Memphs1978 Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 read the SPEC's :- http://www.rondomusic.com/product2403.html remember the birds eye maple from epi? look at this badboy!! :) http://www.rondomusic.com/product2405.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I like the LP model in birdseye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 That is a super nice guitar. I just don't understand why Epi can't produce a quality guitar in that price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron G Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I just don't understand why Epi can't produce a quality guitar in that price range. It's not that they can't - they won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYSohn Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 It's not that they can't - they won't. +1000!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 It's not that they can't - they won't. I hear ya Ron. Im not trying to slam Epi; I like Epis. I just don't feel that they are the value that they once were. I believe that the Elitists were priced fair for the kind of quality that you were getting but since the latest price increase I just don't see Epis as a bargain anymore. The Custom are now around $799; I could get a USA Fender Highway One for that kind of money. With the selection and prices that Rondo has Epi is gonna have to do something to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I don't want to slam Epis either (I have 10 of them), but if their quality is going to drop down to that of Jay Turser and Oscar Schmidt with a price above those two, then it is time to look elsewhere. A year ago, a B-stock Epiphone was so close to perfect, it took a while to find the flaw. Now, the A-stock looks worse than the old B-stock if the photos of the sloppy painting are any indication. I think that, in the next 6 months, Epiphone will probably still sell guitars based on its former reputation. But with no repeat business and the negative word-of-mouth, they'll be history or will be sold out of WalMart and Sam's Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenrirlupus Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 anybody wanna go for a wilshire? http://www.rondomusic.com/ad2300jr.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenrirlupus Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 +1000!!!! you can say that again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 It's confusing. To produce such really sweet guitars.. and be honest, some pretty nice models.. and then be outdone by every tom **** and harry that comes along. I prefer a flame top to a quilt by the way. Should we have a poll? TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiberna Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 It's not that they can't - they won't. not so much epiphone but its gibson that dont wana push the quality incase it gets too close to their gibbos and people realise that gibson do infact overcharge insanely when you buy a gibbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 not so much epiphone but its gibson that dont wana push the quality incase it gets too close to their gibbos and people realise that gibson do infact overcharge insanely when you buy a gibbo. That is exactly the reason that the Elitist line was yanked. The Elitist line was taking sells away from the lower end Gibson Special and faded models. I own a Gibson L.P. Special double cut and although it is a decent guitar for the money it does not even come close to the quality and playability as the Elitists that I have owned. All the other major builders are doing business outside the US, Fender and Martin being two, so why couldn't Gibson keep the Elitist line in Japan and put the Gibson name on it ? They would have been putting theirself into a part of the market that Fender is being quite succesful with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Summerisle Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 why couldn't Gibson keep the Elitist line in Japan and put the Gibson name on it ? They would have been putting theirself into a part of the market that Fender is being quite succesful with. Being cynical, I think that keeping the brand-name "pure" (in terms of Gibson's guitars being built in America only) allows them to get away with charging outrageous sums for some of their products. Let's face it: Fenders are cheaper, and offer better bang-for-buck than Gibsons. I paid less than $1000 for my American Standard Strat. Sure, Fender also make Squiers but some kid can still get a real Fender for $440 - that's how much a Mexican Standard Strat goes for these days. You really have to go Custom Shop to start lashing out big bucks on one of Leo's babies. Realistically, how much more work goes into making a Gibson SG Standard than an American Standard Stratocaster? Well, you've got the set neck (obviously) and the fret-board binding. Other than that, you've basically got a flat body with contoured edges. You also have the routing, rather than just carving a big hole and wiring everything to a scratchplate. However, you don't have the contouring on the back of the body, and you don't have a vibrato system - just a tune-o-matic bridge and a stop tailpiece held in with a couple of big ol' bolts. Is the $600 price difference really reflected in the production costs of the two guitars? I doubt it very much. But then, virtually anyone can afford a Fender, so having "Fender" on your headstock isn't really that big a statement. With Gibsons, you can tell the difference between the aristocracy and the proletariat straight away, by whether the headstock says "Gibson" or "Epiphone". I think Gibson probably like it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yew Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Epiphone could easily make guitars that give gibson nightmares, after all, the main differance is wood, epis are made the get the most guitars per tree, but surely they could make some good guitars with maybe 3 peices (neck and headstock is usually one peice cut to get the right angle) then all they need to do is get some gibson vintage PAF pickups, some neck/headstock binding, and finally, Balance the bloody thing And that thing would scare the pants off gibson Ps: Put it in a nice colour and ditch the ugly worn finishes that they are tryng to apply, all they do is spoil a nice guitar and make it look like its cheaper than it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexygibson Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I agree, Lord Summerisle, that Gibson is probably trying to keep the brand pure by staying stateside, although they are making a line of acoustics now in Canada. I just thought it was a horrible business decision of dropping the Elitist line. I looked as the Elitist line as the " middle-class " of guitars. They filled a niche by suppling those of us who either couldn't, or wouldn't , pay the price for Gibsons standard models. I am sure some players shunned the Elitist line because of the Epi name on the headstock but with Gibson on it they may have taken it a little more seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarxBros Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Agile have really lead the way in the quality/value race. They've been ahead and widening the gap for a few years now. Unless there is a complete turn around with Epi they will be relegated to the Jay Turser level across the board. There's several other off brands as well, but the Agiles seem to have it nailed more than any other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyushPresley Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 how old are these Agile guitars anyway.. I mean When did they start making Guitars ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyushPresley Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Epiphone could easily make guitars that give gibson nightmares' date=' after all, the main differance is wood, epis are made the get the most guitars per tree, but surely they could make some good guitars with maybe 3 peices (neck and headstock is usually one peice cut to get the right angle) then all they need to do is get some gibson vintage PAF pickups, some neck/headstock binding, and finally, [b'] Balance the bloody thing [/b] And that thing would scare the pants off gibson Ps: Put it in a nice colour and ditch the ugly worn finishes that they are tryng to apply, all they do is spoil a nice guitar and make it look like its cheaper than it is Bindings = Extra $$$, Gibson Vintage PAF = Some more $$$, Better Wood = much more extra $$$, Some Quality Electronics = Wow !!! That Much ??? ..Epiphone is trying to make good guitars at less price, see where they have cut their costs ??..if they start making Epi's from your specs it's gonna cost somewhere close to Gibson and now make the same Epi's in USA and there you have an Epiphone that costs as much as a Gibson would..who would buy epiphone then..yes it can scare the pants of Gibson if it was a separate company.but it can't rather than to say it won't... nevertheless Epiphone Makes some really good guitar at a reasonable price (well almost reasonable) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphs1978 Posted February 11, 2009 Author Share Posted February 11, 2009 Bindings = Extra $$$' date=' Gibson Vintage PAF = Some more $$$, Better Wood = much more extra $$$, Some Quality Electronics = Wow !!! That Much ??? ..Epiphone is trying to make good guitars at less price, see where they have cut their costs ??..if they start making Epi's from your specs it's gonna cost somewhere close to Gibson and now make the same Epi's in USA and there you have an Epiphone that costs as much as a Gibson would..who would buy epiphone then..yes it can scare the pants of Gibson if it was a separate company.but it can't rather than to say it won't... nevertheless Epiphone Makes some really good guitar at a reasonable price (well almost reasonable)[/quote'] do they? :- i mean a custom for $800 with crap pick ups and **** fit and finish? nah ill pass.. never again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyushPresley Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 I didn't mean that they made brilliant guitars but a good value for the money..They do make good guitars..Well my Standard plays really good with the Stock Pups..but the Pups don't have that brilliant sound they play well though.. There are always some lemons anyway well more is case of Epiphone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gus² Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Flamed, Quilted, Spalted...how many kinds of maple are available?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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