Epiphone has launched the latest evolution of its Prophecy Series, unveiling what it calls some of the most advanced Epiphone guitars it has ever produced.
The company is debuting a wealth of new appointments here. We have the first-ever Epiphone Victory, the first Epiphone baritone Les Paul in more than two decades, a new HyperGlide neck profile, custom-voiced Fishman Fluence humbuckers, and more.
The series is “a ground-up reimagining of its most performance-focused electric guitars”, arriving after Epiphone’s Futura Series also brought big changes to its builds. This continues that hot streak.
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Comprising a Prophecy Victory FR, 27” Les Paul Baritone, 25.5” Les Paul, SG, and Flying V, each model gets a thermally aged, graphite-reinforced one-piece maple neck with that fast-playing HyperGlide profile.
“Richard Akers [Senior Product Development Engineer] and I really wanted to create the most comfortable and fastest-playing guitar neck we’ve ever offered, and HyperGlide is the result,” Aljon Go, Epiphone’s Product Development Manager, explains to Guitar World.
“The profile is based on a performance-oriented D shape and features a satin finish on the back, so it feels incredibly smooth and effortless when you play,” Go adds.
The neck profile is paired with a bound, 10”-14” radius ebony fretboard, 24 stainless steel frets, and to prove these guitars aren’t living in the past, they’re equipped with Fishman Fluence humbuckers.
But these aren’t your standard Fluence ‘buckers – these are custom-voiced and developed exclusively for the series. A three-voice system promises to provide modern, high-output active humbucker tones, vintage-inspired PAF flavors, and single-coils in one set.
(Image credit: Epiphone)
Notably, they’re mounted using DAPS (Dual-Axis Pickup Stabilization), which is a proprietary, body-anchored system. The idea is that it keeps the pickups parallel to the strings while allowing players to make precise height adjustments. The design also eliminates conventional pickup mounting rings for a sleeker look.
“For us, it wasn’t about creating pickups that only do one thing well,” Go says. “We wanted a pickup system that lets players move between styles and applications without compromise.”
Elsewhere, there are highly figured flame maple veneers, Grover tuners, and some model-specific bridge options. The Victory rocks a Floyd Rose 1000 series tremolo, while the others offer a through-body, Frequensator-inspired tailpiece design and a LockTone Modern bridge.
(Image credit: Epiphone)
There are a range of finishes available, including Orchid Bloom Satin, Obsidian Storm Satin, Crimson Fog Satin, Forest Phantom Satin, and Aqua Smoke Satin.
“The Prophecy Series is built for players who expect more from their instruments,” says Aljon Go, Product Development Manager at Epiphone. “We’ve built a lineup that’s fast, versatile, reliable, and built for today’s players.”
It’s certainly a bold rebuild. The arrival of the Les Paul Baritone alone is cause for celebration. Fans have been asking for one for years.
“A lot of what we do starts with listening to players,” notes Lewis McKinney III, Marketing Manager at Epiphone. “The baritone Les Paul is something we’ve heard requested repeatedly. We’re excited that players who’ve been asking for its return can finally get their hands on one. It’s been over twenty years.”
Priced around $1,499 each, the refresh should see the guitars competing with other big-brand metal guitars in a market currently dominated by the likes of Ibanez and Jackson. And maybe convert a few players in the process…
See Epiphone for more.
