Epiphone Sheraton II - Korean Versus Elite

[admin]

For those of you who own or who have critically evaluated the Epiphone Sheraton II, made in Korea, I would be most interested in your appraisal.

It looks great but does its construction, tone and playability live up to the inexpensive $599 US price tag? In what ways would the Elite model of the Sheraton be worth the extra?

Should you have photos and soundbytes or a Youtube performance I would love to know about it.

[mfb]

I have 5 Epi Elites - however, all of them are LP's - they are great feeling and sounding guitars, not to mention the quality of the finish. These are made in the FujiGen Gakki factory in Japan, so I have consistently read.

I have a Korean natural Epiphone Dot that I purchased new about 2 or 3 years ago. At the time I could not see any difference in any department between the Korean Sheraton and the Korean Dot, except for the finish colour and cosmetics.

I have played the Epi Elite box guitars and they are exceptional. Again, the finish is top class and they feel and sound amazingly good with very little fiddling of the knobs on either the amp or the guitar. From what I have read, these Elites are manufactured in the Terada factory in Japan - the same factory that makes the Gretschs (but I don't know how accurate a statement that is). Regardless which factory they are made, the Elite box guitars are quite amazing, I would buy one except that I have a couple of Yamaha SA's (the SA2200 and the smaller SAS1500, again made in Japan) that, quite frankly, curb any desire for any other such box guitar.

Epi Dot natural

Yamaha SAS2200

[sloop_john_b]

I'll toss in my praise for the standard Epiphone Dot, which is just as much if not more guitar than the Sheraton II, minus the fancy stuff. I swapped pickups (Duncan Phat Cat neck and Seth Lover bridge) and added a Bigsby B7, and the guitar continues to amaze me, four years later.

[charlyg]

I'm just finishing up the Dot Studio, with Fat Pafs (GFS), and a Bigsby b700. The pups give each note more definition in a chord. I do know a fellow who put 59's in, but I kinda like these, now that I fixed the noise. Of course, my opinion could change down the road. In reading the other forums, the Dot holds up well in all its price ranges, and looks(quality of wood and finish) and electronics seem to be the major difference!

[admin]

Thanks for your comments guys. The following is a review I noted online today.

http://www.electric-guitars-guide.com/e ... eview.html

One of my big questions was about the pickups and this reviewer addresses this as well as many other features of the Korean made Sheraton II.