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Sorry Bluesy but there just ain't no contest. No, they do NOT use the same woods. The Gibson woods are of higher quality and the construction is far better. It is for this reason alone that model for model the sound is different. Yes, I agree that for some models it gets darn close but it is not the same. I'll give you an example from personal experience: Many, many years ago I had a Gibson ES345 1964. Like so many of us on here I sold it and have regretted it ever since. I din't ever think I would own a similar Gibson again. When Epiphone brought out their version of the ES345 I was elated. I ordered one in advance and made extensive high grade modifications. It was a damn good guitar no question. But then I came by a bit of money unexpectedly at the same time Gibson started making reissue ES345s. I could not resist and got a 1959 reissue ES345. Not the same as my 1964 but - in my opinion - even better. I was obviously able to directly compare the Epiphone with the Gibson. The difference was astonishing. Just no comparison. The Gibson was leagues better. The Epiphone was nowhere near the same class (and sound). I got rid of the Epiphone. Case closed.

Other than being a bit battered (nothing to do with Gibson), my 25 / 50 is absolutely fine. Nowt wrong with the quality of build at all.

Interesting. But that is correctable.

That's what I think. It is a pretty rough faux paint job in photoshop or something similar. Nuts idea anyway.

Very nice guitars Grog. Now I could very seriously fancy an ES Les Paul with a Varitone and MHS pickups.

Not a provocation at all drew. Again I couldn't bear a G-force thingy on my guitars but as you describe your circumstances there is a plain purpose to it and so why not? If it makes life easier and it would surely do that given a need to change tunings frequently and on stage then by all means...it makes perfect sense.

Arrrrrgh! I haven't played a Richlite board (and personally wouldn't buy one) but people who have say they are as good as ebony to play. It is a great looking guitar! Good luck and enjoyment with playing it!

Go for it then!

Many years ago I used Cubase 4 and then left recording out for years. Recently back into it again and still with Cubase (9.5 pro). But an awful lot to learn!

Not with me it isn't JAF. My Epiphone SG-400 dives like Billy-Oh even with "grippy" straps. In fact it was so bad that I placed lead fishing weights (about 3 ozs) inside the control cavity which hardly makes a difference to the weight of the guitar but completely stopped the diving. The weights do not move they are fixed to the bottom opposite corner of the cavity to the neck. Result = complete satisfactory solution to a problem which irritated the hell out of me.

Fair enough Black Dog and my apologies for undue sensitivity.

I hope your comment isn't aimed at me because if it is then I heartily resent it. I make no comment whatsoever about anyone's playing skill. Truth be told I reckon just about every poster on this website plays better than me. Who exactly is telling anyone that they "should share" this opinion or that opinion. I don't think I have ever done that in any post I have ever posted on this site and certainly not within this thread. I don't getting where you are coming from mate. Don't get it at all.

Maybe (partly) explains why I like nibs so much. I can honestly say that this just doesn't ever happen with me (no matter what guitar it is).

It is probably better to simply agree to disagree Sabredog. You are not going to change my mind about nibs in a million years and vice versa I fancy. As for other manufacturers I really wish my Yamaha SG did have nibs but it hasn't. I can happily live with that because it is a superb guitar anyway.

Re your last main paragraph and the link: http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Undercut-Fret-Over-Binding.aspx Taking the paragraph quoted above and the content of the link my thoughts are thus: Self-justificatory Sales Bollocks. Pure and Simple. But as Merciful said above - a lot of us just don't believe a word of it and prefer the original version of Gibson binding. But as I said, you like it done Yamaha style and that's fine by me. It isn't as if Gibson never did it your way. I think the Les Paul Recording is not nibbed and never has been.

That's a very good post Mr Mercy Sir. Yes, I confess straight up to being an absolute hidebound traditionalist. I absolutely don't want auto-tuners, PCB boards or other deviations unless I choose to stick them on myself. I am happy with things like coil splits and series /parallel switching and that sort of stuff but to be told by Gibson (2015) that the "new" frets-over-binding is somehow so way huge superior got my goat so bad that even now I still choke on the memory of it. And as for auto-tune...no, we won't go there... The exception to my self-imposed "rule" is if modifications form part of some other "system" of generating music (e.g. midi and the Roland 13 pin or the Fishman Triple Play systems).

That's very easy to supply. The "playing feel" of a bound neck with well finished nibs is second to none and better than the feel obtained (example: my Yamaha SG2000 - a very fine guitar if I might say so) that with a guitar without a nib finished neck. Now is what I have said irrational? No, it isn't. Is it an objective testable statement? No, it isn't. It is my subjective opinion which is as valid as yours any day of the week. It is not better than yours but nor is it worse. I am very happy for you to hate nibs and carry on hating them for the rest of your life but I resent being told I can't bend, do vibrato or otherwise do anything than show crap technique that inevitably will manifest on a nibs equipped guitar. Because it isn't true. And I can also do all these things on my Les Paul 25 / 50 which is a fully nibbed "fretless wonder" - flat as a pancake style - fretboard of the same kind as on B.B. King's "Lucille" ES355 (but without the inlays going all the way up the neck).

You do like to write absolute cobblers old chap. But you are welcome to your tripe. That old fella B.B. King had such crap vibrato did he not? Would I buy a new Gibson guitar? Of course, just so long as it had nibs! But I'm fine. You have your preferences and I'll stick to mine thanks very much.

Ahhhh, the nibs! And I won't buy (even look at) a Gibson guitar without the nibs. It is what makes (for me) a Gibson a Gibson. But then I have never had any problem at all with binding on the Gibson's I have owned and still own.

That Karera is one very nice guitar indeed. I particularly like the inlays going all the way up the neck like (IMO) they should do. I would have been surprised that Maksumoto used photo-flame but I'm very pleased to hear it confirmed from people who know better than me that they didn't and don't.

Yeah, I remember now. Wasn't the Joe Perry "Boneyard" Les Paul a photo-flame?

Nor have I. I want one! Where did that come from Parabar? Year?

Hi Lars, Yes, the MHS are pretty close - very good indeed IMO. I shall certainly not be swapping them out that's for sure. But you are right also about those original PAFS. They were indeed really sweet.

Hi Wmachine, I got a sunburst 1959 ES345 reissue and I love it. I have made two small changes to it - swapped the tailpiece for a TP6 (already faded) which I prefer and fitted a tortoiseshell pickguard which I also prefer. Of course I have retained the original fitments. Many years ago I had a sunburst 345 (of course that one was stereo which I always found a nuisance) and I bitterly regret selling it on but then I was young and even more silly than I am now. I love the varitone myself and just wouldn't buy a 345 or a 355 without one.

That's the truth of it Dave. Personally, I love the MHS pickups on my reissue ES345. I couldn't believe just how good they are when I got the guitar and still feel like that. On the other hand, I hate the original series 7 pickups in my Les Paul 25 / 50 (muddy crap) and if I have said once I'm going to swap 'em out I've said it a dozen times. Still haven't done it yet though!