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Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus vs Gibson LE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, Lazarus
Electric$899
No ratings yet
68Overall / 100
Gibson LE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony
Electric$8,999
No ratings yet
75Overall / 100

The verdict

The Gibson LE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony comes out ahead overall — 75 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 $8,999)
Gibson LE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony wins on
  • Better build (87 vs 65)

Scorecard

Estimated scores
MetricJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, LazarusLE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony
Overall6875
Build6587
Playability7575
Sound6868
Value6665

Full specifications

Specification comparison
SpecJoe Bonamassa "Lazarus" 1959 Les Paul Standard, LazarusLE 1959 ES-345 Reissue with Bigsby, Heavy Aged, Ebony
BrandEpiphoneGibson
TypeElectricElectric
Years——
Country—US
Body woodMahoganyMaple/poplar/maple
Neck wood1 Piece MahoganyMahogany
FretboardLaurelRosewood
Strings66
Frets2222
Scale24.75"24.75"
PickupsGibson Burstbucker 2 / Gibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker Alnico 3 / Custombucker Alnico 3
Rating——
Price$899$8,999
AccessoriesCertificate of AuthenticityCertificate of Authenticity Booklet, Historic Reissue Hang Tags
BindingSingle-ply Cream, Top and FretboardMulti-ply top and back
Body FinishAged GlossHeavy Aged nitrocellulose lacquer
Body shapeLes PaulES-335
Body StylesLes Paul—
BridgeEpiphone LockTone Tune-O-MaticABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Bridge pickupGibson BurstBucker 3Custombucker Alnico 3
CaseIncludes Vintage-Style Case with BONAMASSA Nerdville, CA GraphicCustom Shop Hardshell
Control CoversBlack—
Control KnobsGold Top Hat with Dial PointersGold Top Hats
Controls2 Volume, 2 Tone, with 50s Wiring, CTS Potentiometers, and Mallory Capacitors2 volume, 2 tone with Varitone
FinishNickelGold
Fretboard inlayPearloid TrapezoidSplit-parallelogram
Fretboard radius304.8mm / 12.0in12 in. | 304.8 mm
Fret Count2222
Headstock60s Kalamazoo—
Headstock InlayEpiphone logo in Mother of Pearl, Les Paul Model in Gold Silkscreen—
Jack Plate CoverCream—
JointGlued in, Long TenonLong neck tenon
ModelEIGCJB59LZNH359ES34526LE23271
Mounting RingsCream—
Neck pickupGibson Burstbucker 2Custombucker Alnico 3
NutGraph TechNylon
Nut width43.0mm / 1.69in—
Output Jack1/4" Switchcraft1/4"
PickguardCream—
Pickup CoversNickelGold
Pickup Selector3-Way Switchcraft Toggle3-way toggle
Profile50s Rounded Medium CAuthentic 1959
Scale length628.65mm / 24.75in628.65mm / 24.75in
Strap Buttons2 - Bottom and Shoulder—
String gauges.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Switch TipAmber—
SwitchwasherCream with Gold Text—
TailpieceEpiphone LockTone Stop BarBigsby
Top woodMaple with Wide Grain AAAA Flame Maple Veneer—
Truss rod2-Way Adjustable—
Truss Rod CoverBell Shaped; 2-layer (Black/White)—
Tuner PlatingNickel—
TunersEpiphone Deluxe with Tulip KeysKluson Deluxe
Centerblock—Maple

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