Epi LP or Gibson LP?

[Ed Zeplin]

Zeplin,

 

I think you mistook my jest, or I mis-explained it. It wasn't to knock anyone except me, but I do think several people, NOT ALL PEOPLE, do follow my lead on how they pick things & why they want them. I was just pointing out what ADDS enjoyment for me. If you were thinking it was a slam I'm sorry it came across that way.

 

BTW, if you've ever read any of my other posts, rest assured I NEVER knock someone for being able to get anything really for any reason. It's their $$ & that's their business for certain. We all deserve what every we will work hard for and achieve/obtain IMHO. I certainly haven't earned ANY of my nice pieces that I collect from playing or I'd be playing a $150 starter guitar (well, I wouldn't be playing it cuz I couldn't fret it with my hands now). Also, didn't mean to wear you out with the Epi vs. Gibson. It's just a simple conversation ya know and I wasn't axing people to bash one or the other. Just major curiosity on my part on others impressions & takes. That's what's fun about a forum is to discuss idea & experiences IMHO.

 

On the Honda, I'm glad you can drive one. I NEED THE CORVETTE

 

Aster

 

 

I owned 3 Epi LPs before I got my Gibson. Each was fine in its own way but still lacked something for me. Of the three Epis they all had minor "issues". I found I didn't need four after the Gibson purchase so now My brother has one, a nephew has another and the other resides in a case in the closet. The Gibson for me is fun to play and pretty to look at but isn't perfect. Just get what you can afford but get something you like and enjoy it. Good luck.

 

As for the Epi/Gibby debate I have seen it for ten years on here with someome asserting subjective views as fact.

 

My dream car would be a '70 Chevelle SS.

[Ed Zeplin]

These are the core issues. People don't know what to look for in a quality guitar. They look into brands, not the instruments themselves. Their opinions matter less because they don't know what they're doing.

 

You can buy an amazing sounding and amazing playing electric guitar for $500. For 2k and above, you're buying workmanship, and I EXPECT good workmanship if I'm paying for it. A quality instrument isn't slabs of wood glued together. It's carefully crafted with attention to details.

 

What makes you an expert in what to look for in a guitar? Who are you to tell all these fine members they don't know what to look for? I looked long and hard for mine and when I found it I bought it. I bought it to play, not use a jewellers loup to find issues. Do some research before stating your opinions as fact. The wood in an Epi LP isn't real mahogany. It is Luan or some other asian variety of mahogany. The top is a maple veneer on plain maple, not real solid figured maple. There were lots of former members who knew this stuff inside out. It would be nice if some of them were here to point this stuff out to ininformed members.

[Aster1]

My dream car would be a '70 Chevelle SS.

 

A friend had one of those when we were in HS and it's lucky we survived HS. Man, that was one beautiful Honking ride. Think it had a 396 in it 4 on the floor and a HUGE 4 Barrel Holly w/hi-rise. Makes my neck hurt just thinking about it!!

 

Aster

[wiggy]

... The wood in an Epi LP isn't real mahogany. It is Luan or some other asian variety of mahogany...

 

Actually the 'Mahogany' in most MIC Epi LP's is Nato which is a South American wood. Still not true mahogany though as you say.

 

Interestingly I've noticed a number of Gibson LP standards over the last couple of years which look suspiciously like Nato as well but that's another story.

 

 

 

[milod]

Just a cupla points...

 

RE: that fingerboard... Who's to say it's not meeting design specs exactly?

 

And secondly, I've seen more than my share of handmade musical instruments from fiddles and mandolins to guitars, and it's my observation that each is more an art piece than anything. I know I don't expect the sort of "mechanical perfection" as I would on a flatscreen television. Even my old high-end 1960s color television wood cabinet after a point had some obvious imperfections if one looked carefully. And the high-end Asian lacquered and inlayed cabinetry had, if one looked carefully, what appeared to be "imperfections."

 

In fact, when it comes to any material that by nature will expand and contract with changes in climate, perhaps a design taking that into consideration is more "perfect" than something without, regardless of appearance.

 

I guess being a history nut, including a general history of musical instruments, makes me look at stuff a bit differently, but I prefer the idea of lacquer cracking at the neck joint on a guitar to the neck joint being stressed by temperature/humidity and breaking loose.

 

Anyway... My guitars each offers something different in feel and thereby how I play them. I think that were I to play a certain kind of music all the time, I might have a different opinion, but I don't - hence the different guitars.

 

I will admit to a preference to relatively small body guitars although I have some larger - a 16" lower bout and something along the lines of a 3-4 inch depth, and a 24 3/4 scale although I've had shorter such as a 24" scale on an old archtop that works quite well too, and was used in more than a few saloon gigs.

 

I think sometimes that my preference dates back to the fact that I started on, and had two intense years of playing classical guitars before I got my first electrics...

 

So an ES175 "shape" overall frankly feels as natural to my body as a T-shirt whether it's a small AE or a hollowbody. An SG feels far more comfortable than an LP, strat or tele, so I have one - and I've never had any of the others.

 

The ES335/Dot shape is comfortable for when I'm doing more "up the neck" than in 1st-3rd fret positions, but until about 3 years ago the Guild S100c (SG type) did well enough until I decided that at her age, she shouldn't be dancing around through winter weather. And she has her spiderweb finish from years playing "out."

 

My "baby" brother ain't 40 yet and started playing electrics. He loves his high-end Epi LP but... I think it's more that he started on electrics and that the LP therefore "fits" him more naturally regardless that he's a lot bigger physically than I am.

 

 

 

m

[Ed Zeplin]

Actually the 'Mahogany' in most MIC Epi LP's is Nato which is a South American wood. Still not true mahogany though as you say.

 

Interestingly I've noticed a number of Gibson LP standards over the last couple of years which look suspiciously like Nato as well but that's another story.

 

I think supplies of wood are being depleted as well and you have to make allowances for that. There are several species of similar wood and I remember Luan mentioned several times.

[Ed Zeplin]

Just a cupla points...

 

RE: that fingerboard... Who's to say it's not meeting design specs exactly?

 

 

 

 

m

 

That is my point. The poster refered to the binding on the neck and there is no binding. It also looks like a faded type finish which has only three coats of nitro which is much thinner than poly to begin with. More coats of lacquer would provide enough thickness to fill that spot. I think the neck is to spec. I would love to see the rest of the guitar or at least what model it is. My Gibson SG Special has no binding on the neck but lacquer right up to the fret ends.

[UCSF2012]

Just a cupla points...

 

RE: that fingerboard... Who's to say it's not meeting design specs exactly?

 

m

 

Only the truly naive would think that's by design.

[matiac]

OK, an HONEST assessment? I used to own a 2004 Epiphone Les Paul Classic in trans blue, old-schoolers here know it as "'ol Blue", and out-of-box sounded great, played fantastic after I changed out the schitty strings it had, nice low, even action, no buzzes anywhere. After several extensive mods (didn't really need them just did it because I could) it was far and away THE best guitar I've ever owned, and I've owned a few. Jump ahead to 2007 for a brand new Gibson Les Paul Classic in Boullion Gold...absolutely BEAUTIFUL guitar, but that's where the honeymoon ended. For what I paid I had pretty high expectations for that guitar...that Gibson was the biggest disappointment in just about every aspect, was when they first started using that "Plek" machine, frets were way too high, was chambered, so the weight the Epiphone had (and I expected with the Gibson) wasn't there, and no matter how I tried to adjust the volume/tone couldn't get the sound out of the Gibson I could with the Epi. I had the Gold top about 6 months before I sold it back to Guitar Center...just couldn't "click" with that guitar. Of the two, hands down the Epiphone blew that gold thing out of the water. And you'd think for the price of the Gibson the opposite would have been true.

[UCSF2012]

That is my point. The poster refered to the binding on the neck and there is no binding. It also looks like a faded type finish which has only three coats of nitro which is much thinner than poly to begin with. More coats of lacquer would provide enough thickness to fill that spot. I think the neck is to spec. I would love to see the rest of the guitar or at least what model it is. My Gibson SG Special has no binding on the neck but lacquer right up to the fret ends.

 

What it is is a plus margin. The neck is wider than the fretboard, and they didn't sand it down to make it perfectly even. What's the consequence? It's an edge that constantly rubs against your thumb as you play.

 

And you think this is by design? Take a look at every other major guitar maker and see if you find this... Larrivee, Santa Cruz, Jose Ramirez, Greg Smallman...etc. No knowledgeable guitarist would claim this is by design. You can even ask a reputable luthier if this supposed to be there?

[UCSF2012]

The wood in an Epi LP isn't real mahogany. It is Luan or some other asian variety of mahogany.

 

So Asian mahogany isn't real mahogany?

[matiac]

It's a TYPE of Mahogany, density, grain, etc., is completely different from the Honduran Mahogany found in older Gibsons. Then you got African Mahogany, or "Luan" or "Korina" is a type of Mahogany within the same species, but not traditional Mahogany. There's all kinds of "tonewoods" comparable to Mahogany in different aspects...

[milod]

Well... I've only been playing 50 years and I haven't seen anything one way or another to prove the design specs are, or are not, followed on that particular instrument or series. But I guess I don't know much, either.

 

As for tone and feel... I think every guitar will feel a bit different, and one's preferences in "tone" plus one's amp will be reflected in how one "feels" about the guitar.

 

I know a lotta folks have modded Epis in the past to swap the electronics to meet their "tone preferences." I decided early not to get into that on grounds that I didn't expect different guitars to sound the same - and I also figured that different amps and various guitar/amp settings were different anyhow. So that to me came down to "if it suits you, it tickles me plumb to death."

 

Regardless, I've pretty much stuck with my certainty that I'm not paying more than $500 in today's dollars for a guitar sight unseen. And I've sent back one Epi AE that had enough neck questions that I was antsy about it.

 

I'll add that I've played guitars with various dings and such on the necks and, other than a few basically decent "cheapies" that had fingerboard shrink sufficiently so the frets stuck out a shade, it hasn't bothered me. Even the "sharpie frets" can be accommodated easily enough with a little work.

 

Bottom line on any guitar is that some will just kinda hit us right, and some won't. What I like you may be uncomfortable with. There's no telling why in either case. It's not even a question of price tag. My cheapest guitar is an Epi PR5e. So... why does it get played both at home and "out" more than all my others combined, regardless that I reeeeeally like a cuple others?

 

m

[wiggy]

I think supplies of wood are being depleted as well and you have to make allowances for that. There are several species of similar wood and I remember Luan mentioned several times.

 

Don't get me wrong - I've got nothing against these woods. My Epi LP is made from Nato (a South American hardwood) and it both looks and sounds gorgeous and is an excellent tone wood with many characteristics which are similiar to mahogany. It isn't, however, true mahogany (i.e either Swietenia mahagoni, Swietenia macrophylla or Swietenia humilis) so the description of the wood as mahogany is a little misleading because Nato, Luan, etc aren't related to Mahogany at all but simply use the term as a marketing ploy (this isn't limited to Gibson or guitar manufacturers in general as it has been endemic amongst the furniture industry for over a century).

Interestingly the legendary 'Honduras' Mahogany which everybody raves about as the holy grail of tone woods was only used due to the lack of availability of the more highly prized Cuban Mahogany which had been pretty much driven to extinction by over harvesting during the 19th and early 20th century.

['Scales]

Thanks guys, I’m finding this all very educational.

 

Maybe some of it is about the ‘image’ (subjective of course) - if it’s important to you that what you play makes some kind of statement about you then you might never be satisfied with some brands no matter how enjoyable the instrument is to play - maybe this could be important to a lot of people.

 

It can be in reverse too - I am also absolutely a ‘mediocre player’, but since playing in a band is about the most fun you can have while standing up, I’m not about to let that hold me back. I would probably feel pretty self conscious though holding a $5000 Custom Shop LP whilst screwing up a solo or playing the wrong chord. … maybe that’s just me though…

 

Whilst there’s many people here with more experience than me, when choosing a guitar I’d firstly look for the right feel (weight, balance, comfort) ‘cos if that’s no good there’s not much can be done, then the neck (width, depth, taper) ‘cos you can adjust to a fair degree but some are just too ‘wrong’ for me, the construction and parts quality ‘cos you can change some parts but the more inherently reliable it is the less this is a hassle, then sound (talking electrics here) ‘cos its great to not have to change pups and keep it original, then looks/finish because I prefer the classic body designs so shape isn’t an issue and I’m not fussed how pretty it is. So for me its critical that I try (preferably at home with my setup) before I buy.

 

Re tone wood etc - just a thought for those who might not have considered it - I recently bought an old Kalamazoo made Epi solidbody. These are essentially SG’s with a different shape and pickups (in this case the wonderful Epi mini HB). That means: single piece Honduras Mahogany body, same for neck, Brazilian rosewood ‘board, Gibson electronics and hardware, nitro finish, and made by same people at same factory out of same stuff…….for way, way less than the equivalent 1960's SG and about the same as a new LP/SG Studio or a Strat. It’s light as a feather and a joy to use. They are still out there in reasonable numbers, but people are starting to wake up to the value and quality.

[Pete B]

Beech body, maple neck, it's the best. Just don't make an LP shape, cause it will be as heave as F&£k

[milod]

Scales...

 

If you're even an advanced beginner or beginning intermediate player - and may simply remain there with just increases in smoothness of playing, and the guitar seems to almost play itself because your fingers don't seem to have to reach...

 

It's a great guitar for you. It may not be for me. Neck shapes and weights vary on different Epi and Gibson LPs. What might trip your trigger may not appeal to another at all.

 

Another take on price tags...

 

I bought my first Epi Dot not necessarily because I thought it was wonderful, but because it'd be a good bad-weather replacement for playing "out" with a far more expensive full hollow archtop that's far more sensitive to weather, temperature, etc., etc. - and my cowardice plays into the equation too.

 

Another guy here commented that it seems odd to play a $3,000 and up guitar when you're paid $100 or less for a saloon gig, and I tend to agree - although I wouldn't have in 1965 or 1975 or even 1985 or '95. <grin>

 

m

[Ed Zeplin]

Don't get me wrong - I've got nothing against these woods. My Epi LP is made from Nato (a South American hardwood) and it both looks and sounds gorgeous and is an excellent tone wood with many characteristics which are similiar to mahogany. It isn't, however, true mahogany (i.e either Swietenia mahagoni, Swietenia macrophylla or Swietenia humilis) so the description of the wood as mahogany is a little misleading because Nato, Luan, etc aren't related to Mahogany at all but simply use the term as a marketing ploy (this isn't limited to Gibson or guitar manufacturers in general as it has been endemic amongst the furniture industry for over a century).

Interestingly the legendary 'Honduras' Mahogany which everybody raves about as the holy grail of tone woods was only used due to the lack of availability of the more highly prized Cuban Mahogany which had been pretty much driven to extinction by over harvesting during the 19th and early 20th century.

 

I have nothing against those woods either. The honduran mahogany is running out as is some species of rosewood if you remember the lawsuit against Gibson a few years ago. You still need wood to make guitars. It's a shame really that overharvesting takes things to the brink.

 

I know what you mean that they are all mahogany but each species has its own traits, just like cats and dogs, right?

[Ed Zeplin]

Thanks guys, I’m finding this all very educational.

 

Maybe some of it is about the ‘image’ (subjective of course) - if it’s important to you that what you play makes some kind of statement about you then you might never be satisfied with some brands no matter how enjoyable the instrument is to play - maybe this could be important to a lot of people.

 

It can be in reverse too - I am also absolutely a ‘mediocre player’, but since playing in a band is about the most fun you can have while standing up, I’m not about to let that hold me back. I would probably feel pretty self conscious though holding a $5000 Custom Shop LP whilst screwing up a solo or playing the wrong chord. … maybe that’s just me though…

 

Whilst there’s many people here with more experience than me, when choosing a guitar I’d firstly look for the right feel (weight, balance, comfort) ‘cos if that’s no good there’s not much can be done, then the neck (width, depth, taper) ‘cos you can adjust to a fair degree but some are just too ‘wrong’ for me, the construction and parts quality ‘cos you can change some parts but the more inherently reliable it is the less this is a hassle, then sound (talking electrics here) ‘cos its great to not have to change pups and keep it original, then looks/finish because I prefer the classic body designs so shape isn’t an issue and I’m not fussed how pretty it is. So for me its critical that I try (preferably at home with my setup) before I buy.

 

Re tone wood etc - just a thought for those who might not have considered it - I recently bought an old Kalamazoo made Epi solidbody. These are essentially SG’s with a different shape and pickups (in this case the wonderful Epi mini HB). That means: single piece Honduras Mahogany body, same for neck, Brazilian rosewood ‘board, Gibson electronics and hardware, nitro finish, and made by same people at same factory out of same stuff…….for way, way less than the equivalent 1960's SG and about the same as a new LP/SG Studio or a Strat. It’s light as a feather and a joy to use. They are still out there in reasonable numbers, but people are starting to wake up to the value and quality.

 

It isn't always about image. I don't play in a band, i tried but couldn't get past the stage fright. Now I just play at home for my own pleasure. Why can't a guy spend his money the way he wants without being judged?

 

In general and not directly to the poster:

 

 

People think too much about what other people think about them. They have image and self esteem issues which has only been propagated by crap like Facebook and Twitter. This forum is no different. I sense resentment and jealousy between fans of different guitars just bcause of the brands they own.

 

A fellow posted a review of a new guitar and it consistd of it being as good or better than all his Gibsons. Instantaneous comparison. Why? It seems it automatic to go on the attack. I own several of both brands by the way.

 

 

 

Congrats on the purchase of your vintage Epi. I have heard good thngs about them.

[BobF_]

An observation, if I may.

 

Look at the upper left corner at the logo; "Gibson Prestige, Quality and Innovation."

 

The hang tag from my '99 Gibson:

 

Quality

Performance

Tradition

... Gibson

 

 

This may not indicate any real difference in company direction during the interim,

but it does indicate a real difference in marketing approach.

[Ed Zeplin]

Well... I've only been playing 50 years and I haven't seen anything one way or another to prove the design specs are, or are not, followed on that particular instrument or series. But I guess I don't know much, either.

 

m

 

I get what you are saying here. This guy has no respect for anyone. Comes here guns ablazing telling forum members they don't know anything, spouting conjecture as fact and just not knowledgable in his information.

[Aster1]

What it is is a plus margin. The neck is wider than the fretboard, and they didn't sand it down to make it perfectly even. What's the consequence? It's an edge that constantly rubs against your thumb as you play.

 

And you think this is by design? Take a look at every other major guitar maker and see if you find this... Larrivee, Santa Cruz, Jose Ramirez, Greg Smallman...etc. No knowledgeable guitarist would claim this is by design. You can even ask a reputable luthier if this supposed to be there?

 

UCSF,

 

I'm rather picky to with most all things I own. I think what Milo was saying it depending on the model it may be within what Gibson has for allowable tolerances for the fretboard to neck fitting. And he's not naive on about anything I've ever read that he's written. His thought thru answers and understanding of things is quite an asset.

 

What I will say is, like you, if it didn't fit the way I liked it or knew that it could have, I'd be disappointed. Esp. if I'd dumped much $$ into it. I would have, however returned it and not allowed that to continue to disappoint me or had it fixed to the level I'd love it.

 

Most of the guitars you listed, while well made guitars & have a following, are almost off the radar with the volume of products in the market place. If any of them had to produce the guitars that Gibson does to keep up the demand, do you still think that they would fit/finish the same? It does become a trade off with that.

 

I can't really see in your photo much other than a small gap between the fretboard & neck. Is that the problem or was it's too wide a fretboard over the top fit on the neck? Did you ever take it into a Gibson warranty center or contact Gibson C/S to see if they'd make it right? If so, what was the response as they've been very good at having anything I brought to their attention corrected (small simple flaws on acoustics) to my satisfaction. Did you fix it already?

 

Aster

[Ed Zeplin]

OK, an HONEST assessment? I used to own a 2004 Epiphone Les Paul Classic in trans blue, old-schoolers here know it as "'ol Blue", and out-of-box sounded great, played fantastic after I changed out the schitty strings it had, nice low, even action, no buzzes anywhere. After several extensive mods (didn't really need them just did it because I could) it was far and away THE best guitar I've ever owned, and I've owned a few. Jump ahead to 2007 for a brand new Gibson Les Paul Classic in Boullion Gold...absolutely BEAUTIFUL guitar, but that's where the honeymoon ended. For what I paid I had pretty high expectations for that guitar...that Gibson was the biggest disappointment in just about every aspect, was when they first started using that "Plek" machine, frets were way too high, was chambered, so the weight the Epiphone had (and I expected with the Gibson) wasn't there, and no matter how I tried to adjust the volume/tone couldn't get the sound out of the Gibson I could with the Epi. I had the Gold top about 6 months before I sold it back to Guitar Center...just couldn't "click" with that guitar. Of the two, hands down the Epiphone blew that gold thing out of the water. And you'd think for the price of the Gibson the opposite would have been true.

 

Matiac:

 

The LPClassic comes with high output pickups (496R and500T if I recall). And I have read many complaints about their harshness. Lots of folks swapped out the pickups for more PAF like tones which were not available with the original pups. So if you were expecting vintage LP tones unfortunately you were snookered from the git go. A case of the wong tool for the job and not a quality issue really.

 

My Gibsons also have high 'railroad tie' frets but I like them. I love the feel of the nitro finish which is also cost prohibitive due to tight environmental control and a much more labour intensive and more challenging application and finish process so add $ there. plus no one ever mentions that a lot of Gibsons come with a really nice case so add $ ($150-200) there.

 

As for the weight the most desireable Vintage LPs were lightweight, 8-1/2 to 10lb. If you don't believe me check it out. The lighter planks now all go to the custom shop while the heavier ones go to regular production. That is one reason Gibson USA guits are heavy and need weight relief and why Custom Shop guits like R8s,R9s, etc. are non weight relieved. To achieve a lighter weight they started weight relief either by swiss cheese or chambering. And to give some credit you can now get nonweightrelieved Gibson USA guits as people spoke up about it.

 

The association with heavy LPs comes from the Norlin era where axes reached 13lb in some cases. I am quite happy with the weight it has . From what I have read the lighter guitars are cnosidered better with regards to sustain, etc. I only say this as it is what I have read from actual vintage owners not real life experience. That is another neverending arguement. Even weight relieved it sustains better than my Epis but how much sustain do we really need. It isn't Spinal Tap. ;).

 

We also must not forget that the LP gave way to the SG in the 60s due to poor sales and I am sure other reasons as well. The were if I recall less than 5000 sunburst LPs in total prior to 1961. When production resumed everything had changed from new owners to new models like the Deluxe. There is a very shallow pool of real Vintage LPs to pick from with most living examples now residing in vaults around the world. That in and of itself is truly sad.

 

 

In general:

 

Personally I think everyone who thinks they know all there is to know about original Les Pauls should read Beauty of the Burst and get the facts straight. It has pictures and facts about most of the ones still in existence. Very informative.

 

My Epis were fine but all had issues like bad switches, pots, pups and whatnot. I went through the modding phase. I even changed the pups in my Gibsons so I am not saying it was perfect but real real close. I would rather mod for experimental purposes than out of necessity and again that is my choice.

 

I don't have a problem with other people's opinions but we need to be fair. One bad experience shouldn't tarnish all. Everyone has likes and dislikes and we should be careful when making generalizations. Subjective issues like tone and feel and weight can't be part of a quality argument.

 

I have read quite a bit and have aquired a wealth of knowledge from the folks here but I am not saying I know everything. Members here are good people. I am also willing to listen to other peoples views and learn from them.

[Markini]

I have 3 Lps. A Gibson 60s Tribute, Gibson Classic Custom, and an EPI LP Ultra (1st gen)

 

I use the CC as a baseline. It is the only Gibson LP I have ever played and believe me (I have probably played a 100 of em) that was as close to flawless as realistically possible. Just superb craftmanship, tone and playability. The EPI Ultra had a complete set up including fret leveling and polish and a 57 plus installed on the neck side. The EPI is darn close to that CC. They both have amazing necks, the EPI is a few lbs lighter and does not intonate as well as the CC, but this is a very minor subjective tone thing.

 

I mention the Ultra series, because I have never played one that didnt sound and play well, reminds me of the Classic Custom.

In regard to the Gibson 60s Tribute it took alot time and money to get it up to a high standard. But the Tribute is the easiest to play and is amazing with P90s.

 

You can probably find a used LP Ultra with case for $400 or $500 dollars. I highly recommend them.

['Scales]

It isn't always about image. I don't play in a band, i tried but couldn't get past the stage fright. Now I just play at home for my own pleasure. Why can't a guy spend his money the way he wants without being judged?

 

Hi Zeplin,

Absolutely he can - in no way am I being judgemental about that decision or saying its the case for everyone, indeed I have friends and relatives who buy pro gear purely to enjoy at home, simply saying that the ownership of 'top' brands may be important to many people - fine by me. It certainly seems the case in many other types of products where we happily pay more for certain labels or badges and wouldn't consider others based (to some degree at least)on their associated image. I find it interesting flicking through guitar magazines many of the advertisments seem focussed on who uses the brand or other image associated factors rather than on the materials, construction qualities and specifications.

 

In general and not directly to the poster:People think too much about what other people think about them. They have image and self esteem issues which has only been propagated by crap like Facebook and Twitter. This forum is no different. I sense resentment and jealousy between fans of different guitars just bcause of the brands they own. A fellow posted a review of a new guitar and it consistd of it being as good or better than all his Gibsons. Instantaneous comparison. Why? It seems it automatic to go on the attack. I own several of both brands by the way.

 

Firstly I appreciate you noting this is not aimed at my comments - mainly because I agree entirely. Forums, social media and all personal posts to the internet will live on well after we are gone and may provide a much more accurate view of personality traits than any sugar-coated eulogy for future generations to know us by.

 

Congrats on the purchase of your vintage Epi. I have heard good thngs about them.

 

Thanks Zeplin - to me its a beauty and I highly recommend trying them out to anyone thinking about potentially buying an older solidbody.