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Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus vs Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus
Electric$899
No ratings yet
68Overall / 100
Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red
Electric$8,199
No ratings yet
77Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red comes out ahead overall — 77 to 68 on our estimated score.

Estimated from specs & owner reviews — a starting point, not a substitute for playing both.

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus wins on
  • Lower price ($899 vs $8,199)
Gibson 1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red wins on
  • Better build (87 vs 65)
  • Better sound (74 vs 68)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red
Overall6877
Build6587
Playability7575
Sound6874
Value6667

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus1959 ES-355 Reissue, Light Aged, Grapefruit Red
BrandEpiphoneGibson
TypeElectricElectric
Years——
Country—US
Body woodMahogany3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Neck wood1 Piece MahoganyMahogany
FretboardLaurelEbony
Strings66
Frets2222
Scale24.75"24.75"
PickupsGibson Burstbucker 2 / Gibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker / Custombucker
Rating——
Price$899$8,199
AccessoriesCertificate of Authenticity—
BindingSingle-ply Cream, Top and FretboardMulti-ply Top, Back, and Headstock, Single-ply Fretboard
Body FinishAged GlossMurphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body shapeLes PaulES-335
Body StylesLes PaulES
BridgeEpiphone LockTone Tune-O-MaticABR-1
Bridge pickupGibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker
CaseIncludes Vintage-Style Case with BONAMASSA Nerdville, CA Graphic50s Brown/Pink Hardshell
Control CoversBlack—
Control KnobsGold Top Hat with Dial PointersTrue Historic Black Top Hat with Dial Pointer
Controls2 Volume, 2 Tone, with 50s Wiring, CTS Potentiometers, and Mallory Capacitors2 Volume, 2 Tone, Vintage taper Potentiometers, Paper in Oil Capacitators
FinishNickelGold, Light Aged
Fretboard inlayPearloid TrapezoidMother of Pearl Custom Block
Fretboard radius304.8mm / 12.0in304.8mm / 12.0in
Fret Count2222
Headstock60s Kalamazoo—
Headstock InlayEpiphone logo in Mother of Pearl, Les Paul Model in Gold SilkscreenGibson Logo and Custom Split Diamond in Mother of Pearl
Jack Plate CoverCream—
JointGlued in, Long TenonGlued In, Set Neck; Hide Glue Fit
ModelEIGCJB59LZNH3CUS18761
Mounting RingsCreamBlack
Neck pickupGibson Burstbucker 2Custombucker
NutGraph TechNylon
Nut width43.0mm / 1.69in42.86mm / 1.69in
Output Jack1/4" Switchcraft1/4" Switchcraft
PickguardCreamES-355 Bound Tortoise; Long
Pickup CoversNickelTrue Historic Gold
Pickup Selector3-Way Switchcraft Toggle3-way Switchcraft Toggle
Profile50s Rounded Medium C50s Rounded Medium C
Scale length628.65mm / 24.75in628.65mm / 24.75in
Strap Buttons2 - Bottom and Shoulder2
String gauges.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Switch TipAmberTrue Historic Amber
SwitchwasherCream with Gold Text—
TailpieceEpiphone LockTone Stop BarLightweight Stop Bar
Top woodMaple with Wide Grain AAAA Flame Maple Veneer3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Truss rod2-Way AdjustableAuthentic 1950s No-Tube
Truss Rod CoverBell Shaped; 2-layer (Black/White)True Historic
Tuner PlatingNickelGold
TunersEpiphone Deluxe with Tulip KeysGrover Rotomatic with Kidney Buttons
Back—3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple
Centerblock—Maple
Side—3-ply Maple/Poplar/Maple

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