I like it.

Released almost 10 years after Gibson stopped making them. They had a Standard (2 pickup), BluesHawk (semi hollow/P90/varitone) and a Custom. I'm sure there's been more but the Epiphone is based on the three pickup Custom, appearance-wise. The switching was a little more advanced on the originals, or you could actually get 10 different sounds. The Epiphone is exactly what you think a 5 way toggle switch and three pickups would do. The Tone knob splits the front and back pickup at the same time.

I got this when they first came out.  It's my Strat.  At the time of writing, I do have a Squire Strat but this is much better.  I really like this guitar except for the D shaped neck.  But it sounds good and I used to bring it out when I was out playing in a duo and it complimented Pete's (Buchanan - best singer in Windsor) acoustic guitar.  I saw a review online where a guy said, "Personally I like the idea of coil tapping with humbucker to get the unmistakable Peter Green Output..."  This will not give you the Peter Green sound.  Out of Phase and Coil Tapping are two different things. The thing about this guitar too, and some people may not like it, there is a big difference in tone depending where you pick: mushier closer to the neck and better closer to the bridge. All guitars do that to a point anyways but it's more noticable on this guitar.

When I said this is my Strat, I was mainly refering to the out of phase/2 and 4 position sounds.  Where it's not a Strat is the back pickup. It's so far away from the bridge that it will never sound shrill.  That might work for some and not others. It's never as bright as one of my Telecasters, then again a Telecaster back pickup sits in a hunk of metal.

The shape was an aquired taste when Gibson first put these out. The only person I remember seeing with one was Peter Frampton on the cover of his Frampton Comes Alive 2. I don't mind the shape though and people don't seem to mind the shape that much anymore.  It's not like those dreadful FirebirdXs Gibson put out a few years ago.  The top is a veneer but it's nice to look at, just like the cloud inlays on the fretboard. I have one of the first runs (I had it preordered) and the fretboard is Rosewood and not Ebony. I don't know if Ebony fretboards actually made it out to the public. The Grovers are nice too. String through body design which means after I change strings, I have to make sure I don't vacuum up any furrels by mistake.  And the coil-split comes handy sometimes.

The problem with mine, and I could fix it if I ever remembered about it, is the middle pickup's height screws.  When I try to lower the pickup, after a few turns nothing happens.  That's because the metal washer dislodges out of its little wood cavity.  I could go in and glue the nut in there.  One day, one day.

And if you're thinking of getting one of these, remember that there's no real sweet spot for the middle pickup, especially if you'll be using the push-pulls to coil split alot. Try and pick if you'll mainly be using the coil split mode or normal, humbucking mode and adjust the middle pickup height from there.

Looking at pictures online, I can see where the back pickup looks kind of stupid but it doesn't in person. This hasn't had any modifications done to it and works the same as the day I bought it. Haven't recorded with it in the last couple of years but it's hanging on the wall hooks, looking nice.