BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I was just at my local guitar store and I picked up a Gibson Les Paul Studio. Don't get me wrong it is a nice guitar and worth the money $1300, however, the feel of it is IMO not as good as my Epi LP Standard. This is just my opinion but I would not trade my epi LP for the Gibson LP studio. Another thing is the Gibson studio has that fat 50's style neck i think. I like the 60's style much more. I can get around a slim 60's style better. Anyway I just was wondering if anyone else felt the same about the Gibson LP Studio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I have tried the Epi les pauls and they do play nice..... My Gibby Les Paul Junior does feel nicer than any Epi LP that I've played. But my Gibby LP custom, I just don't like the wide neck and the wide frets (as you stated). I also don't like the mid-rangie tone it has... For me I'll take a Gibson Les Paul over an Epi every time, but does the price difference between the two, justify the difference in quality.... probably not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Nope - but if for nothing else I prefer the beefier 50s style Gibson neck. Also I just am not a big fan of those Epi Alnico humbuckers. I prefer the pickups in the Studio although to be honest I would probably roll the pups in either the Studio and Epi for something else. Would love to put a pair of old Guild HB-1s in but that would require some serious wood work as they are an odd size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev1281734067 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I use to play with a guy who had a studio Les Paul and i did think my epi custom was better built. The finish on the stuido was not as good as the epi. I think with the studio your just paying for the name and not the guitar. With the epi's you get a good guitar for around the same price of the studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 I have tried the Epi les pauls and they do play nice..... My Gibby Les Paul Junior does feel nicer than any Epi LP that I've played. But my Gibby LP custom' date=' I just don't like the wide neck and the wide frets (as you stated). I also don't like the mid-rangie tone it has... For me I'll take a Gibson Les Paul over an Epi every time, but does the price difference between the two, justify the difference in quality.... probably not. [/quote'] I do agree with most things that you have said, however, I was just not impressed with the Studio. Another thing that i did not like was how light the Gibson was. I think that I like my Epi more due to the weight of it. Now I also played the Gibson LP standard 2008 and I love that guitar. It has the weight relief but the sound and feel is much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 Nope - but if for nothing else I prefer the beefier 50s style Gibson neck. Also I just am not a big fan of those Epi Alnico humbuckers. I prefer the pickups in the Studio although to be honest I would probably roll the pups in either the Studio and Epi for something else. Would love to put a pair of old Guild HB-1s in but that would require some serious wood work as they are an odd size. Agreed about the pickups. I plan on changing mine on my EPI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 however' date=' I was just not impressed with the Studio. [/quote'] I couldn't live with the Gibby Jr as is off the shelf so I can understand why you feel the way you do.... It's tone limited with just the one p-90 pup.. But I'm adding a neck Charlie Christian pup and changing the wrap around bridge system to a ABR1 bridge and aluminum stop tailpiece. The upgrades should help it our a bit.....well I hope it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 I couldn't live with Jr as is off the shelf so I can understand why you feel the way you do.... It's tone limited with just the one p-90 pup.. But I'm adding a neck Charlie Christian pup and changing the wrap around bridge system to a ABR1 bridge and aluminum stop tailpiece. The upgrades should help it our a bit.....well I hope it does. tell us when you do. I would like to know if it all helps. IM sure it will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 This is a good thread, very interesting. I have both an Epi Standard and the Gibson LP studio, and both of them now have SD pups. The Gibson remained unaltered but for the pups and the Epi has been upgraded with everything I could think of, and I did set it up very carefully to be just right. Even if you count the upgrades, the Epi still comes cheaper than the Gibson, and IMHO it does sound better, plays better and looks better. The Epi is now so good it can go head to head with my Gibson LP standards, and that's a lot to be said for that cheap guitar. Is all this because we're just paying for the Gibson name? Maybe, but I don't know. I heard that some folks are having trouble with new Gibsons, quality seems to be a little lower or so some say, so maybe Gibson is dropping the ball when it comes to quality control and details, but I don't really know. I only mention this because I have heard about issues with the VOS guitars, and there's no excuse for that, you're paying top dollars for what is supposed to be the finest guitar money can buy. What surprises me is that when I first laid hands on that Epi, I had that all too familiar Gibson feeling when it comes to playability. The guitar had a real good setup, and it played great, I didn't expect that for a guitar under $1,000. Some folks tend to make a huge issue out of the veneer cap, and I understand, but I don't mind playing a guitar made out of firewood if the tone is right. I have installed SD pups before, mainly on Gibsons, and I was always pleased with the results. However, when I installed those on my Epi I could really tell the difference, it was dramatic, like owning a completely different guitar. It was a very memorable experience and well worth the money. I still want a Gibson LP Traditional or a VOS guitar, saving for it, but if you wanna talk about working, every-day guitars I would then think of Epiphone and consider the money for the upgrades when looking at the actual price tag. I think you can end up with a fine instrument, one that can last you a long time, and all for under $1,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 This is a good thread' date=' very interesting. I have both an Epi Standard and the Gibson LP studio, and both of them now have SD pups. The Gibson remained unaltered but for the pups and the Epi has been upgraded with everything I could think of, and I did set it up very carefully to be just right. Even if you count the upgrades, the Epi still comes cheaper than the Gibson, and IMHO it does sound better, plays better and looks better. The Epi is now so good it can go head to head with my Gibson LP standards, and that's a lot to be said for that cheap guitar. [/quote'] What SD pickups do you have in your EPI that makes it sound as good as the Gibson? I am looking for new pickups and have not made my choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I Used the SH-55s, they sound just sweet, classic tone but they're a bit hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I bought a Gibson LP Studio on e-bay once, intending to sell my Epi LP Standard. Ended up selling the Gibson instead. The Gibson was a much better-made guitar but I couldn't get on with the thick 50s neck. It completely spoiled the guitar for me, more so than I thought it would. The other problem with mine was no fret inlays (it was the platinum finish, with plain ebony fretboard). When I was playing solos up above the 12th I struggled to keep track of the frets. So, after a couple of weeks, the Gibson had to go. No regrets. I'd done loads of upgrades on the Epi and its' only weakness was rattles on the bass E and A strings, which didn't bother me when amplified. All the Epi LPs/SGs I've owned have had a degree of rattling that I couldn't eliminate; none of my Gibsons have had the same issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Nope Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 You just have to wonder.. if Guitar player says the epi lp standard is 90% of the gibson lp standard, just with pickup upgrades.. then how come the price isn't reflected in that? part of it is the resale and appreciation value.. a smaller part the brand name, although hey. that's really no small thing. Honest.. I've said I'd choose four epis over a single gibson, and I still feel I'd come out ahead, but that flying V brimstone could drag me over to gibson just on looks. The thing about me is I'd probably change some things no matter which brand it was. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Gibson Studio: better woods, hardware, pickups and electronics. And that magic word on that familiar headstock shape, Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 Gibson Studio: better woods' date=' hardware, pickups and electronics.And that magic word on that familiar headstock shape, Gibson. [/quote'] Agreed however, the studio did not feel as good as my Epi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Agreed however' date=' the studio did not feel as good as my Epi.[/quote'] I understand, my favorite Stratocaster at the moment is my Mexican '60s Classic. In the past i've had several Fender USA Stratocasters, 1979 Anniversary, two 1990s American standards, Voodoo Stratocaster. All nice guitars, had the Anniversary 20 years before it had to leave. But this Mexican feels, looks, and sounds the best. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarxBros Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Ah yes...one more mindless thread filled with delusional posters in search of elevating a cheap import's status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alanhindle Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I had the exact same experience as Bluelespaul a couple of months back. Here is the link but I'll just reproduce what I said for the purposes of this thread: In passing, I had a chance to try a new Gibson Les Paul Studio (Black with gold hardware) today. I've been GASing for a Gibby studio for a while now and thought I'd see how it compared with my EE manufactured Epi LP Standard Plus. Here are my conclusions: -Firstly, the nut was cut VERY poorly. The strings were packed so tight in the slots that at least three were binding- pinging away like crazy. It was impossible to keep in tune. OK it can be fixed but I expected better. -The action was quite low and comfortable but, then again, my Epi LP is just as fast and comfy; albeit with a slimmer flatter profile. Perhaps the fretboard felt a bit smoother on the Studio, although its more rounded profile could have accounted for this. The Studio's neck felt a bit wider than the 50s neck on my Gibson SG special but was still quite nice. I like either 50s or 60s profiles. -Even with a bit of bow, there was some buzzing going on there. Nothing that couldn't be sorted I would imagine. -The finish was nice enough but I didn't notice any appreciable difference compared to my Epi, bar the quality of the electronics being lower on the Epi. -The pickups were nice (hotter than on my Epi LP) but nothing special on the Fen**r valve amp which was provided (sorry forgot to check which model). I much prefer the pickups on my SG special- brighter and more vintage sounding, and the crisp, growly P90s on my Wildkat are much much nicer too. -I then turned the amp off and played it 'unplugged'. This killed it for me- It was dreadful! Very thin and tinny sounding. Unplugged, my Epi LP sings like a bird- beautiful thick fat sounding resonance that sustains for ever, even when the strings need changing. No wonder the studio sounded nothing special plugged in. Amplified, it just didn't seem to sustain as much as I'd expected. Maybe the chambered body was the problem or perhaps it just the luck of the draw depending on the slab of wood you get. -Looks wise, my Epi blows away the Gibson with its lovely flame veneer top, burst paint job and the cream binding. -Cost wise- about 2.5 times greater for the studio I know this head to head comparison is hardly a controlled experiment but I'm no longer GASing for that studio. I'll keep my Epi LP thanks. Alan Two months on, I feel the same. I still don't want to swap, especially now the prices of Gibsons have gone up even further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Ah yes...one more mindless thread filled with delusional posters in search of elevating a cheap import's status.](*' date=') [/quote'] (clears throat ala johnny cash) Trollin, trollin, trollin... trollin trollin trollin though their heads are swollen keep them posts a rollin' Rawhide! through rain and wind and weather and replys that say 'whatever' wishin' a gal was by thier side the common sense they're missin' keeps my sides a splittin' they ought to find a forum they abide. chorus write 'em out, read 'em up Read 'em up, write 'em out Move 'em on, puke 'em up Rawhide Count 'em out, write 'em in, Write 'em in, count 'em out, Count 'em out, Write 'em in Rawhide! Don't try to understand 'em Just rope, throw, and brand 'em! Soon we'll be living high and wide. My ears are calculatin' My Epi will be waitin', Be waitin' at the end of my ride! Rawhide! Rawhide! yeeeahaaaaaa! TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Great lyrics Twang, almost dropped my beer reading them.=D>/ Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Nelson Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I have tried the Epi les pauls and they do play nice..... My Gibby Les Paul Junior does feel nicer than any Epi LP that I've played. But my Gibby LP custom' date=' I just don't like the wide neck and the wide frets (as you stated). I also don't like the mid-rangie tone it has... For me I'll take a Gibson Les Paul over an Epi every time, but does the price difference between the two, justify the difference in quality.... probably not. [/quote'] Hey Doo-Wayne...how about a photo of that Gibby Les Paul Custom ? I'll bet it's like a dream !!!! Mr.Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Nelson Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Great lyrics Twang' date=' almost dropped my beer reading them.=D>/ Peter[/quote'] We're writing one about Twang...calling it Sellin' Sellin' Sellin' ...hey, gotta give the guy a break though...there's only so much blood you can sell. Mr.Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Nelson Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Ah yes...one more mindless thread filled with delusional posters in search of elevating a cheap import's status.](*' date=') [/quote'] Hey...these guys gotta work with what they have...If you had the ugliest girlfriend on earth and that was your best shot...you'd find the bright side...even if it did involve working in pitch blackness... Mr.Nelson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 We're writing one about Twang...calling it Sellin' Sellin' Sellin' ...hey' date=' gotta give the guy a break though...there's only so much blood you can sell. Mr.Nelson[/quote'] last post for this sort of thing from me. I mean to try anyway. point is, we don't feel the same way you do about epi/gibson. you know that. you guys only say this stuff to stir things up. attention seeking contrariness is usually evidence of some personal characteristic gone awry. We know how you feel.. You know how we feel.. your constant nonsense about finding every detail in anyone's posting to carp about reminds me of a spell check that wont shut off. Tell me, how many steps down the gibson line up do you have to go before an epi will be as good or better to you? and why do you ignor the recent guitar player review.. 90% of a gibson.. is it because the epi is 25% of the price to start with. and that takes you back to my point.. which is four epis beat a single gibson every time? Hey.. we know how you feel. you know how we feel. Why not contribute in way that is in keeping with the point of calling it EPIPHONE FORUMS. Your personal stuff wont stick to me so, say what you will. I just think we ought to discuss this stuff reasonably, and in good spirits. Instead of sneering and jabbing at each other. I like the way the Mods here operate. They are pretty relaxed. But what I'd really like is for newbies not to come in and see all this serious bile making them afraid to come in and chat. So, why not mellow out a bit? tWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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