Marshall G100R CD 100W Amp Head

The Marshall G100R CD review.  This amp is a 100W solid state amp head made in Korea.  Although I am a fan of Marshall, I have to admit these amps are pretty lousy.  This is possibly the worse amp head you may ever play through (that is if you have the misfortune to ever come across one).  There are a ton of quirky things about these amps, but that is a whole story in itself.  Improper sound levels between channels is the real kicker.  Overall the sound is just bad.  The particular head in the photo above was sent back from a guy in France who said something was wrong with it.  Guess what?  Nothing was wrong with it at all, it's just a shitty amp. Very bland, dull, and cheap sounding,  it is obvious to me that these amps were made for a quick profit.

 Avoid at all costs!  If you really want to see how disappointing these amps are to the Marshall brand name you  might be able to find one used on e-bay for around $100 or so plus shipping.  They were originally started at $400.00 new which is pretty low for a 100W amp head in the first place.  Needless to say they do not hold resale value and there is no immediate market or cult following for these heads.

Epiphone SG Special Electric Guitar

 Previously I had never given the Epiphone SG Special's much thought.  As it turns out these are actually pretty decent guitars for those seeking the classic SG style without the huge Gibson price tag.  The neck is surprisingly comfortable and easy to play for a budget-style guitar.  The body is very thin and light, giving the overall impression of a 'cheap guitar' but don't let that fool you.  Made in Indonesia, and set up in the US, these guitars pack quite a little punch for practically chump change. The bridge humbucker was surprisingly bright, similar to a single coil.  It had a nice sounding 'punchiness' to it that I honestly didn't expect from this guitar.  With distortion the humbuckers fade into the generic sounding-side of things, but honestly is that always so bad?  They are overall solid and provide a decent sound, what more can you ask for in a entry-level electric guitar.

Overall the Epiphone SG Special strikes me as a great value for the money, you can find them used from anywhere to $80-$120.  These are a much better option than some of the generic Chinese offerings in this price range that flood the used guitar market.

Epiphone 15E EB Acoustic Guitar

 The Epiphone 15E EB Acoustic guitar is now somewhat of a rarity.  There is not much information floating around about them, but it is a pretty clean acoustic guitar.  This is a jumbo size acoustic guitar with homage to vintage "King of the Flattop" mentality that Gibson and Epiphone boast.  I have always been somewhat of a fan of Epiphone acoustics.  This is actually quite nicely made for a Chinese-made guitar.  Set up in the US by Epiphone to ensure good play-ability.  Large sound and comfortable rosewood fretboard.  This guitar would sound great with a fresh pair of Exlier's on it!

The headstock is the feature that stood out the most to me on this guitar.  It is indeed very large, much like the headstock of the highly sought-after Epiphone Genesis.  This provides for great sustain, and an overall sturdy feeling guitar.  These are no longer in production but you may be able to snag one up by checking e-bay from time to time.

Epiphone Eb-0 SG Electric Bass

Classic Gibson SG Style vibe at an Epiphone price.  A down to the point bass with homage to the original.  Includes one neck humbucker, the output isn't as hot as I would have expected but that is alright.  My only hangup about this bass is how easy it is to set up wrong.  At the moment of review the action was very high towards the high frets due to the SG-style bridge.  The scoop with this bass is that it is a short-scale 30-1/2" similar to a Fender Mustang Bass size.  This makes it very easy to play, I really like short scale basses as they allow for a wider variety of notes to be played within a shorter distance.  Great for kids, and women or those with smaller hands.

Sinister, for a fraction of the price.  Retails online at $199.00 new, you can find these used on E-bay for around $100-$150 depending on the condition.  Overall a solid entry to mid level short scale bass for the price.