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I'm starting to get GAS for a two-humbucker Gibbie style but after experiencing a mid-2000s SG and knowing that I'd be playing my Fenders for most of the time I think an Epi is the way to go.

Option #1 is an Epi Les Paul. Option #2 is an ES-339. ES-335s look too large and uncomfortable, but the 339 looks a bit better proportioned for short-arse wimps like me.

Option #1: The LP is...well, an LP. I pretty much know the deal with those and I think I'd get along with it quite well. A bit heavy maybe, but I play sitting down most of the time anyway.

Option #2: I've never played an archtop semi-hollow before so I'm curious about what the rest of you think of them. Do the hollow areas lighten the body too much and make it neck-heavy (I HATED that about the SG)? Do you need a dentist's mirror and the patience of a saint to work on the wiring inside? How does the semi-hollowness change the sound and 'feel' alongside a solidbody? Can you play a 339 'unplugged' (I don't own an acoustic, and wondered if you can mic up a 339 in the same way for recording)?

One issue I've read with hollows and semi-hollows is that they feed back a bit, but I won't be using one at the volumes where this would be a problem. I'm also comfortable enough with a soldering iron to change pickups if the stock units aren't up to snuff.

Bigger is better therefore go for the 335.

But seriously you've just got to try them all out and find out which you find the most comfortable/sounds the best. I'm not a big fan of the 339 as it feels too much like a solid body for me, but I really really like 335 and casino style guitars - they do feel a bit funny at first but you get used to them really quickly.

Also I'm a short arse and I don't find my Eastman (which is wider and deeper than a 335) unmanageable. It just felt kind of funny when I first got it.

Buy my Epiphone goth, in classifieds... it's awesome.

I'd try them out. The LP and 335 are very different guitars, never played or seen a 339.
Personally i'd choose the 335, they seem more versatile, but of course, nothing sounds quite like a decent Les Paul.
The acoustic option is there but they aren't as loud as a proper acoustic and no, 335's aren't neck heavy. Never worked on the wiring but i imagine its easier than it looks with the pups removed.

If you can pick up an older Korean Epiphone they seem to be better, not long ago i sold a MIK Dot model that was effortless to play and the quality was excellent.

Semi hollow bodies are a lot heavier than you might think. Even Gretsch full hollow bodies weigh a ton, at least to me.

An ES-339 is still about 7-8 pounds. It's a very good weight and with their slimmish necks, they are not neck heavy. And yeah, semis can be pretty heavy. A Dot or 335 can be 8-9 pounds. Once again, none of the Epi semi-hollows are neck heavy. Even my Casino (6.5 lb) balances perfectly, and that's a full hollowbody. As for size, 335 style bodies are big but they're very slim and the arch makes them very easy to play even for a small person like me. However, I'd still choose a 339 over an 335 because I don't think that extra pound of weight on a 335 is doing much.

Wiring them is a piece of shit, though. However, the good news is, new Epiphones come with stellar pickups and come stock with push-pull coil splits, meaning in theory, you shouldn't have to mess with them at all. It's not like in the old days when the first thing you did with an Epi was rip out all the stock wiring. Also, here's something that's underrated about ES-339s: the thing that fails on your guitar the most is the output jack, right? On the ES-339 style body, you have a side jack that is very easy to access, so that should be a breeze to replace. On an ES-335 style body, it's the hardest thing to access and requires you to pull EVERYTHING out.

As for feedback, a semi won't feedback too much more than a solid body, in my experience. Hollowbodies feed back like crazy, but not semis.

If you get a new Epiphone LP, you should really consider the Tribute models. I think the extra money is well justified considering the genuine Gibson USA pickups (w/ push-pull) and wiring options, and hardshell case as well. These are arguably the most tricked out Epiphones in recent memory and if you were to purchase high-end pickups (which Gibson Classic 57s are) and hardshell case on your own, you could end up spending another guitar's worth of money, but the Tribute comes with those built-in.

I honestly love Epiphones. I think they get shit on a lot for what they used to be, but recent models have been exemplary.

But anyway, I'd choose 339 if I were you. The thing is, you can get an entry level USA-made Gibson for not much more than a good Epiphone LP. To get a USA-made 339 is another story altogether.

My Epiphone Alleykat (larger than a 339, but still smaller than a 335) was -slightly- neck heavy before I put a Bigsby on it. After that it was perfect.

I've always found 335 styles to be body heavy, personally, because of all that empty space behind the bridge. Keep in mind there's still a big chunk of mahogany inside.

As for the Epi 339s, they're ok, not amazing. When I first saw that Epi was making a 339, I was stoked, I figured it'd be the perfect guitar for me since I've always liked 335s, but they're a bit too big for me. Then I played a few of them and wasn't impressed. The quality of the craftsmanship was about on par with a $200 Turser, Agile, Xaviere, etc. Not that it had any pokey fret ends or anything like that, more like it felt like plastic to me. Overpriced. Squier CV series is better quality if that gives you any idea.

If you're interested in a semi hollow and looking for something different, I would consider a PRS SE Hollowbody. These are FAR better quality than the majority of Epiphones you can buy new. I've never played an SE that I didn't like. They don't show it on the website but they also come in black, and natural, or at least they used to.

http://www.prsguitars.com/secustomsh/

The weight itself I'm not too worried about - my old Ibanez weighs a ton but I either sit down or wear it on a padded strap. I can remember how annoying it can be if a guitar's neck-heavy so if the ESs are balanced, that's great. I'll try a 335 and see if it's comfortable - I just recall how unpleasant it was to play a dreadnought acoustic, but hopefully and ES's thinness and arched top will help offset the width.

The coil splits though...I almost forgot about that. I currently flit between chime-y, floaty shoegaze and dark heavy sludgy grunge so being able to go between single and double coils on the fly would be really handy. I LOVE the idea actually. As for the jack socket positioning...yeah. They always work themselves loose over time no matter how careful you are. A real PITA, that.

As for other brands/models, the Epi LP looks 'right' to me, and the ES has this cool symmetry to it. Gibsons to me are really overpriced, especially when they skimp on the little details like the edges of the frets. The PRS is I'm sure a great-sounding piece of gear, but I can't get over how it looks there. I get the same problem with other semi-hollows - the horns may be an odd shape, the F holes are in a funny position...I dunno. It's this weird aesthetic thing. I even get that feeling with Ibanez Artcores. Whenever I look at a 335 or 339 though it looks well-proportioned...even moreso than an LP.

It goes without saying that I'll try them before buying, but I was curious about the technical aspects. In reality, I'll go home with whatever sounds coolest and looks sexiest, but was curious about things like maintenance of the jack sockets, pickups and pots that you won't notice straight away when trying one out in the store. Thanks for all the advice so far!

EDIT: I just saw this, a Tokai LP that looks great for £350 including postage, and there are a couple of 335 copies that look pretty good as well. I've not had much experience with Tokais though...are they fairly consistent in quality, or should I ask about country of manufacture, etc.?

i had a korean epi sheraton that I loved back in the early 90s. now that was a sweet guitar. I also had a epi les paul a few years ago and I thought it wasn't too bad, with a few tweeks to the electronics you can make it sound a lot better. Both sound different due to the nature of their builds and materials used in construction. As for weight, the JMJM I just sold to Louis weighed about the same as the epi LP. A padded strap helps if worried about it

BTW if you are interested I work with a block who is selling his Japanese Epi LP which he's put Gibson pickups in (57's I think).

Just bought an Epiphone P93 Riviera and it's great, but it's big, heavy and has a faaaaat neck.

Not sure if you have noticed but Nick D is selling a Sheraton in Classifieds, might be Korean as well. I know Sheraton bodies are the size of the moon but they are nice to play.

One of my friends has a Sheraton. He has a shitload of pretty nice guitars that play like shit because he thinks setting his guitars up is for sissies or something, and then he has a kid who keeps dropping his guitars on the floor and he won't get a better stand, etc. However, his Sheraton is his one guitar that plays like a dream. Korean, I think. I highly recommend Sheratons.

As Fran says, I have a Sheraton for sale, and I also own an Epi LP (defintely not for sale) and you are welcome to come down and try them out to see what suits you.

FWIW, the Sheraton is nothing at all like playing a dreadnought - the thin body makes all the difference.

my friend too has a sheraton and he is really happy about it, the quality and how it gets through gigs..
he tried that and a LP, and ended up with an Epiphone Sheraton..and I like it too,but I have a Epi Casino Im not too glad(but I think I have set it up wrongly), so good ol' strat saves the day.

Had a Sheraton 2 for a couple of years. I changed the pickups to a Gibson Classic in the bridge and a Kent Armstrong in the neck. It sounded lovely. It was easy to play but when I bought my Gibson 335 I could tell the difference straight away. Mostly in the neck, in that it was a lot thinner and easier to play. In all honesty, I'd go for a Sheraton again if I had to. They're brilliant guitars for the price and they usually sell for decent prices 2nd hand.

I've never heard a decent sounding Epi Les Paul. The stock Epi pickups always sound like crap to my ears.

All you need to know about Sheratons is that John Lee Hooker played them </nuffsaid>