"Dedicated Chinese Factory" Epiphones

[Stig]

I've got a 2006 Ltd. Ed. Casino from the Chinese factory, and I love it. It's a well-built, great-looking, nice-playing guitar. And I own a bunch of vintage and newer guitars by makers like Gibson, Fender, and Guild. The Casino is right at home with it's older sisters.

[tsiratiug]

I got a Sheraton II a few weeks ago and it was fine right out of the box (a little nut binding but that was an easy fix).

 

I've played just about every brand and style of guitar in my 30 years of playing (my first paying gig was 1979) and I've noticed a truth. Take a bunch of guitars of the same make and model off the wall at a shop (high end or not) and some will stand out, some will be so-so and some will be garbage. Of course, at the higher end the percentages get better but there are just too many variables to expect a gem every time. Right or wrong, it is part of selecting an instrument. When they figure out how to QC feel and vibe shopping will be easier - until then, this is how we all buy instruments....and it's been that way for decades.

[JefferySmith]

Sounds like the Chinese factory is getting an "okay" nod. I wonder if it is because we've lowered our expectations. With Elitists gone, the new "high end" is Korean, and the new midpoint is Chinese (where the Korean guitars used to be). Apparently we no longer have a "low end" unless it is Chinese Epiphones that shouldn't have made it out of the factory in the first place.

[tsiratiug]

Sounds like the Chinese factory is getting an "okay" nod. I wonder if it is because we've lowered our expectations.

 

Most guitars made in the 50's and early 60's were made by luthiers and craftsmen. Economics enticed guitar companies to mass manufacture guitars in factories. Now, instead of a guitar being crafted in a shop they are "assembled" by factory workers on a production line. Leo Fender himself may have hand sanded the first Tele necks but now a computer assisted machine cuts and sands them and the little bit of "hand" work is now done by a nice lady with kids who could have just as easily excelled in a factory making patio furniture. The manufacturers lowered their own product expectations a long time ago.

 

That said, those nice ladies manage to turn out some fine instruments - not all of them.... maybe not even most of them but, there are some quality instruments to be found for those willing to look a little harder than the old days.

[Stig]

 

Most guitars made in the 50's and early 60's were made by luthiers and craftsmen. Economics enticed guitar companies to mass manufacture guitars in factories. Now' date=' instead of a guitar being crafted in a shop they are "assembled" by factory workers on a production line. Leo Fender himself may have hand sanded the first Tele necks but now a computer assisted machine cuts and sands them and the little bit of "hand" work is now done by a nice lady with kids who could have just as easily excelled in a factory making patio furniture. The manufacturers lowered their own product expectations a long time ago.

 

That said, those nice ladies manage to turn out some fine instruments - not all of them.... maybe not even most of them but, there are some quality instruments to be found for those willing to look a little harder than the old days. [/quote']

 

Well said. The fact is, unless you grew up in the era of truly awful budget guitars, you probably can't grasp just how good Epi's and Squiers are for the money you spend on them. Try out a Hondo II sometime. Ouch. In real economic terms, a good Epi costs about the same, and is literally 10 times better.

Thank Hartley Peavey for pioneering modern guitar production techniques that let people on limited budgets own extremely playable and attractive instruments for a fraction of the cost of a top of the line instrument.

[GaryM]

^ What he said.

 

Stig nailed it.

[Jason_Voorhees]

I have a 2006 G-400 and 2006 Les paul custom (both Quindao factory) and I am satisfied with the sound

and playability of the guitar.. although, there are small flaws on the les paul binding.

 

I owned a SG special and Les paul special (Made in China) years ago and they are also good guitars,

the only thing i noticed are the minor cosmetic issues.

[dcooper830]

I have about 10 Epiphones..... Les Pauls and DOTs and DOT Studios........ Korean AND Chinese.

 

They're all AWESOME players and hang right in there with my Gibson Les Pauls.

 

Quite a few of the Epis I got felt like crap when I first got 'em. High action and fret buzz issues mainly.

 

Fortunately I can do basic fret work, action, intonation, and truss rod adjustment........ so I had no fear!!

 

I started sanding, grinding, cranking on stuff till I got 'em playing GREAT!!

 

Top 'em off with a good fret polish, fretboard conditioner application, nut slot lubricant and they play smooth as silk with nice low action, no fret buzz and stay in tune for days.

 

Granted you shouldn't have to do that with a brand new axe....... but the reality is ...... they're not gonna come from the factory playing just like you want 'em to.

 

Epiphone's factory spec for action is too high for me. If I set it lower to where I like it....... there's usually fret buzz. Epiphone's Owner's manual even says this is normal and not considered a defect.

 

So ya gotta get them frets leveled if you want nice low action sometimes.

 

I don't understand people who walk into a music store....... try out guitars.... and then they're all amazed that many of them don't play well.

 

All they need is a good setup that's all.

[charlie brown]

Ok...now, for the more "luthier" types, among us...do you think the build quality, though somewhat different, is as good as Korean was/is...better, or worse? I know there have been "instances" where...based on just the photos we've seen, you really wonder how that could have possibly even left the factory, much less gone to a dealer (after the Nashville check point), much less been sold/purchased! Do you (any of you) feel like those were just isolated incidents, that slipped through the cracks, or a more serious lack of factory QC, or even built techniques? A fair amount of you seem pretty satisfied, with your particular "Chinese" Epi's. Others claim they will never go down the Chinese road, again. And, others still, somewhere in between.

 

I guess, what I'm curious about, is if "I" was interested in a new Epiphone, and knew NOTHING about them, would any or all of you, recomend without reservation, or with some (or even serious) reservations, or not at all, getting the new "Chinese" Epi's?

 

CB

[Bender 4 Life]

I had to vote "Somewhat disappointing" from several hands on experiences @ my local GC.

The guitars weren't such a big disappointment construction wise.......but the materials were obviously very cheap (the Naturals looked TERRIBLE).

 

The best advice I can offer Epi. goes along with my biggest concern and disappointment.............

that advice is.......FIRE YOUR AMERICAN INSPECTORS.........RE-HIRE SOMEBODY OVER 15 YRS OLD TO DO THE JOB.

HIRE ACTUAL PLAYERS.......HIRE SOMEONE SOBER.......AND THAT GIVES A S*!T.

The guitars i've tried to "test drive" were set up so poorly, that I couldn't even give them a fair "in store" checkout.

 

So much for "100% inspected and set up in the U.S.A."

[antwhi2001]

I've owned 3 Samicks (LP Std, G400, Sorrento) and 2 "EE"s, and to a greater or lesser extent I've taken them all to bits.

 

The bits you can't see - inside the cavities - were poorly machined and finished on the EEs. Rough, uneven surfaces with a thin smear of conductive paint, compared to neatly finished and painted surfaces and clean 90 degree angles on the Samicks. On the Samicks, pots, switches etc had grab washers on the inside to reduce the chances of them working loose. On the EEs, no internal washers at all. On the Samicks the pickup surrounds were made of a denser plastic, on the EEs it was softer and some of the edges were not absolutely straight. These are minor things but they all demonstrate cost-cutting over workmanship.

 

Only 2 aspects in which the EEs were "better" : (1) higher gloss finish - if you like that kind of thing (2) the imitation Grovers are better than the Korean imitation Klusons.

 

Owning your own dedicated facility is not something you do to control quality. It's something you do to totally control cost. Marketing it as a committment to quality, when you are actually systematically reducing quality to the lowest level the market will stand, is cynical but also standard business practice. I don't mind what Gibson do, but bear in mind that an Epi LP Custom Plus list price in the UK is now over $1000. I wouldn't pay that for EE quality. Elitist maybe.