Bjorn Gelotte Signature Model is coming...

[BucketheadRules]

Let's be honest, there are worse companies to have a signature guitar from.

IMO a lot of Epiphone's recent stuff has actually been pretty desirable.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

They sell black Epiphone Les Paul Customs with all gold hardware for dirt-cheap around Reverb, Guitar Center, Craigslist, etc. Snag one, swap out the pickups for EMG 81/85 (regular set or gold-covered to match that hardware), and BAM! Instant Bjorn Gelotte signature guitar for less money.



https://reverb.com/item/339593-epiphone-les-paul-custom

https://reverb.com/item/296329-epiphone-les-paul-custom-2001-black

 

[btbg]

Epiphones are not bad guitars but they are inferior to Gibsons.I owned both and know the difference.Just the paintjob itself turns me off cause i repainted an Epiphone LPC once and i've seen the crap,thick,polyester paint while i was removing it.

I am not here to bash on Epiphones and i apology if i sound this way,it just doesnt seem right to make cheap chinese signatures on artists that plays custom shop guitars and then have them rock Epiphones on stage to promote the product.Its part of the deal...there is money involved.I remember Bjorn being the poster guy for Marshall MAs but i doubt he would ever used one...

Then go buy a $4000 Gibson LP custom and stop bitching.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

^ Amen, btbg.

Epiphones are not bad guitars but they are inferior to Gibsons.I owned both and know the difference.Just the paintjob itself turns me off cause i repainted an Epiphone LPC once and i've seen the crap,thick,polyester paint while i was removing it.

I am not here to bash on Epiphones and i apology if i sound this way,it just doesnt seem right to make cheap chinese signatures on artists that plays custom shop guitars and then have them rock Epiphones on stage to promote the product.Its part of the deal...there is money involved.I remember Bjorn being the poster guy for Marshall MAs but i doubt he would ever used one...

One question: WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR CUSTOM SHOP GUITARS OUT ON THE ROAD WITH YOU?

Answer: Hell no. You get duplicates (whether cheaply made or not) that can be workhorses on the road and take a beating while maintaining playability consistently from night to night. (And hopefully they won't cost too much in case they are mishandled or stolen on the off-chance.)

 

[yingmin]

They sell black Epiphone Les Paul Customs with all gold hardware for dirt-cheap around Reverb, Guitar Center, Craigslist, etc. Snag one, swap out the pickups for EMG 81/85 (regular set or gold-covered to match that hardware), and BAM! Instant Bjorn Gelotte signature guitar for less money.



https://reverb.com/item/339593-epiphone-les-paul-custom

https://reverb.com/item/296329-epiphone-les-paul-custom-2001-black

Someone who wanted a guitar that was similar to Bjorn's could have done that at any point. Someone who wants Bjorn's actual signature guitar was out of luck until now.

 

[asher]

"I'm not here to bash Epiphones, I'm just gonna go ahead and bash Epiphones."

Anyhow, that Epiphone hate-boner aside, I'm really curious what the guitar is going to end up looking like (aside from "classy as", I suspect).

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Let's be honest, there are worse companies to have a signature guitar from.

IMO a lot of Epiphone's recent stuff has actually been pretty desirable.

I'd even argue that the mid-range and high-end Epi stuff is a lot better than the low-end Gibson stuff.

At least, that's my experience.

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

One question: WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR CUSTOM SHOP GUITARS OUT ON THE ROAD WITH YOU?

Answer: Hell no. You get duplicates (whether cheaply made or not) that can be workhorses on the road and take a beating while maintaining playability consistently from night to night. (And hopefully they won't cost too much in case they are mishandled or stolen on the off-chance.)

On the flipside: a lot of players design their custom instruments built specifically for the road, to whitstand the harsh conditions of touring. The mentality is to spend big cash on your dream instrument you want to play every night.

But it's also true to get a few low/mid copies to use on certain occasions in the event of the instrument being destroyed/lost/stolen. Guys like Zakk Wylde designed his Epiphone sigs so he can use them onstage as well as his fleet of customs.

 

[Nitrobattery]

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

Is that a flat top? That'd certainly differentiate it from a standard LPC.

 

[fps]

There's also the age factor in the Epiphone sigs, In Flames have been going a long time but are still trendsetting with their changes in sound and finding young audiences. Trivium have a younger fanbase too. Those kids who love them and want a sig, they or their parents aren't going to be up for spending £3000 on a guitar!

 

[xzacx]

If the guitar really was THAT bad, I wouldn't imagine Bjorn could put up with playing an entire tour with it, let alone multiple shows thus far.

I always assume they just build the actual artists' stuff out of the custom shop, and make them to look like the signature model. This is normal with sneakers, for example. A lot of guys that have signatures shoes - the pairs that they play in are definitely not off-the-shelf, but lasted specifically to their feet, and have other modifications. In some cases, they've had completely different constructions, but have been disguised to look like the pairs that are actually for sale.

 

[BucketheadRules]

I'd even argue that the mid-range and high-end Epi stuff is a lot better than the low-end Gibson stuff.

At least, that's my experience.

I've got a low-end Gibson V that I love to bits and wouldn't trade for any Epiphone (probably any other Gibson come to think of it) but I take your point. If it came down to choosing between a Matt Heafy LPC or a Gibson LP Studio...

 

[Grand Moff Tim]

Plus until the recent price hikes and model cuts, high-end Epiphones were a couple hundred dollars more than low-end Gibsons . It wouldn't be shocking at all that they'd be as good or better to some people.

 

[Andromalia]

Well, I'm still vouching for my studio reissue from Thomann specials I bought a few years back. I don't play it a lot but it's good.

 

[eaeolian]

I've always found it weird that Gibson has some kind of deal where they give artists (specifically metal artists) "Epiphone" signature models, as opposed to $3-5K Gibson signature models.

Maybe because the $650 Heafy sig costs them about $150 to make and sell, and they'll sell a lot more of those to Trivium fans?

It's actually a smart move - you'd sell a handful of Heafy USA models, and probably not make the money back on them, since he doesn't appeal to your average guy my age that can go out and drop 3K on a LP sig model.

Look who's had USA sig models in LPs - Slash, Alex Lifeson, etc. All people that appeal to an older, richer crowd.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

It looks like this guitar has a flat top. But it also looks like it has the regular diamond inlay on the headstock and not the jester head shape.

 

[asher]

I always assume they just build the actual artists' stuff out of the custom shop, and make them to look like the signature model. This is normal with sneakers, for example. A lot of guys that have signatures shoes - the pairs that they play in are definitely not off-the-shelf, but lasted specifically to their feet, and have other modifications. In some cases, they've had completely different constructions, but have been disguised to look like the pairs that are actually for sale.

There are a lot of guys that talk about being able to walk into any store, pick their signature off the wall and go play with it that night, so I actually think a lot of them at least don't do that: Jeff Loomis, Keith Merrow, Bill Kelliher, Troy Sander's bass sig.

 

[Curt]

Hmmm I actually really dig the headstock inlay. Only In Flames fans would catch on.

I personally love it too. I am a huge In Flames fan, and I am hoping this is a little more than just a black epi LPC with custom headstock inlay and EMG's, though that will probably be it. Either way, i'll have to pick one up just to hang onto, because i've been waiting for this since like 2005. haha

 

[Blood Tempest]

Is that a flat top? That'd certainly differentiate it from a standard LPC.

It looks like this guitar has a flat top. But it also looks like it has the regular diamond inlay on the headstock and not the jester head shape.

It certainly DOES look like a flat top and if you look even closer, that is most definitely the Jesterhead logo. This would make it very different from a typical Epi LPC.

There are a lot of guys that talk about being able to walk into any store, pick their signature off the wall and go play with it that night, so I actually think a lot of them at least don't do that: Jeff Loomis, Keith Merrow, Bill Kelliher, Troy Sander's bass sig.

Agreed. I can't see Bjorn thinking any less than them on this point. They wouldn't put their names on a piece of junk, can't see him doing that either.

I personally love it too. I am a huge In Flames fan, and I am hoping this is a little more than just a black epi LPC with custom headstock inlay and EMG's, though that will probably be it. Either way, i'll have to pick one up just to hang onto, because i've been waiting for this since like 2005. haha

+1!