VT-22(see review). Then she came alive! Bright at the bridge, mellow jazz at the neck and with both pups selected, you can play any rock song ever recorded! Works and plays well with others. Very compatable with my Cry Baby and MXR Phase 90. Overdrive/distortion gives it some balls, but watch out for the feedback. Think ES-335 for the poor.

Rating of this Epiphone product: 4

This Epiphone Sheraton ES-225 Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: OldRocker

Review Date: 2004-03-25