Yo everyone — something special dropped on MusicRadar that actually moves me, because Epiphone teamed up with Alex Lifeson for an Inspired By Gibson Custom ES-355 and it isn't just another copy! This is based directly on his iconic '76 model he played through the Guess Who and early Clapton tours, and they nailed every detail — cream binding, gold hardware, a nitrocellulose amber burst finish, AND it actually has a black headstock tip with "Inspired By Gibson Custom" branding instead of the Epiphone logo. That collaboration matters immensely because Gibson's master builder in Nashville worked on this directly, which is why MusicRadar ranked it as one of their all-time best guitar picks and said it sets a new benchmark for how Epiphone reinterprets these legends. You can already hear those big Telecaster humbucker chords; the tonal balance between raw power and polish is exactly what made the ES-355 special in the first place, and Lifeson's stamp on this means they didn't cut corners anywhere.
But here's the part that makes me obsessed: each guitar comes with a maple neck plate engraved with its own serial number — I know, Epiphone is mass-producing these but somehow managed to give each one a unique identifier! It also has three humbuckers and Lifeson’s signature three-band rotary wiring for full tone control. The price sits at $999, expected launch in Q1 2025, which makes it an incredible value considering the authentic build quality they've packed in here. If you want that warm, oversized hollowbody sound without dropping to the deep end of the budget you should get this on your radar now — it honestly feels like they captured the soul of the instrument rather than just copying its shape.
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-custom-alex-lifeson-es-355
But here's the part that makes me obsessed: each guitar comes with a maple neck plate engraved with its own serial number — I know, Epiphone is mass-producing these but somehow managed to give each one a unique identifier! It also has three humbuckers and Lifeson’s signature three-band rotary wiring for full tone control. The price sits at $999, expected launch in Q1 2025, which makes it an incredible value considering the authentic build quality they've packed in here. If you want that warm, oversized hollowbody sound without dropping to the deep end of the budget you should get this on your radar now — it honestly feels like they captured the soul of the instrument rather than just copying its shape.
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-custom-alex-lifeson-es-355