Wow to my old ears the Epiphone sounded brighter and clearer with a little more spank. I think what got lost was this man’s playing. Excellent job and great touch and feel.

And yet people are still willing to pay thousands more for something that sound no better just because it has the word Gibson on it

Great video, and great playing! I myself have a 2010 Epiphone Dot (well before the “Inspired By” series came out), and I love that thing! Just my opinion, but as long as your guitar plays well and sounds good, there’s no need to be envious of someone else’s axe. We should all just be grateful for what we have and practice, practice, practice! 😊

One way to tell might be to hook up a spectrum analyzer and see which one has the best harmonics and cleanest sound,my opinion,they both sound great

I saw this video a while back and got it wrong. Just came across it again, and still got it wrong…..

The Gibson ES-335 was my dream guitar and then like an idiot I sold it. After your comparison, though, I really preferred the Epiphone. Wow. Shock to me.

I liked the Epi sound a little better.

i thought for sure that #1 was the 335 gibson , because of the slightly brighter tones of #2.. but i do love the number 1 better and that is just great, because i am watching this video now listening to the reviews.. because i have a brand new sheriton in the case waiting for me to discover it.. thanks for posting Mr. Les Beato jr. Esquire

Everybody knows the Gibson headstock automatically makes everything sound better. /sarcasm I've owned my dream guitar in a 2016 ES-335 satin cherry finish, which I sold less than a year later. I still have my Sheraton I bought new in 2014, and I have a 150th Anniversary Sheraton delivering tomorrow. This particular model has all the upgrades stock to make it worth the asking price. The regular Sheratons are fine as is but do make great modding platforms. Modded or stock they are great guitars, especially since Epiphone has stepped up its game lately.

Hello from across the pond! You had me giggling in the first few minutes & that’s an instant sun from me! Interesting comparison man, thank you. The epi was a lot fuller in the low mids to my ear but that could be EQ’d to sound pretty much the same as the Gibson. I preferred the Gibson tone though as a starting point, would sit better in a mix without extra EQ

I definitely liked the second one, but I wouldn't care to buy the first one since I wouldn't be able to tell the difference if I didn't pay attention.

I guess both can sound (even) more similar after giving the eq-knobs on the amp a tiny twist.

I appreciate the work you put in to this comparison video. Even though i am a truly bad guitarist, and I DO suffer from an accute case of GAS, I feel I should point out one thing that SHOULD be self apparent: Nobody will get the same results as you (or even similar results). Think of ALL the factors that influence the final sound; The amp / speaker cab, the pedals used (or not), the mic (and the placement of the mic), the strings used, the pick used, the player's right hand technique / positioning. Then you have all the variables that are constrained by the LISTENER, such as the quality of the speakers / headphones. Plus the fact that people's hearing is so different based on how good / bad / old / damaged their ears are. One man's bright is another man's shrill. One man's warm is another man's muddy. And once you are in a mix, you might wish your guitar was more or less bright than it actually is, or more or less warm than it actually is, depending on what the accompanying instruments and vocalist sound like. Oh, and then you can always count on the recording engineer to ruin the tone anyway👍 This isn't to take ANYTHING away from your video comparison. I think the fact that MANY of the comments show that a lot of people liked the Epiphone better than the Gibson is a demonstration of how helpful your video is. Unless one is buying a guitar as a financial investment (i.e., they expect to resell it at a higher price than the rate of inflation, or at a better rate of return than they get by investing in the stock market), they should just go with whatever guitar feels / plays good and by a cheapo $30 Behringer EQ pedal to nail the perfect tone.

Closet rocker here. I 'went electric' eight years ago after a lifetime playing acoustic. Bought half a dozen different guitars to try out and six years ago finally got a Sheraton II, immaculate condition and only £255 including case. Absolutely love it and invariably go back to it after giving the others an occasional airing; I will never get rid of it. (We're getting engaged next month when my divorce comes through.) I couldn't tell the difference in this test - desk top sound maybe not brilliant and my music ear is not the best in the world. Would I trade my Sheraton for a Gibson? Would an expensive Gibson make me a better player or sound better? Answers on a postcard please. . . . Yeah, I know, I'm not a professional musician. p.s. My number two favourite is a Les Paul 1960's Standard . . . . made by Epiphone, followed by a Squier Affinity Tele which has a crappy sound but is a beaut to play, especially with my small hands.

Try the D'Angelico DC semi-hollow with the stair tailpiece. It's beautiful.

I guessed correctly but the Sheraton Pro sounds pretty good. It also has coil taps on both pickups which makes it super versatile. I'm lucky enough to own both but I actually use the Sheraton more often because my 335 is worth a lot more, so I'm reluctant to gig it unless I'm sure it's gonna be safe!

Like the Pepsi Challenge, it's not about identifying which is which but which you prefer. I was moderately surprised that overall I liked the Sheraton better. Some of the dirty was cleaner (??) on the 335 but not enough to make me forget the richness of tone in the Sheraton.

Both sounded great. I made up my mind pretty early that I liked 2 better. Fuller, more articulate. But is it worth 4-5 times more $?

Epi sounds like you need to drop the neck pickup a bit.

My brother-in-law just picked up one of those Sheratons in a similar dubious deal at the pub.

Even though I picked correctly, I don't the difference in tone was worth the difference in price.

The bridge on #1 sounded brighter and more articulate than #2. I thought it had to be the Gibson. Nice surprise.

Hot damn. Consistently preferred #1… And as an Epiphone Sheraton II guy for ca 20 years now (and, on a related note, a ‘63 Melody Maker before that), I was DELIGHTED at the reveal! Guess when I sell my SG ima invest in pedals/ speakers rather than a new 335!

I know the difference is subtle but I liked Guitar 1 more, great video! Can you tell me how much a Sheraton weighs?

Just a great video. And an outstanding sense of humor!! Thanx!

In clean channel, I thought #2 guitar is brighter than #1. #1 was simply fat humbucker, but #2 has relative resonance. So I prefer #2 However in Dirty channel, #1 guitar is more powerful and has great clarity sound. They are both nice guitar. Compehensive, buying an Epiphone is better than gibson.

I guessed right very early. Cheating a little maybe because I own the Sherry. The Gibson does sound ever so slightly more expensive, but $1600? I’ll have to answer no. The Epiphone Sheraton does not have many flaws. You can get a lot of nice music out of it going into a decent amp. Which, if you have saved $1600, ….😂

At the beginning i was digging the bridge pickup on guitar one and neck pickup on guitar two, towards the end i was prefering smd appreciating both on guitar two, was surprised to learn i prefer the... Well stop reading the comments and watch for the reveal 😂

I like the sheraton sounded brighter and louder

If that Sheraton was made to the exact same spec, with polyurethane and the same electronics etc. In the USA it would cost two to two and a half grand

i scored it as follows -- epi 3 wins gibson 7 w - ties 3 - I own an Epi Les Paul, Dot, SG -- total used prices about $700 for all 3 - I am ok with the Epi's and 1000's more in the bank. Call me cheap but happy.

Not a dramatic difference. The Epiphone had a bit more warmth, and a the Gibson had a bit more brightness and clarity, but I wouldn't call either tone objectively better. Especially factoring in the price difference. I have a non-pro Sheraton II and it's been my favorite guitar of mine since I got it in 2012.

The Epiphone sounded better-richer & thicker sounding.

This is hard. 1 sounds a whole lot thicker and creamier, but 2 has a real harmonic complexity. I'm guessing 1 is the epi and 2nis the gibby.

I have owned both I prefer the Epiphone Sheraton II Pro

A new Gibson ES 335 with block inlays is $3999.99

Guitar 2 sounded better to me, you can hear the difference. The price/quality relationship is non-linear, you pay a lot more for the little extras (I know this is very obvious)

i thought the sheraton was the gibson wow ill take the sheraton anyday

Dang… just goes to show. I liked 1 better the entire time.

The Gibson sounded muddy for the epi sounded clearer

The difference seems to the pickups

I just got a mint condition one of those Sheratons off Ebay here in the UK for £320 including a hard case! It’s great to see so many people coming out in favour of it. A) Because I wouldn’t be able to afford a Gibson and B) Because in my hands it would not make a blind bit of difference anyway! 😂 The only thing is that the Sheraton weighs a ton! I don’t know how the weight compares with the Gibson? Great video and playing! 👍🏽

I have two Sheratons MIK one with stock PUPS and one with Classic 57s and i have a Gibson 335 2013 CS Dot. The Gibson is a better guitar based on the feel and playability and overall quality. It is excellent. The Sheratons though are very good especially with a PUP upgrade. If you have a limitation on what you want to spend and you want to use it say for gigs the Sheraton is the real deal. It comes close to a Gibson. In my case i got all three used but the Gibson has appreciated much more in value if i choose to resell. Hence if you can get a really good deal on a quality Gibson you are likely better off long run in spite of the original outlay. If you just want a player that is more than respectable the Sheraton is great.

I did guess right but that is exactly what it was-----a guess.

.my.Sheraton.sounds.heavy.(.but.I.love.it.)

Is there no middle position on these guitars?

I note the differents. Best Gibson.

Is there a difference in how they play?

Sheraton Pro!

Sheraton all the way. Glad I own one and I know I'll will never be able to afford a real 335... Just couldn't justify a guitar that cost more than my car...

Yes! I wear it too 😆😎🇺🇸

The epiphone sounds better

I have two Sheratons. Two older Korea made ones from different factories. One has a smaller headstock and is lighter. I keep lighter strings on it. Ones more for rock and the other jazz or different tunings. I leave them around the house so I can play them. The Gibsons look nice but even the Eastman guitars look just as nice. I think Gibson has mostly the nostalgia factor. I didn’t worship any guitar gods that played the Gibsons so I just don’t see the appeal.

I liked the epi better!!

My guess 2. 335

Sorry but the Gibson retails for over 4k with tax. The Eppie plays and sounds just as good for 1/5th the price...not to mention that it's way prettier. I have both so I know.🙂

I like 335 better. It has more life and reponds better to the player. In other words, if player`s skill is not good enough, Sheraton may be a better choice.

Gibson sounded much better.

2 sounds better. 1 has overtones of oppressive communism and authoritarianism. Seriously though: 1 is ok for that summer punk rock gig in the crowded outdoor venue when it might rain. 2 sounds better.

One is slightly brighter than the other , that doesn't make it better or worse. I would get the Epiphone all the way!