Let me jump in quickly before all the comments come in... I know these are not limited editions and I realised that half way through and made a correction. Cheers! 🤦‍♂

This man should have a much more massive audience.

Every industry is testing it's pricing range right now. If you buy at that price, you're voting for price increases across the brand.

I remember the white SG at the time thinking “jeez that’s a lot for an Epiphone”. I’ve sat for a while thinking about how to convey my thoughts on this issue- the bottom line is it is just ridiculous pricing. Bit of a downer when we are all getting priced out of basic food, fuel, housing and now I’m getting chewed out of the one thing that makes me happy in life! Anyway, have a good weekend Colin! 👍🏻

I had a situation with Andertons where they had 4 Gibson Goldtop LP'S listed in stock. They took the money then told me they had none in stock, nobody had updated the website. I ended up waiting months. Nobody could say when stock was coming in. Apparently Gibson don't send details of what they are shipping to dealers, they just have to wait and open boxes when they arrive. One day I happen to look at their website and they've got them back in stock. No contact, no email from them. Nothing. I contacted them asking why they were listed, but they hadnt sent me one ? No apology or explanation at all. Utter clownshow.

Everything is very slowly being choked, the price increases are beyond ridiculous. Every manufacturer, supplier and distributor in my opinion are testing the water and it some cases it’s very naughty and just pure greed. Greed will kill us all. Great review as always Colin and loved the Skynyrd vibe jamming, quite appropriate too, RIP Mr Rossington. 🤘

I feel for you. Online shopping is horrible like that - imagine going to a shop, handing over your money and then they say “sorry we don’t have one I’ll give you your money back soon if you want.” But also the main issue, Epiphone testing the market by making out that they really are actually Gibson in a money grabbing exercise. I have bought my guitars used from shops but I really appreciate you are covering new releases and basically self-financing independent reviews. Not all heroes wear capes - thank you for what you do.

Awesome!! This is currently easily y top 3 favorite guitar channel. Love your videos!! Really cool firebird sucks you didn't get the Explorer.

You spend a fortune on gear w these folks...I'd lean on them too man...great work buddy...you do them a tremendous service in promotion with no retribution for your time most of the time at least so they def owe you one... probably many more..good luck 🤞

I agree mate 100% , comes to a point when you have to kick up a fuss to get somewhere and even then no one wants to take responsibility for bad service. Unfortunately these are the times we live in now , bad customer service and bad delivery drivers are all to common these days and the companies we purchase from couldn't seem to care less and pass the blame , quick to take our money though.

The Firebird is a brilliant guitar. I love mine and for £450 and £100 for the case is a bargain 👌👍

I dont know how they wanna justify the price tag, when you can get a Gibson EX and V for almost the same money. They really dropped the ball on this one, and i dont think that they´ll sell a lot.

Thanks for telling us about gears 4 music , I have heard other things about this outlet and won't ever consider buying anything from them ! At the least they could have got one from another retailer but they would have lost their profit . They made a mistake selling you a guitar that they didn't even have in stock !

The Epiphone 59 has been seen for £599-650 recently. So this price is awful. I just can’t justify it.

Another great video Colin, very honest which is why we tune in! Completely agree that the price of the new Epiphones is nuts, seen lots of people trying to justify it based on the spec but you can get some great full fat Gibsons on the used market for that kind of money, OK they're not 58 spec and to get a 58 Spec Gibson Flying V or Explorer you'd have to spend a lot more but that still doesn't justify the crazy prices Epiphone are getting up to now.

£1150 is eye wateringly expensive for an Epiphone. If the Explorer was £699 I would definitely get one (in natural finish). Sorry to hear that you had a dud experience with G4M - I have never had a problem with those guys and they have always been good. It sounds like bullshit to me that they would goods receive the guitars and update their website to indicate available stock when they had received no shipment. I think somebody was pulling a fast one, or trying some sharp buiness practice.

Sorry to hear about the crappy experience Colin, unfortunately I’ve found these things to be way too commonplace nowadays (as well as less than stellar customer service which also seems to be way too commonplace). I bought a new Gibson Firebird in pelham blue a few years ago (for a nice price) and had to send it back because there was a chip on the body right by the bridge. The online store said they were holding a replacement for me, but then I got a message (after I had sent the other back) that their inventory was inaccurate and there was no replacement. They refunded my money, but I’ve been without a Firebird ever since! I would’ve kept the one with the chip for a discount if I had known that that was the only other option, what a bummer! I’ve debated just grabbing an Epi version like yours because I’m not willing to spend on a custom shop for now…yours sounds great, and nice Skynyrd tribute, RIP Gary 🙏 Oh and btw, I bought one of the new Bonamassa red ‘62 ES-335’s which is also on the pricier side for Epi ($1299 new, but I got it for a bit less w/ a discount), and it’s outstanding…def. hangs with my Gibson ES-335 Traditional, and actually does some things better than that guitar. That one was worth the $$ without a doubt. In regards to Epi pricing overall, in their defense they still offer models at all price points…only a few are reaching the higher end on the $$ scale, which I think should be taken into account when talking about these things, there’s still something for everyone out there.

Colin, The new Epiphone Explorer and Flying V are not limited editions.👍

Another brilliant real life video. I really like some of Epiphone’s offerings but at £1200 it’s beyond reasonable. Plenty of excellent guitars in the sub £600 range that will last for years and rock your socks off.

Brilliant episode mate! You talking bollocks is still more interesting than most people not talking bollocks, so keep doing what you're doing!

Has happened to me in the States too, with a reputable guitar store and online shop in Illinois. Pushed a guitar from June to September, to December to March! Cancelled order. Fortunately for me the refund was done in 5 minutes. Great content!

Your videos are always a great watch. This week was no exception; borne out of the fact that I was totally immersed in the tale of the 'no show' Explorer. See you next week.

Hey Colin, sorry to hear about the troubles. I have some experience with a couple of these things, so here's my take (for what it's worth). (for context I have a background in technology, and I've recently owned a manufacturing company). 1) it sounds like the company you ordered from has a integrated inventory management and online store system, it's pretty common that their system would create a PO for Gibson (in this case) and then enter an availability date, when it will be available for online ordering. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have integrated their receiving system. So if a PO comes back missing items, the online store (at very least) won't know unless someone specifically goes in and updates it. 2) it's pretty common for a manufacturer to ship partial PO orders. Particularly with long lead and/or high demand products. It's very possible Gibson shipped to the largest retailers first (particularly if they typically make large orders). I know Gibson requires minimum order quantities per year to carry their brands. But the biggest customers get product first. Not to discount the current mess that is global shipping... those Epiphones are out of China... shipping has been a nightmare since 2020. 3) The money return... well, that's often not the retailer (or manufacturer). It's the country your in, and the banking system. In Canada, returns are almost immediate. Debit is instant (including debit done over Visa or Mastercard networks). Credit card returns can be delayed several days, but... not always. In the US, purchases are instant (however the retailer doesn't get the money for days in most cases). Returns can take a month. Although I've seen some be very quick... most ... not so much. The banks/money processors make a TON of money on those delays (shocker)... they actual move them into temporary interest earning accounts during the "wait time". Your retailer seems like they're being upfront... yes "blame the manufacturer" sounds like a cop-out... but based on your story, I tend to believe their story. If anything, they should do inventory receiving confirmation BEFORE the online store shows products. But... if they did that, they'd likely be days late showing new products that are expected to be released. And the market is competitive. Hope the next purchase goes smoothly. Cheers

In the US, AMS/Zzounds have had excusive "korina" explorers, V and Modernes for $500-$599 for years and still currently available for $599. These new ones for $1299 have Gibson pickups and a case but that's still a big difference in price. Epiphone "korina" has also always been suspect (veneer/multi pieces, Chinese vs African Limba, etc) so I personally would never fork out $1299 plus tax for a Chinese Epiphone... $599 - yeah, if I liked them.

Hi, i bought a korina epi sg ,gold hard ware new ,for £190 at the guitar show in birmingham , 20 years ago they olso had explorers for the same price. i cant see how these have jumped up in price so much,even takeing in inflation

I bought an Epiphone Korina explorer a year ago for 799 Canadian. You can still find a few of those in Canada. It is a multi piece korina body with laminated veneer top, but for the price you can’t go wrong. This one even has a real rosewood fretboard. I’m m currently saving for its Flying V sister.

Please look into reviewing a ESP-LTD (1000-1300ish), they have a great reputation and I'd love to hear your take on them.

I purchased a Gibson Les Paul Tribute Tobacco Burst online from a big guitar website . They confirmed my order 15 minutes later.This was about 11:30 PM.The next morning I called their customer service phone number,on hold like 10 minutes,them when the came on they said THAT GUITAR was bought just before I clicked on it . And the website didn’t update stock until the next morning. I was pissed. It was a blemished one which on this website basically means someone bought it and decided they didn’t want it for one reason or another. Not blemished at all. had to wait three weeks for a blemish one to pop up. And when I received it, it was perfect. Had one of the darkest Rosewood fretboards I’ve ever seen, it was flawless, even had a bit of flame on the top. But I was very upset, because like you said in the video, I saved up money for it, and was excited to get it, and then I had to wait three more weeks before I could get it. Great video as always Collin! Thank you!

Coordination issues between purchasing and merchandising (selling, advertising, promotion, etc.) used to be more common before the advent of purchasing and warehousing software. Should be rare nowadays if basic purchase/inventory tracking processes are in place.

Sorry to hear Colin. I'd agree - I think the $1,300 price is a bit of a reach. I got the 59 LP in the summer of 2021 for around $750 (a bit lower than list because it was a demo model). Great guitar. They are about 850-900 now. The Explorer is the same beast and they want 400+/- more. Doesn't seem right.

$499 for a Firebird is a great deal... case or not but $1200 for the Explorer and Flying V is just TOO MUCH. I got my used Les Paul (P-90's) for $100. It's one of my favorite guitars. The Affinity Tele was just $168 from Sam Ash and it's fantastic and brand new! I guess some things are over the top and for $1200! It better say Gibson on the headstock... not really my style anyway.

Sorry about your experience but while yoy were talking I was gerring gas over your Firebird. What a beautiful guitar you have! Very classy with a beautiful finish and sound.

I saw that new Epi Explorer for sale two days ago and couldn't believe the price either (I'm in Australia). Then, just today, I saw a Player Tele for sale online from the same place I'd bought mine in late 2021. It was over 40% more than what I paid for it. Same guitar. FX pedals? More or less the same story. They have succeeded in curing my "GAS," so props for that, I suppose. I'll keep watching your reviews, Col, but my gear-buying days are over for the foreseeable future. They can, as you Brits would say, "stick it up their ar..". (Edit: The Firebird sounds great, especially for the style of music you chose to play on it!)

The new Epis are $1899 Canadian and I just can't rationalize spending that on an Epiphone. I agree completely with you. I will wait for a sell off :)

So, even though the order with Gibson may not have been fully delivered, leaving a backorder, the retailer's receiving department marked the purchase order as fully received. That is likely what populated the stock count. So, it really doesn't matter if Gibson was dragging ass, what matters is that the retailer jumped the gun and didn't properly receive whatever quantity actually did arrive.

Keep doing what you're doing mate. I could listen to you go on for hours! Keep up the good work.

Gibson are cheaper than Fender and PRS. Heck Reverend guitars cost as much as a studio. Many imports guitars are above $1,000 dollars now.

Mr. C pops out of me when it comes to these new Epiphones as well, as I would just LOVE to see them discover that the public simply won't pay the price. Would be a nice message to Gibson. Your summation of Epiphone near the end is spot on!

Colin, it's because they knew you were (& many others were) "hanging on", the marketing men, sales guys & accountants feel they can push the price point up on these & the other limited run / signature guitars. It just leaves a bad taste. Also to be fair, how many of these are they actually knock out & sell compared to say Les Paul's, SGs, 335s? Dare I say that the Explorer, Flying V & Firebirds are a little more niche? The volume production & sales volume thing kicks in to give Epiphone & ultimately Gibson a good margin across the whole range jacking up the appearance of price of specials compared to the bog standard guitars. Also retailers seem to be having more stock issues these days. I have noticed reduced stock or items marked as out of stock over recent times. Getting stuff into & out of the country these days is a nightmare compared to what it was before. The guitars I want being out of stock is probably for the best in Mrs. C's eyes. 🙂

Thanks Colin for your reviews and sincerity, your videos are part of my Saturday morning routine. I am sorry that you have experienced this but I am grateful that you have been our voice, as this happens far too often and we don’t get listened to because we don’t have a forum. I know it’s not the same but I’ve got sometime ago the Harley Benton Classic Explorer and I’m happy with it, more guitar than the price I paid for it, or maybe I just got lucky!

I've only played an Explorer once in my life. All I could think of was, "My God, this thing is unwieldy." I've also only played a Firebird twice in my life. Was so excited to be holding a Firebird I couldn't think about how it felt.

I think that the seller is spinning you a yarn. Website problems, but then they change it to "stocking issues". Sounds suspicious. Anyway, here's a suggestion: Andertons have started stocking FGN guitars, which are Japanese made and have a Telecaster style guitar for £549. With the Squier Classic Vibes at £400, it could be a good comparison. Is it worth paying the extra £150 for the FGN?

Sorry about your experience with the Explorer. It’s definitely overpriced. I had a similar experience with a large music store chain here in the U.S., but with a happy ending. I purchased a Fender Strat Ultra (Texas Tea) online, next day received an email that it would be deliverable 3 months later. I canceled the order and $$ was refunded. 2 weeks later I had a doctors appointment out of state (2 hours away) and passed a huge Mom & Pop music store that specializes in used gear… I’d never been to this store, so I thought it’d be fun to check them out… they had the same Strat (studio used) with 3 tiny scratches and lots of extra case candy. It all worked out in the end, I got the guitar I wanted at a great deal and found a new favorite (not so close) music store. I really enjoy your content!

The issue of time lag on returning your money is really not due to the music store, but rather, the banking and credit card industries. I cannot explain why, but I know this as fact from my experience, owning and operating a retail business. I know that it’s not possible for everyone, but your experience is reason to make purchases in person.

That happend to me too. I bought an explorer off rhe mod shop. I got an email saying congratulations on my purchace. 1 week later i called to find out when will it be shipped. The man on the phone for gibson said he would call me back the next day with an answer. The next day , i received an email that said, "sorry , that guitar is no longer available and my card woyld be crdited. The sad thing is nobody at gibson gave me a call to explain why this happed. Good customer service is the foundation of a good company.

great video brother man 💜👍🏼 still my favorite youtuber mate , nothing like some cofee in the morning and a smoke with one of your videos on, you have the perfect personality for this stuff very chill dude indeed , good work !

I’m with you Colin, you are correct in complaining. A reputable company would have justified Their Mistake, and drop shipped you one from another retailer that had stock, immediately! Thanks for all your reviews. Rock on

That's why it's always best to pay over the phone instead of online. Shop online but always call to purchase. It's an $800 guitar with a hardcase and Burstbuckers. The Bonnamassa 335 is the same price, just like the AJ sigs. Why is everyone tripping over this price?

I feel your pain and frustration. I had to wait nearly a year to get my Harrison Tele, though unlike you, I was charged immediately so was out quite a bit for quite a few months. Thanks for the honest seller feedback. You never sounded like an entitled prick, but rather were reporting on a purchasing experience, and that serves us all as buyers.

I had a similar experience with Guitar Center and coincidentally an Epiphone. I ordered a faded cobalt blue SG. After a week it hadn’t arrived and I emailed them. They said they were sorry but it was out of stock. Same thing apparently with someone else ordered the last one when I did. I asked why they hadn’t reached out and let me know. Got an apology and the guy told me he was sending one out. It arrived I went to my local store to pickup. When I got there the guitar had 2 cracks in the pickguard and multiple dents. I haven’t been back to a GC since. It took me 14 days to get my money back.

I've had this happen, it's never a fun situation. There is however a silver lining. You can now correct the error of your ways and buy the Flying V instead as you should have done from the start. Cheers my friend. 😎

I have had a similar weekend, it can be very frustrating and I tend to be overly dramatic when I am talking to customer service, so I know where you were, it always melts away when your guitar finally shows up. I missed out on the Explorer release because I had a guitar lost in shipping. You have to laugh a little later, because how important can guitars be really... confessions of a guitar addict.

Rest in Love, Gary Rossington and the Lynyrd Skynyrd Brothers. 🙏

Funny thing I ran into the same problem with this same guitar. Placed an order for it in the US from reputable company. Was listed in stock then got a call that it was out of stock and the next batch wasn’t due in til April. I waited a week and canceled the order and ended up ordering a Gibson les Paul 60s standard. Double the price but it’s a gibson and will hold it’s value. No Epiphone should be over 1k imho if your paying gibson tax it should be a proper gibson.

Hi Colin. I had this problem a couple of months back with a Maestro Fuzz-Tone for £79.99 + £4.50 p & p (they’ve come down a little in the last few weeks but virtually everyone’s ‘street price ‘ then was £155.00!) from a small, independent dealer and got a similar response. Luckily I had funds available and immediately found the same pedal on GUITARGUITAR at £69.99 + £2.99 p & p… every cloud an’ all that❗️😜 BTW: Don’t forget to phone, rather than just ‘click’, when you’re shopping for the next guitar. You’d be surprised at how often you can get a significant ‘deal’ for the price of a few pence for the call and politely asking! Works for me for, at least 50% of the time.😬 A tenner here, £25 -£50 or 5% or 10% there, it all adds up. Plus: if they ‘stick’ on the price, you can sometimes get a set or two of strings of your choice ‘thrown in’, or a deal on the case or gig-bag.

I was so excited for the korina’s as well when I saw them announced and instantly said “nevermind” when I saw the price.

Hi Colin Sorry to hear of your woes! I ordered one from gear4music (I,too, shopped around for the best deal) on Tuesday 28/2. I got it for a tad over GBP 1,000 (CHF 1,125.99 to be exact - UK VAT removed and Swiss taxes and delivery paid). I found it waiting by my front door on Wednesday 8th March as promised. So far very pleased with it - good fret job in particular. That said, given the price of the LP and SG forerunners, which had Gibson pickups too, I think I’m with you on the price issue.

I started buying mid priced guitars with the money we got from Covid. I LOVE the Epi Muse SG in sugar white with clear knobs and push-pull pots, binding, fast neck but Indian Laurel board which is "sandy" - not my favorite. I also bought one year ago and have barely touched (although it plays like a BEAST) from AMS/Zzounds the Epi LE Korina Explorer with gold hardware - freakin gorgeous but with Pau Ferro board - better than Laurel but neither are rosewood. Thing is the Epi Korina with Gold was $600 and it's made in China same as this $1300 new one and the LE has mini grovers - the $1300 one has "Epi Deluxe" tuners. I believe the new one has Indian Laurel board - not as nice as my Pau Ferro board and new one has Gibson pups, CTS pots and mallory caps. But if that mattered so much I could add the Gibson pups with gold caps for less than $300 making it $900 still way under $1300. What up wid dat????? Plus you can't actually get the new Korinas anyway !!! Oddly you can still get the matching Korina Explorer bass at AMS and they might have a couple V's left but that's the end of that "LE" run that went for a few years - nobody else sold 'em. For $950 the Epi Lucille ES 335 actually has an EBONY board - black with Gold hw and varitone - 2 outputs, mini tuners on the bridge it might be my next purchase because of the ebony and it's also freakin' gorgeous. I can't wait for the comparison of the new Korina $1300 Explorer with the now discontinued AMS/Zzounds Epi LE Korina Explorer for half the price. 🎸

Those pickups have a lovely bite, and clarity. I thoroughly enjoyed listening.

Colin I tell you what I deal with Sweetwater here in the States and I’ve had the same Rep for a few years and if I ever had a problem it was immediately taken care of no BSing around. That is the reason I stick to shopping one store which I know will match anyone’s price but more importantly they have unmatched customer service. Sorry that happened to you. Cheers mate.

Gibson Les Paul Tribute $1299. USD. Everywhere in the USA. Gibson/Epiphone is pushing the Epiphone brand out of reach for those who normally would turn to Epiphone for a lower cost instrument. They are now pushing their customers towards other brands. Harley Benton, ESP, Saw Tooth and so on.

Hi Colin, Another note hit on here. I don't know if it's the guitar manufacturers making the prices matched to the U.S. Dollar or the retailers. Which ever the case, when dealing in Pounds or Euros, there should be a lower price than the U.S. Dollar equivalent. In many cases, it is more expensive here in Europe than the U.S. how can that be, I know Fender got their balls planked here in Europe for price fixing. And what's with the others? Shipping costs? Manufacturers costs? It's across the board. I'll say it again, everything is getting more expensive, only the excuses are getting more cheap💩. Well enough windging here, thank you for another great Video and a nice evening to you. Cheers Colin

Hi Colin interesting video. I had my eye on a natural finish explorer for quite a while but I could not justify the Epiphone price (I'm not a gigging musician). So having looked around I went for the Harley Benton version which my wonderful wife bought me for Xmas 2022. As an owner of Fender, Epiphone, Ibanez guitars I am more than happy with it, great build and finish quality and it play fantastic. Great channel by the way.

i think that everything happens for a reason. Plus 1k pounds/euros is not a fair price for an Epiphone chinese made guitar with a laurel fingerboard and poly finish

I think your spot on, Colin! As Epiphone will become unaffordable to us plebs! And like you say, Gibsons prices are edging on ludicrous! If the likes of Harley Benton, and East Coast raised their prices and at the said time improved their production values? There wouldn't be much point in buying Gibson's, etc.

Had the same experience with Andertons only difference was they got in touch with me within an hour offered me an alternative guitar that was a little dearer & didn't charge me extra hence why I use them a lot since

Sorry to hear this Colin it must've been so frustrating!! At least your credit card got credited. I love seeing you playing the Epiphone Firebird in place of the Explorer that you were supposed to get. I know it seemed just like two or three years ago you could get the Flying V model 1958 reissue for around $600 or so here in the states. I don't know what the differences are between that one and this brand-new one but I would love to have one! Just bought the Epi. Firebird and will maybe have to settle for that and am very content with it. The GAS is hard to shake mate! BTW love your channel! Your reviews are so honest and entertaining and most of all down to earth! Cheers from the U.S. Colin!

In Germany we have a law for not or not in time providing a service which leads to increased costs on customer's side: the customer can buy a more expensive alternative item and the shop guilty of not providing will have to cover the price difference from their pocket. Which is kinda nice and thoughtful.

Enjoyed your film. When I experience such poor service, I always post my review on Yelp. People read reviews and so do businesses about what’s written about them. Some business managers reply to the posts by making apologies. As to whether they make changes? Who knows, as I never use those businesses again. There are others I can just as easily go to.

I feel your pain, Colin. My Jerry Cantrell Wino Les Paul Custom has been back ordered from Zzounds since January 6th. It was due February 8th, then March 8th. Neither date was it shipped, and I’ve no idea when it’ll come. Aggravating!

I got my Korina Flying V a few months ago, getting a Korina Explorer has become a lot more expensive now, I paid $599 without a case for my V. I will eventually get a Firebird and a Thunderbird, I am now saving for when the Explorers come back into stock. The new release nearly doubles the price just to get the case. I might just skip getting a Korina Explorer and go with a painted version, hoping a white Epiphone Explorer is released soon. Confessions of a guitar addict.

Bummer deal, Colin. I hope you can find one….but I think everybody was commenting that Gibson was pricing these Epiphones too cheaply, and Gibson corrected their pricing structure accordingly

Hi Colin, this has happened to me once. Strangely enough, it was an Explorer. I was furious, it took 4 days to get my money back. When I ordered my Adam Jones Veil of Bees online, I was a nervous wreck up until I had the guitar in my hands. Now, I when I order from an online retailer, I make it a point to speak to a live person, noting their name and employee #, confirming they actually have the guitar in stock that I'm ordering.

Great show Colin. Retailers should clear refunds immediately. There is no reason for them not to be able to do it other than their own internal procedures.

i challenged a US seller on price some weeks ago. His answer was that tax, VAT etc, accounted for their inability to reflect currency values in price. Correct or not i dont know.

I think the reality is that most places are listing their stuff for sale in multiple places so if it gets bought from one, the others don’t reflect the change in stock right away. I’ve never had it happen on a guitar but pedals and other things. It’s frustrating, sure. When it’s a smaller store I don’t let it bother me cause they have to do it to compete with the Guitar Centers of the world. If a big retailer did it, I’d be furious.

I heard similar issues from my local dealer about Gibson when my LP Custom was on backorder for so long. It could be a common excuse or it could be true. I agree with you about the large upward trend in Epiphone prices lately. I briefly considered an Adam Jones LP until I saw the price. Nope. Sorry to hear you've been screwed over on your purchase.

It's the 150th anniversary of Epiphone and yes, these runs are pricey but if i could afford an EXP, all in. Pretty glorious. Lucky to have an IBZ RR Sr (ash body) so the V is covered.

Guitarista, I live close enough to gear4music. What most likely happened was someone bought it in person at the showroom in York, which would trump your internet sale. The staff are quite young, but they are great in person. What I like about the warehouse shop is there no pressure sales. So I buy from them several times as I have the ability within 35 minutes to arrive at there shop, try the actual guitar and if it’s a dog go, nope not for me.

Even if you accept that Gear For Music did not get the expected quantity that they ordered, then it still raises questions about the integrity of their systems whereby they seemingly don't account for what they've paid for at the time of receipt! 🧐

Not receiving the number ordered from Gibson being the reason for the discrepancy on the website seems highly dubious. Whilst it’s easy to accept that they didn’t receive their full allocation from Gibson, any company that books into stock the amount of product they order and not the amount they received needs to rethink their policies. If they are putting the quantity of a product available on the website based on their purchase order rather than the quantity received, again, time for a rethink.

A cool guitar to check out would be a Reverend. I'm biased because I have one and adore it but they're all made of Korina. Made in Indonesia but set up and QC'd in the US, kinda like the PRS SE model. They're right around $1000 so not quite a budget guitar, but they feel a lot more working class and less "brand taxing" than these Epiphones. And my Reverend is the model with 3 P-90s!!! 3 of them, Colin!!

These things do happen but fortunately not very often, I’ve had a couple of things not be in in stock in over 15 years of buying lots of guitars on line. I guess that it’s a bit of bad luck for Gear For Music that it was somebody with your media presence they let down, I think that you’ve been pretty cool about the whole thing, there are many people out there that would have been really scathing about the whole disaster . Anyway back to the Explorer. Like you I gulped at the price being asked but having had a bit of a read up of the spec it seems that you are getting what looks like quite a nice guitar for your money. They do state that the guitar is made of solid Korina, I’ve owned an earlier Korina Epiphone Explorer and I’m not convinced that it was solid Korina but suspect that it had a veneered top and back, I still have an old Korina Epi SG which I think is the real deal. The genuine Gibson pickups on the new Explorer obviously add something to the retail price of the guitar but also probably add a lot to the tonal quality, those old Epiphone humbuckers were pretty poor and you always had to factor in the price of upgrading them with something a bit nicer in the old days. I sort of hope that you do get one to review at some time in the future as apart from the laurel fingerboard, (surely they could have managed rosewood at this price), it looks like a nice guitar, as they don’t seem make any huge claims regarding the hardware I imagine that it’s the usual Epiphone quality and nothing special. Shame that the price does seem about £300 too high.

From a guitar retailer employees perspective, this does happen occasionally unfortunately. Most stores will honour in store purchases over online, and the system can take 10-20 minutes to update

I think you're right! If you purchase something advertised on a website, then it should be sent out! If they didn't have it in stock, then they shouldn't advise it! If they wanted that much money for the explorer, then I'd want it to have Gibson custombuckers in it!

As you must know, this is a common business practice. They don't have the item you want that is in demand but would be happy to sell you something else now or the item you want should it become available in the future. As for the price, they are too expensive but at least I'm glad they are solid wood without veneer.

Sorry for the muck up. But thanks for the Skyn. Brought a tear to an old Yank's eye. Gone, but alive in our hearts.

Hello Colin, I was impressed with this situation you went through... years ago I had the same problem here in São Paulo - Brazil, I bought a tele, obviously not original, the store notified me that they didn't have the tele, they gave me work to get the money back, but I did it!!! ✊✊✊✊ Nice mention of Gary Rossington.

Andertons and Rimmers music has done something very similar to me in the past. What makes my p1ss boil is it takes 3-5 days for a refund but when buying something, it’s taken from your account instantly.

You’re right in giving it to these online lot who can’t deliver. Bunch of lurk merchants. On a brighter note after watching your firebird review, which gave me gas, I swapped a bass for a near new firebird. This quirky guitar is fabulous, where have you been all my life? Feels and sounds so good. Anyway I sure next week will bring more guitars.. Cheers 🖖

Sorry to hear about this. Every manufacturer seems to have lost there damn minds! I just bought a Fender lead 3 at my local shop & on a whim & because they dropped the price because there being discontinued. I couldn't believe the price of those had gone up so much? They where like 599$ originally & went towards 900 depending on pickups , got the purple with the pau Ferro. Fretboard. At any rate , I paid $649 & considered fair. I do like the guitar quite a bit , so I it's a win? Sorry for rant , but the used markets not any better. Great content , sorry about your experience.

I totally sympathise with your experience - having a guitar shown as available for purchase and "in stock" when it isn't is just an inexcusable cock-up, whatever the reason! And what you say about the funds not being available to purchase a replacement until they're refunded is absolutely valid. Where I do part company slightly is in regards to the price. Compared with when I started playing in the '70s, we're still in a "golden age" of value, despite recent price rises. I had to remind myself of this when ordering the new PRS DGT SE and baulking slightly at its basically £1,000 price tag. But roll back the years to 1978 when I bought my first "serious" guitar - a Gibson "The Paul" (their bottom of the line budget model) for £399. That was serious money for me as a teenager - and it meant Mum vouching for me on the "never-never"! LOL! But £399 in 1978 equates to over £2,000 now! For an entry-level Gibson?... To be fair, I've still got my "The Paul" and it's never let me down. A brilliant no-nonsense gigging axe!

Hi Colin A Few years Bach I got an Epiphone Bonamassa Korina ❤Flying for about £800 and it’s great. Today they are going for $2000 on Reverb. So Gibson are being smart saying you can now get one for $1299. Seems like profiteering to me. Is Korina that expensive. I saw the Brian May Arielle guitar which is also Karina and has a cracking spec at £845. Hem something fishy here. Anyway a review of the Arielle would by interesting before I splash the cash Keep up,the excellent work Brian

It can difficult buying guitars online as for example I did a search for a Jeff Beck Strat and a company shows a price but when you hit on the site they don’t have stock. Fender for me are overloading their range with models like the Vintera which retail for around a grand . Sure they might have vintage appointments but at the end of the day it’s Mexican Strat and the resale value will drop like a stone . For the price of a Vintera you should be able to pick up a decent used Strat with a case -Vintera comes with a gig bag. Probably get shot down with angry Vintera owners 🤣Nearly bought an Epi Firebird but the bridge pickup is way too bright for me ! 🙁

Colin - just want to say that I love your set lighting! It’s like you have “eyelights” on your stars! Very very nice job!

You shouldn't take money for stock that you do not have; simple.

I think I’ll wait for a sweet water demo model someday. My 59 epi is a demo model and you could never tell by looking at it.

Bro I knew you would be so stoked for the news of the new guitars...I'm drooling over the v so hard...I'll def pay it .. thinking about trading my PRS custom 24 for a v but I need to play one first🤘😁

For an item that at cost isn't insignificant, you would expect a company to physically check stock received v invoice produced. I mean we expected 2 and got 1 isn't hard to spot . It's not like they will have had 100s of explorers to Count. So it's still an error on the retailer's part

The problem with this particular dealer is that their stock count will show all their Stores combined and not as one might belive the amount aviable on your Store and their updating is a mess. As I know about it only two of four guitars stated to be at home where aviable. 6/10 of each said to be at home and stated so on the webb but no that was not quite true either. In the end one of each that was what they had to offer. Despite that my impression is good.