Epiphone Joe Perry Boneyard Les Paul Standard Plus
Review
Now, this is quite some looker. The Boneyard's maple cap has
been stained to emphasize the grain, then finished in a
glorious orange; add in the bright orange switch tip, and this
guitar is more 'easy tiger' than 'tiger striped'. The back and
neck - including the front of the headstock - are all satin
black, but the hardware is regulation Les Paul and the chrome
plated hardware has a soft, slightly blue/gray hue that looks
very classy. The machineheads are Epiphone-branded replicas of
the Klusons found on all those collectable Gibsons. They have
the correct spec "single ring" buttons, but a higher gear ratio
makes tuning easy and accurate.
There's cream binding all around the front of the body and
along the edges of the rosewood fingerboard. Trapezoid pearl
markers help you find your way around, and they match the pearl
Epiphone script and the skull-adorned "Boneyard logo on the
headstock (there's even a Joe Perry signature truss rod cover).
Cream-colored pickup surrounds, jack plate and switch plate
complete a striking but harmonious look - and there's no
scratchplate to clutter up your spare parts drawer in years to
come.
SOUNDS
Often, Les Pauls with lightweight old-style tuners seem to
have a brighter and clearer acoustic tone than those with cast
Grover types. Perhaps all that extra mass at the headstock does
make a difference. True or not, the Boneyard sounds naturally
bright, with plenty of natural depth and resonance as well.
(Note: Weight tested - 8.25 lbs)
The whole playing experience benefits from the faultless frets,
a nicely carved nut and a medium-low setup. The neck is what I
would call a 'proper Les Paul neck', with a nice C profile and
medium depth. Les Pauls somehow never seem right when the neck
is skinny - like an American muscle car with a tiny engine.
Fortunately, a pair of genuine USA-made Gibson Burstbucker
pickups - a 2 model at the neck and a slightly hotter 3 at the
bridge - harnesses all that tone potential. We tried
Burstbuckers out in the Humbucker Shootout back in Guitar 13/4,
and we were impressed. Gibson has made a decent stab at
recreating its original 1950s classic, using unpolished alnico
magnets, and leaving the coils unpotted for a little more
acoustic response. It also makes sure that both the coils are
wound unevenly: although they lose a little of their
hum-canceling ability, there's also a little more bite and
cut.
Gibson is obviously doing something right, as both Gary Moore
and Joe Perry have specified Burstbuckers for their signature
models. We can only agree with the big boys, because this
guitar has tone. The voicing is unashamedly vintage and the
acoustic tendencies of the pickups shine through, providing a
responsive feel that you'll rarely find on humbucker-loaded
guitars. Dig in or add a touch of vibrato and the Boneyard goes
all the way with you. The bridge has bite and body with good
chunky low-mids. The neck sounds very different, with a smooth
bluesy transparency and eons of sustain.
Surprisingly, you'll find that the in-between setting (both
pickups) is wired out of phase, Peter Green-style, producing a
very interesting tone that sounds like someone has activated a
cunningly concealed on-board phaser. The volume drops slightly,
but it produces a very interesting rhythm tone - and you can
flip the toggle switch up or down for extra drive when you need
it.
Any worries about the unpotted pickups feeding back
microphonically were quickly dispelled when the Boneyard was
plugged through an MXR Wylde Overdrive. The in-between setting
took on an even more interesting tone that sounded like a
static wah pedal or some other unusual EQ (I'm sure I recognize
it from various 1970s records.) Those sweet bluesy sounds give
way to an aggressive, punchy overdrive that retained clarity
and string separation. If you want to play blues-based rock
music like Joe Perry does, you'd be hard pushed to find a
guitar better suited for the job.
Reprinted from Guitar & Bass Magazine - UK
October 2004 (Vol 15, No 6)
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