Gibson Or Epiphone????

[Nelson]

Hello everyone! I'm new here but I have been playing guitar for a while but mostly acoustic guitar. I'm thinking about getting an electric guitar. I'm in Germany right now but next week I'll be back home in the U.S.A. and when I get there I'll be seriously shopping for a guitar. I've looked online and in catalogs and I've narrowed it down to either a Les Paul or a Dot.

 

My question is, how much difference is there between a Gibson and an Epiphone? I mean, how much difference can there really be even though the difference in price is so great? My friend knows more about guitars than I do and he says it's all about how good the strings you use are. So, what are the best strings to use? If I put really good strings on an Epiphone will that make it as good as a Gibson? If the strings make the Epiphone that good wouldn't putting really good strings on a Gibson make it really, really good? If I use cheap strings on a Gibson will that make the guitar not as good as an Epiphone? OK, what are the best strings to use?. How much can I expect to pay for good strings?

 

My friend also says that older guitars are better. How do you tell how old a guitar is? Are there dates on them somewhere? Do they change the models so that a 1999 guitar is different from a 2008 guitar? Sorry for so many questions but I don't want to waste any money buying something I don't need. Thanks for all your help in advance.

 

 

Nelson

[bluesstringer]

Welcome bro, glad to have you. This is a great place with a ton of great people with expertise and years of experience and knowledge willing to help.

 

The best thing you could do is search for these topics in the search area on this site. This topic has been disussed many, many times and you will see all the previous discussions regarding what you are looking for. Good luck and let us know what you decide and as rules state - post pics !

[Schtang]

I don't think many people will answer your question because we get it all the time (please do a search on this site first), anyway my opinion ,just buy the Gibson already. The thing about strings your friend said (sounds like BS) good strings will help a guitar but they are not going to "make" the guitar, good strings on a bad guitar will not help it. The Epis that I really like are the Sheraton II & Casino (IMHO those are the only two Epi guitars that give Gibson a run for their money). Final - I do like older guitar (but that is a subjective statement, I do have many that were bought new) - I tend to think a guitar needs to age at least 5-7 years, then the wood really mellows nicely along with the pickups.

[poverty]

My friend, I'm surprised you haven't been drawn and quatered by now.

This is an Epiphone site.

Why would you ask what you should get between a Gibson or Epiphone?

"how much difference is there between a Gibson and an Epiphone? I mean, how much difference can there really be even though the difference in price is so great"

Look through the the topics and see if your questions have already been answered.

I don't mean to sound like a prick, ( but i'm gunna), do you know how many : hey guys i'm new here and i was wondering blah, blah blah. Oh by the way i haven't bothered to look any of this info up myself, topic there are.

I posted one when i first started and got slammed because i expect others to give me information that can be easily obtained for my self.

Again, sorry, i've got a belly full of guiness.

So, what are the best strings to use? If I put really good strings on an Epiphone will that make it as good as a Gibson? If the strings make the Epiphone that good wouldn't putting really good strings on a Gibson make it really, really good? If I use cheap strings on a Gibson will that make the guitar not as good as an Epiphone? OK, what are the best strings to use?. How much can I expect to pay for good strings?

Strings do not change the quality of a guitar.

Honestly, i've yet to find a topic on ANYTHING that I can't find asnwers for on the internet.

Yes, I know, I'm a total prick right now.

 

Look, Epiphones are in a class of their own. Just like Gibson, Fender, ibanez......etc.

 

Go to a local guitar store, pick one up, and play with it for a while. Make your choice from that.

if that model doesn't work, try another.

 

So I'll just stop my rant beacuse i think I've gone to far anyway.

God i love alcohol and the internet!

God I'm a prick!

[charlie brown]

Gibson...Premium woods, premium electronics, Nitro finishes.

Epiphone, decent (Asian) woods, though not to Gibson quality. Cheaper electronics...with the exception of

the Casino's P-90's, a lot of people here, trade out the stock pickups, pots and switches, for much better

quality and reliable electronics. Actual workmanship on the Asian guitars is great...but they all have "poly"

finishes, which (all too often) are put on, to thick for a lot of us. Nitro finishes age better, and have a warmer

feel, texture and patina, to them. Poly has a tendency to either be "bullet proof," or when it does chip, it's

pretty serious...not as easily fixed, as the nitro. So...if "budget" allows it, go Gibson!! If not, Epi's are excellent

alternatives, in the same "family." Elitist Epi's (made in Japan) being the best. There's talk, though...that the

Elitist line is going to be seriously cut back, or even eliminated??? We hope not, but that's the rumor!

 

Good luck,

CB

[Lerxst1281733995]

Your friend doesn't know what he's talking about.. There's no such thing as the "best" set of strings... there's a vast variety of different types of string, which are selected for reasons of personal preference or application... The best set of strings are the ones that feel and sound the best to YOU... You'll just have to go out and experiment with various brands, gauges and materials before you can determine what the best set of strings are...

 

Personally, I like Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys... Some people hate 'em, some people love 'em... It's up to you.. I also use D'Addario XLs on certain guitars because they sound better on certain guitars... D'Addarios are very popular, but that doesn't make them "the best".

 

Older guitars are not inherently better than newer guitars... I don't know what your friend is talking about if he's referring to a guitar made in 1999 as opposed to a guitar made this year... And if he's talking about vintage guitars, that's a bunch of nonsense... People perceive value in vintage guitars because they are old and there aren't many of them around... Much like comic books from the 50's or 60's... Somewhere along the line, someone drank the Kool Ade and convinced enough people that a 1957 Les Paul has some magical tone to it, that can't be replicated today, because it's old... the fact of the matter is; there were far more variables in guitar construction and electronics than there are today... The product is more consistent and the methods of manufacture are better than they were "back in the day"

 

there is the case of a particular model that has undergone subtle changes in manufacturing over the course of a few years, but that depends on the guitar, the model, the manufacturer, whatever... You can't make a blanket judgement and say that all guitars were better 10 years ago... That's too simple to be true..

 

The sound of a guitar comes from the wood it's made of, and the pickups that are in it... The pickups are really the biggest factor that affects tone.. Epiphones are cheaper because they are made in China (used to be Korea) and they cut corners on materials, construction and labor... Gibsons are so expensive because they are made in the US by union employees and they think the name on the headstock is worth another $1,500 - $2,000.

 

Oh, and they're finished in Nitro Cellulose... Yippee!

[BlueLesPaul2006]

Here is the deal Nelson. The Gibson and Epiphone are both great guitars. If your going to play everyday and gig with it then go for the Gibson. The Gibson in the long run will hold its value unlike the Epiphone. Yeah Gibson uses better quality wood and other parts but Epiphone makes a great guitar. You could buy the Epiphone and save the money. The Epiphone is going to be enough guitar for the average person. My feeling is that with Gibson your paying more for the name when your really not going to use it. I would say go with the Epiphone Les Paul it is a better way to go for your wallet and your going to get great sound from it. If you get the Epi and want to get more of a gibson sound change out the pickups for Gibson pickups and have the best of both Cheap with some Gibson parts.

[The_Sentry]

Hello everyone! I'm new here but I have been playing guitar for a while but mostly acoustic guitar. I'm thinking about getting an electric guitar. I'm in Germany right now but next week I'll be back home in the U.S.A. and when I get there I'll be seriously shopping for a guitar. I've looked online and in catalogs and I've narrowed it down to either a Les Paul or a Dot.

 

My question is' date=' how much difference is there between a Gibson and an Epiphone? I mean, how much difference can there really be even though the difference in price is so great? My friend knows more about guitars than I do and he says it's all about how good the strings you use are. So, what are the best strings to use? If I put really good strings on an Epiphone will that make it as good as a Gibson? If the strings make the Epiphone that good wouldn't putting really good strings on a Gibson make it really, really good? If I use cheap strings on a Gibson will that make the guitar not as good as an Epiphone? OK, what are the best strings to use?. How much can I expect to pay for good strings?

 

My friend also says that older guitars are better. How do you tell how old a guitar is? Are there dates on them somewhere? Do they change the models so that a 1999 guitar is different from a 2008 guitar? Sorry for so many questions but I don't want to waste any money buying something I don't need. Thanks for all your help in advance.

 

 

Nelson[/quote']

 

The best advice I can give?

 

Go test 'em out....

[iansmitchell]

The best choice?

Epiphone elitist.

The craftsmanship is on par(if not better) than gibson, the materials, better, the pice? cheaper.

Buy an elitist dot or les paul custom. You'll be very, very happyy with it.

[TheX]

The best choice?

Epiphone elitist.

The craftsmanship is on par(if not better) than gibson' date=' the materials, better, the pice? cheaper.

Buy an elitist dot or les paul custom. You'll be very, very happyy with it.[/quote']

 

I won't give them better but I do consider my Elitists to be 90% of the gibbys at far less than 90% of the price.

 

I love a nitro finish but the poly on the Elitist is super thin so it's acceptable.

[frenchie1281734003]

Now let me see if i can work this out.NELSON(HORATIO)British naval hero,defender of the old order(British empire)=NELSON(AKA UNCLE AL/ICONOCLAST),defender of the old order(Kalamazoo,pre Norlin era,or U.S.A.in general the way things are going).How are you son,thought you were dead!.Have you kicked your ball into this garden to cause a bit of mischief?.naughty,naughty!!.I do like the dead horse post,you little terror you.

[lpdeluxe]

If you want resale value, get the Gibson. If you want to pay less (and eventually get less when you sell) get an Epiphone.

 

If you find a Gibson that speaks to you, buy it. That's how I acquired my '70 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. I picked it up and it sang out my name.

 

If you love to modify guitars, an Epiphone is better because a modified Gibson loses value.

 

Notice that I haven't said anything about quality: my Gibson and my Epi are comparable, with the qualification that a given model of Gibson will have nicer wood than the equivalent Epiphone. A friend has a lovely bird's eye maple ES-340 in natural from 1969, and it's a beauty, but my plain-maple Sheraton II has a number of modifications that he wouldn't dare do to his Gibson, because it would decrease potential resale.

 

And, of course, strings don't define the sound: most brands are made by a handful of companies. I buy based on string gauge (0.011-0.052, with a wound 3rd) and have yet to find any significant difference between brands (although some don't seem to last very long) over 38 years of playing.

 

Here's a pic of the Epi with my Fender Hot Rod Blues Jr NOS amp:

 

[NeoConMan]

If you can afford it, get the Gibson.

Strings? I prefer the Gibson Vintage, but they're kinda pricey.

Any of the brand names are fine, just change them on a regular basis. At least three months, even with light playing.

(Your friend is full of sh!t.)

 

If money is an issue, get a used Gibson and you'll have an "old" guitar.

 

If you honestly can't hear or feel the difference, or all you can afford is an Epiphone, then you have your answer by default.

[JefferySmith]

I'm trying to get a belated Gibson doublecut as we speak. Yes, I would like to boycott Gibson, but why hurt myself. I'll boycott them after my GAS goes away. I've always wanted that doublecut.

[charlie brown]

The only thing that's boycotting Gibson is my wallet! Their pricing is beyond silly, quality or not. But, I

love all my (many) Gibson guitars, and IF/when I can still get my (final 2) lusted after, additions to my

stable, I WILL! Until then, I'll continue to love them, but RANT about the prices! LOL!! Hey, it's better

than kicking small domestic animals. There are actually 4 current Gibson Vs Epiphone type threads on

here, now...LOL! It's OK...to like/love Gibson, and still like/love "Epi's" too! Nobody will come kill you, for it!

They might come steal your Gibson's though... ;>)

 

CB