I’d stupidly sold a very modded Wayne Static Epiphone V I had a few years back, so was looking to replace the vibe. The only 50s style V Gibson makes was north of $10k, and intimating that for a stage guitar, so I took a chance on this Prophecy V. I’m not a huge fan of active pickups, so I planned on swapping them out. I was more after the aesthetics of this guitar- the binding and inlays are really cool. I didn’t get what I expected from this guitar. It exceeded my expectations! The finish was flawless, although it would be better if they advertised it as matte black, because there’s zero gloss to be found. Minor issue; I dig the matte. The binding is perfect and the hardware is all the good stuff that I’d normally swap out on an import guitar, if I’m being honest, so it was a win. The Fishman pickups sound absolutely incredible! I was NOT expecting that at all. I’d read several reviews before buying, and a lot of them talked about how hard it was to get pinch harmonics on this thing. Well, I found out why, and my only legit complaint about this guitar was the unlevel frets. I’ve been a professional/semiprofessional luthier for 25+ years, so a level and dress was nothing but a little time for me. No, I am an advocate of getting even brand new guitars properly set up, including leveling and dressing of frets, so it’s not a deal breaker for me at all. Let me tell you, though, this thing is an absolute monster of a player now!! And pinch harmonics are easily attainable.… read more I went ahead and added an Earvana compensated but for tuning stability. Other than that, this thing is a ton of guitar for the money. Easily has features found on guitars costing $500-$1000+ more. And the setup issue is a very minor inconvenience, since I do that anyway. Even if you’re on the fence about this guitar, spending money on a proper setup will still get you an incredible guitar at an incredibly affordable price! It’s a no-brainer! As a side note, my cousin and a friend both bought a Prophecy Extura, and both also needed fretwork, and that seems to be a pretty common thing anymore. It is what it is, I guess. Just buy it! And use the easy payment plan like I did!

Musical Background:
Pro/semi-pro musician

Musical Style:
Rock/Metal/blues/country read less