Thomse Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I just wonder why a lot of people get picky about the detail of a guitar . They are made by us humans and there is none of us perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Different things are important to different people. Some guitarists may not care about cosmetic details as long as the guitar plays the way they want it to, others may not mind some fret buzz as long as it's not audible when amplified, but are bothered by the tuners looking a little off-center. Some players love the "relic'ed" look, others can't stand it. Each of us has those individual sets of expectations and standards of performance and appearance --- it's all part of what makes us the unique creatures that we are. Like Sly said: "Different strokes for different folks." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I just wonder why a lot of people get picky about the detail of a guitar . They are made by us humans and there is none of us perfect. Do you sell Chryslers for a living? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Different things are important to different people. Some guitarists may not care about cosmetic details as long as the guitar plays the way they want it to, others may not mind some fret buzz as long as it's not audible when amplified, but are bothered by the tuners looking a little off-center. Some players love the "relic'ed" look, others can't stand it. Each of us has those individual sets of expectations and standards of performance and appearance --- it's all part of what makes us the unique creatures that we are. Like Sly said: "Different strokes for different folks." couldn't have said it better myself but 1 point was left out a lot of people are habitual complainers my only serious complaint with a new guitar was that both of 1 of the P-90s anchor screws were stripped out on arrival, I repaired it myself as the rest of the guitar was great. i'll take a 2nd or "cosmetic blem" guitar in a heartbeat if the price is reduced accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobF_ Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I just hate to see any company blow their image on the easy stuff. Epiphone makes some great guitars -especially for the money. Why blow it on low $$ details? I would gladly pay a 10-20% premium on Epiphones to have the no-brainer stuff taken care of. But hey, I'm not in the Epiphone boardroom. If the Board is seeking a brand identified with cheap chinese shZt that has the details wrong, they all deserve a bonus b/c that's what they've achieved. And I love my Epi Ultra-339. I just wear a bag over my head when I play it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Because Epiphone's (imho) are the best "cheap" guitars. Dare I say it. "Modern" guitars/instrument's have been made in the USA for...140 years...Gibson, Epiphone...Gretsch, Fender...60 or so, Martin...120 or so. Musical instruments...from China have been made for 1000+ years. Who makes a better guitar ? We Epiphone players seem to want an exceptional instrument, at a reasonable cost. Sometimes (as with all instruments) you get a real dog. Other times, that one guitar may be the best you will ever play. It's funny how mass produced guitars can have such variation, even custom shop Gibson/Fender's. When you find a "good" Epiphone (yes, I do believe such a thing exists), it will sound, feel and "play", just right, as well as look perfect. When I get a "good one", it makes me just want to play it, can't put it down. I dig Epiphones...is that bad ?? We expect our Epiphone's to reflect the country of origin's (wherever they are built) finest craftsmanship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteWilson Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Because Epiphone's (imho) are the best "cheap" guitars. Dare I say it. "Modern" guitars/instrument's have been made in the USA for...140 years...Gibson, Epiphone...Gretsch, Fender...60 or so, Martin...120 or so. Musical instruments...from China have been made for 1000+ years. Who makes a better guitar ? We Epiphone players seem to want an exceptional instrument, at a reasonable cost. Sometimes (as with all instruments) you get a real dog. Other times, that one guitar may be the best you will ever play. It's funny how mass produced guitars can have such variation, even custom shop Gibson/Fender's. When you find a "good" Epiphone (yes, I do believe such a thing exists), it will sound, feel and "play", just right, as well as look perfect. When I get a "good one", it makes me just want to play it, can't put it down. I dig Epiphones...is that bad ?? We expect our Epiphone's to reflect the country of origin's (wherever they are built) finest craftsmanship. I own several Epiphones, and I have never had to send one back. Dumb luck? Maybe. I think Epi's are great guitars. I can not afford the toll for a Gibson, and I do not expect to get a Gibson when I buy an Epiphone. I expect to buy a quality guitar at a reasonable price. So far, I can not complain. Are all my Epi's perfect? No. But, they are all very acceptable to me. They play well, and they sound good. I am a very satisfied customer of Epiphone. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I just wonder why a lot of people get picky about the detail of a guitar . Philosophical discussion? What do you call picky? What do you call detail? I have good guitars that have scratches, nicks and dings. No big deal to me. If I paid for new, I want new! No, I'm not counting a guitar out because it has a scratched pick-guard or a crappy pot. If the pickup pole pieces aren't perfectly aligned with the strings: No big deal if it doesn't affect play or sound. Some things I even expect to improve on. (Picky?) Factory setups are traditionally high on Epis and most imports. They are mass produced and shipped from Asia to all over the world. If they were set perfect, they probably wouldn't survive the voyage in any kind of playable condition. I bought a Epi on line once. It came with a what I perceived as a small finish crack in the neck. I sent it back. Why? because it was new. The crack could have been deeper and worse than I perceived. The crack may or may not have expanded in time. Who Cares!?!? I paid for new....Call me picky. Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 For me anyway, I expect almost everything I purchase to meet a standard level of quality. The more I invest in what is "touted" as quality or performance improvements, that bar keeps going up. If my new air compressor that I invested $500 in was rough around the edges, I would expect it to be fixed/replaced. I would not expect the performance of a $1000 compressor for say $500 however. You do get what you pay for, at least YOU SHOULD. But that's just my expectations. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Good analogy...^^^^^ Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I wonder if this thread was prompted, in part, by my complaint about f-holes? I understand a standard Casino is a $600 guitar, and all things are relative. But it's sad when Epi gets so much right, and then, to borrow an old phrase, "Spoils the ship for a penn'orth of tar." It's hard to think of a less important part of the manufacturing process than painting f-hole edges, but in screwing it up they make the guitar look crappy. Either paint them properly, or not all. If doing it properly is cost-prohibitive, then not at all is far, far better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aster1 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Snip I wonder if this thread was prompted, in part, by my complaint about f-holes? My biggest prollem these days is dealing with a-holes all the time!!! I can deal with the f-holes as they are fewer & further between. Aster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteWilson Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 My biggest prollem these days is dealing with a-holes all the time!!! I can deal with the f-holes as they are fewer & further between. Aster Amen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkuss Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I've got/had 4-5 Epiphones that have been pretty much perfect. I've had another 10-15 that have varied from ok to poor so I suppose we're all just looking for a guitar that looks and feels right to ourselves and for some people Epiphone is the style they want or budget limit they've got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjeokiedog Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 My Dad, when I was a kid, " if you are going to do something, do it right" Pogo comics, again when I was a kid" do it right the first time,that way you only gots to do it once" I guess I grew up expecting everybody that makes things, to see it the same way! Hence MY reason for wanting ANY guitar( or any other product) to be "new" and correct when I buy it.Just because I buy a 600$ Epiphone vs a 5000$ Gibson does not and should not mean that I expect the quality to be less. The 1960 TributePlus LP I just got ,by Epiphone, I would put up against any GibsonLP for Quality of fit and finish( yeah I got a good one, which should be the norm and not the exception) the Action as stated above is a little high but that is a personal preference item and not a quality issue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Because Epiphone's (imho) are the best "cheap" guitars. Dare I say it. "Modern" guitars/instrument's have been made in the USA for...140 years...Gibson, Epiphone...Gretsch, Fender...60 or so, Martin...120 or so. Musical instruments...from China have been made for 1000+ years. Who makes a better guitar ? We Epiphone players seem to want an exceptional instrument, at a reasonable cost. Sometimes (as with all instruments) you get a real dog. Other times, that one guitar may be the best you will ever play. It's funny how mass produced guitars can have such variation, even custom shop Gibson/Fender's. When you find a "good" Epiphone (yes, I do believe such a thing exists), it will sound, feel and "play", just right, as well as look perfect. When I get a "good one", it makes me just want to play it, can't put it down. I dig Epiphones...is that bad ?? We expect our Epiphone's to reflect the country of origin's (wherever they are built) finest craftsmanship. There indeed are good Epiphones, I own one of these, and when checking out several Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus they all were pretty close to each other. I think this may be the advantage of the multipiece body construction causing less variation than inherent with single-piece or two-piece constructions. There's no way of two trees being just the same. Every piece of timber has its own history. My Dad, when I was a kid, " if you are going to do something, do it right" Pogo comics, again when I was a kid" do it right the first time,that way you only gots to do it once" I guess I grew up expecting everybody that makes things, to see it the same way! Hence MY reason for wanting ANY guitar( or any other product) to be "new" and correct when I buy it.Just because I buy a 600$ Epiphone vs a 5000$ Gibson does not and should not mean that I expect the quality to be less. The 1960 TributePlus LP I just got ,by Epiphone, I would put up against any GibsonLP for Quality of fit and finish( yeah I got a good one, which should be the norm and not the exception) the Action as stated above is a little high but that is a personal preference item and not a quality issue! I agree. With respect to playability and tone, my Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus keeps up with her four hardtail sisters among my five Gibson Les Paul guitars. In my opinion, the Gibson USA pickups contribute significantly to the great tone of this PRC-made guitar. It is neither better nor worse, just different. When it goes around being picky: There always will be slight imperfections one will have to put up with. When listening to all of my six Les Paul guitars, those two with an obvious dull note are the Epi 1960 Tribute and - a Gibson Custom Shop Standard at six times the price, and my most expensive hardtail Les Paul. The dull spots are two half tones apart. As I said above: just different... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vomer Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Obvious quality control issues aside, a lot of what makes a difference between a good guitar out of the box and one that doesn't feel right can be down to final fit & finish. A budget company, or should I say a company working to a particular price point, isn't going to be able to put the same number of labour hours into the final, finer details of set-up and fret finishing. Which can make a huge difference to how a guitar feels and plays. Since I've been learning to do set-ups and repairs I've come to never expect a new guitar to play right, right away. With a few exceptions; a cheap Ovation Applause acoustic I owned was perfect, as far as I could assess it. (Conversely, a friend's top-of-the-range Ovation Custom Elite needed a fret skim!) I've not had to touch the frets on my own Sheraton, but the fretboard inlays were uneven. Half an hour with some wet & dry fixed it, but if Epi had done that by hand (I wonder if they skim the board by machine after the inlays go in?) it's an extra half hour on the labour costs. Same with fret levelling and polishing, nut cutting, fret ends, relief, action, pickup height, etc. These are all labour-intensive tasks and I don't think Epi can spend as much on them as Gibson do, so I wouldn't have the same expectation of each company. If you don't do your own set-ups, then taking a new guitar to a tech who can iron out the details and set it up as you want it, can totally change how it feels to you. But I agree with the ha'porth o' tar idea, some things should be taken care of as a routine part of the production process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GalacticaActual Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 I just wonder why a lot of people get picky about the detail of a guitar . They are made by us humans and there is none of us perfect. Simple. Because we are paying hundreds of dollars for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr faustus Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Simple. Because we are paying hundreds of dollars for it. Definitely, but not only that. Guitars are very personal - I feel attached to mine and they are important to me. So I want them to be in the best shape possible; the details need to be right. That being said, if I play a guitar and it feels right, I might be willing to overlook some minor flaws. But I'd rather not have flaws on a guitar that feels right. Of course, ymmv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 For some details, it also depends on where it occurs. I don't have a problem with a touchable ridge, groove or edge at a body or headstock binding, but along the fretboard it would be not so nice, regardless of price or country of origin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamonkis Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 And on the lighter side... My biggest prollem these days is dealing with a-holes all the time!!! I can deal with the f-holes as they are fewer & further between. Aster ...taking the chance of being one of the former, here goes: I can't say why people get so picky with there Epiphones, I only care about what I here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinlander Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Epiphone are too good (for the price), that is why people can afford to be picky, if they would be crap instruments no one would have high expectations... To get a 300-800$ machine made imperfect but functional guitar is still much better than to get a not so perfect 3-5K Custom Shop big sister... We as customers have the right to expect to get what we pay for, what is forgiving on a cheap instrument is much less on an expensive one... In that regard it seems overall, Epiphone is still a lot of guitar for the money (I still want it to be as close as perfect though ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteWilson Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 And on the lighter side... ...taking the chance of being one of the former, here goes: I can't say why people get so picky with there Epiphones, I only care about what I here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytor1958 Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Because Epiphone's (imho) are the best "cheap" guitars. There is a difference between "cheap" and "inexpensive". Epiphones are "inexpensive" not cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 My Dealer thinks I'm "picky" with ALL my guitars, not just Epiphones! I think, they're right! And, I don't apologize for that, either. It's your money, so you should be "picky" regardless of brand...IMHO. Epiphone, like ANY other brand, has good, and also Great guitars. Why not find, and buy, the Great one's, when one has the choice? CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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