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HELP?! Epi LP or Epi Explorer?


Sinb

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Posted

Hey whats up? As alot of u probably know, i have an epiphone LP which im constantly talking about lol but there are a few things about it that bug me (yes i am very pciky when it comes with guitars) and I recently stumbled upon the epiphone Explorerss. I havent played one yet for myself but from what i research it has nearly the same feel and play as a Gibby. SO my question is, would trading/selling my LP too get the explorer worth it?

Posted

In my completely biased opinion I'll say...DON'T DO IT!!! There. I've said it. Seriously though, if that's what you want to do, then why ask us? Just do it!

Posted
In my completely biased opinion I'll say...DON'T DO IT!!! There. I've said it. Seriously though' date=' if that's what you want to do, then why ask us? Just do it![/quote']

 

Thank you, but why not?

Posted

Because nothing even comes close to a Les Paul. Besides, I once had a Jackson Kelly KE3, I believe it was. Basically an Explorer shaped guitar. I absolutely hated it. Suffered from a real bad case of neck-dive, and compared to my most beloved, and trusted Blue Bomber (pictured below), the thing sounded like a ukelele. Needless to say, I moved it. So, again, in my completely biased opinion, DON'T DO IT!!! Of course, the Epiphone may probably be nothing like the Jackoff...er...Jackson, be your own judge.

Posted
Because nothing even comes close to a Les Paul. Besides' date=' I once had a Jackson Kelly KE3, I believe it was. Basically an Explorer shaped guitar. I absolutely hated it. Suffered from a real bad case of neck-dive, and compared to my most beloved, and trusted Blue Bomber (pictured below), the thing sounded like a ukelele. Needless to say, I moved it. So, again, in my completely biased opinion, DON'T DO IT!!! Of course, the Epiphone may probably be nothing like the Jackoff...er...Jackson, be your own judge.[/quote']

 

lol Well thanks for your opinion. The jackson was really that bad? lol what type of pickups were in it? do u remember?

Posted

They were supposed to be Duncan-design something-or-others, but yes, compared to the Epiphone, it was really that bad. Of course, things like that are subjective, but to me the Lester just has that "oomph" the Jackson just didn't have. And after mods, it has "oomph" AND "pizzazz", no comparison.

Posted

Neck dives will be eliminated by moving the strap pin to the back of the neck. It's an easy mod. Just be sure to pre-drill the hole for the screw so you don't split the neck.

 

Epiphone Les Pauls aren't Gibson Les Pauls... there are a lot of differences... but they do share a flavour. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and I use to own an Epiphone Explorer. The Les Paul has a more complex sound, where-as the Explorer was brighter and more straight forward. The Explorer had much better upper fret access though, and a great look.

Posted

I like my Epiphone Gothic "1958" Hardtail Explorer just fine. I've never played an Epi LP, so I can only compare it to my old Gibson LP Studio which I very stupidly sold years ago.

 

The Explorer's tone isn't nearly as thick as the LP's was, but on the other hand, it has "bite" to it.

 

Ease of upper fret access on an Explorer is somewhere between a LP and an SG, with the LP being slightly more difficult to play at the highest frets.

 

It is just a little neck-heavy. I use a 3.5 inch leather strap, which helps. With my strap and wardrobe, it doesn't "dive" when you let it go, but the neck will very slowly creep downwards if you don't support it. I don't really mind just dealing with it. I've considered installing a strap button behind the neck, but I'm a little squeamish about the finish chipping or cracking, so I haven't bothered with it as of yet.

 

Mine came stock with Grover tuners, which I prefer to traditional Gibson-style tuners (which tend to literally fall apart after several years in my experience). The controls are a bit different from a LP: You can't really use the pickup selector as a killswitch like on a LP: if you turn one volume knob all the way down, you will still get output from the other pickup in the middle position. I'm hoping to "fix" this when I gut mine and install new pickups and pots.

 

In short, Matiac's criticisms have some validity, but don't necessarily let that stop you. But you should definitely play before you buy, and give it some serious thought. If I still had my Gibson LP Studio, I won't trade it for anything. But since I don't, and I can't afford another, I'm enjoying my Epiphone Explorer as a refreshing change of pace.

 

-meursalt

 

PS: I forgot to mention, the Explorer isn't quite as heavy as my Les Paul was. So if weight is a factor for you, the Explorer might be a good choice. It's really just personal preference.

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