The new Epiphone Prophecy guitars look to bring these classic designs into the 21st century. But will these bring an Obsidian Storm amongst the traditionalists?
All About Epiphone Prophecy:
What do we think about the Epiphone Prophecy series?
I think that the Epiphone Prophecy run of guitars is actually a great idea. It’s like Renault bringing back models from the 1970s and 1980s, but with all-electric versions and Apple CarPlay. Epiphone have dressed these classic designs in wild colours, with features to match. Perfect for the modern metal player.
Which Models Have Had a Glow Up?
These spooky-looking Epiphone Prophecy guitars have dropped just before Halloween. And on offer are some legendary guitars from the Gibson and Epiphone hall of fame. New for the Prophecy series, we get: Les Paul, Les Paul Baritone, SG, Flying V, and the Victory. They hope to combine classic looks with modern capabilities.
HyperGlide Multi-ply
It’s safe to say that these budget Gibsons look pretty mean. That’s thanks to a sea of evil satin finishes, notably Obsidian Storm, Orchard Bloom, and my favourite, Crimson Fog. Also on offer are your faithful maple necks, but these are what Epiphone are calling their HyperGlide necks, making them ideal for fast riffs and playing comfort.
Other visually appealing aspects come from the Victory, which is equipped with a Floyd Rose 1000 tremolo! That’s like seeing your Grandad in a pair of Nike trainers. Moreover, the Flying V has always been cool, and this version is equipped with a Locktone modern bridge, black hardware to work with the 7-ply top, and black hardware.
All models come with 24 frets, presumably stainless steel, for reaching those impressive bends. I like that tuning stability has been taken into account thanks to locking Grover Machine heads. Allowing players to live in dropped tunings without worry. Here are what some of the Epiphone Prophecy guitars look like:
Fluence Humbuckers
For me, the biggest attraction about these new models is the pickups. Modern digital amps and pedalboards can run an insane amount of gain; therefore, you need some pickups that can both cope and take advantage of that. Thankfully, these are equipped with Fishman Fkuence Humbuckers.
Aesthetically, they fit the whole metal vibe with their all-black satin appearance. You can tame these high-output pickups via the traditional three-way toggle switch.
Pricing and Availability
You can purchase the Epiphone Prophecy guitars right away from Thomann. There are also a pair of Victory models at *Sweetwater.
I’d like to think that the models are aimed at a younger generation of players, but with a four-figure price tag, it’s a lot to ask. My pick of the bunch would be a Crimson Fog SG, which will set you back *£1,145 / €1,359. However, there are plenty of other models on offer:
Further Information
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