High end Ephiphone vs low end Gibson

[iceandhotwax]

4 years ago, I walked into the local guitar store to buy a Gibson Les Paul standard in any color other than heritage cherry sunburst. After trying numerous guitars i bought an Epiphone Les Paul standard (plain top), in ...heritage cherry sunburst... it sounded and felt BETTER. PERIOD! I have done NO mods to the guitar other than a setup. This was not a money issue, I had saved for the Gibson. Since then I have bought a G400 and a Dot Studio each are very good (although setup was crappy on all 3), I have no regrets.

[loneguitar]

The key is of course each ones ears and hands, but either way you will have to upgrade the Epi, the electronics are crap, the wiring is sub standard and the pups leave so much to be desired.

The Gibson will always come out on top, because it's a better made guitar, better components and better wood.

This along with the fact that they are made in the USA. No matter how much money you put into an Epi it'll still be just that a lesser guitar. You can fool yourself and try to believe that it's as good as a Gibson, but it's not. I own both and my Epi is sweet but it's no Gibson, never will be.

Just try selling your Epi after all your mods and you'll be lucky to get what you paid for it, but never get back the money you've invested. Stark reality for Epi owners.

Gibson is just a better guitar all around.

[CajunBlues]

When playing live, I get a lot of compliments on my playing and my guitar's look and sound... A lot of these compliments are directed towards my Epi Elitist Dot.... Never once has anyone in the audience or in my band questioned why I am playing an Epiphone...

 

I own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and an ES 137... I get compliments on them also... But I get just as much sugar for my elitist dot... And it's important to me to make an impression when playing live... So, for me the Epi Elitist Dot is equivalent to my two other Gibsons... It's neither better or worse...

[Thundergod]

I think it depends on which one you like better.

 

The key word here is consistency.

 

People tend to generalize (is that the correct expression?) and say gibson is better by default... but in reality, epiphones are more consistent. Most epis will be a 5 or 6 while some gibsons are a 10 and most are bellow 7. So it's up to you to go and find the guitar that best suits you. You'll find lots of decent epis. You'll find lots of mediocre gibsons. If money is not an issue you might find the perfect gibson.

 

I don't think it's fair to pay a high price for something that is not proportionally better. A $300 epi (say, the G400 vintage) is a great guitar at the price. A $1250 gibson is not such a great guitar unless you get lucky like some of the guys here did.

 

Is the gibson 418% better than the epi? Probably not. I'd say if you get lucky you'll get a guitar that is 100% better, you just pay 418% for it.

 

There, I said it.

 

(dons flame proof suit and waits...)

[milod]

The problem that's been mentioned for guitars is a bit complex, and that brought this question.

 

I think it's easier to get a darned good guitar - and Epis I've seen have been darned good guitars - than it ever has been.

 

But that extra 15-20 percent of quality is something else. And that's where the price tag starts its geometric progression.

 

Frankly if somebody gave me a $2,000 guitar-only gift certificate, there's no question I'd end up with Epis. Probably a dot, the new Gretch-like machine and a 175.

 

Oh, as for heirs...

 

I keep saying I may end up with some offspring when I grow up. Been sayin' that for 50-plus years. <grin> I figure now it ain't likely.

 

m

[deepblue]

You cant polish up a turd, in the end its still a turd.

[dsidlowe]

Play the guitars that are absolutely the best you can stretch to afford. An instrument may be with you a long time. A used instrument in very good condition may actually be better than a new one of the same model. I have a 1964 SG Standard with vibrato that I bought new when I was 14. (I guess I gave away how ancient I am.) I still have the SG and it continues to be my favorite instrument out of the four others I have. I did have it run through a Plek machine a couple of years ago to cut a new nut and dress the frets. It plays better than new. One of the others is a 2001 LP that sounds wonderful but is so heavy I do not like to play it as much. I am just trying to tell that what you buy may be a very long-term decision. I would stay away from the Epiphones made in China. The models I have seen look nice from a distance, but closer up they appear to be made by someone who has less experience and lacks sufficient respect for the quality of workmanship. USA Gibsons are built by employees who generally have been with the company for a long time and they love what they do. It shows in the workmanship. If you ever get to Nashville, take a tour of the Gibson electric factory--you will be impressed. Also remember that there is a scarcity of good wood. Gibson USA uses better wood than the Chinese Epiphones. Even though USA guitars use better wood, the best wood is saved for their best guitars. Unfortuneately, even good wood may be subject to structural warping and cracking issues. Taking good care of your instrument helps keep those problems to a minimum. That is one advantage of buying a used guitar because you can see how the instrument is ageing by looking at the wood and checking the neck for trueness and lack of string "buzz". I have been playing guitars for over 50 years but I rarely buy one because the ones I have are so good. Most of them are now worth so many multiples of what I originally invested that I have to keep significant insurance coverage in effect for them as well as a 9mm Glock. So, my overall advice is buy Gibson USA new or used and buy the best model you can possibly afford, even if you need to wait to accumulate some more cash. Don't let impatience cause you to decide upon less of an instrument than you deserve. Good guitarists play good instruments. If you are aspiring to be a good guitarist, it is easier to so so with better equipment. Good luck!

[NeoConMan]

Great post!

 

I agree 100%.

 

The only place I gotcha beat is caliber - my primary carry is a 10mm Glock!

 

[CajunBlues]

Here is my polished up turd:

 

[BillyGibson]

Having owned and traded a few Epi's, I finally took the plunge and bought a Gibson Std. Trad.

Epi's are great guitars for the money. I still love my Korean '56 GT.

 

For people with the skills to mod them, they're great for those who want to experiment with p/u's,

tuners, bridges, etc... If you like how they sound stock, then they're great too, because they didn't

cost a lot.

 

The Gibson on the other hand, as I've now experienced, is a joy to play. I smile everytime I open

the case. It doesn't need mods. As one of my friends said as we were thumbing through a recent

guitar magazine with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the cover - "What name do you see on the headstock?"

Not that it's all about a name. But, Gibson's seem to be on more headstocks by professionals than Epi's.

I'm not sure Gary and ricky would look as cool holdBuying an Epi. I could be wrong though.

[sequence]

The only good Epis are Japanese, I dont think there's many of those anymore. Case in point with another brand: I bought an Ibanez Artcore semi hollow 335 clone a couple years ago, made in China, and despite superior fit and finish, the damn thing would NOT stay in tune or retain innotation, and emitted a foul greenish-wood odor from the F-holes. Hell I could do bends just by pressing on the body at the tailpiece! My luthier says that Chinese and Korean guitars are huge risks because the woods have not aged long enough, and that the only good Ibanezs and Epis are Japanese ones. So I took the 335 clone back to GC and vowed never again to buy any guitar not made in the USA or Japan. Pretty EZ to do, you'll just pay more.

 

But like with luggage, with guitars you DEF get what you pay for.

[kylehnewman]

If you don't care about looks, and you're more focused on sound and playability, then a Gibson Les Paul Studio is way better.

[dsidlowe]

Well ics1974, you have received a lot of advice. Most of it has been good. What are you going to do?

[sequence]

I hope he goes for the Studio. they are very fine guitars, and Gibson's QC seems up to snuff lately (I got a AW Studio back in late dec and LOVE it.)

[kylehnewman]

I hope he goes for the Studio. they are very fine guitars' date=' and Gibson's QC seems up to snuff lately (I got a AW Studio back in late dec and LOVE it.)[/quote']

Me too. I think a Studio would suit him well.

[Geert1976]

I own several Gibsons and i had a lot of Epi's.

 

The Gibsons are better, the only Epiphone that comes near the Gibson Les Paul is the Japanese Epiphone Genesis, made by Matsumoku from 1977 until 1981.

Matsumoku produced several Epi's, like the Sheraton, Scroll series (SC 350, SC 450 and the SC 550), ET series, etc..

 

The Matsumoku company made some fine Gibson copý's, that gave Gibson headaches.

 

The Korean Epiphones are good guitars for the money, but they don't come near a Gibson.

The Chinese Epiphone's are junk.

 

If you want a good Gibson copy, for Epiphone money, search for an old 70/80's Gibson copy by Matsumoku.

 

I have two Matsumoku guitars myself and i will never sell them:

 

 

 

 

[sequence]

Your Japanese axes remind me of a time about 40 years ago when CF Martin went to Japan to produce cheaper copies of their acoustics under the "Sigma" label. I bought a Japanese Sigma in 1975, and save for a new bridge, nut, and tuners replaced in the last two years (all Martin parts) the guitar is holding up beautifully. Now, I know Sigs are made in China, and I wouldn't touch one. But back in the 1970s Japanese luthiers, under Takamine, Yamaha, and Ibanez and other brands, were dead-set on proving they could make a product that rivalled or exceeded american guitars in build and sound quality (and why Gibson attempted to sue Ibanez over their copies of some Gibby greats like the EDS1275 and ES175). that's why any Japanese guitar from the 60s and 70s, if well taken care of, is a great buy.

[milod]

You'd need more than a .40 to get my 1970s "patent infringement" Ibanez out of my hands.

 

m

[sequence]

You'd need more than a .40 to get my 1970s "patent infringement" Ibanez out of my hands.m

 

Nice. Is that an ES 175 "Ibby"?

[milod]

Yupper...

 

I hated her when she was new. Had heavy flatwounds and such on her 'cuz everybody said that's what you should use.

 

Six years ago I put on 9-42. She does everything from Bach to blues.

 

m

[ics1974]

Well after allot of thought and advice from you all (Thanks by the way) I think I will go for the Gibson. But now I can't decide between a Explorer or a LP Studio.

[brundaddy]

Either way, buy used. Just play tons of LPs & Explorers and let your hands tell you which one feels better (they'll both sound great), happy hunting.

[Murph]

Yupper...

 

I hated her when she was new. Had heavy flatwounds and such on her 'cuz everybody said that's what you should use.

 

Six years ago I put on 9-42. She does everything from Bach to blues.

 

m

 

And the rest' date=' is history........

 

Good on ya, milod.....

 

 

Murph.

[kylehnewman]

Either way' date=' buy used. Just play tons of LPs & Explorers and let your hands tell you which one feels better (they'll both sound great), happy hunting.[/quote']

I wouldn't buy used. Not for a studio. Get the Les Paul, not the explorer.

[doublecutjr]

Depending on what style of music you play, both are great guitars, no question about that. The studio is a nice guitar but pound for pound, the explorer is a better guitar in terms of crunch with the 500T and 498 pups. Best for metal/hard rock. The studio is an all-around guitar suited for a variety of styles. IMHO, I say go for the explorer, they have tons of sustain with the ebony fret board. The studio is a lesser version of a standard but still a very nice guitar by all standards for what it's worth.

 

1975 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top

1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Cherry Sunburst

1965 Gibson Les Paul JR/SG Polaris White (refinished)

2005 Gibson Les Paul Junior Vintage Sunburst

2007 Gibson Explorer Pro Heritage Cherry

2007 Gibson Les Paul Junior Double Cut Nashville Satin White (GOTW, 400 made)

2007 Gibson Melody Maker Joan Jett Series White

2008Gibson SG Classic Heritage Cherry

2009 Gibson Nighthawk Trans Amber Limited Run (350)

1978 Fender Stratocaster Yellow

 

1974 Marshall MK II 50 watt head

1974 Marshall 4x12 1960 Bass Lead, 25w Celestian Greenback 16 ohm

1976 Marshall 4x12 1960 Base Lead, 25w Celestian Brownback 16 ohm Ipswitch

1978 Fender Pro Reverb 2x12 Silver Face

2006 Crown DA-75 Power Amp

2004 Genz Benz 2x12 G-Flex Ported Cabinet

1985 ENGL Model 620 Tube Pre Amp

2007 TC Electronics D-TWO

2006 Lexicon MX200

2001 Roland XP-30 Synthesizer