player opinions
Epiphone EA-250
Name: Steve Leek
Band: -----
Model Year: -----
Price Paid: -----
Performance
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Performance Rating: -----
Sound Quality
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Sound Quality Rating: -----
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I own 2 of these gems and note that most reviewers identify the pickups wrongly as humbuckers. They may look like humbuckers, but once removed, SURPRISE! They are single coils made to look like humbuckers by the use of spacers, a second line of screws make to look like pole pieces, and covered by a humbuckers style cover. I think these single coil pickups sound just fine though.
Well, shut my mouth! Only a day after I sent you a note concerning humbuckers on the Epiphone EA-250 I found an auction on Ebay for the kind of pickup that first appeared on this model. The early ones had a slender pickup with a row of square magnets protruding from black plastic covers. They were replace later, by pickups that appear to be humbuckers, but are not. The early ones, however, appear to be true humbuckers, at least according to the owner of the auctioned pickup, who claims he was able to determine this after looking at the disassembled pickup. He sounds like he's conversant with pickups, but I will bid on the parts all the same. I think I'll probably need to write a review on this topic, because it crops up whenever this guitar is discussed. I have both an early and later example of this guitar, and the early one (supposedly, with the humbuckers) is the more quiet.
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Name: Brian Clark
Band: Not In Service
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Model Year: 1973
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Price Paid: $145
Performance
This is one of my favorite guitars, as it is really very versatile. Because it is a true hollowbody you have to be aware that if you are going crank it up it will start to howl and feedback, but knowing this you can use it your advantage as an effect. It is also a good looking instrument similar to an ES-335 style wise (red with white binding, and black pickguard) so it makes an impact even before you start playing. Hard to beat for comfort with that skinny neck on it! I have small hands but it’s easy to chord or play single notes. I think someone with large hands may not like the neck and feel the strings are too close together. If you find someone like that, buy their guitar from them. These are awesome instruments !!! I don’t use effects pedals, so I like a guitar that can plug and play. Suits me to a tee.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
I love the sound possibilties with this guitar, you can get a nice ringing acoustic guitar sound like early Beatles or Kinks by keeping the volume and tone lower. But it can give you a wonderful overdriven T-Bone Walker / Gatemouth Brown when everything is wide open. I play mostly blues style with an edge and some volume behind it, she can really bark!!! It has humbucking pickups. It can be twangy at lower volumes, and Jimmy Page like when cranked up. Like I said, tons of sonic possiblities with this one. I’ve owned an late 80’s Sheraton, but sold it, and this guitar has way more soul and sound quality to it than any of the new ones.
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Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
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This hollowbody has a bolt on neck that at first feels flimsy, but with a few well positioned shims it stiffens up and everything stays in tune. It has two humbuckers, a 3 way toggle on the lower horn, and separate volume and tone pots for each pickup. My personal preference was to get rid of the fake Bigsby, and replace it with a Epiphone Frequensator tailpiece. The bridge that came with the guitar was not original, so I replaced that with a rosewood bridge for now, and will eventually put a tune o matic style on. the binding is lifting on the inside of the horns close to the neck, but this doesn’t affect playability, it’s only asthetic. Has Maple neck, with Rosewood fingerboard, and block inlays.
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Construction Rating: 8
Name: Andrew Cowan
Band: No name yet
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Model Year: 1972-73
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Price Paid: Gift
Performance
I have been playing on my Epiphone since I started playing guitar. I have played many others and still always feel more comfortable with it my hand. It performs like champ when it has too and always catches an eye or too.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
I think for what it is, it plays awesome. The twangy the feedback. It reminds me of old time and rock and roll. I also think that blues comes off sound really good the guitar. The whammy bar ( when working properly) is a great asset to it as well.
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Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
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Overall the guitar has been really trusty. I’ve just replaced the nut about 1 1/2 years ago for the first time ever. The color is still shiny and bright. The only problem I have is the tendency to come out of tune when playing the whammy. It’s understandable though. I really and truly love my guitar. Even if I had the most expensive, far out, covered in gold dust guitar, I wouldn’t trade my Epiphone.
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Construction Rating: 8
Name: Scott Meli
Band: My Girl Bill
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Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $300 w/Hardshell case and upgrades
Performance
The Epiphone EA-250 is a 1970’s vintage model that was made in Japan. It features a fully bound bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 2 humbucking pickups, replacement tune-a-matic saddle, replacement Grover tuning heads and a Epiphone "Harp Style" vibrato tailpiece. The action is very close and easy to play. All electronics (pickups,volume, tone controls and pickup selector switch) work perfectly.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The Epiphone humbuckers work very well- they are loud (compared to a single coiled pickup). With the bolt-on neck the EA-250 produces a lot more high end than a laminated neck would. Imagine the playability of a Fender guitar with the body size and scale length of a Gison ES-335. It is very similar to the late 1960’s “Coranado” models made by Fender. The Epiphone has humbuckers instead of Fender’s DeArmond style pickups that were used on the Coranados. The humbuckers were a much better choice for pickups, in my opinion. Played clean through a 1991 Fender Power Chorus amp the Epiphone is capable of nice jazz tones, country “Gretcsh-like” sounds, or full bluesy tones! Through the overdrive channel you can coax out some vintage blues/rock tones (Cream, Bad Co. sounds) or classic rock and roll tones (Stones, Chuck Berry, etc.) It also plays very well through a practice amp (I use a VOX Pathfinder model). Some feedback can result if you stand too close to the amp or have your pickups too close to the strings! Step away from the amp, lower the pickups and find the “sweet” spot!
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Sound Quality Rating: 8
Construction
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The EA-250 is around 30 years old! This particular model was well-cared for. The neck was straight, the frets were flawless and the body had no check marks or flaws on it. The cherry red finish looks classy with the white (yellowed) binding. No problems with this instrument at all! I did set it up for my taste and playing style. I like close action, good intonation in all octaves and a straight neck- the Epiphone gives me all that! I do a little “trick” with my guitars to keep them in tune: 1.) Lube the string slots on the nut with graphite. The strings will tune much easier and stay in tune longer! 2.) Lube the string saddles (on the tune-a-matic) style bridge with a little graphite also. This cuts down on the natural friction at this point! 3.) Use a little “3 in 1 Oil” on the Harp-style vibrato assembly. Keeping it lubed will allow it to return in tune after use. 4.) On Fender style guitars with “string trees” use some “Chapstick” to keep them lubed up. This will dramatically cut down on tuning problems at that point on the guitar. A little dab of Chapstick inside the “tree” works like a charm— try it! When buying an older guitar check every screw, nut and bolt for tightness! You certainly don’t want to lose any parts while playing at a gig! These guitars may be one of the biggest surprises you may encounter. If you are looking for an inexpensive 335 style instrument don’t be scared off by the bolt-on neck or country of origin (Japan). I have to believe that Gibson checked the quality of these Epiphones very closely before they put them on the market (way back in the 1970s). I’m basically very pleased with my EA-250.
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Construction Rating: 8
links
Average Ratings
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: 9.4
- Construction: 8
Ratings Key
- 10: Excellent
- 0: Useless
Company
- Epiphone