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Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus vs Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus
Electric$899
No ratings yet
68Overall / 100
Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red
Electric$19,999
No ratings yet
77Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry 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 $19,999)
Gibson Back to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red wins on
  • Better build (87 vs 65)
  • Better sound (74 vs 68)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, LazarusBack to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red
Overall6877
Build6587
Playability7575
Sound6874
Value6667

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, LazarusBack to the Future "1955" ES-345 Collector's Edition, Light Aged, Cherry Red
BrandEpiphoneGibson
TypeElectricElectric
Years——
Country—US
Body woodMahogany3-ply maple/poplar/maple
Neck wood1 Piece MahoganyMahogany
FretboardLaurelRosewood
Strings66
Frets2222
Scale24.75"24.75"
PickupsGibson Burstbucker 2 / Gibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted / Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted
Rating——
Price$899$19,999
AccessoriesCertificate of Authenticity—
BindingSingle-ply Cream, Top and Fretboard3-ply top, single-ply back and fretboard
Body FinishAged GlossMurphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body shapeLes PaulES-335
Body StylesLes PaulES-335
BridgeEpiphone LockTone Tune-O-MaticABR-1 No-Wire
Bridge pickupGibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted
CaseIncludes Vintage-Style Case with BONAMASSA Nerdville, CA GraphicLifton™ hardshell with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters graphics
Control CoversBlack—
Control KnobsGold Top Hat with Dial PointersBlack top hat with gold reflector
Controls2 Volume, 2 Tone, with 50s Wiring, CTS Potentiometers, and Mallory Capacitors2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS 500k audio taper potentiometers, paper-in-oil capacitors; 6-position mono varitone
FinishNickelAged gold
Fretboard inlayPearloid TrapezoidCelluloid split parallelogram with celluloid parallelogram at 12th Fret
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 crown in mother of pearl; Hill Valley Music dealer plaque on headstock rear
Jack Plate CoverCream—
JointGlued in, Long TenonLong tenon, hide glue fit
ModelEIGCJB59LZNH355ES345BTTFMLGH1
Mounting RingsCreamBlack M69 medium & tall
Neck pickupGibson Burstbucker 2Custombucker Alnico 3, Unpotted
NutGraph TechNylon
Nut width43.0mm / 1.69in42.85mm / 1.69in
Output Jack1/4" Switchcraft1/4" Switchcraft
PickguardCreamShort ES-335; black 5-ply, wide bevel
Pickup CoversNickelGold
Pickup Selector3-Way Switchcraft ToggleSwitchcraft 3-way toggle
Profile50s Rounded Medium C1961 Authentic Thin D-Shape
Scale length628.65mm / 24.75in628.65mm / 24.75in
Strap Buttons2 - Bottom and ShoulderBurnished brass
String gauges.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Switch TipAmberCream
SwitchwasherCream with Gold TextGold with black lettering (Varitone)
TailpieceEpiphone LockTone Stop BarBigsby '59 B7, gold with black paint
Top woodMaple with Wide Grain AAAA Flame Maple Veneer—
Truss rod2-Way AdjustableAuthentic 1950s no-tube
Truss Rod CoverBell Shaped; 2-layer (Black/White)Authentic stepped 2-ply
Tuner PlatingNickelAged gold
TunersEpiphone Deluxe with Tulip KeysKluson single line, single ring
Centerblock—Maple

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