I stumbled across an Embassy at a good price and couldn't resist. When these were released I was bugged by the horn more than the headstock (though I still prefer the batwing), but the black one seems less noticeable to me. They have a couple custom colors available now as well (gold and green that kind of approximate 60s colors). I was surprised and impressed by how much fundamental this had when I plugged it in. Beefy Thunderbird in disguise... The Vintage Pro Thunderbirds have crept up in price, but these are still selling new for $399. If Gibson releases a Thunderbird with this hardware and the used Epi market softens, I may have to pick up a used bird in black to go with this one.
One surprise was the pots. Volume, blend, and tone. I was expecting VVT like usual. Still haven't decided whether I should change them out to vintage specs...