Why Epiphone....

[ButchCassidy]

Oh, i guess the first time I saw a sheraton played live was kings of leon. thought it was pretty cool so started checking into semi hollows.

[TWANG]

I was looking for an acoustic. And nothing I saw seemed worth it.

I saw a sheraton at a local store for a thousand bucks.

then I saw a sale. 428.00 with case.

Never regretted it for a second.

 

Always liked 335s, but never owned one.

 

TWANG

[mrjones200x]

Wanted a LP shaped guitar as loved the look. Looked on the net and obviously gibson had highest reviews and prices and also there were some good reviews on other exspensive versions but i alway read good reviews about epiphone and they were within my price range as a beginner.

 

Went from a yamaha pacifica 112 to an epi LP std Plus top and the thickness of the tone and feel of the guitar made me fall n love with playing even more! Now ive upgradded the pickups its even more nice to play and look at!

 

Maybe one day i'll own a gibson when i pay of my credit cards and loans but till then this will be perfect and i need the other money for pedals and V3 mods!

 

Also i got my V3 because of reviews on here. Thought my Vox AD-30-VT was the one before but loving the raw sound of the V3

 

I always liked thid review of the epi lp vs the Gib lp http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SjDJLKRC8yU

[charlie brown]

A Sheraton, Riviera, or Dot will do anything a "335" will do (especially with pickup-electronics upgrades), EXCEPT....

say "Gibson" on the headstock, and sell for rediculous amounts of money. Would "I" buy a 335, knowing this? NO...

I'd buy an ES-345! LOL!

 

Already have a Sheraton, and Riviera... ;>)

 

CB

[MelodyMaker1]

One word, "Feel". In the 70's, when I started playing, my first guitar was some model from Montgomery Ward. Then I graduated to a Yamaha something or another. Yahoo, a named brand. But, unlike most of my peers rock and roll, and rhythm and blues wasn't what drove me. This may sound strange, but even as a youngster I always like those old recordings of Les Paul. To me that was guitar music. I know, sounds strange coming from an old Black guy, but there it is. And since i couldn't afford a genuine Gibson Les Paul, I opted for the only officially licensed version. And besides, they just feel right.

[bluelake07]

Decided to get back into playing guitar after not having one for many years. Two things were important to me: that is sound good acoustically (I live in an apartment and don't always get to plug in) and be lightweight (oh my achin' back). After doing some research, the Casino seemed like the one for me. That John Lennon chose it as his main guitar was a factor. Being a lefty, there were none locally to check out so I crossed my fingers and bought a new one from a New York music store via Ebay. I'm so very glad I took the chance as it is a wonderful guitar.

[RichardLionhart]

My Epi LP Standard is my first and only guitar. I wanted to learn how to play. A lot of the musicians I like play a Les Paul, so I knew it was the sound I wanted. I could have gone with a Gibson, had I chosen to do so, but I didn't know for sure if I would really enjoy playing. That seemed like too great a risk initially, so I did research to see what would be next best thing. Epis seemed to come out on top with reviews and most people seem to feel you get a lot of guitar for the price you pay.

 

So... to make a short story long... I still love my Epiphone and have been taking private lessons for about a month. Err, well, four total lessons so far. It's a tremendous guitar for a beginner and I would highly recommend it to anyone just starting out.

[jman99]

The question is not "why Epiphone" but perhaps "why Gibson"?

 

When it comes to my EJ200, there is a difference but not a $2500 difference.

[ant7629]

This is a cool discussion topic.....

 

I guess I am with you CB.... I saw Lennon playing a wonderful semi acoustic, that I thought was a Gibson at first, on the Revolution promo and again on the Let it Be sessions. I had to find out what this guitar was and I had to get one. When I eventually found out what it was (this was a while ago and I was quite young, so the internet wasn't an option) I got one.

 

Then I remember Oasis exploding onto the scene in the early 90s and seeing Noel Gallagher's Rivieras and Sheratons (though I never really like his Union Jack model). So I ended up buying a blonde sherry, which I wish I had never sold!

 

From then, I just loved Epiphones, especially as they allowed me to get my dream guitar, LP, for a fraction of the cost!

[ant7629]

Just found the only pic of my old Sheraton. I had to sell it to raise money for a deposit on my house...

 

[Mugatu]

I'm with Twiggy and Beans... when I started playing a bit more than a decade ago, Oasis were the big thing.

My wife bought me a cheap starter guitar (I think it was an encore "strat" style) and to be honest, it sounded awful. Not long after, I bought my S+P acoustic, and then I fancied buying something electric that sounded better that the encore... so I bought the Epiphone Supernova (The Noel Gallagher special, in sky blue).

I immediately liked the playability of the neck, and it sounded pretty good. It helped that it looked pretty good too.

 

A decade down the line and I'm now playing blues... I wanted something cool sounding and cool looking, and the Sheraton fitted the bill...

My tastes have changed a bit, so I probably wouldn't want a painted guitar again. I just love that natural wood finish nowadays, and the looks of the Sheraton are timeless.

 

To be honest, I've got the money to buy a Gibson if I saved up a bit, but like Charlie said, it's not 8 times the guitar, so I'm not paying 8 times the money.

[bloozeguy]

My first Epi is an acoustic, the Masterbilt 12-fretter w/cedar top. I got it cuz of the very distinct sound, playability (esp. finger-picking) and great price. Now that they're discontinued, I think I have a classic that'll have serious collector value in deacades to come. My second is an acoustic/electric--PR6. I felt I needed an A/E, had been gassing for maple for a while, it has a v-neck, which I like, and I got a good deal for it. I have, however, been disappointed. The electronics are nice, but I don't like playing it acoustically. The neck is too narrow for my taste, even if the V is my fave configuration. I think on mine, it's even narrower than the specs--supposed to be 1.68, right? Feels smalled to me. Strings always feel a bit "stiff." And it doesn't have as much resonance as I'd like--yeah, I know, maple. Even so...

 

But this is the electric forum and you want to know why I'd go with one of them. Just wanted to give some background.

 

Gassing for a P90 equipped machine. Like the looks, like the sound. In a local shop, there's still a brand-new 56 Goldtop (I'm not telling you where, just in case someone drops $400-500. on me suddenly). Visions of old pix with Muddy, or Sumlin, even JL Hooker playing the Gib 56 (or earlier). And see above--re: collector value with discontinuation, though for a discontinued Gib copy-Epi probably less of this than an Epi original.

 

If ever I get the chance, will try a Wildcat. Like the idea of a distinct Epi design rather than a Gibbie copy. Lotsa good press on these through these pages here, y'know.

 

Just some thoughts

[Notes_Norton]

My first acoustic guitar was an Epiphone flat top, but it was a pawn shop puppy so that doesn't really count. I just wanted a guitar, I recognized the name, it sounded OK, and it was inexpensive due to a small ding on it.

 

My first electric was a Gibson ES-330. I bought it thinking it was a 335. Hey, what did I know??? I was a sax player who would pick up one of the guitars owned by another band member and play rhythm when there were no sax parts in the song. Later when I learned the difference, I decided it was a happy mistake for me. I like the P90 sound and light weight of the 330 and it suits me much better than the 335 would.

 

I doubled on Bass, Guitar and one-handed keyboards in various bands over the years. A good way to keep employed as a musician is to learn to double on a lot of instruments and to play many different styles of music.

 

Before I bought my first guitar I played bass full-time for a couple of years and had a MIJ-Faux-Fender-J-Bass. Playing bass for a living helped me become familiar with the fretboard and the physical relationship between roots, 3rds, 5ths and other scale notes (at least on the bass where all the strings are tuned in 4ths - or 5ths depending on which way you look at it). Plus it was fun!!!

 

About a year and a half ago, I decided to get serious about guitar, and instead of playing "with" the guitar, I decided to actually learn how to play the guitar, and bring it on stage. By then the ES I paid $300 for was worth about $5,000 on eBay, and since I still play sax, wind synth, flute, voice, drum controller and sometimes keyboard synth on stage, I didn't want to bring the ES on stage for fear it would get dinged.

 

So I bought a Kramer-Focus-Faux-Strat because I like the way Strats look and I wanted to explore that area. I decided that (1) I didn't like the longer scale (2) I like the longer neck radius of the Gibson guitar, so I decided to trade the Kramer in. I guess I could have gotten used to the Faux-Strat, but the 330 was just so much more comfortable in my hands I ended up practicing more on the Gibby than the Kramer.

 

The fact is that although I prefer the ES-330 and Gibson wasn't making them (they have re-issued them recently) I decided to get the closest thing, and that was a Casino. I went to my local Ma and Pa store and they couldn't help me. In the interim I tried a Hagstrom Viking there (nice neck, rather heavy, and those Humbuckers didn't do for my ears what the P90s did). I tried an Ibanez Artcore and it was OK, but I didn't like the feel of the neck as well and the weight of the guitar. I messed around with a few other guitars, but they just didn't do for me what the 330 did.

 

So I went to GC in West Palm Beach, Florida and found a used Casino. I was (and still am) impressed. The previous owner replaced the tuners, pots, switch and pickups, I replaced the pickguard and knobs and it is very close to my beloved 330. Unplugged it doesn't sound quite as good, plugged in it sounds a little brighter and louder (I think the pups are S.Duncans).

 

They have since re-issued the 330 for about 3.5 times the price of the Casino. Would I rather have one ES-330 or 3 Casinos with a few hundred bucks left over for new pickups? Silly question, I'd take the Casinos.

 

While I respect a lot of bands, I don't idolize any of them. In fact, I've warmed up for and jammed with a number of them myself (Association, Eric Burdon, Kingsmen, Little Anthony, Cyndi Lauper, Rick Derringer, Shirelles, Freddy Cannon, Blood Sweat and Tears, Bob Seger, Marvin Gaye Temptations, Supremes, other classic Motown acts and so on, and most of them when they were in their prime). They are just regular musicians who lucky enough to get good breaks and were good enough to make the most of the opportunities presented to them. They treated me as an equal, and I treated them the same way.

 

I would have liked to play or jam with the Beatles, Derek and the Dominoes, Moody Blues, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and quite a few other artists/groups, but I never got the chance. Our lawyers blew the deal with Motown, and we went from almost stardom to obscurity in the blink of an eye. I don't want to sound like I'm pissed at the lawyers, I was 19 at the time and they did their best, better than I could have, they simply overestimated how much Motown would pay their acts.

 

I don't idolize guitar manufacturers either. If a Danelectro or Eko did what I wanted it to do, I'd play that. The way I figure it is (1) the audience doesn't care (2) if another musician judges me by the name on the headstock instead of the music I play, his/her opinion isn't worth anything to me anyway.

 

So I proudly bring the Epiphone Casino on stage, and I like the way it sounds, the way it feels on my shoulder, and the way it feels in my hands. I'm playing lead and/or rhythm on about 50 songs now, and my guitar playing friends are amazed at how quickly I got decent at it (they forget it's my seventh instrument and I played bass for a few years so I didn't start from scratch).

 

I haven't posted them in a while so here we go:

 

And they sound as pretty as they look.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[snookelputz]

Peter Green

[icicle777]

i've always been a big fan of page, young, slash, in general the les paul look and sound, the curves, the fat spanking tone of good buckers, etc etc., but not having the ca$$$h to afford one i pretty much just stuck to my beginner cr*ppy jackson for a couple of years UNTIL:

 

i saw a used black epiphone les paul standard with bigsby and p-90's in my favorite local guitar shop one day some years ago, picked it up and it melted into my soul. it sounded huge, played fantastic, and looked wicked. to this day (with a little extra modding), it plays better than most legit gibson's i've ever played with, and i'm an engineer, so i get my hands on A LOT of guitars and gear. the right epiphone guitar from the right factory (unsung and peerless have never steered me wrong yet!) can be a little package of magic.

 

i've ditched all of my guitars over the years (including a gibson sg custom, fender baja tele, 72 reissue tele custom, etc) in favor of my favorite solid body, the above mentioned epi l.p., and my favorite semi hollow, epi limited edition es-135 blue burst. i can't even play a flat-top properly anymore because it feels so awkward! :)

the two have been the foundation for anything i've ever recorded, gigs i've ever played, and have even loaned them out to close friends for sessions because they're just such bad *** guitars.

 

thanks epiphone!!

[Notes_Norton]

<...> the right epiphone guitar from the right factory (unsung and peerless have never steered me wrong yet!) can be a little package of magic. <...>

 

I have a MIK-Peerless Casino, and it's a honey of a guitar.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[bluesman345]

In the 1970's, I owned (at various times) a Gibson ES-125, Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and a Gibson ES-335TD.

 

My first Epi was an Emperor II Joe Pass (the end of the last millenium), which I bought in trade for my 1974 Gurian JM acoustic. I then bought an Epi Firebird (2 pup, bolt neck). I also bought an Epi SG Special for my son's first guitar. After that, I got my Epi '56 Goldtop and Epi Zephyr Blues Deluxe, both of which I presently own and cherish, and plan to keep forever...

[charlie brown]

In the 1970's' date=' I owned (at various times) a Gibson ES-125, Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe and a Gibson ES-335TD.

 

My first Epi was an Emperor II Joe Pass (the end of the last millenium), which I bought in trade for my 1974 Gurian JM acoustic. I then bought an Epi Firebird (2 pup, bolt neck). I also bought an Epi SG Special for my son's first guitar. After that, I got my Epi '56 Goldtop and Epi Zephyr Blues Deluxe, both of which I presently own and cherish, and plan to keep forever... [/quote']

 

And, it makes me nervous, to look at your avatar! I keep waiting for them to fall off of that amp!

LOL!

 

;>)

 

CB

[tulsaslim]

During my 'professional' career (1966-1984) I played only Gibsons. I thouroughly wore out 3 Gibby LPs and had another one stolen.

 

After I quit playing professionally I quit playing altogether for almost 10 years (total burnout) but eventually came back only to discover that Gibsons were now 2 grand or more (which was way too much for a 'hobbyist'). However, I also discovered that Epiphone made darn good 'copies' of Gibson guitars at very reasonable prices so it all started when I bought my first dot. It got completely out of hand when I bought my first elitist. 9 elitists and 8 'regular' Epis later I've told myself I'm not going to buy any more guitars for awhile. (Only because I don't have time to play them all).

[LesBonfire]

duane v....i think i saw one of those epi crestwoods at a longe n mcquade up here in mississauga ontario...can't remember the price tho...it struck me as an odd guitar and i'd never seen one before