Epiphone Sheraton II Pro (2019) in Midnight Sapphire

Over the past three years I have bought and sold two Epiphone ES-335s and I continue to regret selling both of them. The first ES-335 had the “Cherry” finish, the second was “Raspberry Burst”. Those 335s were, in my opinion, the most beautiful, versatile guitars I have ever had the pleasure of owning.

John Lee Hooker is said to have described the Epiphone Sheraton as an “Out-Did 335”. And I think Epiphone’s modern take on the Sheraton captures that sentiment. Its Mother-of-Pearl and Abalone fretboard inlay, the 5-ply binding on the body, neck, headstock, and pickguard are beautiful, classy details not found on ES-335s. The Midnight Sapphire color was what initially drew me to the guitar when I saw it online.

This is a definite “Keeper” that will continue to cherish as I have decided to (never again) sell any 335-shaped object that I acquire.

Epiphone Swingster Royale (2019) in Pearl White

I picked this up in a trade on June 9th, 2025. I swapped my Les Paul Modern for it. This is the least sure I have been on a trade in a while. The Les Paul was a beautiful guitar, but it did not give me anything different than my Sheraton II. So, there was no point in hanging onto it no matter how nice it was.

Despite my itching for a Jazz Box, I am still undecided on this one. Primarily because of an issue with the neck binding that I did not detect when I made the trip to Sebastian, Florida to do the deal.

The finish on the neck binding seems to have worn off for whatever reason. I cannot figure it out. Maybe the poly was applied too thin, but the binding feels rough to the touch rather than smooth.

To remedy this, I think I will apply several coats of thin poly to the existing binding and see if that helps.

What I do like about the Swingster is how Baroque it is in appearance. With the gold binding on the body, neck and headstock as well as the sparkle of the White Pearl paint. It does sound fabulous through the Fender Princeton Chorus, and I am hoping that as my playing improves, the Jazz Box will grow on me.

Squier Vintage Modified Thinline Telecaster (2008) in Shoreline Gold

Besides having the distinction of the longest name of any of my guitars, this Squier is pure single-coil bliss.

Some folks say that the love for Telecasters takes on a cult-like flavor. Indeed, nothing is like a Telecaster. Its equal has never been created and every Squier Tele I’ve owned has given Fender a true run for the money at a lower cost.

A Thinline is the semi-hollow version of the classic Telecaster, with a cool F-Hole detail. Now, I have not noticed a distinct difference in tone but some folks claim that they can hear it. All I know is that I love, love, LOVE! this guitar. It also has a slightly shorter scale that standard Telecasters but (again) I have not noticed the difference.

It has the classic Telecaster Twang and that is what counts. As well, the Shoreline Gold color is absolutely stunning and has grown on me in a way that I never expected. The Rosewood fretboard is far superior to the later Pau Ferro Fender/Squier started using when the Tree Huggers began to whine.

I upgraded the machine heads to Guyker locking tuners, installed a Fender vintage bridge, and added a Pearloid pickguard.

It may be “just a Telecaster” but it’s my Telecaster and I love it.