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Epiphone Les Paul Special II Players Pack or Squier Affinity Pack ?

BLUELOU74

By BLUELOU74
in Epiphone Electrics

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BLUELOU74

BLUELOU74

Posted
Posted

Hello, I'm new here.

So I've been playing the harp for about 10 years now and have always wanted to learn the guitar. Im honestly torn between which one to start with since I love BB King, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush and many others who have played Gibson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Clapton and many others who have played strats..

 

I found a Epiphone Les Paul Special II Players Pack with Epiphone's Studio 10 amplifier, and all the accessories you need to get started playing guitar. This is a powerful sounding guitar with the feel you only get from a Les Paul. The excellent Special II is built with an Alder/Mahogany body, 2 open-coil humbucking pickups, a Mahogany neck with a Rosewood fretboard, and chrome hardware. The Studio 10 amp has a 3-band EQ and gain controls, and a handy built-in prop stand.

 

Includes Les Paul Special II electric guitar, Studio 10 amplifier, Gig bag, Pitchpipe, Strap, Picks, Instrument cable, Instructional video/book for $169 with free shipping.

 

The Squier Affinity Strat Special pack includes, Fender Frontman Amp 15G Guitar Amplifier, Stereo Headphones, Instructional DVD, Chromatic Tuner, Gig Bag, Cable, Guitar Strap, Pick Sampler for $229.99 with free shipping

or

Affinity Fat Strat HSS Electric Guitar Package with G-DEC

This set features a Squier Affinity Strat HSS guitar with a humbucking bridge pickup; plug it right into the included 15-watt G-DEC Junior amp with loads of amp types, effects, backing loops, auxiliary input, headphone jack and many other Accessories include a guitar strap, gig bag, guitar cable and pick sampler for $349.99 with free shipping.

 

Any suggestions, opinions or advice would be appreciated, thanks.

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looker

looker

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I just bought a 10 year old Fender Frontman 25R and a Black Epiphone Les Paul Special II today from craigs list for $100. The Les Paul needed neck straightened new strings and intonation reset. Its a gas to play with the D neck but feels too short being 24.75 scale. The Humbuckers are heavy bottom and punchey and overdrive the Fender 25R amp. The Frontman 25R is 25 watts 10 in and Reverb and overdrive.

 

There certainly a lot of Les Paul Special II lovers out there specially for the price $144 at Musicians Friend. The most common complaint is the tuning heads wont always stay in tune, and some earlier 2008 Indonisian made Les Pauls have a slight fret buzz on the low E and A strings. This one did too but I straightened the neck. . But properly set up and through a decent Tube amp (I have a Fender Super Champ XD with a Rajun Cajun 10 in) It sounds like a Les Paul with hummers, nice and bluesy. Here is Les Paul Special II Demo

 

 

The Fender amp blogs say if the Frontman 25R amp gets the distortion/farts at low gain (like this one does) the TL072 Op amps need to be changed out So I bought 6 of them from Digikey at .82 cents a piece. Also a guy posted a Mod for the 25R to warm up the solid state sound.. It adds 2 capacitors and 1 resistor. Here is the link

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t13690/

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Aethyr

Aethyr

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You already asked this...

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/80678-i-need-help/page__st__20

 

You got the same answer twice: starter packs are really crappy value. You get a usually low-quality guitar and a really bad amp. Specials are the only Epiphone line that I don't consider buying, and it's for good reason: I've played them, and I'd rather pay the higher price of the LP-100 or even studio, no matter what. They feel like real LPs, play like real LPs, and sound like real LPs. Not to diss people who play their specials, they might like that feeling, but they don't feel like LPs to my hands and ears. I don't know anyone who's not regretted buying a starter pack though. They might be affordable, but what you pay for is what you get.

 

I commented on Fenders on the other thread, I won't do it again.

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Billybob

Billybob

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Specials are the only Epiphone line that I don't consider buying, and it's for good reason: I've played them, and I'd rather pay the higher price of the LP-100 or even studio, no matter what.

I got the exact same response from a friend who tried both the Special and Les Paul 100. He found that for only a slightly higher price you can get the 100 which is significantly better than the Special in nearly every way.

 

By the way, if I had to pick one of the two packs, I'd probably go for the Squier Strat.

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damian

damian

Posted
Posted

Deja Vu indeed.............ie, " Did ya view ?? " your last thread on this ???? :rolleyes:[confused] :unsure: ............

 

Buy a used Epi Les Paul from one of the online retailers, then wait for a great online coupon deal for a tube amp......................

 

Then buy both, followed by a " NAD and NGD " thread, with pics !!!!!!!

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fretter

fretter

Posted
Posted

Hello, I'm new here.

So I've been playing the harp for about 10 years now and have always wanted to learn the guitar. Im honestly torn between which one to start with since I love BB King, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush and many others who have played Gibson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Clapton and many others who have played strats..

 

I found a Epiphone Les Paul Special II Players Pack with Epiphone's Studio 10 amplifier, and all the accessories you need to get started playing guitar. This is a powerful sounding guitar with the feel you only get from a Les Paul. The excellent Special II is built with an Alder/Mahogany body, 2 open-coil humbucking pickups, a Mahogany neck with a Rosewood fretboard, and chrome hardware. The Studio 10 amp has a 3-band EQ and gain controls, and a handy built-in prop stand.

 

Includes Les Paul Special II electric guitar, Studio 10 amplifier, Gig bag, Pitchpipe, Strap, Picks, Instrument cable, Instructional video/book for $169 with free shipping.

 

The Squier Affinity Strat Special pack includes, Fender Frontman Amp 15G Guitar Amplifier, Stereo Headphones, Instructional DVD, Chromatic Tuner, Gig Bag, Cable, Guitar Strap, Pick Sampler for $229.99 with free shipping

or

Affinity Fat Strat HSS Electric Guitar Package with G-DEC

This set features a Squier Affinity Strat HSS guitar with a humbucking bridge pickup; plug it right into the included 15-watt G-DEC Junior amp with loads of amp types, effects, backing loops, auxiliary input, headphone jack and many other Accessories include a guitar strap, gig bag, guitar cable and pick sampler for $349.99 with free shipping.

 

Any suggestions, opinions or advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

According to this post http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/80473-just-bought-a-black-beauty/page__view__findpost__p__1104878 You are supposed to save your money and buy a $6,000 gibson, then put it away and now you can go out and get an Epiphone and play that.

 

Hey just trying to help.

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Sjael

Sjael

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Not to diss people who play their specials, they might like that feeling, but they don't feel like LPs to my hands and ears.

This is the key thing for the LP Special II.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have a Les Paul Jr and it's easily my favorite guitar at the moment - but it's nothing like a 'real' Les Paul. It's way thinner and lighter, not to mention it has a flat top. Get a Special because you want a Special - not because you want a Les Paul on the cheap.

 

And starter packs are always garbage. Far better off putting the money towards a 'real' amp. [biggrin]

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EpiphoneFan1989

EpiphoneFan1989

Posted
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^^^^^ im with him, i bought a mint condition special 11 and a vox vt 20 for £135 scottish pounds second hand, as its my first electric guitar im well pleased with it,beautiful colours/grains and sounds alright to me, but then ive got an untrained ear

2012-01-14215108.jpg

 

Very nice colour! [thumbup] My Special is in Vintage Sunburst. Very good finish. Doesn´t look cheap. [thumbup] Good job from Epiphone.

post-35600-075776300 1327954704_thumb.jpg

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johnfeeser

johnfeeser

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I would NOT get a "Starter Pack." Definitely look on your local Craigslist. I got a G-400 with a hard case in great condition for $230 and I've seen even better prices.

But for $350, I would actually look for a Fender MIM (Made In Mexico) Strat on Craigslist. I prefer the Strat necks to the Gibson/Epiphones, but that is just a personal preference. Go to a guitar shop, and try them out to see what you like.

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