Spyke1 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hi all, Been a while since I posted but I'm back - with a question. I've been hankering after a nice dual P90 equiped guitar. I was searching for an Epi '56 Goldtop and found some dealers still selling them for £349. A Ltd Ed 59 Standard costs £599. Now, I then discovered the Gibson 60's Tribute Studio, with dual P90s, selling for £749. Thing is, I know the standard argument when comparing Epiphones and Gibsons is that they're not the same, but that it's hard sometimes to justify the Gibson being 3 or 4 times the price. Well in a Standard LP that applies, but when I'm comparing a 56 Goldtop Epi and a 60's Tribute Studio then the price difference is only double! What do you guys think? I mean I can't actually try either out befoe buying as none of my local stores have either in stock. Before I started all this comparison I actually ordered a Xaviere XV-440 (mahogony body, set neck, dual GFS P90s, basically a Studio Special copy) for a lot less than anything I've listed in this post. I'm still waiting for it to arrive but I wonder if I've done the right thing - or am I denying myself a truly wonderful guitar in the form of the 60's Tribute? Any thoughts welcome, Thanks! Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I don't think the 60's Tributes are shipping yet over here, so unlikely to find anyone that will have one at this point. I have a hankerin' for that 60's Tribute Gibby SG myself. I have heard some fairly mixed comments about the GFS Xavieres... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supersonic Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Yeah, you can only pre-order the Gibson LP Studio 60's Tributes at the moment. Not sure when they will start shipping them. I was looking at them online this morning. Pretty sweet price. I noticed that they come with a "gig bag" and not a hard case, which is lame IMO. They look like nice guitars though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'd recommend the Gibson if you can afford it. I certainly wouldn't pay £349 for a new Epi goldtop, I'd wait for a secondhand one on e-bay for around £200. However, the Gibson will be much nicer and I don't think you'll regret it. The chambered body works better than I expected, it does help the sustain. I've got the Silverburst Studio 2010 ltd edition with coiltaps...otherwise I'd be after the honeyburst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upiory Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 As a newbie, I hesitate to post, but you mentioned "value." It's difficult to match Agile guitars as far as 'bang for your buck' (as we say Stateside). You can find them at www.rondomusic.com You might also want to visit the Agile Guitar Forum for exhaustive discussions comparing the quality of Agile guitars with Gibsons and Epiphones. Agile has produced a number of Les Paul Junior and Les Paul Special types. The only drawback rests in electronics, as you'd most likely want to replace the P-90s. I purchased an Agile AL-3000 Goldtop, and it's a fine instrument. I found the stock pups too shrill, so I replaced them (along with the wiring harness). I know Agile has customers as far away as Sweden and Australia, so they're worth checking out for you. No, I'm not affiliated with Agile in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyke1 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks guys. As nice as the Epi might be, I feel that the Gibson at that price is a bit of a steal, and may even hold its value a bit longer so I've decided to go for that. Either a 50's or 60's Studio Tribute in Heritage Cherry burst. I looked at several other brands, including the Agiles, and ultimately decided that if the 'original' is that close in price then why not just go for it. I've decided to cancel the order for the Xaviere too, simply because I don't have room for two incoming guitars, not for any quality issue or anything. Thanks for the pointers! Can anyone point me to any "50's vs 60's Studio Tribute" threads I could study? Ant :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 http://forum.gibson....+%2Bles+%2Bpaul There were some theads on the 50's Tributes over on the Gibby forum, but those sold out last year and folks were PO'd about it. Try using the search function over there. The 50's Tributes were popping up on eBay for more than retail for a while (especially the goldtop), but that subsided and I'm seeing them showing up on Craigslist now. Here's a honeyburst in Philly area for $875: http://philadelphia....2183107586.html PS: I agree with your decision - Agiles and Epis are nice, but if you can get a Gibson for a few hundred more, it's a better investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks guys. As nice as the Epi might be, I feel that the Gibson at that price is a bit of a steal, and may even hold its value a bit longer so I've decided to go for that. Either a 50's or 60's Studio Tribute in Heritage Cherry burst. I looked at several other brands, including the Agiles, and ultimately decided that if the 'original' is that close in price then why not just go for it. I've decided to cancel the order for the Xaviere too, simply because I don't have room for two incoming guitars, not for any quality issue or anything. Thanks for the pointers! Can anyone point me to any "50's vs 60's Studio Tribute" threads I could study? Ant :D http://forum.gibson....+%2Bles+%2Bpaul There were some theads on the 50's Tributes over on the Gibby forum, but those sold out last year and folks were PO'd about it. Try using the search function over there. The 50's Tributes were popping up on eBay for more than retail for a while (especially the goldtop), but that subsided and I'm seeing them showing up on Craigslist now. Here's a honeyburst in Philly area for $875: http://philadelphia....2183107586.html PS: I agree with your decision - Agiles and Epis are nice, but if you can get a Gibson for a few hundred more, it's a better investment. I own all three brands......Many of all three brands......The 60 tribute has the more slender neck than the 50s tribute.........Get one, you'll love it.. I don't own either Tribute but I will own both at some point....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyke1 Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Well now, here's the tale so far... I phoned Andertons as they were advertising the 50's tributes as in stock and he 60's as incoming. The guy I spoke to said they were still awaiting the 60's ones but they had 3 50's left: two white (yuk) and one Heritage Cherry, which was the astore demonstrator. He said if I ordered the cherry one it would be checked over and if anything was amiss I'd get a notification and the option to change my order or maybe get a discount. So I did that, thinking I may a) get a reduced price or B) transfer my order to one of the incoming 60's ones. But tonight I got an email saying my 50's Heritage Cherry is on its way!!! I'm happy, because I'm getting a beautiful guitar, but also slightly miffed cos I didn't get an option of a reduced price on an ex-demo. On the other hand of course, if it's not damaged I won't have lost anything... I'd have liked the slimmer neck perhaps, but to be honest I like the necks on all my guitars and they're all different. How "thick" is the baseball bat of the 50's? Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyke1 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 I got it! I love it! Pics tomorrow - busy right now! (Thanks for advice...) Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 My Gibby SG faded has a '50s neck. My hands are by no means big and I find it very comfortable. I would say that, if you play thumb on the back of the neck shredding, it may not be as suitable as a thin/flat Ibanez style neck. Otherwise, you'll be fine I'm sure. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyke1 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 Yep, the neck is very similar to my old Epi LP Std from the late 90s, which was plenty comfortable for me. Not a shredder by any means! Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyke1 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 Here she is! A couple more pics on the Gibson board... Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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