Gibson v epiphone

[seanalmet]

I'm sure this post will elilicit many hostile responses, but I recently rescued a Gibson Explorer from GC.

I rescued it from drop D tuning, greasey fingered "musicians". I knew it would sound good dirty, but the clean tone just absolutley blows my Epi LP standard away. I don't know if it is the quality of mahogany, or the components, but there is just a vibrance about the tone the Epi can"t touch. The Epi is a good guitar, the Gibson, a GREAT guitar.

I would post pics if I could figure it out.

[midiman56]

Congrats on the new guitar. I think I can speak for all the good fellows on this forum when I say: if you're happy, we're happy for you. Now don't forget to post some pics!

[seanalmet]

I hope no one thinks I was trashing Epis in any way. The fit and finish of my LP standard are first rate, the Epi just doesn't have that "something" that the Gibby has, I wish I knew what the difference was. I would upgrade my Epi w/ whatever it took

[TWANG]

My firelplace tests show that gibson burns longer, epiphone burns brighter.

Of course, that's just MY fireplace.

 

TWANG

congrats on your new guitar!

[seanalmet]

All hail the mighty fireplace. LOL

[charlie brown]

Explorer VS. Les Paul? Hmmm...A better test, would be Epi Explorer vs. Gibson Explorer.

LP's are much denser (regardless of quality of wood, construction, etc.). No one disputes

Gibson's quality...at least not seriously. They are, and have always been, Great guitars!

A lemon, here and there...but, that's a part of the guitar business, for Any manufacturer.

Given your comparison, I would expect the Explorer to Be "livelier!" It would be

interesting, to see if adding the same electonics and pickups, to your Epi, would get them that much closer,

or....if the "real" difference is the design, materials, and thickness. Explorer's, have always been more like

SG's in tone and "livelinees" to me. Not like LP's, but brighter and more "mid-range," like the SG...as opposed

to the darker tones, of a Les Paul.

 

???

 

CB

[lespauljames]

i have played epi and gibbo explorers alongside, and you may find that some epis arent as well tuned as the gibson counterparts, but i have found 3 epi explorers that i have been able to say, **** me, out of the sheer quality of the guitars, of course some aftermarket pickups are gonna go straight in em. but explorers i agree have a tone that screams pure sex. thats why i traded in my les paul..(waits for eggs to be thrown)

[TheX]

Wow, this is a new subject.

 

Next time do a search and just reply to one of the other 10 thousand or so threads with the same title.

[ef_in_fla]

His title is a bit misleading. It's not the generic question that most people ask, more of a HNGD proclamation. S'cool.

[OhioSlashFan]

My firelplace tests show that gibson burns longer' date=' epiphone burns brighter.

Of course, that's just MY fireplace.

 

TWANG

congrats on your new guitar!

[/quote'] Good thing i dont have a fireplace if i ever get that irritated with my Epi., lol

[leicester35]

Glad you like your new guitar.

 

To be fair, however, it sounds like you are comparing a stock Gibson with a stock Epi. So, in other words, if we stick to Explorers, you are comparing a $1200 guitar with a $500 guitar. I don't believe for one second that you would have to spend $700 on hardware, in order to achieve a parity between the guitars, in terms of hardware..(and hence, probably tone as well.)

 

This is actually one of the key reasons why I like Epis. I'm prepared to fiddle around with my G-400 to see how the tone can be altered. If I owned a Gibson SG Standard, well... I think even adjusting the action and intonation on my own, would make me slightly cautious. That said, I would still love a Gibby SG...but at nearly $1600 it would stay "stock" for as long as I owned it!

[seanalmet]

I have upgraded the pups in my LP to Golden Age Vintage Humbuckers, I have about $600 wrapped up in it(pups, HSC). I managed to get the Explorer for $900 out the door.

 

Maybe vibrance is the wrong word to describe the tone, harmonic complexity would be my next choice.

I know that an LP to an explorer is not a fair comparison, and they both have distinct tones. I would really like to know what it is that gives it that tone. It is a far more versatile guitar than I expected, with a number of different voices.

 

What does HNGD mean?

[lespauljames]

I would still love a Gibby SG...but at nearly $1600 it would stay "stock" for as long as I owned it!

 

why keep a machine stock if you can make it amega machine!

i picked up my pc for 2700 gbp and i still ahve the guts to hot wire it:D

[lostindesert]

HNGD = happy new guitar day.

[lpdeluxe]

I've weighed in on this issue before. In sum, Gibsons are excellent guitars, Epiphone guitars made to the Gibson designs are excellent for their price. The Ted McCarty-era designs are the best so far, in my opinion, after having owned Fender, Gretsch, Rickenbacker and lord knows what else.

 

At the moment, I own both brands: a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and an Epiphone Sheraton II, both with Seymour Duncan pickups. The Gibson has better wood, a better finish, and a better sound than the the Epiphone.

 

But I have been able to modify the Epi to better suit my tastes without spending very much money. I'd be reluctant to modify the LP (beyond changing pickups) because it's so easy, with the idiotic collector's mentality, to spoil resale value.

 

But this week, I'm putting the Epi on the block, because I found a reasonably priced ES-335 in natural blond, and the difference is just too great between the two. Had I not found a "steal" however, I would be keeping the Epiphone.

 

I'm sorry to see the Epi go because I have had a lot of entertainment in modifying it (i e, working all the little parts through the treble f-hole), but in the last analysis, it still ain't no Gibson.

 

What it is, is a very well made and useful guitar that will move into the home of a new fan and will enhance its new owner's musical life for a pretty reasonable price of entry. And that's no small thing.

[fenrirlupus]

gibson is good. well? what do you expect me to say?

 

gibson is made in the us. that in itself doesn't automatically make a better guitar, but you can bet the people at the gibson factory are paid more (and more likely to get fired if they screw up)

and some who are there have been there a long time... perhaps longer than some of the factories that make epiphone guitars have been making epiphones (or longer than they existed)

 

epiphone also takes more pride in their own models.

[alcorn429]

Didn't offend me. been thinkin of buy a gibby SG or LP to go with my standard. Once I have the money that is. Congrats on the new guitar and put them pics up sometime soon.