CJCifuentes Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I've read some people saying that they've played for example and Epiphone Sheraton II and it feels better and even sounds cooler than a Gibson ES 335 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Marlowe Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I've read some people saying that they've played for example and Epiphone Sheraton II and it feels better and even sounds cooler than a Gibson ES 335 The setup and pickups are what make the biggest difference. My Epi SG came terribly setup with three or four high frets etc. After doing a few hours of work on it, it's a match to any of the Gibson SGs I've played before. And the newer Epi pickups are quite good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 My Epi Joe Pass is MUCH easier to play than my J200. However I wouldn't trade one for the other. The J200 BOOMS with tone, where the Joe Pass needs to be amplified (of course). My Gibson Les Pauls and my Epi Paul all play the same (thanks to me). Simple bridge adjustments and they all play like "butta". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinlander Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 A lot to do with proper setting and electronics... The problem with cheap guitars like Epis is they rarely get the adjustment they deserve and people based their opinion on trying the poorly setup ones in store... All my Epis have a professional setup and it makes a huge difference; I find them as good as my Gibson Les Paul when it comes to neck and feel. I also upgraded the electronics in all of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I prefer my Epi Joe Pass to the Gibson ES-175 I used to own. And my Elitist Broadway plays better than any Gibson L-5 I've ever played. My Casino and Wildkat both play perfectly too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 nope. I have 5 gibby's and 4 epis. the epis do play great, and I like em just fine,, but the gibsons just out do em in every aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Read between the lines of the folks commenting above, and I think you get the picture. Setup is huge to have a guitar meet one's expectations of "playability." I've been playing over 50 years and have a totally different perspective on "plays better" than a lotta guys with similar experience/skill levels. Who's right? Both of us. Secondly, I just plain don't care for the Les Paul. That's me. So... does my Epi Dot "play better" than a Gibson Les Paul? Well, to me it's a lot more comfortable and enjoyable. Big deal. My "baby" brother had been playing guitar for well over 20 years when he got a Les Paul. An Epi. Sez it's the "best playing guitar" he'd had his hands on. He lives in a city, played lots of different guitars, including Gibsons, and could afford about anything into the mid four figures and... he loved the Epi. I ain't gonna say he's "wrong" because it's his hands that will be playing it, his "feel" for that particular instrument. I prefer short scale necks. I prefer archtops, flattops and classical guitars with that kinda scale. I prefer a roughly 16-inch lower bout. Add the other variables of shapes and strings and setups... Hey, I've come across Gibsons that I could barely fret, but others play easily through totally different technique. And lots of reeeeally lousy setups on Epiphones that made them unplayable for anyone. Which is better to play, an horridly un-setup and unplayable Gibson or an unplayable Epi. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Up to now I never had a problem with the playability of any guitar or bass which is nicely crafted and set up to my desire. All the rest is about getting acquainted with the particular model's overall design, in particular size, shape, balance, and positions of bridge, pickups, switches and controls. Especially vibratos and middle pickups may cause certain limitations which affect ease of playing. When comparing Epiphone to Gibson or MIM Fender to MIA Fender, the finishes feel different, but all the rest doesn't make a notable difference to me. Gibson's fret nubs are not a problem, too. Perhaps I just keep on having good luck, but I also didn't have to deal with gaps between fret wires and nubs up to now. Different reaction to attack and different tone are another story. I don't think it would be reasonable to rate this as part of playability. I only may beat out of a certain guitar what it's capable to put out. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 adding.. ('ve been at this almost as long as milod.. (bout 47 years). they (my guitars) are all properly setup.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Yep! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I have never played a Gibson that feels and plays better to me than my Epiphone. Then again I haven't played many Gibsons, my Epiphone to all intents IS a Gibson and is professionally set up (unlike most guitars on the planet) and familiarity has a huge impact I'm sure (as in I have also never played a Fender that feels as good to me as my Aria Pro ll) Gibson Owners might well play my Epi and think it plays worse than their guitar for similar reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Meh, I like 'em both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverden Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My two cents:I have played quite a few Les Pauls, and my Elitist Les Paul was my favorite. That being said, I just can't get myself to love the size of the Les Paul. So my Elitist lives somewhere else now. I have played my ES 335 for over forty years and love it. My Elitist Casino is just as pleasant to play and is much lighter, and has a completely different sound. No guitar fits the needs required by different types of music. When playing country, nothing will do but a good Tele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Yep! CB the only Epi I prefer to my Gibbies......it's a lot like Charlies ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My experience of Epiphones out of the box is that they are dreadful. Dire might be a better word. However, they can be made eminently playable and enjoyable with tweaking by which I include a good quality set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Marlowe Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My experience of Epiphones out of the box is that they are dreadful. Dire might be a better word. However, they can be made eminently playable and enjoyable with tweaking by which I include a good quality set up. So very much this. I can't believe they bother with a "setup in the USA by #22" step when they obviously don't / can't be bothered to do any worthwhile setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joevacc Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My Sheraton is one of the best guitars I have ever played. That said, I had to replace the bridge and nut to take to the instrument it is now. That might be true of quite a few new Gibson's these days. The only remarkable thing in the Epiphone Vs Gibson debate is the fact that my Epi sold for $800.00 when it was new and will only ever be worth that or more likely less in the future. A Gibson will largely hold it's value - or for a fine instrument, appreciate. Every instrument (as I am sure most of you know) must be evaluated of it's own merits of course. A great example: I took up violin a few years ago for the fun of it. (infuriating little instrument!) My teacher and I were trying $199.00 instruments for me. We had five "identical" violins in front of us. First one, WTF, wouldn't pay $1.99 for it! Second one, Meh… Toy. Third, WOW that's pretty good… The rest were unremarkable. With a little tweaking here and there and a real bow - that violin sounded great. When my teacher played it there was very little difference between the way he sounded on his 75 year old German made violin and the cheap on I owned. Moral of the story: "It ain't the guitar man. It's the guitar-man ;~) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 milod... you never fail to bring wisdom to a post. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 K.B. I try... But you're gonna make an old man blush.<grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott0 Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 What's the difference, just hand me a guitar and let's jam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joevacc Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 What's the difference, just hand me a guitar and let's jam! +1 ;~) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 My Sheraton is one of the best guitars I have ever played. That said, I had to replace the bridge and nut to take to the instrument it is now. That might be true of quite a few new Gibson's these days. The only remarkable thing in the Epiphone Vs Gibson debate is the fact that my Epi sold for $800.00 when it was new and will only ever be worth that or more likely less in the future. A Gibson will largely hold it's value - or for a fine instrument, appreciate. Every instrument (as I am sure most of you know) must be evaluated of it's own merits of course. A great example: I took up violin a few years ago for the fun of it. (infuriating little instrument!) My teacher and I were trying $199.00 instruments for me. We had five "identical" violins in front of us. First one, WTF, wouldn't pay $1.99 for it! Second one, Meh… Toy. Third, WOW that's pretty good… The rest were unremarkable. With a little tweaking here and there and a real bow - that violin sounded great. When my teacher played it there was very little difference between the way he sounded on his 75 year old German made violin and the cheap on I owned. Moral of the story: "It ain't the guitar man. It's the guitar-man ;~) Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 My 1965 John Lennon Casino plays better than any Gibson that I have played,except for the possible exception of a 1961 SG bodied,3 pickup Les Paul Custom with gold hardware.It had been refurbished in the Gibson repair facility in the mid 70s and the action was about 1/16" all the way down the arrow straight neck.A couple of years ago I played a 1959 Epi Les Paul reissue tribute that was the absolute best Les Paul that I have ever played-bar none-of course I've never played an actual '59 Les Paul or one of the famous "fretless wonders" so I can't say all of these guitars played better than all Gibsons-just the ones that I've played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not-Too-Late Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 A lot to do with proper setting and electronics... The problem with cheap guitars like Epis is they rarely get the adjustment they deserve and people based their opinion on trying the poorly setup ones in store... All my Epis have a professional setup and it makes a huge difference; I find them as good as my Gibson Les Paul when it comes to neck and feel. I also upgraded the electronics in all of them There is probably a lot of truth in what you are saying regarding many who buy Epis and don't get them set up. The only reason I can surmise is that many who do buy Epi's are inexperienced, or even beginner players as opposed to those who buy a Gibson. Like I said, many -- not all. I'm a relatively experienced player, but don't have the heavy wallet to purchase a Gibson, but after having my Epi Les Paul professionally set up, I honestly can't tell the difference in feel between it and its Gibson counter part. I'm sure that if I change out the electronics to match a Gibson, they will be pretty close in sound with the only difference (perhaps) due to the woods used in manufacturing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Zeplin Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I have played some Epiphones that played "better" than some Gibsons. My current Gibsons all play better than my Epis. I had three Epi LPs, one of which was very good. It played better than a Gibson LPDC that I ended up trading for a black Casino. The best playing guitar I own is my 1985 MIJ Fender Strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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