Review of the Epiphone Special-I Electric Guitar

The Epiphone Special-I is an affordable electric guitar model that is part of Epiphone's "Inspired by Gibson" line. This guitar features a classic double cutaway Les Paul body shape made from mahogany with a maple top. It has a bolt-on mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. The Special-I aims to deliver the iconic Les Paul tone and playability at a budget-friendly price point, making it a great choice for beginners and intermediate players looking for an affordable but quality instrument. This review will take a closer look at the various features and specifications of the Special-I to help you determine if it's the right electric guitar for your needs and budget.

Body & Neck

The Epiphone Special Satin is a solidbody electric guitar with a classic double-cutaway design that provides easy access to the higher frets. The body is made from mahogany, which helps produce a balanced tone across the frequency range.

The mahogany body contributes to the guitar's smooth, singing sustain and resonance. It has a comfortable contoured cutaway that allows easier access to the higher frets. The slim taper neck is also crafted from mahogany for stability and sustain. It has a 24.75" scale length and a 12" radius rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. The neck joins the body at the 22nd fret for excellent upper fret access.

Overall, the mahogany body and neck provide a balanced tone and playing experience that makes this Epiphone well-suited for blues, rock, metal, country, and various other genres. The materials and construction deliver versatility along with classic style. The contoured body and slim taper neck allow for comfortable playing and fret access across the fingerboard. If you're looking for classic electric guitar design with modern playability, the Epiphone Special Satin is an affordable option to consider.

For players seeking a high-end acoustic-electric guitar, the Martin Guitar OMJM John Mayer signature model delivers impressive craftsmanship and tone. This guitar was designed in collaboration with Grammy-winning artist John Mayer and incorporates his preferences for materials, aesthetics, and features. It has a solid Sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides, which produce a balanced and articulate tone. The neck is also mahogany which contributes to the guitar's stability, playability, and sustain.

Some key features of the Martin OMJM include an ebony fingerboard and bridge, pearl dot inlays, a special neck shape, and open-gear tuners with a butterbean design. The guitar has a 24.9" scale length and a 1 3/4" nut width for comfortable playing. Electronics include an ES-T pickup system which accurately captures the OMJM's organic tones with clarity and warmth. The guitar comes in a Thermal Blue Burst finish that was specially aged to reflect Mayer's vintage aesthetic.

Overall, the Martin OMJM John Mayer signature model delivers pro-level craftsmanship, materials, electronics, and attention to detail. Mayer fans and acoustic guitarists seeking a responsive, balanced, and lush-sounding instrument will appreciate the OMJM. It pays tribute to Martin's storied history while also incorporating modern specifications preferred by one of today's top guitarists.

Hardware

The Epiphone Special SG has quality hardware that enhances playability. The chrome hardware provides an elegant contrast to the classic SG shape.

The tune-o-matic bridge allows for precise intonation of each individual string. This is ideal for players who use non-standard tunings or need maximum control over their tone. The bridge works in tandem with the stopbar tailpiece to create a solid anchor point for the strings that maximizes sustain and resonance.

Overall, the hardware complements the SG design while providing the functionality needed for optimal sound and performance. Players who appreciate the SG body style will enjoy the added versatility from the upgraded hardware components. The classic SG shape has been popular for decades, embraced by countless iconic guitarists. This distinctive double cutaway design allows easy access to the higher frets while still retaining the SG's excellent tonal qualities. The beveled edges provide comfort during long playing sessions. When paired with the right hardware, the SG is a highly playable, great sounding electric guitar.

For players seeking an affordable SG with upgraded hardware, the Fender 0370121506 is an excellent option to consider. This model features a tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece like the Epiphone Special SG. The Fender 0370121506 hardware provides rock-solid stability and sustain. This allows you to take full advantage of the SG shape's bright, crunchy tone. Whether playing rock riffs or bluesy leads, the 0370121506 has the components to handle anything you can throw at it. The chrome hardware also gives it that classy SG look. For those enamored with the SG body style, the 0370121506 brings classic appeal together with modern playability.

Pickups

The Epiphone Special II has a pair of open-coil Epiphone 700T humbuckers that deliver a balanced tone with decent sustain and dynamics. The humbuckers have ceramic magnets, providing output and bite in the midrange.

The pickups are not as detailed or articulate as higher-end models, but they perform well for the price point. The 700Ts handle overdrive and distortion nicely, with a warm yet defined crunch. Cleans stay bright and open.

Overall the pickups give a classic rock and blues focused tone. They lack the shimmer and chime of single coils, but provide thick and juicy humbucker character. For beginners wanting that Les Paul Jr sound, the Epiphone 700Ts get you most of the way there.

Controls

The Epiphone Special's control layout is simple and intuitive, providing players with all the essentials for shaping their tone. It has two volume and two tone controls, allowing individual volume and tone adjustment for each pickup.

The volume controls follow standard configuration - the volume knob closest to the bridge controls the bridge pickup volume, while the neck volume knob adjusts the output of the neck pickup. Turning the volume knobs down not only lowers the output volume, but also results in a cleaner, less driven tone.

The two tone knobs give players broad flexibility for tailoring the guitar's frequency response. Turning the tone controls down rolls off the high frequencies, resulting in a warmer, darker sound. The tone knobs interact with both pickups - the difference is that the bridge tone knob mainly shapes the treble response of the bridge pickup, while the neck tone knob does the same for the neck pickup. Having dedicated controls makes it easy to control the distinct voices of each pickup.

With its simple control layout, the Special puts the most essential parameters at the player's fingertips. The ergonomic control knobs have a smooth, grippy feel. Overall, the controls offer an intuitive way to shape the Special's flexible tonal palette.

Sound & Playability

The Epiphone Special SG has a fat, warm tone thanks to its mahogany body and neck. The combination of mahogany wood with the 650R humbucker pickups produces a rich, full sound that's great for blues and classic rock.

Despite having a slim taper "D"-shaped neck, the Epiphone Special SG is very comfortable and easy to play, even for beginners. The neck is not overly thick, allowing you to easily wrap your hand around it. The medium jumbo frets also provide a smooth feel that makes bending notes effortless.

The guitar stays in tune well even during heavy playing. The tuners help keep the strings from slipping out of tune. Intonation up and down the neck is accurate. These qualities make the Epiphone Special SG a joy to play for guitarists of all levels.

Pros

One of the biggest pros of the Epiphone Special-I Electric Guitar is its affordable price point. Coming in at under $200, this classic electric guitar design is an excellent value. It's a great choice for beginner and intermediate players looking for a budget-friendly instrument.

The Epiphone Special-I features the classic double cutaway Les Paul design that has been popular for over 60 years, but at a fraction of the cost of an authentic Gibson. The Special-I allows players to get that iconic Les Paul vibe and tone without breaking the bank.

Overall, if you're looking for a high quality, great sounding electric guitar and don't want to spend a fortune, the Epiphone Special-I is hard to beat. You get a lot of guitar for not a lot of money, especially compared to other Les Paul-style electrics. The Special-I's combination of affordability and classic styling make it a top choice for value-conscious players.

Cons

The Epiphone Special SG has some drawbacks that should be considered before purchasing.

• The body is made of cheaper okoume wood rather than mahogany or other higher-end tonewoods. While okoume is durable and affordable, it doesn't resonate or sustain as well as pricier alternatives.

• The hardware, tuners, bridge, and other components are more budget-friendly versions. They get the job done, but may not stand up to heavy use over many years as professional hardware would.

• There are limited controls and features compared to higher end SGs. You only get one volume and one tone knob, basic 3-way pickup switching, and no coil-splitting options. Players who want more tonal flexibility may find the Special SG lacking.

• The pickups are Epiphone's cheaper 700T/650R open coil humbuckers. They produce decent rock and hard rock tones, but don't have the nuanced voicing or harmonically rich overtones of Gibson or aftermarket pickups.

• The overall fit and finish is good for the price, but won't blow you away. The tuners, nut, frets, bridge, and other components are just average for an imported guitar in this range.

While the Special SG punches above its weight class tonally, its cheaper materials and limited specs keep it firmly in the budget tier for gigging guitarists or serious hobbyists. Players should weigh the pros and cons before purchasing.

Alternatives

The Epiphone Special II Satin is a great budget electric guitar, but there are some other options worth considering in a similar price range:

Epiphone Les Paul Special II

The Les Paul Special II is another stripped down solidbody model from Epiphone. It has a similar set mahogany neck and body construction. The tonewoods produce a slightly warmer, rounder sound compared to the SG style Special II. The Les Paul gives you two humbucker pickups for thicker distortion. An excellent choice if you want classic rock and metal tones on a budget.

Epiphone SG Special

For a tone and feel closer to the original Gibson SG, check out the Epiphone SG Special. It has a thinner, contoured body made of mahogany with a fast-playing SlimTaper neck. The two open-coil humbuckers provide versatility for everything from rock to blues. The SG style is great for lead guitarists who need quick access to higher frets.

Squier Bullet/Affinity Series

Squier by Fender offers some of the best entry level electric guitars. The Bullet and Affinity Stratocasters and Telecasters start around the same price as the Special II Satin. They provide excellent quality and playability for beginners. While they have a brighter, twangier tone, you can still get crunchy distortion sounds. Ideal for country, funk, punk, indie rock and more.

Yamaha Pacifica

The Yamaha Pacifica lineup provides high quality and performance for the money. Models like the PAC112J have an alder body with a maple neck for balanced, crisp tone. The two single coil pickups and a humbucker offer tonal flexibility. Yamaha builds these budget guitars to a very high standard.

Summary

The Epiphone Special II is a great entry-level electric guitar for beginners or anyone looking for an affordable instrument with that classic Gibson Les Paul style. It's an iconic guitar with its double cutaway mahogany body and slim tapered neck profile. Though made with cheaper materials to reach a lower price point, the Special II still provides good build quality, playability and versatile tone thanks to its dual open-coil humbucker pickups.

Overall, it's a solid choice as a first guitar or spare/guest instrument. The no-frills design and hardware keep costs down without sacrificing the basic essence of a Les Paul. As an Epiphone, it also benefits from Gibson's trusted reputation. For an inexpensive way to get classic rock tones, the Special II delivers. More advanced players may want higher-end electronics, hardware and attention to detail, but this guitar hits all the right notes for the budget-conscious.