epiphones quality

xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx · Post by **xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:27 pm

i hear so much "stuff" about epiphones qaulity. most people say that epiphone is almost the same as gibson but with a lower price. i was in my local shop and played a LP for the first time and fell in love, but it was an epi so im kind of sketch on it. so what are your guys's opinions?

lvmuthearth · Post by **lvmuthearth** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:32 pm

i have a epiphone les paul...basic model, bought used for $100!! Awesome geetar! I have more expensive geetars, but this one, completely stock, is great....killer sound, plays well, no problems with workmanship....i play out in a sab tribute band and people always comment on my sound...rockerverb 50 orange 4x12 cab, an assortment of axes, including the epiphone. I've had some fun customizing it too...diamond plating , pure metal! check it out in pix section of my myspace page:
myspace.com/catboxgarage

because they are so inexpensive, you also don't worry about theft and beating the crap out of it, or modifying/customizing....that's it...have fun!

xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx · Post by **xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:39 pm

thanks man thats great! the one i checked out is $499 used but its had alot of work done on it. all the frets have been re levled, duncan '59 pickups (which is the reason i fell in love so much. those pickups are KIILLLERR) new strings obviously, and all the electrical has been re done by the guy in the shop. but i bet that by the time i have the money to get it, itll be gone =[[

Le Chat Noir · Post by **Le Chat Noir** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:59 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx
 most people say that epiphone is almost the same as gibson but with a lower price.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hmm, not most people I know. Maybe their QUALITY CONTROL is the same - i.e. not great, too much variation between instruments, but there is no doubt Epiphones are much lower quality instruments overall. If you're looking for a budget alternative that is of a higher quality, there are lots of better options in the Epiphone price bracket (Tokai, or Agile, or many others).

EDIT: That said, in your second post you say you played the guitar and liked it - and that's all that matters, what feels right to YOU. If you've found one of the well made epiphones that feels right in your hands and sounds good to hyour ears, snap it up and don't worry what anyone else says!

xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx · Post by **xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:04 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Le Chat Noir
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx
 most people say that epiphone is almost the same as gibson but with a lower price.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

EDIT: That said, in your second post you say you played the guitar and liked it - and that's all that matters, what feels right to YOU. If you've found one of the well made epiphones that feels right in your hands and sounds good to hyour ears, snap it up and don't worry what anyone else says!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

i know buuuttt...the thing that scares me is the long term qaulity of the guitar. will it hold up a year from now? i dont want it to start fallin apart on me.

Neiloler · Post by **Neiloler** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:11 pm

Most guitars are so stuck together that the won't be falling apart on anyone. Even cheap glue holds.

I'd look at Agile, they've got some great stuff: http://www.rondomusic.net

Also, if you're looking for a semi hollow guitar, I'm LOVING my Ibanez, and for $600, I think it kicks major keester, perhaps even the major keester of epiphones. I'll have to really sit down and compare them someday...

xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx · Post by **xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:16 pm

i was thinkin my next guitar might be a raven west LP

http://www.ravenwestguitar.com/rmliqu.html

that would probly be alooott better qaulity than epiphones.
and theyre not expensive.

Le Chat Noir · Post by **Le Chat Noir** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:28 pm

As Neil says, build quality isn't something you need to worry about. All guitars are solid and reliable these days, the differences are more in the detail really. Even the Chinese-built guitars I've seen/played recently are surprisingly good, very solid and well-built, though don't believe everything you read on Harmony Central - in a blindfold test I'm confident I could still definitely tell a cheap Chinese guitar from an expensive American or Japanese one. It's the little things, like the fret edges, nut, etc, that you won't necessarily notice if you haven't played a lot of guitars... but when you do pick up something of real quality you certainly feel and see the gap is still there. I feel that generally the Japanese builders still offer the best quality to price ratio. It all depends what your budget is... but I always say, it's better to buy one good guitar now that feels right and have it last you a lifetime than keep buying cheap ones and never finding the right one for you.

xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx · Post by **xTRUTHOFMYYOUTHx** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:29 pm

thanks alot guys

Jaws Theme Swimming · Post by **Jaws Theme Swimming** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:31 pm

i've got a pair of epiphones, a LP custom and a sheraton. i haven't got an issue with either one of them yet. however neither have stayed stock. like teddy said, it's all about how it feels to you. definitely wouldn't be all the worried about quality though. i've actually heard stories of guys actually opting for the sheraton over a gibson 335 when given the choice!

Neiloler · Post by **Neiloler** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:35 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Le Chat Noir
 it's better to buy one good guitar now that feels right and have it last you a lifetime than keep buying cheap ones and never finding the right one for you.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is such a great point Teddy. Seriously, save up, check around, and don't let your desire be wasted upon just any guitar. I had to recently sit down with myself and say "self, are you looking to play or collect?" I'd love to have money to get a bunch of guitars, and I know plenty of people here and other places that have lots of equipment and are still VERY much players, not just collectors.

But that being said, me, where I am right now, I need to be a player, and that means that I probably won't be getting a new guitar for quite some time. I shouldn't be at least. I've got some great guitars. They're not the best things out there, and they won't sell for a million dollars on ebay, but they feel good and have some cool tones. That's what I need right now.

The artist that obsesses too much over his brush and palate will never be able to paint his picture. The same way with guitar. If you found some guitar that 99% of the world said was total crap, and yet you felt it worked for you and you liked its sound, I'd say go for it. Doesn't mean I'd love it, or I'd want it, but if it makes you want to say "YES! THIS is music!" then go for it. THAT'S the factor I'd be most worried about with looking for a guitar, ESPECIALLY when I look back on the money I've wasted because I wanted to go for a look or a style or bought based entirely on what I read on harmony central or what not. Those aren't bad things to consider, but make sure you make the decision for you, not for anyone else. Because after all, it's your music you're making, no one else's.

Le Chat Noir · Post by **Le Chat Noir** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:55 pm

Wise words from Neil

I'd like to add that I recently decided out of curiosity to buy a Chinese-made Johnson Delta Rose on Ebay - it's like a kind of Gibson-Gretsch hybrid, with mahogany construction and Les Paul body shape but floating bridge and hollow body. After reading lots of incredibly positive reviews of this guitar, I was ready to be happily surprised... but when it arrived and I took it out of the box, I felt let down. Again, it's details, like rough fret edges, paint runs, badly-cut nut, even corrosion (!) already on the machineheads... even just the horribly cheap strings which you'll obiously swap off but are an indicator. If I was a beginner and it was the first guitar I picked up, and I'd read all these stellar reviews saying it's as good as a Gibson but more versatile (as said by several 'experiencec pros on Harmony Central) I'd be thinking that the reason it didn't feel very good in my hands was because of me, not the guitar.

Do yourself a favour and invest just a little bit more in sometihng that will feel good and will make you want to keep going back to your guitar. My favourite guitars are a pair of US Standard Telecasters, one of which cost me around 350 pounds (700 dollars) second hand and the other 150 in a really bad state - I probably spent 50-100 getting it back into a good state, but now it's a great player. These guitars feel so nice in my hands and I just want to keep picking them up - that's how you should feel with a guitar.

Joey22 · Post by **Joey22** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:58 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Neiloler
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Le Chat Noir
 it's better to buy one good guitar now that feels right and have it last you a lifetime than keep buying cheap ones and never finding the right one for you.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is such a great point Teddy. Seriously, save up, check around, and don't let your desire be wasted upon just any guitar. I had to recently sit down with myself and say "self, are you looking to play or collect?" I'd love to have money to get a bunch of guitars, and I know plenty of people here and other places that have lots of equipment and are still VERY much players, not just collectors.

But that being said, me, where I am right now, I need to be a player, and that means that I probably won't be getting a new guitar for quite some time. I shouldn't be at least. I've got some great guitars. They're not the best things out there, and they won't sell for a million dollars on ebay, but they feel good and have some cool tones. That's what I need right now.

The artist that obsesses too much over his brush and palate will never be able to paint his picture. The same way with guitar. If you found some guitar that 99% of the world said was total crap, and yet you felt it worked for you and you liked its sound, I'd say go for it. Doesn't mean I'd love it, or I'd want it, but if it makes you want to say "YES! THIS is music!" then go for it. THAT'S the factor I'd be most worried about with looking for a guitar, ESPECIALLY when I look back on the money I've wasted because I wanted to go for a look or a style or bought based entirely on what I read on harmony central or what not. Those aren't bad things to consider, but make sure you make the decision for you, not for anyone else. Because after all, it's your music you're making, no one else's.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Well said Neil!

Oranges and Lemons · Post by **Oranges and Lemons** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:22 pm

I have a crap little Epi LP that I upgraded a bit and had set up by my excellent local luthier. While it's clearly a "cheap" guitar, I love it. It plays great, stays in tune brilliantly, it's well intonated and I absolutely adore the chunky-not-exactly-old-growth-extra-grade-a-wood sound it makes.

I had p90s put in, had the tone pots removed and new tuning machines installed.

dirtythief · Post by **dirtythief** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:27 pm

i've had the same Epi les paul for about 10 years now. i've replaced the nut, the pots, and threw a Classic 57 in the bridge.
it's been to hell and back and still is in one piece.

here it is from some radio gig in Boston, when i was playing in some punk band. notice the Orange reflection.

*i used to put tape over the Epi logo and write Gibson just to be a jerk.

epiphones quality

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