The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: Epiphone Bob Marley One Love Tribute Electric

Review: Epiphone Bob Marley Tribute LP Special

This is a interesting limited edition tribute guitar from Epiphone. Mainly because this is one of the few limited editions named after an artist who wasn't known as a great guitarist.

The lead guitar lines on his first groundbreaking record (the Island Records international mix) were actually played by Wayne Perkins, a fine session player. On the Jamaican mixes, there was very little lead guitar work.

Also, since Epiphone used no input from Marley (as he had passed away), it was created as a similar, but not exact reproduction. It does share some qualities as Marley's original Les Paul Special, but it's purpose is closer to that of a honorary statue than that of a recreated relic one can play to experience some of that person's legend.

The original Bob Marley guitar was an all-mohogany Les Paul Special, Gibson brand. It had P-90 pickups, and a wrap around bridge he installed himself. Gibson has created an actual limited edition of 200 “distressed guitars” that duplicate this setup at a premium price.

Getting back to the the Epiphone version. It is also an all-mohogany guitar, with a set one piece neck, and satin finish. In terms of profile, it's somewhat similar to the sunburst Les Paul 100, and as far as that goes, you have what is essentially a nice 350.00 guitar.

There are added features. The neck is wider and thinner, almost SRV style, with medium jumbo frets that have been nicely rounded. One difference from a regular LP Special is that the fretboard is flat, not curved, which makes the neck feel feel closer to an acoustic guitar than an electric. The tuners are Grovers, with a tune-o-matic bridge, and a brass nut (that adds to the tone and sustain).

The pickups are a step above the Epi norm. Both are '57 style humbuckers with a “hot” for the bridge. Separate volume/tone tone controls, a decent switch, and a good solid jack put this guitar into a nicer quality range.

The company normally uses it's Les Paul Special design for it's entry level instrument, and the total sum of the wood and features would place this one closer to their version of the Les Paul Standard in terms of performance.

Also, there's the tribute features, which is the main selling point. The design is such that one will either hate it, or love it. There's Marley's face on the guitar, in black, like on the “Burnin'” album. The fret markers are square and solid color, and match those of the Jamaican flag, and “One Love” shines in bright colors on the headstock.

As a final, and nice touch, it includes a hemp covered gig bag with Marley's image on it that lets you carry it with hand grips, or slung over your back. An extra bonus of a guitar cord with a 90 degree jack rounds out the package.

In terms of sound, it's quite good. Close enough to my Gibson Les Paul Special that I might just use this one instead, given that the Marley is significantly lighter. With the quality of the wood and construction, you do have a guitar I would say is better than, say, a Gibson Les Paul Special Junior (a model I didn't keep very long). That brass nut really improves the sustain, and makes the tone rounder.

Even with the seemingly incongruous riot of Jamaican colors and the image of Marley's face, the guitar can run through rock, blues, world music, or pretty much anything your average Les Paul Special can do.

The perception could be that you're paying a 150.00 premium for some decorations. However, I bought it after a good look at the specs, and felt that it was a lighter Les Paul Special at a bargain price.

So, the average guitarist might think, why buy a guitar dedicated to a rhythm player?

Well, think of this. John Lennon, John Lee Hooker, Curt Cobain, Lou Reed, and Keith Richards, all well known as rhythm players first. While countless guitarists around the world copied Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and rattled off riffs like machine guns, these other guitarist created sounds that started genres and new styles.

Bob Marley was probably one of the greatest of such players. Before him, there was a small world music scene, and certainly no Third World superstars. When you see pictures of him playing on stage, he always had his guitar strapped on, and I suppose some would look at such pictures and still say he really wasn't a great guitar player.

Given what he achieved with his guitar, I say he certainly was.

-Al Handa

2006

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa